-Silver

Sunlight hit Juvia's face as she walked down the paved sidewalk. Pine trees grew beside where she walked, little pinecones hung above her and the trees shed their needles as she passed by. With earphones in her ears and books in her hands, Juvia hummed to Vivaldi's Four Seasons: Spring.

She looked up to see the bright blue sky, cloudless and vast in its cerulean glory. It reminded her of a certain someone's eyes. She smiled at that thought and rounded the corner, heading for the coffee shop. Her white dress flowed with the wind as it blew, soft cotton brushing around her knees, it was a good summer breeze.

"Rae" She heard the endearment through the violins in her ear. She turned her head and saw him. Standing underneath a tree, his face was shadowed, hidden underneath his red hood. But that lazy smile gave her beloved Gray away. She smiled and walked towards him, taking off her earphones. He met her halfway, tugging his hood behind, revealing his sapphire eyes and ink black hair. Juvia felt her smile widen and her eyes glimmer, there was a sudden bounce to her step and a tingling sensation at her fingertips.

He was wearing a black shirt underneath his jacket, dark jeans and black Chucks. Juvia caught the scent of soap and light cologne on him. As she stood in front of him, Gray opened his arms and Juvia happily stepped into them, wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her face in his shoulder. It's been days since they'd last seen each other, longer since they'd touched. Midterms were coming and they both had papers to write and books to read.

"Gray" She greeted, her words muffled by his jacket.

He hugged her tighter, bringing Juvia's body closer to his, almost lifting her, and rocked back and forth. Juvia smiled underneath his jaw, she could barely breathe with him so close. After a moment he released her and put his hands on her shoulders, smiling down at her, his blue eyes as clear as the sky behind him. Her eyes studied his face, her excitement of seeing him again barely contained.

"I missed you" She said softly. Gray leaned into her and rested his forehead against hers, this was their own way of saying hello. They stayed like that for a while and Gray finally pulled back, still keeping his hands on her shoulders.

"Coffee?" He said, raising his eyebrows.

"Sure" She said, smiling back up at him.

Gray bent back down and kissed her forehead tenderly. His lips where smooth on her skin, red fabric filled her vision and his scent made its way to her nose. She was intimately aware of his presence, consuming her senses and making her skin all tingly, it made her smile wider. He took her hand in his and her books in another and led Juvia the rest of the way.

After that moment in the rain and him taking her to his house, Juvia and Gray spent much time with each other when they could, getting closer than they've ever been. Juvia thought of it as the happiest moments of her life, spending time with him, being able to see and talk and touch him, knowing that he wanted it too. Gray became her paradise and Juvia became his happiness. Their relationship was already on the border of friendship and love, although none had ever brought it up during their multiple conversations.

Gray turned back to her and flashed his pirate grin.

Beep. Beep. Beep

Juvia opened her eyes. Breathing slowly and deeply, she sighed and reached for her alarm clock. She was sweating and trembling. That last dream left her as quick as the previous ones, although it was almost pleasant, it was still a memory, of him, and the pleasantness of that dream made it harder to bare. She laid her head back to the pillows with a thud and closed her eyes again. Juvia tried to calm herself, following her routine of breathing slowly and massaging her temples.

Feeling better after a few minutes, she hopped out of bed and opened the blinds, warm sunlight entered her room and she saw fluffy clouds decorate the sky. Juvia rested her head against the glass of her window. "It felt so real" she said to herself. Everything about that dream, from the violins in her ear to Gray's scent felt so real to Juvia. Juvia changed into her running gear, took Stranger with her, tugging him by his leash and ran into the waking city, hoping to forget.

She set her pace and jogged towards Magnolia Central Park, her shoes connecting quietly with the pavement. She watched the people that passed by, some holding cups of coffee, some covering their yawns with their hands, some just sleepily walking by like zombies looking for brains to eat. Stranger steadily matched her pace and they both ran in silence.

30 minutes later, Juvia got out of the shower and changed into a white cashmere sweater, dark jeans and combat boots. Stepping out again, she stuffed her earphones in her ears and walked to work.

In her office, Juvia sat down and grabbed the first folder she found on her table.

" Secrets of The Stradivarius" She read the first line. "by Wes Ford" it said underneath the title.

As soon as she read the first paragraph, the story consumed her, for hours she sat there reading the type-written manuscript.

It was about a thief named Rogue who stole a Stradivarius, the most well-made violins carry the name of that legendary craftsman. Rogue was a middle-aged man who was fired from his job as a music teacher. He had no wife, no children, just a rented apartment and a worn-out car. He kept the stolen instrument in his home, not knowing what to do with it, he didn't want to sell it, no that wasn't his purpose, he just saw it one day and had a strong urge to make it his.

A week after the crime he found his autistic niece, sitting in the living room with the priceless instrument in her hands, staring at it wonderingly. She'd been left with him after her parents died in a fire. Ever since, he fathered her as his own. All his money went to taking care of her, he never shunned her or felt disgust or inconvenience towards the little girl.

"Rogue" She said, grinning up at him. It was the only word he'd ever heard her say. He tried to teach her a few words, read to her often but his name was the only word she could utter. His name became her expressions, her questions and her answers.

Rogue watched as months passed by, as his niece slowly made progress, learning to play the stolen violin, getting better and better every day without a teacher to guide her. At first he assisted her, bringing back his knowledge of music, but the girl would leave and lock herself away in her room and continue to play alone. He was astonished, his crime brought a miracle to this little girl, it brought out her God-given talent. He would hear Bach, Shubert, Hayd and even Mozart through her door. She'd hugged it like a teddy bear and spoke to it like it answered back.

In time, Rogue was arrested. Trapped inside the steel grip of prison, he worried for his niece. He prayed and pleaded to whoever would hear him from above. No one ever visited him, not one soul did he recognize from the visitors that came and went. This made his fears grow, he nearly went mad, but the face of his niece in his head kept his sanity. Years later and he was a free man, eager to see his niece he searched for her immediately, looking for any sign, tapping people's shoulders asking if they'd seen her. All his efforts went to waste as he found no trace.

He sat at the park and it was almost twilight, he heard music playing from the plaza, it drawed him closer till he was standing at the back of the crowd. The notes were divine and precise weaving into a melody that was so nostalgic it almost made Rogue tear up. Looking up to see at the violinist, Rogue found his niece, once a little girl but now all grown up, playing at the stage of a Fiore Julliard concert, a Stradivarius in her hands expertly playing with an angelic expression on her face. Finally all the music stopped and his niece looked towards an awaiting family watching in the sidelines.

Juvia set the folder down. Contemplating what she'd just read. It was so creative and uncanny that she was sure it would be a hit. Her body was stiff from lack of movement and her legs began to feel numb. A yawn escaped and she quickly covered it with her hand. She needed caffeine.

"Hey Lana?" she called out over the pager to her assistant "could you please get me coffee, black no sugar, thanks"

"Yes Ma'am" Lana said over the mic.

Lisanna Jean Richards was her junior in high school, they often talked during many lunch breaks. Juvia thought of her as a little sister, and now she was all grown and Juvia didn't hesitate to recommend her to the company. The Lana of high school was tall and awkward, she'd worn glasses and overalls, with long ice blonde hair dancing all around her. She suddenly left and went abroad only to return with a lot of improvement, both in appearance and confidence. The Lana now was tall and curvy, she wore her hair in a short bob, bouncing as she walked, with light-brown eyes and a killer mouth. She'd turned into a gorgeous woman over the years. She'd told Lana not to call her Ma'am, it made her feel old and bossy, but Lana got so used to it in her previous jobs that she couldn't drop the honorific.

Her assistant entered 15 minutes later, carrying a steaming ceramic mug. She set it down in front of Juvia and smiled. Lana wore a bright pink blouse, tight black jeans and pumps, It was so feminine and unlike when she was in high school that the sight of her made Juvia swell with pride. Lana was still a little introverted but she could now manage to socialize better.

After Lana left, Juvia picked up the mug and another folder. She read and drank her coffee at the same time, the black liquid scorched her tongue, she swallowed it anyway.

Several minutes later a knock on Juvia's door startled her. She closed the finished folder and straightened herself. "May I help you?" She said to the person behind the door, her empty mug hidden from view.

"Is it a bad time?" A deep voice said. Mystery person was most definitely male.

" No, come in, please" she answered.

The door opened and revealed a tall and handsome man with ash brown hair and grey eyes, not much older than her, Juvia estimated. His features were different than the average local, Probably mixed blood Juvia thought to herself. His skin was a little paler than hers, and his aura felt rugged and refined at the same time. He wore all black, black polo, black suit and dress shoes, he wore it in a way that didn't make him look like a punk. He smiled apologetically at her and reached out his hand.

"Nice to meet you Ms. Violette, I'm Lyon Wes Ford, although you can just call me Lyon, if you'd like". The man said as Juvia rose and shook his extended hand. He was definitely handsome up close. Totally not punk. Her hand was easily dwarfed by his. On closer inspection, Lyon's eyes were almost more silver than gray, clear as he assessed her.

"Nice to meet you too Mr. Ford, you can call me Juvia or just Io, If you'd like" She said mimicking him, that made him chuckle, revealing his white teeth. They both sat and Juvia handed him the folder.

"Your manuscript is brilliant" Juvia continued. "It really is something else"

"Thanks, it's nice to hear that" Lyon suddenly sounded worn out, probably from too much writing and lack of sleep.

" How so? You probably get that a lot. Unless, am I the first to read this?" Juvia asked, leaning forward, her eyebrow rising. His writing was worth many praises, she was curious as to why he said that.

"Yeah, I was really nervous, Rogue's story took me about 2 months to formulate, another 13 to write and a year to finally show it to anyone-" Lyon cleared his throat then laughed nervously "I'm sorry, you're really not what I expected".

"What were you expecting?" Juvia raised her brow, slightly smirking. " Let me guess, middle-aged woman, glasses and red lipstick, pencil-drawn eyebrows and derogatory speech? Juvia said, imagining herself as what she described. No one expected her to be the way she was.

Lyon laughed softly and spoke less formally "Yeah, add a lot of wrinkles to that and your spot on"

"Well I'm sorry to disappoint your expectations" Juvia said shrugging her shoulders, her eyes never leaving his handsome face." It's okay, you're not the first one, I guess I'm not physically adequate for an editor"

"No, no I didn't mean it that way, it's just a stupid stereotype. You over qualify in fact, it's just that, I never expected my editor to be so young and- and be so pretty". Lyon whispered the last part but Juvia caught it. " I didn't expect her to be you, I'm not making sense am I?" Lyon said softly. He sat up straighter and clasped his hands in front of him, not sure if he should've said that. His eyes were concentrated downward and his eyebrows were pulled together. "too much for a first impression?"

Juvia was taken aback by what he'd said. She knew people were surprised by how young she was but never did they compliment her out load like he did, at least not in a malicious way. Juvia wanted to be professional but she appreciated that he'd say that. She swallowed a lump that had formed in .

"No, its okay, its fine, thanks, you're not bad yourself" Juvia returned the compliment. Lyon smiled up at her and the all the tension seemed to go away.

As the time passed, they talked more about his work and Juvia assured him that she would definitely recommend it for publishing. The subject turned to his experiences as a writer, as Juvia intently listened, she found herself impressed by this man. He always, always smiled and looked her in the eye whenever he wanted her to understand what he was saying. Lyon laughed at her when she told him that she hated peanut butter and began listing all the things she hated. He just kept on nodding and choking back his laughter, he said he'd never heard anyone bad mouth peanut butter before. They just talked, shared their stories about their careers.

Lyon Wes Ford was 25, he started writing after he finished college at a very early age. He admitted that his family was wealthy as they were a family of lawyers. Apparently, he was the only one to stray from that line of profession, the black sheep, the wild child of the family. He said he didn't want to be a stuck-up, constipated looking, bald when he's 40 lawyer. Juvia laughed at his description.

"Would you like to get lunch or just coffee sometime?" He said before he left, with his back to her and his head turned.

"I don't see why not" Juvia said with a smile.

"Alright, Just call me whenever" He returned his smile "Goodbye Juvia". The dashing man said softly and left. Juvia blushed while she stared out the window where the sun shined bright.

Juvia thought of Mr. Ford as she walked up the stairs of The Glasshouse, smiling foolishly to herself. It gave her a nice feeling to meet someone refreshing, a handsome man at that, who even complimented her so smoothly like he was just talking about the weather. She dug in her purse for her keys while walking .When she raised her eyes she saw a figure sitting beside her door.

Jordan was crying softly, her hands trembling in her lap.

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"Every heart sings a song, incomplete, until another heart whispers back. Those who wish to sing always find a song. At the touch of a lover, everyone becomes a poet." 
- Plato