She was just quietly sneaking up to her room when she heard familiar boot steps coming toward her.

"Juvia." Her brother called.

He called her into his office, she entered with her hands behind her back.

"Hello Gajeel." She said hoping for the best.

"Don't hello Gajeel me, missy. Where have you been?"

"Out."

"Out?"

"Out and about."

"You were with that jungle boy weren't you?"

"Gray, Gajeel. His name is Gray." She said firmly.

"What are you doing hanging around him unsupervised?"

"Gajeel I'm not a child anymore."

"No you're a woman, and he's a man. A man and a woman, completely alone and away from my men. Do you have any idea what he could do to you?"

"Gray wouldn't do that."

"How do you know? He didn't grow up civilized like the men you're used to. He was bred in the jungle, raised by wild animals, you know males will take a female the minute his hormones pick up."

"Now you're just being silly. Gray is not an animal."

"But he behaves like one."

"Well so do you sometimes." She said. "When you lose your temper, you scare away a pack of wolves."

"Don't turn this around on me. I don't want you to be left alone with him."

"I'm not a little girl anymore, you can't keep telling me what to do all the time."

"As long as I am still breathing, I will do what I think is best for you."

"Does that mean you're never going to trust me to make my own decisions?"

"Of course not. But I just don't think you're ready."

"Really? Because I think you're not ready."

Gajeel was jolted by her assertion and turned away.

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to be so overbearing and protective. I'm just trying to do for you what Mother and Father would want me to do."

His tone was more gentle now and he turned his attention to a painting of a family portrait. It consisted of a couple, a boy about seven or eight years old, and a baby girl. The boy was sitting in the lap of a man in a uniform who's face was firm but his eyes were gentle, much like how Gajeel was now. The girl was in the arms of a mature yet beautiful woman who greatly resembled Juvia. It was their parents. Poor Juvia was still just a child when she and Gajeel lost both of them to a cholera pandemic. Since that tragic day, Gajeel had to go from sibling to parent, trying his best to raise his sister the way their parents would have wanted. Sometimes he feared that he had failed them.

"I promised Mother and Father on their death beds that I'd look after you. That I'd make sure you'd always be safe, taken care of, and have a good upbringing."

"I know." She gently laid her hand on his arm. "I know. And I know that you've had to sacrifice so much for me. More so than any older sibling should, and I appreciate that. Really I do. But you can't protect me forever, and I certainly don't need to be protected from Gray of all things. Why can't you give him a chance?"

"Look I don't have anything against Gray I just...I just don't want him to influence you into getting yourself hurt. Or worse."

"Gajeel I feel perfectly safe with him. He would never let anything happen to me. He told me so. Not only do I feel safe with him but I feel I can tell him anything. He's honest and dear and I'm learning so much from him. He's shown me things about the world that I never thought I'd get a chance to see. If only you'd get to know him, I know you'd think that he's wonderful too."

"Does his friendship really mean that much to you?"

"Yes it does."

"Then I suppose he is entitled to a chance to gain my favor."

"Really?" She said hopeful.

"Yes. Tell you what, bring him by my study tomorrow. We'll talk, get to know each other, and I'll see if he really is as wonderful as you say he is."

"Oh thank you Gajeel." She happily embraced her brother and kissed his cheek. "Thank you. You won't regret this. I know you won't."

"We shall see. Now off to bed with you, it's almost past midnight."

She bid her brother goodnight and hurried off to her bedchamber. Shortly afterward, Levy entered the study with Gajeel's evening tea. She caught sight of the way her employer's sister was skipping about down the hall and giggling to herself. This caused Levy to smile.

"What's that look for?" Gajeel asked seeing her smile.

"Oh nothing, I've just noticed how happy Juvia has been as of lately."

"Well she is excited about this whole nature project she's doing with Dr. Dreyar."

"Oh I think it's more than just excitement." Levy chuckled as she poured him a cup of tea.

"What are you saying?"

"Well can't you see it?"

"See what?"

"The symptoms in her eyes? The way that strange boy has filled her heart with joy? It couldn't be more clear. She's in love."

Gajeel almost choked on his tea.

"Oh no! No, she's not ready for that."

"Of course she is, she's seventeen." Levy insisted. "It's her time."

"She's never expressed any interest in that subject before."

"Maybe that's because she hadn't found the right boy yet. But now she has."

"You can't be serious." Gajeel said aghast at the notion. "She can't really be falling for him. He's not right for a girl of her standing."

"Is that a fact?" She raised an eyebrow. "Well aren't we being the little hypocrite?"

If it had been anyone else who said that, Gajeel would have shot that a deadly glare. But not to Levy. Never to her.

"If you'll pardon my saying this, I think you calm yourself and not be so worried about this." Levy said. "I will admit her choice is quite unorthodox and the conventionally expected, but she's a good judge of character. You raised her to know better than to fancy a scoundrel. You should be supportive on this matter."

"So you're saying I should encourage her to fall in love and have her heartbroken?"

"Yes you should. I think she would be good at it." She looked up at him softly. "I know I was."

Gajeel blushed hard.

"Don't you remember when we first met? I was her age, and oh, we'd walk by the river together and sit under the blossom trees when they were in bloom."

"Our first kiss." He sighed longingly at the memory. "I can still recall it as if it were yesterday."

The captain and his maid had started off strictly platonic. When she and her family came to work for him she was just a cute and proper fourteen year old girl who was to serve his now orphaned eight year old sister, while his sixteen year old self would be in military training. Just an employee and an employer, nothing more. But as three years went by, he began to notice that Levy was very intelligent, considerate, and lovely. While she herself began to notice that despite his rough exterior, he had a very kind, sensitive, and gentle heart which was always evident whenever he was with Juvia.

When they first fell in love, it was so passionate. They couldn't bear to be apart even for a moment and would constantly sneak off to see one another. Though they never made their relationship public or known because they feared the scandal. A military officer involved with his servant, they'd think Gajeel was irresponsible and uncouth, and Levy a cheap tramp trying to sleep her way up to a better position. So they kept it a secret in order to preserve their reputations.

"But I'm not sure if it's the same." Gajeel said.

"Sure it is." Levy said. "Juvia is just braver than we are. Just doesn't care if people talk or what they'll think of her when they find out how she feels about the wild man. I admire that, and I wish I had that same bravery."

"Me too." Gajeel sighed. "I'm not ashamed of you Levy and I hate having to hide our relationship. We shouldn't have to, but you know how strict the military is. If word got out that I had taken my servant as a lover, I might lose my position. And while that wouldn't bother me as much if it was just me out here, I have to think about what's best for Juvia. As a military captain I can give her security and protection. Everything my parents ever wanted for her."

"I understand. Believe me, I do."

"Still it's not fair to do this to you."

He stood up from his desk and took her into his arms.

"I'll tell you want, you say that Juvia is ready for love then that means she's ready for marriage. Give me until I can find her a husband, someone to take care of her in my place, and then no more secrets or sneaking around. We'll tell the whole world about us and then we'll get married."

When Levy heard this, her face lit up like a thousand fireflies in the jungle night.

"Do you really mean that Gajeel? Truly? I mean, are you sure you want me for your wife? I am after all just a servant."

"Here, I want to show something."

Gajeel walked over to his desk and used a secret key to unlock a private compartment. From the compartment he produced a gorgeous, golden, engagement ring encrusted with diamonds.

"This was the very same ring my father proposed to my mother with. I've been holding on to it for all these years, waiting to give it to the right woman." He took Levy's hand and slid the ring on to her finger. "Now that I've found you, I want you to wear this for the rest of your life. If you'll have me that is."

Tears of joy were already streaming down Levy's face.

"Yes." She nodded with a touched smile. "Oh Gajeel I love you so much!"

She threw her arms around his neck and the two kissed each other passionately. Then he scooped her up and carried her to his bed where they would spend the night in each other's arms.