Muddy Relations (Stardew Valley Fanfiction)

She's Got it All

    Morris and I had made it out of the office building just in time for the charter bus to whip around the corner of the building's entrance. No one had even noticed we had left the convention early.

    I sighed as we walked in tandem, him checking his pockets for everything he could need, and me pulling and tugging at my shirt to make all the creases disappear. I smiled, remembering Morris complimenting my silky bra that hid just below the black linen dress shirt. He had done so just before pulling each strap from off my shoulder.

    Before joining the group, he eyed me, carefully examining me. He pulled a hankie from his pocket and applied it to my ears, and then my mouth. Dry blood smeared onto the tissue, and I looked at him surprised. His eyes echoed back the expression.   

    "I think it'd be a good idea to keep your hair down. I did a lot more damage than just make your ear bleed." He took another long look at me. "I would also recommend saying that you bit your own lip," he smirked and laughed, almost like it was an inside joke. "You look terribly good."

    I sighed again, my body aching to be close to his. "'Terribly'?" I asked, words failing me.

    "I can claim to be the reason why you look so windswept. You haven't stopped blushing since I kissed you," he grinned mischievously. "Isn't it just terrible?" The comment only made me blush more.

    As we stood with the rest of the group, our coworkers chattered mindlessly, talking and exerting energy that they had stored from the day.

    "I plan on working out as soon as we get back," one male employee stated. "I just couldn't get enough movement in during lunch."

    "I'm planning on having fun at the pool," said the girl who sat in front of me at the office. She looked around at the group. "If anyone would like to join, I think we could have a lot of fun," I smirked, thinking back to Morris. I had already gotten the exercise I had needed that day.

    My sternum and back ached, and I stood, tired from the exhausting day. There was nothing I had wanted to do more, than go back to the hotel and sleep. Morris caught my eye, and smirked like he knew what I was thinking. Like he was saying 'I won't let you sleep,'.

    Suddenly, the girl who had last spoken turned to me and looked at my lip, concerned.

    "What happened to you?" She asked, her voice tense.

    "I tripped right before the last panel," I lied, trying to stop her cogs from turning anymore than they already had. I felt Morris' eyes on me, watching and I just imagined him grinning. If I looked, however, I would have started to smile as well.

    "Bit my lip bad," I muttered. "Luckily Morris saw, and helped me find a first-aid kit." They all turned to face him. I was right in assuming that he would be smirking. While I was able to keep my cool, Morris seemed to break under pressure, blushing immediately. Besides a few comments, the crowd didn't pay any more attention to us.

    I sat in an empty aisle on the bus, unsure of not only what to think, but unsure of how committed Morris would be to me. I had barely enough knowledge of men and romance, that I was hesitant to assume how eager I should appear. If I ran, would he follow?

    Morris met me halfway. Not looking at me, he sat behind me, seeming to scan the area around me, analyzing what he could say or do. We were much more similar than I had thought.

    A piece of paper slid between my seat and the one next to me after a while of silence. It was folded tightly, and the inscription of 'Farmer Girl' appeared on the outside, a callback to my family background. Had he been listening to me more than I had anticipated? I wondered.