Stardew Valley - Dark Blue: When The Chickens Came Home To Roost (Shane)

Chapter 5: Chicken Shit

"Shane!" He heard Marnie call from a distance.

He woke up lying flat on his back, a splotchy storm cloud blooming in the sky above him, promising an imminent downpour. "Yeah?" He snapped, pushing up off the dock on which he'd fallen asleep the night before, pining for a time when life hadn't been such a fucking mess. He'd dreamt of Annemarie, even though a loose strand of pink hair on his hoodie sleeve betrayed her memory.

"What are you doing out there, son? You're going to get wet!" Marnie fussed. Shane spotted his aunt craning her neck out the front door, cupping her hands around her mouth as she shouted.

He climbed to his feet, and it was no small effort. The dock under his feet creaked ominously, threatening to dump him into the water. Despite his daily hangover, his head felt slightly less fuzzy — but even then, he still couldn't work out his encounter with Litha. Had it not been for the strand of pink hair and her scent that still lingered on his skin, he would have simply chalked it all up to a fever dream.

Even in the midst of his lingering confusion, he couldn't deny the way she'd made him feel — or the lightning that shot up his spine at the mere thought of her. He'd felt a similar way once before, when he first began falling in love with Annemarie, but with a grave amount of clarity, he was certain that the sensation swirling all throughout his body was not love. Lust, maybe — but not love.

Shane all but dragged himself across the yard and straight through the cauliflower patches, disregarding the vines that he somehow managed not to trip over. Marnie watched him carefully as he approached the door, concern creasing her weathered face.

"Shane, I — " she began, her brow bunching as he swept past her.

"Save it, Marnie. I know —" Shane stopped dead in his tracks as he passed the threshold, only to find Litha Rosenhaal lounging against the service counter, wearing her signature high pigtails, some pale denim overalls that had certainly seen better days, and of course, her stupid fucking sword. The feeling might have been misplaced, but Shane definitely had beef with her. His gut flipped over as she tilted her head to the side, and couldn't tell if it was a challenge, or an inquiry. Fuck.

He was completely dumbfounded, and just as he had the previous day at Odd Jobs, he only stared at her — and to his surprise, she stared right back, just as confused as he. Shane wondered if Litha could feel the same tension — namely the sensation that tingled at the base of his spine, begging him to close the distance between them, despite the fact that the sight of her presently annoyed the piss out of him. He barely even noticed Jas rushing toward him like a freight train, her arms flung wide.

He picked up his daughter, balancing her on his hip as she threw her little arms around his neck and pressed a kiss against his cheek. As usual, he couldn't help the smile that Jas put on his face.

"Ms. Litha is here for some chicks, Shane. I was wondering if you could help her get acquainted up at SunnyVale?" Marnie inquired, slicing the silence like a knife as she turned her eyes toward Litha. "Shane is great with the chickens," she assured her.

Both Shane and Litha snapped to attention. Shane cleared his throat. "Yeah, fine." Litha beamed at him as he hugged Jas tightly and lowered her back to the ground. "Go play," he told the puffy haired little girl, who wore pigtails similar to the mystery woman before him. "I'll be back soon, and then we're gonna go to the beach, okay?"

Jas's eyes lit up, and her little legs began dancing. "Yes! Thank you, Shae! I'm gonna wear my new swimsuit!" Jas took off down the hall, skipping and giggling the whole way.

Marnie smiled after her lovingly, until her form disappeared into her bedroom. "Go on and grab Ms. Litha four chicks, please, Shane," his aunt requested, stepping behind the counter and clicking away at the register.