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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 Twenty-Five

The crowd at the Fall Fashion Show was larger than Avery had ever seen at the previous ones she'd been to. Perhaps she was just imagining it and it only seemed larger because of her nerves, but maybe the show was starting to gain more attention – like some of the other festivals which were held – due to the town's increasing popularity as a quaint tourist destination for those who lived in the city. However, she knew that the real reason for the number of people attending the show was likely the woman standing not five feet away from her.

She turned to look at the other models lined up backstage, feeling her confidence dwindle even more as her attention moved down the line. All of them were at least a good six inches taller than her, with perfect bodies and flawless skin and hair. That was to be expected, though, since they were all professionals. She was just a stand-in for the one Marian had originally wanted to wear his outfit in the show. He'd said she was the only in town the same size as the model he made it for but, considering the others who were to be in the show and the outfit he'd made, Avery could help wondering if his original model had been a child rather than a fully-grown woman.

"Ready?" Marian asked as he came up behind her and carefully rested his hands upon her shoulders. Avery craned her neck to look up at him, shaking her head.

"No... I'm really not," she said, laughing nervously. "But I said I'd do this for you, so I'm not going back on my word now."

"You'll be great," he assured her, leading her to her spot in line as Veronica began ordering everyone backstage to take their places. "Just remember what I told you, and don't forget to use the parasol."

Avery frowned at the frilly parasol Marian had given her as part of the ensemble she was wearing, then looked up at the doctor with a pleading look in her eyes.

"Do I really need this?" she asked him. "I mean, I already look more like a damn doll than a model in this dress."

"Yes, you do," Marian insisted. "It completes the look. And you're supposed to look like a doll. That's the entire point."

Avery sighed heavily and nodded, her shoulders slumping a bit, and Marian gave her an encouraging smile just as Veronica called for the designers to join her for their pre-show introductions.

"You're gorgeous, honey," he told her with a wink, raising his hands like the claws of a wild animal as he backed away from her toward where Veronica was waiting. "Be fierce!"

"Fierce... Right," Avery muttered under her breath, looking to her left and suddenly going very stiff. She hadn't realized it before, but the ordering of the models had placed her directly next to Rebecca in line. She clenched her hands into fists to stop herself from grabbing the other woman and demanding an explanation for why she'd been acting so casually flirty toward Klaus earlier, and closed her eyes to take a deep breath and calm her nerves while she listened to Veronica introducing each of the designers being featured in the show to the audience.

Soon she heard the steadily-thumping bass line of the song which had been selected for the presentation, and when she opened her eyes once more she was ready. This would be for Marian, but it was also for Klaus. She'd show everyone she was better for him than the bitch ahead of her ever had been, once and for all.

Klaus only heard parts of the conversation going on around him as he sat in the audience at the very end of the runway which had been set up in the trade depot for the fashion show. Ever since he told the two people sitting next to him that the reason for Avery's absence had been because she was participating in the show as Marian's model, it was all they could talk about.

Raeger had found it amusing that Marian would choose someone so far from 'modelesque' to act as his replacement for the girl who hadn't shown up – a sentiment which Elise loudly agreed with, adding in that she would have been a much better choice. Lillie had scolded him for saying such things, telling him that she found Avery to be very pretty and he just couldn't see it because the two of them were nothing more than friends. Raeger then argued that he didn't say she wasn't pretty, just that she didn't have the normal build of a model, being as short as she was. Lillie attempted to once more defend Avery, but the young chef cut off her statement with a quick kiss while her father's back was turned.

Sitting on his other side, Iris was reassuring him that Avery was going to do just fine and that he shouldn't worry about her. He knew he must have looked troubled from the expression of her face when he first sat down next to her, but he couldn't tell her the real reason he felt that way. The only two people in town who knew anything about his prior relationship with Rebecca were Marian and Avery, after all, and he really wanted to keep it that way. A part of him wanted to tell her anyway, just so he could have someone to commiserate with regarding the situation, but he simply remained quiet because he knew that only one thing would truly help him feel better, and Avery wasn't right next to him at the moment.

Soon Veronica stepped out onto the stage, along with the four designers who were competing, and Klaus clapped politely as she introduced each one. His enthusiasm didn't even increase when Marian's name was called, which Iris noticed and jabbed her elbow into his side in order to prompt him to clap a bit harder for his best friend. Once the introductions had been made, Veronica announced the theme for the show and slipped backstage once more. Soon the music selection for the show began to play loudly over the crowd, and Klaus braced himself for what was to come. He'd chosen to sit as close to the end of the catwalk as possible in order to get the best view he could when Avery had her turn, but in doing so he'd also put himself in a prime position to be confronted by his past again, as well.

The first young woman was wearing an outfit by someone from out-of-town: a casual, yet pretty ensemble of a ruffly miniskirt and jacket made from lavender-colored denim with a frilly white top underneath. She stopped at the end of the runway and slipped off her jacket like a pro, holding it on one finger as she tossed it back over her shoulder and turned for the audience and the judge of the entire affair to get a good look at what she was wearing.

The second model was also showing off the design skills of an out-of-towner, wearing a form-fitting, shot-sleeved dress which had been entirely knitted out of purple yarn. The dress reached just to above the model's knee, though she was also wearing dark stockings underneath and therefore wasn't showing off nearly as much skin as the previous girl. Iris leaned over and said something to him about how plain the first two outfits were, and Klaus nodded slightly. No one from out of town stood a chance of winning when they were being put up against the likes of both Giorgio and Marian.

Next came the moment he had been dreading. He recognized her even in profile as she came out from behind the curtain concealing the waiting models, and his stomach twisted itself into knots as he watched her approach the end of the walkway. Her walk was perfect, and Klaus had to at least give her some credit for that. She might have gotten to where she was through manipulation, but she really was good at what she did. She still seemed to have a nasty habit of making sure everything was about her though, as he noticed most of the people around him were talking about how good-looking she was rather than commenting on the dress she was wearing. It was a long, strapless evening gown with a plunging neckline made of shimmery fabric which seemed to change color from purple to black depending upon how the light hit it, accented with at least a hundred rhinestones Klaus was sure Giorgio had to have sewn on by hand in order to avoid ruining the way the delicate fabric fell. Effectively, Rebecca looked as though she was wearing a nighttime sky full of stars wrapped around her body.

When she reached the end of the catwalk, she immediately caught Klaus' eye and made a point of holding her leg out through the side slit in the long gown right in front of him, as though she was trying to entice him with her body. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, forcing himself to clap along with the others instead of clenching his hands into fists the way he so wanted to, and it wasn't until he heard Iris gasp sharply next to him that he finally looked at the runway once more.

"Holy shit, is that really Avery?" Raeger asked next to him, completely in awe.

Klaus barely recognized her. Her hair had been pulled up into two pigtails and curled to frame her face, which wouldn't have been so bad if it wasn't for the fact that Allen had also dyed her hair aubergine – presumably to match the dress she was wearing. The dress itself looked like a cross between something a maid would wear and an outfit one might find on an antique doll, sporting puffy sleeves and a full, lacy skirt with more ruffles than Klaus dared to count. The skirt of the dress reached about halfway down Avery's thighs, and Klaus could clearly see the garters underneath which were holding up her black stockings.

"Well, I'm jealous," Iris said to him with a smile. "I wish I had my own little lolita to take home with me."

"She's so cute!" Lillie added, bouncing a little in her seat. "Like a doll!"

Klaus found the young woman's assessment spot-on, as the closer Avery got to where he was sitting the better he could see her. Not only had Allen dyed her hair, but he'd also done her makeup in a manner that made her actually look like a porcelain doll. She began twirling the closed parasol in she was carrying in front of her as she walked farther along the catwalk, and when she stopped at the end she finally popped it open and spun it in front of her a few times before resting it upon her shoulder. Her eyes seemed to search the audience as she continued to twirl the parasol, and as soon as she found him she smiled and blew him a kiss before heading back the way she'd come to the sound of loud cheering from everybody seated around him.

Next came time for the judging, and while the expert designer who volunteered twice a year to judge their little town's fashion show was making his decision, Klaus stood and excused himself from the company of those he had been sitting with. Whatever the outcome, he wanted to be as close as possible to the stage so that when the show was over he could finally hold Avery in his arms again and forget about the negative parts of his morning.

"Thank you all for waiting," Veronica said loudly over the din of the crowd, raising her hands high up into the air to get the attention of everyone in the audience. "Our judge has made his decision regarding the winner of this year's Fall Fashion Show. Mr. Del Cossa, if you please..."

She stepped aside to let the famous designer take center stage, and Klaus found himself holding his breath as he looked to where Marian and Avery were standing together waiting for the results with the other designers and their models. Avery looked incredibly nervous, tightly clutching the skirt of the dress she had on in her hands while Marian appeared to be rubbing her shoulders and consoling her as best he could considering his own nerves.

"First, I would like to thank all of you for participating," Del Cossa told all of the designers. "Every one of you deserves a round of applause for having the bravery to put a part of your soul out there for the world to see. That said, there were two stand-out entries this year which were so equally spectacular in their own ways that I had a hard time deciding which outfit I liked better. So, in the end, it came down to how the models themselves presented the creations of their respective designers."

Klaus swallowed nervously and glanced over to Giorgio and Rebecca. She was looking smug, knowing her superiority as an internationally-renowned fashion model was likely going to get her the win, but Giorgio actually seemed worried as he looked over to Marian and Avery. Klaus' gaze returned to them, as well, and he found both of them had their eyes shut tightly and they were quietly muttering to themselves – probably saying some sort of last-minute prayer to the Harvest Goddess to ask for her favor.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Del Cossa continued. "I am happy to announce the winner of the seventh annual Oak Tree Town Fall Fashion Show is... Marian!"

Klaus grinned as Marian and Avery both cried out triumphantly and hugged each other, and laughed a bit when Marian picked her up off the ground – still hugging her – to carry her to where Del Cossa was standing, waiting to give him his prize. Marian thanked the designer and kissed him, then turned toward the backstage area and gestured for Allen to join them in sharing the victory. The hairdresser strutted out onto the stage and bowed before the cheering crowd with a cocky grin, and Marian grabbed him by the lapels of his dark blue jacket and kissed him much the same way he had Del Cossa before leaning down and whispering something which made the redhead blush and swat at his chest as he pulled away.

"What are you waiting for?" he suddenly heard Raeger screaming over the rest of the crown. "Get up there and kiss her!"

He chuckled to himself and climbed the steps at the side of the stage, then walked right past Rebecca without even looking at her on his way to Avery. She lunged at him as soon as she saw him approaching, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him, and Klaus pulled away just enough to lean down and kiss her. Unlike Marian, though, he lingered far longer than what could be considered a mere kiss of triumphant joy and even picked her up and spun her around in his arms as their friends whistled and yelled in encouragement.

"I'm gonna kill Allen, you know," she tearfully said once they finally parted, causing him to laugh. He raised a hand and twirled some of her hair around his finger, examining the dark purple shade it had been turned into.

"This doesn't wash out, I take it?"

"He swore it will, but he put so much of it in my hair I don't know how I'm ever going to get it all out in less than a week!" she lamented, hiding her face against his chest. "How am I supposed to be Addie's maid of honor when I look like a walking eggplant?"

"We'll figure something out, love," he assured her, tucking his hand under her chin and lifting it up until her gaze met his once more. "For now, however, allow me to say that you were amazing out there."

She blushed at the compliment and averted her gaze to his chest once more, then gasped sharply and looked back up to him, biting her lip.

"What's wrong?" he asked, continuing to play with her hair, and she merely gestured to his overcoat with her eyes. He looked down to see what was the matter and found that a good amount of the white makeup Allen had used on her face had rubbed off onto the dark green material. With a hearty chuckle, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her firmly against his chest, then kissed the top of her head.

"I don't care if my clothes get a little dirty," he told her, his grip on her growing even tighter when he noticed Rebecca watching the two of them. "But for now, why don't we head backstage and get the rest of that cleaned off your face, hm?"

She looked up at him and nodded, though her expression was a bit confused until she followed his line of sight and he felt her tense in his arms. He sighed and rested his head against hers, now knowing that she'd caught on to what had happened earlier in Marian's section of the dressing area, and told her he was okay. He knew she probably wasn't very convinced, judging by how she didn't relax at all in spite of his assurances, so he decided the best course of action was to get them both as far away from the fashion show and those involved in it as soon as possible.

"Come on, love," he instructed, finding one of her hands and taking it in his own in order to lead her back to where she had been earlier with Marian and Allen. As soon as she had washed the makeup off her face and changed her clothes, they would go home and he would never have to think about Rebecca again.

At least, that was how he wanted things to transpire. Fate, however, seemed determined to be especially cruel to him on this day. Avery had insisted he wait outside while she changed because Marian's outfit had been designed in such a way that she hadn't been able to wear a bra and she didn't want him getting tempted to do something that could 'cause a scandal' if they were to be caught in the act, which he didn't mind. While he was waiting for her, though, the last person in the world he wanted to see came looking for him.

"There you are," she said, flashing that seductive smile which had drawn him in so easily before and made him believe she actually wanted to be with him.

"Good job out there," Klaus told her – just to be polite – averting his eyes to the ground and crossing his arms over his chest in the hope that she'd take a hint and leave him alone.

"Aww, don't be like that," Rebecca practically purred as she sidled up to him, pressing her ample chest against his upper arm.

"Those are new," he remarked, referring to her breasts. He meant for it to come across as insulting, but she merely pushed them more firmly against him and laughed.

"You like them? The guy I was dating before I met Giorgio got them for me."

Klaus scoffed a little, shaking his head. "Of course he did. I'll have you know, though, that I prefer women whose breasts aren't man-made – like Avery."

Rebecca made a disgusted sound and began stroking his arm with one hand. "So you're with her now, are you? Honestly, Klaus, I was shocked when I saw you kiss her."

"And why's that?" Klaus asked her, his tone turning defensive.

"She's not your type. You always had the most beautiful women in the city on your arm, and now here you are with this short, chubby, plain country girl."

"I think you're just jealous," Klaus accused.

"I am jealous," Rebecca admitted, moving to stand in front of him and wrapping her arms around his neck. "I've never forgotten how good you were, Klaus."

"What are you doing, Rebecca?" he asked, tensing.

"She can't please you the way I used to," she continued, ignoring his question, one of her hands sliding down his chest to grasp at his cravat. "A girl like that probably has no idea what she's doing in bed, after all. You need a woman to give you the kind of pleasure you like."

"I love Avery," he told her firmly, his fingers digging into his arms. "And not that it's any of your damn business, but she pleases me just fine."

Rebecca laughed. "I bet the two of you haven't even had sex, have you?" Klaus tensed even more at her words and she laughed again. "I knew it! So... Why don't you and I meet up later and relive some of our fondest memories together?"

"No."

"Come on, Klaus," she cooed, wrapping her arms around his neck once more and pressing her body against his folded arms, resting her head against his shoulder to brush her lips against his neck as she spoke. "I know you miss it, too. We'll do everything you used to love. I'll suck your cock and let you fuck me hard like a wild animal. We can even tie each other up, if you want."

Klaus closed his eyes and swallowed hard, praying that she didn't notice that what she was saying actually had the effect she intended. The very idea of doing those things turned him on immensely, and she was right: he did sometimes miss the wilder days of his youth. He loved Avery, though. So even though Rebecca had managed to get him aroused with the promise of what she'd let him do to her it wasn't her in his mind as he imagined doing all those things... it was Avery.

"What about Giorgio?" he asked, hoping that bringing up her fiance would make her leave him alone before Avery showed up and inevitably misread the situation.

"Do you think I actually love that fop?" Rebecca replied, shuddering. "Sex with him is so boring. I only agreed to marry him because being with him raises my status in the industry significantly."

Klaus let out a bitter laugh. "And I'm guessing you're not always away because you're on some photo shoot, like he says?"

"Of course not," Rebecca replied, letting out a laugh of her own. "He has no idea about all the men I've had on the side. I'm a model, after all, and all men fantasize about fucking a model."

"You whore..."

Rebecca gasped, her entire body going stiff, and Klaus opened his eyes and turned his head to see Avery and Giorgio standing in the opening of the tent housing the dressing rooms.

"I'm sorry, Giorgio," Avery told her rival farmer, reaching out to place a hand on his shoulder. "I thought you should know."

"No, it's fine," Giorgio assured her, his eyes – still glued to Rebecca – starting to fill with tears. "Thank you for showing me this, Avery. I'm glad I found out now and not after I married this two-timing bitch."

"Giorgio, sweetie," Rebecca said in a soothing voice as she pulled away from Klaus, "this isn't what you think-"

"Shut the fuck up, Rebecca," he cut off her poor attempt to talk her way out of the situation. "I've ignored the rumors, I even defended you against them because I was stupid enough to believe that you really loved me. Now... I see that it was foolish of me to do so."

She went to him and attempted to touch his face, but he violently swatted her hand away.

"Do not try that shit on me now," he told her, angry tears spilling down his cheeks. "We are done. You are done. This engagement is off, and I will see to it that every major designer blacklists you for the rest of your miserable life. Goodbye, Rebecca."

With that, he turned on his heel and strode back into the tent, leaving Avery standing by herself with a satisfied smirk on her face.

"Oh, what's wrong?" she said with an exaggerated pout at she took in the horrified expression on the other woman's face. "Did the manipulative slut finally get what was coming to her?"

Klaus grinned at her as she stepped around Rebecca and walked up to him, then pulled her into his arms and kissed her. She pushed him away, though, and instead wrapped his arms around her waist as she leaned back against him.

"That was for what you did to Klaus, by the way," she told Rebecca. "I only regret that Giorgio ended up having to get hurt, too. Oh, wait... While we're on the subject of Klaus..."

She pulled out of his grasp and walked back over to Rebecca then reached up and tapped her on the shoulder, and as soon as Rebecca turned her head to look at her Avery punched her in the face.

"That is for trying to have sex with my man!" she yelled, her voice trembling, and Klaus quickly stepped forward and put an arm around her shoulders to guide her away before things got completely out of hand.

"Take me home," she requested as she looked up at him, and Klaus was taken aback to see tears in her eyes. He nodded and kissed her softly, then eased his arm down her back and around her waist.

"Let's go home," he said as she snuggled against his side, both of her arms encircling his waist, and they continued to hold each other close all the way back to her farm.
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In Sheep's Clothing