Author's Note: Ugh, and I thought one-shots were hard! I don't know why, but I struggle to fit a plot into just a blurb. I mean, it usually works out, but I always end up wanting to drag the story out longer. That's why these chapter's are so lengthy, I guess. Anyway, please enjoy!
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"Missy, how old are you anyway?" Gotz asked the small girl beside him. The two were finishing up breakfast, yet neither one of them had spoken that early morning since it seemed both were wrapped up in their own thoughts. It was very unusual, nonetheless, and that was precisely why he had to end the silence. Of course, it was both the silence between them and his own mind that he concerned himself with.
"I'm... sixteen," she replied softly, trying not to wince at the taste of her own lie. Charity wasn't accustomed to speaking to people, let alone know how to fib, but she didn't want the man to worry any more than he did already. After he had given her permission to call him Papa, he seemed to be very concerned about her, and he would watch her carefully during their walks together. He had done so in the beginning, but she noticed he was doing it with increasing intensity.
"Aren't you a bit young for traveling on your own then?" he pressed, handing her the plates from the table.
She thoughtfully began to stack the dishes with only the clinking of fired clay between them. It was a commonly asked question which should've made her accustomed to it by then, yet she continued to avoid it. Maybe if Gotz hadn't cared for her so earnestly, she might've felt more at ease in explaining herself. However, the words simply wouldn't come to her in any fashion, lies or truths.
"Don't worry," he assured her, scratching the back of Charity's hair soothingly, "Your papa won't ask again until you want to tell me."
The girl merely nodded, her brown eyes dull and distant once again, as she pushed back the memories into a dark corner of her mind. She wasn't quite ready to delve into it with anyone, much less herself, and since he had offered to let her, she would hide it inside herself. No, it would be much better not to concern herself with it at all, and one day, she hoped, the memory would fade all together. She nodded firmly once more to be sure to keep her resolve.
"Jack was asking about you, you know?" he chuckled at how the farmer's name perked Charity right up out of her self-induced slump. "Being you're about his age, you could ask him to the Moon Festival. It'll be coming soon..."
"Why would he wanna know about me?" she wondered aloud while washing another plate. A young man like him couldn't possibly be worried about some like her since she was so plain, and he was so easily wonderful in comparison. The warmth of his chocolate eyes made her tender heart melt to even think about them, and yet he was asking about her... with her dull eyes like dying leaves...
"He wanted to know why you didn't join me at the Harvest Festival last week. I reckoned he missed seeing you," the man remarked, still smiling at the rosiness of her cheeks. He held the small plate gingering in his hands, briefly crestfallen. However, once he felt Charity's gaze settled on him, he chuckled and shook his head slowly.
She was also smiling although hers hadn't faded. Gotz had been kind enough to bring her home some of the stew, and it was delicious, even more so than his own. She reasoned it was simply because they had to use the various roots and tubers they foraged in the forest. As for why she hadn't gone to the event, it was understandable. She was afraid of drawing unwanted attention to herself. In her mind, the longer she kept out of the public eye, the better. Not only for her own well being, but she also had no intentions of causing trouble for the woodsman.
From what she'd heard from Jack and Gotz, the town had a notorious gossip. The woman meant no harm, they explained, yet neither one of the men denied she might have started a nasty rumor or two. Charity had to be cautious towards, if not amused by, this woman.
It had been hard to keep her identity a secret since nearly everyone in the village made their way to Mother's Hill at some point during the week. Whether it be the local doctor on a Wednesday or that family on Mondays or those two girls every morning, someone was nearly always there. Luckily, no one had come to visit the carpenter after her arrival, and although Gotz was disappointed to know Harris, the town's constable and his closest friend, had chosen the company of a lady friend over him, the girl found it to be a relief.
"Why don't you go see him?" he suggested, placing the dishes up on the high shelf which she couldn't reach. He had never done so before, but she didn't notice that. Her mind was filled with wonder as to why he would tell her to do something so... bold.
"But, Papa," she protested, grateful he didn't flinch as she said it like he had in the beginning, "what would I say?"
"You don't need to get all fancy about it," he laughed, ruffling her hair. "Just ask! Jack's a straight-forward fella, so that kind of thing suits him!"
--
"Papa better be right about this..." she grumbled shyly to herself. Charity couldn't believe what she was doing, going to Jack's farm to ask him to the most romantic festival of the season. Local legend said that a kiss under the harvest moon of autumn would ensure a couple's happiness. What would she do if he said no? She shook her head quickly. No, don't even think about that...
She thought it was strange how insistent the older man had been for her to invite the young farmer. However, she supposed if he was a parent, maybe this would be how he went about things. He certainly was good at encouraging her in all sorts of things, like learning how to wield an axe (which was a bit too heavy for her) or finding out which mushrooms were safe to eat. He'd been so happy to see her bare-handed fishing skills, and as a reward, he'd even shown her how to clean a fish with a proper knife. In almost every way, the woodsman was her father.
Just as she was about to take joy in this, she happened to look up. Her eyes lit with wonder as she gasped, "Wow... Is this really Jack's?"
The impressive farm stretched into the distance ahead and to the west of her, and she couldn't help but be in awe of the expansive property. Although the crops were low in the fields, she had no doubt they bore quality produce, and she was certain the livestock and chickens in the pasture were thriving as well. Charity had guessed that Jack was a good farmer from what Gotz had told her, but she didn't expect... this.
"Nice, isn't it?" a familiar voice asked happily at her side. She jerked her head quickly to see the farm's owner at her side, and he had an amused look on his face along with an soft smile. He had caught her off-guard, much to his secret pleasure, she was sure.
"Oh, um... Jack..." she began, trying to look away from his eyes, only to manage a glance at the bridge before gazing back at him. Her cheeks were getting warm... Moving from place to place left little time for, or purpose to, having crushes, but she most certainly had one on him of all people. To be honest, though, he was the only other besides Gotz she had even met from the town, yet she liked him all the same. It was sort of hard not to since he seemed so sure of himself while being gentle at the same time...
At least, that's how she liked to think about it.
"Yes?" he asked, dragging it out a little which made her cheeks redden deeper.
"I... uh... wanted to ask you..." she started before trailing off into silence once again.
"Mm-hmm..." Although Charity knew he was well aware of her question, he continued to wait for her to come out and ask. It was strange for her, however. As was established, she hadn't the time for crushes, so that meant she'd never been on a date, either. She really wasn't sure how to go about the whole thing...
Her large, brown eyes pleaded with him to be the one to ask. Wasn't that how it was supposed to be done anyway? From what she knew about these kinds of things, he was the one to ask her out on a date, so she wondered if it was too much to hope he'd understand. He quickly caught on and began to laugh. It wasn't as deep or rugged as Gotz's roar of thunder, but it was pleasantly warm in her ears which she enjoyed just as much.
"Let me ask you this then?" he offered, that all-knowing smile still parting his chapped lips. "Are you doing anything for the Moon Festival?"
"Ah, no, that is... I..."
"Then how about going with me?" he asked, jabbing his thumb towards his chest.
"S-sure," she agreed with a small grin. "T-that would be... great..." Although her cheeks were still warm, she was relieved to be able to breath evenly again. Jack really could be a charmer, she decided with some giddiness.
"Feel better?" he teased, ruffling her hair as her papa did. His smile was more of that of a cheeky rogue, seeing her so embarrassed, but she found she absolutely loved its playfulness. She nodded and with formalities out of the way, the two began to talk excitedly between themselves late into the afternoon.
--
"Slow down there, missy!"
"Papa," she cried out, "I'm gonna be late!" She was already late, and the young girl knew she was supposed to have been at the top of Mother's Hill by six. Though it was already half past which had thrown her into a panicked frenzy, Gotz seemed determined to keep Jack waiting for her. She had to go.
"Charity," he warned in a stern tone, taking her wrist firmly in his grip. She blinked a few times, surprised to see him acting so serious. His gray eyes were stormy, yet she could plainly see a terrible dread in his heavy gaze. She relaxed, realizing his troubled concerns for her. "Be careful... when it gets dark. Have Jack bring you home, okay?"
Solemnly, she nodded in agreement. The hurt was still in his face, but the woodsman kissed her tenderly on the head and ushered her out the door. The sun hadn't set, so he encouraged her to hurry before night fell over the forest. She did just that although she couldn't help but remember all the pain she saw in him. Vaguely, she worried if she should leave him alone for the night, or maybe she needed to cancel her date.
But, as often is the case, young love won over family, and she soon hurried off to the peak of Mother's Hill.
--
"Sorry I'm late, Jack," she apologized while taking a seat next to him. "Papa was worried about something, I guess."
"It's alright," he assured her with a soft smile. "I knew you were coming." They sat side by side while the moon slowly began to rise overhead. Silence rested between them for a time before he spoke again. "See those lights over there?" he asked cheerfully as he leaned closer to her ever so slightly.
"Mm-hmm." Charity was still blushing terribly as she sat close to the young farmer. He was being so nice without knowing a single thing about her, but she couldn't help but wonder how he would treat her if she told him her story. Would he continue to like her? She was too frightened of possibly being rejected to ever tell anyone, let alone him. Therefore, she let him lead the conversation.
"That's Flower Bud," he explained, pointing into the distance where the lights of houses flickered like stars. "And over there," he continued in another direction, "is Forget-Me-Not Valley."
"I can barely see it," she complained, straining her eyes. She could just make out an unearthly glow near the horizon, but he insisted it was there.
"Forget-Me-Not is a lot smaller than Flower Bud and Mineral Town, but they've got some of the most unique characters living there."
"Have you ever been to the valley?" she asked earnestly. Although she had done so for many years of her young life, she enjoyed hearing someone else tell stories of their travels. It made her feel welcomed in their company because she could tell her own tales, too, without being an outcast.
"Yeah, quite a few times actually. My cousin, Jill, has a farm over that way with Takakura, one of my dad's friends."
"Farming's a family thing then, huh?"
"Not really..." Jack admitted with a confused expression. "My property was my grandfather's, so I just inherited it. Soon after he passed away, my uncle did, too, and that's when Jill ponied up and took the place over. We just fell into farming, I guess, since it wasn't like we planned their deaths or anything like that."
"It... must've been hard for you..." she mumbled quietly, drawing her knees up close to her body. "I... I know what it's like... to lose... not one, but two people you care about..."
"Maybe you shouldn't share it wish me then," Jack replied flatly, clearly unfazed by his own tragedy. She merely stared wide-eyed at the young man as she simply couldn't understand how he could be so nonchalant about not only his uncle's death but his grandfather's, too. "You should probably tell Gotz. Yeah... That's a better idea than telling someone like me."
"But... why?" Charity asked, furrowing her slender brows. Maybe he was stranger than she originally thought given how peculiar he was being about the whole thing.
"Gotz would probably understand. After all, he- Wait, I'll let him be the one to tell you. That way you can tell him your story, too," he reasoned, only giving the girl about half of the conversation inside his own mind. "And, why we're at it," he kept going, not even offering her a chance to share her opinion on all that was decided for her, "you should come to the church tomorrow after everything with Gotz is sorted out. Reverend Carter would be-"
"C-church?" she finally interrupted, much to his obvious displeasure. "Why the church?" It wasn't as though she didn't have faith, but there was... someone they made her remember. That someone was a thing she didn't care to think about since thinking about them made her heart ache all the more. Whenever she stepped into a religious sanctuary, she found she wanted to bolt right back out from where she'd come only moments before. She was frightened of them...
"Oh," he thought for a moment, "because there's someone you should meet. He's a bit quiet, but he's more talkative now after I found him a job last year."
"Where does he work?"
"The winery," Jack answered matter-of-factly. Glancing over at her to see a disgusted expression wrinkling her nose, he began to laugh. "Don't worry, he's not a drinker. Now Duke's the one you'd have to worry about. You should've seen how Karen-"
The farmer rattled off about the town's residents happily as his companion for the night stared longingly up at the moon. She vaguely recalled a legend her older brother once told her, and while she wasn't sure if she even wanted to remember to begin with, the memory came all the same. Don't they say you can see a rabbit jumping when you look into the moon? Charity tried her very best to see it, but much like the time she was a child, she simply couldn't see anything in the dark patches on the silver surface.
She supposed there were just some things that were to remain hidden. After all, she had kept so many secrets tucked away inside her that she was surprised she'd never be free of them. Like that rabbit, they couldn't always be found, but that didn't mean they weren't there.
--
At last the night began to draw to a close, and the two started for home. She let loose a sigh as she realized she hadn't had a chance to give the young man a kiss. How could she when he was talking like the mad man the entire evening? That thought made her giggle a bit, and she was grateful Jack hadn't managed to hear it since he was too busy rambling on. She wondered for a moment if he simply liked the sound of his own voice, or maybe...
"Jack," she said confidently. "I'm home now, you know."
"I know," he shot back, turning around with that cat-like grin of his. However, she knew better than to believe him. He'd taken her to the corner leading into town which was past the sturdy cabin before she finally stopped him.
"Thank you," she whispered, blushing as she took note of the moon still hovering over the forest. It wasn't the most romantic spot, unlike Mother's Hill, but...
Charity nabbed a quick grasp of his wrist, and although she missed his lips, she planted a small kiss on the young man's cheek. She nearly laughed as she felt him go stiff with shock. When she pulled away, she saw the confused daze in his eyes and on his face. He never saw it coming, she thought excitedly.
After she made it to the door to her new home, she glanced back at her date. Jack was still standing there, dumbfounded, although he'd managed to put a gloved hand to his cheek, and she simply waved at him, letting a giggle slip. She had been right. The boy was just as shy as she was that night, but better than that, Charity was assured the love was meant to last. She had kissed him under the Harvest Moon, and that meant something, right?
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Final Author's Note: Sorry if anyone hoped Gotz was a romantic interest, but this isn't the story for that. I wonder if anyone's caught onto what I'm trying to do here...
