All Out of Love

Series: Harvest Moon: Animal Parade

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Not even the title of this fic. Probably not work or school safe.

His face was buried in the woman's (whose name he couldn't remember) chest, his hands were busy untangling her shirt and bra. He drank away the rejection from Candace, and now he was about to rid himself of the physical ache as well.

Not that he would try such a move on Candace so soon. Candace was...different.

"Oh Luke," moaned the girl, her fingers caught in his thick blue mane, knocking the fire bandana off his head. He didn't notice it as it hit the floor; he took the girl in his arms and leaned back as the pleasurable performance of love-making ensued, although love had nothing to do with this.

While he slept post-coitus, what's-her-name curled up in a ball next to him, he dreamt. He was in the same position he was in then, with that same stranger sleeping in bed, when suddenly Candace walks in. He springs from the bed, covering his parts with the blanket to meet her sad watery eyes. He tried to explain that she meant nothing to him, that it was just a wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am, when Candace stops crying and looks straight in his eyes. "You're right," she says, "it really is nothing."

With a sharp in-take of air Luke was thrusted out of his reveries. He sat straight up in bed in a cold sweat, chest heaving. Knowing it was a pretty shit to do to a woman, slut or not, he quickly dressed himself and left the room. It was still dark outside, and he could see the front door of Sonata Tailoring from where he stood. The night's escapade did nothing to the throbbing he felt between his legs. Without hesitation or the consideration of his consequences, Luke made his way around the shop to the back where Candace's room was. Or so he hoped; he's only stepped into the shop a handful of times. But always one to act on instinct, he picked the correct window to peer through. That the light was shining through helped too. He peaked in, becoming one of the most hated types of perverts: a peeper. Even the thought made Luke feel creeped out, but he felt compelled to look, to check, to see. Although it was hypocritical, he couldn't bear the thought that Candace might have also spent the night with someone else, sexual or otherwise. What he saw made his heart hurt even more.

She was busy at her sewing table, back hunched over as she practiced her perfected craft. What hurt the most were the droplets of tears that rained down from her eyes. Now and then she would wipe them on her sleeve, blow her nose on a light blue handkerchief, and then continue embroidering a pattern on a square piece of fabric. Closing in on what she was doing, Luke felt a wave of déjà vu. Where have I seen that pattern? Then it came to him: his own signature bandana. The one she was currently working on bore the same design, except instead of orange flames this bandana had blue ones. He reached his hand to the top of his head to feel his own beloved bandana only to feel his messy hair instead. I must have left it in the hotel. But before he could ran back and get it, he stared at the blue flames a little longer. They were nearly identical to the orange ones except the color. He never knew which of the three ladies had sewn his bandana, but after watching Candace a little longer he felt certain it was she who created it. Now he felt an even stronger need to retrieve his old one. On the balls of his feet he turned around and made a mad dash for the Ocarina Inn.

Bursting through the doors he nearly knocked over poor Yolanda who was carrying a rather tall stack of pots and pans. The near impact still caused the cooking utensils to crash to the floor, a deafening sound that surely echoed through the facility.

"Luke! What were you thinking barging in here like a maniac?" she snapped as she picked up her fallen things.

"Sorry Yolanda! I gotta motor right now," he made an impressive leap over the elderly woman as she was knelt down on the floor and ran for the rooms in the back. She stared after him, still mystified.

Gotta hurry! Gotta hurry! He repeated to himself as he ran down the hallway, trying to remember which room they stayed in. When he made his decision, he threw the door open, hoping against hope that the girl was still asleep. She wasn't.

"Well, look who decided to show his face," she snarled, fully dressed now, holding Luke's discarded bandana in one hand. He cringed.

"Look, last night was fun," he struggled with that last word, "but that's all it was. Fun. I'm sorry I skipped out on you, but I really need that back." He motioned toward the bandana.

"I'm not so sure I'm satisfied with that apology," she smirked, twirling the garment in her hand.

"Oh c'mon, what did you fall in love with me last night?" He ignored the rose hue that gathered on her cheek bones. "I really am sorry, and if you're in town for a few more days I'll find a way to make it up to you morally. But right now I really just need that back."

She may have a cold heart and an unforgiving nature, but she wasn't totally without emotions. With a pout she tossed the bandana back to Luke who caught it. "Just leave."

He stood a minute longer. "Thank you," he said, tying the bandana to his head and returning to the Sonata Tailoring. Dawn was breaking, and now the town was filled with a purplish light. Right as he was turning the last corner he spotted Candace, once again sweeping dead leaves in front of the shop. His usual masculine bravado at wooing women went suddenly missing-in-action, and Luke found that the muscles in his legs wouldn't allow him to move just yet. Was it love? Infatuation? Lust? Luke couldn't be sure, but he knew he needed Candace in his life in one way or another, even if the two never went on one date or became romantically involved. He just needed her there, always with him. But he certainly couldn't establish a relationship just standing there gawking, and with a quick evaluation of his appearance he walked over to the pretty blue-haired girl.

When she saw him, she was taken aback. Her face flushed as she squeaked out a "Hello."

"How are you today?"

"Fine," she said, staring at her feet.

"That's good, that's good," he sighed, feeling unexpectedly awkward as she fished through her pockets.

"I-I made this for you. To say sorry." She held out a small box. The Bandana she was working on.

"Sorry? For what?"

The question obviously bothered her, and Luke silently chastised himself for asking. He should have known better than to put Candace on the spot. "You know what? Forget I asked." He assumed she was sorry for rejecting his offer to a date, though he harbored no bad feelings towards the young lady. He took the box, untied the ribbon, and opened the lid to find that his guess was right: the blue-flamed bandana.

"Whoa!" He yelled; it was much more impressive seeing it in person than through a window. "This is awesome Candace! Thanks! I love it!" He beamed.

In spite of herself, Candace couldn't help but beam, and that's exactly what it was: not a silly, shy grin she was known best for, but a full-fledged smile that radiated happiness. To Luke, it was a beautiful look on her; then again, she always looked beautiful to him.

"So," He asked, suddenly sheepish. "How about a date tonight?"

A/N: ...Still not over! My LukexCandace saga will continue my friends! Will Luke make it up to that woman from the night before? Will Candace accept Luke's offer after what she saw last night? Will Luna eat more pumpkin pie? Stay tuned to find out! I also wanted to acknowledge the fact that the title doesn't really fit with the story. I was listening to this song while I wrote this story, and there's a line that goes "What are you thinking of?" and I thought that fit in nicely with Luke's predicament at the inn. So there's that.