A silence stretched between them. It was uncomfortable and difficult and made Gray want to puke, but he had to know.

"Please, Juves," the ice mage begged. Juvia's eyes grew distant and dark, her body tightening as she stood frozen. He wanted to reach out, to hold her, but she looked so fragile. He could count each one of her small ribs, the very bones beneath her damaged skin. Gray couldn't take it anymore. He bolted into the bathroom, bending over the toilet and retching all the food he thought he'd be able to keep down. The image of someone drawing lines into her skin and watching the blood drip down her body, was too much for the ice mage to comprehend. He could almost hear the echoes of the pain she must have felt, all the screams she would have let out in desperate need for savior. Did she call for him? Did she beg them for mercy? She needed him and he'd failed her; reality sank into his bones, the realization that she might have been safe if he'd tried harder to keep her home.

Gray's stomach contorted as he felt a warm hand on his back. Somewhere, in the distance, thunder clapped and big, heavy droplets of rain began pounding against the ground, splattering wilding across the roof and heaving into the windows. He felt Juvia sit beside him, her fingers delicately moving his hairs from his forehead as spots formed in his vision. The bile at the back of his throat seemed to settle, and he was able to breathe, although his head still seemed to turn. Gods, he was a horrible significant other. He couldn't even imagine what it must have been like for her while she was gone, and she came home, not to solace and comfort, but to an unstable man in a broken state.

Gray sat back a little, his eyes trailing up to her. "Sorry," he managed, wiping his mouth with the back of his arm. He could see she was fully covered now in the clothes he'd set out for her. Juvia smiled at him, a sad look falling across her eyes.

"Juvia isn't as pretty anymore," she whispered. "Juvia will be scarred in more ways than one."

Gray blinked. "What?"

She gave a tiny shrug, tears welling in her eyes as thunder clapped in the distance. "Gray-sama doesn't find Juvia beautiful anymore," her voice was so small, and every word felt like a punch to the gut, but Gray was too stunned to say anything in the moment. She dropped her eyes to the floor as she continued, "Juvia is afraid her body is too damaged for Gray-sama to love her anymore.

The ice mage reacted in the only way he knew how; he leaned forward and grabbed her shoulders, bringing her gingerly to his lap and encircling her body; he'd noticed this on the night of their wedding, but she was much lighter than she was when she left.

"That's not at all what I think," Gray whispered. "Gods no, Juves. I will always think you're beautiful."

She sniffled, letting Gray wipe her tears away. The storm outside calmed ever so slightly, confirming his suspicion that it was in fact her emotions causing the downpour. He was sure the rain was causing even more strain for his love.

Juvia was still so quiet. "But Gray-sama became sick at the sight of Juvia's body," she let out a strained sound, swallowing hard. "Juvia's skin is ugly and will scar all over."

He felt helpless, trying to assure her in any way he could. Gray was still so blind to her emotions sometimes. "Juvia believe me. Nothing about my attraction to you has changed. I am still very much in love with both you and your body."

The thunder seemed much farther away now. "Then why did Gray-sama get sick?"

The ice mage held his mate close, taking in a breath as the scent of her hair flooded his senses. "Because it's hard," he spoke honestly, lifting her slowly to her feet. "I love you, Juvia. I want you to be able to talk to me about what happened. It's hard for me to watch you in all this pain."

The conversation was put on pause for a moment as Gray brushed his teeth, getting rid of the bad taste in his mouth while Juvia moved to sit on the end of their bed. "Here's the thing," Gray continued once he was finished, leaning on the bathroom counter and watching her. "I'm angry. Every part of me wants to tear apart the people who hurt you... but I also want to know what happened so I can know the best way to comfort and care for you."

Juvia took deep, even breaths, her voice shaking slightly. "It would hurt Gray-sama very much."

Gray frowned. "It hurts if you don't tell me."

"Gray-sama doesn't understand."

"What don't I understand?"

"Juvia is trying to protect the most important part of her life. Please."

Gray was becoming slightly irritated now, shedding his t-shirt. "I'm not the one who needs protecting," he protested. "You were kidnapped and tortured for weeks. I was afraid you were dead, Juvia. I don't even know who it was or what they wanted from you."

Juvia was timid. Gray let out a sigh as he walked towards her, cupping her face as he stood in front of her. She did everything she could not to make eye contact, biting the inside of her cheek as she thought. He closed his eyes, trying desperately to control his emotions.

Gray's voice shook when he managed to speak again. "What if it happens again?" he whispered, closing his eyes in fear of crying. "What if the come after you again?"

Juvia looked up at him, his hand trembling against his cheek as another silence stretched between them. She reached up and placed her fingers over his.

"Fine," Juvia finally said. "Juvia will tell you what she knows."

Gray let out a deep breath as relief flooded his body. "Thank you," he whispered, kissing her forehead. He said down beside her, taking her smaller hand in his and kissing each of his her fingers as she collected her thoughts. "I'll be here, my love. You're safe here. I will protect you, and you will protect me."

Something about his statement made Juvia let out a whimper, tears suddenly flowing with a force he'd never quite seen before. Gray's body was rigid for a moment as she turned into his chest, before becoming soft again, pulling her fully into him and holding her. "Juves?"

She didn't want to. She didn't want to say the words she knew would change him. But he was so insistent; didn't he know she was trying to protect him?

"They wanted information," her voice was broken and scared as the rain mercilessly assaulted the world outside. "They wanted Juvia to tell them everything she knew about all the members of Fairy Tail, about her friends and her family and—"

Juvia's voice became inaudible. She was falling apart. Gray needed to stop this, needed to stop her pain and suffering. Panic rose in his chest; he'd pushed her too far. "Juvia!"

She wouldn't respond. Everything was falling apart inside of her, dark memories flooding back from dark corners of her mind as the rain pounded pounded pounded against the windows while she screamed for him, screamed for mercy, screamed to die in this dark cold room with these chains and these men and this pain and oh gods the pain...

"I love you!"

She fought hard against the darkening corners of her vision, hearing his voice in her ear. "I love you," she heard it again. "You're home," he told her. "You're home with me, my love. You're safe..."

Juvia called herself back to reality. Her voice felt raw from screaming, her body felt like lead against the sheets... the bed? She was laying down now. When did that happen? Juvia felt pressure on either side of her. He was here. Gray was here. She opened her eyes too look at onyx colored concern, at concentration and fear in a face she loved so very much. He was straddling her waist, her arms pinned above her head. He was panting like she'd put up a fight. She must have been thrashing. She blacked out. He looked exhausted. She needed to tell him. He had to know.

"They wanted information on Gray-sama."

... x

i wanna upload this part before i work on the next part because i don't wanna rush it just bc i haven't uploaded in a bit. im enjoying writing this a lot so i don't wanna rush through it. so we're keeping this train going choo choo m8 we're doin a part four