Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon or anything associated with it.

Author's Note: Haha, Ash's actions in this chapter were inspired by something my friend did for me in real life, and I hope you guys are as amused by it as I was. :P As always your reviews are lovely and greatly appreciated. This story is rapidly winding to its close. Only a couple of chapters remain after this – maybe just one and an epilogue. I really love this chapter, and it's one of my longest yet haha! I hope you all enjoy it too. Thanks for reading!


Nothing ever happened in Bluebell.

Ash had spent his entire life helping his mother out with the animals, trying to goad Laney into playing a genuine game with him late into the night, and pestering Rose and Rutger for attention. When Georgia came, he found he had lost his main source of amusement. Laney had never been much of a playmate – she hated bugs, most animals, and in general everything to do with the outdoors. So when Georgia, a self-proclaimed tomboy, rolled into town with her father, Ash had high hopes that either she would rub off on Laney a bit or she could take the girl's place for him.

She did neither. Georgia replaced Ash instead, becoming Laney's gossip gatherer and baking assistant. He was reduced to sitting on the fence, staring at the townspeople pass by. Every once and a while he spoke to Eileen or Grady or Howard, but adults didn't amuse him much. When his mother announced she was pregnant he had been initially hopeful, but as time passed and a rather dull baby sister was all he had to show for it, those hopes too were dashed.

So Ash's life was reduced to working and watching and waiting for something big to happen, because he knew that something big had to happen. He did not have much to complain about. He was an average boy. His father had never been around, but his mother had been just fine, and Cheryl was alright for the most part. He got three meals a day and took warm baths and his clothes were never worn out. Life should have been great, at his little ranch, but it was far from it – for Ash was always waiting for that something big.

When news of a boy moving to town reached him, he was already seventeen years old. "The boy is a year older than you," Howard confided. "He's had a tough time. Not a very optimistic fellow, or particularly open. Friendly, but…well…very shy, I suppose. You be nice to him, Ash."

Ash was of course going to be nice to him! This was his chance to finally have a real friend. He made due with hanging out with Laney and Georgia as often as they would have him, but their conversations were dull and their hobbies even worse. Another guy around town…maybe they would end up being as close as those two girls, and they would be able to do all the things Ash always wanted to do but felt too ridiculous doing by himself. When it was decided that the boy would be arriving several days before his birthday, Ash knew it was fate. Finally, he would have something to do.

But Cam was not what he had expected at all. When meeting for the first time, he did not respond at all to Ash's enthusiastic greeting. He merely stood beside Howard, motionless as a statue, and watched. The next day, when Ash sought him out, he continued to stare. And the next day, and the next day, and the next day. When Cam opened his flower stand, Ash was the first customer, calling out his regular, "Hey, Cam, how's it going?"

"…Fine," the boy replied. "Do you want something?"

"That's really not a way to talk to a customer. You should sound like each purchase is a blessing. That's what my mom says, at least."

"Your mom runs the animal store by the entrance to town," Cam answered without looking up.

Ash's eyebrows raised momentarily. "How'd you know that?"

"You told me when we first met."

"You were…actually listening to me?" Ash tried to contain his excitement. For the first time, Cam was actually communicating. Ash had been prepared to reach the conclusion that he was merely too annoying to befriend or even bother with, but here was solid evidence that he might be wrong – that perhaps it was something in Cam that made him difficult to befriend, and not his own character flaw.

The corners of Cam's lips twitched in what could have been a smile, had he not been skilled enough at learning how to suppress those. "Of course. Your name is Ash. Your mom's name is Jessica. Your little sister is Cheryl. You've lived here your whole life. You take care of the animals for your mom. I listened."

Ash stared at the boy for a moment and then grinned. "Want to hear some more?"

Cam glanced out at the town – all possible customers were waiting in their houses, taking care of their individual business. "I've got time," he said finally, glancing back at the boy.

Ash grinned and launched into a new conversation.


"So, when are you planning on actually talking to him?" Cam asked curiously, shooting a glance at Lillian. It was well into the middle of summer and Lillian had absolutely refused to communicate with Ash, who found this to be rather harsh. "She still talked to you when I suggested it even though you took her heart and tore it to pieces!" he complained. "Can't you suggest she talk to me?"

But Cam had, and it had been to no avail. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but there was something more to this situation than what he was seeing. Nonetheless, he enjoyed the time he got to spend with Lillian, and smiled at her as she sat at the end of his flower stand, examining a bottle of perfume. The air was so stagnant beads of sweat were beginning to form beneath her bangs, but she hadn't complained once. He found himself admiring her for more than just that as she turned to him and said, "Never."

"Well, that's a little harsh."

"Hmph."

"You can't avoid him forever. He'll find you sooner or later."

"I know Ash better than he thinks I do," Lillian replied quite calmly, smiling over at the florist with a rather smug air about her. "I know that his mother will not let him off work before her birthday, which is tomorrow, which means no sudden visits over here, so I am perfectly safe. If I'm out of here by three thirty, I won't have to run into him. If I go to Konohana, he refuses to come after me. His sister goes chasing after him by eight every night, demanding he help her with his mother's birthday present, so I get home after eight."

Cam leaned against the table beside her, propping his head up on his hand. "And what are you going to do after Jessica's birthday?"

"Move to Konohana."

He sighed, shaking his head. Lillian refused to talk about Ash very long, and often decided to change the subject once they got to this point of the conversation. He tried to think of something quickly, something that would cheer Ash up a smidge, before she decided to do just that. "Er…are you…going to go to Jessica's party?"

"Of course. She's been so nice to me it would be rude if I didn't go. I know what you're thinking…I'll have to talk to Ash there." She folded her hands in her lap, staring down at her swinging feet. Cam noted that for a moment, her cheeks were slightly red – but perhaps it was the heat, he told himself. It was probably just the heat, and he didn't have anything to worry about. "I don't know what I'll say to him, but I'm hoping he…just gives up on this whole thing. I know he probably feels bad because he doesn't like hurting people's feelings, but it's no big deal. He doesn't have to pity me."

Cam tried not to pity her as he stared, but couldn't help it. Her shoulders slumped forward in dejection, her feet stopped bouncing about, her lips tilted downwards in a permanent frown. But that, it meant nothing. It had to mean nothing, because if it meant something, Cam would look the same as her instead, and he wasn't ready to accept that. He ruffled her hair and said, "He doesn't pity you. Have you already gotten her birthday present?"

"I thought I'd get a sunflower bouquet from you, actually," Lillian replied, her voice lilting playfully.

"No."

She rolled her eyes, but laughed as he grinned and set to work putting together her bouquet. "You know, you've really changed quite a bit recently. A lot more outgoing and…less private. It's nice. But…why?"

Cam hesitated and then finished tying the bouquet, placing it gently in her outstretched hands. He kept his there for a moment, holding her eyes. "If you want something you have to be willing to act like you want it. It's weird for me to act this way, but important that I do. Anyways, it's almost three thirty, you better get going before Ash comes."

Lillian did not blush the way Cam did, instead speaking in a steady voice as she bid him farewell and hurried down the street towards the mountain path to Konohana. She had lingered too long while talking to Cam today. There was a good chance that Jessica would let Ash out slightly early in hopes he would use the time to gather some sort of birthday present, and if she let him out now, he would see her and chase her down again, and there was nobody she could latch onto this time around, as Laney and Georgia were chatting at Howard's as usual. Her footsteps quickened, she held her breath, she was past the feed store…

"Lillian!"

She stopped in her tracks, eyes narrowed. He wouldn't dare…would he? She spun to see that yes, Ash would dare to hold his little sister up before him as bait. The blonde wriggled about cheerfully in her brother's arms. She wondered how much convincing it had taken to get her to do this. Ash stood behind her and winked when Lillian caught his eyes, which made her glare at him. Still, it was with a hint of amusement that she approached the little girl and knelt before her, giving her ample opportunity to squirm from Ash's grasp and onto the floor before her. "Yes, Cheryl?"

"You're coming to mom's birthday party tomorrow, right?" the little girl asked, rubbing her toe into the dirt with a shy smile. Lillian knew better than to trust that smile. It was the one that demanded extra cake when she had already gotten extra slices from three other people, the smile that told her yes, my mom knows I'm here, and earned Lillian an hour long lecture when it was discovered that no, my mom actually does not know I'm here.

Still, she was cute. Lillian smiled at her, letting herself relax a little. "Of course. I already got her a present and everything."

Ash crouched beside his sister, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Did it happen to be flowers?"

"I wasn't talking to you, I was talking to your sister."

"Cheryl," Ash sighed.

"Did it happen to be flowers?" Cheryl asked, clasping her hands before her with a new sweet smile on her lips. There was a flower tucked into her hair, and she pulled it free to pass over to the farmer. Lillian took it suspiciously between two fingers, glancing at Ash with distaste.

"Well…yes. I got her a bouquet of flowers I thought she would like. Your mom always has flowers in her shop, anyways."

"Are you dating the flower boy?"

Ash cleared his throat, shaking his head and giving his sister a shake as well. "Now Cheryl, that was not what we talked about earlier. Let's stick to the matter at hand, okay?"

"But that's what you really want to know," Cheryl taunted, a grin on her face. Now that, Lillian noted as she observed the devilish expression spread, is more like her. Ash tried to hush her up, but she pressed on, pulling her brother's hands from her mouth and saying, "Ash will be disappointed if you say you're going out with Cam."

Perhaps, under different circumstances, this would have left Lillian blushing. Now, however, it caused her to rise to her feet and turn away. "No. I'm not dating Cam. And if you want to know something, ask me yourself, Ash…not that I think you even really care."

She hadn't meant to sound so angry, but once the words left her lips they were impossible to bring back. All the time that had passed had left her bitter. The first time she felt the pain of a broken heart, she had been so bewildered and miserable there was no room left in her for anger. Now, knowing that Ash – Ash, who had never hurt her before – had been the culprit, she felt a constant desire to slap him across the face. Considering that was out of the question (for she was partly afraid that if she struck Ash his sister would leap upon her and beat her with her tiny fists) she was left to speak venomous words that were quite unlike her. She stomped off towards Konohana in a huff – that boy brought out the very worst in her, which hurt her even more when she remembered that he used to bring out the best.

Cheryl, having played her part rather abysmally, offered up a small shrug to her brother and ran back to her mom before he could even explain how frustrated he was to her. He threw his hands up in the air, sighing, and said, "Why couldn't she just stick to the script?"

"You're getting pretty desperate now," Cam noted, putting a sympathetic hand on his friend's shoulder. "Using your sister was bound to backfire. The less time you spend with Lillian, the more time you spend with her – that's how she sees it, anyway."

Ash rolled his eyes, but he was nodding his head as well. "I figured that would happen, but I had no other choice. If I try to talk to Lillian just me and her, she takes off. I know I hurt her, and I just want to apologize. I only said that stuff because I thought she really wanted you, but if…if there's even the slightest chance she could still want to be with me…then there's no way I'm just handing her over! I…I really love her…and I want her to know that."

The boys held each other's gaze for a moment, and then Cam smiled, saying simply, "I know. I'm going to go after her then."

"What?" Ash exclaimed, seizing the boy's arm and yanking him back when he tried to walk away. "How can you just leave me here?"
Cam raised an eyebrow, pulling his arm loose. "You said you wanted me to go after her with everything I've got, just like I said the same for you. Regretting those words now, Ash?"

"No, I'm just saying I'd appreciate another guest at my pity party!"

The florist just laughed once more. "How about this…while I go check and see how Lillian is doing, you try to think of something to do to win her over, alright? Because at this rate I'm not sure she's still joking about moving to Konohana. You irritate her that much."

"And I'm sure that irritates you quite a bit too."

Cam didn't stick around to trade insults with his friend for a moment longer. Ash was right and they both knew it – no point sticking around proving that. He continued after Lillian, wondering how far she could have gone in the short time since she had left Ash. The deeper he was forced into the forest, the more he was forced to confront the truth. Ash had upset Lillian so deeply she couldn't even stand to be around him – and it wasn't that she hated him, either. It was that being around him hurt. Cam grit his teeth and forced himself into a jog. Being around Ash hurt him too.

He finally found her kneeling by the Goddess' spring where they had eaten together what felt like ages ago. He had never gotten a chance to tell her yes, he did consider it a date. It didn't look like now was a good time for that conversation either, because her tears were dripping silently into the pond and she was clenching a fistful of grass, gasping for breath.

"Lillian," he murmured. The word was like a breath that had escaped him, and he was sure it let loose everything he felt for her. How desperately he wished he could turn back time and be brave enough then to know that you couldn't disappoint someone if you tried your best, to know that the real way you disappointed them was by giving up on their dream – especially when their dream was your dream too. But it did not convey his feelings to her, no matter how obviously in love he was at that moment. For when Lillian turned to face him, her tears were for one boy and one boy alone.

"I love him," she whispered. "I love that idiot. How did it come to be that I love him, Cam?"

Cam felt his legs give way – or was that him kneeling down voluntarily? It didn't feel like it. It wasn't his hand that reached out and wiped the tears from her eyes, but it must have been – he was wearing the bracelet she had given him for his birthday last year. Her violet eyes shone with tears that were threatening to continue pouring freely. He felt that he would cry as well. Everything about her was a mess, and he wished that she looked like that because of him. "I…I don't know," he murmured, letting his thumb linger on her cheek, wiping stray tears as they came. "I really don't know."

"Why doesn't he love me? I really…I thought…I thought that the reason he spent so much time with me might be because…and he said he was mad at you because…and I thought…I just…" Her words came quicker and quicker until they trailed off into choked sobs that left her gasping for more air, and finally she fell forward against Cam's chest – the second time she did so, both times while crying for Ash. "Why doesn't he love me, Cam? You're his best friend. You must know."

Cam thought of what Ash had told him, a few weeks ago. He had asked his friend what had happened with Lillian after he had broken her heart. "She just asked why you didn't love her," Ash had mumbled, looking off into the distance. "And I was honest with her. I told her the truth – that I didn't know."

"But you did know that I loved her. You go on about that all the time," Cam had replied, his voice turning to impatience. He wanted to know anything that could help him with Lillian.

"Yeah. But I didn't know why you didn't tell her that. If I had known at that moment that you wanted to tell her you loved her…I would have told her you loved her. And I would have marched her in there. But you never told me what was going on…so I didn't know what to do. I told her what I knew, and that was the best I could do."

"I really love her…and I want her to know that."

Cam stared down at Lillian and, for a moment, entertained his own feelings. He touched his fingertips to the highlights of her hair, lifting brunette locks to his face, breathing in her faint scent of lavender and strawberries, and dirt, always dirt and dust and animals and sweat and hard work. How had this girl wormed her way into his heart? When had he realized that not being with her was immensely painful? Was this how Ash had felt for the past year…maybe even longer? And how had he managed to bear it with a smile for so long? How had he managed to reach out and befriend Cam again despite knowing his friend was the source of his pain?

When Cam had first moved to Bluebell, he had wanted nothing to do with Ash, but the boy never gave up. He owed who he was as a person – he owed being able to move on from his humiliation and self-hatred left behind from his time at the city – to this one boy to whom he had given nothing but pain and heart ache.

"I do know. I know that he does love you," Cam whispered. Lillian tensed up in his arms and then stared up at him. The hope and excitement in her eyes shot a wave of pain throughout the florist that he didn't expect to disappear for several weeks. Longer, maybe.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she replied. Her voice revealed her anger at him, but she strained herself to continue staring at him, waiting patiently, kindly for his answer. Cam smiled. Lillian had always been kind to him, even when he didn't deserve it.

"I didn't know if he wanted you to know. I know now that he does. So…don't cry. Please."

The words hung between them, and finally Lillian's tear stricken face revealed a hesitant smile. It grew larger by the moment, and finally she threw her arms around Cam's neck, knocking him backwards onto the grass. "Thank you!" she cried out. Her chest shook with the faint laugh that sounded raspy when it left her sore throat. Her voice dropped to a murmur as she repeated, face pressed against his neck, "Oh…thank you Cam…"

Cam felt arms that weren't his wrap around her back and stared up at the bright blue sky – clear as ever. Howard and Laney would say that it was a sign of good things to come. He hoped that was true, for the sake of his friends. He let his eyes flicker shut and smiled – a smile that turned quickly to a laugh. "You're welcome," he told her, but continued to chuckle to himself. You owe me, Ash. You really do.


Jessica's party was definitely much more modest in comparison to Ash's, but her home was decorated beautifully and everyone was crammed into the small quarters talking excitedly. She had not let go of the sunflower bouquet Lillian had pressed into her arms with a shy smile, and it made her own grin radiant. Grady, for example, could not take his eyes off of her, and had remained close to her side throughout the party. In much the same manner, Cam lingered close to Lillian, who had worn a brand new outfit to the party and shone with unbridled excitement.

"You're looking pretty cheery today," Georgia grinned, examining the nice dress Lillian was wearing. "And pretty as a flower. It's nice to see you in high spirits."

"Georgia's right, you look amazing. It must be you, huh?" Laney asked Cam, elbowing him playfully. The wink she gave him tore through his chest. It would take a while before things like this stopped aching.

"No, it's not about Cam," Lillian mumbled, blushing furiously. From across the kitchen, Ash leaned against a counter, a sullen expression on his face. Cam sighed and crossed over towards him, bumping his shoulder against his friend's as he leaned beside him. "You look down," he noted.

Ash laughed a little, shaking his head. "She really hates me. I couldn't come up with anything to say to her."

"She doesn't hate you. Just…make her listen to you," Cam suggested. "I have a good feeling about tonight."

They met each other's eyes, and then Ash raised an eyebrow. "I thought you were Team Cam on this situation. Helping me apologize to her isn't really going to get you anywhere, you know…so what's up? Please tell me you two aren't already dating and you're setting me up to embarrass myself at my mother's birthday party."

Cam laughed, shaking his head. Ash saw that the laugh did not extend to his eyes. "No…we're not dating. And we're never going to. And that…is okay."

"…Okay, huh?"

"Don't look at me like that," Cam murmured, shaking his head. "It hurts, but not as much as it must have hurt her when I let her down without any explanation – and not as much as it must have hurt you to be in love with someone who was in love with your best friend. Whatever happens between you and Lillian now has nothing to do with me. I have…backed out of this competition, I guess. Besides…I think I want to head home for a little bit."

"What?" Ash exclaimed, his voice rising so loudly it rang out among the room and caught the attention of several people. "You're not going to leave forever, are you? You can't do that-"

"Calm down," Cam mumbled, elbowing his friend. "I'm not leaving forever. Just for a month or so. And I want you to escort me there. There's some people I'd like to see…my family, actually. I want them to see me for as I am now, and I want…I want them to meet you."

Ash stared at his friend, stunned. He had asked Cam about his family several times when the boy had first moved to Bluebell, and had been continuously met with the cold shoulder. He had never before heard him say a single word about them. "Are you…are you asking me out?" he managed weakly. Cam rolled his eyes, grinning, and Ash felt a smile form on his own lips. "I'd love to meet your family. That'd be great."

The florist smiled at the rancher, and then they clasped each other's hands and hugged, laughing about their entire predicament. "Stop bothering with me already," Cam told him, patting him on the back and pulling away. "Go do something about her already. I can't stand to talk to the two of you when you're so obviously in love with each other, it's embarrassing."

They both knew that wasn't the truth, but Ash smiled and nodded. "I…I really appreciate it, Cam. I know…"

"There is nobody better suited for that girl then you," Cam mumbled, looking away. The honesty seared through him, but he acknowledged it all the same. "You can always make her smile, and she can always make you smile. That's what I want for the both of you. So hurry up before Laney and Georgia steal her from you."

Ash didn't hesitate any longer. He grinned at his friend and then jumped atop a table, clearing his throat loudly. Lillian looked up at him in horror, and his mother turned with a hopeful, expectant look on her face that made Cam laugh.

"This is my mother's forty – oh, sorry mom…okay, stop glaring at me like that! This is my mom's thirty-seventh birthday and I want to give a speech about what a wonderful mother she's been." He smiled out at the crowd – the same sickeningly sweet smile Cheryl charmed everyone with. Lillian narrowed her eyes doubtfully. When his met hers, she felt a jolt run through her and blushed. He just smiled, his eyes never leaving her as he said, "But first, I want to apologize to someone whose feelings I hurt terribly very recently. Lillian…I told you that you would be surprised what people think. That you can think one thing while the other person is thinking something completely different. When I told you everything that day…I was thinking something completely different. I said I only hated to see Cam bother you, but that was a lie. I was thinking the exact same thing you were thinking…and I have been since I first met you."

The silence in the room was tangible. Lillian was covering her mouth, staring up at him in shock. Her eyes drifted to Cam, who smiled at her, and then back to Ash, who was staring at her with a hopeful expression. Laney and Georgia looked as though they had been struck, and stared ahead with vacant, stunned expressions.

"Anyways," Ash continued, "Mom, it's been real. Thanks for everything, and happy birthday!" He jumped down from the table before anyone could voice their confusion, and gestured for Lillian to head outside. After a moment's hesitation, she nodded and followed him as he walked out his front door. Ash tried to suppress the pounding in his chest.

For the second time in his life, he was waiting for something big to happen.