A/N: Here's a tiny little ficlit with slight angst for my lovely readers out there! Sorry for the gap between updates. Had midterms last week, and I've still got one more test coming up. T.T Hadn't had time to do much writing, but then I wrote this up in fifteen minutes though, so go figure. XD

Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon, or these characters, as they belong to Yoshifumi Hashimoto.

Bittersweet

He thought he would be broken. He thought it would wreck him, losing her to this boy simply because he couldn't speak up soon enough. He thought he would cry and weep and beg the gods every night, wishing for it to just be a dream, a nightmare he would wake up from any moment now.

But he is amazed at how at peace he feels watching her walk down the aisle to stand beside a man that isn't him.

Tori is smiling, cheeks flushed and eyes brimming with tears of joy, standing in a dress of brilliant white that puts every other bride he has ever seen, and ever will see, to shame. He knows for a fact that every single pair of eyes is glued to this young woman and her incredible beauty that everyone in the pews, aside from him, had no idea existed beneath the shyness and glasses. Raguna stands beside her, rivaling her joy as he revels in the fact that this divine girl loves him and has chosen to join him in this ceremony.

Russell approaches after all the other villagers have had their compliments and best wishes heard. Cecilia bounces happily in front of him, grabbing Tori by the hands and asking if she will still stop by the library, to which she beams and nods, promising to come by whenever she has spare time. He doubts she will come through with this promise, knowing this bride will be busy with her new life as a wife, and eventually as a mother. But he keeps quiet as his daughter cheers and then bounds away, signaling that it is his turn to address the newlyweds.

He steps up, and his breath catches in his throat as her eyes turn to him. This moment that he thought would ruin him is surprisingly quick and easy. The words, "The two of you look magnificent. I wish you all the best," fall from his lips with ease, and he turns and walks away, leaving them to their life together full of kisses and touches that he never got to share with her.

And he is happy.

The moment he saw the joy in those eyes of perfect blue as she strolled down the aisle, he knew he could be happy, because she was, too.