Author's Notes: Welcome, welcome! This is my first ever Claire/Cliff fanfiction! So, I have an interesting idea for this particular story. The setting will take place in Forget-Me-Not and I have it planned so that Claire experiences both Cliff's HMDS and MFoMT heart events! Now that Stolen Heart is coming to a close, I'm really excited to take on my next big project (Along with She Made a Mess of July *shameless self-promo*) Well, that's enough rambling for now, please enjoy!
Why did I ever let Samuel convince me into all of this...
The blonde farmer shook her head, shaking the thought away. No, no bad thoughts! It's going to be great! Perfect!
Claire had been living in the city prior to making the big leap and moving into Forget-Me-Not Valley. Her cousin Samuel, who she hadn't seen in a little over two years, was running the farm in the town next door, Mineral Town. He'd often send postcards and letters every chance he got, the mail usually donning a new picture he'd taken of the farm. Claire was very close to Samuel up until the day he moved, and every photo and story only peaked the blonde's interest more and more. Two days before New Year's, Claire received a letter in the mail from her cousin, informing her that a farm was up for sale in the valley. He'd written how calm and relaxing the valley was and Mineral Town was only a thirty-minute walk from Forget-Me-Not (even less if she road over on a horse).
So, the naive and reckless blonde decided she wasn't content with studying to work a menial 9 to 5 job like her mother. She decided she'd be just as successful working on a farm, playing and raising animals and learning how to make her own food. She'd become healthy and fit, just like Samuel looked in recent pictures, and she wouldn't have to cram endlessly to become a farmer. She'd taken all the money she'd been saving, as well as some of her financial aid money for school, dropped out and bought the next ticket for a coach bus that'd take her to the valley.
Mom's gonna be so proud when she sees what I've made of myself! So far, the blonde had managed to make two measly rows of turnips, with the seeds the farm co-owner Takakura had given her as a sort of moving in gift.
It'd been a week since Claire first moved in and she'd managed to make some impacting first impressions. Claire was quite accident prone. She moved without taking her surroundings into consideration and bad luck seemed to follow her wherever she went. She'd suffered from attention deficit from a child, after all, so maybe that was the reason she was such a klutz? Perhaps. She did have a short attention span, and things would just turn left as soon as she'd snap out of her daydreaming.
She'd hoped this wouldn't cause any trouble for her in her new town, but it certainly did.
Glass cups and Claire never got along. In fact, glass anything never paired well with the blonde.
Last week, she'd took it upon herself to introduce herself to everyone in the valley. Most of the meetings went smoothly, but some went horribly wrong. Like on Monday, when she was happily perched atop a bar stool, having a friendly conversation with Muffy. She'd managed to elbow an aged and expensive red wine off the bar top, sending it smashing against the hardwood bar floor. Muffy assured her it was fine and Griffith, through gritted teeth, insisted Claire should head out and get back to work. She might be clumsy, but she wasn't stupid; she knew he was politely kicking her out.
There was also the visit she'd taken to Vesta's farm, where she'd decided to bring her beloved pup, Chestnut, along for the ride. Chestnut was the cutest dachshund ever, who didn't love weenie dogs? She figured she could redeem herself for making a mess at the Blue Bar, as word spread like wildfire in the valley. It ended up in total disaster, though. Claire was shooting the breeze with the sweet Celia, only for Chestnut to scurry off and dig up Vesta's crops. His small stature managed to let him wreak havoc undetected for a good amount of time, until Marlin shouted for Celia and Claire to come over and witness the number of crops that were dug up and chewed at the stem. Claire apologized profusely, picking up Chestnut and offering to pay for the damages, only to receive a scoff from Marlin. He knew the rookie farmer couldn't possibly have enough to cover the replanting of one crop, let alone half the row her dog had managed to dig up. Just as before, Marlin suggested Claire make her way back to the farm, but it came out more like a demand when he said it.
The young farmer felt the urge to sulk but took a deep breath and pushed the thought to the back of her mind. Gripping her watering can, she watered the final row of turnips and took a step back, admiring her work.
She'd made enough money foraging and selling wild plants she found around the valley last week and decided she'd put that money towards buying seeds from Vesta. Even though a couple days had passed, Claire was apprehensive about returning to the farm out east. If looks could kill, Marlin would've had her dead on the spot, but Celia seemed levelheaded. She nodded. Yeah, she'll be there too. It's not like they're going to turn me away, right? I'm there to buy seeds after all.
Claire walked with a bounce in each step as she made her way over to Vesta's farm
"And two bags full of strawberry seeds, please!" Claire chirped, as she dug her hand in her pocket and began to fish out the gold she'd need to cover the cost. She placed them on the counter, the gold chips spinning and clacking against the wooden table. She reached into her pocket once more to pull out the last couple of chips, realizing how little she had left.
"Oh." She said, mostly to herself. "That's almost all of my money..."
Vesta shamelessly picked up all the gold chips, placing them inside the register. She plopped the two bags of seeds in the gold's place and shut the register drawer.
Realizing there was no turning back now, she shot a wide smile at Vesta. "Well, it'll be fine! I can just scavenge for wild berries and stuff, right Vesta? My turnips will be sprouting pretty soon too."
The red-haired women nodded, grinning back at Claire with the same intensity and cackling. "Ah! You really are just a rookie, Claire." She nodded at the blonde. "You'll be fine, kid. You're just gon' have to rough it for a bit."
A surge of energy ran through Claire, as she swiped up the seeds and let out a small laugh. "Thanks Vesta! I'll see you around!" She hurried out the door, her blonde locks flopping around her.
"She sure is bright, ain't she Marlin?" Vesta shot an impish grin at her brother, holding back a snicker.
He side eyed her before exhaling loudly through his nose. "A little too bright..." He muttered bitterly as he grabbed some seeds from storage and headed for the door. He knew his sister was jabbing at him, after all, he was the one who had to replant all the crops Claire's dog had destroyed.
That's the last of them!
The sun was close to setting in Forget-Me-Not now. A dull baby blue colored the sky and the valley was bathed in a golden glow. Shadows stretched out across the field and the farmer had just finished planting the last of her newly purchased strawberry seeds.
She stood up straight and stretched out her arms, arching her back as she tried to flatten out the kinks in her back. Her knees and her back had been crying out in protest, aching from how Claire was hunched over in the field, prepping the land and planting the seeds. What should I do now that I've finished my work?
Oddly enough, the entire reason Claire came out here was to live the life her cousin had been bragging about, but she hadn't had the chance to see him the entire week that'd gone by.
I should take a trip to Mineral Town! Takakura had given a horse just a couple of days ago. He claimed that it was stray horse that wouldn't be on his way, but something in his eyes made her think otherwise. She didn't dwell too much on it though, a horse was going to get her around much quicker than her legs would.
She didn't know too much about horses, but she figured it wouldn't be too hard right? Besides, she'd rode him around the farm for practice the day she'd gotten him, how hard would it be to take him all the way to Mineral Town.
Claire pushed the door to the stable open, making her way inside. "Hey Mocha..." She cooed softly. Takakura had given her the liberty of naming the horse and she'd seen the way he held back a snort when she declared the horse name would be Mocha. What's wrong with naming animals after foods? She thought sadly, as she placed a gentle hand on Mocha's neck. She stroked him gently, before placing her foot inside the stirrup and one hand on the horn. She pulled herself up, throwing herself onto the saddle and sitting upright. She took hold of the reins and tapped Mocha lightly with her foot.
"Okay, Mocha." She said aloud. "Just like last time. Move forward, buddy." But Mocha did not move.
She pulled on the reins lightly, signaling him to begin walking. "Mocha..." Claire cooed. "Move forward, please."
Nothing.
Claire groaned in exasperation and leaned forward, squeezing Mocha's body with her legs. "Mocha, go!"
It was as if Claire had flipped a switch in Mocha's body, as she darted out the door of the stable.
"Woah! Mocha!" The farmer squealed, gripping and pulling at the reins as she tried to lead Mocha towards the town. Her legs clung around Mocha's body for dear life as her body bounced up and down on the saddle. Claire felt like she was about to fall off at any second. This was such a bad idea! Her brows furrowed, and she leaned forward, hoping Mocha wouldn't throw her off. The two galloped through town, with Claire pulling the reins and setting him on a path that lead straight to Mineral Town.
Claire managed to make it to Mineral Town without being sent flying by Mocha. The path from Forget-Me-Not led her straight into a farmland and after recognizing the buildings that always appeared in Samuel's letters, she realized this was her cousin's farm.
The blonde threw her legs off Mocha, using her one leg in the stirrup to keep her balance. She lowered herself onto the ground and began to lead her horse to what appeared to be Samuel's stable.
I'm sure he won't mind. She mused. Horses don't fight, do they? She shook her head. Nah, of course not!
The two walked into the stable and the blonde led Mocha into one of the pens. She shut the door and Mocha stuck her head out. She gave a gentle pat, before turning away and heading out to the field.
It was sunset now and hues of orange and pink blended together across the sky. She'd only wanted to spend a bit of time with her cousin before it got too dark out; she'd planted a lot of seeds today and she had her work cut out for her in the morning. Claire headed towards the home in the northwest corner of the farm. She stepped up to the door and knocked firmly, waiting for a response. Nothing. She knocked again and listened carefully for anything that sounded like a stir inside the home. Nothing.
She let out a groan. Where is he? Do I have to go out into town and look for him? She scanned her cousin's farm. The blonde had never been to Mineral Town before. From all the chatters in the valley, she knew it was a bit bigger and a lot more winding than Forget-Me-Not. She held back a sigh, opting instead for a small breath out of her nose. It'll be fine. If anything, I can just ask the townspeople for directions, right? She nodded to herself, slowly making her way to the north exit of the farm. Yeah, it'll be fine.
Claire walked straight down the path, only making a turn once she couldn't continue forward anymore. She figured she could walk on the outside of the town first, before turning into the heart of Mineral Town. That way, she'd familiarize herself with the area and always find a way back to Samuel's farm. She walked slowly, staring at the pathways and buildings in awe. Everything seemed so much more bunched up in Mineral Town. The buildings were more densely packed, and they stood tall, holding more than one floor. It had a true town feel to it, as opposed to Forget-Me-Not, where all the buildings were spread out with one floor and the town had no particular plan or configuration.
The brick path and neatly trimmed grass and hedges that lined the walkway made the town seem clean and neat, whereas the valley had lots of overgrown grass and unpaved roads. Claire couldn't help but to feel like she got the short end of the stick moving out to the valley.
She read the neatly painted signs that stood outside each building. "Library" read the first sign. Samuel never liked to read... I don't think he'd be here. She skipped over the building without a second thought. The next two buildings had no sign, and the way it was built led the farmer to believe they were residential homes. Hm... Probably not. Her cousin was such a worker bee, she didn't think he'd spend too much time hanging out at other people's house. She continued walking.
The next building's sign read "General Store". Ok, maybe he's in here! The blonde's eyes caught numbers written on the sign as she walked up to the door. She stopped, back tracking and reading the sign clearly. Open 9am to 5pm. She looked over at the setting sun, which was now completely hidden behind all the trees and buildings. It's closed...
Reading the sign on the next building, she realized they too, were closed, and the likelihood of Samuel staying at the clinic was... quite high. Regardless, he wouldn't be inside at this hour.
She was approaching the last building on this path before she'd have to make another turn. As she got closer she realized this building was neither a home or a store, but it was a church. This church didn't seem as glamorous as the churches back home, as the stone was cracked and chipping away, and there was only one stained glass window that sat above the wooden arch doors.
Forget-Me-Not didn't have a church. From what she heard, if villagers felt like praying, they'd just go down to the Goddess Spring and pay their respects. She didn't think too much of this different religion the valley folk seemed to follow, but she'd never thought they took it seriously enough to build a church. Back home, Claire's mother had been quite religious. The blonde eventually grew up to stray away from it, but she always prayed and payed her respect out of habit.
I should go inside... After all, their family as whole was religious. There was a possibility Samuel would be in there, sitting on a pew and praying quietly out of habit. She decided it wouldn't hurt to check and she made her way to the large wooden door.
She peered inside as she pulled the door open. She quickly noticed a boy with brown hair, sitting with his head low on a pew. That's him! She quickened her pace, walking up the aisle with her eyes locked onto the brunet. As she grew closer, she saw he had his hair pulled back into a short ponytail, and a green vest with sheepskin around the collar. Wait... is that Samuel? In the postcards he'd sent, he wore overalls and white long sleeve that was always rolled up. His hair never seemed long enough to pull back into a ponytail, either...
"Hi, how are you? Are you new here?"
The voice snapped Claire out of her thoughts and she came to a stop before walking down the aisle any further. "Oh! Yes, I'm Claire. I'm for Forget-Me-Not Valley." She smiled sweetly at the man who'd spoken to her. The priest, she assumed.
The ash-haired man smiled warmly at the farmer, placing his hands on a book that sat atop of the pulpit. "Ah, Claire. The new farmer who moved in from the city? I've heard quite a few things about you." These words made Claire's stomach turn, but she did her best to hide it with a smile. "My name is Carter. I'm the priest of this church." He let out a small laugh.
The blonde's eyes wandered back to the boy who sat quietly in the pew. He hadn't bothered to turn around and look at the person who'd walked into the church. She hadn't gotten close enough to get a good look at his face. Normally, all curious eyes would be on her, but this boy didn't seem interested at all. "Nice to meet you, Father Carter." She bowed her head politely, still smiling brightly at the priest.
Carter placed his hand up, waving at the farmer. "No need for all the formalities. Carter will do just fine."
Claire was taken aback. Was this the norm here? Usually it was considered disrespectful to refer to the priest any other way, as Claire's mother had relentlessly scolded her when she was younger for omitting the "father" part of the name. "Oh. Okay then, Carter."
He smiled back at Claire silently, before motioning her to step up to the pulpit. "Come here, Claire. I have something I'd like to ask you."
Already? She thought. Would he ask me how I managed to ruin nearly half of Vesta's field? Or how much that bottle of wine cost? She made her way up to the pulpit, trying to shake the thoughts away. Don't be silly Claire. He's not going to ask you any of that.
The priest leaned forward on the pulpit, keeping his voice hushed. "This seems a bit forward, but I'd like to ask you for a favor."
"A favor?" The blonde blinked.
Carter nodded. "You saw that young man sitting down when you walked in, right?" He motioned towards the brunet with his head subtly, looking back at Claire.
She nodded in response. Of course, she'd seen him. She was practically making a beeline straight for him before Carter called out to her.
"His name is Cliff. He moved into town last fall and he hasn't tried to talk to any of the townspeople here. He's been coming to the church almost every day just to sit quietly at the pew. I was wondering if maybe you can talk to him and try to make friends with him." Carter placed a hand on his chin, pensively. "You know, I'd asked another farm who resides her in Mineral Town to do the same, but he refused." The priest shrugged. "It's fine, I suppose. Some people just don't like to be told who to be friends with. I understand if you feel the same."
"No! Of course not! I'll talk to him." Could he have been referring to Samuel? Claire's heart sank a bit. It sounded likely, as her cousin could be very cold to strangers sometimes.
"Ah, would you really?" The priest's face lit up. "I really appreciate it, Claire." He straightened himself out and moved away from Claire. The farmer took this as her cue to go over and introduce herself to the man in question.
Claire whirled around, looking at the brunet who sat with his eyes glued to the floor. He seemed... foreign. His attire was rustic, like he spent a lot of time traveling and hunting.
She slowly made her way towards him. How hard could it be? I can make a plant talk. A small smile curled onto her lips as she let out a quiet laugh through her nose. Claire had no problems befriending anyone back in the city. In fact, her charisma had gotten her very far in all her endeavors. She'll get this guy talking, calm Carter's worries and go back to looking for her cousin in no time.
"Hey!" The smaller girl beamed, sitting down on the pew right beside him.
The brunet jumped, scooting away from Claire a bit as he stared back at her with bewildered eyes. As quickly as he looked at her, he looked away, back down to the floor, his body language more closed off than before. "H-Hi..." He managed to choke out.
Claire was taken aback. It was worse than she thought. He looked like a wild animal who'd just been chased by a predator. Suddenly, she felt bad for plopping down beside him so confidently and she moved back.
The silence of the church allowed her to hear his own breathing, even after she'd given him some space. She watched as his chest rose and fell, his hand clutching at the hem of his shorts.
"Sorry." She finally said. "I shouldn't have startled you like that."
The brunet shook his head meekly, his eyes not looking up from the floor. "I-It's fine..." In his face, though, she could tell it wasn't fine.
"I'm Claire."
"I'm Cliff..." He'd managed to speak clearly this time, but he had yet to drop his tense shoulders.
This was a new experience for Claire. The aura he emitted was almost... depressing, like he was mourning something. But rather than letting this get her down, it made her heart break for him. She wanted so badly to throw her arms around him and pat his head until he felt better, but she knew that wouldn't be appropriate. Not only that'd, but it'd probably make the poor boy's heart give out.
"I-I'm... I'm really sorry... I... get so nervous around new people..." He sunk lower into his chair, his eyes hidden underneath strands of brown hair.
"It's okay... just relax. I'm not judging you." Claire's was no longer loud and chirpy, but instead quiet and soothing. She kept herself from patting his back with her hand and patiently waited for him to regain composure.
He inhaled deeply, slowly straightening his posture and allowing his shoulders to fall. He continued to take slow, deep breaths, his tense position diminishing. After sitting in silence once more, he spoke up. "Are you new to Mineral Town?" Cliff's eyes met with Claire for brief moment.
"Oh, me?" She gave him a warm smile while maintaining her voice level. "Nah, I'm from Forget-Me-Not, I just took up that run-down farm a little over a week ago. I came here looking for someone, but..." She trailed off, not wanting to go off on too much of a ramble about herself. Besides, something inside her told her not to bring up Samuel.
"Really? You took up that farm all by yourself?"
She nodded. "Yeah, it's been a lot of work so far but... I'll manage."
"That's good to hear." He smiled at Claire sheepishly, still avoiding her eyes. "... Doesn't it get kind of lonely, though?"
The blonde almost didn't catch the end of what he said. She sat silently, thinking about what he'd said. She'd never given it any thought. After all, she lived alone back in the city, so being alone wasn't a far-off concept for her. Sure, there'd been many downsides to moving out to Forget-Me-Not, like how her home came with no kitchen, or had a poor excuse of a bathroom. She was far, far away from all her friends and family, and she had very little money and possessions. Claire hadn't allowed herself to let these thoughts sink into her up until now, and she felt her heart sank.
"... I guess it does." She mumbled, barely above a whisper.
Cliff perked up at her response, his eyes finally looking up at her. Her lips turned upward in small smile. "I see. So, you get lonely too, then. But it's not so bad in the end, right? Since you have all the animals and the nice valley folk."
The farmer's face lit up. Yeah, that's right. She reciprocated his warm smile. She didn't need to dwell on it. This is what she wanted. "Yeah, that's true."
Conversation ceased between the two. Claire opted for sitting in silence for a while, letting the new thoughts Cliff had planted in her mind settle.
Claire caught a dull orange light from the corner of her eye. She remembered that she needed to find Samuel before it got any later. "Oh!" She jumped up from the pew. This time Cliff wasn't as frightened as he was when she first sat down next to him.
"W-What is it?"
"I completely forgot! I came here looking for someone!" She looked out the church windows, seeing that it was now dusk outside. "Oh man, it's almost night out. I'm so sorry, I have to go now."
"O-Oh." He shrunk down in his seat, slightly disappointed that his new acquaintance couldn't stay to keep him company any longer. "I understand."
"I'll talk to you soon, okay?" Their eyes locked for a moment, before he averted his eyes back down to the floor. There was a note of sincerity in her voice.
Cliff gave a timid nod in response as the blonde hurried out of the church. Once he was sure Claire was far from the building, he looked up at the priest, who wore a calm smile, acting as if he hadn't set the whole thing up. The brunet would never admit it to Carter, but he was glad he'd gotten a chance to talk to someone new today.