Dale stood in front of the door, fully blocking it so that no one would be able to leave the building. He had been standing there for a good five minutes already and both Luke and Bo knew he couldn't keep it up for the whole day. Both of the young carpenters knew of the dangers associated with going outside in the middle of a raging blizzard but those were dangers they both didn't mind braving.
Tomorrow would be the Starry Night Festival, making today the day to ask people out on a date to watch the stars. Doing it tomorrow would be too late for the festival to hold any special meaning. Bo had spent his past two Starry Nights with Luna on the bridge connecting Garmon Mine District with Molly's farmland. It had become a habit after two years; they wouldn't even need to plan ahead of time or to make sure they were going to meet. Whenever Starry Night rolled around, the two of them would be at the bridge at exactly nineteen o'clock to watch the stars together. Sometimes they would close their eyes and make a wish, keeping it a secret from each other as divulging it would make it void while others they would be content with simply stargazing.
This year, like with Thanksgiving, Bo wanted to change things. He remembered Luna's bright smile when she saw the pumpkin cake he had baked her and the happiness that had lighted up in her eyes when he had eaten the shortcake she had baked him with a smile. Bo wasn't sure if Luna thought it meant anything special that he had given her a different cake compared to all the other years but he was certain that Starry Night would make a difference. If it didn't, he still had Christmas and New Years Eve to look forward to. One way or another he would convey his true feelings to her, with or without the need for words.
Dale wouldn't let either of them out though; he didn't trust Luke not to hurt himself and Bo had already been hurt a while back. Though the cut on his arm had healed enough for him to not need to bandage it up anymore, Dale hadn't wanted to take any chances and decided to keep them both inside until the snowstorm subsided. Luke paced back and forth in front of his dad, staring longingly out the window and occasionally glaring at the older carpenter but Dale still wouldn't move.
"Dad, it's not that bad, just let me go out!" Luke finally exclaimed, his patience having reached its limit but the dark blue haired male only shook his head, crossing his arms in front of his chest.
"No can do, Luke. You know it's dangerous out there," Dale replied gruffly.
"I promised Molly yesterday that I'd help her set up her Christmas tree today," Luke protested, walking up to the widow to peer outside. Pure whiteness filled his vision, obscuring the background of the sky. The only thing visible to him was the never ending falling flakes of snow, speedily descending.
"She'll understand why if you don't show up."
"That's not the point!" the blue haired carpenter stressed but Dale still didn't budge from the door, leading to Luke crying out in frustration before stomping away while grumbling under his breath.
Bo watched his friend leave the room from his seat at the kitchen table. While he wanted to get out of the house too, he understood the dangers that accompanied going outside in the midst of a blizzard and Bo wasn't eager to get hurt anymore that winter. He did want to ask Luna out for Starry Night but that could always wait until the snowstorm subsided or decreased in intensity. As long as Dale let him out of the house before midnight hit then that would be good enough for Bo.
The older carpenter watched the retreating back of his son, shaking his head at his antics but didn't say anything in response, only walking away from the door toward his room. "I trust you won't be going outside, Bo?" Dale asked. The blonde carpenter shook his head and the older male smiled at him with a brief laugh before raising his voice so that it would carry further into the house. "Don't even think of sneaking out, Luke."
With that all said and done, Dale retreated into his workshop, closing the door behind him, leaving Bo all alone. The entire house became eerily silent and the only sounds that could be heard were the sounds of the harsh snowfall outside. Flurries impatiently fell downward and the wind swept up the flakes, scattering them in all directions. Howls from the wind could briefly be heard and the only scenery observable beyond the window remained a sea of whiteness.
He turned away from the window, having seen enough of the falling snow, only to see Luke standing behind him with a mischievous grin. The sudden appearance of his friend greatly surprised him and Bo's eyes widened. "Luke, what are you doing?"
"I promised Molly that I'd help her set up her Christmas tree," the blue haired carpenter replied, grabbing his boots by the door. "I'm not going to break it."
"But Dale said…"
"I know what Dad said," Luke interrupted, removing his jacket from the hanger next to the door to put on.
"Then why are you still going? There's a blizzard outside; Molly will understand if you don't show up." Bo was aware that he was merely repeating what Dale had argued earlier but it was true. No one in their right mind would go out in the midst of such weather, regardless of what important tasks they had to do.
"Because," he replied with a simple shrug.
"How is that even an answer?"
"It's just something I have to do."
"If you like her, this isn't exactly the best way to show it," Bo commented just as Luke's hand was about to turn the doorknob.
The older carpenter turned to look at him with a smile, remaining silent for a while before responding. "Hey man, a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do. I'm not going to wait around for years to show her how I feel about her."
Bo wasn't sure how to reply to that. Was Luke teasing him over his feelings for Luna again or was he being serious? It wasn't as if Bo was deliberately hiding his feelings, he just didn't know how to let them out without harming their friendship. If they couldn't be more than friends then he wanted them to at least be friends but that wouldn't be the case any more if he told Luna how he felt about her and she didn't return those feelings. Bo wouldn't have minded keeping his feelings to himself for another year if it weren't for Gill. While the future mayor of Castanet Island and the pink haired tailor were friends to a certain extent, Gill seemed to have a deeper interest in Luna, or at least that was what it looked like to him, driving him to come to terms with his feelings. He could either risk their friendship and tell her the truth about how he felt about her or sit back and remain her friend, risking the possibility of her getting together with Gill. They were both terrible options but Bo had opted for the former and concocted his winter plans. "Just how exactly do you think this will help?" Bo tried arguing but Luke shrugged his shoulders again with a smile.
"Maybe it won't but I promised her and a promise is a promise," was all Luke said before he pushed open the door. A blast of cold air entered the room, accompanied by a flurry of chilly snowflakes and Bo shivered but before he could react, his friend was gone and the door had closed, leaving him alone once again.
A sigh left his lips as he once again stood in front of the window, staring outside. Perhaps Luke was right in a way. Changing what kind of cake he gave Luna for Thanksgiving didn't mean much, even if it was her favourite. The saying 'actions speak louder than words' hadn't helped him in that situation either and Bo wasn't quite sure how he should proceed. It might be best to just tell her how he felt but…
I like you were three simple words that carried a multitude of meanings.
I really like you didn't make it any better.
I love you could be taken as him talking about their friendship, much like how he could say he loved Dale and Luke. They were like family to him and Luna might take those three words to be about the already existing bond between them.
I've fallen in love with you was his best bet, but he didn't think those words would leave his lips with ease. Did he feel that strongly about her? It could be a fleeting emotion that coursed through his veins, something most young adults feel as they grow and mature.
Bo shook his head; this was all becoming too complicated and the more he thought about it, the more nervous and anxious he became. Starry Night was tomorrow. All he had to do was take one step at a time. First though, he had to ask Luna out.
xxx
"Once I get my hands on that boy…" Dale grumbled to himself as he walked past Bo, pushing the door of their home open. The blizzard had stopped about half an hour ago and people had started venturing outside again. Dale had found out that Luke had left before the snowstorm had ended and had mumbled incoherent threats under his breath until the snow stopped. The older carpenter carried his axe over his shoulder and walked out the door, gruffly frowning to himself.
Bo watched him leave before putting on his own winter coat and boots. Since the snow had stopped, now was the perfect time for him to find Luna and to ask her to meet him tomorrow for Starry Night but he was also worried about Luke. Harmonica Town was on one side of Garmon Mine District while Molly's farmhouse was on the other, meaning Bo would have to take a detour either way. Without coming to a decision, he started walking, his boots crunching through the freshly fallen snow, leaving a new trail of footprints behind him.
His feet took him toward the rickety bridge connecting Garmon Mine District with the other side of the island. This was where he always met Luna for Starry Night for the previous two years. It hadn't even been planned the first time; they had both been there and Bo had asked if she wanted to spend the night with him instead of being alone while everyone else celebrated the festival with someone else. She had said yes. The year after that, last year to be precise, he had been too preoccupied with a new building project and had forgotten about the festival until the night of. Luke and him had been working on expanding Molly's farmhouse when night had fallen around them and the blue haired carpenter had not so subtly hinted that Bo should leave them alone before the festival started. He had taken the hint and left, walking toward the bridge to get back home when he had spotted Luna there on the other side of the bridge. She had seen him approaching and met him halfway, both stopping in the middle of the rickety bridge. Without saying much of anything, they had sat down next to each other to watch the stars together for the second year in a row.
This year is going to be different, Bo thought to himself as he crossed the bridge, picking up his pace and before long, he was standing in front of Molly's home. Sounds could be heard from inside, consisting mostly of muffled voices, making it hard for him to figure out just who they belonged to. Instead of waiting around to figure it out, he simply knocked on the door. The door swung open and Molly appeared, her eyebrows rising in surprise at seeing Bo but she smiled at him nonetheless.
"Hello Bo," Molly greeted him, "Is there something I can help you with? I haven't gotten those flowers you wanted yet if you're here to ask about those."
"Just hear those sleigh bells jingling ring ting tingling too, c'mon it's lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you."
Luke's voice drifted out of the farmhouse, reaching both Molly and Bo's ears, momentarily stunning the blonde carpenter while the farmer merely laughed, a wide grin on her face. "We got bored while decorating the tree so we started singing Christmas songs," Molly explained, amusement sparkling in her eyes. "His singing isn't that bad, Bo. My cousin is worse."
He blinked his eyes, unsure of how he should even react in the first place and tentatively peeked into the farmhouse. In front of the door was a short hallway that led directly to Molly's living room which was where Luke was, stringing up Christmas lights around the tree that stood in the middle of the room. A large star was perched at the top of the tree while a bunch of other ornaments were placed haphazardly below it. Instead of hanging off the tree, some of the ornaments were hanging from the light wires, swinging back and forth every time Luke moved or pulled at the cord. Seeing his friend without any visible injuries and seemingly having a lot of fun made Bo feel slightly better and he moved away from the door. "I just wanted to check up on Luke," he replied, giving the farmer a soft smile.
Molly returned his smile as she leaned against the doorframe. "I was surprised when he showed up in the middle of the snowstorm but it was a nice surprise," she started, "I'm glad that he's here though; I was planning to go look for him when the blizzard stopped. Tomorrow is Starry Night after all." Her cheeks reddened slightly at that statement but she merely grinned at Bo, looking at him expectantly.
He knew where she was going with those statements and sighed, which only led to her giggling. "That's what I'm doing next," Bo informed her. "Thank you for trying to get the flowers, Molly."
"It's not a problem; I'm hoping that I'll be able to get them before Christmas though. Vaughn said that his wife was working hard on trying to harvest some but they're taking a while to gather since they all grow in different season."
"Oh! I'm sorry for giving you all so much trouble!"
Molly laughed again, waving off his apology. "Like I said, it's not a problem. Once my told my cousin-in-law why you wanted them, she was more than happy to try to grow them for you."
"…You told your cousin-in-law about Luna and me?"
"Yeah, of course. Too bad her and Vaughn are too busy with their family this year to visit. She would have a lot of advice to give you."
Bo paled slightly at hearing that and Molly's grin widened at his reaction. "Ah, tell her thank you for me."
"Will do."
"We're riding in a wonderland of snow. Giddy up, giddy up, giddy up, it's grand, just holding your hand. We're gliding along with the song of a wintry fairy land~"
"Uhm, I think I'm going to go find Luna. Thanks again for helping me with the flowers Molly, and," Bo paused and looked at Luke with raised eyebrows. Now that the lights had been arranged around the Christmas tree, the blue haired carpenter was putting up stickers of Santa Claus riding his reindeer onto the nearby walls while still singing incredibly off key. "I hope the two of you have fun tonight."
"We will," Molly replied with another laugh, waving good bye to him before closing the door. Her voice joined Luke's in the singing, mixing together to create some strange harmony that actually didn't sound that bad.
He left them alone and started walking toward Harmonica Town
xxx
Luna was talking to Gill outside Meringue Clinic.
Bo hadn't been able to find her outside or in Sonata Tailoring and Candace had directed him up the street, saying her sister had left the store a few minutes earlier with Gill in tow. He had easily found the two of them standing quite close to one another, talking in soft voices, making it hard for him to hear, not that he wanted to know what they were talking about. He knew eavesdropping was wrong but that didn't stop curiosity from gnawing at him.
He took a tentative step forward but the snow covered ground made it hard for him to be silent and the crunch of the snow giving way beneath his boots alerted the pair to his presence. Luna's head snapped up in his direction and catching his gaze, mumbled something lowly to Gill who shook his head in response. The future mayor of Castanet Island nodded his head at Bo as a greeting before leaving the pair alone, walking down the street toward his home.
Luna's eyes followed Gill's retreating back for a moment before she turned fully to look quizzically at Bo. "Is there something on my face?"
He blinked and immediately looked away, not noticing the smile playing on her lips. "N-no, of course not!"
She rolled her eyes at his response but smiled at him nonetheless. They stood there, facing each other for a few moments, breathing in the icy winter air and letting it back out as puffs of condensation. "Hey Bo, you know what tomorrow is, right?" Luna began, her voice sounding softer than usual.
He nodded a yes to her. "The Starry Night Festival."
Luna met his answer by looking up at him expectantly, hands resting on her hips and her head tilted slightly to the side. Bo stared back at her. Was she hinting him to say what he had wanted to say in the first place? When he didn't say anything to her, Luna rolled her eyes with a light smile.
"Would you like to spend it with me?"
"Let's spend it together."
Again, they stared at each other before they both ended up laughing at the timing of their replies. A light blush appeared on Bo's cheeks and he blinked his eyes at her sudden request. He hadn't thought that she'd be the one to ask him and while the rational part of him told not to jump to any conclusions, he couldn't stop the increasing pace of his heartbeats. Luna could've meant that in a friendly way but he wanted to believe there was a deeper meaning to that. Neither of them had ever asked the other out, not for the past two Starry Nights, not for the past Flower Festivals, not for the past Firefly Festivals, nor for the past Moon Viewings.
Bo didn't know if it was a coincidence or due to chance that they always met up without prior arrangement. The first time had definitely been both. The second time, not so much. The majority of the festivals they attended together were ones intended for couples, though that never stopped other friends from spending them together, which was what they always did. It was better than being alone after all. They would always meet up right before the start of the festival at the appropriate place and when it was over, Bo would walk Luna home. It was that simple.
They had spent all the other 'romantic' festivals together earlier that year and with each passing one, Bo had told himself that he would reveal his true feelings to her but he never did so, chickening out at the last moment until now. Seeing Gill with Luna earlier had set off his worries and seeing them whisper to one another hadn't made it any better. Again, it came to down to confessing to her in hopes of her returning his feelings or keeping silent and having Gill and her get together.
"Eighteen o'clock at Flute Fields," Luna stated.
"…Flute Fields?" he couldn't help but echo.
"Of course; did you want to spend it on the bridge again?"
"That's not what I meant," Bo mumbled, looking down at the snowy ground as his cheeks became flushed again. "Sure Luna, I'll meet you there at that time."
She smiled up at him, eyes sparkling and shook her head. "No; come to my house. I want you to walk me there."
"O-okay…" he managed to get out.
"Great, I'll see you tomorrow," Luna replied with a grin before turning around to walk away, passing Ocarina Inn, leaving Bo to stare at her retreating figure.
The night was clear without a single cloud in sight, being the perfect backdrop for the Starry Night festival. Snow had fallen that morning until the clock had hit thirteen o'clock, providing a fresh dusting of fluffy ice crystals on everything on the island. Bo's boots made soft crunching sounds as he walked down the street toward Sonata Tailoring, reminding him of Thanksgiving day. The air was quiet all around him though many of the houses had their lights lit, indicating that someone was home. Occasionally a few voices would reach his ears as he walked along the street, providing him with a brief glimpse into what other people were doing for the festival.
Choral Clinic and the Wizard's house were silent and bathed in darkness, the only light being the light coming from the lamp posts stationed nearby. Hamilton's voice could be heard quite loudly from the mayor's own home though Bo couldn't make out any words in particular. Brass Bar sounded rowdy, if the music and voices that drifted out of the establishment were any sort of indication. Sonata Tailoring, being right next to the bar, was almost the complete opposite. If it weren't for the lights being on, Bo would've thought that no one was home.
He stood in front of the door and tried peering into the window but was unable to actually see anything due to the fogged up glass, much like on Thanksgiving. Instead of pressing his face against the window, Bo moved toward the door, knocking on it. Muffled voices could be heard through the door along with a few annoyed comebacks that definitely belonged to Luna before the door swung open to reveal Shelly. The older female beckoned him in with a smile and Bo stepped inside, letting her close the door behind him.
"I don't trust you, at all," Luna stated flatly, her voice drifting through the air to reach the carpenter's ears. "I don't get what Candace even sees in you."
"Good thing I'm going out with her and not you," another voice retorted.
Shelly smiled wryly at Bo, shaking her head as she walked toward the living room with him right behind her. "They've been at this for a while now," she informed him, amusement slightly lacing her tone.
"L-Luna, please stop," Candace asked of her sister, taking a step forward.
That didn't deter the pink haired tailor though and her eyes merely narrowed as she glared up at Chase. "I'm not going to stop until he answers my questions. Exactly what do you see in my sister? What are your intentions toward her?"
The peach haired chef looked at her and rolled his eyes. "I have no obligation to answer your questions," he replied, his tone of voice oozing out volumes of annoyance. "What do you think I want from her?"
"If I knew I wouldn't be asking you, now would I?"
Candace looked at the two of them, unsure of how to diffuse the situation when Shelly clapped her hands a few times to get the arguing pair's attention. "Now now, Luna, tonight is Starry Night. If you want to argue, please find a better time for it. Bo's here for you and the festival will be starting soon."
Bo could feel all pairs of eyes on him as Shelly mention his name and both the tailors smiled at him while Chase only looked at him with disinterest.
"Let's go, Bo," Luna stated, sauntering over toward Bo and grabbing his hand, pulling him toward the door. "If you do anything to hurt Candace, you will pay." She glowered at Chase over her shoulder for one last time before walking outside, closing the door behind her with a bam, missing the chef rolling his eyes in response.
She walked at a brisk pace toward Flute Fields with Bo behind her, her hand still holding onto his. She didn't say anything and he wasn't sure just how to start a conversation. Bo had thought Luna was fine with Candace's relationship with Chase, what with having seen the two of them exchanging gifts privately on the beach for Thanksgiving but it seemed that he had been wrong. The snow made soft crunching sounds beneath their boots as they walked along the path, hand in hand. Luna remained focused on the distance, her eyes looking straight ahead while Bo's gaze flickered from place to place, though it mostly remained on the back of Luna's head.
xxx
"I just don't understand what she sees in him," Luna reiterated to Bo, resting her head on his shoulder as they gazed up at the cloudless sky. Stars had begun making themselves clear a few minutes ago but the sky was still far from being covered by stars. "Like sure, I'm glad she's not dating Julius but I just don't get it!"
He wasn't sure how to respond and instead focused on the stars above. A layer of snow covered the grass beneath them and coldness continued to grab at his legs but the low temperature didn't bother either of them that much. Further down the hill, Bo could see Luke and Molly sitting together, most likely laughing or talking about one thing or another and he became distracted by them for a short moment.
Whenever Bo saw them, they were always laughing or enjoying each other's company. Chase and Candace looked as if they the same applied to them, minus the laughing part, and Bo was certain that it also applied to Luna and him. Couples didn't always make sense in how they ended up together but all that mattered was the feelings between them. "I don't think it's up to us to judge," he answered slowly, keeping his eyes focused on the stars as more and more of them began to shine against the darkness. "It's their relationship and they both must have liked each other in the first place for them to end up together."
Luna blinked her eyes, staring at the side of his face, a frown emerging on her lips as she absorbed in his reply. "They just don't seem right together," she finally declared, letting her own eyes look skyward.
"People say 'opposites attract'," he reminded her, "But they also say 'birds of a feather flock together'; only the Harvest Goddess and they know what they see in each other. Maybe if you get to know Chase you'll learn to like him more?"
"I highly doubt that," Luna retorted though her voice had taken on a softer tone. "Let's not talk about them anymore. They can have their night together and we can have ours, but tomorrow I will get an answer out of him."
"We can have ours." Bo's cheeks warmed slightly at those particular words, contrasting nicely against the cold. While it was nothing new to have Luna resting her head on his shoulder as they watched the stars, he couldn't help but feel a rush of nerves at having her so close to him. He knew he shouldn't overreact either, that it was always possible that her words held no particular special meaning but he couldn't stop his mind from coming up with different possibilities.
"Bo, look!" Luna exclaimed, pointing up toward the sky. He snapped out of his thoughts in time to see a shooting star, dashing across the sky like a reindeer running to catch up with Santa's sleigh. "Make a wish!"
His eyes fluttered shut. I wish that I will have the courage to tell Luna how I truly feel.
"What did you wish for?" she asked him, looking up at him expectantly, a teasing glint in her eyes as he opened his own eyes after the shooting star had passed.
"The same thing I always wish for." It wasn't technically a lie; they never told each other what they truly wished for, believing that if they did the wish won't come true and instead told each other in general terms what their wish was. "What about you, Luna?"
"I did the same," she answered with a grin.
xxx
Clouds rolled slowly across the sky, starting to hide the stars behind them, and Luna stood up, shaking herself to warm up her legs again. Bo followed suit and did the same.
"Thanks for spending tonight with me," Luna stated, smiling happily at him.
Bo only smiled back. Now was as good as any other time to tell her. The festival was ending now that clouds were starting to appear and it had grown quite late too, leading to the temperature dropping even further. While the majority of the stars were still visible, Bo looked Luna directly in the eye and opened his mouth. "Luna, I-…"
He was interrupted. "Gill! Wait for me!" Luna called out after spotting the future mayor on the path leading back to Harmonica Town. "I'm sorry Bo, but there's something I have to talk to Gill about. Thank you for tonight though." Before he could even reply, she ran off, sending up clumps of snow behind her, leaving the blonde carpenter to stare after her, disappointment and anxiety running rampant in his veins.
Perhaps he should give up on the third part of his plan.