Dug up some old "heart event" fics that I made years ago. This one was classified as "Yellow Heart Event 1", affectionately dubbed "Taming Him". Enjoy!
Sweat glistened on the furrowed brows of the townsfolk as they propelled themselves up the mountain. It was a new festival, imposed by Gannon.
"Physical exercise builds character!" he had howled out at the last town meeting. "It has helped to make me the man that I am today. Sure a bit o' sun would do some of ya some good, anyhow." Eliot squirmed under the giant man's rough gaze, fidgeting with his glasses.
Once Gannon sat back down, a few hushed conversations sprung up. As the volume increased, no one noticed Mayor Taro hobble up to the front of the room.
He cleared his throat.
Then his foot stamped the floorboards, to no avail.
As his face turned a deep purple, old man Taro lost it.
"HEY, YOU DISRESPECTFUL BRATS! LISTEN UP!" he cried, banging his cane on the ground for emphasis. The room fell silent.
"Now that I have your attention, I would like to thank Gannon for his thoughtful festival idea." The townspeople gave their neighbors confused glances.
"A day outdoors climbing the mountain will do these old bones some good. In one week, on the sixteenth of summer, we will all climb the mountain. I second his motion. Any objections?" Gannon's growl echoed off of the walls as Pierre eased his hand down to his side. After taking a moment to look around, Taro clunked his cane on the ground again.
"Then Mother Earth day is official! You all have seven days to prepare for the grueling trek ahead." He chuckled darkly.
"Meeting adjourned!"
Of course, the town was crazy for letting one ogre-like man intimidate them into doing this. It was still too hot to stay outdoors for long increments of time. A young, pessimistic animal dealer seemed to be having the most difficulty with the task at hand. He took a minute to shrug off his heavy leather vest, folding it into the depths of his knapsack. Regardless of the fact that he wasn't even moving right now, he drew in labored breaths as he reached for the cliffs above him.
If only he had been at that meeting…
"Hey!" His hand, slick with perspiration, slipped. Before he could tumble down the rocky slopes and crack his skull on the dusty earth, two black-gloved hands hooked onto him. Julia pulled Vaughn up to her ledge, smiling softly at him.
"Having trouble, tiger?" she teased.
"Hmf," he responded coldly, turning his back on her. In truth he didn't have much farther to go before this was all over, and boy was he glad. The beautiful blonde merely giggled at his indifference and regarded his sweaty backside curiously. Vaughn jumped when he felt her hands
poke at the fabric of his long-sleeved shirt, pulling it away from his drenched skin.
"Jeez Vaughn, do you want to die of heatstroke? Off with this thing!" As she turned him around and began to unbutton his shirt, Vaughn's face heated up out of embarrassment.
"I can do it!" he insisted. Her intentions, as always, were pure. He wasn't thinking clearly today when he dressed himself in his usual attire. Actually, he had been uncharacteristically distracted ever since he got the invite to come up here, by that girl.
Though he felt a rush of affection for Julia for looking out for him (and saving him from a most unpleasant plunge, an early grave), he thought of her as a sister. She was practically his sister, and he didn't want anyone to get the wrong idea about them from a distance.
His undershirt was also black, but it was thin and sleeveless. He winced as the sun's rays hit his pale, exposed skin.
"Thanks, Jule." She gave him one last small smile before continuing to the top of the mountain.
Without his many layers of clothing, Vaughn found the climb went by much quicker. When he reached the summit at last, he couldn't help but let a smirk cross his face. Take that, mountain! He was the third to make it up here, surpassed only by Gannon and Julia. Beyond them, the sun was starting to retreat behind a long stretch of clouds. As it sank further into the sky, it bled an array of blood-red and bright orange colors in its wake. The view was breathtaking, to say the least.
A grunt interrupted his pleasant flow of thought. Vaughn observed from a distance as the village farm girl eased her slender form up the jagged rocks onto flat land. Once safe, she collapsed face-down, her lush brown hair flowing softly down after her. His sore, surely mindless legs carried him over to where she lay. There they gave way. A murmur of acknowledgement came out of her, making Vaughn feel bolder than usual. He laid a hand on her damp shoulders, rubbing slightly where he knew his own pains plagued him. The second that he stopped, she groaned and heaved herself into a sitting position next to him. He smiled at her, a rare occasion. Then he became increasingly aware of his lack of clothing, and he felt suddenly self-conscious. He drew his legs up over his chest and rested his head on top of his knees, mentally kicking himself for the faint rush of crimson that coated his cheeks. Could anyone see it in the dimming light?
As they sat there quietly, a lock of blue-grey hair came loose from Vaughn's hat. He stiffened slightly as his feminine companion reached out with a silky hand and wiped it behind his shoulder. His eyes widened at the feel of her skin brushing against his. He glared at her playfully, because she was smart enough to know what she was doing to him. Before he could think of anything clever to say, she ran off giggling towards Julia.
Now giddy with adrenaline himself, Vaughn lay back to calm his racing heart. He smiled at the night sky that greeted him.
The stars looked even more beautiful up here tonight.