[Stardew Valley] On the Edge - Shane

5

A low roll of thunder rumbled above, shaking Aria out of her sleep. The small clock next to her couch read six. One look at the calendar and a dreadful feeling came over Aria as she stretched awake. The seventeenth day of Spring hadn't been a pleasant day for the last two years. 

That previous night, she'd been too careless and drunk and fell asleep on her little green couch in the state she got home in - damp, cold, and wrapped up in Shane's tattered blue hoodie. She got up and tossed the hoodie into the dryer, then trudged over to start the coffee pot.

It'd been three weeks since she'd moved in and she finally felt like she was starting to gain her footing with her new life as a farmer, and as a resident of Pelican Town. She even began making friends with most of the residents, too. As she watched Shane's hoodie tumble in the machine, she sipped her coffee and thought about the previous night.

Part of her felt odd for feeling so pushy about wanting to be his friend, but there was something about him that pulled her attention towards him. She was sure it was just the fact that everyone else in town was itching to meet her and know everything about her, and he wasn't. The first few times he shooed her away, Aria could tell something heavy was burdening him.

Aria emerged from the farmhouse out into the rain, past her barn and through the clearing in the bramble to her grandfather's grave. She sat next to it, and gazed at the smaller grave next to his, laying a small flower at the base. 

"Happy birthday," She whispered. She'd done a good job of masking the pain that the gaping hole in her heart caused most days. The whole town was aware of her grandfather's passing, but less were privy to what else happened. "I miss you," 

Back in her home, she just curled back up on the couch and eventually fell asleep with Radar, her grey cat on her lap. When she rose from her nap, she took the hoodie from the dryer and examined it - it was well loved and worn to the point where the elbow, shoulder, and part of the hood were threadbare.

Aria dug through one of many chests until she found her thread and needles and toiled away on the tattered blue garment, stitching closed any holes or thinning parts she came across. Just when she finished and perhaps got a little too lost in making sure the stitches were taught and mended properly, a knock at the door disrupted her from her trance.

She pulled on a green cardigan over the long brown dress she'd lazily put on earlier, folded the hoodie neatly on the couch and went towards the door. When she opened it, Shane stood, his hands shoved in his pockets. It just then occurred to her that she hadn't seen him without the hoodie. He stood only an inch or two taller than her, his shoulders broad and his arms bulkier than the Joja hoodie ever revealed. His middle protruded a little.

"Hey," He said, looking at Aria. He'd never seen her face without that playful smile she normally sported. Her nose was a little red, and her eyes were puffy. "So you got a cold anyway, huh?" He tried joking, feeling oddly unsettled with such a crestfallen look on her face.

The tiniest smile cracked on her face. "Heh, no. Your hoodie did just the trick to protect me from sickness," She said smally. "I washed it for you. Do you want to come in? Coffee?"

"Okay," He stepped in, taking a look around. He'd never been in her home before, but it was pretty much what he expected from her - tons of kitschy little objects, Knick knacks from various places. Her favorite color was clearly yellow as it appeared in almost every piece of furniture and decor she owned. And though he wasn't fond of the color yellow because it reminded him mostly of beer and piss, it felt right in her house. He glanced at the couch in front of the small TV, spotting his hoodie folded neatly on the arm rest.