This was made for Durotos for the Valentine's Story Exchange over at the Village Square forums! Hope you enjoy! ;)


It had seemed like an eternity since they were in a... content place.

She can feel his warm, tender hand clasping her own. They rest their backs on the trunk of the apple tree, closing their eyes as the sun's rays shine brightly on them.

They are sat in comfortable silence, a gentle breeze being the only sound heard.

She opens her eyes to see a fairly vast field of crops, budding and growing, some soon ready to be harvested. The golden-haired woman had come so far from the small section of turnips she grew in her first spring. It had taken her sweat, fatigue and hard work to come this far. Also, the support of everyone around her. She had felt hopeless, an absolute failure, but the people around her had motivated her to carry on trying.

Most of all though, a secluded male, not too much older than her, bowing his head down at the front pew of the church. It sounded cruel, but she always felt excited to see his eyes staring down at the floor, becoming determined to make his days better. What hurt though, was that she probably wouldn't have turned an eye to him, had Carter not asked her to talk to him.

More than anything, she is grateful for when he supported her when she felt like giving up on her farm. She depended on his never-ending support and kind eyes to help her when she felt useless.

"One day... you'll be able to transform this into an amazing farm. You'll see."

Not all too long ago, she would have been saying she should have never taken that job opportunity, that she wanted to return to the city to her boring career. Nowadays, she was beginning to think of herself as an important figure of Mineral Town.

She smiles and leans against his shoulder.

He tilts his head towards her, gazing at her blonde locks. He was grateful. He wanted to thank her, over and over again, thank her until his throat became dry. The brunette was lost for so many years, looking for direction in his life, a place where he could settle down. He thought he would be trapped in a dark place forever, desperately clawing his way out.

It wasn't until he met her when he began to see his future in sight. Her vivacious blue eyes gazed at him, always taking time out of her busy day to pull him out of his misery. Eagerly leading him to the winery that would soon become his workplace. Gently squeezing his hand as he told her about his mother and sister: why he never talked about his home.

"I think... that I want to stay here."

"Then stay."

He never thought he deserved her kindness, and he still doesn't. Still, he accepts it selfishly and sometimes even relies on it.

He may still not know if he can see his mischievous sister again. He might never get past the sudden death of his kindly mother. Maybe he couldn't let go of the past, but he could look towards the shining future waiting for him.

They both still don't know if it's a self-centred wish to want to have each other by their side forever, but in this moment, they don't care.

She looks up at him, and he has a pleased expression on his face, similar to her own. His face glows radiantly in the sun.

"What are you smiling about?"

He doesn't answer for a while, and then softly chuckles. There was a light in his eyes that she had never seen before.

"I'm just... happy."

He was Cliff Redfern, a proud resident and winery worker of Mineral Town.

She was Claire Serrell, the owner of a growing farm in Mineral Town.

Their eyes gaze into each other's for a short while, and eventually his lips touch hers, their cheeks tinted pink in delight.