This is a one-shot! It's not multi-chaptered!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon. Unfortunately. D:

Author's Notes: So, um, yeah, hey, guys. I've kind of been... totally and completely inactive. AND I AM SOSOSO SORRY! Over the past few months, I just haven't had the motivation I used to to write and I kind of took a little hiatus. Over the past couple of weeks, with some rediscovering of past loves (X-Men, oh God, X-Men, I'm sorry I ever left you!), replaying of finished games, releasing of future loves (X-MEN DESTINY OH YES), and just some good, ole fashioned practice-writing, I've definitely become re-inspired to write again!

And with the release of a brand new Harvest Moon game (Tale of Two Towns), how could I not write a story about it? I love Harvest Moon! I can't just *not* write a fic on it! Especially when this game contains one of my favouritest new bachelors! He's named Mikhail (Michael in the Japanese version)! He's just so incredibly awesome, and definitely ranks as one of my favourites, just behind Luke and Chase, that is. :3 Also, I prefer Bluebell to Konohana. What can I say, I like animals more than produce!

So, yeah, I'm sort of, kind of back in the writing game! When I'm inspired, I write, and I'm inspired now! :D

My game is also almost here (I ordered it online), so you might expect a few more one-shots (or not?) from me while playing/once I'm done. Those are prime writing times for me, guys!

Well, once again, I'm very sorry for being gone for so long, but I'll always come back. I'll never be gone forever (just long periods of times -_-)!

So, without further ado (if you even read my wordy-ass intro), on to the fic!

Oh, and also, a quick note, this fic is based off of Mikhail's yellow flower (no hearts this time around!) event! But, of course, I added my own little flair to it! ;D

Goddess Pond Confessions

It was a peaceful Winter day, just like any other in Bluebell Town. The snowflakes fell delicately to the frozen ground, littering the little European-style town in a sheet of glitter. The local farmer, Lillian, walked across the expansion, staring at the glittering ground and nodding every so often to her chattering companion, Mikhail. The pair was making their way to the Goddess Pond, a favourite spot for both.

A few minutes passed, and Mikhail became quiet, waiting until they were out of town to say what he was going to. When they were a bit closer to the Goddess Pond, he spoke up again.

"I wanted to thank you again for helping me finish my composition..." he trailed, looking away and blushing. He wasn't usually so social around people, but Lillian brought out the best in him. "It really means a lot to me, Lillian. Thank you."

"Oh, um, you're welcome, Mikhail," she smiled up at him. "I am more than happy to help my friends when they need it."

He nodded at her and returned the smile. Not long after, the two finally arrived at the Goddess Pond. Without hesitation, they sat down on the frozen ground, not minding the snow one bit.

Fingering one of the frost-covered ferns on the ground, Mikhail spoke again. "After you helped me with the bell, I wondered what is what there for. It looked quite old, like it hadn't been used in such a long time. I did a little research, but I couldn't find anything anywhere! Finally, a girl in City Hall told me." He turned to look at her now, "She told me that it used to be used for weddings. But there hasn't been a wedding here for so long, and that's why it looked so rusted up. She said that the last people who got married between the two towns were Yun and her husband, and she is seventy-two. It's been a good fifty years since anyone has married around here..." He trailed, thinking about how sad it was that this was the case. Despite being such a private being when not around Lillian, he found that he did at some point in his life want to get married... he wondered, would it happen here? In Bluebell Town? And with who? He couldn't possibly think of anyone who he could marry in the two towns... besides Lillian... The second that thought entered his mind, Mikhail shook his head furiously. Why would he even think that? To distract himself, he carried on with his story.

"She told me that when it rang, it was the Harvest Goddess blessing the newlyweds with a long, happy marriage. Apparently, it can even be heard up on the mountain. I don't know if I believe if it's the Harvest Goddess... I mean, that's a little farfetched. What do you think about it?" He finished, and cocked his head slightly at his inquiry.

Lillian blinked, thinking for a short second. Sure, she believed it. I mean, why wouldn't she? Who wouldn't want a long, prosperous, joyful marriage? "Yes, I believe it," she nodded after a minute. "I think it's a beautiful tradition that needs to be brought back... yes, I definitely believe it."

Mikhail blinked at her, before smiling sheepishly. "I thought you would." There was a silence in between them as he thought again, both staring out into the glowing pond. The more he thought about weddings and marriage, the more he wondered about both his future and Lillian's. Over the last two years, the pair had gotten to know each other. Mikhail had, of course, been apprehensive at first of Lillian's curiousness about him, about how she wanted to know about him. But he found himself drawn to her, and the two became fast friends. He trusted no one else more than Lillian. But could they be more than just friends, he wondered? As the thought crept into his mind, Mikhail's eyes wandered over to Lillian, and he admired her. She was certainly special to him, but he didn't know if he was willing to jeopardize his first close friendship in years for his true feelings. He couldn't handle being all alone again if she rejected him...

"Mikhail? Hey, Mikhail, you okay?" Lillian's voice brought Mikhail out of his reverie. "What're you thinking about?"

He turned away to face the direction of the pond again, a blush tearing across his face. "W-weddings, marriage, they're on my mind now..." She looked curious again at this point. "Is there anyone you would want to have a wedding with, Lillian?" he asked, hoping to distract his heart, but instantly regretting asking the question. What if she gave him the answer he didn't want to hear? – that there was someone she had her sights set on?

Lillian was caught off-guard by the question, and she bit her lip. Someone she wanted to marry? To be honest, there wasn't anyone she could think of. Sure, the boys of the towns were nice and she was friends with them, but she could never really see herself cultivating a romantic relationship with any of them. But then there was Mikhail... he was an entirely different case. He wasn't just her friend, he was her best friend, he was... she was in love with him. Simply put.

She couldn't really explain it if asked, but somewhere along the way, one thing led to another, and she had fallen for him. And she couldn't see why she shouldn't... the only obstacle in her way was the alchemist who lived on the mountain. Sage. On the days when Lillian had to spend the entire time working on her farm, Mikhail went and visited Sage because Lillian refused to let him help her. And over time, he had accumulated a small friendship with the anti-social pink-haired girl. That much Lillian knew. He talked about Sage with a particular air – very fondly. He sometimes went on about how talented he found her, and those were the rare days that Lillian didn't want to spend with Mikhail. She didn't want to hear him raving about another girl – it honestly hurt her. But in complete consideration for him, she kept her mouth shut about her jealousy and how she felt. Who was she to tell him not to see her? To not fall for her instead? She had no place to, despite being his best friend.

Mikhail looked over at his friend, who was deep in thought. He wondered frantically what she was thinking. He hoped, with all his pounding heart, that she didn't say anyone. Why, why , why did he have to ask such a question! He was just setting himself up for heartbreak here! He didn't want to hear the answer, but before he could somehow prevent her from answering, she did.

"Well, honestly..." She paused before continuing, "...no one. I can't think of anyone who I would want to marry." Mikhail's heart both soared and sank at this. He felt himself – just a little bit – hoping that maybe, just maybe, she would say his name. But, alas, no.

"Oh," was all that came out of his mouth, and his glasses fell down his nose. He felt disappointed, and his voice trembled. "O-okay."

An awkward moment passed, before Lillian spoke. "Why did you ask, Mikhail?"

"I was just... wondering..." he trailed for the umpteenth time. He sighed heavily before continuing. "I want you to be happy, Lillian. And I wondered what kind of guy you would want as a husband so that, in the future, you don't end up... well, unhappy. I think your ideal man should know you very well, that he should be intelligent and be able to serenade you with music, to let you know how much he loves you..." Mikhail came to an abrupt stop. All he was doing was listing off his own traits! Oh, why did he do this to himself?

"Oh, should he, now?" Lillian giggled at Mikhail. He smiled softly and relaxed at the sound of her laugh.

"I just want you be treated properly, Lillian," Mikhail admitted, his eyelids lowering. "I never want to see you get hurt." He looked down at her hand then, which was placed closely to his. With a quick intake of air and a sudden boost in confidence, he picked his hand up and placed it atop hers, and turned away in utter embarrassment before he could see her reaction.

A few impossibly long, unbearable seconds passed before Mikhail felt her warm fingers intertwine with his. His face only heated further, and he felt his palm become clammy, and hoped that she wouldn't notice. The pair sat there for a few moments, in rather awkward positions, with Mikhail twisted away out of embarrassment and Lillian looking very pointedly out to the center of the pond, refusing to blink or make eye contact with the glasses-wearing man.

The first to gain a bit of confidence out of the two was Lillian. She decided that she was just being foolish at this point, and so squeezed Mikhail's hand as signal to get him to break him out of his humiliated stupor. And so, slowly, but surely, did Mikhail's head turn around, but like she did before, he refused to look her directly in the eyes yet, and so instead directed his gaze at their hands.

Her hand was warm, a pleasant contrast to the fluffy snow and frozen ground around them. Closing his eyes then, he recollected his frazzled mind, and then looked up. What his eyes were met with was Lillian's gentle smile, and a soft, pink blush covering her nose. He honestly didn't know if it was from their hand-holding or the cold.

Her expression only made his heartbeat speed up further. His mind fluttered with the what-ifs if he did what he wanted so badly to do right then, but he just couldn't find it in himself to ruin them... but then she did that. She gave him a glance and leaned just slightly closer, practically inviting him to what he wanted to do: kiss her, right then and there. He felt a momentary surge in his confidence and out of pure impulse and sense of love, he too leaned in closer to her and within seconds, the pair was close enough that they could feel the other's breath on their cheeks. The couples' eyes burrowed into the others, looking deeply in to one another. Lillian's eyes fluttered shut ever-so daintily, and Mikhail brought up a hand to position behind her head. It seemed, at this point, that the kiss was inevitable, and...

"Ouch!"

"Ow! My nose – my glasses!"

And just like that, the moment was gone.

The pair jolted apart, Mikhail reaching down to the ground to try to find his glasses – which he was practically blind without – and Lillian simply retracted in exaggerated pain with her hands held to her nose.

A few seconds passed at the two tried to recuperate themselves. "Darn it, where are those blasted things?" Mikhail muttered to himself, his hands grabbing at the frosty grasses in a desperate attempt to find his glasses.

Lillian, having recovered from her shock, looked down and noticed them sitting on the ground behind the man. She smiled to herself, and placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him. "Mikhail, calm down," she told him, reaching behind him and grabbing the spectacles, brushing the fine snow from its edges. "Here you go." She carefully placed them back on his face, positioning them accordingly.

"Thank-you," he said thoughtfully. The scene was quiet then, and the full brunt of the situation fell on Mikhail, and he cursed to himself mentally. Why did he have to be such a klutz!

He turned away again, blushing, back into his normal state of being afraid to admit how he felt. "I... I'm sorry, Lillian," he spoke quietly, "I should not have brought up, um... marriage. It was inappropriate of me. I mean... I w-would say... I should say... I-I... no, no. It's... now's not the time for it. Not now. I'm truly sorry for this, Lillian."

"Mikhail, what are you going on about?" Lillian asked, even though she had a pretty good clue as to what it was. Mikhail looked down at the ground shamefully, hanging his head. He just wished he could tell her already...

"It... it's nothing, Lillian..." He was just too disappointed in himself now, and he knew he was bringing what chances of a nice afternoon that were left down. "Just... don't worry about it. It's not relevant anymore."

Lillian looked to the side for a moment, curling her fingers into her palms and biting her lip. She couldn't let Mikhail's self-deprecating attitude continue to prevail any longer! It too made her angry and sad to see him like this. And before she could even control what her mouth was saying, the words tumbled out of it. "Love is never irrelevant..." she trailed, but Mikhail didn't move. He tried to pretend his didn't notice her usage of the word 'love', but he couldn't help but feel his eyes widen just a bit at the statement.

"Mikhail..." She lifted her hand to his face and just held it there. After a few seconds, the man lifted it and stared at her. The air became strung with a heavy tension just then, and Lillian could no longer resist what she felt in his stare.

With pounding heart, she leaned over and pressed her lips against his gently, but not forcefully, and waited for a possible response.

It took Mikhail a full second to register what was happening, but when he did, he happily returned the kiss. The second Lillian felt a response from him, her eyes filled with tears and all she could think to herself was: Finally.

He pulled her closer to him, and just held her there. It felt like a short eternity passed before they finally pulled away for air, but it didn't even take two seconds for them to end up lip locked again. Lillian, completely enraptured by the kiss at this point, wrapped her arms around his neck tightly, working her hands into his hair delicately. The two just kept pushing farther and farther backwards until...

BOOF!

The pair momentarily separated at the surprise of falling over in the snow, which had shot up from underneath them and covered them in glittering snowflakes. They looked at each other, blinked, and then laughed. Lillian placed another quick kiss upon Mikhail's lips, before rolling off of him and into one of his outstretched arms.

The couple laid there for what seemed like hours, back to their regular conversing, just laughing with each other and staring up at the sky, like all the built-up pressure and tension between them was gone, and their relationship was now freshly redefined and renewed.

It was only when Mikhail noticed the dimming of the light in the sky, signalling that evening was approaching, did he realize just how long they had been laying outside in the snow. He turned to Lillian, and stared at her for a second. He could tell she was tired – she was dozing off a bit in his arms. Regardless, he was going to have to wake her up whether he wanted to or not – and quite frankly, he never wanted this moment with her to end.

Gently shaking her arm, he whispered her name. "Lillian." When she didn't stir, he tried again, shaking a bit more vigorously. It was beginning to get truly cold and dark now, and they were both tired from the emotional voyage of that day. "Hey, Lillian." At this point, her eyes fluttered open ever so slightly and smiled at him.

"Hey, Mikhail," she said simply, yawning.

He smiled back at her, and began to sit up. "Hey, we should probably get going," he suggested, offering her his hand as he stood up.

"I guess," she shrugged groggily, taking his hand and allowing him to pull her up into his arms, where she was hoping she could seek solace in his warmth again, the below-freezing air nipping at her sensitive cheeks. The couple began to walk away from the Goddess Pond, leaving it until next week.

"I'll take you home, okay?" he told her, not sure that her sleepy self could manage getting home on her own. Lillian simply nodded at him in response.

For a short amount of time, the pair walked in complete silence, hands intertwined. Lillian looked up at Mikhail, and grinned at the smile on his face and the blush across his cheeks, and squeezed his hand to get his attention.

"So, was *it* really that irrelevant, Mikhail?" She peered up at him, her eyebrows raised at her inquiry.

Mikhail, instead of giving his usual wordy response, decided to just go with something simple. "Absolutely, positively not."

Lillian smiled widely at his response, and they stopped to kiss for the umpteenth time that day.

"I didn't think so, I didn't think so at all."

End~3

Author's Notes: So, yeah. This was quite the Gorgonzola-filled fic, was it not? But I guess I can be excused this one time for it, considering I've been gone so damn long and I'm just getting back into the groove of things! I don't expect my writing to be as wordy now as it was back then... I feel like I have to get back into the feel of things before I'll start writing "normally" and frequently again.

Well, I don't really have much to say about this other than that. Bye now!

...well, except for the Mikhail reminds me of Piotr Rasputin's (from X-Men) older brother and that just reminds me of how much I love Piotr, Kitty, and X-Men in general. Oh, I'm such a nerd. :3

Also, I know Yun doesn't have a husband in the game. I just needed an excuse for the bell being used.

Long outro fail. DX

'Til next time!

Fooboo24