I HAVE A CRUSH ON A BOY IN MY CLASS AND HES LIKE A YOUNG HARVEY I CANT DO THIS ANYMORE OH GOD ITS THE

Trying to choose someone... Its really hard actually😁

Shane, My Beloved

Shane had never considered himself a romantic person. In fact, Shane never considered himself at all, really. He had a routine that he followed, didn't think about how he worked a minimum-wage job at thirty-three, and when pretending that everything in his life was totally fine got to be too much, he drank. A lot. It was almost certainly unhealthy, but it got him through the day - for the most part.

When the new farmer moved into the dingy cottage north of his aunt's ranch, he didn't think much of it. He went to Joja Mart that day, same as always. He stocked the shelves, same as always. He saw the other town drunk wandering the aisles of Joja, same as always. He went straight to the Stardrop Saloon after closing, same as always. He saw the drunk again, same as always. He saw all the other Monday regulars at the Saloon, same as always.

But.

There was someone new today. It must be that new farmer, Shane thought to himself. Where did they move from? Was it Zuzu City? Somewhere across the Gem Sea? Hmm, I can't seem to remember... Whatever. It doesn't matter anyways. Not like I care. Even if I did, everyone always leaves. No use getting to know anyone new, Shane finally settled on that thought and took another sip of his beer.

Suddenly, a shadow crossed the floor to his corner by the bar. After introducing themselves to the local chef and the blue-haired barmaid, they seemed to walk toward Shane. He looked up. The farmer was staring at him, obviously exhausted from a hard day's work and socializing, but, curiously, appeared to be satisfied. Happy, even.

This perplexed Shane. He understood that his niece and his chickens and the boy with the bright yellow hair were all happy, but this was because they had never left Pelican Town. They didn't know what else was out there. They were blissful out of ignorance, not out of true joy. This farmer, they seemed different. They certainly weren't ignorant to the richness of city life. So why? Why did they seem so content? He had half a mind to ask them right out when the farmer asked him a question first:

"You're Shane, right? You work at the Joja Mart? I have to ask... Is it because you hate the shopkeep in town as much as I'm beginning to?"

Shane laughed out loud. He couldn't remember the last time he'd done that. It felt nice. The farmer smiled, bigger, this time, somehow. It made Shane feel... Well. He didn't know how it made him feel, but he knew that it was a feeling that he'd not had in a very long time.

He finally answered the farmer's question after a moment. "Unfortunately, my employment at Joja is not a condition of my spite, much as I wish it were. The store in town doesn't keep any staff at all. That's why the store's closed on Wednesday."

The farmer nodded and said "oh well. I simply had to ask." Then, after a short pause, they said "I'd better head off, I have some more planting to do tonight." And with that, they turned on their heels and walked out of the Saloon.

Shane watched the door for a long time after the farmer had closed the door. He hoped that they would turn around and run back inside. He hoped they would trip and fall over the threshold on their way out the door. He hoped they'd leave and never return.

He didn't know anything about the farmer but after this interaction, he knew one more thing about himself:

he was totally and utterly fucked.

teehee I love Shane ok anyways im thinking I might make this into like a series but we shall seeeeeeeeeeee xoxo

*looks at books* too tired for you *looks at films* too tired for you *looks at art supplies* too tired for you *eyes fall on tumblr* oho ho

the consequences of desire

Apple Music - Web Player

Read your Mind by Sabrina Carpenter on Apple Music

Song · 2022 · Duration 3:27

restorations // chapter three

read on ao3 here!

on my fifth day in the valley, i opened my mailbox to see a flyer informing me that a mine had opened up on the mountaintop. after grabbing my pickaxe and a few parsnips, i made my way up the mountain to be greeted by an older man with an eyepatch. 

he introduced himself as marlon and warned me about the dangers i’d face below. with the wimpy sword he’d given me to protect myself with, i swallowed my fears and descended. 

i’d already nearly exhausted myself on the third floor. just my luck, i’d supposed. i swung my sword wildly as a bat nearly knocked me off my feet. i reached in my pack for a parsnip, only to find that i’d brought only three with me, all of which i had already eaten. 

gone already? what is wrong with me today? i thought to myself. 

it suddenly occurred to me just how unprepared for the strength and energy that was required for this journey i was, leaving aside the simple fact that i had barely any of the required materials… my pickaxe was far too weak, my sword was falling apart, and i’d only just finished growing my first batch of parsnips (ninety percent of which i’d sold to lewis that morning). 

these are the reasons i gave myself as why it was okay that i’d woken up in Harvey's arms as he carried me out of the mines and into town, maru trailing behind him with a worried look on her face.

i floated in and out of consciousness as we walked past the large house on the mountaintop, past the old, broken down community center, and finally toward the door of the clinic where he readjusted our positions so he could unlock his door. 

i groaned as he cradled me in his arms and saw him look down at me, almost frightened. 

the last thing i remember before everything going dark is making eye contact with the doctor as he walked us across the threshold of his clinic.

–

when i opened my eyes next, i was in a hospital bed with Harvey leaning over me. 

he didn’t notice me open my eyes immediately so i just regarded him for a moment. i think he could feel my eyes on him after a moment because he suddenly remembered himself, his body covering mine in a way far too intimate for a doctor and his patient.

he tensed and i couldn’t help but reach up to touch his shoulder in an attempt to try to get him to relax a bit. he regarded my hand for a minute before meeting my eyes.

with a huffed breath, he whispered “hi. um, you got in an accident today. when maru found you in the mines, it appeared as though you’d been knocked out. by what, we still don’t know. i was able to repair all of your injuries without much trouble. do you have any insurance? i’ll need to bill you for the service.”

he paused for a moment before saying, “you know what? nevermind. let’s worry about that later. how much pain are you in? do you need more penicillin? i can get you some acetaminophen or maybe some benadryl but it’s a little late in the day–”

i was obviously still high as shit from the effects of whatever kind of drug the doctor must’ve put me under because in the middle of his diatribe, i brought up a finger to his lips and shushed him. 

he seemed surprised at first, maybe even a little rattled, but softened almost immediately. “you’re right. i’m sorry, Calliope. i’ve been hovering, and i should give you some time to rest. or, at least, some time to be alone. maru told me that you have plans tonight at the saloon.”

had i not been “up in the clouds,” as it were, i might’ve wondered why the town doctor had asked his colleague if i’d had plans tonight, but as such, i simply said “come with me.”

his eyes had wandered to where my fingers had landed following their personal space invasion but snapped back to mine as he processed my words.

“n-no. i.. i couldn’t. i wouldn’t want to intrude on you four. and.. i wouldn’t feel comfortable. the old man in the corner… you’d feel obligated to include me in conversation and it’d make you miserable,” he said, taking a step away from the bed, and, suddenly, the room temperature dropped noticeably.

“wait,” i said, sitting up (and immediately wincing), “it’s not going to be like that. i promise. plus, it won’t be four of us and you. sebastian’s not coming. something about a looming deadline. it’ll be me, sam, and abby. and you. hopefully. and i need someone else there so that i don’t get caught third wheeling! they haven’t admitted it… but there’s something going on there, i just know it…” 

as i conspired about a budding relationship between two of my neighbors, i turned my head and began chewing on my fingernails, a habit i’d picked up as an anxious eight-year-old and hadn’t been able to kick since. i had, however, not done it in public since fifteen. 

when i finally realized that i was, of course, not alone, i immediately pulled my fingers out of my mouth and felt my face get hot with embarrassment. i couldn’t look him in the eyes as i mumbled an apology.

his mouth parted in a small smile before saying, “don’t be. i think it’s cute.”

my eyes widened, my head snapping over to him again. “what?” i said. 

it seemed the doctor, too, was rendered speechless. he swallowed before pausing, as if to make up an excuse. finally, he said, “well! you are all patched up and free to go. let me know if you need anything else from me, Calliope.”

before i could reply, he turned on his heel and practically ran out of the room. 

minutes later, i walked out into the waiting room of the small clinic, after gathering my things and ensuring i looked decent enough for the outside world. Harvey was there, and appeared to be busying himself with various papers. 

i didn’t manage to catch his eye, but before walking out, i repeated my offer to him.

“just think about it,” i finally said. without a look back, i left the clinic, still in pain, definitely exhausted, and scared as hell that i might just fall in love after all.

i hate clint from stardew valley i hate clint from stardew valley i hate clint from stardew valley i hate clint from stardew valley i hate clint from stardew valley i hate clint from stardew valley i hate clint from stardew valley i hate clint from stardew valley i hate clint from stardew valley i hate clint from stardew valley i hate clint from stardew valley i hate clint from stardew valley

GASP

Nobody's Son, Nobody's Daughter

Read it on ao3.

TW: drxg useage, alcohol consumption, kissing, light dirty talk

Fourteen. Six days. Six fucking days since I’ve kissed Sebastian. Well, a little more than kissing. We made out. A lot. But that’s as far as it went and when dawn started to creep over the mountain peak, we stopped and went back inside like nothing happened. We haven’t talked about it. Maybe it was just a spur of the moment thing. Maybe it doesn’t need to be talked about. We still hung out of course but it was like it had never happened. I’ve never felt this way about someone before, how do I bring it up without freaking him out? It would have to wait though as we were celebrating Abby’s twenty-second birthday today. The four of us were supposed to take another trip out to the city to celebrate but Caroline sprung a last minute birthday dinner on Abby so we’re going to hang out at Sebastian’s again and chill.

“If I have to hang out with my parents beforehand, then I just wanna relax,” I remember Abby saying. It was decently sunny out today with a light breeze so I was wearing a dark red sundress and a cream colored cardigan to cover my shoulders. I tied a cute little bow on the wicker basket that held a blackberry cobbler and a monster compendium. I planned on dropping it off at the Pierre’s because cobbler tastes best fresh out of the oven anyway. As I’m about to head into town, Abby bursts into the farm house.

“Hey, I was just about to go see you,” I say while tucking the basket behind my back.

“They are driving me insane!” Abby says as she sits down at my kitchen table, clearly talking about Pierre and Caroline. “I’m twenty-one! I finish school next year, I don’t understand why they insist on treating me like a child!” She buries her head in her arms and I slowly set the basket down on the table. She lifts her head up from the table ever so slightly and asks, “is this for me?”

“Happy twenty-first!” I exclaim while going into the fridge. I was gonna save this bottle of mead for later but Abby seems like she could use a drink now.

“Aw black berry cobbler! I knew something smelled good when I walked it. Oh!” She takes out the book and hugs it, “how did you know I’ve been looking for this?” she asked while smiling like a child on Feast of the Winter Star.

“I had a hunch,” I say as I set the mead down on the table and grab two wine glasses. I pour the mead half way into the glasses and we sip and talk until the sun starts to set. “Hey, Abby, what time was your birthday dinner supposed to be?” She looks up at me with droopy eyes.

“I think eight? No-seven… What time is it now?” she giggles and I lift up the empty bottle of mead. Oh shit. I glance at the time on my phone and it’s six o’clock.

“Fuck,” I stand up and take my phone off the table. I excuse myself into the bedroom and call Sam. In college, I could finish a bottle of wine or mead in a day with no issues. I should’ve taken into consideration that Abby, being freshly twenty-one, is probably a lightweight.

“Hello?” Sam answers.

“Hey so, we have a bit of a predicament,” I say.

“Predicament? What do you mean?”

“Well, you know how I was gonna bring over that bottle of mead for Abby’s birthday later?”

“…Yea.”

“I think you should just come over. Is Sebastian with you? Bring him.” I hang up before Sam can ask more questions. I go back into the kitchen and give Abby a glass of water. I also made her eat the now cold blackberry cobbler. Literally giving her anything that would soak up the alcohol in her stomach. Sebastian and Sam arrive a little later.

“Look, it's my friendssss!” Abby exclaimed. I give the two boys a weak smile and they shake their heads.

“You dumbass,” Sam says to me as he sits next to Abby, “you were supposed to save that bottle for all of us!”

“I know!” I say, “it’s just, she came over, and I figured it wouldn’t hurt to crack it open. I didn’t think we’d finish the bottle…” I sheepishly look down at the floor. Sebastian sits down next to Sam.

“Abby’s a lightweight, you didn’t know,” he says.

“Mom’s getting take outttt,” Abby says in a sing-song tone.

“I thought your mom was making dinner?” I ask her.

“Mom hates cooking. I don’t know why she made a big fuss over a birthday dinner,” she sighs. An idea came to mind and I start pulling out ingredients from the fridge.

“What are you doing, farmer?” Sam asks while patting Abigail’s back. Her head rests on his shoulder and she takes a swig of some water.

“If I make Pierre and Caroline dinner, maybe they won’t care if Abby doesn’t show up for dinner?” I suggested while pulling out tuna that I had filleted earlier as well as octopus tentacles I had also cut up.

“Gross, Farmer, you just keep that in your fridge?” Sam asks while holding his nose.

“Hey man, I caught an octopus. What else am I supposed to do with it?” I ask while dumping oil into a pot and sticking a thermometer in it. As the oil heats up, I throw the tuna into a different pan and start searing it.

“Didn’t realize you’re quite the cook, Farmer,” Sebastian says from behind me. I shrug and look over my shoulder.

“Who else was gonna cook for my sister? Seb, could you get Abby some more water?” I turn my attention back to chopping up cabbage then coating the octopus in flour. Sebastian places a hand on the small of my back while he moves around me to fill up Abby’s water from the sink. My skin tingles at his touch. The Taco was the easiest to make. Sear the tuna, spread the mayo on the tortilla, then add the cabbage and tuna. I take the basket off the table and add the tacos in there.

“You’ve gotten very cottage-core these last couple of months,” Sam says. I hear an affirming “mm” from Abby, signaling to me that she got her water.

“I guess so,” I say while dropping the flour coated octopus into the oil, “I grow my own produce, raise my own animals, and am essentially living off the land besides the occasional thing I’ll buy at Pierre’s.”

“You have two chickens and a duck,” Sebastian says, “is that raising your own animals?”

“I’ve had them since they were chicks!” I say while facing them and leaning my hip against the counter, “I’m also thinking about getting a rabbit.”

“Awwww so cute!” Abby says, sobering up a little bit. I checked the oil temperature one more time.

“Then I’ll be making my own clothes, how's that for cottage-core?” I laugh and scoop out the now fried octopus onto some paper towels and pat them dry.

“Well, what I was going to say before Seb started teasing you, is that you look happy,” Sam says as I assemble the basket, making everything look nice for Caroline and Pierre. Compared to when I first moved here, I am a lot happier. My only issue is getting my sister away from Dad. I had a feeling that he’s going to try and sink his claws into her though.

“I need you boys to take Abby back to Sebastian’s. I’m gonna drop these off and play dumb, sounds good?” The guys nod and Abby smiles into Sam’s shoulder.

“Thanks guys, I didn’t want to eat Gus’ spaghetti again.” They left and took the shortcut up the mountain while I made my way into town. If my calculations are correct, a nice gesture should make the couple forget about their, now drunk, daughter. I mean when I first met Pierre he couldn’t even remember how old Abby was. I enter their home above the shop and the two of them are sitting in front of the fireplace sipping tea.

“Hi Farmer,” Caroline says, “what brings you here?” I place the basket down beside them.

“I was fishing earlier and I made some calamari and fish tacos. Gus told me they were your favorites!” I say, giving them a simple smile and also hoping that they wouldn’t see right through me. Gus didn’t tell me directly about their favorite foods, I might have been eavesdropping at the saloon yesterday while talking to Shane.

“Oh this is wonderful! Now I don’t have to cook,” Caroline laughs.

“Speaking of,” says Pierre, “have you seen Abby?” I shrug.

“She might be at Sebastian’s. I was just on my way over there,” I say, batting my eyelashes, smiling and giggling, doing everything to make myself look as innocent as possible.

“Will you tell her that dinner’s canceled?” Caroline asks, “we’ll take her out another time. All that produce you’ve been selling to us has been making us money!”

“That’s wonderful! I do have to go though, they’re probably waiting for me,” I say and turn to leave, “I’ll see you soon!” They say goodbye and thank me for the dinner and as soon as I exit the store, I exhale. I thank Yoba all the way to Sebastian’s place. I’m greeted by Robin when I walk in through the front door.

“How’s that coop holding up? I think it’s some of my best work,” she says proudly. I agree and get to chatting with her. “You know, Sebby helps me with my work sometimes,” she says.

“I didn’t know,” I say, trying hard not to picture Sebastian swinging an axe over his head with his shirt off and his sweat glistening. I didn’t need another fantasy to push down like the one time I caught him working on his bike outside. Shirt off, skin covered in soot and oil, tattoos practically begging me to lick them. If I were smarter I would say that she’s doing this on purpose. As Robin goes to open her mouth to say something about Sebastian helping her with her carpentry, I feel a calloused hand on my wrist and a soft yank.

“No more stories, Mother!” Sebastian yells as he drags me down the stairs to his bedroom. I look back at Robin as her son drags me away and she giggles. She’s definitely doing it on purpose but not to tease me. I look down at Sebastian’s hand around my wrist. His slender fingers with the different black and silver rings on them, his manicure fresh with black nail polish with a glossy finish. I used my other hand to cover the blush creeping up onto my face. No way. No fucking way. I know we kissed and everything but what am I supposed to do with this information? When we enter his bedroom, Abby is laying down on Sebastian’s bed, curled in the fetal position, watching anime. Sam is sitting at the tea table with a can of beer in front of him, a joint between his two fingers, and a handful of cards.

“Are you watching the Ghost Stories dub?” I ask, referring to the anime.

“Huh? Oh yea! It’s a classic. Figured it would keep her entertained while she keeps sobering up,” Sebastian says and gestures over to Abby, glued to his tv.

“Well if you’re gonna stand behind me, stand closer I can’t feel it. And they wonder why I like black men!” the tv says and Abby bursts into a fit of giggles. I laugh at her giggles, knowing exactly what episode she’s on.

“Do you watch anime?” Sebastian asks as I sit down with them, he deals me a couple of cards.

“Just finished the last season of Demon Slayer. The movie is going to be so devastating,” I say as Sam hands me the joint.

“That’s Sebby’s favorite,” Sam says through a fit of coughs. I inhale and let the weed fill my lungs.

“Oh?” I sigh the weed out of my lungs. If there’s a way I could test my little theory, this would be it. “I used to cosplay as Kanroji.” I scroll through the photos on my phone as one of them coughs, like their choking. I hold the joint out for someone to take it as I keep scrolling and scrolling.

“That's- OW,” Sam says as I finally find the picture, I make eye contact with Sebastian as I show him the picture and his face turns a blush pink. But that could mean anything right? I mean the cosplay was pretty revealing…

“I used to have the best costumes for Spirits Eve,” I say with a sigh while taking my phone back.

“Wait wait,” Sam says while grabbing my phone, “where’s the snake guy?”

“Iguro?” Sebastian and I ask at the same time.

“Yea! I see a lot of people who dress like them together,” Sam says while giving me my phone back. I shrug.

“I’ve never had a boyfriend before.” The room falls silent and even Abby is paying attention to our conversation now. “Okay geez,” I say,

“I didn’t realize that was the equivalent of killing somebody.”

“Really? Like no heartbreak that caused you to hoe around?” Abby asks and I snap my heart around.

“Okay, rude! I didn’t need a reason to hoe around, I just liked sex okay?”

“No, no. Her trauma is what caused her to hoe around like that,” Sam says.

“When did this become a therapy session?” I ask while snatching the joint out of Sam’s hands.

“If I dated someone it meant I would have to bring them home to my dad. It’s not that deep, I just didn’t want someone to get that close to me,” I say while puffing the joint.

“Oh Farmer,” Sam says and opens his arms to hug me. I push his forehead back with my palm and continue to smoke the joint.

“It’s not a big deal!” I say, struggling to keep him back. Sebastian starts laughing, harder than I had ever heard him laugh before. He takes the joint out of my hand and smokes it.

“You,” he points at Abby, “sober the fuck up and watch tv. If you wanna drink with us again, figure out how to keep up without getting trashed.” Abby curls back up on Sebastian’s bed.

“Yea, Yea,” she mutters, knowing that he’s right.

“And tell the Farmer thank you for getting you out of that stupid family dinner,” he continues.

“Thank you, Farmer,” she says barely above a whisper.

“And Sam,” Sebastian continues, “if you want to play therapist then go to fucking college.” Sam opens his mouth to speak but decides against it and hands me an unlit joint instead. I thank him and light it.

“Farmer,” he says while putting out the old joint, “what are you going for Spirits eve this year?”

“All my old costumes are in the city and I’ve been so busy this year, I think I’m just gonna go as a devil,” I say, “what about you?” I ask him.

“If you’ll go as a devil, I’ll be an angel,” he says. I laugh at the thought of him in white and gold instead of his black and silver. He pouts and I try to calm myself down. “Damn, after all that defending I did for you,” he huffs and snatches the joint away from me again. “You’re cut off.”

#

Sam had left with Abby a few minutes ago. He had to get up early for work and we all agreed it looked better for her to come home late than to stay the night at Sebastian’s. Sam offered to walk me home too but Sebastian insisted that he would. I’ve come to the conclusion from his reaction to my cosplay, the little stories that Robin will tell me, from the hints that Sam gives him when they think I’m not looking. He definitely thinks I’m pretty. But I can’t understand why it’s so hard for my brain to comprehend that he might like me back. Because why would he? I have sexual experience but anything romantic I’m blind to. There were people who wanted something more from me besides sex but the thought of bringing them home to Dad made me sick and there have been people I’ve wanted more from than just sex from but I don’t think they saw me as dateable. I shiver as we walk the shortcut back to the farm.

“Cold?” Sebastian asks and before I can answer he pulls off his hoodie and gives it to me. I put it on while admiring the way his t-shirt sleeves hugged his shoulders and biceps. His hoodie was a little oversized on me and engulfed me in his scent. Cigarettes, wood shavings, oil, a bit of sweat, and some faint cologne. If they could bottle this up and sell it, I would lose all my money. We walk in silence for a bit but I decide that I have to know what that kiss was about.

“About the other day,” I start, “was that just spur of the moment or…” Sebastian laughs and digs his hands into his jean pockets.

“Oh Yoba, it definitely wasn’t spur of the moment for me. You know how hard I had to work up the courage to even touch you? Thanks for bringing it up though, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about it,” he says.

“...You…You wanted to kiss me?” I blush but hope the darkness hides it.

“Of course I did! I’m thinking about attacking those pink plump lips right now. Obviously you’ve seen how I act around you, right?” He laughs again, “you really are dense, huh Farmer?”

“You gotta spell it out for me,” I say as we walk over the highway. I knew what he was saying but I wanted him to say it out loud. Lips, teeth, tongue, vocal chords, I need him to say it.

“I’ve been thinking about how sweet you might taste since the day I met you.” I wasn’t expecting that. In that moment, I felt the lust pour out of my body but it didn’t feel like I needed to fill something. It felt like I needed to have something.

“I said spell it out. That was the whole fucking alphabet,” I say while picking up my walking pace. Teasing him. That’s all I could think to do. If you truly want me, come get me. I could see him coming for me out of the corner of my eye so I picked up my pace but he grabbed me by my waist, fingers gripping into the fabric of my dress, and I felt my feet lift off the ground. In one swoop I’m suddenly sitting on his shoulder, his arm wrapped over my lap. He looks up at me with a soft smile and once I realize I’m fully off the ground and he’s not putting me down anytime soon, I wrap my arm around his neck. “W…What?”

“Sleeper build baby,” he says as we get onto my property, “all that wood chopping does a man wonders.” It’s like he knows my every thought, my every feeling, how the hell can he do that?

“Put me down,” I say, still in shock that he could lift me that easily, “if this is what it’s like to be tall, I don’t want it.”

“Please,” he says when we reach my house, “you weren’t telling that to Shane at the concert. Watching you on his shoulders, man, I was so jealous that his head got to be between those pretty thick thighs.” My breath gets caught in my throat when he says that and my thoughts race back to when I fed him lunch that same week.

“Pumpkin soup isn’t the only thing you were hungry for?” I ask as he squats and my feet reach the ground again. His arm doesn’t remove itself from my waist though. He’s walked me home but once I let him inside there’s no recovering from what's about to happen.

“I was starving,” he says, voice lowering. A shiver runs down my spine and a shock zaps between my legs. “But not for the soup. My sleep deprived ass just needed to see you.” I bit my bottom lip as his face moved closer to mine. I was confident being the domme, the one pursuing. I’ve never been on the receiving end of it though, is this what it’s like for someone to yearn for you? His slender fingers grasp the base of my chin and I look up into his deep brown eyes. Everything about him is screaming hunger, passion, need. My skin prickles as his grip on my jaw tightens. “The thought of being in your bed made me dizzy,” he says in a near growl. I extend my lips ever so slightly but he pulls his face away. His eyes roaming over my face and body, drinking up every bit of me. “Be honest,” he says while his other hand grips my waist, he doesn’t break eye contact, “did you touch yourself after I left? You were staring at me like a dog deprived of meat.” He licks his lips, revealing the ball of his tongue piercings. Yoba, he can read me like an oracle. “Like how you’re looking at me now?” I grab the hand that’s holding my waist and bring it up to my lips to kiss the pretty rings that rest gently around his fingers.

“You’re gonna have to show me if your fingers work better than mine.”

SDV fic

Eight.

TW: sex, alcohol consumption

I’m tending to my crops, plucking melons from their vines as it’s the end of the season. Occasionally, a cool breeze kisses my cheeks. Fall is almost here. As I’m placing some melons into my shipping bin, I see Alex bounding up the path to my farm. I’m caught off guard when he reaches me so quickly. He’s out of breath, panting. If I were to guess he probably played inside center or maybe outside. More muscle than agility. 

“Hey, Alex,” I say while leaning against my hoe, “what brings you out here?” Alex catches his breath and stands up straight. He grabs me by the waist, pulling me into him, and giving me a passionate kiss. I’m caught off guard but I don’t pull away. Thank Yoba he didn’t do that while I was holding produce. I would’ve been pissed if he made me drop a melon. He pulls away.

“I want you,” he says, still lingering over my lips, “no. I need you.” I laugh a little and pull away. I’ve gotten compliments on my head before but this? He must be kidding. Before I could tell him to run back home, he scooped me up in his arms like I weighed nothing. I gasp and grab onto his shoulders. I had to give it to him, the spontaneity was really turning me on. He carries me up onto the porch and kicks my front door in. I’m gonna have to ask Robin to fix that later… He throws me down on my little bed. All the aggression and passion in the room scares Miso outside. He looms over me, undoing his belt and taking off his shirt before attacking me with his lips. He left bite marks from my collar bone down to my thighs. Is he going to return the favor? He rips off my shirt and yanks down my pants so that I’m only in my bra and panties. He kisses my hips and thighs before grabbing the fabric of my panties with his teeth and pulling them down. I shudder, thinking about what he could do with his tongue. He looks up at me and gives me a goofy but adorable grin. I brace myself for pleasure but I’m met with his fingers jamming inside me, moving back and forth. I winced as I definitely wasn’t wet enough for something to be inserted inside me. That, and he was just pumping his fingers inside me, like a makeshift cock. 

“Hey…” I start. He stops and raises his head.

“Something wrong?”

“Could you rub my clit a little? And then when you put your fingers back inside, could you do like a ‘come hither’ motion?” I ask. I feel a little embarrassed asking but if anyone was going to get off today, this needed to be done right. He furrowed his eyebrows together while staring into my cunt. He then turned a soft pink.

“Um… right here?” he asks while rubbing my labia. I know I got a bush going right now but clits stay in the same spot with or without hair around it. I take his hand and direct him to my clit. I’m not trying to embarrass him, just that if he’s also trying to fill the void with sex he should at least know what he’s doing. With or without me. He put slight pressure on my clit which felt good. I let out a little moan. Something then clicks in his brain which brings my hopes up. He then starts rubbing my clit like a DJ to a record. He’s going so fast I fear I’m going to get some sort of rug burn.

“Um, maybe let's try the fingers again?” I can tell he’s getting somewhat frustrated but listens to me and sticks his fingers back in. I feel a little dryer than I was but it’s nothing that I can’t push through. He moves his fingers in the way I told him to earlier. I relax as his fingers push gently against my g-spot and walls. “Yes,” I moan, “just like that.” As soon as it starts to get good, he pulls his fingers out and shoves his cock in. I’m a little disappointed but at least I’m wet enough to take something other than his fingers. He doesn’t try to ease into me but instead attempts to put as much of him as he can into me. I let out a little yelp when he finally gets all of himself inside me. 

“Fuck you’re so tight,” he says. Yea because I’m not fully ready yet. I wrap my legs around his waist and let him pound into me. Every other thrust he hits my g-spot but it’s not enough. I think he notices that I’m not having as much fun as he is and he starts rubbing my clit again in the same fashion as before. I let him keep doing his thing until he pulls out and finishes on my stomach. He slumps on the other side of my bed and I get up to get a towel. I wipe myself off and put my panties back on and return with some water and a snack for both of us. I tossed him the towel as well so he could wipe off his cock. I sit where I was laying before and we sit in silence while drinking our water and eating our snack. 

“So…” I start.

“So…” he copies, “we shouldn’t do that again, right?” I nod. 

“Yea. I don’t think we’re that sexually compatible,” I say. He shakes his head. 

“You’re just on a different level than me,” he says. My eyes widened. Please tell me I haven’t just taken this man's virginity. “You seem like you’ve been around the block a few times, which isn’t a bad thing! But including you, I’ve only had sex with three people,” he says. I sigh in relief. 

“Well,” I start, “so we agree that we shouldn’t keep having sex?” he nods and gives me a small smile. 

“You’re a little intimidating,” he says.

“I promise I wasn’t trying to embarrass or judge you in any way,” I say.

“I know. You’re just cool and really beautiful. It can be intimidating,” he says. I blush a little. 

“This doesn’t mean we have to stop being friends. Honestly, I let my own bad coping mechanisms lead to where we are. I really value our friendship and our talks,” I say. Alex smiles. 

“I kinda came clean to Haley about what happened at the ice cream stand. She thinks it’s good that I have someone to talk to about my mom, someone who can relate to me.”

“But about the sex?”

“Bad idea. And I think we all knew that. But at least we can be mature about this,” he says while getting off the bed and putting his clothes back on. I follow his lead, putting my jeans back on and then my shirt. I find my straw hat that has been tossed on the floor and put it back on.

“It’s a small town, in order to avoid burning bridges you have to be mature,” I say and give him a small peck on the cheek. I walk him out of the farm house and wave goodbye to him as he takes the path back to Pelican town. 

###

After a hard day's work, I enter the saloon, giving Alex a wave as he plays with his dog nearby. I’m grateful that we can stay friends after that whole thing. I sit down at the nearly empty bar.

“Farmer!” Gus says, “haven’t seen you in a while. What brings you in here?” he asks.

“Had a long day, Gus,” I say, “could you fix me a pint and a plate of your delicious spaghetti?” I ask. Gus laughs as he puts a pint of ale in front of me. 

“I had a feeling you had come in for your usual.” When Robin was fixing up my kitchen, I came in here a lot for dinner. I tried everything he had to offer but what stuck out to me the most was his spaghetti. I had to get his recipe soon. Not many people were in the saloon on a wednesday. Just Pam, Gus, Emily, Shane, and I. I had gotten to know each of them well except for Shane. We had brief conversations but for the most part it seemed like he was waiting for me to stop talking to him. Emily says he’s weary of new people and I had to push it a little. I didn’t want to be too naggy so I figured small conversations would do the trick. 

“Hey Shane,” I say, scooching a bar stool seat closer to him. He grunts in response. By the way his eyes barely focused, I could tell he was already intoxicated. I take a sip of my beer. “I hear that you raise chickens at Marnie’s farm. I’m thinking about raising some myself. Got any tips?” His eyes light up and he leans a little closer to me. 

“Hay. Lots of hay. Pets too. They like to be coddled,” he says.

“Do you have a favorite chicken?” I ask, “you know, like a favorite child?” he laughs and pulls out his wallet. He pulls out a picture of a chicken and as he does another photo falls out. 

“Charlie. Follows me everywhere. He’s my buddy,” he says as he puts the picture back into his wallet. He hasn’t noticed the other photo that fell out. I picked it up, it’s a picture of him and two other people holding a baby. I hand it back to them. 

“Important people of yours?” I ask, his eyes widen and I swear all the alcohol in his body disappeared. He rubs the back of his neck. 

“Old friends,” he says, “Jas’ parents.” From his tone I can tell that they’re a sensitive topic. That, and Jas lives with him and Marnie. Something must’ve happened to them. 

“I see. Jas looks just like her mother. I’m sure she's going to grow up into a beautiful woman,” I say. Shane nods and looks at the picture a little longer before slipping it back into his wallet. Gus hands me my spaghetti and Shane asks for his tab. Once it’s paid he turns and smiles at me. I’m caught off guard and I try to not have my jaw hit the floor. This is a first.

“It was good chattin’ with you, Farmer,” he says, “it’s about Jas’ bedtime so I should get back to tuck her in.” And he leaves without another word. Before I can take my first bite, Emily rushes over to me. 

“What did you say to Shane to make him leave the bar early?” she asks in shock. I shrug. 

“A picture fell out of his wallet. I asked him about it and he said they were Jas’ parents,” I said, “it seemed like a sensitive topic so I just said that Jas looks like her mom.” 

“Ah, yes. This isn’t my place to say but I’m sure you’ve already put two and two together but Jas’ parents died in a really bad car accident. Shane is Jas’ Godfather and they moved in with Marnie shortly after they passed,” Emily says. I shake my head. 

“I can relate to that. My mom also passed away in a car accident but I was a couple years older than Jas when it happened,” I say, “I also can’t imagine losing my best friends and taking care of their offspring.”

“I never knew that Shane before the accident but I imagine it’s what brings him to drink. He’s told me that he was a semi-pro gridball player before but gave it all up to move here and raise Jas. He hasn’t left the bar before close in a long time,” she says. I had heard that Shane was a gridball player but semi-pro? Incredible. “It’s nice to see that there’s another friendly face in this town for him,” Emily says. I smile, pay for my tab, then leave.

saw this and immediately thought of him lol

Nobody’s Son, Nobody’s Daughter

Nine.

TW: smoking

Dear Farmer, 

Tonight at around ten o’clock PM, a rare and beautiful event will take place. The moonlight jellies will be passing by Pelican Town on their long journey south for the winter. We’re all gathering at the beach to watch. You don’t want to miss this! 

See you tonight,

Demetrius. 

My parents would always pick me up from Grandpa’s before the dance of the moonlight jellies. When Mom was around, Grandpa would plead with her for me to stay another night and that he would take me to the city. It was Dad’s rule though. He didn’t pick me up or drop me off and Grandpa wasn’t allowed to come to our home. Looking back, Mom probably wanted me to stay but knowing Dad, it wasn’t going to happen. I’ve begged Dad to tell me why his relationship with Grandpa was so strained but he never went into much detail. “He was hard on me. Just leave it at that.” I would beg Grandpa for answers too. “That’s something for your father to tell you, when he feels ready.” I haven’t spoken to Dad at all since I moved to the valley. I wonder if he feels deja vu.

I’m making poppy seed muffins as my summer flower garden has been more than bountiful this year. I figured a little late night snack would do the town good and maybe improve my friendliness with some of the villagers I haven’t gotten to know that well. I’ve learned that I can’t be cold and off putting like I was in the city. If I want to live a good life here, I have to be like Grandpa. 

“Smells good in here, Farmer,” I recognized Sam’s voice immediately. I’m making a honey glaze for the muffins that are baking in the oven. I look over my shoulder and catch a glimpse of the trio of people I’ve been able to call my closest friends. 

“What have I told you about breaking into my house?” I ask Sam with a chuckle. 

“‘Ts not breaking in if the doors are unlocked,” he says. I shove my mixing bowl into Sam’s hands.

“Keep mixing. I have something for you guys,” I say as I go into the other room. I hear the faint sounds of the wooden spoon scraping against the metal bowl. Sam never fought me on things, I feel like he trusts me or whatever he doesn’t understand, he knows I have a good reason for it. 

“Are you making these for tonight?” Abby asks me from the other room. I find the chest I keep at the end of my bed and pull out three crystals. 

“Yea, I had some freetime. I gotta get people to like me somehow, right?” I say as I reenter the kitchen. I take the bowl from Sam’s hands and set it down. “Alright, close your eyes and hold out your hands.” The three do as they’re told. 

“It better not be a bug,” Abby says.

“I hope it’s a bug!” says Sam. I place a crystal in each of their hands. Amethyst for Abby, Frozen tear for Sebastian, and Tiger’s eye for Sam. My trips to the mines had been successful and I had made my way down to the eightieth floor. It was hard work but I didn’t have much to do besides farm work and fixing up the old community center. The community center was going to take me a while so I figured I might as well slay some monsters and make a profit from the gems I find. 

“Open your eyes.” They do and their faces light up when they see the gems. 

“How did you know I love this?” they all ask. I shrug.

“They just seemed like your vibe,” I said. That was a lie. While foraging, cutting down trees, and just being in the valley I stumbled upon some notes. One was a page from Abby’s diary as I had recognized her handwriting. She mentioned she liked keeping amethyst under her pillow. Another was Sam’s shopping list, I also recognized his chicken scratch. He mentioned that Sebatian liked sashimi and frozen tears. I didn’t know what that was until I stumbled upon it in the mines. I remember Grandpa collecting around one hundred of them one summer and then giving it to Robin. He mentioned she wanted to make a chandelier. Sam was a little trickier though. I was having tea with Jodi one afternoon and she was telling me stories about my Grandpa and how kind he was to Sam. Even after I would leave when the summer was done, Grandpa would still watch Sam when Jodi needed it. One day Sam came home with a large yellow and brown crystal and was so overjoyed about it. He still has the tiger's eye Grandpa gave him all those years ago. 

Abby wraps her arms around my neck and squeezes me. “Thank you thank you thank you thank you!” she says. The boys also nod and thank me. 

“Well, thank you guys for caring about me,” I say, “you’ve made my adjustment to the valley a lot easier.” My nightmares aren’t as frequent, I’m smoking less even though I do miss when Sebastian would brush my lips with his fingers every time he gave me one, and I just feel better overall. 

“Are you going to the dance of the moonlight jellies tonight?” Sebastian asks, “it’s the one festival I actually enjoy.”

“I think I will,” I say.

“Finally! You never got to seem them when we were kids, I remember being sad for you,” Sam says. My kitchen timer goes off. The muffins are ready. I pull them out and carefully dress them with the glaze. Abby goes to grab one but I slap her hand away.

“You’ll get one tonight,” I say and she pouts. 

“Oh! I almost forgot,” Sam says while digging in his pockets. He pulls out a crumpled flyer and hands it to me. “We’ve got a gig next Saturday in the city. Some old songs, some new songs. You should come.”

GOBLIN DESTROYER

Julius Ballroom Patio

Fall 6

6PM

“I can’t wait to go,” I say and place the flyer on my fridge. “I’m glad you got out of your writer's block.” 

“Write what you feel. That’s what you said. I also had help from Seb and Abby so I couldn’t have done it without all three of you.”

###

I wanted to wear something other than my usual farm get-up. Like being at the beach in the rain, there’s something surreal about being at the beach during the night. I took my hair out of my usual braids and pinned my bangs back with a white bow and then threw on a light blue sundress. It was a little chilly out but I felt okay with my arms exposed. Fall is my favorite season and I couldn’t wait for the weather to break. As I step out of my house, I see that Sebastian is waiting for me. I can see I’m not the only one who decided to wear something different. He’s wearing a different pair of black ripped jeans than his usual and is wearing a dark gray button up with the first three buttons unbuttoned. 

“What a surprise,” I say, “what brings you over here?” As I get closer to him, I inhale his scent. His cologne had hints of cedar, tobacco, and vanilla. His lit cigarette added an extra layer of tobacco. He smelled like heaven. He takes his half finished cigarette and puts it between my lips and before I could protest, he swiftly lights himself another one. 

“Needed to get away from my family. I figured we could walk together,” he says as we make our way off my property. He seemed tense and I could tell that he had been chain smoking the entire walk here. “You look nice,” he says. 

“Thank you. So do you,” I say, trying to not let my eyes linger.

“Demetrius wanted to take a family photo down at the shore. When he saw me in this, he seemed pissed off. Before I left I could hear him and my mom quietly arguing. I don’t know about what and I assumed it was about me. I just got the hell out of there,” he says while anxiously smoking his cig. “He’s known me since I was three. He raised me. I don’t understand why he hates me so much.” He kicks some rocks as we make our way through the town square. I wrap my arm around his and lean my head on his shoulder.

“You deserve better.”

“Ah, that’s just shitty father figures for ya,” he says, his mood shifting. I take my head off his shoulder and I see that he’s smiling at me. He knows I get it. We both finished our cigarettes before reaching the beach and I unlink arms with him. Him and I separate. He goes to Robin and I start chatting with the other villagers. When we separated though, it felt hesitant. Like he didn’t want to leave my side. Occasionally, I’d look over my shoulder and catch him looking at me. 

“Farmer!” Vincent exclaimed as I approached him, Jodi, and Sam. 

“Hey kiddo,” I say and reach into my pocket. Yes, my dress has pockets. I pull out a grape and he gasps.

“Wow! How did you know I like grapes?” he asked. Sam’s discarded shopping list. I press a finger to my lips.

“Santa told me,” I whisper. He looks up at me with wide eyes. I also give him a poppyseed muffin and pass those out to the other villagers as well. I look across the docks and watch Haley take pictures of Sebastian and his family. If I’m being honest, I felt a little jealous but I knew not everybody was happy in the family. Could I even create a happy family and break generational trauma? As I start to spiral, Haley approaches me, snapping me out of it. 

“Seb wants a family photo,” she says. I look at her confused.

“Didn’t he already do that?” she rolls her eyes at me.

“Like with you, Sam, and Abigail.”

“Oh.” Yoba, you’re so dense, Farmer. I can hear Sebastian say in my head. I follow Haley to where Sebastian is and eventually Abby and Sam join us. Sam and Abby are on the end and Sebastian and I are in the middle. I’m smiling but genuinely smiling. I haven’t felt warmth from others in a while. I look up at Sebastian, seeing his face flushed out with his own version of expressing happiness. He’s feeling the exact same feeling I am.