Now it's time to find out the answer to the cliffhanger from the last chapter! This part of the story is kind of going to go a little fast, but things will slow down and the plot will thicken in the future... hehe

I don't own Harvest Moon

Chapter 13

Luke's POV

Owen was giving me the weirdest look ever. It kind of looked like a cross between confusion and pride.

"You really did it?" he asked, "You actually slept with her?"

I beamed and nodded, feeling even happier than usual. Owen rolled his eyes and nudged me with his elbow, giving me a mischievous look.

"You're crazy, man," he sighed, "First Selena and now Akari? You're such a womanizer!"

"Hey, stop it! Selena was just a… a want. Akari's… she's a need. I need her, Owen! I love her!"

I felt all tingly just thinking about her, my heart beating a little faster.

"Dude, you're a mess! You said her name and now you're all red! I think you should start looking for a blue feather."

"W-What?"

I could feel my face pale and my heart skip a beat. A blue feather? Marriage? Me? I knew that I loved Akari, but marriage was such a big step. What if Akari wasn't ready for it? But something inside me told me what I had to do.

"Hey, Owen… I'm gonna need your help. I'm looking for a blue feather."

Akari's POV

"What are you talking about?" I asked, "You said we were going to lunch…"

I pouted at Luke, who was looking at me sympathetically. Normally I wouldn't mind if he had to cancel a date, but this was so unexpected. I'd just been getting ready to go with him and now he was cancelling?

"I know, but I gotta do something," he said sheepishly, "But how about we go to dinner? Pretty please, sweetie?"

He stuck his lip out and whined like a puppy, looking too adorable for words to describe. How could I not give in to that face?

"Fine," I groaned, "Meet me at the Ocarina Inn at… seven?"

"Perfect! Just like you!"

He lifted me in the air and swung me around, restricting oxygen from getting into my lungs. Once he set me down, he kissed the top of my head and ran off to the Garmon Mine District, almost skipping more than running. I giggled as I went to my barn. He was too adorable!

By now I'd gotten a sheep to share the barn with my cow, which was fully grown and giving me milk. My two chickens and duck also helped by laying me eggs to help me with my income. I was starting to finally make a decent amount of money.

The rest of the day I decided to go and visit Flute Fields to see Anissa and Renee. We hung around all day, talking about our boyfriends and lives and anything we could think about. It was nice to just have a day with the girls. Luke cancelling our date didn't seem so bad.

But when the time to go to the inn did come, I was super excited. Something inside me told me that this was going to be a special night, so I put on a denim skirt, some leggings and a ruffled white shirt. It seemed nice.

I entered the inn and was mobbed by Maya, who gave me a huge smile.

"Hi, Akari! Table for two?"

She started giggling the moment I nodded and took me to a table with two chairs, the grin on her face kind of creeping me out.

"I'll wait until Luke gets here to take your order," she said, "Unless you want something now."

"I'll wait. Thanks."

Maya nodded and skipped away to Chase, who rolled his eyes at her. It didn't take long for Luke to arrive, and when he did, he made quite the entrance. Now that it was fall, he'd traded in his vest for a red shirt covered in a black jacket, with green sleeves that reached his elbows. There was a bouquet of roses in his hands and his smile looked much more sweet than bright. He came over to the table, awkwardly standing there, unsure of what to do. After a minute, he offered me the roses, which I quickly took.

"These are beautiful, Luke," I breathed, "Why the spontaneous act of romance, though?"

"What? I can't give the girl I love flowers?"

He seemed to go back to his normal self and kissed the top of my head before sitting in the chair across from me. Unfortunately, he got quiet again and only spoke to Maya when she asked what we wanted to eat. What was wrong? Had I dressed wrong? Did my breath smell? Was he trying to break up with me?

I almost choked on the food I was eating. Luke looked at me worriedly and reached over to pat my back. That was when I noticed something fall out of his sleeve onto the table. Something blue. His eyes got big and he snatched the thing off the table, trying to hide it.

"Luke? What's that?"

"N-Nothing. It's nothing. What are you talking about?"

He fidgeted uneasily, trying to avoid eye contact.

"Luke, what's going on? You haven't talked to me the whole time we've been eating…"

When he didn't answer, I got up and leaned over the table, reaching in his lap and snatching whatever was in his lap. His jaw dropped and he tried to get it back, his face pale.

"Akari, no! Wait! Please!"

I sat back down and looked at whatever I'd grabbed. My heart practically stopped. A blue feather. It was actually a blue feather. I looked up to see Luke's hands covering his face in embarrassment.

"It was supposed to be more romantic than this," he groaned, "I was going to ask you what you wanted to do with your life and lead into it… this is all messed up!"

He brought his hands away from his face, looking at me embarrassed. Still, he got out of the chair and came over to me, getting on one knee and looking at me nervously. His hands took mine, but I still clutched to the feather, afraid it would fly away.

"Akari… will you marry me?"

Of course, there was only one thing I could say.

Normally I write proposals as super mushy and emotional and teary, but I thought "Let's do something different!" And I kind of like it! But that's just me.

Please review! I have a few ideas for conflicts but I'd love to hear your input!