His eyes were wide, and the jittery excitement in them was plain to see. "Hi… Wow, Claire. You look… beautiful," Cliff stammered, anxiously shifting a bag on his shoulder.

As he stood in the doorway, the scent of herbal cologne tickled her nose and she felt a little less nervous about wearing her lavender oil as perfume. She noticed that he had dressed up for the occasion, and she remembered the offhand comment Karen had made last summer about him cleaning up well. He was wearing the same white tunic with blue intricate stitching that he had donned during the Midsummer dance. His outfit was completed with a coordinating strip of dyed leather holding his hair back. His clothing brought out the color of his deep blue eyes, and Claire wondered how she had been so casual dancing with such a handsome man that whole evening. He noticed her eyes on him and blushed, afraid she had caught him staring at her.

"Thank you… You look very handsome." She fought the urge to greet him with a small kiss; she was overeager and needed to calm down. This was their first date, after all, and she needed to make a good impression. "Please, come on in."

"I'd love to," he gave her a small smile, hoping he looked more confident than he felt. As he entered the room, he froze. Claire was looking up at him in a way he had never seen her before. Her cheeks were rosy, her eyes were wide, and her lips were slightly parted. That gaze nearly knocked him senseless; he was reminded once more that he had never seen someone so beautiful in his entire life. He wanted to hold her and kiss her so badly it hurt, whispering words of love into her ear and asking her to be his forever, but he knew he was being much too hasty. He took a small step toward her as he gulped.

"The food is still going to be another forty-five minutes or so. I'm sorry… I got kind of distracted." She tore her eyes from the opened letter lying on her bed, embarrassed she had forgotten to stash it away.

"That's fine. I don't mind at all."

At his voice, Claire looked back at her guest with a flustered jolt. "Oh! I-I'll put on the kettle for some tea in the meantime. How does that sound?" She clasped her hands behind her back as she regained her senses, giving him a nervous smile. Now that he was here and they were officially on a date, she wasn't sure how to conduct herself. She had dated people before, but she never felt so strongly for someone right away. How friendly could someone be until they were considered too forward?

"Oh, okay." He gave her a concerned look and he wasn't exactly sure why he felt a little sad. He watched her scurry to the kitchen, taking in the scent of roasted sweet potatoes and herbed chicken. "Do you need any help?"

She let out a soft chuckle, shaking her head. "It's an electric kettle. All I'm doing is pressing a button. Feel free to have a seat."

He complied and looked around the room curiously. The old quilt that Claire had folded into a bed for Koro was empty – he must have been sleeping outside when Cliff arrived.

A chilly breeze blew past him as Claire hurried to the other side of the house, softly apologizing. He watched as she carefully folded a paper lying on her bed into an envelope and tucked it into her nightstand drawer.

"They don't understand what it's like to run a farm like this… They didn't mean any harm at all…"

He frowned. Even while she whispered to herself, her voice was strained; she was nervous. He watched the back of her blonde head and made a vow to himself that he would comfort her. This date would be good for them. He hurried to the other side of the table to retrieve the seat cushion…

"Out of sight, out of mind," she murmured under her breath, jogging back to the table, a little breathless in her anxiety.

She went to sit across from Cliff and looked curiously at the bare floor beneath her. Claire was distracted from her observation as her date patted the cushion beside him, offering her a shy smile. The worry immediately fled from her face as her cheeks turned rosy, her lips upturning a bit.

"There's a seat available here," he offered, pulling it a little closer to his own.

Claire sat down, attempting to stabilize her breathing from her running around, her anxiety, and her flustered state around Cliff. She let out a soft chuckle to disguise her deep exhale, vaguely realizing it was a technique she had first seen him do.

"So… how was work?" She was eager to get the focus off of herself. She let out a soft sigh and her lips formed a slight pout. Upon closer inspection, Cliff noticed they had a light coating of peach lip gloss on them. She used to wear that same shade to attempt to impress Gray… Cliff's heart was in his throat as he came to this realization.

"I-it was nice… Oh!" He bolted up from his seat and hurried to the doorway where his bag was hanging. He retrieved a bottle of white wine from the satchel. "Duke and Manna wanted to give me a welcoming gift for working there. I-I wanted to share it with you." Flustered, he placed it on the kitchen counter along with a corkscrew, feeling a little silly for getting up so suddenly. "But we're going to have tea, so we can have it later, o-okay?"

She nodded from her comfy seat. "Okay. Thank you for sharing it with me." It made her feel pretty special to be partaking in something that was given to him for a special occasion.

Cliff realized with a bit of embarrassment that he was behaving just as frazzled as Claire had been, even though he had taken it upon himself to help calm her down. He sat beside her as he tried to get comfortable. "Th-there's no one I'd rather share it with, Claire." His fingers lightly brushed her arm.

He was a little unsure of how to conduct himself on a date, as he had never been to one. Gray's only advice had been to let things happen naturally and not get drunk. He had tossed the carved stone pendant at Cliff's face as he left the room, telling him tonight was the perfect opportunity. Cliff was grateful for his quick reflexes, and despite the relatively small size of the necklace he carried, it weighed heavily in his pocket that evening. For months, he dreamed of giving it to her at the right moment and asking her to be his girlfriend.

Is that even the right word for what I want? Girlfriend? Maybe lover is a better description?

He gulped. Whatever the word was, now that the possibility was there, it was a little bit terrifying.

As his eyes moved back up to her, he saw that she had slowly leaned in a bit closer to him and was looking at him with a warm smile. Her soft breath was on his cheek and his own breath caught in his throat. Had the right moment already presented itself?

The whistling of the tea kettle caused Claire to jump in her seat, letting out a squeak of surprise.

"Ah, the water's ready!" She knew it didn't need to be said but it had already escaped her lips.

The interruption from the kettle had left them both with dampened spirits, each lost in their own thoughts. Claire arranged a tray of things to prepare the tea and she carried it to the table, conflicted with her feelings. While she had been initially grateful to use preparing tea as an icebreaker, she now felt like it was more of an inconvenience than anything else. She put her things down beside him and got a reassuring graze from his arm as she lowered herself onto the cushion. He gave her a shy smile and she felt her heart melt.

How on earth can Mum and Dad be wary of a man as sweet as Cliff? They don't understand anything at all!

She felt a small swell of anger at the very thought and took to practically flinging a spoon of honey into her brew.

The tea was too hot to drink, so the two sat in silence, listening to the record player. Cliff glanced at Claire. She seemed very distracted tonight; he couldn't help but wonder if he had said or done something to cause her strange behavior. Her eyes flicked to the nightstand beside her bed and she frowned, furrowing her brow. His eyes moved back to her and she was staring at the ceiling with a red face, twisting a strand of blonde hair in her fingers.

Cliff listened to the song on the record player. It was a familiar tune that often played in early evenings as the he and his sister sat around the hearth, watching the embers glow. Their mother would be skillfully twirling the way her own mother had taught her and she'd sing along to the crooning voice on the record player.

"Tonight there are diamonds in the sky/

And I've never really questioned why/

Your smile maaaakes me want to swoon~…"

He could still hear her sweet voice and he loved the way their voices sounded together when they harmonized. Ivy would always sit still and listen, spellbound.

"Tonight let's dance under the moooon~…" Cliff softly sang the final line of the song aloud without realizing it.

A smile formed at the corner of Claire's mouth. "Ah, this is the song you and Karen know."

He nodded, grateful to see that she was a bit more relaxed. The soft piano tones echoed throughout the room and he looked over at his friend. He wanted to see her smile again. He wanted to hear her giggle and he wanted to watch that cute dress flare out as she moved to the music. More than anything else, he desired to see Claire comfortable and having a good time.

Cliff stood up. Claire looked up at him curiously and a relieved look swept over her face as he offered her his hand to dance. Neither of them said anything as she took his hand and they moved to the open space in the room.

He gave her a spin and Claire couldn't stand it anymore; a giggle escaped from her lips. Cliff's face lit up. "There's that smile," he murmured encouragingly into her ear as they danced together.

Her grin only grew as she moved in a little closer. She never recalled his hand at her waist feeling so loving and tender. She rested her head on his shoulder, allowing herself to let go of her insecurities about loving him. They stepped to the beat together and after another twirl when Cliff pulled her back in, she allowed her body to fall against his, catching him in an embrace as her anxiety crumbled around him.

"I was afraid for a while that we'd never dance together like this again," she whispered, a lump forming in her throat.

She could feel him gulping and he gently tilted her chin upward so that their eyes met. "I'm right here, and I'm not going anywhere. There's nowhere I'd rather be than by your side."

"You have no idea how good it feels to hear you say that." Claire watched his lips curl up into a smile and found herself wanting to touch them.

"Oh, but I do. I've been dying to say it."

He granted her wish and gave her what started as a gentle kiss on the lips. He could feel her soft exhale as he cupped her cheek, eager to show her how much he cared. As emotions flowed, their hold on one another grew tighter and their kiss more intense. Cliff felt admittedly a little dizzy and overwhelmed as they came up for air, and he began to wonder with a giddy excitement what it would feel like to share a kiss beyond their chaste closed-mouth ones someday. He immediately chided himself for his thoughts, returning his gaze at the young woman.

They were no longer dancing and she was left looking up at him, bashful yet starry-eyed. He felt like there was something he was supposed to ask her, but his mind felt hazy as she ran her fingers across the back of his neck, wrapping her arms around him in a gentle embrace.

He thought of the nightmare they had recently gotten out of and his gratitude that they were spending time together that evening.

"I want you to have fun tonight," he murmured into her hair as they slowly began to rock to the beat of the music.

She held him tighter. "I am. I have you, after all."

Their cold cups of tea sat at the table, forgotten.

The ding from Claire's toaster oven was one of the few things that broke their spell. Cliff reluctantly let go of his dance partner as she checked on the food, although their dancing had really hadn't been much more than hugging and gently swaying to the music. He had felt Claire's trembling and stifling of emotional tears and he was a little surprised he had to keep his own back.

"Do you need any help?"

Claire smiled. "If you want to pour the wine, I'll plate the food." She was grateful that her nerves were almost completely gone. While this date was much more intimate than the blind dates she had been on before, she found that she enjoyed this one much more already. "This is like a celebration for your new job," Claire pointed out with a smile. They walked to the table together and sat down with the food and drink at the seat cushions that were still pressed together.

Just like it would be if we were lovers, Claire told herself. Wait, are we?

His lips brushed her knuckles before she took her flatware. "We can celebrate us, too… You make me really happy, Claire…"

His eyes were glowing in genuine delight and a shy smile hinted at his lips as he gazed at her. She felt herself drawn into him and she slowly leaned in towards him, but paused halfway. He looked at her curiously with large expressive eyes that conveyed affection. The young woman fought back the giddiness rising up within her and her smile faded. "And you make me happy, too, b-but…" She looked up at him and swallowed, her lips turning into a frown as she straightened her posture. "What if happiness isn't enough?"

Suddenly she didn't feel like eating. She stared at her plate of carefully prepared roasted sweet potatoes and chicken and frowned, watching the steam from them rise into the air. The date had been going well, and she ruined it again…

Cliff blinked as he processed her words, his heart dropping. What had he done this evening to harm their budding relationship? Perhaps she was referring to stability… He lowered his eyes in embarrassment; he needed time at his job to make him more financially stable, and he was aware he still had his handful of problems he kept hidden away from the rest of the world…

She watched the worry lines form on his forehead and immediately felt a rash of guilt. "It's j-just something I heard someone say the other day about their own life," Claire explained hastily, already regretting bringing up the subject. She absentmindedly picked up her fork and knife, cutting her piece of chicken in an effort to make conversation feel more natural. "I told him that it seemed like he had the things in life that would make him happy, but he replied that sometimes happiness isn't enough. I just… can't seem to get the words out of my head," she finished lamely, setting down her utensils with a soft sigh. "I wonder if I'm overlooking something in my own life."

The frown didn't wipe off of Cliff's mouth, but his forehead relaxed a little. They sat quietly for a moment as he tried to gather his thoughts. Claire wasn't trying to say she didn't like him, he told himself. "I guess it depends on what your happiness stems from," he replied carefully. "I mean… there are different kinds of happiness from different sources. The happiness I feel when I hear good music and when I eat a delicious meal are different from each other. And… both are a lot different from the happiness I feel when… I'm with you…" He blushed as he averted his gaze, nervously rubbing the crook of his neck. "Maybe the person you were talking to meant that they didn't have the right happiness to make them whole, if that makes any sense."

Claire's heart lifted and her flushed cheeks matched his. "D-do you feel like you have the right kinds of happiness to feel whole?" She ignored their food for the moment and leaned toward him, a lock of her hair tumbling in front of her shoulder.

"It's… a process," he confessed, shyly running a few gentle fingers through the golden strands, "but… I feel like it doesn't seem impossible anymore. This past year has just been…" Cliff let out a breathy chuckle as he took a moment to reflect. "I don't even know if I have words for it."

She rested her hand on his shoulder. "I know what you mean. In a lot of ways, my whole life has changed, but… I'm still struggling to earn my parents' approval." She stroked the nape of his neck to soothe herself as he gave her a small frown. "I… got a letter from them yesterday. They were polite… but I could tell they still don't think I should be out here."

He watched the ends of her hair curl over the edge of his fingers. "I-it… can be hard… when your parent wants something for you… that deep down just feels wrong." His eyebrows furrowed as he bit his lip. "They have your future all planned out for you, and everyone gets to decide what is best for you but yourself."

The hurt in his diverted eyes was the same brand that Claire associated with him mentioning his sister. "What about Ivy?" The words slipped out and she didn't realize she had said them aloud at first.

She was even more surprised when he answered readily. "She was great at foraging and she had a lot of previous experience with herbal medicines." He gulped. "Ivy… was actually really jealous of me. I don't know if I'll ever understand how she possibly could be."

"You have a lot of talents," she pointed out. "You're resourceful and kind, can hunt, you can sing and dance…" She immediately thought of the fireworks festival with a grin.

The joy left Cliff's face, and she immediately remembered with a flash of guilt that he had said something about not enjoying it because he didn't feel free when he was performing. "The only reason she was jealous was because she didn't understand. I-I'm sorry… we were talking about your parents and I just started rambling about myself." His words were awkward as he removed his hand from her hair, looking away with embarrassment.

The cue that he didn't wish to speak more about his family was obvious. "I always love learning more about you, but if you don't want to talk about it, I will never pressure you," she told him with a smile. Claire turned to her food and put her napkin on her lap.

Cliff frowned. He hadn't meant to direct the conversation to being about him. However, as the weather got cooler and Doug had mentioned snow would be falling before they knew it, Cliff's blood had run cold. His nights would inevitably grow sleepless as they always did this time of year… Maybe having someone to confide in would be nice…

Maybe I'm just too much of a mess…

He swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. "I think that your farm is something anyone would be impressed at. You've come so far from where you started." He cocked his head toward the open window. "Remember when that was a patch of weeds?" The smile fell from his face and his eyebrows arched in sincerity. "I… I think you're amazing, Claire."

The young woman had already memorized her parents' letter:

"With hard work and dedication, the goal of making Mystic Acres a farm to be proud of may well be within your grasp."

Cliff already thinks I'm there…

She wasn't exactly sure why she felt like crying. The young woman fought the urge to screw up her face and shed tears. Instead she found herself reaching for his hand and holding it fast, giving herself a moment to regain her composure. "And I think you're amazing, Cliff." She shyly held out her wine glass for a toast. "T-to…?" Claire looked to the ceiling as she struggled for something to say, afraid of the ideas bouncing around in her head being too intimate or forward, but her heart was throbbing at his kind words.

She could hear the smile in Cliff's voice before she rested her eyes upon him. "To you and me."

"T-to you and me," she repeated softly. She was thrilled that he had the courage to make such a toast, and she wished she had been bold enough to make it herself. Claire found that she was happy enough to clink her glass against his and take a small sip, looking over the edge of her glass to see her date doing the same thing.

As they started into their meal, Claire realized with a laugh how similar the situation was to when Cliff worked at the farm and they'd share a meal together.

Cliff chewed and swallowed, looking at his date curiously. "What's so funny?"

Claire shook her head, playfully bumping her shoulder into him. "I was so nervous about tonight… but this isn't much different than you spending evenings with me before."

The tension disappeared from his face as he playfully bopped her back. "You think it's the same?"

Cliff received one more bump as Claire leaned into his arm a bit. "I think it's better." She gave him a playful wink as she speared a bite of chicken. She let out a giggle as he purposefully brushed his arm against hers as he reached for his glass.

"Me, too."

As they ate, Claire watched as his expressions rapidly change from to inspired to elated to depressed. She looked at him curiously, silently asking what was on his mind.

"Claire… I'm so sorry… I got so caught up in myself and my own feelings."

His statement caught her off guard as his playfulness had vanished and he was soft-spoken and pensive. She wondered if he was referring to his playful flirting…

She quickly saw that wasn't the case. "It wasn't even that I couldn't see your pain when I said I was leaving… I thought it was for your own good that I not comfort you." He gave her an apologetic frown. "I didn't want you to miss me. I couldn't stand the thought of hurting you… so I hurt you."

Claire felt her heart sink. How truly lonely and desperate did someone have to feel for that to be an option to go with? Still, she gave him a sad smile. "But you're not leaving anymore."

Cliff gave her a sad smile. "You're right. I'm staying here… But it was really cruel for me to reject you the way I did… Especially after I heard Carter explain to the kids the meaning behind the Harvest Festival. I want to spend the next full moon with you this fall. I want to sit with you on Mother's Hill under the moon and stars." He lowered his eyes. "I know I can't undo the things I said and did that day, but… I want to celebrate and support you."

"Yes." Her answer escaped her lips almost immediately. "Yes, take me. I wanna watch the moon with you." Claire's voice gained confidence and enthusiasm. "Let's thank the gods together and pray for a good harvest next year, too. I have this recipe I want to make for moon dumplings! I've wanted to try it since…" Her voice grew quiet as she wrapped her arm around his.

"I hurt you…" He finished her sentence as she looked at him with surprised eyes. "I know I'm asking for far more than I deserve."

"I don't care about those things," Claire replied. "I just want to be with you and enjoy what we have now." She gave his arm a squeeze and loaded a forkful of sweet potato. "After all, you're my…" She lifted her fork and gestured toward him with a smile.

"Sweet potato?" he asked with a slight chuckle.

Claire gave him a playful nudge. "Happiness, silly!" She quickly swallowed her bit of food. "That is, unless you want me to call you my sweet potato."

He shook his head with a genuine laugh, but Claire beamed as she watched the color rise in his cheeks.

"Thanks for tonight. I'm glad we got a chance to talk." A playful smile spread across her face. "You're a fun date, Cliff. I'm looking forward to our next one." She gave him a hug in the doorway.

He was a little sad it was over already; the past hours had flown by like a dream. Their eyes locked and they stood in each other's arms silently for a few moments. Cliff gulped and his face turned scarlet as his eyes traced her lips before moving back to her gaze.

"Uh… I-I heard... well, that is to s-say… some people don't feel comfortable… k-kissing on the first date… but…" He averted his eyes and Claire could almost swear she saw steam roll out of his ears.

Her own face turned rosy as she gently placed a hand on his cheek. "Cliff… we've already kissed tonight…" she reminded him. "You and I… well… we've been through a lot more than most people have before their first date." A smile played at her lips as she gazed at him fondly. "I had a really good time tonight. This… this is by far the best date I've ever been on." She paused, ignoring the butterflies fluttering rapidly in her stomach. "A-and, just for the record…" Claire gulped, standing on her tiptoes to whisper into his ear. "I like kissing you."

Cliff's lips were immediately on hers and her eyes slid shut as she leaned into him, soaking in the moment as her skin prickled with goose bumps. The comfortable combination of herbs and tanned leather that she caught a faint whiff of was synonymous with Cliff, and she adored it. He held her with such sincere affection that she felt like she was going to swoon. He gently broke off the kiss and he let out a small, bewildered chuckle, half wondering if he had held on for too long. His soft breath tickled Claire's lips as a pleasurable chill ran down her spine. His arms were still firmly around her, as if he hated the thought of being away from her.

"I do, too." The young man gave her shoulder a pat as he reluctantly let go of her, smiling with his wide eyes. "Sleep well, Claire."

"You, too." She gave him a grin and waved goodbye, holding a hand over her heart.

Cliff headed back to the inn, giddy with happiness as he walked with a spring in his step. He had gone on his first date with the woman of his dreams, and everything had gone relatively well. She wanted to see him again and she reacted well to their closeness. Maybe someday she could love him as deeply as he loved her. It still felt like a dream…

A weight in his pocket caused him to freeze. Fishing the pendant out of his pocket, he held it up under the moon. The waxing crescent didn't provide much light even though the sky was relatively clear. Still, he was able to make out the carvings on the surface of the polished rock.

Claire… I want a future that has you in it…

Author's Note: While this chapter was fun to write, it was also a bit tricky. I wanted to set a good pace for their relationship without making the whole chapter too nauseatingly sweet.

This chapter gave me a lot of nostalgia when I was dating my husband. We met online, and our times together in person were rare, so we had been through a lot together emotionally by the time we had our first "official date".

I hope this chapter gave sweet, cozy vibes. I sincerely hope you enjoyed! Feel free to let me know what you think!