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peeweekey · 6 months

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sweet like

word count: 1.5 k

synopsis: love confessions are not easy, having nosy neighbours isn’t either—but loving sam is different, it’s as easy as breathing.

a/n: samson my beloved, youre allergic to pollen but accepted my bouquet anyway. 😔❤️

edit: sweet like is now on ao3! here

today’s the day, you’re really going to do it. no ifs or buts.

you swear you will, but damn if it isn’t messing with your head. it’s definitely the nervousness or heat stroke symptoms causing the overly-conscious way you regard all other shoppers in pierre’s general store. you feel the uneven, erratic thrum of your pulse underneath your skin.

your hands are cold and clammy and disgustingly sweaty as a bright bouquet of tulips, poppies, sweet peas and fairy roses is unceremoniously slid across the store counter and bundled into your arms. the smell is dizzyingly perfumed. pierre doesn’t bat an eye though the knowing glint just tells you that he knows.

you and sam have been friends for as long as you started living in the valley. he’s a literal ball of sunshine compacted into a 5’10 body, and he’s sweet—maybe at times a little sloppy and forgetful but those quirks make him all the more lovable—to you.

and you admit yes, you did have a crush on him—and after watching his band’s performance in zuzu city, it got even worse. suddenly the ignition jump started the thrum of your heart—beating at race car speeds at the mere mention of his name. restless and anxious

so, here you are, buying a bouquet (one you could surely make yourself, but according to abigail buying this exact one is town tradition) at 10 am in the morning, in front of all your nosy neighbours.

you clutch the flowers tighter to your chest as caroline cranes her neck to take a peek. slowing down as she restocks the shelves. shameless, these people are sharks to blood when it comes to gossip.

you shoot her a wary glare, lips pursed together. pushing open the door to the shop, the little entrance bell rings with your exit.

after your realization, you see the world through rose-tinted glasses, the skies seem brighter and clearer, with soft fluffy clouds suspended in them. the breeze is soft and refreshing, while the sun is a comforting warmth at your back.

not even a few steps past the stardrop saloon do you feel any different.

adrenaline pumps through your veins as you see a flash of familiar spiked-up golden hair in your periphery. you feel your breath stutter as you reflexively stuff the delicate bouquet in your pack and snap it shut.

you turn your back, clutching a hand to your chest—you feel your heart racing underneath your fingertips as well as the heat rising up your skin. it’s fine, you reason, you’ll play it off as sunburn.

you slap at your cheeks, encouragingly.

the aforementioned man, skates towards you, calling your attention. turning, you nod your head in greeting, offering him a less than wobbly smile.

you wait until the skateboard skids to a stop, sam stops a few feet from you. his breaths slightly labored from the effort, he’s still as bright and cheery as ever

“sam,” you cringe as your voice cracks into an awkward pitch. he perks up at the mention of his name, giving you an enthusiastic wave. you swallow the lump forming in your throat.

“hey farmer,” he smiles, sam sets one of his feet down from on his skateboard. “it’s really bright out today. what’cha up to?”

“i was looking for you, actually.”

“and i’m here!” he replies before sheepishly adding. “that’s a coincidence. i was going to go visit you—well, before i forgot.”

“really,” your stomach traitorously flutters. “what for?”

“to give you something,” he says breezily, sam digs around in his pant pockets, seemingly looking for something. “i swear i have the thingy in here somewhere..”

you watch as he fumbles around looking for the thingy. Your mind drifts to the scrunched up bouquet sitting in your pack. you hadn’t expected running into him so soon—

maybe, you think. you aren’t as ready as you think.

“ahh, here it is!”

sam fishes out a rectangular shaped object from his back pocket, its slim and clear. you tilt your head in curiosity and he smiles wider.

“a cassette of the band’s song,” he tells you, grabbing your limp hand to stuff it into your palm. “listen to it! you have a cassette player on your farm, right?”

the momental brush of his hand against yours has you stumbling over your mess of thoughts and feelings. it is a little pathetic, to be acting like a lovesick teenager again—you groan to yourself. “yeah, i do.”

the cassette is light in your palm, the hard plastic case is covered in sharpied lightning bolts and smiley faces—along with the careful engraving of your name. the hand drawn designs are wonky and childlike (you suspect he asked vincent to draw them), but it’s yours.

he made this for you.

you feel the giddy warmth spread all throughout your body—concentrated in your chest and stomach which twists with some emotion you’re too confused to name.

“i couldn’t find you after the performance,” he confesses. you peek up from the cassette at his face—his cheeks are bright pink with bashfulness. “it was too crowded, i wanted to give you the first sample recording.”

standing on willow street in front of his family house with the sun beating down on you, sweat dripping down your temple, flowers haphazardly stuffed into your backpack. you’re literally buzzing with energy—the warmth, inside and out, is making your head spin.

you feel your mouth moving before you can even register what you’re saying, feverish words tumble out.

voice a tad strangled, you rasp. “sam.”

he looks down at his skateboard, his attention; short and slipping away. “yeah?”

“be my boyfriend.”

“sure!” he pauses, processing what you said, his eyes whip back up to stare into yours—wide and so, so blue. “waaait.. wuuh—”

“i was—uh, do you want to know why i wanted to visit you today?” you ramble on, tracing the cassette case edges with sweaty fingers. the beat of your heart is a resounding thumping sound in your eardrums. “actually, this is not how i planned things, but got nervous, you make me nervous.”

you shrug off your backpack, the heavy weight of it that once was grounding you groaned as it hit the ground. you open the flap and produce the now crumpled flowers—stems bent and broken, petals missing but the smell is still overwhelmingly sweet. you hold out the bouquet to him with shaky fingers, the cassette held in your other hand clasped behind your back.

“—i wanted to make this a little more special…” you sigh nervously, eyes squeezed shut while your bottom lip is chewed between worrying teeth. “it’s all crumpled, sorry…”

“i think this is plenty special already.”

you feel as he moves closer, plucking the flowers out of your hands. now, there’s barely any space between the both of you. your eyes snap open, mouth slightly gaping as he takes a long sniff full of flowers.

your heart sings for joy as he does—but the concerningly wet sneeze he lets out makes you furrow your brow in realization.

he’s goddamn allergic.

your eyes widen, reaching for the flowers. “sam, you’re allergic to pollen!”

your fingers barely brush the stems when he pull the flowers away from you. sam laughs, bright and pure—one that sounds like it came deep from his gut. you flush deeper in embarrassment, and a little in confusion.

“so? you gave me these. i like them!”

“i can’t believe it slipped my mind,” you cringe. “don’t keep them! the stems are all twisted and broken anyway.”

he sneezes again, shaking his head petulantly, his nose pinkened with irritation, a small sound of mortification exits your mouth. how can you be so forgetful?

digging through your backpack, you grab the small pack of tissues you usually use to dab off sweat easily. you take one out of the pack and stretch it out towards him.

instead of your offered tissue, sam grabs you by the wrist, tugging you to him. you follow with not much of a fight, a confusing mixture of nervous and giddy energy you’ve become. he holds you still against him, his arms coming behind you to wrap the both of you together tightly.

you go limp against him, head buried his shoulder. you think, you fit together perfectly.

“by the way, i like you too.” he murmurs into your hair. “a lot more than you think i do.”

“even if i forgot you were allergic to flowers?”

he snorts, leaving a chaste peck on your forehead, you feel your cheeks flush. “especially because you forgot, it was kinda funny.”

your head shoots up, nearly bumping his chin. “sam!”

he laughs and you can’t help but smile in return. your gaze returns to the sky, and suddenly you can’t quite recall what you were so worried about. really, life in stardew valley has never been so bright.

(and if you see some of your neighbors watching at the corner of your eye, you shut your eyes to ignore them.)

#writers on tumblr #stardew valley #sam stardew valley #sdv sam #sam x player #sam x reader #x reader #cross posted on ao3 #key’s-vault #sdv #stardew

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lolahaurisfw · 4 months

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: ̗̀➛ Harvey: Fluff Alphabet

A/N: Some talks about death and implied PTSD in this one.

A = Admiration (what do they absolutely adore about you?)

Genuinely, everything.

Your personality, your laugh, your giving and caring nature, everything.

He's so whipped for you, your #1 fan! <3

B = Body (what is their favorite part of your body?)

Your lips! No matter the size or shape of them. He just loves kissing you so much.

He def stares at your lips when you're talking sometimes, but gets all shy about it if you tease him for it.

C = Cuddling (how do they like to cuddle?)

If you're lying down, then facing each other and hugging tightly. So tight it's like you're both worried the other is gonna run away.

Or: him lying on the couch with you between his legs and your head on his chest.

If sitting, then he's immediately bringing you into his lap and holding you like a teddy bear. <3

D = Dates (what does their ideal date with you look like?)

(takes place in winter)

He would love so much to take you out to a fancy restaurant in Zuzu city. He loves doting on you and treating you to the nice things you deserve!

His ideal itinerary would something like...

Visiting an Art & History museum ➡️ dinner and wine tasting ➡️ walking around downtown & looking at Christmas lights ➡️ and finally, getting some coco to drink on the bus ride back home.

E = Emotions (how do they express emotion around you?)

Openly and honestly.

I know for a fact he's so good with communication in a relationship.

F = Family (do they want one? If they do, when?)

Yes! He's always dreamed of being a husband and father. I think he'd want two kids close together in age so they can be friends.

He's such a girl dad too, omg.

Ofc he'd love his child no matter what they were, but I love imagining him as a girl dad.

Always spoiling her, speaking to her so kindly, always calling her princess and sweetheart instead of her name 🥹

UGH MY HEART and my daddy issues ARE SCREAMING RN!!!

G = Gifts (how do they feel about gift giving? What are their habits when it comes to this?)

Loves gift giving!

He loves buying you small plants or trinkets he knows you'd like. Once in a while i think he'd also pay Gus and Emily to make and deliver your favorite dinner to you as a surprise.

H = Holding Hands (when/how do they like to hold hands?)

ALL THE TIME. ANYTIME.

And he'd always do that thing where he strokes your hand with his thumb absentmindedly !!

I = Injury (how would they act if you got hurt?)

Assuming it's a more serious injury-

Inside he'd be so panicked. Usually he wouldn't be. But because it's you, the person he cares about most in the world, of course he can't help but freak out.

On the outside he'd be mostly calm. Though he would be sweating, trembling, and his voice would crack a lot.

As hard as he tries to hide it, you can tell he's having a panic attack though.

So, when your healed and home, you do anything you can to say sorry and promise to be more careful. <3

J = Jokes (do they like to joke around with or prank you? how?)

He'd be so funny actually, but in a really dorky/nerdy way. yk?

Doesn't do pranks though.

K = Kisses (how do they like to kiss you?)

Kisses on the lips is #1 ofc. But also...

Forehead kisses when he hugs you!!

Or when he hugs you from behind, he'll lean over your shoulder and pepper your cheek in kisses.

L = Love (how do they show you they love you?)

All 5 love languages!! He’s a true romantic. His top ones would be acts of service, touch, and words of affirmation though.

Making you breakfast & dinner everyday, massages after a particularly long work day, constant compliments and little love confessions, cuddling when you go to sleep and wake up, etc...

He's a certified lover boy (& gentleman!)

M = Memory (favorite memory together?)

Every 'first/milestone' in your relationship would be his fav, he simply couldn't choose one.

Like Your First: kiss, date, flower dance, "i love you", Valentine's, Xmas, etc...

Plus your engagement and marriage ceremony.

Side note, he would cry every time he thinks about the days you guys got engaged and married.

N = Nightmare (what is their worst fear?)

Being the reason you died.

(yikes! dark, i know)

But remember when he said, "imagine having a patient's life completely in your hands, and failing to keep them alive..."

Since he's also technically your doctor, i think that fear would consume him anytime you got hurt in the mines or something.

He would have actual nightmares about it a lot. It would also probably take a really long time to work through that fear and try to leave it behind.

O = Oddity (what is one quirk they have?)

I wouldn’t call it odd, but his great love for and knowledge of planes and flying is a bit niche.

Imagine how cute it would be to listen to him ramble about planes to you though <3

Maybe you two would be sitting on the couch, watching a documentary on the history of flight, and when it gets to his favorite part, he accidentally starts to get too excited about you learning about it.

So he leans over and starts ranting a bit, talking with hands and smiling the whole time as he goes on about different stories & fun facts related to whatever is on the screen.

This is so cute to think of oml.

P = Pet Names (what do they like to call you?)

Dear, love, my love, honey, hun, sweetheart, angel.

Q = Quality Time (how do they like to spend time with you?)

I think his favorite way to spend time is just doing simple, domestic things. Things you both would've been bored with and done all alone before. There's just something so beautiful about being able to enjoy your time with someone doing mundane tasks.

Like: running errands together, household chores, doing separate hobbies in the same room, cooking, farm work, yk.

R = Rhythm (what song reminds you of them?)

Hot Freaks - Puppy Princess

I don't think he'd listen to it, but it just reminds me of him.

S = Secrets (how open are they with you?)

Totally open with you. Assuming you've been in a relationship for a while, he'd feel completely safe and comfortable with telling you anything at all. He doesn't see any reason to keep anything from you.

T = Time (how long did it take you to get together?)

Honestly not too long. Maybe a year at most.

Usually for a shy man like him i'd say a long time, but he gives hopeless romantic vibes, which makes me think it really wouldn't take too long to get him to feel ready to date you.

The only reason it takes more than a couple months is just because he's in a small town now, so if you ended up breaking up it'd be painful and awkward seeing you every day.

Not to mention he's your doctor...

But yeah, i think as soon as he really gets to know you, it won't take long for him to ease his nerves and just go for it.

U = Upset (how do they act when you’re upset?)

Sooo present and caring. He's learned exactly how you like being comforted.

V = Vaunt (what are they proud of? Do they like to show you off?)

He's so proud of you. He loves to talk about you to anyone who will listen.

(Which is all of his patients cause they're forced to listen lol)

Also loves showing off his airplane and flight knowledge to you.

Super cute.

W = Warrior (how do they feel about you fighting? Would they fight for you, beside you, etc?)

He hates it when you go to the mines tbh, it makes him very sick and anxious, but he knows you need to do it for materials and money.

X = X-Ray (how well are they able to read you?)

Too well...

Like, he knows you better than you know yourself sometimes.

It's really nice though. He always knows how to comfort you, and can always tell if you're in the mood to talk about your problems or not.

Y = Yes (how would they propose to you?)

During a romantic dinner on Valentine's Day!

He'd prepare your favorite dinner and dessert, paired with his finest wine. (Or a sparkling juice or cider if you don't drink!)

He'd start the dinner normally, talking about each of your day's and exchanging some loving sentiments.

But you could tell he was all fidgety and nervous, so you asked what was going on.

That's when he cleared his throat, laughed nervously, and started his little monologue.

He'd go on about how much he loves you, how you changed his life, etc...

And when he manages to stop his (adorable) rambling, he stands up and walks to your chair. Reaching into his coat pocket and getting down on one knee while you both start tearing up.

When you say yes, he'd pick you up and cover you in kisses, giving you one long passionate kiss at the end.

He would NOT let go of you until he went to work the next day. <3

Has a constant smile on his face for the next week or two... or three :)!

Z = Zen (what makes them feel calm?)

Reading a magazine with his morning coffee, listening to the radio or some jazz while it's raining, cooking, doing chores around the house, watching planes fly by at The Summit, sitting by the river in Cindersap and watching the fish swim by, grocery shopping, morning showers, your general presence.

#sdv #sdv fluff #sdv x reader #sdv headcanons #fluff #x reader #fluff alphabet #headcanon #sdv harvey #sdv harvey x reader #stardew valley x reader #stardew valley fluff #stardew valley

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lilywily143 · 1 month

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Doorman's Back Together

Finale Spoilers, Angst and Fluff, Oil

Khan: Uzi!

Nori: Kiddo!

Uzi: Mama! Papa!

U: Oh, did you two love my presentation?

N: Oh we loved it

K: I'd love to watch it again!

U: Thank you!!

U: God. I am so happy you two are in my life...

K: Then why did you hurt us..?

U: Wh-what..?

CRASH

U: Pop?!

U: What What What

N: Zi-zi...

U: MAMA!?

U: GAH

U: What have I done!!?? I'm a hazard! I'M A MONSTER

U: Mama!! Papa!! I'm sorry!

U: I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry...

?: Uzi...

U: H-huh?

SD-N: You were mumbling a lot in your sleep.. It worried me..

U: ... I wanna cancel our sleepover...

SD-N: Huh?

Rustling

K: Not it.

N: N- Darn it!

K: Heeheehee night

N: Sleep well, babe. I'll be back.

U: Come in the morning, please. I wanna see you still by then.

SD-N: Of course

N: ZuZu?

U: H-Hi mom... I-I just... I had... a dumb dream and... I wanna... sleep with you and dad...

N: Oh, of course. Come on, Zu

K: ..Sweetie? oh, Uzi?

U: D-dad. C-can I... sleep here..?

K: Hmm, yes of course wittle little dwone... yawnnn

U: ... I won't hurt you. I'll make sure you're both safe...

I promise

Hope you all enjoyed the comic! @electronix-arts @w3t-c4t @lovelyheartclover It's the comic I mentioned to you guys :333

#lilywily post #lilywily art #lilywily comic #uzi doorman #nori doorman #khan doorman #hurt comfort #comfort ending #murder drones #MD finale #murder drones finale #Murder drones comic #the doorman family

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punkeropercyjackson · 3 months

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A key part Zutarians and Kataang antis always miss of the feminism in character's Katara is that her rebellion and noncomformity don't involve a man.Fullstop.Yeah,Z/K is a misogynistic ship and K/A is a feminist ship but that's because of how Katara is written,not how Zuko or Aang are written.Women who're attracted to men should be allowed to date whatever man they want without being shamed but when it comes to woman characters,they need to exist on their own and not as props to male characters

Which Katara does,most of all her anarchism!Katara nonstops speaks out,helps the oppressed and does anti-imperalist actions and also forms her own girlhood by refusing to exist into the traditionalist,gender essentialist view of female identity the world has but proudly being feminine and not letting herself not be seen as completely like a girl(trans-coding imo but i already elaborated on that).Katara is a rebel because she's a punk native girl,NOT because of her taste in men.Girlhood is not defined by boyhood and saying so is not only sexist but also lesbophobic and aspecphobic as it erases lesbians and aroace women and can even dive into transmisogyny with how biology and gender as intersections are treated

No Kataang wouldn't have equaled canon Zutara because Katara's not a bicycle.She didn't sell out by marrying Aang and having kids with him because she still did all that shit and continued to do all that shit until she got too old to and even then she was praised as the best Waterbending Master ever and treated with no less respect than anyone else in The Gaang in Lok and most of the comics and the Aang in regards to to their fam allegations say a lot about y'all-Nobody hates Katara more than Zuko ass kissers who accuse her of being nothing but a doormat to her own husband she grew best friends with literally just because she settled down with him and make violating ass comments about her sex life because she dared to have multiple kids and they can't come to any conclusion other than she's a breeding machine like a bunch of conservative slut-shaming freaks.And their motivation behind this is her husband is a genocide survivor of an asian race that's not glamorized by the west so they think the only way he could ever view women is and i quote 'human incubators' because he's a depraved savage unlike precious classy japanese boyfriend they've always wanted Zuzu uwu

Nah,fuck that-Fuck your tropes,fuck your symbolism,fuck your gentrification of Katara.She's Master Katara,not the Fire Lady and being anti Zutara because she's brown is about as racist as not wanting black fem characters to date white supremacists.She's also The Painted Lady and that was her vigilante persona to do activism to help out a Fire Nation colonized community so look in a mirror when you say other ships rob Katara of her culture.It's Zutaras,it's ALWAYS been Zutaras.You can't be 'robbed' of something you were never only offered but told multiple times you were never getting.Zuko dosen't want Katara either,he views her as a child and that's how she wants to be seen,Dadko is Zuko's thing for breaking the cycle of abuse and healing his inner child and Momtara is silencing Katara to make her Zuko's.Little Miss Punk Tactics dosen't need a man to empower her and loving a man you dubbed not ideal enough dosen't erase her being a revolutionary.She can want girlhood and not fit into the box.Katara can do both.The sea does not like to be restrained

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p21rewind · 1 month

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i loooove when past students come back to take class.

manifesting these guests for s10 (assuming they don’t return to p21):

anya

kendyl

laci

sammi/loila/kenz

zuzu (cause she’ll be in socal)

davyd

selena

k twins

dillon

cali

rylee

charlotte

chois

kenz auger

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sunbroy · 3 months

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My Hero Academia HC'S

HC: Asking them to go harder in bed

Ft: Bakugou, Deku, and Aizawa

He's definitely harsh with you in bed but if you want him to get really fucking rough, he will. Added bonus if you get off to degrading.

"Don't ask for what you can't handle, slut." He's says while grinning, thrusting in and out of you at a maddening pace.

You end up a blabbering mess, drooling, covered in a mix of your juices.

"N-no more!! M' sorry- baby!!! I- I'm sorry!!!" You miraculously managed to moan a coherent sentence.

He stops his thrusts immediately and looks directly at you. "You want me to stop?" He pulls out, knowing exactly how you'll react.

"W-wait!" You didn't actually fucking think he was going to stop. You chase after his hand when he smacks it away.

"Great. Now I oughta teach you that sometimes, your eyes are bigger than your cunt."

Couldn't feel shit in your legs the next day.

"Isn't this what you wanted princess?" You've been going at it for hours. When you had asked him to go harder a few days ago, you didn't think he'd be like this.

"Answer me." He growled, sounds of raw skin slapping against each other.

"K-kitty! Slower~please." You moan out, he's got you folded. Lazily, but surely, fucking the living daylights out of you.

"You were asking as if I don't go hard at all. Don't tell me you've been faking." He groans as he hits a particular weak spot.

"N-never Sho'!! Ah- please slow down..!" You still managed to go to work the next day, everyone was wondering why you so suddenly had a walking stick.

Who would've thought this small little nerd could be so powerful??

You knew he had an awesome quirk but this tops it.

You're trying your best to keep your voice down but the way this little green haired bastard is fucking you makes you weak and vulnerable.

"Zuzu please!!" Usually, he'd only focus on only pleasing you, being the little generous soul that he is, but you told him your request at a really fucked up time. Bakugou and Kaminari was fucking around in the hallway and knocked into a wall, causing one of his figurines to fall and crack. They immediately knew Deku was going to be pissed so they sent you to cheer him up... He was on your ass too!

"No no no no. You wanted this remember? 'Ohhhh Izu, I was wondering if maybe you could be a little harder with me next time!' Those were your words right?" Hours of shamelessly loud intercourse and he's refused to let you cum.

He finishes inside you, you think it's about the fourth time. Who knows, you've stopped counting after three.

"Get on all fours, babe I'll show you rough."

#boku no hero academia #mha #Aizawa #Deku #bakugou katsuki #ikemikolol

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timespaceandfilm · 5 months

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Reinventing the Wheel - Ch 25: Sahara Love

Author: timespaceandfilm

Fic Rating: E - this fic has some NSFW content in other chapters, 18+ only

Chapter Rating: E - there be smut, but not in the blurb

Pairings: Sebastian x Female Farmer

Chapter Word Count: 16 k

Notes: This chapter’s title is inspired by this song: https://open.spotify.com/track/6KjTXwntv8paBCL3El9TnV?si=c72bbdc35e4a4382

(Above & Beyond, Zoe Johnston, Seven Lions. "Sahara Love - Seven Lions Remix")

Chapter Warnings: Some mild homophobia (from another villager, not Seb or Charlie), Spice is back on the menu!

Chapter Summary: Seb busts his ass to make things right. Charlie has an interesting experience at the Dance of the Moonlight Jellies. Seb takes Charlie on a ride. Charlie finally figures out how to describe that warm feeling in her chest and that way that Seb always looks at her.

Blurb:

Seb climbs off first, totally steady on his feet as if we haven’t been hurtling down open roads for the last half hour. He holds out a gloved hand to help me dismount.

“How was the ride?” He takes both our helmets and places them on the handlebars.

I take a few shaky steps to try and walk off the adrenaline a bit. “A little scary at first, but kind of fun once I got used to it,” I admit. “Where are we?”

Seb takes a deep breath and exhales slowly. “This is my secret spot. Check it out.” He takes my hand and guides me closer to the cliff edge.

My breath leaves me for a moment as the land below comes into view on the horizon. There before us, looking like a chunk of an alien planet, is a skyline I know all too well.

“Zuzu,” I whisper.

Seb nods. “I come here when I want to get away from everything. When I need to just be on my own and think.”

The toxic bots are doing their damnedest to extrapolate on that statement.

He wants to get away from everything.

Everyone does sometimes.

The crinkle of plastic pulls my attention back to Seb. He pops a piece of his gum in his mouth and looks at me warily.

“So what do you think?”

I take a deep breath. “I dunno. It’s strange seeing it from this distance. Like I’m looking at what my life could’ve been if things had gone differently. It’s sad in a way.”

When I look at Seb again he’s got that unidentifiable look in his eyes again. His cheeks are back to rosy as he smiles softly.

“Y’know it’s funny. That’s exactly how I feel. Strangely sad…”

A few toxic bots murmur at this.

“But also strangely happy too. As much as the city used to draw me in, I find I’m much happier living in the Valley now.”

Another chunk of that mental wall falls away at those words. There’s just one piece left.

Read the Full Chapter on AO3

#sdv sebastian #sebastian sdv fic #stardew valley fanfic #stardew sebastian #stardew valley sebastian #seb x farmer #ao3 fanfic #fanfic #smut

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lovemarisolluna · 1 year

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K is for kisses, from me, for you!

Aaliyah and Zuzu are the sweetest sisters!!

#my dolls #ag dolls #american girl dolls #Little bitty baby #caring for baby set #Zuzu Williams #Aaliyah Williams

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barkspawn · 2 years

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1. They don't smile/laugh often, but when they finally do, you feel your heart skip a beat

This prompt with Sebastian? Also, I love the idea of them visiting Zuzu City together, if that would fit. I love your writing so much! Thank you for entertaining all of us with your wonderful skills~ you’re the best!

I thought I'd struggle with this but I LOVED it <3

and you flatter me, seriously. I appreciate you though!

Amelia pulled her cardigan a little tighter around her, not having expected the chill to be quite so intense. She turned the corner toward the bus, eyes falling on the only figure there so far. Sebastian stood against a tree, exhaling a breath of smoke from his half-spent cigarette. He always typically wore the same outfit combination: black or grey jeans (that hugged in places Amelia thought quite nice, but would never admit), his old chucks, and a hoodie so well loved that it was hard to tell if it was originally black or a dark violet hue. The cuffs at the ends of the sleeves had started to fray, giving him another thing to distract himself with when not quite invested in a conversation.

His hair seemed a little shorter, not quite as dramatically covering his face. He ran his fingers back through the long side of his hair, clearly annoyed with the new length. Amelia got a good view of his face for a moment, taking a mental note that he was genuinely attractive (not that she'd ever actually do anything about the thought).

They'd really only hung out a few times at the saloon or by the river with Sam. Otherwise, he was pretty secluded.

He finished his cigarette as she approached, giving a small wave. Abby and Sam must have been running behind.

As if on cue, both of their phones dinged at the same time. She fished her phone out, reading over the message from Sam in the group chat:

Sam 8:43 am: Don't hate me. Mom's making me watch Vince today since she's sick. :(

Amelia frowned, her phone dinging once more as she started to type out a reply.

Abigail 8:44 am: dude I feel like shit. Let's all go next week, k?

Amelia responded in affirmation, though decided to go today as well. She paid for her ticket, so she was going to use it.

"Let me guess," Sebastian spoke up, snapping her out of her thoughts, "one or both of them bailed."

She slipped her phone into her pocket, frowning, "I'm guessing this happens a lot, huh?"

He looked at her as if that much was obvious. She looked down at her shoes, "I'm still going to go. There are a few places I miss and I really want to wander. Did you still want to come?"

His eyebrow raised, arms crossed over his chest, "yeah, I didn't wake up this early for a stroll."

She laughed and gave a small nod, "you're welcome to come with me if you want to hang out."

It felt like a silly thing to say. The implication that they weren't going to hang out rang back through her head. He seemed to ponder for a minute though.

"Sure. I don't know any good places and you lived here recently," he shrugged, glancing as he watched Pam turn into the bus stop and head toward her station.

The two provided their tickets and were off to the city. Amelia was a bit more nervous than she was previously.

Amelia loved hanging out with the three of them. She and Abigail became close quickly, acting as each other's girl best friend in the most stereotypical way. Sam, on the other hand, had become close to Amelia as well. It was known that he had a bit of a crush on her, always following her around like a puppy whenever she did anything. It didn't help that he was an affectionate friend, constantly hugging or leaning on whoever he was with. Most often when they all hung out, he'd be on her.

Sebastian was different. She never saw him laugh or genuinely let himself smile. Every time he seemed to find something funny, it was always a restrained smile, like he would get in trouble if he did.

She sat in the row across from him, sneaking peeks at him every so often over her tablet. She often liked to do sketches of her surroundings. Sometimes, she'd sketch her friends doing silly things or when they'd be laughing. She liked to think she was pretty good and only getting better.

She was sketching Sebastian now, his headphones in, one leg up on the seat as he moved his fingers along to the music. His head lay back against the seat, his hood pulled over his head. She smiled to herself, the hood failing to cover most of his head, ruffling his hair in different ways. He seemed so calm and collected.

She watched his fingers curiously for a moment. They were long and slender, but they weren't tapping along to a drum beat.. they seemed to be playing the piano. She shook her head, feeling dumb for overanalyzing something so silly.

Still, once she finished the sketch of him, she focused on his hand. He had a dark ring on his thumb and a second on his pointer finger. She had seen him tap them together every so often. She was most interested in the small symbol he had tattooed on the soft spot beside his thumb. It seemed so familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

She loved tattoos. She had twelve of her own, including one in the same space as his. An old symbol from a video game on one hand with a simple d20 on the other.

As she was adding some shading to his hoodie, the bus came to a halt.

"We're here. Be back by ten if you're not stayin'," Pam called, pointing at Amelia, "you got my number, kid. Call if you're late coming back."

Amelia chuckled, "sure."

Sebastian pulled his headphones out, arching his eyebrow, "everyone in town seems to love you, huh?"

For some odd reason, that made her blush. She gave him a small shrug and headed off the bus with him in tow.

"I guess not many people dislike me.." she sighed, "but I was a bit of a kiss-ass when I moved in."

Seb smiled his restrained smile before pulling out a cigarette, "Alright, Ames," he lit the cigarette, "show me what I have to look forward to in Zuzu."

She smiled up at him before heading in the direction of her favorite café. They made it through most of the day without an issue. Around 3 pm, she gasped, reaching over to touch his arm in excitement before pulling her hand away, "sorry! I just.. that store over there," she pointed to a store not too different from a comic book store as Sebastian, confused by the outburst, followed her gesture, "I went there all of the time! They sell all kinds of stuff for TTRPGs and minis and-" she stopped, looking up at him in horror, "oh Yoba, I've revealed my nerd side."

Sebastian looked like he got shocking news and then was told a hilarious joke. His smile was a little wider this time, though still held back. The small smile lit up his face, making her somehow feel lighter for a moment. He was actually pretty cute..

She snapped out of it, going to speak. But he finally responded, "Sam and I play Solarian Chronicles every weekend. Sometimes more," his small smile turned into a smirk, sending a strange pang of electricity through her. He held out his hand for a moment. She was confused until she noticed the d20 tattooed on his hand as well.

She laughed out loud, her eyebrows arching, "dude, a Nat 1? Why?"

His expression turned proud, "dunno, just seemed like the roll I got. Not to mention chaos usually ensues with nat 1s."

She laughed before holding her own hand out, the d20 nat 20 there in front of him. He seemed like he was a mix of confused and shocked, "how… no fucking way."

"Right? How haven't I noticed?" She beamed up at him, wondering if the pink in his cheeks was from the cold or the similar tattoos, "hey, wanna check it out? I'll buy you a set of dice."

They started to cross the street as he spoke, "yes to checking it out, but you don't have to buy me anything."

She turned, flashing him a smile, "as thanks for hanging out today despite my weird, random ass tour," she thought for a second, "or would you like a mini?"

"Ames…"

"Keep it up and I'll get you multiples of both."

He rolled his eyes and resigned, opening the door for her. She smiled and stepped in, thanking him quietly.

"Well, if it isn't Anelai of Thedas!"

She shot Sebastian a look, " not a word," she mumbled, the look on his face showing a genuine struggle not to mess with her.

"Grenar! It's been so long," she called back, cheeks no doubt red as hell.

"You've brought a friend, I see. Could he be the reason you left us in such a hurry?"

Oh, no.

"Oh, no, Gren. This is-"

Sebastian rest a hand on her shoulder, "you can call me Serran," he glanced down at Amelia who seemed shell shocked, "a pleasure to meet you."

The man laughed loudly, the sound feeling a little like home to Amelia. Blushing, Amelia made her way to the dice wall, staring blankly at it for a long moment before Sebastian spoke, making her jump.

"This is.. an impressive amount of dice," he kept his voice low, just between them. Noticing her jump, he furrowed his brow, "I wasn't trying to be weird back there.. I'm sorry."

She turned to look up at him, shaking her head, "no, no! That was awesome. The name is awesome, by the way. I just.. he threw me off, I guess," her voice grew small.

"You can talk to me later if you want, no pressure," he paused, smirking, " Anelai."

She huffed and started looking through the dice picking out one set made from obsidian. She looked over at Sebastian, who seemed to be focused on one bag while in deep thought. Snapping out of it, he stepped away, turning to go look at the minis.

Amelia stepped forward, following where his gaze had led. There was a set of dice carved from frozen tears. They were stunning and had a small glow to them. She picked them up, the packaging feeling oddly cold to the touch. Without so much as looking at the price, she tucked it away under her own so he wouldn't see.

They spent almost an hour in the store, perusing books, minis, and everything they could possibly need to play. Sebastian bought a dice tower, refusing to let Amelia pay for it. Gren had winked at her before pulling a matching dice tray for it. The best part is it all went well together with the dice as well. Seb stepped outside to smoke, Green whistling as she set the dice on the counter.

"Oh, you can't tell me you don't like this boy, Anelai," he rang everything up, typing into the register as he went. He saw her start to protest before holding up the dice that he was placing in an intricate wooden box, "you don't buy guys you're simply friends with dice for 200g. And a dice tray on top of it."

"Oh… well, I do. His birthday passed recently and now it's Winter Star. It's a good present."

"Alright, alright," he handed her the drawstring pouch that came with large purchases, "why did you run off anyway?"

Amelia just stared at him, not sure how to answer. She doesn't tell anyone.

Sebastian had just come in and approached the counter beside her, sensing the tension.

"Hey, we should grab food. I'm starving,” the smile he offered the man behind the counter would seem kind-hearted or professional, but in reality, Amelia could tell it was forced. It looked wrong with his features. She gathered her bag and muttered her goodbyes before heading toward the door.

She couldn't really tell him why she left in fear of her old friends reaching out to her, thus making it easier for her ex to find her.

“Thanks for that. Got a little blindsided,” she smiled up at him apologetically. It was obvious that he was fairly deep in thought.

She directed him to the next block before they turned into a small, mildly crowded coffee shop. She swore to him that their sandwiches and coffee were to die for, but he honestly didn't care what it was. He was starving. They both went to sit at a table by the window, nursing their coffees and dinner.

“So, where else were you wanting to go before we go back?” she hummed, hand over her mouth before she grabbed a napkin to wipe any crumbs away.

“I don't know, honestly,” he turned, staring out of the window for a long moment before turning back to his plate, “I heard there's a Tiny Middle somewhere on this end of the city, are we close?”

She smiled, nodding as she placed her now empty coffee cup down, “totally. It’s only like two blocks away.”

He paused for a long moment, studying her face before speaking up, “you know it really well. I’m guessing you lived here for a long time.”

She nodded, a half-hearted smile spread over her lips, which quickly faded as he asked his question.

“Why would you leave here for Pelican Town?” He hesitated for a long moment, watching as her face slid through emotions like a presentation. He frowned, nudging her foot with his, “you don’t have to answer if it’s hard to talk about it. I completely understand.”

She looked over his face, noting the sincerity and genuine kindness.

“No one in town knows, so don’t choose now to go all gossip column on me,”

He laughed aloud then, the sound sending tiny shockwaves through her whole being. She ignored them the best she could as she spoke, toying with a small paper napkin.

“I was dating this guy who was.. well one of the men who owns Joja.”

Both his eyebrows shot up in surprise before she gave a small nod, “he was sweet, I guess. But he started to get super into work and would get furious every so often and…”

Before she could continue, he shook his head and downed the rest of his coffee.

“Hey, let’s get going to Tiny Middle, yeah?”

She stared up at him, confused for a moment before it clicked. He was protecting her from having to relive it. He was changing the subject on purpose for sake. As she stood, he grabbed their trash to toss on the way out, not looking up, “and I’m sorry it even happened.”

He stepped past her, the tone of his voice having sounded genuinely apologetic, though there was venom behind his words, though she suspected it wasn’t directed toward her.

Together they made their way to the electronics store, Sebastian walking in slowly as they arrived. He was in awe, his eyes lighting up as the corners of his lips curled into a smile. The jolts from before littered her abdomen, her cheeks dusted red at the fact.

“I know you code, but you like building PCs and everything too?”

He turned, looking at her briefly before walking toward the monitor section.

“A bit, yeah,” he started, “I’ve never built one from case to complete, but I’d love to someday.”

Without a second thought she smiled brightly, “you could build me one,” when he looked at her with confusion, she laughed quietly, “my dinky little laptop can hardly play solitaire.”

He smiled to himself as if he was sharing a private joke with himself.

They spent the rest of their evening shopping through parts around the store as he explained each one to the best of his ability.

They got to an area where even Sebastian was clueless, though he used it to his advantage, teasing her, “oh that's a slippery whippet.”

She nodded for a moment, confused as to what the hell it actually was before she looked up at him, a smirk playing at her lips. She huffed and gave him a gentle shove, “oh, you jerk. Taking advantage of my cluelessness.”

Sebastian actually laughed at that, the sound nearly causing her to gasp. It was a beautiful sound, making her heart beat in double time.

Still, she rolled her eyes. She couldn't just say that she loved the sound of his laugh without being a huge creep.

They went on like this until they needed to run back to the bus, Amelia laughing as they got there, a genuine smile on his lips as they both caught their breath. She cursed herself for blushing. It made no sense.

She climbed on the but and exhaled as she took her seat once more. Sebastian hesitated at their row before sitting in the one beside her.

A light rush of butterflies hit her then as she smiled over at him. He set his bags in the seat across the aisle, “is this okay? Or do you want to be left alone?”

She bumped his leg with hers, offering a reassuring smile, “of course it’s okay,” she hummed before she sat up straighter, excited, “oh! I got you something!”

He frowned as he watched her dig out the faux velvet drawstring bag before holding the whole thing to her chest, “okay, close your eyes.”

Sebastian did, though obviously very nervous. She put the dice tray in his hands, admiring his face for a moment before snapping out of it, “okay, open them!”

He did, looking closely at the tray, running his fingers over the delicate leather, “I didn’t even see this.. it matches my tower…” his voice was soft. After a moment he looked over at her, “it’s really awesome, and thank you, but you really didn’t need to get anything for me.

She smiled brightly at him, catching him off-guard, “there are a lot of things I don’t have to do. I wanted to get you that. And…” she pulled the intricate box from the bag and offered it, “this.”

He furrowed his brows and hesitantly took it, running his fingers over the wood of the box as he had the tray, “it holds a set of dice, right?”

“It does, indeed. Open it!” She urged, excited to see his reaction.

He complied, opening the box. The soft glow of the dice reflected on his face as the lights from the bus faded. He froze, just staring at them for what felt like a year. After a moment, she reached over to gently touch his arm.

“Seb, if you don’t like them…”

His gaze snapped to her, eyes wide as he cut her off, “No! It’s just…” he paused, touching the cool surface of one of the d20, “these are my favorite.. how did you know?”

She pulled her hand back, offering a genuine smile, “I saw you looking at them. And before you yell at me, I know the cost and I don’t care. Everyone deserves a good pair of dice.”

He smiled at her then, small and full of thanks. It nearly took her breath away to see, not an ounce of the suppressed smile or sadness behind his eyes. Just him. And he was smiling at her.

“I don’t even know what to say, Ames.”

She smiled in return, trying and failing to regain control of her racing heart, “invite me to play sometime and we’ll call it even.”

He laughed quietly, the sparks inside of her reigniting with new energy.

Oh, I’m in HUGE trouble…

He told her about why he liked the frozen tear so much and where his campaign lies at the moment. She hung on to every word, the fact that he was so talkative blowing her mind. She found herself disappointed as the bus came to a stop.

They took their time gathering their things and heading off the bus. He offered to walk her back, wanting to take the mountain path home anyway.

She couldn’t have declined if she wanted to.

“We meet again next week on Tuesday,” he added as they approached her front porch, “you really should come.”

She smiled and nodded, “I wouldn’t miss it, Serran ,” she teased, bringing back that incredible smirk of his.

“Good. There’s always a place at our table for Anelai of Thedas.”

She felt the blood rushing to her cheeks as he turned to head out.

“Hey, Seb?” She called after him, who turned immediately, brows raised in response, “I meant to ask. Was the city everything you thought it’d be?”

He seemed to contemplate for a moment, biting his lower lip and looking south for a second in thought.

“Yeah, it’s cool, I guess,” he turned, smiling at her one last time for the night, “although I’m starting to think Pelican Town might be worth staying in.”

With that, he turned and started walking toward the path. Her mouth hung open in shock.

There’s no way he meant…

“Why is that?” She called after him, his laugh echoing in response.

“G’night, Ames.”

#sebastian sdv #stardew valley sebastian #stardew sebastian #sdv sebastian #sebastian stardew valley #sdv #sdv fanfic #stardew #stardew valley #stardew valley fanfic #stardew fanfic #oh look a one-shot #barkspawn oneshot

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sunspray-peak · 1 year

Text

Ch. 56: The Festival of Ice

MONDAY - WINTER 8

“Have to say, I’m a little surprised to see you out and about.”

Achilles bit back a frown and dusted his gloved hands after shooting Leah a small wince. “You were the one who texted me to come here to help, weren’t you?”

“Yeah, true. Wasn’t sure if you’d come through, though.”

“Right. I appreciate your faith…” Achilles rolled his eyes as he squatted to the ground. “Now come on. One, two, three…”

With a grunt, Achilles and Leah lifted her ice sculpture onto a metal cart. It creaked under the weight, but held steady after a slight wobble or two.

“She’s beautiful,” he said with a nod at the figure looming above. The mermaid had been exquisitely carved in a nearly six foot tall block of ice, and no detail had been left unturned. Each individual scale had been etched with care, every flowing ringlet of hair, every crease in her smiling face.

“So impermanent, though… especially today.” Leah swiped her finger along the already-glistening tail fin, scrutinizing the water droplets that came away with a furrowed brow and a long sigh. “But I guess that makes the art better in a way, don’t you think? More meaningful…”

“Sure.”

“So, are you gonna come to the festival or nah?” Leah leaned against the handrails of her cart. “You sort of look like you could use a nap, no offense.”

“Thank you for that,” Achilles said drily, pinching his nose. Damn, did he really look that rough? He had blowdried his hair this morning and everything. “No, I’m going, at least for a little. I was going to return this to Elliott, I finished this morning.” He patted his messenger bag where Elliott’s novel was stored.

“O ho!” With a clap of her mittened hands, Leah began to push the cart towards Pelican Town, Achilles by her side. “Finally. He’ll be excited—well, he’ll be excited to see you no matter what, he was getting worried—hey, what did you think? He won’t let me read it yet.”

“It was good.”

“Was it actually? I won’t snitch if you say it was terrible.”

“No, it was good.” Achilles felt his wan smile strengthen as he repeated his response.

“Hmm, he was thinking of doing a book reading this week. Nothing fancy, maybe in the saloon… He hasn’t gotten round to planning it, you know how he is. Takes him damn forever to do anything… ope!”

The cart gave a small lurch as it rolled over a stray rock, but Achilles was quick to hold the mermaid steady.

“Thanks.” With a heave, Leah pushed the cart forward again through the inch of slush on the ground and they continued on their way through Cindersap. “Eh, can’t criticize him too much, though, or I’d be a real dirty hypocrite… wanted to tell you, took me forever, but I’ve finally gotten around to posting on those social media accounts or whatever they’re called that you set up for me way back when. The website, too.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah. It’s been good. Really good, actually, I’ve even started making prints, too, as a bit of extra quick income… there’s a Mr. K in Zuzu who keeps buying my candles… I’m 98% sure it’s Kel, but hey, can’t complain, if he wants to keep giving me his money, I’m all for it… the power of the Internet. Who’d have thought.” Leah surprised him with a little pat on the shoulder. “Thanks, Achilles. I’m glad you persuaded this here old lady to do it…”

*****

Elliott, as Leah predicted, was overjoyed to see Achilles, embracing him with his usual bone-splintering squeeze before receiving the now-marked up copy of his novel with both hands and a solemn bow. He had graciously waved aside Achilles’ apologies for the delay, but had been more than eager to accept his offer to organize his book reading as recompense, nodding earnestly, wide-eyed like a puppy, as Achilles shared his thoughts aloud.

“—we can still have catering, but the museum’s going to be significantly more atmospheric a venue than the saloon, I’ll speak to Gunther—”

Then something slammed into him from behind.

Achilles’ arms were suddenly pinned to his sides—breathless, he had been lifted straight off the ground. Alarm bells began to ring furiously in his head, his vision began to cloud, and Achilles found himself reaching for a sword that wasn’t there. But in looking down for a hilt, he saw instead a pair of hands squeezed tight around his chest.

What the—

A flurry of laughter—so close, why was it so close, get out of my mind—managed to break through the sharp ringing between his ears, and then a voice exclaimed, “I did it!”

Nearly gasping for breath now, Achilles managed to twist himself around, only to see Alex beaming brightly, his face mere inches away.

“Wh—What?”

“I did it!”

“You did what—wait—” Desperate to quickly calm himself and refocus, Achilles shook his head to disperse the sirens currently ringing between his ears. “You—you got the job!?”

“Oh! No, no I didn’t. Or at least, not yet.” Alex nose wrinkled for just a second as he glanced down at the ground in thought. But he was quick to return, bright-eyed, to his usual grinning self. “No, I just did my interview, just got back.”

“Ahhh,” Achilles nodded as his heart beat continued to return to normal—or perhaps, just a bit faster than normal, for as his panic cleared, he was now dully aware of the arms still wrapped around his waist, even though his feet were now resting firmly on semi-solid slush. “Ho-how was it?”

“Great! Or, at least, I think it was pretty good.”

“I’m sure it was.” Achilles attempted to take a small step back. He was too close, much too close. It was liking looking at the sun.

Alex took the hint and, without missing a beat, relinquished his grip, taking an unconcerned step back of his own. Achilles already missed the warmth of his touch, but it lasted only for a second as Alex swung his arm around his shoulder and began to march him towards the drinks table where Elliott and Leah had both rather speedily and stealthily scampered to.

“Yeah, they actually asked a lot of similar questions to what we prepped! Used a lot of the stuff we practiced. It was good. I felt good!”

“Good.” Why was his voice coming out so high? What was he, 12? And Yoba, for goodness sake, was he capable of anything more than one word answers today? “Great! I’m… glad it was helpful. Fingers crossed, yeah? When do you find out? How do you feel now?”

“They said it’d be real soon… but I figure, why stress about it, right? It’s outta my hands now.”Alex poured two glasses of sparkling cider, handing one to Achilles. “My first real job interview! Worth celebrating, you think?”

“Hmm? Oh. Yes. Yes, of course—”

But Alex cut him off with a hearty, self-aware laugh, swinging his arm around Achilles’ shoulders again as they made their way through the small crowd to the sad field of snowmen. It had been a rather warm Festival of the Ice this year, even by Achilles’ east coast standards. The town had woken this morning to only a light inch or so of snow now that had since already begun to rapidly melt. The ice fishing competition, to the dismay of Willy, had had to be canceled.

He glanced to his left and caught a glimpse of green eyes glimmering under the fierce Winter sun. The sight alone was enough to send his stomach swooping.

God. He’d do it right now. He would tell Alex. He had to tell Alex. He’d decided it the night before—

What makes you happy, Achilles? What makes you feel better? What do you want?

What? Or who?

Achilles stopped before a funky snowman with pinecone eyes. Took a deep breath and turned to Alex, who was now waving merrily to Penny two snowmen over. “Al, I was wondering—“

“Young man.”

A soft crunch of well-trod snow followed the curt interruption. Achilles recovered somewhat smoothly from both his surprise and his irritation and turned to greet George. Had he been following them? Alex’s grandpa was alone as he wheeled closer to the pair. Evelyn was still over by the rather sad and drippy igloo that had been erected that morning, handing out little bags of cookies—it was strange; Achilles had rarely seen the two separated during festivals.

“I’d like to talk to Achilles in private, please, Alexander.” George gave his grandson a sharp nod. Confusion crinkled his brow, but Alex had never been one to ask too many questions—something Achilles had been grateful for, at least until this moment—and with only a shrug, jogged towards where a few folks had gathered by the river.

For a beat, the two watched as Alex tackled an unsuspecting Sam into a bush.

It was Achilles who finally broke the silence. “How can I help you, George?”

George glanced around for folks nearby before wheeling closer. In a low tone, he said, “Yes, yes. We’ll just cut to it, shall we? I would like you to refrain from sharing your… unnatural habits with my grandson.”

Achilles’ stomach began to churn. “Pardon?”

“You’re a nice young man, Achilles. But I don’t want Alex to be taught against our values.”

“Oh, I do apologize, I didn’t realize mock interviews were against your values, I’ll be sure to—”

“Don’t play dumb with me, young man,” George snapped. But the old man seemed to regret his tone, and, after coughing lightly into his fist, reached into his pocket, withdrawing a small square he then offered to Achilles. “I found this on Alex’s dresser.”

Nosy bastard…

But Achilles played it cool, offering a quick glance at the photograph from Spirit’s Eve, his face impassive even as it warmed at the sight of Alex’s lips upon his cheek. “I’m afraid I’m not quite sure what your point is exactly, George.”

“I understand this is who you are—and let me assure you, I have no problem with your choices, young man. But Alex is better than this, and I do not want him to be involved with that lifestyle—”

“It was Spirit’s Eve, George.” Allowing himself to look slightly exasperated now, Achilles handed the photograph back. “We were recreating something from the comic books.”

George, however, continued to stare stonily, his thin lips pressed hard into a thinner line than usual.

“Look, what is it specifically you want me to do? Stop talking to him? We’re friends, George.”

“And I understand that. I simply ask that you keep your predilections and preferences to yourself. You shouldn’t be teaching Alex these behaviors—”

Teaching Alex behaviors? Fuck you, do you think I’m fucking blowing your grandson in my living room—

Achilles managed to restrain himself from delivering a retort as graphic as that, though he still managed to snark, “Noted. I see now—I apologize, I’ll be sure to put a stop to the ‘How to Be a Raging Homosexual’ powerpoint presentations—”

“This is not a joke, young man—”

Achilles flushed. He took a step back, digging his boots into the snow, and in a heightened voice, said, “Why are you coming to me? You don’t trust Alex to make his own decisions—”

“That boy has had a very difficult childhood, he doesn’t know what’s best for him, and he needs guidance in the right direction—”

Perhaps the Achilles of yesteryear would have fought back. Perhaps he should’ve fought back. But the Achilles of now recognized this was not a battle he would win today, and in a flat tone, he simply said, “This is an incredibly disrespectful conversation that I’m afraid I really don’t have the energy or patience to entertain any further. I’m going to leave now. Have a nice day, George.”

*****

Fuck George. Fuck all of it. The fucking audacity of it all…

Alex was a grown ass man, he could make his own fucking decisions.

He stomped towards the river, the remaining chunks of snow crunching underfoot with each step. Alex was up ahead, his arms slung each around Sam and Sebastian as they all laughed at something Abigail was saying…

George couldn’t stop him. He’d ask for a private word, maybe pull Alex to the side—or maybe, he’d do it in plain view of George, make a point of it, that would really rile the bastard up…

“Hey there!” Alex gave him a little wave and stepped to the side, making space for Achilles to join the circle next to him. “You okay?”

“Fine. Just… tired.”

“You look it,” Abigail sassed, blissfully ignoring both the withering, darkly-rimmed glare with which Achilles returned her guffaw and the exasperated, somewhat pleading look Alex shot her.

“What’d my grandpa want to talk to you about?”

“Oh, just…” Achilles glanced at the expectant faces around him. Perhaps now wasn’t the best time to chew out Alex’s grandpa—although from what Alex had told him previously, Sebastian would be sure to empathize, having apparently been on the receiving end of one of these little chats himself… “He was just saying… well apparently, I’m a really thorough teacher. Who’d have thought? Someone tell the Zuzu school board, put in a good word.” He ignored Alex’s puzzled look to flash Penny a smile.

Alex lowered his voice as the group resumed their previous conversation and tilted his head ever so slightly closer to Achilles’. “You sure everything’s okay? It sort of looked like you two were… arguing.”

Why don’t you ask him about it, Alex?

But that wouldn’t be fair, would it?

Achilles began fiddling with the end of his scarf. “Yeah, no, he just wasn’t… particularly happy about what I’ve been… ‘teaching’ you.” Not a lie. Not technically. George’s own words.

“Oh. Really?” Something small tugged at Alex’s lips. “He seemed pretty excited when I told him I thought the interview went well, though… I was hoping maybe they’d be excited for me, or… proud, maybe. Is he mad? I just… I just don’t want to upset them, you know? Or be a burden anymore…”

It was Alex’s little sigh that got him. The disappointment in his eyes, the small droop in his shoulders, the biting of the lip. In that moment, Achilles knew what he had to do.

“Nah, that’s not what George was talking about, man.” He gave Alex a swift pat on the back. “He’s really excited for you. No, he was talking about… something else, something stupid, it wasn’t important, don’t you worry about it…”

*****

“Well! I do declare, I thought young Alexander looked quite happy today, if I may say so myself.”

Achilles had joined Elliott and Leah after the Festival of Ice had (prematurely) ended in its damp, dripping glory. Rumor had it Lewis was on the warpath, cursing the skies, cursing the governor, cursing even Yoba for the day’s temperature, though it could be said the weather cared little to be called an “uncooperative member of the community.”

They sat scattered among the limited seating in Elliott’s seaside cabin. In fact, Achilles had chosen a seat on the floor against the frame of the bed, while Leah lay supine above him atop the quilt.

“Eh. I don’t think I’ve ever seen ‘young Alexander’ look unhappy.” Leah popped her gum as she took the mug of freshly brewed tea their host was offering to her. “Confused, maybe. But unhappy? Nah. Man’s got a resting happy face, like those funky marsupials. Quokkas?”

“All the same, I found his enthusiasm much elevated upon his encounter with—”

“Weren’t you going to ask him out?” Leah swung her legs over the edge of the bed and abruptly squatted down next to Achilles who nearly choked on the lollipop he’d taken from Elliott’s leftover Spirit’s Eve stash. “I thought you said you were going to ask him out.”

“I—I was.” Achilles grimaced as Leah’s sudden movement sent his own tea splashing onto his hand. “I was going to. I came very close, actually, but…”

“But…” Elliott leaned down from the piano bench he had dragged over, one eyebrow cocked expectantly.

“Please don’t tell me you’re afraid he’ll turn you down, you coward. After everything Elliott and I have witnessed—”

“No. No, that’s not it—”

“Yoba, so what are you afraid of?”

“Please, let the man speak, Leah!” Elliott cried, jumping from the bench to join them on the floor.

“Yes, let the man speak, Leah. Sheesh.” Achilles set down his mug. His hands itched for a pen and paper to help organize his thoughts, but he had left his usual notebook at home, and so began to trace invisible lines along the hardwood with his finger instead. “Now, look I’m not afraid of anything—it’s just—okay, three scenarios: first, he’s straight. Not interested. That’s fine. Second, he’s not straight, but also not interested. Also fine—”

“Is it though?” Leah gave him an aggressive poke in the neck.

Achilles scooted an inch to his right.

“Third scenario. He’s not straight and he’s interested.”

Leah clapped her hands. “Incredible. Amazing. Perfection. You ask him out, he says yes, boom, boom, done, happily ever after. You know, I’m actually ordained—”

“No.” Achilles shot her an impatient glare “Look, I’ve thought about it and… well, at the risk of sounding like a narcissist—”

“Buddy, we left that station long ago—”

“—I think he might… like me, too.”

God, it felt so arrogant to say aloud. Not to mention embarrassing—in all likelihood, Achilles was simply projecting. Simply reading too much into each and every one of their interactions, his smiles, his touches, his care. Except—

“And I as well, my dear friend!”

There it was. Elliott’s validation. And Leah’s, too—surely it couldn’t all be in Achilles’ head if both of his friends had picked up on something as well, right? Or were they merely projecting alongside him? Wishful thinking… what were the chances?

And yet… George today. After Achilles had managed to calm himself down, their little snit of a conversation had got him thinking. Why had George accosted him? Was it purely due to the photo from Spirit’s Eve, or was there something more to it? Had Alex said something at home? Something indicating a… possible interest in Achilles? As much as he had hated the conversation, and as much as that conversation was fueling this difficult decision he had now made, he couldn't help but feel somewhat… hopeful.

Too many possibilities. Too many questions and not enough answers, but Elliott could always be counted on more morale support. He took Achilles hand and continued to voice his thoughts.“Now, is that not what I’ve been saying these past few weeks? Young Alexander has surely been by shot by the arrows of Cu—”

But it was Leah’s turn to shush. “There’s a big ‘ole ’but,’ here, Ell. Come on. Let’s hear it.”

“Right. Well, I just… if that is the case, that he, you know, is interested, I just…” Achilles drew his knees close to his chest and traced the rim of his mug, searching for the right words. “Well, we all know Alex. He… he cares a lot, you know?

“And I don’t him to feel… torn. Between me and George. You all know how George feels about… well, you’ve all heard him call me ‘unnatural,’ right? The old fuck…” He forced a dry laugh that neither Elliott nor Leah returned. “Alex cares so much about his grandparents and their approval… he just wants them to be happy, and it just… wouldn’t be fair to force him to choose.

“Even if I tell him that it’s fine, that I understand, that we don’t have to do anything or be anything, that we can just stay friends, he’s going to feel… guilty. That he can’t give me what I want without also… I don’t know, disappointing George.” Pissing him off, more likely…

Leah stirred. “I mean… but would George have to know? If you guys got together? I had plenty of secret girlfriends back in the day…”

But Achilles shook his head, having already thought this through. “That’d be even worse. He tells them everything. It’d be wrong to expect him to keep something like this a secret, it’d drive him mad…

“So I’ve decided I’m going to… let him take the lead. If he feels… the same way about me as I feel about him… I want him to come out on his own terms. When he’s ready. I want to give him time, and let him decide on his own—without any unnecessary stress or any unnecessary guilt—what he wants, and if he thinks that it’s worth going after.

“As I said, if he’s not interested, telling him how I feel would be fine. But if he is, I just feel like confessing would be… selfish. Like would I be doing it for me or would I be doing it for… us?”

Elliott had been nodding somberly to his right as he spoke, and as he finished his words, now took his hand again, giving it a warm squeeze.

Leah, on the other hand, only popped her gum before saying, “So you’re going to wait?”

“Yes.”

“For how long?”

“For forever.” Achilles laughed and blew a pretend smoke ring from his lollipop. “No, just until someone else comes along for me, I guess…” But words rang hollow in his heart. Could anyone else ever make him feel a fraction of the way Alex did? There you go, always thinking of yourself… “Or whenever he… inevitably finds someone else.” He thought of Tanya. “I won’t sit around and pine.”

“And if no one else ever comes along? For either of you? Worst case hopeless romantic scenario.”

“I don’t know.” A sudden thought inspired a brief snort. “Then until George dies.”

Elliott gasped, reaching to clutch invisible pearls. “Achilles!”

“That’s the spirit, probably won’t even have to wait too long—”

“Leah, please! My goodness, the both of you…”

They laughed at Elliott’s dismayed shake of his head, but amidst the minute of tension-breaking mirth and levity, Leah placed a callused hand to his knee.

“And how do you feel about your plan? All this waiting around? I have to say, it’s not very you.”

“I mean… it hurts. A lot.” Achilles shrugged and took a sip from his tea, rolling the lukewarm water around his mouth. “I’m in love with him. I really am, I think.” It didn’t feel strange to say it aloud, though this was the first time he had—he was neither ashamed nor embarrassed. And that’s how he knew what he said was true.

Leah smiled. Gave his knee an encouraging pat.

“I’ve learned… so much from him this past year. Not that I’ve put much of it into practice,” Achilles laughed, “Hell, he probably doesn’t even know. But what he’s shown me, literally just by existing, it’s… changed how I think. How I see things. How I see myself.

“He’s just got such a sense of life, you now? And he’s kind and caringand optimistic and genuine in a way that I will never be, but even so, I like the way he makes me feel about myself and he makes me… want to be better. He makes me feel like I can be better. And I know that even if I failed at everything, even if I was no one,he would still be happy to just… be there. With me. Not even as a partner, but just… as a friend.”

Achilles chucked the stick of his lollipop into his now-empty mug and kicked his legs out in a V in front of him.

“Also… I mean, let’s be real, come on guys—Leah, I know you disagree—but he’s really fucking hot.”

It wasn’t particularly funny, but the three of them erupted in shared, goodnatured laughter, and he found himself warmed with his appreciation for this duo of friends. Their own support and love for him.

He concluded his laughter with a long sigh, swirling his lollipop stick as he stared at the ground. “But if nothing ends up happening, well… it’ll pass. It always does. I’ll learn to get over it in time.”

You’ll be getting over it your whole life.

The thought, for some strange reason, made him smile. Yes, perhaps he’d never get over it. But that’s just how it was sometimes. And he would be fine.

“I would like to propose one modification to your noble plan, my dear friend. If you are willing to hear it.” Elliott’s voice was tentative.

“Sure.”

“Have you considered meeting him halfway? I do not propose a full confession, but perhaps… a lingering touch of the hand. A gaze held a beat too long. Oh! Perhaps you could invite him on a charming Winter walk, offer him your scarf —”

“Ho ho, sorry Ell, did you say you were a romance author?”

“Do you disagree? I suggest this only because—”

“—You’re shit at flirting.” Leah accompanied her second interruption with a sudden, hearty slap of Achilles’ knee. “I’d have never known you were in love with him if you hadn’t told us.”

“Woman, I can flirt when I want to, I have simply been actively choosing not to—”

Elliott sighed as the two bickered. He was generous enough to give them a minute or so, massaging his temples all the while before raising his mellow voice the barest degree.

“Assuming young Alex does indeed share your feelings, then this is likely a new experience for him, Achilles. And as you’ve suggested, one fraught with a multitude of potential complications, trials, and tribulations. A most confusing medley, don’t you think?

“Alex, as we know, is most generous with his amity, and seems to find much assurance in physical touch, even among his friends. I do not say that you are standoffish—the contrary, my dear friend—but I do not believe it would be detrimental to be more explicit with your affection—either as a potential partner or simply as a friend. But if he is indeed considering romance, I believe it could be beneficial to allow yourself this opportunity to better affirm his hopes, so that if he does so choose to make his move, he will know for sure that he will find love and support, if not from his grandfather, then in you.”

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