I do not own Harvest Moon characters or events.

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Chapter Three- Chemistry

Summer 24th, Year 2

Firework Festival

The sun beat down on Jill's bare skin, causing her back grow hot, and beads of sweat began to form at the back of her neck near the end of her hairline. Her halter swim top covered very little of her back and nothing of her shoulders, which were now painted with a blush of redness from superficial sunburn.

"Scooch over," she causally called to Muffy with a laugh still hung in her voice from the tale Muffy was describing. Her friend complied, without missing a beat in telling her story, and Jill somehow wedged herself into the shade of the beach-table umbrella along with Muffy, Lumina, and Flora.

Summer was ending soon, and Muffy had thrown a tiny fit for the fact that the girls had never gotten a chance to share some 'fun in the sun.' And so, Jill's blonde friend devised a plan over the last week for the girls of the Valley to have a beach day together; and what better time than on the day of the Firework Festival, when everyone would be off of work anyway? Jill and Lumina were in favor from the beginning, and Flora had taken some convincing on Jill's part, but all four girls committed to the date, which were more than enough people for Muffy to make it an official "girls' day." The only Valley girls missing were Celia and Nami, and both offered that they would attempt to show up, the former sounding more enthusiastic than the latter. Even with the two parties missing, however, the girls were still very satisfied with the way the rendezvous had panned out. They had gone for a swim (Flora excluded due to declination) and build sand castles, (to which Flora's expertise in excavation really shone), but soon, all four began to show signs of redness about their shoulders and decided they should take a break from the bearing sunshine. Now, they were enjoying (hardly) afternoon drinks, courtesy of Kai's Shack, while they told stories and jokes about various happenings in the area. Flora and Jill had initially sat next to each other, but had somehow rotated to the other side of the round table as the shade shifted. They all huddled near each other as they giggled, sipped at their drinks and picked food off of the shared appetizer in the middle of them.

Muffy was consuming most of the conversation, with Lumina at a close second behind her; however, Jill didn't mind this, and Flora actually preferred it, choosing to suck at her straw and catch up on the gossip of the town that she had never heard until now. Muffy was well on her way to her third drink and Lumina on her second, but Jill and Flora chose to sit back and babysit: both their drinks, and quite possibly later, their friends. Jill and Lumina laughed as Muffy animated a retelling of a drifter who once paid a visit to the bar and got so drunk he tried to plant salted bar peanuts in their potted plant, and Flora watched across the table with a dull, yet content, expression as she sipped at her, now watered down, blended drink. Kai brought the women another round, and Jill gave Flora a quick raise of her eyebrows and glance towards the other two females, to which Flora nodded with assurance. Both were much more hesitant than their companions to reach out for their drinks this time, as they silently decided that they would take it easy… just in case.

As they enjoyed the salty air and casual conversation, more and more villagers began to gather at the beach. Wally and Hugh began sprinting drills up and down the waterline as Chris enjoyed the sun and a book from a nearby bench. Rock had posted up at the bar at Kai's shack, and was yapping up a storm to Kai and two Mineral Town bachelors that were visiting for the day. Murray skulked around the territory, hoping to score some free food, and even Patrick and Kassey dropped by the beach front to do some last minute surveying of the area before their big performance. The beach was bustling, but the girls hardly noticed; that was, until a much awaited individual and her companion arrived on the premise. Muffy and Lumina nearly squealed as Celia ran up to the group of females. Clad in a dark green one piece, shorts and beach cover, their long brown haired friend gave each of them a hurried hug before swirling around to smile at the extra body trailing behind her. Marlin swayed along with his hand signatory residing in his pockets. His focus remained on the sand shifting uncomfortably under his black shoes as he made his way to the girls' table. Jill felt it was odd to see him out in this environment, and she deducted that some of the feeling steamed from his unfit attire. He wore the same clothes as always; blue jeans and a button down shirt. The only difference in his garments from his usual work clothing was that the commonly seen white collared shirt was replaced by a light blue one: a rarity for Marlin, as he always claimed to Jill that he didn't own many colored shirts. And, as Marlin looked up to the group, locking eyes with Jill momentarily, she couldn't help but note how the hue of his collar matched so well to the color of his piercing eyes.

"Come say hi!" Celia beckoned Marlin with a wave of her hand, attempting to force some sociability out of him. Marlin approached the round table, softening the the scowl he once held for the sand into his regular look of general disdain.

"Yo," he offered to no one in particular. They all greeted him and, lastly, his eyes met with Jill's; instantaneously, he scanned her attire. Jill gave a short wave back, and she felt her cheeks grow warm; the cause of which was separate from the sunburn. She immediately felt self-conscious for the millionth time that day, but this time, somehow, it was worse. Muffy had convinced Jill to adhere to similar attire as her own so that she wasn't the only female in the Valley to wear a bikini to the beach that day. Jill, not wanting to hurt Muffy's feelings, and not fully grasping the full conservatory nature of the village, picked out a light purple, frilly, bikini to accommodate Muffy's petite red one, without much thought; until she arrived to the beach and observed Flora's one piece and shorts and Lumina's mid-drift concealing two-piece swimwear. Now, as Marlin's gaze quickly glazed over her own collarbone, before he turned back to the others, Jill had never felt more self-aware. The only other garment she adored was a dark blue and teal beach wrap, which she had tied at her hips like a skirt, but it was her breast that felt suddenly more exposed. Jill discreetly crossed her arms over the table as Marlin looked between the women who began to speak with him.

"So what brings you to the beach this early, Marlin?" Muffy asked with lack of any subtlety of the suspicion in her voice. Marlin grunted out an excuse that he wanted to catch a drink at Kai's before the fireworks began, and Muffy narrowed her hazy, ocean blue eyes at him.

"Sureee…" she dragged out the word, her eyes never leaving Marlin's as she brought the straw of her drink to her lips with a knowledgeable giggle. In all the years she had attended the fireworks festival, she had never seen Marlin arrive so early to 'catch a drink.'

Jill shook her head as Marlin's gave Muffy an indistinguishable look between inquisition and annoyance.

"Excuse her," Jill chimed in with a jesting tone, "She's had one too many."

"More like five too many," Lumina giggled at Muffy's side.

Muffy waved them off. "You are all forgetting that I work in a bar... toler-nance is in my job description." All the girls laughed as Muffy slurred the very word, except for Jill. Her eyes were fixed on Marlin, as his had found his way back to hers with penetrating scrutiny. Then, he too, shook his head and smiled with the rest of them.

"Well, try not to have too much fun," he warned with slightly upturned lips as he began towards the shack's bar stools. Jill looked after him momentarily then returned her attention to the others, mimicking Marlin's shaking head and smile.

"Muffy, you're a goofball." Jill added with a chuckle. "Why are you always giving people such a hard time?" she asked rhetorically.

"Who? Marlin?" Muffy inquired, although she fully understood to whom they were referring. "He's so fun a pick on. Didn't you see those red ears of his?" she giggled in a feminine fashion.

Jill looked a bit confused. She actually had not noticed any hint of flustering about Marlin or his demeanor. "Wha?" she chuckled, taking Muffy's bait.

"You didn't notice?" Muffy inquired in earnest, and it was true, that Marlin had actually flustered for a split moment at her question, before finding the right path of speech. Yet, Jill had not noticed whatsoever. Jill shook her head at the question.

"Noo…" she released to word out hesitantly, trying to think back at his mannerism. "I think you're making things up, Muffy," Jill concluded with a laugh.

"I'm not," Muffy assured her with an innocent tone to her thin voice. "You really haven't noticed that he's been acting funny lately? Next time, find something to tease him with and pay close attention," Muffy assured Jill with a large amount of confidence and took another gulp at her straw. Celia had grown quiet while registering their conversation about Marlin, until that moment.

"He was acting a little odd while he walked over here," Celia justified Muffy's statement. "I mean, he's usually pretty quiet, but he was even quieter somehow." She decided to leave out the fact that Marlin had recently been quieter around the farm in general, as it seemed a little too personal. Jill shrugged her shoulders as she pretended not to notice the change that had taken place in Marlin for weeks now. Inwardly, she was half glad that he was unanimously acting distant with others beside her; it suddenly felt that his silence was much less personal. On the other hand, it only confirmed her foreboding speculation that something much bigger was on his mind.

"Oh well," Lumina shrugged, not knowing Marlin well enough to have much input, "I'm sure it's nothing to be too concerned about, or else he would he have said it, right?"

"You're probably right," Celia agreed hesitantly, not sounding thoroughly convinced.

"Anyway," Muffy shrugged with indifference similar to Jill's display, and suggested a change in the subject back to stories: this time of Mineral Town. Flora had minded the whole event with unbiased observation, except for slight concern with her best friend's distracted stare. Jill's mind had remained in a separate place than the others, even as the subject changed many times. She extended little input towards the group and her attention wasn't recaptured until a certain red-head finally made an appearance.

Nami hadn't deviated from the butchered jean shorts and plaid shirt she usual wore. She claimed that she only came to 'hang out for a while', which largely explained her unplanned wardrobe. Shortly after Nami's arrival, Lumina inquired if Celia wanted to take a swim while the sun was still out, and Celia eagerly agreed. Muffy decided that she would lie in the shallows of the water to tan and followed the two younger girls to the water. Flora then asked Nami and Jill to assist with her castle. Nami agreed, but Jill respectfully declined.

"I think I'm going to get other drink and check in with the guys," Jill mentioned as she jammed a thumb in the direction of the beach shack. Flora and Nami nodded wordlessly, the former giving Jill a minuscule grin and a shrug of her shoulder in a 'suit yourself manner', before taking towards the sand castles. Jill pulled a light, grey, zippered sweatshirt from her beach bag lain in the sand and threw in over her shoulders. Easiness returned to Jill's presence as the cotton concealed the bulk of her torso, and she headed to the shack.

Much to what Jill summed up to be luck, there was an empty stool directly to the right of her dark haired friend at the end of the bar. Marlin was participating in conversation with Kai across the bar and Gray, the blacksmith from Mineral town, to his left, and was too distracted to notice Jill slyly take the empty seat near him. However, she was quickly given away by Kai's attention to the recurring customer.

"Hey, Jill!" Kai welcomed her for a second time that day. "Need another?" he asked, obviously referring to the alcohol she had already been consuming.

"I'm fine for now," she declined with an appreciative smile and a raise of her hand. Truthfully, she hadn't planned on having more than two drinks after observing the rate at which her other friends has been gulping them. Kai's greeting had commanded the attention of the other men at the bar, and they all turned their heads to look in Jill's direction. Marlin had to swivel nearly all the way around to finally face the brown-haired girl. Jill simply waved the hand she already had raised to the lot of them.

"Hey guys," she grinned. Gray tipped his hat silently to Jill and the quiet, pony-tailed man next to him, named Cliff, only nodded nervously. Rock grinned and waved largely from the furthest seat away, and Jill chuckled at his child-like appearance and alcohol blushed cheeks. Marlin, however, was the only one who appeared caught off guard by her company.

"Oh, hey," he managed after recuperating from the sight of her so near him so suddenly.

"Hey," Jill responded, and then shifted awkwardly as she adjusted her beach wrap onto the stool and dropped her beach bag into the sand at her feet. Again, Marlin found his eyes unwilling trailing below Jill's collarbone before he forced himself to redirect them to her face, just in time for Jill's gaze to return to his. "What have you been up to? You had the day off, right?" she asked, making small talk. The other men had restarted their old conversation, purposefully leaving the two out of it.

"Kinda," Marlin began his explanation by running his fingers through the thick, curly locks of black hair at the nape of his neck. He could feel the warmth radiating just under his collar after looking her over, and he mentally reminded himself to cool down and not make eye contact. "It was really just a shorter day of work. We still tended to the farm, but we didn't open the shop today or count inventory," he replied coolly.

Jill nearly sighed from relief. Marlin was speaking to her normally again, and the uneasiness she had felt upon approaching him was subsiding, once again, into the back of mind.

"Yeah, I sort of cheated on chores today myself," Jill admitted. "Muffy really wanted to get together before noon, so I only barely watered the plants. I hope they don't dry up with this heat…" she trailed off, genuinely worried for her crops and livelihood.

"They'll be fine: as long as you don't skip tomorrow. But don't try to compensate for today and over-water them. Just do what you normally would." He added just before he took a gulp of his drink.

"Okay… Thanks," she offered, taking a mental note. Marlin was so knowledgeable in his work with crops, and Jill held every bit of advice he gave her in high esteem: it had been working wonderfully for her so far, at least. "And I guess I can get away with it if it's corn… but I'll defiantly be more careful with those yams," she smiled as she thought about sweet potato casserole, and her taste buds tingled with yearning.

Marlin chuckled lightly. "You and yams…" he shook his head in wonderment.

"Speaking of," Jill carried on, seemingly excited that they were on the subject. "I'll have so much next season with all of those seeds you bought me. I'll have to bring you guys some sweet potato pie… well, even though you don't eat sweets," she remembered almost immediately.

"I might try it," Marlin shrugged, not wanting to discourage her eagerness to bring him gifts.

"Also," Jill drummed the table lightly with her fingertips as her voice softened, reaching only the more intimate space between them. "Thanks again for the birthday present."

At the sound of her quieting voice, Marlin had unintentionally shifted his gaze to her direction once more and his ears grew warm. She was peering upwards at him appreciatively and coyly, studying his expression with deep intent. He had such a close and full view of her; her hair was knotted into a tight bun atop her head, but her light brown bangs still fell onto her striking eyes, tickling her lashes when she blinked. She sucked lightly at the corner of her bottom lip as she awaited his response, and, in his taller perception, he knew that just below her chin was a soft crevasse of cleavage between two firm handfuls of tissue, but he did not dare glance down that far this time. He noted how her adamant attention and consistent stare reflected her gaze that night at the Blue Bar, just before she fell asleep; and that thought only lead him to the next. He vividly recalled Jill's serene, comfortable expression and her warm, murmuring, incoherent voice humming against his chest as he carried her to her home. Looking to her now, unintentionally scanning hurriedly over her feminine curves and back to her admirable stare, he wanting nothing more than to hold her close… and push her away, all at once. It was the look she gave him that caused such conflicted feelings: It made him feel so individually important and reverenced, but more than anything, it scared him, and made him feel vulnerable, as though she could see and hear everything he felt. Marlin diverted his eyes from her gaze once again, almost believing that if he had held it, she would know all of his secrets. And to some extent, he was right. Jill watched in amazement as Muffy's prediction came true. Marlin may have turned his face away from hers, but she could see that his ears were, indeed, tinted red. But, she didn't think she had said anything embarrassing… so why was that?

"It wasn't really that much…" Marlin confessed about her present, and then finished off his drink. He noticed, just then, that he always drank much faster whenever Jill was near.

"I thought it was," Jill grinned, pushing the limits of her appreciation, partially to see how Marlin would react. "I loved everything in it! It was very thoughtful. So...thank you."

Marlin nodded without saying anything else. He didn't know what more to say about the matter, especially since it was already the fourth time Jill had thanked him for his present; he realized he had been counting. It also became evident to Jill that she was causing Marlin to becoming progressively more silent, although she wasn't utterly sure the reason. She decided to drop the subject all together. Lately, their relationship felt so feeble, or maybe (she hoped) it was just her perception. Regardless, she didn't want to tread too far into an uneasy conversation that could offend him or harm their friendship. Jill shifted her attention to the descending sun in the sky which caused orange hues to fill the horizon, and she tried to think of something else bring up. Kai took the pause in the couple's discussion to ask Marlin if he would like another drink, and Jill found her means of tactfully changing the subject.

"I'll get this one," Jill declared as she bent down to rummage into her bag for her wallet. Returning back over the counter, Jill placed extra money in front of her. "I think I'll have one too. I mean, whatever it was he had," Jill clarified, and Kai nodded with a smile.

"Coming right up."

Marlin opened his mouth to protest, but Jill stopped him short.

"It's my turn," she pointed out to him, and effectively shut him up. Long before, when they had first began drinking together, Jill had sworn that she would only let Marlin pay for her drinks as long as they took turns paying: and as of lately, Jill's payments were overdue. Marlin always felt a bit disturbed at a woman paying his way, but that was just Jill. She was stubborn when it came to her independence, and Marlin could only respect that: it was that, or continue to argue in a battle he would never win.

Kai placed the drinks in front of the two, and Jill took a long, refreshing sip. As she set down the glass, Jill suddenly came to the realization that she always tended to drink a lot more when she was around Marlin. She chuckled and turned to her companion, who had also just set down his own drink.

"You know what?" she half laughed as she brought up her thought.

"What's that?" Marlin inquired, turning his neck to look her way with curiosity.

"I just realized that the entirety of our friendship… revolves solely around alcohol…" she portrayed the thought dramatically, as though it was a great epiphany. Marlin looked at her quizzical for a moment before eyeing their drinks separately. Jill watched as the realization washed over Marlin's face, and then, both were consumed with laughter. Even Kai, who had caught the last bit of the exchange, was chuckling along with them; when the other men gave him questioning glares, he merely shook his head. Jill was nearly brought to tears as she continued to joke about 'what huge drunkards' they were and Marlin could only agree. He had never really noticed before, that all of their most prominent interactions were under the influence of alcohol: perhaps because it was then that they were most comfortable and most 'themselves' around each other.

"I doubt we could stand each other at all, if we weren't so drunk all the time," Jill quipped, exaggerating their drinking habits.

"Probably not," Marlin ironically agreed, as he calmed down his laughing into a light chuckle and partook of his drink again. This was what Jill has been missing in the past few weeks: this light-heartened, easy going vibe between them which had taken her so long to achieve. She milked the easy ambience for all it was worth.

"Okay, let's make a deal," Jill began by placing her hands out in front of her for atheistic effect. "If we can hang out one time, without drinking, then we can still be called 'friends'."

"Okay," Marlin agreed, finishing the gulp he had just taken and then pointed to the full glass in front of Jill. "But, for now, drink up… this time doesn't count." Jill giggled at Marlin's remark and picked up her drink again.

"Oh, it defiantly does not," she spoke in mock seriousness as she brought the much desired glass to her slightly parted lips.

…

Celia and Lumina merrily made their way back to the beach table, individually twisting the water from their hair as they spoke. Celia giggled with Lumina as she surveyed around to see the disposition of the others. Muffy was still enjoying her sun bath, and Flora and Nami were creating a rather intricate sand castle. Not finding Jill immediately, Celia took a glimpse of Marlin at the bar, and found him laughing wholeheartedly with Jill at his side. She gaped on as Marlin chuckled and ran his fingers through his curling hair, and Jill wiped her eye where cheerful tears had formed. Celia couldn't pin-point the exact feeling, but her reaction was uneasiness. It was nearly unsettling. She knew the two of them were good friends and all, but Marlin had seemed so distant with everyone lately: even Vesta and herself. So, why was it Jill who brought him out of his rut so easily? Why not Vesta? Why not herself?

Celia vaguely recognized someone calling for her attention, and she turned back around to meet their request. "Hm?" she questioned politely as she turned her head.

"You okay?" Lumina appeared slightly concerned, as she had called Celia's name several times.

"Oh, yeah..." Celia nodded with her usual smile. "I was just thinking about the Fireworks Show." The statement was only half true; she was thinking about watching the show tonight with Marlin and Vesta, but she was also wondered if they would be accompanied by a certain someone else. Lumina, now noticing just what Celia's focus had been on, understood the scene. She looked back to Celia, but didn't acknowledge the two, knowing it wasn't really her place.

"I'm excited to see the finale this year," Lumina keep the flow of the fireworks topic moving. "They always manage to outdo themselves each time. Every year is different."

Celia nodded in agreement. "You're right. It's never really the same."

…

As dusk set over the Valley, it appeared that nearly everyone from the village was present on the beach. Although not many people lived in the area, the little beach seemed to be crowded with bodies roaming around, searching for their perfect spot near the water. Vesta had arrived just before sunset, and Marlin and Celia each departed from their positions to join her and help set up the blankets. Griffin appeared for the festival as well, and in turn, Muffy disappeared from the group. Flora later found Carter; Lumina reunited with Romana and Sebastian, who were later joined by Ruby and Rock. Nami and Gustafa chatted for a while before finding a spot near Ruby's tiny family. And Jill found herself in the same lone predicament as last year. She didn't mind, however, and it was by choice, really. In fact, she had waited for Takakura and greeted him, before leaving him to find her own place. He would usually stand near the Mayor and the twins as the fireworks went off, but Jill liked to be closer to the waves and to the show. As Jill weaved past the outer most groups of people toward the beach, she caught Vesta's eyes, just before Vesta sat down with her own family to enjoy the show.

"Where is Jill going off to all by her lonesome?" she directed towards both Marlin and Celia, but mostly towards the former. Marlin shrugged, and then glanced towards Jill himself. He could only make out her form in the growing darkness.

"I don't know," he replied, seemingly without a care. He hadn't known her nearly as well last year, but he had assumed she watched the show with her father's old friend. Inwardly, he wondered if she had been alone last festival too.

Vesta shoved Marlin forward with unpredictable force. "Well! Go invite her to sit with us!" she boomed with cheerfulness. "No one should be at the Fireworks Festival by themselves. It ain't right." Marlin tripped forward lightly at her hard touch, but he steadied himself and returned with a sharp reply.

"What if she wants to be alone?" he inquired rhetorically, sounding annoyed with his older sister's persistence.

"It won't hurt to ask," Vesta augured with defiance, and she plopped down onto the ground. Marlin gave up. There was no winning with these stubborn women, and it was easier just to comply. Marlin sighed and then dumbly walked away towards Jill without any more resistance; Celia gazed after him. "Have a seat, Dear," Vesta encouraged Celia with a swift pat to the blanket and Celia complied, though her eyes did not leave Marlin's back.

The remaining twilight had dissipated so quickly that by the time Marlin reached Jill's figure, he could hardly make out her features. He could only tell that her back was turned to him as she visually scanned the ground beneath her.

"Jill," Marlin calmly called out to her as he approached, as not to startle her, and Jill turned around. He could barely make out any expression in her eyes, but it seemed she was puzzled by his company.

"Hey, Marlin," Jill smiled to him once everything had registered. "It's going to start any minute," she added hurriedly, gesturing toward the water with her thumb.

"Yeah, Vesta wanted me to ask you—,"he began, but suddenly a red flash of light lit up the sky, trailed by loud whistles, a boom, and then crackling. Jill's full form, tinted in red, swallowed his vision; she turned her head towards the lights, and a surprised, intrigued smile spilled into her expression. Another whistle of fireworks sounded, and a blue light flashed over the beach with a bang, yet Marlin couldn't bring himself to look at its source; instead, his attention remained on the woman in front of him, her blue hued skin radiated color, and the outline of her figure became momentarily prominent. She turned back to face him just as another whistle sounded.

"Do you want to sit with us?" Marlin managed to yell over the booming sounds, and he saw her head nod to his question when her face lit up by a brief yellow light. Marlin led the way back to the main crowd, hesitating each time the beach darkened. With the new moon, and his eyes readjusting to the light with each flare, it made it impossible to see anything between the firework lights. Marlin grunted lightly, being caught off guard, when Jill bumped into his back in the dark.

"Sorry," she called, close to his ear as she backed up slightly. She was having just as hard a time seeing as he. In the abrupt darkness, Marlin reached out and found Jill's hand. A purple light flashed, and Marlin met Jill's eyes just as her fingers interlaced with his. He began to pull her along at his pace, feeling so very relieved for the darkness that followed the instant flare and hid the deep color rising to his face. Finally, Marlin found himself back with his family, and he released Jill's hand; but not before Celia caught a glimpse at them, a deep green light illuminated their presence... and their intertwined fingertips. Marlin collapsed onto his blanket and causally motioned for Jill to sit beside him. Jill knelt down down and made herself comfortable by extending her legs out in front and setting her palms behind her to prop herself up. Marlin sat in a similar fashion, his legs comfortably bending, and hands holding his weight in a reclining position.

Although he couldn't see the proximity, he was very aware of how close Jill's hands were to his own. He could almost feel their little fingers touching, but he did dare move his hand one way or the other. Yet, it caused his face and neck to feel so warm, and his blood was pounding just as loudly (or so he thought) as the fireworks' explosions. It was a strange sensation: one which he had never experienced so intensely before. He had been with other woman in his life… multiple times, and in a much more sexualized manner than just holding hands and being near them; but this was different. He had never felt so outright nervous to be so near someone; as though every move he made around them was of huge importance. Even when he experienced his first encounter with the most intimate parts of a woman, he couldn't remember feeling this nerve wrecked. He couldn't remember a time when every little look and touch cause him to feel so restless... and inexperienced; as though he was a child with a crush for the first time.

It wasn't normally so difficult for Marlin to remain composed and causal with girls to whom he was attracted; if he made a move, it didn't necessarily frighten him that the girl wouldn't be receptive. If he said something too brash or honest, it didn't bother him that the girl could get offended or push him away. But with Jill, he was terrified at the thought of making the wrong move or revealing himself too quickly. This feeling was a first for him, and he honestly didn't know what to do with himself.

As the recurrent flashes of light poured over the beach, Marlin could only bring himself to make lingering glances over the length of Jill's slender legs or to the expression on her face, which created a sharp desire to give in to his restlessness and pull her to him. He couldn't fully concentrate on the scene of blazing, fleeting colors erupting and dying away in the black sky before him; not when the drumming of his heart beat drowned out the blasts, and Jill's smile out shone the brilliant performance.

Little to Marlin's knowledge, Jill was experiencing a similar yearning. Her chest grew tight as she partially held her breath each time she detected his glance in her direction from the corner of her vision. Her fingertips slowly shifted from the sand underneath her palms, and she unexpectedly felt warm fingers bump against her own.

Although they were now technically touching, the couple only remained that way, quiet and still, each too intimidated to make a move: up until the fireworks finale, when black background was ablaze with colors and sounds. The crowd awed at the display, and Marlin heard Jill utter a single, almost breathless word next to him: "...wow..." He craned his neck to looked at her and saw her bright eyes mirroring shimmering the sky. The last whistling rockets sounded, and simultaneously Jill felt the warm fingers pressing onto hers. As the final colors briefly filled the sky, Jill turned her head in surprise and found Marlin's face only inches away. His sight seemed to be fixed on her lips, and she glanced down to his as well. In the next second, the beach went pitch dark, and a momentary, final silence fell over the entire beach.

Jill waited for something to happen. Anything to happen. Her face grew hotter as a handful seconds ticked by too slowly, yet nothing changed. Finally the silence was broken by growing murmurings from the crowd. Jill heard Celia and Vesta speak on the other side of Marlin, although her eyes had not yet adjusted to their faces. She could barely distinguish Vesta's form unsteadily picking herself up off the ground, and suddenly, the warmth over Jill's hand drifted away just as fast as it had come. Marlin stood up and dusted the sand off his jeans. Celia began to come to a stand, and Marlin reached to help her up, as she asked him how he enjoyed this year's festival. Jill felt a rush of both relief and disappointment fill her chest, along with the breath that finally returned to her. She pulled her knees up to stand, and Marlin extended his hand to her. She avoided his eyes awkwardly, but took his hand readily. He pulled Jill to her feet as he answered Celia's question.

"I think this one was the best so far," he answered Celia causally, yet Jill couldn't help feel that the response was somehow aimed at herself.

"I thought it was nice, but I feel like last year's was better," Celia explained, and Jill could just begin to make out the dull smile tracing her lips. "What do you think Jill?" Celia turned the question onto her friend.

Jill looked between the three of them, her heart still racing in her chest. She swallowed hard before making any attempt to speak with what she knew would be a shaking voice. "I thought it was just as great as before," she decided. "But it was nicer to see it with all of you. Thank you for inviting me." She looked to all three.

"Any time," Vesta laughed; it was always pleasant to have this particular extension to her family. "You're always welcome to spend time with us, Jill. Don't even hesitate."

Perhaps it was the cause of the already built up emotions inside her, but Jill felt overly touched by Vesta's words. It was all around a perfect metaphor for the absolutely kind manner in which she had been treated ever since she arrived to the Valley: Undoubtedly accepted.

"Thanks, Vesta. I won't next time," she assured her. Jill noticed the lone figured of Takakura searching for her at the entrance of the beach, and she decided it was time to take her leave from her adoptive family. "But sorry, Takakura's waiting," she mentioned bluntly to them as she pointed. Her eyes quickly explored Marlin's expression one last time, but she couldn't decipher anything in it besides his regular aloofness. "So, I guess I'll see you guys later," Jill ended her visitation with a wave. The woman gave her their goodbyes, but Marlin said nothing. He waved back shortly before she turned her back to the beach. She jogged to meet Takakura, feeling the suddenly necessity to run away from Marlin before she changed her mind to ask him about what just happened; That, and she also didn't want to keep the older gentleman waiting any longer.

"Did you enjoy the festival?" Takakura inquired with a bright beam upon his face as he escorted Jill on the cobblestone path back to their farm.

"uhm-hm," Jill nodded positively, fiddling with her hands behind her back as she swayed along side him.

"You're awfully quiet tonight, Jill," Takakura mentioned after a few moments of silence, expecting some sort of response, but he received none. "Jill?" the old man repeated, but Jill still didn't hear a word.

She was too busy concentrating on the hard ground, her tight chest, and her new revelation that there was more chemistry involved in firework displays than she could have ever possibly imagined.

...

Please feel free to review with positive feedback/criticism. I always enjoy the reviews, even if its short. Marlin and Jill got a little bit closer (physically, I mean) in this chapter than I originally intended, but I think it still turned out pretty decent. I'm getting so eager to express all the main conflicts and themes, but I always knew this story to be slow if I were to write it, so I need to stop trying to get ahead of myself. If only ideas could float onto paper (or in this case, computer screens) this would be so much faster. So, again, please bare with me, and always:

Thanks for reading.