Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The rain pattered against the windows of the old beat-up bus as it chugged down the road, its metal walls creaking whenever it hit even the slightest niche in the wet gravel. You were gazing out the window, gently nibbling on your bottom lip as you listened to your favorite tunes through your headphones, trying to ease your nerves. Despite the music, your thoughts constantly raced in your mind.

Here you were, up and leaving behind the life you once knew, to start a completely new life in a new place, full of new people and new adventures. It was a fresh start, which was exactly what you needed to get yourself out of that miserable rut of working your desk job at Joja Co., but it was still a risky move. You had just put in your resignation yesterday, actually, right after you saw the contents of the letter your grandfather had left you, per his will. 

You knew you weren’t supposed to open the envelope until the time was right, but just a week prior, you’d begun to loathe your job, your lonely apartment, and your existence in general, and something in you was telling you to start bringing Grandpa’s letter to work with you. It was yesterday when you decided it was all becoming unbearable. The sounds of the office had suddenly overwhelmed you—mouses clicking, keyboards clacking, computers beeping, and phones ringing overloaded your senses. On top of that was the nagging feeling that “Big Brother” was always watching, and you felt the constant pressure of piles and piles of never-ending work that you were expected to complete, within a timeframe that felt inhumane, crushing your shoulders. In that moment, a sickness had welled inside your gut as your body shook in frustration, and you knew right then that you couldn’t do this anymore. You opened the drawer containing the envelope with a wax seal, gazing down at it for a moment as Grandpa’s words echoed in your mind, about the crushing weight of the burden of modern life, and about the growing emptiness, that would indicate the right time to open it—which felt exactly like your situation now. After short hesitation, you picked up the envelope and carefully tore it open, and there contained within was the key to freedom from the rat race: a deed to (Farm Name).

“Shocked” would be an understatement of how your parents had reacted when you told them over the phone that you’d quit your job before lunch and had spent the whole afternoon packing with plans to leave the next day, but they ultimately agreed, wanting to respect your grandfather’s wishes (and they were also relieved to no longer have to worry about what to do with the land he’d left behind and told everyone not to touch). They came over that evening to help clean out your apartment, taking with them whatever they could hold onto that you wouldn’t be taking with you, and helped you donate the rest the following morning. Before leaving for good, you dropped off a letter at the apartment leasing office containing the short notice of vacancy, along with the rest of the rent you owed on the lease, leaving you with only 500g to start your new life with.

Now, you unconsciously tapped your palms and fingers against your backpack filled with personal belongings—a couple changes of clothes and the most basic essentials, along with a picture frame of the last bit of family you were moving away from, some reading material, and a few small items of comfort—and began to scratch your nails against the fabric, not realizing you had been stimming so much. The nerves about leaving so much behind and having very little in your wallet were now sinking in, and you couldn’t sit still. An old man seated nearby took notice, then grumbled to himself and half passive aggressively adjusted the newspaper he was reading.

Then, within seconds, a vaguely familiar song came on that made you stop your movements entirely. You lifted your phone to turn on the screen, and the banner on the lock screen displayed a song you hadn’t listened to since your emo days in high school. Your eyebrows laced in confusion, not having remembered putting that song on your playlist, but you couldn’t ignore the warm nostalgic comfort that seemed to magically ease your nerves, either. Had your music app accidentally turned on the smart shuffle feature?

Before you could check, a bright ray of sunlight broke through the clouds and caught your eye, and you glanced out the window to see beautiful green rolling hills and a sign that read:

Stardew Valley —>

0.5mi.

Excitement and anticipation now filled your body as you were nearing close to your stop. You watched as the sky cleared and the sun seemed to cast a ray of hope in the distance ahead. Of course, you loved rainy weather, but you couldn’t help but feel the sudden clearing was a sign that things would turn out alright. You now felt a burst of confidence about your decision to take this big leap of faith, and you had a feeling that something was waiting for you in the Valley that would change your life forever. You paused the nostalgic emo metal song and put away your headphones, now more eager than ever to start your new life.

The old bus screeched as it pulled to a stop next to another bus which looked like it hadn’t been active for years, and let out some steam as the door folded open. With your bag slung over your shoulder, you stepped off, taking in your surroundings. You took in a deep breath, filling your lungs with fresh air that was relieving in contrast to the musky air of the city you’d come from. That, and the beautiful natural surroundings gave you a sense of assurance that you belonged here. Now, you just needed to see if the locals would be as welcoming…

As though on cue, a tall, rather muscular red haired woman with broad, defined shoulders approached you with a friendly smile and welcomed you to Pelican Town. Befitting to her frame, she introduced herself as Robin, the town carpenter. Her strong, confident aura and faint scent of wood indicated that she was mighty fine at her work, too. There was also something motherly about her that gave you a feeling she and you would get along just fine.

Robin led you to your grandpa’s farmland which was now yours, and she was amused by your shocked reaction to how unkempt the land was. Though, you supposed afterwards that such a mess was to be expected, as the land had been left abandoned for over a decade. You made a mental note to get to work on clearing all that out tomorrow morning, and then a short old man emerged from the farmhouse and introduced himself as Lewis, the mayor. You had a more neutral feeling about him, but you figured that as long as you didn’t get on his bad side, getting along with him wasn’t too important.

After Lewis left, Robin lingered a little longer, considering giving you a rundown of the cabin’s features and what kinds of renovations she could do for you. However, she could tell you were exhausted from the move and decided it would be best to let you rest and settle in on your own. As she bid you farewell and started making her way back up the mountain trail, she noticed a familiar object attached to your bag that was gleaming in the light as you climbed the steps of your porch.

“Hey, wait! That keychain you have… Is that from that game, um… Solar… Solar something…”

“Solarion Chronicles?” You finished for her with a grin.

“Yeah, that! Are you a fan?” There was some excitement in her voice, which puzzled you, since she couldn’t seem to remember the name, herself.

“Yeah, I guess I dabble a little bit,” you replied almost sheepishly.

“Oh, that’s great!” Robin smiled. “My son Sebastian really loves that game! I bet you two would get along super well.” There was a hint in her tone that might’ve been implying a little more, but it went undetected by you.

“Oh, really?” You wondered for a moment how old her son might be, and you couldn’t help but picture a teenager in your mind, considering Robin’s appearance, which still held dearly onto her youth. You figured it wouldn’t hurt to make friends with people who were a bit younger, though, so you humored the idea. “That’s cool. Maybe I’ll come visit for a game, sometime!”

Robin’s face brightened, already rushing along the idea of her 25-year-old son getting hitched and moving out of the basement, but she held back from that talk, not wanting to scare you off right from the start. Plus, she didn’t know your sexuality, either. …There was no need to be hasty, now.

“Wonderful! Just keep in mind that he’s very busy doing work on his computer for most of the day, then has band practice on Saturdays… So, he’s really only available in the late evenings.”

‘Online classes,’ your mind assumed, ‘But in-person school band practice…? Interesting.’

You nodded. “Alright, well, I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks for the invite!” You waved her off, stepping up to your door.

“Of course! Have a great first night on the farm!” She waved, walking off.

“Thank you—!”

Before you could say more, you heard a rather large rustle from the thick brush to the west of your farmhouse. This is when you also noticed that your grandfather’s farm was rather… foresty. You might have limited land to work with.

‘Is there some big animal over there…?’ You shuddered, then glanced over to the mountain path, but Robin was already gone. You must’ve been the only one to notice. You gulped, again looking towards the direction in which you heard the sound, but you didn’t see anything.

‘Maybe… it was just my imagination. …Either way, I’d better head inside. It’s getting dark…’

You opened the door as quietly as possible, then immediately shut it once you were inside, making sure to lock it. Dropping off your bag in the dark room, you were so exhausted from traveling that you went straight to bed, your worries about the wild animal fading as you drifted off to sleep.

Chapter Text

Your first week on the farm was turning out to be unsurprisingly busy, and most of your time that wasn’t spent on caring for your crops was spent attempting to clear out rocks, weeds, and debris that were littered around your farmland. You couldn’t deny, it was tough work. Each day, after hoeing and watering, you only seemed to manage to clear out a few twigs and weeds, and maybe a rock or two, before your energy was almost entirely depleted. You were grateful that you had stayed in shape at the gym while working your office job, because otherwise you would’ve barely been able to lift your grandfather’s old axe, at all. Despite your exhaustion, you knew that you had to go out and mingle with the townsfolk a bit if you wanted to actually enjoy your new life in the valley.

You never considered yourself the social type, and you were super nervous about meeting so many new faces, but you mustered up some courage, knowing it was what was best for you. And at least it was a small town, you assured yourself, so talking to people shouldn’t be as scary as it was in the city. Therefore, you dedicated some time each day to meet a few locals and explore the valley a bit, but you felt bad that by the end of your second day, you still hadn’t met Sebastian or the rest of Robin’s family. You made a mental note to visit them in the mountains sometime, but in the meantime, at least you met some potential friends named Sam and Abigail, who seemed like cool people to hang out with. Abigail mentioned that they would be hanging out at the saloon with a third friend on Friday night, and invited you to join. You of course accepted, knowing it would be a good idea to take a small break from work, and for some unknown reason, you were very interested in meeting this third person.

It was now your first rainy day, and you were finding it especially difficult to work with wet wood and rocks. Not knowing what else to do, you decided to venture out for a bit, not minding the rain at all, given you were already drenched from your futile attempts at working. As you were thinking about what to do with your time, you remembered that a man named Willy had invited you to visit him at the beach the day prior, but time had gotten the best of you, and you couldn’t make it before 5. You hoped he wouldn’t mind if you came to see him while it was pouring out, and made your way down to the beach. Sure enough, he was standing on the docks out in the rain happily smoking his pipe, shielding it from getting wet, when he noticed you approaching from behind.

“Ahoy there, matey!” He greeted. “Nice to see you’ve got the true fishin' spirit, comin’ to see me even in this rain!”

Willy decided to give you an old fishing pole of his and went on about how he wanted to keep the art of fishing alive and wished more young people in the valley would pick up on the hobby.

“Kids these days jus’ don’t wanna fish like they used ta. But I see somethin’ in ya that tells me yer gonna pick up on the sport real quick.”

You studied the old rod in thought, never having considered the idea, but you supposed you should pick up on a good hobby here, anyway.

“I mean look at ye!” He horked out a chuckle, “Standin’ out in the pourin’ rain without a care if ya get drenched! A true fisher knows all the best fish come out when it’s really comin’ down like this, and ain’t afraid o' gettin’ a lil wet.”

Willy’s eyes shifted over to look past where you were standing, then gave a nod.

“Why, like that lad over there. I bet he’d make a good fisherman if he put his mind t’it.”

You looked behind you to see whom Willy was referring to, then squinted at a figure standing on the adjacent pier that sat outstretched towards the ocean. He was a bit difficult to see clearly through all the rain, but he appeared to be dressed in a black hoodie and dark grey pants, with black hair that was nearly shoulder length on one side and sopping wet. He simply stood there, staring out across the sea, and there seemed to be some sadness about him. Something drew you to him, and it was heavy.

You weren’t really paying attention, but Willy had been talking this whole time.

“…Honestly, he comes out here often when it rains and jus’ stands there. If I could just put a fishin’ pole in his hands…” He sighed, shaking his head. “I jus’ dunno how to approach the kid, though. Maybe you could talk fish to him for me and get him interested?”

“Huh? Oh—” You broke out of your trance and smiled at Willy with a nod. “Uh, sure! Thanks for the pole, Willy!” You started heading towards the other pier.

“Aye, matey! Go gettim!”

You stuffed the fishing pole into your bag as you made your way across the connecting pier, not intending on giving this guy the “fish talk,” of course. You held your gaze on him as you approached, feeling a pull to him that was unlike anything you had ever felt before. As you neared closer, he must have heard your footsteps because he turned to glance back at you before you could initiate conversation. His dark eyes widened, and for a moment, you both just stared at each other silently. It was as if the moment your eyes met, something sparked a small flame between you both. The sound of the waves crashing and the patter of rain against the wooden dock hushed down to whispers. Everything slowed to a standstill. Nothing else around you felt like it mattered, except for this mysterious man standing before you. You suddenly didn’t feel so soaking wet as you studied his beautiful features—at least, what you could make out through the rain—and noticed that several black piercings adorned both of his ears and one of his eyebrows, along with a couple snakebites, each of which really complimented his facial structure and pulled the emo look all together. Additionally, his hair wasn’t entirely black, but had a deep purple hue. You were certain his hair was much prettier when dry. …Maybe soft, too.

Finally, after seconds that felt like eternity, he broke the silence.

“I, uh… I didn’t expect to see anyone else out in this rain…”

His voice was low with a soft husk, and his words were smooth as butter. You felt a tingling sensation run across your skin—in a good way.

“You… must be the new farmer…? (Name), right?”

You slowly nodded, too entranced by his heavy aura to process your confusion about where he had heard your name.

“Ah—!” He flinched in realization of his forwardness. “S-Sorry, I heard your name from my… my mother! Yeah…” A cute blush rose to his near porcelain cheeks as he scratched the back of his head awkwardly. “She’s uh, the town carpenter… I’m sure you’ve met her…”

Your eyes widened as your attention snapped back to reality. “H-Huh?! Wait… YOU’RE Sebastian?!”

His blush reddened upon hearing your voice, but he was also taken aback by your tone. “Wh? Yeah…? D-Did my mother tell you about me…?” Sebastian looked flustered, glaring at the thought of his mom embarrassing him, like always. “Wh-What did she say about me?”

Your mind was doing acrobats with mathematical equations as the man standing before you was clearly a grown adult, but you quickly settled on the conclusion that Robin must be much older than she appears, and you shook it off. “Uh, she just told me you also like Solarion Chronicles and uh…” You began to blush, yourself, eyes shifting to the side. “…Su-suggested we should play together sometime…”

Sebastian’s face brightened, almost like a beacon breaking through the rain. “Y-You play Solarion Chronicles?!”

Your blush reddened at his sudden change in demeanor, his excitement in that moment reminding you that of a puppy’s, yet not in the same way that Sam’s happy puppy vibes were. It was more like he was someone who was usually depressed, but the moment that something he’s passionate about is mentioned, he goes puppy dog mode. It was like you were witnessing a very rare moment, and you two had only just met. Fuck, he’s so cute.

“I-I, um… I’ve dabbled a little bit…” You scratched the back of your neck, a little embarrassed to admit your lack of experience. “I-I mostly read scenarios and watch MeTube videos about it… I-I’ve been meaning to play more, though…”

“O-Oh my GOD…!”

You flinched, not having expected that response as you watched his unreadable expression, not sure if it was one of shock or anger or something else. Had you said something wrong?

“You READ that kind of stuff, too?!” His hand twitched, like he wanted to do something, and you were getting more and more nervous by the second, your body involuntarily twitching to back away.

“H-Have you… read Cave Saga X, by chance?!” He panted, and before you could move, he took ahold of your shoulders, staring deep into your eyes. Your heart pounded as you shivered under his touch, but you didn’t try to pull away. You were actually surprised that he mentioned the series, and you used the small excitement you had about it to mask the growing nerves.

“Uh, yeah, a-actually…!” You stammered, unable to keep your eyes on his, “I-I just started r-reading that this year. I-I’m uh, only on volume three, b-but I really love it so far…”

His grip on you tightened as his breathing shook, and he lowered his head so his dripping wet bangs were veiling his eyes, then whispered something you couldn’t quite discern beneath the sound of the rain. “Y…re …p…fe…t”

“E-Excuse me…?” You murmured meekly, unsure of how to respond to his inaudible whispering and the way he was holding you like a vice grip. In any other instance, you would’ve tried to pull yourself out of his hands and run away as fast as you could, but something about him felt… different from anyone else. Like he was a magnet pulling you to him, and his grip made you feel… fluttery, rather than frightened.

As though he finally realized what he was doing, he let go of your shoulders, staring at you with wide eyes as he quickly stood up straight, running his fingers through his hair and then casting his gaze off to the side. “S…Sorry about that… I, uh… j-just got a little too excited, there… Y-You know, fanboy stuff, eheh…”

“Eheh, yeah…” Your response mirrored his awkward tone, as you began unconsciously moving your body to walk away. You kind of got it. You had your own hyperfixations that would make you excited whenever someone mentioned them, so his reaction was understandable.

It just… caught you off guard. His overall demeanor felt like the opposite of how he’d reacted just now, so it was a little unexpected.

Sebastian must have noticed your subtle movements, as his face expressed guilt. “Oh, uh, I’m probably keeping you from your farmwork, aren’t I…? Actually, it’s starting to get dark out… Would you like me to walk you home?”

“Ah! No, no, it’s fine… I know the way back pretty well by now… I think…?”

You looked off into the darkening haze of the rainstorm, beyond the beach behind you, starting to feel uncertain of yourself. You had made it to the beach just fine on your own, but as Sebastian had pointed out, it was, in fact, getting rather dark out. There was the possibility of getting lost in the darkness, unable to find your way back to the farmhouse. The more you thought about it, the more you began to worry.

Suddenly, you felt a hand against your back, startling you. When you turned to look, Sebastian gave you a gentle smile.

“Come on, I insist. You’re still new to this town, and I don’t want you getting lost. Besides, I live up in the mountains, and passing through your farm is a good shortcut.”

You let out a sigh, knowing that he made some valid points. Slowly, you gave him a nod.

“Alright, yeah…” you agreed, “Let’s go.”

As you walked together back into town, it was indeed very dark, and only a few dim streetlights illuminated patches of the cobblestone road. It was very likely that you would’ve gotten lost without Sebastian’s help, or even worse…

Your body shuddered as your mind wandered off to the unknown beast that had been lurking around your farm. What if it came again tonight and attacked you? You’ve never stayed out this late before since you’d moved here, and it was nothing at all like the city in which you’d came from. At least there, all the lights had made it much easier to navigate back to your apartment, but here…

The darkness grew thicker after you two passed Pierre’s shop and entered the path which led to the bus stop, and further ahead, to your farm. From there, it only seemed to get darker and darker the further you went.

…Here, it was so much different.

Sebastian then pulled you closer to him, as though in response to your growing tensions. Had it been that noticeable?

“Stay close to me,” he said, his voice a low husk, “I’ll keep you safe. We’re almost there.”

You again felt a flutter in your chest, feeling much more secure being this close to him. Now, the thought of the creature on your farm suddenly didn’t scare you so much. Having Sebastian here with you made you feel confident that he would protect you from any harm.

Before you knew it, you were back at the front steps of your farmhouse, as time had seemed to pass much faster with him being so close to you. You were almost disappointed to be back home… oddly.

“Well, here we are,” he said, and you silently hoped he would keep his touch on you a little longer, but he stuffed his hands in his hoodie pockets, instead. You took that as your cue to walk up the steps, yet felt a longing to stay with him.

“Thanks for walking me home.” You smiled at him, and a light blush dusted his cheeks upon seeing your smile, but you didn’t notice it well in the dark. “I really appreciate it.”

“O-Of course… I’ll uh, see you again soon?” He then bit his lip and looked flustered, as though mentally cursing himself over something. You also found this to be cute.

“Yeah, we should play Solarion Chronicles together sometime!” You beamed, mentally hoping he didn’t notice the growing heat in your cheeks.

Sebastian looked a little surprised by your offer, but smiled a little and nodded. “Y-Yeah, we should! S-So is that a da—er, I mean, a plan?”

You chuckled a little, face growing redder. “Yeah, definitely! Once I’m not too busy with all this farmwork, that is…” You let out a small sigh as your eyes scanned the farmland, which was still an embarrassing mess.

Sebastian’s eyes followed suit, glancing around at all the work you had to do. He seemed thoughtful for a moment, and you suddenly became nervous that he was judging you, so you broke the silence.

“A-Anyway! Thanks again, Sebastian! G-Goodnight!” You quickly went inside and shut the door behind you, immediately cursing yourself and hoping he didn’t think that was rude.

Sebastian blinked, a bit taken aback by your sudden actions. “G-Goodnight…”

After drying yourself off and changing into a dry pair of pajamas, you flopped into your bed and groaned into your pillow, swearing in frustration about making a fool of yourself. First you acted all scared and nervous around someone who was just getting a little excited about his passions and was just trying to help you get home, and then you showed him your embarrassing mess of a farm and slammed the door in his face.

‘UGH. YOU ARE SUCH AN IDIOT…’ you mentally screamed at yourself.

You almost wanted to cry about your lack of social skills, but soon your exhaustion from the day overtook you as you sank into your warm bed, falling into a deep sleep which couldn’t be broken even by the noise going on outside.

Little did you know, Sebastian had stayed a little longer.

Chapter Text

—Earlier at the beach, Sebastian’s POV—

I was standing at the end of the pier and gazing across the hazy storm clouds above the sea, like I usually do during perfect weather like this, and I couldn’t help thinking about you, the new farmer who’d just moved into town. By day three, I still hadn’t had a chance to actually meet you, and it was frustrating me. I’d only seen you from afar a couple times, and each time, I was too nervous to approach you. From the first moment I saw you, (Name), something about your aura struck me like a train, and I knew that I just had to get close to you. But so far, I was doing a terrible job, only watching you from behind trees and never having the guts to say something to you. I needed time at the ocean to think, which was what brought me here.

I sighed, wondering what you were up to in that moment. Were you attempting to work, even in this rain? Were you out exploring? Talking to other people? Other men? …Were you safe?

My body began to grow tense, and I considered going to check on you for a moment, before I suddenly heard footsteps approaching from behind. I glanced back, and when I saw who it was, my eyes widened, and my heart skipped in my chest. Standing there, just feet away from me, was You, (Name), in the flesh. I couldn’t believe it… It was like my thoughts conjured you to appear. It was like Yoba answered my prayers, and I’m not even religious. …Maybe I am now.

For a long moment, we both stood there in silence, staring at one another. The world around us seemed to come to a stop and fall silent. Finally, I could admire you much closer… Your gorgeous face, the way your hair rests upon your head so perfectly even when it’s soaking wet, your lips, your curious (e/c) eyes, your nervous hands, the way you stand, the way you breathe, the way you dress, every flawless feature about you…

Holy fuck, I—

I swallowed back my tensions and remained calm. After what felt like eternity, I was the first one of us to break the silence (which was really badass of me. Usually, I’m not the type to be the first to speak).

“I, uh… I didn’t expect to see anyone else out in this rain… You… must be the new farmer…? (Name), right…?”

I relished the moment of finally saying your beautiful name out loud. It felt euphoric to say. (Name)… (Name)…~ I had to hold myself back from saying it out loud, over and over.

That’s when I realized you probably didn’t expect me to know it yet. I thought up an excuse, quickly.

I apologized—though you seemed too deep in thought to notice, anyway—and told you that my mother had told me your name, which wasn’t a lie, in any case. Mom did in fact mention you a few times… actually, she hasn’t shut up about you. She told me that you were cute and liked Solarion Chronicles, but I didn’t fully believe her. Cute? Yes, of fucking course you’re cute. I saw that for myself (and even more now). But Solarion Chronicles? No way… No way could someone be both physically amazing and share my interests.

No way would Yoba be that kind to me… Yoba was never kind to me, before.

At least Mom was already a fan of you, though. I wouldn’t have to worry about that, later on.

“H-Huh?! Wait… YOU’RE Sebastian?!” Your voice struck me like a thousand electric shocks to my chest, and I almost couldn’t breathe. Absolute music to my ears… Like an angel sent down from—Wait, what did your tone mean, exactly?

“Wh? Yeah…? D-Did my mother tell you about me…? Wh-What did she say about me…?”

Dammit, Mom. Probably embarrassing me again, like always.

I watched as you had a puzzled look on your face, as though you were confused about something. It was honestly so cute, and I got so caught up in enjoying it that wondering about your odd tone had completely slipped my mind, as quickly as it came.

I then heard you mention Solarion Chronicles, and my brain completely blanked, for a moment. It was like the skies opened up, and the world lit up all around me.

“Y-You play Solarion Chronicles?!”

My excitement got the best of me, and I wasn’t even certain if that was what you had said. I knew I was taking a huge risk in asking, and I mentally screamed at myself, hoping to Yoba that I wasn’t scaring you away. I mean, someone this cute liking Solarion Chronicles, of all things?! Though, it almost looked like your cheeks were turning a little pink…? Was I just imagining it?

“I-I, um… I’ve dabbled a little bit…” You stuttered a little and scratched the back of your neck, looking shy, while I stood there speechless. “I-I mostly read scenarios and watch MeTube videos about it… I-I’ve been meaning to play more, though…”

Wait… READ?! Did you say you read that kind of stuff, too?!

Before I knew it, I spoke my thoughts out loud, and you seemed to be getting nervous, but I just couldn’t hold myself back. “H-Have you… read Cave Saga X, by chance?!” My breathing became heavy, and I found it impossible to control myself as I grabbed your shoulders, the feeling of finally touching you sending more volts of electricity through my body as I stared into your gorgeous (e/c) eyes, which were unable to meet mine, as your nerves grew.

So… cute… Impossibly cute…

If you like Cave Saga X too, then you’re… you’re…

“Uh, yeah, a-actually…!” You stammered, “I-I just started r-reading that this year. I-I’m uh, only on volume three, b-but I really love it so far…”

Your words echoed in my head, “I really love it so far…” and my grip on you tightened as my body shook. I lowered my head, trying so hard to hold everything back.

Yoba was indeed finally kind to me, and bestowed upon me the greatest gift I could ever ask for…

“…You’re perfect…” I whispered, certain that I was too quiet to hear through the rain.

“E-Excuse me?” Your voice was nearly only a squeak, much like a mouse, and it was absolutely adorable. Though I soon realized how scary I must have been, and quickly let go of you, straightening myself out and running my fingers through my wet hair. Your response could’ve either meant that you had heard me and were freaked out by me, or you that you couldn’t hear my whisper at all, and I frantically hoped for the latter.

But at least you weren’t trying to get away from me, which was a good sign…

“S…Sorry about that…” I felt the weight of my actions, hoping I didn’t ruin anything between us, even though we’d only just met. “I, uh… j-just got a little too excited, there… Y-You know, fanboy stuff, eheh…”

‘…IDIOT, WHAT DO YOU MEAN “EHEH”?!’ I mentally screamed at myself.

“Eheh, yeah…” You responded awkwardly, and I felt a growing fear in me when you repeated my weird laugh. Just when I thought it couldn’t get worse, you made subtle movements to leave. That can only mean one thing…

Fuck, I’m scaring them…

Fuck, fuck, fuck— I… I have to fix this…

“Oh, uh, I’m probably keeping you from your farmwork, aren’t I…?” I altered the subject, then noticed a change in the environment that gave me a perfect excuse to fix my mistake. “Actually, it’s starting to get dark out… Would you like me to walk you home?”

“Ah! No, no, it’s fine… I know the way back pretty well by now… I think…?”

At first, I felt an ache of disappointment in my chest, but then I realized that you were uncertain of yourself, as I saw you stare off towards the beach entrance, thoughtfully. This was probably your first time visiting the beach, and the valley was much more difficult to navigate at night than it was during the day. There were many risks, too. You could easily lose your footing and fall into a pitfall, or some animal or monster could attack you, or worse…

I gazed at your backside, noting the way you stood with hesitation and apprehension. I could tell that you’d probably come from the city, or at least some place more suburban. You were unfamiliar with country life, so you probably didn’t have a natural sense of direction, either. It’s possible that you used to rely on GPS maps, and wouldn’t know what to do if you’d gotten lost. In that moment as I observed you, I knew that you wouldn’t make it back home without my help.

You seemed… so vulnerable…

I slowly reached my hand towards you, almost involuntarily.

…So… fragile…

I had to protect you, at all costs.

…And I wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer.

My hand touched your back, and I felt your body tremble in response. I gave you a soft smile as you looked at me, giving you reassurance.

“Come on, I insist. You’re still new to this town, and I don’t want you getting lost. Besides, I live up in the mountains, and passing through your farm is a good shortcut.”

Yes, those were very valid excuses. I mentally patted myself on the back.

You, thankfully, agreed with me, and I felt a sense of triumph as we began to head back into town together.

I stayed by your side the entire walk back to your farm, taking glances at you every now and then, to make sure you were still keeping up okay. I could feel how tense you were, and I wondered for a moment if you possibly had a fear of the dark. That idea made me feel even more certain in my insistence on walking you home. As we neared the entrance of the path to the bus stop, which would eventually lead us to your farm, my thoughts were confirmed. The darker our environment became, the more tense your aura grew.

You definitely had a fear of the dark, and being someone who thrives in darkness, it was my duty to keep you safe and guide you.

I pulled you closer to me. “Stay close to me. I’ll keep you safe. We’re almost there.”

My heart pounded as your body was so close to mine, and despite my confident tone, I was a nervous wreck inside. I did my best to keep it masked, however, knowing I needed to stay focused, in the instance I needed to protect you from harm.

Time seemed to fly much faster after that gesture, as we soon made it back to your farmhouse. I felt disappointed to have to let you go.

“Well, here we are…”

I wanted to touch you longer, but I respected your space and shoved my hands into my pockets to better hold myself back. I couldn’t help but notice that you almost seemed… disappointed, too? Maybe it was just my imagination... again.

As you climbed your front steps and looked back at me, thanking me with a smile for walking you home, I was enamored by your beauty underneath the moonlight that broke through the rain for a moment. Gods, how I wanted to take you into my arms and kiss you, right then and there.

“O-Of course… I’ll uh, see you again soon?”

I mentally cursed myself, ‘Idiot! What if they don’t WANT to see you again soon?!’

To my surprise though, you smiled wider in response, offering to play Solarion Chronicles with me, even. I couldn’t believe it for a moment. I felt a growing heat in my cheeks as my excitement got the best of me, once again.

“Y-Yeah, we should! S-So is that a da—er, I mean, a plan?”

‘FUCK. That was close… you fool.’

You let out a chuckle, making me feel nervous as I didn’t know what that could mean, and I began to unconsciously run my tongue across the backs of my snakebites.

But wait, were you blushing? My chest fluttered as I stared at you, swearing that your cheeks were pink under the light of the moon, but that was quickly veiled by the rain again as the moon hid behind the clouds.

“Yeah, definitely! Once I’m not too busy with all this farmwork, that is…”

I snapped out of my daze as I followed your eyes to your farm, and I noticed all the work that had yet to be done.

‘Oh… Crap, they must be so busy… Do they need my help?’

“A-Anyway! Thanks again, Sebastian! G-Goodnight!”

Your sudden outburst broke me out of my thoughts, and when I looked back, you were already inside your house, shutting the door behind you.

“G-Goodnight…” I responded as the door slammed, wondering what that was all about. I stood there in silence under the falling rain for a moment, processing the interaction and wondering if I’d done something wrong, then again scanned my eyes across the wet farmland.

‘Ah, wait… Maybe they’re embarrassed about how much work they still have to do here…’

I glanced at your tools sitting in a bin by your porch steps, wet but not submerged, at least, as the bin was slotted on the sides to allow the water to drain. I picked up your axe and pickaxe together with ease, then gave another thoughtful look to the fallen branches and rocks.

‘Maybe they’d appreciate some help around here… I guess clearing a little bit won’t hurt.’

I smiled to myself at the thought of you waking up in delight and relief to see that you had less farmwork to do, which motivated me to swiftly swing the axe onto the first branch I saw and get to work. Even though I sit at my computer most of the time, doing a little bit of this type of work was no problem for me. I take after my mother, after all.

—Farmer’s POV, once again—

The next morning, you had a small, quick breakfast made up of a granola bar and some instant coffee you’d brought with you, thinking about your first meeting with Sebastian the previous day. You were surprised to find out that he was much older than you’d expected him to be, but in all honesty, it was a pleasant surprise. You wouldn’t have to feel awkward about hanging out with someone younger just to play Solarion Chronicles, and the man you met instead seemed like a really sweet guy… Handsome, too. You sighed with a blush at the thought of him, but snapped out of your thoughts as you decided you should get started on your day if you wanted any free time at all, later. You got up, then opened your door to a sight that nearly made you spit out the coffee you were still sipping.

The land was much, much clearer than you’d remembered it. You laced your eyebrows in confusion as you tried to think of some rational reasoning for this. Your thoughts jumped to the idea of the rain having cleared some of it out, but that thought was just as quickly disproven, as your eyes moved over to see at least three trees had also been chopped down.

Not just chopped down, either.

You almost dropped your cup in horror when you noticed the large pile of wood sitting neatly beside your tool bin. You quickly looked around, and when you didn’t see a trace of anyone, you slowly approached the pile to take a closer look. The gears in your brain really began to grind as you noticed small pools of water between the logs, from the rain which must have stopped hours before you woke up, as your crops still needed watering.

Someone had come during the night and done a significant amount of work for you…

…And, considering the short amount of time between when you’d gone to bed and the moment that the rain had stopped, that amount of work almost seemed inhuman.

Chapter Text

As you watered and tended to your crops, you kept glancing over at the wood pile, wondering who could’ve come during the night and done that huge amount of work in such a short amount of time. Part of you was appreciative that you had a significant load taken off of your shoulders for that day, but the rest of you was puzzled, and frankly, a little disturbed. For a moment, you paused your work and just stared and stared at the pile, and the longer you looked at it, the more it started looking like some sort of SCP, just… existing… menacingly.

…But that’s a ridiculous way to look at a pile of wood.

You shook it off and put down your tools to get some water, deciding to take a breather and think rationally. As you downed a fresh cup of water and wiped the sweat from your brow, you thought for a moment, out of sight from the huge pile of logs.

‘Now, let’s think critically here… Who in Pelican Town could’ve snuck onto the farm during the night and played lumberjack?’

Out of all the people whom you’d met so far, Robin was the first person to come to mind. Of course, to you, the amount of work seemed inhuman, but you were still a newbie, so it’s possible that you just didn’t yet have a grasp of how much work was possible. And with a strong build like hers, you honestly wouldn’t put it past her to have no issue getting the job done. But was she really the type to sneak onto your farm like that? And during the night, in the pouring rain, no less?!

Yeah, no. It didn’t make much sense, at all. You refilled your glass with more water and took another sip, scratching the idea of it being Robin.

‘Besides, Sebastian would’ve probably run into her on his way back up the mountain, and—’

You nearly slammed your cup onto the table and grasped the edges as your body shook in realization, staring off into space.

Sebastian …!

You continued watering your crops once you were back outside, trying to ignore the pile of wood as your brain attempted to make sense of it all. Of course, Sebastian was the only person at your farm last night—well, other than Lewis, making his nightly rounds—but it puzzled you how a guy like him could do manual labor, let alone to that extreme. If you recalled correctly, Robin mentioned that Sebastian works at his computer all day, every day (except Saturdays, supposedly). He probably doesn’t see much sunlight, nor get much of a workout. So… just… how did the emo boy do it?

The more you thought about it, the less it made sense, and the more you wanted to confront him about it. You wiped your brow as you watered the last crop, then stood half-admiring your work, for a moment. Your parsnips should be ready to harvest tomorrow… Ah yes, tomorrow was Friday, the day you agreed to meet your new potential friends, Sam and Abigail, at the saloon, and that third person they mentioned. ……Why did you get the feeling that you already knew whom this mystery person was?

You glanced once more at the wood pile, thoughtfully. In all honesty, it was a kind gesture, if it really was him. He must have taken your implication last night of having a lot of work to do into serious consideration and decided to help out. You blushed a little at how sweet it was. Maybe you shouldn’t confront him about it… After all, he might take it the wrong way, and you didn’t want to hurt his feelings, being he did help out a lot.

Still… It was a little odd that he did it without your consent first.

Your eyes caught a glimpse at something sticking out of your mailbox, and you realized that you were so distracted by the oddity you’d found this morning that you’d forgotten to check your mail. Setting your watering can down beside the toolbox, you walked over to your mailbox and pulled out a letter.

The sender was Joja Co., which nearly triggered your fight or flight response and made your palms clam up. Because of the trauma from your time working for that evil corporation, you were almost too nervous to open it. …Then again, maybe it was one last paycheck that never made it to your account? If it was, that would be shocking. It was unlikely those sleazebags would even bother mailing you a check. They didn’t care when you quit, so why would they care now?

Nevertheless, you opened it, only to find that it was just a public statement addressed to all the customers in the Valley. Oh right, those scumbags got their grubby hands on this innocent little town too, didn’t they? You’d recalled seeing a Joja store on the town map that Lewis gave you, but it must have slipped your mind. Come to think of it, you hadn’t been to that side of town at all, yet. Wasn’t there a library and a blacksmith, too? You made a mental note to check the area out later—not Joja though, of course. Fuck them.

While your mind wandered, you skimmed the letter until something caught your attention. A giant boulder blocking the path to the mines had been cleared. The mines, huh? You had no idea that there were any mines here—then again, you still hadn’t had a chance to visit the mountains at all, with how busy you’ve been. But now that a large portion of your work was done, thanks to…—You glanced over at the wood pile—…that, maybe you could spend that day exploring.

Filled with sudden excitement, you quickly packed up your pickaxe and some field snacks, then ventured up the mountain path. Once you reached the open area at the end of the path, you took a moment to take in your surroundings, catching your breath from the hike. There was a beautiful house to your right—Robin’s, you assumed—and then there was a yellow beat-up tent sat on the left side of the trail ahead. You wondered if someone lived there. You made a mental note to check back later, wanting to make sure to meet all of your neighbors. As you passed by Robin’s house, you didn’t worry too much about running into Sebastian, figuring he was probably still asleep, or at least working at his computer, doing whatever he does for "work." Part of you still wanted to ask him about the pile of wood, but you had a hunch that you’d see him tomorrow, anyway.

Thankfully, you didn’t run into anyone on your way to the mines, not feeling in the mood to chat, and wanting to put your full focus on exploring. The only person you ended up running into was Marlon, the old adventurer standing inside the mines who gave you a rusty old sword to start out with (You were grateful anyway, not realizing you might need something to defend yourself with). But despite him being the only one you spoke to, you couldn’t help but feel a pair of eyes locked on your backside while you were walking through that rocky old mine entrance.

You woke up pretty late the next morning, still sore from yesterday’s endeavors in the mines. You had a few cuts and bruises on your body, from fighting slimes, insects and rock crabs, and also from clumsily tripping over a couple rocks. You’d only made it to around floor eight before you were too exhausted and spent, and you ended up getting home pretty late. In all honesty, it was a wonder that you’d actually found your way home through the dark. You couldn’t even remember how you’d gotten from the mines to your bed, but you were thankful you didn’t pass out somewhere else, nonetheless.

Slowly, you turned to ease yourself out of bed, legs aching. If you were to venture into the mines again, it would certainly take some getting used to… and probably a stronger weapon. You dragged yourself over to the TV to see what was on before starting your day, and you saw as a psychic appeared on the screen, announcing with a bat flying above her that today wouldn’t be too lucky. You considered the thought for a moment and wondered if it might be true. You hadn’t checked yesterday, but maybe that was also a bad luck day, too? You made a mental note to check every morning before going out, figuring it was better to be safe than sorry.

After a quick, light breakfast, you got to work, harvesting your parsnips and tending to your potatoes. It felt much harder to work today, with your body as sore as it was, so you took it slow and took frequent breaks. By the time you were finished with everything you had planned, another plan for that day came to mind: the saloon hangout. Startled by the quickly setting sun, you frantically checked your watch. 6:10pm. Already running ten minutes late for the agreed upon time, you hurriedly made your way to town, as fast as your tired legs could carry you. You didn’t have enough time to change, but you hoped your friends wouldn’t mind you coming in (color) overalls specked with dirt.

It was getting rather dark, but you remembered seeing the saloon along the way that Sebastian had walked you home, so you followed the streetlights until you came to an illuminated sign reading, “Stardrop Saloon.” Taking a deep breath, knowing it might be pretty busy on a Friday evening, you mustered the courage to enter, being met with lights, music, and a mix of familiar and unfamiliar faces watching you as you came in. So many eyes on you did very little to calm your nerves, but most of the townsfolk gave you friendly smiles and warm greetings, indicating that you were more than welcome into the bar. One man in the back however gave you a dirty look as he drank his beer, but you supposed he might have something else going on. You decided to ignore him for now, said hi to Willy as you passed by him, then made your way into the game room, where you’d promised to meet Sam, Abigail, and their third person.

“(Name), hey!” Sam greeted with his golden retriever grin, ignoring the fact that you were almost an hour late. “You’re just in time to watch our game of pool!”

“H-Hey,” you greeted, a little shyly, and returned Abigail’s subtle wave from her seat on the sofa. That’s when your eyes landed on the third person, none other than Sebastian, as you’d guessed. Just as imagined, almost-black dark purple hair looked very soft, now that it was dry, and his features were even more handsome, now that you could clearly see him under the light. To top it off, he was also wearing some lightly applied black eyeliner, to complement his appearance. He stood casually leaning his arm atop of a pool stick with flawless balance as his dark eyes immediately locked onto yours. There was a vibe about him that read as though he knew something you didn’t, and his gaze almost appeared to search you. For what, you didn’t know. Before your mind could process the way he was eyeing you, Sam put an arm around your shoulder, and Sebastian’s eyes immediately darted to him.

“Don’t suppose you’ve met Sebastian,” Sam said with a smile, gesturing to his friend. “He’s—”

Before you could respond, Sebastian spoke up, interrupting Sam. “Yes, actually. We have.”

There was a coldness in his tone that caught you off guard compared to how he’d spoken to you yesterday, but you quickly realized this was directed at Sam, for some reason.

The blonde seemed to notice too, because he let go of you and straightened a bit. “Oh, really? That’s cool, then! No need for introductions!” He wasn’t sure why Sebastian was giving him that look, but he knew it wasn’t too abnormal for his emo friend anyway, so he just brushed it off, figuring he was just frustrated about something from his programming work.

“Well, let’s get to playing pool, then!”

“Hah, you mean let’s get to me destroying you at pool,” Sebastian retorted with a smirk.

Well, that was a rather bold statement, you thought. Abigail took your arm and led you to the two sofas, grinning as she eyed you up and down a bit. “Sebastian always wins at pool against Sam. I’d play, but it’s not really my thing, so I usually sit out.”

Sebastian glared at Abigail’s hand on you out of the corner of his eye, but grinned in response to what she said. “Heh, that’s right.”

“Hey!” Sam whined, “I’ve been practicing a lot, lately! I could beat Seb one of these days…”

“Oh, is that so?” Sebastian challenged from across the pool table. “Let’s see how good you’ve gotten, then…”

His challenging look made Sam gulp nervously, and the emo boy turned and gave you a cunning smirk as he chalked the tip of his stick. You felt a heat in your cheeks as something about his grin sent butterflies into your stomach. Shit, were you getting a fever? Perhaps you were still disoriented after your rough time in the mines.

Sebastian took a smooth, deep breath, readying his stance as he positioned his pool stick between his fingers against the table, bending over, aiming for the creamy white ball. With a glint in his eyes, he stole one more sly glance back at you before he locked his focus onto the game, striking the ball with remarkable speed and precision, sending the triangle of balls in all sorts of directions. You didn’t know much about playing pool, but by the fearful look in Sam’s eyes, Sebastian must have made a winning first move.

As the game progressed, you could feel the tension in the air as things really heated up between the two men, and even Abigail was on the edge of her seat. Sebastian was absolutely annihilating Sam, and the blonde was almost on the verge of tears. You watched the dark-haired boy you’d met on the beach in the rain with awe, admiring his intense skills. And… your eyes couldn’t help but admire his ass, too. You blushed, quickly shaking that thought away and instead focused on the game.

At one point during their best two out of three, you stood to get a better look at Sebastian’s technique. The way the balls shot across the table and almost flawlessly knocked one another into the holes was very mesmerizing to watch. Your eyes unconsciously shifted to Sebastian as he focused, and you watched as sweat dripped from the side of his forehead. For a moment, your eyes studied his features much closer, and you noticed that his skin wasn’t exactly as porcelain as it appeared in the rain. In fact, it looked as though he might be the type to tan easily, if it weren’t for staying inside all the time. Maybe he wasn’t actually a ginger like his mom, after all…

Sebastian’s eyes turned to you as he made a final winning strike, noticing you watching him. You quickly turned away, realizing you’d been staring at him, and shyly avoided his gaze. That’s when Abigail emerged into the room with four beers.

“Hey, got some celebratory drinks, for what was probably THE most intense game I’ve seen Sebastian play!” Abigail grinned.

Sebastian wiped his forehead with the back of his wrist, taking one of the beverages. “Heh, did I really go that hard this time?”

His eyes shifted over to Sam, who was a shivering crumpled mess, clinging to his pool stick in defeat. Abigail quietly set a drink on the edge of the table in front of him.

“Oh come on, Sam!” Sebastian teased, “Try me again! Best four out of five!”

“N-No way, man!” Sam shook his head, wide-eyed and staring at the green carpeted table. “Y-You proved your point… I’m gonna… sit down, now…” He took his drink and slumped over to the couch, sitting beside Abigail and lowering his head defeatedly, beer pint between his knees. Abigail gave him a comforting pat on the head, although carefully, with how spiky his hair was from all the gel he used.

You took your drink into your hands and watched Sebastian with admiration as he swigged his beer, unable to help watching the way his Adam’s apple bobbed as he gulped. It made you feel a strange way. “That game was… awesome,” you mused, eyes moving to the pool table instead of staring awkwardly at him.

He finished off his drink and gazed at you as a blush emerged in his cheeks, though you thought maybe it was just the alcohol. “Heh, thanks…” His eyes gleamed thoughtfully, for a moment. “Do you want to try?”

“H-Huh?!” Your nerves grew, shaking your head. “N-No, that’s okay! I couldn’t… I’ve never played before. …Besides, I’d have no chance against the Master of Pool… Hehe…”

“Master,” huh? Sebastian liked the sound of that…

“Oh, is that so?” His cheeks reddened as he put an arm around you, earning a glare from Abigail. “Then why not let the ‘master’ show you how it’s done…?~”

You blushed under his touch, quickly downing your beer. After a quick chug and a sigh, you nodded, feeling a growing buzz. “A-Alright, teach me how to play…”

Sebastian grinned, placing a pool stick in your hands, then went to set up the billiard balls. “Alright, there are many different ways of playing pool, and I can eventually show you how to play those later, but this time, I’m going to teach you the standard eight-ball pool game. So, your goal is to get all of your assigned balls—either stripes or solids—into the pool pockets. Balls are assigned based on which kind the player breaking—as in, the player starting the game—pockets first; if you pocket both, you get to choose, but if you don’t pocket any, it’s your opponent’s turn. You break by hitting this white ball—the cue ball—into the triangle of balls. Each player takes turns after that, either attempting to get more of their own balls in, or making it more difficult for the opposing player to get theirs in. If you pocket your opponent’s balls or the cue ball, that’s considered a foul, and then it’s the other person’s turn. Once you’ve gotten all of your balls in, you go for the black eight-ball here.” He lifted up the black ball as he spoke, then set it back down in its position in the triangle, somewhere in the center. “Of course, you can’t pocket the eight-ball too early, or you lose the game. In fact, if you even hit the eight-ball directly with your cue ball and it doesn’t go in the pocket, that’s still considered a foul, and you lose a turn. Also—”

Sebastian went on and on about the pool game rules in full detail, even comparing bar and league rules, as your alcohol buzz grew, and it became harder to follow. Soon, you were no longer listening and just stared at his moving lips in a daze, feeling some sort of urge in you, but you didn’t know what, as your head was confused from drinking on an otherwise empty stomach. Before you knew it, Sebastian was behind you, helping you position yourself at the edge of the pool table.

“No, no… Not quite like that…” He responded as you were about to hit the ball with your stick. “Here, more like this…”

His body got extremely close to yours as he held onto your arm and waist, steadying you and fixing your posture. A heat grew heavy in your cheeks as your head began to spin, heart pounding in your chest, and you felt it might not have been just the alcohol. What was this feeling?!

Sebastian leaned over your shoulder as his cheeks were warm as well, breathing gently against your ear as he focused on helping you with your aim. You could tell he was surprisingly strong—at least, strong enough to chop a shit ton of wood for you, which you’d forgotten to ask him about—but he was being extremely gentle with you right now, especially with your sore areas from last night. It was almost as though he knew about your injuries… but… how—? Maybe you were just imagining it.

“Steady… Breathe in, and… break.”

The moment your stick hit the cue ball, Abigail rose to her feet, glaring daggers at Sebastian.

“Actually, isn’t it kinda late?! You, Sam, you’d better get home before your mom starts to worry! I’ve got homework I gotta do, and Farmer, don’t you have some farmwork to finish up?!” She crossed her arms as everyone gave her puzzled looks for a moment, before Sam scrambled to his feet, too.

“Shit, you’re right! It’s 8:30 already—” The blonde quickly finished off his drink and rushed out of the room. “F-Fun game, Seb! See ya guys!”

“Uh, bye…” You gave a half wave, still disoriented from the buzz and Sebastian’s touch.

Sebastian said nothing, at a loss from Abigail’s sudden outburst, and Abigail sent him another glare and you a somewhat hurt look, then marched out. “Bye.”

You blinked, confused about what had just transpired. Sebastian gave you a pat on the back.

“Don’t worry about her. She gets in her weird moods, sometimes. Hey, look at that!” He pointed at the pool table, and you glanced, noticing a couple balls missing. “You pocketed two stripes on your first shot. Way to go!”

You blushed from the praise, giving a shy smile. “Th-Thanks.” In all honesty, you felt like that first shot was an accident, given your beer buzz and Abigail’s interruption. Either way, it still felt kind of good.

Sebastian and you then cleaned up your game, putting the sticks, racks, and balls where they belonged, then started heading out. As you passed through the bar, the music and lights made your head pound, and you felt as though you should’ve had something to eat before drinking. That’s when a strange feeling suddenly came over you, and when you realized it wasn’t from the alcohol, but from a nearby table, you looked over, stopping before you could leave out the door. Sitting at the table was a rather chubby man with a full beard and mustache whom you hadn’t seen earlier when you entered, wearing black overalls with an apron like he did some sort of specialty work. If you were to make assumptions based on his appearance, you would assume that he was the town’s blacksmith, as you were aware there was one across the bridge, which you hadn’t visited yet.

What bothered you about him, however, was that he was staring directly at you.

You weren’t sober enough to really process his expression, so you weren’t certain of what it was that he wanted. Maybe he was just curious to meet you…? Before you could say anything to him and introduce yourself, you felt a hand grab onto your wrist from out the door—Sebastian.

“Hey, (Name)… Can I speak with you outside for a moment?” He didn’t seem to notice the man at the table.

“Uh, sure…” Your eyes shifted over to the table one last time, but the scruffy guy was looking away now, drinking a beer and seemingly half listening to Willy tell one of his fishing stories.

Sebastian pulled you outside, shutting the saloon door behind you, then brought you to the side of the building, away from the entrance.

“Alright, listen…” He kept his voice low. “I wanted to bring up this topic earlier when I saw you walk in, but I didn’t really get the chance to, because I didn’t want to cause a commotion in there… Plus, I was too wrapped up in showing off in front of you at pool…”

“Y-You were showing off?” Your face was still warm from the beer, a little too drunk to think about what him showing off to you could’ve meant.

“I-I mean, uh… F-Forget about that…” He blushed, shaking his head. “Look, I know it’s probably on your mind too, so I’ll just come out and say it…”

Oh, he was going to talk about what he did on the farm, wasn’t he? Good. That meant you didn’t have to question him…

“I know you got out of the mines late last night.” His expression was serious, and almost accusatory.

Wait, what? The mines? Had Sebastian seen you walk home?

“I typically take smoke breaks by the lake near my house each night,” he continued, “and I have a clear view of the mines from there, so…”

Oh, so he smokes, too? Actually, you thought you smelled a hint of cigarettes while he was teaching you how to play pool, but you’d just assumed it was coming from the bar.

“You came out looking pretty beat up…” He furrowed his eyebrows, looking off to the side. “I was really concerned, so I rushed over to help, and then—uh…” He looked into your eyes, and it seemed like he was holding back from what he was about to say. “You… Well, you started walking home… I don’t think you noticed me because you were too disoriented… and…”

You watched him as he scratched the back of his neck, eyes shifting as he thought of what to say next.

“I sort of… Followed you back in secret, just to make sure you were okay… I’m sorry.”

You were a little puzzled, unsure why he seemed so nervous to admit to this. In any other circumstance, following you home in secret would be considered stalker behavior, but if he was worried about your wellbeing, that made it okay, right…? You did get pretty beat up in the mines, and you were still new to this town, so you could’ve easily gotten lost in the dark.

You were actually grateful to have someone here who cared about you that much.

“I-I just… I didn’t want you to get lost, and I’ve seen… uh… bears on the mountain path before, so I wanted to ensure that you got home safely.”

Bears?! Really? Oh geez… You decided to take extra caution on that path, from now on.

“I would’ve tried to help walk you back, but I didn’t want to startle you, and… You seemed to be walking back just fine… So…” He sighed, running his fingers through his long bangs. “Sorry, I’m just making excuses here… J-Just please be more careful. I don't want you getting kid—”

Without a second thought, you hugged him, much to his surprise. Maybe it was the way he nobly wanted to help you get home, or just the alcohol getting to you, but either way, you just felt the need to embrace him, in that moment. You didn't really catch what he almost said at the end, too drunk to process it.

“Thank you, Seb. I’m glad to have someone like you looking out for me.”

He blushed upon hearing you call him that, losing his train of thought as your body was against his. He slowly hugged back, patting your back (carefully).

“Of course… Uh, would you care to have me walk you home again, now…?”

“Certainly.~” You smiled at him with a slight blush, then walked back with him.

Sebastian stayed close to you as you walked to the farmhouse together, but he had a lot going on in his mind. He felt a vague sense of guilt, having lied about some of the story.

The truth was, he didn’t actually follow you back home last night…

He carried you back, entered your house, and laid you in your bed.

You had passed out the moment you left the entrance of the mines, or more like, the moment Sebastian had rushed to your aid. The rightful citizen thing to do would be to bring you to Dr. Harvey’s for treatment, but Sebastian instead took it upon himself to inspect your injuries... and treat some of them.

As you walked, he blushed as he thought back to having carefully searched beneath your clothes—without searching your more private areas, out of respect—to make sure your injuries weren’t severe, and no ribs were broken. He knew exactly where your injuries were on your body, and that’s why he took extra care touching those areas while he was showing you how to play pool earlier.

What he also knew about now, however, were older scars he probably shouldn’t have seen.

His eyes watched you carefully as you walked, and he wondered where those scars hidden beneath your clothes had come from. He knew not to ask you about them until the time was right, however… as it might be a sensitive topic.

That was something that Sebastian thought maybe you could both bond over in the future, though, as he had several scars of his own.

Once you two reached your destination, you gave Sebastian another hug, thanked him, then disappeared into your house after you both bid goodnights. He lingered for a moment, longing for more time with you, then glanced thoughtfully at his work still sitting beside your toolbox. He realized he’d forgotten to mention that he’d been the one to do that for you, and he hoped you were grateful… and weren't too creeped out by it. He lit a cigarette, taking one last look at your house before heading back up the mountain path.

As you changed into pajamas and examined your cuts and bruises, which didn’t seem too bad now, you wondered just how you’d managed to treat and bandage some of them all on your own, yet passed out in your clothes that night, without bothering to change. Your mind pondered it for a moment, before you smacked your forehead in realization, having forgotten to ask Sebastian about the wood pile. Oh well, maybe he did do it, maybe he didn’t. There was no need to linger on it, with how kind he’s been to you so far, and with how much of a help that woodwork really was.

You brushed off your concerns about everything, instead thinking back to the way his body had touched you in the saloon. You also thought about how he acted so boldly and confidently in there, compared to the shy awkward guy you met at the beach. This Sebastian was somewhat of a mystery, and that made him all the more desirable, in your mind. After crawling into bed and getting into a comfortable position, your thoughts still lingered on him, and you felt a tingling sensation, as though your body ached for something more, but you chose to ignore it, chalking it up to the alcohol still in your system. You eventually drifted off to sleep, your thoughts influencing Sebastian to make an appearance in your dreams.

Meanwhile, Sebastian crept into his bed in just his boxers and a black teeshirt, then lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling. He was unable to get his mind off of you. How close your body was against his… Feeling your arms and waist beneath his palms… and how you had hugged him not once, but twice that night…

His breathing became somewhat heavy as his thoughts were clouded with you, and only you…

You…

You were so… perfect…

Sebastian slid his hand beneath the hem of his boxers, gently stroking his rising erection.

Every feature about you, every scar…

Every detail was so beautiful…

Just a little… Just a quick jerking off… and maybe he could dream about you, too.

He grasped the base of his cock, letting out a shaky breath.

“(Name)… (Name)…”

Just whispering your name made him grow harder, and his movements along his length grew more intense, as his mind began to wander to all the dirty, kinky things he wanted so badly to do to you. His mind clouded beyond reason as his thoughts of doing things to you became more vivid, and he was nearing climax.

Sebastian groaned, his body shivering, his free hand grasping onto his pillow as he continued to masturbate through the night.

He wanted you… He needed you…

And he would do whatever it took to make you his.

Chapter Text

“Sebastian…”

At first, he was surrounded by darkness. It was a common theme in his dreams, being enveloped in a black nothingness with feelings of sadness and loneliness overtaking him. There was something peaceful about it, though. Away from people, away from the noise, just he, himself and his thoughts. This time however, a soft voice beckoned him, pulling him to the edge of wake—or, at least, what he thought was wake.

“Sebastian, it’s me… Open your eyes…”

His eyes fluttered open to the sound of the familiar voice, and the darkness around him dissipated, now blanketing him in a soft light from the tree canopies above. To match the familiar voice was a familiar face, gazing down at him as he lay on the ground.

“(Name)…?” Sebastian muttered, to which you nodded and smiled, cupping his cheeks as he slowly sat up.

He reddened from your touch but felt confused as he tried to process where you both were, and what was going on. Last thing he knew, he had been masturbating to you in his bed, and probably had fallen asleep with his hand in his boxers. He glanced at his hand, but it was clean. How did he end up out here…?

“Wh-What is this…? Where… are we…?”

Looking around, he could see that it was a forest-like area, but not quite the southern woods of the Valley. This place was different, yet there was a vague familiarity about it, as though he’d been there once before, many years ago.

“You’ll find out soon enough, Sebby.~” You answered, in an unusually cute tone.

Sebastian’s blush deepened, even more flustered and confused. “D-Did you just call me…—?!”

He stopped himself, seeing a sort of obscurity in your eyes that told him he must still be dreaming. He understood now and changed the subject.

“What are you wearing…?”

His eyes had lowered to your odd attire, consisting of merely a flowy white garb with an incomprehensible shape—Rather unusual for a farmer to be wearing.

You glanced down at it. “Oh, this? Do you not like it?” You gave him a playful, mischievous grin. “I can take it off, if you want me to…~”

“Wh-What?” He was flustered as hell but couldn’t help a grin that etched across his lips at the idea. It was definitely a dream, because no way in hell would the real you say something like that… At least not yet, he figured. But dream or not, the idea of seeing you in the nude was exciting him. And being it wasn’t real, there were no consequences to any choices he made, right?

“Heh...” Sebastian returned the playful grin. “I might just have to take you up on that offer.~” He reached out for you, but you stepped back, giggling.

“You’ll just have to find me first!~” You taunted, then suddenly vanished into thin air.

“Wh—?! Hey?!” He jumped to his feet, looking around in every direction, but you were nowhere to be seen. It frustrated him. “This is definitely a fucking dream… But why haven’t I woken up yet…? Usually, I wake up once I realize that…”

A faint, blue glow caught the corner of his vision, and he looked over to see it was coming from further ahead, down the forest trail. Feeling drawn to it the same way as he was drawn to your aura, he raced down the path, past a thick wall of trees on either side. A few slimes peeked out from behind bushes, but they didn’t bother attacking due to his speed. Once at the clearing, he panted as he stood there hunched and catching his breath for a moment, then looked up at what appeared to be the ruins of an old temple, its broken pillars all glowing blue.  There, standing in the center, was you, watching him with an unreadable expression.

“This, Sebastian, is not a temple of Yoba,” you spoke, in a strange and somewhat ethereal tone, “But since it has gone unused by its icon for 1,000 years, it can be reclaimed as Ours. Now, pay attention…”

Sebastian watched in confusion as you gestured towards an old statue, whose face promptly crumbled and fell off. Then, he noticed several unlit candles placed one by one in a large circle around you—six, to be exact. His gaze then fell on you, and you smiled at him in such a genuine and loving way that filled him with butterflies.

“Sebastian…” You spoke softly, approaching him and taking his hand into yours, your loving gaze never leaving his. You placed your other hand against your chest as you continued, “The me that you know in waking life does not realize this yet, but I was sent here to the Valley by Yoba for several reasons… most of which are a secret, for now.”

His heart pounded as you stepped closer to him, your gaze hypnotic, and your touch intoxicating.

“…But I will reveal one reason now,” you cooed, lips just inches from his as you whispered, “and that reason… is that I, (Name), am a gift to you…”

The emo man’s heart thudded madly as he was filled with so much desire for you, in that moment.

He knew it… He fucking knew it…

You, (Name), were meant to be his…

“It is Our Destiny, Sebastian, to be together…” You snaked your arms around the back of his neck, gazing deep into his dark eyes. “…For eternity…”

Yes… Our Destiny… Eternity…

He had to make it happen… He had to have you…

Sebastian grabbed ahold of the small of your back, pulling you in for a kiss. However, you tutted him, raising two fingers against his pierced lips. You gazed into his eyes, again with an unreadable expression.

“Please accept this gift from Yoba… as a consolation for all that has happened to you… For everything that has wronged you… Including the fire… and the actions of your father.”

His body tensed in that moment as his breathing began to shake, being suddenly reminded of his past trauma. It was obviously a dream, but it still felt so wrong coming from your lips. He wanted to tell you once he was ready, not let Yoba channel it through you.

Sebastian gripped onto you tighter, glaring at you, but the glare was mostly of pain and anguish. You returned his expression with one of empathy, gently cupping his cheek to comfort him, your eyes never leaving his. He softened, unconsciously leaning into your touch as he gazed at you. Somehow, it was calming him. Despite it being a dream, and despite it not being real, there was genuine love in your eyes, from what he could tell. You would never hurt him.

“Do you accept…?” You asked softly.

Sebastian stared for a long moment, searching for any sign of deception, but there was none. Maybe this was truly an act of kindness from Yoba, to make up for not being there for him before. Maybe you would truly love him, and maybe you would be the one to bring light to his darkness, to heal his hollow, damaged heart.

Maybe you could save him, from himself.

“…I accept.”

You leaned in and kissed him deeply, and his whole world was shaken. Your lips felt so real… so soft and amazing. He wondered for a moment how they would feel in reality, when the time comes. He wanted it to be real, oh so badly…

He pulled your waist closer to his and deepened the kiss, desperate for more. You tugged on his hoodie, guiding him to the center of the ruins as you both continued to hungrily make out with one another. Slowly, you began to remove your strange garb. Sebastian broke from the kiss to watch, panting and feeling intoxicated by you.

His face turned beet red as you now exposed yourself to him, and though he was dreaming, he felt an erection. Something in his mind nagged him, however, as there was something very off about you. He couldn’t figure out what it was though, as lust clouded his reason.

“Take me, Sebastian…~” You begged him, helping him remove his clothes, now. “I want you to fuck me… Right here, right now…~”

Sebastian’s entire body was burning like a raging hellfire as he quickly removed the last bit of his clothing, never taking his eyes off of you. Yes, he wanted to fuck you and cum inside of you and take you as his…

“G-Gladly…~” He responded, moving closer to you as you both stood naked in the middle of the unlit candle circle.

You giggled, pulling him down with you to the cracked stone ground, lying in a submissive position with him above you. His heart pounded and his erection throbbed in excitement.

Suddenly, before he could take further action, the six candles encircled around you both began to ignite, one by one. They appeared to be following some pattern, but he couldn’t keep up with it in his daze. He flinched, glancing around at the flames.

“Wh-What’s going on? Why are the candles lighting up?”

You grinned up at him. “It’s a ritual to Yoba, silly!~ We must let Yoba bear witness to our love making, to properly celebrate Yoba’s gift to you.”

Sebastian blushed, scrunching his face a bit at the thought, but couldn’t help an amused smirk. “Damn, Yoba must be some kind of freak…”

He knew he couldn’t really judge, however, as he owned his own small collection of obscure hentai.

As he spoke those words, and as though to confirm them, a pool of deep crimson blood suddenly began to seep out from beneath you both, spreading across the ruins and bubbling through the crevices of the cracked stone floor.

“Um, wh-what…?” Sebastian’s eyes widened as he recoiled a little, getting blood on his hands from where they were positioned on either side of you. He felt his stomach do somersaults as he watched the ruby liquid drip from his palms. It looked… too real, for his liking.

“Come on, Sebastian…~ What are you waiting for? Fuck me like you mean it…~”

He was subtly mortified that you seemed unfazed by what was going on, while he, on the other hand, was frantically feeling your body for any abrasions to make sure it wasn’t coming from you. He couldn’t find anything of concern.

“(Name)… Wh-Whose blood is this…?”

“That… is something you must decide, Sebastian. Now please fuck me, already…”

Him? Why him?! Was the blood part of the ritual? Why was blood even necessary? He certainly didn’t have intentions of killing anyone…

The only person he’d ever harmed was himself…

As he was trying to reason with all of this in his mind, the scene before him was steadily becoming more horrific: the atmosphere around him darkened, the sky above him turned red, and blood began spilling from your lips while you continuously begged him to bone you.

“Please fuck me…! Sebastian, please! You must fuck me!” Your pleas began to sound more dire as blood dribbled down your chin.

“(Name)…?!” He looked horrified, grabbing your shoulders. “What’s happening?! A-Are you okay?!”

“Sebby, fuck me! Fuck me, fuck me, fuck me—!” A smile was plastered to your face as blood began to drip from your eyes, too.

“(NAME)! FORGET THAT SHIT! WE HAVE TO GET YOU TO DOCTOR HARVEY, NOW!”

Strange how he would come to such a real-life solution, during a scene so absurd.

Your body began to writhe beneath him in agony as you continuously begged and pleaded, the blood spilling out of your face now turning black. Your pupils rolled back into your head.

“FUCK ME, FUCK ME, FUCK ME—"

Sebastian pulled awake, sitting up in panic as he panted and shivered, body caked in sweat. He frantically looked around, slowly relaxing his muscles as he realized it was just some morbid nightmare. For a moment, he sat hunched over his lap, wiping the sweat—and… tears?—from his face, then buried his face in his palms.

“What… the fuck…” He muttered, trying to make sense of it all. He’d had wet dreams before, but never something quite like that. Did it actually mean something, or did Gus put something weird in his beer? …He doubted the latter. Gus was an honest guy and a great bartender.

And you? Did you have a nightmare, too? Were you okay? Should he check on you?

By instinctive response, he threw his legs over the side of the bed and hopped up, considering going to see you. He staggered a bit as he stood, feeling especially wet in his boxers. Feeling subtle dread, he slowly stretched the hem to peer inside: Caked with cum. Wonderful.

Sebastian cringed, then glanced back to his bed and cringed harder at the noticeable wet spot in his sheets. He then decided it might be best to do laundry and take an extra-long shower before heading out.

A little while later, at some point during his shower, it had come to his realization what had felt so off about you—aside from the mindless lustful begging: Your scars were missing.

He stood still, staring at the tiled wall of the shower as the hot water bore down on him. Outside, Maru was pestering him to hurry up and not hog all the hot water, but he paid no mind, continuing to stare at the tiling, studying its boring and monotonous pattern.

Why did such a small detail seem so vital?

His gaze landed upon a crack in one of the wall tiles—a small imperfection. Unconsciously, he gently ran his finger across it, tracing its shape. There was something beautiful about cracks, about imperfections in patterns… They were a lot like scars. They likely had their own stories to tell, too.

The feeling of running his finger across the cracked tile somehow brought him back to reality, and he quickly finished up, dried off, and got dressed, letting his hair air dry as he left the bathroom to let Maru have her turn. In passing, neither half sibling uttered a word to one another, which wasn’t at all unusual in this household. Sebastian instead kept his thoughts reeling in his head as he descended back down into his basement room to properly dry and style his hair, wondering if anyone in town was an expert on dream decoding.

Maybe he would need further guidance, from someone with knowledge on things like this.

Meanwhile, down the mountain at (Farm Name) Farm, you were taking a shower as well. Grandpa’s old bathroom was rustic in style, yet very tiny and minimalistic, consisting of a standalone sink, toilet, and tub-shower combo, all of which were yellowed by age and adorned with battle scars and stains, but still got their individual jobs done. The shower head was rather rickety, and you had to replace the curtain entirely (thankfully Lewis had an extra curtain and liner, along with a few towels, when you found out Pierre didn’t sell any), but you miraculously still got hot water all the way out here. You were so used to city life that you never thought about how septic systems and water heating worked out in the boonies. You were just thankful that Grandpa had a modern plumbing system set up for his bathroom, along with electricity and a basic antenna for a few channels on TV, unlike the traditional wood-burning heating for the rest of the home. You could live with that. Having to use an outhouse and burning wood every time you wanted hot water, though… forget it.

You had already gotten your morning work done, and you had time to relax under the warm water and think. What took up your head space the most, and what each new thought seemed to circle back to, was the somewhat pleasant dream you had last night.

The dream was mostly ordinary, having taken place in the woods. You had been out exploring and admiring the beautiful scenery around you, seeing colorful springtime flora and hearing the cheerful songs of birds you were mostly unfamiliar with. The most notable moment you could remember was when you saw a large fish splash up to the surface of the river to catch an insect for lunch.

Why your brain kept going back to the dream, was likely due to the constant strange presence you’d felt. Someone was there with you, but you couldn’t see them… and it felt as though they were watching your every move. You were not unaware of this presence, and after seeing the fish, you had turned towards a particular tree from which the aura felt the strongest, and approached it. At the very end, a dark figure began to emerge from behind the pine and grabbed ahold of your arm, pulling you awake.

You didn’t wake in fear, however; you were simply curious, about whom the dark figure was, and what they wanted from you.

The more you thought about it, in fact, the more you wanted to go visit the forest. You knew you probably wouldn’t find answers to your dream, but you’ve been wanting to explore the forest a little more anyway, and simply enjoy your surroundings. You needed a small break from just working and socializing each day, or else it might start taking a toll on you.

Deciding upon spending your day in the southern woods, you finished up your shower and dried off, proceeding with your after-shower routine. As you did so, you randomly recalled how you’ve been meaning to check out the Blacksmith’s and the library, and how you had seen, whom you presumed to be, the Blacksmith himself, staring directly at you in such an odd way last night. You paused what you were doing, a little disturbed as you pondered on it for a moment. Why had he been staring at you?

You shook it off, deciding not to linger on it. He didn’t seem worth concerning yourself over, and you would just simply wait a bit longer to go check out the east side of town. Today was a relax in the forest day, and you were set on that.

After getting dressed and packing some field snacks, you opened your door to head out, only to meet face-to-face with none other than the Blacksmith from last night, who looked as though he was about to knock. You gasped as your heart nearly dropped to your stomach, and you would’ve stumbled backwards, had you not been holding onto the door for support.

“Oh, um… I didn’t mean to startle you,” he sounded almost apologetic, but there was an apathy about him.

You gave him a puzzled look, with just a touch of fear, wondering what the hell this guy was doing at your doorstep.

“Just came by to apologize for staring at you last night.” His eyes wandered over to Sebastian’s Wood Pile for a moment, likely wondering what that was all about, then regained his thoughts, twitching his full-bearded face. “I didn’t mean to creep you out at all. I just couldn’t help but notice that you had some bits of coal and copper ore left over on you, so I assumed you’d been to the mines. I’m… a blacksmith, so I know that stuff when I see it.”

Oh? You laced your brows in further confusion, wondering why that mattered, anyway.

He took a moment to put together his thoughts. “Since you’re interested in mining, I figured I should drop by to advertise my services. Business has been… rather slow lately, and I could use a few projects to work on.”

‘Oh, I see…’ You were mentally relieved, realizing that he had been staring because he needed more clients. He was just awkward, like you.

“…Here.” He pulled out a large, rolled up paper. “I brought you some blueprints, for a furnace. You can use it to smelt ores into bars. If you bring enough materials to my workshop, I can upgrade your tools for you.”

‘Oh! Actually, that might be helpful…’

You thought about Grandpa’s old tools, which were tiring to use and rather weak, if you were being honest. Some upgrades may be beneficial to your work.

“Th-Thank you,” you finally spoke, accepting the blueprints from him.

His cheeks reddened just the slightest from hearing your voice, but you did not notice.

“A-Anytime.” He scratched his head, quickly turning on his feet. “Well, uh…” He turned back to you, realizing he’d forgotten something. “My name is Clint, by the way. Just stop by if you need a-anything.”

You nodded, giving a friendly smile. “(Name). And will do, Clint. Nice to meet you.”

Clint’s breath hitched, and he quickly turned away again. “G-Good luck with mining, then! Goodbye!”

He walked down the path to head back into town, and you waved him off, raising a brow. He was an odd fellow, but you would definitely consider his services soon.

You let out a sigh, gathering up your things and heading south through your woodland farm towards the deeper woods, deciding not to mull over that awkward exchange too much.

As Clint made his way to the edge of town past the bus stop, he paused to catch his breath. His heart was pounding, and he clutched at his apron. Something about you really had him in a chokehold, much like Emily had. He took deep breaths, trying to compose himself. He didn’t want to scare away a possible new client, so he would refrain from acting upon any dark desires going on in his mind. He was a Nice Guy™, after all.

Approaching Harvey’s clinic, another sight made him freeze in place for a moment: Sebastian, making his way down the path into town from the mountains. He quickly hid behind the left side of the clinic, out of the emo’s view. His heart thudded in fear, and he didn’t exactly know why, but some gut instinct told him it would be a terrible, terrible idea for Sebastian to see him coming from visiting your farm. He had seen the guy hang out with you, and how close he held himself to you, and something about him seemed… really dangerous.

That danger seemed all the more apparent, ever since you’d moved into town.

Clint really wasn’t certain what it was… perhaps an “aura,” as Emily might call it. Whatever it was, he was keen on staying the hell away from him, and he hoped it was something that wouldn’t interfere with his potential new client-ONLY relationship with you.

At least, that’s what he convinced himself that it was.

Once the dark-clad man was out of view, Clint hurried along over the bridge back to his shop, as stealthily as he could with his rather wide frame.

Chapter Text

The gravel crunched beneath Sebastian’s black boots as he made his way down the path along the river that flowed through town, his soft, dark, purple-black hair—freshly styled—gently flowing with his movements. He was wearing his Doc Martians, adorned with straps and buckles, and he had switched out some of his piercings that morning for spiked ones. He also wore a black chain hooked to the hem of his bottoms, on his left side. These subtle additions to his usual relaxed black hoodie-sweat pants combo made for a casual punk look, rather than full-on emo.

He was never the poster stereotype for the classic emo—rather, he was a natural blend of alternative subcultures, with emo being at his core. He was still exploring this, however, as he’d identified as just “emo” ever since his middle school days. Lately, just a little before you’d moved into town, he’d started to branch out his listening a little bit on Dropify, listening to a few punk, grunge, and goth tracks he’d stumbled across, which were recommended to him while he’d been listening to an indie rock playlist.

As he emerged from behind the cliff near the bridge, Sebastian glanced over to his right for a moment, having sworn he saw something brown blur by in the corner of his eye. He didn’t hear anything, however, as he had his wireless earbuds in and was listening to some new music he’d discovered recently. Seeing nothing as he looked over, he shrugged it off, then continued on south. While he had his back turned, Clint hurried along the bridge which was now behind him, but he was too enveloped in what he was listening to, to notice even the blacksmith’s heavy footsteps.

“Jealous” by Eyedress came on as he passed by the Mullners’ house and walked through Pam’s messy yard, kicking aside an empty can. He hated this long walk under the sun, which he usually took to get to Sam’s house, but the music made it much more relaxing. He couldn’t deny how much this particular angsty song resonated with his emotions. It wasn’t an emo song, per se, but definitely had an emo vibe about it.

“You could have anyone you want

Why would you wanna be with me?

You know, I’m nothing special…

Be with whoever you want

I don’t care, I don’t care

I don’t wanna know…”

…Okay, it was very emo, in the apathetic, cold outer shell way—the protective shell that masks the fact that he does actually care, deep down. It was something that Sebastian was only somewhat aware of, but he wasn’t going to have a field day peeling away at that shell and analyzing why the song resonates with him so much.

It just describes how he feels, and that’s all that matters to him.

As he passed by the side of the Saloon and down to the sidewalk across from it, he hummed along quietly to the part of the song that sang,

“I don’t have time…

I don’t have time…

I don’t have time…

I don’t have time…”

Still enveloped in it, he went along with the short pause in the lyrics, whispering the “No” that followed after. He passed by the bench in front of the bar, then down past the graveyard, not paying any mind to Penny holding a class session with Jas and Vincent just nearby. They didn’t seem to notice him, anyway. (Which was good, he figured, as he was convinced that kids might be scared of him. It might have not been necessarily true, but he thought so, nonetheless).

Now, he was nearing Willow Lane, slowing to a stop as Sam was standing with his back turned just ahead by the bush in front of his house, tapping away at his handheld game. Part of Sebastian considered for a moment not getting his friend’s attention and just continuing to where he was actually headed, but the rest of him felt it would be wrong to stand him up like that.

“Only care about myself

‘Cause everyone’s tryna hurt me,”

The song continued now towards the end,

“(Just) Just leave me alone

(Just) Just leave me alone…”

Sebastian watched the back of the blonde’s spiky head, who still didn’t take notice of him, too enveloped in his game.

“Just leave me alone

I just wanna be alone.”

He waited for the song to end, then paused his music and returned his earbuds to their charging case. Upon hearing the sound of Sebastian’s earbuds clack shut into their case, Sam paused his game and glanced back at his friend with a smile.

“About time, Seb! You ready for our session? I just gotta finish this level and—"

“No,” Sebastian responded simply at first, earning a quick frown from Sam. “I mean, sorry, um…” He scratched the back of his head, glancing to the side. “I sorta… have too much on my mind, at the moment. Why don’t you practice without me this time?”

Sam’s eyebrows furrowed, not convinced. “Aw, come on, really? But you came all the way down here to tell me, instead of just texting…? What else could you possibly have walked all the way across town for?”

Sebastian wordlessly glanced at the sisters Emily’s and Haley’s house, uncertain of how to explain the situation to him.

Sam glanced at the house, then at Sebastian as a confused smirk stretched one corner of his lips. “Pfft, what?! Don’t tell me you’re into Haley, now!”

The emo glared at the skater punk with obvious disgust expressed through the wrinkles of his snarl. “Are you kidding?! No, I’m not here to see her, but her sister. I just need to talk to her… about something.”

Sam nodded amusedly, covering his grin with his hand, which was sporting a fingerless blue glove. “Ah, so you’re into older women now…”

Sebastian was about ready to clock his cheeky friend in the jaw, but he held himself back. “Ugh, you know that’s not it! I just had a fucked-up dream last night, okay?!” He flinched, realizing he might’ve been within earshot of the kids nearby, then glanced back to see Penny shoot him a death glare, but neither Jas nor Vincent seemed to be paying attention, anyway. He quickly looked away as she prompted the two children to continue their class elsewhere. Sam would've otherwise scolded Sebastian for swearing within earshot of his brother, but with a short glance, he knew that Vincent thankfully probably didn't overhear the mother of all swear words, so he let it slide, this time.

“A dream?” Sam raised an eyebrow. “Are you… really seeking guidance from the herbs and crystals lady? The same one who plays weird loud Arabic-sounding music while I’m trying to practice guitar?” He thought it was a little odd and out of character for Sebastian to seek advice from anyone, let alone even talk to anyone, outside of his small friend group.

He glared at him in response. “Dude, that’s kind of offensive… And anyway, it’s just… something you wouldn’t understand, okay? I just want to get to the meaning behind this crap…”

Sam looked somewhat wounded by his friend’s words, though he knew Sebastian could be harsh, at times. “Dude, I’m your friend… If something’s bugging you, you can tell me—”

“No, I’m sorry,” Sebastian sighed, turning towards the house of the two sisters. “This is something I need someone else’s help with…” Carefully, he added more to his explanation, trying not to further insult his friend. “There were some… spiritual aspects to the dream, so… ah-” His eyes widened as he instantly regretted telling him that tidbit.

“Spiritual? I never took you as someone religious—”

Without another word, Sebastian quickly went into the house without knocking and promptly shut the door behind him with a bit of a slam, leaving Sam dumbfounded.

The blonde stared wide-eyed at the door for a moment, then slowly turned back to his game. “O-kayyy then…”

Inside, Sebastian glanced at his surroundings, unsure he had actually ever been in this house before. Honestly, why was he here? It’s a little strange to barge into someone’s house uninvited, let alone someone he never even talks to! What was he thinking…? He reached for the doorknob behind him, but froze as he heard a voice from what he presumed was the kitchen.

“Haley, I told you not to slam the door when you—” Emily marched into the living room with irritation in her voice, then let out a startled gasp as she saw Sebastian, grasping her chest as though he’d given her a small heart attack. “Wh-What are…?! S…Sebastian, is it? What are you… doing here?” She glanced around in slight panic but tried not to make herself seem hostile. He just always had such an off-putting presence, especially now that he was inside of her house, for some reason.

“H-Hey… uh… S-Sorry for slamming your door… I… uh…” He scratched his head awkwardly, in a bit of a mind fluster as he tried to explain the intrusion. “I… just…” He furrowed his eyebrows, gaze falling down to his boots, which he noticed had tracked in some dirt.

‘Idiot… What are you even here for?!’

He frowned, glaring at himself.

‘Get out of here… I need to… get out—'

“S..Sorry for disturbing you. I was actually just about to leave…” He turned away, opening the door a little.

“Wait!” She called after him, reaching her hand out. He stopped, glancing at her.

“Surely something has brought you here…” She watched him with concern in her wide doe eyes, searching him. “I sense you are confused about something… You seek answers…” Her lightning blue hair was a bit frazzled, so she moved it out of her face and tucked it behind her ear. “You should not ignore the voice inside of you that guides you!”

Sebastian was a bit surprised that she could see right through him, but he shook his head dismissively, opening the door a little more. “Nah, it was just some bad dream… I shouldn’t be here…”

Emily rushed over to him, taking ahold of his arm. His natural response was to pull away from her, but he just stiffened, instead.

“Please stay, Sebastian. I insist. I have experience in dream interpretation, and I have a feeling there’s a good reason why you brought yourself here…” Her eyes noticeably had a unique magenta hue—contacts, he’d assumed.

He returned her pleading gaze with a look of doubt, but he gave in and sighed, carefully shutting the door behind him. “Well, if you really insist…”

She gave him a warm smile, letting go of his arm. “Perfect! I’ll get the room set up!” She turned to hurry towards her bedroom to get some things, then glanced back once she was close to her door. “Go ahead and make yourself comfortable!”

Sebastian watched as she disappeared into her room, then let out a sigh, glancing at the choices in seating.

‘I really shouldn’t be here…’ he thought, however opted for a seat on the red sofa.

‘What am I even doing…?’

Sitting in a stiff way, his eyes scanned the room, seeing a fashion magazine on the coffee table, and framed photos along the walls, neatly hung and undisturbed. Various pictures of Emily and Haley could be seen, along with whom he presumed to be their parents, who were currently traveling the world, if he remembered correctly. Despite the fact that the parents were absent a lot, it seemed like a perfect family.

…He felt very out of place here.

Unconsciously, he fidgeted with the side hem of his sweatpants, glancing somewhat nervously towards the door. He silently hoped Haley wouldn’t return home while he was here. She would probably freak out seeing someone like him at her house, and he didn’t want to deal with any drama that should follow.

“Here we are!” Emily chirped as she returned, arms full of various candles and crystals, a book, an incense burner, and several dried herbs. As she laid the mess of things out on the table and removed the magazine—setting it aside out of view—Sebastian frowned, getting slightly uncomfortable. If he wasn’t regretting his decision to come here already, he was starting to, now…

“Um, Emily, this is… nice and all, but I think I’ll—” He started to stand, but she leaned over the table and stopped him, placing her manicured hand on his knee.

“Sebastian… trust me.” Emily had a serious look now, making direct eye contact with him.

He slowly sat back down with an uneasy sigh, mentally hoping this wouldn’t take too long and she wouldn’t put a curse on him or something. Satisfied, she gave him a smile and dimmed the lights, then lit several candles—each different colors—and began burning some incense of something woody, yet flowery.

“Patchouli,” she hummed, wafting it into the air with her hand as she took a deep breath, closing her eyes. “It calms your nerves, relieves anxiety, and lifts your mood. Now, I want you to breathe in deeply, and—” She’d opened her eyes and paused mid-sentence, noticing Sebastian seemed spaced out. “Um… Sebastian?”

The bright orange light of the flickering flames danced in the reflection of Sebastian’s dark eyes as visions from his dream flashed before him. He remembered there were candles—six of them—and each had lit up in a specific pattern, but he was unable to catch it. Was the pattern important?

“…Sebastian?”

“There were… six candles, in a circle surrounding us…” He muttered, feeling somewhat entranced.

“…’Us,’ as in whom?” Emily leaned forward, subtly straightening out the alignment of her various quartz on the table, giving him her full attention. The “six candles” part piqued her interest, so she took mental note. It was surprisingly sudden, though. She hadn’t even started up the music yet, and he was already locked in?! He hadn’t even whiffed much of that patchouli!

“Me and… Them… at least, I think it was Them…”

Her eyes shifted in thought. “Someone… special to you?” Maybe their identity wasn’t important to know. She wanted to maintain his trust by not prying too much.

“But… something was so… different about them. They were much more confident and daring… and their scars were missing…”

“…’Scars’?” Emily questioned, scrunching her brow slightly.

She couldn’t think of anyone in town who had any visible scars… Was he close enough to someone to have seen scars under their clothing? Not that it was any of her concern… She just figured she would have heard of it by now, working as a part-time bartender at the Saloon and hearing all the town’s gossip on a nightly basis.

As Sebastian stared long into the flames, another, deeper, more sinister flashback threatened to haunt his mind: the fire that his childhood home had perished in, thanks to someone in his past whom he wanted to forget about.

“Please accept this gift from Yoba… as a consolation for all that has happened to you…”

Sebastian’s eyes widened at the memory of the words that had come out of your mouth in the dream, with a voice that had seemed to come from beyond you. He clawed at the edge of the red fabric cushion he was still seated on.

Yoba… It was Yoba who made you say that…

“For everything that has wronged you… Including the fire… and the actions of your father.”

“No…” He muttered with anguish in his breath, his body shaking. Emily watched him with deep concern, about to get up to calm him.

“Th-The fire… H…He…” Beads of sweat formed on the surface of Sebastian’s skin, his breath shaking. Then, his brain gave him the image of the monster he wanted to forget, surrounded by the blaze. He remembered his hateful scowl and the look of pure insanity in his eyes, dark like his own.

“…Your Father.”

“Burn with me, Sebastian…”

Sebastian suddenly choked out a half-suppressed yell, staggering to his feet and bumping the table in the process. With quick reflexes, Emily gasped and quickly caught a candle that nearly fell and burned the carpet, standing it straight up. She hissed in pain as hot wax dripped from it and scalded her finger, but she did her best to ignore it and rushed to Sebastian’s side, who was grasping his face, chest rapidly expanding and contracting with his panicked breaths.

“S-Sebastian...!” Emily took ahold of his arm, however did not try to pry his hand away. “L-Listen to me, hey… Breathe…” She took deep breaths herself, as though to demonstrate. He attempted to do so, but it was shaky as he suppressed the pathetic sound that threatened to escape his lips.

“Something… Very dark is troubling you, but please try to release that from your mind now and focus on the dream… We can explore it together…”

“N-No…” He grumbled, shaking his head as he still held his hands over his eyes. “I… I can’t do this right now…” He started to pull away towards the door, but she pulled back.

“Sebastian, please...! Just please give me a chance to help you…” He shook his head more as she spoke, still shielding his eyes. She glanced at the flames tentatively. “Here, I-I’ll put out the candles…”

As she turned to blow out the flames, Sebastian rubbed his eyes, which were reddened, but not quite wet. He took another deep breath, becoming irritated with himself for having reacted so absurdly to some stupid candles. He definitely needed help, that was for sure, but perhaps a medical option was better than… well, this hocus pocus.

“I’m sorry,” Emily sighed, “I shouldn’t have dove in so quickly and forcefully like that…”

‘What does she mean?’ Sebastian glanced at the table covered with her supplies, certain she didn’t even do much. ‘I was the one who spaced out then acted like a fucking psych ward escapee…’

“Let’s just try this again,” she insisted, raising her hands with a clack of her beaded bracelets. “Take some deep breaths and focus…”

Emily took deep breaths and Sebastian followed along, however not getting completely into it and honestly just wanting to get all this over with and leave, already. He hated to admit, however, the smell of that patchouli really was starting to relax him, after each inhale.

She sat back down in her chair across the table, and, after some short hesitation, Sebastian sat back down on the red sofa.

“Alright, let’s start from the top,” Emily prompted, situating herself and giving him her full attention. “How did this dream begin?”

His gaze focused on the small details of the wooden coffee table as he thought, trying to give himself some comfort. The small details and imperfections of things were always what calmed him. He inhaled, but before he could speak again, Emily chimed in again.

“Just… maybe skip the triggering details, this time…” She gave an uneasy smile.

“…Right,” he muttered, half-irritated, then focused again on the wood as he breathed. His mind wandered a bit to the wood pile he’d left for you, wondering if a nice table like this one could be made out of it. He tried to shake these distracting thoughts away, then finally spotted it: A scratch in the wood. A small niche, where someone might have accidentally scratched it while picking up their keys in a hurry, or something. He focused hard on this, and soon, he was able to recall everything.

Sebastian then proceeded to tell Emily everything he could recall, while skipping any details that might reveal who you were (he wanted to keep his crush a secret, for now), or that might trigger his PTSD.

~✬❧~

Over in the west side of the Valley, you were listening to music while you walked as well, treading along in your work boots as you made your way south into the woods. On the way, you passed by Marnie’s farm and glanced over. To your surprise, you saw the man who had been drinking alone last night in the Saloon and had given you somewhat of a mean look from across the room. You wondered for a moment why he was there, watching as he fed the chickens with a small smile on his lips, not noticing you. Then you remembered Marnie mentioning before that her nephew had been staying with her for several months now.

Shane, was it? Though he didn’t seem approachable the night before, he really seemed to be enjoying caring for those chickens. You watched as he reached down to pet one, and a smile crept upon your lips. You paused your music.

“Hi, Shane!” You called out with a wave, and Shane’s smile immediately disappeared, looking up to give you the dirtiest scowl you’d ever seen on anyone’s face.

Your smile faltered, as your waving hand slowly retreated. ‘Shit, did I get his name wrong, or something…?’

You didn’t quite hear it through your earbuds, but it looked as though he made a disgusted scoff sound at you, then turned to retreat into the farmhouse through the side door and slam it shut.

‘Damn, okay…’ You furrowed your eyebrows, then slowly turned on your heels to continue down to the woods, switching songs to “I Don’t Wanna Be Me” by Type O Negative.

‘Seems like a rather friendly dude…’

You let yourself be enveloped by the music, reaching out to touch the bark of trees along the way, as you always liked to do whenever you took nature walks. Where you previously lived, these walks would be only on your days off, as it took a good 30 minutes to an hour and a half just to get a ride out to one of the woodland parks, whether by a mixture of bus and walking, or by rideshare. It was always considered a daytrip.

But now, you had the woods directly on your farmland (although wild and difficult to navigate through at the moment, with all the rocks and weeds and such), plus the southern woods, all within walking distance! It was like a dream come true for the part of you that had a deep love for nature.

You took in a deep breath, enjoying the fresh air. Quietly, you hummed along to the song as you traveled past a cute little cottage just to the east:

“Two steps forward, three steps back

Without warning, heart attack

He fell asleep in the snow

Never woke up, died alone”

Yeah, the mood of the lyrics was not at befitting to your surroundings, but this was just the type of music you enjoyed. Although, as you traced your fingers along the cracks in the bark of a nearby tree, your mind couldn’t help but wander back to Shane.

A guy like him, with an attitude like that, would surely die alone.

You froze in place, baffled by your thoughts going to that. Shit, that’s dark.

‘Just like that time that you—’

A gruesome image from a suppressed memory threatened to seep into your brain, but you were NOT having that shit today.

Pulling out your phone, you searched for a different song in your playlist to play. You were here to enjoy yourself, not think about the depressing likely fates of others! (…Or let the voices in your head play Trivial Pursuit.) Plus, you barely even knew the guy… Maybe he had a soft spot, deep down.

You sighed, now listening to “The Passion of Lovers” by Bauhaus for a bit, which was kind of like a comfort song for you. You approached the river, at a spot a little further away from the cottage and nestled between a few trees, shaking off all of the negative thoughts. As you stopped to rest and stand watching the flowing water, you thought back to bits from your dream. Oddly enough, the woods looked nearly identical to how they did in your dream, despite never actually having been down here, yet.

Something in you told you to put away your music for a bit and listen to the nature around you for a bit, so you did just that, setting your phone beside you as you sat down in the grass. Taking a deep breath, you closed your eyes and listened. The sound of the gentle babbling brook calmed your nerves, and nearby, native birds were singing their springtime songs. It was a lot like your dream: the calmness, the stillness, and even the sounds were the same. A butterfly fluttered just past where you were seated, and you watched as it danced against the gently blowing wind. You ran your fingers through the grass and earth beneath you, letting out a content sigh. This was really nice, and you were happy that you made the decision to move all the way out here.

Oddly, Sebastian’s face appeared in your mind as your eyes were closed, and you faintly recalled him being in your dream at some point the previous night, but you couldn’t remember where. Memories from that night came pouring into your consciousness, and you blushed lightly as you recalled hugging him at least twice while you were buzzed. He was so nice to walk you home, though. You definitely could’ve gotten lost while you were a little drunk.

Sebastian…

You gazed up at the passing clouds, lying on your back for a bit. You wondered how he was doing right then, as you lay watching the sky.

~✬❧~

As Sebastian neared the end of his dream explanation, he had his eyes closed as he recalled the gruesome details, vividly seeing the scenes flash across his mind. By then, Emily had taken out her Sign of the Vessel and was gripping onto it (much like a cross), murmuring prayer quietly enough to not interrupt Sebastian, though frantic enough that she was sweating to the point of her blue side bangs starting to stick to her forehead.

Sebastian finally finished, “…And, then I woke up. Covered in… sweat. …Yeah.” He was too embarrassed to admit the other liquid he had woken up in. He opened his eyes and frowned to see Emily shivering like a chihuahua and muttering incoherent things.

“Um… Emily?”

Her wide magenta eyes slowly peered open, and she quickly regained her composure, taking a deep breath and wiping the sweat from her brow.

“O-Okay, well, now that that’s out of your system…”

“S-Sorry…” Sebastian scratched his head awkwardly, looking off to the side. “I, uh… might’ve gone into too much detail there…”

“No, no! That’s okay!” She reassured him, shaking her hand dismissively and placing her Sign of the Vessel carefully on the table, then proceeded to fluff her hair and move it from her face. “It was just… rather shocking, is all…” She frowned at him, concern showing in her eyes. “A-Actually, let’s… address certain details of your dream real quick…”

Sebastian nodded, now leaning forward with his arms crossed over his knees. He wanted to get to the bottom of this dream, and since Yoba was in it, maybe someone as religious as Emily would have some good advice or be able to interpret any hidden messages? Though, being he never considered himself the religious type, he knew to still take everything with a grain of salt.

The blue-haired woman took another deep breath, then gave him a grave, serious look. “Sebastian, I’m going to be completely honest with you… I don’t think you were contacted by Yoba. I… I think it was something more sinister, pretending to be Yoba…”

Sebastian laced his eyebrows, somewhat in disbelief that this was the conclusion she was jumping to. “Wh… What? But… it had to be Yoba… Why else would It know about what happened to me, and… and would want to give a gift to me as consolation…?”

Emily bit her lip, trying to choose her words carefully. She knew that she had to give him the hard truth, though. “Sebastian. A person… is not a gift, first of all… Secondly, you mentioned that this special someone of yours was missing their scars… Wouldn’t it be likely that something… might have been posing as this person?”

At first, he was getting angry by her words, but then took the last bit into consideration.

Your scars… Right…

Scars are unique to every person who has them… They make up an important part of who we are, and the unique experiences we have had to obtain them. In a way, scars are an identifying characteristic of an individual…

And yours… weren’t there.

“Thirdly,” Emily continued with emphasis in her tone, trying to keep his attention, “Yoba would not use blood to send a message to you… Yoba is the Creator of All Things and does not bring harm unto Their creation. Only love and gentleness…”

‘Bullshit,’ Sebastian thought as he narrowed his eyes and balled his hands into fists, getting angry again, but Emily didn’t seem to notice his body language. Such a statement seemed like blind ignorance, to all the suffering in the world, including his own.

“The fact that your loved one bled out in front of you like that should be enough to show you that this is not a message sent by Yoba, but a terrible nightmare that either your troubled mind thought of, or some terrible thing that some cruel being was warning you of…”

He gritted his teeth. “Then why—?!” Sebastian abruptly stood, knocking some of the unlit candles onto the floor in anger. Emily flinched, eyes widened and watching him in subtle fear.

“Why would Yoba do such horrible things to me?!” he rumbled, glaring at her as he threw his hands to emphasize. “Why would that Almighty Kind and Loving Creator of yours put me and my mother through so much grief?! …So much trauma…” He panted, tears welling in his eyes, staining his already half-ruined eyeliner from having rubbed his eyes earlier.

Emily shrank back, watching him with a mix of pity and terror.

“For… so many years…” he growled, “I suffered… from the impact of that traumatic incident, and all the traumatic shit that followed after… All the bullying, the harassment, all the selfish and horrible actions of the people around me… All the lies and hatred, and the adults of my childhood expecting me to just smile and get over it…” He held his face in his hands, gripping his hair in frustration. “Watching my mother move on and remarry without giving me a chance to recover… And then we moved to this stupid dirt town… Mostly… to get away from the harassment I was experiencing at my school at the time… Because all those rotten kids found it so easy to pick on the kid whose house perished in a fire…” He groaned, slowly shaking his head as he kept his face buried in his hands.

Emily’s blue eyebrows were scrunched in an upset upturn, tears threatening to form as she slowly stood, feeling sorry for him. Well, that could explain his reaction to the candle flames… She thought of Robin too, and how she never once expressed that she’d been through something so horrible. …But some people are just really good at hiding things.

“All of this…” Sebastian continued in a low rumble, alarming her again. “All of this fucking bullshit… gave me reason to despise your imaginary sky friend…” He uncovered his reddened eyes, glaring with pure contempt as he pointed up towards the ceiling. “If your stupid good-for-nothing GOD exists, why did It let all this shit happen to me…?!”

“S-Sebastian..!” Emily looked hurt and angry, tears finally welling in her eyes. “What happened to you was likely the cause of other evil at work… There are awful people in this world who do evil things, and Yoba brings justice to that evil. I’m sorry for whatever horrible thing happened to you and your family, but Yoba works in mysterious ways… And Their intentions are GOOD…”

“BULLSHIT!” Sebastian yelled, though quickly lowered his voice, not wanting to alarm anyone outside. “If Its intentions are so good, then where was Yoba’s protection when I needed it?!”

“YOBA DID PROTECT YOU!” She yelled back, tears rolling down her cheeks as her face turned red, but immediately tried to keep more composure. “You… You are still alive now… b-because Yoba protected you…”

Sebastian nearly laughed in spite of what she was saying. “Ha… Alive…?! Yeah, I’m fucking alive, and for what?! To live through all this fucking torture in my head…?” He pointed at himself aggressively.

Emily’s lip quivered as more tears welled in her magenta doe eyes. Though her vision was blurred by her tears, she could see the pain and suffering in his dark eyes, also reddened and wet. It almost seemed as though his irises had even changed to a slightly lighter color from the tears, but she couldn’t quite tell what color they were under the dim lighting.

“And now…” He continued, voice somewhat hoarse, “Now this most amazing person comes into my life… My savior… The key to freeing myself from this never-ending torment… So if Yoba truly exists, you want to tell me that their existence is not a gift from Yoba…? When, for the very first time in my fucking life, I feel this… this deep, profound happiness, whenever I’m around them…? How can you tell me that’s not a sign?!”

“Sebastian… Every life is a gift from Yoba… But these lives are not gifts that They bestow unto other people… Except to mothers, fa—” She paused, stopping herself from finishing the word as she recalled that Sebastian’s biological father isn’t in his life, and there might be something triggering in that area. “…Families. Families are gifts. Friends are gifts. Lovers, too. …But individual people are not… We are only gifts to ourselves from Yoba, which we must learn to love and cherish all on our own…”

Sebastian shook his head, breath hitching. “I-I can’t… Not without them… I cannot love myself unless they love me too…” He grasped his forehead and seethed, getting a massive headache. He didn’t know whether to believe in Yoba or not at this point, and he absolutely needed you. He needed you so much he couldn’t stand it. He needed you so much that it hurt.

“You can…” Emily hurried to his side, placing a hand on his shoulder. “You can love yourself, and you should… You have to learn to love yourself, before you can love anyone else…”

“No.” He shoved her hand away. “That’s not fucking true… You live a cozy, privileged life, Emily. You could never understand how impossible that is for me. People like you always say bullshit like that, because you wouldn’t know what people like me have been through…” Sebastian moved past her, and she would’ve stopped him, but she stood in place, watching him with furrowed brows. “You soak up all that sunshine every day, smiling your whole damn life… I wouldn’t know what that’s like. My days are shrouded in grey, and honestly probably fucking numbered.” He shook his head with a scoff, moving towards the door.

“Sebastian, wait…!” She made an attempt, but she knew it was probably futile getting through to him, so she only watched uselessly as he grabbed the doorknob.

“Thanks for trying, I guess. Interesting session.” The dark-haired man nodded, though didn’t show any sign of gratitude in his expression, eyeliner smeared across one cheek. “Now, if you’ll excuse me…” His voice lowered to a growl, narrowing his eyes at her. “…I’m going to go be with the one person who makes me happy in this miserable life, because fuck everyone else.” He jerked the door open.

Emily’s eyes widened, suddenly sensing something about that statement that hit her with a wave of dread, as though nothing else he’d said that day had. “Sebastian, that person is not going to heal everyth—"

Sebastian slammed the door, and the last glimpse Emily caught of him was a look of malice.

“…ing…” She shuddered, not bothering finishing that sentence. After a moment, Emily rubbed her arms as though a cold draft had suddenly chilled her to the bone. Still shaken up, she quickly glanced around and started to clean up the mess, not wanting Haley to come home to see the spiritual stuff sprawled all about and interrogate her about what had just transpired.

Once outside, Sebastian looked around, mentally thankful that no one was around to witness that. He huffed out a sigh, throwing his hood over his head and snatching his earbuds from their case, nearly cramming them into his ears.

Fuck it, fuck seeing anyone. He just had to get out of here.

The emo flipped through his newly added music, settling on “Leave Me Alone” by Horror Vacui. It was very goth: deathrock infused with postpunk. A perfectly titled track to set the mood. In his reflection on the dark screen, he noticed the smudged eyeliner on his cheek and promptly wet the tip of his fingers to wipe it clean. He felt somewhat bad about hurting Emily’s feelings, but what she had said hurt him, too. A person like her could never understand his suffering. And if someone as amazing as you wasn’t a sign from Yoba, then what good was there believing in such a cold and unforgiving entity who never showed him any semblance of that so-called “Love”?

And now, as he stood and thought about it some more: forget what he had said about seeing you. You probably wouldn’t want to be bothered by him, especially in the mood he was in. He’d probably just bring you down, and that’s the last thing you needed, if you by chance had a dream at all similar to his in nature. His chest ached as he thought about you possibly not wanting to see him, but he shook it off, knowing it would be best if you were both left alone right now.

Sebastian heaved a sigh as the vocals droned through his ears in a melancholy riff, beginning to ease his tense muscles. He could only catch half of the obscured lyrics, but it was resonating deep within him. He glanced around, his long bangs whisking with the movement as he decided where to go. Something in him pulled him to go to the forest just to the west to find some solace there, so he turned on the heels of his boots and treaded past Sam’s house, off the sidewalk and down the dirt path, chain jingling against his thigh.

He just needed to be alone, as the song echoed back.

Once over in the westmost side of the Valley, Sebastian slowed, intaking the fresh breeze with a deep sigh. He walked by Marnie’s Ranch, taking a moment to watch the cows grazing on their feed in their fenced enclosure. There was always an odd longing that he felt while watching them, perhaps a longing for a simpler, happier life… His tongue adjusted one of his snakebites for a moment as his eyes studied one of the cows, then began patting his hoodie pocket for his cigarette pack. Before he could take it out, he stopped, feeling yet another pull in him to continue on. He brushed his hand against one of the wooden stakes of the fence, then followed his inner sense down towards the river, past Leah’s cottage.

That’s when a familiar form came into view, sitting in the grass by the riverbank: You.

Sebastian’s heart leapt so hard that it felt like it got caught in his throat for a moment, and he held his shaking breath, not wanting to make a sound. Pausing his music, he removed his earbuds and returned them to their charging case, closing it as silently as possible. Remembering what he was wearing, he also carefully held his chain, unclipping it and muffling the sound into his sweatpants pocket. His dark, tired eyes watched you as you thankfully hadn’t noticed his presence.

What were you doing here? Did you come here to be alone, too?

Seeing several hefty trees nearby, Sebastian swiftly and quietly hid behind one of them, a thick pine, as his heart pounded, peering at you from behind its trunk. He wasn’t certain why exactly he was hiding from you—perhaps he wanted to admire you from afar without disturbing you, or he just didn’t want to startle you. …Or maybe, it was that nagging feeling that convinced him that you did not wish to see him at all. That feeling sank its teeth into his heart, ripping at it like a rabid animal and making his stomach twist into sickly knots.

But… You liked him, right?

You hugged him twice last night, after all…

His breathing became heavier as he gripped onto the bark of the tree, doing everything he could to hold himself back from going to you now.

Suddenly, the unexpected happened before his eyes: A very large fish, what he thought may have been a pike, splashed up out of the surface of the water right in front of you, probably to catch an insect, but he couldn’t see the flies buzzing above the river from this distance.

“WOAH!” You cried out, in a rather cute excitement which made Sebastian’s chest flutter.

You scrambled to your feet, nearly stumbling as you moved closer to the water’s edge to get a closer look. Fearing that you might fall in, Sebastian instinctively reached out towards you, stumbling himself and accidentally breaking a twig under his boot.

You had been really excited to see the exceptionally large fish make an appearance just like in your dream, and you just wanted to get a closer look into the water. However, right in that moment, you heard a twig snap behind you, and you flinched, turning your head to look behind you. You saw nothing, except for trees.

‘What was that…?’ You thought, scrunching your brows as your eyes scanned the area. Then, your sight landed on a particular tree—a pine tree, to be exact—that you were getting an odd feeling from, and a sense of déjà vu washed over you.

Just like in your dream…

You puffed up your chest a little, trying to put on your brave face as there might be a shadow figure behind the tree, just like you had dreamt.

“Wh-Who’s there? …Show yourself!”

There was silence in response. Of course, there was always the possibility that it had just been some harmless animal, but your paranoia was getting the best of you. As you slowly approached the pine, someone suddenly grabbed you by the arm, but it wasn’t from behind the tree. You yelped, jumping to see it was just Abigail, who was cackling at your reaction.

“A-Abby—?!”

“Hehe, did I scare ya?~” She gave your arm a playful shove, and you pouted.

“N-No, of course not!”

“Haha, BET!” She retorted, biting her lip at your cute reaction.

Meanwhile, from his hiding spot, Sebastian was seething at Abigail’s sudden appearance.

‘What the hell is Abigail doing here?! …And why is she touching them like that?!’ He held back a growl, digging his painted black nails into the tree’s bark and chipping the nail polish a bit.

“What are you doing here, Abby?” You unknowingly echoed a certain someone’s question, then smirked smugly. “I thought you had a lot of homework to catch up on…?”

She pouted with narrowed eyes, clearly annoyed that you were referring to her outburst last night. “I… finished it, thankfully.” She turned her cheek, not admitting to the fact that the whole homework thing had been somewhat of a lie.

In turning her head, that’s when she perked at the sight of your smartphone on the ground. A curiosity bubbled inside of her, and she bit her cheek jealously at the thought of Sebastian possibly having been texting you. A sly smile stretched across her glossy lips as she snatched up the phone, much to your annoyance.

“H-Hey!” You tried to swipe it back, but she pulled it away from your reach as she held you back. “Give it back, Abby… Come on!”

“Heh, why you want it back so much?~ Got a girlfriend or boyfriend texting you?~” There was quite a nasty bite to the word ‘boyfriend,’ but this detail went unnoticed by you.

“I’m single, actually, so no…”

As Abby’s eyes stared down the phone’s highlighted screen, relief washed over her as there were no text messages on your lock screen. More interesting to her was the Dropify banner displaying a particular song.

“Omigod, you listen to Bauhaus?” She enthused, and a blush rose to your cheeks, sheepish.

“U-Um, I mean, kinda…”

“Are you kidding?! I love Bauhaus!” The purple-haired girl grinned, much to your surprise.

“O-Oh, really?” You smiled, now paying closer attention to her choice in clothing. Honestly, now you could see her listening to that sort of stuff.

“Are you goth, Farmer?” A blush dusted her cheeks, eyes studying you and your own fashion sense.

“’Goth’? Oh, well… I…”

In all honesty, you weren’t entirely certain of much at all about your own identity, having to suppress a lot of yourself back at your old job. You hadn’t really had time to consider things like that, and that realization suddenly depressed you, somehow. Here you were, moved out to a place where you had the freedom to be yourself, but you didn’t even know who that person really was. All you knew was that you enjoyed certain types of music considered as part of “alternative” subcultures, and you did know quite a lot of goth bands.

Though, there were also plenty of other subcultures that were also a major part of your listening, and also other genres you listened to that weren’t alt at all. There was a lot to consider, but you went with what you felt in your gut, in that moment.

“Honestly, maybe I’m…” Before you could finish, Abigail gabbed on again.

“Sometimes I think I might be goth, but I’m just not entirely sure, you know?”

You nodded, pushing the thought aside to deal with later.

“Like, I love goth music, but I don’t always wear black, and some people say I look more like a metalhead… And hell yeah, I love metal, especially power metal!”

You chuckled at the thought of her listening to power metal, thinking it was somewhat fitting from what you knew about her, so far.

“But I also listen to goth music, too! And I do love dressing up in black… Sooo I dunno, maybeee?”

You nodded along, but she felt the silence was a little too heavy, so she kept on.

“And then you know, Sam listens to a lot of punk and indie rock. Kinda obvious! Then Sebastian…”

Abigail narrowed her eyes at the mention of him, and you raised a brow at her change in demeanor.

“He…” She frowned, suddenly taking your hand into hers and staring into your eyes, causing you to blush just slightly. “(Name). …Have you been talking to Sebastian a lot…?”

Your heartrate sped up a little, thrown off guard by the question.

“U-Um, well, kinda…? We talk w-whenever we… see each other.” You blushed at the memory of hugging him last night. In all honesty, you wanted to speak to him more.

“…Be careful around him.”

There was a graveness in her expression that made your stomach flip, and a cold shiver ran down your arms as her forest green eyes seemed to stare into your soul.

Sebastian’s rage was growing by the minute, only pacified for a moment as the music topic was brought up, and wanted to contribute to the conversation, had he not been hiding. Then, at hearing himself be brought up, along with her holding your hand, he was again imbued with anger. He had silently climbed up into the pine tree to get a better view (and also hide better), and he was glaring sharply at Abigail, particularly her hand.

She’s touching you again…

She’s trying to steal you away from him…

When she told you to “be careful around him,” his eyes widened in insulted disbelief. Having been on the verge of fight mode, his ears had heard, “Stay away from him.”

“Wh… What? W-Why’s that…?” You asked, heart thumping in response to the anxiety-inducing change in her demeanor. Sebastian seemed like a really nice person. Nothing about him stood out to you as dangerous… So why would she tell you to be careful around him?

Abigail was silent for a moment, shifting her green eyes to the side as she tried to mentally decide how to go about this. Sebastian was her friend, but you were becoming a friend of hers too, and something about Sebastian’s behavior ever since you’d moved in has been… rather strange. Especially the vibes he’d given off last night. Sure, it was normal for Sebastian to tease Sam and get a little more confident after drinking a beer or two, but it felt as though, from the moment you had entered the room, something about his demeanor changed in a way that was… almost concerning. She was not unaware of his attitude shift towards Sam when he put his arm around you, or the way he’d glared at her when she pulled you over to the sofa. Additionally, when Sebastian had showed you how to play pool, that was the most confident and outgoing he’s ever been, and it didn’t sit right with her, having known him as a shy and timid recluse ever since they were teenagers.

What was even more suspicious to her was the fact that you both already seemed so close, even though this was only your first week. She hadn’t even realized you two had already met!

The purple-haired woman mulled over it a bit, choosing her words carefully. She honestly wasn’t entirely certain whether she was protecting you, or protecting him. …And she couldn’t deny she had a bit of a crush on you. Maybe she was just getting jealous…

“There’s just something about him, lately…”

There was then a small rustle in the pine tree nearby, which went unnoticed by you, simply raising a brow at her in response to her vague explanation. A cold shiver ran down her spine as she had an odd feeling come over her, and she decided it was best to let go of your hand, feeling watched. She shook her head dismissively.

“Don’t… worry too much about it. Anyway! Nice seeing you, Farmer! I’d love to hang out a bit longer, buuuttt I had plans to hang out around the old tower west of here, so I’ll catch ya later!”

Before you could say anything more, she rushed off, giving you a small wave before she disappeared deeper into the woods.

“Uh… Bye?”

You were left confused, wondering what had suddenly come over her. In all honesty, you were curious about what ‘old tower’ she was referring to. Why hadn’t she invited you to join her? Exploring sounds like fun…

You pouted, but decided not to linger on it, too much. Abigail seemed like an odd person, anyway. From all you knew about her so far, she had a habit of suddenly cutting moments short and running off. Who knows what’s ever going on in that purple head of hers…

But you couldn’t deny that she was fun to hang around, too. It would be great to get to know her better.

Shrugging it off, you glanced at the water again and noticed the sunset reflecting off of the ripples. It was starting to get late.

From his hiding spot, Sebastian watched with angered eyebrows as he anxiously anticipated what Abigail was going to say about him. When she was quiet for a moment, he had leaned closer to try to hear her, as he couldn’t see from his angle if her lips were moving. As she finally began to utter out something, he’d accidentally lost his footing on the pine branch for a moment, causing a small rustle as he caught himself from slipping.

He saw Abigail stiffen, and he held a hand over his mouth, trying not to breathe too loudly. Thankfully, neither of you looked over, but Abigail quickly let go of your hand and made an excuse to leave. Had she detected his presence?

…Well, good. Maybe she will learn to leave you alone.

Sebastian let out a quiet sigh he had been holding in, and his watchful eyes landed on you, once again. He couldn’t deny how cute you were, pouting at Abigail’s sudden departure.

‘Don’t worry, my little farmer… You don’t need her, anyway… you have me…’

His heart pounded as his breathing grew heavy, getting excited just from simply watching you. Every move you made, every breath you took… He carefully analyzed you, stalking you like a predatory animal. And, much like a predatory animal, he made his move slowly and quietly down the tree when you had your back turned, as you were gazing once more at the river.

‘You’re not alone… I am here…’

He quietly stepped closer, lovestruck eyes locked on your backside.

‘You’re not alone…’

You let out a sigh, enjoying a quiet moment to yourself as nature began to quiet down for the evening, daytime creatures preparing for rest. Perhaps you should head home soon too, you supposed. You watched the beautiful reds and pinks reflected from the sunset upon the glistening ripples of the stream, as the sky above you began to slowly darken. You closed your eyes, if only for a moment, when a cool, somewhat unnerving breeze suddenly brushed up against you.

A cold and strange feeling chilled you to the bone as the hairs on the back of your neck stood, and all the birds nearby suddenly fell silent around you. Your breath grew shaky, your palms clammy, and your heart beat in a rapid pace. It felt as though something was… watching you?

‘I am here…’

“(Name)?”

You let out a startled scream—though not quite loud enough to disturb the homes nearby—and spun around to look behind you as your face paled. Instinctively, just as you processed who was in front of you, you stepped backwards, only to slip on the wet bank of the river.

“S-Seb-SebASTIAN—?!” His name lingered in the yelp that escaped your throat as you fell towards the water.

With an immediate and swift movement, his hand gripped onto your arm and pulled you back with surprising ease. His dark eyes were filled with concern.

“A-Are you okay?!” He held onto your shoulders and gazed deeply into your eyes, again with that searching look from before.

Too stunned to reply, you simply nodded, staring at him and wondering where the hell he came from, so suddenly. What was he doing out here this late? You hadn’t seen him here earlier… Though, now that you noticed, you really liked the accessories and piercings he had on today. And his eyeliner… Did he smudge it on purpose? Honestly, he looked rather tired—

Sebastian then pulled you close into a tight hug against his chest, his arms wrapped around your backside. The surprising amount of strength he had with that slim form was alarming, and you probably couldn’t escape his embrace, even if you had wanted to. However, you felt safe with him, as though no harm could possibly come to you, in that moment. You blushed profusely, slowly hugging him back as your face was buried in his chest. You inhaled a shaky breath, half out of relief and half taking this opportunity to smell him.

You caught notes of cedarwood scented soap, fresh rain scented deodorant, and…

…pine sap?

He let out a long, content sigh, pulling your head even closer to his chest.

The last scent you’d picked up puzzled you, but you couldn’t really give much time to think about it as you listened to the soothing sound of his heart beating in his chest. Your blush reddened deeper, and all thoughts fluttered away.

Suddenly, the emo let go of you, stepping back to give you air. He cleared his throat and looked away, blushing and rubbing the back of his neck. Seeing him blush made you only blush redder as butterflies filled your stomach.

‘O-Oh YOBA, what is this feeling?!’ You thought, flustered. ‘H-He just came out of nowhere and then he saved me from falling andHEHUGGEDMEFORALONGTIME, AND—'

“S-Sorry… I, uh… I was just passing by and uh, I… I just came to s-say hi… and uh…” He bit one of his lip piercings, then covered his face as more heat seemed to emanate from his body. “Oh Yoba, I’m s-so sorry I hugged you forsolongIwasjustscaredbecauseyouwereabouttofall and I—”

“Shh, shh! I-It’s okay…” You reassured him gently, as more heat rose in your cheeks, as well.

You involuntarily put your hand on his arm without realizing it for a moment, until you both gazed at one another, flustered and silent. You shyly retracted your hand, but he took ahold of it, eyes locked onto yours with an intensity that made your heart shudder.

“…(Name)…”

“…Sebastian…”

A thousand thoughts raced through both of your minds in that moment. You were trying to process your own fuzzy feelings and frantically wondering if he was feeling the same way. He, on the other hand, was head-over-heels obsessed with you, that moment he was certain of it, and he wondered when he could finally make you his.

He had to wait for the right moment, but now was too soon.

Sebastian gripped your hand tighter in his, then turned to look at the sky, staying as composed and nonchalant as possible.

“It’s getting dark, huh…? I know I offer this every time we meet, but… sh-shall I walk you home?”

Your heart thudded as you watched him. You weren’t sure why, but you felt way more nervous with him than usual.

“I-I s-suppose that’s… the sh-shortest way back to y-your house, i-isn’t it…?”

He smiled at you, taking that as a resounding ‘yes.’ That rare smile of his that made your heart burst.

“Let’s go, then…~”

As he walked with you, your hand shivered beneath his, only making him smile wider.

The walk back to your farm was relatively normal, and both of you stayed fairly calm and silent. However, while your mind was totally flustered and tried to make sense of everything you were feeling, his mind focused entirely on you.

The way you shivered beneath his touch, the way you stuttered when you spoke to him…

It was so undeniably cute… and could only be a good sign…

‘My precious little farmer… Soon, I will make you mine, and I won’t let anyone else have you, nor stand in my way…’

After bidding you goodnight, Sebastian started off towards the mountain path, but then stopped, feeling his body refuse to leave, just yet. He gazed up at the sky, now filled with stars. If Yoba exists, then surely you are a gift…

and surely, Yoba would allow him to watch his gift a little longer.

His neck craned over to see the back-facing window of your house. The curtains were open, as though in invitation. Silently, he crept closer.

Sebastian would watch you, just a little longer before heading home.

He wanted to see your scars, again.

Chapter Text

Your cold, clammy hands gripped onto your mug of hot coffee, desperate for warmth. It was not a cold morning—in fact, it was rather warm for still being in the first half of Spring—but inside of you was a frigid coldness that sought out warm comfort, like a flower recovering from the overnight frost, desperately yearning for the sun.

And much like a flower this time of season, inside of you was a long-forgotten scar beginning to blossom, despite being suppressed for so many years—buried in the earth over a long, cold winter.

You let out a slow, shaky breath and shut your eyes, hands hugging your coffee mug as you sat at Grandpa’s old wooden table, trying to make sense of it all. For so many years, you tried your damnedness to keep that traumatic memory under the radar, and you were successfully doing so, until you moved to Pelican Town. It began with a vague spark after your (rather short) exchange with Shane at Marnie’s Ranch, several days prior.

Now, it returned with a vengeance in a dream.

…Or, rather, a nightmare.

It was vague enough to not bring back vivid flashbacks to what had happened in your childhood, but it was familiar enough to bring those suppressed haunting feelings back. You rubbed your temples as a sickness welled inside of you, trying not to think about it too much.

How could this be possible? Your parents had you go through hypnotherapy and other various forms of intense treatment up until age 19. From then on, you had just been taking medication and occupying yourself with work and studying. Your life from that point became a blur of retail hell, late night study sessions, rowdy campus parties, somehow managing to earn honors and accolades, and ultimately, slaving away as an office worker at Joja Co. There was no time to spend hours pondering about your past. Your brain was always too busy, too tired, to think about such things.

This, you were now realizing as you sat at that old table with a slight wobble in one leg. You’d always figured it was the medication doing its job; despite its side effects, it was at least keeping you pleasant enough to get through each day. As far as you were concerned, no one could even tell you were traumatized. But now? Why was it all suddenly threatening to resurface again?

You didn’t want to think it was because you’d moved to Stardew Valley. Perhaps the timing was just bad. But you couldn’t help but think that, because of your newfound freedom, your brain is now quiet enough to let the demons of your past seep back in.

Horrifying to theorize, it was probably your Joja job that zombified you enough to keep the demons quiet for so long.

You heaved out a painful sigh, rubbing your eyes and trying not to break down. Mochi, the gray-striped stray cat you had just taken in a few days prior thanks to Marnie’s kindness, meowed and rubbed against your leg, as though expressing concern. You sniffed, blinking back tears that threatened your eyes, and reached down to pet him.

“Hey, kitty… I’m okay…” You cooed softly, scratching behind his ears as he let out a soft purr.

What a good boy… You would have to thank Marnie later for finding him.

Touching the cat’s soft fur was doing wonders for your emotional health right now, and visions from last night’s dream almost faded away.

…Almost.

A cloudy image of blood spread across the kitchen floor of your first childhood home flashed across your mind. Though blurry, you remembered the streaks from fingers smearing through the puddle in an attempt at struggle. You choked out a shaky gasp, then promptly scooped the cat up into a firm embrace, burying your face in his fur. To this, Mochi let out a confused yowl and squirmed, though relaxed after a moment as you hugged him, realizing he wasn’t in danger. You shut your wet eyes, trying to focus on the sensation and scent of the cat’s fur more than anything else.

Don’t think about it.

You’re okay.

You’ll be fine if you just don’t think about it.

…

……

The crops need to be tended to, or else they’ll dry up.

You let out a relaxed sigh, setting a now-squirming-again Mochi down on the hardwood floor next to the chair you were seated in.

That’s right. You have a farm to run.

You have a duty. A purpose.

…You were the only heir, after all.

You are here, now. You belong here.

You love your new life. You are happy here.

Thinking about your affirmations—and attempting to push the negative thoughts away—you took deep breaths as you stood, then downed the rest of your coffee.

You have a job to do.

Continuing with your morning routine, you went into the bathroom to brush your teeth. However, an annoyance almost threatened to bring the negative thoughts back:

Your toothbrush was missing.

You smacked your hoe against the earth, a bit harder than you needed to, channeling your frustrations into your farmwork as you tilled the earth to plant more crops. With the awful nightmare, and all the internal struggle it took to pacify the post-traumatic stress symptoms, having your toothbrush turn up missing was somehow the cherry on top, and you were having one hell of a time trying to make farming take up all that troubling mind space. Frustration showed in your scrunched brows; however, you kept a smile plastered on as you worked.

You smacked the earth again.

THWACK!

‘It’s okay. It’s just a stupid toothbrush. I’ll buy another one.’

THWACK!

‘I’m not going to dwell on whatever the hell happened to it, because that will just make everything worse!’

THWACK!

Mochi twitched his ears as he watched you exert yourself, then began grooming himself, feeling dirty just from watching you accumulate sweat and dirt. He paused briefly when he noticed something across the field moving past the trees, then continued grooming carefully, figuring it wasn’t a threat.

‘But I swear… I left it right there next to the sink!’

You scoffed, wondering if a crow somehow got in and stole it. You learned the hard way that building a scarecrow was essential for protecting your crops, after all. You wouldn’t put it past them to steal belongings, too. …And you did leave the window open, since it had been a particularly warm night.

You growled as you wiped your brow and tossed your hoe aside, giving the farmhouse a thoughtful glance, wondering if you should put a scarecrow inside, too.

But that would be silly.

Though thankfully, as you spread the new seeds and watered everything, your negative thoughts were kept at bay… At least, until you ran out of work to do.

You stood, dumbfounded that you were already finished with everything by the early afternoon. Maybe you were getting too good at this. You groaned, rubbing your forehead as you tried to occupy your mind some more. A coop. That’s what you needed. Some freaking animals to take care of, to keep the bad thoughts out. But you needed wood…

With a glance at Sebastian’s wood pile that was still stacked up next to your house, a small smile etched across your lips. At least that will come in handy, now. Hmm, but didn’t Robin say you needed stone, too?

You remembered back to when you’d visited her shop on Sunday, the day after your outing in the southern woods. This was when you’d finally gotten the chance to meet Maru and Demetrius. Robin was ecstatic to see you and started asking you a lot of questions about whether you’d met her son yet and how close you’d gotten, which made you blush in embarrassment. It was good to know she was so supportive, though. Sebastian had been in his room, and you’d decided not to disturb him, figuring he was busy with his work (one of these days, you’d like to find out what kind of work he does).

Maru seemed cool enough, but something about Demetrius threw you off a bit. You could tell he was a little “neuro-spicy” like yourself, but something about the way he only mentioned Maru and his wife in conversation made you think he wasn’t very present in Sebastian’s life, which is what gave you a somewhat iffy perception of him. Nevertheless, you were polite to him and got information about Robin’s farm building requirements before leaving. That was also the day you met Linus, the man who lives completely off the grid in the tent just north of Robin’s home. He seemed like a genuine and down-to-earth person whom you’d like to get to know better.

Anyway, your thoughts were getting off track. Back to the topic of needing more stone…

Wiping the sweat from your palms with a handkerchief, you walked over to the new-and-improved tool bin you’d recently made. Lifting your rusty old pickaxe out of the box, you frowned. While you were thankful that Grandpa had left his old tools behind for you, they could definitely use some upgrades to make work easier. Your eyes shifted over to the furnace you’d built over the past couple days using Clint’s blueprints, and you went over to your material bin to look inside. You sighed, only finding a few measly ores and coal. It had taken all of the copper ore you had just to make that furnace.

You groaned, gripping the pickaxe in your hand. Oh well. You would just have to make do with what you had for now and go mining for more ore, later. Seeing several rocks still scattered about your farmland, you started to get to work.

As afternoon settled into evening, you were becoming exhausted, and you were doubtful that you had enough stone to build a coop, anyway. You panted, muscles twitching with sweat as you let the pickaxe drop to the ground at your feet. In all honesty, your intentions were to work so hard you’d forget again, just like your previously busy life had made you forget… But as you stood there in the fleeting hours of the evening, as the sun began to set…

Hands clawing across the kitchen tile, through the blood…

Your breathing hitched and your eyes widened, slowly shaking your head as you tried to stop thinking about it.

Don’t think about it… Don’t think about the screams…

You grasped your hair, taking deep breaths, though those breaths shook madly.

Don’t think about… Mom’s ████…

Without thinking, you slapped yourself across the cheek with so much force that stars filled your vision for a moment. You panted, body shivering as you hunched over, gripped onto your knees, and let the sweat and tears drip off your face and into the dirt below. With another slow, deep breath, you closed your eyes and slowly stood up straight. There was a lack of emotion, lack of all feeling, now filling you as you stared up at the slowly darkening sky.

…Better.

You glanced over at your grandfather’s shrine which you’d just stumbled across today while you’d been mining for stone, and gave it a nod, as though you both shared some sort of mutual understanding. Then your mind strangely craved the faint, ashy menthol scent that lingered around Sebastian most times you were around him.

Or maybe you craved him, who fucking knows.

He smokes around this time, doesn’t he?

You couldn’t remember, but you had the feeling he would be. Your feet dragged you up the mountain path in such a way that you felt like you were on autopilot.

Never in your life had you smoked, but you could honestly use a cigarette.

The walk was relatively short, as you were in a dissociative state, every move automatic like a robot. You were not mindful to Sebastian’s warning about bears, but luckily you never encountered one, that you were aware of. The sky got darker and darker as you walked, body eager to find his familiar scent, his touch…

By the time you saw Sebastian standing by the lake, he had already noticed you.

He watched you in silence, cigarette hanging from his lips as he gave you a small wave and a nod, in greeting. Beside him was a cloth bag full of something lumpy, but your mind didn’t question it—in fact, you barely acknowledged it, with how cloudy your mind was. You were still in autopilot as you walked towards him, and you otherwise didn’t notice much about your surroundings, but one thing you did manage to pick up was that something about the way his dark eyes watched you seemed as though he had been waiting for you. But perhaps that was just your mind playing tricks on you.

Sebastian’s hand slowly lowered as he watched you. He somehow knew you would come to see him that night. He had a gut feeling—hence the gift to you sat beside his feet. But something was very… concerningly off about you, the way you moved… the blankness in your eyes… the…

His black pupils constricted as he noticed something else on your face as you got close enough—conveniently just out of sight from anyone in the house—and his mouth gaped, letting the cigarette drop from his lips. Before it could even hit the ground, his instincts flared, and he sprinted towards you with such speed that it caught you off-guard, breaking you from your trance.

A gasp escaped your lips as Sebastian grabbed ahold of your upper arm in one hand, cheek in the other. His eyes were filled with a mix of rage and concern, and it was the scariest look you’d ever seen on his face (…so far). Your heart raced as a low growl quietly seeped out of his throat—something primal—and a revelation creeped its way into the back of your mind that this man was much more capable than you previously had given him credit for. …Capable of what, you weren’t certain…

…Perhaps you didn’t want to find out.

“Who… did this to you…?”

The voice that erupted from him didn’t sound like the Sebastian you knew, and fear began to permeate into your chest. It sounded like a monster… something that could kill. In that moment, your quivering heart wasn’t doubtful that he could. Your mind quickly tried to piece together what he was referring to, but as your consciousness was still coming back to you, back to the present, you felt a sting in the cheek that he was not holding, that his glaring eyes were trained on.

Oh… That…

“I-I… um…” A mere squeak bubbled out of your throat.

Did you really hit yourself that hard?

Tears pricked your eyes as it was all slowly coming back.

When he saw your tears, Sebastian’s expression softened, and he immediately pulled you into a protective embrace. You were caught further off guard from this action, and stiffened. His previous aggression still had you in fight or flight mode, but you did not struggle.

“Shh, it’s okay…” His voice was gentle again, as though your tears pacified the beast. “You’re safe with me…”

Your body relaxed, believing him.

Tears released from your eyes as you buried your face into him and cried quietly. He hugged you tighter, and your breath hitched as he stroked your hair with his slightly calloused hand. Something about his touch made you desire him in that moment, but you tried to keep your cool, shakily taking breaths and pulling from him to wipe your eyes dry.

As you did, he let you, however still kept his arm wrapped around your lower back, as though he was unwilling to ever let go, gazing at you. He didn’t say anything, but he somehow felt you were exceptionally beautiful when you cried. His dark gaze held you with a softness, cradled you lovingly, and you looked up at him with red, puffy eyes, feeling as though you could trust him. Without a second thought, you answered his question.

“I… did it… to myself…”

Sebastian said nothing, his gaze simply watching you in silent understanding. He’d sort of expected that. Despite how friendly and sweet of a person you were on the outside, he could sense a darkness in you from the moment he first laid eyes on you, when you moved into that farmhouse. …Which is part of what attracted him to you. You were struggling with something too, and you were suffering in silence. For that, you were very strong.

…Stronger than he was, perhaps.

A pain welled in his chest as his eyebrow scrunched with a twitch.

That wasn’t fair. You shouldn’t have to be strong.

He should be strong for you.

That… made him angry, somehow, so he softly cupped your unhurt cheek in his hand. It was to calm himself, but you interpreted it as care and nearly melted into his hand with a soft blush.

He took a deep breath, not letting himself get angrier, and smiled gently at you.

“You seem like you could use a cigarette.”

That night was the first time you’d ever smoked.

And also the first time you’d ever shown your weakness to anyone.

You honestly thought it would burn, like how some of your past colleagues described their first smoke, but when you took that slow, careful first inhale, all you felt was warmth, a slight light-headedness, and an awful taste. You didn’t gag or choke, however; just simply released it, watching the vapors escape your lips into the crisp night air.

Sebastian watched you with subtle amusement as he toked on his own fresh smoke, thoughts still lingering on how close he’d gotten to you to have the honor of lighting your first cigarette.

“Heh, that’s quite an impressive puff for a first timer. Sam choked so hard that his eyes watered the first time I had him try one…” He took another inhale.

You chuckled at the image that gave you, though you looked at your smoking stick with disgust, not liking the taste nor the way your throat itched afterwards. “Thanks, but I don’t think I’ll do that again…”

Sebastian hummed softly, offering his hand to take it from you, to which you gladly obliged. He promptly put it out, making a mental note to clean up all the used butts later, including the other one he’d dropped somewhere. “No problem, it’s not for everyone.” He looked across the lake in thought. “…Honestly, I should try to quit, myself.”

A frown crossed his lips as he thought about what he’d just said, shocked that it came out of his mouth. He’d never proposed to quit, before… What made him think that, so suddenly? Was it for you? His eyes shifted over to you, again.

You let out a content sigh, gazing across the lake, too. No, you didn’t like smoking, but you felt as though you definitely needed to share this moment with him. In all honesty, you were starting to feel better, now. “I don’t mind, honestly,” you spoke without thinking, again, “It helps you relax, right? We all need our escapes… from the hell inside of us.”

The cigarette hung limply from his lips as he gazed at you with such intensity, soaking your words in like it was the most meaningful thing he’d ever heard. Like he was sitting next to someone who truly understood him. …His soulmate.

He wanted you now, more than ever. He wanted to tell you everything he felt…

The truth…

You realized what had come out of your mouth, and you stammered nervously, raising your hands in defense. “I-I mean, uh, w-we all just, uh… need ways of comforting ourselves wh-when times get hard, and—!”

“(Name)…” Sebastian slid his cigarette between his fingers, letting it face outwards (so not to burn) as he took your hands into his, angling the cig in a way so that the smoke wouldn’t get in your eyes. He leaned closer.

His dark gaze was so intense, and in his closeness, the moon reflected a color in his eyes you had never noticed before: His irises were actually dark grey, with a hint of brown. Was such an eye color even possible? Your heart pounded, feeling this detail made him all the more charming and mysterious. It felt special and came with another strange feeling: You wanted to be the only one allowed to see this. But… that was a selfish thing to feel, was it not?

“Y-Yes, Sebastian…?” Your gaze lowered to his lips, noticing him subtly run his tongue across the backs of his snakebites. Your cheeks turned a shade of crimson, and your lips twitched in anticipation of what might come next. You would accept it, whatever it was—in that moment, you wanted him… You wanted to accept whatever it was that he would do or say—

“I-I saw your scars…”

You both froze, neither of you quite expecting that big reveal to come from his lips.

“…I-I mean, I… uh…” As a blush rose to his cheeks, the color began to fade from yours, your insides doing somersaults. Did he just say what you thought he said…?

He… saw beneath your clothes? …When?! What…

“Fuck…” He muttered, letting go of you to cover his face with the hand not holding the cigarette. “(Name), I can explain… I… I…”

You took a deep breath to calm your rising nerves, remembering something in that moment: The bandages. You remembered that night outside of the Stardrop Saloon, when Sebastian had confessed to “following you home” after your mishap in the mines. You had shaken off your suspicions before, but the handiwork of those bandages on your body was too different from the way you treated wounds… Too good. You’d almost convinced yourself that you’d somehow ended up in Doctor Harvey’s office in your blackout, with how expertly dressed your cuts were.

You calmed, color returning to your face as you looked him in the eyes, willing to hear him out.

“Sebastian…”

He was taken aback by how calm and collected you seemed, and his heart raced, fearful that you would reject him now. Oh, how stupid he was to tell you that… STUPID, STUPID, STUPID…

You noticed him shaking, battling something within him, and you somehow felt empathetic, touching his hand. At your touch, his shaking came to an abrupt halt, but there was still fear in his eyes as your knowing gaze was locked on his. You knew… You knew already…

“You didn’t just follow me home that night…” Your calm tone was surprising, even to yourself. “…You also entered my house, and treated my wounds yourself… didn’t you?”

Sweat dotted his forehead as his breathing shook, though his gaze never left yours, wanting to be sincere with you. Even though he could tell that you knew, it was still shocking to hear it come out of your mouth. Sebastian slowly nodded with a gulp.

“…Y-Yes, I did.” He closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. You knew he had more to say, so you let him continue.

“Actually, the whole truth of it is… I carried you home, myself.” His gaze shifted sheepishly, butting out his still-burning cigarette in the dirt he was seated on. “You… passed out outside the entrance to the mines, so I lifted you into my arms and brought you back to your house… Then I…” He bit his pierced lip as he recalled that night. “…I didn’t see you naked, I promise… I only looked enough to see your wounds from the mines… and your old scars on your abdomen…”

A small heat rose to your cheeks. Not because he had seen under your clothes, but because he cared enough about you to have carried you all the way back home on his own, and he had respected you enough to not look at your private areas while you were passed out. You knew he was telling the truth too, because you’d woken up in the clothes you’d worn to the mines, undisturbed, and because you could hear the sincerity in his voice and see it in his eyes. You believed him.

Sebastian took a shaky breath, then sighed in a similar manner. “I’m… sorry… I know I should have just brought you to Doctor Harvey…” He ran his fingers through his hair. “But I’m so used to dressing wounds at home, because I’m the son of a carpenter, you know… Accidents like that happen all the time, and my instinct is to act on them, immediately.” His hand lowered from his hair to his neck, rubbing it as he looked into your eyes for some form of reassurance. “Again, I’m sorry.”

That made perfect sense. Of course the carpenter’s son would be so good at dressing wounds… His actions were genuine and from the heart, so you forgave him. You gave him a nod, smiling genuinely.

“Thank you for telling me the truth, Sebastian. I forgive you.”

He smiled back, a small blush rising to his cheeks.

Your smile always sent a thousand volts of electricity through his body… A beautiful smile such as yours, that could make his cold, dark heart feel so much, had to be a gift from beyond. Whether or not Yoba exists… this was the work of something divine. How else could someone like you even exist…?

Sebastian gazed at you, almost seemingly in a trance. He’d always hated people. Ever since he was a child (ever since the incident and what had followed), he absolutely despised humanity. Sure, there were exceptions… like his mother and Sam… and Abigail was tolerable. Sometimes. Perhaps his half-sister, if he gave her a chance. But no one… absolutely no one… made him feel as extraordinarily as you had… Such a human seemed impossible to exist, who actually acknowledged him to this extent without reeling away in disgust. How was it even possible… for someone like you to forgive him, no less?! It must be… It has to be…

“…Sebastian?” You noticed his daze, tilting your head to the side. “Are you feeling okay…?”

He took ahold of you, leaning close, gazing into your eyes. He wanted to kiss you. He wanted to take you now, but he knew how sacred you were… He knew he had to wait… But if someone as sacred as you had forgiven him, perhaps whatever divine being had sent you would forgive him for seeing your scars more times than he’d admitted. Perhaps he would be forgiven for watching you through your window on multiple occasions, even falling asleep behind your house once, like a guard dog… But to kiss you… That would have to wait.

Your heart pounded as you gazed into his dark eyes, which appeared to be hazed over with obsession… more than simple love sickness… But this was something you could not identify, on your own. All you knew was that a strange feeling overcame you as his eyes stared into you… A strange feeling of fear… and excitement. You wanted more. You wanted him oh so badly… But you knew as well that you would have to wait… He might not be ready for that.

Instead, you teased him.

“Heh, you knowww… You haven’t seen all of my scars…~” You smirked with a blush, though internally screamed at yourself for being so bold.

His cheeks reddened as well, and he grinned playfully. “Hehe, I’m sure I haven’t…~” He sweated nervously, knowing he’d seen more than he told you, though he was certain that he hadn’t seen everything, anyway. The mystery excited him.

But he wanted to be fair to you and show you some of his own scars.

“…Actually, do you want to see some of mine?”

You perked up and quickly nodded with a blush. “Y-Yes…! I-I mean, uh, i-if you want…” Your heart pounded in anticipation.

Why were you getting so excited about scars?!

Sebastian silently nodded, thinking your excitement was rather cute. He began to lift the bottom hem of his black hoodie, but then froze, feeling intense anxiety welling inside of him. He let go, letting the bottom folds of his hoodie drop back down to his waist, then moved to roll up his sleeve instead.

You noticed his hesitation, and something wrenched inside of you. Was he too insecure to show the scars hidden beneath his hoodie? Were they really extreme, perhaps…? This thought made you feel a wave of guilt, as though you’d peer pressured him into showing something he was uncomfortable about, even though he was the one who’d offered. But before you could speak up to stop him, he rolled both of his sleeves up to his elbows.

Lined along his arms were scars from what looked like years of self-harm.

Your stomach twisted, and you almost wanted to cry seeing how many scars there were, but you choked back your tears, out of respect for him. You had a few self-harm scars of your own, so you could emphasize, and you knew he didn’t want your pity. You softly let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding in, and silently nodded in acknowledgement.

He carefully watched your reaction for a moment, then began pulling his sleeves back down. “Sorry, I… know they’re a lot…”

“N-No, it’s okay—” You put your hand on his arm to stop him, and under only the light of the moon, you couldn’t see well, but what looked to be another scar peeked out from beneath his scrunched-up sleeve, stretching across his elbow in a way that made it look somewhat distorted.

Upon noticing your eyes studying his elbow, he instinctively yanked his sleeve back over his arm—an automatic response, from past trauma. A look of concern washed over your face, and his eyes shied away, silent for a moment before speaking again.

“…I… have a lot of scars, actually… Really bad scars… that I’d rather not show you yet…”

You nodded in silent understanding.

“In fact… That’s part of the reason why I wear a hoodie most of the time…” He muttered, eyes looking off across the lake. “It hides my scars really well. Only my mom really knows what my scars look like… well, and Doctor Harvey. Sam’s seen the ones on my arms, but not… elsewhere.” He ran his fingers through his long side bangs, then scrunched his brow, remembering something. “Actually, my half-sister Maru saw the scars… on my back, once… but I don’t think she remembers. (Gods, he hoped not) When she was little, she walked in on me getting dressed, and she ran away, screaming. All she saw was my bare back, so I know it was because of my scars…” He looked pained as he thought back to that moment.

You looked horrified at such a thought. ‘Shit, are they really that bad…?’

Putting a hand on his sleeved arm, you moved yourself closer to him. “I’m so sorry…”

Sebastian otherwise would’ve been angry if someone showed him pity, but he didn’t feel that way with you. Instead, he blushed in response to you scooting yourself closer to him, and he nodded, gaze lowering to your hand on him. “It’s alright… The trauma that caused the scar in the first place was far worse than that traumatic incident… Haha…”

You were both silent for a moment, in horror.

He looked away, sweating. ‘Fuck, did I really just say that to them…?!’

“Is that true…?”

He was taken aback by your response and gave you a bewildered look.

You shook your head dismissively. “I-I mean… you… remember…?”

His puzzled expression only became more puzzled. “Yes…? What do you mean? …You don’t remember yours?”

Your eyes widened, realizing the trap you’d led yourself into. You shook your head again. “N-No, but I had a dream and remembered something I didn’t want to…” You shook your head once more, screaming internally at yourself to shut up about it. “B-But! I worked really hard today to try to get it off my mind! I-I mean otherwise, my… parents would’ve wasted all that time and money invested in my years of hypnotherapy to make me forget… aha…”

Sebastian was silent, watching you with concern. ‘…Make you forget?’

He envied you for having both parents who at least seemed to care about you… But, hypnotherapy wasn’t supposed to make you forget things, was it? Such a concept almost seemed unethical… What could you have possibly faced in childhood that was so bad that it required something like that…? He thought back to your zombified-like appearance when you’d approached him earlier, along with the slap you’d given yourself, which was mostly healed by now. Had you had a breakdown…?

He wondered then, an odd thought, of whether it was better to remember such things, or better to suppress and forget. He wanted to know so much more about your… rather concerning past, but that was something that would come with time. Maybe he could even help you remember, if that’s what you wanted.

“Maybe I should get one of those crystals that help keep bad dreams away, haha…” It was mostly a joke, but you couldn’t help but wonder if you should resort to alternatives. You shook the thought off for now, mentally cursing yourself for redirecting the conversation to yourself. Your mind jumbled together a mess of a prompt to return the topic back to him. “A-And you? You think about it on a regular basis? Is that true? …S-Sorry, I’m just surprised by how much you’re willing to share with me…”

Crystals, huh? You were a believer in that…? Well, he could relate, somewhat. His dreams were bringing on new strange beliefs, too. …It was a bit concerning, in all honesty.

Sebastian let out a sigh, understanding your question, now. “Yeah, I think about it almost every day…” He remembered his episode back at Emily’s house, and a rush of guilt overcame him. He really should apologize to her, later. Perhaps he could get one of those dream crystals from her for you, too?

“…Actually, there are parts I forget, too… They just come back in random bursts, I guess.” He really wanted to forget his father entirely, but bits of him were coming back to haunt him, lately. He was starting to remember his face, even… but he did his best to block that out, right now.

“You must be so strong…” You muttered, looking off into space. He looked at you, his eyebrows lacing.

‘What? No, YOU are the strong one, (Name)…’ he thought, but did not argue.

“Carrying that burden on your shoulders each and every day… While I rely on forgetting to keep myself going…” Your tone gradually faded into a drone.

‘But you’re still suffering in silence, while it’s written all over my face and arms…! How could you possibly suggest I’m the strong one here?’ His thoughts raged on.

You thought about his scars, and the worse scars you were unable to see, which were probably much more extreme than your own, and the fact that you couldn’t even remember where some of yours came from. That, combined with having enough strength to continue living on with the memory… You envied him, somehow. As disgusting as that made you feel, you couldn’t deny it.

As some sort of defense mechanism, your brain was starting to shut down, and a string of words seeped out, automatically:

“That’s a lot to live up to…”

Sebastian stared at you in silent confusion, trying to process what you’d just said. He honestly couldn’t tell if those words were of genuine admiration, or just passive aggressive.

Then, by the hazed-over look in your eyes, it hit him.

You were starting to dissociate.

He recognized it from his own episodes, and thought of something, quickly.

“H-Hey, (Name)…! D-Don’t worry about any of that… Actually, I—” He looked around to his other side quickly, grabbing the lumpy cloth bag he had. “I forgot all about this! I was going to give this to you. I figured it would help with… your farmwork…”

You looked at him in somewhat of a daze, then slowly grabbed onto the handles of the bag. The weight of the thing pulled your hand down with a thud beside you, and somehow that weight grounded you back to reality.

“Wh…Why’s it so… heavy…?”

You peered inside, and an odd feeling of déjà vu came over you. The bag was filled to the brim with copper ore. You stared up at him.

How… did he know you needed that?

He scratched the back of his head with a shy smile. “So, somewhat of a funny story… I cut through your farm this morning to get to the woods, and I noticed you working pretty hard in your field with a look on your face like you didn’t want to be bothered, so I decided not to interrupt you and just kept going. The thing is, I had a rather… odd dream, recently… (he wouldn’t dare mention you were in it) and I realized that dream took place in the Secret Woods that has some folklore circling around about it. I think… I’ve been there once… Maybe around ten years ago when I first moved here… But I don’t remember that well.” Sebastian looked off in thought, then shook it off, continuing. “A-Anyway, I think I found the entrance, but there’s this huge old log completely blocking the path, now… It would definitely take a well-upgraded axe to chop it down. Sooo…” He smirked at you. “…My first thought was to get you some ore so you could upgrade your axe and try to chop through it. I know it’s kinda silly, but I’m really curious about going back into those woods again, to sort of…”

He thought for a moment, eyes darkening.

“…Come to terms with my dream, and possibly unveil the meaning?” He shrugged, gaze returning to yours with somewhat intensity, then softened. “Anyway, my original plan was to just get enough ore to upgrade your axe—which might not make it strong enough for the log but would at least be an improvement—but then I saw you struggling with your old pickaxe, on my way back. I would’ve helped, but again, you kinda looked like you wanted to be left alone, so I just focused on getting to the mines. I figured I could try to get enough ore for both your axe and pickaxe… Which would be about… fifty copper ores?” He rubbed his neck, eyes lowering to the bag. “I sort of lost count… But I think I got at least sixty…” He gave you a sheepish grin. “Sorry to bother about the log. I could ask my mom, but she’s super busy with her other projects, and I don’t think she’d bother cutting through a hefty log like that just to let me explore some abandoned forest…”

You stared at him, still taking that story in. Well, it makes sense that he’d seen you struggling and just guessed that you needed the ore, though the story about the woods was rather odd… Why you, exactly? Were you really the only other axe wielder in town aside from his mother? Then again, he didn’t seem like the type to get out and socialize much, so you sort of understood. And you were grateful for the ore, anyway.

…But how the hell did this guy get this much within an afternoon, with enough time to meet you in the evening at the lake?

You decided not to question him however, and simply nodded with a smile. “Thank you for this… It’ll definitely help a lot.”

He returned the smile. “Of course… And if you want, I can help you chop it down when your axe is strong enough.”

“Oh, uh, sure!”

You didn’t notice, but there was a slyness in his grin as his gaze at you darkened.

The truth of it was, he’d had another dream about you since his last dream, in which Yoba confided in him that it was your axe to be used to chop down the log blocking the forest path. Upon seeing in real life for himself that there in fact really was a log there, and that it looked exactly like the one in his dream, he was overcome with an intense feeling of meaning and purpose—a feeling of which he couldn’t quite name—which propelled him to mine for so much ore in such a short amount of time. In his mining frenzy, he had slain countless slimes and insects that got in his way, and in that adrenaline rush, it felt amazing… inexplicably amazing…

…killing all for you.

…So much in fact, that he was ready to do it again when he saw that mark on your cheek. It was only when you released your tears, and held onto him, that he had calmed down.

It was strange… how someone like you could make him feel so crazy… yet also calm him…

His gaze on you softened, taking a moment to admire you. You were still looking out across the lake, perhaps in thought, or perhaps zoning out again. He realized then, with a frown, how much he had been internally obsessing over you, while you were suffering from recurring episodes of dissociation, likely from what you had dreamt about. How could he have been so selfish?

Stressed, Sebastian absent-mindedly raised his fingers to smoke, but quickly remembered he’d put out his cigarette, already. He scratched his head, eyes wandering away as he thought.

He really wanted to know about your dream, but he wasn’t about to pry you for that information, knowing it could only make your mental health worse. He bit his lip, thinking about it some more, then it struck him that he’d never actually asked you about your life before moving to The Valley. Crazy that you two had known each other for about a week, yet never actually broke the ice!

Feeling his dark eyes on you, you turned to look at him, wondering if he had something to say.

Upon meeting your gaze, Sebastian quickly scrambled together an ice breaker in his mind. He really wanted to know all about you, about your trauma, your pain, where your scars had come from, and whether your “parents” really were as good people as you made it sound like (he bet his money on ‘no’). But he knew he would have to be patient, for when you were ready to tell all of that to him (or, when you finally remembered it all), and then, he, in turn, would share his past with you. Yes, he would wait until you were both ready for that roller coaster…

He cleared his throat, shifting a bit where he sat. “So, out of all the places you could live, you chose Pelican Town? Why’s that?”

You blinked, in all honesty not expecting that question so out of the blue. This guy knew you had inherited your grandpa’s farm, right? …Or, did he not know that? Shit, did you forget to break the ice with him? Even after living here for over a week?

“I-I mean…” He pinched between his eyebrows after seeing your puzzled look, thinking that he probably seemed like a complete fool. “I know you inherited that old farm… My mom told me. I’m just curious about why. You used to live in the city, right? Why did you decide to leave?”

“Ah, that!” You understood, shifting to sit more comfortably as you began to tell your story. “Well, basically, I was working a horrible office job that was sucking the life out of me, and I knew it was time for a change. My grandfather gave me a letter when I was younger and told me to open it once I started feeling my ‘bright spirit fade into a growing emptiness,’ as he put it. One day at my job, I realized that time had come. So, I opened the letter, and it was a deed to that old farm. I knew then in my heart that I needed to quit my job and make the leap…”

Sebastian’s eyebrows scrunched as he thought about that. As someone who wanted to leave this backwater town and move to someplace with more opportunities, he didn’t understand why you would do the exact opposite. Why ever would someone want to give all that up? There wasn’t anything out here.

However, there was a glow about you as you told this to him, so he was interested in hearing more.

“…Where did you work?”

“…Joja Corp…” You nearly gagged on the words, thinking back to that hellhole.

“Oh, yeah, no…” Sebastian cringed at hearing that vile name. “I definitely understand why you left… Sam works at the store they have here, and he absolutely hates it there.”

You grimaced. “Shit, that poor guy. They treat even their corporate employees like absolute dogshit, so I can imagine retail is even worse… I actually used to work in retail myself, but it was with another company. Still hated my life there.”

He nodded in agreement, thankful that he’d taught himself programming so early on.

Still, why hadn’t you just worked somewhere else, or worked on learning a new trade or skill? Moving out here with no source of income was a huge risk… You had no prior experience in farming, that he was aware of. No means of backup in case it didn’t work out… And you were living all alone, on a huge plot of land, in the middle of nowhere, where no one could hear you scream if you were murdered or something…

How… could a person as beautiful and brilliant as you… throw your life away like that?

He inhaled deeply before speaking, not wanting to come across as patronizing.

“You know, the truth is… I probably haven’t told you, but I work as a freelance programmer. That’s why I’m shut away in my room most of the time.”

Your eyes lit up at him mentioning what he does for a living, and you listened to him with interest.

“Before I got into programming,” he continued, “I worked a lot on carpentry projects with my mom. I still do sometimes, but that’s uh… why I’m so good at chopping down trees…”

He scratched his head sheepishly, thinking to the wood pile he’d left for you. You smirked with a knowing nod, confirming that you knew it was him, and he blushed, clearing his throat.

“A-Anyway, because she taught me the trade, I could work as a carpenter if I wanted to, but I really don’t. I was always more interested in coding and technology. I knew that was what I wanted to do, so I taught myself several coding programs and got really good at it. Once I landed my first client as a freelancer, that paved a new path for me. My mom understood once I started making money that I had found my calling, so she didn’t bug me as often with helping her work.”

You nodded with a smile. “It’s really cool that you work in something you enjoy so much.”

He nodded too, glancing out to the lake. “Yeah. And the point I’m trying to get at is that there were no good opportunities out here in Pelican Town for me, so I had to make my own.” He looked at you, looking as though he was searching for some hidden meaning. “In all honesty, (Name), I don’t feel like I have a place in this tiny little town. Sure, I’m doing work that I enjoy, but I want something better… a purpose. I want to feel like I matter… not like I’m a 25-year-old burden living in my parents’ basement.” He heaved out a sigh, glaring down at the ground beneath him. “I have dreams of moving to Zuzu City, in particular. …I just want to be somewhere where I belong. Where I feel wanted…”

You scrunched your eyebrows, looking empathetic as you placed your hand on his. Without another thought, you told him, “…But I want you.”

Sebastian shot a flustered look at you, hair whipping with the movement. “H-Huh?!”

Your face became red as a tomato, and you covered your mouth, shaking your head quickly. “N-NO, UH- I MEANT—” You cleared your throat. “I-I meant you are in a place where you’re wanted, Sebastian…! Yeah, I do want you! And Sam wants you! …And Abigail? …I think?”

He arched an eyebrow at that. “I doubt that last part.” He then sighed, shaking his head. “W-Well, whatever. The point is, why do you want to live here?!” He glared, jumping the gun. “That’s the point I was trying to get to… I don’t know which city you came from, but I’m sure there was a lot more opportunity there than here in Pelican Town where there’s absolutely jack shit. I mean look, it’s so bad here that Sam didn’t have a choice to work for anyone but Joja! Why didn’t you just stay in the city and find your passion?”

You had a sour look in response, so he quickly tried to mend things.

“I mean… I’m really glad I met you, (Name). Don’t get me wrong, please. I am honestly so lucky to have someone as amazing as you here… I just don’t understand why you would throw everything away to live on a farm in the middle of nowhere…”

You placed a hand on his arm, looking him in the eyes. “Well, it’s actually just like you said, Sebastian. I was in a career I wasn’t passionate about, just like you weren’t passionate about carpentry. I attended university and gained a lot of skills and experience for something I didn’t even care much about. Just like you could have used your skills and experience to become a carpenter, I could have used my skills and experience to work for a different company, or perhaps even start my own company. But that’s just the thing. Just like you, I didn’t want to do what I was doing, anymore. You made a leap into learning programming, and I made the leap into farming. And, in all honesty, I’m glad I did.”

There was a small spark in his eyes as he watched you seem to glow while you talked.

Ah, he understood now…

“And no, I’m not in a position I’m completely happy with, either. I want to do more than just harvest crops. That’s why I’m working so hard… So that I can get to the position I want to be in, and start raising animals, too! And I know that all my hard work will pay off. I’m already making profits from my crops. It just takes time, persistence, and dedication… Do you understand what I mean?”

Sebastian nodded, gazing at you with admiration in his dark eyes. “Yeah… I think I do.”

You were truly someone amazing… You took the points he tried to use against your decision to move here, and used them to give everything a new meaning. And as he gazed at you, he was once again feeling a sense of purpose resurface. Despite his ambitions to move to the big city, you somehow kept him grounded here. You made him feel as though he didn’t want to leave… If it meant being with you, he didn't want to go anywhere else.

Whether or not you were sent here to him because of Yoba, or whether or not Yoba even exists, you existed, and that’s all that mattered. You were perfect in every way… and he wanted to treasure you, and make you his.

“A-And I know it was still a risk getting into farming when I had no prior knowledge nor experience…I just…” You took a deep breath, looking him straight in the eyes. “I made this choice from my heart. I… I know it sounds insane, but I feel like I have a much greater purpose now, ever since I moved here. Something in me made me go against those odds because I was desperate to escape the old life that I felt trapped in… and now, I feel like I was brought here for a reason… Maybe something greater than myself, or anything I’ve ever known…”

As Sebastian stared into your gaze, his eyes widened, remembering back to that dream he had. Yoba had sent you here for a “greater purpose” … Just like what you were saying.

So, it was true…

“I-I’m sorry, I know that doesn’t really make sense…” You continued, running your fingers through your hair and not noticing the slowly growing crazed look in Sebastian’s eyes. “It was just… something I had to do, you know?”

…And if that’s true, and his other dream was true, then…

“…I know.” He touched your shoulder, gazing deeply at you with a look of true devotion suffusing through his expression.

But they don’t know it, yet… So I will play my part in this.

“It was something you felt in your heart that you had to do. And if you’re sure, well, I know I’m sure.” He leaned closer, admiring you.

“I’ll support you, and protect you with my life…”

Your heart nearly leapt out of your chest at the notion, but that also came with its own concern. ‘Protect’ you??

“F-From what?” You stuttered, suddenly nervous.

“A-Ah, um,” he stammered, snapping back to reality. “Y-You know, from… uh… Well, you live out there all by yourself, a-and you never know… Um…”

‘I need to protect you from these other creeps in town, that’s what…’ He thought, though wasn’t going to tell you that. He had to change the subject, quickly.

“…Shit, it’s getting late, isn’t it?”

You blinked, then looked at your watch: 11:30pm. “Oh shit, you’re right! I’d better get back to the farm before I pass out…”

“Y-yeah,” he responded, helping you to stand. He still had a lot on his mind, but he remembered the littered cigarettes, so he started to clean them up, not wanting an animal to mistaken them as food. Though the bag of ores was heavy, you managed to get a good grip on it. After picking up the last cigarette butt, Sebastian almost offered to walk you home, but it was indeed very late, and he didn’t want to possibly smother you with too many escorts.

…As much as he wanted to be constantly by your side, protecting you.

He walked with you up to his front door. “Just be careful of those bears I warned you about…”

“R-Right!” You smiled, trying to put on a brave face at the thought of a bear attack. But that wasn’t too common, right? “I-I really enjoyed our talk… Thanks for this.”

He gave you a genuine smile, nodding. “Thank you too, (Name). I think you helped me see things differently… We should definitely talk like this again, sometime.” He then thought of something. “Ah, wait! Could we, uh…” He scratched his head, a blush rising to his cheeks. “…Exchange numbers? Just so we can text whenever…”

You blushed, a bright smile spreading across your face. “Ah, of course! I was going to ask you, actually… I completely forgot!” You pulled out your phone and unlocked it, going to the messaging app. “H-Here, just enter your number here and I’ll text you back.”

Sebastian grinned at the thought of you having wanted to ask him for his number, too. Maybe you really were into him… “Heh, alright.~”

He grinned wider, taking your phone to put his number in, though his smile faltered, seeing something he didn’t want to see: Sam and Abigail were already added contacts.

Those two were added first, before him?! How?! When?!

He felt himself starting to get angry again, but he suppressed it to the best of his ability.

‘…No, this is normal,’ he thought, reassuring himself, ‘Sam is my best friend, so it’s natural that they might choose him as a friend, too… But since when did they get close enough to exchange numbers?! And Abigail… Ugh, did she slip her number in while going through their phone in the forest?! …I don’t recall her unlocking their phone, though…’

Meanwhile, you were unaware of Sebastian’s internal rage and just smiled patiently, thinking he forgot his number for a moment. You do that sometimes, too.

Sebastian noticed you watching and got a bit flustered, quickly tapping in his number. “H-Here, um—” He hesitated, seeing the “name” entry and had noticed Sam and Abigail were just listed as <Sam> and <Abby>, so he thought of a quick idea to get one step ahead of them. With a smirk, he typed into the box, <Seb>, and put a black heart emoji next to it.

‘Ha, I’ll be the one with the heart emoji, so TAKE THAT!’

He blushed, thinking he was getting a little too childish about this. He cleared his throat, handing the phone to you and looking away. “H-Here you go.”

“Thanks, I’ll—” You blushed a little when you saw the heart, and a giddiness bubbled inside of you. You tried your hardest to play it cool. “I-I’ll text you, so you get mine…”

You tapped away at your phone and hit ‘send,’ and Sebastian’s phone made a ping that sounded like it came from a retro video game. He checked the text, seeing you had sent, <Hey ;)>.

‘A winky face…!’ He blushed and bit his lip, though in disbelief that he was reacting so foolishly to a simple text. ‘I-It’s just a text… Stop being weird, Seb…’ He edited your name and put (Nickname?) with a (f/c) heart emoji next to it, then promptly pocketed his phone before you could peek.

“Alright, cool… I-I’ll see you around, then?”

Still giddy, you smiled warmly. “Of course! See you!” After bidding him goodnight, you then turned to walk away but stopped in your tracks. “OH CRAP!”

Sebastian was about to unlock the door, which Demetrius always locked pretty early in the night, before he could even return each time after his smoke (he so loved him for that… ugh), then turned to look at you with a raised brow. “What is it?”

“Ugh, I just remembered that my toothbrush is missing, and I forgot to buy another one from Pierre’s…” You groaned.

“…Your toothbrush is missing?” He fully faced you now, looking at you with that searching gaze from some of your past interactions.

“Yeah, I swear I left it right by the sink! I’m wondering if a crow snuck in and took it…” You scratched your head, looking embarrassed. “I promise I’m not paranoid…”

“No, I… I don’t think you’re paranoid. I believe you. Hang on, I think my mom keeps extras in the bathroom.” He unlocked the door, keeping his voice low. “I-I’ll be right back.”

“Thank you…!” You kept your voice at a similar volume as his as he entered the house, not wanting to wake his family, then waited patiently for him.

While Sebastian was inside searching for a spare toothbrush, his thoughts reeled in his mind.

‘Their toothbrush went missing? What could have happened to it? It must’ve happened last night… I wasn’t around their farm last night… Did someone break in and take it?!’

Anger boiled through his blood once again, and it took some effort to keep his breathing quiet.

‘Some creep stole my love’s toothbrush to lick and jerk off to… That fucking bastard… I wouldn’t be surprised if he or she is sticking it inside himself or herself as I THINK…’

His body shook with rage, and he covered his mouth to suppress the growl that nearly erupted from him. He couldn’t help but think to your added contacts.

‘Sam wouldn’t do something like that… I’ve known him for six years, and he was never the type of person to steal someone’s belongings… Abigail, on the other hand… I’ve seen her shoplift at her own dad’s store before! …But she’s not exactly a pervert, is she…? …Or maybe there’s a third person in the mix I don’t know about, yet… If he/she becomes a threat, I swear to YOBA—’

Finally finding the spare toothbrush, he gripped it in his hand, and he thought he might break it for a moment, so he took a deep, quiet breath, trying to calm himself to the best of his ability. Breathing wasn’t enough, though. He had to touch you again… You made everything better…

‘…This is exactly why they need my protection …’

He hurried silently back outside to see you, holding the toothbrush out to you. “H-Here, it’s completely unused, I promise.”

You brightened, accepting the brush from him. “Thank you so much, Seba—!”

Sebastian pulled you into a tight embrace suddenly, before you could finish. “Of course, (Name)…” He buried his face into your neck, inhaling deeply and caressing you a little, slowly moving his hands down your lower back and snaking his fingers around your hips. You were his… He would make certain of that. No one was allowed to steal your toothbrush and do dirty things to it… And he would find the perpetrator, somehow…

You blushed a deep shade of crimson as Sebastian breathed hard against your neck and touched you in a… sensual way. You weren’t sure previously if he was as into you as you were into him, but now you were becoming more certain. First his promise to ‘protect you,’ then the heart emoji, and now this… A grin spread across your lips, though your body heated up as your heart thudded nervously, conflicted between feeling excited or shy about this. Part of you wanted more, and the rest wanted to melt into a puddle at his feet.

Touching your body like this while inhaling your scent made him start to get an erection, so he quickly pulled away, blushing madly, before the rising lump in his pants could poke against you.

“W-Well, g-goodnight, (Name)…! A-Again, n-nice to see you… VERY nice…!” He realized how stupid he sounded, so he quickly disappeared inside, though closed and locked the door as quietly as possible.

“Ha… G-Goodnight…” You panted a little, blushing.

‘H-He’s so cute…~’

Giddier than before, you hurried home to brush your teeth with your new toothbrush.

On your way back home, you lugged the bag of ores in your hand, gazing up at the stars and thinking about everything. First, this guy chops down multiple trees in one rainy night and leaves a big pile of wood for you, and next, he mines you a big hunky bag of copper ores… then he vows to support you and protect you with his life… And now you have a free new toothbrush, too!

You were really grateful to have someone as (surprisingly) strong and protective as him watching out for you. And now that you had his number, you could text him if you ever needed some of that ‘protection.’ You smiled up at the night sky.

‘Grandpa, if you’re watching… I think I might’ve found that “special someone” to “support me unconditionally through what has yet to come,” like you mentioned in—’

You paused a moment in realization.

‘Oh crap, I forgot to show him that weird note I found on your shrine…’

Chapter Text

It didn’t take long for the day of the Egg Fest, your first festival in the Valley, to finally arrive. The past several days were fairly uneventful from what you could recall, all except for just the day prior, when Sebastian had given you a necklace adorning a fragment of amethyst. He’d visited while you were finishing up your crop tending for the morning, and you found it cute how he’d scratched the back of his neck—a sign you’d picked up by now that meant he was nervous—and turned his gaze away, insisting it was just a simple gift to ease your tensions lately. He also mentioned that he’d gotten it from Emily, who’d said it supposedly wards off bad dreams and encourages good dreams.

You were overjoyed to receive this gift, knowing that it meant he had thought of you and went to Emily to get a crystal for you, meaning he’d listened to you. Even though he insisted otherwise, it came across as a romantic gesture to you, and it left your face flushed. Robin had been working on building the new coop on your farm and you noticed she had looked away from her work to watch you both with a sly and knowing grin, which made your face even redder. Sebastian must have in that moment only just realized his mother was there, because he became flustered and quickly left, giving you a very brief goodbye, though invited you to another saloon hangout later that day, which you gladly accepted. Though, what actually happened at the saloon was kind of hazy now… Perhaps from the alcohol you had.

As you sat this morning at the wooden table with your coffee, you rested your cheek on your fist, twirling the necklace with your free hand, admiring it. You had decided shortly after receiving it to wear it everywhere, and every day. …To keep bad dreams away, of course! Not because you had an intense crush on Sebastian and felt this necklace was a symbol of his love for you, no, not at all! You blushed at your thoughts and let the necklace drop to your chest, letting out a shaky sigh as you took your coffee cup into your hands to take another sip.

In all honestness, you felt that the crystal was working, at least for now. You had a few bad nightmares the nights prior to receiving the gift, but just last night, you couldn’t remember any dreams at all, which was far better than having traumatic ones. And you felt, as you sat there with the necklace touching your heart, that the memories of those nightmares were fading away. However, you also felt a waking memory from sometime over the past few days creep up in the back of your mind to resurface, in place of those faded memories.

You set your coffee down, staring off into space. That’s right, something else happened, didn’t it? Something having to do with… Clint.

A bad taste rose in your throat at the thought of him, your mind seemingly blocking something out. That’s when you realized you should hurry up and tend to the crops, so you don’t miss the festival. You stood and put your cup in the sink, going outside to begin work. Maybe you’ll remember later.

Heading outside to work in the field, your mind couldn’t help but wander to what it was that happened. As you watered some carrots you’d just planted from seeds you’d foraged from the ground, you remembered the day that it must have happened, whatever it was. It was right after you’d gathered enough stone for the coop and smelted copper bars from the ores Sebastian had given you, literally the morning after your lakeside talk with him. Your plan that day had been to make two stops—submit an order for the coop at the carpenter’s and drop off your pickaxe for an upgrade at the blacksmith’s. Your meeting with Robin about the project went smoothly, and she was ecstatic in sharing your excitement over it. Sebastian had still been asleep at the time, and you didn’t want to disturb him, so you’d left to go to the blacksmith afterwards.

That’s around the time things get blurry…

You paused your work to wipe your brow and take a breather, thinking about it some more. Come to think of it, at some point on Friday, sometime between the necklace and the saloon hangout, seemed like a blur, too… Ah, that’s when you went to pick up your copper pickaxe. …Literally just yesterday.

You clenched the watering can in your hands as you attempted to remember some more. Why is it always your interactions with Clint that are blurred out? What could have happened…?

Going over to your pond to refill the can and continue working, you thought really hard, but only came up with memories of the necklace and then the saloon hangout.

From what you could remember, the hangout itself wasn’t too out of the ordinary.

You arrived in your best outfit, still feeling shaken up over something that had happened earlier that day. The bar was full of its usual Friday night regulars, but Robin was too busy working on the coop, so she couldn’t be there to dance with Demetrius. He was still there anyway but seemed like he felt a little out of place, and he nodded awkwardly in your direction with a look that said he was leaving early, then slipped through the door from which you entered. Before heading into the game room where your friends usually meet, you went to buy some drinks, feeling like you could use one yourself. However, upon peering into your wallet, you realized you came up a little short after the projects you’d spent money on. Shit. The troubles you were having must have been apparent on your face, because even Shane, the grouch from before, gave you a somewhat concerned look and approached the counter.

Ah, right. You thought back to it, watering your other crops. You’d almost forgotten that interaction with Shane.

“Hey, uh,” he spoke up in a gruff voice, going to fetch Emily over the counter but noticed she was preoccupied with cleaning some beer mugs. “…Gus! Can I get two beers over here?”

You perked up at this, not expecting him to offer you a drink, of all people you’d met.

Gus nodded with a short glance at you, also noticing the situation. “Certainly.”

You watched as Gus filled up the drinks and brought them over, setting them in front of each of you. You both thanked him, and you also thanked Shane, as he slid the payment towards the bartender.

“Huh? Oh, it’s nothin’,” he shrugged, bringing the pint to his lips. “I know how it feels to be short on cash when you’re in need of a drink to drown out your troubles. Gotta help a fella out sometimes.”

He took a few swigs of his drink, and you did the same, feeling the bitter liquid slip down your throat and begin to wash out your worries.

Shane watched you out of the corner of his eye but appeared as though he was trying not to seem like he was eyeballing you. His eyes instead watched some of the other townsfolk from across the bar. Your gaze followed to where he was looking. Elliot was telling Leah (both of whom you’d met just the day prior) about his book and laughing in spite of one of his characters’ mishaps, but that was probably mostly the alcohol talking.

“So… What’s eatin’ at ya?”

“Huh?” Your attention turned from Elliot to look at Shane, who didn’t look at you.

“You’re usually all friendly and cheery… I could tell something was up from the moment you entered the bar.”

You furrowed your eyebrows. You? “Cheery”? He really didn’t know you… What a bold assumption to make, when a lot of that is—

“…Or, is that just a face you put on?” He now glanced at you, and your initial reaction was anger, but you could see a look of empathy in his eyes, like he understood.

Your angry gaze loosened and fell to your drink in your hands. “What… would you know about that?”

He let out a dry chuckle, taking another swig of the golden liquid. “Kid, I’ve been through hell and worse. I can tell when someone else has, too…” He scratched his raspberry-dyed hair, which you noticed had an under shave. “I guess it just pisses me off when people cover that shit up… I’m sorry I was rude to you, before. Maybe I was just a little jealous… about how strong you were, holding it in and actin’ like nothing ever hurt you in your life…”

This made your gaze soften, and you thought back to the talk you had with Sebastian the other night. ‘You must be so strong…’ you’d told him, and you recalled even through your dissociative state that Sebastian had looked at you like you were insane for suggesting that. You wondered then if he’d felt the same as Shane did… Had you said the wrong thing that night? Shit, now you felt like a total asshole…

You clenched the handle of your mug and downed the rest of your beer, wanting to wash away all those feelings of guilt, and the unease from earlier that day. Shane watched you with a somewhat pitiful look, but downed the rest of his as well and decided to break the ice to ease tensions.

“Hey, I don’t think we got off on the right foot before, so why don’t we start over?” He turned to you, reaching out his hand for you to shake. “(Name), wasn’t it? I’m Shane.”

You looked at him with a somewhat bewildered look, however quickly caught on to what he meant by that. Neither of you had made a proper introduction yet, and he’d probably learned your name through Marnie, just as you had with his name.

“Yeah, I’m (Name),” you responded, shaking his hand firmly. “Nice to meet you, Shane.” You gave him the best smile you could muster through your troubled state.

He gave a half smile back, nodding. “Same to you, (Name).” His eyes shifted over to the commotion in the game room, sounding like Abigail laughing like a loon to a joke Sam was telling. “You got friends waiting for ya in the other room, right? Don’t wanna keep ‘em waitin’.”

“Ah, right!” You let go of his hand and got up. “Thanks again for the drink.”

“It’s nothin’, really. And if you, uh…” His eyes shifted away, almost as though in disbelief over what he was saying. “…If you ever need to talk about what’s troubling you, I’ll listen…”

A slight heat rose to your cheeks, but you thought maybe it was just the alcohol. That was surprisingly sweet of a guy like him to offer, though. “Th-Thanks! Will do…”

You quickly turned heel to meet up with the gang in the poolroom, and Shane watched as you left, appearing as though something was still on his mind.

You smiled as you watered the last of your crops, thinking that Shane seemed like a kind person, deep down. Memories from the rest of the night continued on.

A little buzzed, you entered the room and greeted everyone. Abigail excitedly hugged you and began telling you about the most hilarious joke that Sam had just told her.

All the while, Sebastian had his eyes trained on you, and you didn’t notice until you looked over at him after laughing at what Abby had told you (it really hadn’t been that good of a joke, but the alcohol certainly thought so). The look in Sebastian’s eyes was familiar, like he was searching for something in you, again, though it almost seemed… angry? He quickly looked away when you took notice of him, bending over to play his turn at the pool table.

“Hey, (Name),” he called casually from across the room as he made his shot, with a tone as though his eyes hadn’t just been glaring at you. “Wanna play me? Sam’s losing again, anyway.”

“Hey!” Sam pouted, rushing back over to his opposing end of the table. “I’ve still got a chance!” Though, as he saw the move Sebastian had made, he appeared defeated as he realized his odds were close to none.

You suppressed your nerves, thinking that maybe his dirty look had just been your imagination. However, you politely declined. “Nah, you can keep playing Sam. I feel like I gotta sit down for a bit, anyway…” You joined Abby on the sofa.

“…Suit yourself,” he muttered with a shrug. After watching Sam play his turn lousily, sealing Sebastian’s victory, he didn’t tease him like usual, but rather remained silent with a frown before he made a winning shot at the eight ball in a way that almost seemed aggressive.

You frowned as you remembered back, finishing up the crop tending. Sebastian had seemed pretty upset about something… Standing still, you clenched onto your watering can as worry washed over your expression.

Had he been mad at you?

You quickly shook that feeling off, trying to reason with yourself.

‘No, Sebastian would have told me if something was bugging him… Right? After all, he’d just given me this necklace that same day, and nothing seemed wrong about our exchange then…’

Still, you couldn’t help mulling it over. At some point during the night, he’d gone outside to smoke, and he never came back in. You couldn’t find him after leaving the saloon, either.

Come to think of it, though, the end of the night was kind of a blur in your memory, too. A blur as you walked through the bar to the door to head home. A blur you spotted sitting at a table you’d passed by. A blur going home after not finding Sebastian outside…

You froze in place.

The blur at a particular table in the bar. That must have been…

Dropping the watering can with a clunk into the toolbox without much care, you slammed it shut and grasped your hair, wracking your brain trying to remember.

What the fuck happened between you and Clint?

And what the fuck is this newfound amnesia?

An alarm on your phone broke you from your troubled thoughts, and you realized upon silencing it that the Egg Fest was starting. You went inside to quickly change your clothes, still thinking about it all. Of course, you’d already been experiencing memory loss thanks to that hypnotherapy you’d gone through growing up, but this was something new… And it was concerning, considering it was blocking out events that only just occurred over the past several days. Was it some sort of trauma response?

You weren’t sure, but you wanted to get to the bottom of this.

You took a deep breath after getting dressed, then drank some water. For now, it would be best to forget about that crap and try to enjoy yourself at the festival…

~✬❧~

Everything was decorated cutely and colorfully as you entered the town, a stark difference from the city you’d previously lived in, which didn’t really do much celebrating for Egg Day. It was delightful to see, but lingering nagging thoughts clouded over your enjoyment of the cheerful decor as your mind desperately tried to remember what happened. You desperately tried to shake these off, however, as you approached the stand that Pierre was running, attempting to get your mind off of things. Maybe you could buy something nice? You noticed some strawberry seeds that he was selling, and your eyes lit up. That’s it! You can buy seeds and grow some delicious strawberr— Oh, wait… Money. That’s right, you have none.

The light in your eyes left just as quickly as it came, and you internally smacked your forehead. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to order two projects on the same day on Wednesday…

Maybe it wasn’t a good idea to go to the blacksmith’s at all.

You felt a massive headache coming on, when your phone suddenly pinged. You pulled it out, recollecting yourself to read the notification on the screen:

<Hey, get away from my loser dad and come join us over here! ;P>

Abigail. You looked up from your phone, glancing around, then spotted your trio just a short distance away, with Abigail waving you over. Sam was sipping a red solo cup and gave you a wave as well. Sebastian, on the other hand… looked rather worse for wear. He had his arms crossed, staring off into space with an expression that appeared as though he hadn’t slept a wink last night. You held a smile for Abby and Sam, but approached the group cautiously, a little concerned about what was going on with Sebastian.

Sebastian indeed had not slept last night, nor much at all ever since that talk by the lake with you. He couldn’t stop thinking about you, and about everything that had transpired over the past days. The words you had said to him—some of them like poetry to him—still echoed through him, breaking down his core as they played on repeat in his head; the story you’d begun to tell about your forgotten past, left unfinished, left him wondering, constantly; the fact that you added Sam’s and Abigail’s numbers before his, making him jealous, making him jump to suspicious conclusions; the toothbrush incident, which still hadn’t been solved; then there was that private talk you had with Shane… His memory flashed back to last night:

As you entered the game room, Sebastian had his eyes trained on you, knowing you had just been talking to Shane. He knew, because he had glanced out at you as he passed the doorway to take the narrow hall to the back to use the restroom. Why had you been talking to some drunkard when HE was the one who invited you?! Jealousy wrenched in his chest as he thought about it, and more as he watched Abigail hug you.

Sure, Shane was a little older, but that wouldn’t stop him from flirting with you… And you… Could he trust you enough to tell him if Shane had flirted with you?

He gripped the pool stick in his hands, almost ready to break it as his eyes narrowed at you, trying to detect some sort of hint—anything that might tell him what he needed to know. However, he soon picked up something else about you, instead… Like there was something bothering you, but you were masking it pretty well as you laughed with Abigail. Had Shane done something to you? If he had, were you afraid to tell him?

Sebastian met your gaze and quickly turned to the pool game to play his turn. In an attempt to keep himself from scaring you off, to try to be someone you could entrust your problems to and let him “handle it,” he mustered the friendliest voice that he could and invited you to play pool with him. Unfortunately, his attempt failed miserably because you opted for the sofa furthest from him, instead. He took his anger out on his final shot, downed the rest of his drink, then sometime after grumbled that he was going outside for a smoke.

Not fifteen minutes later, Shane lumbered out of the bar to head home for the night.

Now in the present, Sebastian’s sleepless eyes darted over to where Shane was and narrowed, though Shane was too preoccupied in watching Jas play with Vincent while eating a plate of scrambled eggs. Sebastian had followed him home in secret last night, after having made the excuse that he was going outside to smoke. If that guy had done something to you, he wanted to catch him in the act of any suspicious activity. It ended in frustration, however, as Shane hadn’t done anything suspicious under his surveillance and had gone straight home to bed, and it further added to his frustration that he’d left you to go home alone, just so he could spy on some boring drunken slob.

Shane’s gaze turned to Sebastian, feeling eyes on him, and Sebastian immediately turned his attention to you, instead. The older man’s eyes narrowed at him suspiciously. He couldn’t shake the feeling he had last night, like someone had been watching him, and under that young man’s sleep-deprived-looking gaze, that same exact feeling came to him again.

That previous evening, as he’d watched you leave into the other room to hang out with your friends, Shane’s mind couldn’t help but linger on what it was you had seemed so troubled about, and he wondered if it possibly had anything to do with one of them. Your friend group seemed like decent young folks to be around, but then again, that Sebastian guy whom you seemed to hang around with the most… kind of rubbed him the wrong way.

Shane’s eyes turned away from the doorway to stare down at his empty glass, gaze narrowing in thought. He recalled back to that one day you had said ‘hi’ to him, on your way into the woods in front of Marnie’s ranch, and he cringed at how much of a jerk he’d been in response. Despite the way he had acted towards you, he’d decided at one point to casually check on you, with a glance through the front window of the house. In doing so, he caught sight of Sebastian, spying on you from behind a tree. Taking almost-mortified amusement in the scene unfolding, he watched as Abigail joined you, and Sebastian had climbed up into the pine to hide better. He hadn’t watched the scene in its entirety, however, having been invited to a tea party by Jas with her dolls, which he couldn’t possibly turn down (he felt horrible whenever he declined, either due to being shit-faced drunk or in a nasty bout of depression). He had assumed you were okay though, as he’d never witnessed any delinquent behavior going on in Pelican Town, at least for the half a year he’d been there.

Now that he thought about it some more, he’d caught sight of that emo guy sneaking about town a few times, like he was up to something. Were you even aware of this behavior, he wondered? His mind again returned to the memory of him spying on you, and he shook his head.

To him, Sebastian just seemed like trouble…

Out of the corner of his eye in that moment as he sat at the bar counter—speak of the devil—was Sebastian himself, seemingly storming off outside in a sour mood. He wondered what could have set him off, but he decided to shrug it off, for the time being.

His eyes were locked on him now, as he thought about it some more. Not long after Sebastian had left the saloon, Shane had followed suit. Part of him had wanted to confront him and see what was going on, but the rest of him was relieved to find he was nowhere in sight, knowing such a confrontation was probably a bad idea. Though… had that guy truly disappeared that night…?

Shane’s thoughts were then broken by Jas running up to him to show him a neat rock she’d found. He now ignored the Sebastian subject completely, deeming Jas’s rock identification knowledge she’d learned from Miss Penny to be far more important.

All the while, as Sebastian’s attention turned to you, he noticed that you seemed a little out of your usual character. He then remembered that he’d stayed behind your house last night—after having followed Shane to Marnie’s—to make sure you made it home safely and went straight to bed, and he recalled that you had come home pretty late, seemingly shaken up about something.

Sebastian’s tired gaze was now locked on you, trying to read you. Did something happen after he’d left you at the saloon? Shit, now this was going to be added to his list of things bothering the hell out of him, among which including his mom having been at your farm when he’d given you the necklace… Now she’ll probably tease the hell out of him and maybe tell Maru, and neither of them will shut up about it, and then more people will find out, and then the whole town will know… He groaned silently, rubbing his face. That was actually probably a big reason why he’d been so cold to you, too. Fuck… Now there was just too much noise going on in his mind to fucking concentrate.

Abigail greeted you with a hug. “Hey, (Name)! We were starting to wonder if you’d show up… The egg hunt is about to start soon!” She was wearing an egg-themed dress with black lace lining and black fishnets, which you thought was a rather unique choice… Very cute, though.

“Hey, guys!” You greeted back with a smile, though eyed Sebastian with concern as he had some serious dark circles going on and appeared as though he was having some sort of internal crisis. You tried to keep the mood light for the moment by not bringing this up, as neither of your other friends seemed to notice this detail. “…I-I dunno about the egg hunt, though. I might leave that to the kiddos…” You turned your attention away from them and glanced over at the two kids running around just a short distance away—Sam’s brother Vincent and… Jas, was it? You couldn’t put a finger on whom she was related to. As though to answer, she then ran up to Shane to show him a rock.

‘Huh? Is she his daughter or something? Or maybe he’s her uncle…? She looks a bit different from him, though…’

“Huh?! Don’t tell me you’re chickening out!” Abigail laughed, giving your shoulder a playful shove and breaking your thoughts. “And here I was, looking forward to beating your farmer ass!”

Sebastian’s thoughts were broken as Abigail said that, and he looked up from his hands to give her a harsh glare that looked downright possessive, but neither of you took notice.

‘That sounded way too sexual…’ Sebastian thought to himself, looking as though he wanted to do worse than just glare at her. ‘Adding numbers behind my back, talking to my precious farmer like they’re a slab of meat… If I could, I’d love to wipe them all out, so it’s just (Name) and me…’ He grasped his head, feeling a massive headache coming on. Why were his thoughts suddenly so violent? Maybe… it was just a side effect of his sleep deprivation?

Sam was still sipping his drink but caught a glimpse of something scary in Sebastian’s eyes. He frowned, wondering if his friend needed to talk about something.

“H-Huh?” You were confused by her competitive behavior over something so childish, and a slight blush rose to your cheeks at that last comment. “Wait, you’re joking, right?”

“Psst, (Name),” Sam whispered, ignoring his concern about Seb for a moment and leaning to your ear. “Abby enters the egg hunt every year and has never lost once… It would be serious bragging rights if you beat her.” He elbowed you with a wink.

You laced your eyebrows, looking at Abigail who gave you a smug grin. ‘Wait, are these two actually serious?! She enters every year and doesn’t give these kids a fair chance at winning?!’

“And if you win, I’m sure it’ll give my brother Vince better hope. He always mopes about Abby winning every time, and I’d like to show him that it’s not impossible to beat her.” Sam gave you a pleading look with his puppy dog eyes, and you couldn’t help but smile at the cuteness.

‘That’s true. Someone needs to put this girl in her place!’

“…Okay, I’ll enter.” You gave Abigail a challenging look.

She laughed, taking your hand into hers and shaking it. “That’s the spirit! But don’t think for one second you can beat me, the Egg Master!”

‘She really thinks she can outrun me? In those fishnets?’

“You’re on,” you challenged, grasping her hand more firmly.

Noticing your grip, she clutched your hand even tighter, smirking.

You gripped tighter too, glaring.

She then squeezed your hand so hard that you began to wince in pain, which she found amusing. However, her amused grin and vice grip loosened as she noticed Sebastian giving her a look that could kill.

‘HANDS… OFF… MY… (NAME)…’ he thought so powerfully that his headache was getting worse, but it appeared as though it was working, because Abigail backed off.

“A-Anyway! See you on the battlefield, farmer!” She trotted off, sending Sebastian a glare of her own.

‘Sheesh, he’s been extra rotten, lately…’ Abigail thought, huffing. ‘Sorry, Seb. That cute little farmer will be mine. I’ll win this egg hunt again and impress them!’ She grinned with a blush, fixing up her fishnets which she wore for the sole reason of looking like eye candy. ‘Why would they want to date a sleep deprived and depressed weirdo, anyway?’

In truth, she would never admit to the real reason why his protective actions pissed her off so much.

You rubbed your hand with a pout, then turned to Sebastian, realizing you hadn’t caught up with him, yet. “Hey, Seb. You doing okay?” You were still concerned about his dark circles, and you felt by the look on his face that something else might be eating at him, too.

His head still throbbed, but his expression softened immediately as you spoke to him, snapping out of his previous daze. “Oh, hm? Yeah, I-I’m fine…” He rubbed his eyes. “I just… haven’t slept much… and my head is killing me…”

“Yeah, we can tell, buddy…” Sam chimed in, and Sebastian glared at him, having forgotten for a moment that he was there, too. Upon meeting his glare, Sam gave a knowing grin, sidestepping to give you two some space.

Sebastian ignored him, instead focusing on you, and noticed you were wearing the necklace he’d given you. This detail made his heart flutter, but he made no comment about it. Instead, something more concerning caught his attention—something troubling behind your eyes. “…Actually, (Name). Are you feeling okay?” He leaned a little closer, trying to read you. “It just seems like something is eating at you, lately…”

You froze in place as he said basically the same thing that Shane had, last night. Was it really that noticeable? You were at a loss for words, as you couldn’t even place what, exactly, was even wrong, when everything wrong was just a blur. “I…”

“Shit, was it the way I acted last night? I’m… really sorry about that.” He rubbed his temples, genuinely looking like he felt bad about it. “It’s just… I saw you talking to Shane, and I—” He stopped himself abruptly as a dark realization fell over his eyes. ‘Shit— Why did I fucking mention that bastard?! Now they’ll think—'

“Shane?” A small, subtle fear bubbled in your gut when you heard Sebastian mention him, especially in the subtle jealous tone he had. Without giving it a second thought, you tried to bandage this together, quickly. “I-I, what happened was, I went to get a drink at the bar and… I didn’t have money, so Shane offered me a drink. He could see I was troubled about something when I came in, and he was just being nice. It… wasn’t anything more than that.”

Your mind buzzed with confusion at your own words. Of course it wasn’t anything more than that?! Why did you feel the need to word it that way? Still, you fidgeted nervously under his gaze, anxiously hoping for some form of affirmation from him. Perhaps it was because of his jealous tone, but something in you couldn’t help feeling like you were admitting to doing something wrong. It was very possible that he had seen you two through the doorway of the game room at some point, and maybe he felt that something else was going on.

Sebastian studied your expression and body language carefully as you explained yourself, and noticed you trembling just the slightest. It was cute… too cute. Like a pet puppy when it knows it’s guilty. His dark, sleep-deprived gaze narrowed suspiciously, though he picked up on an important point that you made: You had been troubled about something even before you entered the bar. He recalled that same feeling he’d picked up on just last night, and he let out a relieved sigh. He believed you. Perhaps Shane wasn’t the perpetrator he was hunting down in the toothbrush ordeal. There was someone else causing you problems, and when he finds that person, there will be hell to pay. Still, he decided to keep his eye out for Shane, just in case.

Sebastian’s jealous gaze softened, nodding in response to your explanation. Upon seeing this, an odd relief washed over you, as well.

“Yeah, that makes sense.” He scratched the back of his neck, eyes moving away. “Sorry, this sleep deprivation must be really messing with my brain.”

‘Ah, that could explain it…’ You thought, nodding in response to him. ‘Poor Sebby hasn’t gotten enough sleep… Of course his brain might be jumping to weird conclusions…’

Sam overheard bits of the conversation and glanced between you two, wondering what the heck all that was about. He sipped his punch, feeling like he was watching a soap opera unfold.

“A-Anyway, uh, have fun with the egg hunt today…” Sebastian’s eyes turned to you again, suddenly looking serious. “And be careful around Abigail. I have an odd feeling about her… Don’t duck down behind buildings, or anything.”

‘Woah, really? Does he think she set up a trap or something to cheat? Would she do that?’ You gave him a bit of a bewildered look but nodded. “I-I’ll be careful.”

“Good…” Without much thought in his sleep deprived state, he patted your head gently. “…I’ll be watching you.”

Your face turned bright red from his touch and his words, and Sam nearly spat out his drink.

Realizing what he was doing, Sebastian quickly removed his hand, a blush rising to his cheeks. “I-I mean, g-good luck or whatever…” He turned away, internally cursing himself. After seeing your cute reaction, his teeth hurt like hell, for some reason.

“Uh, th-thanks,” you stuttered, legs a little wobbly as you walked away, flustered by that interaction.

‘Wh-What’s wrong with my legs?! G-Get ahold of yourself, (Name)! It was just a… h-head pat.’

Your blush worsened as you thought about it, and about how jealous he’d been about Shane. The redness in your cheeks caught Abigail’s attention, who hadn’t seen what Sebastian did, as you approached her.

“Getting a nervous fever now, farmer? Haha! You already know you’re gonna lose, don’t you?”

You glared at her, determined to wipe that smug grin off her face.

‘Get your head in the game, (Name)…’

Sebastian glanced around after you walked away, but thankfully no one else aside from Sam seemed to notice that exchange. He let out a sigh of relief, then walked over to the punch bowl to get a drink. Sam followed him, still amused by whatever had just transpired.

“Sooooooo?” Sam leaned in next to Sebastian as he was getting his punch, and the emo rolled his eyes, knowing what was coming. “What was all that about, hmm?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Sebastian grumbled in a flat tone, sending his friend a side glare warning him to drop the subject.

“Haha, come on, bro!” He shoved his shoulder playfully, but his annoyed expression didn’t budge. “I saw that little head pat you gave them!” He decided it would be best to not mention having overheard Shane’s name in their conversation.

“I was just wishing them ‘good luck,’ okay?” He turned to his friend after filling his cup, frustration clearly present. “I’m just feeling a little off today. That’s all. If I’m acting weird, it’s probably because I’m sleep deprived…” He lifted his red solo cup to his lips.

“Okay, sure. And I’m sure that’s also why you looked like you were going to kill Abigail earlier too, huh?”

Sebastian spat out his drink, not just for what Sam said, but also partly due to the fact that it tasted like it was spiked, and partly because it was too sweet—he’d had enough sweet things after your cuteness made him feel like he was going to get cavities. He coughed with a grimace.

“What?”

“I mean it, dude… I looked over, and your face looked like it belonged to a psychopathic killer from one of those horror movies.” He kept a grin on his face, but his eyes read as concerned. “Just looking out for you. And frankly, it’s almost like you’ve been getting angry more easily lately…”

“Don’t you think I have the right to be?!” Sebastian snapped, dumping out the rest of his drink under the table as he glared at his blonde friend. “Abigail’s been talking to (Name) like they’re a piece of meat, and both of you snuck your numbers into their phone before I could even add them on mine, and—" He gripped his empty cup as his sleep deprived brain was making him spill more of his thoughts than he wanted to.

“Woah, woah, easy!” Sam raised his free hand in defense, a slight smirk pulling at his lips to the implications behind Seb’s words. “I only added them because we ran into each other at Pierre’s and started talking about some alternative bands we both liked! Literally, the only thing we talk about is music… And you know that’s just the way Abby talks, right? I don’t think she meant anything… uh, sexual.”

Sebastian’s eyes widened in horror as he realized he’d admitted too much, then flinched as Sam placed his hand on his shoulder.

“Relax, man…” the blonde said, grinning slyly. “I know you have a crush on them. I won’t try anything on them, trust.”

“WH-WHAT?!” Sebastian growled, pulling away from him with a defensive glare. “I—” His eyes shifted around to see if anyone else was listening, then lowered his voice, his words still sharp as daggers. “I absolutely do NOT have a crush on them…”

Sam still grinned in amusement; subtle fear however present in his blue-speckled green eyes.

“Alright, alright. Your secret’s safe with me. Just loosen up and enjoy the festival, aight?”

Sebastian heaved out a sigh. “Alright, whatever.” His focus turned to you instead, deciding to ignore his friend, for now. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt if only Sam knows… But in any case, there was a bigger problem to be dealt with: He still didn’t know who the toothbrush thief was, but he had a nagging feeling that they’re somehow to blame for the troubles you’ve been having, lately.

He watched as you lined up with Abigail, Maru, and the only two kids in the whole town, ready for the egg hunt, and he couldn’t help but notice you still appeared troubled, even while you were supposed to be having fun. He frowned, wondering why you hadn’t talked to him about it. After all, that’s why he’d given you his number. So that you could tell him about anything going on while he’s not there to protect you… Suddenly, a thought occurred to him.

Memories from your talk with him by the lake returned to his mind, and he remembered that you were dealing with memory loss over your past trauma. His eyes widened, now speculating.

Could it be… that you had developed some sort of amnesia as a defense mechanism to traumatic events, as a result?

Sebastian’s hands curled into fists, now arriving to the conclusion that someone in town was causing you new trauma. His tired eyes scanned the crowd, trying to find anyone who might be acting suspiciously, but he was coming up with nothing. His gaze once again landed on you, desperately pleading you for some sort of hint so he could help you.

Through the commotion of the event, Emily stood in observation, watching as things unfolded. She had spotted you wearing the amethyst necklace that Sebastian had gotten from her, so she now knew whom this special person of his was. She had been carefully watching you both since you’d arrived at the Egg Fest, while thinking back to when Sebastian had come to her with a vastly different demeanor than the previous time they’d spoken, apologizing profusely for his behavior. She’d accepted his apology back then and had given him the necklace when he mentioned you having bad dreams. However, she didn’t believe him for a second when he said he hadn’t had any more of his own strange dreams, when she prompted him.

With a straight expression, her magenta eyes studied Sebastian’s look of desperation as he watched you, then turned her gaze to watch your unease. You two had an interesting dynamic, that was for sure, but she couldn’t help but sense that something else was up, here—that Sebastian was not the one causing you grief.

Clint stood near Emily, and she was picking up on some nervous vibes oozing out of him. However, this was not out of the ordinary, as he always seemed to have this anxious aura about him—at least whenever she was around him. Though, she couldn’t help feeling that this aura was stronger than usual, in this moment.

You, all the while, almost looked ready to faint.

“Alright, folks! We will now begin the annual egg hunt!” Mayor Lewis announced, not noticing whatever was going on with you.

As he explained the rules, you zoned out, feeling a cold sweat as the crowd behind the mayor seemed to blur. You blinked hard, shaking this feeling off as best as you could, then grew pale as one face in the crowd—standing next to Emily—was still blurred out. A sickness welled inside of you as your head felt dizzy.

Abigail noticed your physical state and smirked at first, thinking it was nerves about challenging the great and mighty Egg Master, but that smirk wiped off her face as the look in your eyes seemed worse than just nerves. She was starting to grow concerned, and wondered if she should tell Mayor Lewis to wait.

Sebastian also took notice of your troubled state, and his adrenaline rushed through his body.

It seemed as though his precious farmer would provide the lead he needs, after all.

‘Show me, (Name)… Who hurt you? Show me…’

Your gaze met Sebastian’s concerned—and subtly furious—eyes, and, as though you had both connected your thoughts together in that moment, your dizzy gaze turned from his over towards the blur in the crowd.

Emily watched this subtle exchange with intense curiosity, but fear filled her chest as Sebastian’s almost-murderous glare snapped to her direction. She froze in place, though felt somewhat relieved as his eyes moved past her, searching. She took a shaky breath, having had her air caught in her throat. That’s when she glanced behind her to follow where his gaze had landed, and noticed Clint had disappeared into the crowd.

“…?! Clint…?”

Shane, meanwhile, hadn’t really noticed what was happening around him, too busy munching on some deviled eggs, which were getting on his scraggly 5 ’O clock shadow.

‘Damn, these eggs are good… Oh wait, I should probably be a good godfather and watch Jas—’

He wiped his face and looked up, then noticing you looked a little woozy.

‘Oh shit, are they okay?’

“Now, on your marks…” Mayor Lewis loudly called out.

“Um, Mayor Lewis, actually—” Abigail attempted to interject, glancing at you, though Lewis didn’t hear her.

“…Get set…”

“I think we should—” She suddenly noticed Sebastian shoving his crumpled plastic cup into Sam’s hands, leaving the blonde confused as the ravenette was searching through the crowd of onlookers. For whom, she had no idea.

“…BEGIN!”

“Fuck,” Abigail muttered under her breath, already shifting her plans to let you win, instead. However, when she went to grab your hand to run with you, you’d already taken off like a rocket.

Chapter Text

Sebastian lay awake on his back, staring up at the ceiling in his dark room, the only light being the soft glow of the yard lights seeping through the basement window. He wore only a worn band tee-shirt and boxers, exposing the various flavors of scars scattered across his arms and legs, hair sprawled about on his pillow. Another sleepless night.

He’d been unsuccessful in tracking down the perpetrator at the Egg Festival. As thoroughly as he had searched the crowd, the target had managed to slip away and blend in with the rest of the villagers before he could even pinpoint who it was. It didn’t help either that his mother and Demetrius had noticed his odd behavior and questioned him. He ended up having to pretend that he’d dropped his phone and was searching for it, and when they were preoccupied with helping him look for it, he let it slip out of his pocket as he was bent over and then picked it up, saying he found it. By then, the target had certainly gotten away.

Sebastian groaned, muttering obscenities into his hands.

When he catches the perpetrator, he’ll fucking throttle them.

His dark grey-brown eyes peered through his fingers over at the digital alarm clock—which he never used—sitting on his bedside table: 12:23am. In just less than six hours, you would be up tending to your farm. By now, he had your usual schedule memorized, after having watched you many times.

You…

The dark-haired man uncovered his face, hands slowly lowering to his chest as his sleepless stare studied the ceiling, unconsciously searching for imperfections.

You… How are you doing right now? Are you sleeping soundly?

His eyes landed on a crack in the plaster—had that always been there?

Are you having pleasant dreams? Nightmares? No dreams at all?

Sebastian studied every bend, every fork, focusing on the crack’s pattern.

Are you… alone? Or is there someone else there on the farm with you?

His eyes focused so hard that it appeared as though the crack was growing.

Is it the perpetrator? Are they hurting you now?

He sat up with a gasp, gripping onto his shirt.

What if the person who’s been hurting you is there and they’re doing things to you?! What if you’re not texting me about it because they have your phone too?

He seethed, now grasping his head, so hard that it felt like it was going to explode.

WHAT IF THEY’RE TOUCHING YOU?! WHAT IF THEY’RE DOING WORSE THINGS?!

His body tremored, dripping with sweat. His vision blurred.

I CAN’T LEAVE YOU ALONE. YOU’RE NOT SAFE WITHOUT ME. YOU’RE NOT SAFE. WITHOUT ME. WITHOUT ME, YOU’RE NOT—

An unopened can of one of his energy drinks fell off of his table on the far side of the room with a thud so sudden that Sebastian nearly jumped out of his own skin. He panted, wide-eyed as his vision returned, staring at it in confused horror as it rolled upon impact and came to a stop, just a few feet away from his bed. His breath shook as his eyebrows furrowed, trying to make sense of what had just occurred. Thoughts clicked around in his brain.

‘Did… I do that…?’ He shook his head, rubbing his face to avoid looking at the can. ‘No… That’s… impossible. It… must’ve been gravity. Maybe I accidentally set it too close to the ledge earlier… Yeah… that’s probably it…’

He calmed his breathing, running his fingers through his hair and refusing to look at the can still, instead focusing his gaze on the faint glow of the basement window.

‘I need to go see them…’ He shook his head again, trying to reason with his thoughts.

‘…I need a cigarette.’

As he stepped outside into the crisp night air, Sebastian silently shut the front door behind him, so not to wake anyone in the house. Shoving his hand in his pocket, he pulled out his box of cigs and a lighter, briefly glancing around before lighting one up. He cupped his hand around the flickering light as the cigarette hung from his lips, contemplating. His thoughts turned to you, as they typically did whenever he needed to calm himself.

He thought back to the egg hunt, recalling having caught sight of you, following the small diversion he made of picking up his phone after he’d “accidentally” dropped it. He’d been frustrated about not finding the person who was hurting you, but his chest felt lighter as he saw you darting around with so much determination, despite having previously appeared as though you would faint. Though, as Sebastian had watched you carefully, there was something he noticed in your eyes that showed you’d still been clearly out of it—as though you were running on autopilot, as though your brain had made it your utmost priority to win, above all other concerns.

Sebastian inhaled, filling his lungs with the nicotine vapors before releasing a long puff of smoke into the night air. His dark gaze narrowed as he thought to himself, letting the cigarette rest between his fingers. Despite having been obviously dissociating, you had pushed yourself to a remarkable victory—thirteen eggs, in total. You’d even beaten Abigail’s all-time record of ten eggs (though she usually gets 8-9). You were truly something amazing…

He looked down to the ground, shakily bringing the cig back up to his lips and trying to keep his inhales steady, so not to choke. Remembering the way you’d blacked out after winning wasn’t doing much good for him in steadying himself, however. He rubbed his temple, puffing more rapidly. Thankfully, you’d come to after Doctor Harvey had let you rest in the clinic and instructed everyone to give you space. Abigail had insisted on walking you home while you were still dazed, and had refused Sebastian’s help in doing so.

“I think I’ve got this…” She’d said to him, giving him a cold glare. “After all, don’t you have something else to worry about?”

‘Something else?’ What the hell had she meant by that? Had she seen him searching the crowd of onlookers and assumed the worst?

Sebastian rubbed his eyes, seething through his cigarette.

He wanted to trust that she’d gotten you home safely. He wanted to trust that he’d made the right decision in giving you the space you needed and not sneaking to your house to check up on you. He wanted to trust that no one else had snuck onto your farm within that time and done unspeakable things…

He wanted to trust that it was all okay…

But…

Sebastian’s head felt dizzy, vision blurring as the cigarette fell from his lips, butting itself out as it hit the dirt at his feet. His breathing became shaky and uneven as the world around him began to feel as though it was spinning, darkening.

…He just couldn't trust that.

He had to see you…

He had to check that you were okay…

He had to—

Sebastian flinched, head snapping up from his hands as he looked around in subtle panic, realizing the environment had changed. The trees were different, and there was a dirt path leading to…

His eyes followed the path before he froze in place, realizing he had somehow ended up on your farm.

“…Fuck,” he whispered, rubbing his throbbing temple. “…Did I… dissociate so badly that I somehow… sleepwalked here?”

He seethed, taking a moment to let his vision unblur as his headache began to dissipate. It was quiet, the only sounds reaching his ears being the crickets chirping their nighttime songs. That probably meant that everything was fine (no intruders, at least), but something in his gut was aching to check on you, anyway. When he fully came to, he glanced over in the direction of your farmhouse, and something shiny caught his eye.

Ascending the porch steps slowly, so not to make too much noise, he noticed upon closer inspection that you had left your key in the lock of the front door, a keychain of what he assumed to be your favorite fruit/vegetable dangling from it. His first immediate reaction was to snatch the key in his hand and test the lock, which thankfully appeared to not have been tampered with, to his relief. However, rage still boiled inside of him as he remembered who was last with you. Had Abigail just left you on your doorstep without sticking around to make sure you locked up properly?! You were in a daze yesterday, so of course something like this was bound to happen! What a terrible friend Abigail is!

He clutched the key tighter in his hand, a low growl erupting from the back of his throat. ‘This is exactly why you’re better off with me, (Name)… A ditz like Abigail could never protect you like I do…’ He grimaced at himself, however, realizing the fault in his thoughts. But that was just the problem, wasn’t it? This only happened because he’d left you alone with her… He wasn’t doing enough to protect you. Not yet, at least.

Sebastian’s gaze rose again to the door, staring at it. Part of him tried with all his might to hold himself back, knowing that, by doing what he was about to do, he was breaking an unspoken code between the two of you. However, the much bolder, more prominent part of him was adamant that he needed to do this to protect you, and that part of him was very convincing. He took a deep breath, raising the key towards the door.

‘I’m sorry, (Name), but I cannot sleep until I know you’re okay. Leaving the key in the door just proves that you need my protection… So, I’m coming in.’

He slowly inserted the key into the lock, turning it with a gentle click. Releasing the breath he was holding, he pushed the door open, quietly creeping inside. His eyes scanned the room, analyzing, and his head turned to look at you, sleeping soundly in your bed to the right.

A weight in his chest lifted, relieved in watching your body gently rise and fall with each breath.

However, he wasn’t finished here.

Sebastian carefully closed the door behind himself, then pocketed the key as he turned the lock so no one could follow him inside. Fishing his phone from his pocket, he cupped his hand around it as he turned on the flashlight feature, so not to let the light hit your eyes. His gaze lingered on you for a moment, comforted by watching you sleep, but then turned to study the rest of the room and investigate. His movements were slow and quiet, having a knack for stealth—he always had a way of entering a room and unintentionally startling people when they realize he’s there because of his silence, and now that ability was coming in handy.

He checked every nook and cranny, searching for any sign of intrusion: footprints, fingerprints, loose hairs, stress in the wood framing, traps, signs of break-in, anything. Then, he saw it—faint, dirty fingerprints on your windowsill. His dark eyes narrowed, studying them. Of course, it could have just been from you closing the window after dirtying your hands working on the farm, but upon closer inspection, these particular fingerprints seemed to be a different shape than your fingertips, and there was a mix of soot in them… As though from someone working with materials from the mines. Gears turned in his mind, and he pulled up his camera app to take a photo. He turned his back to you to shield the flash. Once he finds who snuck in, he’ll have evidence to use against them.

Turning on his heel to search some more, something on your bedside table caught his eye: A letter, folded in half. He concealed the light as he approached your bedside, snatching the letter in his hand and fearing the worst. A love note, perhaps?! Sebastian shook off his thoughts, trying to reason with himself.

‘No, calm down… It could be anything. Just… take one peek.’

Sebastian turned his back to you once again to shield the light from your sleeping form, then illuminated the letter in his hand, unfolding it to read its contents. The handwriting appeared scrawled in a cursive slant, similar to how a lot of elderly folks wrote their letters. After scanning it over for a moment, he realized it would take him some effort to decipher what was written, and he considered taking it with him to read on his own later when he had more time and focus. For now, he skipped to the sign-off at the bottom, which read: Love, Grandpa.

So, thankfully not a love letter, at least.

Upon discovering it was from your grandfather, he began to have second thoughts about pocketing it to read later, as it was probably personal family business that he had no right to snoop into…

Then again…

He squinted at it, deciding to at least attempt to read the first line. Thankfully, his brain recalled enough from having learned cursive once in the fourth grade (Cruddy education system we have these days, amirite? Nowadays they’re not teaching it AT ALL…) to make out what it said:

If you are reading this, congratulations on realizing your true life’s purpose and making the move to Stardew Valley.

Interesting… A final will and testament, perhaps? He wondered if your grandfather had just left this letter in the house for you to find, though the paper was dirty and worn, like it had been outside for a while… But a letter wouldn’t survive that long exposed to the elements, would it? He didn’t know how long ago that old man died, but it had to have been before Sebastian himself had moved to Pelican Town around ten years ago, because this farm was vacant for as long as he could remember, until you moved in.

He shook off his thoughts, deciding it was a waste of time standing there wondering about the letter’s origins. What was more important were the letter’s contents. ‘True life’s purpose’? That bit was just begging him to read further… Curiosity got the best of him, so he pocketed the letter to read in private later, mentally hoping you wouldn’t notice its disappearance. In doing so, he felt the key still in his pocket, and a shaky breath escaped him as his fingertips brushed against the brass, suddenly having the craziest idea.

A sly grin stretched across his lips, the most diabolical of ideas about how to better protect you now flourishing colorfully in his mind. He would head back to his house to act on that… but first…

Switching off the light on his phone, Sebastian turned to you as you still slept, the shadows of the room veiling the wide smile across his face as his dark, lovesick eyes gazed down at your sleeping form. The way his demeanor could turn on a dime was almost frightening, even to himself.

“I’ll be back soon, my little farmer…” he cooed, kneeling down to your level. “I just have to… take some extra precautions to better protect you, like I promised you I would…”

He slowly reached towards your face, then began to pet your hair, gently enough to not wake you. Heat filled his cheeks as he gazed at you, admiring your enchanting appearance. Unable to resist you, he leaned closer, face inches from yours.

“I’ll do everything I can… to ensure you’re mine…”

Sebastian’s whispers gently danced upon your face, before his tender lips met your soft skin, kissing your cheek. Feeling an aroused hunger tug at his insides, he brushed his lips against your flesh, kisses progressively moving closer towards your mouth, his hand caressing your shoulder and slowly working its way down your blanketed side to your hips. Feeling an erection begin to rise in his pants, a soft moan escaped him as he imagined all the dirty and unspeakable acts he desperately wanted to do with you—or rather, to you. He nearly planted a kiss on your lips before you suddenly began to stir.

Mentally cursing himself, he reeled backwards and unlocked the front door, swiftly slipping outside with one last glance at you shifting in your bed, then disappeared before you could wake. He closed the door with a silent clack, then let out a shaky sigh before locking it up and taking the key with him—he needed it for what he was about to do, after all.

‘Soon…’ Sebastian thought to himself, shoving the key into his pocket and quickly glancing around to make sure no one was on the farm watching him. ‘Soon, I will be duly rewarded for my efforts and finally earn a kiss from them… and more.’

Hot breath puffing out vapors into the chill of the spring night air, he clutched the tent in his sweatpants to calm himself as he hurried back up the mountain trail to set his plan into motion.

All along his way back to his house, Sebastian couldn’t hold back from grinning. It was in times like these that he was thankful to be the son of a carpenter. Not only did that mean he had a few tricks up his sleeve from learning the trade, but he was also provided with the necessary tools to utilize at his disposal. Humming an alternative song quietly to himself as he approached the front door, he pulled out his own set of keys to quietly unlock it, enter the house, and shut the door behind him.

Upon entering the dark house, he snuck over to the sales counter for a pair of needle nose pliers. Locating their compartment beneath the counter, he gently slid them out into his hand, then traded out his keys in his pocket for your key, which he was borrowing for the time being. Taking care not to damage the keyring nor his black nail polish, he pried just enough of an opening to slide your key off of its ring, keeping the sound of your keychain muffled in the palm of his hand. Once it was free, he pocketed your keychain and put the pliers back where he’d found them.

Now came the most important step. He turned on his heels, facing the kiosk to the left of the counter against the wall, which stayed plugged in and turned on at all times, despite the shop’s hours: the key copier.

Sebastian studied your key gripped between his finger and thumb for a moment, contemplating if this was really the right thing to do. After all, in doing this, that meant that he had access to your house at all times, without your knowledge nor consent. However, in this onset of brain fog from not having slept in a little over 40 hours finally catching up to him (he managed to at least get several hours of sleep after obtaining the necklace for you, having felt accomplished), everything he was doing just seemed like a good idea. After all, you lived alone, with no one there to protect you. You had some pervert break in recently and steal your toothbrush. Someone might also be hurting you, and if so, they’ve so far managed to slip past his radar (likely thanks to his lack of awareness due to insomnia). If he wanted to better protect you from things getting any worse, he needed access at all hours of the day. Not only that, but he needed to improve your home security a little—which would come later.

For now, copying your key seemed like the right first step. As long as he uses the key responsibly—with enough self-control—there should be no problem with doing this. You’ll never even realize he’s there.

Taking a deep breath after having convinced himself, he moved closer to the kiosk, gripping your key as he felt the effects of not sleeping making his hand-eye coordination rather unsteady. Staring dumbly at the screen for a moment as the pay options came into focus, it finally clicked in his sleepless brain that he needed to use the master key to bypass the paywall. He pulled out his keys—luckily, he had a copy ready for the kiosk, which Robin had given to each member of the household (you know, just in case)—then inserted it into the lock and turned it. A very quiet confirmation beep rang out, and he mentally thanked his mother for having turned down the volume, ever since the kiosk had woken her up a couple of times when it soft-reset itself overnight. Continuing with his work, he followed the prompts on screen—though slowly, as his blurred, tired vision made it difficult to read—then inserted your housekey a little clumsily, silently thanking Yoba he didn’t drop it. With a quiet whir, the machine traced every niche and tooth of the key and went to work.

Though he had successfully kept quiet, Sebastian was not the only person awake. Just around the corner in the hallway, Maru kept her breathing quiet so not to make a sound and alert him. She had been awake ever since she’d gotten up to use the toilet at around 1am, only to return to her bedroom and catch sight through her window of Sebastian wandering off down the mountain path in a way that appeared as though he was some sort of zombie. She had no idea what he was up to, but it creeped the hell out of her just enough to lie half-awake until she’d heard the front door open and close upon his return around 2:35am.

Initially, she had assumed he was undergoing some sort of complex somnambulism (sleepwalking), and almost worried about Sebastian being gone for more than an hour. However, upon his return, in hearing the shuffling of tools, she had a nagging feeling that he was well awake, so she had gotten up out of bed to investigate. She had quietly tiptoed out her bedroom door—while ensuring she’d given a wide berth to the mess of robotic parts from her recent project on the floor, so not to accidentally kick something—and down the hallway, keeping her body close to the wall and out of sight. She dared not peek at him, but instead listened, recognizing the sounds of the key copier.

What on earth would he need to use that for?

Maru almost considered approaching her half-brother to question him, but she was unsure if that was the best course of action to take. The two never really talked; just sort of coexisted in the same household. If she were to speak to him now to inquire about what he was up to, he might become defensive, or perhaps even react violently. Of course, she had never witnessed Sebastian participate in violent behavior, but she didn’t know whether he was capable of it, nor did she want to find out first-hand.

Though, perhaps he really was sleepwalking, and perhaps he needed to be woken up before he did anything more severe. She stood there in her pajamas, frozen and conflicted about what to do, before she overheard the machine finish and deposit the keys. Maru covered her mouth and shrank back into the shadows, body pressed against the wall as she heard her older half-sibling snatch up the keys and promptly pull out a tool again. She heard a brief jingle of something like a keychain, which was quickly muffled as Sebastian then turned to head towards the door. Peering out the corner of her eyes as she had enough of a view to catch a glimpse of him, she noticed he was fully clothed and wearing his boots, which gave her confirmation that he was indeed not having a somnambulistic episode and was actually up to something.

As the door shut behind Sebastian, Maru let out a shaky breath, holding onto her chest as her eyes shifted about, wondering what that guy was up to, and whether she should follow to investigate. She quickly made the decision to stay home, however, and instead rushed to her bedroom to watch for him out her window. Surely enough, Sebastian was again heading back down the mountain path—towards your farm—and an awful, twisted feeling arose in her gut as she recalled his odd interest in you lately, according to Mom.

“He talks about them nonstop,” Robin had mentioned with a chuckle recently, sharing some tea with her daughter while Sebastian was out for a smoke break. “I don’t think he even realizes he’s doing it either, because he denies having a crush on them every time I ask, haha! It’s cute!”

Sure, it was indeed ‘cute,’ in a way. And one time, Sebastian had asked Maru herself in passing if she had gotten the chance to meet you, yet. That was… the first time he had spoken to her in a long while. At the time, she was happy about it, because maybe talking about you would give him a reason to finally bond with her like a brother.

However, she now couldn’t help but worry… Perhaps she was overthinking, but she also felt it might be a good idea to at least mention something to you, when she sees you again. After a bit of thinking in her bed and managing to at least somewhat reassure herself that no one was in any immediate danger, she drifted off to sleep.

Sebastian admired the newly-made key in his hand, humming to himself as he returned to your farm. His plan now was to test the new key and make sure it works, have one last look around your house, then leave your original key inside your house and return home to finally get some sleep. Pulling out his phone to check the time, it was 3:08am. Well, at least he might manage to get close to seven hours of sleep (hopefully), if he doesn’t take too long here.

As he lowered his phone to pocket it, he was greeted by your cat, whose meow almost seemed apprehensive as it flattened its ears, staring up at him.

“Hey there, kitty…” Sebastian cooed softly, kneeling down as he put away the key, then reached his hand out for the small feline to sniff. Your cat was hesitant, however accepted the small invitation and sniffed his fingers, eyeing him cautiously.

Mochi recognized him from when he had passed through your farm earlier that week while you were busy working, and he wanted to make sure this man wasn’t dangerous.

“You’re protective of them too, aren’t you…?” His eyes lowered to the cat’s collar, seeing a tag that had “Mochi” engraved into it. “…Mochi. Let’s protect (Name) together, what do you say?” He grinned as the cat nuzzled his hand a little and let out a soft purr.

‘What a cute name… Naturally, chosen by my cute farmer…’

As he pet Mochi and reassured the fur baby that he wasn’t a threat to you, Sebastian’s mind wandered to what you might look like with a collar of your own. He blushed, quickly shaking those thoughts away as he stood, deciding to just continue with his work here and be on his way. Mochi watched him curiously and followed behind.

Pulling out the new key from his pocket, he inserted it into the lock and turned, letting out a small sigh of relief as it clicked. He pushed open the door gently, peering inside to see you were thankfully still asleep. Mochi weaved between Sebastian’s legs, eager to enter the house before him and watch what he was up to. He shut the door behind him, locking it once more.

He approached your sleeping form, again kneeling at your bedside to stroke your hair. This time, he noticed something sticking out from under your bed, and he glanced down, eyes widening as he recognized the symbol from Solarion Chronicles. Upon further inspection, he saw it was another keychain, attached to your bag you’d packed your belongings in when you moved here.

‘Shit, we still haven’t played a session! Maybe I’ll offer to play next time I see them, and invite Sam too, since it’s not as fun with only two people…’

His gaze again returned to you, and he smiled softly at how cute you looked. “Would you like that, (Name)?” He whispered, unconsciously leaning closer, again. “Maybe a nice game could get your mind off of…”

You suddenly murmured in your sleep, face scrunching in a way as though you were distressed. Sebastian flinched, ready to get up and leave again, however his concern got the best of him and he stayed to comfort you about whatever it was you were going through.

“(Name)? It’s okay, I’m here…” Sebastian whispered, stroking your cheek gently.

“Seb…ast…ian…” you mumbled, body relaxing somewhat under his touch. “H…Help…”

Concern furrowed through Sebastian’s eyebrows as he watched you, feeling helpless in consoling you. He didn’t want to wake you though, being he was intruding in your house and he wasn’t sure how you’d react to that.

“What is it, (Name)…? Are you having a nightmare…?”

Weren’t you wearing the necklace, though? It seemed like it had worked the previous night for you… Then again, he questioned how a rock could possibly prevent bad dreams from occurring. It was likely more of a placebo thing, but he would never say that to you.

“Sebby…” You mumbled, and he almost blushed from the nickname, though all color drained from his face as he heard what you mumbled next: “It… It’s Clint…”

Sebastian’s blood ran cold at first, not expecting Clint of all names to fall from your lips. The town’s socially inept blacksmith? Had he misheard you? Then, he suddenly recalled the soot fingerprints on your windowsill. …But of course, he was the only other person in town who would be handling coal from the mines!

Now, his blood began to boil with rage. Clint was the one who stole your toothbrush, then. That much was certain. So… is he the one who’s been hurting you, too?

Through the rage shaking him to his core, a mess of thoughts swirled in his sleep-deprived brain, trying to think back to previous events. The Stardrop Saloon… When he was leaving the bar, he’d nearly run into Clint, who was just arriving. He had given him a nervous glance, but he hadn’t thought much of it, at the time. Now, it was becoming clearer…

Then there was the Egg Fest, when you were appearing as though you would faint as you lined up with the other contestants before the egg hunt started. Again, he felt that nervous energy emenating from approximately the spot where Clint had been standing, but he hadn’t suspected him. After all, he had been standing next to Emily, and for all he knew, that incel could have just been anxious about being near his crush. And when you had moved your gaze from his own to look over into the crowd…

His eyes widened as he stood, and though the shadows of the dark room cast across his face, his eyes appeared to pierce through them with flaring indignation.

…When he’d followed your troubled gaze to the crowd of onlookers, Clint had disappeared out of sight.

It’s always the one you least expect, isn’t it…?

But of course… it’s all too clear.

On impulse, his body jolted for the door. The sudden movement sent Mochi in a frightened scamper, darting under your bed to hide. In noticing this, Sebastian halted, hand on the doorknob shaking and rattling with the movement as his body shuddered. Letting out a dry, soundless laugh between rapid breaths, he rubbed his temple, attempting to calm himself.

“It’s alright, Mochi… (Name)…” He whispered. “I’m just… going to have a talk with him… That Clint…” The name hissed between his teeth, oozing with venom. “I… ahah… I’m not gonna hurt anybody…” His back hunched as he slowed his breathing, eyes piercing between his fingers.

“Just… have a talk…”

His sleepless gaze shifted over to you, somehow still sound asleep through all of this. In seeing you, something in him calmed, and after a moment of hesitation, he released the door, moving over to you. He kneeled down by your side once more, watching you, admiring you.

“(Name)…” Sebastian lowered his face to rub his eyes, shaking his head as he let out a tremulous sigh. “I-I’m… sorry… I haven’t s-slept at all… It’s… It’s not m-making me think straight… I…”

His gaze again rose to you, then he touched your hair gently, forcefully suppressing his trembling as he didn’t want to wake you. “What… d-do you think I should do…?”

At first, you gave no response, but then after a moment of him stroking your hair, it had a soothing effect on you, and you let out a quiet snore.

“…You’re right,” he whispered, rising to stand. “I should… try to get some sleep…” He sighed, running his fingers through his hair, noticing a few strands catch between his fingers, from all the stress. He let them fall to the floor, not thinking much of it. “…Then maybe I’ll have a clearer idea in the morning…”

Sebastian leaned down, planting one last kiss on the top of your head, whispering, “Thank you… You always know best.”

He then turned to exit, unlocking the door and giving you one final, thoughtful glance. Remembering your key, he pulled it out and muffled the keychain again, then patted his pockets for a scrap piece of paper. He fished out a receipt from Pierre’s, borrowed a pen off of your nightstand, then used your door as a surface to write a note for you.

Opening the door, he stepped outside, then reached around the narrow opening and quietly placed your key, along with the note, on the floor just behind the door, making it appear as though he’d slid it inside from underneath (thankfully, your door had a gap just wide enough to make that believable).

“Goodnight,” he breathed out in his departure, carefully closing the door. He pulled out his copy of your key and locked up, checking the knob to make sure it was completely secured.

Letting out a content sigh, he shoved the key back into his pocket and began walking towards the mountain trail, though stopped in front of your tool bin. He thought about how you had recently upgraded your pickaxe, but wondered if you’d had the chance to upgrade your wood chopping axe at all. He carefully unlatched the box and peered inside, then let out a somewhat disappointed seethe through his nose, seeing it was still the old one your grandfather had left for you.

He shook his head with a click of his tongue. “Well, that simply won’t do, will it? After all, we need to get that log taken care of, remember?”

Sebastian smirked, lifting the axe into his hands as another idea brewed. He then went over to your material bin, pleasantly surprised to see that you had forged all the ore he’d given you into just enough bars for another upgrade.

“Perfect…” he chuckled, scooping up the bars and putting some in his pockets to ease the load he was carrying in his arms. He was certain his little farmer would be pleased when he returned with a copper axe. It’s just a shame he didn’t have iron ore for you, too. That will have to come later.

After returning to his room and setting the axe and bars beside his bed to remind himself of his mission in the morning, Sebastian managed to finally get himself to sleep, content that he was doing a good deed for you. Nearly six and a half hours of uninterrupted sleep was a new record, ever since your talk together by the lakeside, five days prior.

Just a little over two hours after he’d left your farm, you woke up at 6am sharp to start your day.

~✬❧~

Groaning in response to the growing headache you’d woken up to, you slowly sat up, rubbing your eyes and temple. Yesterday was somewhat of a blur, but there was a fond reminder of your victory in the egg hunt, in the form of a straw hat hanging on a nearby coat rack. After you had won, however, you were certain that you had fainted, and the only memory you have from then on was someone walking you home… Abigail, you thought it was? You recalled the purple hair.

You turned and slid your legs off the side of the bed to get up, thinking you should thank her when you see her again. Maybe she could jog your memory, too. As your feet touched the hardwood floor, you heard a quiet meow from under the bed.

“Mh? Mochi…?” You knelt down and peered under the bed, only to meet face-to-face with your cat rushing out to you with a worried expression, quickly looking around the room. You blinked tiredly as you stood up, making a quick glance around in confusion about what your cat might possibly be watchful about.

‘That’s odd… Mochi usually sleeps on the bed with me rather than under… I wonder if something spooked him…?’

As you reached down to pet him, something caught your eye: Your keys, lying on the floor just in front of the door… with a note attached. You froze, feeling a cold shiver come over you. Come to think of it, had you accidentally left your key in the lock of your door last night? You were so out of it, that taking it inside with you had completely slipped your mind.

Just like your cat had done, you quickly looked around with a worried expression, paranoid that someone could have broken in. Though, nothing was displaced—as far as you were concerned—and it didn’t look like anything had been tampered with, either.

Your door did have a gap at the bottom, which someone could have slid your keys underneath… Perhaps Abigail stuck around long enough to notice you’d left it there and slid it inside?

Calming your nerves with sensible reasoning in mind, you approached the key with your (favorite fruit/vegetable) keychain on the floor, though with cautious hesitation, as though it had a bomb strapped to it—rather than a note—that would explode if you grabbed it too hastily. As you carefully lifted them into your hands, you noticed upon closer inspection that the note was also a receipt from Pierre’s. You weren’t sure why, but something in you told you to check what had been purchased, first:

1 – 10 fl oz men’s hair gel

1 – 6 oz calamari ring chips

3 – 8 fl oz Stardrop energy drink(s)

…Would Abigail purchase things from her own dad’s store? (You wouldn’t have doubted if she had shoplifted there a couple times, actually.) …And something like men’s hair gel, no less? You were feeling more and more suspicious by the second, and you flipped the receipt over to finally read the note, despite your growing nerves:

Hey, (Name) –

I dropped by just to check on you and make sure Abigail brought you home safely, and I found your key still in the lock outside.

I slipped it under your door so no one could break in.

Please be more careful next time.

Lo – Sebastian

Your cheeks flushed as you discovered the note was from Sebastian, and you suddenly felt embarrassed. That kind, sweet guy came to check if you had made it home safely, and you left your key in the door like a total klutz and probably made him worry more?! You groaned with your eyes buried into the back of your wrist as you still held the note.

‘You idiot! Now he probably thinks you can’t take care of yourself!’

You shook off those thoughts. No, of course Sebastian knows you can take care of yourself. You’re strong and independent! …Strong and independent enough to forget about this and go get some farmwork done!

With enough pep talk, you set the note aside and went outside to start your morning. While outside tending to your crops, your mind lingered on Sebastian, and you recalled vague memories of him being in your dreams last night. You couldn’t recall much, other than something about Clint bugging you and Sebastian coming to comfort you. Though you didn’t remember what happened, you remembered Sebastian’s calming voice and touch, and you sensed as though Clint was… in danger, after that?

You stood, staring into space for a moment as your brows laced, trying to piece together the fragments of your dream. But after a few minutes, you shrugged it off and continued working, figuring it was a lost cause. In reality, Clint was just… annoying, and you didn’t need to pay someone like him any mind.

You couldn’t really remember what it was he even did over the past several days, but you didn’t care to know, by this point. It was just causing you distress trying to remember. And it’s not like he raped you or something. The coward was probably incapable of that, from seeing how he acts when Emily is around. In any case, it was probably best to only interact with him when you needed something upgraded, or geodes broken open.

Speaking of Emily... Yesterday, during the egg hunt, Clint had been standing… rather close to her. You wondered if she was bothered by him, too. Maybe she was someone you could talk to about this...? Perhaps you could even become friends and bond over your experiences… Maybe it would help you remember, and help you heal… You had to thank her for providing Sebastian with the necklace he’d given you, anyway. Even though parts of your dream last night were distressing, you still felt as though it was working, because Sebastian had appeared and made the dream much better.

After you finished with your crops and went to return the watering can to the toolbox, you stared inside for a moment, thinking something was off. Then, you realized it was your axe, which was nowhere to be found.

~✬❧~

Sometime later, up in the mountain house, Sebastian was having an internal crisis of his own. He stepped into the shower around 10:20am, thoughts about last night swirling around in his mind. After having gotten at least six hours of sleep, his brain was now functioning properly, and thinking more clearly… logically. Now, some choices he had made last night seemed… much less rational.

Fucking insane, actually.

He’d seen your key still in the lock of your door, and his choice of action had been to break inside your house, steal your grandfather’s letter (which he still hadn’t read yet), walk all the way back up to his house to make a copy of your key, then walk all the way back to your farm and break in again, then set up a lie to you about just slipping the key under your door and leaving it at that?! Then he had the gall to scrawl out something in his notebook before bed about a complex security system with cameras, and had made notes to map out your house, later.

For fuck’s sake… What the FUCK had he been THINKING?!

Sebastian groaned into his hands under the pulsating water, wanting so badly to beat the shit out of himself.

“You idiot… You fucking idiot…”

He clawed at himself, digging his black nails so hard into the burn scars on his upper arms that he left marks. Tears threatened his eyes, but he let the running warm water wash them away.

“When they find out… They’ll never trust you again… Do you fucking understand that?!”

He dug at his skull, as he began to hyperventilate, ready to pull his hair out as the next words slipped out, so automatically that it didn’t feel like it had come from himself—

“You… You’re just as bad as your father…”

Sebastian hit the wall of the shower with so much impulsive, sheer force that it echoed throughout the house, and he seethed in pain as he held his hand, reddened from the impact. Thankfully, he hadn’t cracked the tiling at all (which made him wonder how the preexisting crack had gotten there), but it definitely got Robin’s attention.

“Sebastian?!” Her voice was muffled by the door, followed by a knock. “Sebby, honey, are you okay in there?! What happened?”

“Shit…” Sebastian whispered, then called aloud, “I-I’m fine, Mom. I just… hit my head…”

He swore at himself, realizing that was a terrible excuse.

“Your head?! D-Did you get a concussion?! Do I need to call Doctor Harvey?”

“No, Mom!” He sounded irritated, though quickly fixed his tone. “I mean, I’m fine, really… It… wasn’t as bad as it sounded, I promise.”

There was silence behind the door for a moment before she spoke up again, “…Okay, well… Just let me know if you need anything…”

“R-Right…” He was certain she walked away after that, and he panted, his muscles trembling.

‘No… I’m not like that fucking monster, and I’ll never be…’

Sebastian let out a shaky sigh, quickly moving to finish washing up.

‘No… What I did was more of a Clint-level bad, probably…’

He glared at the thought of that incel, scrubbing his body more furiously, now.

‘I need to fix this… I’ll confront that bastard and bring (Name) some justice, to make up for what I did…’

To atone for his sins.

He shut off the water after he finished rinsing off, rubbing his eyes as he evened out his breathing. He then stepped out to dry himself off and get dressed.

‘I’ll bring their axe along too, so I can make my point clear…’

As he left the bathroom and walked down the hallway towards the basement steps, Demetrius was standing in the open wall of the home laboratory to the left, watching him almost judgmentally with crossed arms. He knew Sebastian had lied about hitting his head, but he wasn’t sure about how to go about the situation, so he remained quiet.

Sebastian gave somewhat of a passing glance, but barely acknowledged him, half glaring, as he descended to his basement room and shut the door with a thud.

“…Do you think he damaged the wall?” Demetrius muttered with a frown, and Robin let out somewhat of an exasperated sigh.

“No, it didn’t sound like it was strong enough to damage the tiling, but feel free to check on it, if you’re so concerned.”

He turned to her, brows lowering. “Why is it that you defend him so much? I do not want someone living in our house who is going to act violently like that!”

“He is our son!” She argued, glaring back. “He has just as much of a right to be here as we all do! You have to understand that he’s been through so much… He’s still working on healing from his trauma, just like I am…”

“And do you punch walls?!” He threw up his hands. “Do you give everyone a negative attitude and sit in your room all day, letting your life just pass idly by and never willing the effort to make contributions to our society?!”

“He does contribute to society!” Robin snapped. “He works in something he’s passionate about, and he makes a decent income with it. You don’t see that, because you never make the effort to be a father to him! But same with Sebastian; if both of you made more of an effort to bond with one another, there wouldn’t be… so much tension in this household…” Her voice quieted and trailed off with the last sentence, feeling an ache of guilt in her gut for being so forward.

Demetrius shook his head, sighing grievously as he rubbed his temple.

Robin frowned at what she said and sighed too, coming closer and touching his hand. “I-I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have been so harsh. You do a lot for our family, Demetri…”

“No, no…” He sighed again, appearing defeated. “You are correct… I should involve myself more in Sebastian’s life…”

Just then, Sebastian emerged from his room once more, hair now dry and styled as he walked up the steps with something wrapped in a cloth in his hands. His parents watched him, wondering what it was he was carrying, and he gave them one subtle glance of acknowledgement before turning to leave out the door.

“Sebastian,” Demetrius spoke up, and Sebastian paused, glancing back. “To what whereabouts are you going?”

“Out,” the ravenette responded simply, his tone to some degree sounding along the lines of, ‘wouldn’t YOU like to know.’ He then opened the door and stepped outside.

“Sebastian!” Demetrius called out, now getting angry.

The young man didn’t reciprocate, slamming the door behind him.

The older man balled his dark hands into fists, and Robin sighed, putting her pale hand on his arm.

“He’s an adult, Demetri. He can go where he wants.” Though, she couldn’t help but also wonder what he was up to. “Just be patient with him… That’s all I’m asking.”

“Fine…” He grumbled, running his hand across his short, black coiled hair as he walked further into the lab room. “I will be in my lab, studying some microorganisms to destress for a while, if you need me…”

Sebastian heaved out a sigh once he was outside, raising his chin to look up at the sky for a moment, before continuing down the mountain towards town.

‘I need to be more careful… If I let myself slip like that again, they’ll get on my case…’

He was just thankful that he had a lockbox handy, which he tossed his notebook and the copy of your key into, in case his family went snooping about in his room. (Though, a bigger reason was to discourage himself from making any more rash decisions. Out of sight, out of mind, after all.)

Gripping the cloth-covered axe tighter, he marched onward, full determination showing in his dark eyes as he mentally prepared himself to confront Clint, on your behalf.

Oh, but first…

He slowed to a stop, pulling out his phone as he thought of you.

…He needed to check on his beloved farmer.

As you were taking a break at the table in your house, you boggled about what might have happened to your axe. You thought maybe you’d left it somewhere while out chopping wood, like Robin had earlier that season with hers when she sent out a request for someone to help find it (to which you had obliged). Perhaps you should post a request for help, too?

Your phone pinged, and it made you jump just the slightest as your thoughts were broken. You picked it up, and a grin tugged at your lips upon seeing that it was Sebastian.

<Seb ♥: Hey>

<Seb ♥: Everything good today?>

<You: Yeah, I’m feeling a lot better! Really sorry about the trouble last night with my key… ^^”>

<You: I promise I don’t do that often-- lol..>

<Seb ♥: No worries. Glad you’re feeling better.>

<Seb ♥: Is it okay if I come over later this afternoon? I have something I want to give you…>

<You: Oooh~ Another gift for me? ;P You’re too sweet>

You both knew you were playing around, but a blush still crossed both your faces.

<Seb ♥: Hehe, yeah… something like that. ;)>

<Seb ♥: See you around 4?>

<You: I’ll be here ^^>

You almost sent a heart emoji but got too nervous.

<Seb ♥: Great, see you then>

Sebastian sighed with somewhat of a dorky grin on his face as he put his phone away, looking forward to finally having some one-on-one time with you, after not having a moment like that since your conversation together by the lake. You really had a way of filling his insides with butterflies.

He gripped the axe in his hands, taking a deep breath to focus. Full seriousness returned to his expression, and he continued southward.

Yes, he was giddy about going to see you later.

But for now, he had some business to attend to…

Chapter Text

The door of the blacksmith’s workshop swung open with so much brute force that it nearly snapped from its hinges. Clint, who had been standing behind the counter, nearly jumped out of his own skin at the sudden outburst. Sebastian stood in the doorway, his dark silhouette starkly contrasting against the brightness of the outside world, appearing to be holding something oblong, and frankly, rather threatening. A pair of furious eyes pierced through his shadow, reflecting the flames from the nearby furnace, and his glare was so searing that his dark eyes seemed to burn through Clint’s soul like blazing hot coals. As the blacksmith lowered himself like a coward behind the counter, he watched in mortal terror as Sebastian’s black boots clomped forward, chains jingling at the side of his black ripped jeans, slamming the door shut behind him as he slowly approached the counter, carrying the demeanor of an executioner arriving to collect his due.

In that dimly lit workshop, Clint could not clearly see the look of vehemence materializing on Sebastian’s face until he was well under the glow of the lone ceiling lamp, but he could vividly feel the dark aura that encircled him whenever he was around; the same aura that sent goosebumps up his arms and made the hairs on the back of his neck stand straight up. And now, it felt more powerful and deadly than ever. In that moment in time, the dark clad man seemed to carry a stature like the harbinger of Death himself, and Clint could have sworn he saw some of his own life flash before his eyes as the cloth covering the object he was carrying dropped to the floor while he walked, revealing an axe that gleamed even in the dim lighting.

Clint’s breath caught in his throat upon seeing the sharp object, despite having worked with such tools all his life. Sebastian dropped the object with a thud and clatter on the workshop counter as Clint let out a pathetic noise, and the younger man glared daggers at him, however carried the most deadpan expression possible. This felt more terrifying than any look of obvious rage would have been. He placed his hands on the counter beside the axe he had dropped, leaning forward and never taking his glaring dark eyes off of the other man who had lowered himself now completely, sweating and shivering.

“Stand up,” Sebastian demanded simply, somewhat surprised by his own forwardness, however, did not express even a hint of this surprise.

“G-Get away from me!” Clint stammered out, refusing to raise himself up. “I… I d-don’t want any trouble!”

Sebastian let out a dry, flat laugh. “‘Trouble’? It’s a bit late for that…” His voice was low and threatening. “You’ve caused plenty of ‘trouble’ already, Clint…”

“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about,” the older man responded, and, despite being of heavier set, Sebastian jerked him up by the shirt collar with ease, causing the air to escape his lungs.

“I think you do know,” he snarled, then pulled up a picture on his phone and shoved it in his face. “I found your grubby coal-dusted fingerprints on (Name)’s windowsill, and I have the evidence here to prove it!”

Clint paled as he heard your name, and he appeared to be in a sputtering mess as he looked at the picture on Sebastian’s phone screen, mentally cursing himself for not being more careful. But what also caught his attention as he studied the picture was the obvious fact that it appeared to have been taken at night, with the only light source being the flash present in the photograph. Why was he inside your house, to begin with? And at night, no less?! However, he was too scared for his life at that moment to question it and further aggravate him.

“And don’t try to lie your way out of this, because I know it was you,” Sebastian fumed. “The fingerprints are not shaped like theirs, and you’re the only other person in town who likely handles materials from the mines…”

Clint inhaled shakily, then let out a sigh, looking guilty. “No, no, y-you’re right… It… It was me…”

At that confirmation, a flame raged behind Sebastian’s glaring eyes as he tightened his fist gripping Clint’s shirt. The voice that erupted from him was murderous, primal:

“So, you admit to stealing (Name)’s toothbrush, huh?”

For a moment, a hint of confusion was present in Clint’s eyes as he searched through his memory of the past week.

‘”Toothbrush”…?’ He pondered, trying his hardest to ignore the crazed, psychopathic glare in Sebastian’s shadowy eyes that made him want to disappear between the floor cracks beneath his feet. He could have sworn he almost felt himself piss his pants a little, or perhaps that was just his sweat. He hoped for the latter.

‘This guy is fucking insane… What is he even going on about? I thought he was referring to that night I—' His brown eyes widened in realization, finally jogging his memory back to the night even earlier that week, two nights before he broke into your house again. ‘Ohhh… That’s right… I stole their toothbrush too, shit. Nearly forgot about that. Where did I put that, again…?’

“I bet you like to taste what remaining saliva they left behind on the bristles with your slobbery tongue and perhaps even use it to jerk off…” He continued, scowling at him in disgust. “Yoba, I don’t even want to know where that thing has been…”

“Th-That’s disgusting!” Clint spat at him, now getting defensive. “I-I don’t care if that’s what you would do with it, but I most certainly would n—”

Rage overcame Sebastian as he bound around the counter, knocking the axe to the floor, which just barely missed his foot as it hit the wood tiling with a loud clatter, and shoved Clint against the wall. He bore the most monstrous glare imaginable in that moment, and Clint swore he could see the Devil in his eyes. As he struggled against his insane amount of strength for some air, he eyed Sebastian’s other hand revealing a small, shiny object from out of his pants pocket, and he silently cursed his ancestors for building the shop so far away from the main square.

If he screamed for help, who would hear him? Gunther? Probably not, considering the museum walls are likely insulated to reduce outside noise. Sebastian probably knew this, too. His thoughts and actions always seemed so carefully calculated.

“Heh…” Sebastian relaxed his shoulders just the slightest, letting the shadow of his hair cast across his piercing eyes as he wiped Clint’s spit he had gotten on his cheek with the back of his fist, clutching what Clint was still certain was a folded pocketknife.

“…It’s a good thing I got a decent amount of sleep last night, because otherwise this interaction could have gone much worse for you…” His clouded grey eyes locked onto the other man’s fearful brown eyes, unwavering and serious. “But if I find out you did more than just steal their toothbrush, it WILL BE much worse for you…” The object in his hand flicked open, revealing a small blade, which he held up to the other man’s chin. “Do I make myself clear?”

Clint had definitely pissed himself; he was finally certain of that as he felt his own pants soak through. Thankfully, he was wearing his blacksmith apron in front of the blotch of urine to save him from that embarrassment.

He nodded quickly, internally praying to Yoba, or whatever gods may be listening, to spare him. His lips moved to respond as he sweated profusely, but he couldn’t utter a single coherent word. Sebastian took that as a ‘yes sir.’

“Good…” Sebastian eased off of him, giving a pleasant smile as he returned the now folded knife to his pocket. The complete change in demeanor was enough to give Clint nightmares, later. “I didn’t come here to fight you, Clint… I simply came here to do business with you.”

He skillfully kicked up the handle of the axe with his boot, then snatched it into his hand, again tossing the tool onto the counter with a clattering thud. Reaching into his hoodie and pants pockets, he then pulled out five copper bars and discarded them onto the wood surface alongside the axe, one by one. He again leaned onto the counter, staring down the blacksmith with an emotionless, unchanging expression.

“I’d like you to forge (Name)’s axe into a copper axe for free, as reparation for your actions.” Before Clint could even retaliate, he added, glancing at the time on his phone, “And I want it done within four hours.”

Clint sputtered in disbelief, sweating frantically. “FREE?! FOUR HOURS?! Are you out of your damn mind?! I can’t—”

“I think you can manage it,” Sebastian responded flatly, unbothered by his reaction as he checked the black paint on his nails for any imperfections. “I did some research, and you’re running a pretty cruddy business model here, charging steep prices and lazily taking two days to complete the job.” He cocked an eyebrow, looking at him again. “It takes an average blacksmith just a few hours to forge an axe, working nonstop. A skilled tradesman like yourself should have no issue accomplishing such a feat. I think I’m being generous with the time I’m giving you.”

The scruffy man shook in anger, about ready to pop a vein. However, he knew he was in no position to decline, considering the severity of the situation (being outed as the town pervert and thus destroying his chances with Emily) and the fact that Sebastian could quite possibly kill him, considering his unexpected brute strength. …The knife was pretty convincing, too.

“…F-Fine. Give me just a little over four hours.”

Sebastian frowned, checking the time on his phone again, 11:32am, then let out a sigh, knowing he could probably still make it to your farm in time. But just in case, he was sure you wouldn’t be too bothered if he was a few minutes late. “Alright, fine. But I want it before 4pm.”

“Th-That’s my closing time, anyway, so s-sure.”

Sebastian nodded, turning on his heels and giving one last threatening side glare before heading out. “See you before closing, then.” He yanked open the door and slammed it behind him.

Clint stood there in shock for a moment, then quickly collected himself to get to work, but first decided to change his pants. His mind was frantic, swirling with fretful thoughts.

‘Oh, dear Yoba almighty, please don’t let him find out about anything else I did… I wasn’t in the right mind, please—’

After leaving the building, Sebastian remained quiet for a moment, calmly glancing around to ensure no one was in sight. Once the coast was clear, he covered his mouth, shakily seething in his hand as his wide eyes stared off into space, thinking about what had just transpired in there.

‘Fuck… I seriously pulled a knife on him? Just like that…?’ He held both hands against his face, trying to steady his breathing. ‘I… I need to get a fucking grip… If that had escalated any further…’ He shook his head, eyes filled with certainty.

‘No… He definitely had what was coming to him… I think I made my point very clear.’

Sebastian again glanced around before walking onward, deciding to pay Sam a visit to both kill some time and make plans, for later.

‘If I find out that Clint did much worse to you, (Name), I will make him regret the day he was born…’

~✬❧~

In your excitement about Sebastian’s visit, you’d decided to do some tidying up to prepare for his arrival. Even though he didn’t clarify whether or not he was actually coming inside, you still wanted to make the place look spotless, just in case. As you dusted and wiped down surfaces while blaring music from your phone’s speaker, Mochi weaved between your legs, as his way of assisting you. You paused what you were doing to giggle and pick him up.

“Are you my little helper, Mochi?” You held the gray tabby cat in front of you and he purred, nuzzling your chin.

“Sebastian is coming to visit!~” You cooed, hugging the cat close and giving his head some scritches. “I don’t think you’ve met him yet… I’m sure you’ll love him!”

Mochi stiffened in sudden alarm, not understanding human language, though suddenly having a gut feeling you started talking about the scary man from last night. He squirmed in your arms until you released him, then ran to hide under your bed again. Mochi still didn’t know how to feel about Sebastian, because he seemed chill and friendly at first, and his scent read that he was a decent person, but something about the way he had broken into your house last night and had a fit of rage somewhat frightened him, and he was very wary about him possibly coming back.

“Mochi?” You called after him in confusion, peering under your bed.

‘That cat has been acting rather strangely today… I wonder why…?’

Suddenly, your phone pinged, and you quickly turned on your heels to rush over, wondering if that was Sebastian, again. Upon checking the screen, however, you saw that it was from Abigail. You paused your music to read her texts and respond, unable to focus on texting when there were loud noises.

<Abby: Heyy farmer ;P u all good after yesterday?>

You smiled to yourself, typing out a response.

<You: Yeahh, I woke up with a headache but it’s gone now>

<You: TYSM for walking me home, btw ;-;”>

<Abby: All good ;) Ur kinda heavy tho ;P>

You rolled your eyes with a smirk. It’s not like she had to carry you!

<Abby: BTW! I was thinkinggg~ Since ur the winner of the egg hunt and all (hate u), that means u gotta have a celebratory sleepover with me~~~ ;)))>

<Abby: At YOUR house~>

You frowned at her sudden offer, nervously trying to think of a good response. “Sleepover”? You never heard her give any conditions before she had challenged you! Besides, wouldn’t the winner get to decide such things?!

<You: Whaaa? You never said anything about a sleepover-->

<Abby: Yeahhh I sorta decided in my brain, lol. If I won, I’d have u sleep at MY house, and if u won, it’d be UR house~>

<Abby: …But I mean, if u don’t want to… >:/>

You let out a sigh, thinking about it. Well, you were cleaning the house for Sebastian’s visit anyway, and if you were being honest, a sleepover kind of sounded like fun.

<You: Aaa okayy, we can have a sleepover. Bring some movies, though>

<You: Tomorrow okay?>

Abigail started typing again, and you swore you could feel her grinning through the screen.

<Abby: Tomorrow at 7, after my online classes ;) and I’ll bring some horror movies that will scare your pants off ;)))>

<Abby: And some yummy snacks ofc :3>

<You: I doubt any movie could scare me that badly, lol. xD>

<You: Yesss bring all the snacks~>

<Abby: Bet. ;P See u then~>

You responded with a <see you ^^>, then sighed again with a slight pout, exiting out of the messenger app to open Dropify again to continue your cleaning music.

Well, now you had more reasons to get this place tidied up.

As time moved past 4pm, you anxiously sat awaiting Sebastian’s arrival, stimming to calm your nerves. You had put on your favorite outfit and made yourself look as good as possible, wanting to appear at your best—totally not because you had a massive, crippling crush on him and wanted to take things further, or anything like that! But as the minutes passed, you wondered if he was just running late or perhaps had forgotten that he was supposed to be there at 4.

…Or worse, he didn’t want to see you, at all.

You hugged your arms, digging your nails into your flesh a bit as you tried to reason with yourself—and prevent yourself from dissociating. Of course Sebastian wanted to see you! Otherwise he wouldn’t have texted you that he wanted to! …Right? Still, you couldn’t seem to calm the shaking breath that escaped you, nor the subtle, involuntary rocking of your body. Mochi noticed your troubled demeanor and rubbed against your ankles, hoping to help calm you. You silently reached down to pet him, accepting his offer.

‘That’s right… Sebastian actually wants to see you… He’s not just using you. It’s not like the situation with your last ex…’

You quickly shook your head, avoiding thinking about that mess. You may have forgotten a lot of your trauma, but what your exes both did left lasting emotional scars in you. Odd that your mind would go to them now, of all times, when you couldn’t recall thinking about them in a long while.

‘No, Sebastian is not at all like Sylla, nor Charis. He respects me.’

Merely thinking of their names sent your arms into a tremble, and you impulsively held onto your torso, protectively. ‘I’m… out of that situation, and it won’t happen again…’

‘I… deserve to be loved… for who I am…’

Just as you were battling your insecurities and preoccupied with holding back from picking at yourself some more in the mirror, you heard a knock on the door at around 4:15. Mochi’s fur stood on end, and he quickly scampered under the bed again. You let out a gasp, immediately springing to your feet, too excited about seeing Sebastian to notice Mochi’s timid behavior. You glanced at your phone as a mirror, quickly checking if you looked okay, then hurried over to turn the knob and answer the door.

At your doorstep, Sebastian was still panting, as though he had run the entire way there, and brushed his bangs aside with his hand. Upon seeing you, his face immediately lit up, and a blush grew in his cheeks.

“H-Hey, (Name)!” He greeted, feeling his chest flutter at the sight of you. “Sorry I’m late, I uh, got caught up with finishing some business, and…” His eyes took you in, slowly moving up and down your body and face. A heat grew inside of him, and he unconsciously ran his tongue across the backs of his snakebite piercings as his cheeks grew redder. You looked absolutely stunning, and he was finding it difficult to hold himself back from taking you into his arms, and, and—

“You look… perf—uh, y-you look… really good,” he stuttered out awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck, having to remind himself that you weren’t anything more than friends, yet.

That was a fact that he forgot about quite often.

A rosy pink grew in your cheeks, and you fidgeted shyly. “Th-Thanks, you too, actually…” You felt a sliver of insecurity, a lingering ghost from your previous troubling thoughts, but you did your best to push this away, as Sebastian was simply complimenting you.

“Hehe,” he chuckled, still catching his breath, “Really? Even though I just ran all the way here?”

You shared a small laugh with him, though reassured him that he looked fine. However, your gaze shied away from his, instead lowering to the concealed object he was carrying in his hand.

As his dark eyes were locked on you, mesmerized by your laugh, he followed your gaze and realized you were curious about what he’d brought with him. Shit, he’d almost forgotten in that moment that he was even holding anything.

“Ah, right,” he muttered, then cleared his throat, before presenting you with what he was carrying. “I humbly bestow upon thee a sacred gift!” he declared aloud in a somewhat whimsical tone and raised the clothed object out in his hands with a slow bow of his head, as though making an offering to some holy being. “…Thy magic staff, for casting thy wizardly spells of wood chopping!”

You were rather taken aback by his sudden shift in character, and an amused smirk danced upon your lips as you blinked, processing what he said. “Er, what?”

You almost let a chuckle slip, but you didn’t want to discourage him, as you found whatever he just did to be really cute.

Sebastian grinned awkwardly with a bit of a sheepish blush. “Er, j-just getting into character… Because I was going to also, uh, invite you to play Solarion Chronicles with Sam and I…” He rubbed his neck as his eyes shifted off to the side, feeling as though the conversation he had planned in his head just prior was stumbling a little.

Your eyes widened in realization, remembering that you had both agreed to play, back when you first met. “OH RIGHT! Duh, I completely forgot that we agreed to have a session!” You smacked your forehead and let out a chuckle. “Yes, I would love to play with you guys! Also, your wizard voice is really good… A most befitting voice for one who toils in the arcane arts!” Somewhat of a rosy blush brushed across your cheeks to match your grin, and you mentally hoped you guessed his class correctly.

Sebastian also grew pinker in response, and by the way his face lit up, you could tell that compliment meant a lot to him. “R-Really? Uh, I mean,” he cleared his throat again, trying not to show he was gushing over the fact that you could tell he usually played as a wizard, then went back to the whimsical voice, “Thine observation is most keen, and thy response to the invitation hath been accepted most graciously!” He bowed his head again.

You chuckled, playing along. “Thy wizardry is most charming!” Your gaze lowered once more to the clothed object, having an odd feeling about it. “Now, what might be my ‘magic staff’ thou speaketh of?”

“O-Oh, um, it’s actually just your axe.” His voice returned to normal as he held it out to you again, though still kept his head bowed. “I’m sure you probably noticed it was missing this morning. I’m sorry, I had to borrow it…”

“M-My axe…?” You responded, smile faltering as you blinked at the veiled supposed axe in his hands, hesitant to take it from him. ‘…So, that’s where my axe went? Why would he need to… borrow it?’ An uneasy feeling about all of this subtly crept its way up in the back of your mind as you stared at what might have been your axe beneath the cloth. You weren’t sure why, but you were almost… afraid to see what you might find underneath, despite his whimsical charms.

But what was it that you were afraid you might find…?

Maybe he just needed to chop some wood for something? But when did he even take it? Last night while you were sleeping?

Why didn’t he just ask first…?

Sebastian’s eyes remained fixed on yours while he held his head bowed, as though studying your reaction. He then lowered his gaze to the object in his hands, realizing your reasonable hesitation.

“Ha, sorry, I’m not too great at this…” he mumbled awkwardly, then began unraveling the cloth. “It is just your axe. I figured I’d wrap it up like a gift, but that’s kinda silly, isn’t it? Here…”

As he unveiled your axe and let the cloth drop to the ground, you blinked dumbfoundedly at the tool in his hands. It certainly had the same handle as your axe, but the blade was… copper?

Realization then arose in you.

“Surprise!” Sebastian exclaimed with a grin, pushing the axe closer for you to take.

You wordlessly took the axe into your hands, noticing it was fairly lighter and felt more comfortable to wield. Fighting back the utter disbelief, you stuttered out, “Y-You… You actually upgraded my… my axe for me?” Your brows scrunched in bewilderment, recalling having seen your old axe in the toolbox just yesterday before the festival. “H-How? When…?”

“Just this morning,” Sebastian hummed with a smirk, looking somewhat proud of himself as he took your shock as a positive thing. “Actually, that’s where I just ran back from, haha! I sort of… convinced Clint to do it all in one day for you… for free.” There was a dark glint in his eyes as he made that last comment, watching you to carefully study your reaction.

You stared at him in confusion. “…Free? In… less than one day?”

‘Why would Clint—'

“Well, I think it’s only reasonable, right?” His eyes, which appeared dark grey in this lighting, remained locked on your puzzled (e/c) eyes. “After what he’s done… I had to make him pay for his actions.”

Fear flickered in your eyes as your complexion began to pale, and you shakily had to grip the axe tighter to keep from dropping it.

‘…“What he’s done”…? H-How does he—?’

Suppressed memories began to creep their way into your consciousness, about the night of the following day after your talk by the lakeside, and about what happened right after the previous saloon hangout, after Sebastian had already presumedly gone home… It was all still a blur, but now it was threatening to come back. And Sebastian knows… how much of it…?

You breathlessly moved your lips to speak, though no words came out at first, until you internally forced yourself to get a grip. However, you couldn’t even form a whole sentence. “H-How did you…?”

“How did I know…?” Sebastian finished for you, all the while analyzing your reaction down to every detail. He wondered to himself if there was more to what Clint did than what you’ve already told him about, but he didn’t want to force anything out of you while you were like this.

He calmly reached his hand towards you, cupping your cheek to comfort you as he gazed deeply into your fearful eyes. Though you flinched just the slightest at first, you nearly melted into his touch, not denying the comforting effect it had on you. Part of you remained stiff, however; apprehensive.

“I noticed that Clint was acting rather suspiciously at the Egg Fest yesterday,” he began to fabricate a story, though it wasn’t entirely made up, “And today I confronted him about it, and managed to get him to admit that he stole your toothbrush…”

You stood dumbfounded for a moment, having almost forgotten about the toothbrush incident. Sebastian was still hung up over that…? And… Clint was the one who stole it? Well, that would make sense, you supposed, but you were so certain that a crow had done it, and you hadn’t even thought about it again after sleeping it off. Had Sebastian really held onto the whole ordeal in his mind this entire time…?

And he… went to interrogate Clint and “convince” him to upgrade your axe within a day—for free, no less—over such a thing?

‘And just how did he even manage to do that?!’

…But did you really want to know?

You studied the axe in your hands, then stared into Sebastian’s eyes, searching—for what, you were uncertain. However, his expression was impossible to decipher, and he simply gazed back at you, a gentle smile gracing his lips as his thumb began softly caressing your cheek. During so, you were too focused on your thoughts to really notice.

‘This guy… really went to such great lengths for me… over a missing toothbrush?’

Your heart began to race in your chest as your breath caught in your throat. You weren’t sure for a moment why you were reacting so anxiously, until it became clearer:

‘…If that’s the case, what would Sebastian do if he found out that Clint might have done much worse to me…?’

Thinking about such a thing almost scared you, and you’d rather try not to remember what had transpired between you and Clint, so you mentally shook that thought away. Besides, your clouded memories were unclear, and you didn’t want to possibly give this man the wrong idea and have him go to… even more extreme lengths, over a false positive.

Sebastian must have noticed your anxiety, because his hand snaked around the back of your head to hold you more securely, leaning closer to stare again with his searching look from your previous moments together. You had always wondered what exactly it was he was searching for.

But, it was now apparent that you both were searching each other’s eyes for that… something.

“Hey…” he cooed softly, face just inches from yours, “Are you alright…? You seem… scared about something.”

Your face grew warm from his closeness, however your heart still pounded with anxiety. “Y-Yeah, I’m fine, really…” You responded with a subtle shake of your head. “I was just… in shock to learn that Clint was the one who stole it…” Your voice lowered to a mumble. That wasn’t exactly a lie, anyway.

“Hmm,” Sebastian hummed thoughtfully, having a feeling tugging inside of him that there was more to it than that, but he decided not to pry, instead giving you a comforting smile. “Hey, don’t worry about it. He’s probably learned his lesson now and won’t steal your toothbrush again.”

“Heh, y-yeah, I guess so…” You responded, trying not to show that that wasn’t all you were concerned about.

He could tell you were still troubled, however, so he decided it would be a good time to change the subject.

“Now then,” he brought back that animated voice, pulling away to give some space between you. “Might we venture to my wizarding chambers to toil about in an enchanting campaign of Solarion Chronicles?” Sebastian smirked, offering his hand to you.

You gulped with a blush, still uneasy about things but unable to resist his charms.

‘I swear, this wizard has casted a love spell on me…’

You inhaled deeply, trying not to let your thoughts slip.

“S-Sure! Let me just lock up, first…”

He waited patiently, giddy about having the chance to play with you, as you took a moment to lock your door and put away your upgraded axe. As you were turned away, you both felt a little flustered at the idea of the game being held in his bedroom, which you both then realized you’d never actually been in, before.

While you couldn’t help but still wonder how that interaction between Sebastian and Clint might have gone down, you tried to instead put your focus on having a fun hangout. Even if the whole axe ordeal was a tad suspicious, at least he did a good deed for you…

Before closing the tool bin, you noticed also that your five copper bars were missing.

‘Ah, right… He needed copper to forge the copper axe, after all…’

You closed your eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath as you latched the box shut.

Not even going to pay any mind to his questionable means, right now.

He’s just a little socially awkward. He meant no harm by this.

He was trying to do something nice for you.

After all, he was the one who obtained that copper for you in the first place, wasn’t he?

Just ignore it, and enjoy your time with him and Sam.

You released the breath you were holding, then turned around to face him, offering a smile.

“Alright, I’m ready to go!”

Chapter Text

As you made your way up the mountain path together with Sebastian, you didn’t say much, other than to make a few small observations about the surrounding nature. You wondered silently if he enjoyed quiet moments like this too, or if you were making things awkward. Unable to keep from fidgeting as you walked, you began to think about possible conversations to have, but then again, you were still kind of hung up on the whole axe thing, and were too preoccupied with those thoughts to speak.

Sebastian didn’t mind the silence at all, however, as he had been too busy watching you for the entire trek so far, unbeknownst to you. And at one moment, while fixated on admiring every detail and flaw about your attractive appearance, he had a sudden epiphany:

‘If we get to my room long before Sam arrives, we’ll have some time alone together…!’

Sebastian’s breath became a bit heavier in his excitement as his face heated up, and he took you by the hand, now taking the lead to walk a little faster up the trail. Your face heated up in surprise as he had so suddenly decided to hold your hand without asking first, and somehow that forwardness alone sent your stomach into a fluttering frenzy. Though your train of thought had been broken, you couldn’t help but wonder why he was in such a hurry.

When you both arrived at the mountain house, Robin greeted you enthusiastically as you entered, about to ask if you were there to shop. When she saw whom you were with, however, her friendly smile widened into a sly grin as she watched her son emerge through the doorway.

“Hehe, brought home a friend, Sebby?~” she teased, in a rather suggestive tone that made you blush in embarrassment.

‘Shit,’ Sebastian thought in annoyance, knowing you and Robin might possibly talk for a while and take away some of that “time alone” with you. Well, he might as well utilize this time to get his room tidied up and prepared (and make sure nothing suspicious was visible).

“We’re just going to play Solarion Chronicles with Sam, Mom…” he sighed with a roll of his eyes, walking towards his room. “Go ahead and catch up with Robin, (Name). I’ll be in my room getting everything set up.”

“Ah, o-okay!” You responded as he descended into his basement room and shut the door behind him. You and Robin proceeded to chat, mostly talking about the new coop she built for you, and you admitting that you still had yet to purchase some chickens from Marnie.

As Sebastian cleared up his room and pushed his pile of laundry off to the side where it was less visible, he stumbled across a folded piece of paper.

‘…? Oh wait, is that…?’

He picked it up and unfolded it, realizing it was the letter your grandfather had written to you. It had completely slipped his mind that he still had yet to read the whole thing! His eyes scanned over it for a moment, and he knew it would take some time to decipher the old, slanted cursive that your grandpa had used. He glanced back at his door, weighing his options for a moment. He then checked the time: 5:03pm. In just an hour, Sam would arrive to hang out with you two, and he really wanted some time alone with you before that, to possibly get closer to you. That being decided upon, he tucked the letter beneath his pillow to read another time.

As he was doing so, he heard a knock on his door, causing him to flinch and quickly double-check that everything was in order. ‘That was fast.’

Though, he definitely wasn’t complaining, of course.

Sebastian answered the door, rubbing the side of his neck and somewhat blushing at the fact that you were finally seeing his room for the first time.

“Welcome to my uh, humble abode,” he joked, outstretching his arm to gesture to his room as you passed by him and looked around, chuckling a little at what he said.

“Huh, I like your décor,” you complimented, studying the various posters on his wall of various anime, video games, and bands. One poster you recognized to be of the game Harvest Moon, and the fact that he enjoyed games like that somehow made him all the more endearing. Moving your eyes along to another poster, you saw that it featured a ferocious werewolf.

You weren’t sure why, but that werewolf somewhat reminded you of Sebastian, himself.

“Heh, thanks…~” He responded, never once taking his eyes off of you as he shut the door behind him. He watched your movements carefully, thinking your observations of his room were somehow cute. “I just like to express my interests, I guess…”

A subtle fear arose in him for a moment as you neared his bed, realizing he had accidentally left his plush frog, Sir Croaksworth, on the mattress with only the blanket partially veiling him. The plush toy had sentimental value to him, but he was nervous that you might poke fun at him for it, as Sam had, in the past. As you moved away from the bed to look elsewhere, not noticing it, he let out a sigh of relief, heart rate slowly returning back to normal.

It's possible you would find something like that to be cute, but he wasn’t going to take any chances, today. He wanted to take his time to make a good impression on you, and grow closer. Letting you do your thing, he turned to busy himself with adjusting the mood lighting.

You came across the game already laid out on his coffee table and smiled, looking up to watch him fix the lights.

“Is Sam coming to join us, soon?” you asked, trying to ignore the flustered feeling you had about being alone with him in his bedroom.

Sebastian flashed an almost overly casual grin at you, trying his damnedest to not express the dark desires that suddenly crept up inside of him in response to having you alone with him in his room, and he now desperately tried to keep his hormones at bay. Managing to suppress the urges, he continued to occupy himself with what he was doing.

“…Yeah, he’ll be here around 6.”

‘Ah, so we’re early…’ You thought as you fidgeted with your hands, getting a little anxious about being alone with Sebastian for the next 50 minutes. “I-I see.”

Though, you weren’t sure why you were so nervous—after all, you had prepared previously to invite him to hang out with you alone in your own home, before he had invited you to play SC. Perhaps it had been a good idea in theory, but now that you actually were alone with him, it suddenly felt more nerve-wracking.

Your gaze shied away from him, now falling upon some notes he had sitting beside the game. Skimming over these, you realized that they were voice acting notes, possibly to bring more liveliness and character into the sessions. Some parts were for getting into character, and others were tips for more dynamic narration. You gathered from this information that he must be the DM, and you smiled to yourself, feeling fuzziness again as your nerves dissipated.

Honestly, you were discovering more and more new facts about him that made you like him more than ever before.

Now turning away from the adjusted lighting, which made the room just bright enough for playing the game, but also just dim enough for a rather romantic mood, Sebastian's dark eyes landed upon you, taking you in. A smile played upon his lips as he noticed you found his notes, and he used this moment to his advantage. He cleared his throat, slowly approaching.

“Doth thou care to summon the scroll and conjure a lesson in the praxis of the legendary Solarion Chronicles?!”

The sudden boldness of his voice caught you off guard and you flinched, though grinned in amusement as you tried to mentally piece together his words. “S-Say what, now?”

Sebastian grinned with a sheepish blush, scratching the back of his head. “I-I’m asking if you’d like to have a… practice session with me, since you said before that you’ve only dabbled in the game a little…”

You blinked in realization. “O-Oh, certainly! Grant me thy knowledge, O great and wise wizard!”

His smile widened at that response, feeling a flutter in his chest. “The pleasure would be mine, my loyal apprentice!” He sat himself down beside you to your left, so close that his thigh nearly brushed against your own, and you felt your face begin to warm up, though you convinced yourself that it was from his body heat, and tried to focus on what he was showing you.

As you both went through a practice run, Sebastian was an excellent teacher, providing tips and strategies that you hadn’t previously known about. You were really enjoying your time learning from him, and it was apparent that he was enjoying his time as well, hinted at by his subtle advances: Scooting closer, complimenting your choices and actions in the game, brushing his hand against yours while showing you where to move your figure across the board, gazing into your eyes affectionately as you discussed your next strategy, and, ultimately, moving his hand down to gently caress your thigh.

As you felt this last intimate gesture, your heart skipped in your chest, and a shaky breath escaped your lips, the action catching you by surprise. You did not push him away, however, instead relaxing your leg against his, as though allowing him further access to roam.

Sebastian’s breathing became heavier in feeling your physical invitation, and he leaned closer to you, brushing his palm ever the more slightly inward, inching into the space between your thighs.

“(Name)…” he whispered, in an effort to capture your attention enough to face him.

“Sebastian…?” you whispered back, turning your cheek to show you registered what he said, yet you were too shy to fully turn to look at him.

He cupped your other cheek, taking the initiative to close the gap between you both. Gently turning your face towards his, he leaned closer, pierced lips merely centimeters away from yours. You could feel his hot breath dancing across your skin, and you felt a boiling heat grow inside of you as you desperately craved what was about to come. Both your hearts pounded in anticipation, when you were suddenly interrupted by a loud, blonde intrusion bursting his way through Sebastian’s door.

“YOUR WARRIOR HAS ARRIVED!” Sam bellowed out, too absorbed in his characterization to even register what was happening—rather, what would have happened—right in front of him.

You quickly straightened yourself out as Sebastian groaned in irritation, checking his phone: 5:55pm.

“Someone is rather early…” He muttered. To any punctual person, this would be considered right on time, but with Sam’s natural tendency to be late to things, this was unusually (and inconveniently) prompt.

“I was just so excited to play with you guys that I couldn’t possibly be late!” He grinned like a golden retriever puppy as he shut the door behind him and made his way over to the table where you were both seated, and you swore in that moment that if he had a tail, it would be wagging. Sebastian, on the other hand, looked like an annoyed black cat.

You held back a chuckle at the scene in front of you, but also couldn’t hold back from blushing, as your heart still raced from the moment you had with Sebastian, just seconds prior. Thoughts raced in your mind as you replayed the memory over and over. Had that been an attempted kiss?! Was he about to kiss you?! Does he really have those kinds of feelings for you?!

In a flustered mess, you covered your mouth as you were lost in a flurry of thoughts, still registering what had just taken place. Somehow, it felt unreal—you couldn’t fathom someone genuinely feeling that way about you. What if he was just joking? What if Sam bursting through the door like that had been planned? You tried to shake these thoughts away, but you couldn’t stop the swirl of doubt in your gut. You’d just… been through so much trauma before, that it was difficult to imagine someone as wonderful as him actually feeling that way about you.

Sam noticed you looking rather uneasy, and his smile faltered as concern showed in his eyes. “Hey, (Name)… you good?” He then remembered what happened just the day prior. “Are you still feeling bad after yesterday? Doctor Harvey did tell you to get plenty of rest… If you’re not up for playing, it’s okay…”

“H-Huh? Oh no, I-I’m fine, really! We can play!” You reassured him with an uneasy smile, moving from your seat beside Sebastian to let Sam sit down, instead opting for a spot across the table.

Sebastian also silently took note of your shift in mood, after you’d been just fine, moments prior. A wave of guilt overcame him. What if you weren’t ready for a kiss? He felt a pang in his chest as you shifted seats, and he could logically see that it was to let Sam have a seat, but he couldn’t stop the fear that it was to move further away from him. Perhaps he had acted too quickly… Shit, he felt like he was so terrible at this ‘love’ thing.

Of course it had been too soon! You were already dealing with so much internally, and here he was, pushing more onto you…

He needed to make it up to you, somehow. Hopefully playing this game will ease your mind off of things, at least.

Sam glanced between his two friends, who both now appeared to be troubled. “Um, so are we still playing the game, or…?”

“Of course,” Sebastian responded, shifting to sit straight up as he still held you in his gaze. He wanted nothing more than to hold you and comfort you in that moment, but he didn’t want to overstep more boundaries, nor make a scene in front of Sam. His best option was to just make sure you enjoyed yourself in the game. “Let’s begin…”

To start off, Sebastian let you be the first to choose your class. After giving it some thought and doing your best to ignore your doubts and insecurities, you decided upon Healer class.

Your choice brought a small smile to Sebastian’s face. “Healer, huh? That’s a very important role to have. Very well, I’ll go with my usual class as Wizard.”

‘But of course (Name) would choose to be a Healer… The way they were sent here by Yoba to heal the cold void in my heart—’

He desperately tried to shoo these thoughts away. ‘Dammit… There I go with my delusions, again…’ He couldn’t help but feel, however, that your choice was more than just a coincidence.

“Aight, I’ll be my usual badass Warrior self, then! Have no fear, for I shall protect you both from the vile beasts!” Sam boasted with a dorky grin while puffing his chest, and you chuckled in response.

Sebastian hardly processed what Sam even said, too fixated on you and feeling a warmth in his chest upon seeing you laugh. He broke from his trance though, clearing his throat to bring out his dynamic narrator voice as he drew a scenario card from the deck to read aloud.

As the game progressed, Sebastian was impressed by your strategies, making all the best choices as you all advanced through the lair of the evil necromancer, Dreadlord Xarth, to retrieve the Solarion Staff from his clutches. Even though you were still a novice, you played like you had years of experience under your belt. You truly were something remarkable…

Lost in his admiration for you, he became so enveloped in the game that you began to notice details of the story starting to sound familiar, as though he were adding them in, himself… This became most apparent when you reached Dreadlord Xarth’s chamber, and Sebastian began describing him in a way that made him seem… strikingly similar to Clint. …But perhaps that was just your imagination.

After Xarth struck both the Wizard and the Warrior with his dark magic, leaving them mortally wounded, it was now up to you, the Healer, to make the right move. You weighed your options, then decided to heal Sebastian’s character.

Even though he knew you likely did it for the best strategy, he couldn’t help but feel his heart flutter. ‘Healing my wizard, just like you’re healing my heart…’

“Thanks, (Name),” he responded with a grin, somewhat blushing. You returned the smile, gazing into his eyes for a moment.

Sam pouted as he failed to read the room, having wanted to attack the Dreadlord with his big sword.

Sebastian’s wizard casts “Pure Bolt,” and Xarth shrieks in agony as he crumbles to dust.

You’ve won, and you are graded with an ‘A’ ranking.

“Wow, that was very impressive, especially for your first campaign.” Sebastian gazed at you with deep, profound admiration as he said this, and it was enough to fill your insides with butterflies. “Truly astonishing… Congrats!”

‘But of course, it’s only natural that they would get an A ranking on their first try…’ he thought, to himself.

‘…After all, they’re perfect, in every way…’

“Th-Thank you!” You responded, feeling yourself almost squirm under his gaze.

Sam’s eyes shifted between you both as he was still pouty from not being able to play ‘hero,’ but he started to finally notice some electrifying energy between you both, and a smirk grew upon his lips.

“Mgh, well, I’m beat!” he said, stretching his arms over his head. “Think it’s about time I headed home. Great game, guys!”

“Oh, right! It’s probably getting late, isn’t it?” You rose to your feet. “I should head out, too. Thanks for the game, Seb!”

Sebastian felt a flutter just from hearing you call him that, and he followed suit, rising to stand. “Certainly, I’ll see you two to the door.”

After stepping outside of the house, you both waved Sam ‘goodbye’ as he headed south into town to go home, leaving you two alone with one another again. You felt your heart rate quicken in pace as you realized you were alone with him again, but you swallowed your nerves, turning to face him.

“Th-Thanks for having me… I-I’d better head home, now!” You turned to leave, and Sebastian touched your arm.

“Wait,” was all he said at first, taking a moment to mentally decide what he should do, feeling like you two had some unfinished business, here.

You blushed, turning to look back at him.

“It’s… pretty dark out,” he reasoned, rubbing the back of his neck and shifting his eyes away shyly. “…C-Can I walk you home, this time?”

Cheeks becoming rosier at the possible implications of that offer, you gulped nervously, but decided to fight back those nerves and accept his proposal with a nod. “S-Sure!”

After all, you felt safer walking home at night with him around.

His expression brightened as you agreed to let him walk you home, and he nodded, as well. “Alright, you go on ahead. I’ll just lock up, first…” He fished through his pocket for his keys and you nodded again, rounding the corner of the house.

As you did so, you spotted Maru with her telescope, adjusting the knobs. It seemed as though she had been too preoccupied with it to even notice you were there at first, so you decided to get her attention, remembering that you hadn’t caught up with her in a while.

“Hey, Maru!” You greeted, and she looked up to see you and smiled.

“Hey, (Name)!” She blinked as her memory went back to the night before, having seen Sebastian walk in the direction of your farm, at a weird hour in the night. Not knowing he was just around the corner, she decided that she should probably discuss that with you. She quickly looked around to scan for eavesdroppers.

“Actually, there’s something I have to talk to you about…” She kept her voice low, just in case.

You noticed her demeanor become very tentative and serious, and you walked closer to her to listen in. “Yes?”

“Well, you see… Last night, I saw—”

Sebastian appeared from around the corner, and Maru immediately clammed up as he approached behind you.

You raised a brow as she suddenly went quiet. “…Saw what?”

Her half brother’s dark eyes watched her carefully—analytically—waiting for you two to finish your conversation.

“U-Um, I-I saw a shooting star!” She lied, too nervous to finish. “Th-That’s what! You should’ve seen it! It was so bright!”

You were a bit puzzled, but you bought her story, anyway. “O-Oh, cool!”

“Yeah, haha! Hey, maybe I’ll let you look through my telescope sometime!”

“Oh yeah, that sounds good!” You responded, then blushed in surprise as Sebastian suddenly took you by the hand.

“It’s late, so I’m walking them home…” he muttered as his gaze shifted away, not used to talking to her, much.

Maru was caught by surprise that he had said a word to her at all, and her eyes lowered to his hand holding yours. A soft pink arose in her cheeks as she remembered back to what her mother said:

“He talks about them nonstop… I don’t think he even realizes he’s doing it either, because he denies having a crush on them every time I ask, haha! It’s cute!”

A small smile grew along her lips. ‘Maybe I was wrong,’ she thought, telling you both ‘goodnight’ as she waved you off, watching you walk away together. ‘Maybe he didn’t sneak off to hurt them, in some way. He clearly likes (Name), a lot. I probably shouldn’t worry about what I saw…’

Maru still felt somewhat oddly about the situation, but decided to brush it all off as him being socially awkward. And as for the key, perhaps he was just making a copy of a key for his lock box he has in his room? She wanted to believe that, and she wanted to support your blooming relationship in any way possible.

It gave him a reason to open up to her.

‘…I’m just glad he’s talking to me, again.’

‘…There was no shooting star last night,’ Sebastian thought to himself as he held your hand, walking close to you. ‘I probably would’ve noticed it, and I don’t recall Maru even stepping foot outside to use her telescope, either.’ He frowned to himself, eyes narrowing at the trail ahead. ‘…She must have seen me, because she was obviously too nervous to finish her story when she saw me approaching. ...Ugh, now it's going to be much harder to hide my feelings for (Name) in that household... but I had no choice, in that moment.' His hand gripped yours tighter. ‘I need to be more careful… If I hadn’t been so sleep deprived that night, I would’ve been able to be much more discrete about copying the key…’

He glanced at you, watching how gently the wind blew through your hair and clothing as you walked. His expression instantly softened.

‘…Or, I could’ve made much better choices…’

He sighed quietly, then pulled you closer to him, wrapping his arm around your back.

‘I just want to protect them in any way I can, that’s all…’

‘I wonder why Maru seemed so nervous, back there…’ you thought, looking straight ahead as you walked with Sebastian. ‘Did she actually just see a shooting star, or is there more to that story…?’

You felt Sebastian grip your hand tighter, and a blush dusted your cheeks. You swore you could feel his eyes on you too, but you were too shy about earlier to look at him.

‘Oh well, maybe it’s nothing to worry about… And besides, I can probably just catch up with her once I see her, and ask about—’

As Sebastian pulled you closer and now walked with you with his arm wrapped around your back, your thoughts instantly scrambled as your face was now heating up more.

‘Fuck, he’s so close, he’s so close, he’ssoclose, he—’

You took in a shaky breath, trying to calm your nerves as you relaxed against his arm. There was something about walking alone with him, after dark, that made you feel protected… yet, so vulnerable… You weren’t sure how it was possible to feel those two very different feelings at the same time, but it’s the only way you could really describe it. It was the same feeling you had, on the first night he ever walked you home, after you two had met on that rainy evening at the beach.

You shivered like a leaf beneath his touch, yet you practically melted into him, too.

The feeling… excited you.

As you both arrived at the edge of your property, your mind was still lingering on what it was that made, the man whom you felt so safe with, seem so dangerous. It had started as just a sliver of a thought—an odd feeling in the pit of your gut, but now it was swirling around as he walked you closer to your house. It swirled around as feelings, as memories from your prior interactions, flickering across your mind as he brought you to the front porch steps.

How he almost always insisted on walking you home, that he implied there was some bigger threat to protect you from. How he’d carried you all the way home from the mines and treated your wounds while you were out cold, and the almost-murderous look he had in his eyes when he’d discovered a sore on your cheek that night by the lake. How he had seen some of your scars while tending to your wounds, and how he has many self-inflicted scars of his own, lining his entire arms. And more, worse, warped and twisted scars hidden beneath his clothing which he was uncomfortable sharing about, just yet. How he’d suddenly appear behind you at times, seemingly out of nowhere—as though he had been around, the entire time. How he often appeared as though he wasn’t sleeping well, how he would often express jealousy towards the people close to you. How he would just do spontaneous things for you without asking, like chopping down trees overnight, or obtaining heaping amounts of ore from the mines for you, or upgrading your axe… for free, no less, within a single day, after supposedly giving Clint a serious convincing. What sort of “convincing,” you were still uncertain of. Maybe you’d rather not linger on that one. But how does he keep finding the energy to do these things for you, when he otherwise stays in his basement all day? ...Anyway, there was also that odd look he gave you at times, as though he was searching for something hidden, buried deep within you, or somehow always finding some excuse to get close to you, to touch you. Above all, there was that constant lingering feeling you’ve had, ever since you moved to Stardew Valley: the feeling that you’re being watched.

All of this, all of his actions, up until the intimate moment alone in his room, when his lips nearly touched yours, can all only mean one thing…

Stay near, and you’ll have nothing to fear…

Still holding onto your hand as he led you to your doorstep, Sebastian gazed into your eyes, the only light being the glow from the crescent moon, but enough to show you were in somewhat of a daze, or perhaps deep in thought. He brushed your cheek, gently.

“(Name)? I had a good time, today… So, thank you for that.”

His thumb rubbed your knuckles, making small circling motions, and your attention clicked back to reality—to him.

…It means…

Sebastian brushed his bangs to the side and leaned into you, swiftly planting a kiss on your cheek. Though it was intended as a mere peck, it lingered a moment, and you could feel the cool metal of his piercings against your flesh. You inhaled, gazing into his eyes longingly as he pulled away.

…he’s in love with me…

Before he could descend the steps to leave, you took ahold of his arm, not saying a word. As he turned to look at you, you grabbed him by the drawstrings of his hoodie and tugged him close, touching his cheek with your other hand as his eyes widened in surprise. With a quickened heartbeat, you slowly shut your eyes, leaned forward, and pressed your lips against his, giving him what you both had anticipated for, earlier. As you felt his tender lips against yours, there was a spark of electricity that rushed through your veins, and you gasped for a moment, wrapping your arms around his neck to pull him in for more.

Sebastian’s heart nearly burst from his chest as his dark, widened eyes processed what was happening, his pupils soon glazing over with deep passion and lust. He quickly snaked his arms around your lower back, pulling your body closer as he breathed heavily into your gasps, then reciprocated the kiss with a profound hunger as he desperately nipped at your lip and slid his tongue through to enter. He was overcome with a burning desire that electrocuted his entire body down to his core. He wanted you, he wanted all of you… and more. His hand, wearing stainless-steel rings on his index and little finger, reached down and grasped your ass.

The sudden sensation of this sensual act made you let out a shaky gasp, and he took this advantage to shove his tongue deeper inside your mouth, now grasping the back of your head to keep you secure. You blushed profusely, feeling a tingling sensation inside of you as you could have sworn you felt his erection poking against you through his black ripped jeans. You trembled, feeling overwhelmed suddenly—what you had only planned to be a kiss was now evolving into something much more. A swirl of thoughts battled inside of your brain, wanting to stop him, yet wanting him to keep going.

A low growl escaped Sebastian’s throat as he hungrily and desperately deepened the kiss further and further, feeling in that moment a terrifyingly fervent drive that he couldn’t describe. It was nothing like he’d ever felt before, as his brain was fogging over. All that mattered in that moment was you.

You.

You…

YOU……

He needed you.

Now that he’d tasted you, he needed…

To take you, to consume you, to fuck you, scar you,—break y—

To hug you like a bunny,

to sting you like a bee.

NO.

...He had to protect you, from himself.

Sebastian broke from the kiss before you could do anything to stop him, panting and shaking as a string of saliva lingered between you both. The two of you stared into one another’s eyes, yours half-lidded with intimate longing, his narrowed with something primal and dangerous that you couldn’t read. You both silently caught your breath, gazing at one another, not saying a word.

All that you could both tell in that moment, was that you both wanted one another, but it was much too soon.

You desired him, oh so much, but you were afraid in the back of your mind, of getting hurt again, like you had in your previous relationships.

He craved you, oh so much, that his own desires scared the hell out of him. You… You made him afraid… of himself. He had to take some time to get his feelings in check.

You make me afraid,

Come closer, wait no, go AWAY

He held himself back, letting go of you. Still watching you, he backed down the steps, nearly stumbling as he wasn’t watching his step, however catching himself.

You watched him go, desire still aching in your chest for more.

Soon, you both thought.

But not tonight.

With silent goodbyes, you disappeared into your house, and he held his eyes on your back window as he walked up the mountain path, until he was out of sight.

Overcome with burning concupiscence, Sebastian silently returned to his room—no thoughts, movements so automatic he couldn’t recall how he’d gotten home—slid into his bed, and pleasured himself. He stared at the ceiling while doing so, as libidinous fantasies filled his mind, clouding all reasoning, his vision locked in a hazy trance of love sickness.

…All over a simple kiss. What was he to do with himself?

Be mine, and then everything will be fine…

While he was able to tire himself to sleep soundly, you, on the other hand, were flustered beyond reason, overthinking everything as your thoughts raced a million miles an hour. Tiring yourself out as you were flustered beyond reason, you eventually managed to pass out.

That night, you both had incoherent, fragmented dreams which you’d forget by morning.

Though it exhibited itself as a fleeting warning, it somehow slipped through the crevices of your subconscious minds, leaking out into the darkness of oblivion.

Chapter Text

The following day was relatively uneventful, as both you and Sebastian had convinced yourselves, upon waking up with flustered, racing thoughts, to give the other some space. You feared, despite the fact that he reciprocated your actions with feverous passion, that you had pushed something onto him much too soon. He, on the other hand, feared that his emotions for you were much too strong, and that he might do something much more extreme if he didn’t take some time to cool off.

And, deep down, you both feared that what you deeply felt for the other was some form of obsession.

After all, you’d only known each other for less than two weeks.

In a blushing mess at the breakfast table, memories of the previous night swirling around in your mind, you tapped your fingertips against the surface of the old wooden table, tracing your fingernails in between its niches, mentally cursing yourself for making such a bold move on him. You consistently checked your phone, waiting for a sign of anything, despite there being no notifications all morning.

‘This is bad… Why did I do that?! The kiss he gave me on the cheek was good enough! Why did I have to push him into that?!’

His silence after the kiss, and the fact that he hadn’t even texted you since then, weighed heavily on you. Was his silence a good thing, or a bad thing?

‘I mean… it felt like he wanted to take things further… But I wasn’t even ready to take things further! What if he detected that? What if I confused him…?’

You buried your reddened face into your hands, groaning. It was still too early for Sebastian to be up, but that didn’t quell your anxious thoughts.

Even after you had forced yourself to get up and start tending to your farm, you could barely focus on anything you were doing. It got so bad that you even missed Mochi’s bowl when you were pouring water for him, and he watched with confused, flattened ears as you made a big puddle, spreading across his hangout area.

~✬❧~

When Sebastian had eventually woken up, he couldn’t get his mind off of you, and how enchanting your lips had felt against his. He almost immediately snatched his phone off of his bedside table, running his tongue across his lips to savor what remaining taste you had left on them. He was somewhat disappointed to find that there were no new notifications on the screen, but he convinced himself that you just needed some time to process things. And the fact that you had been the one to initiate the kiss pulled his lips into a content grin, just thinking about it.

It was only a matter of time now—you’re practically his, already.

Satisfied with his thoughts, he decided to give you the space you needed, and instead dedicated that day to working. After all, he’d been a lot less productive ever since he met you, but now that he’d finally gotten a taste of you, it was enough to keep the inner beast at bay and shift his focus onto building an income for the future.

This spark of a thought is what made him jump right out of bed, a grin jerking at the corners of his lips.

Yes, he would grow a stable income through his freelancing career and work towards a future… with you. After all, if your farmwork didn’t produce enough to live off of, you would both need dual income, wouldn’t you?

Or… if you both had to run away together to Zuzu City for whatever reason, he would need to become the sole provider, at least at first. After all, moving to Zuzu City was still his ultimate goal, in the back of his mind.

He quickly washed up in the sink of the small adjoining bathroom of his bedroom, then rushed to throw on a hoodie, hop into his desk chair, and immediately boot up his PC to get to work. If he wanted a bright future with you, he had to focus solely on work today, and nothing else.

~✬❧~

After a few hours, realizing you weren’t going to get much work done in this state, you decided to put your tools down and head into town for a walk to get your mind off of things. Though it was around the time Sebastian might have been awake, you figured he would be busy working today, so you likely wouldn’t run into him—or at least, you hoped so, for the sake of saving you from embarrassment.

Right as you stepped foot onto the trail by the bus stop, your phone pinged, causing you to nearly have a heart attack as your body froze.

Sebastian is awake. He’s awake right now. What if that’s him?!

The color drained from your face. But so what if it was him?! You’re the one who kissed him! What were you afraid of?

After some hesitation and a deep breath, you shakily pulled out your phone and highlighted the screen. Abigail.

Your shoulders instantly relaxed, and you let out a sigh of relief. You knew you would eventually have to confront Sebastian about what happened and apologize for being so forward before either of you were (probably) ready, but today you felt that space was much needed.

Upon checking the message, which was about the sleepover, you internally smacked yourself on the forehead. That’s right! You had been so wrapped up in your conflicting feelings about last night that you’d almost completely forgotten about the sleepover! After reading that she’d be busy with her online college courses until then, you confirmed the plans and let her know that you would be the one providing snacks.

While she’s busy with coursework, you would shop for snacks at her dad’s store to prepare for later that night, to both save her the trouble and to clear your head. You successfully did so, as Leah had also been shopping that day and struck a conversation with you that distracted you enough to forget about everything. At least, for now.

~✬❧~

By the end of the day, it was as though you and Sebastian had unknowingly swapped moods. You were giddy about the sleepover, having managed to keep all nerve-wracking thoughts at bay, all the while having a fun time preparing everything for Abigail’s visit. You had all your favorite snacks—and hers, according to memory of what she’d told you about her tastes (you made sure to include rock candy)—laid out on a coffee table in front of your TV (you prayed your grandpa’s old DVD player still worked). You set up a sleeping area beside your bed, and decorated the room with Winter Star fairy lights Pierre had been selling for a discount.

Just as everything was looking great, Abigail knocked on your door with impeccable timing. As you opened the door, she immediately greeted you with a bear hug and began talking your ear off about her weekend after the Egg Fest, and about how her guinea pig David had made a fuss about her leaving him alone for the night. It was mostly just random chatter, but you joined in the conversation with enthusiasm, eager to not think about your own personal drama for a while.

Sebastian, on the other hand, had worked himself to the point of spiraling—programming modules nonstop without breaks, and emailing hundreds of potential clients in search of more work. He had driven himself so hard to grind towards your future together—now that you’d kissed him—now that you wanted him—that he was now falling into a slump—crashing. He’d experienced this after chopping down all those trees, and after mining all that ore for you, killing all those monsters that had attacked you previously. Every now and then, he realized, he would go into these episodes of “high” moments, where he felt as though he could do literally anything—as long as it was for you. It almost always led to an inevitable crash.

“…Fuck…” he groaned, rubbing his eyes which were now burning from staring at his screen all day, and shut down his computer before he could do anything else on it. “I did it again…”

His bloodshot eyes peered at the clock—9:20pm. A tad too late to go out for a smoke.

“Ugh…”

And what were you up to? Were you going to bed?

…Should he go check on you?

His body tugged him, urged him to get up and go to you—but he dug his black painted nails into his sleeved arm, stopping himself. No. He had to give you space. He vowed on that today.

His hand reached for his phone, but he yanked it back, clutching his wrist.

‘NO. That means NO TEXTING, SEB.’

He heaved out a sigh, turning to his bed. Honestly, he should just try to go to bed early. He wasn’t entirely caught up on sleep, anyway, and he obviously needed it, considering he wasn’t thinking clearly. After a moment of staring at the bed, looking Sir Croaksworth in the beady eyes, he nodded, as though in silent agreement with the plush toy. Yeah, some sleep ought to help.

Slipping out of his hoodie and pants, now in the same boxers and tee shirt he wore the previous night (well, whatever; he’ll shower tomorrow), he switched off the light, then crawled into his bed, trying not to think about any of it. Nope, not gonna think about you, nor the kiss, nor—

Crackle.

“…?”

Upon hearing the sound his pillow made as he lay his head on it, he reached underneath, pulling out a (somewhat wrinkled) folded piece of paper.

Oh, that’s right. He completely forgot that he’d hidden your grandfather’s letter under there before the game session. (He must have been so enveloped in masturbating last night after the kiss that he hadn’t even noticed the crackling sounds…)

He sat up, studying it for a moment. After giving it some thought, he shrugged, then reached over and clicked on a small lamp.

Some reading material might help put him to sleep, anyway.

~✬❧~

As the sleepover progressed without a hitch, you successfully managed to avoid talking about Sebastian as you and Abigail munched on snacks together, instead repeating the story Leah had told you earlier—something about Elliott visiting her cottage and a crab suddenly crawling out of his pocket and tumbling onto her floor, which led to a goofy turn the prior afternoon trying to capture it and release it outside. You both laughed about it, and Abigail soon got up to use your bathroom.

“Hold up, gotta pee!” She said, springing to her feet. “You go ahead and get the movie set up!”

You agreed, going over to boot up your grandpa’s old DVD player, mentally hoping it’d work.

In the bathroom, Abigail went over your conversations in her head, thinking it was rather odd you hadn’t mentioned anything about how your own weekend went, instead telling other people’s stories.

‘Hmm, I wonder if they’re hiding something… Maybe I should snoop around a little tonight while they’re distracted.’

She grinned to herself, thinking that was a good idea as she flushed the old toilet and washed her hands. After all, she had to make sure you weren’t… seeing anybody.

Abigail glared into the mirror at the thought, eyes almost bearing a homicidal flicker.

‘And what about YOU, Abby?? Huh? You haven’t even TRIED to make any moves on them yet!’

She ran her pale, manicured fingers through her amethyst-purple hair and took a moment to fix up her mascara and lip gloss.

‘Well, that’ll change tonight…~’ She smirked, batting her eyelashes and holding back a giggle as she made kissing faces in the mirror. As one final touch, she unbuttoned the top button of the black lace-lined blouse she was wearing, revealing a tad more cleavage.

Leaving the bathroom, she glanced over and saw you were still fiddling with that dusty old DVD player you had.

“Ugh, one second,” you called over your shoulder. “…I’ve almost got it working!”

“Hehe, no problem!” She responded, smiling to herself as she took this opportunity to snoop about. Her eyes scanned the lowly-lit room, searching for something—anything—that could possibly indicate that you had a more eventful weekend than you were letting on. She neared your bed, searching for any hints—cum stains, perhaps—but found nothing.

Damn, were you really that innocent? It almost frustrated her—

Mochi meowed at her, slipping between her legs.

“Aww, kitty!~” She cooed after the grey feline, kneeling down to pet him. That’s when her emerald eyes spotted something on the ground—a spot you’d missed while sweeping, most likely.

Bingo.

She lifted up a lone hair off the floor—medium length, and almost black, except for a faint purple sheen under the reflection of the fairy lights. A heat of rage boiled in her blood.

‘Sebastian. No doubt that’s his hair… So that creep was here before me, huh?’

“Got it!” You called out victoriously as the DVD player loaded the disc and breathed life onto the television screen.

Abigail flinched, pocketing the hair she found—for… later purposes—and rose to her feet, turning to face you with a grin. “Heck yeah! Horror movie time!~”

Meanwhile, Sebastian had managed to decode the cursive handwriting, recalling the bit of what he learned way back in elementary school, along with some additional help from online resources. As he scanned over the scrawled words across the paper, his breath shook, the gears in his mind turning as he attempted to process what was written here:

My Dearest Grandchild,

            If you are reading this, congratulations on realizing your true life’s purpose and making the move to Stardew Valley. This was once my beloved home, and now it is yours. Please take good care of the land and raise healthy, strong livestock. I know it will be hard at first, but you will get the hang of it. The farming prowess runs strong through our bloodline, after all… I made sure of it.

…

“…So, what movie is this, anyway?” You asked with a raised eyebrow, as the rather strange film progressed. In all honesty, you weren’t quite grasping the plot. You glanced at the DVD case, which was blank except for a title that looked like it was made on MS Paint that read: Blood Victims.

“Heh, it’s just one of those weird indie cult horror films,” Abigail dismissed, as some guy was screaming while his nails were ripped off by his tormentor, who was apparently possessed—yet, the film didn’t really explain how he became possessed.

You cringed and looked away, surprised she had the stomach for this sort of stuff. Then again, she’s full of surprises.

She watched your reactions to the film intently, biting her lip. She loved the way you cringed. She loved your disgust. She wondered if she could make you feel that way.

…

Find a good spouse or roommate in the Valley who will commit to helping you with the farm—someone dedicated and strong who will love you unconditionally, through everything that has yet to come… Trust me, you’ll need them.

…

‘…“Everything that has yet to come”?’ Sebastian wracked his brain at this. ‘Does he mean something is coming, or is it a “through sickness and health” sort of thing?’

His eyes lowered to the next part, which was heavily scribbled out.

As the main villain walked on screen dressed in the goofiest outfit with god-awful makeup, you both cackled at the sight of him. Maybe this movie wasn’t so bad, after all. It was more silly than scary. You were actually starting to enjoy your time watching this with her now, and you reached down to the table for more snacks.

That’s when the villain revved his chainsaw and began brutally sawing off the limbs of his helpless victims. You retracted your hand, watching in disgusted horror at the gruesome details that were overly explicit, and you suddenly lost your appetite.

Abigail continued to laugh out loud like a loon at the victims’ expense, and you side-eyed her with a raised eyebrow. How was any of this funny?

“He—He just—BAHAHAHA!” She clutched her stomach, nearly rolling on her side as tears streamed down her red cheeks. “THE LOOK ON THAT GUY’S FACE AS HE WAS WATCHING HIS LEG GET SAWED OFF, I—I CAN’T, BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”

You watched her in utter disbelief, part of you wondering if she was, perhaps, a psychopath. You were usually very fond of horror films, but you were into the psychologically thrilling aspects and storytelling, and this just seemed more like mindless gore, than anything. Sure, there are people who are into gore, but… was it really normal for her to laugh at it? Though, you supposed some of the cheap effects were rather humorous.

However, the film had you feeling queasy, so you sunk back into the couch, just waiting for it to be over before you ate anything else. And this queasiness, you felt, was caused by something much deeper than the film just being “too much of a gorefest.”

Somehow, all of that blood… threatened to resurface old, buried trauma, hidden deep within your subconsciousness. You shut your eyes, trying your hardest not to remember anything as your face grew pale and your forehead beaded with sweat.

Abigail noticed you out of the corner of her eye and bit her lip.

‘Damn, they’re getting so sick from this… That’s so cute…~’

She scooted herself closer to you, now taking on a comforting demeanor.

‘Maybe I can take advantage of this moment…’

For the next portion of the letter, Sebastian had to take out a scrap piece of paper and a colored pencil, to trace the bumps of the scribbled-over lettering, to make out what it said:

…

Be warned, though, dear child… While I had many friends in this Valley, I made some enemies, too. Their spite and ill will might run through the blood of some of the descendants in the Valley.

Who might seem like a friend could very well be a foe… or worse.

Though, I’m confident that you will not fall victim to such individuals, as you are a very smart, strong, and brave person… But you will need someone stronger to protect you, fairly soon.

…

‘What in the living fuck was this old man on…?’ Sebastian thought to himself, scrunching his brows as he grew concerned about your family history. While he decided to take your grandfather’s ramblings with a grain of salt, especially since this section was crossed out, his mind couldn’t help but linger on the last line.

‘What does he mean by “fairly soon”? Did he believe something was going to happen? …Well, that basically confirms my thought from before.’

The gears in his mind turned, and he decided to take a moment to process what your grandfather had written, before continuing to read.

Slowly, Abigail's pale hand reached over to gently caress your thigh. In feeling your warmth, she bit her lip harder, feeling her face heat into a shade of crimson. However, you did not respond, barely registering her presence.

Her eyes expressed worry suddenly as she couldn’t goad a reaction out of you, and she crawled closer to you, face just inches from yours.

“Hey… Are you okay…?” She cooed softly.

You were silent for a moment, desperately pushing away any traumatic thoughts threatening to reappear. Luckily, they were too much of a blur to fully recall, anyway. You shook your head, your eyes fluttering open. “Huh? …Y-Yeah, I just—”

Abigail's hand caressed your forearm lovingly now, and you blushed as she was practically on top of you, gazing at you almost hypnotically.

“A-Abby—?!”

“Shhh… Are you too scared…?” She batted her eyelashes at you, and you grew flustered, noticing her cleavage, now.

“N-No, I’m not scared! I just…” Your eyes shifted away, not wanting to bring up any traumatic thoughts. “I just don’t find this movie amusing, okay?”

“We can watch something else…” She whispered, tracing her manicured nails across the skin of your wrist. “I brought a cheesy horror classic, too.”

You were stiff, but didn’t push her away, not wanting to hurt your friend’s feelings. It definitely felt like she was hitting on you, but perhaps she was just like this, normally. Maybe even just messing with you. You decided for now it would be best to just not reciprocate anything, and hopefully give off the message that you weren’t romantically interested.

“Y-Yeah… That sounds… better.” You sat motionless, avoiding any eye contact.

Abigail pouted at your lack of response to her advances, and she could sense you were getting uncomfortable, so she backed off, for now.

“Alright…” she sighed, slipping off the couch to switch out the movies.

She had been so eager to make a move on you, dressing scantily and putting on a horror movie that was sure to make you tense, but she hadn’t expected you to get that tense, let alone in response to her flirting, too. Perhaps you really were innocent, and not ready for that sort of thing. Perhaps you and Sebastian hadn’t done anything scandalous, and she was just overthinking it.

Perhaps she still had a chance to get into your pants before that creep Sebastian could.

…Just not tonight.

But hey, at least she’s probably the first one to sleep in your house with you.

Her glossy lips pulled into a grin, and she turned to face you, giving off a more consoling presence.

“Sorry about that other movie… We can just chill now with a cheesy old horror movie and eat snacks and forget about all of it. How’s that sound?”

You returned her smile, nodding. “Yeah, that sounds really good right now.”

As the corny classic horror movie played, you were finally able to relax, and Abigail gave you more breathing space, staying on her side of the sofa to crunch on some purple rock candy. However, your brain still boggled about Abigail laughing so hysterically at that gore film and then proceeding to make flirtatious advances on you while you were somewhat vulnerable. Thinking about how desensitized she seemed raised goosebumps in your arms, and her almost horny behavior made your stomach uneasy. (Though, you couldn’t deny she was kind of hot.)

Is she okay in the head? …Is her home life okay…?

Maybe you were overthinking it. Maybe she just had a crush on you, and this was her way of coming onto you, or maybe she was just playing around, like her typical Abigail shenanigans. Either way, at least she had backed off now, so maybe your obvious discomfort had gotten through to her. You just silently hoped you hadn’t accidentally hurt her feelings.

There was a ghost of a thought then, a vague flicker barely registered in your consciousness, that it was probably a good thing that Sebastian hadn't been there to witness that.

After a while, as you were moving along your focus to the comforting familiarity of the classic horror, Abigail became bored and decided to get up and walk around your house a little. Upon doing so, she noticed something off about your flooring, in one area.

Sebastian continued to read:

I have left you something in the cellar, for once you upgrade your house. Before my departure, I had it buried, along with downsizing the house, for extra measure. Thomas, the town carpenter at the time, helped me. May his soul rest with Yoba.

…

‘…In the cellar…?’ Sebastian boggled, thoughts racing as he tried to piece everything together. ‘So, he hid something down there…?’ He thought back to what you had told him before, about your parents having you undergo hypnotherapy (a rather unethical form of it, if he was being honest) to make you forget something. This made him ponder things, some more.

What if—and this was just a theory—your unethical form of hypnotherapy wasn’t just for trauma? What if… your family is hiding something?

But that would be insane, right?

His dark eyes stared at the words “Before my departure,” which implied that your grandfather knew of his own imminent death. Perhaps he was sick…?

…Or was there a more sinister reason?

He ran his fingers through his hair, thinking.

‘How many secrets does (Name)’s family have…?’

Abigail stomped on the floor with her foot, causing you to jump, turning to peer over the back of the sofa.

“Wh—?! What are you doing?!”

“Your floor is hollow right here!” She grinned at you with a mischievous sparkle in her eyes.

You glared at her with a pout. “Is that your attempt at scaring me…?”

“There might be something down there!”

“There’s definitely nothing down there…” You sighed, shaking your head. Though, as you looked away from her, you thought back to the strange letter that your grandpa had left for you, on his shrine. You weren’t sure what the scribbled-out section was about, but you hadn’t really given it any mind.

The mention of something in the cellar, however…

…Perhaps you’ll look for that letter tomorrow after Abigail leaves and read it over, again.

…

To ensure that (Farm Name) is living up to its name, I shall return on the dawn of your third year. See you then, my child.

                                                                                                With love,

                                                                                                Grandpa

“.....”

Having finished reading the letter, Sebastian held his face in one hand, peering through his fingers down at the wrinkled paper he still held in his other hand, the gears in his mind turning as he attempted to process what utter madness your grandfather had written to you.

And you have already read this letter, have you not? Why had you never brought it up before?

Perhaps you were embarrassed about it? He probably would be, too…

His eyes narrowed at the hastily scrawled sentences, scrunching his brow.

‘…And he claims he’s going to “return”? Had he meant something other than death, when he wrote “departure”? Like a retirement to Ginger Island… or what?’

Sebastian ran his fingers through his dark hair, glaring at the old note. ‘That crazy geezer couldn’t have possibly meant returning from the dead, right? No offense to (Name)’s grandfather, but… There’s just so much to unpack here, I don’t even…’

He sighed, rubbing his eyes. Why did he even care so much about this?

It was your family business, and he was in no position to pry like this… None of this was any of his business.

…But it certainly felt like it was.

He peered at the letter again, a flicker of derangement evident in his dark eyes.

It was a crazy thought… but… he couldn’t help but feel this letter was meant for him to find.

The mentions of finding a “suitable partner or roommate,” “dedicated and strong,” who would “love you unconditionally,” all sounded… perfectly aligned with him. Why else would your grandfather have written that to you? One would think that running a farm wouldn’t depend on something like that, in any other case…

‘But in our case…’

Sebastian let out a dry, airy chuckle in spite of himself, covering his mouth as he stared off into space, that intense, obsessive feeling returning to him, once again.

‘…I’m the only one for you, and you’re the only one for me…’

In a slowly spiraling state, he glanced once more at the section of the letter that was crossed out:

“But you will need someone stronger to protect you, fairly soon.”

“…And I am,” he whispered, a shakiness in his voice. “I will protect them… with my life.”

He shook his head, his logical thinking taking the wheel. “No, but… why should I have to? Protect them from what, exactly? What’s with that shit about the cellar and the subtle implication of some impending doomsday? Are they… not safe living on that farm?”

Sebastian threw the letter down on his blanket, springing out of his bed. ‘What if… there really is some danger there?!’ He began to pace about his room. ‘What if, what I really need to “protect” them from, is that damned farm?! What if there’s some curse that I need to save them from, and the only way to do that is to have them move to Zuzu City with me?’

He shook his head, trying to think rationally.

‘No, that’s crazy… And, as much as I want to move to Zuzu, (Name) seems perfectly happy on that farm… I don’t want to take them from that…’

He felt an ache in his chest, stopping in his tracks.

That’s right, there was also another issue: It was his hope and dream to move to the city, but he also wanted to be with you… and only you. Though, was he really ready to give up on that for you? …Was moving to the city really what he wanted? Or was it just to move out of this stupid basement?

He shook his head again, grasping his forehead as it started to ache.

‘Never mind that… We’ll both decide on that, when the time comes…’

He shook his head once more, pacing again.

‘But I keep thinking as though it’s certain that we’re going to be together… What if… that letter wasn’t intended for someone like me? And what if they don’t want to be with me—?’

‘…They never texted me after last night, after all…’

Sebastian’s breath shook, covering his face as he shook his head again and again.

‘No… Stop thinking like that… They love me. They kissed me. They want me…’

Standing in the middle of his room, in his boxers and tee shirt, he held his face for a long moment, attempting to calm his shaking breath.

“I’ll just…” He breathed, his mind swirling as the logical side of thinking faded in and out. “Whatever the fuck their grandpa was on when he wrote that… Whatever happens… I’ll… I’ll protect them…”

Lowering his shaking hands, his face was shadowed over by the dim light cast by the lamp behind his back.

“…And to ensure that (Name) and I will be together forever…”

A grin tugged at the corners of his mouth, his eyes piercing, as his thoughts rolled off his lips.

“…I’ll just have to prove myself worthy to them… and show them… I’m the only one for them.”

Unable to stop himself from grinning now, he turned back to his bed. He lifted the letter again in his hand, gazing at it for a while.

‘Maybe… because of the visions I’ve had in my dreams… Maybe…’ He lay down, staring up at the ceiling as his thoughts spiraled some more, logic now slowly fizzing out into obscurity. ‘Maybe… their family’s secrets have something to do with Yoba… and maybe Yoba was sending me those visions, because I am the one… And maybe… this is all some test to prove… I am worthy of them as a gift bestowed upon me… A reconciliation for my years of suffering.’

He clutched the letter tightly in his hands against his chest, as his thoughts blurred. Slowly, drowsiness tugged at his eyelids.

‘…I’ll… be everything they need, and maybe… their love can… heal me, in return…’

He eventually drifted off to sleep, his mind soon plagued with visions, once again.

You gasped, panting as you sat up from your position on the floor, Abigail fast asleep beside you. Your body tremored as you quickly glanced around the room, touching your face to see if it was drenched with blood. Upon feeling that the only liquid on your face was your sweat, you let out a shaky sigh of relief.

‘J-Just a nightmare…’

You clutched at your chest, feeling your heart thud at a rapid pace as you thought back, assessing the events of your dream. That was when you realized you weren’t wearing your amethyst necklace. Feeling around for it, you wracked your brain trying to remember where you’d left it, then reached up to your nightstand, tugging at a string hanging off the side of it.

You sighed in relief. Sure enough, it was your necklace.

‘Well, that would explain all of… that.’

At first, the dream had been somewhat of a wet dream, and you blushed at the recollection of Sebastian seducing you into having sex in a pitch-black room that seemed like his basement, though you felt in the dream that you weren’t quite ready, but your body seemed to reciprocate him automatically, against your will. …That was when you noticed an… unidentified dead body in the corner of the room you were in, and Sebastian—though, by that point, you were unsure if it was him at all, since his scars had vanished—suddenly appeared demonic.

You shivered, recalling the horrifying features of that… Sebastian doppelganger, and you nearly gagged as you remembered the gruesome part where blood had spilled from his mouth into yours.

“I’ll give you a taste of what has yet to come…”

The demon’s haunting words echoed in your mind, and it absolutely boggled your mind what a dream like that could have possibly meant. Was it… some sort of warning? Or…

You shook your head, remembering the movies you watched.

‘Nah, it was probably just my brain mixing parts of that gory demon possession movie with my feelings after that last interaction with Sebastian, that’s all…’

Recalling back to the way you pulled him into that kiss, you became flustered. Burying your face into your hands, you internally screamed at yourself for having done that to him before you even knew you were ready for something like that with him. No wonder you had a nightmare about it! Beet-red face still cradled in your hands, you flopped back down into your usual sleeping position and let out a sigh, attempting to push away your flustered thoughts and go back to sleep.

Well, maybe tomorrow you could confront him about it and apologize, and also let him know you aren’t ready for that.

Surely, as your friend, he’ll understand.

Chapter Text

When the low, heavy sky weighs like a lid

On the spirit aching for the light

And when, embracing the horizon,

It pours on us a black day which is sadder than any night.

-Ruth White, Spleen (1969)

You awoke with a start, feeling as though you were jerked awake by some hidden force. Looking around, it was still dark out, which led you to believe it was likely sometime around the witching hour. You rubbed your eyes, your face feeling numb. Attempting to move your body some more, it felt as though your lower half was still asleep, stuck in some weird paralysis.

Fuck, sleep paralysis. Okay, don’t panic. Maybe you should just try to go back to sleep.

Attempting to take deep breaths and calm your nerves, thankful that your upper half was working, you decided to check your phone, just to see how much time you had before morning to get the rest of your body to move. You blindly grasped about in the dark, fingers eventually locating the smooth surface of your smartphone, charging on your bedside table. You lifted it into your hand and brought it up to your face, highlighting the screen:

5:59am

…Sorry, what? Were you reading that correctly?

You squinted at the numbers, rereading the displayed time once, then twice. You took another glance around the room, and at the window—still dark as night, and not even a hint of a sunrise.

Puzzled, you stared at your phone again and tried to think of some reasonable explanation for this. Sure, in other climates—particularly, colder ones—it was normal for it to still be dark around 6am. However, in Stardew Valley—in fact, throughout all of the Ferngill Republic—sunrise was at 5:30am, even during winter (which was odd considering it gets cold enough to snow here). And in any case, it’s far from winter. So, for it to be 5:59am is…

The time rolled over to 6am on your screen.

Right in that exact moment, you caught a glimpse of a shadowy figure moving across your room, first emerging from the edge of your bed, then hovering to the television, then turning around. Air catching in your throat, you watched, paralyzed with fear, as the entity silently passed by without acknowledging you, and phased through your door to the outside.

…Okay, what in the actual living hell was that?!

The momentary click and sputter that came from your CRT television set in that moment pricked your arms with goosebumps and made you nearly jump out of your bed, your legs instinctively curling inwards to your body. Well, at least you’re unstuck from paralysis now.

Your heart raced as you stared wide-eyed at the TV, almost expecting it to turn on to show static or some unimaginable horror, but it did nothing of the sort. It remained still and black, as though nothing had happened.

Okay, shadow figures? The TV making noises on its own? It legitimately felt like your house was haunted.

As you tried to calm your shaking breath, you searched around your bed for Mochi, for some sort of comfort. You whispered his name, calling to him, then turned on your phone’s flashlight to look around the room, and peered—although with some apprehensive hesitation—under the bed. Finding he was nowhere in sight, you deduced that he must be outside.

…Where the shadow figure had just went.

Trying not to panic, you rubbed your arms with a shiver, then slipped out of bed, deciding to keep your flashlight on. Mind still reeling about it being pitch black outside during the time you usually start your day, you were hesitant to leave the house. A thought, however, suddenly came to you as you unplugged your phone: Perhaps you could text Sebastian for comfort!

Although it occurred to you that he probably wasn’t even awake at this hour, you felt like you really needed his support right now (and confirmation about the darkness to make sure you weren’t just losing your mind here). Perhaps, if you sent him enough notifications, it’ll wake him up. You opened your messenger app, tapping on Sebastian’s name at lightning speed, and immediately began texting out several messages, not noticing the error responses, at first.

<You: Seb? You awake?>

[Not Delivered]

<You: I’m really sorry to wake you but I really need someone right now>

[Not Delivered]

<You: It’s really dark…>

[Not Delivered]

<You: What’s going on?>

[Not Delivered]

<You: I’m scared>

[Not Delivered]

Pausing mid-type in your next message, it just dawned on you that his phone wasn’t even receiving your texts. Puzzled, you wracked your brain for some sort of explanation. Even if he had “do not disturb” turned on, wouldn’t he still get your texts sent to his phone?

A little frantic, you tried Abigail, next. Same error message. As a next resort, Sam. Error.

Realizing it was probably just your connection, your eyes glanced at the top of the screen, only to see something even weirder:

Instead of the usual empty data triangle with an exclamation mark, you were met with a lone, red question mark in place of where your data indicator should have been.

“What the fuck does that mean?” you whispered, goosebumps prickling your skin. And why the hell is it red?

Just then, you heard a clatter from outside that made you nearly jump out of your own skin. This sudden noise was accompanied by a low growl that almost sounded like your cat.

“M-Mochi…?”

You trembled, getting out of bed after some hesitation, deciding you should be a good pet owner and check on him. You locked your phone, though kept it out to use as a flashlight, and slowly approached the door.

Taking a deep breath in an attempt to remain calm, you grasped the doorknob, turning it to face whatever was outside with a determined, furrowed brow. As expected, it was dark as night outside—however, this darkness was so suffocatingly thick that it seemed… unnatural.

No moon, no stars… no light pollution from the nearby village.

Just an endless black night.

Beginning to hyperventilate a little, you waved your flashlight around, horrified to find that it only penetrated the darkness enough to see merely three feet in front of you. This was detrimental to your courage, considering…

You shook your head, gripping your phone tighter.

No, you’re not afraid… of the dark.

You just…

As you slowly walked towards your field of crops, you suppressed all anxiety to the best of your ability. However, your mind was still preoccupied.

Thinking back to the times when you felt afraid to walk home alone after dark, the times when you clung closely to Sebastian as he walked you home, the unnerving feeling that you felt during those times (and now), were all honestly strange and new to you. You had never even considered before moving here that you might be afraid of the dark.

It’s true that in the city, the streets were always lit, and even in your old apartment, it was never completely dark with the streetlights seeping through your window blinds. Though, here in Stardew Valley, it was much, much darker at night, and it wasn’t until you moved here that you realized just how suffocating and unnerving the darkness could be.

However…

You reached the tilled soil of your farmland, brows lacing to find that your crops were all wilted and dried up, despite the fact that you had been taking good care of them. Reasonably upset, you felt an ache in your chest, which was short-lived by a sudden noise.

THWACK-THUMP.

Panting, though covering your mouth to keep silent as you searched around for the source of the sound, you couldn’t help but think back to that beast you were certain had been lurking around on your farm. It had been several days since you felt its presence, come to think of it.

THWACK-THUMP.

In that moment, as you shakily stepped further into the field to probe your surroundings some more, a haunting thought occurred to you:

Was it truly the darkness itself that you were afraid of…?

THWACK-THUMP.

Or…

You turned, shining your flashlight to your right.

…Are you perhaps afraid… of what’s in it?

The light of your phone illuminated a rather burly shadow figure—likely the one that had been in the farmhouse—using your hoe to till the soil. Your breath caught in your throat, light shaking from your trembling hand as you stared wide-eyed at the figure standing before you. As it raised your tool once more, it paused, appearing to slowly turn its head and look at you.

“…m y … c h i l d…”

A low, breathless whisper carried through the air, as two pinpoints of white light appeared on its face like eyes, before the shadow itself disappeared, the eyes following suit shortly after. The hoe momentarily floated mid-air, then dropped to the dirt with a harsh thud.

Your heart pounding, you stared in horror at the tool, trying to make sense of all this. After some thoughts were pieced together, a strange wave of nostalgia overcame you.

“G-Grandpa…?” you whispered, trembling like a leaf.

“…u s e … t h e … t o o l…”

Without a second thought, you rushed over to the hoe lying on the ground and gripped it into your hands, wielding it to your chest like a weapon. Panting, you flicked around the light of your phone, eyes darting to whatever might emerge from the darkness next.

To your dismay, as you moved to face the farmhouse—which, in that fleeting moment, appeared to be in the process of decay—the light of your phone flickered off. Frantic, you checked your phone, only to see the dead battery symbol flash on your screen.

“No… No, no, no, NO, NO—"

You gripped and shook your “smart” device in frustration, heart pounding furiously as you were now enveloped in complete darkness. But you had fully charged it! You swore you had!

Defeated, you pocketed the phone, now squeezing onto the handle of the hoe like your life depended on it. You managed some deep breaths, closing your eyes to try to relax yourself and focus on your other senses.

It’s alright. This is probably just a nightmare. You’re dreaming.

Just play along for now, and everything will be back to normal when you wake up.

From somewhere approximately near Mochi’s hangout area near the farmhouse, you again heard that low, cat-like growl. It sounded distressed about something.

“M-Mochi?” You muttered, readying your weapon, just in case. “H-Here, kitty… It’s okay… I’m here…”

More growling could be heard. You took hesitant baby steps in the general direction of the sound.

“I-I’m here, Mochi… It’s okay, come here, baby… I’m heRE—!” Your muttering turned into a yelp as something grabbed your ankle from below, nearly tripping you, though you caught yourself, firmly planting your other foot. Struggling, you immediately tried to free yourself, but the grip was too strong.

“Wh—L-Let go of me!”

As you kicked and flailed, more hands suddenly grabbed onto you, around your torso and one of your arms, with grips like constricting snakes.

“ST-STOP IT! LET ME GO! LET—MMPH!”

A hand covered your mouth, and as more hands gripped onto your thighs and ass and neck, a sickness welled inside of you as this began to feel… uncomfortably familiar.

Certain figures who’d come into your life over the years—and more recently—threatened to emerge from the dark recesses of your mind that fought so hard to hold them back. They began to seep through the cracks like sickly toxic goop and infiltrate your consciousness. Your chest began to tighten, and your mouth felt dry and prickly as your head began to spin.

No…

What sounded like a demonic moan erupted from some unknown presence in front of you, and you gripped onto the hoe you were wielding—your weapon. Its breathing became heavy, and it neared just inches from your face.

…You will not let your trauma consume you.

You will destroy this beast, and you will put an end to this.

Relying on all senses other than sight, you swung your weapon with all your might, blindly trusting your gut to pinpoint the evil entity… and you succeeded.

The blade of your hoe smacked into something large and heavy, knocking it down to the ground with a harsh thud. The hands retracted, releasing you.

Mouth now free, you let out a harsh and desperate battle cry, swinging at the figure again.

And again.

And again.

It felt too good to stop. It was freeing, gratifying. Like you were destroying something evil; something that was holding you back—the core of your suffering.

You swung with all your might, until you began to grow tired—until you began to hear the cracking of your target’s bones, the sound of something wet and fleshy. Shaking, catching your breath, you slowly began to recognize the sensation you felt on your skin: Something wet had splattered on your arms. A vaguely familiar scent filled your nose—something coppery. Something like death.

Beads of sweat began to dot your flesh as your brain swirled, and a subtle thought occurred to you that you might not have hit a demon, but something very much alive.

However, you were given no time to process this as the darkness began to dissipate, making way instead for a red glow illuminating the farmland, as a blood-red sun began to rise above the trees. This jerked your attention away from the situation before you, if only for a moment, before your eyes snapped back to your victim, lying dead on the ground:

Clint.

Your face paled, eyes widening at the sight of him—a bloody, mangled corpse of what he once was. Black, hazy shapes covered his eyes and the worst of his wounds, as though shielding you from them… perhaps your brain’s way of blocking triggers to a certain past event. Though, what was odd to you, in that fleeting moment before you dropped your weapon and realized what you’d done, was that it appeared as though his neck was broken, and there were what looked like… tire tracks, marked across his dead pale skin. …Strange.

Unable to make sense of this, you began to hyperventilate, grasping your head as the world around you began to spin, then just as quickly retracting your hands from your head as you realized they were caked in blood. You stumbled backwards, tripping over something that made you fall over onto your behind. Looking over, you saw that you had tripped over a skeleton, half-buried in your field of dead crops. You tried to let out a scream, but no sound came out, and tears blurred your vision.

‘Fuck… What have I done?! But… where did those tire marks come from…?! That… wasn’t me.’ You shook your head, covering your eyes with your upper arm (the part not covered in blood), as you lay there in the tilled soil, tears threatening to fall. ‘And the skeleton…?’

‘None of this makes any sense… I have to wake up… I have to…’

Suddenly, the earth began to shake violently, and you sat right up, looking around in frantic.

‘Wh-What’s going on?!’

The earth began to crack, and you watched in confused horror as it appeared to originate from beneath the farmhouse. The cracks moved towards you, and you scooted yourself away as they passed by you, racing towards the southern edge of the property. As you watched, you staggered up to your feet, desperately trying to keep balance as everything continued to tremor. That’s when you heard meowing again, however higher pitched and more distressed than the previous meows.

“Mochi?!”

You whipped your head around to the source, eyes widening in terror as the land appeared to be shifting, and your cat was stranded on a pillar of earth rising high up above the rest of the land. Eager to save him, you raced towards him, noticing that the farmhouse was tilted up on its side from the shifted earth beneath it, making it possible to climb like a ladder. Though the structure was decaying rapidly and didn’t appear stable, you had to take your chances.

“I’M COMING, MOCHI!”

As you ran, the earth opened up beneath you, causing you to stumble backwards by instinct to avoid falling to your death. Now hyperventilating, your eyes darted around in horror as the entire farm was falling apart. Out of the corner of your eye, you witnessed Clint’s corpse roll over and fall into the chasm.

“Okay, fuck this dream. I want to wake up. NOW!”

Unfortunately, it only got worse from there. As you looked back up to where Mochi was, you saw your cat was now floating upwards, along with fragments of the earth. As your cat screeched for you, you made the horrific discovery that the earth was not shifting, rather being pulled… directly into the blood-red sun.

“MOCHI! Fuck… wake up!”

The earth broke beneath you, and you could feel gravity dissipate as you began to float, too. Just ahead of you, the shingles of the farmhouse roof, along with all other pieces of the house, rapidly began to break off and rise towards the sun, too.

“N-NO! WAKE UP, WAKE UP—!”

You desperately reached to grab onto the branch of a tree, but the tree uprooted and rose up towards the sky with you.

The entire farmland was spiraling upwards all around you, like some terrifying and beautiful dance.

“WAKE UP, WAKE UP, WAKEUPWAKEUP—!”

At long last, your desperate pleas were answered, and you awoke with a gasp, drenched with sweat. Mochi was beside you on your bed, pawing and meowing at you with a concerned look in his eyes, ears flat against his head. He must have been meowing the whole time, and it worked its way into your nightmare.

Heart still racing, you panted, pulling your cat into a tight embrace. Mochi squirmed a little bit, but also wanted to comfort you, so he relaxed, letting out a soft purr. Tears rolled down your cheeks as you were overwhelmed by the events of your nightmare, staining his soft, grey fur.

“I-I’m so glad… y-you’re okay, Mochi…” you blubbered, burying your wet face into him. “I-I thought I… l-lost you…”

Mochi gave your cheek a sympathetic nose bump, trying to ignore the wet sensation in his fur as he just wanted to console his sobbing owner. Sniffling, you wiped away your tears and realized how wet Mochi was now, then apologetically set him down and patted his head, getting up to grab a towel for him.

“S-Sorry about that, Mochi… I just had the most horrid nightmare, and—”

Opening the closet that you kept your towels in, you immediately noticed something was off, as one of your hand towels was missing. A white one, to be exact.

“…”

You remained silent for now, absolutely done with the bullshit you’d been putting up with over the past couple days. First it was a slight shift in furniture and the portrait of your family, then footsteps and shuffling outside (and seeing nothing out there when you checked), your necklace turning up missing at some point (which explains the nightmare, though you hoped you had only misplaced it), and now this. You’d just about had it, and you were positive that someone was breaking into your house again. The gears in your mind began to turn.

Did Clint do all of that?

You gripped onto the closet door, shaking in anger. Mochi approached from behind, meowing softly, and you turned around with a gentle smile, grabbing one of your remaining towels and kneeling down to him to dry him off.

“I’m sorry, baby…” You thought about it for a moment as you rubbed him with the towel. “Did you see anything weird last night?”

Mochi remained quiet, but seemed a little worked up.

“Yeah, not like you can understand me…” You sighed, standing up to toss the towel into the hamper. Having thought about it, you shifted through the dirty garments a bit, but didn’t come across the missing towel, as expected. You shook your head with a roll of your eyes.

Honestly, maybe you should contact the police. Though, who would you call in this town? 911? The mayor? Where even is the nearest police station? How do people in this town usually go about reporting crimes? Or is everything handled at a local level…?

The image of Clint’s dead body suddenly flashed in your mind, and you quickly shook away those morbid thoughts.

No, you definitely shouldn’t take matters into your own hands over this. Then the police would definitely be contacted, and it won’t be in your favor.

…But what were you even thinking?

You wouldn’t actually kill him, now, would you?

Balling your hands into fists, you took a deep breath and released it. It was probably best to ignore it for now, at least until you had some concrete evidence.

But what if it’s too late by then?

After some hesitation, you had managed to get yourself to take a shower and wash off all the sweat from your restless night, brain still rattling with recollections of the details of your dream. One detail in particular stood out to you: The shadow figure, who may have been the spirit of your grandfather. Had he been looking out for you? Was he trying to warn you of something?

You couldn’t help but worry… It was times like these that a Ouija board would come in handy. Though, you knew better than to mess with things like that. You couldn’t deny you had a lot of questions, however, as there were still so many details you didn’t know about his death. All you knew was that he’d fallen ill, and your parents chalked it up to old age.

Oh, right. That reminded you: his note from his shrine was also missing.

Honestly, you really hoped no one got ahold of that. The poor guy had dementia in his later years and wrote some… rather embarrassing ramblings in that note. You knew to take his words with a grain of salt, but would someone else?

You groaned. What’s going to go missing next?

Having dried off and gotten changed in the bathroom with the window shutters closed, you left to start off your day. In entering the living room, a thought occurred to you to check your phone, which is when you realized you had slept in an extra two hours. Quickly tapping to your messenger app to check what you needed to right before hurrying outside to catch up on your farm duties, you saw all you needed to: There were no unsent texts from your nightmare, confirming it was all just a dream. Satisfied, you set your phone down and moved to open the front door. Just then, you noticed Mochi had scampered under the bed, crouching timidly and staring at the door with apprehension.

Did he think there was something outside?

This, you couldn’t help but feel nervous about, after the events of your nightmare. Though, seeing as it was bright as day outside and not glowing red, you took a deep breath, settling your nerves.

‘Everything is fine. Mochi is probably just worked up because he was worried about me. There’s nothing weird outside… Nothing at all…’

After releasing your breath and opening the door, you halted dead in your tracks as you stepped foot outside, noticing something out of the corner of your eye. Slowly looking over, you took in the sight of a beautiful makeshift tray of (Favorite Spring Flowers) sitting in your windowsill.

Still recovering from your dream, your brain couldn’t process this as some sweet gesture—rather a threat. Staring at it for a moment, only one thought came to you:

‘…Does that count as concrete evidence?’

~✬❧~

Sebastian groaned, staring dead-eyed at the unfinished module on his screen, his face cradled between his fingers. He’d already tried putting on his favorite focus music, drinking caffeine, any and everything he could think of to help him concentrate, but after two hours of sitting there, he hadn’t typed a single key. And it didn’t help that, for the past two days, all he could think about was you.

In every single thing he did as he went about each day, you were there in his mind. Whenever he listened to music, he imagined you, acting out the lyrics with him. He saw you in the mundane things, like the outline of your face in his cup of coffee. He saw your hypnotic gaze whenever he closed his eyes, dreamt of you when he fell asleep (whenever his dreams weren’t of strange subliminal messages or about his childhood trauma), and even hallucinated your voice at times while dozing off. And when he worked on songs to pitch to Sam this upcoming Saturday for band practice, all the lyrics he could think of ended up being about you.

Sebastian buried his face into his hands, knowing he wasn’t going to get anything productive done today, either.

Ever since you kissed him like that… he wanted more. So much more… It was like you were eating away at his brain like a parasite.

I see why, I’ve…

He unconsciously ran his tongue across his snakebites and lips, craving your taste again. He was doing so well holding himself back, but ever since he read your grandfather’s strange letter and further developed his obsessive belief that you two were bound together by fate, he’s been unable to sleep. Lately, he found, the only way to get any rest at all was to visit your farm at least once each night.

…never felt this way before, and

It started on Tuesday, the day after reading the letter, which had also been a fairly unproductive day. Unable to sleep after not going out to see you at all and fearing the worst for your wellbeing without him there, he’d convinced himself that you needed his protection, and he swiped the copy of your key from his lockbox to go check on you. Upon entering your farmhouse, he was both relieved and so heart-stricken to find you fast asleep in the cutest position, that he couldn’t help himself, and he…

I see why I’m drowning, drowning—

Sebastian began to sweat with guilt as he reminisced, pulling out his phone and opening his photo app. Surely enough, he’d taken seven photos of you, with a low flash which thankfully hadn’t woken you. He rubbed his face, almost contemplating deleting those, but as he swiped through them, some strange tinge of excitement shot through his body like electricity.

It was just… hard to explain. It was almost as if the act of doing things you were unaware of gave him some sort of rush. He knew it was morally wrong, so he made up for it in a sense, by making himself at least somewhat known, each time. This, he realized, also made the acts all the more thrilling. Each time he visited you in secret, he’d started a habit of leaving behind little “hints” that he’d been there, in hopes that you might notice.

First, it was the shifting of furniture, and the framed photo on your dresser. He’d been feeling particularly paranoid that Tuesday night, especially after you hadn’t texted him at all, and he wanted to search for “evidence” of anything happening to you in his absence. At first, Sebastian had mentally scrutinized himself for wasting his time searching for something that probably wasn’t even there, but then he found something interesting hiding beneath your sofa, which he slipped into his pocket to address later. Then after was when he spotted the picture frame, which he hadn’t noticed during his previous visit.

The photo in the frame stood out to him, in particular. When he’d highlighted it with the glow of his smartphone’s flashlight, an interesting (and possibly crucial) detail was brought to his attention:

Your parents. Well, he assumed they were your parents, as they were much older and posing together with you like a typical family outing photo, in front of what appeared to be an amusement park. But, what stood out to him so much was the fact that they…

…looked absolutely nothing like you.

Sebastian had a naturally dark hair color, which was polar opposite to his mother’s stark red hair, but it was still apparent that they were related, as one could see her features in his face. But you… didn’t look like either one of your “parents.”

Remembering this again, Sebastian leaned back in his chair to think, for a moment.

Sure, it was possible that you were adopted—of course he’d considered that, already. But there was only one conflicting detail about that: your grandfather’s letter.

That night, after he’d taken a picture of the photo frame, he set it back down in a slightly askew position from the one he’d found it in (as another “hint”), and almost planted a kiss on the side of your head but settled for a gentle stroke of your hair instead (partially because he’d had a lot on his mind after his discoveries, and partly because he didn’t trust himself to not steal a kiss from your lips again).

Following this act, he then quietly left your home, locked your door, pet Mochi (who was apprehensive of him at first, but after some reassuring cooing, and some cat treats he’d brought along, he got the feline to warm up to him again, at least a little), and went back to his house to pull out your grandfather’s letter.

It was one line in particular that he’d recalled, from the first paragraph:

The farming prowess runs strong in our bloodline, after all… I made sure of it.

That line alone proved that you were blood related to your grandfather. Or, at least, according to his letter. So why did your so-called “parents” look nothing at all like you?

Sebastian rubbed his face, then leaned forward in his chair to open the file in his word processor that had the notes he’d taken from yesterday’s research. Sure, it wasn’t really his business to pry into your personal/family matters, but that weird detail had intrigued him. So much so, that he had spent Wednesday searching for you online, eager to find out more about you—to dig for answers to questions he couldn’t ask you directly without sounding like a creep.

Because surely, it was reasonable to be curious about that, right? Especially after what those people had apparently put you through…

It was only rational to want to learn more about someone you want to get close to, right?

And morally okay, considering all this information was gathered from open, public resources.

The document opened, filling his computer screen with tens of dozens of lines of notes he’d taken during his search, yesterday. His eyes scanned across the list, reviewing what he’d gathered, so far:

You moved here from Ashen, a city similar to Zuzu, but further away from Stardew Valley and proportionately smaller than the city he knew. There, you resided in a small apartment on Fern Street West while you worked an office job at Joja Corp’s Ashen regional office.

You have never owned a vehicle, and—this was just speculation, but—you likely used public transportation to get anywhere you went. Your apartment was located within walking distance to your workplace, however. Meaning, you likely walked to and from, each day.

Additional research on the company you worked for revealed that most employees work from 8am to 5pm, with an hour of unpaid lunch. However, former employees reported in Seenit forums that they sometimes had to stay as late as 8pm to get work done.

Meaning, you probably had nights where you walked home after dark.

Sebastian fidgeted, drumming his fingers against the desk as he read over his notes, unable to refrain from worrying if your safety was ever threatened during those nights. He wondered that if it had been, you would be willing to confide in him about those experiences. At least you were living someplace… safer now, right? His eyes narrowed as his mind wandered to Clint. He wondered if he should keep a closer eye on him.

‘Though, if he’s smart, and values his wellbeing, he’d have caught on to my warning, and not do anything again…’

But anyway, that’s getting off topic. He could address those issues later.

Sebastian had also yesterday uncovered what emails you use (which he saved for later), and through those emails, discovered three social media pages—one of Friendbook, one of MeTube (which he’d check out later), and one of Pictagram—which you rarely ever used. Your Friendbook appeared to have only your “parents” (he made a note to research them more later, as his search sort of went off track last time), a few ex-coworkers, and some people you attended school with as friends. Your last post was made just before you moved here, almost as if you’d stopped using it entirely after that. Something about that struck him as rather strange. It’s not like running a farm made it impossible to at least post an occasional update, right?

But what was really strange to him was your Pictagram account. Zero mutuals, no bio nor profile photo, and five posts. He questioned whether it was even you at first, but it was directly linked to your main email address. The first four posts were in a normal sequential order and were about your hobbies and interests from six years ago, but the fifth and most recent post had a three-year gap from the rest of the posts, and it was a picture of a lone streetlamp at night with no description whatsoever. It took a vastly different tone from the previous posts, which seemed happier and more carefree. Comments on all of your posts were also disabled.

Having taken screenshots of everything, he stared at the screen of his phone, swiping through his photos with deep, undivided attention, analyzing each one as though he were trying to uncover some backstory or hidden meaning.

“I wonder… what happened in that three-year gap?” he whispered to himself, staring at the streetlamp for a long moment.

Of course, there was the possibility that it was just a bout of edginess, but were you really that type? For a moment, he thought back to the “walking home after dark” concern, but he tried not to linger on that, not wanting to jump to conclusions. For now, he tucked that away in the back of his mind.

After, he then swiped too far and came across the screenshot of your favorite spring flowers, which had been posted on your Friendbook just last year. A soft smile graced his pierced lips, remembering the gift he’d left for you last night, as yet another hint of his presence. He’d picked those flowers after taking a break from his research, then gathered some unused potting materials from the back of his mom’s shop to put it together himself. He didn’t go inside your house that night to check on you after leaving the gift, however, and now he was itching to see you again.

Automatically, his thumb switched apps and hovered over the chat with your name on it.

He wondered if you liked the flowers he’d left for you. He wondered if you were overjoyed, that you knew it was from him, that you wanted to see him and give him another kiss.

As his breath and hands shook, Sebastian tapped into your chat—last message having been sent on Sunday, from your conversation after he’d asked to come over to give you a gift (your axe)—and began typing:

<Hey, it’s been a bit. How have you been? I was wondering if maybe—>

He erased what he typed. Nerves just got the best of him.

<Hey (Name), how’s it going? Do you think we could—>

He erased that one too, even more unsure of himself as he started feeling a familiar haziness in his head.

<Hey I know we haven’t texted in days, so idk if this is awkward, but—>

Nope, not vibing with that, either. Sebastian rubbed his forehead as a fog began to fill his mind.

<Soo what have you been up to? Found something interesting near your house, and I’m wondering what that’s about—>

Fucking creepy and interrogational. Absolutely not.

He gripped his phone. The brain fog was so thick it began to cloud his reasoning.

<You know, it’s been like 4 days. Why can’t you just send me a text once in a while so I know you’re okay? I mean, we fucking KISSED and now it’s radio silence?! Seriously, I—>

Sebastian shook his head, cringing at himself as he erased again. ‘You wanna scare them away with that attitude? Fucking idiot.’

‘…Besides, that’s your fault, too.’

He rubbed his face, peering through his fingers at the bright screen as he let out a sigh.

The fog just needed to go away… long enough to type something reasonable.

His hand twitched, and he suddenly felt apologetic. The words came out automatically:

<I’m sorry I haven’t texted lately… I’m sure we’re kinda in the same boat, though. That night was a lot to take in… I didn’t want to… do anything I’d regret later, so that’s why I’ve been quiet. I feel like I pushed you into doing that somehow, and it’s been weighing on my mind—>

Sebastian frowned, erasing all of that. Don’t want you to take that the wrong way, either…

Gaze dropping, he felt his chest grow heavy. What he really wanted to say, was…

<…I miss you.>

He stared at the pathetic three-word message with the bar blinking at the end of it, but couldn’t get himself to hit send, so he deleted that too. Shutting off his screen and smacking his phone down on his desk with a bit more force than intended, Sebastian let out a groan and lay his head against the wood surface above his sliding keyboard tray.

He felt like a fucking jerk.

Sneaking into your house at night, leaving behind “hints” of himself and gifts without notes attached, searching for you online behind your back, and he still couldn’t even bother to send you a text… Come to think of it, he had plenty of opportunities to see you in person, but he kept making the excuse that you needed time to yourself. And yeah, maybe you did.

Maybe… but he just couldn’t shake the feeling that he was somehow avoiding you.

Even worse, perhaps he was unintentionally cutting you off…

…Because he was afraid of his own emotions.

Face now buried in his hands, his mouth began to itch and ache for something. Maybe he needed a smoke.

After shutting down his PC and locking everything up, he headed outside in an open-zipper hoodie and a band tee sporting the name of an underground indie rock band he liked. Patting down his pockets, he swore under his breath as he suddenly remembered he was fresh out of cigarettes. He’d meant to go buy some yesterday from Joja Mart (Pierre refused to sell anything of the sort and was closed on Wednesdays, anyway), but had gotten completely wrapped up in his “research” and putting your gift together. He let out a sigh, but figured this might be a good excuse to go see you, anyway. Normally, he would take the mountain path, but being he had an errand to run first, he headed down south towards town.

Robin was busy out front chopping wood when her son passed by her. She acknowledged him, but wasn’t going to bug him about where he was going until he unexpectedly spoke up.

“Heading into town. I’ll be back later.”

She brightened, pleasantly surprised by him speaking up without being prompted, though he barely glanced back. She wiped the sweat off her brow.

“Okay, honey. Be safe!”

“Mhm,” he responded, continuing his walk.

Feeling a small warmth in her chest as she watched him go, she felt happy to see him getting out more, and wondered if the new farmer might have anything to do with it.

~✬❧~

By the time you’d finished tending to your crops, it was half past 2pm. You checked your phone for the notes you’d left for yourself on your to-do list, and your eyes caught sight of the note about talking to Sebastian, which you’d created two days prior.

Ah, right… Ever since the kiss, you hadn’t been able to track down Sebastian, though you questioned whether you’d even tried hard enough to do so. You almost visited him Tuesday, making an excuse to consult Robin about future projects, but when you’d arrived, you realized she was out for the day because of her aerobics class. After that, you got cold feet and turned back before even stepping inside, let alone talk to Sebastian. Then on Wednesday, you were too hung up on the suspiciously shifted furniture to really talk to anyone. Plus, that was around when you realized your necklace had gone missing, and you didn’t want Sebastian to find out, in case it upsets him.

You let out a sigh as you stared at the note. Maybe you and your confrontational anxieties were the real problem, here.

After all, you could have texted him…

You hovered over your messenger app, thumb twitching, but couldn’t quite get yourself to tap it.

…Then again, he could have texted you too, but he still hasn’t. Why is that? Does he not want to have anything to do with you after you kissed him like that?

Is he disgusted by you?

No… You shook your head, stuffing your phone into your pocket. Don’t think like that.

It’s more likely that you were both worried about how the other felt, and weren’t certain how to go about all of this. That must be it.

You inhaled deeply, mustering up the courage to finally go talk to him in person, right now. Putting away your tools, you marched inside to change your clothes and prepare to head out.

~✬❧~

Around this same time, Sebastian was making his way towards your farm after having bought a few packs of his usual 20-count cigarettes from Joja Mart. He wasn’t a heavy smoker, so three packs would last him at least a week or two—three weeks if he really cut back. As he passed by Pierre’s and the clinic, his mind was swirling with thoughts and possible conversation topics to bring up with you when he sees you, not wanting things to stay awkward between the two of you. Plus, another subconscious reason for visiting was that he wanted to snap more pictures of you. He fiddled with his phone, readying the camera app, just in case.

But did he really have to sneak it? Maybe you’d be comfortable with posing for him, if he had the courage to just ask… Then again, were you to say ‘no,’ he wouldn’t have a chance to get any pics at all, since you’d notice more easily if he snuck it, and he wanted to respect your wishes. This predicament now took up his headspace, and his attention was too preoccupied to notice his surroundings as he approached the dirt path stretching past the bus stop.

Although he didn’t know you were already on your way out, he very well may have caught you before you left for the mountain trail, if it weren’t for someone waiting for him to pass by.

‘Then again,’ he thought to himself as he walked, ‘candid photos really are the most charming—'

“A-HA!” a familiar female voice called out, causing Sebastian to nearly throw his phone.

Startled, his attention snapped to his right, bangs whipping with the motion, to see Abigail jump out of the nearby bushes, covered in twigs and leaves.

“Y-You—!?” His expression immediately shifted to anger as she cut him off.

“I caught you!” She pointed an accusing finger at him, other hand balled in a fist. “I knew you were up to no good when I saw you come into town in the middle of the fuckin’ day!”

He squinted with a subtle confused shake of his head. “What are you even talking about? I was out of cigarettes.”

“Likely story!” Abigail rolled her eyes, plucking a twig from her stockings and silently cursed as it left a snag. “Then why are you headed this way? Hm?”

Sebastian groaned at her. “I was just coming to visit (Name) on my way back home, okay? Why is that so suspicious to you?!”

“That so? Then what are you doing with your phone there, huh?” She gestured at the device in his hand. “You were gonna sneak some pics to goon to later, weren’tcha?”

Though flustered, he managed to feign innocence and scoffed, turning the tables. “Of course not! Is that what you were gonna do? Hide in the bushes and wait for them to walk this way?” He casually shoved his phone into his rear pants pocket, hoping to shift the subject.

“Like hell I was!” Abigail barked back, “I was leaving my dad’s store when I saw you coming from the mountain, so I waited here to catch you in the act of stalking the farmer!”

“Stalking?!” He growled. “Are you fucking serious? Why would I be stalking them in the middle of the fucking day? I was just—”

“So you ADMIT you do stalk them!” She pointed at him again, stepping closer.

“That’s not what I’m fucking saying!”

Sebastian stood his ground, not having the patience for her games. He briefly glanced towards your farm to make sure you weren’t listening in on this, then glared at her.

“And anyway, you’re the one who’s acting like a stalker, hiding in the bushes like that to spy on me! If what you said is true, and you were watching me go to Joja Mart and waited here in secret like a little creep, then I think you’re projecting a little! Am I right?”

Of course he’s right. He knew he was right, because she’s always been like that, ever since they met as teenagers. Some things never change.

“No, wait, don’t even answer that,” Sebastian scoffed, before she could retaliate. “Of course I’m right. You always did this to me, for as long as I’ve fucking known you!” He sighed deeply, shaking his head. “When are you going to stop following me around, Abigail? When are you going to leave me the fuck alone?”

A slight blush crossed her porcelain cheeks, as tears threatened the corners of her eyes. What he had said was sort of true, but Abigail masked it with anger, doubling down. Her chest hurt now. He’s hurting her, again.

How fucking dare he bring up the past, now…

“No! You’re not right! You’re wrong! You’re so, so wrong in fact, that I have proof of how wrong you fucking are!”

Sebastian arched a brow in confusion, and Abigail pulled a small plastic zip-locked bag out of her pocket which appeared at first to have nothing in it. His brow arched even more.

“A… plastic bag?”

“HAIR, SEBASTIAN!” She nearly yelled, shoving it towards his face as she stepped closer. “Strands of your fucking hair, that I found on the floor of (Name)’s house!”

Upon closer look, there were definitely two strands of purple-black hair nestled inside of the baggie, and Sebastian paled. Though, he wasn’t sure whether it was because he was caught red-handed, or the fact that she kept a piece of him in her pocket like that, knowing her history. All that, paired with the deranged psychopathic grin she had on her face in that moment, made his stomach queasy.

‘For fuck’s sake… Why is this little creep keeping my hair in her pocket…?’

“Well?!” She jabbed, stuffing it back into her pocket—Sebastian didn’t want to even imagine what she planned on keeping those for—and placing her hands on her hips with a sly ‘gotcha’ grin. “How you gonna explain that, you lowlife stalker creep?!”

Sebastian sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Okay, you got me. I came over to their house on Sunday to invite them over to play Solarion Chronicles.”

He had to admit, he admired her effort, but this was way too easy. It’s fucking hair. Hair that could’ve blown into the house even if he’d never stepped foot inside.

She, however, confirmed she did in fact step inside. Now to weed the rest out of her.

Abigail’s excited smile immediately dropped, almost even looking hurt.

“H-Huh…? You mean… You visited them? Before…?”

Literally the day before the sleepover. Meaning, he visited you first with your consent, before she had.

Not only that, but…

“…And you played Solarion Chronicles? Without inviting me?” She felt both hurt and angry, now.

‘No, this isn’t how this was supposed to go…’

And what made it all worse was realizing that you never once mentioned it during the sleepover. What happened when you two hung out that you couldn’t tell her, your best friend?

“Uh, yeah?” he responded, unmoved by the pout she was now wearing. ‘You kinda suck at that game. I mean… remember last time? You gave an orc all of our gold for some “magic beans” that turned out to be just regular beans and then you fed them to the elf we recruited, which gave him an allergic reaction so bad that he died…’ was what he wanted to say, but he refrained.

“Does that really matter right now? You’re usually busy on Sundays, anyway.” Sebastian thought back to the game session fondly, and smiled to himself. “Actually, they did super well, too. An A rating on their first campaign.” He rubbed his neck and blushed, thinking about you some more.

‘No, no, no—'

“Are you fucking serious?!” She couldn’t hide the anger in her tone. Hearing that and seeing him blush about you made her all the more furious and hurt.

So, you’re Mx. Perfect now, huh?

First the egg hunt, then Solarion Chronicles? What’s next?

Oh, and how cute you are… So fucking cute, she herself was falling head-over-heels for you…

She remembered back to the sleepover, and how you responded so repulsively to her movie choice, like you were harboring something dark from your past, triggered by the violence in the film… Oh, how she wanted to make you feel that way herself…

And look now, how this jerk is blushing over you…

He was never like this before… Only now, with you.

And you said no word of it, you… you…

She’s going to break you two apart, somehow… She has to.

Oh, but the flower dance is coming up, isn’t it? Maybe if she asked you—

“But hey, I’m getting off track,” Sebastian spoke again, breaking Abigail from her mess of thoughts as he fished for something in his pocket. “If we’re going to play the evidence game, well then, how about this?” He held up a familiar stick of lip gloss, which he’d found beneath your sofa, but he wasn’t going to admit to that.

Abigail glared fiercely. “Where did you fucking get that?”

Sebastian smirked as she basically admitted to it being hers. “Oh, I found it on their farm… while I was passing through.” He tossed it a couple times—to get on her nerves more—catching it each time. “I don’t recall them ever wearing this kind…”

She guffawed at that. ‘And you would definitely know… fucking loser creep.’

“Yeah, it’s fucking mine, so what? Why were you on their farm looking for shit, ya sicko?”

He scoffed at her boldness, almost ready to crush the lip gloss stick in his hand. However, he remained calm.

“Their farm’s kinda like a shortcut for me, especially to the woods, you know. And your lip gloss was literally out in the open, near their front steps. Doesn’t really explain why you were there, and apparently long enough to scrape a sample of my DNA off their floor.” There was somewhat of a threat in his tone that sent a shiver through her, but she brushed it off, snatching her lost belonging from his hand at the first chance she got.

“Sleepover. Monday night.” Abigail snooted, shoving the lip gloss into her pocket.

She was certain she wouldn’t have dropped it outside, of all places, but she sensed something in him that she didn’t like, so she gave her suspicions a rest. …For now.

Upon hearing that, anger began to brew inside of Sebastian. Something else he didn’t know about, huh?

“…Sounds like (Name) had a busy couple of days, huh?” He leaned forward, glaring down at her.

“Seems so,” she bit back, also leaning forward.

‘This bitch…’

He wasn’t sure why, but he felt so deeply enraged by this new information. So much so, that she felt like a threat to him, somehow. Was she? Had she made any moves on you that night?

His fists clenched, knuckles cracking.

If she had…

There was a strange sensation in him at that moment, which felt eerily similar to what he’d felt the moment he impulsively pulled a knife on Clint.

Realizing this, he took a deep breath, backing off. Better to suppress that.

Abigail, having felt a strange heat in that moment, bit her lip. She wanted to hide what she was feeling right then, but also egg him on more.

“Well then, I guess we can consider this a friendly competition, to see who wins the Farmer over first, huh?”

She batted her eyelashes, and Sebastian snarled somewhat in disgust.

But fine. Not like she stands a chance against fate.

He inhaled deeply again, shutting his eyes.

‘Yes, just consider this some sort of test. They’ll be yours soon enough. Just keep a cool head, Sebastian… Play the witch’s little game, and win.’

“So be it,” he said simply, offering his hand to shake. “Game on.”

A bit taken aback by his sudden change in demeanor, Abigail blushed slightly at the offer of his hand and refused to touch palms, instead opting for a punch on his arm. “You’re on, then!”

He rolled his eyes as he stuffed his hands into his pockets, hoping that was the end of their little quarrel so he could finally go see you.

‘At least I kissed them first,’ he thought, turning towards the direction of your property to hide the rosy tint in his cheeks upon remembering.

‘At least I slept with them first,’ she thought, smirking at the back of his head. ‘Even if it’s not quite third base, it’s a higher base than you’d ever dream of, you loser virgin basement dweller.’

As Sebastian walked towards your farm, he was annoyed to realize he was being followed.

“Why are you still here?” He sent her a death glare.

“I’m coming to see (Name) too!” Abigail pouted, then tapped her index fingers together. “Actually, that’s kind of part of the reason why I was here… It wasn’t just about you. I have to return something I… sort of ‘borrowed’…”

“’Sort of borrowed’?” He raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean by that?”

She pouted more, then slipped something out of her pocket that looked like a very familiar chain.

His expression shifted from confused to alarmed, very quickly. “H-Hey! That looks like the necklace I—” He snatched what he was certain was the necklace he’d given to you, immediately noticing a very crucial detail was missing. “…Where’s the amethyst?”

Abigail’s lip quivered, almost on the verge of tears.

Sebastian looked horrified. “You didn’t—”

“I GOT HUNGRY, OKAY?!” She whined, covering her face in embarrassment.

He seethed, clenching the chain in his fist as he buried his forehead against it.

‘Seriously, is she part dragon or something…? Why hasn’t Doctor Harvey gotten her to stop doing this…?’

Sebastian took a deep breath, handing it back to her as he tried to remain calm. “Alright… Let’s face them about this together, then…” He turned to walk again, grumbling, “I’ll have to get them a new one…”

As much as he hated her right now, she was still his friend, after all.

Abigail blinked as she held the chain in her hands, a bit surprised by her emo friend’s calmness, but she figured it was just the calm before the storm as she followed behind him. She knew she saw something shift in him earlier, and she knew it was only a matter of time before his obsession with you turned violent.

She knew, because she felt the very same way.

And maybe… when that time arrives, she can use it to her advantage.

…For her real goal.

However, the two soon found upon arrival that their beloved farmer wasn’t even home.

~✬❧~

Finally reaching the mountain house property, you spotted Robin, busy chopping some wood and humming to herself. For a moment, you considered turning her attention to some future projects you had planned for your farm, but you shook that thought away.

‘No, focus. She seems busy, and we’re here to talk to Seb. Don’t get distracted.’

Approaching the front door, you heard her call out to you from behind.

“Hey, (Name)! You here to talk to Sebastian?” She pulled out a white hand towel and wiped the sweat from her palms, walking closer to you as you nodded. “Afraid he’s out, right now. You just missed him. Is there something you needed?”

‘Shit, just when I finally get the courage to come talk, too…’ You appeared dejected. ‘…He’s… not avoiding me, is he…?’

“N-No, it’s okay… I’ll just come by another day.”

Noticing your disappointment as you turned to leave, she stopped you to strike conversation.

“Wait. You know, I forgot to tell you!” Robin beamed as she recalled something, and you turned to look at her.

“I actually swung by your farm earlier today while I think you were still sleeping in—hope you don’t mind me doing so—just to check out my work on your coop again, and I couldn’t help but notice those lovely (favorite spring flowers) on your windowsill.”

Upon hearing her mention those (lowkey suspicious) flowers you discovered this morning, you now turned your full attention to her.

“Oh? Y-Yeah…?” You wondered if she knew something about them.

Seeing how apprehensive you appeared, she let out a soft chuckle, mentally shaking her head.

‘Seb, you really didn’t tell them?’

“Well, don’t let him know, because I’m sure he’ll get mad if he figures out I told you, but I saw Sebastian out picking those same flowers yesterday!”

You blinked, feeling a heat grow in your cheeks at this new information. “R-Really?”

‘So Clint didn’t do that? Thank gods… I don’t think I could ever like (favorite spring flowers) again if they were from him… But knowing Sebastian was the secret flower gift giver feels… relieving. And sweet… but why didn’t he say something or at least leave a note?’

She grinned, amused at your reaction. “Mhm! He looked really happy, too. He was smiling and mumbling about something to himself as he picked them, and it kinda sounded like he said your name a few times. It was so cute!”

You blushed, however felt a tug of anxiety in your gut. ‘Mumbling about me to himself? Is… that normal? Well, Robin doesn’t seem too concerned, and it was a thoughtful gift… So maybe I’m just getting too paranoid… He does seem socially awkward after all, like me.’

“So I was really pleased to see them sitting there on your windowsill,” Robin recalled, now thoughtful, for a moment. “It must’ve been alarming to wake up to, but I’m sure you’ve noticed he’s rather shy, especially about confrontation. So much so, in fact, that he gets flustered when I mention you, and if you recall, he got embarrassed when he noticed me watching him give that necklace to you!” She giggled.

“Ah, aha… yeah, I remember…” You were getting a bit flustered yourself, subconsciously hoping she’d stop soon.

Her smile flattened a little, adopting a somewhat more serious tone. “Look, (Name)… I don’t usually confide this in others, but since you’ve gotten a bit close to my son, I want you to know this.” She placed a hand on your arm, looking you in the eyes as she gently squeezed to get your attention. Your full attention was on her, and out of all things, you just now noticed the freckles on her face, which Sebastian had much lighter and fewer of.

“Sebastian’s a good kid—yeah, adult, but I get to call him that since I’m still his mom. I know he’s a bit troubled, but he’s… rather, we’ve…” her dark green eyes flickered away for a moment, and you caught some sort of pain in them, “…been through a lot. I won’t tell you now, because I’m sure he’ll eventually confide this in you when he’s ready to… but just know that, though he may have a bit of a temper, and even though he may sometimes make mistakes, he has a good heart, and I know he really tries his best.”

She looked you straight in the eyes, meaning every word, and not just saying that as his mother. By what she said, you’d caught on by now that she sensed the awkwardness between you two over the past few days. Mother’s intuition, you supposed. You couldn’t help but worry about the mention of a bad past, however, but you tucked it away in the back of your mind, for now.

“I’m honestly overjoyed to see him finally opening up more, and honestly I think I have you to thank for that.” She squeezed your shoulder a bit, giving you a warm, motherly smile. “You’ve been a force of positive change in Seb’s life, and I’m glad you moved into our community. And it’s your choice where this goes from here, but if you do get closer to him, please take good care of him for me. I can tell you have a kind heart, and a lot of patience, so I’m not worried about that at all.”

You felt a warmth inside of you from her words, yet also a pang in your chest that ached for that warm familiarity, of something you lost a long time ago. However, you couldn’t help but also feel that you were being put in the spotlight here. She obviously cares a lot about her son, and if you were to break his heart, it might break hers, too. You would need to go about this carefully.

“And I know neither of you might be entirely sure about your feelings, right now,” she continued, seeing a mix of emotions in your eyes that gave her the cue to slow down and choose her words carefully, “and I’m going to stay out of it and let you two figure it out on your own. Just know that you have a friend in me, no matter what your heart decides. Okay?”

You thought about what she said, and nodded, smiling at her. ‘Yeah, that sounds fair. Even if I’m not ready for this, I can just let him down gently for now and see what the future brings. I don’t want to cause a chasm between us, nor his family, if at all possible…’

“Yeah, that gives me more to think about. Thank you, mo—uh, Robin, for sharing that with me. Oh! Before I go…”

You turned away to reach into your bag and hide your embarrassment, thankfully having brought blueprints for a hasty subject change. You didn’t see the way her eyes lit up when you almost accidentally called her ‘mom,’ but she definitely noticed, and the thought stayed with her.

For some reason unknown to her, she wondered, in that fleeting moment, about your relationship with your own mother.

“I had some project ideas for the farm that I wanted to go over with you, if that’s okay?”

Snapping out of her thoughts with a slight shake of her head, she beamed, always eager to discuss carpentry.

“Oh, sure! Let’s have a look, here…”

On the way back down the mountain path to your farm, your conversation with Robin was still fresh in your mind. You thought about what she said, about Sebastian, and about the flowers. It was sweet that he thought of you like that, and just thinking about it made you feel fuzzy.

Though, something about it still nagged on in your mind: How did he know that those particular flowers were your favorite?

Was it just a lucky guess? Mere coincidence?

Perhaps so, but this subtle nagging led to other concerns pulled from the conversation. Sebastian and his mother had a troubling past, of sorts, which might be revealed in due time. (But hey, so do you.) Then there was the mention of Sebastian’s temper, which you’ve witnessed yourself, when he thought someone had hurt you that one night when you hit yourself, and when you’d been talking to Shane in the saloon, and…

You paused in your tracks. That night at the saloon last Friday, Sebastian definitely had a temper, and he left to “go smoke” and never returned. After that…

After that…

You clenched your fists as your palms began to sweat. You remembered.

After the other two left for the night, you followed suit, after a few minutes of waiting around.

Do you remember who was watching you in the bar again? Of course you remember.

Remember, you stayed back to look for Sebastian.

Outside, around the corner, in the area behind the saloon, veiled by shadows, just out of the reach of the nearest street lamp, on a particularly cloudy night.

Your breath began to shake.

And you remembered.

And you remembered who wasn’t there,

and who was,

and you remembered what you were wearing,

and how lovely of a night it was outside,

despite…

despite…

…And see the dark, it moves…

…with every breath of the breeze…

You impulsively kicked up the dirt beneath your feet, muffling your face into your hands as you let out a quiet scream.

‘No... Forget. You need to forget. You must forget.’

The sound that came out of your mouth devolved into a mere choke.

‘No… Shh, stop. Forget forgetting. Remember? Remember, when… Sebastian protected you?’

‘After… When he “talked to” Clint and made him forge your axe for free… Remember that? He must have done something… that scared him.’

You nearly laughed in spite of it all, though choked some more.

‘…And it won’t happen again because of that. Because Clint is a fucking coward.’

‘And Sebastian…’

You uncovered your face, smiling as you took a deep breath and continued home.

‘…He’s such a great guy.’

Releasing your shaking breath, you rubbed your arms, hurrying along back as you were now eager to see your flowers, again.

‘So wonderful, in fact, that it’s important I talk this through with him… so neither of us get hurt.’

Despite the fact that you knew you had to address the kiss and everything you didn’t feel ready for, your chest hurt. You still wanted him. So much…

But, in due time. When everything is clearer.

When you’re certain it’s safe.

You just needed… to feel that same protection again.

…And you didn’t know whether you could count on it to happen again.

By the time you arrived home, the sun was setting. Seeing your flowers were still there on the windowsill, you hyperfocused on them, climbing the steps onto your deck to carefully touch their pretty petals. Unaware of your surroundings as you went to them, you bumped against your doorknob, hearing the rattle of something hanging from it. Dazed, you turned to look, seeing something sparkle in the soft glow of the setting sun, along with a note attached, awaiting your return.

Upon closer look, you realized it was the chain of your missing necklace. You let out a quiet gasp, though confusion set in as something important was missing from it.

‘But where is—?!’

You snatched the note, a bit frantic about the amethyst, and quickly read it over:

(Name)-

Here’s your necklace back. I sorta… borrowed it after the sleepover.

And as for the amethyst… uh, I sorta ated it. I’m sowwy. :(

- Abigail <3

“…?”

You stared at the letter in awkward silence, wondering if this was some sort of joke.

‘…What does she mean she “ated it”?! She’s kidding, right—?’

You then noticed another note with different handwriting on the edge of the paper:

Unfortunately, she’s not joking. I’ll get you a new one, don’t worry about it.

Also, sorry I haven’t texted… Can we talk?

- Sebastian

Upon realizing the other note was Sebastian’s, your heart leapt in your chest, though you felt a weird feeling about all of this.

‘Why were those two here? And at the same time?! …Am I overthinking this…?’

You knew there was an odd tension between those two, and you really hoped they didn’t fight or something, considering Abigail’s warning to you, and considering—you just now realized—you hung out with each of them without telling the other. You gulped, pulling out your phone.

Although you shook off this concern, considering they both wrote on the same note and didn’t sound like they were fighting, you still couldn’t shake the anxieties you felt in the pit of your stomach as you tapped into the chat with Sebastian. Feeling a fretful sickness at seeing your last text was sent on Sunday, which was also the same day you last interacted in general, you took a deep breath, desperately attempting to calm your shaking hands.

‘I should’ve texted him sooner, this is all my fault… He’s not mad at me, right? I hope he’s not mad… I don’t want things to be awkward. How am I going to tell him about how I feel? Am I even certain that’s how I feel?! I just think it’s too soon—BUT WHAT IF IT’S NOT?! I don’t want to hurt him… But what if he was avoiding me for the same reason? What if neither of us feel ready? I should talk to him… I should, I will… I can do this.’

Taking another deep breath, you calmed your nerves, before typing out a text.

‘…I just really want to see him again.’

~✬❧~

Unbeknownst to you, Sebastian had returned to his research after coming home just a couple of hours prior (coincidentally, the same time you’d been walking along the mountain path back home), and just so happened to stumble upon a deleted MeTube video of yours, which an anonymous hacker had somehow retrieved. …An entertaining one, at that, which filled his brain with fresh new ideas for a certain upcoming event.

The time between coming home and discovering a deep web archive with your deleted video available for download now seemed like a blur—he didn’t really remember how he’d gotten from point A to point B, just that he had delved into a deep search, tracing every crumb he could pick up from your digital trail along the way, and one clue led to the next, before he booted up his onion software to dig deeper. And this was only just the beginning.

But what drove him to slip down this rabbit hole wasn’t exactly clear—just something innate that compelled him to do so.

Stumbling upon something like this, however, was a bit unexpected. Who was this person who took so much of a keen interest in you, that they archived something that you chose to delete and uploaded it for other onion users to find? It’s not like the video was anything explicit or unsavory—just a recording of a dance that you were probably just embarrassed about, now. The fact that this person broke that boundary and exploited you is…

Repulsive… If he had the means to track this anonymous user down, and…

Oh but of course, he made sure to properly “thank” the hacker who uploaded the file to the shady archive site with a trick of his own. Being well-versed in that area, having dedicated his entire career to code, he had a creative solution, to make sure no one else but him could ever watch this video again. Just a bit of hijacking the website, disrupting the servers to disable video playback directly on the site, injecting an encryption into the download link to lock it, and, for extra spice, malware with a nasty bite, to fuck with the original uploader.

That’ll fucking teach them to watch you dance like that after you deleted the video.

Those miserable slimes don’t deserve to watch you.

It didn’t come to mind in that moment, but perhaps he’d been searching for that sort of trouble from the start—something to blow off steam on, after that irritating interaction with Abigail. Just some raw, instinctual urge… not exactly to harm, per se, but to do some damage.

After all, he had to take that harmful, venomous feeling out on something. That anonymous hacker was just in the line of fire.

Now, having had his messenger app open and ready for you as he downloaded the file onto his PC, while having his software he programmed himself uploading his own digital blockade at the exact same time, Sebastian took a small victory sip of his Stardrop energy drink, ready for a long evening. Upon seeing you typing in the chat, he brightened immediately, sitting straight up in his chair. He felt ready for anything, now.

<You: Hey… I’m sorry. Yes, we can talk. Are you free tomorrow?>

Sebastian smiled widely as that was exactly the text he wanted to see, and he promptly typed out a response.

‘What a good little farmer…’

You were a bit alarmed to see that your message had been read instantly as you sat in bed in your pajamas, and almost worried if a bot was typing on the other end, for a moment.

<Seb ♥: Tomorrow works perfectly, as long as it’s before the saloon hangout.>

<Seb ♥: Actually, I can skip the saloon too if you need me to->

<You: No I’ll definitely come earlier. I love hanging out with you guys on Friday nights!>

You were a bit shocked that he was willing to ditch his friends just to see you, but then it dawned on you, when he sent the winky face in his next message:

<Seb ♥: See you then ;)>

A bit flustered, you buried your face into your knees and let out a soft groan. You had a feeling tomorrow’s talk was going to be rather difficult, for both of you.

But did it have to be? You just had to let him down easy, with the hope of things developing between you two later down the road.

Hope of protection.

You’re just playing it safe, this time around.

To feel safe again.

<You: See you :)>

You can do this. He will understand everything.

To be seen by him.

Wearing a dorky grin, Sebastian locked his phone as he watched his malicious cyber-attack uploading to the internet, then took another sip of his canned drink.

This was all for your protection, of course.

Seeing everything coming together nicely, the weight in his chest lifted as that toxic feeling from earlier now dissipated. It was good to feel a sense of control over things, once again.

Now, to rewatch that video of you, and take some detailed notes.

…And somehow convince you to reenact it with him, at the upcoming Flower Dance.

Chapter Text

You gasped awake, frantically swiping at your arms and body to put out the imaginary flames which had just been roasting you alive. As soon as the realization hit that your skin was no longer scorching, you felt a sudden coldness overcome you. So, so cold, despite it being a particularly warm late spring morning. You shivered as beads of sweat dripped down your flesh, frigid as ice. Adrenaline was still coursing through your veins as you shakily panted and rubbed your arms, hugging them for dear life. Horrific images of your vivid nightmare were still burned into your brain, and a raw, intense fear bubbled in your stomach.

It felt too real to be simply a bad dream… too real, in fact…

As a particular memory from your nightmare resurfaced like a raging inferno, your breath caught in your throat and you sprung out of bed, snatching up your phone in frantic haste.

‘Sebastian… He—!’

You knew logically it had only been a dream, and of course he was okay, and his face was not melted off, nor was his body lying in a charred heap upon the floor of a strange house, with some unknown burning shadowy figure standing above him. None of that was real—logically, you knew.

But it felt too real to slow your breathing, to stop you from opening your messenger app and typing out a befuddled mess of a text in your panicked state—a false sense of urgence begging to know whether or not he was alive. Though, you successfully stopped yourself from sending the text and shook your head, locking your phone and hugging it under your crossed arms as you paced about the room, attempting some breathing exercises.

You wouldn’t want to wake him up over something so trivial, after all. That might just annoy him.

Or would it? Would he want to know about something like this? Should you bring it up later when you see him?

Mochi watched you, then meowed quietly and rubbed up against your legs, pausing your pacing. You took a deep breath, bending down to pet him.

‘No… Calm down. It was just a dream, and there’s no need to bring it up when there’s no actual threat. …Besides, telling him about it might only freak him out…’

You scratched behind Mochi’s ears, but your hand wouldn’t cease from shaking. In response, your cat pushed his head against your palm to steady you.

But was it really fair to keep it all to yourself? You were scared shitless as it was, after all… downright mortified, actually. Even if it were to scare him too, surely you had to confide in someone to lift that weight from your shoulders, and who would be a better candidate, other than the one person you dreamt about?

You sighed, rising to stand with a shake of your head.

‘No. Don’t be selfish. It’s your nightmare, and it’s your burden to carry, not his. You’re in charge of forgetting about this, too…’

‘…Just like all the times before.’

You prepared the last of your instant coffee. You would have to stock up again soon or find some sort of alternative.

‘Just forget about it all.’

You washed up and got dressed.

‘Just forget.’

You had a light breakfast and prepared to start your day.

‘Forget.’

You marched to the front door and took a deep breath before heading out to tend to the farm.

‘Forget.’

But no matter how persistent you were, you, in fact, could not forget. For the first time in years, what had for so long been your safety net was now beginning to unravel and fall apart.

You were starting to remember things you didn’t want to remember.

Like Clint’s serial stalking and perversion,

How Sylla and Charis fucked you over with that studio deal—

…Oh wait, you weren’t supposed to remember that again.

You froze, dropping your watering can as you were making your way over to the nearby pond to fill it up. It fell to the dirt with a clunk, then rolled into the pond, making a little sploosh.

Mochi watched you from the steps of the house, twitching his ear at the sudden racket.

You sighed, kneeling down to fish your can out of the water. Whatever, it was just a couple years back that you had won that court case against your exes, so it made sense that you were still thinking about it, now. Anyway, as far as you were concerned, the majority of (if not all) traces of that incident had been wiped clean from the internet, and now that you had a new life, you could start over.

Best to just forget about it all.

Upon retrieving your tool from the water, however, you noticed the ripples made a shape that looked an awful lot like…

…that memory of Mom.

You violently dunked your watering can into the water, breaking the shape of the ripples and yanking out an overflowing mass of water. Mochi watched with flattened ears at your antics, as you trudged over to the field to aggressively water your crops.

Subject dropped immediately.

Your parents were alive and well, happily residing in a neighborhood along the outskirts of Ashen. You won that court case against Sylla and Charis. Clint will likely be dealt with in due time, either by Karma or the law or some other means.

All these things have been—or will be—dealt with, and then forgotten about.

C-PTSD be fucking damned.

But this nightmare… it threatened all of that.

All thanks to that dream, you were remembering.

And how were you to go about dealing with that?

You suddenly recalled the nightmare from the night before, as you were finishing tending to your crops. The one about the darkness, Grandpa’s ghost, Clint’s body, the red sun…

Then the solution became clear: You had to make these dreams stop, somehow. …Maybe you just needed a new amethyst necklace? Or perhaps something else…

You pondered for a moment, trying to recall where Sebastian had gotten that necklace for you. Perhaps you could ask him today to get you another one?

You shook your head dismissively, pulling out your copper axe to chop some wood for a fence you wanted to make. It was probably silly to think some purple rock could cure you from this, anyway… Maybe you just had to face this new nightmare head-on.

Better to think about something that wasn’t real, rather than your actual trauma, anyway.

Concentrating your thoughts as you worked, you brought your axe down upon a fallen branch in the lush woodland of your farm, near your grandfather’s grave. That shadow figure certainly stood out in your mind, in particular—the one who menacingly stood over Sebastian’s body as both of them were burning.

‘Who was that supposed to be? They looked just like Grandpa had in my other dream…

You glanced over at Grandpa’s shrine.

‘But it couldn’t’ve possibly been Grandpa again… At least, I hope not—’

Noticing something white resting on his grave again, you were caught off-guard and nearly cut your non-dominant hand on the axe’s blade; however, you retracted it just in time, missing your palm by a hair. You trembled as you caught your breath for a moment, wondering how the hell your idiot ass managed to almost chop through your own hand. That certainly would’ve made a fun morning of rushing to the clinic…

You sent a glare at what you now realized was a crinkled folded paper on Grandpa’s shrine, the cause of your distraction in the first place. After leaning your axe against a nearby oak tree by its handle, you marched over towards the grave site to snatch it up.

As you unfolded it, your eyes widened, processing its familiar contents. It was none other than Grandpa’s letter, which you thought had been missing, found in the exact spot you’d initially discovered it, instead of on your bedside table where you’d last left it. Also, it appeared to have more creases than before.

You gave a befuddled glance to the shrine, as though to exchange looks with your grandfather, then studied the letter again, as though trying to find some clue as to how it’d even ended up out here again.

‘Okay, what the hell…? Is Grandpa messing with me?’

~✬❧~

Incidentally, Sebastian was experiencing the polar opposite of your predicament: He couldn’t remember a thing about his dreams from last night, which was rather unusual. Though, he wasn’t really complaining, since they were usually distressing or subliminal to the point where nothing made sense. All he could really remember was thinking a lot about you before drifting off and waking up the next morning feeling refreshed.

In fact, as of recent, a lot of other things left his consciousness. He worried less about Clint, for example—hardly even thought about the guy (except for that one moment yesterday). The tensions in his household didn’t seem so bad, either—he was more comfortable with making food for himself in the mornings while Demetrius was seated at the dining table reading the newspaper (what was that comment Demetrius had made? …He couldn’t remember). He even shared some small talk with Maru about you (the only topic either of them could talk about), and his mother and Maru both seemed ecstatic about whatever was going on between the two of you (he’d even overheard them talking about him when he wasn’t in the room). …Maybe he wouldn’t have to worry about keeping it private, after all.

Most importantly above all, however, was that he hadn’t even thought about his father, lately. Even when his mind did go places like that, that monster’s face was blurred and unrecognizable. Now, if it could stay that way, that’d be wonderful.

Everything being blurred and blocked out was better than constantly thinking about it, after all.

Sebastian hummed a recently learned tune as he lay atop the creeper beneath his motorcycle, conducting some overdue maintenance. It’d been a decent while since he’d worked on his blue and black machine, and there was definitely some needed attention. He wasn’t sure what had sparked the sudden motivation to work on his bike, but perhaps it was yet another side effect from the presence you had in his mind.

All he could think about now, as he cranked a torque wrench on the engine components, was that video he had watched last night. How free and happy you looked, as you swayed and twirled and jerked and shook about to the beautiful, gothic metal love song; you seemed so carefree and innocent. In the moment you’d recorded that video, you didn’t care who saw it—you simply danced to your heart’s content, with feverish, passionate movements which made him feel… a certain way.

He genuinely believed that no one else deserved to feel that way from watching you.

The very idea that watching your video may have made others feel the same way disgusted him. And the fact that some vile person uploaded your video for others to see, after you chose to delete it… Such a sin was inexcusable. Deletion meant you didn’t want anyone to watch it again, and they were denying your wishes.

But was Sebastian a sinner, too?

For downloading the video and rewatching it again and again?

He hesitated, a greasy bolt nearly falling on his face. He caught it with a quick reflex (or just luck).

No, he didn’t think so.

That moment you tugged on the strings of his hoodie and kissed him with fervent desire was the moment he was granted access to such things. (Suddenly, stalking your social media pages seemed more than forgivable.)

Besides, he wasn’t using your video for dirty purposes, unlike what others may have used it for. Quite the contrary, actually—he was planning something special for you, for the upcoming dance. He had taken intensive notes last night, coming up with his own movements to complement yours, which he needed to intensively practice over the next several days.

And he was doing the dirty work for you, too—he took the fact that you’d deleted your video as permission to punish those sinners who dared access it against your will—with the worst punishment being for the anonymous uploader.

Sebastian paused his work on his bike, thinking for a moment. Was that person truly some random perverted nobody, or… did they know you, somehow? He frowned at the idea.

Come to think of it, there wasn’t a lot that he knew about your past. What kind of people had you involved yourself with? Were you… even a virgin?

His body began to shake, breath catching in his throat. He shook his head, wiping the sweat from his forehead and accidentally getting some motor grease on his skin.

He had to stop himself from thinking about such things. Logically, he knew it didn’t matter whether you were… All of that was behind you, anyway… No one would get in the way now, that he was aware of…

Oh, but how much he ached to be… not just the first, but… to be the Only One to ever touch you in that way…

…But realistically, you’re both at least in your 20s, you’re by far the most attractive person he’d ever laid eyes on, and you’ve been out and about more than he has… So, the odds likely weren’t in his favor here.

Whomever your first time was with had better stay anonymous and out of the way, if they know what’s good for them.

And anyway, who says you have to be untouched in order to be pure?

As though to distract himself, his mind brought up memories from your video, again. Memories also of your time spent together with him, your smile, your gorgeous eyes, your voice, your laugh…

A smile curled along his lips at the image of you, instantly feeling better. You, and your innocent soul, your perfection… Your purity. You made him all better, and today, you were coming to see him… Then everything will be fine again.

It seemed as though, the more he thought about you, the more the bad thoughts went away. And the more the bad thoughts went away, the less irritable he was, and the more sleep he got.

Speak of the devil angel—

You approached the house, about to knock, when you noticed the garage door was open, along with some creaking and clanking sounds coming from it. Peeking around the corner, you saw a pair of legs, one bent, sticking out from beneath a motorbike, and you almost immediately recognized them as belonging to Sebastian, donning a pair of dark sweatpants. From the faded grease stains, you quickly put together that he must have a pair specifically for this kind of work—but you had no idea he had mechanical knowledge, let alone owned a motorcycle.

“Sebastian?” It was a tad of an awkward greeting, but you didn’t see his face from under the machine and couldn’t be entirely certain in that moment that it was him.

Taking him by surprise, he bumped his head against the motor and swore under his breath, promptly rubbing his aching forehead with a clean towel—wiping his face while at it—and rolling himself out from under his vehicle to smile awkwardly up at you.

“H-Hey, (Name),” he greeted as coolly as possible, wiping his scarred arms now—you took a moment to study them, silently. It appeared as though his self-harm scars were starting to fade a bit, but you noticed he had covered the more severe, warped scars with gauze down to his elbows, since his sleeves were too short to hide them.

For some reason, at seeing the bandages, your nightmare flickered somewhere in your subconscious—if only momentarily. This made your brain clock out for several seconds.

“Sorry, you just surprised me a little, haha.”

There was a tinge of insecurity in his voice as he noticed you eyeballing his arms a bit, but he brushed it off, remembering he had shown you his scars before, and he had covered up the worst of it, anyway.

“…Glad you could make it, though.” He took a short glance at the garage clock: around noon-ish. Good, that meant you both had ample time to talk before the saloon hangout, with time to spare to finish up his work here.

As you watched him roll out on his creeper board to reveal grease stains and sweat still faintly present on his face and arms, sporting a grey tee shirt that hugged his sweating chest with more prominent stains, you felt a funny giddiness tingle inside of you that brought back your consciousness. Trying not to get distracted by his attractive appearance and forget the reason you’d come here to talk to him in the first place, you instead turned your attention to his blue and black motorcycle, for the time being.

“Is that yours?”

You didn’t have a set plan for how you’d ease into that talk anyway, and you just wanted to break the awkward silence.

“Hm? Oh, this?” He casually nodded up to the motorcycle, noticing a grease stain on it, which he promptly wiped off with his rag. “Yeah, I suppose I haven’t shown you my bike before, have I?” He smirked with a hint of pride in his tone.

“That’s awesome… I didn’t know you had a license!” You beamed, admiring the machine and wondering for a moment what it would feel like to ride on it. “It’s so cool that you maintain it yourself, too…”

“Haha, yeah…” He hid his slightly blushing face beneath the vehicle again to tighten a bolt. “With how expensive repairs are these days, and how far we are away from professional mechanics, I figured it was better to just teach myself.”

You nodded in agreement as he rolled himself back out, halfway. When he wiped the engine some more and brought out a shine so well that he could see his own reflection in it, you noticed his demeanor shift a little, smile faltering.

“Sometimes I like to go for drives after dark… leave the Valley for a bit. The last time I went was a little before you moved here, actually.”

He stared at his reflection, smile disappearing as he became lost in thought.

“There’s nothing quite like it… blazing along that long stretch of empty road towards the faint city glow… Just to get away from it all. Feel that taste of freedom as the cool night wind breezes through my jacket…”

Sebastian ran his mechanic’s gloves along the intricate components, an odd feeling overcoming him, as though in that moment, he and his machine were one in the same. He almost forgot he was talking to you, for a second.

“I’d love to just… get the hell out of here. Go someplace far away… take everything that matters most to me along on my bike, and never look back…”

You felt an odd ache in your chest hearing that as you silently listened to him. But why did you feel like that? It’s not like you and him had…

Sebastian’s dark eyes met yours, and suddenly your ache began to dissipate as you both shared a silent exchange. Something unspoken.

…anything special between you.

Maybe… you were what he meant by…

You shook your head, trying to remember the reason you came today.

“A-Actually, s-sorry to interrupt this moment, but we need to—"

“Oh, right!” He sat up, removing his gloves. “We definitely need to talk about—” He paused, eyes trained on something at your side, and he was now staring you down like a hawk.

“…Why are you bleeding?”

You blinked in alarmed confusion, both at what he said and his sudden shift in demeanor, glancing down aimlessly. “Wh—?”

“Your hand. It’s bleeding.”

Before you could even lift your hands to process what he was talking about, Sebastian had already bound onto his feet and moved extremely close to you, taking your non-dominant arm with a clean hand to study your own. Surely enough, blood was dripping down your wrist from a cut on your palm.

Though you gasped at the injury you didn’t even realize you had sustained, you also felt warmth in your cheeks at, not just his close proximity, but also the fact that his sweaty tee-shirt clung to his abdomen, which was surprisingly toned. His heavy breathing didn’t help the matter, either.

“What happened?”

There was somewhat of a threatening bite in his tone as his grip on your arm tightened a bit, though he was careful not to hurt you. Your heart pounded in subtle fear and your mind ping-ponged frantically for an answer, but you knew instinctively that his anger wasn’t directed at you.

He was just trying to protect you.

Still, you felt intimidated by the way his gaze was boring into you, through the shadows cast across his face from the sunlight hitting the back of his head just right, and he looked as though he was ready to fight someone.

Or perhaps even kill.

You were suddenly reminded of that night by the lake, and you quickly shook your head, touching his arm with your other hand to reassure him as your brain finally recalled the incident on the farm.

“S-Sebastian, it’s fine. I-I was just ch-chopping wood, and I… I thought the axe missed my hand, but I-I must’ve cut myself by mistake and didn’t realize it, and… the bleeding was just likely delayed. Sorry, I-I was a bit careless…”

He stared into your eyes—searching—as though needing assurance that you were telling him the whole story. He needed to be certain nothing else had happened. Seeing honesty in your eyes, his shoulders relaxed.

“…You cut yourself, then?” His voice softened.

“Y-Yeah, s-sorry, I—”

“Shh, you don’t need to apologize. Step into the garage with me. Let me fix that up for you.” He wore a gentle expression, a complete stark difference from how he was not even a minute ago.

The sudden shift almost frightened you but also made you feel… somewhat turned on. You tried your damnedest to suppress it.

‘NO! BAD (NAME)! Don’t you remember why you’re here?!’

“N-No, I’m fine, really! Er, I mean… let’s talk on the way to Dr. Harvey’s!”

Anything to avoid straying away from the topic you’d come to discuss.

“Inside the garage. Now,” he demanded with a firmness that sent a shiver down your spine.

Though, upon meeting his now stern gaze, you remembered back to your run-in with the mines. The carpenter’s son just wanted to dress your wound quickly, because he knew what he was doing, and the clinic was too long of a walk from here.

As though to confirm that thought, he added, correcting his tone, “S-Sorry, what I mean is, there’s no time for that. We need to get you cleaned up before it gets infected.”

You glared at your bleeding hand, mentally cursing yourself for causing this distraction in the first place. This conversation had been put off for days, and now something like this was getting in the way?

‘No, there’s no need to be unreasonable. He’s just trying to help you… Let him bandage it, and THEN talk about what you need to.’

Your eyes landed on his sweaty tee shirt hugging his toned abdomen again and you blushed, eyes shying away from him.

“F-Fine…”

Sebastian couldn’t help but grin a little at your shy behavior. Holding your arm carefully, he led you through the garage door past where his motorcycle was parked, and a subtle yet present uneasiness came over you as you stepped into the shadows, out of the sun’s reach, to enter a strange location you’d never been in before.

“Over this way,” he spoke softly, “Just let me turn on a light, here…”

With a tug on the chain of an old workbench lamp, a low light flickered on, illuminating enough of an area for Sebastian to see clearly while he tends to your wound. There was also enough luminance for you to take in some of your surroundings. You blinked as your eyes adjusted to the light, then noticed a rather… vast collection of sharp tools hanging on the walls.

So many, in fact, that you could barely see the wood paneling they hung upon. Amongst them all, displayed like a centerpiece, was a threateningly large chainsaw that appeared to have been used several times before, but was also kept very well-polished and shiny.

Your stomach dropped, feeling an inexplicable queasiness come over you as something from your past threatened to creep its way into your brain.

You understood that Robin was a carpenter, and it makes sense for her to own a chainsaw, among other various… dangerous tools, but to this amount just seemed… excessive.

“Hey, relax,” Sebastian muttered, having noticed you tensing up as he poured wound wash onto your injury and the surrounding blood stains. You hadn’t even noticed the towel he’d laid out beneath your wrist until now. “You’ll open the cut more if you keep straining it…”

You took a deep breath, attempting to do as you were told as you shut your eyes. They’re just carpentry tools. Why did you feel so uneasy?

However, as you shut your eyes, you saw only the events of your nightmare—Sebastian burning alive in front of you as an also burning shadowy silhouette stared him down. Your eyes shot open as you tried to keep your cool, taking a shaky breath as you lowered your gaze to the work bench, instead focusing on some stray wood shavings.

You just couldn’t win.

“Easy…” Sebastian mumbled, gently dabbing the blood on your hand, thinking you’d reacted to the contact. “Does it hurt?”

You hadn’t even noticed the pain.

“Your mom certainly… has a lot of tools, huh?” You remarked, your voice somewhat meek while you tried to ease your nerves by turning half of your anxieties into a conversation topic.

“Hm? Oh, yeah, she does,” he responded, figuring you were just making small talk to get your mind off of the stinging. “She likes to collect them. Some of them are older than I am, heh…”

“Oh, heh, I see…” Your gaze moved to watch Sebastian work, admiring his expert and gentle precision. Of course, that definitely made sense. …It’s not like she was a serial killer, or something.

After he finished cleaning it, Sebastian studied your wound for a moment, then carefully raised your wrist towards his face, for reasons unknown to you. Your eyes widened as he brought your palm just inches in front of his face, and his lips parted momentarily. Assuming the worst, a deep crimson blush rose in your cheeks as you attempted to yank your wrist away.

Confused, though responding quickly so not to cause further strain on your injury, Sebastian released his hold on you. Stern anger was present in his eyes for a moment before quickly calming himself down. Keeping in mind that you were also a trauma survivor—though he still didn’t know what that trauma was—he knew he needed to go about this situation carefully.

“(Name)… I need you to hold still, please.”

There was genuine concern in his tone that made you feel sudden guilt, which outweighed the accompanying feeling of anxiety from his tone being tainted by some other unnamed emotion.

Noticing the red in your cheeks, he blushed too and averted his gaze, touching his hair in brief anxiety.

“C-Come on, you didn’t actually think I was going to—! …I-I was just taking a closer look to see how serious it was!” He pouted slightly, still avoiding your gaze as he made a subtle beckoning motion with his hand, eyebrows furrowing. “J-Just give me your hand…”

“A-Ah, if that’s all…” You muttered, a little embarrassed about your silly assumption, and offered him your hand again to look at, though with brief hesitation. “S-Sorry…”

“D-Don’t be,” he sighed, gently taking your wrist to take a closer look at your wound. Both of you were now silent, avoiding eye contact. However, both of your minds were loud with racing thoughts.

‘Shit, I’m such an idiot!’ You mentally cursed, watching as Sebastian carefully inspected the cut and clearly wasn’t doing anything suspicious. ‘What did I even think he was going to do?! Kiss it? …L-Lick it?!’

Flustered by your own foolish thoughts, you turned away, covering your mouth with the back of your free hand.

‘I-Is he into that sort of thing? …Sh-Shut up, (Name)! Stop thinking like that!’

You shut your eyes, straining yourself to silence those thoughts. However, you knew the root cause of these ideas, and you took a deep breath to assess them for a moment.

‘J-Just because the kiss got pretty serious the other night doesn’t mean he’s going to… “try things” on you… It’s too soon, and he probably knows that, too. The fact that he hasn’t made any moves on you so far shows that…’

You glanced at him, watching him rummage through the first aid kit with his free hand to grab some gauze and medical tape.

‘This talk should go smoothly enough… After he’s done, just casually bring it up.’ You exhaled deeply. ‘You can do this…’

‘What the hell was that about?’ Sebastian thought to himself, analyzing your injury beneath the light of the workbench lamp. ‘They seriously thought I was going to… kiss their wound? Or…?’

Though blushing, he kept a nonchalant expression as he determined your injury wasn’t too serious—just a minor cut that would need some antibiotic ointment and bandaging. He promptly began applying the ointment, noticing you turn away out of the corner of his eye, and he wasn’t sure if it was because it stung a little or because you were flustered. Either way, he felt a little flustered, himself. …However, this was also mixed with something like… inexplicable frustration.

‘…Wait, I get it.’ His gaze narrowed as he searched the kit for some gauze and medical tape. ‘This is about the kiss the other night, isn’t it…? That’s what they wanted to talk to me about today, wasn’t it?’

With absolutely no clear expression on his face, he silently unfurled the gauze in his hands after laying your wrist down on the towel.

‘They were silent all this time because they’re “not ready” yet, right?’ (Purity)

He gingerly raised your wrist and slowly began to bandage your palm.

‘They’re going to wait until I’m done bandaging them up to tell me, and they think they’re going to let me down nice and easy, huh?’ (Purity)

Bringing the gauze around as slowly as possible, he methodically wrapped it around your palm—snug, but not too tight.

‘Well, I’ll just have to invite them to the Flower Dance first, with an offer they can’t refuse…~ Then I can win them over, and something like purity will not get in the way of that. I will dance with them.’

He finished the treatment, gripping your wrist a little tighter for a moment, though just as quickly released it to gently inspect his work.

You felt a nervous flutter in your chest as he held onto your hand, then shivered a little as he began to gaze deeply into your eyes with an emotion that was unreadable. Absolutely nothing could penetrate those dark irises which veiled so much mystery. A small smile twitched upon his otherwise expressionless face.

‘I will dance with you, because I’ve already put so much effort into my plans for you. Nothing… not even a “no” will stand in my way. I’ll convince you somehow, no matter what you say…’

“(Name),” he cooed, rubbing circles into your bandaged hand, careful not to put pressure on your wound. His eyes did not leave yours, even to blink. Subtly, he had, during treatment, slowly moved to stand with you between himself and the counter, and you hadn’t noticed.

“Sebastian,” you responded, swallowing your nerves to have this conversation.

‘Let me do this for you…’ His eyes held you in a vice grip. ‘Don’t run away.’

Though you took a deep breath to speak, he took both of your hands (carefully) into his now, speaking first.

“Please dance with me.”

The invitation was so sudden and filled with intense emotion that an odd, fluttery sensation somersaulted inside your gut. For a moment, you simply blinked in response, mouth slightly agape and at a loss for words.

“You’ve heard about the upcoming Flower Dance by now, right?” He grasped your hands a little tighter, desperation present in his eyes. “Y-You know… the one i-in five days…”

You silently shook your head, feeling your heart pounding in your chest. “N-No, I… This is the first I’ve heard… of it…” You had to catch your breath in between pauses, confused as to why your heart was suddenly beating so fast. Were you nervous? Excited? …Afraid?

Sebastian’s smile grew, somehow infatuated by your cluelessness. You were so unbelievably adorable… He held your cheek in his palm, and you flinched a little as the sudden contact took you by surprise.

“Heh, sorry, I assumed you would have heard about it, by now…”

He rubbed the back of his neck, and something about the way he was smiling was a little off, but you couldn’t really place what it was. You watched him silently, allowing him to continue.

“There’s a dance we have each year during the last week of spring, where everyone single pairs up, and… well,” he sighed, cringing a little thinking about it. “The dance is kinda awkward and stupid, but… I sort of had an idea to… shake things up, this year…” There was a glint in his eyes as he locked his sights on you, again. “So, I’m asking… if you could, you know… Haha, what I’m trying to say is—”

“Sebastian,” you pressed, attempting to be firm with him. “That’s… a romantic dance, right?”

“I, n…” His words left him as his confidence was being shot down like a bullet to the heart—just from the way you’d said the word “romantic”—and the color drained from his face as you slipped your hands out of his. Though, not quite defeated, he inched himself to the left, slowly moving to stand on your other side.

‘Don’t leave. I’m not finished.’

“No, a-actually, we… we d—” He stuttered, struggling to form a full sentence.

“Sebastian,” you repeated, more firmly. “I meant to talk to you about that kiss we had the other night.”

Something in him was beginning to slip, but his silence allowed you to speak.

You took a deep breath, continuing, “I-I mean, yes, I enjoyed our time together… And you’re a great guy… Truly amazing… B-But I just… I… I-I don’t think I’m ready for something like this right now…”

It was slipping, and it continued to slip. A memory from this morning began to resurface. It was something Demetrius had said. What was it he’d said? Had Sebastian been dissociating when he heard it?

Sebastian moved closer, and you took a step backwards.

‘Wait. I’m not finished here.’

“You know I like you a lot…” you said with more timidness than you were proud of, “And I can definitely see… something between us m-maybe further down the road, but r-right now, I need time to think… and…”

He didn’t catch any of that. His brain was buzzing, swirling with hazy thoughts as all of the positivity from earlier today was becoming tainted with toxic, thick sludge… Suddenly, the way his mother and sister chattered about his crush on you seemed… more spiteful and venomous than supportive… Like they were all disgusted by his feelings. Robin and Maru probably talked shit about him while he wasn’t in the room—about how the fact that he liked you was so naïve… That you’d obviously never return those feelings. Sam too—his only best friend—he was probably getting sick of hearing him blabber on about you.

What do they all say about you two when he’s not around?

“…think he’s moving too fast… them?” A memory of Maru’s voice from upstairs resurfaced, though he’d only heard bits of her conversation with their mother.

“…Sebby’s always been… (?) …about new interests,” Robin’s voice had quieted, but he swore he caught the word “obsession” in her next sentence.

Obsession… Was that what she thought…?

He’d heard them share a laugh about something he didn’t hear.

A strange, sickening heat began to grow in Sebastian’s gut as a dark cloud seemed to haze over his thoughts. He automatically moved closer to you again, eyes distant, and you took yet another step back.

If only you knew what they’re saying…

“Are you listening to me?” your words seemed to run right through him, and you grew concerned as he seemed dazed.

‘What was it Demetrius said?’

…Just a game, it’s me you’re playing…

“Sebastian, hey!” You touched his arm, and he flinched, the light returning to his eyes momentarily. “Listen to me… I like you, and it really pains me to let you down like this, but I just… well…” Your gaze averted, taking a moment to search for your words.

In the meantime, Sebastian’s brain took no extra time flooding his memories back into his consciousness… all at once:

“So, Sebastian… Robin informed me that you have a… erm, ‘crush,’ as you call it, on Farmer (Name). Is that correct?” Demetrius asked while seated at the kitchen table, eyes focused on the newspaper as Sebastian prepared a quick microwaved breakfast for himself.

In that moment, Sebastian felt an invisible wall come up as his focus hyperfixated on the digits slowly counting down on the microwave timer, hands firm on the edge of the countertop.

Demetrius did not wait for a response.

“Is it not rather… soon?” he pried. “After all, you two have only just gotten acquainted approximately 2.3 weeks ago.”

Sebastian’s grip on the counter tightened, though he, in his daze, wasn’t completely processing what his mother’s husband was saying. The numbers on the microwave slowly counted down in uniform single digit, and it was the slowest seven seconds he’d endured in a while.

“Is it not a waste of time, when you are not even certain that they feel the same way?”

Sebastian whipped his head around to glare at the man—the sudden stranger—sitting at the table, wearing a scowl as he’d only picked up bits of what he’d said, but enough to know it was something he didn’t like.

The man didn’t look up at him, but Sebastian could have sworn his face had a smugness about it, beneath its inexpressive exterior.

The microwave pierced his eardrums as it announced itself to the entire household, and whatever Sebastian had felt anger about in that moment slipped away, giving himself up to the comforting invitation of dissociation. The time in between then and deciding to fix his bike blurred into oblivion.

That was about the time that his thoughts had become oddly positive—likely as some sort of defense mechanism.

“Sebastian?” You repeated for the third time, seeing as he seemed completely out of it, now.

He snapped back to reality, and reality was coming at him at full force like a speeding freight truck. Whatever they were all saying behind his back, it was probably something similar to what Demetrius had said… He was just the only one blunt enough to say it to his face.

He was slipping, you were slipping from him, and he couldn’t just let that happen.

I guess it makes no sense for all who never felt the way that I do…

“Do you agree with me…?” You continued slowly, having sworn you witnessed Sebastian’s spirit return to his body at the sound of your voice. “…Just trying to find an even ground, here. I think in the summer, maybe—”

Sebastian moved closer to you, so close in fact that, as you backed away again, your backside hit the corner of the counter tucked away against the back wall, and a shudder fell over you. That moment was when you finally realized Sebastian had somehow, at some point, gotten between you and the exit. When exactly… did that happen?

Cornering you.

You’d been so caught up in your own conflicted emotions and word salad to actually take notice, before. That sly son of a—

“(Name),” Sebastian husked in an oddly comforting way, conflicting with the somewhat crazed look in his eyes that pierced through the shadows cast by the light now behind him, penetrating your very soul. He placed his hand on your arm, and you almost pushed him away, but froze as you realized his other hand was placed on the counter beside you, casually blocking your escape. You felt your chest drop to your stomach.

Not letting you get away.

‘I’ll show him…’ His thoughts raged, ‘I’ll show them all…’

“Please… please, please come to the dance with me,” he begged, desperation raging wildly in his eyes as his smiling lips quivered. There was something more frightening in his eyes as well, but it was something you couldn’t name… however, it seemed familiar to something you’d caught in them before.

…Let me get what I want this time.

Alarm bells were chiming loudly in your brain, but your face was heating up, watching his chest subtly yet rapidly expand and contract with his breaths, beneath that damned sexy tee shirt. You swore you could hear his heart pounding… or maybe that was your own. Or both.

‘Wh… What’s happening right now?’

“Listen to me, let’s come to an agreement…” His voice was soft and gentle, and you averted your gaze from the scary look he had in his eyes to nod and hear him out.

What will it take?

What else should I do?

The way his semi-calloused hand—likely from working on his bike and aiding in occasional carpentry projects, you now realized—caressed your arm in such a comforting way made you tremble… but perhaps that wasn’t because it was comforting. Perhaps there’s another word for it that you just couldn’t place at the moment. (No, protective isn’t quite the word either, is it?) Unfortunately, whatever it was, your body played like putty into it.

How far must I go to prove… that I love you?

Sebastian felt you trembling, and he began to feel very… excited. Though, he kept himself tame (for now). He smiled, turning your chin to face him as his eyes relaxed into yours.

But I’ll get you yet…

“Let’s go to the dance together… as friends.”

You blinked, not expecting him to actually offer something reasonable, in that moment.

“F-Friends…? O-Oh, um…?”

“Please?” He smiled in such a hopeful way that made it difficult to say ‘no.’ “Everyone else at the dance basically goes as friends, anyway! I already have big plans for it this year, and I promise you’ll love it…”

‘He already has “big plans”…? What is he planning to do?’

He noticed the concern in your eyes, and he shook his head. “I-I’m not planning to crash it, just spice things up a little. I-I already have some dance moves planned, and I don’t want to spoil the surprise for you, but I only had you in mind while planning it, and…” He sighed, “It would just mean a lot to me…”

You bit your lip and looked off to the side, mulling it over. “Mmh… Well…”

Sebastian touched both your shoulders now, no longer blocking you but still holding you as he bowed his head towards your chest like a beaten puppy. “It would make the dance much more bearable too… Please, I really don’t want to dance with Abigail…”

“…Y-You would have to dance with Abigail?” You didn’t know why, but that detail was pushing you to accept his offer.

“Yes, ugh… Everyone else pairs off with someone else and Mayor Lewis makes me do it…”

You inhaled with pursed lips, taking a moment to think some more.

‘Well, it’s just as friends, right? And I definitely consider Sebastian a good friend… There’s no harm in it, right? …So why does something feel so off about the idea?’ You shook your head—though mentally, not wanting Sebastian to take it as an answer. ‘What the hell, just do it! It sounds like a fun time! You don’t want Sebastian and Abigail to have to dance with each other after they’ve been fighting!’ (Yes, yes, of course that’s the reason.)

“A-Alright, fine!” You stuttered out, flustered.

Sebastian perked up, a hopeful sparkle in his eyes.

“I-I’ll d-dance w-with you…” You stammered, red as a tomato.

But why were you so red, if you were just going as friends?

Sebastian beamed, hugging you so tightly that the air got knocked out of you for a moment. It seemed a tad out of character for him, but you were happy to please him.

After all he’s done for you, anyway…

“Thank you, (Name)! Thank you…” He held onto you for a moment, smelling a hint of (scent) in your hair that made his knees weak. “I promise I won’t let you down…~”

‘Yes, YES, YES—’

You felt him shaking and you patted his back to remind him to let go, then pulled back, putting your hands on his shoulders and looking him straight in the eyes.

“…As friends,” you reiterated, though felt a sudden pang in your chest after saying the word.

“As friends!” he agreed with no issue present, straightening himself out.

‘…? What’s this odd feeling?’ You winced as your chest tightened more.

“Okay.” You nodded, sidestepping to inch your way towards the exit of the garage.

Sebastian smiled and moved out of the way.

‘…And he’s perfectly fine, now? After all that…?’

“I’ll… see you at the saloon, then?” There was a hint of uncertainty in your voice as you moved backwards to leave. ‘… “Friends” …?’

“Of course, yeah!” He seemed dazed almost, lost in his own thoughts, but soon snapped out of it as he watched you backing away towards his bike, not watching where you’re going. “Oh, hey, watch out for my—"

“Wh— Ah!”

Your behind hit the seat of the bike and you stumbled backwards, along with the vehicle. In an instant, Sebastian caught you both before you could tumble onto the concrete floor, and for a moment, you felt a heat rising in your chest as he was leaning over you, holding you and the motorcycle beneath you with a surprisingly strong arm. You caught hints of musk from his sweat and the woodsy soap he used (likely just what was in the house), and a tingle shivered down to your groin as your eyes locked onto his intense stare.

‘DAMMIT, NOT AGAIN!’ You internally screamed.

Sebastian gazed at you as he helped you up and stood his motorcycle back on its kickstand. His dark eyes scanned over you, then his machine, then back at you again, as a smirk played upon his lips.

“Say… I should take you for a ride this summer…”

Still at an internal feud with your hormones, you blinked dumbly, glancing at the bike behind you. “R-Ride? On… your motorcycle?”

“Yeah, dummy!” He grinned playfully. “Of course, on my motorcycle!”

You pouted at the name-calling, though you knew he was just messing, and you were kind of a dummy for almost falling over like that. “Hmm… Maybe…”

He took you by your uninjured hand and gazed into your eyes. “If you’re really impressed by what I have planned for you at the dance, will you ride with me?”

Your face reddened, and you averted your gaze. You just couldn’t stare into his dark eyes for too long… They were too mesmerizing.

“A-Alright, deal… If I really h-have a good time at the dance, I’ll… go for a ride with you, this summer…”

Sebastian grinned widely like a dork, gripping your hand tighter. “I would love that…”

His two favorite things in the whole world, alone with him, speeding along the wide stretch of road towards the city… Maybe not visiting, but at least going for a good view…

Nothing would mean more to him…

After wrapping up your conversation and deciding to head to Pierre’s for an errand before going home to prepare for the saloon hangout, you waved Sebastian goodbye before heading down south. Along the way, your heart was still pounding as you reflected on your eventful interaction with him. Your thoughts were still spinning while you tried to grapple with it all, and whether or not you had gone about it correctly.

Sebastian held a smile as he waved you ‘goodbye.’ Then, as you disappeared out of sight, his smile faded, hand falling to his side and clenching into a fist. This… hadn’t gone exactly as he’d hoped it would. The way you’d reacted to his invitation, then those sudden negative memories flooding into his brain, and then…

…He’d never planned to actually corner you like that.

His chest ached with guilt, yet…

A smile tugged at his lips for a moment.

Yet…

Sebastian shook his head. Oh, what horror that he got excited by things like that.

Fucking terrible, actually.

He buried his face in his hands.

“Sebastian, that’s… a romantic dance, right?”

The words echoed in his brain so suddenly that his body began to shake. Your tone in his memory sounded so much worse, too.

“Is it not a waste of time, when you are not even certain that they feel the same way?”

He uncovered his face, glaring fiercely at the memory of Demetrius’ words.

“No. It’s not a waste of time.”

Realizing he spoke out loud, he glanced around, thankfully seeing no one was nearby to hear that. He took a calm, deep breath.

‘I just have to be patient with them. I know they’ve been through awful things, too… I don’t know what, but I know they’re just trying to be careful… I know they have feelings for me. I saw it in their eyes… I felt it in that kiss… So I just have to be patient, and prove my love to them.’

Sebastian released the breath he’d inhaled, his lips forming a smile.

‘Everything is fine. By the end of the dance, I’ll make you mine. Yes, even though I said we’re going as “friends,” I guess I kind of lied… Because I intend to perfect this dance so well that I make you fall for me again…’

Ah, the dance. Speaking of which… He had some work to attend to.

“I’m sorry, (Name)…” he whispered to himself, turning to reenter the house and write down some ideas he had brewing. “…but now that you’ve given me a taste, I’m too addicted to give this up…”

Oh, you never seem to notice that my heart beats for you

So I’ll open you up and make yours beat for me too…

~✬❧~

The following morning, you were grateful to finally have woken up from a dreamless night. Perhaps it was because you’d reached a resolution to the anxiety you felt in between the kiss and the overdue confrontation with Sebastian, and even found some common ground with him about the upcoming dance. He seemed to be in a really good mood last night at the saloon, too.

You couldn’t help but think it was odd, after what had taken place in the garage. But if he was happy, then so were you, and there was no reason to feel hung up over it.

Although, after Abigail had taken you aside in the back of the saloon on your way to use the restroom and also invited you to be her dance partner, you were feeling guilty and conflicted the rest of the night, not exactly able to tell her “no.” You hadn’t given her a straight “yes,” either, but she seemed giddily convinced after you’d told her you’d consider it.

You let out a sigh as you tended to your crops, hoping you wouldn’t hurt her feelings too much when the time for the event arrived. After all, you’d already agreed to Sebastian’s invitation first. That, and it seemed like he had something rather… big planned.

You still didn’t know what, but you were hopeful that Emily would be able to help you prepare today, at least. Thinking of it, you pulled a note out of your pocket that she had given you, with her address and the time you’d agreed upon, plus her phone number, just in case. In glancing at the lavender colored sticky note again, you reflected on the night prior:

Last night in the saloon, while Sebastian and Sam were getting in a heated competition at the pool table, you’d slipped away for a bit, to go have a drink at the bar. This had been shortly after you were stopped by Abigail in the back room to be asked about the dance, too. She’d been thrown into a much better mood, now busy as a noisy sports commentator for the guys.

You were glad Sebastian and Abigail were in such stellar moods, but you felt conflicted and guilty, all the same. That good mood of Abigail’s probably wouldn’t last once you let her down at the dance, and Sebastian’s good mood seemed… strange, considering the fact that, although you had agreed to go to the dance with him, you had also let him down, in the same conversation.

Had you not handled things correctly?

And that pain you had felt in your chest… were you making the right decision here, at all?

Then there were those cursed nightmares still plaguing your mind, as well…

“Gus, pass me one of your strongest beers, please…”

Shane glanced over at you with some concern present, but he didn’t quite have the energy to approach you about it tonight. Tomorrow was the 20^th, after all, and it was a day he’d rather drink away and forget about.

As your eyes met his, he simply nodded in silent understanding, mutually between depressed individuals, then looked away. You took the cue and stared down at your alcohol instead as Gus handed it to you, a look of concern crossing his face, too.

Before he could speak, Elliott drawled out drunkenly that he required another one of Gus’s “finest ales,” and Gus turned, letting out a sigh. Emily placed a hand on his shoulder, whispering something along the lines of, “I’ve got this one, go ahead and deal with Elliott.”

Gus nodded, knowing Emily was better at handling the depressed bargoers, and walked across the bar to address the drunk. She turned to you, giving you an empathetic smile.

“Hey—”

“Don’t worry about me,” you interrupted, not wanting to draw attention to yourself (especially for the fact that Sebastian was in the other room and could walk out any minute, and you didn’t want to concern him, again). “I know you’re busy. Just the drink will do, thank you…”

Emily placed a hand on yours—careful not to touch your bandaged hand, assuming it was a farming accident—with her eyes locked on you, as though searching beneath your surface. The moment she touched you, she immediately took mental note that something about your aura was… peculiar, to say the least. However, she dismissed it, for now.

“I know you’re troubled with something I can help with… Bad dreams, right?”

Taken aback, you looked up at her in somewhat alarm. “H-How did you—?!”

She smiled, pointing at her collarbone, making sure to keep her voice at a volume that others couldn’t hear. “That necklace. I’m the one who gave it to you-know-whom to give to someone who means a lot to him, and I saw you wearing it at the Egg Hunt… Don’t tell him I know, though.”

She glanced over at the game room, catching a glimpse of Sebastian striking the white pool ball, appearing too focused in his game to take notice of her.

Her voice lowered further, “But I’m sure he’s perceptive enough to know that I’ve learned more than he wants most people to know…”

“Oh, huh…?”

She shook her head, looking at you again. “Never mind that. I can hold a session with you, if you’d like. You might need more than just a necklace… At least, that’s the vibe I’m getting, here.”

You contemplated her offer for a moment, though you weren’t sure if that’s exactly what you needed, being as mentally exhausted as you were.

“Or… we can just talk. I might be able to help you at least get some of the weight off of your shoulders.” Her magenta eyes shifted, thinking. “Plus… I figured you’ve likely got the Flower Dance on your mind, too.”

“Heh, you’re really like a mind reader, huh?” You chuckled, though troubled, removing your hand from hers to take a sip of your beer.

She shook her head. “It’s on a lot of people’s minds around this time, and I know you and you-know-who have gotten kind of close.”

Your eyebrows lowered, looking a little guilty, then began quickly downing your beer.

She placed her hand on your arm, making you pause.

Again, there was that odd aura. She decided to meditate on that, later.

“…We can talk about that too, if you need,” she interjected, “And if you decide to attend the dance after all, I do tailor outfits…” She smiled sheepishly, and you could tell that was the main motivation for this invitation.

You sighed, setting down your unfinished beer. Well, you could humor her, you supposed, since there was definitely no backing out of Sebastian’s plans now.

And besides, maybe she really could help you. You don’t really have much to lose, anyway.

You nodded. “Alright, I’ll come over.”

Emily was giddy, knowing that meant she was going to make clothes for you, then wrote down her information on a sticky notepad she’d fished out of her apron.

Now, finishing your work here and giving Mochi some water, you cleaned yourself up and headed out to town. Since it was near the end of the season, there hadn’t been much work to do, which made going out this early possible.

You took in the fresh air of the environment around you as you walked past the bus stop. The sounds of the birds chirping managed to calm your nerves a bit. Having a clearer head today after not dreaming the night before allowed you to enjoy these little things more, and for that you were grateful. You just hoped that this visit would ease your tensions even more and allow you more moments like these.

Sebastian stood with his hands in his hoodie pockets in front of Sam’s house while his blonde friend was finishing up a level on his handheld game. His mind was buzzing with thoughts, somewhat lacking sleep again after that difficult conversation with you yesterday... and after the events that took place that same evening.

Staring off into space as the sounds of Sam’s game faded into the background, his memory recalled everything as it had taken place:

You'd entered the game room at some point during the night, appearing as though you had something on your mind. Having decided not to pry about it and instead get your mind on something else (he’d been doing that himself, after all), he invited you to watch (he would've asked you to play, were you not injured), to which you declined, saying you were going to head home a little early. He paused in the middle of his next move, offering to walk you home, but you declined that too, needing some time to yourself.

In that moment, he could’ve sworn Abigail had a smug grin on her face out of the corner of his eye, but he was too focused on you to pay her any mind. Some heat began to brew in him again while his stomach tied in knots, but he figured it was best to give you your space after that discussion from earlier, so he let you go.

After that, his performance at pool was diminishing, and he began to feel frustrated before excusing himself to use the restroom. When he left the game room, he noticed something that made him leave the saloon early, too: Clint, who had always attended the bar at that time on Friday nights, was nowhere to be found.

Immediately, his instincts were thrown into alarm, and he slipped outside while his friends were distracted. First, he searched around the building, then scanned the empty walkways, but there was no one in sight. Then, noticing across the river that the lights of the blacksmith’s shop were down, he booked it towards your farm without a second thought.

‘I should’ve INSISTED on walking them home,’ he thought to himself as he ran, searching everywhere, briefly checking each tree and bush that he passed along the way. ‘I knew it, I fucking knew I should’ve… They’re not safe without me, they’re not, THEY’RE NOT—’

He panted, reaching your farm. He looked around everywhere. Nothing. No sign of anyone aside from you, anywhere. He quietly approached your doorstep, taking careful steps on your old porch, knowing by now exactly where the creaky boards were. He peered into your window: You’d retired to bed early, and you appeared to be soundly asleep. Taking another glance around your house, as much as he could see, relief washed over him as you appeared to be alone. Alone and safe from harm.

Letting out a breath he didn’t know he was holding, Sebastian shook his head, running his fingers through his hair as he leaned his back against the house’s side.

‘This is why…’ he thought, slowly sliding down against the wall as his eyes scanned over the farmland, again. ‘This is why… I’m not giving up on us. No matter what you say…’

As his rear end hit the wood paneling to sit, tears began to well in his eyes, but he wiped them away, smearing his eyeliner in the process. He was more frustrated than anything else.

‘I have to protect you, at all costs… And I know you’re just confused about your feelings right now… So I’ll be patient… Patiently waiting, and in the meantime—’

In that very moment, there was a rustle coming from the nearby brush. Slipping out his pocketknife by instinct, Sebastian leapt to his feet, causing the porch to creak in the process. At the sound, the rustling became more frantic—something was trying to get away, in response. He flicked out the switchblade and dashed in that direction in an instant, furiously shoving aside leaves and branches, knife ready in hand, determined to locate the creep threatening your safety.

Just then, a glow cast over him as the lights of the farmhouse turned on.

‘Shit—’

Sebastian swiftly hid behind a thick pine, a wave of déjà vu overcoming him at the smell of the pine sap. He wondered briefly where he’d smelled that before, then was suddenly reminded of your time together in the forest. Funny that he happened to use a pine tree, both times.

In hearing your door creak open, he covered his mouth as he panted, catching the light of your phone moving about out of the corner of his eye. Both the thrill of not getting caught and the thrill of hunting down someone else sent adrenaline rushing through him, and a wild grin couldn’t help but tug at his lips as he heard you ask if someone was there.

Eyes shifting over to the source of the other rustling, he realized it had died down, and worried for a moment if the stalker had gotten away.

After a moment of standstill, the door closed, and the lights soon followed, letting darkness envelop the land again. Immediately pushing himself off of the tree, Sebastian took one quick look back at the farmhouse to make sure you were safely inside, then whipped his head back towards the other brush, kicking branches around again.

“Come out, come out…” He kicked some more, seething through his teeth with his knife gripped in anger. “You piece of shit…”

There was nothing. Not even a peep.

He cursed beneath his breath. Whomever had been there had somehow slipped away.

‘…So this is how things will be, now,’ he thought simply, creeping over to sit in front of your porch steps, scanning the land over again, just in case. ‘While you take time to figure things out, my little farmer, I’ll be patiently waiting… Protecting you, in the darkness. Your own secret guardian.’

After keeping watch for another half hour, he eventually fell asleep, however set a quiet alarm to wake him right before you got up.

You never knew he’d even been there, at all.

Now, he stood in a daze, thinking; wondering if it had been Clint in those bushes, and wondering if he should do something more to address the situation. …And how to go about it.

There was no proof; that was the first problem. The second problem was, because you weren’t too keen on having something romantic with him just yet, he had to stay in the shadows a little longer, which limited him.

Sure, he had a key to your house, but you still didn’t know about that. And being you turned him down, entering your house uninvited could potentially harm your trust. He might need to take a break from doing that.

Sebastian’s attention returned to the beeping sounds and music coming from Sam’s game, and he was getting a little fed up. Especially since he had seemed so enthused to read what ideas he’d written for lyrics before—at least, over text he had.

“Are you about done?” he grumbled, looking at him now.

“Shh, hang on. Almost…” Sam muttered, mashing buttons with his thumbs.

Sebastian let out a sigh, then pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, growing impatient.

Just then, he spotted you approaching out of nowhere, appearing lost in thought. Sebastian paused, chest fluttering as he slid the cigarette he was holding back into the box and tucked it away back into his pocket.

Having finished the level he was on, Sam broke his attention from the game to raise an eyebrow at Sebastian putting away his cigarettes instead of lighting one, then turned to see where his gaze was trained on. A grin played upon his lips as he elbowed his friend.

“Oohoo, here comes your lover—”

“Shh, can it!” Sebastian muttered, a small blush growing in his cheeks as you finally noticed him standing there.

“Oh, h-hey, Sebastian,” you greeted, not expecting to run into him. “…and Sam, hi!” You added with a suddenly more friendly tone, having just noticed him standing there too.

“Heyyy~” Sam greeted a bit suggestively, and Sebastian elbowed him in the gut, almost causing him to double over.

“Hey.” Sebastian stared you in the eyes, facing you and ignoring Sam’s groaning. “You okay…? After last night?”

He touched your shoulder, and you nearly flinched from the sudden contact, but held still to the best of your ability, not wanting to give off the wrong message.

“H-Hey, um, y-yeah, I’m fine… I was just tired, and…”

“Are you sure…?”

His grip on your shoulder tightened a little as the tone in his voice suggested something deeper. An odd feeling brewed in the pit of your stomach as you suddenly recalled being woken up by a noise in the night.

“Y-Yeah, I’m sure… Why?”

After a moment of gazing at you, his demeanor turned more casual, and he smiled. “No reason, just making sure.” As though suddenly recalling why he was there, he perked up. “Ah, I’m going to Sam’s for band practice. Would you like to join and listen to us?”

“Ah well, actually, I came to visit Emily, because…” You trailed off, noticing a pine needle stuck in his hair.

“Emily? What for—Oh, wait! The necklace, right?” He grinned, not too disappointed since he’d already expected a rejection. Besides, the song he had planned to pitch to Sam was a little… private… For the time being, at least.

The odd feeling became stronger the longer you stared at the pine needle, and you shook your head, backing away.

“No… I-I mean, y-yeah, that… that’s part of it, anyway. Uh, listen, I-I gotta go. See you later…!”

Something twisted in Sebastian’s chest as you suddenly appeared nervous and backed away from him, and he watched you disappear into Emily’s without knocking.

He didn't even get to ask if your hand was feeling better...

Sam blinked. “I’m getting some hella déjà vu right now, heh! That was literally just you two weeks ago! Remember that?”

Sebastian didn’t look at him, staring at the door. “…Yeah.”

“Anyway, I think they’re really into you…~”

He wasn’t really paying attention to what he said, and absentmindedly felt through his hair, pulling out a pine needle. A sudden wave of dread fell over him as he stared at it. Sam hadn’t noticed and was walking towards his house.

‘They… don’t suspect I actually… Do they…?’ He stared again at Emily’s house, letting the needle fall to the cobblestone walkway. ‘N-No, they would’ve said something… Besides, they know I would never—’

“Seb?” Sam’s voice broke him from his slowly spiraling thoughts. “You coming? You have a song to pitch to me, right?”

“Huh? Y-Yeah,” he responded, walking towards Sam’s house. He took another thoughtful glance over at the adjacent house, and a small grin tugged at his lips.

Perhaps, he wondered, you starting to catch on was something that he actually wanted.

All the more thrill in the chase, anyway…

“Yeah, I’ve got some lyric ideas…” When he entered the house, he noticed Jodi was in the kitchen washing the dishes, so he lowered his voice. “…But let’s keep your door shut.”

The truth of it was, you didn’t actually know why seeing a pine needle in Sebastian’s hair had made you nervous. You figured you’d just had a lot on your mind and were nervous about the session. And while Sebastian had been acting a little strangely, you’d assumed he was still hung up about yesterday, which was reasonable.

Though you were apologetic about entering the house so abruptly, Emily didn’t seem upset and joked about how you and Sebastian must be on a similar wavelength, because he’d done the same thing just two weeks prior. The session itself turned out to not be as bad as your nerves had prepared you for, and you easily got comfortable after Emily lit some patchouli incense.

Soon, you found yourself telling her everything, from Grandpa’s ghost, the gruesome death of someone who’s been distressing you (you did not say who), and the red sun and earth shattering, to the dream about being in an unfamiliar house helplessly watching Sebastian burn to death in front of an unknown shadowy figure.

After you detailed every last bit that you could recall, Emily had a pale expression, having brought out her Sign of the Vessel. She was gripping it just like she had during Sebastian’s dream retelling. Once she realized you were finished, she took a shaky breath, setting the spiritual object on the table.

“Okay… First of all, you and Sebastian… are definitely on a similar wavelength, because, dear Yoba almighty, that was… horrific.”

Speaking of which, she’d recalled seeing Sebastian leave the bar in somewhat of a hurry last night. She wasn’t sure what for, but she meditated on both of your auras just this morning and came up with nothing.

It was somewhat frustrating, but now that you’ve told her some new… interesting details, she might have more to work off of, later.

You frowned, realizing you might’ve said too much. “I-I’m sorry, I probably should’ve… censored some of that—”

“No, no! It’s okay!” She waved her hands dismissively, taking a tissue to wipe the sweat from her forehead. “That’s what I’m here for, anyway…” She took a moment to collect her thoughts.

“Now, I’m going to ask first before I dive into anything, because I don’t want to possibly upset you further…”

She thought back to her interaction with Sebastian and how things had gone south last time, and she couldn’t help but notice you were also avoiding looking at her Sign of the Vessel on the table. Was religion an uncomfortable topic for you, too?

She didn’t see you as a violent type, but if any conflict similar to last time could be avoided, that would be ideal. Plus, she was still hung up on that strange aura you had about you.

“…Do you want me to help you interpret these dreams? Or was getting the weight off of your shoulders enough?” She eyed you carefully, a bit hung up on the part where someone’s corpse showed up, but she knew better than to push you to tell her whom it was. She was just glad you spared her the morbid details on that one.

But dear Yoba, your dreams were just CHOCK-FULL of spiritual meanings.

You watched her eyes and body language carefully, then glanced at her spiritual object on the table. There was a bit of conflict about it in your mind, because on one hand, you wanted to be polite and listen to her thoughts on the matter, which could provide better insight for you, too; however, on the other hand, you didn’t really want a potentially spiritual interpretation, considering certain… aspects of your nightmares. Plus, you didn’t really want the session to last longer than it needed to.

In all honesty, you were grateful she asked first, but it made you wonder how Sebastian’s experience went, considering how apprehensive she appeared. Probably better to decline.

“Thank you, Emily, for listening to me. It really helped to vent… But I think I’d rather stick with my own interpretations, at least for now. Can I come back another time if I need to?”

She smiled, honestly relieved by your answer. This meant she had a chance to mediate on things, first.

“Oh, absolutely! You can come to me for help any time you need!”

You smiled too, also relieved. “Thank you! I’m just glad I was able to tell someone… I almost went to Sebastian about it, at least concerning the… fire one… But I was afraid it might upset him, so…”

Emily recalled back to the other session nervously. “Ah, y-yeah, I think… it’s better you don’t bring that one up to him… Not because it involved him, but well… Don’t tell him I told you, but… He seems to be… a little sensitive about the topic of fire…”

She had an awful gut feeling about the shadow figure described in that nightmare, but she decided not to mention her thoughts on it.

“Wait, really?” You were curious, though you didn’t want to dig too much into something personal like that while Sebastian’s not present. “…Good to know, then.”

‘He lights his cigarettes just fine though, doesn’t he? Maybe it’s something more complex than that…’

You couldn’t help but think back to what Robin had said, about the two of them having been through something awful in the past. You felt something gut-wrenching, but you knew Sebastian would likely tell you about it once he’s ready to.

“A-Anyway!” Emily clasped her hands together. “Let’s get you something stronger than amethyst to keep under your pillow, shall we?”

“Sooo…” A smirk played upon Sam’s lips as Sebastian silently shut the bedroom door behind him. “What kind of song lyrics call for… this much privacy?” A subtle blush grew in his cheeks at the underlying implications.

“Well, I know how… conservative your mom is, and uh, these lyrics are… well…” Sebastian cleared his throat, his hand going for his sweatpants pocket but hesitating. “…A-About that… I actually… um…”

‘…He’s probably getting sick of hearing you blabber on about them,’ his thought from yesterday echoed, and he pulled his hand away from his pocket.

He sighed, giving up with a shake of his head, and raised his hand to rub his neck instead. “…It’s not ready yet. I gotta revise it a little more.” His dark eyes shifted to the side as he faced him, unable to look his friend in the eye.

He couldn’t show it—not now. Not while you were…

“Aww, come on! Are you seriously chickening out right now?” Disappointment was clearly present in Sam’s voice. “You said you had something spicy for me, so I got excited to—Um… I mean…” The blush in his cheeks became redder as he scratched the back of his head, also avoiding eye contact, now.

Sebastian raised an eyebrow at his friend’s flushed face, and his own face started to become a bit heated. “I—No, it’s… it’s just… Um…”

“Wait…” Sam sniffed the air. “…Why do I smell pine sap?”

“It’s about (Name), okay?!” Sebastian blurted, desperate to change the subject. “I-I didn’t know they’d be right next door, so now I…”

“Ohhh, I get ya…” The blonde’s smirk widened with somewhat of an eyebrow wiggle. He was relieved, actually. “We’ll keep this between us, I promise. Just lemme take a looksie…~”

Sebastian didn’t budge for a moment, a blush still present in his cheeks. “It’s… um… I don’t think you wanna read it, honestly. It’s… pretty bad.”

“Pfft, how bad could it possibly be, dude? Artists get inspired by sex all the time, and at least one of our songs being a bit spicy could boost our popularity! Plus…” His green eyes met his friend’s shadowy eyes, blush returning to his smirking face. “I’m… very curious, now.”

Sebastian frowned, then groaned in defeat. “Here, just—” He yanked the folded paper out of his pocket, handing it to him with his eyes cast away. “J-Just don’t read it out loud!”

“Pfft,” Sam snorted, unfolding the paper. “They won’t hear me from next door! How are we gonna practice the song if… I don’t…” His words trailed off as he read what his friend wrote, his face turning crimson as his eyes widened in a mix of amusement and subtle horror at the words scrawled on the page.

There was a moment of awkward silence, before he finally nodded in acknowledgement and gave Sebastian a pursed smile.

“Mmm… yep, that’s uh… Wow, Seb.”

‘So that’s what goes on in that head of his… dear Yoba—'

He wasn’t sure if he was more turned on by imagining it, or terrified… for you.

“I-I know it’s kind of… explicit, but…” Sebastian rubbed his neck some more, suddenly wondering if he should’ve kept this to himself.

‘“Explicit” is certainly a nice word for it…’ Sam thought, his smile and thousand-yard stare appearing as though he was suddenly in the trenches of war alongside his father.

“Y-Yeah, no, it’s… It’s great, Seb! Really captures your… passionate feelings. Uh, maybe if we made a private album, we could record stuff like this...”

He had to admit Sebastian’s writing was… poetic, among other things.

Sebastian brightened a little, relieved that his friend showed interest, after all.

“Ah, y-you think so?” He cleared his throat, fidgeting some more. “Just… Let’s not practice it today. I… Like I said, I didn’t know (Name) was going to be right next door, so…”

“Oh, really? But they should hear about your love for them, shouldn’t they?”

A mischievous grin grew on Sam’s lips and Sebastian’s eyes widened in terror. He took a sharp inhale with a puff of his chest, as though intending to loudly sing.

“NO, NO, DON’T—!” Sebastian tried to swipe the paper from his hands, but Sam moved it away, snickering.

“I’m just messing with you, dude! Of course I’m not going to sing that with my mom in the other room!”

He sighed with an eye roll, taking it from him anyway. “I-It needs some revisions anyway, so… W-We’ll do it some other time, when your mom and (Name) aren’t around.”

‘He’s actually serious about it, huh?’ Sam smiled nervously, picking up his guitar as Sebastian went over to adjust the keyboard to prepare for just a regular jam session. ‘I think I recall him saying last night while Abby was in the bathroom that (Name) agreed to go to the dance with him, too… I mean, I’m happy for them both, but…’

The two started to jam, but Sam couldn’t get his mind off of some of the… almost concerning sexual lyrics. His eyes appeared somewhat mortified.

‘I’ll stay the supportive friend and keep my mouth shut. But oh man, if they find out what kind of stuff he writes about them… I wonder if they still would’ve accepted.’

His nervous eyes moved to watch Sebastian play, focusing on the way his fingers expertly moved along the keyboard. The blonde’s ears were still pink as he began to imagine those hands doing… worse things.

‘I mean, I think the part that scares me the most is… that I might even be down for that shit…’

Emily handed you a purple silk satchel. “A hearty combination of lavender, another amethyst stone, jasmine, chamomile, and mugwort ought to do the trick. And since it’s hidden in here, I’m sure it will repel any wild hungry Abigails…”

You chuckled a little, accepting the satchel from her. “Thanks, Emily.”

“Now, about your Flower Dance outfit…” She smiled, thoughtfully. “You mentioned Sebastian has ‘big plans,’ right?”

“Y-Yeah, but I have no idea what he’s planning…” You sighed, pocketing the spell bag and then rubbing your forehead. “How do I even prepare for that?!”

“Wellllll,” she carried the sound as though she had something in mind, too, “Sebastian usually seems to hate the Flower Dance, so the fact that he has something planned for you at all is… really special; at least how I see it.” She grinned, tapping her chin in thought. “Sooo, you’re going to need a really special outfit.”

You still seemed uncertain, so she took you by your uninjured hand to lead you over to her sewing machine.

“Here’s what I’m thinking, (Name). Even if you may have some uncertainties right now, it’s clear that you both share a similar wavelength, and not just with dreams. I see a special sort of connection between you both, and if you really want to make a statement at this Flower Dance which will play a major role in your ultimate decision in what path you take, then you need to match his energy.”

You raised a brow, unsure of what she was getting at, when she suddenly wrapped some measuring tape around you.

“Traditionally, the Flower Dance features white dresses for women, and blue suits for men. I have a feeling that Sebastian is going to alter his attire a bit…” She thought about it for a bit. “Possibly black…? He definitely seems like the type to wear a black suit…”

As you heard her muttering some design ideas under her breath, you shook your head.

“But what if he doesn’t change it?”

“Hon, that’s the thing!” She tugged you close with the measuring tape, grinning. “Since you’re going to be standing on the opposite end at the start of the dance, being he’s a bachelor who’s been in town longer than you have, we’ll have you wear white. That way, you’ll match, no matter what. Howeverrr!~ Being he has a big surprise planned, we’ll prepare you with a surprise of your own… A special twist to your outfit, if you will.~ So when the plans are revealed, you’ll reveal your own secret weapon, as well!”

‘A “secret weapon,” huh…?’ Now, you were intrigued.

“I’m listening…” You grinned, and she grinned wider.

“Perfect…~ Here’s what I’m thinking…”

~✬❧~

Over the next few days leading up to the festival, it rained an awful lot, as though to make up for the rather dry spring that Stardew Valley had been facing this year. This gave you time to collect your thoughts and allow your hand to heal. It also gave Sebastian ample time to practice his dance in the basement.

It was difficult to get himself going at first, embarrassed despite no one watching him. However, once he was able to convince himself that it was all for you, his movements flowed naturally. And over the course of three days, he had finally mastered a dance which would have taken an average person at least a week or two.

Perhaps this, he thought, was the power of true, raw devotion.

Robin took hint of Sebastian’s plans and got into contact with Mayor Lewis, who was convinced with some bribe money to allow for a song change. Of course, she never told Sebastian, but she was certain he’d catch on anyway once he realized Lewis would take no action in stopping him from rigging the music. To finally see her son be happy was all she could ask for, so she was willing to pull some strings in his favor… And she possibly would again, further down the road.

You, meanwhile, still had no clue what was in store for you at the upcoming dance. However, you mentally prepared yourself, confident that Emily’s outfit for you would blow everyone away, no matter what Sebastian’s “big plan” was. The key was its “secret weapon,” after all, which you hoped would take Sebastian by surprise, too.

When it finally came time for the dance, the sky was clear and the grassy earth was a healthy green. Luckily, the sun dried the ground just in time for the festivities.

You stood in your beautifully custom-tailored white attire, just outside the entrance to the secluded clearing, which was closed off to the public during the rest of the year. Thankfully, your cut had closed up well, and a bandage was no longer needed. From within the clearing, you could hear the bustle of merry voices, laughter, and cheerful ambient music to set the mood. Fidgeting with the seams of your outfit, you ensured everything was secure and in place, ready for when your big moment comes. You were also nervous out of your mind but took deep breaths while trying to mentally motivate yourself.

‘This is it…’ You puffed your chest and gulped, turning to face the entrance. ‘Let’s get in there and have a good time, no matter what’s in store for us…’

Upon entering the clearing, you were met with the beautiful scenery of a field that was well cared for and decorated with bright, colorful flowers. The way the sun shone upon the cleared opening was practically flawless, creating the perfect lighting for a ceremonial dance. Among your beautiful surroundings, however, you also noticed how awfully quiet it had suddenly gotten.

The townspeople’s voices hushed to murmurs upon seeing you, and though their expressions appeared to be that of awe, it didn’t help your nerves at all. You gulped, suddenly feeling a bit self-conscious as your eyes anxiously scanned for your friends. Upon finally spotting them gathered across the field, your eyes met with Sebastian’s, and a blush grew in both of your faces at the other’s appearance.

Though he was standing in the dark shade beneath a large oak tree, you could see he was handsomely dressed in all black—as predicted by Emily—in a sleek dress shirt and pants with a red lapel, all of which complemented his attractive appearance. And through the shadows, his eyes pierced as they took you in, locking onto you and not letting you go. Feeling your chest flutter with butterflies, your legs began to automatically carry you towards him in slow procession, as though in a trance.

Standing nearby were Penny and Emily, taking admiration in your appearance as you walked by.

“Gosh, what a gorgeous outfit…” Penny whispered, almost wishing she’d done more with her own dress.

Emily grinned in response to that comment, proud of her own handiwork, but remained quiet so not to steal your limelight. Her mind was also busy with some subliminal revelations which had come to her during meditation, so she didn’t want to break her focus as she watched you two.

The way your souls appeared to magnetize in that moment did not go unnoticed by her, either.

“Ah, (Name)! Hey—” Abigail began to greet with excitement, which quickly dropped as a sick feeling twisted in her gut at the sight of you. You were stunning… but you were wearing white. White… Why had you chosen white if you were going to dance with—

When she noticed your eyes were looking past her, rather than at her, she glanced back at Sebastian, who appeared mesmerized by you. Her glance returned to you, then back at him again, and realized in that moment that she was not, in fact, getting a dance with you today. Rage boiled in her stomach. You two-timing fucking—

Her thoughts were broken by Sam whistling at your appearance. “Daaammn, (Name)!”

He was dressed in the traditional blue suit, worn casually open with a white dress shirt and no tie. His blonde spiky hair was slicked back, though left a bit of spikiness in the back, a lone, stubborn strand hanging over his forehead.

“Who let you come here looking like a snack?”

Upon hearing that, both you and Sebastian snapped out of your dazes.

“O-Oh, um, th-thanks?” Your face was flushed as you glanced at him.

Sebastian, who had been too enthralled by your breathtaking appearance to say anything, took you gently by the arm, pulling you closer—away from Sam. “(Name)… You look… amazing…”

Too fucking amazing, if he was being honest. Though you would look even more perfect if you were wearing black like him, you were certainly catching everyone’s attention.

Too many people, for his liking.

Your perfection was for his gaze, and his gaze, only.

He took you by the shoulder, sending glares around as he saw how many singles were gawking at you.

Eyeing you like predators, with their greedy, hungry bedroom eyes.

‘Yoba, if only I could take them home with me so we can put on our own private show…~’

“Th-Thank you…” Your face was warm from the way he held you, but cleared your throat and moved to give space between you both, to remind him that you were here as friends. Though, getting a good look at him and seeing how handsome he was, with his emo haircut styled to perfection and his eyeliner pulling the entire look together, you couldn’t help but compliment him back.

“Y-You look charming, yourself…” Your gaze shied away, and you mentally cursed at how red your face was probably getting.

At feeling you pull from him, his thoughts were brought back to the reality of why you were both here, and why his big plans were so important.

‘That’s right, this is our big moment… The moment I prove my love and devotion to (Name) and make them fall for me again… No backing out, now…’

Though, upon processing your compliment, paired with your shyness, the grin on his face widened with a blush of his own.

‘Yes… I’m doing this all for them.~’

“Thank you, (Name)…” Sebastian took you by the hands, gaze focused only on you, now—everyone else be damned. “So, will you… dance with me?”

Your heart fluttered, enamored by him now. “Y-Yes, Sebastian… I’ll dance with you…” The words spilled out automatically, as though you were never more certain of something in your life.

Abigail’s heart shattered.

Sebastian, whose heart was thumping heavily in his chest, gazed at you with pure euphoria at your answer, his grin quivering as though to hold back the overwhelming amount of positive emotions ready to spill out of him. In his lovesickness, he took no notice of Abigail, having forgotten she was even there; However, you did, out of the corner of your eye. Upon seeing her sulking, a wave of guilt tugged at your gut. You remembered your talk with her in the saloon—how she had invited you to dance, how you hadn’t exactly told her “yes,” but you hadn’t exactly told her “no,” either.

You turned to her.

“Abby, I’m sorry, I…” You reached for her shoulder, but she pulled away.

Liar.

“N-No, no worries at all!” She wore a smile, though her eyes screamed in silent anger.

I’ll end both your lives.

“Y-You didn’t… exactly tell me you were going to dance with me, so…”

Baby, you’re just begging to die.

“…Enjoy your… dance. I’ll just watch… from the sidelines.”

You gave her an empathetic smile. “Thanks, Abby… I’d dance with you too, if I could.”

Next time, wash your mouth with bleach after you lie.

She forced a smile, giving your shoulder a firm pat before walking away. As she went, she sent a deadly side glare to Sebastian, who simply grinned back, too far deep in his love daze.

‘He was never this eager to dance with me…’ Tears dotted her eyes as her vision blurred, stepping away from the crowd for some air. ‘…Fucking bastard.’

She wasn’t the only one brimming with jealousy, however. Clint, who was standing on the opposing side of the field by himself, moped as he wished either you or Emily would dance with him. When he’d spotted you, he was awestruck by how attractive you were, but an unsettling aura and deadly glare sent his way made him cower and look away.

Their damn guard dog was there…

The same guard dog that chased him off the other night when he’d gone to apologize to you and forced him into hiding. If it weren’t for him, maybe he’d actually have a chance with you…

If only… He could get him out of the way, somehow.

While you went to talk to Mayor Lewis and let him know you were joining the dance today, Sebastian surveyed the field to make sure no one was planning on sabotaging your special moment together. He kept an eye on Clint in particular, still suspicious that he’d been the one at your farm the other night. There was no proof though, and Clint appeared to be keeping to himself.

He was in the clear, then… for now.

Soon, the time for the Flower Dance was finally starting, and the dancers gathered in their positions. Regardless of gender identity, you lined up with the bachelorettes, standing directly across from Sebastian, who stood out from the rest of the bachelors in his black attire… like a sore thumb.

‘You’d better have something spectacular planned, Sebastian…’

Sebastian returned your anxious expression with a confident grin, ignoring the discriminating stares he was getting from some of the older villagers for not sticking to the dress code. His dark eyes took you in, only caring about you, himself, and this special moment that would change the course of everything.

‘You’d better be prepared for this, (Name)…~’

Mayor Lewis, having taken note of the villager’s glares at Sebastian, mentally hoped and prayed that the song he was about to turn on wasn’t filled with profane language. He took a deep breath, visually ensuring every surround sound speaker was in its proper position around the field, then clicked the button on the stereo to start whatever song had replaced the original one.

As the music started up, an oddly familiar keyboard-synthesized set of violin chords, accompanied by deep piano keys, sent a shivering wave of goosebumps up your arms. Glancing around, you noticed the other dancers all had confused expressions on their faces, some murmuring about the song being different from previous years. One person adjacent from you—Haley—protested in appalled whisper about not having prepared her dance moves for this. Sebastian was the only one who didn’t appear confused—in fact, by the mischievous glint in his eyes, it then dawned on you that he must have rigged the music.

And… with quite an interesting choice for a song.

‘This song… It’s…’

[In her place, one hundred candles burning]

Sebastian slowly stepped forward, and the other dancers turned to watch, not expecting him to make the first move, of all people. Didn’t he hate this event more than anyone? A million thoughts raced through all their minds, attempting to piece everything together.

[A salty sweat drips from her breast]

Your eyes widened, recalling the dance you'd recorded for this song several years back. Eyes meeting his, catching on to his knowing gaze clutching you expectantly, your teeth grazed your bottom lip.

‘Did he…? No way, that’s impossible… I… I deleted that video off of MeTube just last year! Is this… just some odd coincidence?’

[Her hips move, and I can feel what they’re saying, swaying…]

You moved towards him with hesitation, and now everyone was watching—staring—and murmuring about you two, but you tried to ignore that. Taking a deep breath, you focused on Sebastian, now understanding the assignment. His movements seemed perfectly timed, and you could tell that he had practiced for this. You briefly glanced at Lewis, who appeared in on this too, as he made no effort to stop nor change the music, though he fidgeted with his hands, thoughts likely occupied with how all of this might impact his reputation as mayor.

Your eyes again met Sebastian’s, both of you moving towards one another in rhythm with the sound. Whether or not he'd somehow found your video, you wanted to see just how prepared he came to dance with you, because you knew this one by heart.

[…They say the beast inside of me is gonna get ya…]

Encircling one another, neither of you ever broke eye contact, and everyone else stepped back to give you both space. You two now had the floor, being no one else knew what to do.

[Get ya…]

His hand slowly reached for yours, but the flicker in your eyes let him know that you had a plan of your own.

‘Show me what you’ve got then, Sebastian…~’

[Get…]

Retracting your hand, you grabbed onto the fabric of your white attire as the beat dropped, tearing it away to reveal a flowing, black gothic outfit hiding underneath, which handsomely complemented your partner’s black suit. Emily beamed at this, and you sent a thankful grin her way, as the tearaway costume she had tailored for you made for quite the dramatic introduction to your dance. Confused voices hushed into silent awe all around you as your gorgeous black garments wavered in the wind with elegance.

[Yeah]

A pleasantly surprised glimmer sparked in Sebastian’s dark eyes, and a smirk spread across his pierced lips as you had definitely caught on to his memo for the “big plan.”

The awe and shock of your surrounding audience only propelled you both into taking over this event, your introverted predispositions cast aside. Grinning playfully at one another, you let your hearts guide your movements to close the gap between the two of you.

[Black lipstick stains her glass of red wine]

You both lurched forward, movements purposefully rigid yet beautifully dramatic as you stepped together in sync, the fabric of your garments flowing gracefully with each arm sway and knee bend.

[I am your servant, may I light your cigarette?]

You leaned towards him, arms theatrically caressing the air to express this line of lyrics.

[Those lips smooth, yeah I can feel what you’re saying, praying]

Sebastian took his turn in leaning towards you as you leaned backwards, then straightened out in sync. Your arm and chest movements swayed together, but didn't touch quite yet.

[They say the beast inside of me is gonna get ya, get ya, get…]

Using his hand to dramatically emphasize the lyrics in front of his face, between his fingers revealed his piercing, love-hungry gaze locked onto you, which sent your chest into a flutter. Your nerves did not hold you back though, as the thrill only immersed you deeper into the sound, dancing together with him in harmonious unison.

Most of the onlookers remained silent and watched on, while some cheered you both on, among which included Robin and Sam.

“That’s my Sebby!” Robin cried out, eyes pricking with tears of joy. She whipped out her camera to get some pictures.

“Woo! Killin’ it, guys!” Sam exclaimed with a huge grin, internally glad that he didn’t have to do that stilted old dance with Penny.

Haley was angry at first that she had the spotlight stolen from her as the Flower Dance Queen, but she was honestly entranced by this dramatic and beautiful dance taking place before her, despite gothic dances like these typically not being to her taste. She was starting to wish she’d brought her camera along, but she pulled out her phone to capture the moment on video, instead.

Abigail, on the other hand, was furious. She was the one who was supposed to dance with you today! Not Sebastian! Yet here he was, stealing you away from her through some seductive dance… She had the right mind to kill him for this! He—

Her emerald eyes watched Sebastian’s movements closely, noticing the pearls of sweat dotting his pale flesh. A flutter writhed and knotted in her stomach, and her fury grew.

Not again—

‘He… He’s just so…’

Abigail’s gaze latched onto your dramatic twists and twirls (as though to distract her attention), and a deep, carnal desire bloomed in her.

‘They’re… They’re both so…’

She grasped at the fabric of her white dress, tugging its skirt to hide the wet sensation she suddenly felt while watching both your beautiful, sexy dances.

‘…So hot…’

Suddenly inspired, Leah rushed over to the underside of the table to get something from her bag that she had brought along, just in case.

[I beg to serve, your wish is my law]

Sebastian moved into you, using his arms to emphasize the lyrics while adding a kneel to the dance, without reaching the floor. You moved with him, still not allowing your bodies to touch.

You wondered silently how he moved so perfectly in time with your dance, but despite your suspicions, you were impressed, and honestly getting a little turned on.

[Now close those eyes, and let me love you to death]

Closing your eyes, both your movements slowed for just a moment to dramatically lean—you backward, him forward. As he used his hands to caress the air and make it appear as though he was caressing the side of your face, his soft hair gently graced your cheek.

[Shall I prove, I mean what I’m saying, begging?]

You both twirled and swayed, then moved into more rigid lurching once again, both your synchronization to the music impeccable.

[I say the beast inside of me is gonna get ya, get ya, get…]

Sebastian theatrically stepped toward you with a hungry, beastly look on his face, and you matched his movements, appearing to play the part of his helpless victim.

Oh, this was turning you on, indeed. You bit your lip.

As the music shifted, Sebastian took ahold of you finally, fingers intertwined with yours in one hand, and the other hand firmly holding onto your backside as you both dipped. Eyes locked into one another’s loving gaze, your heart pounded furiously in your chest as the heat between you both grew heavy and feverish. Both of your expressions softened into pure admiration and longing, and your chests fluttered as you could not take your eyes off of one another.

The only moment your gazes broke was when Leah suddenly pulled out a violin and began playing along to the music flawlessly, which took everyone by surprise.

Not minding the interruption and feeling as though it was a perfect addition, you both smiled a little at her and then returned your attention to one another, swaying romantically as the song brought on the slow, sentimental chorus.

[Aaaaah aaah ah… Let me love you, to…]

Sebastian’s hand that was holding yours pulled your hand up to rest on his shoulder, and a blush grew in your cheeks as you complied, resting the other one against his chest. Once his hand was freed from yours, he lovingly caressed your cheek, eyes never once leaving yours as his gaze was filled with true desire and devotion.

[Aaaaah aaah ah… Let me love you to death…]

Feeling as though you would melt on the spot if you gazed at him much longer, you rested your head against his chest now, slow dancing together with him. You could hear the sound of his heart thumping even above the music. An intense, passionate feeling filled your entire being in that moment, which you had never felt for anyone else before.

[To death…]

Your dance partner held you close to him, breath shaking as he was overwhelmed with so many positive emotions in this moment that he wasn’t used to feeling, all at once. However, he did not let that break his concentration, continuing to move and sway with you to the music, thinking in that moment that this was the best idea he’s ever had.

All the while, having watched the dance with a jealous, painful swell in his chest, Clint soured, unable to see any more of this. He shook his head, slipping out of the crowd to march off back home.

There, in a fit of envious contempt, he would map out his next course of action in response.

Emily eventually took notice of his disappearance as you both continued to dance, and an uneasy feeling overcame her. However, for the time being, she instead focused on being happy for you two.

Abigail’s mind was swirling with her own jealous thoughts as she faintly began to fantasize doing something horrible to divide you two, but she still couldn’t help feeling enamored by both your sexy, passionate dances, as well. For this, she was conflicted.

Shane meanwhile had slipped away to the snack table to get something to eat earlier, gladly having gotten out of dancing this year. As he watched you two, he wasn’t quite in awe like most others, though he was a little impressed that the emo had it in him. Still didn’t like him much though, and no fancy dance was going to change his mind about how he rubbed him the wrong way. He’d seen something like your relationship before, and he wished he could remember where, and why it was so crucial.

…But why did he even care, anyway?

[Aaaaah aaah ah… Let me love you, to…]

Sebastian lifted your chin to gaze into your eyes again as you both continued to dance, and he felt once again why he’s doing all he can for you, to make you his—make you happy; to prove his undying obsession—love for you, his devotion. His eyes were hazed over with lovesickness and a hint of lust, vowing silently to protect you at all costs. He silently hoped you would remember this moment forever… and one day, you’ll reminiscence about it together with him when you’re both old and grey.

Some strange, subtle fear tugged inside your gut upon meeting his gaze, though you were too enveloped in the moment—too much in love with him, your brain screamed to the heavens—to really assess that feeling.

[Aaaaah aaah ah… Let me love you to death…]

In one last graceful, dramatic dance to finish off with, you both spun and swayed to the music, then dipped down into one final romantic pose, Sebastian’s lips just inches from your own as you both stared at one another.

[To death…]

Both panting and sweating, you together held that pose as the song faded to a premature end—a perfect cutoff point, considering you didn’t have a dance for the rest of the song. That was right around where your old video had ended, too.

…A little too perfect, if you thought about it deeply.

Your eyes searched for answers in his, knowing very well that there was no way in hell that he pulled this dance out of thin air. His movements were too perfectly timed with yours and synced flawlessly! He had to have known about your dance prior… But how?

In that fleeting moment, he noticed the suspicion in your eyes, and a sly grin tugged at his lips, his eyes reading as though he knew about something he shouldn’t have known.

You opened your mouth to speak, though you were interrupted by the crowd cheering and applauding all around you, after the prior silence. You both blushed in embarrassment as you straightened out and bowed awkwardly. After a brief moment, you both exchanged glances with a nod, as though sharing the same thoughts, then got the hell out of there before anyone could bombard you with compliments or questions. The typical introvert exit.

It was nearly nightfall once the two of you returned to the woods, running together and sharing laughs about whatever the hell you'd both just pulled. Each of you too shy to address that dramatic performance, or either of your intense emotions and conflicting thoughts, you both silently stared at one another once you slowed to a stop, panting and at a loss for words. Sebastian touched your arm just as you both heard the villagers leaving the clearing and loudly conversing about the event.

You quickly glanced back, then into his eyes before he could speak, planting a kiss on his cheek.

“Thank you,” you whispered and smiled at him before dashing north towards the farm.

Still unable to speak, Sebastian reached for you, but you’d already taken off. With a quiet sigh and quick glance towards the approaching townspeople, he followed suit, running up to the mountains to head home, where he and you exchanged giddy and goofy texts about it all for the rest of the night.

In all the excitement, the question you’d almost asked him at the Flower Dance had completely slipped from your consciousness. However, that suspicion festering in the back of your mind would soon come back to bite you.

While texting back and forth with you, Sebastian decided to start listening to the entire discography of Type O Negative on Dropify. Wishing for more of you that night, he was eager to search for you in the lyrics of the band you loved oh so much.

If he closed his eyes, he could feel you in every note, between every line.

Chapter Text

After what seemed to be an unusually long season, Spring melted into Summer, bringing with it a fiery vengeance. While the residents of the Valley were prepared for a hot one, as predicted by the almanac, no one had anticipated a heat wave to come raging through the first week, let alone begin over the course of the last few days of the prior season. Such heat tended to make living creatures more irritable and hostile, and it boiled people’s brains.

Concerned for the safety (and sanity) of the townspeople, Doctor Harvey sent out daily reminders to his patients to stay hydrated, stay indoors as much as possible, and wear SPF 50 sunscreen if going out cannot be avoided. A lot of residents had taken to swimming in the Gem Sea to stay cool in the sweltering heat, though others preferred to stay indoors until the heatwave passed. Sebastian was one of the few people who were fortunate enough to have a relatively cool hideaway to dwell in during this time.

You, on the other hand, still had farmwork to do and could not avoid going out, given that several of your crops needed to be watered twice daily because of how hot it was. Following Doctor Harvey’s advice—who had actually started checking on you more often than anyone (due to your lifestyle, you figured)—you would cake yourself in sunscreen each time you went out and carried a hefty bottle of water along with you. That straw hat you’d won from the Egg Fest was now coming in handy, too.

Unfortunately, living in an old farmhouse with no refrigerator made it difficult to get ice-cold water, and you often had to purchase bags of ice from Pierre. Some of it you kept paired with a plug-in fan to build a makeshift AC, in order to just keep the house somewhat cool. Mochi stayed indoors most of the time, so you started leaving his bowl of water inside, too.

Swinging open the door of the coop, you were greeted by your two chickens you’d purchased from Marnie—one brown, and one white—making a fuss about their discomfort. They were hot and hungry, and both completely refused to go outside to graze. Honestly though, who could blame them?

“Shh, easy, easy…” you cooed, petting each one of them. “I’ve got your food right here.”

You filled their trough with hay and seeds, then let them have at it as you collected their eggs. While doing so, you noticed they had shed a lot of feathers all over the place. You sighed and grabbed a nearby broom to clean up.

As the two fowl went to eat, the white hen shoved herself in front of the other to eat first, and the brown one pecked her head in response, earning a loud, angry squawk.

“Come on ladies, break it up!” You groaned, dividing them to have them eat separately. “I know it’s hot as hell and it’s making us all grouchy, but—”

Your phone pinged, breaking your attention away. Setting down the broom, you walked over to retrieve it from the barrel you’d set it down on and check the notification banner:

<Dr. Harvey: Hey (Name)! Just checking in again. Have you been hydrating enough?>

You sighed again, putting the phone down to snatch up your water bottle and chug some more.

Didn’t he just text you like thirty minutes ago?

You understood that he was just concerned about you, and since you were a farmer, he felt it was necessary to send you more reminders than anyone. But this almost seemed a little too frequent.

After you finished drinking, you gasped out a satisfied sigh and wiped your lips with the back of your hand. Lifting the phone again, you typed out a response, <Yes, I just did. Thank you.>. Shortly after, Harvey sent back a yellow “thumbs up” emoji.

Without giving it a second thought, you pocketed your device and continued cleaning up the coop. While you appreciated having someone check in on you, and while your doctor’s texts seemed well-intended enough, you couldn’t shake the odd feeling you got whenever he did. Though, you didn’t really want to entertain any suspicions about it for now, already having enough problems to worry about.

Remembering that there was a patch of melons you forgot to fertilize, you snatched up your water bottle and went back outside to face the heat, once again. The glaring sun immediately assaulted your eyes, even under the protective shade of your hat, and you squinted, straining your vision to locate the bags of fertilizer you had sitting around.

About halfway through fertilizing your crops, your phone pinged, once again. Inhaling sharply, already agitated by the heat, you yanked out your phone.

“If that’s Harvey again, I swear—!”

Upon highlighting the screen, you were pleasantly surprised to see that it was Sebastian rather than Harvey, and your gaze softened. You moved over to stand in the shade beneath one of your trees to better see the texts (and take a break from being in direct sunlight).

<Seb ♥: Hey (Name), it’s been a bit since we saw each other (fuck this heat, seriously) and I was wondering if you’d like to hang out and cool off in my basement?>

<Seb ♥: I can’t help but think about you constantly…>

<Seb ♥: Because of the heat, I mean>

<Seb ♥: I hope you’re doing okay. Lmk if you need my help at all>

A smile played upon your lips. You couldn’t deny you were kind of missing him, even though it’d only been a few days since you last saw him. A few very long days, thanks to this scorching hot weather from Hell. In all honesty, hanging out in a cool basement sounded heavenly.

And seeing Sebastian was an added bonus.

Your chest fluttered. You still had some suspicions about the dance just a week ago, with Sebastian’s song choice, and how his movements seemed to pair seamlessly with the video you had deleted a year ago. However, your suspicions were suppressed by the growing desire you were feeling for him, also brought on by the dance.

Simply put, you were madly in love with him. And despite the nagging voice in the back of your mind that begged and pleaded for you to pay attention to your surroundings, to his actions, to that odd look in his eyes when he gazes at you, and to remember your trauma and to be careful and wary of what could happen again, what was bound to happen because your life was just fucking cursed to have bad things happen and keep happening—you nonetheless submitted to your emotions. You wanted him, him and no one else, and you were convinced that the nagging voice was the one thing standing in your way. Your heart was telling you what you wanted to hear, while your logic and reasoning, gut intuition, and survival skills learned over the years were blocking you from what you truly wanted. So, you shut them up, again and again.

And why wouldn’t you? The things that happened to you were so out of the ordinary, and the people involved were nothing at all like Sebastian. In your mind, the only creep in town you really had to worry about was Clint. Any walls built on the foundations of trauma that were standing between you and Sebastian were just obstacles that needed to be broken down and overcome.

The more positive emotions which you were welcoming into yourself at this moment, along with the need to escape the heat, basically confirmed your answer.

<You: Hey! I’ll be right over! Just let me finish fertilizing some crops and get changed first>

Sebastian almost immediately reacted with a heart on your message, and you internally squealed, shutting off the screen and hugging your device against your chest. You wore a goofy grin on your face and let out a shaky sigh. Yes, you would listen to your feelings on this one.

Trauma be fucking damned—you wanted something more with him. As slow and steady as you needed to go, you would eventually get there. All you and your emotions had to do was convince logic and caution that he was what was good for you.

...That he could protect you from everything else.

~✬❧~

A smile tugged at his lips, though just as quickly vanished as Sebastian set his phone down, drumming his fingertips against his desk. The only other sounds in the room consisted of his fan blowing on high, the dehumidifier humming, and Type O Negative playing from the speakers of his computer in front of him. Dealing with the heat while trying to focus on work was a pain in itself—though he was able to keep it relatively cool and dry in the basement, it was still muggy—but even worse was the fact that he hadn’t seen you in days due to the heatwave (minus a couple nightly runs to “check in” on you), and to top it all off, he had a horrible, dreadful nightmare… also about you.

But he’d rather not think about that.

He rubbed his eyes, still being tugged down by lack of sleep, reaching for his coffee—his second cup. He really hated to make you travel up the mountain in this heat just to see him, and he would most certainly offer you an ice cream pop from the freezer as a reward once you arrived, but he just needed you here… after…

Sebastian brought the coffee up to his lips, memories of his nightmare already hazing over the more he woke himself up, his brain reducing them into vague imagery and sensations in some form of defense. In their place, other anxious thoughts arose, as though encouraged by the negative emotions that were left over.

Why had you been so angry at him in his dream? The reason had faded, but he recalled that much…

Like how people have been talking, after the dance…

…And the fact that you had disappeared—had someone taken you? Or did you leave on your own accord? He couldn’t remember…

…Rumors, about the two of you.

Left him all alone to rot here… With these people…

These nosy fucking people, who watched and stared and talked about him and gossiped and assumed things… Every time he would go anywhere during the day, it felt like he was surrounded by eyes. Judging, staring eyes that were blinded by their own biases, that could never see what’s inside… They could never see what he sees, what he has seen, how he can hardly breathe, hardly take it.

Hands on my face, overbearing—

But he had been starting to get better… So why? Why did it still feel so bad? The dance with you had gone so well… It had been everything he’d wanted. So who gives a damn if they’re talking about it? Shouldn’t that be a good thing?

Shouldn’t it?

Oh, but what he had to go through just to get you to dance with him… You’d rejected him at first, just like you had in his dream… You sounded pleased to come over now, but surely that would fade again…

…And now the memory’s coming back…

The vision of you—angry, in tears… walking away from him…

Sebastian cradled his face into his hands, groaning beneath his breath. If he’d learned anything during his childhood, it was that nothing good came out of people talking about him…

Lost, run at my own cost,

Hearing laughter, scoffs

He had always been a relatively private person, and, in his mind, with good reason. Whenever something happened in his life, he had a habit of never mentioning it to anyone, save for Sam, and sometimes Abigail. He didn’t even tell his mother most things. It was simply a learned defense mechanism.

Because, naturally, bad things would follow whenever people… found out about things.

So, now that the villagers were gossiping, it made him very… very nervous.

What if he loses you because of their rumors? What if their gossip bothers you too? What if you’re embarrassed?

He’d never intended to stir up a reaction from the rest of the town… The dance he had planned had been for you, and you only. All he’d wanted was to make you happy… to give you a moment worthy of being remembered by you (and your tendency to forget). He’d never calculated how everyone around you would respond, and that was his one error—he’d only had his mind set on you, and no one else.

The things they were saying about you both mostly aligned with his end goal, but it wasn’t true yet (as much as he liked to believe that you were already his, having crossed that boundary multiple times already). Neither of you have popped the question yet, and he didn’t want something like petty gossip to ruin his chances with you… to spoil the magic of it.

…But is what you both have really that fragile?

Sebastian’s hands moved down his face from where they’d been cradled, folding together in front of his mouth as he stared off into the space in front of him, the sounds of his room fading into obscurity.

You’d rejected his advances before…

What’s to say you won’t again?

Because of this… Because of them all.

Bleak all around me, weak

Listening, incomplete

You would be his, he believed that. He had to believe that. You kissed him… twice. You blush at him. You make him feel so good, so desired.

But at the same time, you were detached—just beyond his reach. Even if you had days where you accepted him, you also rejected him… Almost like this was some sort of mind game… like you were toying with his feelings.

His body began to shake involuntarily, thoughts spiraling again.

You loved him, but you didn’t. You kissed him, but you didn’t want a relationship yet. You blushed whenever you were in his presence—he’s seen it—but the only way he’d convinced you to dance with him was to go as friends. You seemed to want him, but you kept pushing away, like you’re afraid of something… What were you afraid of? Were you afraid of him? He saw in your eyes, you were falling for him at the dance… that was love, yet… You were angry at him in his dream—and now people are talking about the dance, about you, about him, and now something bad would surely happen—and you would walk away and leave him behind, and he would be alone… Alone with his thoughts, with these people, in this hole for shelter, this buried kennel—

I’m not a dog but I’m the one you’re dogging

‘—I have never felt so final...’ His breathing became heavy. He couldn’t hear anything anymore. ‘(Name), if you love me… Please… Find me, please… I’m… losing all reserve…’

His fingers tangled into the dark mess of his hair.

‘Yoba if they don’t fucking love me, I… I can’t… I-I’m fucking gone, I think I’m fucking d—'

Knock, knock.

You fixed yourself up anxiously, waiting at his door. At first, there was no response. Though, you heard music coming from within his room—Type O Negative, you recognized. It was right at the beginning of the song:

[My reflection as that shadow’s blessing my death…]

Before the next line could play, you heard him pause the music. In all honesty, you’d never guessed he was a ToN fan. And here you were, struggling to recall which song of theirs that actually was.

Perhaps his song choice at the Flower Dance really had been a coincidence?

Having been so lost in his own mind, Sebastian hadn’t even processed the sound that jerked him out of his mental spiral, for a moment. He sat there panting, attempting to fill the air back into his lungs as he focused hard on returning to reality. The vision of his shaking hands came into focus, and he heard music: “Less Than Zero” by Type O Negative—he recognized it by the song’s intro.

He rubbed his head, hesitating to pause the music. That song had become his favorite by this newly discovered band, and, in a way, brought him an odd comfort, despite its themes… and he needed plenty of comfort right now. Though, once it finally occurred to him that the sound from before had been you knocking on his door, he jolted, quickly pausing the song right after the first line of lyrics. You were the comfort he needed right now, he was convinced. Taking a deep breath, he attempted to compose himself.

‘They wouldn’t have come over if they didn’t like you, so get a fucking grip…’

He stood from his chair, running his fingers through his hair to fix it while closing his eyes for a moment, then inched himself away from his desk.

“Coming.”

‘You’re just going to chill together, so don’t screw this up. Oh, don’t forget to hide the—’

He paused in his tracks, turning back to his PC. Briefly, he moved his cursor to a tab labeled “Camera Layout” to close it, but just as quickly remembered he had unsaved changes, so he stopped himself. With a swift key combination, he locked his computer screen entirely before moving towards his door to answer, head still spinning.

‘They’re just here to cool off. Don’t creep them out. Camera map… Stop thinking. Later. Offer ice cream. There’s ice cream in the freezer. What if they’ve already heard the rumors? Shut up. They need ice cream to cool off. Ice cream—’

Right as Sebastian opened the door, you were greeted by him appearing as though he’d just rolled out of bed. You smiled, thinking it was kind of cute.

“Hey, Se—”

“Ice cream.”

You blinked, caught off guard, and watched as he shook his head in subtle embarrassment and rubbed his face. He noticeably had dark circles.

“Oh, I mean, if you wanted to go to Alex’s stand for some ice cream—”

“No, no, sorry,” he sighed, mentally trying to get his brain to work. “I-I meant I have some ice cream in the freezer… Let me get you some…” He started coming upstairs but you stopped him, concerned about the state he appeared to be in.

“No, it’s okay! I can get it! You seem very tired, so I’ll let you wake up and be right back!”

“But—”

Before he could stop you, you rushed back up the stairs, politely informing Robin in passing that you were grabbing some ice cream. He overheard her say that was fine as long as she could gush over that “romantic dance” you had with “her Sebby” first.

Sebastian groaned, shutting the door. Just what you both needed… more senseless chatter about the dance.

He leaned his back against the door and rubbed his face again, half listening to the conversation going on. It was muffled, but it didn’t sound bad… then there was some laughter between you two. Was that a good thing?

…Or did you think that entire thing was some big joke?

He gripped his face tighter, shaking his head.

‘GET. A FUCKING. GRIP. ……Of course they don’t think that…’

Pulling himself away from the door, he moved to sit with a slouch on the edge of his sofa. It was probably better to not eavesdrop, anyway.

‘Now is not the time to be thinking like that… You missed them like crazy over these past few days, so what’s the fucking problem now?’

Taking more deep breaths, Sebastian attempted to think positively to calm himself down. He didn’t want you to return to him being a mess like this. Involuntarily, his body began to rock a bit.

‘Remember, they kissed you again. After the dance. They had a good time… …Do you feel guilt…? About those nightly check-ins? You know that security system plan is going to help them in the long run…’

He shook his head. He needed to stop thinking.

‘Just… stop—’

The door opened, and he quickly composed himself.

“Hey, I’m back! I got us some…” Your expression dropped a bit as you looked to your left to see him appearing rather out of it.

“Ah, (Name)! Thanks!” He smiled, trying to mask whatever was going on, but you weren’t quite buying it. You quietly shut the door behind you.

“Sebastian… Is everything okay?”

He frowned with a subtle nod. “Yeah… Um, I’m just tired, that’s all…” His eyes shifted from your concerned gaze down to the frozen treats in your hands. “Come here, I don’t want those to melt.”

You just remembered you were holding the ice cream pops and nodded, walking over to sit with him on his couch. Though his basement was relatively cool, you swore you could feel your face heat up as you sat yourself down right beside him.

You still felt something was up, and you were trying to think of what to say to him. You began to unwrap the ice creams.

“So…” You started.

Sebastian suddenly pulled you into a tight embrace, and your eyes widened, stopping your sentence short.

“(Name), I…”

‘…I had such an awful nightmare…’

“Seb…?” You spoke gently, and your free hand felt an urge to pet his hair, but you refrained.

His hug became tighter, nearly knocking the air out of you. You let out a short gasp, having forgotten just how impossibly strong this guy was.

‘Please don’t leave me alone…’

“I just… missed you like crazy.” His voice was muffled as his face was buried into your shoulder.

Your face was reddening to the likeness of a tomato, and feeling the plush cushion beneath your ass was not helping your case, let alone being trapped in his arms with his hot breath seeping through your clothing.

“I… I… Me too, actually…” Your senses were so overwhelmed that you couldn’t hold back from saying what you’d been feeling, too. “…It gets pretty lonely on that farm.”

Feeling his body relax in response, as though that was all he needed to hear, you finally gave in to your urge and touched his hair, attempting to calm him.

Sebastian’s eyes widened at feeling your loving touch, and a heat began to rise in his cheeks.

“I’m glad to be here with you now,” you whispered, gently stroking the back of his head.

In that moment, all his earlier anxieties began to vanish, making way for the positive—You were here with him, you wanted to be here with him, his dream wasn’t real, and you weren’t going anywhere. Not to mention, you’ve kissed him, twice already… Maybe… if he did it again…

He pulled back to hold you at half-arm’s length, gazing at you in a half-lidded daze. Feeling his hot breath against your lips, your eyes widened as he leaned in, realizing what was happening. On flustered impulse, you yanked off the wrapper of the ice cream pop and placed the tip against his lips. Sebastian flinched at the sudden cold sensation, disappointment setting in.

“D-Don’t want to let it melt on your couch!” You laughed nervously, then brought your ice cream to your own lips.

‘Right, what was I thinking…?’ Sebastian internally scolded himself, trying not to appear too hurt. However, upon studying your face further in the dim lighting of his room, he realized you were blushing… a lot. This made him feel a flutter of hope again, and a small smile cracked along his reddened face.

“Heh, yeah… You’re right…” He released you, and you both turned to face forward from the edge of the sofa again to enjoy your cold treats, in silent hopes that they would cool down your hot faces.

His eyes casually wandered to you while you were occupied, and the warmth in his cheeks remained as he watched the way you sucked and licked the tip of your ice cream. Heat boiled inside of him, and his mind couldn’t help but begin to wander as he felt an erection coming on. Flustered, he quickly looked away to focus on eating his own ice cream, and that’s when a chunk of the bottom of it fell off of the stick and landed on his hoodie.

“Fuck,” he swore under his breath, and you looked over, unable to help from giggling at the sight of him.

At hearing your giggle, his face reddened further, about to become defensive, but softened at the sight of your smile as you reached towards him.

“Here, I got it,” you chuckled, and he stared, mouth slightly agape as you wiped it up with your bare hand, then proceeded to lick your fingers clean in front of him.

To say Sebastian felt himself buckle at the mercy of heaven’s incarnate licking cream off of him was an understatement. He could feel himself melting at the sight of you, just like his ice cream now dripping down onto his hand. That erection was making a tent in his sweatpants now.

When your eyes finally met his, you blushed deeply, in utter disbelief that you just did that. You let out a quiet laugh, eyes shying away from his and landing upon his hand, instead.

“S-Seb, it’s dripping down your hand, now…”

He laughed nervously and brought his hand up to his lips to lick it. “Whoops…”

In watching his tongue run across his own flesh, it was now your turn to feel your body tingle. You licked your ice cream slowly in response, and you both held deep eye contact as the heat between you both seemed to make the ice creams melt faster.

That’s when your phone suddenly pinged, interrupting the moment.

You flinched, fishing your device out of your pocket to check whom it was. In doing so, your ice cream dripped onto the couch cushion between you both.

“Shit!” You sprang up. “I’m so sorry—”

“D-Don’t worry about it,” Sebastian responded, eyes sending daggers at whomever the culprit was on the other end of the text, noticing the screen was highlighted. ‘…Dr. Harvey?’

“I-I’ll get something to clean that up with!”

“Harvey’s texting you?” Sebastian muttered as you moved for the door. You glanced over with a sigh.

“Ugh, yeah… Like, I understand he wants to check on me because of the heat, but I swear he’s been texting me every thirty minutes! I think he’s been checking on everyone, though… A-Anyway, I’ll be right back.”

Sebastian’s eyebrows laced at what you said as you left the room, eyes peering down at your phone. He didn’t recall ever getting a text, except for tomorrow’s appointment reminder. Curious, and feeling a strange, angry heat tug at his insides, he lifted your device to peer at it. Remembering his own ice cream, he dumped it into the trash bin and licked his fingers clean before another accident could happen. Promptly using a tissue and sanitizer to clean his hands the rest of the way, he then touched your screen to highlight it once again, proceeding to expand the notification to read the full text from the lock screen:

<Dr Harvey: Hey, (Name)! Just checking in again. Stay hydrated and let me know if you feel any symptoms of heatstroke!>

…Well, it seemed innocent enough.

His eyes narrowed, the boiling feeling in him refusing to dissipate.

Still… Why is he texting you every half hour?

Sure, he’s your doctor, and he’s probably concerned about you working on your farm all day, but…

Almost automatically, Sebastian swiped up to unlock your phone without a second thought. He stared at the home screen which only had a few apps and a picture of Mochi as your wallpaper, a bit dumbfounded that he was able to get in so easily.

‘You left your keys in your door one night, AND you don’t have a PIN for your lock screen?’ He shook his head with a sigh, taking a quick glance at his door while calculating how much time he had before you got back. Probably not much.

He entered your chat with Harvey to do a quick readthrough.

‘Yoba, you definitely need my protection.’

His thumb scrolled through your texts with lightning speed, scanning the words with detailed precision thanks to all his years of programming.

Normal. Normal. Normal…

Sebastian stopped his scrolling short, sharply locked onto a particular word: “cute”

His heart raced, already feeling his body tense into a fight response. However, he just as quickly realized the text was referring to a picture of Mochi you’d sent to him, to show him your cat was refusing to go out into the heat, so you’d brought his water bowl in.

Sebastian’s shoulders relaxed, and he closed the app and shut off your screen before you could come back. He let out a sigh and rubbed his temple.

‘Just overthinking again… Dr. Harvey is just doing his job (a little too well). There’s nothing suspicious going on… Nothing at all. …But every thirty minutes… that’s—’

“I’m back!” You called, entering and shutting the door behind you before rushing over to clean the fabric, which Sebastian had already been wiping with a tissue to appear busy upon your return.

Though there had been no sign of him going through your phone, his heart was still racing, and he remained mostly quiet. “Great, thanks.”

“Not a problem…” Your eyes wandered to him appearing lost in thought as you scrubbed in the fabric cleaner, and you realized that incident had broken your… intimate moment. Guilt was starting to set in, before you remembered something that made your eyes light up.

“Hey…” You smirked as you spoke. “I recall making a certain promise to you, on the condition that I had a great time at the dance…”

Sebastian perked up, turning to look at you with a glimmer of hope.

That’s right—he’d almost forgotten about his offer. Does that mean—?

Pressing a towel into the spot you’d cleaned, you leaned on it to get closer to him, and his face heated up as your body was leaning right over his lap. You grinned with a blush as you touched his cheek, and he shivered.

“…Well, I certainly had the time of my life dancing with you.”

His heart pounded, and a shaky smile stretched across his lips.

You… had a good time? You weren’t at all bothered by the villagers gossiping? Had you even heard their gossiping? You had a good time? You wanted to take up his offer? For real? You actually wanted to be with him? You LIKED him??

His breath shook in excitement, opening and closing his mouth as he scrambled for words to say.

“R-Really? M-Me too… I…”

Wait, his bike might not start in this heat, and the ride might be unpleasant.

“But… the heatwave…?”

“It’s supposed to rain tomorrow,” you responded, pulling from him to finish wiping up the wet spot, “and that should cool everything down a bit. At least, long enough for us to go Friday evening, maybe?” You tilted your head, giving somewhat of a puppy dog face.

You knew you were possibly pushing it since Friday evenings were usually reserved for saloon hangouts, but after Abigail’s reaction to being rejected at the dance and awkward silence between you ever since, you felt like you should keep your distance… At least until she gets over it. And besides, the timing with the weather was perfect…

Feeling you pull away left him feeling a sense of longing, and the adorable way you were looking at him now made him absolutely weak. He blushed, covering the bottom half of his face with the back of his hoodie sleeve, dotting it lightly with sweat… and possibly saliva.

‘Man, it’s fucking hot in here… What are they doing to me…?’

Realizing you were awaiting an answer, he nodded with a little more enthusiasm than intended.

“Y-Yes! I mean…” he cleared his throat, “I-I’d love to…” Grinning like a dork, he rubbed his neck. “So, is that a… d… I mean, um, a…?”

‘Damn, he’s so cute…’

“Y-Yes, it’s a date,” you responded, unable to help the shyness present in your own voice.

‘Fuck, they’re so cute—WAIT DID THEY ACTUALLY SAY THE “D” WORD?!’

Sebastian physically had to hold himself back from ravaging you on the spot.

His breath shook, and you noticed something in his gaze beginning to cloud over with the very same emotion you noticed momentarily during the dance. Though, before you could fully process the cautious tug in your gut, you were overtaken by butterflies as he pulled you into yet another hug.

“Yes, yes, fuck yes…! I…” He quickly composed himself, not wanting to creep you out. “S-Sorry, I just…” He took a deep, shaky breath, releasing you from the hug. “I’m just really excited…”

You smiled at him, planting a kiss on his cheek to reassure him. “It’s okay, me too!”

‘I want this feeling to stay… Be careful here. I want him…’

Sebastian’s heart pounded with fervency.

‘That’s the third time… and they’re promising a date, too… That means… That means we’re—’

He touched your hands, gaze locked on you, like you were the only thing in the world that mattered to him. He wanted to kiss you on the lips again to seal the deal right now, but something in him told him to wait… At least until Friday.

But you are really his. Third time confirms it.

You belong to him and no one else, and you’ll have a great time together on your date and you’ll be lovers and you’ll kiss and maybe, MAYBE you’ll even let him do more…!

He squeezed your hands tighter, and you blushed, unaware of the places his mind was now taking him, your gaze shying away to look at the basement window. The day was starting to settle into evening.

‘I need to give him space to process this… I need to process things. I think he’s overwhelmed… I’m overwhelmed with these feelings.’

‘N-No, don’t look away, look at me and tell me this isn’t a dream—'

‘…Better go before something happens…’

“Crap, it’s getting late!” You stood, and he stood with you, not letting go of your hands. “I-I’m sorry to cut this short, but I still have some farmwork I need to finish before the night ends!”

He stared at you, seemingly not understanding a word as he was lost in a daze of his own, though quickly shook his head.

“H-Huh? Oh, wait… Uh, it’s still really warm out, though! Can I help you? Can I at least walk you home? Please?”

His eagerness to help you charmed you, but you eyed his clothing and shook your head.

“Seb, you’ll get heatstroke going out in that hoodie… Don’t you have work to finish up here, anyway?” You nodded towards his computer.

He blinked, reality slowly coming back as he remembered that he did in fact have a lot of programming work to catch up on.

He’d just been so distracted, lately.

Sebastian let out a sigh, and before he could answer, you squeezed his arm a little, bringing his attention back to you. You smiled at him.

“Gotta work towards your goal of moving to the city, right?”

He stared at you silently for a moment, feeling something shift inside of him. There wasn’t anything necessarily peculiar about what you had said, yet… something felt wrong about it.

The city?

Yes, he’d mentioned his goals to you before about moving there… so it was natural that you would bring it up. So, what felt so wrong about it?

Was it perhaps because he felt tied to the Valley by something? …By you? Were you keeping him tied back from what he wanted? But what he wanted was you, wasn’t it?

And because he wanted you, the city began to sound so strange and foreign…

But he didn’t possibly want to stay in this dirt town with these dirt people, did he?

So why…?

Sebastian had been so lost in his conflicted thoughts that he hadn’t even noticed you’d slipped away from him towards his door.

“Seb?” You’d been trying to say ‘goodbye’ to him for a solid moment.

He snapped back to reality, shaking it off. “Y…Yeah.”

“I’ll see you Friday evening? Around 7?” You watched him carefully.

“Yeah… I’ll see you then.”

He gave you somewhat of a reassuring smile, and you smiled back, exiting out his door.

‘He must have his head so wrapped up in work… I’ll try to make sure he has a good time on Friday. Maybe he just needs to unwind more…’

After watching you leave, he stared at the door for a solid moment, before slowly turning to—almost automatically—sit in his chair at his desk. For another moment, he stared thoughtlessly at the dark screen of his monitor, doing nothing. As though in an attempt to reset himself, his thoughts turned to affirmations.

‘…See them. I’ll see them on Friday. I’ll take them on a date… and we’ll go to my favorite place to view the ████, and we’ll kiss, and we’ll hold hands, and maybe even—’

He let out a content sigh, smiling as he was finally coming back. Unlocking his PC, he returned to his usual programs, along with the camera mapping window. The moment his eyes landed on it, he glanced at the time displayed in the bottom right corner: 6:03pm.

If he worked at a steady pace, he might have enough time to stop by.

And now there was much less guilt about doing so, since you promised him a date.

Humming a tune from earlier, he decided to let the rest of the song play to help him focus. Sebastian opened Dropify and hit play, and the music continued right from where it’d left off:

[Lost soul in agony, meet machine tragedy…]

That night while you were asleep, you were completely unaware that someone had entered your house and taken some measurements, for more than one purpose. While there, your stalker also took this opportunity to take many cute photos of you to add to his album on his phone dedicated to you, because you were sleeping in just the cutest position ever. And he, after having been promised a date with you which, he believed, gave him unspoken permission, decided to sleep on your couch instead of outside. Being near you soothed him and helped him fall asleep, after all—so perhaps, he thought, he should do it more often.

The only discomfort he had that night was that it was much hotter in the farmhouse than in his basement, despite the efforts of your makeshift AC. After giving it some thought, he stripped off his hoodie and pants, figuring it would be fine as long as you didn’t wake up. Thankfully for him, you slept like a log, never even getting up to use the toilet.

He woke himself up around 5:40am, planted a kiss on the top of your head, dressed himself (along with a fresh undershirt and boxers he’d brought with him since he sweated all night as predicted), snapped a few more pictures of you (better lighting now), then hung around outside in the rain while you woke yourself up and started your morning routine entirely clueless of what had transpired. There was a hint of musk in the air, but it was mostly masked by your own sweaty smell, so you didn’t pay much mind to it.

With his back pressed against the siding of the back of your farmhouse, the roof’s awning gave him enough shelter to light a cigarette while he listened to you through your wall and scrolled through his new pictures of you on his phone. Your window was closed due to the weather forecast which now proved to be right, so he wasn’t at all worried about you possibly smelling the tobacco.

His thoughts were still spinning around what you’d said to him yesterday about the city, and he had some nerves about his doctor’s appointment, as well—especially after learning his doctor had been messaging you a little too frequently for his liking—but listening to you calmed him. After a moment of gazing at his favorite shot out of all the photos, he closed his eyes and sighed out a puff of smoke, a small grin curled along his lips. He stood and hung around until either you were getting ready to leave the house, or the time of his appointment arrived—whichever came first.

Mochi, after having become good friends with Sebastian thanks to his bribery of treats and cuddles, showed no signs of alarm, greeting you with a purr and rubbing himself against your legs. Sebastian was just someone who came over sometimes while you were asleep, and as far as Mochi was concerned, was of no threat to either of you.

When Sebastian arrived at the clinic, Maru, who was working at the counter, could have sworn she’d seen his silhouette through the window, coming from the direction of your farm instead of his usual route from the north—and earlier than usual—but she uttered no word of it. Perhaps she’d even just imagined what she'd seen out the window, a side effect from staying up late in her inventing room. Keeping their exchange entirely professional, she barely glanced at his dripping wet form before she placed a towel on the counter and instructed him to dry himself off before taking a seat.

While you had been completely unaware of Sebastian’s visit, Sebastian had been completely unaware that you had mustered up the courage to go drop off your pickaxe with Clint for another upgrade, shortly after he’d left. While Clint had thankfully kept the exchange professional, you couldn’t help but feel his gaze locked on you the entire time, and with an odd aura too, as though he wanted to say something. What he was thinking about, you didn’t care to know, so you quickly left as soon as you handed him your tool and the payment, without so much as a “thank you” nor a “good day.”

Clint, in fact, did intend to say something, but he was so distracted by the dark aura that followed you into his shop that he clammed up. Part of him was relieved when you left, but the rest of him knew he had to find a way to talk to you while you were completely alone, to atone for what he did.

…And the longer he waited, he now realized, the closer the harbinger of consequence seemed to approach.

~✬❧~

The following day, the Valley had cooled down to a more tolerable temperature, as predicted. It was still warm, but not nearly as sweltering as it had been for the past week. It was the best weather for hanging out or finally getting errands taken care of. And for some, it was the perfect day for a romantic date.

Farmwork was much easier on you thanks to the weather, and your chickens finally left the coop to graze on their own, all of which gave you more time and energy to prepare for your date that evening. You were a tad anxious, not having officially been on a date in quite some time, but you were also thrilled, knowing you were going with someone much better than anyone you’d been with before. You were determined to make this first date the best it could possibly be, so you shoved all concerns aside as you went inside to choose your best outfit, despite still having several hours to wait.

A ping from your phone sent your heart into an excited flutter, and even more so when you saw it was from none other than your date, himself.

<Seb ♥: Hey, I just thought of it- get a playlist ready for tonight>

<Seb ♥: I figured we could listen to yours on the way there and mine on the way back, if you want. I have bluetooth, and I’ll make sure your phone is secure, ofc>

A smile grew on your lips, giddy to be able to share some of your music with him. Your mind was already buzzing with song choices—something you think he would like, a bit of your personal taste, and a bit of what you both would like.

<You: I’ll get something good prepared, then! ;) I’m so excited!!>

<Seb ♥: Me too. ♥ See you at 7>

The mere inclusion of a heart emoji (your favorite color, too) in his message made you squeal quietly and hop a little in place. Taking a deep breath to brave it, you sent him a purple heart back.

<You: See you then!! ♥>

Sebastian grinned at his screen, and for a moment, he forgot where he was, until the person working the counter spoke up.

“Sir? That’ll be 7,250G.”

Sebastian snapped out of his momentary daze, pocketing his phone and fetching his wallet.

“Right, sorry about that.”

He touched his card to the reader, eyes carefully watching the employee place his online order neatly into a discreet black bag. It was a bike shop located just over halfway between Pelican Town and Zuzu, and was the one he usually trusted for parts and gear. They had an online shop too, which made it convenient to make custom orders and pick them up the following day, which was exactly what he’d done the day prior to keep himself occupied in the waiting room during his visit to the clinic.

7,250G was a hefty price to pay, and it took quite a chunk out of his savings, but he was certain that this investment would be worth it, in the long run. There was a 14-day return policy anyway, just in case.

After thanking the employee and stepping out of the building, he loaded the purchase into his lockbox on the back of his motorcycle, putting his helmet back on to prepare to ride back home. Glancing at the time—2pm—he made a mental note to shoot a text over to Sam once he got back, to let him know he wouldn’t be making it to the saloon hangout that evening… and to not tell Abby about it, knowing she would certainly get jealous and potentially try to sabotage their plans. He had a gut feeling he couldn’t trust her anymore, especially after her antics at the bus stop.

In the meantime, he sent you another text, almost having forgotten:

<Seb ♥: Also make sure to wear some durable pants and boots. I’ll cover you on everything else>

The anticipation you both felt made waiting feel like an eternity, but when evening finally rolled around, neither of you could contain your excitement. You wore a durable pair of farming pants which you’d just cleaned super well, and wiped the dirt off of your farming boots. You figured you had a bit more freedom with your choice of top, considering Sebastian mentioned “covering everything else” (whatever that meant), so you chose one that paired well with your pants while presenting as “date” material.

Sebastian dressed for the occasion as well and frequently found himself pacing around his room and checking the time anxiously, hoping that Sam wasn’t currently ratting out his plans to Abigail. He trusted him, of course, but he knew Sam sometimes let things slip without realizing it. Just to make sure, he sent him a casual reminder.

Around 6:30pm, he made sure his playlist was all set for the ride back, grabbed the black bag from the shop, took a deep breath, then made his way up the stairs. Traces of memories from his doctor's appointment the previous day threatened to emerge, but he silenced these thoughts, not wanting personal matters to get in the way of having a good time tonight.

Robin, who somewhat knew about your little outing, busied herself with taking inventory in the shop, to give you both some privacy. Demetrius was currently on the opposite side of the lake taking research samples, so he wouldn’t get in the way, either. When she saw her son come upstairs dressed head to toe in sleek black riding gear with his helmet and a bag in hand, she was feeling giddy for you two.

“Have fun and be safe!” She called to him as he went to the door, not expecting a response.

“Heh, we definitely will, thanks,” he responded with a rare smile, and she nearly stumbled where she was standing in surprise.

Robin gave him a smile back, and tears pricked the corners of her eyes as she watched him leave. She placed a calloused hand over her chest, feeling warmth as she took a deep breath to calm herself. Whatever you were doing to her son, it was definitely helping him. Not to mention how genuinely happy he looked at the dance...

Perhaps… you were the force of positive change he needed in his life, after all.

While Sebastian prepared everything for the ride, you made sure your playlist was ready, gave Mochi a loving pat and told him you would be back later, then headed out the door.

Over at the saloon, Sam was making practice shots at the pool table, trying his best to mimic some of the moves he’d learned from watching Sebastian. Abigail, who was seated in her usual spot on the sofa, constantly checked her phone while nibbling on her nail anxiously.

She had a bone to pick with the two of you, not having a chance to before thanks to this dreadful heatwave. Her anger about being rejected at the dance had been boiling and festering all week, and she really needed to blow off some steam after being cooped up in her dad’s store helping stock shelves all day—on the one nice day in a long while, at that.

All this time, Sam was whistling a tune he’d been practicing on his guitar recently, not fully conscious of which one it was. When he realized it was the melody he’d written to go along with the rather… explicit lyrics Sebastian handed off to him two weeks ago, his whistling began to awkwardly trail off, and a small blush crossed his cheeks.

Abigail peered up from her phone and cocked an eyebrow at him, before speaking up.

“Seb’s rather late tonight, huh?”

Though she’d intended it as a simple remark, her accusatory undertones slipped through the cracks. Neither the two-timing farmer nor the basement dweller made it to the hangout? After that grandiose romantic display at the Flower Dance? In rare decent weather such as this? The whole thing reeked of them ditching the saloon to go off on some rendezvous, and she couldn’t help but suspect that the blonde knew something about it.

Sam pursed his lips, leaning a bit on his pool stick as he tried to come up with some story.

“Yeahhh, well… You know how Seb’s always busy with his… work, and um…”

His phone pinged, and he took a quick peek at it:

<Seb: The plan is all set, and I’m expecting (Name) in 30 min. What I said before still applies.>

The blonde inhaled sharply. “Oof, yeahh… He says he’s stuck finishing up a module. Prob’ly gonna be a while.”

Abigail’s hands twitched, gripping the fabric of the sofa she was seated on. She stared at the floor, seemingly spaced out.

“Is… that so?” She let out a scoff, smirking. Her voice lowered to a mumble, “What a loser… Can’t even hang out with his friends on a Friday night…”

Sam frowned, off put by her venomous tone. “Um, just late…” He wondered how long he could keep up the lie.

She sent him a cold glare. “Oh really? And I suppose (Name) is late, too?!”

He glared back, shrugging. “Uhh, hell if I know? Why don’t you ask them yourself if you’re so concerned?”

Her hand twitched again, emerald eyes darting over to her phone, which remained silent. She had a crazy itch to bug you until you spilled what was going on, but she was held back by an invisible wall of doubt. As much as she wanted to, what would that accomplish?

Her fingers twitched. The nearby wall clock ticked in slow procession, counting the passing seconds. All the passing time you could be doing something… with him… While she sat here… waiting… missing out. Wasting time. Like all the time she wasted in her father’s shop that day.

Sam leaned over the pool table, aiming another shot. “They’re probably busy working, too…”

Abigail curled her hands into fists, ignoring him. She had to get that time back…

And if you’re out with him… Oh honey, it’s not that easy.

'I won’t let you get away from me…'

Another sudden ping from Sam's phone broke her from her thoughts, and Sam cursed under his breath when the ball he’d aimed for missed the pocket.