I'm back in writing! I decided to tackle another unlikely shipping. For some reason, I'm rather fond of them.
So here you guys, go!
Another thing: Harvest Moon is not mine
Nobody in town expected someone to gain everybody's affection in such a short span of time yet someone was able to do it. In just one year, he was able to gain the trust and friendship of everyone in town. All the men enjoy his presence while all the women swoon and sigh whenever he's around. In an incredible way, he was able to capture the hearts of all the bachelorettes; making them bicker and compete for his affections. Alisa, at first, saw this as kind of funny and hilarious. After every prayer she's done in the church, she will overhear some girls talking of how handsome the new farmer is and how he is particularly nice to her. Then the other girl will protest about it which will lead to a rather funny bicker of, "He's mine!" or "He doesn't like you as much as me!"
Being somehow fair, she doesn't express her thoughts out loud. In truth, she hasn't been graced by the farmer's presence enough to see what the fuss about him is all about. It wasn't until that fateful day in Winter that she realized what the girls were fighting about...and how it all started.
At the morning of that day, she was busy tending to her usual morning prayer routine. She even remembered the usual banter of the girls outside. When she left her room to look and talk to Father Nathan, it was when she saw him. He was kneeling down in front of the altar with his head down and hands clasped before him. He was wearing his farmer's outfit-brown shirt, blue overalls and some jeans.
"Hey there! Can I help you?" she asked
He lifted his head up and looked at her and said, "Oh, hey! I just decided to stop by to thank about the harvests I had this year. I hope I didn't bother you or Father Nathan."
"No, you didn't bother me at all." She shook her head at him. She smiled at him and said, "I'm just not used to people being here at the church. Usually, it's only Father Nathan and me. We just stay here all day and manage all the things here."
"Oh, so that's why I haven't seen you around town." He was smiling at her and Alisa can't help but smile back at him. "When did you guys move in?"
"Just about last fall."
"Oh," He shook his head, a hand holding his head as if to support it. "Sorry, I haven't checked on the church since I arrived. Which was around last spring."
He gave out a chuckle to which Alisa found out to be quite contagious. She chuckled herself and said in reply, "Well, what made you suddenly come here then? I mean why thank just now when you could have said thanks during the previous seasons."
"In all honesty," he said. "I just couldn't find the time to visit here. I was preoccupied with tending to my farm and then giving gifts to everybody in town-"
"Not everybody you know." she interjected in a joking way; crossing her arms in mock annoyance. He stopped and looked at her and chuckled once more.
"Okay, okay, at least most of the people in town." he said, scratching his head. "But you know, if I knew you guys were here the whole time, you could have been receiving gifts from me too."
She was a bit surprised at the magnanimity of the man in front of her. She didn't know that he gave away gifts to everybody in town, and seemingly, he gave them gifts everyday. Her surprise grew when he explained that he could have been giving them gifts too.
"No, no it's okay," she replied, waving her hands at him "You need not bother yourself to give us such material possessions. Thank you for the thought though" She smiled at him in gratification while he gave her a confused look.
"No?" He pondered for a while before smiling and saying once more, "How about food offerings then? Surely you guys could accept that right?"
"Yes." she said hesitantly
"Great! Then I'll give some to you guys everyday. You could look forward to it!"
The boy then stood up and brushed himself before going to the aisle. Alisa, meanwhile, had her tongue tied and the only words that she can get out are,
"Thank you for the offer."
He looked at her once more and nodded at her, saying "What are good fellow towns folks for."
He smiled that smile of his that Alisa began to find quite contagious; making her smile too. He began to walk back outside when he suddenly paused and turned around.
"By the way, I didn't get your name." he asked
"Alisa."
"Well, I'm Philip. It was nice meeting you...Alisa."
And he went outside to continue his duties. Alisa just stood there and smiled, thinking So, that's Philip, huh? Well, no wonder all the townsfolk love him. He's an overall nice person." She didn't think any more than that, and began to find Father Nathan to ask what they can do to make the church a little better.
=xxx=
True to his word, he visited them almost everyday (save for the occasional typhoons where he tried his best to keep his crops alive). At the first few days he gave them both bread which Father Nathan and she both accepted gratefully. When mid-spring rolled around, he began experimenting on what food to give them.
"It's better if I give you food that you will really like. It will make you feel more alive the whole day. Like me!" he said.
He gave them food everyday, varying from fish recipes to dairy, and tried to gauge their reaction to the food. He gave them some bit of food that made Father Nathan and her cringe a bit which made him sigh and apologize. Nonetheless, Father Nathan and she expressed their most sincere thanks to Philip for all the offerings he keeps on giving them. In some way, he was able to figure out Father Nathan's and her favorite food. He gave the food to them everyday, not failing to flash his smile at them the whole time.
He also began to talk to them on his spare time. He would take about an hour or two off from his daily work to talk to her and Father Nathan. Sometimes, all three of them would talk in the benches of the church and talk about the state of the town in general. Mostly, it was just her and Philip talking because Father Nathan had some other things to do. It was not until that conversation that some kind of affection for him grew inside Alisa.
It was around summer. It was a lazy day with the sun blazing and the wind blowing every now and then to cool down everybody. The trees' branches were swaying with the wind while leaves flew everywhere, following the direction of the were sitting in the benches of the church as usual.
"So, how's the farm going?" she asked
"What farm are you talking about?"
"Both."
"Oh," he said. He chuckled under his breath and ruffled his hair. "Both farms are great. My animals in Bluebell had started to produce a much greater quality of dairy products, as you might have noticed on the ice cream I've been giving you."
He grinned at her while she just blushed and nodded. It was one of the best ice creams she had ever tasted. In fact, her craving for it grew as he continued to give her his homemade ice cream. She would impatiently spend the morning (after praying of course) waiting for him. She would glance at the door every so often and wait for it to open and reveal became ingrained on her routine every morning. But she didn't think any more of it.
"While my farm in Konohana," he continued. "is great as well. I have just gotten seed makers in there which helped quite a bit of my farm work."
"That's great!" she said. "You really love your work if you put such effort into it. If you continue doing that, you'll have the greatest farm in this side of the earth."
"Thanks, Alisa." he replied. His cheeks reddened a bit while he scratched the back of his head. "You know, you're doing well yourself. I know that you just pray and give thanks to the Harvest Goddess, but to do it everyday without fail is something to be admired. Your dedication to the Harvest Goddess helps this town to be a prosperous one. Someday, you'll become one of the best followers of the Harvest Goddess that she herself will appear to give thanks to you and your actions."
He smiled at her and nudged her shoulder playfully. She blushed and smiled at him.
"Thank you." she said "To hear such encouragement makes me want to serve the Harvest Goddess more."
"Well, you deserve such encouragement, Alisa." he smiled at her, putting his hand on her shoulder. "Only a few people give as much of their time and effort to serve the harvest goddess and you belong to those few. It's only right and fair that you know that."
This was when Alisa began to feel something stirring inside her. After this talk, she found herself looking forward to his visit; not to wait for her ice cream (yet it was part of it), but to talk to him as much as she can. She found wanting to know more about Philip and his life. She looked in the mirror every morning just to see whether she looked fine to look at. She became self-conscious on everything she did. Most of all, she began to daydream about him.
She would find herself staring into space, thinking about him. Every time they spend time to talk, she found herself looking at his every feature. His blonde hair, beautiful eyes and some muscles in his arms that come from all the tilling of those soils and carrying those crops.
She would also began to get jealous whenever the other girls in town talk about their encounter with Philip. She would give those girls some discreet glares behind their backs. Her brow will now furrow and her lips will twitch whenever Father Nathan would express the frivolity of all the girls when it comes to Philip.
All of this caused Alisa to become troubled and became troubled because of the fact that she began to notice that she had gotten some feelings for the boy which shouldn't be there in the first place. Her position as a follower of the Harvest Goddess prevented her for having one. She should give all her heart and soul to the Harvest Goddess and serve the goddess with all her life. But in a twisted turn of events, her heart was taken by a boy. A boy!
She became confused by her way of life. She would spend the all morning talking to the deity, yet Philip would always linger on her mind. She would then immediately scold herself before continuing on her morning routine, trying her best to keep him out of her mind. Her actions were both influenced by the Harvest Goddess and him. It worsened to the point that she cried herself to sleep one night, wishing that she never met him. That her life could have been much better if he didn't show up on that day.
Father Nathan noticed all of this but took no action, but he began to keep a closer eye on Alisa. Truth be told, he realized that something in Alisa is changing fast, yet she doesn't want it to happen thus making her all fidgety and restless every time. He also began to notice that she went to her room earlier than usual. His heart even broke a little when he heard her cries one night. This was when he prayed to the Harvest Goddess to give Alisa all the strength she needed to overcome this.
Alisa, in an effort to expel all feelings of hers, met Philip on one of his daily rounds to talk to him.
"Hey, Alisa!" he said excitedly. "It's great seeing you outside the church for once."
He paused when he took a good look at Alisa. Her hair was messy, strands of hair sticking out at all sides. There was some dark circles under her eyes while her eyes were bloodshot.
"Alisa, are you okay?"
"No." she whispered. "No, I am not."
"Well, what's the matter?" He lead them both to a bench near the area. He settled her on the bench while he remained standing up, looking at Alisa worriedly like she was a fragile creature ready to break any minute.
"I'm having these troubles, you see?" she said
Philip made to speak but Alisa cut him off.
"Please! Let me finish."
He simply nodded his head and allowed her to continue.
"I can't meet you for awhile."
"What?" he said out loud "Why? Did I do something wrong? Did I hurt you in some way?"
"No, it's not that at all." A tear slid down her cheek, but she wiped it immediately with her sleeves. She tried her best to keep from sobbing and maintain the steadiness of her voice."
"I just can't see you for the moment. Can you please respect that?"
"But, Alisa. I don't understand." he said, worry etched in his voice. "I need to understand what I did wrong. So that I won't do it again...so that we can still remain friends."
He tried to reach for her hands, but she instantly pulled them away which made Philip freeze and slowly put his hands down. She could see some pain in his features, but she decided that this will be for the best in the long run.
"I can't tell you." She turned away from him and looked at the church that was made for the deity that she decided to serve all her life. The church was standing there as a symbol of her promise. Her promise to dedicate herself to the Harvest Goddess with all her life. And that is why she would have to cut off all communications with Philip. At least for some time. Until her feelings for him dissipated.
"Please. At least for the time being." she pleaded.
She looked at him once more and saw that his face was solemn. It didn't show any emotion. It was blank as a clean sheet of paper. He remained standing there for another minute while Alisa just bowed her head down.
"Okay, Alisa." he said finally, nodding his head reluctantly. He, then, left without another word.
After he left, Alisa dropped down to the floor and let her emotions all out. She cried her heart out and wept loudly, not caring if someone is listening. Tears were running down her cheek in torrents now, but she let them flow and hit the muddy ground. She hugged herself and wept, trying to cry the pain in her heart away.
Unknown to Alisa, someone was watching. To be exact, two figures were watching. And both of them felt their hearts break a little with every sob. Both of them wanting to ease her pain and let her be at peace once more. Father Nathan went to the church to pray for Alisa while the other figure disappeared in a flash of light.
=xxx=
Another season passed by, Alisa remained torn. She would do all her duties in a dull manner. Doing it all just for the sake of doing it before retiring to her room. She would walk around the church in a slow pace, blankness plastered in her face. She would pray to the harvest goddess like a voice recorder on repeat, muttering the words in a dull way.
Father Nathan finally decided that she needed help. He couldn't bear to see her in such a state. All dazed and almost catatonic. Her actions infused with nothing but routine. Her attitude to do stuff just because she should do it. And so, when he was sure that Alisa was asleep in her room, he brought out a loaf of bread that he saved from all those gifts of Philip and put it in a mini satchel he has before departing the church and heading towards the top of the mountain. It was time to meet her once more.
=xxx=
Another winter was upon the town and Alisa was doing her usual morning routine when Father Nathan approached her.
"Alisa." he said
She turned around and saw Father Nathan.
"Oh, hey Father Nathan. I was just about to inside the church to pray."
She then headed towards the doors before Father Nathan stopped her by taking her arms. She seemed surprised at the action but she acquiesced and remained in her spot.
"Alisa. I know you've been hurting and I seem to know why." He tried to look Alisa in the eye but she opted to keep her eyes fixed on the ground. He sighed and said to her, "Alisa, I know this is about Philip."
He waited for a reaction out of her and after what seemed like a minute, a tear from her eye dropped down to the ground.
"I'm sorry, Father Nathan. I couldn't help it." She sniffled and wiped her nose and eyes but remained staring at the ground. "I'm just so weak. At the instant of a boy interacting with me, I fall so easily. I shame the Harvest Goddess and you. You try your best to help me serve the Harvest Goddess and what do I do? I stupidly allow my heart to follow a desire that shouldn't be entertained and let it be taken."
She then burst out in uncontrolled sobs, with Father Nathan trying to comfort her. After a few minutes of crying, Alisa's crying turned to sniffles and hiccups. Father Nathan could see Alisa was looking worse than ever. Her eyes were so bloodshot that he fears that there must be something anatomically wrong with it already. Although she began wearing a shoal to cover her head, he could see that the hair was sticking out in all directions. He also noticed that the circles around her eyes have grown even darker.
"Alisa." he said finally, after she had calmed down. "I want you to do something. I know you're in no state to do anything strenuous but I think it will help you.
He paused to see if Alisa was listening. She had her head tilted in confusion. When he was sure she was listening, he continued,
"I want you to go to the top of the mountain."
Alisa began to protest that she needed to do something here in the church and help him (and that she might meet him on her way up to the mountain,she thought). Father Nathan simply shook his head and produced a knapsack with food and water inside for her to take. She hesitated to take it, but he just took her hands and put the knapsack on it. Reluctantly, she swung it on her shoulders before heading off towards the top of the mountain.
"And, Alisa?"
She stopped and turned her head towards Father Nathan.
"He's just on his farm. I might have given him a task to accomplish for the benefit of the church." he said as innocently as he can
He gave her a small smile before going inside the church and closing the door. Alisa gave him a silent thank you before heading once more to the top of the mountain.
=xxx=
She reached the top of the mountain by noon and it was getting cold. Even the wildlife that usually appeared near the top of the mountain were nowhere to be found. She settled under a tree to catch her breath. When she had rested, she set out to do what Father Nathan told her to do.
"Wait a minute." she told herself. She thought about Father Nathan said and slapped her forehead. "I didn't ask what I would do here in the top."
She thought that maybe Father Nathan sent her to gather some herbs. Since it was the best bet she's got, she set out to do just that, looking at every corner for some special herbs.
After a half hour of looking, she settled herself near a small pond that she saw. She took her time to examine the scenery that lay all around her.
The trees were barren and free of leaves. The ground all around her was covered in a white blanket of snow. It made Alisa feel more a little of ease. The nice and quiet that the mountain gave out is what she needed right now. Usually, the church is enough, but lately, it has been too close to him. Too close.
She sighed a tired breath and looked at the pond and the fireflies that circled its center.
'Wait? Fireflies?' she thought
She looked at little more closely and saw that the shimmering lights weren't fireflies but are actually lights. Rainbow colored lights dancing around the center of the lake like it's putting on a show.
Fascinated, Alisa leaned more closely and watched the lights shimmer. She then began to see that another strange light was emerging from the center, but this time, the light was more of a ray rather than specks. She leaned more closely, but kept her balance to avoid falling in the lake. The light was getting stronger and she began to shield her eyes from it. Then for a brief moment, the light shone so bright that Alisa had to avert and close her eyes. Then, it was all gone.
"Hello, Alisa." a feminine voice said
Alisa turned her head and was shocked. There by the lake was a beautiful, floating woman. She was clothed in blue cloths and garbs and had green hair which was braided nicely. She emitted an aura that Alisa felt mystifying yet at the same time comforting.
'She looks familiar,' she thought. Then realization dawned on her and she couldn't believe what (who) she was seeing.
"H-Harvest G-Goddess." she croaked, clasping her hands together.
"Yes," she replied "I am here to speak to you, dear Alisa."
Alisa wanted to reply but she wast still stunned beyond belief. She was looking at the deity that she was serving. The deity she swears she would serve with all her life. All her life she was dreaming of this moment, and now, all she could do was stare, mesmerized.
"I had noticed that you have a conflict raging inside you."
With that, all anxiety rushed back to her in strong torrents, making her heart feel heavier. She bowed her head in shame and looked away from the Harvest Goddess. She couldn't stand there in front of her. She didn't want to see the look on the deity's face when she tells her that she was beginning to slip in her full servitude to her, just so she can be with a boy. She didn't.
"You know, Alisa" she spoke, slowly floating towards her. "You have been serving me really well in your years of training. It's a deed that I am really grateful for. You are one of the people that is prepared to sacrifice her own time and life just to respect and serve me for the benefit of everybody else. You dedicate your whole self just so that I will remain happy."
The Harvest Goddess paused then, waiting for any reactions from Alisa, but she didn't move. She stood transfixed in her position, looking at her feet.
"In fact, you've been dedicating yourself too much." she continued. "You are so keen on trying to keep me happy when you yourself are not. Dedicating your time may be one thing, but when it leads to the deterioration of your happiness, that is when a line should be drawn."
"But, I am happy serving you, Harvest Goddess." Alisa said, finally turning to face her. "I enjoy serving you and I feel empty when I am not."
"Yet, you feel empty now don't you?" the Harvest Goddess said calmly. "You have been trying to keep up your routine, but deep inside, you feel a certain emptiness, isn't that right?"
Alisa simply stared at the goddess, debating within herself whether to admit it. After a moment, she bowed her head and nodded with the briefest of nods.
"And that is because, dear Alisa," the Harvest Goddess put her hands on Alisa's shoulder. "there is something inside you that you don't want to admit you miss. That makes you feel empty because that part of you belongs to someone else now. It's a part that you may have given, whether it was consciously or unconsciously, to him. Yet, you are in denial for the sake of preserving your dedication to me, aren't you?
Again, Alisa could only nod her head in confirmation. Seeing her reply, the Harvest Goddess continued,
"You don't have to do that, Alisa. Your dedication to me is only good when you do it because you really want to serve me. It's not only the act itself that makes me happy, but the heart one gives to me when she is doing it."
"And that is why, I have to stay away from him, Harvest Goddess." she looked at the deity and blinked back her tears, fighting the urge to just sob and weep. "He makes me want to go be with him after every duty I do. He makes me crave for his affections in a way that I can't stop being with him every afternoon after my morning routine. It makes me so frustrated that I'm so torn between picking you and him when there should be no doubt that I should just choose you. No one else...but I just can't!"
She was shouting now. She dropped down to the ground and curled her hands in fists and pounded them to the ground in frustration. Her tears were now threatening to burst forth but she channeled all her will to keep them from falling. She didn't want anymore tears. No more.
"I can't." she whispered sadly.
The harvest goddess just looked at her sadly before dropping down and hugging her.
"If you had paid enough attention at your words," she pulled away from her and took Alisa's hands with hers "Then you had come to a solution."
Alisa tilted her head in confusion while the harvest goddess continued to smile at her. The harvest goddess then stood up and helped Alisa up.
"You can try and balance your time, my dear Alisa," she explained. "I am not restraining you in doing other things you love to do with your life. Your life is very short as a human and you must make the most out of it."
"But Harvest Goddess, what I would like to do would go against all my promises for you." Alisa said sadly "I can't abandon my service to you but I als-"
"I'm not saying you stop, Alisa," she interjected, shaking her head. "I'm simply saying that you should balance it. Make time for me, but also make time for yourself. To be specific, with him."
"And you approve of that?" Alisa whispered, feeling a huge weight beginning to lift up from her chest.
"I don't want to stand in the way of love, my dear. By the way, you should be going. He won't be waiting forever you know. He still a boy after all."
The Harvest Goddess chuckled before adding one more thing,
"And so you know, they call me the goddess of love too."
With that, there was a great, big flash and the Harvest Goddess was gone; leaving Alisa to her thoughts.
Alisa stood fixed on her position, unable to process what just happened. Her brain seemed to stop working the instant the goddess said she can...spend time with...him...a boy.
She felt so light then and there that she felt like she can just float up to the sky and touch it. The goddess isn't mad or even remotely ashamed of her. In fact, she even encouraged her to go for it. She felt the godly feeling of happiness. The pure relief and jubilation.
She went to get her knapsack before rushing down to the bottom of the mountain, while a certain goddess appeared from afar to see her off.
=xxx=
She immediately told Father Nathan what happened at the top of the mountain, and to the relief of Father Nathan, Alisa seemed to be a lot better than she she left. Father Nathan persuaded her to meet Philip at once but was met with a slight hesitation from Alisa.
"What if he rejects me?" Alisa said doubtedly
"Then there is nothing you can do, Alisa." Father Nathan replied "But, at least you will reveal your true feelings and that will bring you closure and a little closer to peace."
Alisa didn't like the answer, but she knew that Father Nathan was true. This will help her finally bring it to a close. But, she wished (oh, how she wished), that this move will start up something more.
=xxx=
Alisa was nervous. She haven't met him since last summer and the fact that she will see him once more is doing something to her nerves. She was feeling some trepidation but she didn't want to delay it any further. If she delayed it any further, then she won't have the nerves to do it again. She shuffled a little closer to the door of his Bluebell house.
She knocked lightly for three times before waiting for him to answer. She was shaking a bit, she noticed. She felt that her heart was about to burst from all the thudding in her chest.
"I'll be right out!"
She squeaked at the voice. It's him! She's surprised at the fact that she still acts like this at the mere sign of his presence.
Finally, the door was opened and revealed the farmer. Alisa's heart skipped a beat as she saw him again for the first time in a season. She furrowed her brow, though, as she noticed that instead of the usual lean look that he has, he looked a bit thinner and not in a healthy way.
Philip looked shocked that she was right in his front door, and Alisa couldn't blame him. To suddenly appear in one's front door after many months of no contact isn't something to be expected by anyone.
"Alisa?" he whispered tentatively, as if making sure she was there.
Alisa opened her mouth to reply, but realized that her vocal chords had ceased to work as of the moment. She cleared her throat and blushed. This wasn't as going as smooth as she thought it would be.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice louder this time. "Are you hurt? Do you need something? Did something happen by the church? Please come in. You must be cold."
He ushered her in his house and Alisa smiled in thanks before entering his farmhouse.
They settled themselves opposite of each other on his small circular dining table. Both were quiet for a while, aware of the tension in the room but not quite ready (or know) how to deal with it.
"So, is it about the church?" Philip asked, breaking the silence. "Anything I ca-"
"It's not about the church." Alisa cut him off. She was fiddling with her fingers nervously, trying to keep her composure. "It's more about, um...uh..." She was drawing a blank. How can she introduce the subject without awkwardness?
"About?" he asked again, his face twisted in confusion
"Um...well...uh..." she stammered, red creeping into her face. "It's about our...friendship."
"Oh."
"I know that I said that you shouldn't see me for the time being, but...um," Ugh! Why was this so hard?
"Alisa," he smiled mirthlessly. "It's okay. If you don't want me to be around I-I won't. If you like, I would even move my schedule around so that it wouldn't match yours. I could talk to-"
"No!" She blurted out, shaking her head. "You don't have to do that."
"Then, what do you want to tal...Oh." His face showed realization then he smiled sadly. "Alisa, do you want to end our friendship? Is it forbidden? W-well if that's the case then I...I respect that." He averted his gaze from her and stared at the wall.
No, no, no. This was not definitely what she planned. She wanted to confess to him that she had been wrong. That she wanted to continue their friendship. She even wanted to hint that she wants it to bloom into something more. Now, he's interpreting her words as a sign of her ending their friendship.
"No, no, no." she murmured. She shook and bowed down her head. Her emotions were getting the best of her again. She couldn't help it. She was just a sensitive girl. Some tears were already rolling down her cheeks. She was even beginning to sob.
Philip saw all this and immediately went by her side and embraced.
"Oh man, I'm sorry." he said apologetically. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything I've done, Alisa. Please forgive me."
"N-no, p-please," Alisa said, her voice shaking. "You d-don't u-understand."
"Please, let me finish." he said, holding the side of her arms. "I do understand."
"N-no, you d-don't."
"Please, Alisa. Let me explain."
Alisa was trying to catch her breath in order to speak more, but she was struggling as of the moment since she was focusing on not sobbing. The silence that followed was interpreted by Philip as a sign to continue and so he did.
"I've been doing a lot of reflecting lately and I know what I was doing was wrong." he explained, looking down at the floor. "To make some moves at you, although subtle, is very wrong for me to do."
What? Alisa thought. Moves?
"The instant I laid eyes on you, I was smitten. Your innocence and beauty made me attracted to you. That's why I did all I can to be with you. Even then, I was already scolding myself to get a grip with reality and that I would be really really treading on dangerous ground if I pursued something more. I then told myself the most dangerous lie."
He laughed nervously and looked at Alisa, who was looking at him surprised.
"And w-hat was that l-lie?" Alisa whispered, her voice cracking
"I just want to be your friend." he chuckled again without humor "I told myself that I wouldn't try anything more. But that excuse made me be with you every day. Please don't confuse this as a sign of regret. No. I don't regret the time we spent with each other. In fact, I cherish it. Being with you everyday made it a lot harder for me. Everyday I would see something in you that I would find so endearing."
He retracted his arms and placed on his lap. He looked down at the floor before continuing,
"Then I started flirting. I said to myself that it's just harmless flirting but the truth was, I secretly wished that you would eventually accept it as a sign of my affection and return it." he said sadly. "But I was only fooling myself. Your status as a follower of the Harvest Goddess prevented you from doing that yet I blindly persisted. When you said we can't meet, I lost sleep so much that I can't complete my everyday duties. And now," he trembled making Alisa put her hands in his shoulders for comfort.
"I don't even have your friendship. All because I pushed something that wasn't suppose to be."
He looked up at her sadly before standing up.
"Wait!"
Philip looked at her once more while Alisa looked back, now with tears joy shining in her eyes.
"You still don't understand." she chuckled, trying to brush away her tears.
She then explained to him in detail on the things she had been feeling that led to her meeting with the Harvest Goddess. She explained to him that the Harvest Goddess said that she should find time for herself specifically, her love. After all the explaining, she looked at him and saw him stare at her questioningly.
"So," he said reluctantly. "Who is this love of yours?"
He was biting his lip nervously making Alisa chuckle before cradling his face with her hands. She caressed her face while he merely looked on. Alisa bit her own lip before answering,
"You."
Then, wasting no more time, she claimed his lips as hers in one swift motion. A second after, Philip returned it with much vigor and enthusiasm that matched Alisa's. They were both ecstatic on the turn of development. To think that the other had the same feelings that they, themselves, are both feeling. After a moment, they separated to get much needed air.
"So," he whispered, breathless "You love me?"
Alisa then laughed her first real laugh in ages. She laughed with all the mirth and happiness she was feeling at that exact moment that she thought she was experiencing for the very first time. Philip simply looked at her confused. She answered him with another passionate kiss.
She didn't expect him to hold a certain affection for her, yet he did. He exceeded a lot of expectations from the townspeople, yet this was one exceeded expectation she was truly surprised at.
But it was that one wrong expectation that truly made her content and happy. And she will forever be thankful for him and to the Harvest Goddess.
For her, they both complete her very being. The Harvest Goddess stands and will always stand as her inspiration to doing something while Philip is the one that keeps and will keep her going, giving her all the love and happiness she truly deserves and wants forever and ever.
A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed that one! :)
I'll be sure to make more stories in the future. It would be really great if you leave a review.
Thanks!