Author's Note: Challenge #17, "Alone", requested by an anonymous from Yuuba's 100 Gruvia challenge. Ohh I hope I did this right *A*

title: tears come streaming down your face
second genre: hurt/comfort
rating: K
summary: What if you should decide that you don't want me there by your side?

With every step she took, her body grew heavier. Her shoulders hunched, her feet dragged against the ground. Her eyes were weary with bags formed underneath from consecutive sleepless nights. She drifted in and out of consciousness, unaware which path she was taking, only knowing she just had to get away.

By the time she reached the river, listening to the steady current washing downstream, she sat against the grass, buried her face in her arms and cried.

As the first set of tears flowed, she lifted her head up, looking through a watery gaze to her hands. Her dirty, filthy, bloodstained hands, tainting everything they touched. Hands that were only meant to protect those she loved, not kill what they hold dear.

Her heart twisted at the memory, and a perpetual discomfort churned in her stomach. She swallowed heavily, feeling another rush of tears roll down her cheeks.

She couldn't go back to Fairy Tail. She didn't deserve to go back. She didn't belong among their beautiful, cheerful faces, with their pure smiles and clean hands.

She'd been alone for 17 years. How fitting that she'd find herself alone again only a year later, damned to the inescapable fate.

Closing her eyes, she drew her knees closer to her chest and wept in her arms. Her shoulders wracked with every sob, her breaths jagged and shallow as she wailed.

Alone, alone, alone. Born alone and cursed to die alone too. Such was the fate of the gloomy rain woman.

She felt a cool breeze brush along her skin, and her breath hitched as she struggled to quiet her sobs. It grew gradually cooler until the grass rustled, followed by a weight settling against it. She didn't need to look to see who her visitor was—his presence was already known the moment she felt a chill crawl along her skin.

She chanced a glimpse, lifting her head and peeking at him. He was sitting with his arms propped behind him, his legs casually outstretched and eyes trained on the river before him.

She quickly looked away, admonishing herself for letting her stare linger. Her heart normally raced at the sight of Gray, but now it only constricted in agony.

A lengthy silence settled in the air, the river current the only conversation between them. For a moment, she was almost angry—why was he here? Couldn't he spare her from additional guilt, additional pain? She was already broken, she didn't want him cutting himself picking the shattered pieces up.

She quietly cried, her body resuming its trembling. That prompted him to break the silence.

"Who did it."

A hiccup escaped her before she placed a hand before her mouth, looking at him. He turned towards her, dark eyes locking with hers and making her flinch under the intensity of his stare.

"Who made you cry?"

Her eyes widened, but then she quickly whisked her head away, messily wiping the tears from her eyes. "N-No one—"

"I'll find out whether or not you tell me. They won't get away with it."

She sniffled as she maintained her averted gaze, ashamed.

"Well?"

"You can't," she whispered, leading Gray to arch a brow.

"Why not? Woman or child, I won't go easy on anyone who hurts my nakama."

A faint smile crossed her lips, recalling the way her heart had pounded when he had said those same exact words to her with such conviction. But… she didn't deserve the same tone. Her smile quickly faded as her head lowered, her hair curtaining her face and shadowing her burdened eyes.

"If you fight the person who made Juvia cry… you'll be fighting Juvia again."

He furrowed his brow, squinting. "What?"

She fell silent, hiding her face in her arms. He wordlessly watched her before shifting his gaze, looking out to the river.

"It's okay, Gray-sama," she said softly, sadly. "Please, return with the others."

"I'm not going anywhere unless you're coming with me."

Her heart twisted at his words. "Juvia can't go back," she whispered dejectedly.

A heavy frown crossed his face. "Why not?"

Rain clouds began to roll in as she swallowed, struggling to find an ounce of courage.

"J-Juvia… took a life, Gray-sama."

Her entire body shook, echoing the tremble in her voice.

"No other m-mage of Fairy Tail has ever t-taken a life"—a tear slipped down her cheek while her voice cracked—"so J-Juvia has no right to be a member—"

His hands suddenly grasped her shoulders, startling her as she lifted her gaze and gasped. He was kneeling in front of her, his eyes stern and unwavering and so dark she found herself getting lost in pools of onyx. But what usually made her heart race only intimidated her, and she shrunk away under the intensity of his stare.

"You're a savior," he said firmly. "What you did saved everyone in the guild, and every mage under the threat of Face. You saved thousands of lives at the price of Keith's, and he wasn't living a life worth grieving over—"

"Gray-sama…" she wept softly, her eyes glistening as fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. "Juvia isn't talking about Keith."

His grip on her shoulders slackened, and her lashes hovered low over her eyes.

"Juvia… is a… murderer," she choked, her voice breaking. "She is alone. She is unworthy of Fairy Tail's love, of Gray-sama's love, so she—I should leave, because the rain woman was always doomed to be alone—"

She felt herself suddenly pulled forward, crushed against a firm chest as his arms wrapped tightly around her.

"Stop it," he muttered. "Stop talking like that."

Her heart pounded in her chest, her eyes wide before tears brimmed the corners. "B-But… it's true—"

"You can't leave," he cut in, his voice low and even. "What you did… was necessary. For the guild. For me. You did what you had to do."

A choked sob escaped her lips as her fingers clutched his shirt. "B-But—F-Father—"

"…He was already dead," he said quietly, cradling the back of her head. "Now he can rest in peace."

Juvia closed her eyes and sobbed, tears slipping freely down her cheeks. "Gray-sama…"

"If you leave, I'm bringing you back. You're not going anywhere I can't follow."

Her eyes squeezed tighter as her body trembled against him. "Juvia doesn't deserve—"

"Lucy would cry, and Mira, Levy, and Lisanna. The old man would be upset. Cana would double her drinking, Natsu and Gajeel would fight more, Erza wouldn't forgive herself. And me… I'd be…"

Juvia stifled her cries, her tears streaming silently down her cheeks. Her ear rested by his heart, listening to the steady heartbeat thump harder in his chest. His arms tightened unconsciously around her, bringing her closer against him.

"I've had enough of people leaving me. My parents, Ur, Ultear—they all died saving me. If something happened to you, and I wasn't there… You think leaving would be better off for me, but you're wrong. I can't… I can't lose you, not you too. I won't allow it. So if you leave, you'll have to go through me, because I will fight till my last breath to make you stay with me."

The clouds melded together before a light drizzle began to fall. Juvia flinched as heavier clouds rolled in, her body stirring against his as her head tilted up to the rainy sky.

"S-Sorry," she choked, the downpour mixing with the tears slipping down her face. "Juvia's so—sorry—"

"It's fine," he answered, returning her head to the crook of his neck. "I needed a shower today anyway."

She buried her face against his chest, crying harder while he brushed her wet hair from her cheeks.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry—" she sobbed, her shoulders wracking as she wept.

"I never blamed you," he said quietly, holding the back of her head.

Her teeth chattered as she rested her cheek against his chest, sniffling. "F-Father—"

He fell silent, sweeping his thumb across her hair. "It's okay. It's going to be okay."

She shook harder against him, clutching his shirt so tight her knuckles paled to white. "Gray… sama…"

"You're not alone. You have the guild, you have me. I'm here with you, remember? And I'm not letting you go."

She cried into his chest, staining his shirt with her tears. "D—Do you promise? Gray-sama… will stay with me?"

He held her closer, resting his chin atop her head. "I'm not going anywhere. Promise me you aren't either."

Sobbing, she nestled her face against the crook of his neck. "J-Juvia promises."

She wailed loudly against him while he quietly held her, occasionally passing his hand through her hair. Her choked sobs and muffled screams interlaced with the pitter-patter of the rain, washing away her fears into the stream of the river flowing below.