Stardew Love

Preview~

Here's a little preview of what the first series of one-shots will be... I'll most likely go through each of the marriable residents of Stardew Valley, starting with my personal favorite. I really loved this specific scene, so here ya go~!

A/N: I will be just releasing these as I go, there will likely be a change in order for these when I finish a series, and probably changes chapter titles as well, so beware.

Art cred: u/Azuneechan on reddit

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(Y/n) makes her way home from town after a long day of work, taking the path that goes past Marnie's house. The frogs were making a ruckus that evening in Cindersap forest as the sun set. It had gotten pretty dark by the time (Y/n) got to the path to her farm, so the lantern out by the lake in the woods caught her eye. It was normally lit at this time of night, but it was the outline of a person that was sitting down at the pier that caught her curiosity. She wondered who could be out there so late, and jogged out there to see who it was.

As she got closer, she could see that they were sitting at the end of the pier, a lantern providing the bright light that had gotten her attention. A small smile appears on her face once she recognizes who it is. She slows from a jog to a walk as she approaches the pier. It had gotten to the point in the evening where small bugs and moths started to flit around the lantern's orange glow, sending small fleeting shadows across the surface of the lake. (Y/n) pauses for a moment once she is close enough to examine the man sitting at the end of the pier.

She recognizes the man as Shane, the man with a cold exterior and a drinking habit. He was one of the last people she had met here in Stardew Valley, having bumped into him on the bridge outside Joja Mart while she was looking for a spot to fish. He was rude when they first met, so she steered clear of him as much as she could. However, there were nights at the saloon that she would go in and see him drinking alone. There were nights when he would seem more sad than usual, and so she would go out of her way to buy him a drink. Over time she believed he started to warm up to her, in his own way. He would still speak harshly to her if she caught him right before or after his job, but if she spoke to him after a few drinks he would be a tad more friendly.

(Y/n) notices that Shane has a beer in his hand, and she watches as he takes a few sips before she walks up next to him on the pier. The man looks up at her, seemingly already buzzed from his drink. She assumes he intends to stay out here a while, since he has a cooler filled with beer cans on his other side. His sneakers he usually wore to work were on the pier next to him, his feet and calves in the water. Inside each shoe was a sock, stuffed in the shoes to keep them all together. The pier was low and close to the water, unlike the one at the beach.

"Up late, huh?" Shane asks before taking another sip of his drink and patting the wooden boards next to him as an invitation for her to sit.

"I was actually heading home, but I saw your light out here and came to check on ya," (Y/n) says, taking off her shoes/sandals and sitting next to Shane. He grabs a beer from the cooler and hands it to her.

"Here, have a cold one," he says as she takes the can from him. (Y/n) doesn't have a drinking habit like him, but she can drink a few every now and then.

She takes the can and cracks it open, taking a couple sips from it. Shane gazes at her, (Y/n) noticing and giving a questioning look in response, but instead of answering he looks away from her. They sit in silence for a few moments, listening to the frogs and the sounds of the lake. Every now and then a small splash can be heard, most likely from a frog jumping into the water.

Shane takes a long sip from his can then sighs. "Buh... Life."

"Amen," (Y/n) mumbles in response.

They sit in silence for another few moments before (Y/n) gives in to her curiosity and questions what is troubling him tonight.

Shane takes a moment, probably trying to find the right words and what order to put them in before he answers.

"You ever feel like... no matter what you do, you're gonna fail?" Shane asks as he stares down into his can. "...Like you're stuck in some miserable abyss and you're so deep you can't even see the light of day?"

(Y/n) has no answer for him, so she simply sits and listens as he vents to her. She has just recently came to the conclusion he must be depressed and unhappy with his life, so the best thing she could do for him would be to listen.

"I just feel like no matter how hard I try... I'm not strong enough to climb out of that hole."

"I can... understand that feeling," (Y/n) says, looking at Shane as the light of the lantern illuminates his features and gives him a sort of glow. She looks away, then chugs the rest of the drink he had given her. She finishes and lets out breath, her face warming from the alcohol.

Shane chuckles, (Y/n) turning to see that he is looking at her again. "Heh... fast drinker, huh? Woman after my own heart. Just don't make it a habit... you got a future ahead of you still."

(Y/n) has to look away from him, her face warm not only from her drink now. Shane finishes his drink as he looks her up and down, then tosses his empty can in the cooler. "Welp... My liver's beggin' me to stop. Better call it a night."

She gives her empty can to him and he tosses it in the cooler as well before he closes it's lid and picks it up and cuts off the lantern. They both stand up and get their shoes, not putting them on yet since their feet are still wet. They turn to each other before they leave.

"See you around, (Y/n)," Shane says, showing no emotion. He then turns and leaves, carrying the cooler and his shoes and socks.

(Y/n) waits a moment to let her feet dry before putting her shoes back on and making her way back to her farm. Since she only had one beer she was a little buzzed but not drunk, so she easily made it home to her bed and her pet, giving the latter a pet and crashing into the former to fall asleep.

(1110 words)