AN: Obviously, I've started another long long long fic without finishing the first three~! (Runaway, Sweet Lie and Unspoken) Hahaha. Oh well, but I'm sure this fic will be finished by September ends. :) So I hope you guys like it! I do not own Harvest Moon~


Chapter 1: Confessions Dated Forever


"I still like you… And I like you now m-more than ever after realizing… I was looking f-for you in Mark's presence… After all these months, you're still the one I'm searching f-for…"

There was a long awkward silence between us. My hands were very cold of uneasiness, and they trembled. What would his reaction be towards this? I feared that he might avoid me. I feared that our long, solid friendship would shatter like brittle glass, and any repair to be done is useless.

His baritone voice rung like a symphony of instruments which startled me; but then I felt a wave of relief after hearing his laugh. "What's s-so funny?"

I could feel him smiling on the other end of the line. "Heh, I'm just amused. I actually knew this was coming, Sabrina."

"Vaughn!" I squeaked anxiously. "What are you t-talking about?"

"I overheard you and Lanna earlier. She even called me snobby."

"But y-you said-!"

"I lied." He answered casually, and then stifled his laughter. "I'm becoming a good actor, aren't I? I made you and Lanna believe that I was just innocently eating my porridge in the café…"

"…Where in fact you were already eavesdropping on us! Y-You and your twisted ideas!" I whined loudly as I felt my face getting warm, and the butterflies in my stomach were being all unruly. This was such an uncomfortable condition! "I feel so embarrassed, so mortified!"

He chuckled. "Your reaction makes me laugh, Sabrina."

"Wh-whatever…" I replied with annoyance. "S-so, we're still friends right? No awkward f-feeling towards each other…?"

"Of course. We'll always be friends."

My cheeks were feverishly pink and warm and I felt like wishing for the earth to swallow me whole, but his little assurance was more than enough to soothe me. "Thank y-you Vaughn… Good night, then. See you next week. Oh, and advanced happy birthday! T-Tomorrow is the third of spring right…?"

"Yeah… Thanks so much for the greeting. Good night, Sabrina." He answered with a hint of happiness in his voice. "Sweet dreams. I'm off to the dock."

I put down the telephone, and smiled foolishly to myself. I hope I didn't wake father in this time of the day. I tiptoed to my room with great care and caution.

I locked the door, placed my eyeglasses on the table and resignedly lay in my bed. Merely talking to him over the phone made me oddly weary, yet it leaves an undying feeling of bliss in me. His deep, beautiful voice is the melody I love to hear over and over again; I would never grow tired of it.

This is another confession to remember forever.

It was today that Lanna and I were taking our lunch in Haila's café. She asked me if I was still in love with Mark, and I said that I didn't know anymore. After hearing Mark's true colors from Pierre himself, I felt like I didn't know him anymore. His sparkling emerald eyes, his magnetic smile and his charisma vanished as soon as Pierre told me what the real Mark is like. And this I told Lanna when she asked me why I suddenly started to avoid the aspiring rancher.

It happened then that Vaughn walked in the café with his usual cool and collected aura and sat on the table near us. Lanna excitedly asked me if Mark was to become like Vaughn…

"…would you like Mark again?" She whispered.

"M-maybe. But…" I bit my lip and covered my face with my hands.

"But what, Sabrina?"

"Wouldn't that mean… I'm just looking for Vaughn in Mark after all?"

"Oh yeah… So does it mean that after all these months you've been saying you like Mark, you're still in love with that snobby cowboy?" She gasped.

"He'll hear you!" I stuck a finger on her lips.

She rolled her eyes and giggled. "Nah, he's busy with his porridge."

"Okay f-fine… So with your question earlier… I g-guess… I guess I still do like Vaughn. I still feel that same awkward yet flighty feeling when I talk to him or even just see him... And that unchanged bliss…"

"But what do you feel when you're with Mark?"

"Umm… I d-don't know… He's just so sweet and amazing; I can't help but feel so attracted to his open and friendly nature. And I feel like melting when he looks at me… But now, you know…"

"You and Julia felt the same for him, right?" Lanna sighed. "Look, I think you're having a crush on Mark, and that's love too, but with Vaughn… you're still obviously in love with him deeply; far stronger and more passionate than your infatuation with Mark."

"So do you think I-I should tell Vaughn?" I sighed. "That would be m-my second confession… And wouldn't that break our friendship?"

"Sabrina, your last confession to him was like, two years ago, and look, you guys became friends—no, close friends! And there's nothing wrong to tell him you like him." Lanna smiled, making me feel reassured that everything's going to be fine.

"And what would I tell him about Mark?"

"Tell him you realized that he was the only person you've been looking for."

"Okay… M-maybe I'll call him tonight…"

"Why not now?" Her voice was loud again. "Hey Vaughn—"

"L-Lanna!" I held her arm before she could even stand up. Vaughn turned to face the two of us and it looked like he was suppressing his smile. I suspected that he heard something from our conversation!

He cleared his throat first, and his face turned serious again. "What?"

"D-Did you hear anything we've said?" I tried to demand in a hard, rude voice.

"No." He said, looking at me straight in the eyes. "And please, don't try to make your voice sound tough; it doesn't suit you."

"W-well, I-!" I sat up straight on my chair. He was teasing me again. "Go eat your porridge."

Vaughn simply shrugged, and went back to eating.

"You're blushing again." Lanna giggled in a soft voice.

"Is it th-that obvious?" I covered my cheeks with my nervous hands.

"Sabrina, you have flawless, porcelain skin. Don't bother asking if it's evident." She winked at me.

And so I thought afterwards that Vaughn didn't hear nor listen to us. He truly is witty, clever and mischievous, a different side of him that he only shows to those who he trusts. Vaughn doesn't smile or laugh with other people, unless he's with me, Julia, Mirabelle, or… Chelsea.

Vaughn and I have been friends three springs ago, when he started to come to Sunshine Islands for work. It wasn't an easy friendship to build; Vaughn never opened up to me until that day I saw him secretly smiling to himself when he was eating porridge in Haila's café. He eventually trusted me with everything, and the more I knew the real Vaughn—witty, playful, mischievous, loyal and understanding, a true artist, a natural singer and a frustrated, amateurish dancer, the more I felt that I wanted to be with him; that I wanted to be more than just his friend. I fell in love with him… and it was the best feeling in the world.

I confessed to him the next spring, exactly on the fourteenth when he dropped by the mansion to give me cookies. He was surprised at first, asking me lots of questions about why I felt this way, how, when and so on. At first I thought he didn't like the idea of me falling for him, but his smile assured me that he's grateful someone appreciates him so much and gives him such significance. He may not have felt the same way for me, but our friendship becoming genuine and stronger was more than enough to make me feel elated and secure each day. He comes to the islands two days a week, and in that short span of time, he makes sure he has time for us to talk about anything. We were the best of friends.

And then Chelsea came.

Chelsea was a vibrant, carefree and energetic girl. She was a beautiful, sapphire-eyed brunette with a unique sense of fashion and a way of living. She was the beaming new rancher and all the villagers, including me, accepted her happily and wholeheartedly. I admired her at first, and I always told stories of her to Vaughn during his visits. He would listen, but wouldn't say anything.

"What do you think of her?"

This was the question that probably revealed a slight change in our relationship.

"I… I like Chelsea… and she said… she likes me too."

And this was the reply that made me feel jealous, the urge to be a little bit more possessive and protective, yet it was that response that made me foolish enough to say…

"I'll support you guys."

I remember Vaughn looking at me with his confused, deep purple eyes, but after a while he just snuggled me close to his chest and whispered, "Thanks, Sabrina. Thank you…"

"Oh, what's this…?" I mumbled to myself as I felt a streak of moisture on my cheek, and so my thoughts were interrupted. I touched the damp part, and closed my eyes. More tears overflowed afterwards. It was sad to recall that memory.

I wiped my tears away using my soft blanket. I felt exhausted, but not sleepy. And the only thing that would most likely make me fall asleep at this moment is my eternal melody… his voice, Vaughn's gentle, deep voice.


First chappie done~ So, what do you think? I have chappies 2 and 3 ready; and I'm working on chapter 4 now. (August 24, '11) Should I continue to post more?