I absolutely adore the thought of Ash and Cam together, and I really wanted to write a fanfic about them. This is going to be multichaptered, this being the first chapter. Don't worry, there will be actual dialogue in future chapters, this is just kind of like the prologue. Oh, and future chapters will be longer. Also, the rating is staying as is; this story will only and always be rated T. I would really love for you to drop a review about what you think; it would really make my day ^_^ Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon Tale of Two Towns

Ash/Cam- The Joys of Nonconformity

Cam hadn't meant to fall in love with his best friend. He really hadn't, it just kind of… happened.

It had all started early one evening, when the residents of Bluebell were done with work for the day, packing up and turning in for the night. Cam was just about to walk into Howard's Café, ready to fall into bed after a busy day of work, when Ash all of a sudden came tumbling up the steps beside the Town Hall, asking if it was too late to get a flower for Cheryl's birthday. Ash hurriedly explained how he had completely forgotten tomorrow was his little sister's birthday and that he was extremely sorry for getting to the flower shop so last minute but Cheryl would just about die for a pink rose and if he didn't get her anything he would be the worst brother ever in the history of brothers and he wasn't sure he could go on knowing that his sweet baby sister hated him so could Cam please, please, pretty please help him out.

Cam had stood there for a good two minutes, blinking at the rancher while trying to process everything that the boy had said, before breaking into a small grin and lightly shaking his head. Ash had always been a little forgetful and Cam was amused at his best friend's antics. The florist dug through his boxes, grabbed a pink rose, and turned back to his friend. It was at that moment, as Cam handed over the flower and duly noted that with his hat askew on his head, and dirt smudged on his cheeks, Ash looked quite cute, that something within the young florist changed.

Cam had worried for his insanity for a split second, because he had just thought that his best friend looked cute. His best male friend. But the boy in the purple hat decided to just wave it off as nothing; it was probably just the late hours catching up to him. He had woken up earlier than usual that morning, so it was most likely the sudden schedule change that was putting these weird thoughts in his head.

Ash started to reach in his pocket, ready to hand over the money for his sister's gift, but Cam had stopped him, telling him that they were friends and that it was on the house. The strawberry blond boy insisted on paying, saying that it was the least he could do with his inconvenient timing. Cam refused to take the money, telling Ash to give Cheryl his best birthday wishes for tomorrow. The rancher finally gave up and ran off to his home, but not before spewing out thank you after thank you.

!

It was only a few nights later after the last minute birthday fiasco when things really started to get out of control.

Cam woke up from a rather happy dream on a late Thursday night. He was lying in his bed, staring up at the paint-chipped ceiling, when he decided that his dream had been a little too "happy." He had dreamt of Ash with his dirt smudged cheeks, just as they had been the night he came to get Cheryl's pink rose. Normally, Cam wouldn't think dreaming of his best friend as a big deal, but this particular night he did, for he had woken up to find out that his dream had gotten him… uh… a little too excited. That night, Cam had wondered if he was in trouble with these recent affairs pertaining to his best friend. He didn't think too much on it though; he just turned on his side, willing the problem dealing with his nether regions to go away, and, again, waved everything off.

When this "dream problem" turned into nightly occurrences, Cam began to slightly worry. But it wasn't until Cam began noticing, like really noticing, little things about Ash that he had finally realized that he was in trouble.

He couldn't tell you what day it was, even if he wanted to, that he took notice of these "things." Granted, he had probably always subconsciously known about these "things", what with being Ash's best friend since they were both in diapers, but he had never really thought much on them.

These "things" consisted of little pieces of info such as how Ash was very animated whenever he talked; he would always move his arms all about. Whenever he was angry, he would ball his right hand up into a fist, he would clutch at his stomach when he was happy, place his fingers under his chin when he was confused, his arms would lay limp at his sides when he was sad, and he would scratch the back of his head whenever he got nervous or embarrassed.

His eyes weren't just blue, but almost a steel-gray blue, his hair, not orange, but strawberry blond. Whenever he got scared, he would talk to his animals, mainly his cow, Melvin. During his free time, if he wasn't chatting with Cam at the flower shop, he liked to go bug catching, but he would always end up letting the critters go, worried that they would feel too closed in being confined in such small cages. He liked to drink his cappuccinos on the hottest days of summer and his mixed smoothies in the dead of winter. He absolutely despised mushrooms, and would freak out if he was in a ten mile radius of one. His sister could be a big pain in the rear, but he loved her to death and would probably always be overprotective of her.

Each time Cam noted another quirk about Ash, his chest would erupt with butterflies, and he'd have a small, goofy grin plastered to his face. Oh yes, Cam was most certainly in trouble.