Settlement - Ch. 9
Title: Settlement
Chapter: 9; "Fireworks"
Fandom: Harvest Moon
Character(s): Vaughn, Chelsea
Genre: Romance, drama,
Rating: K+/PG
Disclaimers: Harvest Moon: Island of Happiness © Marvelous Interactive
Notes: This one is based on the Fireworks Festival in Year 2. This is one of my favorites, because this is where things get really interesting. Enjoy.
Summary: It's a fresh start and a brand new life for the inhabitants of Sunny Island...even for those who aren't looking for it.
[Chapter 8]
~*~*~*~
Vaughn wasn't really sure how Julia convinced him to return to Sunny Island on a Saturday when he was supposed to be working elsewhere. He wasn't sure how she convinced him to come to Sunny Island on the Saturday when they were hosting the Fireworks Festival. He wasn't sure how she managed to convince him to attend the Fireworks Festival, considering he didn't really like fireworks. He wasn't sure how she'd convinced him that the festival would be fun, and it would be nice if he came.
The only thing he was sure about was that he stood in the meadow, after hours of helping Gannon and Chen set up, and was now watching others arrive while waiting for the festival to start.
He could feel the excited buzz as the townspeople talked in anticipation for the fireworks, and he didn't really understand why it was such a big deal. To him, fireworks had no real purpose; they were simply loud colored lights in the sky that only needed to be seen once. Since he'd already seen fireworks, he couldn't believe that Julia had talked him into attending the festival and watch fireworks. He just didn't see the point.
"Stop looking like such a grump, Vaughn," Julia suddenly piped up, poking him in the shoulder. "You're the only one here not having any fun!"
"Yeah," the pink-haired girl, Natalie, retorted, "lighten up, cowboy."
He glared at her, causing the more soften-spoken male, Elliot, to advise the girls to leave him alone. Vaughn sighed as he watched Natalie start teasing her older brother, wondering if he could sneak away without them noticing.
Since Julia was the one who invited him to attend the Fireworks Festival, and since he didn't interact with most other people on the island, it made sense to watch the fireworks with her. However, he didn't know that she also planned to watch them with Elliot and Natalie, who he didn't know much about except for the fact that Julia seemed to have a crush on Elliot. And since he didn't talk with them much, he could easily tell that the two of them were uncomfortable around him.
Not that he really cared. He wasn't too at ease with them either.
For a while, Vaughn thought about hanging with Denny instead. Other than Julia and Mirabelle, Denny was probably the only person he really got along with; the two of them spent a lot of time on the beach, and holding a conversation was bound to happen. And he learned that Denny, like himself, was a wanderer before coming to the island. He actually could relate with the fisherman in certain ways, which was hard for him to do with most people.
However, he found that Denny was going to watch the fireworks with the pop star, Lanna, and the miner's daughter, Sabrina. As with Natalie and Elliot, he preferred not to spend time with people he didn't know.
Unfortunately, that also eliminated most everyone else at the festival.
With an irritated sigh, Vaughn pulled his hat lower on his head, resigning himself to suffer in silence until the festival was over.
"Vaughn?"
The familiar voice drew him from his thoughts, and he turned to see Chelsea approaching him with a curious expression on her face.
"Hey," he grunted when she was close enough to hear.
"Hi," she said slowly. "I didn't know you were gonna be here."
With a shrug, he simply said, "Julia told me to come."
"Oh…" She glanced at the blonde store-owner before turning back to him with an excited grin. "Awesome! This is going to be so much fun!"
Vaughn snorted. "Hardly…" he muttered.
Her smile falling, she looked at him with an incline of the head. "What's wrong?" she asked.
He turned away from her, looking to where Gannon was checking the fireworks display once again. "Nothing," he replied. "I just don't understand what the big deal is."
Chelsea rolled her eyes. "Duh," she retorted, "it's the Fireworks Festival! We're celebrating the show of fireworks on Sunny Island for the first time ever! Everyone on the island will be able to see them!"
"Then why do we have to be here?" Vaughn wondered, his annoyed tone softening just a bit.
The farmer giggled and folded her hands behind her back. "Because it's different seeing fireworks up-close like this. Being right where they are, watching them explode right above you is special…it's so thrilling!"
"Hmph," he scoffed, folding his arms across his chest. "I've seen fireworks before."
Chelsea sighed softly. "So have I," she said with a shrug. "But this is going to be so much better, you'll see! It's so much nicer to watch fireworks with just a few close friends in a quiet place. You'll have fun, I promise, but you have to give it a chance!"
Something about the pleading look in her sapphire eyes made all the contempt for this day melt, and he allowed a small smile to grace his lips. "If you insist," he conceded, "I'll watch them with you."
Immediately, he could see that his invitation was not lost on the girl; her eyes widened in surprise as her cheeks blushed. Then she smiled brightly and nodded. "I'd love to!" she replied.
He nodded. "Okay." With a small smirk, he added playfully, "I don't want to, though." She laughed softly.
Suddenly, Gannon's booming voice echoed over the meadow, "Let's get this started!" The chattering stilled among the crowd as everyone sat in the cool grass, friends grouping together in certain areas. However, Vaughn didn't really feel like joining any of them - truthfully, he didn't feel like being so close to anyone else now.
As though reading his thoughts, Chelsea gently took his hand and led him past all the others; they both ignored the questioning looks they received from anyone who saw them (at least he ignored them, she probably didn't even notice) as they headed for the back of the meadow, away from the crowd and finding a private spot for the two of them.
They sat underneath one of the trees, leaning against the sturdy trunk as the fireworks were finally lit. The first rocket tore through the air in a trail of smoke, exploding in a thousand colors against the backdrop of the sunset sky and sending a wave of awe through the spectators. More rockets quickly followed, lighting up the early summer evening.
Vaughn watched silently, surprised to feel his heart racing. The explosions shook the ground beneath him and rang in his head, sending a rush of excitement coursing through his body. As crackling colors rained down and faded, he glanced at the girl beside him.
Chelsea watched intently, a large smile spread across her face. The glow of the fireworks danced across her face, reflecting the sparkle in her wide sapphire eyes. The colored rockets highlighted the gentle blush of her cheeks, and he found the blasts of the display were drowned by the roar of blood flowing between his ears.
He couldn't help as the whispered words escaped his lips, "They're beautiful."
Even over the racket she heard him, and she nodded in unspoken agreement. It was then that he noticed their hands still laced together; he gently tightened his grip on her, drawing her out of her trance and focusing on him. Their eyes locked, and he watched as shadows from the fireworks flickered across her face, barely masking her surprise and questioning gaze that he had no answer for.
The wailing of rockets brought them back to the show, and they both turned to see the many fireworks ascend all at once, exploding in a flurry of painted brilliance. His breath was caught in his throat, and he felt her gasp softly as colored fire showered over them before disappearing into the darkened sky.
Applause broke through the crowd, dispelling the magic of the display as people rose to their feet and filled the meadow with conversation once more. But for a moment, he and Chelsea remained seated where they were, and he breathed slowly to regain his composure.
When he finally felt brave enough to talk, he managed a faint, "Huh."
She hesitantly glanced at him. "What?"
Turning to her, he ignored the heat on his cheeks as he murmured, "It's actually pretty nice to watch the fireworks with you."
She smiled shyly, a blush on her cheeks as well. But with a long sigh, she returned to her normal cheerfulness and said, "That was beautiful. Let's watch again next year!"
He chuckled softly, rising to his feet and helping her up. "We'll see…"
She laughed and nodded, knowing that was as close she'd get to a yes. They both stood silently for a while longer until they realized their hands were still entwined. She glanced up at him curiously, as though waiting for him to make the first move.
He hesitated, a little unsure, before he slowly turned, gently tugging on her hand to follow. She complied happily, and they left the meadow together hand-in-hand.
They stood just at the entrance of her ranch silently, each lost in thought. The ferry off the island would leave soon, and Vaughn had to head for the docks now in order to catch it. But there was something on Chelsea's mind, he knew, and he waited patiently for her to speak.
When she did, her words came out very soft. "Do you…have to go?"
He nodded, turning slightly away from her. "Coming here today threw off my schedule, so I have a lot of work to make up for."
"Oh…I'm sorry."
He shrugged. "I'm not."
Reluctantly, they both withdrew their hands from each other; even with his leather glove, his palm suddenly felt cold. Trying to ignore it - and failing - he gripped the brim of his hat and brought it lower over his head. "Good night," he said softly.
He only managed one step away when she called him back. "Vaughn…"
When he turned back to face her, he found his arms suddenly filled with her, his arms fitting around her form almost perfectly. Then his eyes widened when her soft lips brushed against his own. Before he had a chance to respond, she retreated from him, and in the blink of an eye she was gone.
He stood, frozen, as he stared at the spot where she'd just been …where she should be right now. His muscled twitched, urging him to go after her - for an explanation, for a chance to return it, for anything. But the spot where she had…kissed him… seemed to burn his face, sending a searing ache to his heart.
So, despite all the protests that raged within him, he turned and made his way to the docks. It was just too much to deal with right now. This was all too unfamiliar to him, and he didn't know how to handle this. These thoughts, these feelings…everything was so strange and unusual…and he didn't know what to do.
Therefore he simply did what he always did; he left to wander…in hopes of abandoning it all together.
Even though he knew…this was not something he could run away from this time.
TBC
[Chapter 10]
Chapter: 9; "Fireworks"
Fandom: Harvest Moon
Character(s): Vaughn, Chelsea
Genre: Romance, drama,
Rating: K+/PG
Disclaimers: Harvest Moon: Island of Happiness © Marvelous Interactive
Notes: This one is based on the Fireworks Festival in Year 2. This is one of my favorites, because this is where things get really interesting. Enjoy.
Summary: It's a fresh start and a brand new life for the inhabitants of Sunny Island...even for those who aren't looking for it.
[Chapter 8]
~*~*~*~
Vaughn wasn't really sure how Julia convinced him to return to Sunny Island on a Saturday when he was supposed to be working elsewhere. He wasn't sure how she convinced him to come to Sunny Island on the Saturday when they were hosting the Fireworks Festival. He wasn't sure how she managed to convince him to attend the Fireworks Festival, considering he didn't really like fireworks. He wasn't sure how she'd convinced him that the festival would be fun, and it would be nice if he came.
The only thing he was sure about was that he stood in the meadow, after hours of helping Gannon and Chen set up, and was now watching others arrive while waiting for the festival to start.
He could feel the excited buzz as the townspeople talked in anticipation for the fireworks, and he didn't really understand why it was such a big deal. To him, fireworks had no real purpose; they were simply loud colored lights in the sky that only needed to be seen once. Since he'd already seen fireworks, he couldn't believe that Julia had talked him into attending the festival and watch fireworks. He just didn't see the point.
"Stop looking like such a grump, Vaughn," Julia suddenly piped up, poking him in the shoulder. "You're the only one here not having any fun!"
"Yeah," the pink-haired girl, Natalie, retorted, "lighten up, cowboy."
He glared at her, causing the more soften-spoken male, Elliot, to advise the girls to leave him alone. Vaughn sighed as he watched Natalie start teasing her older brother, wondering if he could sneak away without them noticing.
Since Julia was the one who invited him to attend the Fireworks Festival, and since he didn't interact with most other people on the island, it made sense to watch the fireworks with her. However, he didn't know that she also planned to watch them with Elliot and Natalie, who he didn't know much about except for the fact that Julia seemed to have a crush on Elliot. And since he didn't talk with them much, he could easily tell that the two of them were uncomfortable around him.
Not that he really cared. He wasn't too at ease with them either.
For a while, Vaughn thought about hanging with Denny instead. Other than Julia and Mirabelle, Denny was probably the only person he really got along with; the two of them spent a lot of time on the beach, and holding a conversation was bound to happen. And he learned that Denny, like himself, was a wanderer before coming to the island. He actually could relate with the fisherman in certain ways, which was hard for him to do with most people.
However, he found that Denny was going to watch the fireworks with the pop star, Lanna, and the miner's daughter, Sabrina. As with Natalie and Elliot, he preferred not to spend time with people he didn't know.
Unfortunately, that also eliminated most everyone else at the festival.
With an irritated sigh, Vaughn pulled his hat lower on his head, resigning himself to suffer in silence until the festival was over.
"Vaughn?"
The familiar voice drew him from his thoughts, and he turned to see Chelsea approaching him with a curious expression on her face.
"Hey," he grunted when she was close enough to hear.
"Hi," she said slowly. "I didn't know you were gonna be here."
With a shrug, he simply said, "Julia told me to come."
"Oh…" She glanced at the blonde store-owner before turning back to him with an excited grin. "Awesome! This is going to be so much fun!"
Vaughn snorted. "Hardly…" he muttered.
Her smile falling, she looked at him with an incline of the head. "What's wrong?" she asked.
He turned away from her, looking to where Gannon was checking the fireworks display once again. "Nothing," he replied. "I just don't understand what the big deal is."
Chelsea rolled her eyes. "Duh," she retorted, "it's the Fireworks Festival! We're celebrating the show of fireworks on Sunny Island for the first time ever! Everyone on the island will be able to see them!"
"Then why do we have to be here?" Vaughn wondered, his annoyed tone softening just a bit.
The farmer giggled and folded her hands behind her back. "Because it's different seeing fireworks up-close like this. Being right where they are, watching them explode right above you is special…it's so thrilling!"
"Hmph," he scoffed, folding his arms across his chest. "I've seen fireworks before."
Chelsea sighed softly. "So have I," she said with a shrug. "But this is going to be so much better, you'll see! It's so much nicer to watch fireworks with just a few close friends in a quiet place. You'll have fun, I promise, but you have to give it a chance!"
Something about the pleading look in her sapphire eyes made all the contempt for this day melt, and he allowed a small smile to grace his lips. "If you insist," he conceded, "I'll watch them with you."
Immediately, he could see that his invitation was not lost on the girl; her eyes widened in surprise as her cheeks blushed. Then she smiled brightly and nodded. "I'd love to!" she replied.
He nodded. "Okay." With a small smirk, he added playfully, "I don't want to, though." She laughed softly.
Suddenly, Gannon's booming voice echoed over the meadow, "Let's get this started!" The chattering stilled among the crowd as everyone sat in the cool grass, friends grouping together in certain areas. However, Vaughn didn't really feel like joining any of them - truthfully, he didn't feel like being so close to anyone else now.
As though reading his thoughts, Chelsea gently took his hand and led him past all the others; they both ignored the questioning looks they received from anyone who saw them (at least he ignored them, she probably didn't even notice) as they headed for the back of the meadow, away from the crowd and finding a private spot for the two of them.
They sat underneath one of the trees, leaning against the sturdy trunk as the fireworks were finally lit. The first rocket tore through the air in a trail of smoke, exploding in a thousand colors against the backdrop of the sunset sky and sending a wave of awe through the spectators. More rockets quickly followed, lighting up the early summer evening.
Vaughn watched silently, surprised to feel his heart racing. The explosions shook the ground beneath him and rang in his head, sending a rush of excitement coursing through his body. As crackling colors rained down and faded, he glanced at the girl beside him.
Chelsea watched intently, a large smile spread across her face. The glow of the fireworks danced across her face, reflecting the sparkle in her wide sapphire eyes. The colored rockets highlighted the gentle blush of her cheeks, and he found the blasts of the display were drowned by the roar of blood flowing between his ears.
He couldn't help as the whispered words escaped his lips, "They're beautiful."
Even over the racket she heard him, and she nodded in unspoken agreement. It was then that he noticed their hands still laced together; he gently tightened his grip on her, drawing her out of her trance and focusing on him. Their eyes locked, and he watched as shadows from the fireworks flickered across her face, barely masking her surprise and questioning gaze that he had no answer for.
The wailing of rockets brought them back to the show, and they both turned to see the many fireworks ascend all at once, exploding in a flurry of painted brilliance. His breath was caught in his throat, and he felt her gasp softly as colored fire showered over them before disappearing into the darkened sky.
Applause broke through the crowd, dispelling the magic of the display as people rose to their feet and filled the meadow with conversation once more. But for a moment, he and Chelsea remained seated where they were, and he breathed slowly to regain his composure.
When he finally felt brave enough to talk, he managed a faint, "Huh."
She hesitantly glanced at him. "What?"
Turning to her, he ignored the heat on his cheeks as he murmured, "It's actually pretty nice to watch the fireworks with you."
She smiled shyly, a blush on her cheeks as well. But with a long sigh, she returned to her normal cheerfulness and said, "That was beautiful. Let's watch again next year!"
He chuckled softly, rising to his feet and helping her up. "We'll see…"
She laughed and nodded, knowing that was as close she'd get to a yes. They both stood silently for a while longer until they realized their hands were still entwined. She glanced up at him curiously, as though waiting for him to make the first move.
He hesitated, a little unsure, before he slowly turned, gently tugging on her hand to follow. She complied happily, and they left the meadow together hand-in-hand.
They stood just at the entrance of her ranch silently, each lost in thought. The ferry off the island would leave soon, and Vaughn had to head for the docks now in order to catch it. But there was something on Chelsea's mind, he knew, and he waited patiently for her to speak.
When she did, her words came out very soft. "Do you…have to go?"
He nodded, turning slightly away from her. "Coming here today threw off my schedule, so I have a lot of work to make up for."
"Oh…I'm sorry."
He shrugged. "I'm not."
Reluctantly, they both withdrew their hands from each other; even with his leather glove, his palm suddenly felt cold. Trying to ignore it - and failing - he gripped the brim of his hat and brought it lower over his head. "Good night," he said softly.
He only managed one step away when she called him back. "Vaughn…"
When he turned back to face her, he found his arms suddenly filled with her, his arms fitting around her form almost perfectly. Then his eyes widened when her soft lips brushed against his own. Before he had a chance to respond, she retreated from him, and in the blink of an eye she was gone.
He stood, frozen, as he stared at the spot where she'd just been …where she should be right now. His muscled twitched, urging him to go after her - for an explanation, for a chance to return it, for anything. But the spot where she had…kissed him… seemed to burn his face, sending a searing ache to his heart.
So, despite all the protests that raged within him, he turned and made his way to the docks. It was just too much to deal with right now. This was all too unfamiliar to him, and he didn't know how to handle this. These thoughts, these feelings…everything was so strange and unusual…and he didn't know what to do.
Therefore he simply did what he always did; he left to wander…in hopes of abandoning it all together.
Even though he knew…this was not something he could run away from this time.
TBC
[Chapter 10]