Stardew Valley Story Collection!

Braids

Summary:

It would've been a nice day if it wasn't so windy. Sebastian didn't appreciate the way it blew his hair every which way, and he especially didn't like how it kept getting in his mouth.

Good thing the Farmer is there to help.

A/N (1):

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

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Sebastian sighed, grumbling softly under his breath. He was walking along the mountain path on his way to the Farmer's cottage, midday sun high in the sky. It was early fall, a windy day that caused a slight chill in the air as leaves drifted past. Sebastian's hair was blowing around as well, plastering itself across his face and getting in his mouth.

Sometimes he hated having long hair.

Normally, with these outdoor annoyances, Sebastian would've just turned back and hidden himself away in his basement room. But today was different; he was going out with the Farmer today (not like a date... even though Sebastian had put a bit more effort into getting ready for this, it was not a date) and he wouldn't miss it for the world.

He finally turned the corner, walking down the stairs to the farm. The Farmer was outside, humming to themself while harvesting various fruits and veggies they had grown. Sebastian glanced around, silently marveling at the plot of land. The Farmer had done well to turn this place around, even just in the few months they had been here.

Sebastian cleared his throat, finally catching the Farmer's attention. They stood up straight, holding a handful of freshly harvested cranberries. They smiled, putting the cranberries away before waving at Sebastian.

"Ready to go?" He asked, gaze washing over the crops the Farmer had been working with. Was he too early? The Farmer nodded, however, holding up a finger before running into their house, emerging a minute later with a big grin on their face. The Farmer gestured for Sebastian to follow, so he did, both of them walking down toward Marnie's ranch and the forest. The two of them didn't have any real plans for the day other than hanging out, which was fine. Well, Sebastian would be perfectly fine with that if it wasn't so damn windy.

"Ugh. Pleh," he spat hair out of his mouth, sticking his tongue out in disgust. The Farmer glanced up at him, raising an eyebrow in amusement as a small smile crept onto their face. "Sorry. It's windy." The Farmer's chest rose and fell quickly, silent giggles turning into more of a hearty laugh, clutching at their chest dramatically. Sebastian frowned, tilting his head. What he said hadn't been that funny, right?

"What?" He questioned, brows furrowed. The Farmer's laughter died down a bit; they were clearly trying not to make too much of a scene. Holding back giggles, the Farmer covered their mouth with one hand, pointing up at Sebastian's head with the other.

"Your hair," they murmured, voice breaking into muffled laughs. Sebastian's eyes widened, his hands flying to his head in a desperate attempt to smooth his wind-blown locks. Whatever he was doing, it wasn't working, and the Farmer pulled his hands away. "Here. Let me," they insisted. "Sit." They were at the edge of the forest, only a smattering of trees standing around them. A somewhat secluded spot, but not so much that they were completely hidden from society.

Sebastian sat down, and the Farmer kneeled down behind him. He could feel their hands in his hair, a bit of nerves running through his veins as he usually wasn't too keen on letting people touch his hair. Hell, he hasn't even gotten a real haircut in years because of his disdain for people touching his hair! But the Farmer was different... their touch was gentle and Sebastian trusted them. He was fairly confident that they wouldn't do anything bad.

Still, he was a bit nervous. "What're you doing?" He wondered, voice soft. The Farmer was quiet for a moment before finally answering.

"Braiding your hair." Sebastian hummed in acknowledgment, feeling the way the Farmer twisted his hair into a braid, hands gentle but capable. When he felt something light hit the center of his back, Sebastian's breath hitched slightly. The Farmer stood up from behind him, admiring their work for a moment before Sebastian turned to look at them.

"Oh!" He exclaimed, finally noticing the lack of hair near his face. He reached around, grabbing onto the braid and gently running his fingers over it, eyes widening at the neatness and skill the Farmer had demonstrated. "Thank you." The Farmer shrugged, nodding while offering Sebastian a hand.

"No problem," they murmured. They helped Sebastian up with barely any effort (working on a farm had definitely done them some good...) and offered him a small smile and a nod.

"Where did you learn to do that? You're really good," Sebastian observed. The Farmer shrugged, the lightest of blushes appearing on their cheeks.

"I dunno. I've known how to braid for as long as I can remember," they replied, hand moving to rub the back of their neck sheepishly. "Thank you though." Sebastian nodded, looking down at the ground.

"I should be thanking you. You got my hair out of my face," he murmured. "Nobody's ever braided my hair before." The Farmer raised their eyebrows in surprise, lowering them just as quick.

"Really?" They wondered. Sebastian nodded, pressing his lips into a thin line. "Huh. It looks good on you." The dark-haired male blushed, swallowing thickly.

"Oh- um, thank you!" The Farmer nodded, smiling.

"Sure." They brushed it off with a slight wave of a hand, taking a step away from Sebastian. "Wanna keep walking?" He let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding, nodding as he followed the Farmer.

"Right. Yeah."

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