okay, so i lied when i said this chapter wouldn't be out for a little while longer.
here you go! i hope you enjoy!
disclaimer: i don't own harvest moon or its characters.
There wasn't enough days in the week for the news of this new resident to settle in. The gossip mill of the small coastal town was running amok with theories, but their voices were always kept low so that the entitled Mayor's Son couldn't hear them. It had been a long time since anyone had shown interest in the farm, a fair few could recall the Harmon family and their success before disappearing off the face of the Earth before being shot a pointed glare by the blond as he strut down the street to gather Luna and her sister for the loosely based "family" dinner they held every Tuesday and Thursday night.
The night wasn't festive, only a few tables were actually taken, and the occupants were either whispering sweet words of romance or discussing the farm's sudden purchase from the newspaper that they had sent out years ago. He could probably listen for hours to these people or to the girls yammering on about designs and business, it was always Luna more than Candace, who often times looked his way with an expression that begged for him to help her. Gill would have cut in, shushed Luna appropriately without hurting her feelings too badly and continue to slip back into his thoughts as they carried on a more congenial conversation topic but tonight wasn't that night. The cool, blank exterior that Gilbert Hamilton had crafted himself was slowly breaking along with his interior.
"Goodness, Gill! You'd think you would be a little more interested in our topic discussion," Luna whined, her already shrill voice going up an octave, and her arms crossed over her chest. Her cheeks were red too, it was either embarrassment or anger at the boy that she claimed to be in love with.
He didn't offer an apology or even a sympathetic look. "Excuse me," was all he in a manner that seemed a bit abrupt as he ushered himself out of the door and into the cool, late fall evening.
The repercussions for such an act especially in public would be a lengthy apology, something who could or could not mean, flowers and a promise that he would get more sleep and figure out a better schedule because it was due to all the "stress" that had built up over the past few months. Gill swore he would fix this after he cleared his head, making a beeline for the Church Grounds and stumbling down the weather beaten steps to reach his mother. She would have known what to do, she had easily gotten herself out of predicaments without stepping on anyone's toes. Gill hadn't been lucky enough to inherit that from his mother and cursed the day when he had found that out.
It was a rare occasion when another person visited the graveyard, the tombstones were usually left alone with no flowers leaned up against them or gifts that people thought their lost loved ones might appreciate. Mira was the only one to bring things, blue flowers adorned her husband's graves along with a little handwritten note with "I miss yous" and "I love yous" probably written inside along with how life had been for her since his death. Gill could remember how he died, he had been sick like his mother too, and Dr. Jin hadn't been able to do anything for him.
A grimace crossed his face, slender fingers running through the now messy and tangled white-blond hair before seating himself on the ground in front of his mother's grave. Her grave looked as if it had been made that day, the stone kept clean from the muck by the combined efforts of Perry and Gill, and flowers had twined themselves around it. His father had suggested that they planted them, they were her favorite flowers, it was something he had to keep reminding himself every time he looked at the white petals.
"Mom, I don't know what to do," he began, edging a bit closer as his voice cracked. "Father sold the house, you know the one, it was always so important and it still is," he breathed, pinching his nose slightly before continuing, "but he sold it! To some girl that probably doesn't have the slightest clue about farming, carpentry, or anything for that matter!"
These things were mused angrily, a fist was slammed to the ground and he kicked out at nothing but the air. Many would have found it hysterical that a man a couple years shy of thirty was throwing a temper tantrum in the graveyard, no one had seen such a thing in ages and would go on to believe that it was just a figment of their imagination. He didn't expect Elizabeth to reply but he nodded after a few minutes, pretending that she had offered him a tidbit of wisdom like she used to as a child. No one heard those things anymore, no one heard a lot of things anymore.
He didn't waste much time there, figuring his problems could be easily fixed by going to the source of all his problems to reevaluate everything. When did life become so overwhelming? Gill hadn't felt so out of his element in such a long time. Sometimes, it felt as if it were all just a dream that he had woken up but it wasn't, the letter was there to remind him that it wasn't. It was still there inside the house, tucked away safely into his diary so he would always remember what he had done. Acting like an ass, treating her as if she was nothing more than a burden and then going on to treat everyone else that way afterwards. God, what would she do if she could see him now? Blanch and walk away? Probably. He couldn't blame her, Gill would do the same if he was her. He would never admit that though, a Hamilton wasn't self-loathing and never admitted they were wrong.
The night had grown colder, his breath a little more visible than before as he trudged along the familiar path that led him to the crossroads. Continue to Flute Fields or Garmon Mines? Or go to Clarinet Ranch? The answer was always the same, and he took the barely visible path up to the farm where someone was waiting for him. A cigarette dangled from his mouth, the lit end was the only light in the Castanet darkness and a horribly wrapped gift was in his hands to "appease the ghosts that lived there." Chase came on occasion for Gill and for himself, he had been close to her too. He missed her possibly not as much as Gill did, but he always brought a present when he came.
"You look like shit," his voice didn't ring out, there was a harshness to it that surprised everyone due to his dainty appearance. Compliments were rare with Chase as he moved from the broken pillar that left the nearly destroyed porch roof up, and offered an unknown hand gesture as his actual greeting instead of his observation.
Gill shrugged, extending his hand which drew back after a minute when a cigarette and lighter appeared there. It was a bad habit, he would have to quit but for now, he could ignore all the nasty details of what cigarettes did to you and your body to have a little peace. "Yeah… Well, you look no better," it was a weak attempt, but it was all he could muster. It had made Chase laugh and soon both of them were laughing.
Silence ensued for a few moments as they inhaled and exhaled, discarding their butts into the grass after they had been put out. The house creaked and groaned, begging them to come inside and lay in the bedroom to reminiscence about a time where they weren't as cold and cynical as they were now.
"I brought a present for them," Chase tried to joke, elbowing Gill in the ribs before being swatted at. "Hey man, I'm just doing what I've always done. Plus, on the bright side for you, I'm going to keep you company."
He was truly thankful to Chase at times like this, nodding in agreement as they walked inside, the wood moaning underneath the weight of their bodies. It was nice having him here, they were best friends and sharing this was good. It was something that a therapist would applaud after years of telling him to quit shutting himself off from people, that this was their place and not their place. Situating themselves in the right room with the proper holes in the ceiling, and the abandoned bed set in the corner where she used to look out her window on nights like these. The gift was left unopened like the others that had piled up on her bed after years of visitations and the boys were silent, drifting off into a sleep that they would rudely be woken up from tomorrow.
the next chapter will finally get the ball rolling!
the excitement begins and i hope you are prepared!