Doctor: I'm glad charxelle's feeling better. My medicine must be really strong if you reacted like that --;;
Elli: giggle
charxelle: Your medicines should be B& I tell you! B&!! SNORTSNORT
Elli: whisper she's still under the medicine's effects.
Doctor :Shakes head and sighs she's in no condition to say the introduction. I'll do it then.
charxelle: B&! B&! B&! B&! B&!! Your medicine infects people minds and toys with them like eveil puppets! Doctor, I LOVE YOU!
Doctor "ahem Well, "Of Boiled Eggs and Hot Spas" was supposed to be a ONEshot but it magically? became a twoshot, due to a review. That didn't turn out to be...magical...at all...hmmm...
Elli: On with the next chapter! heehee!
charxelle: I'LL REPORT DOCTOR FOR BEING TOO HOT! AND Y'KNOW WHAT!? HIS REAL NAME IS-
Elli: slaps author Like I said, on with the next chapter!
Doctor: sigh
Of Boiled Eggs and Hot Spas 2: Cliff's Overnight Stay
Claire fetched her sleeping bag from the cabinet while Cliff stood aside, reluctantly fiddling with his fingers. She laid the sleeping bag down on the floor next to her bed.
"Sorry I don't have an extra pillow." Claire stood up and faced Cliff. Cliff's head snapped up to meet her face.
"Ah, t-that's ok." Cliff mumbled, still crimson-colored. He pried his fingers apart and sat on the sleeping bag, taking off his shoes and socks. "I-I hope you d-don't mind…" he said, keeping his eyes away from Claire's, who was turning off the lights.
"It's fine. Who sleeps with shoes on anyway?" Claire had apparently gotten over the recent scenario. She flipped off the lights when Cliff was done removing his shoes. Claire jumped and landed smack on her bed and covered her night-gowned self in white floral sheets.
However, having Cliff over reminded Claire of her previous "accident" and her mind stirred, streaming the event again and again in her mind, making her blush hotly.
Cliff was blushing so much he thought his ears would bleed from blood excessiveness. He was at Claire's house. And why did it have to be Claire? No one had ever talked to him except Carter, Duke, and Manna and Carter was fast asleep when he knocked on the church door. Manna and Duke were quarrelling again, from what Cliff heard from outside the door. Cliff didn't want to disturb anyone else and the inn was locked for the night.
But why Claire? Cliff felt something that made him feel like himself with Claire. He never actually talked to her. Just a few instances when they met in the Aja Winery. He could feel she was kind and happy-go-lucky.
"You asleep?" Cliff was startled at the voice. He looked up from his sleeping bag and Claire was leaning on her elbow, peering through the darkness at Cliff.
"No, I-I'm awake." He turned his gaze away from Claire's.
"Can't sleep too, huh?" Claire asked, smiling.
"Yeah…" Cliff nervously scratched the back of his neck. Then he suddenly realized that it was his fault that Claire couldn't sleep. "I-I'm sorry! I disturbed you in the middle of the night."
"It's alright." Claire lay back down on her pillow and sighed. "I was just….thinking…..about…stuff…" Claire blushed again, pulling her blankets over her hot pink cheeks. Cliff knew very well what she was talking about and did the same thing.
"Since we can't get to sleep, how about some of my famous milk?" Claire offered; to break the awkwardness.
"Thank you." Cliff nervously accepted. He stood to get the lights while Claire headed for the kitchen.
As soon as Cliff turned on the lights, he could see what Claire was wearing. He blushed an even darker red (if it was possible XD).
Claire was wearing a thin white lacy nightdress. It hugged her form perfectly and it was up to the middle of Claire's thighs. The neckline plunged to the bottom of her collarbones, though not exposing her bosom. Cliff promptly looked away.
"The milk's ready." Claire handed the over-blushing Cliff a glass of warm milk. Cliff extended a trembling hand, still looking away. He gave the glass a teensy sip and found it delicious. Before he knew it, he had gulped down the whole glass.
"That was great!" Cliff exclaimed. Claire smiled at Cliff.
"Thanks." Claire said then she giggled.
Cliff tilted his head to the side. "What's so funny?"
"You have a milk moustache!" Claire laughed and her body shook, spilling some of her remaining milk.
Cliff laughed too. It had been months since the last time he had ever laughed. He felt good.
"Look who's talking! You have milk all over your-"Cliff cut himself short, hitting himself mentally and shouting at his brain not to stare at Claire and her nightdress. He looked away and blushed again (for the millionth time).
"What?" Claire looked down at her nightdress. She had indeed spilled milk on part of it. "Oops! I better go change…" she said with a smile. She quickly grabbed a new nightdress and went to change in the bathroom.
Cliff set down his glass in the kitchen sink, wiping off his milky moustache. He tried to get Claire's image off his mind as he lay back down on his sleeping bag. For some reason, he couldn't forget Claire's face, her silky soft light blonde hair, her form-hugging white nightdress, her perfect smile…
"Sorry…" Claire emerged from the bathroom with her dirty nightdress in hand. She threw it in the hamper. Out of burning curiosity, Cliff removed the blanket from his head to look at what Claire was wearing now.
Claire was wearing a silk red nightgown this time. It came up to the middle of her thighs, like the last one. Spaghetti straps held the loose nightgown and the neckline plunged beyond the collarbone this time, exposing the top of her bosom.
"Why does Claire wear such nightgowns?" Cliff questioned his mind. He blushed again and hid his maroon face under his blanket before Claire noticed.
She switched off the lights and once again leaped into her bed, snuggling against the pillows.
The night was peaceful, except for Cliff, who had a nightmare.
The past replayed itself in Cliff's nightmare.
He had just arrived in his hometown to visit his mother and sister. The house was suspiciously unlocked. Cliff went in an investigated the house.
It was a clean and all of the furniture was in the right places.
"Maybe mom and sis went shopping…" Cliff wondered. He went further into the house and went inside his room.
His old room was small but livable. A bed here, a shelf there, and a few other shenanigans here and there. Even his old stuffed animals and pillows were in place. Cliff smiled at the memory.
Since Cliff was short on money and far from Mineral Town, he decided to stay for at least a night. He laid down on his old bed and fell fast asleep.
The next day, Cliff's mother and sister weren't back home yet.
"Maybe they're out of town?" Cliff guessed. He went out and asked a neighbor where they went.
"Why, hello, Cliff! Long time no see!" an elderly woman, who was a family friend, said.
"Sorry to bother you…but h-have you seen my mother? And my sister?" Cliff asked in his usual shy way.
The elderly woman's cheerful face dropped to a solemn expression. "So…you didn't know?"
Cliff's shy turned into a worried expression. His grip on the strap of his shoulder bag tightened. "Didn't know…about what?"
The elderly woman sadly sighed. "Your sister…she ran away from home…like you. Shortly after that, your mother got sick and because nobody was there to take care of her, she died soon after."
Grief struck Cliff's heart. He thanked the elderly woman for the information and went back to the house. He rushed to the kitchen, grabbed the biggest knife he could find and-
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"
Cliff screamed himself awake early in the morning. He bolted to a sitting position and panted heavily, wiping his forehead with him arm.
Claire woke up as soon as Cliff did. She was startled by the scream. Out if instinct, she immediately looked at Cliff.
"Cliff! Are you alright!?" Her eyes were wide with worry.
Cliff didn't answer. He stared into blank darkness, panting, trying to get the horrible image out of his mind. It was the past it should be forgotten, turned into something to remember and laugh about. It should be forgotten, it should be forgotten, it should be FORGOTTEN!
"Cliff! Cliff! CLIFF!" Claire repeated, truly worried now. He wasn't responding.
Cliff temporarily shook away the horrible memory to respond to Claire.
"I'm…I'm fine, Claire. I just had…a…night…….mare…I'm sorry." Cliff forced a smile, hoping Claire saw it even in the darkness, just to ease her worry. Cliff quickly laid back down on his sleeping bag and tried to get to sleep again, hoping the dream won't repeat.
"Oh, okay. Sweet dreams then." Claire laid back down on the bed, mentally telling herself that there was nothing to worry about. Just a nightmare, nothing too scary. Cliff's brave. She fell asleep again.
But for Cliff, it was horrifying. He closed his eyes to stop the tears from escaping but they got past the locked eyelids.
--
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--
The next morning, Claire prepared a special breakfast, mainly because she had a guest over. She cooked breakfast in her nightgown, as she usually did, which made Cliff turn crimson.
For breakfast, Claire prepared two servings of ice-cold milk, sunny-side-ups, carrot sticks with mayonnaise, pancakes with butter and honey, all of the ingredients coming from her farm. Claire chatted with Cliff, who answered in his usual way though only spoke when spoken to. He mostly kept silent.
"About what happened last night…" Claire started. Cliff stiffened and stopped chewing. He didn't exactly want to share something so personal in the morning.
"Sorry about peeking on you in the hot springs. I just wanted to make some spa-boiled eggs, you see." Claire was blushing again. Cliff sighed in relief.
"I-it's fine. It's n-not your fault." Cliff stuttered as he poked his sunny-side-up until the thin membrane broke and the yolk spilled all over. "I should've picked a better time than that late at night…(A/N: 7pm is probably considered late in Mineral Town since 8:00pm is when everyone locks up except for the inn)"
"Hey, it's ok. That's the past now. We should forget all that." Claire lightened up and smiled sweetly. Cliff nodded silently. "Besides, you looked cute without the ponytail."
"Wh-wh-what?!" Cliff turned different shades of crimson and maroon and looked away while Claire giggled.
"You're fun. Do you wanna be friends?" Claire offered kindly, knowing this cute guy hardly knows anyone else than Carter.
Cliff stopped shifting through redness and turned to face Claire. "Um…sure, I guess it's ok." He half-smiled at Claire before his eyes went down to look at her nightdress's neckline and looked away.
He cleared his throat. "Um…I have to leave…soon…I might be late for work at Duke and Manna's." he said. Claire nodded.
"I'll escort you out." She said before scooping in the last piece of pancake and standing up to lead him out of the farm.
Cliff exited the door and proceeded to the farm's exit with Claire following him.
"Visit again soon, Cliff!" Claire waved and smiled. Cliff blushed again.
"Seeya."
--
--
--
Cliff thought while watering the grape vines. He kind of felt guilty that Claire wasn't able to make her spa-boiled eggs and that he had to stay overnight at her place, wake her for the second time in the middle of the night, and have breakfast there too.
"Maybe I could pay her back with a couple of spa-boiled eggs, since I ruined hers." Cliff thought. He made up his mind to make her some to repay her.
After work, Cliff bought some eggs at Lillia's store and went to Mother's Hill to spa-boil them.
"Claire sure is friendly…" Cliff thought as he was making his way. He hiked upwards to the place and proceeded to the hole in the hot spring's fence.
He was about to drop an egg into the hot spring when something caught his eye.
To his shock, at the opposite side of the hot spring was Claire, staring back at his shocked face.
Doctor: My goodness, did that really happen!?
charxelle: STOOPEED! IT'S A FANFIC! YOU REALLY DON'T GET WHAT IN THE FANFICS ARE, RIGHT!?
Doctor: Um...?
Elli: She's right. At least I do. giggles
charxelle: Yes! of course you do, Elli! You're smarter.
Doctor: Enough of this nonsense!!
charxelle: Hey, did you two know? I've seen some lemony fanfics of both of you somewhere...
Doctor and Elli: sweatdrop;;