I've been wanting to write a ClaireXGray for so long! And maybe I'll be able to go back to knowing what I want to do with my other story "Apples and Oranges". I hope you enjoy!

Winter

I remember it like it was yesterday. That may sound cliché, but I do. I remember the day we first met, almost four years ago. She came every spring to help her cousin, Jack, on his farm. The two look nothing alike, everyone in Mineral Town thought that she was Jack's girlfriend until she started telling everyone that she was Jack's sister and cleared everything up. I think Jack might have asked her to do that, so that people wouldn't glare at him as he wooed the shy librarian.

People used to say that Mary and I would make a good couple. The unemotional girl and the hot tempered boy, but what Mary and I felt for each other was just friendship. She saw right through it and told me how her cousin liked Mary, though she didn't know why.

That blue eyed blondie. She could talk up a storm if you gave her the chance. At first it was bothersome, almost to the point where I was about to yell at her, not caring if she cried at the venomous words that I would probably regret later. Yet, she knew when to stop her teasing, saying, "Sorry, I went to far," and that one sentence was enough to make me calm down. She's a strange one, that blue eyed blondie.

It's winter, now. Just a few more days till I can see her smiling face again. I couldn't wait to hear her stories and to just plain hear her voice. Her voice was sweeter than cooked corn, and warmer than the sun. And don't get me started on her-...

"Gray!" yelled the grumpy old man, I refer to as Grandpa, "When will you finish upgrading Jack's sickle? He'll be needing it in a few day for spring,"

I had to bite my tongue to not put an edge in my voice to speak to the old geezer, "It will be done tomorrow," I utter a curse I would never say in the presence of a lady, I had nearly left the metal in for too long.

"You better not be using that kind of language in front of anyone else," he chastised me like he has done so many times before.

"Nah," I begin, not knowing that I should be prepared for my grave, "this language is only for your ear's, Gramps."

Thwack! There goes a few brain cells.

"Once you are done with that sickle, you may go home," Saibara then leaves into the cold night. Once again, I'm alone with my thoughts.

I finish the farming utensil and look at the time. Nearly midnight, the town's farmer is probably tucked away nice and comfortable in his house. Yet my instincts tell me that I should still see if he might be out and about, so I set off towards his house. It's snowing, quite heavily, and it must have been snowing like this for a long time because it was deep. I can see Jack's house in the distance, the lights were still on. I run as fast as I can in the cold snow as I wonder if Claire likes snow.

Awe, who am I kidding? She probably loves all the seasons. She seems like that kind of girl, able to find anything entertaining to do in any season. I chuckle as I imagine her participating in the snowball fight that will take place tomorrow.

And as soon as I imagined her dressed head to toe in winter gear, I see inside of the house, that Claire is there! I rush to the door and knock, I couldn't believe that she came to the town so early!

The door opens, and Jack doesn't look very happy. Not angry, not happy... He seemed... Sad. I look over his shoulder at the girl, pitifully hiccuping, doing anything she could to turn her breathing into normal.

"Thanks for upgrading my sickle, Gray," Jack said, not taking his eyes away from the floor, "Now if you don't mind, Claire and I are discussing some things."

Every cell in my body wanted to stay, and to comfort my two friends, but I knew that if I stayed, I would be a nuiscance.

I didn't like seeing Claire like that. It's not like her, to be crying, so weak and defenseless. It was uncomfortable.

Springtime

Claire found out that her boyfriend had been cheating on her. She had thought he was the one. The guy left her broken, and all I could do was try and figure out how to put everything back together again. She was getting better, day by day, but it seemed that it was pretty devastating.

It was devastating for me to find out that she even had a boyfriend, but I shouldn't have been surprised. She was beautiful, and just a year younger than me. Plus she had lived in the city during those four years of college, I shouldn't be surprised that she might possibly be...

No, I won't go there. Right now, Claire needs someone to let her know that she can find a better guy.

"Look my way," I want to say to her, but I just can't. Anne tells me it's too soon for me to get Claire's heart, and that even then, she might not trust guys because of what she was told.

Jack and Claire fight a lot now. They used to get along very well, they were birds of a feather, very outgoing and friendly. However, Jack always tells her to get rid of a ring that she wears. I don't know what the ring is for, but I find myself wanting her to take off the ring also. If the ring is linked to that guy, then she should throw it into the deepest part of the ocean.

I don't want Claire to feel hurt anymore. I talk to her occasionally, but she doesn't tease me like she used to. I don't want to lash out at her, but I just want to see her express anything but sadness. I purposely make her angry at me.

I guess as long as she is thinking of me, she will forget about that jerk. I don't want her to hate me, but I want her to think of me.

Maybe I should stop acting like such an ass.

But what if she doesn't forgive me?

I can only make things worse.

I want to get rid of your pain, Claire. I want you to smile again.

I tell my roomate, Cliff, how much I wish to tell Claire these thoughts of mine, but how scared I am that she might hate me more.

"Claire could never hate you, Gray," Cliff says, though in a quiet voice, with confidence, "but you are hurting her, go apologize."

I feel like I need to offer her a peace offering, to get her to believe my apology. I make a locket for her. I decided to put in a picture of the two of us laughing. Very rare, because she's the only girl that can make me laugh, and lately she barely laughs. I don't need to go to the house, I go to her hiding spot on top of the mountain, "What do you want, Gray?" I can't see her face, but by the sound of her voice, she is ready to bite back at any cruel words.

"I come with a peace offering," I say as I sit down next to her, not looking at her, she might have been crying again, "and an apology."

She looks at me, studies me for a few seconds and finally, "I accept your apology," I look at her, she only had a few tears, but they were fresh, "but on a few terms," and she smiles weakly, but at least she smiles.

"Shoot," I say, as I smile awkwardly, lowering my hat a little bit.

Claire's soft hands stop me, they are a little cold, but like a cool autumn wind, "I want to be able to see your face," I blush and try to hid my face with my hat, but it's quickly snatched away, "even if you are blushing," I turn even redder with her comment, she giggles.

"Ah," I breath, "You laughed,"

"I guess, I did," she says, covering her mouth, "um... Oh!" she holds out her hand, "the peace offering, I want to see it."

"May I put it on you?" I ask, I wanted to see it on her, while she was in a good mood.

Claire is hesitant at first to let me, but finally she agrees, "and the third and final condition is," I sit behind her and place the necklace around her neck, "you can't be so mean to me as you have been the past few weeks."

"Deal," I shift back to my previous position of sitting next to her, and watch her admire the locket that I made for her. I could tell she was impressed, "Remember when you encouraged me to keep going on? Well because of you, I'm able to make such a girly thing," I joke, smiling as she oohed and awed over my work, I quickly stole my hat back, doing my best not to hide the creeping blush.

"It's not girly!" She exclaims, "It's beautiful! I'm so proud of your progress, Gray!"

"Have you opened up and seen the picture yet?" I'm guessing she hasn't because her eyes go wide with amazement.

After that day, she started becoming more like the old Claire. No, more like a slightly broken, but still beautiful doll, or maybe a new doll that you have to get used to.

Summer

I never thought that the first day of summer would wind up like a disaster. If I had known that the one who broke Claire's heart was Kai, then I would have never felt inclined to introduce them to eachother.

Kai ended up in the hospital with a few bruises and scratches, while Claire was broken again.

She didn't become a sob story again, this time she was a time bomb, waiting to be blown up. She was only calm when she was with the other girls, aside from Popuri, who was tending to Kai's wounds.

Yet the fact that Kai and Claire had been engaged infuriated me. I didn't want to see either of them. I worked late and went to work early. If Claire came by, I ignored her. I was angry that she had fallen for one of my friends, and that I never knew about it.

I was more angry at Kai though. I even opted for sleeping at Grandpa's house instead of the Inn room that I shared with two other guys. If I stayed in that room, I don't know what would happen to Kai, it's for his own good.

Then one day, I collapsed. I had been working myself too hard, and not enough sleep for me due to wanting to just ignore two people was too much for my body.

When I had woken up, there were two people there waiting for me. Small hands clasped around my rough right hand, the other figure disappeard.

"I've come up with another condition," sniffed the blue eyed blondie, "to keep our truce up."

I turn on my side and give her hands a squeeze with one hand and wipe a tear away with the other one, "Let me hear it," I whisper, not wanting to sound too loud in comparison to her strained voice.

"You are not allowed to ignore me and you can't overwork yourself," she hiccuped as she nuzzled her cheek into my hand.

I chuckle softly, "isn't that two conditions?" and she looks me in the face, strained with worry. I sit up properly and face her, now I'm the one holding her hands and encouraging her, "I know it might be difficult at times," I repeat the words she spoke to me when I told her about my wanting to quit black smithing, "but you have to remember that the sun is always shining, even if clouds block your view, you will still know that it's there cheering you on."

It's funny how a few words can make a person smile. I know it made me smile back then.

Fall

Claire didn't forgive Kai, nor did she want to. She told me that what he did was, "unforgivable," and I agree. She asked me to meld her engagement ring into something else that could never be sold or given as a gift, and that I bring it to Kai. However he had left, and she changed her mind.

"I want to give it to the Harvest Goddess," she stated, "and maybe she'll give me a little more luck or confidence."

I promised to go with her, to the Harvest Goddess' spring. We decided we would go after the wedding.

Uh-er, not our wedding! I haven't even confessed yet! Jack and Mary's wedding. It was a nice celebration, but during the reception, Claire and I left to go to the spring.

When we were a few yards away from the pool of water Claire turned to me and whispered, "If you don't mind, Gray, I'd like to offer the ring alone and tal- I mean pray to the Harvest Goddess about," she paused, trying to choose the right words, "something."

I nod my head in understanding and watch her almost skip towards the spring. Even though I can't hear her, I still turn away to offer her more privacy. Thats when I see it. A blue feather, fluttering to the ground just a few steps away. I move towards it.

I look around for the bird, but I don't see it. Claire and I were so quiet that we should have heard it, but it had been silent itself. I pick up the feather, admire it for a moment until I hear my name called out.

"Gray," Claire is looking over my shoulder at the blue feather as well, "where did you find that beautiful feather?"

"W-w-what feather?" I stammer, obviously embarrassed that I picked it up off the ground.

"That blue one, silly," she giggles, "may I see it?"

She reaches out to take it, but I hold it above my head. If she takes the feather, she will be engaged to me, and I don't know if she know's the tale. She is jumping up and down, trying to reach it. She settles for my hat.

"If you won't let me see the blue feather, then you don't get to have your hat back," she complains as she fits my hat to her head.

"I'm not gonna give you the blue feather unless you know it's story and it's importance to the people of Mineral Town."

Jack had proposed to Mary in the way you would be engaged if you lived somewhere other than this village. With a ring, she definitely doesn't know the story. Claire ponders a bit about what I said as she tilts her head back and forth, finally, she says, "Then tell me about the blue feather."

I do.

She blushes, and hides her blush with my hat, like I used to do, while mumbling something.

"I'm sorry, what was that, Claire?"

"That story," she manages to say in a whisper, "Is more reason to give me the feather."

I stand up, her eyes and head follow me.

I reach into my pocket, and pull out the feather.

Kneeling down on one knee, I take her left hand.

"Claire," my voice shakes, I'm so happy, "I have loved you for so long. And now that I know, you share my feelings, I would be more than honored, to have you as my wife, living with me till the very end," I look up into her eyes, they are shining, tears of joy run down our cheeks, "Claire?"

"Yes?"

"Will you marry me?"

Winter

Claire and I married on a very cold day, a little after my birthday. It was snowing quite heavily, just like the night she had come to the town.

She was gorgeous. I could have died on the spot and been happy.

I was marrying the most beautiful, wonderful, and best girl in the world!

We were now living in a house next door to the black smith building, and a little farther from her cousin's home.

And right now, I don't think we could be any happier.

Please review, and if you like harvest moon, I am currently working on a multiple chapter story for Chase and Angela which will probably be finished soon. Also, if you would like for me to write a story for your favorite harvest moon pairing, please feel free to ask me. All characters and the game belong to it's respectful owner.