Hey there :) This is a One-Shot I wrote as a Christmas present for lollipopdiego - Merry Christmas, Frenchie! Anywho, for the lemon in the story, it's my first one so please no hate ^^' And for those who aren't really fans of lemons, you can just skip over that part and continue reading. Thanks for reading and bye-bye!
The only sounds echoing throughout the spacious house were deep, throaty coughs and gentle whispers of comfort. On the bed under the frosty window lay a frail old woman, her eyes shut and her white hair askew, and beside her was an old man, who held her skinny hand dearly to his chest while he gazed at his wife's weakened person. His purple eyes shined with the tears he was trying to hold back, and they softened when the woman turned her head and met his eyes with her sharp coffee ones. A shaky smile flashed on her wrinkled and sallow face.
"Chase," she breathed. The elderly man smiled and pushed a hair behind her ear. A hoarse laugh escaped from her lips as she excused, "Chase, you don't have to worry and jump every time I cough or shift in my sleep."
Chase tried to smile with a sad expression in his eyes. "But I fear with every cough that it could be your last breath. How am I not to worry that the Harvest Goddess may accept the love of my life into heaven right in front of me?" The ill woman reached her free hand to stroke the scratchy cheek of her husband.
"I know the Harvest Goddess wouldn't let me leave without a final goodbye."
"Then can you never say goodbye?" Chase sighed bitterly.
"Chase," croaked the sick woman. "It's time; I know. I've lived a long, happy ninety-six years. When this illness came over me, I knew my time had come. And I became okay with it." The man hung his head low, his grey hair falling in front of his face. The elderly woman slowly tipped his chin to face her once more before saying, softly, "Because I also know you'll be with me again soon enough. The Harvest Goddess isn't one to keep love this strong separated for long."
Chase peered into Angela's eyes, studying her confident and sure look, and then examined her frail state. Her skin was stretched painfully across her bones, she had such pallor, and her breathing was hitched and thick. But in Chase's eyes, he still saw the lady he met seventy-two years ago – the same spark in her eyes, the same faint hint of pink on her cheeks, and the same knowing smirk she was famous for. The old man shook his head and chuckled lightly.
"I remember when we first met," he told her. "You had that same expression on your face."
"Well you were being a dumb-ass," The woman shot back.
"Order up!" a pink-haired old lady shouted from the kitchen. A girl with a happy look on her face and braids in her hair skipped around the Inn, gathering orders and serving food. The couple that owned the Inn was discussing bills in the corner, and next to the pink-haired woman was a man with strawberry-blonde hair and a bored scowl. Angela strode to a table near the counter and looked over the items on the menu. While she scanned the lunch choices she let her mind wander to her old life in the city that she left. She'd only been on Waffle Island for a week, but she felt sure of her decision to leave the city after college. The people were so nice and she'd already made her first harvest yesterday!
The perky blonde girl interrupted her thoughts and chirped, "Hey, you're the new girl, right?"
Angels nodded and gave a friendly smile. "You know, that seems to be the first thing everyone has said to me so far."
The waitress giggled and held out a hand. "I'm Maya," she introduced. Angela shook her hand and gave Maya her name. "Ooohh, that's such a pretty name! Do you –"
"Maya!" The strawberry-blonde snapped over the counter. His hands were placed firmly on the wood as he leaned over and looked at the two girls. "This isn't social hour; get her order and move on." The cook huffed and went back to the soup he was stirring. Maya stomped her foot and crossed her arms, pouting as if she were a little girl. As she stuck out her tongue out at the cook, Angela couldn't help but get the impression the two didn't exactly get along.
"That grumpy guy is Chase," Maya explained. "He's always in a bad mood. But anyway, what would you like?"
After giving Maya her order and watching the girl prance away, Angela sneaked a glance at Chase, who was now swiftly chopping a squid. His amethyst eyes were focused on the squid, so he didn't notice the farmer come next to the counter until she shouted, "Boo!"
Chase immediately dropped the knife and jumped half a foot back. He looked to his left to see the new girl in town laughing at his scared expression, and gave her a nasty glare.
"I could have cut my hand off," He grumbled. The girl only shrugged and smirked at him.
"You could also have been nicer to Maya," the farmer retorted.
"Dammit, I don't need the 'new girl' telling me how I should act," Chase spat as he picked the knife off the floor. He looked squarely at Angela and continued, "I will act how I want to, especially if someone is slacking off when they should be working."
"You know, talking to me instead of chopping your little squid could be considered 'slacking off'." Angela raised her eyebrows at Chase, giving him a smirk. Chase opened his mouth to respond, but only gaped at the girl. "Exactly. So if that Maya wants to talk to customers, you let her."
As she walked back to her table, she felt Chase's gaze on her. She quickly turned back and said, "And I'm on a busy schedule, so make that risotto snappy!" The farmer winked and laughed again, while the cook shook his head and resumed his chopping, muttering to himself.
"That's not fair, though, you were the one that distracted me from my work!" The old man defended with a chuckle.
"You needed to be put in your place," Angela wheezed as she giggled. Chase sighed and shook his head, smiling lovingly at his wife.
"You always did put me down when my head was getting too big. You kept me balanced."
"I warned you when we started talking, I would not be afraid to snap back at you."
"Well you put up with me, and I put up with your smart-ass remarks. I needed someone that would put me in my place once in a while." Chase brought Angela's hand to his mouth and kissed it gently. This made his wife smile gratefully at him.
"I also remember how you came to my door to gruffly apologize the next day," she noted. "And then somewhere down the line, we became friends."
"I never wanted that, though," Chase admitted. "I thought you were so precious and lovely. Even when I first saw you when Mayor Hamilton was showing you around, I thought you were beautiful. Then I started to see your personality, and you were a pain in the butt." The old woman scoffed as her husband chuckled again. "But I liked that about you. You were full of surprises and you weren't afraid of anything."
"…I was scared on our first date." Angela whispered, looking up at Chase. "I was nervous like you wouldn't believe. For a dumb-ass you were quite a charmer."
"Just smile and be yourself, Angela," the farmer told herself as she brushed her hair and looked at her reflection. "Don't let that dumb-ass make a fool out of you – you just have to not get caught up in his gorgeous purple eyes. Easy enough, right?" She placed her brush on the vanity and started swiping mascara on her lashes.
"Ugh, why am I so nervous? It's just Chase – he's my friend! So what if he has an amazing smile and a sense of humor and silky hair? It's just a little dinner. You're twenty-four years old, Angela, don't be so nervous."
Angela sighed and looked at her wide brown eyes in the mirror, then told herself again, "It's just a dinner date. No need to freak out over t-" She froze as there was a knock on her door. "Coming!" She called. The farmer scurried to find her jacket and keys, and she bolted down the stairs when she finally found them. Opening the door, she gave Chase a small smile. "Hola," she greeted.
Chase snickered and replied, "Hola?"
Angela rolled her eyes and beckoned him inside. "Shut up. But come in; Just lemme get my shoes and we'll go." As he came inside and took off his jacket, she quickly turned away so he wouldn't see her blush. The grey T-shirt he wore hugged his chest in a flattering manner, and his eyes were particularly dark and shiny tonight. She had chosen simple skinny jeans and a red crop top, but she hoped he liked it.
"So this is 'Casa de Angela'?" Chase asked.
"Yeah," Angela answered simply. She was looking in her closet for the red flats. "It's small, I know, but it's home."
"Nahh, my house is probably smaller than this," Chase excused. While Angela searched for her shoes and they talked a bit more, Chase stole glances at her and couldn't help but feel lucky for catching a date with her. Her jeans made her legs look long and slender, her soft hair grazed just below her chin, and her eyes were as bright as ever. She turned around when she had slipped on her flats, and caught him staring at her.
Her usual smirk was on her lips when she said, "Didn't your momma tell you it was rude to stare?"
It was Chase's turn to roll his eyes as he responded, "Sorry, but what else am I to do when there's a beautiful girl in front of me?"
This made Angela blush even more. Chase waited for her to speak again, so she lightly punched his shoulder, smiled warmly, and said, "Whatever, dumbass, let's go to dinner."
"Actually," Chase began as he led her through the door. "I decided a picnic might be better. It's a nice way to spend a beautiful night and it gives us more alone time."
"Impressive," Angela noted with a small giggle. With her hand in his, Angela and Chase walked towards the beach, and all of Angela's anxiety melted away as the two chatted and laughed together.
~*Three Hours later*~
"No way; you didn't!" Angela shook her head and smiled at Chase's story.
"Ah, but I did," Chase told her, spreading his arms and grinning.
"Oh my Goddess! What happened after that?" Angela laughed.
"You see this scar right here?" Chase asked, lifting his arm and pointing at a crescent-shaped mark near his armpit – making Angela mock pinch her nose and say 'Peeyoo!'. "Well that's how it got there."
"Oh Goddess, you're crazy!" Angela exclaimed, unable to contain the giggle building in her throat.
Chase chuckled with her and pulled her close to him by her waist. "At least I didn't chase a bunch of ducks and pout when they got scared and swam away," he teased with a soft smile.
Looking up into his hypnotizing gaze, she scoffed jokingly and grinned. "Well they were cute! I only wanted to pet them."
The strawberry-blonde shook his head and laughed, then rested his forehead on hers. "From now on I'm calling you My Little Duck, then. Okay?"
"If you must," the farmer shrugged and wrapped her thin arms around the cook's neck. They beamed at each other, and as they closed their eyes and found the other's lips, the moon dazzled behind them and the ocean waves glistened and rolled against each other.
Another fit of hoarse coughs came over Angela and she brought her balled fist to her mouth to keep from coughing on Chase, who placed his other hand on her forehead lightly and looked at her with worried eyes. Minutes passed before she finally calmed down again, and the old woman glanced up at the elderly man with tired eyes. "Chase," she breathed. "It's coming closer. I can feel it."
"Don't say that," he whispered sadly. "Don't leave me."
Angela inched her head to face her husband, giving him another soft smirk. "I remember you saying those words. When we were with each other physically for the first time."
"But that time you didn't leave. You almost did, but you realized you couldn't…I can't convince you to stay this time," Chase murmured, a single tear drop leaking out of his right eye.
"Chase," the old woman pleaded. "Please don't focus on the negative right now. Let's only think of our good memories. The reasons we're here together." The ill woman wiped the tear sliding down her husband's cheek, and he kissed her hand once more.
"Yes, mother, my bags are all packed…Yes, of course…Like you said, it's an offer I can't refuse…I'm sure…Thank you mom…Love you too. I'll meet you on the ship tomorrow morning…Bye-bye."
Angela placed the phone back on the receiver with a huff. She averted her gaze to the center of the room, where all her luggage was piled onto the couch. 'This is it', she thought. 'I'm really going to do this.' The girl walked upstairs to make sure nothing was left unpacked; it would be a big day tomorrow. Angela had moved to Waffle Town after college to become a farmer, but that was only because her dreams of fashion design were over after her applications to companies were horribly rejected. Of course she became happy with her life as a farmer and rancher on Waffle Town, but she had missed her big dreams of working for a big name and creating clothes for the runway.
She never expected she'd get a call from Ralph Lauren.
She was sitting at home last weekend, watching No Strings Attached with Chase, when her phone rang. When she picked it up she heard Ralph Lauren himself, telling her he'd looked over her resume again and decided to give her a chance in the fashion world. She of course had been ecstatic, but Chase….wasn't. She'd have to move back to the city, and he couldn't leave his home. He tried to convince her not to take it, and as much as Angela truly loved him…she couldn't pass this up. That's what her mother kept telling her.
"Your dreams are coming true, deary!" Her mother had said when she heard the news. "Why would you stay a small farmer when you have the chance to make it all happen?"
But now that her leave date was coming closer, she was starting to doubt her decision. She's lived on Waffle Island for a year and a half; Chase had planned something big for her twenty-sixth birthday next week. She couldn't leave him now, could she?
"This is the chance of a lifetime, Angela," she thought out-loud. She sighed dejectedly and sat on her bed for what she thought would be the last time. Suddenly, there was a hasty knock on her door. The girl brought herself to her feet and trudged downstairs to see her boyfriend holding a bouquet of white roses – my favorite flower –with a pleading look in his eyes.
"Chase," Angela muttered, caught off-guard. Before she could speak again, he lightly gripped her shoulders and kissed her passionately. He broke away after several seconds and spoke with such urgency in his voice.
"Angela, please don't move back to the city. You belong here. You belong with me."
"Chase-" The girl started, but was broken off again.
"Hear me out," he begged. " I love you, Angela. More than I have loved anybody in my life. You keep me balanced and happy, and every day is a new adventure with you. You're loud and brash, but you're sweet and innocent, too. And you get me more than anybody. And I get you. Please…I need My Little Duck with me."
"This is my career, though," She told him. "This has been my dream since I was ten. I can't just let this chance slip."
"Don't say that," Chase muttered, his purple eyes glazed with tears. "Don't leave me."
"Chase –"
Chase grabbed her waist and pulled the farmer towards him, watching her with a desperate and loving expression. As she looked back into his eyes, she could only see him. They weren't in her house; they were in a world of their own, with just each other in their embrace. Painstakingly slow, Chase kissed her forehead and temple, planted little kisses on her jaw, and then eventually found his way to her lips. Their lips locked perfectly together, and she sighed and wrapped her arms around his neck, tangling her hands in his luscious, strawberry-blonde hair that she loved so much. He wrapped his arms completely around her waist, bringing her in closer to him.
All common sense was lost as they kissed each other, her hands playing with his collar and his toying with the bottom of her shirt. She felt his warm, calloused hands slip higher on her cool back, slowly creeping their way to her pink lacy bra. She shivered against him when the clasp was finally undone, and she quickly broke apart to slide her shirt over her head and let her bra drop to the floor. The couple reconnected for a heated kiss as Chase's hands grazed over Angela's perky breasts, causing the girl to moan into his mouth. Chase smirked slightly while continuing to play with her, pinching her rosy nipples and rubbing her smoothly. Angela let out a gasp as Chase suddenly left her lips and brought his mouth to her chest, his tongue lapping at her. Angela felt her nipples get harder instantly.
Getting frustrated at Chase's clothing still on him, Angela started unbuttoning his white collared shirt, rubbing her palms up and down his chest when she was done. She moaned once again when Chase kissed at her neck, sucking and biting all the right places. As Chase worked at her soft spots Angela pushed the cook's shirt off completely, and started working at undoing his buckle. She felt Chase smirk against her.
"Getting impatient, are we?" he murmured.
Angela responded by crashing her lips against his and she felt his tongue enter her mouth. The two fought for dominance until Chase won. He slid his hand down her side, feeling her soft curves, and hooked his thumb in her jeans. Angela broke the contact, taking his hand and leading him upstairs to her bedroom. Their eyes never left each other as they made their way to the bedroom, and Angela pushed Chase onto her double bed to straddle him. They resumed kissing while Angela unbuckled the cook's belt, hurriedly shoving his pants off and throwing them on the floor somewhere.
Chase took this chance to flip their position so he was on top. He slowly kissed down her jawline, his hot breath on her skin turning Angela on even more. She slid her hands into his boxers, and it was Chase's turn to gasp and groan as her hands found his hard erection. She stroked his member swiftly with one hand while the other grasped and rubbed his balls.
"Nnn, Angela," She heard him groan above her, making her pace faster.
Suddenly she felt one of Chase's hands pull hers out of his boxers, and she arched her back while he pulled on her jeans. Soon they joined his pants on the floor, and Chase kissed down to her breasts, her stomach, and finally her wet vagina. He used his teeth to slip her panties off of her, impressing the girl below him. Angela's breathless when she felt the cook's tongue graze her clitoris, and started to moan even louder when his hands crawled up to play with her breasts. His hot tongue pressed against her pink flesh, exploring all he could to make her moan.
"Ooh, Chase! Ahh!" Angela screamed, her breath becoming hitched. He could tell she was close, so he pushed his boxers off and moved above her, their lips close to each other once more.
"Are you ready?" He asked softly. The farmer nodded and pulled him in for a kiss, and Chase entered her slowly. Angela gasped at the sensation; she wasn't a virgin, but Chase was larger than any other man she'd been with. Chase fully entered her and stayed still, waiting for her to adjust to his size. A few second passed before Angela nodded, signaling him to continue. Chase moved his member in and out of her, starting at a slow pace. He heard the girl moan loudly and thrusted harder into her.
"Oh! Oh, Chase!" Angela groaned. "Faster," she whispered in his ear. Almost immediately he quickened his pace, and soon the two were slamming against each other. Heavy gasps and the sound of skin slapping together was filling the room, as well as the headboard banging into the wall. Angela was glad she didn't have neighbors, for surely their moans and shouts of pleasure would wake them up.
Angela felt a familiar feeling build up in her womanhood and she brought a thumb to her clitoris to finish the job. She felt her release coming, and she whispered to Chase with a shaky voice, "Cum with me."
"Babe, are you on the pill?" He asked. Angela nodded quickly. Chase thrusted harder into her and the two arrived at the same time. He felt her juices surround his member, and she could feel his release inside of her. Screams of immense pleasure erupted in the room. Chase's thrusts became slower and slower until he pulled out of her, lying his body next to hers. The two were breathing heavily, and when they finally calmed down they turned to look into each other eyes. Chase gently cupped his love's cheek and kissed her forehead.
"I love you, Little Duck. Please…stay." He whispered to her. Angela giggled and shoved his shoulder teasingly.
"I love you too, Dumb-ass."
"And if you had left, our glorious life together never would have happened," The old man muttered, looking lovingly into his elder wife's brown orbs.
"No," the ill woman stated, slightly shaking her weak head. "I think the Harvest Goddess would have led us back to each other one way or another."
Chase bit his lip and smiled at his wife. "Always the optimistic."
"I wasn't when we first tried for a baby," she reasoned. "I moped for days after the miscarriage, remember."
Chase nodded solemnly. "That wasn't your best time. But soon we had Hope, and she was a healthy girl." He lightly nudged the old woman, who beamed softly.
"That was such a relief to me when she lasted the whole season," She admitted.
"Chase, no. I don't want to go to the clinic again," Angela persisted. "I'm just going to get bad news sooner or later."
"Angela, you're pregnant again, I know," Chase said, not listening to her protest as he dragged her out of the house.
"And what if I am?" she inquired. "We'll probably get all of our hopes up again and then get crushed when Jin tells us our baby is dead!"
"Angela, listen to me!" Chase halted and grabbed his wife's shoulders, looking squarely into her stubborn eyes. "I have a feeling this one is going to be our first. I can't explain, but I can just tell. This one will be happy and healthy. And if the chance is that it isn't…we'll work through it together like we did two seasons ago. Now let's go to the clinic so they can tell us if it's a boy or a girl." He kissed Angela's cheek, and the two continued towards the clinic.
~*1 Season Later*~
A baby's cries echoed throughout the second floor of the clinic. As the elderly nurse carried the baby to the cleaning station, a strawberry-blonde man kissed his wife's red and tired face dearly.
"You did a great job, Little Duck!" Chase cheered. "Our baby is very healthy!"
"What a healthy little girl," Irene cooed as she passed the baby to Chase. "You really did a great job, Angela."
"Have you thought of a name for our child, Angela?" Chase questioned, gazing at the baby in his arms with wonder.
Angela let out a heavy breath and, with an exhausted smile, suggested, "Hope."
"Hmm…I like it," Chase decided. "Welcome to the world…Hope."
"How are the kids, by the way?" Angela croaked. "Have you talked to them since last week?"
"Yes, I talked to them all last night. Tony's still working as a chef at the Plaza, and he and Rebecca are just had their second child. A boy named Andy."
"Rebecca…she's a sweet girl," the old woman commented warmly. "I always liked her. And Charlotte? How is she doing at the University?"
"She's doing really well; though it can get tiring being a law professor, she said. She also told me she's representing a big case that could completely turn her career around and make her greatly recognized as a lawyer."
"I always knew my little girl was going to go places," sighed the ill woman with pride. "…And what about Hope?"
"She quit her job at the stadium so she could look after her three kids while Robbie is away at work. She told me to tell you she loves you, though, and she wishes you'll have a quick recovery."
Angela frowned at the comment. "Chase, we both know that won't be happening."
The old man exhaled and squeezed his wife's hand. "I know, Angela…The kids, though…they just don't want their mother to die. Just how I don't want to see My Little Duck perish…"
Angela's breathing was getting faster and thicker and her muscles were feeling sorer, but she tried to place her other hand on her husband's cheek. Chase attempted a sad smile as he held her hand there, but he couldn't. He knew her time was coming fast.
"Chase…" Breathed Angela. "You are the love of my life. Every day I would wake up, look to my side, and see you there next to me, and I would remind myself how lucky I was to find someone like you. You have made me happier than I ever dreamed I could be, and I have valued every second I spent with you."
"Chase," said Angela. Her eyelids drooped and her grasp on Chase's hand grew weaker. "I'll see you soon. I love you."
Slowly, Chase watched the faint pink on her cheeks vanish, her head flop to the side, and her hand slip from his. He held back the sob building in his throat as he looked at his cold, dead wife.
"Angela…I love you," he said to no one. "We will be together again. Soon."
Then, as the sun gradually rose on the Christmas morning, making the icicles on the window pane glitter and the snow shine, Chase closed his eyes, whispered another "I love you" to the silence, and let the Harvest Goddess take him, too.
Kind of a bittersweet ending...Well, it was a bittersweet story to begin with ^^' Anyhow, thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it! :) Reviews are in fact welcome. ;)