When Juvia entered Hell's Core, she couldn't help but feeling out of place. Anywhere she looked she could see people partying or drinking hard. The place was truly one of the most popular bars in town and there are people swarming on the dance floor grooving to the loud music like it's their last day on earth and they want to spend it having wild, unrestrained fun.
As someone who never like this kind of fun, all she could feel was an incoming headache caused by the loud music and flashing neon lights.
Her eyes roamed the place and with a little difficulty found the person she was looking for.
She spotted Gray at the very end corner of the bar with Natsu.
Juvia's heart ached for Gray when she saw him sitting there surrounded with people having the time of their life, but he seemed completely detached from the world.
It was too dark for her to see his face but the melancholy surrounding him was palpable. It's too obvious he's miserable and she's the one to blame. It was her who caused his sorrow for not being completely honest. Her selfish acts caused him pain.
With self-loathing and heavy feet, she walked towards the dark-haired man that she hadn't seen for days. She missed him and there's nothing else she wanted to do than run into his arms and stay in his embrace until the world ends.
The few days they were apart, Juvia realized just exactly how much she had fallen for Gray Fullbuster. The knowledge that he's angry and he may not accept her in his life again scared her to no end. Just imagining a life without him pained her so much that it physically hurts.
She knew she must explain and gain his forgiveness for what she did because she can't lose him.
Cautiously, Juvia slowed down her steps when she was a few feet away and when Natsu noticed her he nodded at her and silently stood up. He patted her shoulder before leaving the two of them alone. The usually loud mouthed pinkette choose to stay at the other end of the bar where he could still see the two of them. He wasn't really sure why he sent a message to Juvia. He just felt like Gray didn't really hate her for whatever reason. As he was watching him, he just suddenly realized that Gray was just mad at the situation and not at Juvia. His friend's ego was probably bruised from being lied to. But in Natsu's opinion, Juvia didn't lie deliberately. It was Gray who pursued her in the first place and the asshole never even bothered to ask if she's taken. He stubbornly pestered the girl for fuck's sake. Well, whatever. He's just gonna watch over them.
Gray surely won't get violent towards Juvia, but just to be safe, he's gonna play the good nanny and watch over the stubborn children in case they decided to make a scene. After all this shit was over, he's definitely going to ask Gray for his service fee.
Juvia on the other hand was not sure how to start a conversation with Gray so she quietly sat down at stool beside him without a word. He seemed to have notice her presence because he suddenly stiffened. Juvia sadly looked down at her hands folded on her lap. Even in her most negative thought, she never imagined that a time would come that Gray would react like that towards her.
She let out another deep breath, the awkwardness between them making it hard for her to breathe. "Gray." She called out, her voice was drowned in the loud music, but she knew he heard her when he slightly turned his head towards her. "Can we talk?"
Gray lifted the liquor bottle in his hand and took swig before completely turning to face her. His eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep and being drunk. Dark circles were evident under his dull eyes, his hair was in disarray and there's a few days old stables on his chin. He looked like hell. His cold gaze met her guilty eyes. "I don't wanna talk," he slurred, and Juvia's face fell.
"Please. I j—"
"Don't get me wrong," he cut her off with a drunken hiccup. He's obviously buzzed but he's trying his best to talk properly. "Look at me," he continued pointing himself. "I'm wasted and not in the right state for a conversation. I know what an asshole I am and I—might not understanding what you have to say and in return end up saying things I shouldn't, and I don't want to hurt you with words I won't be able to take back."
"Oh, Gray!" His words made Juvia even more guilty. He's so conflicted with his emotions, and he obviously feels like shit but there he is. Sorrowfully wallowing with his pain, but he's still thinking of not hurting her. Juvia could not hold herself anymore. She stood up and wrapped her arms around him. "I'm so sorry. I'm really sorry."
Gray's arm automatically moved to hug her back like they have life of their own.
His senses stirred when he felt her so close to him. In an instant, his mind cleared and all he could see and feel was her.
God! Her warmth was like a breath of air after being submerged under a strong current for too long. Her soft body against him felt like finding safe haven in the middle of a stormy sea. He felt like he's back home again.
"I'm really sorry," she said it again.
Her voice pulled him back to reality after basking in her sweet presence for a moment. His arms tightened around her, afraid of letting go. "Stop saying sorry," he said against her neck, her scent attacking his drunken senses and making him a little sober. "Your apologies only make me feel more like I am big mistake in your life."
"You're not!" Juvia pulled away from him and looked straight in his eyes. "I never thought of you as a mistake."
"But it feels like it!" he smiled bitterly.
That's the most painful part of their situation. He loves her so much and he badly wants to be with her, and he can't because she's legally tied to someone else and what they have was a mistake. A sin.
And as if remembering the circumstances they're in, Gray suddenly let go of Juvia like he'd been scorch. His eyes darted around. "Where's your hus—husband?" a pang of bitterness rose within him with the words he had to say.
Juvia sighed and sat back to her stool. "He left already."
Gray frowned. "Just like that? Won't he come after me and demand that I stay away from you?" He was waiting for such confrontation for days. After he met that guy claiming to be Juvia's husband, he thought Sting might confront him and ask him to leave his wife alone. Looks like such drama won't be part of his life.
"Our relationship is not like what you think," Juvia tried to explain. "Please can we talk somewhere else? I want to explain."
"If I go anywhere alone with you, I won't be able to keep my hands to myself because God knows how much I missed you and how bad I want to own you. But I know being with you means we're going to commit more mistakes!" Gray said frustratedly. "I have no rights to be with you or to even think of having anything to do with you. Say Juvia, why didn't you tell me that you can't be mine completely?"
"Because I was selfish," Juvia replied. "I know I was wrong to hide the truth from you. But I'm trying to fix it. Sting and I already agreed to end our marriage. We already signed our divorce," Juvia explained, and Gray was now looking at her completely stunned. "In a few days I'll need to leave Magnolia—"
"Where are you going?" Panic grew in Gray's chest when he heard her words. Why does she need to leave? Didn't he just heard her say she's ending her marriage? Then why the hell was she saying she's leaving?
"I want my divorce approval as soon as possible so I have to go back in Oak Town. It would take some time and I have to appear personally during the divorce process to make sure that everything goes smoothly. Before I leave, I want to tell you everything about me. And I also want to ask you something."
"What is it?"
"Will you still be there for me when I come back?"
The loud sound coming from the bar's numerous speakers still filled the place with loud, ear-splitting music, but when Juvia's question passed through her lips, the noise around them seemed to fade as their eyes met.
Dark hopeful orbs meeting blue uncertain ones. Gray swallowed hard as his hand lifted to touch Juvia's face.
Juvia was waiting for his answer. She wanted to know if Gray would wait for her.
She wanted to know if he would still be there to take her back once she's finally free to come back and be with him.
Well, it sounded rather selfish to expect him to wait for her after what she did, but she's hoping.
"Why?" he asked in a low voice that the bluenette barely heard. Her brows furrowed in confusion. "Why are you getting a divorce and why will you come back?"
Gray didn't know why she's married on the first place, but he needed to know what to expect in the future. And at the moment he's really feeling insecure about the two of them. He needed assurance from her.
"Because I love you," Juvia sincerely answered staring straight back at him.
Gray swallowed the lump in his throat and closed his eyes when he heard her. In a heartbeat, he pulled her close to him and his hot hungry lips found hers. He only planned to give her short kiss but when their lips touched, all the emotions Gray was holding within him escaped. His hands cupped Juvia's face and he eagerly sucked on her lower lip like he's a hungry wolf that finally found a prey. Her words were enough. As long as he's sure that he's the one she loves, he can wait for her.
When Juvia felt Gray's kiss, she fervently opened her mouth to return his kiss as tears rolled down her cheeks. How she missed feeling him like this. She thought she won't be able to kiss him ever again because he won't have her back.
The taste of her tears halted Gray's kiss and he confusedly parted their lips without letting go of her face. His thumbs drying her cheeks. "I'm pretty sure I was the one you kept in the dark but why are you the one crying?"
"I just missed you so much," Juvia sobbed, and Gray couldn't help but chuckle before claiming her lips one more time.
"Hurry up and end your marriage. I'll be waiting for you to be free from that man so I can tie you up with me."
"What?"
"I'm saying, get done with your divorce and marry me."
"Wh-what ar—"
"Don't tell me you don't want to?" Gray's face darkened.
"That's not what I mean," Juvia pouted and Gray can't help but kiss her again. He knew she's shocked that he suddenly mentioned getting married but they can talk about that in another time. He just wanted to kiss her more. Juvia moaned when his tongue teased hers. Her words drowned in their kiss and she completely gave in when he pulled her in tight embrace. He tasted like the rum he drank, and she felt like getting drunk with his kisses.
"Damn!" Gray gasped when their lips parted again. "I wish I could take you home with me!"
"What's stopping you?" she panted with lidded eyes.
"You're still married."
As much as he wanted her, and even though they already made love countless of times, knowing she's not yet legally free made him feel like they are about to do something wrong. Damn! Why did he suddenly obtain such strong moral compass?
While Gray was arguing with his righteous conscience, Juvia's face suddenly turned seductive. She knew she should not commit any more sin but then again, she never really considered herself married. And she already came to an agreement with Sting that they would go their separate way. All that's missing was the approval of their legal separation.
With a wicked smile on her lips, Juvia put her arms around Gray's neck and she moved closer to him so she could whisper to his ear. "I never took you for a saint, Gray. Are you sure you don't want to take me home?" her voice was hoarse and she purposefully licked his earlobe that made him groan.
His hands that traveled down on her hips during their kiss squeezed her. "Why are you being such a temptation?" he breathed out.
"Not tempting enough though. You're not yet tempted," she teased.
"Fuck it!" Gray groaned before taking out some paper bills from his wallet and slamming it down on the bar counter. He swiftly stood and grab her hands dragging her pass the people inside the bar to the exit.
Looks like the temptation won.
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Hello! Yeah, I know… I was gone for too long and now I'm suddenly updating a lot… I just happened to have some free time and this story is almost at the end… Few more chapters to go and I want to thank you so much for patiently waiting for this story!
