Hi! This is my first fan fic, so there will probably be errors of some sort in here... and it's a one shot with Mary x Gray.

I'm not exactly sure what the length of a one shot should be, so this is probably either too long or too short.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon.

Blacksmiths and Blizzards

I paced the library, upset and disappointed, book in hand. I had my chance earlier, but being the shy little librarian I am, I didn't say anything to him.

And now I can't ask him even if I got the courage to because there's an intense blizzard happening outside, which is why I'm stuck inside the library. I sighed deeply.

The Starry Night Festival is tomorrow, and I'll have no one to go with... again... last year, it wasn't so bad because I could spend it with my friends, but this year, Ann found a shy traveler to go with, and Karen's going with Rick. This leaves me, alone this year. It... makes me... sad... to think what could have happened... if I asked Gray to go with me. But see, there are things that could happen if I asked him to come. I was scared to ask- just a little. Why? Well... I'll say that there is a more of a likely chance that he'll shake his head "no", and tell me sweetly that he's not interested, than to him saying "yes". Then there was the fact of Claire. Sometimes I would walk into the Inn and see her flirting with him. For what reason, I have no idea. Claire was already dating Kai. I guess she grows lonely in the winter months without her sweetheart by her side. I wasn't sure of Gray's perspective on that matter though.

I sighed again as I looked out the window. The blizzard wasn't as intense as before, but it was still enough for the cobbled-stone path to be deserted. I was seriously thinking of a way to make this day not suck as much... and how I could possibly ask Gray to come with me... maybe I could ask him tomorrow? No... that would be... stupid... no one asks on the day-of for a festival! I'll just look like an idiot.

I was snapped out of my reverie when I heard knocking noises outside. I was surprised I could hear anything over the loud roaring of the blizzard dancing around town. I looked out the window to investigate. I didn't see anybody... or anything. Then I heard another, but louder, silence-splitting knock coming from the wall. It made me jump so badly that I nearly fell into one of my bookshelves.

"What... is that...?" I mumbled to myself, knowing perfectly well that there would be no answer.

I heard the same sound again, and this time, I edged to the window and looked down. What I saw made me panic.

Gray was ducking under the small roof-like area near the library window.

I took an involuntary step back. What was he doing out there!? In this weather!? He knocked again, and that sent me directly to the door. I unlocked it, and not wanting to be totally enveloped by snow, gently nudged the door partly open.

"Gray...?" I asked tentatively, as huge fluffy, wet snowflakes splattered against my glasses, and slightly blocked my view.

He glanced up, and dashed into the library without hesitation. I shut the door quietly behind him, wondering why he was outside my library door.

"Stupid pipsqueak... making me leave the Inn..." Gray muttered.

I sent him a quizzical look, as I wiped the moisture off my glassess and put them back on.

"Ah... nothing..." he corrected, his eyes downcast, and his cheeks turning a light shade of pink.

I didn't understand what was going on. Why was he here? Even though I was elated that here was here, (because maybe I could try asking him to the festival...) I didn't understand why he would bother getting out of the cozy Inn and coming to my library... unless... no... Mary, get a hold of yourself. Gray probably wouldn't...

My day dreaming came to an end I heard water dripping onto the floor. I glanced up, and found that Gray was squeezing his hat out. There was a lot of water in that... it makes me wonder how long he was out there for. Now that I saw him on a closer level, his clothes were dripping wet, his hat was a bit wet but he still put it back onto his soaked brown hair, which clung to his cheeks. His sapphire eyes flickered from me to and around the library. It settled on the puddle of water at his feet.

"Damn... sorry about the water spillage..." Gray said, rubbing the nape of his neck, his eyes avoiding mine.

I shook my head. It was alright. He could spill even more water from his hat onto the floor and I wouldn't mind.

"W-what are you doing here...?" I asked quietly, looking everywhere but into his eyes.

He gazed down at me, ocean blue eyes finding my gray ones and locking them into place there.

"I was told by a weird little elf that's about 2 feet tall to come here," Gray explained seriously. "He had a weird fashion sense though. Dressed in all red, including a pointy hat," he said quietly. I think he was more talking to himself than me though, at this point.

It was somewhat strange. For some reason, I found this... amusing. Hilarious. I burst out in a fit of giggles and made a look of shock pass over Gray's features.

"M-Mary?" he asked tentatively, "are you... are you okay?"

The expression on his face only made me giggle harder. I doubled over, clutching my side.

"An elf?" I managed to choke out between giggles. "There are no elves in Mineral Town-" I stopped short, and my giggles died away. Elves... or someone that looked like them... "A Harvest Sprite came to you?" I asked, discombobulated at this point.

"That's what those annoying little pipsqueaks are called..." he muttered. "That one in the red hat-he wouldn't shut up, he kept saying that-" he stopped abruptly, and his eyes widened as I tripped on something, (probably my own feet) fell forward, and a pair of warm, calloused hands caught me by my shoulders.

My cheeks turned a deep shade of red as he set me back down onto my feet. I looked down, letting my curtain of black hair slide in front of my cheeks to hide.

He looked at me inquisitively, but continued his story. "So.. ya... the elf told me to come here, and I told him that there's no big rush or anything... I could come here tomorrow," he said, shaking his head. "Then the little guy tells me that it's "really important", and that "it can't wait till tomorrow", because..." Gray stopped slightly to organize his thoughts. "I think it was because he said something about you being sad and depressed about not telling me something... and it couldn't wait till tomorrow or something..." A thoughtful look crossed over his features. "He also wouldn't stop hounding me until I got out of the Inn. It was driving Cliff crazy."

At this, my head shot up, and once again, my cheeks turned tomato red as I took in his words. I panicked. How did a Harvest Sprite know that I wanted to ask Gray but couldn't...? Then it hit me. Harvest Sprites have obvious connection to the Harvest Goddess... who knew everything... mostly.

"So then... what was it that you wanted to say to me that needed to be asked today?" Gray asked me sullenly, deep cerulean eyes locked onto mine.

I tried to look down; away from his eyes, but I couldn't. His eyes were mesmerizing, and deep. I could hear him sigh.

"Mary, please tell me," he requested quietly.

"I... I..." I thought of all the possible outcomes that could happen if I asked him that particular question and most of them were negative. Therefore, I honestly do not know what made me say, "d-do you want to... go to the S-Starry Night Festival with m-me?"

He looked surprised. I looked down, letting my curtain of black hair fall across my cheeks, hiding my blush and expression. There was a fairly short silence, and when I finally looked up, he caught my gaze, and smiled.

"I would love to," he said simply.

It was my turn to be shocked. He didn't reject me at all... this was probably one of the rare times when he looked really happy, and after the few seconds that I recovered, I smiled back at him, truly euphoric.

Perhaps today didn't suck as much as I thought it would.

And... that's my first fic. If any of you are still reading this crappy fic, then please review. I would appreciate it a lot. Personally, though, I thought that Mary and Gray were slightly out of character here. Those are just my thoughts though.

Please review, constuctive criticism is most likely needed.