Author's Note: This is a whopper of a chapter and a TON of stuff happens in it, so let's get right to it, eh? :)
As they walked along with the crowd to the beach, Claire tightened her hold on Cliff's arm.
"There are so many people here. This is very different from the Cow Festival," she commented, observing the sea of faces. She was reminded of her commutes to work in the city, but this had a much more relaxed feel to it. After dancing the bon with this group of festival goers, she felt much more comfortable around them. She was one of them, after all. It no longer felt like a group of strangers, but rather a collection of people who had shared in a special moment together. The glass of wine she drank after her crepe with Mary probably didn't hurt the situation. A light tap on her shoulder caught her attention.
"Thanks for the recommendation. Me an' Kasey have been inhaling these takoyaki." Toby gave her a happy nod and his partner held up a paper sack full of the snacks with a grin.
Kasey put a hand on Toby's shoulder as he continued his animated conversation with the person on his other side. Claire blinked in surprise when she saw it was Gray. The young man's face was lit up as he laughed along with Kasey, and a shy but happy Mary was listening in on the conversation.
"Ah, and he bumped into a childhood friend. Pretty cool, huh?" Toby cocked his head toward them. "I guess they grew up in the city together. Small world. You never know who you're going to run into, I suppose."
Cliff gave him a nod and was distracted from a playful bump of the shoulder by Ann. He nervously looked at Claire and bit back a frown. He had wanted Claire to himself, but he wasn't about to exclude one of his good friends. After all, they were going to sit with Karen and Rick – how intimate was the setting really going to be? He felt his cheeks blaze as his eyes flicked back to Claire for a brief moment. What was he honestly thinking was going to happen? "Ah, Ann…. Want to sit with us on the pier?"
She shook her head as she waved to Doug, who was setting out a picnic blanket as Harris straightened the edges, juggling an armload of snacks. "Oh, sorry, I was going to sit with my dad. Mom loved fireworks, even more than the famous angler fish stew Dad used to make her. Dad said that the three of us used to watch them together. It's kind of a tradition…"
"I'm sure it doesn't hurt that Harris brought a bunch of food," Cliff teased.
Her face flushed deeply and she gave him a warning look. "Well… he's actually been telling me stories about my mom. He's stopped by the inn the past couple of afternoons and him and Dad talk about the good old days… Y'know, before I was born," she joked. "But, seriously… it makes me really happy to learn more about her. Dad tells stories sometimes, but it's pretty cool to hear things from someone else, too. Someone who actually calls her 'Felicity' instead of just 'your mother'."
Claire smiled. She didn't get the chance to see her parents as regular people very often, so she understood. "I hope y'all have a lot of fun tonight," she replied. "I'm sure Felicity is happy that you and your father are still enjoying the fireworks together."
Y'all… Ann bit back a giggle at Claire's choice of words, but she stopped herself when her heart was filled with a soft warmth. She had been in the mood for humor and was caught off guard. However, she found that she didn't mind too much; Claire was truly a very sweet friend. "Thanks, Claire. That really means a lot to me. Enjoy the fireworks!" She gave them a kind smile as they returned the sentiment and she and headed toward her companions for the remainder of the evening.
Claire and Cliff's silence didn't last for long; Karen was whooping and waving her arms wildly at them from the pier. They smiled at each other and began to head over to them.
The beach was packed. Among many strangers she had never seen before, she spotted several familiar faces. Walking across the sand, Claire observed Gray and Mary laughing and grinning about something as he offered her his hand to help her across the lumpy sand. Jeff was sulking a bit as Anna captured Sasha's attention, the two of them gossiping away. Kasey and Toby were seated together on a beach blanket, chuckling at the children playing they held hands, their fingers interlocked. Kai stretched melodramatically as he placed an arm around Popuri, who was looking at him with hooded eyes. Manna and Duke were seated on a large towel, toasting a couple of wine coolers they brought from the square, cuddling together as they chattered. Elli was scolding her younger brother for kicking sand onto their blanket as she bent over to dust off the fabric. Standing up, she bumped into Trent and turned a bright shade of pink as he looked at her curiously.
There were certainly a lot of couples out tonight, Claire realized as they continued along. She curled her arm tighter around Cliff's and giggled as Karen pantomimed reeling the two of them in like a couple of fish.
"Grab the net, Rick! I gotta couple o' whoppers!"
Cliff's eyes lit up mischievously. "We gotta swim away, Claire! I don't want to become tempura! Just keep swimming!" He pretended to struggle as they continued along and Claire couldn't help but be amused at his antics. It was possible that his sake earlier had loosened him up a bit, but she wasn't about to complain about the playful and carefree way he carried himself tonight.
Her eyes flashed at him as a wicked smirk crossed her lips. "I hate to do this to you Cliff, but I'm a spy for the humans." She took his hand in hers and melodramatically pulled him along as the children played on the beach around them. A young girl with a fiery red topknot was chasing Paolo and May at the edges of the water. They darted in front of the pair and nearly tripped them, screaming and hollering at their excitement for the fireworks to come.
At the touch of Claire's hand, the young man felt his heart pound in his chest, and he stopped pretending to resist, his face burning as he attempted to acquaint himself with the marvelous feeling of their closeness. He wasn't about to complain about the increased linkage of their arms as of late, but there was something incredibly intimate about feeling her fingers wrap themselves around his hand, even if it was all in good fun.
"I knew Claire was bad news!" Stu jogged after them, taking Cliff's side as he often did when they played their imaginary games together in the church courtyard. He balled up his small fists and his dark eyes shone with determination. "Resist the sultry siren, Mr. Cliff!"
The two nearly collapsed into giggles into the sand, stumbling on their geta. Claire wiped a couple of tears of mirth from her eyes as her stomach ached.
"Where on Earth did you hear those words?" Cliff asked, failing to stifle a laugh.
"Grandma and Elli watch these really boring shows sometimes in the afternoons when I don't have school with Carter. It's weird, because they have nothing to do with soap."
Cliff and Claire's eyes met as they both struggled to keep straight faces. He turned to say something to Stu, but he had already headed back to play with the other children.
Claire gave Cliff's hand a friendly squeeze. "Well, I guess we shouldn't keep Karen and Rick waiting any longer." He was pleased when she didn't let go.
"About time you two got here! This is the best spot!" Karen looked at the water and put her hands on her hips. "All ours!"
Claire looked out at the ocean. The sun was sinking down beyond the horizon and the remaining beams of light danced along the surface of the water. Painted with pinks, purples, and deep blues, it was soothingly surreal. Mesmerized by the beautiful sight, her heart skipped a beat when she sat down on the pier, tucking her feet beneath her. The happy echoes of voices, the gorgeous sunset and the way its colors reflected exquisitely on top of the water, the slight warmth given off by her friends' bodies as they sat beside her – Cliff on her left and Karen on her right… she felt a rush of joy and gratitude for simply being alive. It was all too pretty, everyone was too joyful; a lump formed in her throat as she observed the scene.
This is how it feels when I allow myself to be happy, she reminded herself. She was certain that she hadn't deserved such a lovely night, but she was grateful to the gods for permitting her to have it anyway. Claire's wide eyes focused on the new stars of the evening as she sent along a giddy prayer of gratitude.
Her eyes flicked to the young man on her left. He was dreamily gazing up at the sunset. His dancing earlier had loosened a few loose strands of chocolate hair from the confines of his ponytail; the soft wisps played with the ocean breeze. His eyes were wide and there was a light behind them. Her gaze trailed down to his lips. They were set in a small smile and slightly parted. She was certain he wasn't aware of it, but he looked absolutely beautiful in his delight.
"Well, you certainly look happy." Karen affectionately bumped her shoulder against Claire's. "Is this kicking the pants off of your festivals in the city?"
She grinned and nodded so vigorously that she nearly gave herself whiplash. Claire giggled at her own silliness. "This is the best!" she cried out, unable to contain herself. It was true – nostalgia, loving friends, good food, fun music… She was enjoying herself even more than she did at the Cow Festival, the Midsummer Dance, and even the birthday parties she attended recently.
Karen draped her arm across her shoulders, pulling her into a tight hug. "Ugh, you're too cute sometimes. What am I going to do with you?"
Claire was about to disagree with her, but she bit her tongue, her face feeling very warm when she noticed her friend's words had caught Cliff's attention. He was giving them a fond smile, the corners of his lips turning up in that contagious way of his. Rick was softly chuckling, but the kind look in his eyes wasn't unnoticed.
Claire noticed that Saibara and Thomas were standing by the crates of fireworks, arguing over something they couldn't hear from their distance. She was a little grateful that she was unable to listen, as Saibara was gesturing wildly with his hands and Thomas had his arms folded across his chest, his face pulled into a deep frown.
"Don't worry; they fight over something every year." Rick noticed the look on her face. "The show will start pretty soon. Saibara puts on a good show. I really think he looks forward to this festival the most."
"Well, you saw how the old man can dance," Karen pointed out.
"He didn't get that enthusiastic last year," he returned. In truth, Saibara had been spending the last few Fireworks Festivals looking glummer than his usual self during the dancing portion. "Looks like he needed a companion. I haven't seen him that happy in years."
Cliff rubbed the back of his neck and looked away guiltily. While he was happy for Saibara and had a wonderful time with him, he wondered if he had hurt Gray's feelings. He looked down at his left forearm; the bruises on it had long since faded, but he wondered if the right kind of healing had happened between the two of them. They had come a long way and judging from their recent argument, there was still even longer to go.
"Hey, it's okay to feel good about that." Claire's voice was soft as she brushed her knuckles against his bare arm. She noticed his eyes trailing back toward Gray and Mary on the beach. The young man was happily chatting with his girlfriend and Claire felt a strange sense of relief when he shyly put an arm around her shoulders, Mary giggling and adjusting her glasses at his touch. It seemed Gray hadn't been thinking of his grandfather at all, but Claire found herself startled at her lack of discomfort. "Huh…" She was nearly inaudible.
"Ah, there they go." Rick's comment caught her attention as the friends looked out at the two older men. They both nodded in unison at each other and the old blacksmith set to lighting the fireworks, shooing Thomas away with his hand and a gruff laugh. It seemed no one was able to hang onto anger in such a festive environment.
Claire jumped a bit when the first explosion went off. A large, golden bloom of color filled the sky and slowly trailed down as the glittery tendrils disappeared into the night. Goose bumps peppered her arms at the beautiful sight and the sound of cheers came from the beach. Karen was especially enthusiastic in her cheering and she giggled at the startled state Claire was in.
It wasn't long until the world around her ceased to exist. Claire sat, transfixed on the colorful flashes of light. One after another they popped and rained sparkles, her eyes eagerly drinking it all in. They were so much more exciting to watch up close, and it was like watching the dark sky being filled with magic.
Karen turned to another form of entertainment a few minutes later as she noticed the fond look Rick was giving her. She gave her boyfriend a kiss and looked over and Claire and Cliff. They were both gawking up at the sky and their eyes were widened in childlike wonder. They looked so pure and innocent that she felt a little uncomfortable making out with her boyfriend in such close proximity to them.
"Let's get out of here, eh?" she whispered to him. She gestured to the far end of the pier with her head.
"O-okay…" The young man tried not to look too excited as he nodded.
The couple stood up and crept to a more private area, but their footwear prevented them from being too stealthy. Cliff turned around and silently looked up at them, but Claire was unaware of her surroundings; she was focused on the fireworks. The blonde let out an awed gasp as her pupils dilated at the colorful showers of sparks. She leaned forward a bit, balling her hands up in excitement.
"Good luck," Karen whispered, winking as they walked away.
Cliff rolled his eyes at her, but could feel his face getting hot. He turned his focus back up on the display.
"They're beautiful, aren't they?" Claire asked him. She hadn't had a fireworks experience like this since she was very young and the memories were blurry.
"Yeah. I like how you can feel the loud boom echo throughout your body," he said quietly. "It reminds me how small we are in the grand scheme of things."
A particularly large red flower burst into the sky and she felt the vibrations from the explosion ripple through her core. He did have a point, and the thought of them being such a small group of tiny people in an enormous world made her feel a warmth in her heart toward this group of festival goers. "That's a pretty deep observation," Claire admitted. "I've never really thought of it that way."
She waited for some sort of quip from Karen, but it never came. Claire looked beside her and saw that her friends had left her. She shook her head when she noticed Karen and Rick had moved to the end of the pier for more privacy. And that was just fine with her; she had come to watch fireworks anyway. She couldn't help but feel a touch of wistfulness, however. There was something incredibly romantic about fireworks. Being able to enjoy something so beautiful around a loved one… She really couldn't blame Karen for wanting to take some time alone with Rick.
"I really like the large ones that burst into smaller ones," Claire continued.
Cliff was busy staring up at the sky with a dreamy smile of his own. "Yeah. I like the really big ones that stream down."
"I guess I like them all," she giggled. "These fireworks kind of remind me of the ones in the carnival that took place every year in the city…" A soft light caught her eye and Claire noticed that there were fireflies near the water now that the sun had gone down. She had been working so hard that she had been blind to the beauty of a night sky filled with fireflies. One in particular kept flying near her. She held out her finger and the firefly perched on it. She took in a moment to admire the creature's scarlet painted head and slim black body as it stared back at her. "Hello there." The young woman gave the insect a gentle smile as it took off again, glowing into the night. She made a silent vow to herself to take the time to enjoy the fireflies rising up from her corn fields in the near future instead of shooing them away in her impatience.
Cliff looked at her with wide eyes, distracted from the dazzling fireworks in the sky. He was charmed by her tenderness, and she had never looked so beautiful. "Oh, yeah? What was the carnival like?" He scooted closer to her.
"Oh, there were rides and games and fireworks at night. A traveling entertainment group would set it up each year. I stopped going on the rides once I got a bit older, but I still watched the fireworks every year, right up until last year."
He couldn't help but wonder if she had been sitting by another man's side the summer before, and he hated that the thought had crossed his mind. "Did you go with your friends?" He managed to give her a playful smile.
"I… didn't." Claire looked down at the water and watched the reflections of the fireworks. While she sensed that she was supposed to feel sad, Cliff's presence at her side kept her heart warm. "I didn't really make plans with friends for anything," she admitted, fumbling with her sleeves. "I was so focused on my job that I didn't make any time for them… Any friends I made would inevitably drift away. I never really made the first move with them, and they would get frustrated when they wanted to make plans but I had to work… I would go to the roof of my apartment complex and watch the fireworks alone. Pretty pathetic, huh? Sometimes I even brought my paperwork from the office up with me to work on while I watched." She gave a weak laugh, a little disturbed at how detached she felt from it all now that she had friends here in Mineral Town. It felt like another life, another time – sitting on the roof with her trusty pen and pad, unable to focus on her work or the display off in the distance. She had been left with an unsatisfied feeling, half wishing she had stayed in to work, but her heart crying out at only spending a few seconds of undivided attention at the sky at a time. She would often spend a few days after the event dwelling on it.
"So that's why you wanted to work on a farm. You'd have the freedom to make your own work hours and you could make friendships that you could actually keep."
She nodded; a lump had formed in her throat as she felt sorry for her former self. She looked up from the water and noticed that Cliff wasn't staring at the sky anymore. She chuckled weakly, embarrassed. "I'm sorry. Sometimes I just end up wondering how things could have gone differently, you know? Could I have been happy in the city if I hadn't focused so much on my job?"
He smiled warmly at her and shook his head. "Carter always tells me that there's no point dwelling on what could have been when we can be living in the present and planning for the future." He gulped before sliding a trembling arm around her waist, hoping she would be fine with this gesture. "Think of what a blast we're having tonight."
She exhaled a small snort in response as she looked back up at the sky. "Did you say that because of the fireworks? Blast?"
"I wasn't even thinking of that, but I'll take it. I suppose you could say I have a natural flare for those kinds of jokes."
She leaned in and rested her head on his shoulder, pretending to let out a huffy sigh. "Ugh, there he glows again!"
"No need to explode at me." His knuckles stroked the soft cotton of her yukata and he was pleased as she leaned in a bit closer.
She let out a happy sigh at his touch and the vibration of his voice. There was something so comforting and thrilling about this kind of closeness. "Well, I am having a blast. Thank you for being so kind to me all evening." Her eyes focused on a young couple kissing under an umbrella – it looked as if though Mary had cashed in on the fortune Gray was so upset over. They looked a lot less stilted than she was expecting, although there was definitely an element of shyness at showing such affection in public. It dawned on her that this was likely not their first kiss together. Just like her memories associated with her old life and job, seeing the two of them together made her feel a little detached from reality. She waited for the dagger to inevitably pierce her heart.
"Claire…" Cliff's eyes had followed hers and he held her tightly to comfort her. "I'm kind to you because I want to be. It doesn't need thanks."
The stab never really came. A bit nonplussed, she looked back up at the sky and allowed herself to focus on the cheery reds and greens popping and glowing on the now black backdrop. "Did you have fireworks at home?"
"Fireworks, music, and dancing," he answered, smiling. "I told you, it wasn't Akiyama without a big festival."
She let out a happy gasp at a particularly large firework in the shape of a golden ring. "And did you watch fireworks with your friends?"
"Mostly with Ivy and my parents. We kept up the tradition after Papa passed, and we used to always tell fun stories about him, so it was like he was still there in a way."
She snuck a peek at him and was pleased to see that there was a nostalgic smile on his face. "What was Ivy like?" She felt like it was time to ask a more direct question about her and the question slipped out before she could stop herself.
He was silent as he thought for a moment, and the two were distracted a bit from the colorful display. "She was a lot like Ann," Cliff explained with a chuckle, but she could see a bit of sadness in his eyes.
She leaned in a bit closer, afraid that she was pushing him a little too far. She decided to keep the tone lighthearted. "She teased you a lot." She stated this as a fact rather than a question.
She felt him give a small jump at her closeness, but he eagerly moved in closer despite the trembling she could feel from the arm around her waist. "Y-Yes. She was very outgoing and would play with me and the other boys. They would gripe about it, but I think it was because she would win most of the games we played." He chuckled at the memory. Climbing trees, racing, swimming, gathering honey – she was tougher than him even though he was the older sibling.
"Could she beat you, too?"
He pouted, but his eyes didn't move from the fireworks. "She played by her own rules and could get rowdy. When arguments broke out, I tried to remain the pacifist to keep her in line, but it didn't always work… We were pretty even," Cliff finally admitted with a grin, "but she played dirty, so she would win more often."
"Sure, that's why she won," Claire teased, nuzzling his shoulder. "I take it she's your only sibling?"
"Yeah. What about you?"
"I have two brothers and two sisters, with me right in the middle." Claire admired the colored lights in the sky, jumping a bit at a particularly loud one. "It was a crowded house."
"You shared a room with your two younger brothers as a teenager," he remembered.
She lifted her head from his shoulder and looked at him curiously. "Yeah, Byron and Lucas… How did you know that?"
"I overheard you telling Gray once when you came to visit." He had been in the hallway headed toward the room when he had heard her nervously stuttering to Gray in an attempt to make small talk. Cliff's cheeks felt warm; he hoped that he hadn't come across as creepy to her.
"I wish I had spent more of that time talking to you." The words slipped out. Their eyes met for a brief moment and in seeing that his were widened in surprise, she quickly averted her gaze and masked her discomfort with a light chuckle. "I-I mean… you're a lot easier to talk to…" She shook her head in embarrassment. Surely it sounded like she was ranting to him about Gray – a classic case of sour grapes. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to offend-"
"How is that offensive?" Cliff had an eyebrow cocked in confusion and he was grateful that the lack of sunlight was able to hide his giddy blush. "I like talking to you, too."
A ripple of pops and sparkles littered the sky as the finale started. The two fell silent and watched in awe, the beauty before them overwhelming. Golds, greens, blues, and reds burst into streaks, puff balls, streamers, and crackling glitter, lighting up the night.
"That was amazing…" Claire's voice was low as she blocked out the whoops and cheers from the beach.
"Yeah…"
She didn't realize she had rested her head back on his shoulder until she felt the vibrations of his voice. Part of her was scolding her to stop hanging all over him, but the drunken warm feelings that washed over her overrode the nagging.
"You didn't tell me about your sisters," he reminded her.
"Oh, Simone and Colette are much older than me. They're on their own and married. Colette and her husband have children. My brothers are still living with my parents. There was a wide age gap between all of us. I was fifteen when my youngest brother was born. We all get along relatively well, but we aren't exactly close. I mean, my sisters moved out when I was still pretty young. My parents were so busy caring for my younger brothers that I felt alone most of the time unless I was babysitting. I didn't really mind it, though. I moved out when I turned nineteen lived in my little apartment, working only for myself. It was nice not to have to share anything with anyone," she chuckled.
"Huh, I can't imagine not being close with your family. We all shared the same sleeping furs."
Claire imagined a young Cliff curled up with his mother and sister and her heart melted. She could easily picture the young man sleeping on a heap of soft furs and her face began to feel warm; the thought was very inviting...
"Of course, Ivy kicked in her sleep," he reminisced with a fond smile.
She snickered and hugged his arm. "Hey, check it out! That smoke trail looks like a jellyfish," Claire breathed, pointing out over the water.
The night sky was filled with remnants of smoke from the fireworks, but he could easily identify the one she was talking about. He immediately remembered their time cloud watching and he felt his heart in his throat. He gulped and stole a glance at her, leaning a little closer. "Uh, which one?"
She gave him a grin and pressed her face against his, gently cupping his other cheek with her quivering hand as she guided their view. "Y-you sure are bad at finding shapes in clouds, huh?"
He pretended pout. "You only think that because you don't know a tanuki when you see one."
"This again? How on Earth are you finding a tanuki up there?"
"Only kidding. I see Mr. Jellyfish right over there." He gave her waist a squeeze.
"Ah… looks like he's swimming away… and melting."
"Kinda looks like some rosemary now. Some cold herbal tea sounds nice."
"I need to learn more things I can do with herbs. I'm seeing Mary tomorrow – she might have some pointers."
"There's always me, too."
"Very true!" She removed her hand from Cliff's cheek and the two shyly averted their gazes from one another.
"Y-you know what I'd like to learn?" After getting a curious hum in response, he shot her a grin. "More about you."
She wasn't one to normally bring herself up in the topic of conversation and she wasn't quite sure what to say. "More about me? Well, my middle name is Odette, I guess."
"You're not sure of your middle name?" Cliff coyly brushed his shoulder against hers. He earned a giggle in return. "Claire Odette…" He tried the name in his mouth and it rolled off of the tongue easily. It had an easy flow to it like a clear stream, like a sky full of lazy clouds, like the way he felt in her presence – comfortable, soothing, yet at the same time, absolutely exquisite and decadent. "Beautiful," he murmured quietly.
She let out a slightly bitter giggle that startled her a bit. "I don't know about all of that. My initials spell cod." She was immediately reminded of the fillet cooked in a white wine sauce that was a regular dinner menu item in the Dumont household.
He looked at her with a stoic expression. "Well, cod is delicious, especially when it's baked with butter and lemon."
They both burst into laughter and he got a playful poke in the ribs.
"Hey, if it makes you feel any better, my full name is Cliffgard Rigby Yamamoto." He gave her an awkward grin, nervously awaiting judgment.
What an awful hodge-podge…
She curiously tilted her head as she looked up at him. "So Cliff is a nickname?"
"I prefer people to think that's my full name. Ma wanted me to sound 'proper'." He rolled his eyes as he used air quotes to illustrate his displeasure. "Most people back in Akiyama have a tradition of naming their children after things in nature, like my sister, Ivy. Or Papa – his name was Flint. My parents agreed to call me Cliff to keep with the theme, and my middle name is my mother's maiden name… It's a jumbled up mess, huh?" The darkness in the sky concealed the embarrassment glowing in his cheeks.
His name was a bit unusual, but she shook her head; it wasn't anything he needed to feel ashamed of. "What about your mother? Does she have a nature-y name?"
He shook his head. "She wasn't from there. Her name was Katrina."
Claire noted the past tense and didn't pry. He didn't look upset about it, so she figured a bit of light teasing wouldn't hurt. "I can hear her calling you Cliffgard when you got in trouble. Cliff-GARD~!" she squawked with a giggle. "Mind your manners, Cliffgard!"
He laughed. "Cliffgard, eat all of your dandelion greens!"
"Cliffgard, don't wipe your nose on your sleeve!"
"Cliffgard, put that silly bird back in the mews. The only things I want to hear are you singing and that sanshin…" His smile faded a bit as he let out a sigh. "I… guess it wasn't the worst thing in the world."
She looked up at him curiously. "You used to sneak out to play with Cain?" She wondered for a moment how long the lifespan of a falcon was.
Rubbing the back of his neck, his gaze moved to the water. "Yeah, and a red-tailed hawk named Aspen before him. I… wasn't the best son."
Claire tried to recall a time where she disobeyed her parents as a young child, but her mind drew a blank. She had always been so eager to please them and mistakes that she had made were honest ones. "Well, at least you tried to live your own life. One of my older sisters got caught lying about going to a friend's house so she could stay over with a boy instead. She got in so much trouble that I was afraid to do anything even a little bit rebellious."
"That's not a bad thing. I wish I had been a more obedient son…"
She wrapped her arm around his waist and leaned into him a bit in lieu of a hug. "No child is perfect, Cliff. I mean, my parents aren't exactly happy with me right now, and I'm a grown adult. Remember that story I told you and Ann about that embarrassing job interview? Y-you know… w-with the lucky underwear?" She immediately regretted giving him that final clue so willingly and kept her eyes glued on the night sky. "I was offered that position a few times. That guy had called me trying to 'sweeten the deal', so to speak. He offered me a higher paycheck, more vacation time…" She bit her lip as she felt his gaze on her. "I… I lost patience with him and hung up on him. That wasn't the bad part though. My parents kept asking about it. When I told them that I had refused, they got upset with me."
"Well, did they know about the way he had harassed you and the way he treated you during the interview?"
She nodded. "Mum and Dad both thought that I should have talked to their human resources department about him and still taken the job. They didn't think that it was big enough of a reason to turn down a good offer like that. They way they saw it, I could have gotten him reported and I might not even have to deal with him. I mean, I guess they're right, but…" Claire slumped her shoulders, the worries about her parents coming back to the surface. "They haven't returned my letters since I moved here. Well, I mean, they never wrote back regularly because they're so busy all the time, but I figured at least a housewarming letter or card of some sort would have arrived. I've mailed them several things and they've never bounced back to me so I know they have my address…" Her happiness began to deflate as she worried. "Maybe it was a bad idea to move here…"
Cliff's strong arms embraced her tightly as she buried her face in his yukata, gasping in surprise. His grip was pleading and she could feel him lightly trembling. "Pl-please don't say that, Claire… It hurts when you do."
She was startled at his candidness, but she immediately felt a wave of guilt. They were having such a good evening and she was ruining it…
"It wasn't a bad idea… to move here, I mean. I-if we never met…" Shaking his head, Cliff's voice trailed off as he gently cradled the base of her skull with his hand. She paused to look up at him and her heart pounded in her throat at both the gesture and the look on his face. He seemed almost on the verge of tears for a brief moment, his increased blinking becoming eminent. Claire placed a warm hand over his heart. No, the night couldn't be ruined; she was spending it with him, after all, she realized with a blush. The worry faded from her face and she saw her friend slowly mirroring her as his eyebrows unfurrowed.
"You're right. My life would be pretty lousy without you in it." She smiled shyly at him. "You make things a lot better, you know."
He had long since believed that no one would ever say that about him. Cliff opened his mouth to deny it, but he stopped himself. A smile curled at the ends of his mouth. "That's funny; I was about to say the same thing about you."
She rested her head on a comfortable place on his shoulder and kept her hand on his chest. "You're too sweet," she gushed.
You're flirting again, a tiny voice inside of her chided. You've been flirting all night…
He chuckled softly. "I can be sour if you want," he teased.
"I want you just the way you are," she replied with a dreamy grin, brushing her fingers against the soft fabric of his yukata.
You want him? Slow down, Claire! Stop throwing yourself at your friend, you crazy girl! Way to creep him out! Still, she found herself relishing in the intoxicating feeling as he held her close.
She could feel him gulping as he struggled to find a reply. "A-and you wouldn't be you i-if you weren't you," Cliff stammered, his mouth dry. He inwardly cursed himself for sounding so stupid.
A soft, but good-natured laugh escaped her lips. "That's kind of the way it works."
"W-well, I'm glad it is." He hoped he didn't sound as ridiculous as he felt. Why do I have to get so stupidly excited whenever she says anything nice to me?
His posture straightened as he heard the padding of light footsteps on the pier. Karen shot him an apologetic smile, waving at him lamely with the pair of geta in her hand. Rick had removed his footwear as well, and it couldn't be more obvious they had been trying to sneak past in order to give them some privacy. Claire noticed the change in Cliff's position and looked up curiously, the soft lights on the pier illuminating her rosy face.
"What are you crazy kids still doing up? It's well past your bedtime," Karen teased with a smirk.
"Like you're one to talk," Claire shot back playfully. She couldn't help but feel a bit defensive despite her friend's harmless ribbing. She noticed the curious way her green eyes darted from her to Cliff and she wasn't sure what to say. Vaguely wondering if she should be embarrassed or explain herself, Claire's gaze moved to the wooden planks of the pier. It wasn't as if they had been doing anything wrong.
You're making a fool of yourself. You're ashamed because you got caught awkwardly flirting. See, even Karen is embarrassed for you.
Is that really the worst, though?
"I guess we lost track of time," Cliff chuckled innocently, stretching. At this, he removed his hold on Claire and she fought back her disappointment, casually stretching her arms as well.
"Well, I'm planning on taking tomorrow off, anyway," Claire added, as if she needed to explain herself.
"I might take it a little easier, too," Cliff mused.
Karen's eyebrows shot up as an indecently pleased grin spread across her face. She had seen this coming for a while, and she was struggling to contain her excitement. Claire was so cute when she was flustered.
"The four of us should hang out sometime." Rick's voice startled her. "It doesn't have to be tomorrow or anything, but let us know when you're available, okay?"
Perhaps she had underestimated her boyfriend's tact; Karen gazed at Rick with a newfound respect. As the two waved goodbye to their friends, they looked around them. The beach was deserted and a few dim lights lined the pier. The lights were still on in Rose Square as the vendors were taking down their displays. By tomorrow afternoon, it would look like there hadn't been a festival the day before at all. Claire frowned; she rather liked the lanterns.
"I… guess it's time to go," Claire commented a little sadly.
Cliff leapt to his feet and offered her a hand. "Let me walk you home."
She gave him a knowing smile. How many times had they walked that cobblestone road back to Mystic Acres? She gratefully took his arm as they walked across the beach. "Okay, thank you." She noticed she never had to ask him. "I love it here," Claire said aloud suddenly.
"I do, too… I thought about leaving town shortly after I moved here." Cliff was looking out at the water as they walked. Things that he had meant to keep quiet on kept slipping out this evening – he had learned from Claire's gentle support that letting his barriers down a little bit wasn't scary. "But then I met Carter. He was very… insistent that I stopped in this town for a reason, but I didn't believe him at first. Then I started to make some friends, and it feels like everything's changed…"
The thought of him wanting to leave in the past made her a little sad and she held onto him a little tighter. "I know what you mean," Claire replied as they made their way to the soft sand. The day Karen had dragged Claire around town seemed to be a turning point in her life; she had been much happier. She had even experienced some days of her own when she wished she could go back to the city. The frequency of this had all but disappeared by now.
"It's more than just trying my best now; I will do anything to stay here," Cliff stared at her and his eyes were intense. "I'll give… anything to be a permanent part of this community."
The young woman always felt uncomfortable when he implied that his residence may only be temporary, but she caught the determined look on his face. "And I'd give anything for you to stay, Cliff," she admitted, and her heart began to pound; his enthusiasm was contagious.
It was late at night, but he felt inspired. He wanted to get his bow ready right away and he made a mental note to sharpen his hunting tools the next day. "I've never been so excited for hunting season." His blue eyes were glittering as they took the steps to the emptying square.
"You'll do great!" Claire cheered him on. "You're gonna get rich!" Hopping noisily in her excitement, she gave him a small giggle.
"I've never had a better reason to do well." He quickly looked away from her as they made their way to the main part of town.
"Tonight was fun, huh?" Claire listened to their geta clatter on the cobblestones and smiled; they had matched their steps. She had fastened her small pouch to her hip and it began to move a bit with her bouncy gait.
"Best night in Mineral Town so far. Every town has their own festival vibe. I like it here; it's very homey."
"Did it get rowdy enough for you?" Claire teased, giving his arm a squeeze.
"Such a popular word tonight," he chuckled, shaking his head. "Live music would have been nice, but the company was great!"
Surely he's not referring to me… She almost tripped over her own feet and laughed a little too loudly in her embarrassment. "I'm glad you got to spend some time with Saibara," Claire said softly.
"Oh, yeah; he's lots of fun." He beamed, his facial expressions obviously reflecting his inner thoughts about dancing the bon.
Claire giggled. There were probably only a few people in town who would describe him that way. Most people were intimidated by the old blacksmith, herself included. "I think he sees you as a kindred spirit, Cliff."
He considered this and nodded. "If that's the case, I'm honored… He's a great man."
Before long, they approached the house and were greeted by a chorus of frogs and crickets, the fireflies going to bed for the night.
Claire opened the door to her house and flipped on the lights. She was grateful that Koro was a heavy sleeper once nighttime fell. The young dog was curled up in a ball on her bed, resting his chin on his front paws. She was thankful that he didn't seem to be frightened of the fireworks. "Well, come on in."
"Thanks." He stared around the room as if he had never seen it before and sighed happily as they removed their geta. Now that they were back in a lighted area, she stole a glance at him. His blue outfit played up the vivid color of his eyes. His cheeks were ruddy with excitement and happiness and his hair was a little tousled, but she decided that she rather liked it that way.
"The festival was fun, but it's good to be home, too. I can finally let my hair down." Claire looked over at him while she started pulling the flowers out of her hair, carefully setting them down on her nightstand beside her bed.
"Ah…" He was disappointed to see them removed, but he surprised himself that he had spoken up about it.
Claire caught the look on his face. He must have enjoyed the festival atmosphere; he seemed at home in his yukata. "Keep it up?"
He nodded dumbly and blushed.
Claire felt the heat rise in her face. His simple stare had meant more than most of the compliments she had received regarding her appearance that evening. Except maybe when he called me gorgeous earlier, she thought with a slight sigh. "W-well, I'm glad you like it!" Claire laughed it off, quickly turning away. "I don't get dolled up often, so enjoy it while you can." She reached into her fridge for something to drink.
Enjoy it while you can? Stop throwing yourself at him!
"Tea?" she offered, her voice cracking a bit. "I know you said earlier that it sounded good."
"Sure." He could tell that the sake had mostly worn off, but he still felt loose from all of the dancing and merriment. He didn't need his friend's encouragement to enjoy the view – he had been doing that all evening already.
The friends sat down with their beverages and relaxed in each other's company. They laughed for hours, sharing their favorite parts of the festival – tomato throwing and the look on Won's face when Cliff easily hit all of his targets, turtle scooping and not being offered a free 'peep show', Stu's cotton candy theft, along with him referring to Claire as a 'sultry siren' a few minutes later…
"One-thirty already?" Cliff stretched, looking up at the clock.
She wasn't ready to give him up yet. "Stay a while longer," Claire begged, pouring him another cup of tea.
The young man's cheeks glowed; he was flattered she enjoyed his company so much. "It's late… if I stay much longer I'll be too tired to tend to Ann tomorrow morning. She's going to be sick for sure."
"Ah, let Doug take care of her. I'm sure you're not eager to fetch her 'sick bucket'." She twisted her fingers around a strand of hair that had fallen loose from her bun.
Cliff laughed and settled in. "I guess a few more minutes here won't hurt anything."
The clock chimed two before they knew it.
"It's getting very late." Cliff stood up although everything inside him was screaming for him not to.
"Aw, but-"
"Claire, if I stay any longer, this is going to turn into a slumber party," he laughed.
There were a couple of beats of silence as both hearts pounded wildly at the notion.
She immediately was brought back to the thought of him lying on a pile of furs and quickly replaced them with her bed's blankets in her mind, looking up at her with those deep blue eyes. "Ah!" Claire turned a bright shade of scarlet. "I-I'm sorry; I didn't mean to keep you so long. Get some sleep and w-we can have breakfast tomorrow. If that's alright with you, of course! R-rest up, now!"
He looked at her inquisitively for a moment before turning to his geta waiting beside the door. "I'm not sure what my plans are for tomorrow. I might end up going straight to the lake to try to get an early morning haul. I know you said you had plans with Mary tomorrow, so I'll just leave some extra food for you in your shipping bin. I'll put a note on it."
Claire tried to hide the disappointment in her voice. "Well, be sure to help yourself to any of the crops, okay? I'm probably just going to be resting up."
"Thanks. I had a lot of fun tonight." He flashed a genuine grin at her as he put on his footwear. "More fun than I've had in years."
She was elated that he felt the same way; this evening had been something she didn't realize she needed desperately. "Me, too!" She threw her arms around Cliff and buried her face in his shoulder for a few moments before looking up at him.
He was smiling at her in a very particular way as he embraced her. It was something about his entire expression; his eyes always looked so content and doting. She had first noticed it at the midsummer's dance when he asked to walk her home, and she had seen regular flashes of it ever since. It always made her feel a strange combination of warmth and jitteriness, and she was slowly starting to realize she enjoyed and had begun to long for it. There was something so comforting and natural about being this close.
She could hear the clock ticking in the background and was brought back to reality. Claire let out a nervous laugh and stepped back. "Well, have a good night."
"I already did, silly," he chuckled, taking her hand in his. She noticed that it was trembling slightly as his eyes moved down to it.
He was starting to tease her and she found that she liked it; he felt more comfortable around her. She never would have imagined when they first met that they would become such close friends. He was still looking down at their hands. Claire watched him curiously, unsure of what he was doing. "Well, then… Sleep well."
"You too, Claire." Cliff slowly raised her hand to his lips and kissed it tenderly, giving it a gentle pat before turning around to open the door. He whirled around to see her face rush with color. "See you around." He smiled at her as he slowly gained confidence, self-assured that he had made the right move at seeing her upturned lips and wide eyes.
Her heart felt light, but her cheeks burned as her emotions were stirred violently within her. "I-I'm looking forward to it." Her eyes sparkled as she watched him head back to the inn, a silly smile overtaking her whole face. His touch had been so gentle and loving, and she was immediately taken back to that dizzying feeling when he bade her farewell in the hospital early in the season. "Enjoy your day off!" she nearly yelled as he waved goodbye to her with a friendly nod. He disappeared into the night and she closed her eyes for a brief moment, committing his kind gaze and lovely outfit to memory.
Suddenly feeling alert, she paced around in her house, drunken on a curious new giddiness. She had half the mind to run back toward town and drag Cliff back over; she wasn't done having fun yet and she felt a little sad that the evening was over. Claire shook her head with a laugh – not only would that make her look a little crazy, but it was extremely late and she should be much sleepier than she was.
Reaching into the small pouch she carried with her that night, Claire produced the kokeshi doll and tanuki figurine she had purchased, placing them on top of her television side by side. She smiled as she looked at the serene grin of the tanuki. Cliff had chosen a gift for himself without realizing it. She wanted to give him something in gratitude for his help with her harvest and although it was a mere trinket, she hoped that it would bring him memories of the fun they had together that evening.
She walked toward her bed and noticed at once how exhausted she was. Now that there wasn't someone to laugh and talk with, she realized she had been pushing her body past its limits for hours. Letting out a tired sigh, Claire decided that the thought of getting undressed for sleeping sounded like a daunting chore.
Koro hadn't moved from his spot on the bed the entire time she had been home. She smiled at the puppy while she reached around her waist to remove her obi. A slip of paper fluttered onto the floor. She had forgotten that she had stashed her fortune into her belt. Claire picked it up and re-read Carter's tidy print.
Stop searching… Happiness is right beside you…
The young woman looked around her room and smiled. She was grateful for her friends. She removed her yukata and pinned the fortune to the wall. She had really gotten the best fortune out of the group, even better than Mary's, she decided. Her thoughts immediately turned to the memory she had just imprinted of Cliff. She turned off her light and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, nuzzling the hand that his lips had touched.
Author's Note: Phew, what a chapter! I've been dying to post this one since I began writing this story, to be honest.
I'm intrigued by the idea of making Echo Valley's residents a generation older, and I thought Felicity would make a great mom for Ann. Those who have been keeping up on my side stories might have already read the allusion to this, and I've decided to adopt Felicity as Ann's mom and Doug's late wife in my canon. Sorry for killing you, Felicity! (Wow, that sounded terrible!)
Another connection between games was the inclusion of Kasey from Animal Parade as Gray's childhood friend. I'm thinking I'll develop some shenanigans between the two of them more in The Roommates.
Cliff's middle name, Rigby, is a reference to my favorite Beatles' song Eleanor Rigby. As expected, Carter's surname is McKenzie, respectively, but it hasn't come up in the story yet. Cliff's full first name will be familiar to HM64 fans – the curiously-named horse belonging to Gray and Ann's family that sounds decidedly hoity-toity to me. I wanted Cliff's name to lack flow, despite the fact that his mother was a musician – his name being a blend of what is deemed "proper" (Cliffgard), what is tradition (Rigby), and what is inherited to us (Yamamoto), all three things that are vital to Cliff's character development, and how he tries to handle all of these things. His parents were so focused on his name, they didn't even notice what his initials spell out. Poor guy.
As for Claire Odette, I simply thought it had a nice ring to it, and, of course, I wanted it to be very French. Claire means clear or bright. Odette means wealth. As a child of two hardcore go-getters, I felt a name like this was appropriate. I also really wanted to make her initials spell something dumb, too.
So, enough about my over-analysis of names – by now I'm hoping y'all can feel the mood shift in this story to something more romantic. Thank you for everyone who has been reading, following, and reviewing along the way. :)