A/N: So… is it set in stone that Annie/Minori moved to Oak Tree from the city? I checked fogu and everything and I don't think you can start a new file unless you get rid of an old save, so I ain't doing that, but… well it doesn't really matter since people've done all sorts of crazy stuff with Annie's background already.

Anyway, hellooo, HM fandom. CGA back with yet another multichap, because I'm finally getting good at updating them, and this time, I'm here with a severely undershipped pairing – Fritz and Annie.

I originally intended to write it from Fritz's POV, but I just started writing and it flowed better from Annie's, so unfortunately yes, you all get to read another Annie-centric story.

I didn't mean to post this right away, as I literally just told someone this would be coming soon and not now, let alone maybe not even coming in the first place,but oh well I'm a hypocrite, don't stick to my word, whatever.

For this story, I'm planning on having it be another little one, maybe just a little longer than Apple Pie was (sorry for everyone who wanted it to be longer :P). Fritz's character is surprisingly hard for me to write, despite having written him before and finding it pretty simple. But maybe that's just because I've only focused on making Raeger the love interest and as such only really played with his personality and dialogue… meh.

Well, regardless, it's still pretty fun, and I hope you guys enjoy reading it! All three forms of feedback are greatly appreciated, so thanks in advance!

Fritz the Ditz

"You're still a girl."

Everyone in town – no, anyone who ever just saw Fritz – would think he was nothing more than a dunce.

He was silly, playful, naïve, and overly friendly to the point of being gullible. He was easily tricked and often made fun of, the butt of each and every joke.

But Annie knew better. Well, she thought she did, anyway.

She hadn't exactly anticipated this situation before, even in her wildest dreams.

Her best friend who had taken to her as quickly as an abandoned newborn puppy, Fritz, was actually scolding her.

Annie scowled. "I know I'm a girl, Fritz. You don't exactly have to tell me that." She slid out from underneath him and got up, brushing the dirt from his floor off of her work pants. She rubbed at her back, a bit tender from the collision he'd caused.

Fritz just crossed his arms. "If you know, then why'd you go there?"

"It was just to the trade depot!"

"It was late!"

She rolled her eyes. "Just because you're scared of the dark doesn't mean I am, too."

"It's not that, Annie," he protested. "Those traders are new in town. They might not be the best people."

What was he talking about? Was he really badmouthing those nice shopkeepers?

"You mean Kenneth? Or, or, how about Yoshino? The easterners aren't nice anymore, didn't you hear, Fritz? They specialize in human trafficking and – "

She was flung back up against the wall, and only then did she realize just how much taller than her Fritz was. Was he always this tall…?

"Don't joke about that stuff," he told her. His tone was uncharacteristically dark and menacing, and it sent shivers down Annie's spine.

She couldn't look away from his intense gaze, though, she noticed. There was something about the way his eyes flickered between hers that just kept her captivated, rooted in place where her feet stood.

She gulped.

That was the first time she'd seen such a scary face. And Fritz was definitely the very last person she thought capable of making it.

Suddenly, he wasn't such a sweet, little innocent boy that she could tease anymore. They probably wouldn't have sleepovers anymore. For sure, they wouldn't look at each other the same way anymore.

Or at least Annie didn't.

Since that time, exactly one week ago, she'd slowly become more cautious and anxious around Fritz, and she was constantly on the lookout for him everywhere she went.

She felt herself becoming more and more aware of him and his actions.

Being only eighteen yet, she thought she would have preferred a man at least a few years her senior, perhaps Raeger or Klaus, as they seemed to be perfect gentlemen.

But… for one reason or another, she was drawn to Fritz.

…

"Aaaaannie!"

Annie shook her head and sighed. How many times did she have to tell Fritz not to hang around outside the barn and just come in? It wasn't like she could come out very easily.

Still, she maneuvered carefully around her cows and sheep as Fritz banged uncaringly on the barn door, wondering what sort of scolding she could tell him this time.

She opened up the large door, letting in the sunlight for a second before she stepped out and re-latched it. This was the special barn, for her photosensitive animals she rescued from an evil farmer.

…Or so she'd told Fritz one time so he wouldn't keep the door open and let all of them out.

"What do you want?" Annie asked impatiently, arms crossed.

Fritz just grinned. "Look what I got!"

He held up a small, spiky ball. It looked rather slimy, and it made sense why he was touching it.

"A sea urchin?" she asked, unimpressed. He was always bringing around weird things to show her.

And, well, she didn't exactly dislike it, as it led to them seeing each other every so often, but…

"Get rid of it."

Fritz's face fell. "Wh-what? But I thought – "

"You thought wrong," she said harshly. She already knew what he was going to say, so she started walking away. If he was dragging her outside, he could help with the crops, she reasoned.

"But… we can make something for Raeger!" he cried, walking alongside her and attempting to guilt her into doing something.

For the most part, it usually worked, but that was only because Annie had a pretend crush on Raeger – a pretend crush so that Fritz wouldn't find out it was actually him that she liked.

In one of his childish bouts, he asked her to play truth or dare, which she idiotically complied with. During the game (which was pretty pointless with just two people) he "dared her to tell the truth" and confess who she liked.

She'd bitten her lip and said the first name that wasn't Fritz that came to mind. That happened to be Raeger, because his restaurant was where she stopped for lunch after she got done at the trade depot usually.

But that was already two weeks ago.

Annie shook her head. "I don't like Raeger anymore."

Fritz stopped in his tracks and looked at her, confused. "Then who do ya like?"

She shook her head again. "I can't tell you. It's a secret." In honesty, she just didn't want to have to go through another two weeks of torment while he so desperately tried to push her and her "crush" together. She knew he meant well, but… she almost pitied herself.

"Aww, come on, Annie!" he whined. "I'm your best fr – I still am your best friend, aren't I?"

She laughed. "Yes, you are. But I still can't tell you."

She led them over to her crop field and knelt in front of the tomato vines. She glanced around briefly for her watering can but decided to give up. She'd need to fertilize them first, anyway, and even before that she had to pick the ripe ones…

"If I help you out here, will ya tell me?"

Annie palmed her forehead. "No. You normally help me out anyway, because your farmland isn't good for vegetables, remember?"

Of course, she'd known that was a lie the first day she met him, but she didn't hold it against him because he really was, deep down, a hardworking kid from a poor family who just wanted to move to the countryside and relax. He was a lot like her, actually.

He grimaced, probably realizing his mistake in asking that. "W-well, what else can I do to make you tell me?"

She shrugged apathetically. He wasn't going to find out!

She looked around the farm, though, thinking of something to keep him busy so she could at least get something done today. "How about… you go weed the flower garden?"

He perked up. "Then you'll spill the beans?"

Annie nodded, and then he grinned.

"Ha! Flower garden? More like kindergarten!" he yelled, sprinting back to the front of her house where the hydrangeas and sunflowers were planted.

She heaved a sigh in relief. Not only was that a close call, but now she didn't have to worry about him for at least a half hour. Now where was that stupid watering can?

Her search efforts still proved unsuccessful and futile, and for a second she almost considered just hacking some loogies on them so that at least they wouldn't dry up in this unbearable heat. But she shook her head, telling herself that Fritz was definitely getting to her. She needed some more friends.

And that was almost exactly it. She needed some more people she could talk to so she didn't go insane from this one-sided crush – and that was the other half of the problem.

She didn't want to like Fritz. She wasn't petty enough to care only about appearances, but if she was being honest… Fritz wasn't much to look at. He wasn't Prince Charming in any girl's storybook, she didn't think.

And to top it off, he was immature, selfish, clumsy, and just a dork.

"Ouch!"

Annie quickly turned around, silently questioning what was the matter.

He laughed awkwardly and clasped one hand over the other. "Something bit me."

…Yeah, he was definitely a dork.

…

"So you still won't tell me?"

Annie shook her head. "Not if you keep whining like that, no."

Fritz puffed out his bottom lip, pouting.

"That won't help you any," she told him sternly.

He frowned instead. "C'mon, what's the big deal? You switch crushes like you do underwear."

Her face flared up and her eyes widened. She certainly hoped he didn't know – or want to know – her changing habits! "That's – it's none of your business."

He wasn't exactly wrong, though. Before the truth or dare game he made her play, he asked her outright who she liked. At that time, it was Klaus. It wasn't unbelievable, either, really – a gentleman like him could certainly make her happy, and she actually wished it was possible to transfer her feelings for Fritz onto him.

And even though they were just fake crushes, she admitted there was definitely a problem with switching guys every now and then.

She was running out of guys.

"Aww! 'Course it's my business! We're best buddies, Annie."

She just kept shaking her head, though his protests were getting kind of funny as she glanced over to look at him. She pursed her lips. "You didn't weed the garden correctly, anyway."

He stepped back in horror, as if she'd just accused him of murder. "What?"

"You yanked out nearly half my hydrangeas."

"Well, someone had to! They looked silly next to the hibiscuses!"

She threw a glare at him. "They do not. Red and blue look great together!" Plus, when combined, they made her favorite color – purple. Well, actually, she just translated her favorite flower, violets, into her favorite color, but she couldn't grow violets right now because she didn't have the seeds, so she had to do with what she had.

Fritz sighed and kicked up some dust as they walked. "I'll tell you who I like if you tell me who you like."

Annie stopped in her tracks. There was no way she could do that; she couldn't sit through an entire session of Fritz gushing about someone who wasn't her, another girl he would eventually call his best friend.

He would really never see her the same way then, not if someone else pushed her way into his life and secured her place in his heart.

He was a dork, yes, but he had to be her dork. She bit her lip.

"Now I really can't tell you." Oh, great. Why'd she have to say it like that? Now he would probably catch on –

Or not. He really was an idiot, after all.

"Well, why not?" He rubbed at the back of his neck.

She bit her lip. "I… just can't."

He sighed.

They were passing by the bridge to get to Fritz' and Giorgio's farms, so Fritz led her over to the nearby rocks and gestured for her to take a seat. He took a while to start talking.

"Annie…" And when he did he just trailed off with her name.

She looked at him blankly. There might've been something he wanted to say that he thought was important, but she knew it wouldn't be anything she really cared about so she wasn't too interested. He'd probably never return her feelings, so what was the point of listening to who he liked?

But that wasn't right. She liked him, so she wanted him to be happy, regardless of whether or not he liked her. He helped her when she was consumed by those fake crushes and would do everything in his power to set them two up – which usually just made for some awkward conversations between her and either Klaus or Raeger.

She was only eighteen. There was still plenty of time to find someone new if things didn't work out…

But for right now, she had to deal with the burdens of harboring feelings for her closest friend.

"Okay," she conceded. "Who do you like?" She turned her head. "I'll tell you if you tell me." Whenever she used his tricks and logic against him, he didn't catch on, and it usually made things go faster.

Fritz nodded, but he had a hard time starting his sentence, and he wouldn't meet her eye. He kept stuttering until Annie scolded him, and then finally he cleared his throat.

"Annie, I… I like you."

~CGA