Stardew Valley Story Collection!

Dance of the Moonlight Jellies

Summary:

Sebastian wasn't too big on town festivals.

However, he always had a soft spot for the Dance of the Moonlight Jellies.

A/N (1):

Happy pride month <3

cross posted on FF.net and ao3 (across-violet-skies) :)

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Sebastian wasn't too big on town festivals.

Sure, he went to them. Mostly because he was dragged along by Sam and Abigail, or sometimes by his family.

But there was one festival that Sebastian would happily attend. On the last day of summer, Pelican Town celebrated the Dance of the Moonlight Jellies, a night-time festival where everyone gathered on the docks to watch migrating jellyfish. It was absolutely beautiful, and Sebastian found himself actually looking forward to it.

Now, it was the 27th of summer. Sebastian was outside Sam's house as usual, smoking by the river. Sam sat beside him, sighing.

"I think I'm gonna head back in," he decided. "You're welcome to stay the night, if you want." Sebastian waved a hand, dismissing the blond.

"Nah. I'll go home soon."

"Oh. Okay. Goodnight." Sam stood up, heading back to his house. Sebastian heard the door close behind his friend, and he let out a sigh.

The water was calm, gentle current trickling past rocks and curves in the riverbed. Sebastian took one last drag from his cigarette, putting it out in the grass. He stood up, heading back to the mountains. He walked slowly, feeling some anticipation building up inside him. This time tomorrow, he would be on the docks, watching the moonlight jellyfish migration. He couldn't wait.

Sebastian opened the door to his house, shutting it behind him quietly. He snuck down into his basement room, sitting at his computer to do some work.

~

Sebastian awoke with a start, groaning at his sore body. He was still sitting at his computer– he must've fallen asleep while working again.

He stood up, stretching his muscles. It was a little past noon, which meant the town was awake and functioning– even if Sebastian really wasn't. Which was fine, he usually had a later start than the other villagers. As long as he got done what he needed to, then it wouldn't be a problem.

~

Sebastian stretched, looking at the time in the corner of his computer screen. 9:25 pm . He took a sharp breath, standing up and pushing his chair back quickly. The Dance of the Moonlight Jellies started at 10. He really needed to get going if he wanted to make it in time.

Sebastian ran a hand through his hair, sighing at the slightly greasy feel to it. He didn't have time to do anything about it, so he just left the house, walked along the mountain path, through the town, and finally arrived at the beach. Most of Pelican Town's residents were already there, gathering on the docks. Even a few of the valley's more reclusive inhabitants were there, all excited to see the spectacle of a jellyfish migration.

Sebastian walked up along the less crowded dock, briefly greeting Sam and Abigail before finding a more secluded spot to watch the jellyfish. He loved the festival, but he wasn't really feeling the social aspect of it. He was perfectly content being alone.

Familiar footsteps pounded along the dock, pausing for a moment before getting closer to where Sebastian was sitting. The dark-haired male knew who it was– the Farmer. They always stopped to talk to every single person at these festivals, including Sebastian. He didn't exactly mind it... but he was unwashed and exhausted right now. Conversation wasn't really something he wanted to deal with at the moment.

The Farmer stood beside him, looking into the water. They shuffled their feet a bit before deciding to sit next to Sebastian, glancing at him with curiosity. The Farmer wasn't big on talking, but they were kind and very receptive to conversation. Sebastian supposed they were better company than one of his more chatty friends... as much as he loved Sam and Abby, it was hard for him to stay engaged in conversation with them.

Sebastian glanced over at the Farmer. They had turned back to the sea, peering over the edge of the dock.

"I thought I saw something moving in there..." Sebastian spoke slowly, dragging out his words. "Something big, something dark." The Farmer looked at him with wide eyes, a sort of nervous uncertainty in their expression. Sebastian let them stare for a minute before shooting them a small smile, chuckling. "Just trying to scare you..." The Farmer's eyes crinkled, a smile gracing their lips.

"You ever seen this before?" Sebastian asked, gesturing out at the water. The Farmer shook their head. "You'll like it. This is one of the traditions I actually enjoy." He wasn't quite sure why he felt the need to share that with the Farmer. Sebastian wasn't usually one to tell people about what he liked and disliked.

Mayor Lewis lit the torch, and everyone held their breath in anticipation of the jellyfish migration. The Farmer let out a soft gasp, watching intently as hordes of glowing jellyfish made their way closer to the docks, passing by slowly. Sebastian looked at the Farmer, watching their awestruck expression maybe a bit longer than he should have.

The Farmer stared at the water with wide eyes, not missing a single moment of the beautiful jellyfish migration. They didn't even notice Sebastian's gaze on them, too encaptured by the scene playing out before them.

Sebastian wanted to look away. Really, he did. But the way the Farmer's face was lit by the soft glow of the moonlight jellies... it was perfect. He wanted to keep this moment for himself, just him and the Farmer. He felt odd, a strange sort of deep appreciation and understanding toward the Farmer. They made him smile.

Sebastian saw the glow begin to fade away, shaking his head and looking back out to sea. The jellyfish were mostly gone by now, only a few stragglers remaining. He sighed, catching the attention of the Farmer. They looked at him, tilting their head in question.

"I guess summer's over now, huh?" He mused, chuckling dryly. "Don't get me wrong, summer's not bad... but fall is just... better." Sebastian met the Farmer's gaze for a moment, before glancing back at his lap with a sigh. "You probably like summer better, huh?"

"I like fall," the Farmer murmured. "It's less hot." Sebastian smiled gently, nodding.

"Yeah, that's definitely a plus," he agreed. "And the Spirit's Eve festival is pretty cool, I guess." The dark-haired male cleared his throat, standing up. "It's getting late. Do you want to walk back... together?" His voice quivered slightly. Sebastian swallowed, nervously awaiting the Farmer's response.

"Okay," they said simply. They stood up, walking alongside Sebastian as they crossed the beach, passing the few remaining stragglers still hanging around.

They walked up through town, along cobbled paths that eventually turned to dirt. When they passed over the farm's property line, Sebastian frowned, staring down at his feet. Still, he walked the Farmer back to their door, watching as they turned to look at him quizzically.

"Ah... I should get home." Sebastian rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, avoiding eye contact with the Farmer. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow," the Farmer agreed, nodding. Sebastian smiled lightly, pressing his lips into a thin line.

"Alright. See ya..." He waved at the Farmer, walking up past the farmhouse and along the small path to the mountains. Once he had left the Farmer's sight, Sebastian's shoulders slumped. The Farmer made him feel weird , but not exactly in a bad way... he wasn't sure if he liked it or not. He had never felt this way about anyone before... even his crush on Abigail hadn't made him feel this way.

Sebastian wasn't sure what to think of it. Did he actually like the Farmer like that? Or did he just like them as a person? How was he supposed to know?

Sebastian huffed, opening the door to his house. This was dumb. Why was he thinking about it so much? Surely there were other things to focus on...

Ugh. No matter what he tried, Sebastian's thoughts just kept circling back to the Farmer. Yoba save him.

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