#sdv cassie nova

[azritesx3]

Touch Starved - Shane&Cassie

Description: Due to what happened to him in the city, Shane decides to close himself off from the rest of the world. He was one step away from completely shattering, and he didn't want to let anyone in just to disappoint them in the end.

And he was doing just fine in keeping up this facade, until she moved in.

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FebuWhump2023 - Day 1: Touch Starved

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A/N: Hello! I try not to make goals for myself for the new year since I cannot seem to keep them…but I want to get back into writing. One random day I came across the "FebuWhump2023" challenge on Tumblr and thought…why the hell not? I have no idea if I'm writing a "whump" fic correctly…but I'll just roll with how I'm feeling and try to remember "whumps" aren't supposed to be "happy happy joy joy" and it's ok to let my evil/dark side out.

AO3

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The spring season was finally in full bloom. Wild animals started emerging from their months-long stay in their dens. Birds flew and sang almost non-stop throughout the day. The wildflowers bloomed and the trees grew back their leaves. Everything came back to life in the spring.

And Shane hated it.

Every spring reminded him of how he came to be in this situation. How years prior his life was falling apart while the earth came back to life. Now he was back in the valley where he spent the majority of his childhood. A place that now held his only good memories, though those memories were soured with the lifestyle he chose to live. 

It's incredibly difficult to stay closed off in a place that was so small and the people in it so caring. Especially now that she's officially moved in.

It's 7 pm now on a Friday night. Most of the villagers have all trickled in by this point. Shane's made it a habit to watch them from "his" spot at the dark end corner of the bar, fireplace and Gus's wood-carved bear statue behind him.

Cassie Nova, the new owner of Universe Farm, walks into the saloon. Gus and Emily warmly greet her, as well as the other patrons nearby. Shane grunts and rolls his eyes as she greets them back. She walks up to Gus to place her order, then sits at the bar and idly chit-chats with Emily while she waits. Shane sulks as he watches them chat, and various other villagers come up to chat with the new girl in town. Just like everyone else, the new farmer was touchy too. Light touches on the shoulder, small pats on the back, and feather-like touches on hands at some funny joke.

It infuriated him. Contrary to what he's now made himself to be, Shane used to be just like them. Funny how one experience can change a person, break a person. He still craved small affections like that but continued to force himself to push everyone away. He can't let himself be hurt like that again. It may just very well end him, and he was already hanging on by a very, very, thin thread.

The hardest person to ignore was his niece, now turned God-daughter. But he does it. He hates himself even more for it, but continues it.

Who knows how long he has left anyway. Best not to give the girl hope only for it to be crushed…again.

Movement on his left peripheral brought him back from his thoughts. He looks and starts at the sight of Cassie placing her food and beverage down next to him. She looks at him and gives a half smile, "This seat taken?"

She's just barely sat on the stool and it's already too much for him. He feels like he's physically burning in the heat that her body is radiating next to him. He musters up as much of his coldness as he can trying to stave away the heat in his cheeks, which seems to be unsuccessful.

"Fuck off." He mumbles, clutching his beer and staring hard at the wood bar counter. He can feel her stillness, lasting only a second before she gives a humorous huff. He looks back at her with a questioning stare. He watches her move her plate and drink one spot over to the left and sits down. One bar stool between them.

"Alright alright." She says before giving him a soft smile with concerned eyes, then focusing on her meal.

Shane cracks a little bit more inside and returns to his drink. He knew keeping this up was going to be difficult, but now with her here it was going to be damn near impossible.

He may just die from the struggle alone.