𝐓𝐎𝐎 𝐒𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐓 | Harvey, Stardew Valley

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐈𝐈

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ

Saturday, 8:00 AM

The first sunbeam came in through the window, quivering with its' brightness everything that was in its way. Exactly the same way that feelings and desires splash human life with their impulsiveness. Whether we like it or not, these two concepts will always find a path to cover us with lust and secrets, enhancing the deepest roots of human nature.

Harvey was well aware of this.

He had tried to domesticate the feeling. He had spent uncountable hours learning how to suppress the ticklish impulses, the mental images, his... freedom.
He had promised himself to always stay committed to the job. Never giving his mind the chance to wander around. His priority was, and would always be, the professionalism required to save a patient's life. He felt focusing on something else rather than his medical knowledge was a waste of time. Even if deep inside, he understood he was missing out on the best experience one can be part of: love.

He turned off the alarm clock. A big yawn and arm stretch followed up. Harvey's mornings were always a ritual, a meticulously choreographed routine to maintain the semblance of control over his life. With practiced precision, he dressed in his crisply ironed white coat, the emblem of his dedication to medicine, and made his way to the kitchen. Breakfast was a hurried affair, a few bites of toast washed down with a gulp of black coffee, just enough to fuel his body for the day ahead. It was comical how we would often reproach his patients for not eating well, yet he didn't apply the same standards for himself.

As he stepped down the stairs onto the clinic located on the bottom floor of his apartment, his mind was already occupied with the tasks awaiting him at his office. He stepped outside the building. The crisp morning air greeted him, carrying with it the scent of dew-kissed grass. He closed his eyes, taking a few moments to embrace Pelican's Town tranquility.

The day ahead promised long hours of medical files lecture, along with some spare minutes to listen to his jazz records.

Nothing ever happens in this town.

He was grateful for the opportunity to give the rural country medical attention, but regularly he daydreamed about his time in college, attending a busy hospital. Was it better to not have any emergencies, ensuring the safety of his patients, or was his narcissistic desire to be helpful in society somehow valid?

He pushed those thoughts aside, focusing instead on the familiar ritual that awaited him at the clinic. As he unlocked the door and re-stepped inside, the typical scent of antiseptic greeted him, mingling with the faint aroma of old paper from the medical files stacked neatly on his desk. Harvey couldn't help but feel a sense of comfort in the sterile environment of his workplace. Here, he could control every variable, every outcome, just as he liked it.

With practiced efficiency, he began his rounds, checking on the equipment, confirming everything was in its rightful place. His mind drifted to the upcoming appointments, and the medications he needed to reorder. Each task was a puzzle to be solved, a challenge to be overcome. And Harvey was nothing if not a master at his craft.

As the midday sun filtered through the blinds, casting long shadows across the room, Harvey heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps approaching. With a soft sigh, he glanced up from the front desk to see a figure standing in the doorway, framed by the soft light.

Standing at the entrance was a woman, her coal-kiss hair shining like strands of midnight silk, cascading in gentle waves around her shoulders. Her eyes, a captivating shade of emerald, held a depth that seemed to draw him in, sparkling with a curiosity that mirrored his own.