Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Prologue 

“ Welcome to Pelican Town! ” A loud greeting awakes Farmer from his sleepiness. The long bus ride is finally over and Farmer is surrounded by mountain valleys and nature. It's a much different atmosphere than the city. Taking his bags, Farmer stretches and smiles at the already abundance of nature. An old man with a brown cap and a green button shirt smiles at the young farmer. “We’ve been waiting for you.” 

“Ah I’m glad to be here.” Farmer moves his hand out for a handshake but the old man takes his hand and goes for a big hug instead. Farmer wasn’t used to being greeted with a hug right off the bat. Zuzu City people were more… cold? At least that’s what He thought anyway. It’s refreshing to be warmly hugged. 

“I’m the Mayor of Pelican Town. Mayor Lewis.” Lewis introduces himself. “I’ll be taking you to your new place!” 

With bags in hand, The new farmer and Mayor Lewis head out to the dirt path. A light breeze makes the leaves on the trees sing along with the chirping birds. “You came at the perfect time of the year, actually. It’ll be a lot easier for you to figure out farming.” Lewis laughs, remaining lighthearted. 

Further down they went, the more Farmer could easily spot the humble little building where he would now live. “Do you know where I could buy some seeds and supplies?” He asks, following behind Lewis quietly. He’s anxious about thinking of taking care of a farm all by himself but not even having seeds yet? He needed to be prepared. 

“Oh seeds? Pierre’s is the best place for that!” Lewis responds. “You should go into town later once you’re all settled in here. Just walk around and say hi, everyone’s excited to meet you.” 

“I’ll try to then.” 

“Look, we’re already here!” 

Lewis stops at the fenced little area surrounded with trees. Farmer stands beside him and stares at the huge farm he inherited. The area required a lot of work. Various cluttered rocks and sticks were overtaking the soil for the crops. Not to mention, the forest took over most of the land surrounding the property. A humble house stands alone, with the beach behind just a few strolls away from the house. A cute mailbox stands there with a large box just adjacent to it. 

“Ah… Hyacinth Farm. I still remember coming over here back in the days. Your grandpa was a real piece of work.” Lewis chuckles. He must be reminiscing about old memories. He turns to Kenji. “I’m glad you’re continuing his work though! I’m sure you’ll get this place in tip top shape again.” It was sad that grandpa passed away but taking over the farm is sort of like honouring him. Farmer wanted to make him proud. 

“Me too. Thank you for helping me up until now. I’ll be sure to visit the town soon.” Farmer smiles and waves back at Lewis. 

“If you ever need help, come and ask! I know your grandpa would kill me if I didn’t take care of you.” 

With a final wave, Lewis disappears back into the dirt path. 

Farmer is now left alone to his new home, sighing at the site of the messy area. “Ugh damn. I should start clearing these away so I can plant at least a few seeds already.”

Walking on the front porch of the house, He takes the rusty vintage key from his pocket and unlocks the door. Upon going in, Farmer notices the dust that accumulated in the unused space, now floating in the air. The house is smaller on the inside, with only one room and no kitchen. The place is decorated with the essentials. An old tv sits idly by in the corner of the place. On the right of Farmer is a wooden bedframe and on top sits an unused mattress. Dust bunnies are having a party on top of it. Farmer sighs and shrugs. “I guess I gotta clean the inside of this place too, huh?”

No one said it was going to be easy starting out new. But he feels determined and content with this choice to move out here. Even if it’s small, It’s enough for him at least for now. 

“Home sweet home.” 

Chapter Text

After a productive morning consisting of clearing away some rocks and sticks, Farmer decides to walk out onto the dirt road and heads to town merrily. He needed to buy seeds, and this ‘Willy’ guy wanted to give him something, at least that’s what the letter said. “Finally. I’ve been itching to get into town since at the crack of dawn.” He murmurs to himself. It’s too quiet on the farm. It’s something he never thought he would have to get used to. Farmer never really spent that much time alone by himself, especially with nature right by his doorstep now.

“Yoba, I can’t wait to have actual human interaction today.”  

With his timberland farm boots, Farmer steps onto the cobble pathway of the small quaint town. Pelican Town is bright and sunny today. “Huh, guess that weather report is more accurate than I thought.” Farmer hums, pleased with the warmth that hits his face. Walking further in, He notices the first few buildings in town. To the left is the local hospital. It’s reasonably sized with a bright blue coloured sign of a green cross on the building. Beside it is a larger structure with a sign that says ‘Pierre’s.’ Up ahead are just houses.

“Ah, perfect.” Farmer smiles to himself, feeling happy that he didn’t have to go on a scavenger hunt to find seeds. Not that it would be the worst thing in the world. Farmer liked being lost sometimes, but being lost in a new town he’s not accustomed to yet is probably not a good idea. 

Farmer steps inside and a jingling bell noise follows after. Inside is a modest little general store. Wooden floor boards and shelves make up most of the space. He looks around and spots many seed types sitting prettily in packets. There are some other supplies around the store like wallpaper and little nick nacks.

 “Welcome to Pierre’s!”

A cheerful middle aged man waves from the back. Farmer nods and waves back awkwardly. “Hi there.” He walks over to the little counter that seems to be like the cash register of the store. The man on closer inspection, wore glasses paired with a blue shirt and brown jacket. Chestnut hair sits on top of his head.

“You’re the new farmer, aren’t you?” The man smiles, adjusting his glasses. He then lends a hand out. “I’m Pierre, if you didn’t make that connection already.” 

“Nice to meet you, Pierre. I’m Farmer.” Farmer shakes Pierre’s hand. “I thought Mayor Lewis was just kidding when he said everyone’s been waiting to meet me.” He laughs, rubbing the back of his neck. Pierre lets out a hearty chuckle in response.

“We’re all excited to have a new neighbour in town, that’s all. We’re a pretty small community. So if someone ever moves in town like you did, we would all know about it.” 

“Ah I see, that makes much more sense.” 

Pierre then closes his hands together and leans on the counter, closer to Farmer. “So I’m guessing you’re here to buy some seeds, farmer?” 

“Mhm! It’s time to get the farm started up and growing. Mayor Lewis recommended I go here to buy some.” Farmer replies. “And you do have a huge selection, from what I’ve seen so far.” Pierre nods happily, and already leads Farmer to a few seeds on the shelves. He talks about each seed. The price, and how long it takes to grow. It takes only 30 minutes for Farmer to choose as he wanted to get the seeds in the soil already. 

“Thanks Pierre! I’ll see you around.” Farmer comes out of the store feeling accomplished. Humming as he checks one last time in the bag that carries the abundance of seeds he bought with almost all of his money. Well, he’s kind of broke now but he’ll get started on the farm at least.

 Farmer looks up and notices seagulls flying above, just south of where he stands. “Hmm.. Pierre did mention a beach. Maybe I’ll go take a look before I go home?” With that said, Farmer doesn’t really know how to go there but he doesn’t mind searching by himself. Before he could walk any further, a stray gridball rolls over from his left. It wobbles unsteadily before hitting his work boots. Confused, Farmer looks around his surroundings seeing if anyone lost their gridball. 

“Hey!” 

Farmer turns to the sound of the voice and sees a tall brown haired man running towards him. He wears an emerald green jacket with few yellow stripes and bright gold star on it. The guy looks like every other jock Farmer's ever met and had his heart broken by. Yet, Farmer couldn’t help notice the way the guy’s hair flows in the wind or how he can look so pretty while running. He finally reaches Farmer and stops to catch his breath but that didn’t take too long. 

“Sorry about that… I didn’t realize I would throw the gridball so far.” The tall guy towers over Farmer. He rubs the back of his neck cheekily. The scent of sun and citrus shampoo with a mix of fresh cologne hits his nose. Upon a closer look, the towering guy is clearly fit. His black shirt under the Leatherman jacket hugs his pecs. 

“Fuck! He smells good too.” Farmer curses inside his head.

The guy picks up the gridball beside Farmer, and lets out an awkward chuckle. “So you’re probably that new farmer that moved here yesterday, huh?” Farmer nods awkwardly, staring dumbfoundedly at this guy’s smile. Perfect set of white teeth, and a cute dimple too. “Cool. I’m Alex, I’ll see you around ‘kay?” Alex waves and turns to walk off. He happily tosses the gridball in the air as he walks back to where he came from. Probably his house, Farmer guesses. 

“I didn’t even get to tell him my name…” Farmer murmurs, eyes still glued to Alex’s figure. “Damn it. Whatever. I’ll go find him later.” He sighs, trying to remain unaffected by the little encounter he had just now. “Time to find that beach!” Farmer goes back on track and finally starts to move his feet but a minute later, he groans realizing he could’ve asked Alex where the beach was. 

Oh well. 

Farmer didn’t end up finding the beach that morning so he decided to head back home to plant the seeds so he didn’t forget. But he didn’t want to sleep that night without finding it, so he went back out into town. Willy’s probably still waiting for him too.

“Hmm, pretty sure at least one person would know at the saloon.” Farmer says out loud, standing in front of the doors of the establishment. A large sign hangs on a cylinder log that says ‘The Stardrop Saloon’. The saloon is made out of sandy coloured bricks, with bright green vines growing on the side of the building.

 Farmer heads inside and instantly gets hit with the smell of food and alcohol. Charming country sounding music plays from the jukebox that sits to the left. Warm lighting is situated around the place. Wooden tables and chairs are placed around for customers. A giant open bar is the main centrepiece of the saloon. Townsfolk Farmer hasn’t met yet gather around their own tables, drinking and talking amongst themselves. The only familiar face he can make out is Mayor Lewis, who seems to be drinking with a woman. Not wanting to bother him, Farmer just goes straight to the open bar, and sees a man with a fine moustache making a concoction in front of him. 

“Hey there. Do you know the way to the beach?” Farmer asks straightforwardly, watching the man’s hands move. It looks like he’s making a cocktail. 

“Oh for sure. Just go straight, and through the bridge.” The man explains while shaking something in a metal can. It sounds like there’s ice rattling inside. He looks like he’s been doing this for a while now. 

“Thanks. I’m Farmer, the one that just moved in.” 

“Nice to meet ya. I’m Gus, the owner and chef of this place. Stop by anytime if you need a cold drink!” 

Farmer nods and waves goodbye. Heading out with a skip in his step, he makes his way down the paths. He passes various houses he doesn’t really know much about yet. But the good thing is that the bridge was easy to find. From there, Farmer has a clear view of the shore. The distant waves hitting the sand, and the sound of birds flocking. After a peaceful walk, Farmer reaches the soft sand. The beach is empty when Farmer arrives, only a house on the left and a dock with a little hut goes into view. He moves forward anyway and steps onto the docks. His footsteps echo heavily. The little hut has a sign that says ‘Fish’. This is probably where Willy is. Farmer goes inside and sees many displays of equipment, fish, bait, and even seafood dishes. A gruff voice almost makes Farmer jump. 

“Ahoy there! Who might you be, young lad?” A man comes out from the back of the counter, wearing an old almost close to falling apart hat. His full beard covers most of the lower half of his face. 

“U-uhm I’m Farmer... I got your letter.” Farmer manages to say, feeling a tad embarrassed. He’s late after all. Willy just stares at the younger boy and shakes his head, laughing. 

“You got lost, eh boy? It’s alright, everyone always does it the first time!” Willy’s warm thundering laugh fills the awkward void. He helps out Farmer and gives him the Bamboo Rod, to start catching his own fish. Showing him the ropes on how to actually use the fishing rod, and giving little hints and help. 

“Sorry about being late again.” Farmer sighs, “I promise to do something in return for you.” Willy just smiles and nods. Farmer's standing outside of the shop, saying thank you before heading home. He holds the new fishing rod with his right hand and it rests on his shoulder comfortably. Farmer's shadow is casting onto Willy's face. The bright orange rays of the sun are going down now.

“Alright lad. Whenever I post for help, you better respond!” Willy teases, his eyebrows goes up, showing wrinkles.

 With that, Farmer nods happily and waves goodbye.

A weight lifts off his shoulders now. The last thing he wants is to piss off his new neighbours by not showing up after they offered their resources. Farmer trudges through the sand and goes through the bridge.

In the distance, he can make out the familiar vibrant green of Alex’s jacket. He looks like he’s watching the supposed dog in that fenced area. The closer Farmer gets to where Alex is, the more of the interaction they had replays inside his head. 

“Better if I don’t talk to him again today…”  Farmer thinks, before turning left to the saloon but not before sneaking a glance at him. He’s still as rugged and pretty as Farmer saw this morning. The same fluffy brunette hair and tall guy. He's even more attractive in the soft pink orange sunset, as he leans onto that old fence. Farmer hates that a lot. Alex probably never even saw him pass by just now. Farmer groans quietly to himself and stomps all the way back to the farm, tightly grasping the handle of the fishing rod. He hates how a stupid little smile from this jock has him thinking about him now. 

He doesn’t even know Farmer's name.

Chapter Text

It’s been at least a week since Farmer has moved into town. Things were starting to feel normal for him. He had a routine down now. He would first water the plants and then harvest any crops that were full grown and ready. Farmer cleared a lot more space for the seeds, and it’s been going smoothly since. But that’s not the only thing Farmer was able to do. He’s met everyone in town now, at this point, even a suspicious wizard living in Cindersap Forest. 

Today is starting out like no other, Farmer is watering his crops and harvesting the fully grown plants. It’s become a peaceful little chore that Farmer is starting to grow into. In fact, he’s growing into this town itself. It was rough for a couple days but things feel much calmer now. 

“Oh shit! It’s Mayor Lewis’ birthday.” Farmer realizes, mid thought. He just finished watering the last area of the farm, and is walking back to the house. “I should go get him something but, what does he even like…?” Farmer sighs and puts the unnecessary tools he doesn’t need for now, in a chest. Patting down the dirt off his dark brown corduroy shorts, Farmer stands staring at the chest. He’s looking for anything he’s collected so far that could be a gift. The chest only had junk though. Broken cd’s, clay, random glasses, and items he just picked off the ground. Sighing, Farmer just closes back the chest and keeps the fishing rod.  He brings that everyday in case there’s a post on the bulletin board. 

“Hmm… Guess I can ask Sam or Gus.” Farmer hums, heading out from his property. He might as well buy something from the saloon. 

“Oh come on, you don’t know what he likes?” Farmer groans, sitting on the floor of Sam’s bedroom. “You’ve lived here longer than me!” Sam’s chuckling at him, while he’s jamming out on his Stratocaster guitar. His hair is up thanks to the incredible amounts of gel that he put in it this morning. Sam’s a little taller than Farmer is… or maybe it’s because of the hair. 

Farmer sighs, and spreads out onto the floor like a starfish. 

“Is it really that important that you give a gift to the mayor?” Sam raises his eyebrows, asking what seems like a dumb question. 

“Uhm, obviously. The guy helped me out here and he and my grandpa were close.” Farmer sits up, staring at the blonde guitarist. "It would feel wrong not to." 

Farmer and Sam met just on Thursday, and they’ve been hanging out at least everyday. Along with meeting Sam, he’s been able to meet Sebastian and Abigail. They were the “Trio”, Farmer calls in his head. It feels like a redemption to Farmer, finally being able to befriend people his age. Pelican town just has more people not his age. Plus he couldn’t stop thinking about what happened with Alex. That was just embarrassing on his part. Farmer wanted to not be distracted like that again. 

“It’ll be fine, I’m sure whatever you give that old geezer- he will like it.” Sam offers some comfort. He walks over and gives Farmer a little pat on the shoulder before putting down his guitar on the stand behind Farmer. “Anyways, I gotta go to Seb’s. I’ll see you tomorrow?” Sam wonders, glancing down to the relaxing body on his carpet.

“Yeah and if not, you know where I am.” Farmer gets up and takes his fishing rod. He goes out of Sam's bedroom and waves by the doorframe. “Thanks anyway, rockstar.” 

Sam shakes his head amusingly. “No problem, redneck.” 

Farmer sighs and goes to the bulletin board at Pierre’s. A paper is posted, it looks like Willy wants someone to catch 3 smallmouth bass for 300 gold. Farmer tears off the paper, meaning he’ll do the request. Smirking to himself, Farmer walks over to the stream that passes through town. It went in between the neighboring houses. Even the certain someone Farmer’s been trying to ignore. He decides he would just fish near Mayor Lewis’ place. “If I quickly catch the fish, I won’t have to see him.” Farmer thinks, quickly trying to set everything up. Just hurry, just hurry. 

Luckily, Farmer catches the first smallmouth bass on the first try.

 Willy only taught him the basics, the rest, Farmer had to learn by himself. It’s been going pretty well, sometimes he would lose the fish he caught. As time passes, things weren’t looking pretty. After the first success, Farmer just kept reeling in trash. “Damn it. I need to hurry.” Farmer murmurs. The sun’s been beating down on the hardworking young man. Sweat drips down at the sides of his face, the urge to take off his shirt is there. He feels gross and sticky. 

How many minutes has it been already? 

“Are you kidding me!” Farmer groans, lifting up the string that’s attached to the stupid piece of trash he just pulled out of the water. Just as things couldn’t get worse, Farmer just couldn’t stand being sweaty. His shirt is sticking to his body too much. He gives in and takes off the white cloth that’s been covering up all his sweat. Farmer tosses it aside and concentrates back to fishing. At least he feels cooler now. 

I mean, no one will care right? He’s a farmer now. Farmers do it all the time. 

Sighing, Farmer still patiently stands towards the stream and keeps fishing. Keeping his back from any of the passersby that might stare at his antics. The frustration and determination is too overwhelming now that Farmer doesn’t even care if Alex bumps or sees him in this sweaty ass condition. He repeats a phase that helps him patiently wait for the fish. 

“I’m here to earn money. I’m here to earn money. I’m here to ear-... OH!!” 

Farmer finally gets a bite on his hook. It’s a strong fight for power between him and whatever kind of fish this is. Feeling excited, Farmer uses all of his strength to win the battle between him and the fish. He firmly stances himself in the dirt. The sea-creature is pulled out of water and goes right into Farmer’s arms.

“Holy shit it’s a catfish!” 

“Damn, you're a fisherman now? ” 

A cold shiver passes through Farmer’s spine. That smooth, but deep voice speaking right in his right ear. The familiar scent of citrus and sun. Farmer quickly turns around holding the catfish and tries to back away from the jock who just attacked his right ear with his voice. 

Alex stands there with hands shoved against his jacket pockets, giving Farmer acknowledgement. His lips curve into a cheeky smile. 

“Alex…? Wait- SHIT!” Farmer curses during mid fall, glancing back into the water as it gets closer to him. The catfish, still in his arms, jumps back into the water. 

Splash!

Farmer loses his footing and goes backwards, right into the stream. The stream itself wasn’t too deep, but it’s deep enough that Farmer’s whole body is soaking wet. It’s not freezing but it’s enough to make him shiver. Splashing around, he stands in the water in shock. “My catfish…!” Farmer shouts in disorientation. Glancing around the water, it’s nowhere to be seen. It’s just calm moving water. It’s long gone now. Farmer’s damp hair is covering some of his face. Even if it was still here, he probably wouldn’t be able to see it. 

“Are you okay?” 

And now, he has to deal with him.

Farmer stares at the stretching hand that Alex is offering him. Alex smiles once again, but little giggling comes out too. He’s laughing at Farmer. The realization makes Farmer feel stupid and embarrassed. He doesn’t take Alex’s hand and just stays in the water. Shirtless, cold, and exposed. “Why are you laughing? This is all your fault.” Farmer sighs, giving Alex a glare. He’s just mad at this point for losing that precious catfish.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to.” Alex apologizes. He sighs and clears his throat. “Come on. The water’s still too cold to be splashing in.” Alex's eyes are dark, and is looking at Farmer earnestly. It doesn't seem like he's pranking him. 

Farmer takes Alex’s hand after thinking about it to himself. With an easy pull, Alex gets Farmer out of there in just a second. His hands are calloused and rough, but they’re warm and strong. 

“Thanks.” Farmer murmurs, stepping back onto dry land. He awkwardly fetches his shirt from the ground and wears it back on, despite still dripping. “And why were you even here?” Farmer asks, as he starts cleaning up his tools. Alex just watches nearby still, unsure on what to do. He didn’t want to leave Farmer, it’s his fault after all that he’s soaking wet and lost the fish. 

“Mayor Lewis’ party, remember? The whole town’s invited.” Alex reminds the distracted farmer. 

“Right... I forgot about it for a little bit there.” Farmer replies awkwardly. He finishes packing everything and just holds the one smallmouth bass he caught. Might as well give this one to Willy. Farmer turns around, and Alex is still standing there, waiting...? Waiting for what? “Why are you still here? You should go to the party already.” Farmer ushers, his eyebrow going up. He didn’t really want to get more involved with this jock. It’s nothing but misfortune today. 

“I can tell you’re mad at me.” 

Farmer slicks his hair back, clearing his vision. Alex’s face is showing remorse. He looks guilty. Farmer kind of wants to punch him. “Good job, Sherlock! Of course I’m mad!” He thinks, almost wanting to scream it out. 

“There’s nothing you can do about that.” Farmer exhales. He rubs his temples trying to relieve himself. 

He doesn’t want to waste anymore energy on being mad. He’s just going to go drop off Willy’s fish first and head home to change. Farmer passes by Alex, going to the beach. Alex stands there with hands in pockets. He watches as the dripping guy walks alone with his fishing pole and a fish. In the matter of a few moments, Alex has managed to make Farmer hate him a little more than before. 

Chapter Text

“Happy Birthday, Mayor Lewis!!!” 

A violin version of the birthday song is being played by Gus while members of the town clap and sing. They all surround the Mayor and his cake, at the centre most table of the saloon. Farmer sings along with the Trio in the back. Presents are all placed nearby, on the floor. Minimal decor is set up on the ceilings, just simple colourful streamers. And maybe a disco ball Robin installed on a wooden plank on the ceiling. It dangles and sparkles around like a diamond ring. 

“I’m not that old!” Mayor Lewis laughs, suggesting the candle shaped number. Everyone laughs with the birthday man. 

The party gets on and everyone is drinking and laughing at their respective tables. Some even participating in a dance. Leah and Elliott are doing a ragdoll tango, Mayor Lewis and Marnie join in the fun with them. 

Meanwhile, Farmer is getting his ass beat at pool by Sebastian. 

“This is rigged, why are you so good!” Farmer jokingly complains, sipping a glass full of beer. Sam, Abigail, Farmer, and Sebastian are all hanging out on the other side of the saloon. 

“Well I’m just that awesome, plus you’re drunk.” Sebastian chuckles, scoring another ball into a hole. Farmer rolls his eyes and waits for his turn. “What happened to you, by the way?” Sebastian asks, giving Farmer a side glance. He bends down and eyes his shot, checking if it’s straight. 

“What do you mean?” 

“Well you were soaking wet. You looked like hell.” Abigail adds from the sidelines. She’s sitting on the couches, eating the vanilla birthday cake. “We saw you when we were all walking here.” Sam nods. He’s also sitting with Abigail, quietly chilling on his phone. “You seemed really pissed off.” Abigail finishes, studying Farmer with her eyes. 

“Oh that.” Farmer remembers. He gazes up at the ceiling, thinking about what happened. “It’s nothing. Alex just surprised me and I fell into the stream while fishing.” It’s been a few hours and Farmer’s able to change into fresh clothes. Sighing, he sips more of his alcoholic drink. “Because of him, I didn’t have time to get a present for the Mayor.” 

Sebastian looks up midway through his turn. “Alex? You guys are friends?” Farmer makes a scrunched up face. Whether it looks like disgust or anger, he doesn’t know. 

“No! I barely know the guy…” Farmer rolls his eyes, trying to be unaffected. “He just laughed at me earlier when I fell. He’s just another jock.” Farmer huffs, finishing the last of his glass. “I’m going to get more.” He wipes his mouth and walks away from the pool table. The Trio all give each other a look. 

“I guess he really doesn’t like Alex.” Sam shrugs.

“I don’t blame him. The guy talks about gridball too much.” Sebastian comments, watching Farmer walk off. “It’s like all he cares about.” 

“Gus, another one.” Farmer places the glass gently on the bar table. Leaning on it, he waits and watches the other partygoers in town chat and drink. He scans the room and sees the jerk who made him fall in the water. Alex’s just sitting in the corner, looking uncomfortable drinking a glass of… water? Farmer sighs and just turns his back around again. It’s not his problem. 

“Here you go.” Gus gives Farmer a full cold glass. 

Farmer nods, “Thanks.” He turns around and just for a split second, his eyes travel to where Alex is again. His wavy brown hair looks like chocolate in the saloon lighting. He isn’t wearing his green jacket tonight. His biceps are more noticeable now that it’s not all covered up. Alex keeps on a poker face. He’s just fiddling with his hands. They meet eyes for a tiny moment. Farmer breaks away first and goes back to his area. 

“Annoying jock.” He mutters to himself, his face flushed. "He doesn't even know how to properly apologize." 

“Sorry about yesterday Willy.” Farmer apologizes, “I hope you’ll still pay me.” Today, Farmer finally gets the request delivered. It’s raining for the first time today since he’s moved into Pelican Town. The raindrops hit the windows inside the fish shop like hard nails. It’s a nice change of scenery. 

“It’s alright, boy. I’ll pay you still!” Willy replies, handing Farmer a small pouch of coins. 

“Thank you, Willy! I promise I won’t do that again.” Farmer smiles, happily taking the coins. “I’m going to buy more seeds now! See you!” He runs off like a kid who just got a bunch of candy. Well he did but, candy for adults instead. Willy shrugs and lets the happy farmer go. 

Pierre has a 20% sale today on the cauliflower seeds. 

Farmer probably bought his entire stock. He has a lot of free space anyway. He spent most of the morning and mid-afternoon clearing away the last of the soil. The farm looks more spotless than Farmer’s own cottage right now.

“Right, time to go home.” Farmer hums, clearly in an upbeat mood. Drinking with friends yesterday helped him go back on track. Not that he’s over what Alex did but he’s over being mad. He goes out into the clammy cold downpour outside. The rain wasn’t as harsh as it was when Farmer was on the beach. Just the right atmosphere. Puddles form on the uneven cobblestone pathways. He steps in them, frolckling almost. He didn’t have an umbrella either, Farmer’s just getting soaked once again. At least this time it’s on his own accord. 

“Oh dear. I didn’t realize it would be pouring this much.” 

Farmer glances at the figures that just came out from the hospital. A wrinkly, smaller woman stands under the little roof by the front door. Beside her is another wrinkly, old man sitting on a wheelchair. It’s Evelyn and her husband, George. Farmer’s met them already at the little bench area, near the saloon. They notice Farmer ogling them. Farmer scurrys over to them, trying not to be rude to his elders. 

“Hi Granny, hi George. Do you guys need help?” Farmer asks, giving both of the seniors a smile. Evelyn gives Farmer a pat on the back and a sweet old grandma grin. George merely just stares, not saying a word. He must hate the rain. Or Farmer...?

“Yes dear, I didn’t realize it would be this bad… We hadn’t brought an umbrella.” Evelyn replies, expressing their predicament. “I must’ve left it by the door before we left.” She suggests it to George, who simply sighs at her. 

“I can go get it for you, Granny. You can just wear this jacket over your head, and I’ll use the umbrella to protect Uncle George here.” Farmer offers willingly. He takes off the comfy thick flannel jacket he’s wearing and hands it to Evelyn. “Just put it over your head like this and just run home.” Farmer demonstrates, with his arms. He looks like a flapping bird.

“Oh, what about you though dear? You might catch a cold if you get wet in the rain like this.” Evelyn says, feeling troubled for the young farmer. 

“I promise I’ll be okay!” Farmer cheerfully promises. “Now Granny, which one’s your house? I’ll go quickly and get the umbrella.”

“It’s the blue one right there. It’s very close.” Evelyn points. It’s the light blue house that’s sitting just right across from Pierre’s. Farmer never realized the old couple lived there. To be fair he doesn’t stay too long in the neighbourhood unless he wants to go to the saloon. 

“Alright, I’ll be right back.” 

“Thank you so much, dear.” 

Farmer heads out from the little shield under the roof, and runs through the puddles and mud. He can already spot a bright yellow umbrella just leaning on the front of the house. At this point, Farmer’s white shirt is transparent on the shoulders. He quickly snatches the umbrella and runs back to the old couple. 

“Here we go.” Farmer huffs, arriving shortly back to them. He opens the umbrella and shakes it free of the water that was being collected while it stood. Farmer glances both at George and Evelyn. “Are you guys ready? Uncle George?” 

“Yes, young man. Don’t go too fast. I don’t want my feet to get wet.” George grumbles quietly. 

Farmer doesn’t take it personally and instead gives George a reassuring nod. “Of course, sir.” Farmer quietly reminisces to himself. It's like walking with Grandpa all over again. 

With that, Farmer hands the umbrella to George while he pushes his wheelchair to the house. Evelyn walks beside them with the jacket over her tiny figure. They made it to the front of the house nice and safely. Both of the seniors barely got wet, meanwhile Farmer is again, drenched. 

“Oh Farmer, you’re soaked!” Evelyn’s eyes travel all around Farmer’s figure, scanning him. “Come inside. We can give you spare clothes so you don’t get sick.” 

“Oh no, I’m fine, Granny. I promise!” Farmer insists, waving his hands no. 

“Just come inside. You can stay for dinner too, it’s late already.” George peeps up. 

Farmer awkwardly looks down at George, who’s staring at him intently. “It’s alright. I don’t want to intrude.” 

“Just come inside. We’re offering you our hospitality, after you’ve helped us.” George butts in again, saying his words in a harsher tone. Farmer sighs and looks at both of them. It would be bad if he said no again. They did offer after all.

“Alright. Thank you for letting me stay for dinner.” 

Evelyn smiles warmly and opens up the door for George and Farmer. They head inside first. Farmer sees a long hallway at first, to his right is a living room with a tv and other furniture. He glances to the left and it looks like the kitchen area. Evelyn closes the door behind them and pats Farmer on the back. “Here you go, dear.” She gives him the jacket back. Farmer takes off his muddy boots and steps aside off the doormat. 

“Alex, we’re home!” George yells, wheeling himself to the living room. 

“Huh?”

Chapter Text

Farmer stands there frozen, watching as a door in the very end of the hallway opens. Eyes wide as saucers, he gazes quietly as a topless Alex comes into view. He’s wearing only black shorts and socks. Alex notices Farmer right away, standing like an idiot at the front door. Farmer doesn’t peep a single word. He only gulps and keeps watching the muscular guy stand there. Alex doesn’t know what to do either. “I regret all my life decisions. Why did I have to move to a farm!” Farmer screams into oblivion, moving his eyes away to the wooden floors below him. 

“Oh Alex!” Evelyn takes Farmer’s hand without warning and walks him towards Alex. “This is Farmer. Give him some of your clothes to wear for now, he got soaked while trying to help us.” Farmer blinks and his eyes meet with Alex’s. The height difference is once again clear. Alex’s face is clearly sweaty, warmth is emitting from him. Evelyn lets go of Farmer’s hand and pats him on his wet shoulders. “This is my grandson. Go on and change in his room, I’ll take your wet clothes when you’re done.” 

“Nice to meet you, Farmer .” Alex murmurs, his voice is deep and crisp. He’s staring directly into Farmer’s eyes. That’s the first time Alex has ever called him by name, not to mention actually finally knowing it. Farmer exhales, his chest feeling weird but he doesn’t break away from Alex’s intimidation. He’s just nervous because hot muscles are distracting him.

“Right. Nice to meet you too.” Farmer follows along with his lead. He doesn’t know why Alex’s acting like they’ve never met, but he doesn’t care either. Maybe he feels guilty in front of his grandma or something. 

 “Come in.” Alex turns around and walks back into his room. Farmer’s eyes couldn’t stop themselves. His eyes travel to the muscles that are obviously defined. He has wide shoulders, and the further Farmer goes down, he notices Alex’s figure is like a triangle. His waist is so slim. “Close the door behind you.” Farmer flinches, not thinking Alex would glance back again. He looks away and does as he says. His eyes feel like hot lasers. Farmer doesn’t want to be here, at all . Especially in his room. 

“Yoba, I did a good deed and this is how you repay me? I know I’m gay but like, WHY!” Farmer cries in his thoughts. “And why does he look like a fucking dorito! He has a slimmer waist than I do!” He turns around and Alex is over at a dresser fiddling with clothes inside it. This gives Farmer a chance to investigate around his room and to calm down. His eyes just travel down to the yoga mat all laid out in front of him. 20 pound (9 kgs) dumbbells are resting beside it. 

"This guy is a monster.” Farmer’s inner monologue states.

The rest of Alex’s room is pretty normal. He even has football players and muscle bodybuilder pictures posted on his little board. Papers pinned on the corkboard look like training regiments. A gridball sits right near his bed, along with a green used gridball helmet. His own goddamn wallpaper too, they have tiny little gridballs on them. But amazingly, even Alex has a bookshelf. It’s filled with random books Farmer never really knows anything about. 

“Here.” Alex throws a white dry towel at Farmer. “Dry your head.” 

The towel goes on Farmer’s head, hitting his face in the process. Farmer sighs and grips the towel annoyed. It just came out of nowhere, so quickly. He doesn’t say anything else, and just dries himself quietly. He’s still standing right by the door of the bedroom. “Sorry if they’re too big. I just realized you’re smaller than me.” Alex walks over and hands Farmer a navy long sleeve shirt. It’s thick, and the fabric feels well taken care of. 

“Thanks.” Farmer accepts the cloth and inspects it. It does look bigger than what he would normally wear but it’s better than nothing. He looks up at the shirtless guy staring down at him. Farmer doesn’t realize how close he really is. Only now does he see how bushy Alex’s eyebrows are. Somehow it made him even more attractive. His nose bridge is tall too. Farmer clears his throat and gestures around. He grips the towel around his neck. “Where do I change then?” Alex’s bushy brows arch, as if he’s trying to understand TV static. 

“What do you mean? Here obviously.” Alex walks away, not batting an eye.

He walks back to the dresser and pulls out another shirt. It’s black this time. Farmer gulps. Of course, how silly of him. Why would Farmer ever be nervous? It’s just changing clothes. Farmer doesn’t respond and waits until Alex finishes. He changes into the shirt, and turns around to face Farmer. He leans on the dresser, both hands on the edge of the wood, almost like a bench dip. “By the way, Farmer,” Alex starts, “thanks for helping my grandparents.” He gives the farmer a genuine expression. It’s not a smile but it’s enough for Farmer to see he’s being serious. 

“It’s no problem.” is all Farmer can manage to say, feeling his own guilt for being an ass to Alex yesterday. He did apologize, too. Maybe Farmer should apologize too. He releases his nerves by tightly holding onto the shirt and jacket he’s carrying. “Hey look, about yesterday,” he starts, “I was just mad. I should’ve listened to you at least before I ran off like that.”

“Nah, don’t worry.” Alex waves it off. “It’s my fault for scaring you like that.” He stops leaning on the dresser and makes his way over to where Farmer is. “Just come out when you’re done, dude. Granny’s making Salmon Dinner tonight, don’t wanna miss that.” He grins right at Farmer, going back to a cheerful manner. He casually pats his back and closes the door shut behind Farmer. 

“Did he just call me dude?” 

Farmer shakes his head. He shouldn’t be too caught up on that. It’s just how things are. Guys calling each other ‘dude’ and ‘bro’. But him being called ‘dude’ by a hot jock are like flashbacks coming back from high school. Farmer shivers from the cringe and tries to move on. He gets on with his task and changes out of his wet white shirt and puts on the navy long sleeve. It’s comfy, and an oversize fit on Farmer. He unconsciously smells it and the fragrance is a laundry detergent but it smells like Alex. It’s a woodsy, fresh, and clean smell. At least he’s cleaner than other athletic guys. He rolls up the sleeves and heads out of the bedroom, leaving the towel on the table by Alex’s door. 

“Granny?” Farmer closes the door and looks around the end the hallway for the old woman. Instead, the door beside Alex’s bedroom opens. Evelyn appears in a lacey pink grandma dress. 

“Oh good. They fit.” Evelyn eyes Farmer. She snatches Farmer’s wet t-shirt from his hand. She smiles and gestures for the farmer to come closer to her. “Would you do this old granny a favour?” Evelyn quietly asks. Farmer automatically raises his eyes in question. She leads Farmer down quietly the hallway. It seems like she doesn’t want Alex or George to know they’re there. They peek into the living room slowly. 

Alex and George are quietly watching TV together. Alex sits on a pillow on the ground near his grandpa’s wheelchair. They’re talking about the show that’s being played on the TV at the moment. Farmer couldn’t help but smile. It’s really right then that Farmer realizes how much Alex cares about his grandparents. Farmer moves back and notices that Evelyn is just watching him stare at the two. He can feel his face heat up a little bit. 

“Alex is a sweet kid. He’s a little lonely sometimes.” Evelyn whispers. “A special friend he has left on a trip recently. He’s been spending too much time just hanging out with his grandparents.” Evelyn moves Farmer away from the living room. “He needs some friends again. You seem to get along.” Farmer couldn’t help but feel pressure. They literally just met today, according to Alex. 

“Granny, I just met him. And I don’t think he’d befriend a dorky farmer like me,” Farmer whispers, “I think he’s better off with the other people in town.” Granny couldn’t be serious right? Farmer has no time to take care of a lonely jock. He’s got like 1800 acres of soil to take care of! She doesn’t even know the incident between them. He didn’t want to be rude to the sweet old woman in front of him though. 

“Dear, all I ask of you is to try.” Evelyn nods in understanding. “I believe you two will be good friends. I understand either way, if you can’t. But give him a chance, for me.” Farmer chews the inside of his mouth. He doesn’t want to say anything that will hurt Evelyn’s feelings; so he instead nods silently. “Thank you, Farmer. You’re a wonderful kid too.” Evelyn reaches out for his hand and squeezes it softly. “Go on and join them there. Dinner will be ready soon.” 

“Thanks, Granny.” 

Dinner was rather uneventful for the most part. The conversation was mostly about Farmer’s life and where he stayed before he came to live in the town. Many questions were asked by both Evelyn and George, while Alex just ate quietly. He only passed Farmer the salad bowl once, and that was all. Farmer couldn’t tell what was going on with him, it seems like he’s back to ignoring him or just pretending. Alex seemed pleased that it was Salmon Dinner though. 

“Thank you for everything today, Granny. I’ll return your umbrella tomorrow.” Farmer smiles. It’s still drizzling outside. He waves goodbye in his freshly washed t-shirt. Evelyn gives him a wave, watching the farmer quietly walk away from the house. She goes back inside and sighs. Walking to Alex’s room, the door is slightly ajar. Evelyn knocks but goes in anyway. She sees Alex on his bed, lazily staring at his phone. 

“Alex, couldn’t you have said goodbye too?” 

“We’re not friends, Gran. I didn’t even know his name until today.” 

Alex doesn’t look away from his screen. Evelyn exhales, and closes the door behind her. “I know you miss her, Alex. But you need to go out and live your life,” She carries on, “she’ll be back before you know it.” This is when Alex finally glances at his grandma. He gives her a sad expression. You wouldn’t be able to see it’s sad though, he’s good at hiding that. “Go to Farmer’s place tomorrow in the morning and get the umbrella back for me, dear.” Evelyn simply says. “Goodnight.” She shuts the door. 

Alex doesn’t retaliate this time. His eyes travel back to his phone. He studies the picture of him and her. It was last summer. But why does it feel like ages ago...? 

“When are you coming home?” 

Alex turns off his phone and tosses it to the end of his bed in annoyance. He closes his eyes shut and slowly drifts off to sleep with conflicting feelings. 

Chapter Text

“Ugh. Am I really doing this?” Alex looks around the woods, as he walks onto the dirt path. It’s a peaceful sunny morning after the downpour yesterday. The earth's smells are pretty prominent right now. “That guy might even still be sleeping.” He keeps walking anyway because if he goes back empty handed, Evelyn will be disappointed. He already knows the way to Hyacinth Farm. Alex wandered there a lot when he was younger. He always wondered why no one lived there. Sometimes he’d see an old man but the next day, he would be gone. Younger Alex was convinced he was just seeing ghosts. 

He arrives and just stops short from the unlocked fence door of the entrance. The farm is ever so silent as he remembered. The farm that Alex has in his memories was heavily wooded, and had many scattered rocks and twigs. It was much like a haunted forest. It was also pretty dark, extremely shaded by the overgrown leaves and bushes. Troublesome and terrifying to deal with. Kids back then always avoided the place, sometimes even using it as a place to scare their own friends. That was then.

Now, it’s bigger and more open than Alex had expected. Brighter even. There isn’t much of an overgrown forest anymore, trees have been cut down. A rocky stone path has been placed at the entrance. Alex’s white vans step onto it. He closes the fence gate behind him and slowly walks further in the private property. 

This is the only way he could directly meet the farmer since, well, he doesn’t have his phone number.

The spring sun is bright, as the clouds breeze by. Alex could feel the crisp morning air fill his lungs. He scans the area. It’s clear right from a simple glance that the farm is separated into different sections. There’s one whole row of just cauliflower growing, while there’s a strawberry and flower row near it. The rows are separated by multiple scarecrows. They have smiley faces drawn on all of them. Alex couldn’t help but find that kind of cute. He scans further and sees the familiar farmer. He’s bending down by the edge of the last row, which looks like another cauliflower row. Alex quietly watches; he doesn’t know why but he wants to see what the farmer’s doing. Farmer’s wearing overalls today, with a simple black t-shirt. That’s as much as Alex could make out. He sighs, and shoves his hands back into his jacket pockets. He quietly walks over to where Farmer is. 

Alex arrives; he stands just a few steps away from him. He gazes at the busy bee. There’s sweat forming on the back of Farmer’s neck. His skin looks soft to Alex, at least the back of Farmer’s neck does. He almost wants to poke it. Then the rest of Farmer’s body is being nicely hugged by his clothes. 

“Hey.” Alex awkwardly says, trying to get the attention of the farmer. No answer.

Alex speaks again. 

“Farmer. Hey.” 

No dice. Farmer’s back is turned away from Alex, clearly not paying attention. Alex then notices the earbuds that are in his ears. He couldn’t even hear him in the first place. He then makes sure to touch the back of Farmer’s shoulders this time. He jumps, standing up straight and turns with a trowel in hand, using it as a weapon towards whoever touched him then. Alex steps backwards in surprise, eyes widening at the sudden lunge and movements. He didn’t even know the shorter guy could move so quickly on him like that. Staring at the dirty, dirt covered trowel just inches from his nose, he couldn’t help but glare. 

“Dude? What the hell?”  

“Alex? Oh shit.” 

Farmer immediately drops the garden tool. The metal clanged, it hit rocks when it reached the ground. He stares directly into Alex’s hazel eyes. Farmer never realized they had other colours, like a touch of green in the middle. “S-shit, I’m so sorry. I didn’t think anyone would come here this early.” Farmer quickly stutters, taking out his earphones. He shoves his phone and earbuds into his pockets. “What are you doing here? Did I leave something at your place?” Farmer follows up, wiping the sweat slicking from his forehead. It has already been 2 hours since the farmer got out of bed and started working on his farm. He’s feeling tired somewhat sooner than he wants. 

Alex just sighs and composes himself. 

“It’s fine. I think that was karma for scaring you earlier,” Alex starts, “I just came by to get the umbrella.” He looks down at Farmer. It’s only then that Alex clearly sees Farmer’s face. He studies it silently, coming to the conclusion that he wasn’t bad looking. Definitely better than his mates at university.

“Oh right. I’ll go get it for you in a bit.” Farmer nods. “I just have to finish harvesting these.” He gestures at 3 full whole rows of cauliflower. He doesn’t mean to make Alex wait for him but he doesn’t exactly trust the jock to go alone in his house. Not yet anyways. At least this way, he might leave and come back later instead of distracting Farmer. As much as Farmer likes Evelyn, he and Alex, it just doesn’t feel like they’ll get along. Maybe he would try but he doesn’t know if Alex would. 

Alex’s eyebrows raise. “What? You’re harvesting all of that by yourself?” He found it crazy. The amount of fully grown cauliflower in the rows would take all morning to harvest if the Farmer is alone. Not to mention, cleaning the dirt off them. 

“Yeah. So you can just come back later and...-” 

“...-Do you want help?” 

Farmer’s mouth is left hanging. Was he hearing things? Did Alex just offer help? They meet eyes and Alex doesn’t seem like he’s joking. “What? Why are you suddenly offering?” Farmer inquires. “If you feel guilty about what happened, don’t be. I’m over it.” He simply ends. Alex licks his lips and glances back at the field. Farmer notices it too quickly he just did that. 

“Look,” Alex starts, “I just want to help. It’s not about guilt or anything, we’re both cool now. Right?” He sighs, turning his attention back to the smaller farmer. Farmer rubs his arms and turns to stare at the field to think. It wouldn’t be a terrible idea… It would be done faster, and he can leave quickly too. “I won’t even ask for any payment, if you’re worried about that. I just want to help, really.” That alone makes Farmer turn around and raise his eyebrow. 

“You’re serious?” 

“Yeah? We always help neighbours with stuff like this.” 

Alex doesn’t think it’s such a big deal. He always did things like this for neighbours in town. He helped fix the roof in the hospital during fall with the other citizens so it would be safe during winter. It’s just people doing nice things to help neighbours. Farmer couldn’t help but grin. He found Alex so… interesting. He wants to know more about this little contradiction of a guy. Farmer wants to know why he’s always showing him a different side when they see each other. 

“Alright! Thanks, I really appreciate it.” Farmer smiles even bigger, directly towards Alex. “Here I’ll teach you how to properly harvest them…” He gestures for Alex to bend down with him near the cauliflower. 

“Okay.”  

Alex squats near Farmer, and he watches quietly while Farmer is carefully explaining the proper way to take a cauliflower out of the ground. Farmer’s words become cloudy in Alex’s ears. The jock is busy watching the little movements of Farmer. How carefully he lifts the leaves of the plant, or how much he looks back at Alex to see if he understands, or the way he even pushes back his hair off his forehead. It’s like watching a little puppy. It doesn’t help that the farmer is smaller than him too. He doesn’t really know what to think about Farmer yet, but Alex knows he’s kind. 

“Hey, are you even listening?” Farmer is waving a dirty hand in front of Alex. “Take the knife. I showed you how to cut it properly, so now it’s your turn.” Farmer carefully hands Alex the small hori hori knife. Alex takes it without hesitation. He has no idea what Farmer even said to him. “Okay, harvest this one and if you can do it then I’ll leave you to do this row by yourself.” Alex stares at the cauliflower in front of him. He pushes the huge leaves and looks for the bottom for the stem. At least that’s what he kind of remembered from what Farmer was doing. He finds the thick stem and cuts it. Alex glances at Farmer who’s focusing on every move that he is making. He acknowledges Alex with a simple nod; so he continues with the next steps which is taking off the leaves to reveal the flower. 

“You did it!” Farmer smiles, taking the freshly harvested crop. “Good job. Just put it in this basket okay?” He points to the wooden little baskets near the end of each row. Alex nods and glances back at Farmer, who is brightly smiling at him. “I’ll go and leave you be. We’ll finish in no time!” This side of the farmer is so different from what Alex saw on the first day or even yesterday. He never really gave him a smile until now. It’s a nice change of scenery. Farmer walks away to the basket, leaving Alex alone to do his share of the work. 

Alex looks down at the cut on his thumb. It’s making a mess in his hand since he hid it inside of a fist. “Ah. I can’t tell him after believing in me like that.” It doesn’t hurt as much as Alex thought it would. 

“There! That’s the last basket.” Farmer sighs, wiping off his sweat with a mini towel. The baskets full of crops were moved near the mailbox by Farmer and Alex, mostly Alex since he could carry two at the same time. Hyacinth Farm made good progress just today and it’s only mid-morning. Farmer turns to Alex, who’s sitting on the wooden porch just near the steps of the cottage. He’s taken off his jacket and tied it on his waist. He’s preoccupied with something on his hand. Farmer walks over and quietly watches and quickly sees the cut on his thumb. “You’re bleeding!” Farmer yells, holding Alex’s hand without hesitation. Farmer’s move in closer to Alex, standing in front of him while Alex just sits on the edge.

“Oh it’s okay. It doesn’t hurt.” Alex reassures the worrying farmer. “I’ll just go wash it or something.” Farmer quickly shakes his head. 

“I have some bandages here. I’ll wrap it for you.” Farmer isn’t kidding. He pulls out a roll from his pockets and immediately starts wrapping Alex’s finger. Alex stays silent again. He’s never had a guy this close to him before, not so… intimate like this? Alex could make out more details of the farmer’s face, like his delicate eyelashes. It’s weird. He’s had teammates close before too though. It shouldn't bother him.

“Do you just carry those around like that?” Alex exhales, moving his eyes down on his lap. He wore his blue jeans today, but they’ve got dirt on them now. It doesn’t bother him though, he always got dirty when playing gridball too. 

“Yeah. I’ve been getting random injuries ever since I started farming,” Farmer explains softly, “I just carry them so I can take care of the cut and go back to work.” He finishes wrapping the cloth and ties a cute bow on it. “Make sure you wash it when you get home, and ask Granny to re-wrap it for you again.” Farmer moves back to have his own space again.

“Thanks. I’ll get out of your way now then.” 

Alex hops off Farmer’s porch and stands up. 

“Hey wait, take this with you,” Farmer quickly runs back to the baskets and pulls out a cauliflower. He runs back again to Alex and offers the plant. “It's my thanks for today. You did a lot and you hurt yourself in the process. I hope Granny and Uncle George like it too.” Farmer grins politely. Alex is a little speechless at Farmer’s actions today towards him, even this small gesture he’s doing right now. It's a whole new different impression on him. He wants to see more, he thought. 

“Do you wanna hangout?” Alex looks up from the cauliflower, directly into Farmer's eyes. 

1 Heart. 

Chapter Text

“You’re serious?” 

“Yeah, he wants me to hang out on Sunday, after the Egg festival.” Farmer sips on his Joja Cola. It’s around 3:30pm on a sunny afternoon, except Farmer is in the basement of Sebastian’s house. There’s no windows here; just posters on the wall, a reasonably sized desk with two computers, a bed, table and chairs for some game setup, and Sebastian. Farmer’s sitting on Sebastian’s black beddings, leaning on the wall lazily. He’s talking with Sebastian for a bit, before Farmer goes home after a long day of mining. 

“And what happened after? You obviously said yes.” Sebastian chortles, releasing a funny laugh. He’s furiously typing while talking to Farmer. Farmer never asked much about what Sebastian does, but he’s curious nonetheless. 

FLASHBACK.

“Do you wanna hang out?” Alex looks up from the cauliflower, directly into Farmer’s eyes. The question completely catches Farmer off guard. He quietly stares into Alex’s eyes wondering if he’s gone nuts but all Farmer sees are beautiful dark emeralds staring right back at him.

“Like… hang out, hang out?” Farmer reconfirms. Alex nods and sighs. Even he looks bothered by this too. Why did he ask then if he doesn’t even look like he wants to either! Farmer goes to chew the inside of his cheek, not sure what to think. “Why?” He asks next instead, letting whatever comes into his mind fly out of his mouth. Alex just blinks and his eyebrows furrow too. 

“I just want to. It’s fine if you don’t want to.” Alex sighs and rubs his forehead. “Forget I asked.” With that he starts to walk away with the cauliflower, cradling it like a baby. Farmer stands there with shock. He stares at the tall jock, strutting away. 

“Wait! I didn’t mean it like that!” Farmer yells, making Alex stop in his tracks. “Let’s hang out for real!” Farmer finishes, hoping Alex would take his offer now. To his favour, Alex glances to the side and nods. 

“Come over this Sunday then. Around 1pm.” 

Alex then turns around and continues to walk back to town. 

FLASHBACK END.

“Well, yeah I said yes. He did help me at the farm and I was a complete ass to him earlier.” Farmer sighs. “But if he makes me work out with him I’m going to dip.” That earns an even harder laugh from Sebastian. Farmer couldn’t help but smile too. This guy was so emo when they first met, and he didn’t even say much to Farmer. Now he’s laughing at his jokes. 

“If you dip just come over, we can hang out by the lake.” Sebastian turns back to Farmer this time, after a final tap at his keyboard. “So did you get anything cool in the mine?” Sebastian walks over and stretches while doing so. He flops himself near the edge of the bed, a reasonable space between him and Farmer. Farmer nods and gets the bag from his side. Inside is mostly slime remnants, rocks, some geodes, and sticks but he did find something cool. He places the Joja Cola down on the floor and faces Sebastian. Farmer pulls out a delicate, transparent tear shaped crystal. 

“I asked Demetrius what it was before I headed down here, and it’s a called a-” 

“Damn a Frozen Tear!” 

Sebastian flashes a wide grin, keeping his eyes glued on the glassy gem. Farmer watches at how amazed he is. It’s like watching Alex eat Salmon Dinner. 

“You can have it.” Farmer smiles, offering the beautiful geode. Sebastian’s eyes widens, but he offers his hand to Farmer who places the tear in his hand ever so gently. 

“What, you’re serious? You mined for this though,” Sebastian claims, “you should keep it!” He says that but he keeps staring at the pretty gem. It’s almost as if Farmer isn’t even there. Farmer just shrugs. It doesn’t really hold any real meaning to him. It’s pretty of course, but clearly Sebastian likes it more than he does. 

“I have another one I found. It’s okay.” Farmer reassures the dark haired guy. 

“Thanks Farmer. I promise to keep it safe.” Sebastian grins wide, not hiding his happiness like he did before. “I owe you one next time.” Farmer simply laughs and zips his bag up and goes back to drinking his Joja Cola. 

2 Hearts. 

“Seb, what were you even doing anyway? Your work I mean.” Farmer brings up the question. Sebastian hums and lays down flat on the bed now, while staring at the ceiling. 

“It’s just programming work. Nothing special.” Sebastian replies, bringing up the Frozen Tear to the light of his bedroom. “I’m just a freelancer.” As he says that a notification plays, clearly from Sebastian’s phone. He sighs and takes out the phone from his hoodie pockets and reads it. “Looks like Sam wants to hang out today…” Sebastian turns off his phone and throws it near Farmer’s leg. “Ugh. I don’t wanna go out today though.” 

Distinct footsteps go down the stairs, causing both of Farmer and Sebastian’s heads to turn to it. His door rattles open, and Robin comes inside the bedroom. She immediately glances at Farmer and smiles. 

“Oh, hi Farmer.” Robin kindly acknowledges Farmer and walks over to both of the boys. “Sebby, I know you don’t like me coming in here but I saw Abigail at Pierre’s. She’s looking for you.” She explains, directly talking to Sebastian now. Sebastian just sighs and keeps staring at the ceiling. 

“Did you tell her that I’m working?” 

Robin nods. “I did but she’s said she’ll stop by later anyway.” 

Farmer quietly hears Sebastian’s murmur. “Does no one take my job seriously…?” Sebastian sighs again, and talks loudly this time. “No one bothers Maru at the clinic when she’s working. Does everyone think I’m just surfing the internet all day?” Farmer doesn’t say anything. It doesn’t even feel like he should be there. This conversation feels like it should be private between Sebastian and Robin. 

Robin doesn’t say anything either but gives Farmer a soft glance. Some sort of hidden message. “Talk to him for me, will you?” Robin walks back out the room and closes the door shut. 

“You don’t wanna see them? Sam and Abigail?” Farmer mumbles quietly, trying to be careful. Sebastian’s clearly irritated and Farmer doesn’t want to make it worse. 

“It’s not that. I like having friends but I just need a lot of alone time to balance out the social stuff,” Sebastian starts. “Sam’s the opposite. He’ll go crazy if he’s alone too long.” He laughs lightly. “Maybe it’s why I like computers so much. They’re straightforward, engaging, and unselfish. The opposite of people I know.” Sebastian rambles on. “Anyways. I’ve got more work to do. Let’s hang out next time?” 

Farmer nods and doesn’t argue with him. “I’ll see you soon then. Egg Festival?” Sebastian lets out a ‘haha’ and nods. Farmer smiles slightly and takes his bag with him. 

He got the hint that Sebastian needs space after that talk with Robin.

Farmer goes out of Sebastian’s household and stretches to the afternoon sun. It’s time to head home now and rest up. He starts to walk back but hears someone. It sounds like they're on the phone with someone. Farmer sneakily sneaks a peek and sees the familiar green jacket on top of the rocky steps near Sebastian’s house. Farmer darts back around the corner and hides again. “Why the fuck is he here?” Farmer sighs and doesn’t move a muscle. 

“Can we talk properly? Can you even think about what I said?” Alex’s voice is pleading. It sounds so desperate. Farmer couldn’t help but wonder who this was. Why is this jock so pained over them? More importantly, who is it? 

“Just talk to me please. I want to hear your thoughts.” 

Farmer’s eyes stare down at his dirty boots. He swallows hard at what he hears. It’s another private conversation. He shouldn’t listen, he knows that. Farmer should walk away now, but his feet stay planted on the ground as he leans into Sebastian’s house. Why is he still listening? 

“Wait, don’t just hang up, Ha-” 

Judging from the sound, whoever was on call with Alex hung up on him just now. 

“Damn it.” Alex sighs and shoves his phone into his jeans. Feeling frustrated, he kicks the dirt and glares down at his shoes. He goes down the rocky steps and walks away from where he stood. Farmer quickly realizes what’s happening and fiddles around looking for something to hide with. No use though, Farmer’s in the open. No tree or bush he could possibly run to now. They’re all in the range where Alex would see him run. Farmer needed to act fast, but how? 

“Who’s-” 

“-Hey…!” 

Chapter Text

“Hey… Uh…” Farmer awkwardly, mutters out. Alex and Farmer made direct unmistakable eye-contact. Farmer tries to make sense of Alex’s emotions. 

“What are you doing here?” Alex asks, walking down from the top of the steps. 

“I was just coming back from the mines. Y’know, cause I’m utterly broke right now, and farming’s just not cutting it.” Farmer says, trying to wipe off the dirt from his clothes. Although, he’s doing a terrible job since his palms are covered in dust. Alex reaches the bottom and stands near the Farmer. He scans Farmer’s boots which are caked in mud. Trying to think of things to talk about, Farmer decides to bring up the phone call. “Sounds like that phone call was difficult though.” Alex stares at Farmer, looking visibly upset or annoyed. Farmer couldn’t tell very well. 

“Why were you eavesdropping on my conversation?” Alex asks Farmer, staring him down.

Farmer’s glaring back. “I wasn’t. You were talking loudly for every damn worm to hear in the underground. Honestly, I probably could’ve evesdropped from the fucking mines.” Farmer opposes back, not at all intimidated by the jock. He rolls his eyes. Farmer decides to back away and to start walking back to his place, leaving Alex standing where he was. 

Alex runs back to Farmer. “I’m sorry. I’m just sick of everyone in this town talking about me and my family, and I didn’t mean to be an asshole to you.”

Farmer raises his eyebrow, “Wow I thought I was going to have to ignore you cause you wouldn’t apologize, but colour me surprised.” 

“What the hell’s that supposed to mean?”  Alex asks, his head bobbing back in confusion. 

“Well you gridball players, respectfully , are usually assholes. So I wasn’t expecting much from you already.” 

“Wow!” Alex laughs, in shock. “That was a private conversation, I’m sorry if I was a little sensitive. I already said sorry.” 

“I’m not saying you’re an asshole, maybe a little bit arrogant, but you can’t lie that there’s shitty gridball players.” Farmer explains.

“What’s your point?” 

“ My point is, I am surprised you apologized straight away.” 

“So your expectation of me is basically in the toilet.” Alex’s face drops. 

“Nooo, that's too high. More like in hell.”

Alex raises his hands to his hair, shaking his head and sighing. “Okay- what.. What the hell do you want me to do? Because apparently, I’m just a bad person no matter what I do.” Farmer starts smiling at Alex’s display of irritation. He eventually starts cackling in laughter, tears forming in the corners of his eyes. Alex stays still, with a confused expression plastered on his face. 

“Hahaa..” The farmer breathes in and out. “Alright, sorry for laughing. But it’s really funny that you care about this even though you couldn’t give two shits about me after I fell in the river.” 

“Wh- No I did care, I just don’t always say the right stuff all the time.” Alex sighs, groaning. “And, for the record, I’m arrogant because I have the right to be.” Alex boasts regardless. He shows off his gridball varsity jacket. It’s a nice letterman jacket, dark green with white stripes. His full name is written across the back, and his player number, 13.

“Just because you have a fancy jacket doesn’t mean anything to me, Alex Mullner.” Farmer says, reading jacket. Alex turns around to face him.

“This jacket means I play great. I was the captain and player of the year in Stardew High. I’m gonna go pro. You’ll see.” Alex smiles, feeling proud of himself.

“Riiighhht…” Farmer exhales, feeling more exhausted. “Anyways. I’m too busy on Sunday to hang out with you. Maybe you can go hang out with your other gridball friends.” 

“All of a sudden you’re busy? You’re bad at lying, Farmer.” Alex points it out immediately. His eyes stay focused on the Farmer. 

“I’m not lying, I have a lot of work to do. Why did you even ask me to hang out if you’re way too good for this town?” Farmer questions, moving his hands around shrugging. “A pro gridball upcoming star, hanging out with a bum broke farmer. The headlines that would create!” Farmer dramatically says. He had no idea why Alex asked if he thought he was so much better than Farmer. 

“You’re new to town, I’m just trying to be nice.”

“You bragging about your jacket and talking about how you peaked in high school is being nice?” Farmer snorts, not believing the jock. “I don’t understand where the need to prove you’re better than everyone came from, but I don’t need to hear it, really.” With that, Farmer finally keeps walking away. 

“Fine, y’know what? You’ll regret not knowing me now when I move away and my name is in bright lights.” 

“Athletes who are good don’t spend time bragging by the way, they actually play!” Farmer doesn’t look back, he raises his hand to wave back sarcastically to Alex. Farmer bites his lip, and continues walking down the forest path back to his place. He murmurs and talks to himself as he makes his way through. Alex is stunned by the comeback, watching the farmer leave.

What an ass. I don’t understand why he’s suddenly acting like a jerk again. It’s like him helping me the other day at the farm was nothing but a farce. 

Farmer drops his bag full of crystals, coal, and precious metals. Despite his confusing feelings, he gets straight to work on making a furnace to end his day.  

It’s the morning of the egg festival, and Farmer’s looking through Pierre’s special egg stand. It’s full of many handcrafted, and delicate decor that you could never find anywhere else; unique wallpapers, yard decorations, rare strawberry seeds, and much more. The farmer is undoubtedly too poor to buy any this year. 

“Good morning, Farmer! Not buying anything today?” Pierre greets Farmer, with a sly smile. He’s always looking for business opportunities. That’s Pierre for you. Farmer nods and shakes his head. 

“Actually not this time.. Having a farm is really taking all of my income.” Farmer admits. He opens his wallet and only a button and a spare gum sits in between where dollar bills should be. Farmer sighs woefully, putting back the wallet in his pockets. 

He instead looks around the festival across the town square. Long tables are situated near the shop; they both have mint tablecloths on top for decor. Giant bowls of various soups, side dishes, and finger food are resting nicely. There’s bottles of different wines and a cutting board with a huge ham. It’s quite a feast. Up ahead in the centre of the town square is a giant tarp with egg patterns on it. The egg tarp is on the ground and various tables and chairs. Many of the townsfolk are talking and laughing in the big area, as they wait for the main event. Farmer even spots his friends. The trio are talking at the very back, probably waiting for their last friend, which was Farmer. 

Alex and his family are out on the town today as well. He’s standing near his grandparents who were both sitting by a table at the further back. Farmer sighs and looks away once he spots the jock. He’s stuffing his mouth full of Marnie’s deviled eggs, looking so unbothered that he was eating all of it.

“Hey! Why are you looking so gloomy today?” Sam spots Farmer, swinging an arm around his shoulders. “Are you not into eggs?” He laughs, messing around with Famer’s neat hair.

“Aw c’mon I spent ten minutes on my hair, Sam!” Farmer’s trying to wrestle out of Sam’s arms. They end up shoving against each other and fighting between each other’s grasps. Farmer’s a bit stronger than Sam, and ends up overpowering the rockstar. “See how you like this then!” With the stronger grip and frame, Farmer messes up the over gelled blonde hair. He split the hair right down the middle, making Sam lose his sharp edge. Sam became a schoolboy in a split second, ready for the first grade. 

“You look like your dad, Sam!” Abigail laughs, taking a quick snapshot on her camera. Sam and Farmer pause, and let go of each other. Sam on the other hand quickly runs over to Abigail, checking what he looks like. Farmer fixes himself without the use of a mirror. 

“Oh fucking delete that!” Sam whines, trying to fix his new hairdo. “I look like a Victorian child named Bartholomew!” 

“Send that to me, Abbi.” Sebastian comes around the corner, drink in hand, smiling sneakily. He walks over and stands next to the farmer. “Hey, did you hear that Abigail’s trying to make us join the egg hunt? You’re included too.” Sebastian quietly, between him and Farmer. Sam and Abigail continue to bicker in the background. 

Farmer giggles, finding it silly. “What? But isn’t that for the kids?” He glances around the venue. The only two children that lived in the valley are Jas and Vincent. Sebastian follows his gaze. The kids were running around, baskets already in hand. Farmer only knew that Jas was Marnie’s great niece? He didn’t really know much about their family. Vincent on the other hand was Sam’s younger brother. They’ve already met. 

“You’re right, but since we’re a small community, it doesn’t really matter. Everyone’s allowed to play. Of course, adults have a little penalty so the kids have an equal chance.” Sebastian explains. “Adults are tied to a partner and can only use one hand per pair. One carries the basket and the other one takes the eggs.” He turns to point at Abigail. “She’s the most excited, because now you’re here.” 

Abigail nods, “We’re finally an equal group. We can pair off and do it together now!” 

“Okay… but what’s the prize?” Farmer asks, dubiously. Rubbing his hands together, as if he were planning something evil. 

The trio look at each other and shrug. “Sometimes it's a money prize, and some other times it's been different hats. We won’t know until Mayor Lewis announces the winner later.” Sam adds on. He’s sort of fixed his hair. It’s more tame than the original hairstyle he had on earlier, but it emulates the punk rocker that he is and that’s all that matters. 

“So are you in?!” Abigail leans into Farmer, excited. Farmer nods and gives her a thumbs up. “Yay!” She squeals, twirling around. “We should think about who will partner together then.” Abigail looks closely at the three men. She lines them up together in a row, starting with Sam, then Sebastian, and then Farmer. Sam is still preoccupied fiddling with his hair, Sebastian sips his beverage and has no thoughts in his mind. He stares and zones out staring at the grass in front of him. Farmer is fidgeting around and smiling at Abigail’s examination. Her eyes become tiny slits as she finishes her judgement. 

“Sam has fast hands and better coordination. And last time, Sebby wasn’t even trying.” Abigail says. “I chose Sam, sorry Farmer!” She isn’t actually sorry. 

“Alllrighhht winners club right over here!” Sam walks over and high fives Abigail. “You’re going down, losers!” He points at the opposing team. Sebastian and Farmer glance at each other. 

“Yeah right. We’ll just have to see. I’m getting that prize.” Farmer stretches, cracking his knuckles. Sebastian just snickers, tossing his drink into the trash bin. 

“Don’t be fooled, I’m actually terrible, Farmer. I hate hunting for tiny eggs made for kids, not adults.” Sebastian pats his back. “I hope you can pick up the slack as the egg hunter instead. I’ll just hold the basket.” Groaning, Farmer just accepts it. 

                                     Oh well so much for that prize money. 

They had a bit of time before the actual egg hunt began, so they stood around by a shaded tree, while eating and drinking some more. They were able to fill their plates full of party food, having a taste of everything. Farmer decides to ask his friends about Alex. 

“So when I left Seb’s house the other day, I overheard Alex talking to someone on the phone- 

“Haley.” The three of them reply without skipping a beat. 

“What?” 

“ Haley .” Sam repeats. “She’s Alex's only real friend here. She left earlier this year before you came, she joined her parents on a trip along with her sister Emily.” 

Abigail jumps in, “She lives right beside Sam. That house over there.” She points to the auburn shingle house, with off-white walls. It's a cute little house. “I think she and Alex dated or something, but no one really knows.” 

“Why not? Wouldn’t it be obvious if they were dating?” Farmer suggests. 

“You would think so, but not really. We don’t hang out with them, hell, you probably have hung out with Alex the most out of anyone here.” Sam confesses. 

“I used to be friends with Alex a long time ago, but he’s changed a lot. I don’t know what happened to him, he just stopped talking to me once high school started.” Sebastian reveals, his expression becoming grim. He seems genuinely saddened by the change of his old friend. 

“Ah I see.. “ Farmer nods, not knowing what to do with the information. His eyes trail back to Alex’s general direction. He’s chatting with his grandma. He isn’t wearing his gridball jacket today, a simple black t-shirt and cotton shorts. Farmer has no idea what he’s supposed to do with him. Alex is acting like he’s better than everyone, including Farmer. Yet, other times he was quiet, kind – unpredictable. Evelyn, his grandma, wants them to be friends but it feels like trying to move a mountain. They’ve been at each other’s throats, but Farmer felt like that was Alex’s fault entirely. 

“Farmer, you alright?” Sebastian worries. Farmer had been starting off into space. “C’mon, Mayor Lewis just announced that the egg hunt’s starting in five minutes.” Farmer’s eyes light up. 

“Wait really? I didn’t even hear that.” Farmer stands up immediately, and notices Sam and Abigail have already gone ahead. “I’m sorry, I’m just really tired.” He yawns and starts walking with Sebastian. 

“Late night?”

Farmer nods, “You could say that.” He laughs, “I built a furnace last night, using a guide from my grandpa. He had terrible writing, but I managed to actually figure it out. But by the time I was finished, it was 2 am.”

“Maybe I could come help you with stuff on the farm sometimes.” Sebastian says sheepishly. Farmer smiles, giggling in surprise. 

“Did I just hear that right? That you, Sebastian, the basement dweller — want to actually see the sunlight?” 

“Yeah, I knowwww crazy. ” Sebastian shudders, “Sometimes I have to get a little tan too.” 

“Maybe, you can read my grandpa’s writing better than me.” Farmer laughs, patting his friend’s back.

“I’m good at reading code, so definitely.” Sebastian winks.

With everyone in the town square ready, Mayor Lewis starts the event. “Hello and welcome all to the Annual Stardew Valley Egg Hunt!” Clapping ensues as the Mayor continues. “As you know, we have the partner rule as a way to be fair to all participants. We will now tie the teams together with the help of our volunteers.” 

Various town citizens come from the side lines with soft rope to help tie the teams together, including Alex Mullner himself. 

                                       Ah shit, I didn’t think he’d be a volunteer. Yoba fucking hates me.

Alex first ties Penny and Emily together, then he moves over to Farmer and Sebastian. It’s painfully silent as Alex ties their limbs together. Farmer’s eyes are watching Alex’s movements, he’s bending down while doing a knot. The athlete’s hair shines in the sun, brunette strands glittering in the light.  It frames Alex’s face, his eyes are busy darting around. Farmer’s gaze travels to the corners of Alex’s lips. Yellow crumbs from the deviled eggs find themselves stuck onto his cheek. He finishes with their legs, and now it’s just their arms left. Alex glances at Farmer before quickly starting the new knot on their biceps. It’s warm outside, the early spring breeze is nonexistent today. With the sun beating down, Farmer has no escape from sweating and feeling jumpy all at once. Alex brushes his fingers along the farmer’s arm by accident, Farmer inhales as it happens, his skin crawling with goosebumps. Breathing in had consequences — he instantly sucked in Alex’s scent. Was it shampoo or body soap? He could never figure that out. Farmer could not do anything but be stuck in the cruellest distraction as Alex continued to finish his knot.  

“Is that a good tightness for both of you?” Alex speaks up, moves back from the pair. He had finished the task. Sebastian moved around and felt their restricted limbs. It’s perfect, it wasn’t too tight nor too loose. Farmer simply nods, feeling too distracted to answer. He silently focuses his gaze upon his shoes. There's a weird lump that sat in the bottom of his stomach, but there was also a fiery agitation that the farmer couldn't understand. 

“It’s good, thanks.” Sebastian answers, glancing at Farmer. “You alright?” He asks. Farmer nods smiling at Sebastian. Alex and Farmer meet eyes one last time, neither of them made the move to speak to each other. It’s as if they were playing uncle, and Farmer was winning, because he had the last word yesterday. 

The volunteers leave the centre stage and Mayor Lewis is turning up the volume of the speakers, it starts playing a spring melody, with farm animal sounds. It was a bit silly and corny, but the kids were laughing. 

“With all the teams ready, we will now ask you all to line up at the starting line. Grab your baskets and get ready!” Mayor Lewis cheers out. “Let the egg hunt begin!”