a Stardew Valley fan fiction: The Proper Care and Feeding of Souls

Chapter 17: Fire (Part Two)

The bonfire blazed brightly, growing large as the night sky made its debut. Sam and Abigail had lugged four large logs to place around the fire for seating. Sam then scattered large blankets and quilts for everyone. "For coziness," he said with a wink.

Grace settled onto a log with the ocean to her right. Penny and Sam joined her, while Sebastian and Abigail sat on the logs directly across from them.

Emily, Grace's favorite blue-haired bar fairy, joined the group, settling onto the log closest to the ocean. Soon after, Alex and his blonde friend joined, taking the log opposite Emily.

Emily gave Alex a stern look as if to remind him to behave and then introduced Grace to her sister, Haley, the blonde who adoringly gazed at Alex. They looked like they had probably been prom royalty. Grace wasn't quite sure what to make of the two of them, but she was with Emily. Alex better be kind. Grace's heart still ached desperately when she thought of that night, of that photo. The bonfire blazed as everyone settled in, engaging in mindless chatter and pleasantries.

"OH!" Emily gasped loudly. "You guys! Guess what?" She squeaked a bit with excitement. "I got a call today from the Erwin County Fair. They want you guys to play!"

Grace looked around the fire, unsure of who Emily was even talking to. Sam's eyes widened.

"Get out! Are you serious?" He asked excitedly.

"Yeah," Emily breathed. "But it's in less than a month so.."

Abigail scoffed. "We're ready. Fuck, I'd play today."

Sebastian rolled his eyes at her confidence and smirked. "We'll be ready," his deep soft voice reassured Emily.

Sam turned to look at Grace and Penny on the log next to him. "You guys will come, right?" He asked enthusiastically. "It's our first live gig!"

Grace's mind was spinning a bit to catch up. So, Sam, Sebastian and Abigail had a band. How did she not even know this? "I wouldn't miss it for anything." She smiled at Sam's charming enthusiasm.

"Hey Grace," Abigail cut in. "Maybe you could listen to us rehearse this week. An outside perspective might help us get ready."

Grace nodded. "Well, I know nothing about music, but... sure." Sam placed his hand on Grace's leg and patted it with excitement. Grace smiled, looking up as she heard footsteps.

Two seemingly reluctant participants approached the group to join the bonfire. Shane, whose name Grace recognized from the camping trip, had dark messy hair and a decent five o'clock shadow on his face. He was wearing jeans and a t-shirt with a dark blue hoodie. Now that she saw him, Grace recognized Shane from the saloon. He always seemed to stand off to the side by himself. With him, was Clint, who Grace had not met. He was handsome, but painfully shy. Tall and sturdy, he had sun-kissed brown hair with a thick matching beard and striking blue eyes. Emily introduced him as the local blacksmith. She pulled him over to sit next to her. Grace noticed him uncomfortably blushing as he sat down. Shane glanced over to Penny and then took a seat on the log next to Clint.

Grace sat quietly watching the glowing flames illuminate the faces around the fire. The ten of them could not have been more different from the outside looking in, but here, gathered together in the firelight, their differences faded. Their shared experience of calling this tiny town home allowed them the liberty to regard each other as family more than friends. They conversed late into the night, gossiping, teasing, dreaming, reliving memories, retelling stories.

Throughout the night, Penny found herself stealing glimpses of Sebastian across the fire. A few times, she thought maybe she'd caught him glancing at her, too but she dismissed the idea. There was something about him she found intriguing. Maybe she just liked that he hung back in silence like she did. Maybe it was that she didn't feel judged by him. Even though he barely spoke, she felt accepted by him in a way that made her feel something incredibly unfamiliar. He made her feel worthy.

Sam was overtly aware of the space on his leg that was touching Grace's leg for most of the night. He dared not move it. It felt so good to be close to her, even it if was something trivial. When the night air cooled, he gently wrapped a large quilt around the two of them. Grace snuggled into it. Inhaling its scent, she immediately knew it belonged to Sam. As midnight neared, Sam turned to Grace, placing his hand gently on her arm.

"Can I walk you home?" he asked quietly, the firelight dancing in his eyes. Grace nodded and stood, which naturally prompted the others to begin their treks home. Clint and Shane poured water on the fire and in small groups, the family of friends said their goodbyes and dispersed amongst the town.

Sam wanted to hold Grace's hand as they walked, but every time he built up enough courage, it would quickly dissipate before he could make a move.

"Did you have fun today?" Sam asked, immediately kicking himself for how dumb it sounded as it came out of his mouth.

Grace tilted her head, thinking back through the day. It was the best day she'd had in as long as she could remember, but instead of oversharing, she responded simply, "very much so." She smiled at him, unsure if he could see it in the dark. As Grace and Sam's path turned from cobblestone to dirt, Grace found herself once again regretting how short the walk home had been.

Standing on the veranda in front of the door to the farmhouse, Grace studied Sam's face in the moonlight. He was so handsome. Self consciously, Sam reached his hand up to his face, wiping his cheek as though he might have had something on it. His phone buzzed in his pocket, reminding him it was time to head home. "Ah, I gotta go" he said reluctantly, his heart sinking at the thought of the night coming to an end. The slightest twinge of disappointment tainted Grace's smile.

Sam felt the heat rising to his face but he wasn't going to let it get the best of him this time. "Grace?" His voice wavered a touch. He hoped she didn't notice. "Can I...Would it be okay....." Agh. He thought. I'm such a chicken. "Can I give you a hug?" He looked down blushing. It wasn't quite what he had intended to ask. Grace stepped toward Sam, slipping into his arms. Sam pulled her close, taking inventory of every single spectacular space where their bodies touched. He wrapped his arms around her, his hands reveling in the sensation of holding her. He leaned in close to her, inhaling the scent of her hair. As much as he hated himself for doing it, he hesitantly released her. "Take it easy," he said quietly as he turned and walked away.

*****

Sebastian stood under the moonlit sky on the pier as the ocean waves gently bobbed beneath him. Everyone else had already gone home. In his hands, wrapped in brown paper, he held an enormous bouquet of flowers, two of every flower the vintage truck had for sale. He closed his eyes and tossed the bouquet into the ocean, the petals floating in a vibrant mosaic before they gently sank into the dark waters.

LISTEN TO THIS...

RING OF FIRE, SOCIAL DISTORTION 

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