DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. This is a fanfic written for entertainment only.

A/N: First thing first, thank you JustcallmeBean for the critiques in 'Bumpy Ride'. I really appreciate them. ^^ Since you reviewed as a guest, I'll reply your review here. English indeed is not my first language. It's more like the third. XD Second is this is a replacement fiction of SkyexClaire since I'm dropping 'Bumpy Ride' for some reasons…one being I can't handle too many character at once… OTL To corbyfan, I apologize for this. Thank you for all who supported 'Bumpy Ride'. Hopefully you will enjoy reading this one-shot with the same pairing… ^^;

PARALYZER

"Hello again, beautiful."

Claire sighed and turned around to see the face of the owner of the familiar voice. "Now what?" she asked in monotone.

"How cold. Is that how you treat that happy-go-lucky boyfriend of yours?"

Claire rolled her eyes at his response before crossing her arms over her chest. "We're not together, Skye."

"Is that so?" the silver-haired man chuckled. "If that's the case, then what's the deal of you went to meet him so often not only at that stand he's working but at his room at the Inn as well?"

"Were you stalking me?" the blonde raised an eyebrow at the man in front of her.

Walking towards the blonde-haired farmer, Skye smiled. He stopped as he reached blue sofa inside the room. "Assumptions, assumptions. Can you prove that claim of yours?" he asked as plopped down onto the sofa and relaxed himself on the softness of the blue cushion.

"Well, let's see," Claire placed a finger on her cheek, faking an expression of give-me-some-minutes-to-think-about-the-answer. "You're a thief whose head is probably wanted by not only the people in this village and Mineral Town but in other areas as well for your evil-deeds…and that you're a pervert who won't back down even though I've told you I'm not interested in you a thousand times. Oh, let's not forget that you're a playboy who flirts with girls like there's no tomorrow…and you sugar-coat your sentences thinking everyone will fall prey for them…and…," the blonde sighed and shrugged. "It'll take the whole night to list up all the things that can prove that you're a good-for-nothing thief. I'll pass missing my sleep. Think about the reasons yourself."

"I don't mind listening," Skye replied, resting his head on the sofa and turned his face to the blonde's direction. "You haven't given me the proof that I stalked you."

"Don't you think the facts that you knew perfectly where and when I meet him are proof enough?"

Skye grinned. "I'm just worried that he'll do something to you when both of you are alone," he said. "You never know if he is a wolf under that sheep skin he is wearing – he might be a psycho under that never-ending smile and optimism of his."

"The only creeper I know in this village is you. He is nothing like that," Claire shot back and turned back to face the mirror, resuming her task of brushing her hair with the blue brush in her hand. "Now get out. How did you get in anyway?"

"I'm not called a thief for nothing, Claire," Skye answered with a chuckle. "It's easy for me to sneak in into Romana's Mansion. Coming here is easier–Oh. No offense though. I didn't mean that this place is small and all."

"None taken," Claire simply said as she put down her brush, examining her reflection on the mirror of her vanity.

The atmosphere in the room went quiet as Claire continued gazing at herself while Skye had his blank stare fixed on the flower inside the blue vase sitting alone on the rack next to the television – the farming program shown on the television didn't interest him one bit. Claire titled her head left and right several times before nodding to herself and rose from her seat. She walked towards the coffee table near where the silver-haired man is sitting and bend down to pick the remote control, switching it off-without asking her unwanted guest if he's watching it-and put the remote back down to its former place.

"Shouldn't you be gone stealing something in…I don't know. Mineral Town, maybe?" the blonde broke the silence as she walked towards the fridge, stretching both hands on her way there.

"Eh? You don't want me here?"

"Yes, I don't want you here," she answered as she opened the fridge and took out a bottle of clear water from it.

"How cruel, beautiful. Even though I went all the troubles avoiding the villagers just so I can meet you here tonight," Skye said, pouting at the harsh reply he received from the blonde.

"I didn't remember inviting you here," Claire said before proceed to gulp down the last of water inside the glass she's holding.

Skye chuckled. "Don't you think it's weird that an invitation is needed to enter my own house?"

"You don't live here."

"Yet."

"Like I said, I'm not interested in a criminal like you."

"So you prefer him over me?"

"I never said that."

"Then why?"

Claire sighed, closed the fridge and turned around to the silver-haired thief. "I don't want to deal with unwanted questions and accusations if you were to be caught here. Inside of my house. With me."

"I never know it's a crime to secretly visit your beloved at night here in Forget-Me-Not," Skye commented as he rose from the sofa and walked towards the vanity which Claire spent her previous 15 minutes brushing her long hair.

Claire tucked some strands of her hair to her left ear as she passed by Skye who was scrutinizing his image on the mirror, smirking for no apparent reason and struck some poses that made Claire wanted to gag. "Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all," she quoted a sentence from a fairy tale story her father used to read to her before she went to bed when she was little as she smirked at the thief's behaviour before sitting down on the edge of her bed. "Not at all," she slightly shook her head and continued staring at the thief. "So shoo. Go and visit your beloved then. Leave me alone so that I can have my beauty sleep," she added and let out a yawn.

"You should've covered your mouth when you yawn," Skye gently covered the blonde's open mouth with a hand.

Claire was surprised at his sudden proximity and mentally cursed herself for not realizing that he's standing right in front of her. "Mind your own business, Skye," she said as she slapped away his hand. "Your concern is not needed, thank you very much and…what?" she frowned when she noticed that the thief was staring down at her with a smile decorating his lips.

"What a view," Skye said, suppressing a laugh by placing a hand-the one he used to cover Claire's mouth-over his lips. "Your skin is pretty even when you're working under the sun…and to think that I've got this rare chance to really see the treasure hidden beneath that oversized jumper you wear while working…"

The confusion Claire have plastered on her face immediately changed when she realized the true meaning of the thief's words – she didn't notice that her position now offered him a free view of her cleavage. Her face reddened and cursing aloud at the thief's perverted thoughts, she reached out her right hand for the blanket not far from her. Her effort rendered useless as Skye reach out his left hand quicker than her and grabbed her hand, stopping it from touching the white blanket that was an inch away from her fingers.

"A-a-a. What do you think you're doing?" he smiled down playfully at the blonde who was now lying in shock,eyes widened on her own bed.

"Let go!" Claire shouted as she lifted her other free hand, only to have it caught by Skye before she even manage to slap him.

"My, what a feisty cat you are, beautiful. But I don't hate that trait of yours," he smirked in victory at her defeated face as he brought her hands up her head and locked her wrists with his left hand.

"Skye! You–!"

"It's a rare chance to see you blushed like this, Claire," he whispered in a low voice to the blonde's right ear. "And to think that you let your guard down so much like this. Am I lucky tonight or it's just you trying to seduce me by wearing this?" he continued as he tugged on the strap of her nightgown, pulling it down her shoulder a little.

"As if! You know I'll never dress or do anything for you! And stop saying as if this nightgown is a cursed thing! This is a birthday gift from Muffy!"

"Clarifying something like that with your cheeks tinted with pink and ragged breaths didn't look too convincing."

"And whose fault do you think it is?! Unhand me!" Claire spat as she struggled to break free from the thief's grasp.

Skye chuckled. "Now, now. Don't be so hasty," he said between chuckles and brought his free hand to caress the blonde's right cheek. "Since this is a rare occasion where I get to see-and pinned you down-you like this, don't you think I deserved a reward?"

"The only thing you deserved is to get caught and thrown in prison," she glared at him.

"You wounded my heart by saying that," Skye's expression changed slightly as he withdrew his hand from her cheek.

Claire felt guilty for making such expression appeared on the thief's face. She knew that Skye's a criminal, a thief that have had-and probably still-posters of his face with a word 'Wanted!' accompany it plastered on the notices board and walls everywhere but deep down she knew that the thief is a good person. He's been flirting with her ever since they met for the first time at Romana's Mansion and even though Claire told him that he meant nothing to him, she can't deny that she is attracted to him. However the thief charmed her, for she's definitely not the type to go all mushy by his sugar-coated words, she decided she will never know. That is, unless the Witch Princess tells her – perhaps she helped him jinxed the curry he gave her once when they met at the Goddess Pond? Claire was about to apologize when a smirk crept up to Skye's lips.

"You're thinking of apologizing to me," he stated cheerfully.

Claire sighed – she really didn't know how to deal with this man who was topping her. "Am I really that transparent?"

"Not really. It's just I've been watching you since I first saw you. I can tell what exactly you're thinking by now."

"Stalker. Pervert. Stalker."

Skye laughed. "Yes, yes. Now then, shall we continue where we stop?"

"Go ahead if you want me to scream and the villagers come rushing here with their torches and pitchforks."

"What am I? A vampire?" the thief cocked an eyebrow at her words. "That is an old-fashioned way of chasing something unwanted that can run."

Claire shrugged. "At least you won't be continuing whatever you want to do now."

"Oh, don't be so sure."

"…You wouldn't dare…"

"Want to bet?"

"Skye!"

The thief laughed again. "You're so fun to tease, Claire!"

"Oh, yeah? I don't see myself laughing so it's not funny!"

"Haha. Okay, okay. I'll let you go, beautiful. But before that…"

The room was engulfed in darkness as Skye snapped his fingers. Claire blinked her eyes in the darkness that surrounded her. Surprise, confusion and amazement were mixed into one feeling – Claire never thought that Skye will pull out such trick.

"So you're a magician now?" she asked, wondering what the silver-haired man is doing since she can't see anything but black color. "I don't feel your hand off–Ouch!"

Claire winced in pain as she felt something sharp on the left side of her neck. The pain, however, lessen when something wet was applied onto it. She felt Skye's fingers rubbed the same spot and his touch sent shivers to her body as she pondered upon the things he's going to do now. She imagined various things-a lot of them were unpleasant ones-and started sweating. She heard him laughed.

"I won't do anything to you. I'm satisfied with this," she heard his voice after his laughter stopped. "…For now though. Good night, beautiful."

As it on cue, the lights were back on and Claire found herself lying on the bed without the silver-haired thief topping her. Claire blinked her eyes in confusion as she scanned her surrounding – the room is empty and there was no sign of Skye ever showed up previously. Her eyes spotted something alien lying innocently beside her blue brush on the vanity's table. She frowned and rose from her bed, walking towards the pink box. She stared at the box for some seconds before curiosity took over and she lifted the box's cover – the sight of glass-roses in blue color inside of a silver vase greeted her. Her eyes widened in surprise at the items and she took them out from their box, examining it closer. She noticed a card inside the box, placed the vase down on the table and took out the card, opening it to see who the sender of the lovely gifts was. Her lips curved into a smile as she read the card and the birthday wish written on it.

"…To think that he dropped in tonight just to deliver this. Perhaps I should treat him nicer when I meet him again," Claire muttered words to no one as she kept reading. "Hm?'Look in the mirror'?" Claire cocked an eyebrow at the sentence. "Did h—What is this?!"

The blonde-haired farmer moved forward to the mirror in front of her and brought a hand to her left neck. Her jaw dropped to the floor-literally-and she blushed madly when she realized the true cause of the pain she felt earlier.

"That idiot! I take back what I said about him! He's just a stupid, perverted stalker! I'm going to kill him the next time I see him!" Claire raved as she stomped into the bathroom in search for something to cover the silver-haired thief's 'gift', tossing violently the card in hand back into the pink box.

Little did she notice the little note hanging on the mirror of her vanity: Try not to let others see the flower I planted on you. Wearing a scarf to cover it is out of question in this hot season though. Good luck hiding it. :D

END

A/N: It's longer than I expected it to be. XD I'm affected by the drama CDs with dummy mic I've been listening to lately. And tsundere Claire is tsundere. Haha. X"D