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clanwarrior-tumbly · 7 months ago

Note

Hi there!

If you still take stardew valley requests please write hurt/comfort with Shane and (gn) reader about Shane getting progressively more worried about the farmer each time they go mining because of all the injuries they get there to the point where one day he snaps and breaks down in front of the farmer. It would be nice if you could show shane slowly loosing his mind each day but that would probably make the fic longer so no pressure. just pls make sure theres comfort after the hurt, bad endings make me sad :(

Thank you in advance, and even if you choose not to write this i hope you still have a lovely day.

I'm always down for Shane angst <3

In my main file I fear he's like this bc I'm constantly coming back from the dangerous mines/skull caverns on like 1 hp at 1:50 am

......

(Spring, Year 1)

"Hi, Shane!"

"God, what do you want now?"

"Nothing. I'm off to the mines." You grinned at the rugged man in front of you, holding up your pickaxe. "I'm shooting for level 120 this time, and hopefully I can pick up more gems along the way."

Shane raised a brow. "...and I care because?"

"You don't have to. Just thought I'd let you know."

'What? Like you think I'll go looking for you if you pass out? Forget it. Whatever happens is your own damn fault."

"I know the risks, but thank you." You politely answered, ignoring his blunt rudeness before checking the monster slayer guide. "The Adventurer's Guild wants me to slay a ton of bats...only 200 more to go."

""Adventurer's Guild?" Sounds stupid and childish." He grumbled, taking a swig of joja cola in his grasp. He was already running late to work, and he didn't want to get yelled at by Morris.

And he certainly didn't want you, the new farmer who made it their mission to annoy the shit out of him everyday, being the reason.

"Well it's neither of those things. It's actually thrilling." You chuckled, before digging an emerald out of your pocket. "I meant to sell this yesterday, but you can have it."

"...the hell? What am I supposed to do with this?" His brows furrowed at the green mineral you shoved into his hand.

"Keep it..for good luck, I guess?" You shrugged. "You can put it in your pocket and forget about it if you want. I just wanted to give you something nice. Plus, not to be weird, but...it kinda reminded me of your eye color."

Normally, any other villager would've been thrilled that you wanted to befriend them with gifts that reminded you of them.....

Yet Shane just stared at you as though you've confessed to stalking him.

"If you wanna give me something that's actually "nice", buy me a beer at the saloon next time." He sneered, brushing past you and continuing towards JojaMart, while you headed north of town, already knowing what you're gonna do tonight.

When you looked over your shoulder, you could see him pocket the emerald rather than throw it away despite him passing by several trash cans.

And you smiled.

(Present Day)

"Awh, you still held onto that emerald even after all this time?"

"Yeah, so what? It was the first gift anyone's really given me.." Shane confessed, heat rising to his cheeks as he held the mineral between his fingers. "I never believed in all that crap about crystals and "energy" that Emily talks about. But..I just like keeping this one around. It's like...erm..."

"A testament to the start of our friendship and eventual marriage?" You cheekily grinned as you polished your weapon, before looking to your husband.

He nodded. "Exactly what I was gonna say."

"I know you so well." Chuckling, you walked over to kiss him on the cheek. "I'm gonna head to the mines, okay? Welwick says the spirits will shower everyone in good luck. I wanna see if the fabled prismatic shards really do exist."

Almost immediately, Shane froze..and he found himself wanting to desperately say "no" and convince you to stay on the farmhouse.

But he didn't know why.

From the moment he met you, he knew you sought adventure and profits in the mines, fighting all sorts of monsters for the Adventurer's Guild. He's seen skeletons, mummies, and golems caged up at Spirits' Eve festivals, but never the wild ones below the surface who attacked you relentlessly.

Yet you never let the constant dangers deter you from exploring.

Mining was exhausting work, yet rewarding every time you cracked a stone open to find a diamond or discovered a treasure chest. With the materials you've gathered, you were able to craft some rings to wear, enchanted with powers to help make your excursions easier and safer.

Despite being well-prepared, though, Shane did have his concerns...especially as once you came home after clashing with skeletons, a scar on your head from a flying femur bone that still hasn't fully healed.

You only went to Harvey to get it checked out after your husband--who was your boyfriend at the time--insisted on it.

Even before that, he'd see you around town, bearing a new bug bite, scratch, burn, bruise, or bandaid on your body.

It never worried him before, but after that skeleton incident, he finally understood that those monsters were real and you were seriously getting yourself hurt.

He'd go to the mines with you if not for his fears that he'll only make things worse. There's a good chance he'll slow you down and find himself getting swarmed by slimes, bats, bugs, and whatever the hell else was there....and he wasn't exactly the most fit to swing a sword or pickaxe.

Simple walks made him tired.

What good would he do?

"Shane? What's wrong?"

Blinking, he snapped out his thoughts and saw your concerned face. "Nothing, sweetheart." He dismissed, giving you a little smile. "Just be careful out there, alright? I'll take care of things here."

"Thank you, baby." Smiling back, you gave him a kiss before heading out the door with your backpack and tools. "Off to the bottom of the mines I go!"

Shane tensed.

"Wait-"

As quickly as the door opened, it slammed shut, and he was left by himself in the cabin.

It was an uncomfortable silence.

'Maybe I should've tagged along.....buh, what am I saying? They'll be fine. They do this all the time. Stop getting so worked up, idiot..' Clearing his mind yet again, he went off to check things around the farm for you, deciding to watch TV later on.

There was gonna be another Tunneler's game tonight, so at least he had that to look forward to.

Nothing like that, some good food in the fridge, and this cozy cabin he got to call home...

And it was all because of you.

If you could build everything here and still having the energy to go mining and fight monsters, why should he worry?

1:20 AM

After a productive day, Shane managed to fall asleep early for once.

Only be woken up by the creak of the bedroom door.

Light almost immediately flooded his vision, stirring him from his slumber as he grumbled and tried to shield his eyes, wondering what time it was.

"Fuck..morning already-?"

"No, honey..it's...just me. Sorry.."

He blinked, sitting up to see that it was only you coming into the room, removing your rings. One of them served as your light source, yet it didn't hide the numerous scratched and bruises that littered your skin.

And they were all fresh.

"Babe, wha...are you okay?" Shane was now fully awake, watching as you peeled off your jacket and trousers, tossing them into the corner of the room before dragging yourself into bed.

Only then could he see your injuries up close and personal, and his heart began racing. "What happened? You look like hell."

"I'm fine, Shane. I just..need to sleep it off.."

"B-But...there's blood everywhere.." He mumbled, his eyes going to the clothes in the corner. "I can call Harvey-"

"No..don't. I already patched myself up. I'll be fine in the morning..I just wanna be here with you." Smiling weakly, you kissed him, before putting the prismatic shard into his hand. "Look. It exists...haha...it's so pretty, right? It's yours."

He didn't know what to say, staring dumbfounded at the mineral.

What hell did you go through to get this?

And as much as he loved it..why get it for him?

Why risk your life?

But when he looked back to question you further, you were already passed out beside him, looking peaceful despite the wounds on your body.

Eventually, he slid the prismatic shard under his pillow and laid back down, only to hesitate in wrapping his arm around you.

All he could do was gaze at your exhausted face..and the dried blood under your nose.

Least to say, he had trouble falling back to sleep.

..........

Ever since that night, Shane's grown increasingly worried over your safety during your mining trips. And it began to affect his usual routine around the farm.

In fact, calling it "worry" at this point would be a heavy understatement..

It became straight-up paranoia.

Whether you headed off to the mines or Skull Caverns early because of an "extra lucky day" or simply because you needed a specific resource, you'd always come back home the same way:

At later hours, with more injuries and bandages than last time, constantly on the verge of passing out and barely able to hold a conversation with him.

Of course, you'd have breakfast with him, and you'd never leave the farmhouse without giving him a kiss...but it did nothing to ease his mind, as he'd constantly see your wounds and dread whatever horror stories you were about to tell him.

Even though you're perfectly nonchalant as you talk about a serpent who tried wrapping itself around you and squeeze every last breath out of your body, it made Shane feel utterly sick to his stomach.

How could you be so calm after so many brushes with death?

He didn't understand.

On the surface, he seemed fine with you leaving. But when you did, he'd find himself turning to beer to calm his nerves..although most days he was able to resist the urge and occupy himself with farming tasks or video games.

Despite this, he hasn't outright told you anything. He knew mining was your passion and thought you'd chastise him for "worrying over nothing".

So he kept it to himself, thinking his anxiety was being stupid.

Then the final straw came the evening when he got a call from Harvey's clinic around 5PM.

One that he hoped to never hear:

You passed out, and were currently being treated for serious injuries.

He bolted out the cabin, all the way to the town square and damn near broke the door down. There, Harvey, Linus, and Marlon were at your bedside, the latter two having brought you in after seeing you fall unconscious in from of the elevator, covered in blood and shrapnel.

Fortunately, you were expected to make a full recovery with just stitches and some IV fluids to rehydrate your body...but you still owed Shane one hell of an explanation.

This time around, you landed in an "infested" area of the 100s, trying to use a bomb to kill off most of the monsters.

Only to trip over a stupid lava crab and drop the bomb after you just ignited it, damn near losing your leg trying to kick it away from you in time.

And by the grace of Yoba, you were able to limp your way back to the ladder, return to floor zero, where Linus so-happened to be passing by the mine entrance.

You gave the poor old man quite a fright, as he didn't know how much blood on you was from the monsters...or you.

In the end, the bomb left shrapnel in your flesh, searing your clothing and requiring stitches to ensure you didn't bleed out. You appreciated Harvey for his quick work and for Linus and Marlon for taking you to him.

However nobody in that clinic was more terrified over your condition than Shane, who was in disbelief that you were able to stand and walk back home with him after getting discharged.

He wouldn't talk to you, although his hands shook as he helped you into bed, still sleeping beside you like he did every night before this.

But this time...he had the worst nightmare possible.

He was down in the mines with you, except he felt stuck and couldn't do anything to warn you or save you from the impending danger.

It was like he was spectating a game, instead forced to watch as the bats and monsters made of shadows descended upon you with their teeth bared and claws out, tearing into your body. You had yelled for him to save you, to stop being useless, damning him for not stopping you from leaving...yet their horrible noises drowned out any further shouts.

Then you were gone.

You were gone and he failed you.

And it was all his fault.

It made him joltbwide awake at 3 AM, and he felt like his heart was about to burst from his chest. His mind kept going to you, constantly checking to make sure you're still breathing, unable to fall back to sleep for a while.

When he did, he was in tears.

..........

"No."

"Shane, I know last night was bad. But I'm not-"

"You're not going to the mines today. I mean it."

Dumbfounded, you gazed at Shane, who was physically blocking you from leaving the cabin. A scowl was written all over his face.

You sighed and rubbed the side of your head. "It's only the first few levels, honey. Willy needed bug meat for-"

"Right. The "first few" you say, and then I'll get a call from Harvey at 2 AM about you needing emergency surgery again." He gritted his teeth, tears coming to his eyes. "Whatever he or anyone in this damn town needs in those mines can wait. Why can't you just stay?!"

"I don't understand.." Your eyebrows furrowed. "You never cared before if I went there. What changed?"

"What changed....? What changed is that I've been having a lot more of sleepless nights lately! I can barely eat or do anything except worry and worry about you. And it's because...because..." He trailed off.

"Because what?"

"......."

You sighed. "Shane, if you're not gonna tell me what's wrong, then I don't see why-"

"Because you've been scaring me to death okay?!" His hands now gripping your shoulders as he stared at you. "You think you're invincible, but you aren't. What don't you get?! How badly are you gonna let those things hurt you?! Or be the reason YOU DROP DEAD AND DON'T COME HOME?!!" He screamed.

Your own eyes widened, stunned by his words..and eventually you saw the realization flash across his face as he blurted out his true feelings.

The ones he tried to hide from you, yet consumed him for hours upon hours whenever you left for the mines.

It made your heart plummet.

His breath hitched, and you then saw the tears beginning to fall from his greenish eyes.

"Shane..."

"[Y/n], you saved me from throwing my life away. And...i-it's like you're throwing away yours for no reason!" He sobbed. "Night after night, I have nightmares of seeing your limp body..a-and....and I can't save you. I can't do anything except scream and beg them to stop hurting you! But they never listen! A-And...I just...I-I don't wanna lose you. I can't lose you..."

He looked totally shattered, making you finally realize how serious this was.

Your guilt right now was immensurable, watching the man you loved fall apart right in front of you.

And it was your fault.

"Sweetheart, I'm so sorry..." You pulled him into a tight hug, and he completely broke down in your arms. His quiet crying became muffled by your shoulder. "I..I had no idea you were feeling that way. Why didn't you tell me about the nightmares sooner?"

"You would've thought..th-they were stupid. Or that I sound "needy" or controlling.." He sniffled. "I-I know I can't stop you from going, but...I just..a-after what happened to you last night, I...I.."

"Oh, honey..that was my dumb mistake. The monsters had nothing to do with my injuries." Rubbing his back, you gently kissed his head. "I was tired and got clumsy with a stupid bomb..but I promise it won't happen again. You're right. I'm not invincible. I need that reality check sometimes."

He didn't say anything, instead holding onto you tighter.

You never realized how badly your mining trips and injuries were affecting him...affecting this very relationship.

The Shane you met back in Year 1 could care less if you dropped dead. He outright said he'd never go looking for you and that whatever happened was your own fault.

But the Shane you knew now was crying in your arms over the mere thought that one day you'll go into the mines and never come out, holding it all in until he couldn't anymore.

You've really helped him open up to you, but now you were tearing him apart inside and never really knew it until this point.

"W-Will you just..stay here today, please?" He finally spoke, not caring about how needy or pathetic that sounded.

"...I will." You answered. "I'll take a break from mining for a good while."

"....you would do that for me?"

"Of course. I'd do anything for you, Shane. Hell..I'd give that up altogether if you wanted me to."

You felt him shake his head, and you chuckled, squeezing him tightly. "I'm only kidding, but I promise. No more mining this week."

Shane raised his head up, looking to make sure you were serious. And he saw nothing but sincerity in your expression.

You sighed softly and cupped the sides of his wet face, seeing the torrent of anxiety and frustration raging like an ocean current in his eyes. "You must've felt so lonely and terrified, baby..I'm sorry. I won't make you feel that way ever again."

He sniffled again as you brushed away his tears, before taking ahold of your wrist to kiss your palm...where your first scar from a rock crab came from.

How badly did he wanna kiss away every scar those bastards left on you until none remained.

Some faded with time and care, but others were more permanent--testaments to your survival down in the mines..as well as your several brushes with death.

Heat rose to your cheeks, watching him become so affectionate and gentle with you, even though he knows you're not made of glass whatsoever.

Eventually, his tears ceased as you both decided to go lay down on the bed together, with Shane cuddling up to you and resting his head on your chest. All he could hear was your strong heartbeat drowning out the noise in his mind.

It was still kicking, like you.

"Thank you..god, that was exhausting.." He mumbled. "I'm sor-"

"You don't have to be sorry for being honest with me." You reassured, petting his hair. "I just..wish I picked up the signs sooner."

"INah, I should've been clearer...and maybe that would spare myself this headache I got now.."

"Hmm..how about we sleep in until you feel better? Then we can check on the chickens."

Feeling him nod and wrap his arms around you, you took that as a "yes" and chuckled softly, knowing you weren't gonna leave this spot anytime soon.

But that's okay.

There's no other place you'd rather be. Not even the mines.

#clanask #anonymous #sdv x reader #stardew valley x reader #sdv shane #sdv shane x reader #stardew shane x reader #angst #hurt/comfort

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yeehawbvby · 2 years ago

Text

Falling Away With You | Ch. 37

Sebastian x F!Reader and M. Rasmodius x F!Reader

Rating: Mature/Explicit

Chapter Summary: Time for y/n's first SDV Fair as a farmer!

Author’s Note: Leah’s joke towards the end is another stolen RomRas line. I could never make her this iconic myself u__u Hope you enjoy, I’d love to hear what you think! Take care x

Table of Contents + Work Summary

Check it out on ao3!

Prev | Next

It’s finally the day of the Stardew Valley Fair. I’ve got a few ears of raw corn, a tray of corn bread, and a basketful of those forageables I gathered with Leah, all ready to be presented.

This is gonna go sooo badly.

It’s okay though. I’ve got this. I’ve totally got this!

My reputation as a city girl-turned-farmer is definitely not at stake.

Nobody will criticize my efforts.

No one will point and laugh and mistake me for the clown Lewis allegedly hired to perform.

Not even myself. Nope!

No way.

Not lying to myself at all.

(Yes I am.)

Aaand if my grange does earn the worst possible score, at least I get to see the neat stuff Robin, Leah, Clint and Emily made for the crafting category. Plus, Lady Welwick will be there, and so will a bunch of carnies with games, and there will be yummy food, which could all be a fun distraction.

I got up bright and early to make sure I’ll have everything ready to go, and so I can get there ahead of time to decorate my grange a bit. Maybe the added pizzazz will woo Lewis during his scoring. I shake my hands and head to fidget out my nerves and hype myself up.

Trying to really encapsulate the farmer ~look,~ I toss on a deep red jumper beneath my brown denim overalls. I farm in these a lot more than I wear them out these days, so they’ve got some wear to them. Proof that I am A Farmer!! Then, I braid my hair into twintails and wear the cute hat I won at the Egg Festival on top.

When I arrive in town, it turns out I’m not the only one who had the idea to get here early. Marnie is decorating her own display – it’s right next to the one I’ve been assigned – and Shane’s tending to a pen full of animals next to the saloon. Further down the town square, Clint is polishing a bunch of weapons. While this is going on, tents are still being set up, and Lewis seems busy supervising that.

“Nice to see you here so early!” Marnie greets me, a warm grin on her face.

I smile back, grunting as I plop down my baskets and bins on the ground in front of my grange. “I don’t have much, so I wanted this to at least look nice.” I stand up straight, a tray of cornbread and some faux flowers in hand.

“Your first harvest was lovely,” she reassures me while I plop the cornbread dead-center into the display, “I’m sure you’ll do wonderfully today.”

Marnie places a comforting hand on my shoulder, and as I place some flowers around the cornbread, I briefly lean my cheek down to her hand. “Thanks, I hope so.”

Aside from the noises of us participants working and the carnies talking further away, the air is quiet. There’s barely a breeze today, and because of the chilly autumn air, not many critters are chirping. Every here and there, I merely hear a bunny or something scurrying around behind the buildings nearby.

By the time I’m finished setting everything up, most of the townspeople have flooded in. Must be 9 already. I’m proven correct as I hear a yawn and feel a hand on each of my shoulders, followed by a sharp chin on my head.

“Mornin’,” Sebastian grumbles, inspecting my set-up.

“Hello, my love,” I cheerily greet him, tilting my head up to see him. I wiggle him off me, and he obliges, wrapping over to my side.

“Looks good,” he comments.

“I’d hope so. Got here, like, an hour and a half ago.”

“Gross.”

“I know,” I agree, “So early…” I hug Seb’s arm and lean against it. “When does Lewis usually grade these things?”

“You’ve got a few hours. Why don’t we walk around a bit?”

“Fuck yeah, let’s go.”

______________

Seb and I played a few games, hung out with his mom and Leah by their granges, and watched the shitty clown in pure horror for a bit. As more people from out of town began arriving, we retreated up near the community center to eat some of the stuff Gus has been grilling.

“Feels way too early for barbecue.” Seb is still mad about being awake so early, understandably so. Was probably busy working late into the night. He looks super mopey as he bites down on his hot dog.

“It’sh sho good though…” I answer with my mouth full. I swear, I’ve never had a veggie burger that was so well-seasoned. Gus has to be some weird breed of food-wizard.

“Yeah, if there’s one perk to living here, it’s the food.” Seb takes another bite, then asks after swallowing, “Anything in particular you wanna check out next?”

“I dunno.” I peer over the bushes that line the short cliff overlooking town, and eyeball a tent that looks similarly decorated to the one Welwick had at the Calico Night Market. “I promised Welwick I’d pay her a visit, should probably do that sooner than later.” Peering back at Seb, I notice that he seems to be thinking hard. “What’s up?”

“Maybe I’ll go with you, this time, if that’s alright with you.”

Grinning, I nod with vigor. “Totally! You sure, though?”

He nods too. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and… I, like,” Seb pauses to get his thoughts together. “I don’t know if I want to be a wizard, considering how odd it still feels for me to be exposed to all this again.” That makes sense.

Nodding, I urge him to continue.

“But I don’t want to waste this weird gift either, if that makes any sense.” He shrugs, sorta to himself. “Seems less scary, now that I’m watching how well you’re adapting to it all. And also, I guess just seeing you have anything to do with it has been making me want to get involved…” His cheeks flush a little. “It would be cool if we could spend more time together when I’m not coding and you’re not farming, too.”

A little image of myself, Sebastian and Magnus working with one another in the tower flashes in my head. I feel butterflies in my tummy and get giddy with excitement – Was that a vision…? Or just positive thinking? – but do my best to hold it in.

“That would be really nice,” I nearly squeak. So much for containing myself. “I’m sure Magnus would be happy to help, too. I’m not really good enough yet to feel comfortable showing you the ropes alone.”

“Yeah, but I still have some things to sort out with him first.” He explains, “I really want to apologize for abandoning him.”

I take Seb’s hand – which was in a curled fist on the wooden picnic table – into both of mine, thumbing at his knuckles. “I’m sure you know by now that he’s literally, like, the sweetest person ever. He’ll probably understand.”

After nodding, Seb lifts my hands to his lips, pecking my bent fingers. “I hope you’re right,” he mutters, his lips still against my knuckles. “Would be weird if you two start dating and there’s still some unfinished business going on with me and him.”

I snort. “Thank you for not saying ‘getting jiggy’ again.”

“I should’ve,” he tuts. “Wasted an opportunity there.”

I roll my eyes and tug him up. “Come on, let’s go see that witch.”

Fingers intertwined, we make our way down the stairs and through the crowd. We run into Victor and his mom, who is so fucking beautiful holy shit, who’s deep in conversation with Caroline and Jodi. I wonder where Abby and Sam are, that he’s not off hanging out with them…? Either way, Seb promises that we’ll come rescue him once we’re finished with our current business.

Welwick’s tent is set up close to the cemetery. Feels fitting, for her to not just be further away from all the hubbub, but to also be near something spooky.

What’s also fitting is that Magnus is here – not even trying to disguise himself – and speaking with her. I guess he really was serious about trying to integrate himself into the town more. Hopefully he didn’t scare anyone this time…

“Didn’t expect to see him here,” I whisper to Seb. I look up, and he’s taking a deep breath in. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” he assures me with a squeeze of my hand. “Y’know what? This is perfect. It’ll force me to get that conversation out of the way.”

“Want me to go grab him for you?”

“Nah,” he shakes his head, still watching the elemental. Magnus has no idea we’re nearby, unless he’s just hiding it. “When you go up to the tent I’ll just sorta… break off with him, and work from there.”

“Okie dokie,” I salute. We continue walking, and I clear my throat when we get closer.

Magnus peers up, and his eyes dart between Seb and I. He returns my grin, and offers a soft nod of the head to Seb.

“Hello,” he nervously greets us. “Er, I’ll be going–”

“Wait,” Seb prompts, and Magnus’ eyes flush pink. “Can… can we talk?”

After a deep breath, Magnus nods. “Of course.”

He says his goodbye to Welwick just as I’m releasing my hold on Seb’s hand, and we switch spots. I hope their conversation goes well. I’m sure it will, but who knows.

It’s funny seeing how Magnus towers over Seb when they’re side-by-side like that. Makes him look so tiny…

As I approach where Magnus was standing, I’m shocked and delighted to see Welwick’s hood down. Her dusty blue-gray hair flows in long, thick waves – easily down to the small of her back – with a thin braid framing each side of her face. Her pale ears, as pointed as I’d expected, are poking out of her hair and adorn a large sum of piercings. Finally, her eyes — which are just as wrinkled as I expected — look soft and sleepy and warm, with irises as blue as her signature cloak.

“Greetings, my young friend!” The woman welcomes me with a wide smile. “That relic has been treating you well, I hope?” Welwick motions towards my necklace and I nod, clutching it on instinct.

“Hi, yeah! I think I’ve started getting non-sleeping visions now, actually. Still hard to tell if it’s just my imagination or not.”

“Only time will tell. I hope it is as useful for you as it once was for me.”

“Thank you,” I smile shyly. I wonder if she really just wanted me to keep her company, rather than to discuss anything in particular, when she told me to stop by… so far it seems that way. “H-how’s your day been?” I offer.

“Lovely, thank you for inquiring. It’s always a delight to be in Pelican Town. The energies are fierce here – truly invigorating, indeed!”

“Is that just ‘cause of Magnus, or…?”

“Amongst other things, yes.”

We continue to talk, exchanging pleasantries until she decides to dive more into her past (or, at least what she can remember of it). She’s clearly very stoked to hear about how recently I started my journey with all this arcane stuff, and to share her own experiences in any ways that can help or inspire me. It’s adorable.

We only halt our conversation when Seb and Magnus return. They were still speaking, both with a soft smile on their features, as they walked over to meet us. Made me feel all fuzzy. When Welwick sent me off, I half-expected her to tease me about Magnus (or even Magnus and Seb). Nothing came of it, though, which I’m thankful for; I’ve already experienced enough of that from Robin in regards to her son.

“So, uh…” I cut the short silence as we stroll a few feet over to the side before settling. Magnus must want to be somewhat hidden, considering how he seems to be confining himself to this small area. “You two made up, or whatever, I’m assuming?” I look back and forth between them, fidgeting with my necklace.

Suddenly, I’m realizing how intimidating the prospect of possibly “being with” both of them is… it feels weird. Not a bad weird, but just something that’s gonna take getting used to.

“Yeah,” Seb responds from my left, while Magnus’ “Indeed” sounds from my right side.

“Honestly it feels undeserved,” Seb adds, “but I’m happy we got to catch up a bit too.”

“Likewise,” Magnus grins. He then peers down towards me, “You hadn’t mentioned you were acquainted with Lady Welwick. When did that occur?”

I shrug. “I haven’t really had the chance. Happened the same day I met Camilla.”

“Ah, Camilla’s still bugging you?” Seb observes, gesturing with his head towards Magnus.

A hefty sigh and exasperated expression accompany the taller man’s nod. “Gave this poor girl quite a fright, too.”

“Was like a real life jumpscare.” I shudder. “She’s so… touchy.”

Popping his knuckles, Seb says, “Fuckin’ succubus, that lady.” I raise an eyebrow, and Seb shakes his head. He puts his hands up in defense for emphasis. “Nothing happened, but that doesn’t mean she didn’t try.” I tilt my head and nod, completely understanding. She did come off as very flirtatious.

“Is she the same way with you, Magnus?” I ask.

“Not anymore, thankfully. It took that wretch ages to understand my ill feelings towards her outside of a professional exchange.”

We fall into another silence.

This is strange.

“Do you, uh, want to come walk around with us?” Seb asks Magnus. There’s a bit of a blush on his cheeks. I wonder if it’s out of mere embarrassment, or something more…

Y’know, I’ve had suspicions that he might’ve crushed on Magnus in the past, but what if it was more than a little crush? What if the feelings never went away? What if Seb’s jealousy at first was a combination of possessiveness over me, and envy that Magnus has feelings for me that weren’t returned to him?

Muuuch to consider.

Magnus shakes his head, rejecting Seb. “I’d like to slowly assimilate myself. It’s been quite a long time since I last attended the town’s festivities firsthand, rather than viewing from the sidelines.”

“So creepy…” I teasingly whisper.

“Hush,” Magnus grins, leaning down to softly elbow my shoulder.

My brain heavily hones in on how he has to lean down for his elbow to get to my shoulder.

I feel… so small…

Stop, (y/n).

Sebastian nudges me too.

Fuck. I forgot he can feel when I’m, um... feeling.

I grab his hand and squeeze it, gaze planted on the ground. My face feels hot.

I look up at Magnus inspecting me. He saves me the embarrassment of asking me what’s wrong, even telepathically, but I still feel my features burn darker. I drop my gaze again.

This is so strange.

I clear my throat. “See you around, then?” I offer, allowing Seb and I to part from him.

“See you around, my deee–” Magnus’ gaze darts to Seb’s, and mine follows.

“It’s okay,” he chuckles, rolling his eyes.

“...my dear.” It comes out as just barely audible.

Another silence leads me to finally verbalizing what I’ve been thinking. “This is so strange.”

They both hum an agreement in unison, before Seb and I depart.

A few seconds later, I halt.

My partner looks back at me, tilting his head in confusion and stopping in his tracks. “What’s up baby?”

“Didn’t you wanna meet Welwick?”

He thinks about it, then replies, “Not anymore. I’ve had enough magic-talk for the day.”

“You got it.” I give him a thumb up, and then we continue onward.

A few more minutes of perusing the crowd for our friends go by, before we eventually just wind up back at my grange.

Seb pipes up, “We, um… we talked about you, and us, and all that.”

“Yeah?” I prompt, fidgeting with the ends of one of my braids.

“Yeah.” He sighs. “This is new to me, and apparently somewhat new for Magnus too… but we’ll make it work, ‘kay?”

I shrug, keeping my eyes on my fingers and hair; feeling nervous and unsure after our group interaction, given how unnerving it seemed to be for all three of us.

“Hey.” Seb tilts my face up by the chin, forcing me to look at him. “Even if nothing’s romantic with him and I, we both want things to work for you.”

Seb leans down, stealing my mouth in a kiss.

“I love you so much, and I can tell how much he cares about you,” he kisses me again before continuing, “so I’m ready to take all the time you need to get used to it.” He kisses me again, before murmuring against my lips, “Alright, princess?” Oh. This man has me in a complete trance.

His opposite hand comes up to cup my cheek, the one that was on my chin staying in place. I nod within his grasp, unable to find words, and he kisses me again, more passionately this time. It’s embarrassing – we’re surrounded by people, both familiar to us and strangers – but there’s no avoiding the way I completely melt into Seb’s sweet lips and gentle touch.

…Until we hear someone clear their throat beside us.

My eyes shoot open, and both of our heads whip to the side. Mayor Lewis is standing there, one hand on his hip and the other clutching his clipboard to his chest. Must be judgment time.

“Please, save that for elsewhere,” Lewis scolds us.

Unable to meet his face, I mutter an apology as I shift myself away from Seb.

______________

Unsurprisingly, I didn’t get first place amongst the farmers. That prize went to that Susan lady, who had an absolute unit of a pumpkin in her own display. Second went to Marnie, and third to myself.

I’m glad I at least beat Pierre.

Lewis had some nice things to say about the food I brought with me, but ultimately, he wanted higher quality, farm-grown produce as well as more variety. I suppose it’s pretty obvious that I just scrounged up what I could to toss in my box, but I’d hoped what I had would’ve earn me less critique than he gave me. I think he was still feeling grumpy about Seb and I having an impromptu snog-sesh out in the open.

Abby and Sam had apparently rescued Victor and brought him to hide in Sam’s yard, which is why Seb and I had such a hard time scoping them out. After receiving the memo, Seb and I stayed by them for a while.

Seb and Sam smoked and tossed a half-deflated beach ball around , and Vic lamented over how badly he wanted a hit, but couldn’t with his mother nearby. In the meantime, Abby and I sat against the fence neighboring Emily and Hailey’s place and talked about the most recent Prairie King news (DLC, babyyy).

Victor had to leave sorta early with his super hot mom, and once people started to clear out, Sam and Abby went inside for some kinda band stuff they’re working on. They invited me in, but feeling tuckered out from the day, I turned down the offer. Seb, on the other hand, was going to meet them there later. Already promised Robin he’d help her carry things home. After seeing those two off – they both refused my help, those stubborn little fucks – I opted to start cleaning up my grange.

Just as I began peering around for certain red-headed, forest-dwelling, art-making queen so I could give back this huge mushroom she found for me to submit, Magnus snuck up on me.

“What are you searching for, dearest?”

Dearest?!

Also, “Holy fuuu—“

Jas was about to run past us to see what Marnie’s up to, but she stuttered once she reached Magnus’ side. Her eyes bulged as she viewed Magnus’ towering form, then she continued her trek.

I scan the area quickly, and the adults nearby — with the exception of Andy — seem to pay no mind to Magnus. I wonder if they know of him, or if they just don’t care enough to gawk at the height, ears, and weirdly colored skin. He’s at least in normal clothing and uncloaked, so that’s probably helping.

I didn’t have a chance to admire his outfit when we interacted earlier this afternoon, but now that I’m viewing him in a turtleneck for the first time, I have to stop myself from ogling a bit.

“Uhhh,” I draw out the sound as I try and think up a replacement to show my fear and replace my fluster without cursing. I’ve got nothing. I grunt instead. “What’s with you and popping up seemingly out of nowhere all the time?”

“For the reactions, of course.”

“Oh, of course!” I sarcastically remark, as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “Prick.”

He grins. “How did you fare?”

“Third,” I whine, shrugging. “What about you?” I look the wizard up and down, “You’re awfully elementally, considering you’re out in the open today. I didn’t get a chance to ask about that earlier.”

As he responds, I set the mushroom aside and pile the faux flowers into the container I’d brought them over in. “It would be a tremendous burden to disguise myself as a mundane every time I leave the tower.”

“And if Abby recognizes you?” I smirk. I don’t know if she would, considering how nervous she seemed to be the night she met him as Mark, but it’s still funny to imagine the possibility.

“I will simply wipe her memory.”

“You can do that?”

“No.”

“Wait, what?”

“What?“

“Then… how would…” I meet Magnus’ eyes again, and they’re riddled with mischief. Oh. He’s fucking with me.

I roll my eyes and snort. I wonder if spending today around another elemental (who isn’t Camilla) is what has him acting all silly, compared to how timid he seemed earlier on. Just as I’m about to playfully insult the man and request a legitimate answer, I hear footsteps approaching. I look to my left, and see Leah sloppily making her way towards us. Her cheeks are rosy, and she has some sway in her step.

Robin did mention that the poor girl didn’t score very well…

I guess she drank about it.

“Ah, I was just looking for you before!” I exclaim.

“Y’were?”

“Mhm!” I grab the chanterelle and present it to Leah with a dramatic bow. “Your fungus, m’lady.”

She curtsies (to the best of her ability, being in pants), and lilts, “Oh, why thank youuu, beautiful.”

Beautiful?

My cheeks redden.

She winks. Fuck. She’s stunning.

I squeak.

Magnus quietly chuckles behind me, reading me like a goddamn book.

Blissfully ignorant to my swooning, Leah points over my shoulder with the mushroom in her hand. My eyes widen, and I turn back around towards Magnus. He seems nervy all of the sudden – must be remembering the painful interaction he had with Leah a few days ago.

“Hello,” he softly offers.

“What,” Leah clears her throat, “what isss swayin', canis lupus familiaris?!” She starts giggling wildly, as if she just made the sickest burn.

“Leah!” I can’t help but laugh with her as I grab the wrist that’s still hovering near my face and lightly shove it back towards her. “Don’t be a dick!”

“You command, whilst nearly in tears of laughter,” Magnus narrates.

It was pretty funny… A hearty snort escapes my nose before I apologize, covering my face with my hands and leaning my back against the table my display sits atop. The pig-like noise prompts him to laugh along with us.

“Did I not sound like’im?”

“No!” Magnus and I answer in unison.

I rub my forehead. “You wanna come to my place ‘til you sober up?” I offer her. “You can stay over if you want.”

“I’m fiiiine.”

After shoving the shroom into the front pocket on her green corduroy overalls, Leah moves closer and puts both her hands on my shoulders. It’s clear she’s using me to keep herself balanced while she tries to put on a serious facade. I plop my palms onto her fingers, letting her borrow me for a sec.

“Where’s Elliott?” I ask. Maybe he could take care of her.

“He went back to th’beach with Willy.” Leah stops to hiccup a little, then pouts. “So mean, that one.”

I chuckle, sarcastically responding, "Ah. So mean."

“Let me teleport you home, at the very least,” the wizard to my left and her right offers.

I scrunch my nose, peering up at him with uncertainty. “Would that be a good idea? What if she hurls?”

Magnus winces. “Ah, yes, that’s a fair—“

“Okay, sure, I’ll do that!”

Our eyes shoot to Leah. “I th-thought you were scared of him,” I claim, in a poor attempt to save Magnus from the curious drunk.

“Naw, he’s just a little weird, thas’all!”

“How… relieving?” the wizard tentatively responds.

I throw Magnus an apologetic smile, then transfer Leah’s limp hands into his own. “Good luck,” I murmur to him. Then, I put a palm on Leah’s shoulder, and order her, “Lee, until you’re home, do not let go of him.”

“Mmmmhm, yes ma’am.” She winks again. Even through her bumbling, it’s still a gorgeous, tummy-fluttering sight.

I shove my face in my hands again. Magnus clears his throat, urging me to meet his maroon gaze. I do so with my hands still comfortingly cupping my pinkened cheeks. “Come see me in the morning?”

“‘Kay.” I mirror his soft smile, before he vanishes with Leah in tow.

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