Thank you all so much for reviewing and reading 3 ! I really tried to update in time for valentine's but obviously I didn't make it. Hopefully, you all had a great one whether you had a valentines or not. Hope you all enjoy this chapter, also. Again, please review! I really love reading them all since they motivate me heaps!
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This fanfiction contains violence and sexual content. Reader discretion is advised.
That night was the first time Juvia noticed the shadowy marks that scattered across his body. When Gray raised his biceps to discard his shirt, Juvia laid her eyes upon a mauve stripe that roiled around his ribs, descending down and swirling into a labyrinthine pattern. It branched across his hip bones and danced across his chest, steadily rising along with each breath he took. Dark bruises marked his toned body, where scars implanted into his skin for the rest of his life. His perfectly sculptured body sent Juvia's heart pounding irrationally, but its worn state sent her in shock. Two paralleling strikes across his back caught her eye; with each of its ends blistering and blending into his tanned skin, injuries marked him all over. A raw wound leaked at his collarbone.
"You're bleeding," she spluttered.
Gray's eyebrows knitted together and once again shut her up by force. His lips swallowed her violently, capturing her shaking body in between his. She squirmed in his hold, desperately pressing her hands against his chest to stop him – but to no avail. Juvia gasped into his lips as she felt a hand roughly grasping at her thighs. His other hand intertwined through her messy locks as he pushed her against the wall. He was suddenly desperate to gain control over his victim, yet something inside him felt damaged.
The burning current in his body was dying down, but a new sensation that inundated at his chest couldn't calm him down. This newfound feeling of caressing someone else's body with such zeal shocked his heart. It began to clobber against his chest. Suddenly, Gray anticipated the same venomous acid to rise up through his throat; but nothing came. All he could feel was something blooming at the pit of his gut, and as his curiosity beckoned him to explore this foreign instinct, he found himself prowling past her delicate skin. Tangling his fingers between her blue hair, his lips embraced hers hungrily. But just as he could feel his body burning with pleasure, he felt his heart ache when he saw tears run down her cheeks. For the first time, Gray had lost to his victim. Rather than a thirst for blood, he found himself willing to bend his rules for her. The way those tears drained down from her sapphire eyes to her neck left him bruised. The injury at his collar was completely forgotten as all he could see was the pain he had inflicted.
"You should leave," he urged ruggedly. Pushing a hand through his dishevelled hair, he pointed towards the door.
Juvia found herself being discarded once again by the exterminator. Yet this time, his bitter eyes were sombre and his lips quivered. Gray was desperate this time, and that made all the difference. His physical condition only encouraged Juvia to stay, and she made sure he knew.
"I'm not leaving tonight," she announced. Her fists were tightly squeezed together, and she let her eyes be the ones that found him.
Approaching from the darkness Gray was imprisoned for life, he suddenly found her sparkling in a place that was unknown to him. The way her skin gleamed bright in the dull room aroused him to stagger nervously towards her. The way she radiated a sense of devotion and fervour interested him; this unfamiliar feeling of holding onto her for dear life. But when her slender hands were once again within reach, he was paralysed. A fear rekindled in his heart, and he was starting to struggle to pump oxygen through his lungs. A purple haze obscured his view of her illumination. She was once again out of reach. Falling backwards, Gray felt his body collide against the wall.
"I'm tired," he exhaled. "You can clean up first."
Juvia was speechless. His once-taut figure limped and his breath became rugged. All Juvia could muster in response was a small nod as she retreated.
»»—- —-««
Juvia drew in a sharp breath as the frigid water trickled onto her pale body. The bleakness of the water sent a chill running down her back and she desperately ignored each stinging drop that fell onto her skin. Allowing each trail of water to seep into her, she rubbed ferociously at her arms. The blemished remains of the knife wound at her shoulder was still prominent; a lurid scar pierced through her skin. However, a fragrant caught her attention. Bending down to a small bottle that sat alone in the corner of the facility, Juvia carefully raised it to give it a sniff. The pungent scent exuded a comforting smell; combined with the burnt smell of wood and citrus, something else wafted into her senses. Curious, she poured the bottle onto her hand and watched the periwinkle liquid dribble into her palm. Her finger slathered across and she peered at the bubbles that began to form. Massaging the foam across her arms, she beamed in delight as she allowed herself to be covered by this new scent.
At the corner of her eye, she could see the shadowy figure of Gray who stood by the light. His chiselled body was illusory through the thin piece of cloth that was drawn in between them. Despite the freezing water, Juvia could feel herself heat up. Her nakedness dawned on her as she realised that the unisex shower awaited her back in the chambers. She would not have the comfort of the same privacy. Afraid to be spoilt by this privilege she could possibly never experience again, she hastily stepped away from the shower. The icy water receded.
Opposite her, a full-size mirror reflected her bare body. She couldn't recognise herself. Her hands nervously scrambled across her face, finding it difficult to believe that it was her. Shades of purple scattered across her legs and abdomen, marking her like a world map. Her dishevelled hair embraced a pair of swollen cheeks, emphasising her blood-shot eyes. Each lock became cobalt blue as her hair darkened from the moisture. Her body was thinner than ever; and she could see how her wounds exacerbated her sickly appearance. Her features were so foreign to her and all of a sudden, Juvia became self-conscious. Her lips were red and bloated; teeth marks etched across them reminded her of a certain someone. As if on cue, she saw Gray. Without realising that the curtain had been drawn back moments ago, she twirled in surprise. Her arms immediately guarded her exposed chest. "How long have you been standing there!?"
"Longer than you'd like."
Juvia yanked the dangling cloth down, carelessly wrapping it around herself. "What are you doing?" Juvia babbled, unable to form another proper sentence as she could only gawk back at the man.
"I was going to tell you that the shower only lasts for a few minutes." Gray held out a towel. "I came to give you this."
She hesitantly reached out a hand, but immediately reddened as she realised that the cloth loosened. Almost instantaneously, his eyes flickered down. Dark orbs followed droplets that streamed down her naked legs.
"Stop looking!" Juvia screamed. Her voice caused him to smirk in amusement. Threading a hand through her hair, he weaved the towel into her locks. Juvia took a gulp as his lips inched closer to her face. His other hand wrapped around her naked back and Juvia let out a breath she didn't realise she was holding.
"What if I refuse?"
Gray inhaled and she shuddered in response, shivering from both the cold and the way his breath tickled her neck. His murmur broke the silence.
"What is this smell?"
"Sorry, I didn't know if I was allowed to use it." Juvia peered at him, studying his features carefully. "Was I not supposed to use it?"
Gray's brows crossed together. "It's fine." He suddenly broke away.
"Gray, I'm sorry," Juvia cried out. "I keep saying the wrong things." She felt her throat burn as another tear threatened to fall. Gray turned his back to her.
"I told you, it's fine. It doesn't belong to me anyway."
Juvia quickly wrapped the towel around her body firmly before approaching him once again.
"Who does it belong to?" she whispered. Juvia tried to look at him properly, but his eyes remained cold and distant. She tried again, "it smells nice."
The lantern light flickered like a violent tango, its flames nearly dying out but each spark simply ignited itself once again. His raven-black hair was disarrayed as he turned to her.
"It belonged to the first person I killed." He left out a dry chuckle. "And I don't even remember who it was."
Juvia grabbed at his arms and to her surprise, Gray flinched. She quickly pushed away the depressing thought and furrowed her brows.
"Why do you kill?" Unexpectedly, her voice wavered and she could feel her oesophagus contracting together. "How come you're an exterminator and why are the other recruits trying to become one?"
Gray averted his gaze but answered her with a solemn sigh. "The administration."
"The administration?" Juvia was resolute that she wanted more answers. "Who are the administration? What do they do and what do they want?"
Gray pinched the bridge of his nose, heaving an exhausted breath. "You should get changed." As he spoke, he held up her clothes. "It gets colder in the mornings."
"The mornings?" Juvia's attention teetered. "What are mornings like?"
To this, Gray was the one who was surprised. "You don't know mornings are?" Juvia cowered from his confused glance, afraid that she's said something wrong again.
"I-I have never left that tunnel. I woke up in that tunnel and I thought my life was going to end in that place as well." Strangely enough, she couldn't muster any tears. When the eeriness of the tunnel reminded her of how she was suffocated by its very emptiness, her heart felt just as depleted.
Suddenly, she felt a pair of frigid hands clasp between hers. Warily, her eyes trained to Gray's face.
"You should go," he smiled weakly.
Juvia jerked away from his hold. How come Gray was always the one who told her what to do? Why was he the one who controlled how she lived her life? Who did he think he was; taking her wherever he wanted, telling her that he wanted her? Her stomach sizzled with a scorching pain.
"No, Gray," she seethed. "You can't tell me what to do." Her sudden outburst caused Gray to clench his jaw. "You're supposed to kill people, so why aren't you killing me when I disobey you?" Juvia snatched the clothes from his hands. Recklessly letting the towel fall to her feet, she suddenly lost all rationality. "You take me whenever you want to," she rambled. Juvia shoved the leather pants on, allowing the material to slip past her pale legs. Gray could only watch in silence. "You say that you want me, but then you discard me whenever you want." Juvia realised that she was letting her mouth run wild, and yet she had no desire to stop. She slipped the shirt through her head and pulled it down over her breasts. "Why does everyone assume that I know just as much as you all do?" She stumbled into her leather boots and as she threw him a final glare, she turned to leave. "Thank you for saving me so many times, but I don't think I'd like to cross paths with you ever again." The moment she said those words, she knew she regretted them. It wasn't her intention to yell at him, but she was too lost and confused to understand what she wanted. It was that frenzy she felt whenever she saw him that made her even more perplexed. When he would seize her body within his much stronger one, she could feel herself melt within his hold. The way he would hurriedly interlock their lips together left her wanting more. She wanted him to taste her all over; and let him take full control as they melded into one another as morning came. She wanted to see what morning was and experience everything she never did with him. Every tear she shed was for him and when her vision would darken, the first person she would think of was Gray coming to save her. The distance he would draw between them only enticed her to embrace him. His stoicism urged her to pull down those walls he unconsciously built up. That was when she realised she wanted him, but it was all too late as she let the door close behind her.