Adult-FanFiction.org : Games

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
- 5
- 6
- 7
Chapter Five

Klaus paced around his home, running a mental checklist in the back of his mind. He'd completed his work early, but something was still nagging at him. He felt as though he had left something unfinished, which was a feeling he never liked having. Stopping next to his work station, he surveyed everything once more and found nothing out of place, then checked his pocket watch. Avery would be arriving any minute.

"It's just nerves," he said to himself, tucking the watch away once more into the front pocket of his waistcoat. "You only think you've forgotten something because you're a nervous wreck over this date."

It wasn't really a date, but it was the closest thing to an actual date they had agreed to go on, and the first outing resembling a date he'd had in over eight years. The entire thing had been her idea, inspired by him mentioning he'd been fond of horseback riding when he was in college during her most recent visit for coffee.

They had been having their 'coffee socials' – as Marian had dubbed them – for three weeks, now. Twice a week, on Tuesday and Thursday, she would stop by after finishing her chores at the farm and whatever trading she needed to do and the two of them would talk over coffee and snacks. He'd avoided talking about himself as much as possible, fearful for what she would think of him if he divulged the darker parts of his past to her, but she'd managed to drag out a few details of his earlier life. Mostly, she'd been interested in how he and Marian had become friends. Admittedly, they were an odd pairing, so he'd been happy to tell her the story of how their friendship had blossomed after Marian had tried – and failed – to pick him up at the campus bar.

He'd learned a lot about her, though, during their talks. Her favorite color was purple. She loved blueberries. Her mother was a horrible cook when she was little, but took lessons to get better at it once her father fell ill and was now practically a gourmet chef – though she claimed Raeger was still better. Her father had nearly died from a stroke when she was six years old. Thankfully, he survived and with treatment was able to make a decent recovery, but he was forced to give up the family farm as he could no longer work the land on his own. Her mother, while not as well-known as some other artists, was very successful in selling her paintings and Avery had grown up wanting for nothing. Her tastes were simple, though, and she'd missed living the quiet country life she remembered from her early years. That was why, when she saw the advertisement in the city paper looking for potential farmers to move to Oak Tree Town, she'd jumped at the chance and immediately sent in her application.

He was glad she did, and told her as much. She'd smiled and blushed at his remark, and he had immediately apologized for his forwardness – which she, in turn, quickly reprimanded him for. He'd tried to explain away the comment, saying that he was simply glad that she had turned out to be so good for the town, contributing to its growth the way she had along with the other farmers... but he wasn't entirely sure she bought it. From that day forward, he had been excessively careful in choosing his words with her, not wanting to end up in another position like the one they'd been in when he attempted to warn her of Raeger's intentions.

A knock sounded on his door, and he knew it was her. Three soft, rapid taps... so familiar he didn't even need to look out his window any more to see who was there. He rushed to his mirror and looked himself over, making sure his cravat was properly tied and his hair wasn't too much of a mess. The ends were starting to get in his eyes, and he made a mental note to get a haircut as soon as possible. Avery's knock sounded once more, and he closed his eyes and took a slow, deep breath as he cursed himself for acting like a nervous teenager about to go on his first date. He was a grown man, and this was not a date. It was a casual outing between two friends.

With a final deep breath to steel his nerves, he went to open the door. Avery had her hand raised, ready to knock for a third time, and he flashed an apologetic smile at her slightly concerned look.

"Sorry, I lost track of the time," he told her, though it was only partly true. He really had lost track of time earlier, while he'd been working, but it hadn't taken him very long to get ready.

"It's okay," she assured him with a shake of her head. "Are you ready?"

Klaus nodded and stepped outside of his home, making sure the door was properly shut behind him, then turned back to her and took her appearance in more fully. She was wearing an entirely new outfit he hadn't yet seen her in: a pair of orange shorts with a dark green vest, and beneath that a pale yellow shirt with three-quarter length sleeves. Long brown socks completed the ensemble, coming up to her mid-thigh and leaving just enough of her leg exposed to be tantalizing.

"I borrowed a horse from Asche, so we'll have to have it back before she needs to leave this evening."

Klaus tore his eyes away from her legs and looked to her face blankly for a moment before nodding his head and turning toward where the animal in question was. Standing next to Avery's dark brown stallion was a slightly larger white horse. He chuckled a bit as they made their way over to the horses, earning himself a confused look.

"A white horse, eh?" he asked her, stopping to pat the creature on the side of its neck. "I'm not exactly a prince, you know."

"It was the only one she had," Avery said, her cheeks flushing. Maybe the color hadn't been an intentional choice, but he knew now that she was going to have a mental image on her mind for the rest of the day. He wasn't sure if he should do his best to attempt to live up to that image or if even putting it there in the first place had been a very bad idea.

"So what's the plan?" he wondered, watching her mount Pinot before getting onto his princely steed.

"I figured we could just ride around up on the mountain trails for a bit, then maybe stop near the spring for a picnic?"

"Sounds good," he agreed with a nod of his head, gently prodding the horse toward the direction of the path leading out of town. He turned back to her, then, and flashed a mischievous grin.

"Meet you there?" he asked her, and waited for her nod.

With that, he urged the horse into a gallop and took off, laughing at the sound of her exasperated cry for him to wait up for her.

Avery handed Klaus a glass of wine and willed herself not to blush when his hand brushed against hers as he took it from her, then simply nodded when he graciously thanked her. She then poured some for herself and settled down on the blanket she'd laid out upon the ground, checking over her shoulder to be sure the horses were still grazing nearby.

"I think I know now why you decided to name your horse Pinot," Klaus remarked after taking a sip of the dark, red wine. "This is an excellent vintage."

"Thank you, but I didn't select it," she informed him, the color finally rising in her cheeks. "My mother did. She and my father sent me a care package for my birthday. You're not far off on the connection, though."

"Oh?" he asked, looking at her from over the rim of his wineglass. Avery stared quietly at him for a moment. He was lounging on his side, and Raeger's words from before kept running themselves over and over in her mind.

'Hold him down and ride him like a horse...'

She reached out and picked up one of the cucumber sandwiches she had brought along, then took a bite of it to keep her mouth occupied so she wouldn't do something stupid – like lean over and kiss him. She wanted to... the Goddess knew she did... but after how he'd avoided her when he nearly kissed her, she was too afraid of what sort of repercussions there would be should she be so bold to make the first move.

"So what's the real reason for the name, then?" he prompted, and she quickly swallowed to answer his question.

"I'm not really here in Oak Tree Town to be a farmer," she told him, causing him to sit up a bit in surprise. Avery shook her head and took a sip of her wine, then continued with her explanation.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm not planning on industrializing the land or anything like that, it's just... Veggies pay the bills, but I have a dream I'm here to hopefully realize."

"And that dream involves wine?" Klaus wondered, raising his glass for emphasis. Avery nodded.

"My mother took me to my first wine tasting when I was thirteen. I wasn't allowed to drink any of it, though. Okay, so... she did let me try a sip of her favorite, but... Anyway, I just fell in love with it. The vineyard, the process... I don't know, but ever since then I've always wanted to run my own winery."

"Well, that is one thing the town is lacking," Klaus mused. "And I doubt you'd hear much complaint from the residents. I know I wouldn't mind being able to get a good wine without having to go into the city, and I'm sure Iris and Giorgio would agree. Raeger would probably like being able to get locally-sourced wines for his cooking and to serve with meals at the restaurant, too."

"Exactly!" Avery agreed, smiling. "But, yes... My love of the wine-making process and my dream of being a vintner are why I chose to name my horse Pinot."

Silence fell over them and Klaus reached over to retrieve one of the sandwiches she had brought. The back of his hand brushed against her knee, and he muttered an apology, which she dismissed with a wave of her hand.

"You know, you're only the second person I've told about my dream," she admitted. "Aside from my parents, I mean."

"Really?" Klaus said, his eyebrows going up slightly in surprise. "Who is the other person?"

"Madam Eda," she told him, and Klaus smiled.

"Of course. Old Miss Eda is the sort of person everyone just naturally feels comfortable around. How is she doing, by the way?"

"Better," Avery said with a slight nod. "She even came by yesterday to see how I'm doing and take a short tour of my farm."

"That's good," Klaus replied with a smile, and another silence descended upon them.

"Why did you decide to become a perfumer?" Avery suddenly asked, deciding to turn the tables on him. Klaus pushed himself up into a sitting position and grabbed the bottle of wine, topping off his glass.

"It's not that interesting, really. I was a bored student who discovered he had a unique talent."

"Oh, come on," Avery pried. "There has to be more to it than that. You're so passionate about it, it can't just be something you fell into."

"It really is that mundane a story," Klaus insisted, chuckling. "I discovered, entirely by accident, that I have an unusually good sense of smell. I could pick out every single note in any perfume from a single sample. I do enjoy my work, though, and there's a distinct reason for that."

"Why is that?"

"Smell is one of the greatest invokers of memory there is," Klaus told her, settling back down with his wine. "Take this example: Think of something your mother used to make to eat that you loved as a child."

"I told you, my mother couldn't cook when I was little!" Avery reminded him, laughing.

"Surely she could make pancakes?" Klaus wondered, and Avery nodded hesitantly. "Didn't she ever make them for you?"

"She tried... every Saturday. They often ended up burned to the point they were practically inedible, but sometimes she made good ones."

"Okay, so... What do you think of whenever you smell pancakes?" he asked her.

"I... think of home. And sitting in front of our old television, watching cartoons," she said, her eyes starting to mist over as she thought about how hard her mother always tried to make her a perfect plate of pancakes on Saturday mornings, especially after they had been forced to move into the city where she had no friends to play with on the weekends.

"That's why I enjoy my job," Klaus told her. "To be able to bring out a memory for someone with one of my scents makes it all worth the work. I once had an elderly woman tell me that a cologne I designed reminded her of her late husband and all the happy years they had together. That was when I knew I'd chosen the right calling."

"That's a wonderful story," Avery said with a smile. She opened her mouth to say something else, but was cut off by the sudden sound of distant thunder.

"Did you check the weather for today?" Klaus wondered, and they both looked up to find the sky suddenly much darker than it had been a moment ago.

"I didn't think I would need to. It's been beautiful all season."

The sky seemed to suddenly split open and a cold rain began to pour down onto them. Avery squealed as she quickly jumped to her feet and tossed their food and the bottle of wine into the picnic basket she'd brought along. She head Klaus calling to the horses and looked up from where she was attempting to shove the blanket back into the basket to find him rounding them up and leading them over to where several large trees were creating a natural overhang that would at least shield them somewhat from the downpour.

"Got everything?" he asked when she finally joined him, running a hand back through his dark hair, which was plastered to the top of his head and had gotten into his eyes. Avery nodded, then hissed as a shiver ran through her body. She looked out at the storm, wondering how long they would be stranded, then felt a warm weight upon her shoulders and looked back to Klaus to find him placing his coat around her.

"You're shivering," he pointed out, and she realized that her teeth were chattering. She thanked him and pulled the coat around her, holding it closed with one hand.

"What about you, though?" she asked, watching as the rainwater quickly soaked through his white shirt.

"I'll be fine," he assured her with a smile, running a hand back over her hair. Avery's eyes fell closed and she let out a soft sigh, saying a silent prayer that he wouldn't pull away from her. To her dismay, he did just that, releasing her and turning around to look out at the rain.

Avery's grip tightened on the coat wrapped around her and the basket in her hand. She wanted to scream at him to just kiss her, but she couldn't. Her fear of driving him away trumped her desire for him. Licking her lips, she turned to him to ask if he thought they should make a break for her farm, which was just up the hill. Her words died in her mouth at the sight of him, though.

Klaus was standing with his eyes closed, holding his face up to the rain, his expression unreadable. He had reached up to grasp a low-hanging branch with both hands, and his grip seemed to be as tight as her own. Perhaps he was waging the same internal war she was. Avery bit her lip and weighed her options. She could confess her feelings for him, or simply keep her mouth shut. The problem with confessing now, of all times, was that if he didn't feel the same way she would still be stuck with him there until the storm subsided. Taking a deep breath, she finally made her decision... then stopped short when she noticed something new about him.

"What's this?" she asked, reaching up to his right shoulder. Visible through his soaked shirt was some sort of dark mark, partially hidden by his waistcoat. Klaus quickly pulled away from her touch and turned toward her, leaving her hand poised in mid-air.

"Was that... a tattoo?" Avery wondered, a smile slowly spreading across her lips. Klaus swore under his breath and he fidgeted with his waistcoat, avoiding her gaze.

"It was, wasn't it? You have a tattoo!"

"Yes, fine... I have a tattoo," Klaus finally admitted. "A permanent reminder of my rebellious youth."

"What is it?" Avery asked, reaching up toward his shirt collar. "Come on, I want to see it!"

Klaus chuckled and grasped her eager hand in his. "You want me to strip off my shirt in the middle of a rain storm just so you can see my tattoo?"

"Yes?" Avery said sheepishly, though she was still smiling.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were trying to kill me."

"Kill you?!" she gasped, pulling her hand from his and shaking her head. "No, of course not! Why would you even say that?"

"You want me to take off my shirt during a cold autumn rain," Klaus pointed out, smirking. "I could catch a cold, or pneumonia... then you'd feel guilty, wouldn't you?"

"Okay, fair point," Avery agreed. "But I still want to see it."

"Or maybe you just want to get me naked," Klaus teased her, then suddenly went wide-eyed when he realized what he'd said.

"I'm so sorry, Avery," he immediately apologized. "I've let my lips get too loose once again."

"Klaus."

Avery waited until he finally looked at her and then reached up and grasped him by the golden silk cravat around his neck, then pulled him closer to her. She expected him to pull away, but was pleasantly surprised when he simply allowed himself to be drawn in.

"Don't apologize," she told him, and she watched his expression shift from guilt to relief to what she could never mistake as anything but desire.

Klaus reached up with one hand and gently pushed her soaked hair back, then caressed the side of her face as his eyes searched hers. Avery held her breath, careful not to give him any reason to think she didn't want this. He cautiously took another step closer to her, forcing her to tilt her head back slightly to avoid breaking eye contact, and as he finally leaned closer to her she allowed a soft sigh to escape her lips as her eyes fell closed.

"Hey!"

His lips had barely come into contact with hers when he suddenly pulled away and backed off considerably. Avery opened her eyes, her lips still slightly parted, and looked in the direction of the voice that had called out to them and cost her what she'd been wanting since practically the first day she'd moved in to Oak Tree Town. Agate was running toward them, holding her hat in place, her clothes soaked through. Normally, Avery enjoyed the young woman's company and the two often shared stories about the various townspeople when traveling to and from the safari, but right now she wanted nothing more than for the animal enthusiast to jump into the nearby spring.

"Did you two get caught in this storm, too?" she asked as she joined them under the trees, and Avery wanted to scream at her.

"Is it that obvious?" Klaus replied, his tone more sarcastic than Avery had ever heard him, and she suddenly realized he was just as upset that they had been interrupted as she was. At least, that was what she thought until she caught his eye and saw the guilt had returned to his expression.

"Here," she said, shrugging off his coat and handing it back to him. He tried to stop her, but she insisted he take it back. Once he finally took it from her and put it back on, she went over to Pinot and began to lead him out from their makeshift shelter.

"Where are you going?" Klaus asked her, reaching up to grasp the horse's bridle to stop her on the way by, his tone stern.

"My farm is right up the hill," she reminded him. "I'm going home."

"What about this other horse?" he wondered, gesturing to the white horse he'd been riding.

"Just make sure it gets back to Asche before she has to leave at the end of the day," Avery told him, stepping into the stirrup and mounting her horse without looking at him.

"But..."

"Thank you for this afternoon, Klaus," she cut off his protest, then nudged Pinot to get him going of in the direction of her farm before he could say anything else.

She'd had enough for one day. She was so frustrated she wanted to cry. She wanted him, he wanted her... That much was obvious by the look in his eyes when he'd almost kissed her.

So what was damn the problem?
- 5
- 6
- 7
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

In Sheep's Clothing