When Juvia made it on board the first class level, she began asking anyone she saw if they recognized the journal and knew who it belonged to. Unfortunately for her, no one had the slightest idea.
"Maybe I should come back and try again in the morning?" She wondered.
Suddenly she was stopped by two officers.
"Excuse us Miss, but this is the first class level. You're not allowed up here." One of them said.
"Oh I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to sneak up here, honest. But I believe a passenger from this level accidentally dropped this somewhere. I just wanted to return it." Juvia explained.
"Is that right? Now this wouldn't be some ploy for you to slip into the laps of luxury, would it?"
"Oh no sir!" She shook her head. "Really I just want to return this. Here, how about I give it to you two and you return it."
"You know we can't allow gutter rats to just scurry around wherever they please." He said ignoring her suggestion.
The second officer started to look at Juvia. Really get a good look at her. She didn't look how he expected third class girls to look. She wasn't dirty or ragged, nor did she look like a shameless tramp or street walker. He thought she was pretty.
"She doesn't look much like a gutter rat to me." He said. "More like a cute mouse."
Juvia felt embarrassed, she tried to cover her face with her shawl.
"I'm going back to my cabin now." He tried to hand them the journal. "Will you please return this to its rightful owner."
"Now don't go just yet." The second officer said blocking her path. "I'm sorry my associate here was so rude. Allow me to make it up to you? How about you let me take you out for a first class drink?"
"No thank you. I really should be going now. My brother has probably discovered I'm missing and is very worried about me."
At that moment, Gray had noticed that he had dropped his journal and was on his way down to third class to look for it. He had just come around the corner when he saw the officer harassing.
"Let me escort you back to your cabin Miss." The officer said offering her his arm.
"Again no thank you. I can get back on my own." Juvia replied.
He took hold of her arm.
"Ma'am I'm afraid I must insist."
"Leave me alone." Juvia told him, trying to pull her arm free.
"Come on Rufus." The first officer said. "She's not interested, so just let her go."
"But it wouldn't be gentlemen-like of me to let her walk back alone." The officer called Rufus said grinning at her like some nasty lecher.
Juvia started to become afraid, and that was all Gray needed to see before he intervened.
"With all due respect officer, you are no gentleman." Gray gave Rufus's hand a quick swat which caused him to release Juvia's arm and then he stood in front of her.
"How dare you strike a navy officer!" Rufus snapped, insulted by the young man's boldness.
"You're one to talk. How dare you lay your filthy mitts on a lady. Very improper behavior you know. Maybe I should report this to the Captain. I'm sure he would not be pleased to know that one of his officers is harassing a passenger, and for the record, class means nothing to Captain Dreyar in matters of a passenger's safety and well-being."
Rufus's cocky demeanor quickly changed into a very nervous one.
"You wouldn't really tell him, would you?"
"I suppose I could be persuaded to forget this whole thing. That is if you apologize to the lady."
"Lady? What lady? I just see some stubborn wench."
Gray responded with a swipe under Rufus's legs, causing him to fall on the deck.
"For that you're now going to apologize to her on your knees."
Juvia was surprised by Gray's chivalrous attitude. No man had ever referred to her as a lady before nor had a man ever defended her like this. It was different, strange, and she kind of liked it.
"Now on your knees, apologize and beg the lady for forgiveness or you'll never work on another ship again." Gray threatened.
"Alright!" Rufus stood up on his knees and looked at Juvia. "Miss I apologize for my uncouth behavior, I beg your forgiveness."
"You are forgiven." Juvia said. "Now please, find out who owns this journal and give it back to him or her."
"My journal." Gray said recognizing the book. "You found it."
Juvia turned to make eye contact with Gray and hand him the journal. When she saw his face, she started to feel terribly bashful and shy. He was as handsome as he was courteous and gallant. He was sharply dressed and had such fine black hair but his charming smile was what made her heart flutter the most. She wanted to speak, but what could she say to such a wonderful gentleman?
His hands slowly reached to take the journal and their fingers briefly touched. Juvia blushed, she let go of the journal and started to run away.
"Wait!" Gray followed after her
In that moment, Juvia felt so flustered that she preferred to make a retreat, rather than speak to the handsome man. Unfortunately in her haste to get away, she tripped over the skirt of her dress and almost fell down the stairs. Gray quickly latched on to her arm and pulled her up just in time.
"Whoa! Careful now!" He advised, when she tried to run off again. "Easy, I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to thank you for returning my journal. It's very important to me and I appreciate you going through all the trouble of bringing it back."
"You're welcome, but really it was no trouble at all." She said trying not to meet his gaze.
"I beg to differ. Especially considering how your noble act led to you getting harassed by some lecher." He said. "I'd like to apologize for creeping around your cabin earlier and for causing this little mishap. I would also like to make up for you."
"That's kind of you to offer sir but not necessary."
Gray chuckled, finding her shy nature to be very adorable.
"First of all my name is Gray not sir. Gray Fullbuster. And second, I think it's more than necessary for me to make some sort of amends. Would you like to accompany me to dinner tomorrow night?"
"Dinner?...In the first class dining hall?"
"That's where I assumed we would be dining. Did you have somewhere else in mind?"
"No, but...I'm not allowed to go in there."
"You are if you have an invitation from me."
"I...I don't know what to say. I am most flattered but I...I don't think I'd fit in up there and wouldn't it be embarrassing for you to be seen with the likes of me?"
"I should say not. We may be sleeping on different levels of the ship, but we're both human and we both need to eat. Now if you don't want to come, I understand and you're free to turn down my invitation. But there's no need to do it out of fear that you might embarrass me. After all, I'm the one who's inviting you."
On one hand, accepting his invite could just asking for trouble. A clumsy, ragged, third class girl like her dining among first class passengers. A fine figure she would be, she'd probably trip again and fall, causing everyone to laugh at her. She should save herself the humiliation and refuse.
Though on the other hand, this was a golden opportunity that she should not waste. A fancy dinner in which she would be served exquisite food and drink, and she would be dining with such a nice gentleman. This would probably be the only time in her life she would ever experience the elegance and luxury of the upper class.
"You'd be a moron to refuse!" Said a voice in her head that sounded very much like Gajeel's. "Take it! Don't look a gift horse in the mouth!"
"So will I be seeing you tomorrow night?" Gray asked her.
"Ye...Yes." She said meekly. "Yes you will."
"Good. Dinner will be served at seven, meet me by the first class entrance..." But then he recalled what happened with Rufus and feared a similar issue may occur. "On second thought, why don't I come see you tomorrow morning to discuss the arrangements? I could meet you in the general room?"
"Oh...Okay. I'll...I'll wait for you." She started to slowly back away. "Goodnight."
"Wait, can I know your name?"
"It's Juvia. Juvia Lockser."
"A pleasure to meet you Juvia Lockser."
"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Gray Fullbuster. I look forward to tomorrow."
She gave him a bashful smile and at long last, she was able to go back down stairs and retire to her cabin. As for Gray, he returned to his own lodgings and proceeded to put place his journal on a shelf where he kept several other important things. His other journals, some photographs of his father and his nanny, and a black, velvet, box that contained something very special. He took the box down from the shelf and opened it up. Inside was a chain of white gold and hanging from it was a 56 carat, blue diamond cut in the shape of heart, edged by smaller diamonds.
Years ago Gray's father had been asked to come to Istanbul to care for ailing and injured victims of a terrible war. Silver knew the danger of traveling to that country which had become a war zone, but his compassionate heart would not allow him to refuse and the people of Istanbul were so grateful to him that they rewarded the good doctor with an ancient, priceless, and beautiful jewel. It was called The Heart of the Ocean and there was a very romantic story behind this magnificent jewel but we'll come back to that later.
Silver had given the necklace to Gray's mother as an engagement gift and she wore it til her dying day. When she was on her deathbed, she told Gray's father to give it to their son one day so he could present it to the woman he would fall in love with. Since then The Heart of the Ocean had remained only on display and had never been worn again.
As Gray looked upon the heart-shaped blue stone, he could not help but think of Juvia's eyes. When he had first met those striking blue eyes, he could've sworn that he had almost stopped breathing. Her brother had spoken the truth, they really were as deep and blue as the ocean and Gray wasn't sure how he didn't end up drowning in them. There was just so much beauty, light, and love yet there was also a misty cloud of sadness and fear.
"What was it that made her so sad and fearful?"
That was what he wondered for the rest of the night.