cacalite

[cacalite]

Things I need to see: Your design of a Zelink wedding. Just throwing that out there! :D

I feel as though Link would have some insecurities at first but in the end he doesn’t give a damn. 

(Pretend all those squiggly lines on page two are people)

Sorry it took so long to reply! I hope this satisfies. 

Please do not repost! Thank you!

~Darcie 💘

[cacalite]

[cacalite]

hello!! im glad to hear that requests are open again :D could i request a stardew fic? reader is the farmer and one day they injure their back or knee while working and end up at the clinic. at the clinic, they're taken care of by their friend maru for a day or two but just as reader is about to get released, maru realizes that they live alone and are still recovering. so maru offers to live with reader while they recover and help take care of the farm. then eventually as reader hers better, it leads to a confession and asking maru to move in :). sorry if this was really long!! thank you and take care!!

Back Pain and Strawberries

Maru (Stardew) x They/Them Reader

A/N: Hi! Ah, it’s been awhile since I’ve been in the valley. It’s good to be back. I hope it’s alright. I feel like a jumped around too much/ didn’t develop the idea enough but I tried my best! Also since it’s Stardew I feel compelled to say I swore in here a bit so look away if that’s troubling to any of you lol. Word Count: 3,478

“Holy Yoba damn it all!”

Well, they finally did it. (Y/n) went too far with their daily work load. Just a few more trees to clear, they had told themself. As if they weren’t chopping down six whole trees with a old, crappy axe after planting and watering a whole new slew of crops for the second half of spring.

They should have been surprised their back held out as long as it had. Going from a desk job with that awful chair to farmer of an overgrown jungle of a plot of land should have been a clue that they needed to start small and not attempt a complete overhaul in only two weeks.

(Y/n) had fallen to their hands and knees from the shock of the pain. They wanted to take the rest of the fall, but getting back up again would be a challenge. They heard the tinkle of a collar paired with light panting and sniffing. It was a long shot, but maybe…

“Go get help, Cashew. Come on, don’t make me crawl to town.”

The dog tilted its head, ears perked, but instead of taking on the role of Lassie, it snuffled the back of (Y/n)’s neck with its wet nose and promptly got distracted by a grasshopper jumping above the wild grasses.

“If I survive this, I’m making Marnie take you back.” The Farmer groaned and rose slowly to their feet while using the treacherous stump of the last tree they cut as leverage.

Then they painstakingly unwedged their axe from the tree’s trunk to use as a makeshift cane. Not great, but it was the best they had.

They slowly made their way into town and thanked the stars for the farm being on the same side of town as the clinic. It was still a bit of a hike of course, but they made it eventually. Yoba, they really needed to invest in a landline.

They struggled with the door, then they finally made it inside. The sweet air conditioning was an instant relief. They really needed to get air conditioning in the farmhouse.

“(Y/n)? What happened?!”

They rose their head as high as they dared. Ah, Maru was working today. They hadn’t even thought about that. She was going to be so mad after telling (Y/n) not to overwork themself too hard when they first moved into Pelican Town.

(Y/n) and Maru had been friends for years. When (Y/n) used to visit their grandpa in the summers growing up, Maru was the first friend they had made and they kept in touch ever since. When they had wrote to Maru about moving into their grandpa’s farm, she had been really excited about getting to see them more often. That excitement had morphed into concern very quickly when she heard how much work (Y/n) was putting on themself.

“Maru, I fucked up.” The Farmer stated plainly.

“That much is obvious. Hang on a minute, Harvey’s in his office.” Maru jumped into action, disappearing into the back of the clinic.

It didn’t take long for Harvey and Maru to appear in the lobby to help (Y/n) into a bed and give them a thorough look over.

“My goodness, you walked all the way here with a herniated disk!” Harvey grimaced. “You’re lucky it didn’t rupture!”

“I can’t believe you! What did I tell you about overworking yourself? If I could hit you right now, I would!” Maru huffed.

“I know, I know! Can you guys fix it?” (Y/n) yelped as their back was poked and prodded.

“With some anti-inflammatories, maybe some ice, and a lot of rest, you should recover in four to six weeks.” Harvey assured while he filled out a prescription form.

“Four to six weeks?!” (Y/n) yelled, “I can’t afford to be out of commission that long!”

“You should have thought about that before- what were you even doing?”

“…Cutting down trees.” (Y/n) answered sheepishly.

Maru slipped her fingers beneath her glasses to rub her face in frustration.

“Trees plural? With that ancient axe?”

“Yup.”

“(Y/n) you drive me absolutely crazy sometimes I hope you know that.” Maru had known (Y/n) since they were six years old. One would think they would have grown out of their reckless behavior by now, but Maru’s dear friend was not so inclined.

“I know! Please stop shaming me! Can we focus on the real issue here that is I can’t work on the farm for the rest of spring and maybe the first week or so of summer? There is so much to do!”

“I’m sorry (Y/n), but there really isn’t anything for it but rest. If you strain yourself you could risk a more serious injury with an even worse recuperation time.” Harvey left little doubt of just how serious he was about resting. “Absolutely no hard labor.”

“I should at least be able to water the garden and feed the chickens. Fishing isn’t that physically demanding either, or foraging—“

“Are you even listening to yourself?” Maru massaged her temples with heavy pressure, “You just keep tacking more on.”

“Maru, please. You know how important bringing the farm back to life is to me.” (Y/n) pleaded.

Maru propped one arm above the other, her frowning lips pressed into the side of her fist as she went deep into thought. It’s true, she did know how important the farm was, not only to (Y/n), but to the community as well. There were definitely things that could be held off on, but it would be devastating to have the crops dry up and never mind leaving the chickens to their own devices. She just couldn’t leave (Y/n) to do those things on their own because one thing always left to another with them. If they had someone to help, someone to keep an eye on them and make sure they were actually resting, that would be a compromise Maru could live with.

“Then I’ll stay with you until you get better. I’ll help with the farm and aid in your recovery.”

“Hey, that sounds like a great idea.” Harvey nodded along, happy to hear a favorable solution.

“Maru, would you really?” (Y/n) wouldn’t want to put any extra work on Maru.

She already worked at the clinic, helped her dad with lab work and had her own technological experiments to boot. Hey, it sounded like (Y/n) wasn’t the only one with the tendency to overwork. Theirs just put a more noticeable strain on their body.

“Of course. You’re one of my best friends.” Maru assured. “We’ve been meaning to hang out more anyway.”

“Thank you, Maru!” (Y/n) moved to sit up, but quickly fell back to the cot and sucked in a breath through clenched teeth. “That was a little too sudden I guess,” they lifted their arms instead, “hug me?”

Maru smiled and rolled her eyes before leaning over to give (Y/n) the hug they desired.

Once Harvey set (Y/n) up with a bottle of anti-inflammatories, a back brace and a printed up healing regimen (and the bill), Maru walked them home and set them up on the couch with the TV set to some oracle show.

“I need to go home to tell my parents what’s going on and pack up some stuff. Do not move from this spot.”

“I’ve gotten into enough trouble for today I think,” (Y/n) sighed as they looked over the healing regimen, “safe travels.”

Maru didn’t like seeing (Y/n) look so down. An idea came to mind that she thought might cheer them right up.

“I’ll bring back pizza or something from the saloon and we’ll make this a real sleepover just like old times.”

“I like the sound of that.” (Y/n) looked up at Maru with a familiar grin, “Are you sure it won’t be too out of the way for you?”

“Don’t worry. I’ve got it. You hold up your end of the bargain and I’ll do the same.”

“Yes ma’am.” (Y/n) mock saluted.

Maru shook her head playfully then exited the small farmhouse. She took the back road shortcut to her house and filled everyone in on her plans for the next several weeks. Demetrius was a little on the fence about it, but Robin was fully on board and gave him the push he needed. A quick jaunt through town to pick up some of Gus’ homemade food and Maru was back at the farm only a couple hours after she left.

“Have you been behaving?” She asked as soon as (Y/n) came to help her open the door.

“Haven’t gotten up except to open this door.” (Y/n) said matter-of-factly.

“Good, then you get to eat.” Maru teased, setting the take out on the small table in the corner.

“What kind of nurse are you? Threatening to withhold food from your poor patient?” (Y/n) pouted.

They laughed together and Maru pulled the table up to the couch so they could sit more comfortably and watch tv. Cashew took that as an invitation to sit atop both of them and try to snap at the food that soared over his head.

When it started getting late, they got ready for bed and without even considering the couch, they shared the single bed in the corner of the room. They had shared a bed several times over the years so it wasn’t weird even at the age they were now? Right? No, certainly not! If it was, it would certainly be to awkward to change their minds now. Especially with Cashew jumping up to pin them both to the mattress.

“This place is smaller than I remember.” Maru spoke into the darkness. The quiet of the night left her with no distraction from the heavy beating of her heart.

“Yeah, I never realized what an extreme minimalist grandpa was. I’ve been meaning to talk to your mom about adding on another room.”

“You should. She’s always looking for new projects.”

“Cool.”

The silence fell again and both (Y/n) and Maru stared up at the dark ceiling, afraid to move too much lest they disturb or brush against the other.

This wasn’t awkward at all.

It did help when Cashew wedged between them instead of being draped over them. It gave a little buffer that eventually helped the couple— the two close friends go to sleep.

***

The next morning, Maru woke up alone. No Cashew, and more concerning no (Y/n). She got up and dressed quickly, knocking back the farmhouse door with a loud thud.

“Morning.” (Y/n) greeted from the front step once they had recovered from the sudden noise.

“How long have you been out here? Have you been working?” Maru questioned right away, making (Y/n) laugh and hold out their hands defensively.

“I’ve been up for an hour, I haven’t done a thing but take out Cashew and gaze longingly into the garden, I swear.”

Maru searched (Y/n) for any signs of deception, but found none and relaxed. She nodded and put her hands on her hips.

“Good. What do you want me to do first?”

“We should check in with the chickens first then circle our way back to watering the crops.”

“Sounds good.”

(Y/n) walked Maru down to the coop and showed her where to put the hay and how the chickens liked to be pet before directing her to open the coop hatch the the chickens could go out and enjoy the sun. Then they collected the eggs and headed back in the direction of the farmhouse.

“I’ll put these in the fridge. You can fill up the watering can in that little pond there. I usually refresh Cashew’s water bowl before working my way down the line.”

“Yeah, okay.”

Maru filled the water bowl and worked her way down the rows of crops and had to refill the can no less than three times. (Y/n) came out with a picture of cold lemonade, for which Maru was grateful to have when she was done.

“Did I spy strawberry plants down at the end there?” She asked after taking a few gulps.

“Yeah, Pierre was selling them during the egg hunt and I couldn’t resist buying a whole bunch. I know how much you and your dad like them so I was going to surprise you with a bunch. So, uh, surprise.”

“That is very thoughtful of you. I can’t wait to have some.” Maru’s heart started thudding against her chest again and it wasn’t from watering plants in the sun all morning.

***

Days became weeks and before either of them knew it, (Y/n)’s follow up appointment with Harvey was upon them. He gave (Y/n) the okay to go back to work so long as they didn’t over for it. They could still aggravate their back again if they picked up too much work too soon.

The journey back to the farmhouse was unusually quiet. Both were happy for Harvey’s verdict, but they felt troubled at the same time. They had a routine. Maru didn’t want to leave and not get to see (Y/n) first thing in the morning and last thing at night. As small as the farmhouse was (Y/n) felt like it would feel too big without Maru there.

“Looks like you won’t need me hovering around you anymore, huh?” Maru broke the silence with a weak attempt at a laugh.

“…I guess.” (Y/n) gave her a half smile in return, but then an idea came to mind that had them perk up. “Actually, it shouldn’t take long for the last batch of strawberries to ripen. A couple days at most. It would be nice to enjoy the fruits of your labor fresh from the earth, don’t you think?”

Maru grinned in return.

“You’re right! That would be really neat.”

“Great! Want to watch a movie when we get home?”

“That sounds good. What should we make for dinner?”

Now with an excuse to spend more time together, they carried on as they had for most of that spring.

***

(Y/n) woke up to the sound of rain beating against the roof early the next morning. Slowly, they sat up in bed, withdrawing their arm from around Maru’s waist.

There was no hurry to get up, the chickens could wait and the crops were being watered by Mother Nature, but they felt restless. The strawberries would no doubt be perfect in time for the last day of spring tomorrow and that would mean Maru would leave with the change of the seasons. It made it feel like winter was coming rather than summer.

Early in the week, while (Y/n) had been sifting through the mail and Maru was watering and taking care of some weeds, they came across a flyer from Pierre about giving flowers to a special someone and couldn’t get it out of their head since. Sitting there, they felt antsy. Tomorrow might be the last day before Maru went home. It would be best to ask her then.

They slipped out of the bed and gave Cashew his breakfast to keep him quiet. Then they took an umbrella and headed into town hoping Abigail would sneak them in early to buy a bouquet before they lost their nerve.

They slipped the bouquet into a chest as soon as they got home and had breakfast ready as Maru began to wake.

***

“These are so good.” Maru swore they were the best strawberries she had ever had. Maybe it was some kind of extra satisfaction knowing she helped the plants flourish that made her think that, but she didn’t care. “Dad will be lucky if I even let him have one.”

When she received no answer from the farmer beside her, she turned to look at them and saw they were all fidgety and didn’t appear to be listening.

“Hey,” Maru poked them, making them jump, “what’s up?”

“Oh, nothing. Actually, there was something I wanted to ask you.” (Y/n) forced themself to say. It was only a years long friendship they were attempting to breech into a different territory that could go wrong and then they wouldn’t be the same anymore. Nothing to worry about! Just bite the bullet and say it!

“What is it, (Y/n)?”

Well, that’s the million dollar question, Maru.

“We’ve known each other a long time, right?”

“Uh, yeah.” Maru chuckled a bit at the odd start, but listened intently.

“Yeah, so I just want to say you don’t need to feel pressured to answer me one way or another when I ask you this, I just hope that we can stay friends whatever happens.”

“(Y/n), you’re scaring me a bit with the dancing around. Did you hurt your back again? I swear—“

“No! No, my back is fine. I just wanted to ask if you maybe wanted to, if, if you, I wanted to ask you, if you would like to be my girlfriend.” They cleared their throat and pressed their palms together, legs bouncing on the porch step anxiously as they waited for an answer.

Maru dropped the strawberry she was holding back into the bucket, the cool water within making a little plop sound as the berry fell back in. Maru had dreamed up similar scenarios like this for a couple years now.

“Really? You want me to be your girlfriend?”

“Mhm.”

The farmer pursed their lips and presented Maru with the bouquet they had bought for the occasion. This was a long shot. They always thought Maru was a genius destined for bigger things. They had almost asked Maru out before. They tried during the summer before their grandpa passed away when they were in high school, but they lost their nerve. Then they got that stupid desk job at Joja and they barely stayed in touch. If those feelings still stayed after all that time, they felt like they had to act on them.

Maru lunged forward and wrapped her arms around (Y/n)’s neck and they threw their arms around her in kind, the bouquet rested against Maru’s back. A relieved breath of air left their lungs to be replaced with fresh air that felt better than the last breath they took.

“I would love to. I’m really happy you asked.” Maru squeezed tighter.

“Me too. Ah! Cashew, down!” The couple suddenly found themselves under fire of a very excited, very wet dog, who had just come back from his dip in the pond and wanted in on the hug.

“Ah!” Maru felt water splatter against her arm and tried to shield herself using (Y/n)’s body. (Y/n) tried to hide the flowers between them so they wouldn’t get ruined by the over excited dog.

Cashew rubbed his wet, smelly fur against them as he ran a few tight circles then finally ran off into the tall grass.

“That dog!” (Y/n) huffed, but then Maru started to laugh and they couldn’t help but join in.

“He’s just excited that we’re finally together.” Maru joked, “He’s a good boy, an angel really.”

“I hope you liked living with him thus far because I can’t get rid of him.”

“Is that your way of inviting me to move in with you?”

“I mean, if you think it’s too soon I totally understand.”

“I think we’ve done a lot of waiting. It’s time to do something a little impulsive.” Maru looked behind her at the old farmhouse, “We really need to give this place an upgrade though. I’ll need a place to put all my robotics and my telescope.

“Oh Yoba.” (Y/n) smacked their hand against their face.

“What? What is it?”

“Your parents and Seb! What will they think about this? It was only supposed to be temporary, I feel like your dad might kill me.”

“He’s not going to kill you. If it makes you feel any better, Seb and mom have been teasing me about you for years. They’ll probably be relieved that we finally got together. The strawberries will help dad come around to the idea. Despite how he may act sometimes, he really likes you.”

“You really think it’ll be okay?”

Maru pressed a quick kiss against (Y/n)’s cheek, leaving the scent of strawberries in her wake. Shyly meeting (Y/n)’s eyes, she displayed a peaceful smile.

“I do.”

And it was.

Robin was ecstatic, though she seemed more excited about the prospect of upgrading the house once that was brought up. Sebastian was more quiet about it, but no less happy for his sister. He only wondered why it took so long to happen in the first place. Demetrius looked a little tense when the news hit him, but seeing how happy Maru was (and getting a generous basket of strawberries) he relaxed and even smiled when he watched his daughter take the Farmer’s hand in her own.

Who would have guessed that a slipped disk would have finally brought them to this point?

[cacalite]

hello!! im glad to hear that requests are open again :D could i request a stardew fic? reader is the farmer and one day they injure their back or knee while working and end up at the clinic. at the clinic, they're taken care of by their friend maru for a day or two but just as reader is about to get released, maru realizes that they live alone and are still recovering. so maru offers to live with reader while they recover and help take care of the farm. then eventually as reader hers better, it leads to a confession and asking maru to move in :). sorry if this was really long!! thank you and take care!!

Back Pain and Strawberries

Maru (Stardew) x They/Them Reader

A/N: Hi! Ah, it’s been awhile since I’ve been in the valley. It’s good to be back. I hope it’s alright. I feel like a jumped around too much/ didn’t develop the idea enough but I tried my best! Also since it’s Stardew I feel compelled to say I swore in here a bit so look away if that’s troubling to any of you lol. Word Count: 3,478

“Holy Yoba damn it all!”

Well, they finally did it. (Y/n) went too far with their daily work load. Just a few more trees to clear, they had told themself. As if they weren’t chopping down six whole trees with a old, crappy axe after planting and watering a whole new slew of crops for the second half of spring.

They should have been surprised their back held out as long as it had. Going from a desk job with that awful chair to farmer of an overgrown jungle of a plot of land should have been a clue that they needed to start small and not attempt a complete overhaul in only two weeks.

(Y/n) had fallen to their hands and knees from the shock of the pain. They wanted to take the rest of the fall, but getting back up again would be a challenge. They heard the tinkle of a collar paired with light panting and sniffing. It was a long shot, but maybe…

“Go get help, Cashew. Come on, don’t make me crawl to town.”

The dog tilted its head, ears perked, but instead of taking on the role of Lassie, it snuffled the back of (Y/n)’s neck with its wet nose and promptly got distracted by a grasshopper jumping above the wild grasses.

“If I survive this, I’m making Marnie take you back.” The Farmer groaned and rose slowly to their feet while using the treacherous stump of the last tree they cut as leverage.

Then they painstakingly unwedged their axe from the tree’s trunk to use as a makeshift cane. Not great, but it was the best they had.

They slowly made their way into town and thanked the stars for the farm being on the same side of town as the clinic. It was still a bit of a hike of course, but they made it eventually. Yoba, they really needed to invest in a landline.

They struggled with the door, then they finally made it inside. The sweet air conditioning was an instant relief. They really needed to get air conditioning in the farmhouse.

“(Y/n)? What happened?!”

They rose their head as high as they dared. Ah, Maru was working today. They hadn’t even thought about that. She was going to be so mad after telling (Y/n) not to overwork themself too hard when they first moved into Pelican Town.

(Y/n) and Maru had been friends for years. When (Y/n) used to visit their grandpa in the summers growing up, Maru was the first friend they had made and they kept in touch ever since. When they had wrote to Maru about moving into their grandpa’s farm, she had been really excited about getting to see them more often. That excitement had morphed into concern very quickly when she heard how much work (Y/n) was putting on themself.

“Maru, I fucked up.” The Farmer stated plainly.

“That much is obvious. Hang on a minute, Harvey’s in his office.” Maru jumped into action, disappearing into the back of the clinic.

It didn’t take long for Harvey and Maru to appear in the lobby to help (Y/n) into a bed and give them a thorough look over.

“My goodness, you walked all the way here with a herniated disk!” Harvey grimaced. “You’re lucky it didn’t rupture!”

“I can’t believe you! What did I tell you about overworking yourself? If I could hit you right now, I would!” Maru huffed.

“I know, I know! Can you guys fix it?” (Y/n) yelped as their back was poked and prodded.

“With some anti-inflammatories, maybe some ice, and a lot of rest, you should recover in four to six weeks.” Harvey assured while he filled out a prescription form.

“Four to six weeks?!” (Y/n) yelled, “I can’t afford to be out of commission that long!”

“You should have thought about that before- what were you even doing?”

“…Cutting down trees.” (Y/n) answered sheepishly.

Maru slipped her fingers beneath her glasses to rub her face in frustration.

“Trees plural? With that ancient axe?”

“Yup.”

“(Y/n) you drive me absolutely crazy sometimes I hope you know that.” Maru had known (Y/n) since they were six years old. One would think they would have grown out of their reckless behavior by now, but Maru’s dear friend was not so inclined.

“I know! Please stop shaming me! Can we focus on the real issue here that is I can’t work on the farm for the rest of spring and maybe the first week or so of summer? There is so much to do!”

“I’m sorry (Y/n), but there really isn’t anything for it but rest. If you strain yourself you could risk a more serious injury with an even worse recuperation time.” Harvey left little doubt of just how serious he was about resting. “Absolutely no hard labor.”

“I should at least be able to water the garden and feed the chickens. Fishing isn’t that physically demanding either, or foraging—“

“Are you even listening to yourself?” Maru massaged her temples with heavy pressure, “You just keep tacking more on.”

“Maru, please. You know how important bringing the farm back to life is to me.” (Y/n) pleaded.

Maru propped one arm above the other, her frowning lips pressed into the side of her fist as she went deep into thought. It’s true, she did know how important the farm was, not only to (Y/n), but to the community as well. There were definitely things that could be held off on, but it would be devastating to have the crops dry up and never mind leaving the chickens to their own devices. She just couldn’t leave (Y/n) to do those things on their own because one thing always left to another with them. If they had someone to help, someone to keep an eye on them and make sure they were actually resting, that would be a compromise Maru could live with.

“Then I’ll stay with you until you get better. I’ll help with the farm and aid in your recovery.”

“Hey, that sounds like a great idea.” Harvey nodded along, happy to hear a favorable solution.

“Maru, would you really?” (Y/n) wouldn’t want to put any extra work on Maru.

She already worked at the clinic, helped her dad with lab work and had her own technological experiments to boot. Hey, it sounded like (Y/n) wasn’t the only one with the tendency to overwork. Theirs just put a more noticeable strain on their body.

“Of course. You’re one of my best friends.” Maru assured. “We’ve been meaning to hang out more anyway.”

“Thank you, Maru!” (Y/n) moved to sit up, but quickly fell back to the cot and sucked in a breath through clenched teeth. “That was a little too sudden I guess,” they lifted their arms instead, “hug me?”

Maru smiled and rolled her eyes before leaning over to give (Y/n) the hug they desired.

Once Harvey set (Y/n) up with a bottle of anti-inflammatories, a back brace and a printed up healing regimen (and the bill), Maru walked them home and set them up on the couch with the TV set to some oracle show.

“I need to go home to tell my parents what’s going on and pack up some stuff. Do not move from this spot.”

“I’ve gotten into enough trouble for today I think,” (Y/n) sighed as they looked over the healing regimen, “safe travels.”

Maru didn’t like seeing (Y/n) look so down. An idea came to mind that she thought might cheer them right up.

“I’ll bring back pizza or something from the saloon and we’ll make this a real sleepover just like old times.”

“I like the sound of that.” (Y/n) looked up at Maru with a familiar grin, “Are you sure it won’t be too out of the way for you?”

“Don’t worry. I’ve got it. You hold up your end of the bargain and I’ll do the same.”

“Yes ma’am.” (Y/n) mock saluted.

Maru shook her head playfully then exited the small farmhouse. She took the back road shortcut to her house and filled everyone in on her plans for the next several weeks. Demetrius was a little on the fence about it, but Robin was fully on board and gave him the push he needed. A quick jaunt through town to pick up some of Gus’ homemade food and Maru was back at the farm only a couple hours after she left.

“Have you been behaving?” She asked as soon as (Y/n) came to help her open the door.

“Haven’t gotten up except to open this door.” (Y/n) said matter-of-factly.

“Good, then you get to eat.” Maru teased, setting the take out on the small table in the corner.

“What kind of nurse are you? Threatening to withhold food from your poor patient?” (Y/n) pouted.

They laughed together and Maru pulled the table up to the couch so they could sit more comfortably and watch tv. Cashew took that as an invitation to sit atop both of them and try to snap at the food that soared over his head.

When it started getting late, they got ready for bed and without even considering the couch, they shared the single bed in the corner of the room. They had shared a bed several times over the years so it wasn’t weird even at the age they were now? Right? No, certainly not! If it was, it would certainly be to awkward to change their minds now. Especially with Cashew jumping up to pin them both to the mattress.

“This place is smaller than I remember.” Maru spoke into the darkness. The quiet of the night left her with no distraction from the heavy beating of her heart.

“Yeah, I never realized what an extreme minimalist grandpa was. I’ve been meaning to talk to your mom about adding on another room.”

“You should. She’s always looking for new projects.”

“Cool.”

The silence fell again and both (Y/n) and Maru stared up at the dark ceiling, afraid to move too much lest they disturb or brush against the other.

This wasn’t awkward at all.

It did help when Cashew wedged between them instead of being draped over them. It gave a little buffer that eventually helped the couple— the two close friends go to sleep.

***

The next morning, Maru woke up alone. No Cashew, and more concerning no (Y/n). She got up and dressed quickly, knocking back the farmhouse door with a loud thud.

“Morning.” (Y/n) greeted from the front step once they had recovered from the sudden noise.

“How long have you been out here? Have you been working?” Maru questioned right away, making (Y/n) laugh and hold out their hands defensively.

“I’ve been up for an hour, I haven’t done a thing but take out Cashew and gaze longingly into the garden, I swear.”

Maru searched (Y/n) for any signs of deception, but found none and relaxed. She nodded and put her hands on her hips.

“Good. What do you want me to do first?”

“We should check in with the chickens first then circle our way back to watering the crops.”

“Sounds good.”

(Y/n) walked Maru down to the coop and showed her where to put the hay and how the chickens liked to be pet before directing her to open the coop hatch the the chickens could go out and enjoy the sun. Then they collected the eggs and headed back in the direction of the farmhouse.

“I’ll put these in the fridge. You can fill up the watering can in that little pond there. I usually refresh Cashew’s water bowl before working my way down the line.”

“Yeah, okay.”

Maru filled the water bowl and worked her way down the rows of crops and had to refill the can no less than three times. (Y/n) came out with a picture of cold lemonade, for which Maru was grateful to have when she was done.

“Did I spy strawberry plants down at the end there?” She asked after taking a few gulps.

“Yeah, Pierre was selling them during the egg hunt and I couldn’t resist buying a whole bunch. I know how much you and your dad like them so I was going to surprise you with a bunch. So, uh, surprise.”

“That is very thoughtful of you. I can’t wait to have some.” Maru’s heart started thudding against her chest again and it wasn’t from watering plants in the sun all morning.

***

Days became weeks and before either of them knew it, (Y/n)’s follow up appointment with Harvey was upon them. He gave (Y/n) the okay to go back to work so long as they didn’t over for it. They could still aggravate their back again if they picked up too much work too soon.

The journey back to the farmhouse was unusually quiet. Both were happy for Harvey’s verdict, but they felt troubled at the same time. They had a routine. Maru didn’t want to leave and not get to see (Y/n) first thing in the morning and last thing at night. As small as the farmhouse was (Y/n) felt like it would feel too big without Maru there.

“Looks like you won’t need me hovering around you anymore, huh?” Maru broke the silence with a weak attempt at a laugh.

“…I guess.” (Y/n) gave her a half smile in return, but then an idea came to mind that had them perk up. “Actually, it shouldn’t take long for the last batch of strawberries to ripen. A couple days at most. It would be nice to enjoy the fruits of your labor fresh from the earth, don’t you think?”

Maru grinned in return.

“You’re right! That would be really neat.”

“Great! Want to watch a movie when we get home?”

“That sounds good. What should we make for dinner?”

Now with an excuse to spend more time together, they carried on as they had for most of that spring.

***

(Y/n) woke up to the sound of rain beating against the roof early the next morning. Slowly, they sat up in bed, withdrawing their arm from around Maru’s waist.

There was no hurry to get up, the chickens could wait and the crops were being watered by Mother Nature, but they felt restless. The strawberries would no doubt be perfect in time for the last day of spring tomorrow and that would mean Maru would leave with the change of the seasons. It made it feel like winter was coming rather than summer.

Early in the week, while (Y/n) had been sifting through the mail and Maru was watering and taking care of some weeds, they came across a flyer from Pierre about giving flowers to a special someone and couldn’t get it out of their head since. Sitting there, they felt antsy. Tomorrow might be the last day before Maru went home. It would be best to ask her then.

They slipped out of the bed and gave Cashew his breakfast to keep him quiet. Then they took an umbrella and headed into town hoping Abigail would sneak them in early to buy a bouquet before they lost their nerve.

They slipped the bouquet into a chest as soon as they got home and had breakfast ready as Maru began to wake.

***

“These are so good.” Maru swore they were the best strawberries she had ever had. Maybe it was some kind of extra satisfaction knowing she helped the plants flourish that made her think that, but she didn’t care. “Dad will be lucky if I even let him have one.”

When she received no answer from the farmer beside her, she turned to look at them and saw they were all fidgety and didn’t appear to be listening.

“Hey,” Maru poked them, making them jump, “what’s up?”

“Oh, nothing. Actually, there was something I wanted to ask you.” (Y/n) forced themself to say. It was only a years long friendship they were attempting to breech into a different territory that could go wrong and then they wouldn’t be the same anymore. Nothing to worry about! Just bite the bullet and say it!

“What is it, (Y/n)?”

Well, that’s the million dollar question, Maru.

“We’ve known each other a long time, right?”

“Uh, yeah.” Maru chuckled a bit at the odd start, but listened intently.

“Yeah, so I just want to say you don’t need to feel pressured to answer me one way or another when I ask you this, I just hope that we can stay friends whatever happens.”

“(Y/n), you’re scaring me a bit with the dancing around. Did you hurt your back again? I swear—“

“No! No, my back is fine. I just wanted to ask if you maybe wanted to, if, if you, I wanted to ask you, if you would like to be my girlfriend.” They cleared their throat and pressed their palms together, legs bouncing on the porch step anxiously as they waited for an answer.

Maru dropped the strawberry she was holding back into the bucket, the cool water within making a little plop sound as the berry fell back in. Maru had dreamed up similar scenarios like this for a couple years now.

“Really? You want me to be your girlfriend?”

“Mhm.”

The farmer pursed their lips and presented Maru with the bouquet they had bought for the occasion. This was a long shot. They always thought Maru was a genius destined for bigger things. They had almost asked Maru out before. They tried during the summer before their grandpa passed away when they were in high school, but they lost their nerve. Then they got that stupid desk job at Joja and they barely stayed in touch. If those feelings still stayed after all that time, they felt like they had to act on them.

Maru lunged forward and wrapped her arms around (Y/n)’s neck and they threw their arms around her in kind, the bouquet rested against Maru’s back. A relieved breath of air left their lungs to be replaced with fresh air that felt better than the last breath they took.

“I would love to. I’m really happy you asked.” Maru squeezed tighter.

“Me too. Ah! Cashew, down!” The couple suddenly found themselves under fire of a very excited, very wet dog, who had just come back from his dip in the pond and wanted in on the hug.

“Ah!” Maru felt water splatter against her arm and tried to shield herself using (Y/n)’s body. (Y/n) tried to hide the flowers between them so they wouldn’t get ruined by the over excited dog.

Cashew rubbed his wet, smelly fur against them as he ran a few tight circles then finally ran off into the tall grass.

“That dog!” (Y/n) huffed, but then Maru started to laugh and they couldn’t help but join in.

“He’s just excited that we’re finally together.” Maru joked, “He’s a good boy, an angel really.”

“I hope you liked living with him thus far because I can’t get rid of him.”

“Is that your way of inviting me to move in with you?”

“I mean, if you think it’s too soon I totally understand.”

“I think we’ve done a lot of waiting. It’s time to do something a little impulsive.” Maru looked behind her at the old farmhouse, “We really need to give this place an upgrade though. I’ll need a place to put all my robotics and my telescope.

“Oh Yoba.” (Y/n) smacked their hand against their face.

“What? What is it?”

“Your parents and Seb! What will they think about this? It was only supposed to be temporary, I feel like your dad might kill me.”

“He’s not going to kill you. If it makes you feel any better, Seb and mom have been teasing me about you for years. They’ll probably be relieved that we finally got together. The strawberries will help dad come around to the idea. Despite how he may act sometimes, he really likes you.”

“You really think it’ll be okay?”

Maru pressed a quick kiss against (Y/n)’s cheek, leaving the scent of strawberries in her wake. Shyly meeting (Y/n)’s eyes, she displayed a peaceful smile.

“I do.”

And it was.

Robin was ecstatic, though she seemed more excited about the prospect of upgrading the house once that was brought up. Sebastian was more quiet about it, but no less happy for his sister. He only wondered why it took so long to happen in the first place. Demetrius looked a little tense when the news hit him, but seeing how happy Maru was (and getting a generous basket of strawberries) he relaxed and even smiled when he watched his daughter take the Farmer’s hand in her own.

Who would have guessed that a slipped disk would have finally brought them to this point?

[cacalite]

Heyo!! So I was just thinking, I think I've only ever read one fic of a marriage candidate being divorced and then memory wiped. And I'm in a bit of an angsty mood. So! If you want, maybe some headcanons of the bachelorettes' reactions to getting a divorce? Of course you can choose which bachelorettes you want, or just not do this if you don't want to, no pressure! ^^

bachelorettes reacting to divorce || headcanons

are you sure you want to divorce your loving wife? ... okay, i don't know if you'll like the aftermath, though ...

warnings: LONG post, good lord. super angsty, but most of them have mini redemption arcs. hints of depression and self-depricating thoughts, mention of pam's abusive tendancies.

requested by: @ambersky0319 , thank you so much for the request! angsty time, here we come. funsies <3 i managed to keep it together until i got to penny's and i started crying 💀 my babyyyy :(( but yeah, this is really sad, you've been warned.

abigail

• Abigail thought she had done enough for you. She thought she was the perfect little house-wife, even though that's really not who she was at all. She was always looking for adventure, until she sacrificed most of that for the farm life with you. And she loved you. But when you suggested divorce, she was upset. She spiraled through the five stages of grief in an instant, stuttering and trying to say the right thing even though her feelings were so huge.

• She yells at you, she can't believe after everything, you're willing to throw it all away. She threw all of her possibilities away for you. You. But it's okay, it's fine. If that's what you want, that's what you'll get. The loving wife Abigail was is gone, replaced by an uncaring girl who's trying to get back to the things she used to love before you came along.

• She moves into the basement with Sebastian, opting out of moving back into her parent's place. She needs freedom, to do the things she loves. Adventure. Game. Find herself again. She would do it with a friend, someone who appreciates her. Unlike you, apparently.

• Most nights she can't sleep, however. She replays everything in her mind over and over, and most nights she gets up to play games. Sometimes Sebastian notices this and plays with her, and sometimes he lets her do her own thing. He knows when to intervene and when not to, and that definitely helped Abigail. She's healing slowly, but some nights are just really hard without you by her side. As much as she would love to not care, she just ... can't.

• If you try speaking to her, you get met with a glare and a scoff. She tells you to leave her alone and not to bother her anymore. She can't take talking with you again, it would kill her. She's going to be herself again, by herself! And she's going to love every ounce of herself, without you. So, fuck off.

emily

• Emily thought that you two were written in the stars, lovers until the end. Apparently, she had thought wrong. She loves you, she thought that you loved her just the same! But when the divorce papers were handed her way, her stomach just dropped. Everything slowly fades around her as she stares at them, not registering yet. Her mouth is slightly open, before she just walks out of the room. She gathers a few belongings before slowly making her way back to her sister's house.

• She's numb at first, not really knowing how to deal with something like this. She can't speak for hours, and Haley knows something is wrong. Emily mumbles something about the divorce papers her way, and she's instantly on her way out the door. A very angry Haley is at your doorstep, seemingly more upset than Emily, but it hasn't hit her yet. You get cursed out and told to never show your face in town again.

• As she sits in her own room, she turns to tarot cards, crystals, anything. Everything tells her same thing: better luck next time. Her heart is shattered. As she tries for the fourteenth time to pull a card that represented you coming back, and the love rekindling, she gives up. She gives in and puts the cards aside as she cries. She bawls her eyes out for the first time as she realizes that this cannot be undone.

• Slowly but surely, Haley will try to help her feel better. She'll make all the food, suggest things that they can do together, even takes one of her shifts at work for her. But nothing works ... until she sits her down and puts a sewing machine in front of her. She puts on a show, begging her to sew her a dress because her clothes are suddenly out of fashion. And that reignites her passion. She begins to love her work again, and in turn, loving herself.

• Speaking to her is absolutely out of the question. What's done is done, and she won't talk to you afterward. If you try, she'll ask you to leave her alone, and that she's trying to get over you still. If you don't respect her decision, Haley will probably be at your doorstep in an instant. She's getting better, but she needs you out of the picture.

haley

• Haley has a very fire-y spirit, and when she's pissed off, you'll see it from a mile away. However, when you bring up the thought of divorce ... she's shattered for a moment. Her guard has slipped to the point of vulnerability, and now you're slapping her in the face with it. She stares at you for a moment, a sorrowful expression. She can't believe this is happening- the love of her life, the person she married ...

• She puts on a powerful facade, glaring at you before beginning to yell. Words spew from her lips that she's never even said before, which is surprising. She's been hateful, she's been a bitch, but she was softer now. Well, she WAS ... until you stomped her heart into a million pieces.

• She moves back in with Emily, who takes a few days off of work to take care of her sister. Haley doesn't want you to know she's taking this awfully, though, so she puts on makeup everyday and goes to the saloon. She pretends to have fun so that she can claim she won the breakup, before returning home to continue grieving.

• Many late night talks with Emily are sprung about, Haley finally talking through her emotions. She needs to get to a better place mentally, and Emily knows that. So, she'll ask for Shane's therapist, who now has Haley booked for a session. And it helps. So. Much. Haley begins to be a better person not because of love, but because of herself. She's kinder and sweeter, and tries her best to be her best self.

• You run into each other a few years later, and she seems more radiant than ever. She tells you that it's fine, and that she understood why you had to do it. It made herself a better person, and hopefully it did the same to you. She bids you farewell with a soft smile before walking away. She definitely won the breakup, though.

leah

• Leah loves you harder than anything she's ever loved before. The passion that she has for you is beyond the moon and the sun and the stars ... but she's noticed that it's not been reciprocated recently. And she brings it up to you, asking what's up in a soft and caring tone, before she drops the bombshell. She thinks you're joking at first, laughing softly, before her world crumbles before her.

• She doesn't leave immediately, she can't let this go. She argues, asking why you would feel this way, and what she can do to fix things. What can she do to be a better spouse? Nothing, apparently. You claim that you're happier by yourself, so ... she leaves. She moves back into her little cabin.

• She uses art to work through her grief, constantly painting out her sadness or carving out her anger. Art has always been how she expresses herself, and that certainly hasn't changed one bit. She's still a strong, independent person, she always has been. That doesn't mean it doesn't hurt, though. She's trying to get out her feelings in the healthiest way possible.

• She tries not to let the grief of this relationship weigh her down, but sometimes she doesn't leave the house for days. Painting, sleeping, eating, sculpting, eating sleeping. Elliot eventually gets sick of it, dragging her out of the house and to the beach. They sit and talk through it all, although Leah isn't the greatest with her words. Elliot helps her vocalize her grief.

• Seeing her, you notice how she's still glowing. Nothing has changed about her, aside from being a tad bit more confident. She's beautiful, she's stunning, and she knows it. And she knows what you're thinking, so she gives you a soft smile and let's you know that she's happier on her own. Farewell.

maru

• Maru adores you, and she loves talking with you about the things that interest her, and the stuff that interests you! However, you've been talking a lot less ... and it all makes sense when divorce papers are laid on the table. She takes a moment, trying not to lose her composure. She asks a few questions, logical ones. Why? Is there anyone else? No ... you've just lost feelings. That almost hurts worse.

• She packs up her stuff immediately, and temporarily moves in with her parents. She's planning on finding a place in the city, her talents will be much more appreciated there. Not in a place like this, not where you are. She works and works, day and night, so she doesn't have to think about it.

• Eventually, she breaks. She talks to her dad, holding her face in her hands as she stutters and breaks down further and further. But she'll compose herself. Of course she will, this is Maru. She's smart, competent, and strong. Even the strong have to break a bit sometimes, but she'll find ways to learn from this. She won't make the same mistake again.

• She moves out to the city, getting a nice house to work in. Her career takes off without you, just how it should be. She's come to terms with the fact that you aren't in her life anymore, even if she had to move away to deal with it. But she does, and she's working her ass off. And her life is better without you.

• Coming back to town to visit her parents, she runs into you. You try talking with her, wanting to talk about all the memories you had ... but she cuts you off. She tells you that you have nothing to say to each other anymore. There is nothing here for you, nothing her for her. Silence is what you both need, and you part ways.

penny

• Penny finally found a home in you. You were like her knight in shining armor, getting her away from her awful life with her mother. Until you started saying things that began to match up with her mother's words ... and it began to kill her. After you finally dropped the bombshell and showed her the papers, she almost passed out. She begged and pleaded, cried and sobbed at your feet. She couldn't take this, this couldn't be happening ...

• She couldn't go back to her mom, but she couldn't stay here. She bought a very small cabin, which Robin helped her pay off, and spent several days in there. The first few days, it was only a bed and a small kitchen. Her days consisted of crying and watching TV, trying to get the thoughts of you out of her head, but it didn't work. God, nothing would work.

• Slowly, she decided that she had to start doing something. Staying home wasn't good for her, and what about the kids? They were probably worried. As she exited her house, she checked her mailbox and saw several "get well soon" cards from Vincent and Jas, and then everything hit her at once. She needed to get better, not just for herself, but for them as well.

• She found comfort in decorating her new home, even creating a small, mini-library for the kids. Her classes could be held in her home, so she had to make it the prettiest place possible! She remembered how much she loves helping these kids, and it helps her through a lot. She begins to love herself, too.

• However, she still can't speak to you. Even looking at you makes her break, so she tries to avoid you as much as possible. If you try to speak with her, she tells you to leave her alone, beginning to get teary-eyed. She goes home to recover, making herself some food. She's getting better at cooking too. Maybe she's better off without you ...