AN: Hello everyone! I feel so terrible for taking that long to update. Blame it on exams and confidence crisis, hah... I'll try to be faster *nods eagerly* Anywho, I hope you enjoy. Our lovebirds meet in this chapter xD

chapter 2

Juvia had thought she had a fair idea of how a city was from her books but it wasn't long before she realized nothing compared to seeing it in the flesh. The bazaar teemed with life, it was mesmerizing. How the people that walked by were so familiar with what was so new and foreign to her, how the houses they lived in were smaller than her chamber. Her eyes moved frantically from one corner to another, taking in at her surroundings and trying to carve every detail in her memory.

She was so absorbed she almost missed a little boy that stood in front of her. He gave her a scared gasp before looking away. Following his gaze, she noticed his eyes were fixed on a loaf of bread. Poor thing was almost drooling, she could see the starvation in his innocent eyes.

"Are you hungry?" she asked softly, lowering to his height. "Here, have this." The boy took the bread from her hands, muttered a hasty thank you and disappeared in a rush. Juvia smiled to herself and shifted to resume her stroll.

"Whaddaya think yer doing there?"

She turned on her foot to see a bulky man glaring down at her. Perhaps it was her impression, but he seemed quite annoyed with something she did but she couldn't put a finger on what it was.

"I…um–"

"Aren't you gonna pay for that?"

Realization struck on her. "I– I don't have money…"

"And you have the nerve to steal from me, you little shit?" It all happened fast, before she could fully register the situation she was in; he yanked at her collar and shoved her on a stand nearby. Her back crashed on the wooden surface, making her lose her balance and fall over. The poorly set shelves above shook at the force, pouring the antique items in display upon her. Heavy objects of all sorts landed on her head –which she was sure they would leave some good swells– while pieces of broken glass scattered around her.

The man seized her wrist, pinning it on the counter and pulled out a long blade. "There's one penalty for thieves, missy."

Her breath hitched in her throat. Was it what she thought it was? She desperately tried to break free but his grip was too strong, making her arm numb.

"No! Please!"

He swung the blade with full force, its sharp edge glowing as it rose in the air.
She shut her eyes close, a single tear rolled down her cheek. Master Jose was right, he was so right about everything. The world is cruel. She should have never left court.

So much for experiencing the outside world.

There was a swishing sound, but she didn't feel a shred of pain. Was the fear so paralyzing that she couldn't feel? Hesitating, she dared pry an eye open to see –much to her surprise– a new figure standing between them. The hand clamping on her wrist loosened its deathly grip and she flinched as blood rushed through her hand again. Her attention however was gravitated on the two men before her. Her savior seemed of her age, from what she could tell by looking over the arm that extended against the merchant's wrist, lean but sturdy.

"Some nice manners you have there." he said, and Juvia didn't know if she was more surprised by the husky voice, or the fact that his hold was unyielding under the much bigger man's force.

"How I treat thieves is none of your business. Move, kiddo."

"You didn't even let her explain herself." his hold tightened.

"I said, move." The merchant snarled, gritting his teeth.

The young man pushed him away, making him stumble a few steps backwards."So worked up for some bread? Here–" he thrust his hand in his pocked before throwing a fist of coins on the counter. "And do some anger arrangement while you're at it."

Juvia had almost forgotten she was standing there until a hand pulled her away. She didn't spare a single glance behind her, nor did she try to pry away from the secure hold on her hand and before she knew she was out of the current again and finally facing her savior.

"Are you alright?"

"I…" The words lumped in her throat as her gaze wandered lazily over his features. Raven spikes falling effortlessly at each side of his face and over his eyes, their darkness reflecting a blend of worry and something Juvia couldn't describe. There was an unfamiliar tingling in her chest but she chose to blame it on the fact that he was the first stranger to ever show genuine interest.

She then realized she had been silent for more than it would be appropriate.

"Yes." she said finally. "Yes I'm fine."

"Good. That brute was really going to slice your arm off."

The girl shivered at the thought. "I'm grateful you were there…" she paused as she realized she didn't know his name.

"Oh." He offered his hand. "Gray."

Definitely an attractive name.

Just like him.

"Gray…" she tried his name on her tongue as she shook his hand. "Thank you for saving me."

"And you are?"

Juvia hesitated for a moment. Should she just reveal her name? She currently was Agrabah's runaway princess after all. But then, she thought, would anyone recognize it? It was always the Rain Princess. "Juvia."

"Well Juvia, you should be more careful next time. There are many thieves lurking around."

She faltered again. He thought her money had been stolen. She debated whether she should explain herself; he would think she was retarded if she admitted she was so overwhelmed about being to a bazaar that she completely forgot she wasn't carrying any money in the first place. If he didn't already find the intense way she was staring at him as though there was something weird on his face funny enough. "Yes, Juvia will bear that in mind." she laughed shyly, combing her strained hand through her hair to diffuse the nervousness when a sting of pain made her wince.

"Let me take a look." He took her sore wrist in his hands, his fingers rough but careful as they traced the bruised skin with unexpected delicacy. "It's pretty swollen"

She looked away and brushed a stray lock behind her ear, too conscious of the blush forming on her cheeks. "It's not so bad–" the words tumbled in a low hiss when he pressed slightly.

He chuckled. "No need to act tough. It will normally take some days to heal but I know someone that might help." He must have noticed her hesitation –she seemed too well mannered to follow strangers around after all– because he added, "You trust me?"

Biting her lower lip, Juvia nodded. She followed his lead in a narrow alley, dismissing the little voice in her head telling her that her decision had little to do with the pain.

"Here we are." An isolated old building stood at the end of the alley. Gray pulled at the leaf and walked in, nodding her to follow. "Hey, Granny."

"What are you doing here?" a female voice barked from the inside. "I'm pretty sure I've told you brats I hate humans!"

It was a woman about her seventies, wrinkled but vigorous for her age. She had pink hair arranged in a high bun, with two thick strands framing each side of her face.

"She's a bit obnoxious." Gray whispered.

"I can hear you!" she snarled, swinging her broom at him angrily. "Ain't helping you with anything."

"Whoa calm down! It's not for me, it's for…her." Juvia felt his hand leave her arm as soon as it touched her, frustration seeping through her at the loss of contact.

The woman inspected her from head to toe, as though her crimson eyes could bore right into her soul. Despite her stiff demeanor though, Juvia could tell she concealed a kind and caring side underneath that rigid stare.

"Think you have something for bruises and sprains?"

She shifted away to one of her many shelves, grumbling. "First Natsu and his goddamned cat, then you…Why can't you brats leave me rot in my quiet?"

"Oi, don't paint me with the same brush as the flame brain." Gray protested.

"He's loud, you're cocky." Her eyes swiped and array of vials. "They're equally annoying human traits." Juvia had to restrain a snort as he eye-rolled. The old woman then threw a vial at Gray, which he caught with the same unexpected ease he had held strong against that irascible man's force.

A roll of bandage followed, caught by his other hand. "Take this too and get the hell out of my house, ya hear me?"

"Nice to see you too, Porlyusica-baa-san!" he jested as they hurried out of the door, ducking to avoid a glass container that flew over his head and crushed against the wall in pieces.

"Out!"

"Crazy woman!" Gray rasped under his breath once they were out of range. He guided her to the back yard. It was late in the afternoon and the heat of the day had given its place to a soft breeze, but that didn't stop him from taking his vest off as he settled on the bench beside her. Nor her cheeks from burning at the unexpected sight. Her eyes glossed over him as he applied the ointment, lingering on the ripples of his abdomen, the taut chest, the swells on his arms that flexed with every motion. His body was dusted in a sun-kissed shade, a vivid contrast to her alabaster skin. She looked up at his face; his features handsomely knitted in concentration while he wrapped her wrist in a bandage and-

"Here you go." His voice cleared the fog in her thoughts.

"Thank you."

She was considered a stoic and frigid woman, then why was she smiling so much today?

The sour taste of the incident with the merchant was by far forgotten. The further they strolled into the core of the market the more she was convinced sneaking out was worth it. It was loud, crowded, and it smelled from time to time, but her heart swelled with elation. She stole glances at Gray's direction when he wasn't looking, arms laced on the back of his neck. He had said it was on his way to somewhere, but she was glad he was there anyways.

"Juvia has never been here before" she confessed.

"I can tell."

She didn't expect that answer. "You can?"

You've stopped in 5 different stands." he shrugged. "If anything, your enthusiasm shows you haven't been to a bazaar often.

"Oh." was all she said.

"How come?"

"Well I…" she looked away, it felt impossible to muster a decent excuse while staring at his amused smirk. Her gaze fell on the palace, casting its majesty upon the city. "…I've never left the court since I remember myself."

He raised a brow.

"…Juvia is a servant. I grew up there… Today was the first time I was entrusted with the task of shopping for the kitchen." The lie rolled on her tongue with ease, and a pang of guilt as well.

He made a hint of a snort. "You really did mess up for a first time."

"We'll it wasn't entirely Juvia's fault."

"Won't you be scolded for coming back empty handed?"

She wondered how the people back in court would react if they discovered she had sneaked out. The servants wouldn't give her away. The women in the kitchen really loved her; she would often spend a good deal of her day downstairs, listening to their stories about her parents and learning how to cook. She had become exceptionally good at it, if she was honest, the girls always praised her culinary skills. They knew she felt lonely, so they tried their best to keep her company. Gajeel might have kept it a secret too; he acted tough and he wasn't very generous with words but she knew he cared about her as much as she did. Master and his men though…she'd rather not think about it. "Hopefully not. Besides, our supplies are still plenty."

"Living inside a place all this time though…I'd have quit years ago."

Her lips quirked at the irony. "Juvia would too, if only she could."

She was grateful for the silence that followed, because she really couldn't afford to explain if he delved more on the matter.

"I'm heading this way." he said after a while, pricking her excitement. Reality dawned upon her. It was over. The sun had disappeared, and although it wouldn't be rare for her to spend endless hours in her chamber, the staff would begin to wonder after not seeing her around for so long. "Right. Juvia needs to head back as well." The disappointment eminent in her tone. "Thank you again for saving Juvia."

He brushed beneath his nose, shifting his weight to his other leg. "Yeah…Well, good luck. With everything."

She watched him turn on his foot and walk away. Her heart sank. She'd had a better time than all of the memories she could consider as happy or pleasant in her 17 years combined together. She didn't know whether it was him, or doing things because wanted to and not because she had to was so addictive, but she couldn't let those grains of freedom slip from her hands like the desert's sand.

"Gray?"

He looked over his shoulder.

She fumbled with the sleeve of her cloak. "Would you show Juvia around if she came here again?"

For the first time, she saw him laugh.

"Sure, why not. You'll find me around"

His words earned a broad smile that didn't leave her lips for minutes.

If there was anything positive about living in court, it would be that it stood above any other building in the city, enormous as it was. She wouldn't be able to find her way back otherwise. She had reached the back of the wall that seemed to separate wealth from poverty –and her from the world– searching in the poorly lit street for the rope she had used earlier, when she heard a scream.

"Let me go." A girl no older than twelve struggled to break free from the man that had pinned her arms on her back, clasping at her wrists tight. One, she realized as she drew closer, she was quite familiar with. Totomaru, the guard's chief and Jose's right hand.

"What's happening?" she revealed herself from the shadows, her voice as loud and severe as she could muster.

"Princess?" The man seemed beyond surprised to see her, eyes wide and mouth gaping open. Even the girl stopped fighting to look at her. "Why are you here, miss Juvia?"

"I asked first, Totomaru-san. What's the matter?"

He didn't reply right away, still in shock. "See, this little thief doesn't admit her crime."

"I didn't steal anything, let me go!"

"And how did you get all these, huh?" he snarled.

Juvia looked at the bag tossed a few feet beside them and its littered content –just some fruits and vegetables.

"I bought them! My mother is sick in bet soI went to get them for her."

"Totomaru-san, please release her."

"What?" he gasped. "I can't do that."

"I believe my word is an order, no?"

The man grumbled something under his breath before he released his hold on the girl. Juvia lowered to her height. "What's your name sweetie?"

"Meredy." she sniffed.

"Well Meredy, you don't need to worry. No one is going to hurt you." She stroked her pink hair. "Take these and go back to your mom, alright? She's probably worried you haven't returned yet."

The kid nodded, wiping the tears on her cheeks with the back of her hand and collected the goods she had purchased. Once she was out of sight, Juvia shot the man a strict stare. People willing enough to cut her arm off was one thing, but someone abusing a child over the mere suspicion of stealing was…outright cruel. This was how her people were treated?

"Are you two having and outdoor party and I didn't know?" a gruff voice asked.

They both snapped at the man that had just arrived. She froze. "Gajeel-kun?"

"Gihii."

AN: Please do let me know how it's working for you guys. Time to introduce the Genie, isn't it? He's one adorable fella, I tell you. Thanks for reading!