A Place To Stay
folder
+G through L › Harvest Moon
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
29
Views:
4,670
Reviews:
5
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
+G through L › Harvest Moon
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
29
Views:
4,670
Reviews:
5
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own the rights to Harvest Moon or these characters. Stories are for entertainment only, and I make no profit off of this.
4
“Okay, done,” Claire said to herself as she tied the little piece of red ribbon in a bow.
Today was Winter Thanksgiving, a day when girls gave chocolates to boys. This was a tradition in Mineral Town, one that Claire was celebrating for the first time. Elli had given her the heads up on it. Doctor, the unwitting recipient of Elli’s desires, would be receiving some special supposedly “aphrodisiac chocolates.” Claire giggled at the thought of the stoic Doctor opening up that special package.
Claire had bought a piece of chocolate from Jeff’s supermarket the day before in preparation. She wrapped it up in a white handkerchief, and tied the bundle up with a piece of ribbon she found in a drawer.
She nervously went out onto the farm, looking for Cliff. She found him in the barn, just finishing up shearing a sheep. He wiped his hands on a towel hanging from the wall and turned to her, smiling questioningly.
Claire’s heart was beating so fast, she thought she was going to pass out. “Steady, now,” she told herself. “This is a harmless tradition. It’s no big deal, it’s no big deal, it’s no big deal….”
“It’s no big deal!” she blurted out, immediately wanting to kick herself. Cliff looked puzzled as she handed him the chocolate.
Cliff blushed and stammered, “W-w-what’s this?”
Claire blushed as well, looking down at the ground, digging her shoe into the hay beneath them. “It’s Winter Thanksgiving today…you know…girls give chocolates to boys.” She laced and unlaced her fingers over and over. “I’m sorry, it was a stupid idea.”
“N-n-no, I didn’t mean that,” Cliff stuttered shyly as he picked nervously at the package. He smiled wide. “Thank you. I really appreciate it.”
Suddenly Ann waltzed into the barn. She was slightly out of breath. “There you are, Cliff!” the cheerful redhead shouted. She ran up to him and thrust a bundle into his hands. “Happy Winter Thanksgiving!”
Cliff looked bewildered as he untied the cloth wrapping the bundle. It opened up to reveal a beautifully decorated chocolate cake. Cliff just gaped at it. “Uh, thank you, Ann. This must have been a lot of work.” He glanced surreptitiously at Claire, who was staring at the ground with a look of utter defeat on her face. She turned abruptly and ran out of the barn. As she hurried off, she heard Ann’s voice trailing after her, “What’s HER problem?”
Claire ran as fast as she could back to the farmhouse, tears stinging in her eyes. She had felt embarrassed at her gesture before, now she just felt humiliated. The pathetic little piece of chocolate she had given him, wrapped in an old handkerchief with a sorry little piece of ribbon – what a joke! Compared to Ann’s masterpiece, it was nothing. They were probably laughing at her right now. She barreled through the front door and threw herself on her bed face down. The tears were coming hard now and she sobbed hopelessly into her pillow.
She froze when she heard the front door creak open. She heard careful footsteps, and then Cliff appeared in her doorway. She wiped her face hurriedly with her back turned to him and then spun around, trying to act like nothing was wrong. “Oh, hi, Cliff,” she tried to say nonchalantly, but it ended up coming out in a broken squeak.
Cliff looked worried. “I’m sorry about that, Claire…”
Claire shook her head a little too vigorously and shrugged. “About what?”
“About Ann. She just won‘t quit,” he sighed uncomfortably.
Claire must have looked pretty miserable, because Cliff started sputtering nervously. “B-b-but, I mean, you know I don’t feel that way about her.” He scratched his neck. “She’s kind of scary, actually. Loud, too.”
Claire couldn’t help but laugh at that. She wiped her eyes and looked up apologetically. “I’m sorry too, for just running off like that. I just…” She paused. How could she say this without sounding like she was obsessed with him, and seem as scary as Ann? “I just felt embarrassed because the chocolate I gave you was kind of lame. I can’t bake like Ann,” she mumbled, tracing her fingers absentmindedly over the comforter.
Cliff laughed. “Oh, man…you don’t know? Ann is a terrible baker. She can decorate it up all nice, but the cake inside is nasty. I found that out the hard way while staying at the inn. Doug makes all the food there. I, ah, I actually put the cake in the waste bin in the barn as soon as Ann left.”
Claire laughed. “Oh, that’s hilarious!”
Cliff’s face softened. “So, don’t cry, okay? I don’t like to see you cry. I love the chocolate you gave me.” He chuckled. “At least I know it’s edible!”
Today was Winter Thanksgiving, a day when girls gave chocolates to boys. This was a tradition in Mineral Town, one that Claire was celebrating for the first time. Elli had given her the heads up on it. Doctor, the unwitting recipient of Elli’s desires, would be receiving some special supposedly “aphrodisiac chocolates.” Claire giggled at the thought of the stoic Doctor opening up that special package.
Claire had bought a piece of chocolate from Jeff’s supermarket the day before in preparation. She wrapped it up in a white handkerchief, and tied the bundle up with a piece of ribbon she found in a drawer.
She nervously went out onto the farm, looking for Cliff. She found him in the barn, just finishing up shearing a sheep. He wiped his hands on a towel hanging from the wall and turned to her, smiling questioningly.
Claire’s heart was beating so fast, she thought she was going to pass out. “Steady, now,” she told herself. “This is a harmless tradition. It’s no big deal, it’s no big deal, it’s no big deal….”
“It’s no big deal!” she blurted out, immediately wanting to kick herself. Cliff looked puzzled as she handed him the chocolate.
Cliff blushed and stammered, “W-w-what’s this?”
Claire blushed as well, looking down at the ground, digging her shoe into the hay beneath them. “It’s Winter Thanksgiving today…you know…girls give chocolates to boys.” She laced and unlaced her fingers over and over. “I’m sorry, it was a stupid idea.”
“N-n-no, I didn’t mean that,” Cliff stuttered shyly as he picked nervously at the package. He smiled wide. “Thank you. I really appreciate it.”
Suddenly Ann waltzed into the barn. She was slightly out of breath. “There you are, Cliff!” the cheerful redhead shouted. She ran up to him and thrust a bundle into his hands. “Happy Winter Thanksgiving!”
Cliff looked bewildered as he untied the cloth wrapping the bundle. It opened up to reveal a beautifully decorated chocolate cake. Cliff just gaped at it. “Uh, thank you, Ann. This must have been a lot of work.” He glanced surreptitiously at Claire, who was staring at the ground with a look of utter defeat on her face. She turned abruptly and ran out of the barn. As she hurried off, she heard Ann’s voice trailing after her, “What’s HER problem?”
Claire ran as fast as she could back to the farmhouse, tears stinging in her eyes. She had felt embarrassed at her gesture before, now she just felt humiliated. The pathetic little piece of chocolate she had given him, wrapped in an old handkerchief with a sorry little piece of ribbon – what a joke! Compared to Ann’s masterpiece, it was nothing. They were probably laughing at her right now. She barreled through the front door and threw herself on her bed face down. The tears were coming hard now and she sobbed hopelessly into her pillow.
She froze when she heard the front door creak open. She heard careful footsteps, and then Cliff appeared in her doorway. She wiped her face hurriedly with her back turned to him and then spun around, trying to act like nothing was wrong. “Oh, hi, Cliff,” she tried to say nonchalantly, but it ended up coming out in a broken squeak.
Cliff looked worried. “I’m sorry about that, Claire…”
Claire shook her head a little too vigorously and shrugged. “About what?”
“About Ann. She just won‘t quit,” he sighed uncomfortably.
Claire must have looked pretty miserable, because Cliff started sputtering nervously. “B-b-but, I mean, you know I don’t feel that way about her.” He scratched his neck. “She’s kind of scary, actually. Loud, too.”
Claire couldn’t help but laugh at that. She wiped her eyes and looked up apologetically. “I’m sorry too, for just running off like that. I just…” She paused. How could she say this without sounding like she was obsessed with him, and seem as scary as Ann? “I just felt embarrassed because the chocolate I gave you was kind of lame. I can’t bake like Ann,” she mumbled, tracing her fingers absentmindedly over the comforter.
Cliff laughed. “Oh, man…you don’t know? Ann is a terrible baker. She can decorate it up all nice, but the cake inside is nasty. I found that out the hard way while staying at the inn. Doug makes all the food there. I, ah, I actually put the cake in the waste bin in the barn as soon as Ann left.”
Claire laughed. “Oh, that’s hilarious!”
Cliff’s face softened. “So, don’t cry, okay? I don’t like to see you cry. I love the chocolate you gave me.” He chuckled. “At least I know it’s edible!”