A Phantom 《FAIRYTAIL X READER》

5: Reluctance

Juvia sat up once more and thought about the woman's question,  "Yes… there was one thing…"

Before she could utter what was the detail she left out, a woman wearing an apron, buttoned up shirt, and a long skirt sauntered to the table with a silver tray. She smiled warmly at the trio and plucked a glass plate with a pair of sandwiches. Following that was a new bowl of breadsticks, and a tall glass of lemonade with a straw.

Juvia smiled at the woman and muttered a thanks.

Meanwhile, Gajeel salivated at the sight and smell of the sandwich,  "I'll have what she's having," He quickly piped up before the waitress could leave.

"Now," Juvia started with a whisper, "Where was I- oh, yes! I saw a lot of butterflies surrounding a… bloody body, it was, oddly, the strangest thing I've seen throughout the whole mission,"

F/n visibly lit up at the detail, and she wiggled slightly in her seat. A smile crept up on her lips, and she sat up straighter. The light in her eyes already told a story before she could open her mouth.3

"Well, butterflies are naturally drawn to blood," The fact alone made Juvia's eyes widened. Her brows knitted together in confusion, and her lips parted in surprise. That confusion morphed into slight disgust.

"Don't worry too much about it, they're not mosquitoes. Think of it this way: It's like how demons are naturally drawn to souls,"

Her voice was softer than her tone when in the guild. It was so sickeningly sweet that Gajeel nearly forgot who exactly was talking. Her honeyed voice could make anyone melt, and the way her words rolled off her tongue like honey made something in his stomach erupt. It left him feeling lighter and made his chest ache. The way her eyes would squint when she shared the fact about butterflies made her look like she was genuinely happy to speak on it. It was rare times like these that Gajeel gets to see a softer side of her.

And it's even better when she will sing his name whenever she addresses him. 

When he first arrived, the first thing she said to him was, "It's not polite of you to be late, Gajeel," Those words were so light, so fluffy and overall genuine that he had to take a moment to process it. She sang his name and smiled through her words, and he heard the warmth and utter adoration in her voice. It made his stomach do flips.

He quickly moved his gaze when she turned her head to look at him, as though she sensed it.

"Demons however, are sometimes given the orders from someone in a higher position than them. They are sent to either collect the soul, or lure it out. In rare times, they choose to entice another soul with an offering of 'pure' soul. Maybe even trade," 

She blinked, and colour suffused into her cheeks, "Oh— excuse my rambling dear Juvia, this topic in general interests me… and I got off topic…"

She swallowed thickly,  "Butterflies drink blood if offered to them, since they need the minerals found in it. You would often see them around bodies if blood is spilt…"

She smiled warmly at the water maiden that took a bite from her sandwich,  "Because of this, butterflies are often associated with death himself— and is often rumoured that death takes the form of a butterfly,"

It was strange to see her so happy and relaxed. The way her skin seemingly glows under the coold shade made her look rather… angelic? Not that she is an angel. But she wore a more comfortable outfit for this outing, and even wore black bell sleeves instead of her usual gloves. The two can clearly see the darker gradients on her arms, and her sharp nails. They can see the dull blue of runes on her arms whenever the sleeves fall back.