Author's Notes: I had a lot of fun writing this

Authors Notes: Well, it's an one-shot about a couple that drifted apart.. I'll leave it to you to figure out who the couple is. Here's a hint: It's one of the rival couples in MFOMT. I don't own Harvest Moon.

Apples

When Claire bought the local farm, I had thought – no – was convinced you loved me. The way you spoke about me when you thought I couldn't hear, but could, the twinkle in you chocolate brown eyes when you saw me, even you're mood had changed.

I was wrong. Or, perhaps I was right and you had loved me, but the blonde farmer girl swayed your feelings after I pushed you away. Either way, the course of events that took place over last year was partially because of me. I guess all three of us played a role.

In the spring, we were like sneakers and tying shoes – when someone thought of me they thought of you; and when they thought of you they thought of me. Claire moved in on the First of spring. Being the nice guy that you were, saying hello was mandatory.

When you met her, the two of you became fast friends. Granted, you hadn't forgotten about me yet, but you insisted that she join us in everything.

You still asked me out on the Spring Festival. We had a wonderful time, but the cookies you gave me were missing something – something that they had in years past. Perhaps it was loving care? I let you know my disdain for that year's batch of cookies, and you were in a funk until the week after.

At the Cooking Festival, I began to notice something… different in your attitude towards me. You didn't immediately come to comfort me when the Gourmet hated my food, being too busy congratulating Claire's victory at that moment. Sure you came by later, but you didn't seem to have the sincerity you had before.

By the Beach Festival, we were getting into fights. They were about minute things at first, such as how much peanut butter I should put on my banana, or what flavor of pie to order. They started to get bigger: fights over Popuri and Kai, fights over your dad… even one about whether you should hang out with Claire or not.

I guess Ann's 22nd birthday party was where I messed up. Basil and Doug were playing blackjack and May and Stu were bobbing for apples. Ann and Popuri, who usually never got along, seemed to have called a truce, talking about the latest fashions.

Claire was a dense girl, and had thought that we were just friends. Me having not put two and two together, I saw her kissing you, and lost it. I remember the happenings clearly, yet, they all went by so fast.

I had pulled you aside and yelled about you kissing Claire when I was your girlfriend. You responded that she had kissed you and I needed the whole story.

My response was that you could have broken away.

You said you didn't want to.

The next thing I said was where I went wrong. If I analyze our entire relationship, and try to find out what was the thing that caused it to crumble in to tiny, bit size pieces, I would come up with what I said next.

Oh so you want two girlfriends?

That was it. I was so sure you would choose me over Claire; I ended up pushing you away. You then looked at me, drop dead serious, and uttered those fatal words: We're through.

At home I sat on my bed, and had my bawl, expecting you to come by and ask to get back together again within a week.

Autumn came and I was still waiting. You were no longer coming to sit with me by the bench in front of the supermarket. Instead, you were helping Claire with her farm.

At the Harvest Festival potluck, you asked Claire out instead of me. This came as a surprise to me. When I found out you and Claire were dating, I had though that it was another one of Manna's rumors. Even after she told me it wasn't, I told my self it wasn't true. Denial never got anyone anywhere.

It was the Pumpkin Festival when I decided to try to make amends. I let myself in, your shop being open. It was then everything came crashing down on me. You were talking to Claire, your blush burning your face. Claire was red in the face as well. I thought that you and Claire had caught some deadly fever, when I noticed you were smiling. Had your fever made you delirious? I thought that extremely plausible, when I noticed the Blue Feather in Claire's hand.

I had run out of your house, crying oceans of tears. Heartbreak was a new emotion; and I suspected I'd be dealing with it for some time.

The announcement of your wedding was soon made official; you and Claire were to be married in seven days.

So, here I stand, at your wedding reflecting upon the love that could have been. I guess human relationships are like apples; they might take sometime to ripen, or they might go bad. Sometimes they even have a worm, you just don't know until you bite in. I guess ours could be described with the worm metaphor; Claire being the worm and I was the one who took the bite.