A/N: Finally! It's done! I finished this at school, by the way. XD

Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon.


I'm never going to speak to him again. Claire told herself while furiously brushing the soft brown fur of her pony, Hightail. That no good, rotten, insensitive, moron! The horse neighed in pain. Of course, considering the way Claire was fiercely rubbing her back, if it weren't for the fact that Claire was the one who fed her, she would've kicked her on the shin ages ago.

What the hell did I do to him to deserve such harsh judgment?

She looked down to construe her chest area, and sighed pitifully. Are they really that flat?

The blonde threw the brush into the haystack, and marched angrily outside Hightail's shed. The sun was so high up, indicating it was late noon.

"I'm taking a break." She snorted, and entered her house to freshen up, and darted towards the inn.

Her small legs made their way into the creamy paseo, and the small building in front of the poultry caught her eye. She stopped, and proceeded to glare at the place, hoping the blacksmith's would blow up into oblivion. Oh, how she wished it so. Don't explode until I've gotten my hammer. But of course, there was no way that could happen.

She did hear a loud crash, though.

Out of reflex, she raced inside, and roughly swung the door open. Claire was greeted by a rampaging Saibara, and a sulking—brooding Gray. She glanced around the shop, and found several pieces of shattered jewelry and cracked tools on the floor. Not again.

"How many times must we go through this, foolish boy? When will you grow up and stop acting so excited over that monstrosity? Look at what you've done! Because of your carelessness, this happened!" The erstwhile blacksmith gestured to the scattered pieces below. The younger blacksmith just stood there, mumbling.

Claire watched as Saibara droned on about how stupid his grandson was and how unprofessional he was acting, she was getting used to it, unfortunately. A quick glance at Gray's clenched fist, however, piqued her interest.

He seemed to be holding something.

She heard him speak. "Everything I make is a 'monstrosity' to you! Why don't you just go ahead and break this one, too?" He opened his palm and revealed a silver necklace.

Claire couldn't believe her eyes. It was absolutely, breathtakingly gorgeous—to her, at least, but to Saibara, no. She couldn't understand why. She stared at it, admiring the brilliant features and the smooth, ash gray surface of the necklace. Normally, she hated jewelry, but this one was so simple and exquisite that she didn't mind making an exception at all.

"Alright then, I shall sever it right now, if that is your wish." The old man said. Gray's swallow was loud, and Claire knew that he wouldn't want that. Hell, it was a waste to throw it away.

"Fine, the way it is now, no one would buy it anyway." The angry apprentice stated.

"I would."

Both men flexed to her direction, surprised. They coughed at the same time, and the younger one pulled his U.M.A. cap down to hide his embarrassment, like the way he always did.

Saibara frowned. "How long have you been standing there, young lady? Have you no manners?"

Claire shrugged. She paced slowly towards Gray, and gently took his hands and pulled them lightly near her stomach. She didn't notice the young man blush. There she saw the necklace, it had a blue pendant shaped like a star, resting quietly on his palm, she traced its pattern with her fingers, and she felt Gray shudder at their contact. She had completely forgotten that she was mad at him.

"How much?" she asked Gray.

The old man harrumphed. "That thing isn't even worth a nickel."

Ignoring him, Claire kept her gaze on the man in front of her. She patiently waited for an answer. Gray cleared his throat uneasily.

"I…" He said. The blonde leaned in closer to listen. His face blushed furiously. "Y-you can have it!"

The smile reached her azure eyes as they shimmered in delight. "You sure? It looks really cool, they must be worth something."

Gray's eyes widened, and his mouth partly opened in surprise. Clearly, he wasn't used to his creations getting praised like that. A shy smile formed on his lips, and the blush was still there. "Just take it."

Typical Gray. He couldn't keep his face smiling for more than three seconds.

"Thanks a lot. I just might consider treasuring it, even just a little." She laughed.

His brows furrowed, miffed at her comment, but she was certain that he wasn't really mad. Claire faced Saibara. "So, is my hammer done?"

Snapping out of his trance, the old man coughed and reached for the tool tucked away at one small corner of the forgery. "Erm, yes, yes. It's done. Here you are." He told her.

She nodded her thanks, placed the tool inside her rucksack, and left the smithy after waving goodbye.

Claire was whistling on her way to the inn, she fiddled with the necklace she had just acquired and grinned while doing so. She galloped her way towards the inn but suddenly stopped midway. She realized something.

Crap! I was supposed to be mad at him! What the hell?

Gray was absolutely confused. Despite the pounding sounds of his grandfather's hammer in the background, his surroundings were silent to him. He just stood there, in his timid glory and tried his best to comprehend what had just happened.

"A strange girl she is, indeed." He heard Saibara mutter. He nodded silently in agreement.

It was almost one in the afternoon, and Gray was still in the mood for work. He couldn't help it. It was the first time one of his forgings had been praised like that, and it was a great boost in ego. Normally, he would've gone to the library, read a book and maybe argue with a certain blonde over there, but not this time. He wanted to work. He was inspired.

Saibara didn't say anything, he didn't grumble about his grandson extending his time inside the forgery. Gray could see that the old man was a bit confused. He couldn't blame him, though. He was befuddled himself. It wasn't like him at all. He hated his grandfather so much, but he wants to be a blacksmith, so, a choice in the matter, he didn't actually have.

"So… should I like, pound this harder or should I meld it in the fire first?" He asked.

"Of course you should meld it first!" was his reply.

He nodded, while gritting his teeth. Calm down, calm down, Gray. The old man's turning senile, so be patient. He headed to the furnace and slipped in the shaped mineral.

After half an hour, he twiddled his thumbs and approached Saibara. His face was a deep shade of red. The old man turned to him and frowned. "What is it?"

"Uh," He swallowed hard, "do you think you could, um… show me," His pointed to his ore. "…how it should be done?"

The old man's wrinkled eyes widened. Sure, he was old, but he knew his years, and gained credible wisdom over time. He had seen many things, but this would be the first time his grandson had asked him for advice on anything, let alone forging. He nervously cleared his throat, and proceeded to the furnace.

"After placing this on the anvil, you would want to drop your hammer on the ore. To get the desired shape you need to position the material on the die, and carefully, the cogging process starts."

The apprentice nodded seriously, jotting down notes in his mind. He made sure that his grandfather had his full attention, so as to not anger him again, and he was actually serious for a change.

During Saibara's explanations, Gray would attentively nod and occasionally ask questions. Of course, the aged blacksmith would impatiently reply with insults but would answer his questions seriously. It was an awkward moment for the both of them, but it wasn't so bad, Gray thought.

After that, he headed for the inn. Looks like I wasn't able to visit the library today. He shrugged and paced himself, once he reached the hotel doors he spotted his roommate on one of the tables.

"Hey, Cliff."

The auburn-haired man nodded. Ever since his little 'outburst' yesterday, Gray had gained a little respect for him, although he still had a long way to go from being spineless. He pulled a chair and took a seat beside him.

Cliff moved slightly to give him room. "So… if you'd… look over there." He gestured to the bar counter. Gray flexed his head to see what Cliff was pointing at, and… well…

It was Claire.

Immediately, he turned to Cliff, facing away from the blonde. He could feel a furious blush creeping into his face. Stop blushing, damn it!

"What is she doing here?" He asked in a low, harsh tone.

His friend squirmed anxiously, "W-well, to see Ann, of course."

"I'm going upstairs." He told Cliff.

The timid guy coughed and motioned for him to approach the blonde. "Aren't you kind of… forgetting something?"

"Like what?" He asked.

"Yesterday?"

Gray turned slowly, revealing a glare that hardened as it reached Cliff's eyes. "If you're talking about yesterday's incident," he crossed his arms. "…I'm not budging."

"B-but…"

"Look, I'm not going to apologize! Not in a million years!" He protested.

"Claire, she… she bought your necklace, didn't she?"

He furrowed his brows to think, massaging his temples in the process. He couldn't believe Cliff, of all people, was trying to guilt-trip him to death.

"Wait a minute…" He flicked his head up. "How'd you know she bought my necklace?"

He wriggled nervously, "She arrived here before you, and she practically showed it to every person in here. Claire seemed pretty happy."

"S-she was?"

Cliff nodded. "She was, but I'm pretty sure you didn't apologize."

"…and how do you know that?"

"Right after she barged in here, she yelled; 'That idiot, rotten, no good loser! I can't believe I forgot to tell him off!'" Gray winced, but he returned to his seat right next to Cliff. His roommate continued, "A-after that she sat ferociously by the counter, complaining to Ann how you just stood there while she bought the necklace, but right after mentioning the necklace, her mood became lighter and now she won't stop praising it. The weird thing is… she just keeps it in her pocket."

For the umpteenth time, he blushed. "That's… just plain weird."

"W-well, I still think you should apologize."

"For the last time, Cliff! I'm not going to—"

The fainthearted boy cringed, "eep," was all he could manage. "I-I'm sorry."

"Oh, crap!" Claire suddenly yelled from across the tables. The two boys jumped in their seats. "My plants! There's still so much to harvest, darn it! I have to go! See you, Ann! Bye, Cliff."

What about me? He huffed, and she darted towards the doors and disappeared in a flash.

"When she runs off, it's always about her farm." Ann told the boys as she poured both of them a drink. "Hey Cliff." She blushed. "…Gray." She scowled.

Gray looked like he didn't know what to do for a second. Is there any particular reason why she's miffed at me?

"I heard you gave Claire a necklace." I knew it.

He nodded. "Yeah, so?"

"So… why?"

He pulled his cap down. "W-well, I was about to have gramps demolish the stupid thing, when she suddenly asked how much it was."

Ann rested her chin on her palm. "Maybe she thought it'd be a waste."

He shrugged. "Maybe."

"Maybe she bought it for a reason." She wondered.

"Like what?"

"I don't know, like… to make a certain blacksmith feel better about himself?"

"She said that?" Gray asked, slightly hurt.

Ann tapped her fingers on the table. "Well, not really. Claire seemed like she genuinely adored it. Why don't you ask her?" She pressed. Ann stared at Gray smugly. Her eyes piercing his.

Why is she looking at me like that? What is she playing?

"I'm… going for a walk."

"Hey, wait—"

A—nd he was gone.

Claire carefully extracted the cucumbers from the fragile soil. She wiped the sweat that flowed from her forehead with her arm. Sighing, she bended herself backwards until something snapped. She swooned.

"Done. Finally." She exclaimed.

She threw some of the harvested crops into the shipping bin, and she saved the rest of them for later use. With a grunt, she let herself fall on the patch of grass next to the apple tree right beside her fishing pond—which reminded her that she was planning on going fishing tomorrow. Lazily, she shut her azure eyes and let her consciousness drift away.

Bam! The banging on the door wouldn't stop. Every drumming sound on the door echoed harshly through her eardrums. Soft light escaped between the rim of the said door and the floor, shedding light into the dark room.

"Claire!"

What does he want in this hour, she asked herself. She swore to hold injustice in whoever was banging on her door right at this very moment. Claire was going to sue, and she meant it.

"Who on earth…?" She inquired groggily, scratching her eyes and failing an attempt to brush her hair with her fingers into decency.

"Claire, open up!" The man exclaimed, still pounding on the door.

Reluctantly, she pulled herself into a sitting position, and dragged her feet lazily to the door. "I'm coming, I'm coming," she mumbled. "Keep your shirt on."

She reached for the knob and slowly opened the door.

With a sharp gasp, Claire brusquely opened her eyes. Why can't I remember what happened after opening that door? It was a short nap, and she found herself staring face-to-face with eyes the same color as her own, except they belonged to someone other than herself.

"Whoa!" She quickly sat up, and bumped her forehead on the intruder's chin. "Ow!"

"Man, that smarts! What the hell is your problem?" The guy cried. He rubbed his chin frantically, trying to ease the pain. Claire did the same, except she did the rubbing on her forehead.

"Gray!" She cleared her throat. "What, here for another stalking session?" She told him, sarcastically, if that wasn't obvious enough.

Gray swallowed, and then breathed deeply. "No, I…"

"Yes?"

"I-I came here to ask you something." He said.

She was getting annoyed with all of this dallying. "Well then, spit it out."

"Why did you buy it?" He asked suddenly.

Caught off guard, she froze. After a few seconds and regaining her composure, she fiddled with her blonde locks and laughed. "That's a stupid question."

"Then give me a stupid answer."

She grinned. "Well, because I liked it."

Gray narrowed his eyes. "You sure you weren't feeling pity on me or something?"

This time, she chuckled. Hard. "Now why would I do that when I'm supposedly angry at you? I actually wanted to smack you into the next century, but when I saw that necklace, it's like… something snapped, you know?"

"What do you mean?"

"I-I mean," It was her turn to blush. "I mean I love it. I don't normally wear jewelry, you see. I just keep it in my pocket and stare at it for a while."

"Why buy it when you're not going to wear it?" He asked.

She shrugged. "Is it really your business?"

He squirmed awkwardly. "I-I guess not," he shrugged. "…but… you know something? While I was making that," He pulled his cap lower, completely hiding his eyes. He looked so small when he's like that. "…I thought of you."

The red reached her ears. Literally. She didn't say anything, but she was actually screaming in her mind. Crap, is he like, in love with me? "Excuse me?"

"N-not in the way that you think, of course!" He protested. "I-I… I was thinking how I should… apologize… or… something." Each word grew weaker with every syllable. Oh.

Claire couldn't believe it. Gray was here, at her farm, actually trying to apologize. It was a challenge not to burst in laughter.

"Hmmm… really, now?" Her blue eyes narrowed in mischief. "Then you may proceed. Out with it. Go on." She urged.

Gray just looked at her with a perplexed expression. "Wh…what?"

"You heard me. Apologize."

He gulped. "N-now?"

She placed her fists on her waist. "When, then?"

"Now… I guess." He said.

Claire leaned against the shipping bin, feeling amused. Gray nervously cleared his throat and prepared for the most embarrassing event of his life. Well, next to yesterday.

"Ahem," he began. "Claire, I…"

The blonde grinned, which made the apprentice even more uncomfortable. She was making this into a show, and getting a laugh at his expense. But there was no turning back now… It was now or never.

"I… I…" Claire could hear his heart beating loudly in the background. No, seriously. "about… yesterday, I…"

He shut his eyes. Claire almost felt sorry for him. He was clearly suffering from this, but she only almost took pity on him, so she didn't budge.

"I-just-wanted-to-say-I'm-sorry!" He said continuously, without pausing.

Claire held her hands up, pushing them forward and backward simultaneously. "Whoa, whoa. Back up. What did you say?"

He glared at her. "You're evil."

She grinned, feeling devilish. "I know. Now, what were you saying earlier?"

"I'm…sorry." He said through his gritted teeth.

In a painfully mocking sweet tone, she asked, "For…?" He groaned.

He continued, while staring at the ground. "…For sneaking into your farm, a-and… for saying all those things."

"Okay." She said, in an almost nonchalant way.

He looked up and stared at her, confused. "Huh?"

"I said," she emphasized, and leaned farther on the shipping bin. "okay."

"Seriously?"

Claire sighed. "Look, do you want to be forgiven or not?"

"Well, yeah…um, thanks." He scratched his head.

The blonde smiled. "Glad that's over with. Friends?" She held her hand up.

With a blush still evident on his face, he took her hand.

"Friends."


dannt - Thank you, I'm glad you think so. Yes, I kind of based the last chapter on a heart event, though I can't remember what color. Please, look forward to the next chapter. XD

skitsophraniac - Oh, that? Honestly, I wanted Cliff with Ann, as well. But, I like him with Claire, too. That paring ranks number two in my heart, next to Claire and Gray, of course. I love Cliff, I don't want to break his heart. LOL

Massu Chan - Hahaha, yes. He does deserve it, but I don't want to punish him too much. Thank you for the review. XD

PrincessToasty - Thank you so much for this comment! Haha, I'm glad I'm doing a long story as well. I was actually laughing while thinking of Cliff's lines. (^_^)

xXx Tinkies xXx - Brutal, indeed! hahaha! Don't worry, Claire had a little fun in the end.

(T_T) Seriously guys, thanks you so much for reading this far! I am so loving you guys right now! You are all so awesome! ...Oh, and thank you for those who added this story to their alerts and favorites! My eyes are leaking buckets right now! (T_T)

I hope you all liked this chapter. XD