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In Sheep's Clothing	By : ParisWriter Category: +G through L > Harvest Moon Views: 2169 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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Chapter Nine

Klaus hesitated outside the door of the restaurant. He was well aware that Raeger would likely already know he and Avery were now together, but that wasn't the problem. The problem was that he hadn't spoken to the younger man since he threatened him to stay away from Avery. He knew he owed him an apology, but the reason for his visit was two-fold. He hadn't been on a date in almost a decade, and Avery was much closer to Raeger's age than his own. Klaus hated to admit it, but he was in desperate need of the young chef's advice.

Deciding it was best to not delay the inevitable any longer, Klaus opened the door of the restaurant and stepped inside. Raeger was sitting at one of the tables, talking to a very red-faced Lillie with a smirk on his face. He turned his head to greet whoever had just come in, and immediately jumped to his feet when he saw Klaus, his grin becoming somehow even more wicked.

"Settle a bet for us, Klaus," he said, gesturing to the blushing brunette at the table. "Which base did you get to with Avery before Fritz caught you two in the act? I say second, but Lillie here thinks you're too straight-laced to go that far on first contact."

"Well," Klaus replied as he crossed his arms calmly over his chest, defiantly refusing to give Raeger the satisfaction of being flustered by the question, "I hate to burst your bubble, but we only made it to first base. A gentleman would never go farther than that in public."

Raeger blinked in surprise at the older man's ability to answer the question with a straight face, then laughed nervously and reached up to ruffle the back of his hair when he picked up on the thinly veiled insult he'd slipped in among the statement. He turned back to Lillie and his laughter trailed off, then he cleared his throat loudly and began making his way back behind the counter.

"So, what can I get for you today, Klaus?" he asked, quickly changing the subject.

"I wanted to ask you for some advice, actually," Klaus told him, taking him by surprise once more. Raeger chuckled a bit to himself and set a glass down on the counter at the older man's usual spot, then filled it with water as Klaus sat down.

"Let me get this straight... You came here to ask me for dating advice?"

Klaus tightened his jaw and shifted uncomfortably on his stool. He should have known that he would be cocky about this situation. There was no one else he could go to, though. Marian was his best friend, but the doctor would likely fixate on how to get him laid as soon as possible. Raeger might be just as bad a choice, in that respect, but he hoped that – as Avery's friend – he would be willing to put his usual personality quirks aside for a single conversation.

"Wipe that damned smirk off your face before I beat it off of you," Klaus grumbled, snatching up the menu that was offered to him.

"You hearing this?" Raeger directed the question to Lillie. "He wants me to help him, and so he threatens me. And he calls himself a 'gentleman!'"

"Perhaps he simply wishes to have an adult conversation with you without having to worry about that smart mouth of yours," Lillie pointed out, standing from her chair at the table and picking up her plate and cup. She moved to the counter and sat next to Klaus, giving him a sweet smile.

"You know, this isn't the first time he's threatened me," Raeger told her, leaning over to steal a sweet potato fry from her pate and waving it about as he spoke. "He actually attempted to strangle me the very day Madam Eda died."

"He did not!" Lillie said, reaching out the snatch the fry back from him just as he was about to put it in his mouth.

"Actually, I did," Klaus corrected her, and she turned to him with a look of absolute shock on her young face. Klaus sighed and turned slightly to more easily address them both.

"That's the other reason I came here today. Raeger, I'm sorry for the way I acted before," he apologized. "I was entirely out of line. I know you care about Avery and would never take advantage of her."

"Don't worry about it, Klaus," Raeger told him with a shrug. "I admit, I was pretty pissed off when it happened, but I think I was more shocked you had it in you than anything else. Given the situation, though... if our roles were reversed, I probably would have done the same thing."

"So you actually hurt Raeger?" Lillie pushed the issue, looking back and forth between the two men.

"I wanted to," Klaus told her, pausing to ask Raeger for his usual, then he turned fully toward the innkeeper's eldest daughter.

"You know about his reputation, right?" Lillie's eyes shot to Raeger and she blushed, nodding silently as she turned her attention once more to Klaus. "I didn't want Avery to end up another notch on his whittled-down bedpost. So I threatened him to stay away from her."

"Because Klaus here was too damn stubborn to admit that he wants to hit that, himself," Raeger remarked, setting a plate of bruschetta in front of the other man. Amber-green eyes narrowed at his comment, and Raeger tossed up his hands in surrender.

"Sorry, man, but honestly I am glad you two have finally gotten your shit together. I was getting tired of Avery coming in here all moony over you and you acting like you had no interest at all in her when it was so damn obvious you did."

"I think it's sweet!" Lillie jumped to Klaus' defense once more. "Avery loves him, and he loves her, and now they get to be happy together."

"Yeah, because that's how the real world works," Raeger muttered under his breath as he set to work making Klaus' soup.

Klaus chuckled a bit at the young woman's innocent naivete. "Well, that's what I'm hoping for, at least. But, like I said... I'm afraid I need a bit of advice from Raeger, here."

"Klaus, I seriously doubt you want any sort of advice I could give you," Raeger pointed out. "Besides, from what you told me before, I'm pretty sure it's you who could teach me a thing or two."

"I'm not asking for sex tips, Raeger," Klaus said with a sigh, then cast an apologetic look toward Lillie, who had begun to turn pink once she realized the direction the conversation was heading.

"So... What's the problem?" Raeger asked, leaning on the countertop.

"I haven't been on a proper date in nearly ten years," Klaus admitted. "What, exactly, do young women these days enjoy doing?"

Raeger let out a small laugh and nodded his head toward Lillie. "You wanna take this one, cutie? I'm not really qualified to answer."

Lillie blinked a few times in surprise, reaching up and tucking her brown hair behind her ears while she composed her thoughts. "Well... I guess... We like to talk. Don't force conversation, though, or it'll get awkward. Compliment her, but don't make perverted comments about how certain body parts look in her clothes." She paused and cast a meaningful glare in Raeger's direction.

"Hold her hand when you're walking together," she continued after a moment. "It'll make her feel like you want her there with you. Open doors for her. Help her with her chair and her coat, if she's wearing one. You know... The usual things gentlemen do."

"I think I can handle that," Klaus assured her with a smile.

"Where are you taking her?" Raeger asked, setting Klaus' bouillabaisse on the counter in front of him.

"We're going to a restaurant I used to frequent when I first moved to the city."

"This place is special to you, I'm guessing?" Raeger wondered.

"It is," Klaus replied, then began eating.

"You ever take any of your other girlfriends there?" the younger man pressed, his blue-green eyes narrowing slightly.

"Only one," Klaus answered, pausing to wipe off his mouth with his napkin. "Why?"

"Bad idea," Raeger told him, shaking his head. "Never take your new girlfriend to your 'special place' from a past relationship."

"Wow, I'm surprised to hear that coming from you," Lillie said, looking genuinely surprised.

"It's not special because of the person I took there before," Klaus informed them. "It's special to me because, well... for other reasons."

He hated to be vague, but he really didn't want to discuss his past with them. He decided to leave it at that and tucked back into his soup, hoping they would both let the subject drop.

"Well, I think that it's a good idea to share special things with each other," Lillie assured him, placing her hand on his shoulder. "But don't make the date all about you. She used to live in the city, too, right?" She waited for Klaus to nod before continue. "Then ask her if there's anywhere she'd like to go while you're there. Give her a chance to show you some of her special places."

Raeger snickered. "I'm sure she's already plenty prepared to show him her special places."

Lillie's attention snapped back to him and she stared, open-mouthed, at his smirking expression. He winked at her and she stood from her stool with a huff, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Whatever you do, Klaus," she said, her eyes never leaving the chef, "don't go into this date expecting to get laid. If you really care about her, take your time and don't rush her off to bed right away."

"Don't worry, Lillie," Klaus assured the young woman. "I'm not going to pressure Avery into anything like that."

"Good." Her brown hair swayed as she nodded her head, still starting intently at Raeger. A moment later, she finally turned to Klaus and put on her sweetest smile.

"I hope you have a nice time on your date," she told him, then leaned forward and gave him a quick peck on his cheek. "You and Avery really do make a lovely couple."

"Thank you," Klaus said, then watched as she left the restaurant, her smile falling once more when she looked back to Raeger one last time before finally heading out. The young man sighed when the door closed behind her, his usually confident demeanor faltering.

"Want to tell me what that was all about?" Klaus asked after a long silence, and Raeger shook his head.

"I'll never understand women," he said. "One minute they're flirting with you, the next they act like you're the scum of the earth."

"Maybe if you laid off some of the sex talk, she wouldn't feel as uncomfortable," Klaus suggested.

"Easier said than done," Raeger told him.

"Trust me," Klaus replied, standing and placing some money next to his empty bowl. "When you find the right woman, you'll want to change."

"How do you know if she's the right one?" Raeger called after him as he started to head out of the restaurant. Klaus stopped with his hand on the doorknob and turned back toward him.

"If the thought of her being with anyone else makes you feel like someone is trying to rip your heart out of your chest, that's a pretty good indicator," he told the younger man, flashing a knowing smile. Raeger blushed and muttered a thank you to him for his patronage, then quickly set about cleaning up the spot where he'd been sitting at the counter, and Klaus chuckled and left to make arrangements for his upcoming date.

"We have really got to get to work, here."

Avery looked up from brushing her horse to the entrance of her barn, where Marian was standing with his arms crossed over his chest and a disapproving scowl on his face.

"Um... Hi?"

"This whole farm girl look is cute, but if you want Klaus to not be able to keep his hands off you, we're going to need to turn things up a notch," he said, walking over to her. He tilted his head as he took her appearance in more fully, noting a couple of pieces of hay in her hair and a smudge of dirt on her cheek.

"Make that several notches."

"Marian, I'm not planning on going out with Klaus without cleaning up, first," Avery told him, patting Pinot's flank and sending him back toward the feeding trough.

"I'm talking about more than just 'cleaning up,'" he replied, going over to her and linking an arm through hers to lead her out of the barn and back toward her house. "We need to do something about that lifeless hair of yours, and get you into an outfit that will make all the boys drool."

"I don't really want to get too made up for this date, Marian," Avery protested.

Marian chuckled and opened her front door, then ushered her inside and over to her vanity. She tried to argue with the doctor, but he placed his hands on her shoulders and firmly pushed her down into the chair before the mirror.

"Klaus won't know what hit him by the time I'm done with you," he promised. "I'm going to turn you from a plain country girl into the most desirable sex kitten on the planet."

"Please don't," Avery pleaded, attempting to stand up but finding herself shoved back into the chair. "Marian, I mean it. I don't want Klaus to see me the wrong way."

"Fine," he finally agreed after having to force her to sit for a third time. "I won't slut you up. But at least let me help you get ready. I promise I'll keep it tasteful."

Avery opened her mouth to protest once more, but he looked so hopeful that she couldn't say no to the offer. Instead, she nodded her head and the doctor let out a delighted squeal and enveloped her in a tight hug. He then turned her toward the mirror and picked up her brush to set to work.

"You know, it's been a long time since Klaus has been out on a proper date," he said, picking the hay out of her hair before running the brush through her long, golden locks. "I'm guessing he's probably just as nervous as you are."

"I never said I was nervous."

"You don't need to," Marian said, smiling at her. "I can tell. But you don't need to be. Just be yourself."

"Says the man who was intending to... what was the term you used? Slut me up?" she asked, looking up at him. Marian chuckled.

"Yes, well... Let's just say Klaus is used to dating a certain kind of woman." Avery shifted uncomfortably in her seat and Marian placed his hands on her shoulders and leaned over to talk to her, lowering his voice.

"Hey... I'm sorry. Don't take that to mean anything, okay? Klaus doesn't expect you to put out on the first date. It's just that... his exes tended to have a certain style that's much different from yours. City girls, y'know?"

"Yeah, I know," Avery said, nodding. "I saw plenty of women like that before I moved here."

"I think you being so different from them is one of the things that attracted him to you, actually," Marian remarked, resuming in brushing her hair. "One gets tired of having the same dish all the time, after all."

"That's what first drew my attention to him," Avery admitted, and Marian met her gaze in the mirror, raising a single eyebrow in question. "All of the guys I've ever dated were just so... immature. They wanted to party and get drunk all the time. I could never just sit down and have a nice dinner or a serious conversation with any of them. And forget about any of them having any manners."

Marian chuckled. "Well... I hate to break it to you but Klaus certainly fit that bill, too, when he and I first met. He probably wouldn't ever admit it, but he had a bit of a wild streak when he was younger. No matter how out of control he was, though, he always knew how to treat a woman."

"A true gentleman to the core, huh?"

"In a sense," Marian said, putting down Avery's brush and reaching for a silver butterfly barrette sitting on the vanity table. He pulled the long strands of hair framing her face back and clipped them into place at the back of her head, then set to looking for some makeup.

"Can I ask you something, Marian?"

"Hmm?" he glanced at Avery and nodded, then returned to his current task. Finally finding some simple makeup, he turned her chair slightly so she was facing him.

"What sort of woman does Klaus like?" Avery asked, closing her eyes as Marian began applying her makeup.

"That isn't really my place to say," he told her, carefully contouring her eyes. "But he used to like women who were into... having fun. His tastes have matured over the years, though. He's not the fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants Klaus he used to be. I think he's looking for someone he can see himself having a future with."

"I can be fun," Avery said, and Marian chuckled once more as he began applying some berry-colored stain to her lips.

"I'm sure you're a blast, sweetie." He pulled the handkerchief from the pocket of his white coat and wiped away the smudge of dirt from her cheek, then grabbed up a large brush and some coral-colored blush. "I'm taking about the sexy kind of fun, though."

"Oh... Well..." Avery began nervously biting her lip. "I'm not... entirely inexperienced in that area."

"How far have you gone?" he asked bluntly, setting aside the last of her makeup and wandering around in search of her closet. Avery stood and followed him.

"I've kissed a lot of guys," she told him, pointing him in the right direction once she realized what he was looking for.

"And?" he prompted, pulling open the closet door and flipping through the few outfits she had hanging within.

"And... not much else," Avery admitted. "There's been some touching, here and there, but it was always while fully clothed."

Marian finally found what he was looking for. Stuffed in the back of her closet was a sky blue, sleeveless dress with thin spaghetti straps. It was even cut low in the front, which Marian knew would serve to help show off even more of her perfect, pale skin while also accentuating her decent-sized breasts. With a sly grin, he pulled the dress from her closet and held it up to her body, imagining what she would look like once she had it on.

"Klaus is going to eat you alive," he remarked with a happy little laugh, causing Avery's eyes to widen in fear.

"Not in a bad way, silly girl," he admonished her, placing the dress in her hands and grabbing up a strappy pair of sandals from the closet floor, then handing them to her as well before leading her toward the bathroom. "I simply meant that once he sees you in this dress, he won't be able to keep his eyes or hands off you."

"I don't really know if this is appropriate for me to be wearing for a first date," Avery protested, blushing. "I mean, I didn't even pick this dress out! It was a gift from my cousin."

"She has good taste," Marian remarked. "Now, go put those on and let's see how you look."

Avery tried to protest once more, but was unceremoniously shoved into her own bathroom and Marian shut the door behind her and waited with his arms crossed over his chest. Several minutes passed, and he was just about to knock and ask her what was taking so long when she finally opened the door and meekly stepped back out.

"Wow!" Marian gasped as he looked her over. "You sure do clean up nice."

The dress fit even better than he had imagined, the fitted bodice hugging her curves before dropping down into the full skirt. He gave her a signal to spin around and she hesitated briefly before doing so, sending the skirt flaring outward just enough to show off her calves, which were well-toned from all the walking she did on a daily basis.

"I feel like I'm going to fall out of this dress," she complained, tugging at the straps and readjusting her breasts in the bodice.

"You won't," Marian assured her. "However, on the off chance that you do, I'm sure Klaus wouldn't mind in the slightest."

Avery crossed her arms to cover her low-cut neckline, blushing. "I'm going to change."

"No time, honey," Marian informed her, pointing to the clock sitting on top of the mantel above her fireplace.

"Now," he continued, ushering her toward the front door, "I want you to go have a good time with Klaus, hear me?"

Avery twisted from his grasp and ran over to the closet, causing the doctor to shout at her that she would be late if she insisted on changing her clothes.

"I know!" she told him impatiently, grabbing a white, crocheted shawl from one of the hangers and wrapping it around her shoulders. She then tied the ends into a knot right over her cleavage and pulled her hair out from under it as she made her way back over to where the doctor was waiting with the front door held open for her.

"Go get him, sweetie!" he called after her as she rushed off to meet Klaus at the trade depot.
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In Sheep's Clothing