Author's Notes: Huzzah to 3,000 words! I hope you like this, Blood of Scarlet. I only included one pairing off your list because I'm really, really bad with romance. I hope you don't mind the ending; it's the best that I could think of! And I really hope that the changing of POVs isn't too jarring. Enjoy your oneshot and Merry Christmas!
Disclaimer: Will never leave my side.
Love cannot endure indifference. It needs to be wanted. Like a lamp, it needs to be fed out of the oil of another's heart, or its flame burns low.
-0-
Ann was, as usual, not having a good day.
It was raining and it happened to be Ann's despised kind of weather. Footprints made out of mud scattered all over the room and wherever she went, it was always dripping wet. More people are entering the Inn just to find shelter from the rain and a lot of them are ordering soup or hot chocolate to warm them up. A full house always made Ann smile but today was certainly an exception.
The auburn-haired girl let out a huge sigh right after delivering the last order of Miso Soup to Saibara. She sat down on one of the high stools on the bar and tried to at least calm down her nerves. After all the busy orders and needed cleaning, she was happy that no fights have occurred…yet.
"You okay over there?"
A small voice spoke up from Ann's left. She looked at the direction where the voice came from and was surprised at the girl who spoke.
She had ivory skin that seemed to glitter under the light; golden-blonde hair that reached past down her shoulders and a rosy blush that could've made anyone smile at her. But what really made it interesting was the way her eyes change color from time to time, from brown to blue to green and back to blue once more.
Somehow, it made Ann feel somewhat confused on why the girl was staying in an old-fashioned Inn and not in the luxurious hotels from the city.
"Yeah. You could say that…for a while only though. Soon enough, something bad is bound to happen, like a bar fight or someone complaining because of their soup getting cold."
The blonde replied, "How about a little chat while you rest? I can assure you that nothing will go wrong today."
Ann was mildly surprised at the girl's anxious tone. She nodded and faced her once more, still unable to relax.
"Don't tense up. I'm not going to hurt you or anything. I just want someone to talk to." The girl gave a small smile and Ann complied. "By the way, call me Claire."
"So, Claire, what do you want to talk about?"
"Well, I was planning on asking you to tell me what's on your mind. You seem very distracted."
Ann didn't expect that kind of question. She thought of the risks and benefits of telling a stranger her deepest, darkest secret. She wasn't sure if she can fully trust the person, but by the tone of her voice, Ann was mesmerized.
"I'm kind of thinking of having a divorce with my husband…"
Silence has fallen down on them and Ann was quickly panicking on what she should say next. She was about to say she heard Doug call her when the mysterious traveler broke the silence.
"What? Can you repeat that for me?"
Ann was baffled. She didn't expect the girl to be so slow in comprehending the situation.
"I'm thinking of filing a divorce with my husband."
"Why?"
"Because…"
"Do you guys have issues? Like financial problems or anything that has to do with having a child?"
"It's not that…"
"Then what is it?"
"It's a long story to actually explain," fidgeted Ann, "but since we're in here, I might as well tell you everything." Ann jumped off her stool and headed for the kitchen. "Hot chocolate or coffee?" she asked before entering through the door.
"Hot chocolate please. Extra sugar, if possible."
Ann came back carrying a tray with two mugs full of hot chocolate. She placed the tray down over the counter and handed a pink mug to Claire. Claire smiled with delight as she took a small sip before placing it beside her.
"I'd like you to take your time in telling your story. We have a long journey to walk through anyway."
Ann looked at the girl with sad eyes. "You can say it all started when I first met him here at the Inn not too long ago. A few years at most and it was this very same spot where we first struck our conversation. I was serving drinks that time and I can tell you…
-0-
Almost nothing has changed. At all.
Same orders of wine and omelettes and Miso Soup. Same shouts and screams over the tables and counters. Same whispers about who is dating who and what is going on with what. Same old tired me cleaning up at all the mess made by all the customers.
Well, except for one little difference.
Jack, the new farmer, was looking around the Inn, confusion very obvious in his face. He had skin the color of hazel and eyes of coffee brown that matched his sloppy hair. He wore his usual overalls and white shirt, although he took off his gloves for today.
I wasn't particularly the type of person to ignore the new townsfolk but everyone was making a lot of mess, especially Duke over there at the corner, that I haven't even noticed his presence 'till I bumped into him with bucket of water and a mop on my head.
"Sorry 'bout that," I said before picking up the mop and the sponge in the bucket, "I'm not usually a clumsy person."
"Hey, don't worry. Everything's fine." He picked up the bucket, now empty, and handed it to me with a small smile.
"You're Jack, the new farmer, right?"
"Yep. Pretty much am. So… do you need some help?" He looked at my hands, which we're pretty much covered with soap and all kinds of dirt from cleaning, and gave out a chuckle. He looked around the Inn and smiled, "How can you handle this place without breaking down? It's a huge riot."
"You'll get used to it. It isn't so bad, considering that there are only two spills so far and no bar fights have occurred…well not yet anyway." We both laughed. He took my hand and it somehow made my heart beat fast. I never had this kind of feeling before, weirdly enough, but I guess it'll pass. It always does.
"So where do we start?" Jack asked politely.
"You can either choose to do the dishes or serve at the bar. Your pick."
He thought for a moment and let out an exasperated sigh. "I'll do the dishes." I giggled while I taught him the ropes on how to scrub the plates properly.
For once, I actually enjoyed washing the dishes at the Inn.
-0-
"You two seemed to have a good start." Claire smiled as she took another sip of her hot chocolate.
Time seemed to slow down as the customers received their food and got their own conversations going. Ann was wiping a glass at the counter, her hot chocolate still left untouched. "It started out as a silly conversation but it turned into something…uh…"
"Beautiful?" Claire suggested.
"More like tragic." Ann said as she slammed the glass back into the glass rack. There was something in her voice that felt so bitter, so resentful and yet so hopeful by the relationship she shared with Jack. "Well, it wasn't exactly tragic at first. You can say that I was actually pretty happy on how it…"
"Blossomed?" Claire suggested with shy grin.
"Yeah. I was actually pretty happy on how it blossomed."
"How did it blossom to such a beautiful, I mean tragic, thing, then?"
"I don't exactly know," Ann sighed out as she leaned on the counter, "Small dates, gift-giving, playful kisses, and maybe that one night I spent at his home."
"His home?" Claire gave a dubious look.
"It's not what you're thinking!" Ann quickly defended, her face flushed. "Anyway, he invited me over to hang out. I went to his place, wearing something most people would gasp at me for it, and, well, I…"
-0-
I was wearing my mother's blue, silk dress
The look on his face when he opened the door was simply too precious. I laughed at how he looked so surprised to see me wearing clothes aside from my usual overall, especially by the fact that I was wearing a dress.
"Oh, Ann, I…I…" He stumbled upon the words, forming broken sentences and weird sounds that'll make the forest animals envious. He blushed bright red and I smiled as he showed me inside his home.
He didn't own one of those mountain cottages you usually see on television, especially the extravagant ones, but he had that small, simple cabin that you can live in for a decade and not get tired of its appeal. I sat on one of the dining chairs right in front of his television while facing the kitchen.
"Give me a few minutes to shower and change, will you Ann?" he said before entering the shower room. I scanned his house once more, looking at the cedar wood that made up his walls and the soft, velvet carpet that was spread out beneath my feet. It felt really cozy and comfortable. The scent of apples and cinnamon filled the air as my eyes laid on his night desk. I stood up and looked at the picture frames lining behind his journal.
There was a picture of a brown-haired girl, wearing a beautiful yellow cotton dress, playing in a field of flowers. Dandelions, magnolias, roses, orange blossoms, honeysuckle, all kinds of flowers surrounding the smiling and joyful girl. She had the same skin color as Jack's, but she had tantalizing amethyst eyes. Next to that picture was a portrait of a couple, both had that same complexion of mocha, one was a beautiful woman standing right next to a burly and muscular man.
This must be his family, I thought. I went back to the dining chair and decided to watch one of the shows when I saw him exit the shower room… in his usual overalls.
"Did you take a shower with your clothes on?" I asked incredulously. His hair was still dripping wet and the sleeves of his shirt looked soaked to the bone.
"Of course I didn't! I changed in the shower room, you know. I didn't expect that you would arrive this early, though." He set his towel at the edge of his bed then turned to face me once more.
"So, you get to bake me an apple cinnamon pie right after we go to the mountains?"
"It's already baking in the oven actually."
"Huh. You already knew you were going to lose the bet?"
"No. I just knew you'd get hungry at when we get there."
"Hey, you're mean!"
"Well, after what happened over at the Inn a few days ago I think that what I'm saying is simply the truth." He took at the small, broken music box out of his pocket and listened to it for a full minute before putting it back to his pocket.
"You actually listen to it?" I took a step closer and looked at him in the eye."Or maybe you're just doing that to flatter me, Casanova?"
"It's a bit off-key but it actually has a beautiful tune. I love listening to it before I go to sleep."
"Same here." We both smiled.
"Shall we?" he asked as he offered me his arm.
"And we shall!"
We hiked up to the Goddess's Spring and set up our picnic blanket facing the waterfall. A small rainbow glittered as the water cascaded down to the spring. Grass, freshly covered in morning dew, surrounded the peaceful place with the scent of mangoes and oranges. Newly bloomed flowers coated the meadow with light tones of pastel pink, yellow and white.
Overall, a peaceful sight to behold.
We spent the day eating sandwiches Jack made, which really impressed me the most, and talking about random stuff like how the sun looks like a giant fireball or how his farm was doing. Boring stuff. But I actually liked every minute of it. Even his nagging on his farm.
"So, how's Silky doing by the way?" I asked while he laid his head down on the blanket.
"He's doing great. He actually misses you." He looked at me playfully.
"How can you tell?" I replied with smile.
"Remember the bell you were playing with before? I never used that actually. Until you came, Silky and Moola never walked even a tiny step towards me whenever I call them."
"And?"
"Now, they're chasing me like crazy." He added some funny gestures on how he looked like when Silky and Moola almost trampled him to bits.
"Hey, Ann."
"Yes?"
"Why don't we go to Mother's Hill before the sun sets?"
"Sure, I guess."
We packed our things and went to the peak of Mother's Hill in comfortable silence. Our hands, held together in a perfect knot, swayed as we walked through the bridge and up to the mountain. I looked at his eyes, his beautiful coffee brown eyes and saw that it shone with light sadness. Once we reached the peak, he took out a bouquet of flowers from his knapsack, the bag he never takes off, and placed it right beside a few rocks.
"Jack…"
"Ann. I know you trust me a lot like I do to you so I think it's time that I tell you that…my mother died when I was young as well." He kneeled down and took a deep breath. "I tried so hard to overcome the pain and loss I felt. I…I moved here to run away from all that." He faced me with sad eyes. "And then I met you, Ann." He stood up and took my hand.
"When Doug told me that your mother died when you were young as well, I thought that maybe things can work out between us."
"Jack, I don't understand what you're trying to say. Can you go straight to the point, already?"
"I love you, Ann." He said that, plain and simple.
The result of that? I burst into tears.
"I love you too, you jerk."
I laid my head in his chest as I sobbed and cried my heart out. Of all those sleepless nights, those countless days, those painful whispers in the street, it seemed too far away now. My knees gave way and soon enough we were both in each other's arms beneath the stars.
"This night can't be anymore perfect."
"Oh, it can. Right after I devour your cinnamon apple pie." Jack face went blank as it dawned on him that his pie was still baking.
"Oh Goddess! I totally forgot about the pie!"
We ran down the hill, never letting go of his hand. And after the events that passed by, he kissed me goodnight before I entered the Inn. I didn't care for the fact that Dad must be furious at me. I'll repay him in the morning. In the meantime, my perfect night will continue in my dreams.
-0-
The Inn was now empty. Only the drunkards, the likes of Karen and Duke, were sitting at the bar drinking wine and sharing their troubles to Doug and the other patrons.
The two were sitting at a dining table by the window, staring at the snowflakes falling from the sky. Both of their mugs were nearly empty. One little snowflake landed at the windowsill which made Claire pretty ecstatic.
"What a beautiful sight to see, don't you think?" Claire said in a giddy tone. Ann could only nod in response.
"So, what happened next after the confession?"
"The usual things. After another year of dating, he proposed, I accepted and we settled down at his farm. I still help my Dad around the Inn and he still works at the farm."
"That kind of life actually sounds blissful. What happened between the two of you?"
"Well, I don't know exactly," Ann replied, "He started becoming distant ever since Summer this year. That was two seasons ago. Before, we'd always tell jokes at each other and give small pecks whenever we're somewhere secluded. Nowadays, his kisses became cold, his eyes were always distant and our conversations were always turning more and more awkward between us. Soon enough, even I couldn't spend time with Jack without feeling uncomfortable."
"Just like that?"
"Just like that."
"Look, Ann, I'm not the person to give good advice when it comes to love and all these relationships but I've got to tell you, no matter how clichéd it sounds, to always stay strong and believe in the power of love."
"I am believing it… am I?" Ann pondered.
Claire smiled at that. "Anyways, I've got a meeting with an old friend of mine down at the beach."
"I'll come with you. It's getting late and there's not much people left at the Inn. I'm about to go home as well anyway." Ann stood up and escorted Claire towards the beach. They walked in comfortable silence, lavishing at the sight of the snow and winter atmosphere. The snow seemed to have stopped falling an hour ago but it hasn't melted yet.
"Hey, Claire…" Ann fidgeted.
"Yes?" the blonde turned as Ann gave out a small smile.
"Thanks for the advice," she said as they rounded a corner, "It's nice to have walks like these at night. No wonder Karen finds it peaceful."
"Isn't she the girl who drank at least four bottles of Merlot?"
"It's six, actually, but yeah. She's the girl." They both laughed and then stopped when they reached the stairs leading down to the sandy coast.
"Claire?" Ann turned to see that she was alone, as if Claire faded away into the darkness. "Claire? Where are you? You're going to pay for that hot chocolate if you don't come out now. If this is a joke, it isn't funny." Then in a smaller voice, "Claire?"
Her eye caught a shadow moving by the edge of the beach. Quickly, her instincts told her to run away before he could see her. But there was something by the way her moved, the way he walked with his hands in his pockets, the way he would glance at his side occasionally to see if anyone was following him, felt all too familiar to her.
"Ann?" A mellow, baritone emanated from the shadow. It was a voice she had grown to know and love for years.
"Hello, Jack." She said with a sense of longing. "What are you doing here at the beach so late?"
"I was supposed to pick you up actually." Jack smiled at his wife's confused face. "Shall we?" he said as he offered his arm to the redhead.
"And we shall!" Ann smiled before wrapping her arm around his. Together they strolled down the beach in comfortable silence, savoring the moments of being in each other's presence. Waves rolled over each other with the swish and swoosh of the warm breeze. The moon shone with its luminescent glow, casting a silver ray of light at the sand with its glittering stones.
At the end of the beach, spread out was a blanket with plates of sandwiches and fruits laid down on top of it. Petals were scattered all around them like raindrops to grass.
Ann's eyes widened at the sight. She couldn't believe her eyes. "It's…It's…"
"Just like our first date." Jack finished.
They sat down as Ann kept on wandering how Jack shoved all of the sand out of the beach just for this one night. They ate the sandwiches Jack made and talked again of all the shallow stuff they've missed. They looked at the stars and made up all kinds of constellations. Sour milk in the trashcan. Moola and Silky trampling over Jack. Even a cinnamon apple pie.
But all good moments had to end.
"Ann, there's something I've got to tell you." He said it with sad eyes.
"What is it, Jack?" She laid her hand to his cheek, hoping it would help ease the sadness in his eyes.
"I…," he took a shaky breath, "I'm going to the city."
"Well, I'm going with you." She didn't want to be separated from him again. Not after getting back together.
"You can't, Love." Ann shivered as he cooed her old nickname once more. It's been a long time since they called each other Love.
"Why can't I go with you? Why?" The redhead was having a hard time maintaining her composure. Forcing herself to look brave, she fixed her gaze at Jack's eyes.
"I'm going to take my father's place in the army."
"When did you think about this?" Ann inquired on impulse.
The farmer's expression never wavered. "Around Spring this year. I thought that if I started becoming more distant to you, I could forget thinking about you when I arrive on the city. Or maybe you'll get to forget about me while you stayed here at the Inn." His face turned cold. "But I was wrong and it only made it worse for the two of us. I'm sorry I only said it now, I… never had the courage to tell it to you straight. Until now of course."
The redhead felt like her heart was breaking into a million, shattered pieces. But she kept her brave face on and asked another question, "When are you going leave?"
"Tomorrow morning." Ann held back her tears, hoping that she can let it flow feely for tomorrow before her husband leaves. Tomorrow when hope is at its peak.
And as they packed and left, the two went home holding each other's hands and forever engraving their memory in the stars.
-0-
"So, Witch Princess, are you happy now?" Claire said, as she slowly morphed her form into the form of a Goddess.
Two immortal yet powerful beings floated above town. One was a witch with ruby eyes and ragged blond hair who could turn anyone into a frog with a snap of her fingers, while the other was a Goddess, with emerald hair folded into two buns, one of which had a braid that trailed down her beautiful form.
"Well, happy isn't exactly the right term I'm gonna use. More like, satisfied." The witch said with a devilish. She faced the couple now entering the farm and turned to see a saddened Goddess sulking by the corner.
"I really hate doing things like this," the Goddess ranted, "The only thing I can do is guard Jack's trip to safety to town. Other than that, I could do no more."
"Well, you do know at least who swept up the beach for the two to sit down on…"
The Harvest Goddess's face was a mask of surprise, "You did it?"
"Well of course, sis! I'm not purely evil you know. Besides, I know what that girl feels right now. I've been in her situation."
"Oh really, now?"
She faced her sister with a warm smile. "Merry Christmas, sis."
"Merry Christmas to you, as well, my dear sister."
The two faded away into the mist, with both their eyes fixed on the couple inside the farmer's house.
-0-
Love never claims, it ever gives. ~ Mahatma Ghandi