My First crack at a fanfic, hopefully you all enjoy :). Please comment if you'd like, they help me a ton! **I do not own Harvest Moon or any of the towns, names, etc etc etc**
Her tears burned with the soul ripping ache of loss as they fell down her heart shaped face. Everyone in the town had moved on since the loss of one of its residents, but Claire still felt the crushing weight as it threatened to suffocate her. Why didn't she say something? Why couldn't she open her heart to another person? These questions and more circulated through her mind at least once an hour it seemed. All she hoped for now was that the sun would set and she could climb into her small bed. Sleep was her only reprieve from the all consuming sadness. Time passed easily then, and she could see his shy face smiling back at her, mute out the words that brought her world to darkness; I have to leave Mineral Town.
It had been months since Cliff had left, but every day was a difficult one. The only good thing was the timing. Cliff left at the end of winter, so Claire had plenty of work to keep her mind busy as spring began. Her days slowly became what she ran from in the city; mundane and predictable. Wake, tend to the animals, tend to the crops, visit town for necessities, sleep, repeat. It took her weeks to admit to herself that she loved him, then days to berate herself for not seeing how she could have gotten him to stay.
She spent time with him every day at the church talking, though it took a while for Cliff to really start talking openly without blushing or stuttering. She knew he was slowly running out of funds to stay in town, yet she didn't ask him to tag along when Duke requested help picking grapes for the season. Something kept telling her that that would have made a difference in the situation, and she beat herself up over it.
Before all of this Claire was such a bubbly person, quick to smile and quicker to laugh. It was her friendly nature that had made it so easy for her to assimilate to the small country life, befriending most of the residents of Mineral Town with relative ease. It was everything she had hoped it would be when she decided to purchase the farmland. Everything except the heart break.
This is what was on her mind as she made her way into town and towards the blacksmiths. Her first calf was coming soon and she needed to get calving chains she had requested to be made in order to help with the birth. Cliff would have been pretty excited about this, she was sure. He was an animal person, like Claire, and she could still see his smile when they watched her first chick hatch from its egg. She had been so proud at that accomplishment, and the memory of his praise made her smile to this day. It was that smile that whispered on her lips as she opened the door to the blacksmiths, ignorant of the argument that was brewing within.
She didn't even notice the shouting until it was directed at her, words cutting sharp and angry. "What are you looking at?!". Snapped out of her thoughts she realized she wasn't quite sure. Gray was never one to not be in a mood, but she had never been on the receiving end of it. She stood shocked and confused as Saibara bellowed back at the young man, "Gray, How dare you yell at a customer like that! Excuse him Claire, though I would understand if you didn't. Gray obviously needs to learn how to deal with customers on top of his other duties here. I'll go grab the calving chains and give him a chance to apologize proper" he harrumphed with a glare at Gray. All she could muster was a silent nod as she glimpsed Gray's eyes go wide and his face red at his grandfathers statement.
Gray stood staring at her for a moment and seemed to settle a bit before curtly tossing out, "Sorry. He's been on me all day about the quality of my work. I'm starting to feel like an idiot." Claire was so tired of being beat down by herself, she couldn't help but to lash out when someone else did it to her. "Well you look like an idiot. It's called training Gray, it takes time and patience." She turned away from him and towards the counter as Saibara came out with her goods. Gray stood open mouthed, a red tinge to his face, as she paid and walked out the door with her purchase.
She really wasn't the kind of person to lash out at others, even at her worst. I probably shouldn't have said that to him, my pains are no more than anyone else after all, she silently reprimanded herself. She stopped on the road outside the shop and glanced in the window. Gray was bent over his work, a hard determination etched on his face. She felt her feet shift beneath her and the urge to go back in and apologize as she watched him. She became lost in thought again, imagining the best way to apologize to someone like Gray. She suddenly realized she had been staring long enough for it to be creepy and rude when his eyes darted up and he did a double take at her presence. He seemed confused at first, then gave a small smile that made Claire's face go red.
Gray moved away from his work area towards the door, saying something to Saibara as he went. Claire felt like she wanted to crawl under a rock, or run home embarrassed, but she only waited a moment for Gray to open the door and walk over to her. He scanned her red tinged face and pulled his hat down over his eyes, "I really am sorry, Claire," he spoke slowly, "and you're right. I shouldn't complain to you about it, and I'm sure, in time, my training will get easier when the time comes." He smiled shyly. Claire felt like something inside of her loosened. A shy smile flashed in her mind, and her heart gave a painful thud as she thought of Cliff. "I'm sorry too Gray, I shouldn't have snapped at you like that," she sighed, "Oh, or called you a jerk," she grimaced out with wide eyes. She groaned as Gray chuckled at her. "Well, I should get back inside. Let me know when the calf shows up? A jerk like me would like the chance to see a newborn farm animal." He gave a laugh as Claire blushed and smiled, and he turned and walked back inside the blacksmiths.
Claire walked back to the farm in a lighter mood than she had been in a while. She couldn't remember the last time she had smiled. It felt good to smile without tears lining the curve of her lips.