Thank you reviewers! I love you all! :3 Short chapter, but I hope it's better than nothing. I'm annoying myself with ALL THIS GrayxClaire stuff in EVERY chapter. I think in a couple chapters, Claire can't even see Gray, or else it ends up consuming the rest of my time TT

Review and tell me if I have too much Gray. I'd like to know my readers' opinions :D

AND I still have that poll in my profile! Please vote on who the main pairing in my next fic should be! I'm BEGGING you!

Disclaimer: I don't own Harvest Moon

I felt an awful panging in my head, like someone was hitting my brain with a sledgehammer. I buried my head under my pillow, trying to muffle the pounding. I finally rolled out of bed after a series of chills I received from my freezing sheets. My head suddenly felt light, and my vision blurred so I grabbed the edge of my table to steady myself.

"Ohhhh…" I moaned, rubbing my throbbing head. I felt awful. My nose was running and stuffy all at the same time, and my body was aching. Then there were those stupid chills that made me shiver every few moments.

I dragged myself over to my mirror and looked at my hideous reflection. My blonde hair was going in all directions, probably because I'd been tossing around in my bed the night before. I sighed as another chill ran through my body. I turned to change into my overalls, when I noticed the clock.

"Oh my goddess! It's 11:30?!" I shouted, and then realized how raw my throat felt. I decided to ditch the overalls as I grabbed a pair of gray sweatpants and a burgundy knit turtleneck to throw on.

I brushed my hair through quickly and left a few stubborn knots, as I lacked the energy to care whether or not I looked homeless at the moment. I slipped on my old shoes and headed for the door, grabbing a baggy plum sweatshirt and pulling it over my head as I exited my shack.

Outside, I could see the snow-lady that May, Stu, Gray, and I had made the day before. She was wearing an old pink hat of mine, and a gaudy coral necklace my grandmother had given me years ago, when I was too little to know what "fashion" meant. My field was no longer a sea of white powder, either; it was like a torn up cotton blanket. I sighed.

It still hasn't snowed, and winter's nearly half-over, I thought as I waved to the Harvest Sprites who were peering at me through my barn's window.

I'd been hiring the elf-like creatures everyday since the party nearly a week ago. They were always so cheerful and willing to help, so I almost felt that if I told them that I didn't need their help they'd feel sad. Chef –the red one- was my closest friend out of the sprites, and he'd make me tea and cookies whenever I visited the hut he and his siblings lived in.

After my greeting was returned, I made my way out of my farm. I steered clear of the Blacksmith's. After May's brilliant remarks yesterday, I decided it'd be best to avoid Gray for a few days, just until I got the nerve to talk to him. As I walked by the shop, I glanced at my watch.

Crap. It's almost one. He could be walking out of there any-

"Claire?"

I felt my eyes widen at the sound of his gruff voice. I decided to pretend I didn't hear him, and I just quickened my pace, hoping desperately he'd decide to leave me alone.

This isn't right, I thought, He's my best friend! I shouldn't ignore him!

All my reasonable thoughts left me, though, when I felt a hand on my sweatshirt-clad shoulder. I turned quickly to find a confused Gray staring at my… Head?

Oh, that's right… I didn't brush my hair very well. Dammit. Now he thinks I'm a slob.

"Claire? What's up? You look… Pale," He said, staring at my face. I was surprised he thought I looked pale, because I was sure I was blushing furiously from his gaze. I grabbed his hand from my shoulder and put it at his side, trying to stifle a cough with my free hand.

"I-" I stopped suddenly, shocked at my voice– or lack of, rather. It was like a raspy whisper. "…I'm fine…" I croaked, though I obviously wasn't.

"Are you sure you're okay? You sound sort of sick to me," Gray said and watched me suspiciously as I sneezed quietly, "Let me take you to the Clinic."

"No!" I shouted. I was astounded by myself as I quickly jogged away, towards the Inn, leaving Gray speechless in the middle of the path. Goddess, Claire, he was just being nice. That was so mean of you.

I sighed guiltily as I entered the vacant Inn, capturing Ann's attention. She ran over to me, but stopped abruptly on her way over.

"Claire!" She cried, "What the hell happened?!"

I scrunched my eyebrows and walked over to her, "Wh-at?" I choked out, wincing slightly at the pain in my throat. Ann gasped.

"Oh, no! You're sick! What do you have?" She asked rapidly. I rubbed my hurting head as I walked over to the bar, followed closely by Ann.

I found a stray piece of paper and grabbed it, and I took the pen out of the pocket of Ann's overalls and wrote: 'can't talk. Evil aches. Cold.'

Ann chuckled, "Ah, so you caught a cold," She paused as I nodded miserably, "Did you go see Elli yet?"

I grabbed the pen again and began to scribble my answer: 'No. Gray asked to take me, but I yelled at him. I'm so stupid, screaming at his face and all. Oh! And I need medicine.'

Ann looked at me questioningly, "Why'd you yell at your boyfriend?" She asked. I threw the pen at her head, but it missed. Gray and I weren't dating! "Sorry! Gosh…" She rubbed her head as if the pen had hit it. I shook my head and picked the pen up off the ground.

'So can you come with me to the Clinic to explain for me? My voice is GONE.'

Ann read my note and nodded instantly, "Sure! Let's go!" She called as she pulled me out of the Inn, leaving my side of our conversation lying on the bar counter.

As soon as we walked out the door, I saw Gray rounding the corner near the vineyard slowly.

Crap! Ann, we gotta move, I thought as I pulled the redhead the opposite direction of the blacksmith. She looked at me, annoyed, but then she saw whom I was running from and smiled mischievously.

No, no, no, Ann. I'm SO not in the mood for one of your schemes.

I immediately ran ahead of her and entered the sanctuary that was the Clinic as fast as I could. Elli noticed me and waved.

"Oh, Claire! Hello," She called as I hauled myself over to her desk, revealing my pale and sickly appearance, "Oh my. Are you under the weather?" She asked quietly.

I nodded and pointed at my throat, hoping she'd understand I was trying to tell her my voice was gone.

"And you've lost you're voice?" She asked, seemingly reading my mind. I nodded once again. She smiled and reached into a drawer in her desk, and then handed me the thermometer she'd just fished out.

I hesitantly stuck it under my tongue, and we waited patiently for it to finish measuring my body temperature. A few moments later, the device began to beep. Elli pulled it out of my mouth and read the digital display.

"Oooooh, Claire, you've got a bad fever," She stated as she cleaned the thermometer, "Let me get you some medicine."

The petite nurse made her way over to a medicine cabinet and pulled out a small container of pills. She walked back over to her desk, and wrote something down on a piece of paper before she handed me the jar.

"This is for fever, runny noses, stuffy noses, headaches, sore throats, sneezing, and coughing." She told me, counting the words off with her fingers. I nodded, seeing as how I had all of those symptoms. I smiled and reached to pull out some money to pay her, but she stopped me. "No need to pay, today. How about it's an early Christmas gift? I'd say Valentine's Day…" She trailed off, no doubt daydreaming about the Doctor.

I giggled and waved as I left the brown-eyed girl to her thoughts. I decided to go back to the Inn, because they had heaters and my house didn't. As I rounded the corner, I stared up at the sky. It was a dark blue; the color it is when it rains in the Spring, but there were no clouds. It was very odd to me. I inhaled one last breath of cold, crisp air and pushed the door to the Inn open.

I stared at the floor as I made my way slowly towards the bar and took a seat. I looked up to find Ann leaning over the counter, very close to my face.

"Hi!" She said cheerily. I smiled weakly and motioned for a glass of water, which she promptly poured me. I smiled, attempting a silent 'thank you'.

I put one of the small white pills Elli had given me into my mouth and began to drink the room-temperature water, when Ann chuckled.

"So… Gray gave you a cold when he kissed you, huh?" She asked nonchalantly, causing me to spray my warm water out of my mouth and into the air.

"Whaaaaaat?!" I screamed, hurting my throat again. Ann simply laughed hysterically.

"Goddess, Ann," I heard someone say a bit further down the bar.

I froze -and probably flushed- at the sound of his curt voice. He was here and she said that?!

I slammed my head onto the counter top, creating a hollow 'thump' noise that seemed to radiate through my head. Ann pulled herself together and wiped a stray tear from her eye.

"Oh… Claire, you should've seen the look on your face! PRICELESS! Is that why you yelled at Gray earlier? Because you're mad at him 'cause he gave you a cold?" Ann asked, and I flicked her nose. Hard. I tried to keep my head on the counter so no one could see my beet-red face.

"N-o," I wheezed, cringing at the pain, and at the sound of my once-feminine voice, "He d-idn't g-ive me any-th-ing," I whispered slowly. Ann smirked.

"What about that brooch? He gave you that, didn't he?"

My eyes widened. Dammit, Ann, how'd you know about that?

As if the waitress could hear my thoughts, she said, "Yeah that's right, I know things," She giggled, "May tells me EVERYTHING when I go to the church with Cliff every so often."

I sighed. May. How damn sly can a little girl be?

"Anyways…" Ann continued, "On a sort of unrelated note: Whatcha gonna do 'bout Valentine's Day, Claire? You can't bake cookies for Gray when you're sick!"

That was it. She was getting really annoying, talking to me about Gray like he wasn't in the room. She was one of my best friends, and I loved her, but that wouldn't save her now.

I'd already snapped.

I slowly stood up off the stool I was sitting on, and walked steadily past Gray –who I'm sure wanted to shut Ann up as much as I did- and around the counter, where I came face-to-face with the big-mouthed red head. I flicked her nose again. Then I tackled her.

She was lucky I was weakened and silenced by my sickness, or she would've been sworn at and beaten to a pulp. She was the strongest of all the girls in the village, before I did a season of farm work and built some muscle.

Unfortunately, someone unknown pulled me off of Ann before I could do any major damage to her. I was too worn out to try and fight the mediator, so I let them lift me over to the counter.

I was to worn out, that is, until I saw who'd intervened.

"H-ey!" I shouted in protest as that damn blacksmith set me on the counter. I instantly got up, almost lunging at the fallen waitress again, but decided to go somewhere else. I glanced over at the stool Gray was sitting at and noticed my notes I had written earlier to Ann sitting on the bar in front of his seat.

I grabbed one of the scraps of paper and wrote 'Sorry Ann, but you SO asked for it' before I left the Inn.

Gray sure as hell shouldn't try to follow me, or I'll beat him up too, I thought irritably.

I didn't even know where I was going until I opened the door of my new destination. Perfect.

I was in the Library, being glared at by a deadly black-haired librarian.

Yes, so… Sorry it was short! I'm going to work on the next chapter today as well, but it might not be finished 'til next weekend. Reviews would be nice, and I hope ya'll are ready for a Valentine's Day chapter