Karen was sitting on the bench outside of the grocery shop with Kai when she saw the blacksmith's apprentice leave the library with a new stack of books and walk back toward the inn. "Well, here we go… See you in a while?" She winked at the cook. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't a little bit anxious about their plan, but she knew something needed to be done. The grocer's daughter swung her feet.

The young man's eyes followed Gray. He was in agreement that things couldn't remain the way they were. It wasn't even the tension that had seemed to form in his room at the inn – he genuinely felt bad for the blonde farmer who silently asked for a walk home every night from the apprentice and never got one. Thankfully, Cliff always stepped in, but still, it just wasn't right… "Yeah… It's stupid, really… He's a grown man, and you know he'll be kicking and screaming the whole time."

"I don't care," the brunette replied, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "I'm sick of all of this. He needs a good shove and we are doing him a favor. Catch you later!" The young woman saw this as her moment to strike. She waved goodbye to Kai as she hurried toward the library and pulled open the door.

"Gray, did you forget something?" the librarian didn't look up from her desk as she shuffled through an assortment of papers.

The grocer's daughter leaned over the desk and made a sultry face at the young woman. "Baby, if you were a library book, I would check you out!" Karen dropped her voice an octave and did her best impression of the apprentice.

Mary's face turned scarlet at the implication that Gray would proposition her; he would never say something like that. "K-Karen, what a lovely surprise... I was just about to close up for the night, but I'd be happy to help you find something. What kind of book are you looking for?"

She shook her head, her brown and blonde locks whipping about. "No books. I was just wondering if you want to hang out tonight," her green eyes lit up with determination.

Mary raised her eyebrows. "This is unusual…"

Karen tried another route and shrugged casually. "It's ladies' night at the bar. What would you say to hanging out with me and Claire? Kai will be bringing the guys. How would you feel about Gray buying you a drink?" She gave the librarian a playful grin.

The librarian dropped her pen on the floor and laughed nervously. "I-I don't go to the bar very often… And… I doubt…" her voice trailed off as she searched the floor for the pen. The writing utensil rolled across the floor and tapped Karen's boot. The brunette picked it up and presented it to her. "Ah, thank you. Pardon my asking, but why do you want to invite me to the bar? You and I don't hang out much… Did Claire ask you to invite me?"

Karen shook her head. "She doesn't know about this yet. It was just like I said – don't you want to spend some time with Gray? Kai and I will help… set the mood." She replaced her playful expression to a warm, friendly one.

This change in demeanor seemed to help, as Mary actually met the brunette's gaze. The young woman adjusted her glasses on the bridge of her nose. "I really am quite unsure of what to say… I suppose I do have one question." Mary shyly returned her gaze to the floor and fidgeted with the cuffs of her sleeves. "Why are you helping me?" She lowered her voice to a whisper. "I do like Claire and I'd like to get to know her better…" The invitation to the bar with the two of them was inviting. In fact, her heart pounded in excitement at the very notion, especially due to the fact that the apprentice would be present… "But… with Gray… I also… see her as a bit of a… rival…" Mary felt ashamed to admit it aloud to anyone other than her mother or her friend Elli, especially this rival's best girl friend.

"Exactly," the grocer's daughter gave her a knowing nod in reply.

Mary still felt as if they weren't seeing things eye-to-eye. She absentmindedly tidied the stack of papers on her desk with shaking hands, vaguely wondering if this was some sort of plot. "I-I still don't understand. I would have assumed you'd want to help her instead." Mary bit her lip. The brunette wouldn't have ill intentions toward her, would she?

Karen's eyes locked with Mary's earnestly. "Claire is my best friend. I want to help her, too."

The librarian blinked. "I'm afraid I don't quite follow…" This was partially a lie; perhaps she was afraid to understand…

The brunette wasn't sure how to word her frustration at Claire and Gray's situation. "I want her to be happy, genuinely happy… I… I don't want her to keep chasing something that won't bring her joy." It was difficult seeing her best friend suffer this way day in and day out. "She's… she's in love with the idea of Gray, but she doesn't love him… It's heartbreaking to see her pine like that."

Mary was surprised at Karen's brutal honesty, but she found that she rather liked it. After all, honesty was one of her favorite qualities in a person. "I see… You're a good friend to her, Karen. And I'm not just saying that because of m-my own feelings toward Gray," she shyly squeaked, her face turning pink.

The grocer's daughter stared into Mary's mocha brown eyes. They seemed to have reached an understanding. Her voice became less serious, but she spoke in a soothing tone. "Come with me to the bar. It's not a big deal at all," she let out a gentle chuckle. "Just a couple of drinks…"

The young woman considered this offer. She stood silently for several moments. "Let me change into something nicer real quick."

0o0o0o0

Claire received a knock on her door just as she was preparing to get ready for bed. She let out a sigh. It had been a long day of harvesting tomatoes, and she was eager to go to sleep early tonight.

"Heyo! Claire, open up!" Karen's voice was muffled through the door, but the farmer could hear the overly enthusiastic quality to it.

Claire complied and stood in shock for a brief moment. To see the librarian accompanying her best friend this evening was a surprise, to say the least. "Hi, Karen. Hi, Mary. Please come on in," she bowed politely.

Karen cast a sideways glance at her friend. Claire was normally pretty formal, but perhaps being around someone she saw as a rival was making her nervous. Well, that wasn't acceptable. Not tonight, anyway, Karen nodded to herself. She had already talked the most difficult person into going to the bar – Claire should be a piece of cake. The brunette thrust a bag into her arms. "Get dressed. I'm taking you ladies out tonight."

The blonde accepted the sack with eyebrows raised in suspicion. Upon looking inside of the bag, she discovered the dress that she had worn after her brush with heat stroke. "Why can't I go out in what I've got on?"

The grocer's daughter was relieved that Claire had already more or less agreed to accompany them. Karen gestured toward her own sleek purple dress and Mary's white eyelet sundress. "Because you'll look silly if you don't at this point. We're going to order fancy drinks and feel cool."

If they were sitting at the bar dressed up nicely and Gray happened to be coming home from work… Claire blushed. "A-Alright, I suppose it can't be helped."

The brunette grinned. "I knew you'd see things my way." That was surprisingly easy…

0o0o0o0

Claire felt a little silly to be dressed up to go to the inn. She felt most comfortable in her denim and overalls. The dress, while cute, was much more Karen's style than her own; it had a flirty flair to it that Claire couldn't decide if she liked or not. As they took a seat at their table, Mary and Karen were talking about something the farmer wasn't making any attempts to listen to. After all, she had temporarily lost the ability to focus on anything other than the table on the other side of the bar that was seating three young men.

Her face felt warm as her eyes traveled across the trio. Kai was sitting in the middle. He was a very handsome young man with a deep tan and smiling brown eyes. Something about his presence made her feel giddy and comfortable at the same time. Cliff was sitting to Kai's left. The brunette's long tresses were a bit tamer tonight and he wore a very comfortable-looking cotton tunic. He normally didn't wear much other than hides; the pale yellow of the shirt suited his complexion. Her heart throbbed as she looked to the man at Kai's right. His hat was pulled over his eyes and his arms were folded across his chest as he leaned back casually in his chair. Gray always had such an aloof air to him, but it was part of what attracted her to him. She noticed he was wearing a fresh set of coveralls and she vaguely wondered if the young man ever considered shedding this unnecessary layer of clothing in the heat.

They hadn't been at the bar for long at all when Ann approached the table.

"Oooh, Claire! A young gentleman has sent you a drink. Will you accept it?" the waitress sang, presenting the farmer with a pink cocktail garnished with a cherry, a honeycomb, and a sugared rim.

"Damn… very nice…" Karen raised her eyebrows and snuck a look at the men's table, giving her friend a nod of approval.

"H-Huh?" the blonde blinked in surprise. The thought had never occurred to her that someone would be interested in buying her a drink. She knew what such a proposition meant in the city – some conversation would be exchanged and a future date may be set. A few of Claire's city friends had even gone home with men who purchased them drinks. The blonde didn't approve of this behavior, but she was afraid to express it aloud. But this was Mineral Town; she knew everyone here, and she didn't feel threatened by anyone. Her blue eyes drifted toward the table of young men and she felt her face get warm and her pulse began to race. Cliff was staring at the surface of the table and she was unable to see his expression beneath his shaggy hair, but his ears were red. Kai was laughing at a slack-jawed Gray who was staring in her direction. She had never seen the apprentice's eyes so wide. "Wh-who?"

The waitress set the drink on the table and nudged it toward Claire. "It's from Cliff. He says hi and hopes you're having fun tonight."

Any sort of apprehension she had disappeared immediately. The notion of her friend buying her a drink was a welcome one. Her heart swelled. "Ah, how sweet of him!" She gave him a kind grin, but he didn't see it. Claire was aware that Cliff had been bringing in more money with his shipped goods, as the list he slid under her door seemed to grow longer every day. She knew that he was working hard, and the young woman was flattered that he wanted to celebrate with her. "H-he's a good friend…" she stammered, battling a confusing emotion within her. Her gaze moved toward the man who purchased her drink. His eyes were still glued to the table in embarrassment, but a shy smile played at his lips as he slightly tilted his head upward at her words. He looked so vulnerable, yet strangely charming. Her stomach did an odd flip-flop.

"That's it – it's time for a girl huddle!" Karen motioned for her tablemates to move in closer. They quickly obeyed. The brunette beamed at her friend. "Go, Claire! You reeled in the sweet, cute one!" she teased, nudging her in the ribs a little too roughly.

The blonde laughed off the comment. "Reel in? You make him sound like a fish." She suppressed a strange fluttering feeling in her belly that rose to her chest. "It's a friend buying another friend a drink. You do it to me all the time. He'll probably buy you one, too, Karen."

The alcohol connoisseur studied the mixed drink. Judging from the generous honeycomb garnish and pink sugar on the rim, it was a custom order. Cliff had gone all out, and she had to admit that she was a bit impressed. This was likely his reaction to Gray's behavior at Mystic Acres the other day. Karen felt a slight wave of relief that her friend wasn't going to let his roommate walk all over him. "Whatever." She highly doubted she would receive a drink from the young man, but she wasn't about to complain if she did – it looked like he had good taste.

Mary leaned forward and pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose before they slid off of her face. "Well, standard etiquette says that if you accept the drink, you also accept his company…" she fussed with her ebony braid and Karen was a little surprised to see a hint of a smirk accompany the librarian's kind eyes.

The farmer didn't understand what there was to decide. "Well, of course I'll sit with him, as long as you guys don't mind." She didn't want to come off as rude to her tablemates.

"Of course not." If Claire wasn't so giddy with excitement, she may have been suspicious in the fact that her companions said this in perfect unison.

"Then there's nothing to debate," the blonde continued as she twirled a blonde strand in her fingers, unaware of the huge grin creeping across her mouth.

"Why don't you call him over, then?" Ann challenged, smugness written clearly upon her face.

The brunette jumped in surprise at the redhead's interjection. "What are you doing here, Ann?" Karen gave her a playful shove.

The young woman puffed out her cheeks. "Well, you called a girl huddle!" She stated this as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Go… get me another wine!" Karen replied distractedly, shooing away the waitress playfully.

The redhead glanced over at Cliff. He was sneaking a look over at the blonde with that wide-eyed gaze that he reserved for the farmer. Claire was playing with a strand of her golden tresses, her face flushed, but she had an air of confusion regarding her own emotions. Ann exhaled. It was starting to hurt a little less to watch the two of them, she realized. "Alright, alright," she sighed overdramatically and turned to head back to the bar. She paused and whirled back around. "Just remember, Claire… buying a girl a drink doesn't give him the privilege of a roll in the hay!"

The young woman shook her head so emphatically that she felt dizzy. "Ann, why-?"

Karen roared with laughter and swatted her friend on the bottom. Ann let out a shriek and gave the brunette an impish grin as she went to get her friend's beverage.

"Don't worry about her," Mary's soft voice was soothing and brought the situation back to reality. "Everyone sitting at this table knows that Cliff is a gentleman and would never do something like that."

Karen leaned back in her chair. "She's right, you know. Hang out with the boy."

Claire's cheeks burned as she stopped leaning on the table. She was never intending on not accepting the drink. The young woman turned toward the man who purchased her beverage. Their eyes met and she beckoned him over shyly with her finger. She was attempting to look playful and keep the mood light, but she found that her face felt warmer than it did the day she had heatstroke. Cliff was giving her a startled stare as if he wasn't expecting her invitation. The blonde was completely unaware that he was mirroring her exact behavior from a few moments earlier. Her stomach sank a little bit; why did he look so scared to spend time with her? His gaze nervously darted between his tablemates, and she could see him mumbling something to Kai. Claire didn't realize she was anxiously wringing her hands until she heard his chair screech across the floor as he stood up shakily and dragged his feet over toward her.

"H-Hey, Claire," he let out a nervous chuckle. She had been around him enough to recognize that he was attempting to regulate his breath and used the laughter as a disguise to let out the excess air.

"Hey, Cliff… thanks for the drink," she stammered with a shy smile. Claire had snuck in a sip while he was mentally preparing himself to join her. "It's really good."

"Ah, I'm glad…" he rubbed the back of his neck, coyly looking at a vacant table in the corner. "So… uh… d-do you wanna…?"

Claire didn't notice her companions' slight nods of approval. She had already stood up and taken her drink in hand. He politely gestured for her to lead the way. Karen gave a slight tug on his tunic.

"Don't keep her up too late, now," she gave him a playful grin.

He gave a single nod in reply, turning from pink to red. Flustered, he whirled around and took a seat at the new table.

"Well, that was unexpected," Karen turned toward Mary and gave her a kind grin.

"Yeah… it looks like things are looking up for the both of us," the librarian returned.

Cliff pushed in his chair, observing his companion. She had dressed up for the evening and looked lovely. A sense of pride began to well up in him for having the courage to engage her tonight.

Claire was still a little giddy and nervous at the young man's shy, yet alluring behavior. Unsure of what to do, she looked down at her beverage. "Here, give it a try. Be sure to get some of the sugar on the rim," the blonde nudged the drink toward her friend.

The young man took a sip from the glass and his eyes widened in surprise. "Wow, that's very sweet, but it's really good. You can really taste the honey, huh? It's almost too sweet after what I've been drinking." Cliff had brought his own glass of wine over and timidly slid his own beverage toward the blonde, offering her a drink.

She touched her lips to the burgundy liquid and let out a tiny exclamation in surprise. The flavor was a stark contrast to what she had been drinking. "Ah, tart!" she exhaled, closing her eyes. "Let me try that again." She took another sip, focusing on the dark, fruity notes. "Ah, it's actually really good," she grinned as they traded glasses once again.

They shyly drank in silence for a few minutes, neither sure what to talk about.

The young man was staring up at the ceiling. "I've been to a lot of bars and inns, but this one feels the homiest," Cliff smiled.

She was grateful that he had chosen a conversation topic. She took a sip from her glass. "And you've never ordered alcohol before moving here?" Claire asked curiously.

He shook his head. "I usually ordered hot water because it was free. I ordered hot cocoa a couple of times as a treat. I came in to warm up."

Her friend made it sound like he was living outdoors. "So you didn't actually live in the towns you traveled through…?" It was such a startling concept to her that she had a hard time wrapping her head around it.

He shrugged. "I camped outside; I don't know what kind of residency that falls under," he said with a slight chuckle. Claire was relieved to see that the thought of it didn't appear to upset him. "This is the first place I've lived with a roof over my head since home," he took another sip of wine thoughtfully. He paused for a moment, deep in thought. "… But I've been to a lot of festivals, though…"

Claire stopped nibbling on the piece of honeycomb in her drink. "Oh yeah?" her face lit up. "What kinds?"

"Most of the ones I went to were music and dance festivals…" he looked pensively into his glass. "I performed at quite a few of them."

"Wow, really?" Claire's eyes widened in excitement as she continued to munch on the honeycomb, savoring the sweetness of the fresh honey and the delicate texture of the wax.

"Yeah, I filled in where they needed me and they paid me," he had a slight smile on his face, but it was slowly fading.

She was determined to keep a smile on his face. "What would you say was the most bizarre festival you've ever attended?" she beamed at him, taking another drink.

He quietly thought for a few moments and let out a snort as he came up with his answer. "I went to a farming community where they had a tomato throwing competition," he laughed. "Ugh, I think I got some tomato in my eye once. It was like a snowball fight, only with tomatoes. A little wasteful, really…"

She bit into the cherry, relishing in the flavor it had picked up from being drowned in the beverage. "Sounds like someone's a poor loser," Claire teased with a giggle.

He grinned, glad that she was enjoying the drink so much. "Well, it was a waste of perfectly good tomatoes!" he replied with a mock-pout. "Either way, I can now throw a mean tomato."

Claire laughed heartily, taking another sip from her glass. "That seems like a vital life skill."

"Oh, it is," his eyes glowed at her mischievously. "You see, you never know when you'll need to heckle someone who deserves it."

The young woman leaned across the table and gave her friend a playful shove. "Well with an attitude like that, maybe someone should throw a tomato at you!"

Cliff let out a chuckle. "If you think you can hit me, by all means." He took another drink and smirked at her.

A grin crept across his companion's face. "Well, you better watch your back when you're passing through Mystic Acres, then!" Claire finished her drink and relished in the warm sensation it had left in her belly. She leaned forward and rested her chin in the palm of her hand, giving her a friend a raised eyebrow and smug smile.

He snickered and drank the last bit of wine in his glass; her friend seemed to be in a playful mood tonight. His demeanor changed as he looked at the empty glasses and then at her with a deep blue gaze and flushed cheeks. "Ah… w-would you like another, Claire?" he almost seemed afraid she would leave now that the beverages were gone. "I'd be more than happy to treat you…" he had a shy, hopeful smile on his pink face and his eyes sparkled at her.

A different warm sensation flowed through Claire. Her friend had a very endearing way about him. There was that word again, she realized. "I'd love another, thank you. I'm having fun!" She let out a friendly giggle.

0o0o0o0

Claire stood up a little too quickly. Her head and neck felt like they were moving half the speed of the rest of her body. She felt a bit disoriented for a brief moment.

Cliff was slightly embarrassed that the alcohol had hit both of them so hard and so suddenly. "Whoa, are you okay?" her friend kindly offered her an arm, which she gratefully accepted to steady herself. "I'll walk you home, alright?"

"Thanks," she gave him a sincere smile as she walked beside him, so flattered that he had opened the door for her that she didn't notice the occupants at the table off to the side. The blacksmith's apprentice and librarian were seated together, staring at each other with dreamy eyes and flushed cheeks.

It was a humid, hazy evening that only served to exacerbate Claire's tipsiness.

"I don't think I'll drink that much on an empty stomach again…" she steadied herself against her friend's forearm once more. The young woman stared down at the arm she was holding and briefly admired the toned muscles in it. Her gaze focused on the scars on his arms and she realized that he had probably acquired most of them in his outdoor living experiences. They were no longer pink and looked like they had healed years ago. Her eyes traced upwards to the wisps of rich brown hair that had escaped her companion's ponytail and she studied his profile in the sunset. The young man had a slim face with heavy, yet friendly eyebrows. He had a softer jaw line than his roommates, a straight nose, and large eyes that made him look younger than he really was. Cliff was a little rough around the edges, but he wasn't bad-looking by any means, she realized as the blood rushed to her face. Maybe it was the alcohol talking, but he actually looked quite attractive…

"Maybe we should have gotten something to eat," Cliff admitted with a guilty chuckle. "I am feeling the alcohol a bit, too." He turned to give his friend a grin and he noticed she was studying him closely. His cheeks immediately flushed so deeply it was still visible in the setting sun.

"I'm sorry," Claire stammered, "I didn't mean to stare." She remembered how flustered he was when they first met and she had been unable to take her curious eyes off of him.

"I-It's alright…"

The sun had almost set by the time they made it back to the farm. The blonde immediately made a beeline for her fields. She crouched over and rustled in the plants for a few moments before resurfacing with a large tomato in her hand.

"Hey, Cliff…" she gave him a teasing grin.

His eyes widened in surprise for a moment and he looked down at his tunic with a slight frown. He wasn't thrilled at the notion of scrubbing tomato flesh off of his shirt.

"Don't give me that look," the young woman teased, carefully handing him the fruit. "If I threw it, then it would just be a waste of a perfectly good tomato, right?"

"Thank you." A coy smile crept across his face as he gazed at the farmer. For a moment, Claire was unsure of whether he was thanking her for the tomato, her mercy, or both. "I'm glad you see things my way."

"Besides," Claire admitted with a giggle, "I probably would've missed. That second drink hit me kind of hard," she leaned on his arm with a sigh.

Cliff stumbled a bit himself, and it wasn't only because he had also had a little too much. Claire laughed harder, and her friend was reminded that she had a very contagious laugh with a musical quality. It was one of his favorite sounds. He stopped feeling self-conscious and gave her a friendly grin, looking down at the produce in his hand. "Thanks for the tomato."

"Here, take some more," she murmured, filling her arms with the fruits.

"Cl-Claire, I couldn't possibly-!" he stammered, but caught them in his arms as she unloaded them on him. He swiftly used his long tunic to hold the produce. "This is too many."

The playful look faded from the blonde's face. "I want you to have these. Please eat them… I put a lot of work into them." The young woman picked one more and took a huge bite from it. "I've got more than I need, and they're really good."

"Well, that's why you should be selling them," her friend returned.

She rolled her eyes; they both knew how many tomatoes had been filling her shipping bin the past few days now that the first tomato crop was coming in. "C'mon, take a bite," she insisted with a giggle, holding the fruit for her friend to try. "Don't you want to be cool?" He looked at her curiously for a moment before the both of them burst into hearty laughter. She really was drunk. Claire wiped a tear from her eye. "Seriously, though. Give it a taste." She held it in front of his mouth, blushing.

"Alright," he took a bite and they both burst into fits of giggles when juice spurted from the fruit and hit them both.

0o0o0o0

Author's Note: Ah, the powers of fermented beverages! They make some people giggly, others bold, others depressed, and some just straight-up weird. I hope you enjoyed the read! Lots more fun to come! I thank each and every person who has taken the time to read this. Again, it means a lot to me! Please let me know what you think! :D

Just for anyone who's curious and because I didn't get a chance to fit it in this chapter, but when Cliff orders stuff at the bar he gets the "DB discount". Doug's Boys. Haha, I'm trying to make it a thing.