A/N - A BTN fic. Its shounen-ai, too, so if that bothers you, just press
the back button and pretend you never got this far. If you don't know what
shounen-ai is, its male/male romance. The pairings gonna be...well, it
should be fairly obvious if you read, so I won't really bother saying it
now. Also, I do intend for this story to have a real plot. There's going to
probably be some other pairings, too, but the main one is really the most
important so that's all I'm going to say.
Also, No flames, please. If something bothers you, even something other than the shounen-ai-ness of the story, then either put it into a nice constructive, helpful review, or don't say anything at all, right? My low self-esteem can't take it. But, do review me! It makes me happy.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harvest Moon: Back to Nature, or any of the Harvest Moon series, so don't sue me! I'll only put this disclaimer in this first chapter.
*L*o*s*t*
Snow fell, pretty white flakes landing lightly on the frozen earth. Everything was dusted in white; old footprints littered the deserted footpath. If thick gray clouds hadn't hid the sky from view, the sun would've just behind the treetops. And it was freezing; it hadn't been this cold all winter. All the animals had taken shelter, and the shops and houses in the village had all been boarded up.
Jack trudged up the mountain, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. It was really cold - although he was wearing heavier clothes than usual, he still wasn't anywhere near dressed for the weather. He shivered, tucking his head down to save his stinging eyes from the bitter wind.
He had ignored Gotz's warning about the blizzard. Koro was lost and he was determined to find him. The puppy wouldn't last in weather like this. Although, Jack was beginning to think that *he* wouldn't last in weather like this, either. The winds had picked up and it was getting harder to see through the snowflakes.
Still, he had made it this far and he wasn't about to turn back now. Not when his dog needed him.
Jack scowled. *Hopefully* his dog needed him. The dumb thing had probably made it back already, and was curled up in his nice, warm doghouse - but Jack wasn't going back until he was sure. Koro would certainly die if he was wrong.
He looked up. The hot spa was steaming a little. He didn't want to go in and warm up, though - he was sure that once he got out the water would freeze on him before he made it back to the farm, and he didn't even have a towel. Jack walked on, turning the corner.
A particularly nasty wind nearly knocked him off his feet. He slid a little.
"Damn..."Just then, Jack saw a flash of gold in the corner of his eye. He froze, turning and looking in all directions.
"Koro! Koro!" He heard a bark. That was it - it was Koro - but where *was* he?
Jack trudged over to where he thought the noise had come from. The snow had gotten deeper, and it was harder to move.
"Koro - c'mere - oh - speak, boy!" Jack tried, shouting out any commands he thought might help. The dog barked again and he turned. *There*. Jack rushed forward, kneeling down next to the frightened puppy.
Koro was half buried in snow, cowering behind a leafless bush. Upon closer inspection, Jack found that the puppy's collar had gotten caught on a branch. He worked to unfasten it - his hands, numb with cold, fumbled for a while with the clasp before finally managing to undo it.
Koro shook with fear and cold as Jack took him into his arms - once standing, Jack looked around.
There was no one there at all. The whole mountain was deserted, and he doubted that he would be able to make it all the way back home.
"What are we gonna do now, you stupid dog?" Jack said, tucking the dog beneath his sweater. The dog whined in response, as if knowing that his master was insulting them.
"It's all your fault, you know? I should've left you on the mountain, you useless piece of -"Jack froze in mid-sentence, something having occurred to him. There was that cave across the lake. He could take shelter there until the storm calmed down. It would still be cold, but at least there was no wind and snow inside there...
He hurried forward, making his way as best he could across the frozen lake, slipping once or twice. He was *really* freezing, now. Hopefully the cave would be a little warmer. He would've collected firewood or something, but he had no idea how to start a fire without matches, and he was pretty sure that everything would be completely damp by now.
He reached the entrance to the cave and sighed in relief. The wind was gone, the snow was gone - he was still freezing, but this at least was an improvement.
He started to sit, and then noticed something. There was a ladder in the middle of the ground, and - a head - poking out of the earth. He blinked, as the head moved up, and then revealed a neck - shoulders -
His cold-numbed mind only just understood that there was someone here already, and that person was turning towards him, having pulled himself completely out of the hole.
"Jack?" it was Gray, his usual blue cap on the floor. Jack blinked again, a confused look coating his features. Gray...what was he doing here? It wasn't the last place Jack expected him to be, but on a day like today, he'd be at home. Or better, Jack thought bitterly, with Mary, in the library.
"G-gray." His voice was a little hoarse, his teeth chattering slightly, making it hard to speak.
"Hey - how'd you get here? The weather's really bad - are you okay?" Gray stepped forward, his red-blond hair falling in front of his eyes. Jack's heart fluttered at the sight of those beautiful, clear blue eyes. He let go of Koro, watching as the dog wagged his tail happily at the other youth, all of his energy apparently regained.
"Yeah - it's really cold...what're you doing here?" Jack asked, allowing himself to sit, relaxing and leaning his back against the cave wall. Gray looked a little concerned, but didn't answer Jack's question.
"I'm okay. I was outside a little too long, I think." Jack managed a short laugh, grinning reassuringly at Gray.
"Here." Gray took off his coat and gave it to Jack, still looking concerned.
"You'll be cold." Jack frowned, but took the jacket anyway, feeling a little better once it was on.
"What are you doing here?" Gray asked, standing up again.
"Koro got lost," said Jack, gesturing to the puppy, who was trying hard to gain Gray's attention, "And I had to go looking for him."
"You didn't think to bring a jacket?" Gray raised an eyebrow at him. Jack's cheeks heated up, and he averted his eyes. Gray thought he was stupid.
"I kinda rushed out as soon as I realized Koro was missing. I didn't know there would be a storm." Jack looked up, "What are you doing here?"
"Mining." Gray blushed. It was Jack's turn to raise an eyebrow.
"In this weather?" Gray scowled at him.
"Whatever. We're stuck here, so just be quiet, okay?" He turned and climbed back down the ladder, disappearing from sight. Seconds after, angry noises of the pick hitting the frozen ground could be heard.
Jack sighed, leaning back. Now he had made Gray angry. Well, what was he doing that he was so embarrassed about? Mining did seem plausible, but Gray's blush made him think that there was more to it. And why had he gotten angry so fast, anyway?
He was really beginning to warm up, though. The jacket Gray had given him was fur-lined, already warmed by the fact that Gray had been wearing it.
He didn't know the guy that well, actually. He saw him every time he went to get a tool upgraded and once or twice in the library, but that was it. He wished he knew him better.
He had, at first, just been curious about Gray - why he always seemed so unfriendly. He seemed like he could be a nice guy once you got to know him. It was just; he wouldn't let anyone get to know him. He always ran away if you asked him something or said something like, "sorry."
And then, when Jack had started finding him attractive, he became more inclined to stay away from Gray. Of course, he wanted to be near him...but he also didn't want to scare him away. It would be better, he had decided, if he never knew him at all, then if Gray found out and hated him. There was something about the beautiful blue-eyed youth that made Jack crave his attention - he *wanted* Gray to think well of him.
Jack let another sigh escape from his lips before he drifted off to sleep, his tired body finally succumbing to the exhaustion he had felt all day.
***
Jack woke up to sunlight and a pleasant, warm feeling on the left side of his ear. It took him a while to realize where he was, and as soon as he did, his face turned bright red.
It was nothing more than him leaning on Gray's shoulder, but it made him blush nonetheless. He had fallen asleep and he supposed that at some point, Gray had come back and apparently gone to sleep beside him.
It was his personality that made him make such a big deal out of these little things, he supposed.
"Hey." Jack looked up, straightened up, and blinked at Gray. Koro was curled in a ball on his lap.
"It stopped snowing," Jack said, noticing the sunlight streaming in from the cave entrance. He stretched.
"What did you dream about?" Gray asked, causing Jack to freeze, mid- stretch.
"Eh?"
"What'd you dream about?" Gray repeated, his face expressionless. Jack noticed that his cap was on again, but not so that it hid most of his face like it usually did.
"Dream...about...?"Jack's face, if possible, turned even redder, because he had just remembered exactly what it was he had dreamt about.
"Ehehe...I can't really remember."
"Really?" Gray stood up, moving to collect his pick and bag, "'cause you were saying some really weird stuff while you were sleeping."
"No kidding? Well, you know how these things are..." Jack laughed nervously, standing up himself. "Wow, you're talking much more than you usually do, you know? You usually don't say anything to me at all." He walked quickly over to the cave entrance, wanting very much to get away from Gray - which was pretty unusual, for him.
"Wow, I feel so much better, now, with that night of sleep," said Jack, shivering and proving himself wrong. Truly, having not eaten anything since yesterday morning, combined with cold and sleeping on the ground, was making him feel quite nauseous. It was sort of like being in the airport after a long plane ride, except worse.
"You don't look so good..." Gray stepped behind him, nervously. Jack spun around, backing up as fast as he could.
"Are you kidding me? I feel great -" he fell over, his feet slipping on the icy lake, and passed out.
A/N - Well? Bad, Good? Review, tell me if I should continue! Helpful comments? Anything? ...Review me!
Also, No flames, please. If something bothers you, even something other than the shounen-ai-ness of the story, then either put it into a nice constructive, helpful review, or don't say anything at all, right? My low self-esteem can't take it. But, do review me! It makes me happy.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harvest Moon: Back to Nature, or any of the Harvest Moon series, so don't sue me! I'll only put this disclaimer in this first chapter.
*L*o*s*t*
Snow fell, pretty white flakes landing lightly on the frozen earth. Everything was dusted in white; old footprints littered the deserted footpath. If thick gray clouds hadn't hid the sky from view, the sun would've just behind the treetops. And it was freezing; it hadn't been this cold all winter. All the animals had taken shelter, and the shops and houses in the village had all been boarded up.
Jack trudged up the mountain, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. It was really cold - although he was wearing heavier clothes than usual, he still wasn't anywhere near dressed for the weather. He shivered, tucking his head down to save his stinging eyes from the bitter wind.
He had ignored Gotz's warning about the blizzard. Koro was lost and he was determined to find him. The puppy wouldn't last in weather like this. Although, Jack was beginning to think that *he* wouldn't last in weather like this, either. The winds had picked up and it was getting harder to see through the snowflakes.
Still, he had made it this far and he wasn't about to turn back now. Not when his dog needed him.
Jack scowled. *Hopefully* his dog needed him. The dumb thing had probably made it back already, and was curled up in his nice, warm doghouse - but Jack wasn't going back until he was sure. Koro would certainly die if he was wrong.
He looked up. The hot spa was steaming a little. He didn't want to go in and warm up, though - he was sure that once he got out the water would freeze on him before he made it back to the farm, and he didn't even have a towel. Jack walked on, turning the corner.
A particularly nasty wind nearly knocked him off his feet. He slid a little.
"Damn..."Just then, Jack saw a flash of gold in the corner of his eye. He froze, turning and looking in all directions.
"Koro! Koro!" He heard a bark. That was it - it was Koro - but where *was* he?
Jack trudged over to where he thought the noise had come from. The snow had gotten deeper, and it was harder to move.
"Koro - c'mere - oh - speak, boy!" Jack tried, shouting out any commands he thought might help. The dog barked again and he turned. *There*. Jack rushed forward, kneeling down next to the frightened puppy.
Koro was half buried in snow, cowering behind a leafless bush. Upon closer inspection, Jack found that the puppy's collar had gotten caught on a branch. He worked to unfasten it - his hands, numb with cold, fumbled for a while with the clasp before finally managing to undo it.
Koro shook with fear and cold as Jack took him into his arms - once standing, Jack looked around.
There was no one there at all. The whole mountain was deserted, and he doubted that he would be able to make it all the way back home.
"What are we gonna do now, you stupid dog?" Jack said, tucking the dog beneath his sweater. The dog whined in response, as if knowing that his master was insulting them.
"It's all your fault, you know? I should've left you on the mountain, you useless piece of -"Jack froze in mid-sentence, something having occurred to him. There was that cave across the lake. He could take shelter there until the storm calmed down. It would still be cold, but at least there was no wind and snow inside there...
He hurried forward, making his way as best he could across the frozen lake, slipping once or twice. He was *really* freezing, now. Hopefully the cave would be a little warmer. He would've collected firewood or something, but he had no idea how to start a fire without matches, and he was pretty sure that everything would be completely damp by now.
He reached the entrance to the cave and sighed in relief. The wind was gone, the snow was gone - he was still freezing, but this at least was an improvement.
He started to sit, and then noticed something. There was a ladder in the middle of the ground, and - a head - poking out of the earth. He blinked, as the head moved up, and then revealed a neck - shoulders -
His cold-numbed mind only just understood that there was someone here already, and that person was turning towards him, having pulled himself completely out of the hole.
"Jack?" it was Gray, his usual blue cap on the floor. Jack blinked again, a confused look coating his features. Gray...what was he doing here? It wasn't the last place Jack expected him to be, but on a day like today, he'd be at home. Or better, Jack thought bitterly, with Mary, in the library.
"G-gray." His voice was a little hoarse, his teeth chattering slightly, making it hard to speak.
"Hey - how'd you get here? The weather's really bad - are you okay?" Gray stepped forward, his red-blond hair falling in front of his eyes. Jack's heart fluttered at the sight of those beautiful, clear blue eyes. He let go of Koro, watching as the dog wagged his tail happily at the other youth, all of his energy apparently regained.
"Yeah - it's really cold...what're you doing here?" Jack asked, allowing himself to sit, relaxing and leaning his back against the cave wall. Gray looked a little concerned, but didn't answer Jack's question.
"I'm okay. I was outside a little too long, I think." Jack managed a short laugh, grinning reassuringly at Gray.
"Here." Gray took off his coat and gave it to Jack, still looking concerned.
"You'll be cold." Jack frowned, but took the jacket anyway, feeling a little better once it was on.
"What are you doing here?" Gray asked, standing up again.
"Koro got lost," said Jack, gesturing to the puppy, who was trying hard to gain Gray's attention, "And I had to go looking for him."
"You didn't think to bring a jacket?" Gray raised an eyebrow at him. Jack's cheeks heated up, and he averted his eyes. Gray thought he was stupid.
"I kinda rushed out as soon as I realized Koro was missing. I didn't know there would be a storm." Jack looked up, "What are you doing here?"
"Mining." Gray blushed. It was Jack's turn to raise an eyebrow.
"In this weather?" Gray scowled at him.
"Whatever. We're stuck here, so just be quiet, okay?" He turned and climbed back down the ladder, disappearing from sight. Seconds after, angry noises of the pick hitting the frozen ground could be heard.
Jack sighed, leaning back. Now he had made Gray angry. Well, what was he doing that he was so embarrassed about? Mining did seem plausible, but Gray's blush made him think that there was more to it. And why had he gotten angry so fast, anyway?
He was really beginning to warm up, though. The jacket Gray had given him was fur-lined, already warmed by the fact that Gray had been wearing it.
He didn't know the guy that well, actually. He saw him every time he went to get a tool upgraded and once or twice in the library, but that was it. He wished he knew him better.
He had, at first, just been curious about Gray - why he always seemed so unfriendly. He seemed like he could be a nice guy once you got to know him. It was just; he wouldn't let anyone get to know him. He always ran away if you asked him something or said something like, "sorry."
And then, when Jack had started finding him attractive, he became more inclined to stay away from Gray. Of course, he wanted to be near him...but he also didn't want to scare him away. It would be better, he had decided, if he never knew him at all, then if Gray found out and hated him. There was something about the beautiful blue-eyed youth that made Jack crave his attention - he *wanted* Gray to think well of him.
Jack let another sigh escape from his lips before he drifted off to sleep, his tired body finally succumbing to the exhaustion he had felt all day.
***
Jack woke up to sunlight and a pleasant, warm feeling on the left side of his ear. It took him a while to realize where he was, and as soon as he did, his face turned bright red.
It was nothing more than him leaning on Gray's shoulder, but it made him blush nonetheless. He had fallen asleep and he supposed that at some point, Gray had come back and apparently gone to sleep beside him.
It was his personality that made him make such a big deal out of these little things, he supposed.
"Hey." Jack looked up, straightened up, and blinked at Gray. Koro was curled in a ball on his lap.
"It stopped snowing," Jack said, noticing the sunlight streaming in from the cave entrance. He stretched.
"What did you dream about?" Gray asked, causing Jack to freeze, mid- stretch.
"Eh?"
"What'd you dream about?" Gray repeated, his face expressionless. Jack noticed that his cap was on again, but not so that it hid most of his face like it usually did.
"Dream...about...?"Jack's face, if possible, turned even redder, because he had just remembered exactly what it was he had dreamt about.
"Ehehe...I can't really remember."
"Really?" Gray stood up, moving to collect his pick and bag, "'cause you were saying some really weird stuff while you were sleeping."
"No kidding? Well, you know how these things are..." Jack laughed nervously, standing up himself. "Wow, you're talking much more than you usually do, you know? You usually don't say anything to me at all." He walked quickly over to the cave entrance, wanting very much to get away from Gray - which was pretty unusual, for him.
"Wow, I feel so much better, now, with that night of sleep," said Jack, shivering and proving himself wrong. Truly, having not eaten anything since yesterday morning, combined with cold and sleeping on the ground, was making him feel quite nauseous. It was sort of like being in the airport after a long plane ride, except worse.
"You don't look so good..." Gray stepped behind him, nervously. Jack spun around, backing up as fast as he could.
"Are you kidding me? I feel great -" he fell over, his feet slipping on the icy lake, and passed out.
A/N - Well? Bad, Good? Review, tell me if I should continue! Helpful comments? Anything? ...Review me!