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
- 7
- 8
- 9
Chapter Seven

"And here's where we'll put in your barrels," Gunther said, pointing to a spot on the blueprints he had lying on his dining room table. "I figure, with the room we'll have to work with... you'll probably only be able to get in two, though."

"That's fine," Avery told him as she looked the plans over. "As long as they're big enough, and made from oak."

"I'll make sure the manufacturer knows your preference."

"It's not a 'preference,' Gunther," Avery corrected him, shaking her head slightly as she looked at the carpenter. "The barrels have to be made from oak or the wine won't be right. Tell whoever you're getting them from that I won't accept anything but oak barrels."

"Understood," Gunther said, nodding and rolling up the blueprints. "So these look good for you, then?"

Avery nodded and Gunther held out the blueprints to her with a satisfied grin on his face.

"Good. Here, you can take these."

"Are you sure?" Avery asked him, hesitantly taking the blueprints from him.

"Yeah, I got another copy."

Avery thanked him and smiled, then gave him a kiss on the cheek for all of his help. Corona asked her to stay for cookies and tea, but Avery declined – though she eventually accepted one of the cookies the carpenter's wife offered her. She thanked them both once more and left the shop, grinning happily as she nibbled on the chocolate chip cookie while walking in the direction of Klaus' home.

The two of them hadn't seen each other since the day Eda passed away. She'd spent another day alone at her house dealing with her grief, aside from leaving briefly to make an appearance at Raeger's restaurant to keep him from worrying about her, and then thrown herself headlong into catching up on her planting and getting things put in order to begin the building of her starter winery. Gunther had been more than happy to oblige, though he'd seemed a little dismayed to hear how excited his wife was that they would finally be able to get wine in town.

The only other people she had seen in the past two weeks were Raeger and Fritz. After hearing from Raeger how depressed her fellow farmer was, she'd taken it upon herself to do whatever she could to make sure he didn't fall behind with his crops. They were rivals, but she knew that Fritz had been having a hard time getting the hang of life on the farm and sometimes could barely make ends meet. Agate was fully capable of handling the care of his animals, but she didn't know the first thing about plants and so Avery had stepped forward to fill that role. Essentially, she had created twice as much work for herself as she already had since she not only needed to tend to her own crops but the ones she'd planted for Fritz, but the way he'd looked when she visited him after she finished with her own planting for the season made her feel sorry for him and regret that she'd ever complained about the ways he'd tricked her into doing his work for him.

She wasn't the only person in town helping Fritz out, though. Raeger stopped by each day to cook for him. Marian had checked on him a few times to make sure he was taking care of himself, as well. Veronica stopped by once or twice to visit, along with Maurice – a detail Avery had not missed, though she didn't want to pry into their personal lives. Iris came by several times, offering him words of encouragement and telling him that he could come stay with her and Mistel for a while if he didn't want to be all alone at his farmhouse. Giorgio brought by fresh flowers every couple of days to try to brighten his mood, while Corona showered him with sweet treats. Melanie and Lutz stopped by once and attempted to get him to play with them the way he often did, but he hadn't been in the mood. Asche even made the trek to his farm to present him with a small bereavement gift, as was customary in her country, and also gave one to Avery. The gifts were simple woven baskets each containing tea, fruit, and a small statue. Asche explained the figure was a guardian given to those closest to the deceased, meant to help heal the heart following their loss. It was said to draw in the negative emotions associated with death through its open mouth and help restore happiness to those affected by the death. Once the bereavement period had passed, the statue was to be buried near the grave of their loved one as an offering to the god of the dead. It was a thoughtful gesture, and Avery had thanked the merchant for both of them, as hearing the purpose of the figure had caused Fritz to start crying again. Perhaps the most surprising visitor Fritz had received, though, had been Elise. She came by to offer her condolences, but Avery had a feeling that the only reason she had done so was because her staff had goaded her into it.

The only person Avery hadn't seen, not even in passing, had been Klaus – thought Fritz told her he'd stopped by a few times early in the morning before heading in to the city to see if there was anything he needed. It was just as well. She was having a bit of difficulty dealing with her feelings toward him. She had known for a while that she cared for him as more than just a friend, but admitting those feeling out loud to Eda had somehow made it all more real. She could no longer pretend it was just a crush, a fun little fantasy to pass away the time while she was at home, alone. She couldn't keep avoiding him forever, though.

He'd encouraged her to build a winery despite only having enough for a small starter operation, so it was only fitting she take the blueprints Gunther had given her to show him the plans he had helped her decide to go through with. Maybe she would even get up the courage to tell him how she truly felt about him, too. After all, it was Valentine's Day, and while she knew he didn't care for things like sweets a confession would be even more special. She doubted she'd be able to go through with it, though. She was fairly certain he had feelings for her, but that tiny little bit of doubt in the back of her mind kept nagging at her. She'd been rejected before, of course... and that had been less than fun. She had been young then, though, and her feelings back then were nothing compared to the way she cared about Klaus.

"You can do this," she quietly said to herself as she climbed the steps to the residential district of Oak Tree Town. "Just say, 'I like you. Will you go out with me?' Simple as that."

She paused when she reached Klaus' home and saw a pile of boxes neatly stacked outside his front door. They were likely gifts of Valentine's chocolates from his clients and whatever admirers he might have in the city, but what concerned her was the location of the packages. No matter how much he disliked sweets, Klaus would have graciously accepted the gifts. He never would have simply left them sitting on his front step. Perhaps they had been brought by some delivery service and left there in his absence... but no. It was a Tuesday. He should be home.

Something was amiss, and Avery started to feel panicked. She carefully stepped around the boxes and knocked on Klaus' front door, then waited a bit before knocking again. When a third knock failed to summon him or prompt any sort of verbal response from inside, she carefully leaned over and peered in through the window, thinking perhaps he was so absorbed in his work that he didn't notice her knocking.

What she saw made her blood run cold. Klaus was inside, lying face-down on the floor near his work station. She immediately tried to open the door to check on him, but was surprised to find it locked. Thinking quickly, she dropped the blueprints in her hand amongst the pile of packages on the step and ran next door to Marian's house. It was still early, so she knew he wouldn't be at the clinic just yet and, as the town's doctor, she also knew he had a copy of the key to every resident's house.

It wasn't far, and she was in good shape from her daily activities on the farm, but as she pounded relentlessly upon Marian's door she found herself gasping hard for breath. Her heart was racing, her mind a jumbled mess of negative thoughts, and when he answered she found she couldn't form any comprehensible words. She merely grasped Marian by the hand and began trying to pull him out through his front door.

"Avery, what the-?" the doctor wondered, hanging back.

"Klaus!" she finally managed to say, her voice a desperate sob. "Something's happened to Klaus! Hurry!"

Marian held up a single finger and twisted his wrist from her grasp, then turned back inside briefly and grabbed a key ring from just inside the door. He then rushed ahead of her and next door to Klaus' house and let them both in. Avery could barely breathe as she watched him kneel down and check Klaus' pulse, tears filling her eyes as she shook her head back and forth while watching the scene unfold before her.

"Please, no," she muttered, shutting her eyes tightly, her hands pressed together and held to her lips. "Please be okay... Don't you dare leave me now..."

"Avery!"

It took her a moment to realize that Marian had moved away from Klaus and was standing in front of her, his hands firmly upon her shoulders. She opened her eyes and looked at him, blinking a few times at how different he looked. She hadn't noticed before, due to her panic, but he wasn't wearing any makeup.

"It's okay, sweetie, just breathe," he instructed, demonstrating by breathing in slowly through his nose and then exhaling out through his mouth. Avery mimicked his actions, taking a few slow breaths before turning to look at Klaus on the floor once more.

"Is he..?"

"He's fine," Marian assured her. "Just unconscious. Probably overworked himself into exhaustion."

"How is that fine?" Avery snapped, wondering how a doctor could speak so nonchalantly about someone – especially a close friend – working themselves so hard they collapsed.

"This isn't the first time he's done this," Marian said, rolling his eyes a bit. "Klaus gets rather... focused this time of year. It's always his busiest, with the holidays coming up and dozens of orders all coming in at once, and he throws himself headlong into his work. I think he just uses it as way to try to forget that he's alone."

She looked back to Klaus for a moment and shook her head. "We can't just leave him there."

"I know," Marian agreed with a nod. "Go see if you can find someone to help you get him to the clinic. I'm going to go back home and get my things, then I'll meet you there."

Avery nodded, still staring at Klaus on the floor, and Marian grasped her chin gently in his hand and turned her back toward him.

"I promise, he's going to be okay," he assured her, and she nodded once more and offered him a weak smile.

"I'll go ask Gunther for his assistance," she told him, and he kissed her on the forehead, then left to return home. Avery continued to stare at Klaus a moment longer, then set out herself to find help.

Marian looked up from his paperwork when the door to the clinic opened, and smiled when he saw Avery standing in the doorway, holding a covered stoneware pot in her hands. He waved her in and stood from his desk, then went over to her and took the pot when she held it out to him.

"I made this for Klaus," she informed him, looking to the bed nearby, where the man in question was still lying, unconscious. "It's bouillabaisse. I was hoping he'd be awake by now, but..." She shrugged, hanging her head.

"He should be awake by morning, if not sooner," Marian assured her. "I'll make sure he gets this when he does wake up. I'm sure he hasn't been eating properly, either, so it's good you brought this by."

Avery nodded. "I also wanted to apologize for over-reacting earlier."

"It's okay, honey," Marian said, taking the pot over to Klaus' bedside table and setting it down. "You were worried. I understand."

"Seeing him there like that... it reminded me of when I was a little girl and I found my father lying on the floor of our barn," she explained, and Marian turned around to find her staring at Klaus with tears in her eyes. "He almost died, and Klaus... With what happened a couple of weeks ago, I don't think I could have handled losing someone else I care about so soon after that."

Marian went over to her and pulled her into a tight hug, rubbing her back and rocking her slightly.

"I know, sweetie. Klaus is special to you, isn't he?" He waited for her nod to continue. "Have you told him how you feel about him?"

"No," Avery replied, pulling away from him and shaking her head. "I don't know if I can..."

"Why not?" Marian wondered, playing with her hair and tucking it back behind her ears in a motherly way.

"What if he doesn't feel the same way?" she asked him, her gaze moving to Klaus and lingering upon him. "I mean... I think he does, but he's also given me some mixed signals before and I'm really not sure if he likes me like that or not."

"You'll never know unless you try," Marian told her, and Avery nodded, closing her eyes and letting out a heavy sigh.

"Well, I'd better let you get back to work," she said after a moment, gesturing toward the paperwork on his desk. "Please, when he wakes up, let him know I stopped by."

"I certainly will," Marian assured her, then returned her small wave as she left. He waited until the door had closed completely behind her, then turned toward Klaus' prone form in the bed.

"She's gone now," he announced. "You can stop faking."

Klaus sighed and sat up, keeping his eyes averted from Marian's judgmental gaze. The doctor pulled his chair from the desk over to the bedside and sat down, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Are you quite satisfied with yourself, Klaus Meinard Albrecht?" he asked, causing Klaus to cringe at the use of his full name. "That girl nearly had a panic attack this morning when she found you. She was in such a state that she made me leave my house without my face on!"

"Oh, well... Goddess forbid you should have to ever leave the house without your face on," Klaus remarked sarcastically, then flopped back down onto the bed and placed an arm over his eyes.

"Why haven't you told her how you feel about her?" Marian asked bluntly. "And don't give me any bullshit about how you think she should be with someone else. I don't see her getting so worked up she can barely breathe over anyone else in town, and she certainly never brought any of my other patients their favorite meal when they were in recovery."

"She should be with someone her own age," Klaus protested.

"You don't really believe that nonsense," Marian argued. "If you did, you never would have been with..."

His voice trailed off as something finally clicked in his mind.

"You dumb fuck!" he swore, rising angrily from his chair and pointing an accusing finger at him. "That's what this is all about, isn't it?"

Klaus remained silent and unmoving, but Marian wasn't fooled. He knew his best friend was very much awake and could hear every word he said.

"You mean to tell me that, all this time, the reason you've been so dead set against pursuing something with Avery is because of what Rebecca did to you?"

"You remember what I was like after that, don't you?" Klaus asked, still refusing to look at him.

"Yeah, you were a depressed mess," Marian replied, hands on his hips. "I still don't see why you should be punishing that poor girl for what some manipulative slut did to you almost ten years ago."

Klaus sighed and finally sat back up, running both hands back through his hair and shaking his head before speaking.

"I can't go through that again, Marian," he said. "What if the same thing happens? What if this is just girlish infatuation and once she grows out of it and has had her fun she decides she's better off with someone else closer to her age?"

"You cannot compare the two of them!" Marian yelled, waving his hands about in frustration. "The only thing they have in common is that they're both younger than you."

"It's almost twice the age difference," Klaus pointed out. "Rebecca was only eight years younger than me, Avery is fifteen."

"I doesn't matter!" Marian countered. "Avery cares about you! She loves you and you're too blind to see it! Just like you were too blind to see that Rebecca was using you all along to further her damn modeling career."

"You knew?" Klaus accused him.

"Everyone knew," Marian confirmed. "You were pretty much the only person who didn't know."

"Why didn't you say something to me?"

Marian closed his eyes and shook his head, letting out a weary sigh. "I had no idea you were that head over heels in love with her. I just... I guess I just figured the reason you stayed with her as long as you did was because the sex was so good. The last thing I expected you to do was propose to her."

He sighed again and sat back down in his chair, and the two of them remained silent for a long time.

"I'm sorry," Marian finally apologized. "I should have told you. I'm your closest friend, and I failed you. But that's why I'm not going to let myself fail you again."

Klaus gave him a questioning look, and Marian leaned forward and took one of his hands and gave it and encouraging squeeze.

"You need to get over this. Let go of the past, and tell Avery how you feel about her." Klaus opened his mouth and he held up a hand to silence him. "Let me finish. She sincerely loves you. I can see it, Raeger can see, I'm pretty sure most of the town can see it, and you know what... I'm sure you see it, too, but you're just too damn scared to get hurt again and you refuse to acknowledge it."

"She deserves-"

"Don't you dare say she deserves better, Klaus!" Marian cut him off. "You're the best man I know. Sure, you've made some mistakes in the past, but no one is perfect. You're still a kind, compassionate man who does everything in his power to protect those he cares about."

"It's not the right time," Klaus protested yet again, shaking his head. "I'm too busy right now, with the new fragrance launching and all the holiday orders... I could never devote the sort of time to her that she needs."

"Fine," Marian acquiesced. "Then wait until after the holidays, and tell her how you feel. But don't wait too long, Klaus, because if you do someone else is likely to step in."

"Like Raeger?"

"Maybe Fritz," Marian said with a shrug. "She's been spending a lot of time with him, helping him out with his farm since Eda died. I know the old gal was sort of hoping the two of them would end up together. If you ask me, though, she has no interest in him beyond friendship. It's your sexy ass she wants in her bed."

Marian winked at him, and Klaus tried to hide a smile. He reached for the pot sitting on the table next to his bed and lifted the lid, then leaned over the contents and took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of his favorite meal. His stomach let out an audible growl, and Marian laughed as he blushed.

"Got a spoon?" he asked, looking up at the doctor. Marian nodded and went to retrieve the requested utensil for him, thinking to himself that at least Avery had the whole 'getting to his heart through his stomach' thing down.

He only hoped his little pep talk would end up being enough to finally convince Klaus to let the past go and follow his heart.
- 7
- 8
- 9
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