Title: Lovely Discovery

Pairing: Owen x Angela

Disclaimer: As stated before, all references to Harvest Moon are related to Natsume. I own nothing.

Rating: T

Author's Note: The Summer Festival! Oh…I don't like the festival. It's fun, but a little boring in my opinion. The fireworks are cute though…I just kind of wish that it was just the Fireworks Festival like in other HM games. Haha!

Well, please enjoy and drop a review if you can! Every bit of encouragement helps!

-START-

The Summer Festival was usually a time to rejoice in the ocean. The boats were running and the sea was harmoniously peaceful. Of course, that didn't mean anything to Angela, who'd lost every single contest earlier that day. To her, the festival just reminded her about how horrible she was at fishing. She liked the sport, but for some reason it wasn't her forte. After a horrible day of embarrassing losses, she decided to retreat home with one of her most trusted friends at her side.

"Don't feel bad Angela…" Toby said sympathetically as he patted the young woman's back. "This is your first year in town…it's only natural to not with all the contests at the festival. Fishing is really hard. It took me years to learn."

"I didn't win a single contest," Angela said gloomily, her head hanging as she and the blue-haired fisherman made their way back to her farm. After witnessing her claiming last place in every contest, Toby realized that she must have felt incredibly depressed and offered to walk her home. "But thank you for walking me home."

"I'm surprised you let me," he said with a soft chuckle. "I thought for sure you'd want to stay and watched the fireworks with Owen."

Angela froze in her tracks and stared at Toby incredulously. "H-How did you know I was going to see the fireworks with Owen?"

"I didn't" he said slyly, rubbing the back of his head. "I just guessed. Am I right?"

Angela exhaled and smiled hopelessly, allowing herself to nod. Was it really that obvious that she had a crush on him? Sometimes she had to wonder.

"Yeah…" she said sheepishly, throwing her hands behind her back. "He asked me out yesterday to see them and I agreed to come. How…did you know that I liked him?"

"Well, you're my friend!" the fisherman declared as he leaned over and tapped Angela on the tip of her nose playfully. "You always talk about mining with him, and whenever he walks by you, you turn bright red! Everyone in town knows you like him!"

"R-Really?"

"Yes, but we all think its sweet," he said, looking upwards and seeing that they were getting close to Angela's farm. "Even Kathy thinks you two are a nice couple. I overheard her talking about it with Selena, and Kathy never lies to her!"

Thank goodness, Angela thought inwardly with immense relief. Kathy was a wonderful person, and the last thing she wanted to do was make the blond woman feel bad.

The two adults beamed at each other as they walked up the dirt path and arrived at Angela's front door. She thanked Toby for his consideration and watched him walk away into the darkness. Perhaps she would see him again that night. She wouldn't be surprised if he and Renee were going to see the fireworks as well. They were such a cute couple. Then Angela felt a spell of giggles roll up her throat. She was going with Owen as his date, not just a friend. They would be one of the many couples at the beach. It was almost perfect.

Again, almost perfect.

Angela was reminded of her problem and got right to work getting dressed. It was the third day of her awful curse, and there were only four days to go. It was almost over, and then she'd be free. Once that happened, regular life could amble onwards as it had before.

Then again, perhaps she didn't want her regular life back. Maybe it was better when she was bold around Owen. He seemed a little uncomfortable around her, but before, she hadn't even been able to land a date with the man. Now, she finally had the chance to go out with him because of her confident attitude. Perhaps the amorous gas wasn't such a bad thing.

It wasn't as if she'd done anything wrong…she'd just acted, for lack of a better word, completely horny around him.

She opened the door and, in less than a second, Finn was in her face and staring her down as she came inside.

"You're back! Please tell me you aren't going out again…"

"Finn…"

"NO!" the fairy said, going to grab Angela's arms and she went to the dresser to pick out her clothes. "You can't Angela! Don't go!"

She'd ordered the lacy dress and laid it out on the bed. It looked beautiful and elegant. It was perfect for a date.

Finn continued to yell at the woman as she pulled the dress over her head.

"Are you listening? Angela, please! Don't go out with him! Don't you remember what Dr. Jin said? He said you should be avoiding Owen, not spending every day with him!"

She straightened the dress and fixed the cloth so that it sat evenly on her slender body. After making sure her hair looked decent, she sat on the bed and began to fasten on the matching shoes. She hummed to herself merrily and ignored Finn's warnings. Her mind was made up.

"Finn, you can't talk me out of it," she said, standing up proudly with her slender arms balanced upon her curved waist. "I'm going to go and enjoy myself! Maybe…maybe those fumes made me into a better person that I was before. Someone…that Owen likes more."

"No, no, no!" Finn protested, grabbing the frills of her dress as she went towards the door. "I don't think that's it! He told you that he thought you were acting weird!"

"He thought I was acting weird in a good way!" she chimed.

"No, in a bad way! In a bad way!"

The door closed in Finn's face and the little sprite slammed into it before he had a chance to slow down. He fell to the ground and tried to shake off his dizziness. Sadly, he looked up at the closed door and flew to the window. Angela was strutting down the path proudly with her nose in the air and her posture fully erect. He put his tiny hands against the glass and felt sadness consume him.

Why didn't Angela understand? She was a powerful woman that had saved the Harvest Goddess by reviving the land and making friends with almost everyone in town. He knew Owen was a good guy and liked her for who she was normally. She just hoped that her boldness wouldn't cloud his judgment and lead him to take advantage of her.

If he did, he'd find some way to beat him into a senseless pulp.

XOXOXOXOXO

With every step she took, Angela's confidence diminished little by little. Her blazing inferno of confidence had quelled to smoldering embers of resistance and terror. The more she thought about her own logic, the more she realized Finn was probably right. Owen wasn't into showy girls. He had told her himself a few months before that he preferred simple, cute girls who were hard-working and strong. Ever since then, Angela longed to be that girl. She dreamed of becoming the girl Owen wanted as his girlfriend.

By the time she arrived at the docks, the mayor's voice was booming over the cheers of townspeople. He was announcing that the fireworks were starting soon and that everyone should make their way down to the beach. Angela obeyed and wandered down to the shore. Noticing that Owen hadn't arrived yet, she took a seat at the far end of the shore and nervously wrung her hands together. However, she couldn't stand him up. That would be harmful to their friendship.

If she started to lose herself, she'd pinch her arm to regain control. Every time Finn had hurt her, she'd snapped right out of the trance and regained her composure just in time. Hopefully the same technique would work tonight. Jin had said that the effects of the fumes would grow with each day, intensifying with each encounter. She just had to pray that she didn't do anything stupid.

Right as the first firework began, the sound was accompanied by the feeling of a hand on her shoulder. She turned involuntarily and saw the handsome miner's face mere inches from her own.

"Sorry I'm late!" he said, sitting next to her and trying to catch his breath. It sounded as if he'd been running. "The mine cart wasn't working, so I had to run all the way around the other side of your farm to get here! Did you wait long?"

His voice seemed to go right between her legs.

"N-No…" she said with an innocent smile. "I didn't wait long at all."

Her heart wasn't racing, but her cheeks were red and, after staring at his face for a long while, Angela was starting to feel a new sensation. It wasn't just boldness that she felt. For a moment, Angela almost felt drunk. She felt as if she'd had too much wine and was now intoxicated from the alcohol. She felt a little light-headed and felt her head start to feel heavy and sway gently from side to side.

"Are you alright?" he asked, noticing her odd behavior.

"Yes," she muttered, leaning her head against his shoulder and closing her eyes. She hummed in bliss as Owen's muscled arm rippled beneath her supple cheek. He felt so warm, just like a pillow. She wanted to reach over and take his strong hand. She looked down and gently moved her fingers toward him, her fingernails gently brushing against his flesh. He seemed to shiver at the sensation and turned to look over his shoulder. When he saw how close their hands were, he glanced into her hazel eyes questionably. She smiled back at him.

"Owen…can I hold your hand?" Angela asked with daring leer.

Before she could grab his hand, Owen put his masculine hand over her own. He intertwined their fingers passionately and lifted the hand to his lips. He gently kissed Angela's hand. Behind them, another neon firework exploded in the air.

"Angela…t-thank you for agreeing to come with me…"

"You're more than welcome, Owen," Angela said, leaning closer to Owen so that her breasts were pressed against his firm bicep. He flinched away at first, but after he saw the sparkle in her eyes, allowed the provocative contact to press on. "Being near you is always a pleasure."

He seemed flushed now. He leaned closer against her and cupper her cheek in his hand. His arm pushed harder against her breasts. She moaned and begged him to come closer. She felt the delta of womanhood between her legs grow warm and wet at his touch. She wanted to pull him down onto he sand, wrap her legs around his waist and kiss him endlessly.

After perhaps a second of contemplation, that's exactly what she did.

She quickly looked to make sure that everyone was busy watching the fireworks, and then struck the unsuspecting man. Angela pulled Owen down on top of her and both collided against the soft sand. He gasped in surprise and looked at her incredulously when he saw the smirk on her face.

"Owen, baby, please kiss me…" Angela pleaded, nipping at the hollow of his neck seductively. He groaned and Angela could feel a hardened bulge pressing against the inside of her thigh. "Mmm…I see I've made you excited. Just let go, baby. Please…and take me with you."

For a moment, Angela actually thought he was going to kiss her. She saw the man swallow and glance around nervously. The farmer continued to plant sensual kisses along his collarbone to entice him further. Finally, the miner planted a firm hand at the back of Angela's neck and pulled her closer to his face.

This is it, Angela thought with intense anticipation. His mouth looked so delicious and welcoming. She closed her eyes and waited for his lips to dominate her and feel his tongue taste her mouth with lustful desire.

However, Owen never kissed her. Instead, he planted a firm hand against her mouth and stared at her firmly. Angela's eyes widened with anger and she tried to struggle away from beneath him.

"I knew something was wrong with you," he said, his cold eyes staring deep into her gold ones. "The Angela I know would never act like that."

So, he'd been pretending the entire time!

She worked her mouth out from under his fingers and looked at him venomously. She leaned over and began to undo the button of her dress, slowly revealing her cleavage and bra. However, Owen didn't seem to be embarrassed. He didn't even blush. The redhead simply stared at her with an icy glare.

"What's wrong, baby?" the farmer asked, the effects of the fumes making her woozy. "Are you not in the mood? I'm sure I can fix that if you could get us a room…"

His hand shot to her chest to prevent her from unbuttoning any more of her dress.

"No," he said sternly, keeping her hand firmly sealed beneath his iron grip. It would be impossible for Angela to pull away. "I'm not stupid, Angela. Something's still wrong with you. Something's been wrong with you ever since that day you collapsed in front of the mine! Tell me what happened."

"Owen…" she pleaded, leaning against his chest. Her hardened nipples graced his strong core, but he didn't move. "Why are you being so listless around me? Are you not attracted to me?"

"Not right now," he said. "But I used to be…and I still am. I like the real Angela, not whoever you're pretending to be now."

Before he realized what he'd confessed, his words had already shocked her into waking from her spell. The farmer's eyes returned to their round innocence and her body leaned back and became less forceful. She appeared to have no memory of his exact words, but her amorous actions were crystal clear. Owen watched her suspiciously until she looked up at him again. He could see the shame in her eyes. Just looking at her face at that moment was like taking a blade to the heart.

"W-What did I just do?" Angela asked, shaking in terror. Before he could process a response, she shot up and fled from the beach. He reached out to take her hand but fell short by a few centimeters. He called after her desperately, but his cry was lost in the colossal boom of a firework overhead.

She sprinted home with tears running down her cheeks. They made her vision cloudy and her eyes stung awfully from pain. She tripped while running down the path and tore a hole in her dress. After sobbing through the intense pain, she got up and darted for the front door. She didn't want to stop just in case Owen was behind her. She could never face him again. It had to be over between them.

She burst into her farmhouse and went to her bed, howling with dismay. Finn was by her side to pat her head an embrace her, but nothing helped. Her cries were loud and unstoppable. The tiny sprite went to lock the front door and get out clean clothes for her. He laid them next to her silently and sat beside her, slowly stroking her hair.

"Did that creep take advantage of you?" he finally asked.

She sniffled and shook her head. Finn sighed in relief, but Angela's sorrow did not quell.

"No…I think I made a pass at him…I don't even remember what happened…" she gasped incoherently, struggling to breathe through her intense sobs. "B-But I know I did…and now he knows! He knows! Now I'm just…I'm just…"

A stupid girl who gone and scared the man of her dreams away, she thought with anguish.

Why did she accept his invitation?

Why did she want to climb to the top of the Garmon Mine?

Why did she love Owen so much?

Why did everything have to be like this?

She cried long into the night. Eventually, Finn turned out the lights to cry and get her to retire to bed. He looked over and saw that she was slaying motionless in her hunched over position, arms over her head and face pressed against the comforter. She had fallen asleep crying. The fairy draped a blanket over her sleeping form and watched her sleep

From outside, Owen stood on the dirt path looking at the farmhouse oddly. From a distance, Finn thought it was a look of anger and was about to erupt with rage. As he flew to the window, he saw a different expression. It was a look he could only describe and tormented. He didn't appear angry at all. He saw Owen sigh sadly and walk up to the door. He slipped a small package in her mailbox and looked at the door sadly. He seemed to walk away with a look of regret. Finn didn't understand. Why wasn't he angry?

He looked at Angela's sleeping body and pursed his lips together in frustration. What had Angela done on the beach…and what had Owen said?

Finn realized he'd never know, but the answer probably laid somewhere in the workings of their little rendezvous. He knew he should have followed her.

-END-

Aw…poor Angela. If only she'd actually heard what he'd said, huh?

Please R&R if you can! I hope you enjoyed and continue to support the story! Bye bye! :D