It was that very same morning in which Gray was heading down into the third class level himself. Straight for the general room, as he and Juvia had agreed on meeting. He wasn't entirely sure if she was going to wait for him as she said she would. From his point of view, last night she seemed deathly afraid of him. Not that he could blame her though, he knew that members of his status didn't exactly have the best record of being compassionate to those less financially fortunate than them. Still he felt absolutely terrible for just sneaking around and spying on her last night, and then almost getting her into trouble with that lecher of an officer. As a gentleman, he had to make it up to her.
By the time he entered the second class level, and was heading for the stairs to third class, three young ladies were out and about, getting some fresh morning air. When they saw the handsome and richly dressed young man coming their way, they immediately set their sights on him. Adding a quick dollop of rouge and flashing pretty smiles at him, in hopes of getting his attention.
"Well good morning to you sir." One young lady with blond hair said.
"Good morning Miss." Gray greeted politely.
"That is a very charming suit you're wearing." Said the second one with long pink hair.
"Thank you." He said blushing a little. "It's nothing really special though. Just one of my father's old suits. Pardon me ladies, but I should be going."
He tried to leave but was stopped by the third woman who had dark skin and white hair. She flashed a huge grin and kept winking at him.
"Excuse me, something in your eye Miss?" Gray asked, confused.
"No." She chuckled. "I was just giving you a little signal."
"Oh...Heh, heh..." He nervously took a step back, not liking where this was going.
"I am Briar, and these are my associates Jenny and Sherry." The third woman introduced. "This morning has been so painfully dull and you seem like such an interesting man. Won't you join us for a stroll around the deck?"
"Um...Well that's very flattering and I am honored to be given the offer, but I'm afraid I must refuse because I have a previous engagement. So if you all will kindly excuse me."
Jenny and Sherry seemed to be intelligent enough to take the hint. Briar not so much.
"We're going to New York to become a models." She said leaning in closer.
"Oh fascinating." Though he could really care less.
"What are you going to do there?"
"Well if you must know I'm hoping to become a writer."
"A writer?" She laughed. "Good-looking and funny!"
"Funny? What's so funny?" Gray asked unamused.
"Your little joke. You're not really going to become a writer, are you? Everyone knows that writers are just lucky fools who can't work hard for themselves. So they just scribble down notes and hope someone will actually like that garbage."
However Gray was not laughing with her. Neither were her friends. Such rudeness and callous behavior, even if that's how she really felt, no true lady would behave so disrespectfully. In fact no decent person in general would behave in that manner at all. Not about a person's dreams or goals.
He was about to make another attempt to excuse himself, when a second-class boy came running by, chasing after a sea gull. In his haste to catch the bird, he accidentally bumped right into the ladies.
"Oops. Sorry." He said shyly, picking himself up.
Jenny and Sherry just brushed it off but Briar was furious.
"Oh! Oh look what you've done, you filthy little creature!" She screamed at him harshly. "Why don't you watch where you're going?!"
"Briar please, he's only a child." Sherry said.
"A clumsy and stupid child!"
The boy turned pale and trembled.
"I'm...I'm...I'm sorry ma'am." He stuttered. "It was an accident. I didn't mean to-"
"Just get out of my way, you rat!"
She then ruthlessly shoved the boy down the stairs. Watching him go tumbling down the steps, Gray was absolutely horrified by such a cruel display.
"What the hell is the matter with you?!" He snapped at Briar, choosing to know longer waste good manners on her. "Are you insane?! You could have killed him!"
Briar looked at him as if he had struck her in the face or something.
"How dare you speak to me that way!" She said. "I demand that you apologize to me at once!"
"I never apologize to trash." He responded.
Enraged, Briar swooped in to smack him, but he quickly dodged her attack and she fell flat on her face. Gray then proceeded to step over her and hurry downstairs after the child, he saw a few drops of blood on the steps which made him worry. He became even more concerned when he reached the bottom of the stairway to find no boy there. Where did he go? If he had an open wound that he needed immediate attention. He shouldn't be running around at least until his injury was examined.
"Oh you poor little dear." He heard a familiar voice speak in a mist gentle tone. "Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you. Here, let's fix that knee up."
Gray went around the next corner where the voice cane from, and there he found Juvia sitting next to the boy who was trying so hard not to cry over what had happened to him. The only injury he had received from the fall was a skinned knee, nothing serious but the bleeding had to be stopped. He watched as Juvia tore part of her frock and used the fabric to bind his wound.
"There we go." She told him softly. "My, what a brave boy you are. If this happened to me when I was your age, I would be just sobbing away."
Gray smiled, impressed with her kindness, and then approached them.
"Good thinking trying to cover his injury immediately." He complimented her. "But let me take a look at it first. Just to make sure it's only minor."
"Oh...Okay." Juvia said, once again ever so bashful in the young man's presence.
"Am I gonna have to get my leg cut off?" The boy asked Gray as he inspected the scrape.
Gray and Juvia both laughed.
"No. Nothing like that." Gray assured him. "It's a flesh wound really. Nothing to get upset about."
"But what are you doing all alone like this?" Juvia asked the boy. "Where's your Mama and Papa?"
"It's just my papa and he's back up there." The boy said. "I kind of wandered off when I wasn't supposed to."
"Well we can't have that." Gray said. "As soon you're fixed up, we better go find him. He's probably worried out of his mind about you."
After Juvia finished dressing his wound, she and Gray took the boy back upstairs to the second class level to locate his father. It wasn't long before a man who appeared rather frantic, came into sight. He was desperately looking under chairs and around corners, calling out a name.
"Romeo! Romeo! Romeo!"
"I'm over here Papa!" The boy who's name was Romeo called out.
When the man saw his son, he ran over to the three of them and scooped the child up into his arms.
"Boy I oughta lash you with my belt for that! I turn my back for five seconds and you're gone! I was mortified! Scared that you could have been taken or fallen off the ship! What I have told you about wandering off?!"
"I'm sorry Papa."
"Look! You've already hurt yourself!" He said noticing Romeo's knee. "What happened? Did you break your knee bone? Is there gonna be an infection? Do we need to pour salt and rum on it?"
"Rest assured sir that's not necessary." Gray said to him. "I've studied in the medical field and I promise you, it's just a scratch."
"Oh thank you!" The man sighed in relief.
"Really you should be thanking this young lady here." Gray said gesturing to Juvia. "I just looked over the injury, she's the one who tended to him."
"In that case thank you. Thank you so much."
"Oh it was nothing really." Juvia said humbly. "Anyone could have done it."
Still the man thanked Juvia several more times before leaving with his son, and leaving her alone with Gray. Already her heart was racing again.
"Hello again." She said flustered.
"Hello." He said smiling.
"I'm...I'm a little surprised that you actually came looking for me."
"Why? I said I would."
"I know but I thought maybe you had forgotten."
"I doubt anyone could forget someone like you."
"Someone like me? You don't even know me."
"True but my nanny always said that I had a sixth sense about people. When I first meet someone, right away I can tell what they're like."
"And what does this sixth sense of yours say about me?"
"It says that you're not ordinary. Which is good, because I don't like ordinary."
She smiled a little.
"You're not pretty ordinary yourself. Not many first class gentlemen would come sneaking around in third class cabins to spy on me."
Gray blushed hard in embarrassment.
"What were you doing outside my cabin anyway? And before you answer, you should know my brother has no qualms about beating up a rich man. Especially if he tries to act perverse toward me."
"I wouldn't blame him. I'm very sorry about that incident, but you have the wrong idea, I wasn't being a perv. I had gotten lost while I was looking at the engine of the ship."
"That still doesn't explain why you were peeking in on us. What was that all about?"
Gray's blush increased so much, that you'd swear he had gotten burned by the morning sun's rays.
"I...Well I...I..." Feeling self-conscious, he looked down at his shoes. "I heard your singing and I thought it was very lovely. I just wanted to listen to it."
Juvia's eyes widened and the shade of her face now matched his. He thought her singing was lovely? A rich, educated, and handsome gentleman like him thought something about her was lovely? She could hardly believe it.
"Oh...Thank you. Gajeel always said I was a pretty singer but I thought that was just brotherly love talking."
"What was that song you were singing anyway? I've never heard it before."
"It's an Irish folk song. It tells of a young woman who's lover has embarked on a military career and she voices her willingness to support him. Gajeel says that my mother would sing it all the time."
"It's very pretty." He said. "And you sing it beautifully."
Juvia did not know how to react. She was not used to being complimented like this. She was more accustomed to being insulted and criticized. Being given compliments, felt strange.
"Are you alright?" He asked her. "Am I making you uncomfortable?"
"No, it's just that, why are you being so nice to me? You don't have to you know. No one would blame you if you just ignored me or told me to go away."
"Why would I do that? It would be very rude and disrespectful, don't you think? I mean yes we are different in matters of income and finance, but you're no less human than I am. Why would I treat you any different?"
She said nothing, but it pleased her heart so to hear him say such things.
"If I didn't know any better I'd swear that I was the first person who's ever been kind to you."
He laughed it off like a joke, but his laughter died down when Juvia looked at him silently.
"Am I?" He asked her.
"Well you're the first who's not family. Like my brother and his sweetheart." She confirmed.
For a moment, Gray began to wonder about her. If he was indeed the first person to ever show her any compassion, then what kind of life had she been living?
By the look in his eyes, Juvia knew what he was going to say next and she really didn't want to talk about that right now. So she quickly changed the subject.
"So Gajeel told me that you're an American. What's it like over there?"
"Oh it's quite a place." Gray explained as the two began to walk together. "New York is where we'll be docking but I grew up in Seabrook, South Carolina. I hope to move back there someday."
"What was it like?"
"In my opinion, the most beautiful place in all the world. It's a private, welcoming oceanfront community just miles from Charleston. Completely immersed in natural splendor, close to everything yet it's also secluded. There are pristine beaches, serene marshes, and a lush maritime forest. Just magnificent really."
"Sounds like Ireland in some parts. Maybe I'll go there someday."
"Maybe."
"What was it like growing up down there?"
"Oh where to start?"
And so the two engaged in a long and friendly conversation where they talked about where they grew up, and what each of their home counties were like, all the while becoming more and more fond of one another