A/N: Hey gang. You know, I am truly grateful for those who reviewed my previous chapters. Without you, I wouldn't have the motivation to keep going! Thanks! And now give me more reviews! RIGHT NOW!

It was with a smile that Redmond "Red" Juchiro walked down the stairs of his cafe to start the new day. Situated at the very entrance of Magnolia, Red couldn't think of a better location for his Sundrop Cafe; the restaraunt he desired to open the minute he hit retirement. Looking over the freshly wiped tables and immaculately swept floor, he gave himself a mental pat on the back and moved to switch the sign to "Open!"

Yes, the cafe was everything he wanted it to be.

Even so, there were certain unforseeable occurances that came with opening a business so close to the mouth of the city. And standing outside the building, Red could spy one of those things this very morning.

A dark haired young man stood outside the orange cafe, awaiting the moment it opened so he could politely secure himself a window seat. Red knew exactly what he wanted, because the youth had been here almost every morning for the past few weeks.

With a sigh, the seventy year old man unlocked the door and put a smile on his face. "Ohayo, Gray-kun."

"Yo, Red. Same as usual." Gray walked in and took his usual spot by the window.

Red nodded but let his expression drop.

Not once since coming in did this mage ever smile. He never approached the topic, but he knew why the crestfallen man was here every morning, sitting in the same seat, and keeping his attention on the outside world.

The owner walked to the back of the shop, wondering if today might be the day he should gently pry his customer for details, yet secretly hoping that he would not have to.

A tall glass of lemonade. It was all Gray ever ordered when he showed up at 6:30 A.M. every morning. He glanced through the service window at his first and only guest. The mage was almost like a statue most days, eyes fixed solely on the window, but today, he seemed fidgety.

The full glass gently clacked against the table. Gray didn't look away from the window but nodded, before looking up at the elderly owner and shaking his head with a mumbled apology for being rude.

"It's alright, boy. No need to apologize." Red smiled kindly.

The dark haired man shook his head in the negative, "No, it's my fault. I'm just a little tense today."

Red raised a brow. This is probably the most he's gotten out of the mage since his first day there.

"Is there anything I can do for you, lad?"

Gray looked up, meeting his eyes for the first time that day. A dozen questions swam behind his dark eyes. A dozen questions, and one desperate cry for help. He shut his eyes and shook in the negative.

"Is it about that girl? What's her name, eh," he scratched his balding head in thought. "Juvia?"

Gray immediately straightened and almost jumped out of his seat. "Have you seen her?!"

Red recoiled in shock, bringing a hand to steady his heart. "No, no, I'm afraid I haven't."

"Oh." Gray visibly deflated.

A few moments of silence followed; Gray looking out the window, blinking far too rapidly to be normal, and Red looking down at the almost forgotten lemonade on the table.

Maybe today was the day for this after all. With a grunt, Red slid into the booth opposite of the young mage. Wrinkled hands played with each other as the elder searched for the right words.

"You know," he began, "the people of Magnolia are a very peculiar type."

Gray looked questioningly at the man, prompting him to continue. "I've been to a great many towns across Fiore. From the mighty Crocus to the tiny, humble town of Selkie. I've met many people, from many backgrounds, and of all the cities I've had the pleasure of traveling through, I picked Magnolia to live out the rest of my days in.

"On it's surface, it is a fairly unremarkable city, with the exception of you Fairies, anyway," he joked. "But it wasn't the city that drew me to open my shop here. In a way, it wasn't even the people.

"It was the bonds the people here forge. The first Fantasia parade I saw really blew me away. It was as if every citizen was family! Strangers would laugh together and make new friends. Young couples would come together and dance the night away! And at the heart of it, Fairy Tail, in all it's splendor would make it's way down Main, and there wouldn't be a single frown on anyone's face," Red chuckled to himself, reliving the memory. "I wanted more than anything to be a part of it."

"Fairy Tail has some of the strongest bonds I've ever seen. Maybe even the strongest. They embody what every Magnolian has deep within them. And if I were younger, you bet I'd give anything to get up and join you."

Gray allowed a small smile to slip through on his face. "Yeah. Fairy Tail really is something else."

Red sighed, bringing his attention back into the moment.

"Gray, did you know that every time you are out on a mission, that girl Juvia comes to this very cafe around the time you are supposed to be back?"

"She does?"

He nodded.

"She even waits here for most of the day if she can help it. She's quite popular amongst some of the regulars here, I've heard. A really sweet girl. Sometimes, she doesn't even go out to greet you when you return, out of fear you might tell her to stop.

"Once, you were delayed for almost two whole months when you were out with that Natsu boy and Erza-chan. She was here every day, a smile on her face, confident you would be back unharmed. On the day you returned, she stood up with a look that could melt anyone's heart, and walked out the door as if nothing ever happened."

Gray saw where he was going with this. "But Juvia has never returned this late from a mission! What if she doesn't make it back? What if she's injured? She's out there by herself for this one! I should've went with her, I should've-" His words were caught in his throat. He slammed his palms on the table, spilling some of the lemonade.

"Gray," the gravity in the old man's voice gave him pause. "Do you trust her? Care for her?"

He nodded, teeth grinding in frustration.

"Then believe in her like she does for you. Believe that she will make it back, strong and healthy, like she knows that you would. Give her that much, and you'll be surprised at what could happen."

Gray's eyes slid to his lap. The door opened and the bell chimed, signalling another arrival. Red moved to stand up, but not before posing another question:

"She means a lot to you, doesn't she?"

He looked startled by the question, but nodded, "More than she knows. Probably... Probably even more than I know."

"Who is this she? Juvia will crush her!"

Gray looked up and saw that his guest and been replaced with a beautiful blue-eyed bluenette who wore a teasing smile.

"Juvia." He breathed.

He took her hands in his, and brought her closer.

"G-Gray-sama?" she said against his shoulder.

"I think this might be my new favoite restaraunt."

A/N: You know, I was THIS close to writing some angst but I'm just such a happy sun-shiney guy. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed day dreaming about it. Though day dreaming is just my polite way of saying hallucinating. I have PROBLEMS! And one of them is that you are still reading this and not reviewing! Help me solve problems!