Stardew Valley |This Modern Love | F!Female Farmer x Sebastian

The Sound of Settling

Sebastian watches, hand extended, as the farmer hurries away. He opens his mouth, but no words come. Swearing, he turns back to the ocean. Great going, you dick. She must think he's a complete asshole now. Sebastian scoffs. She wouldn't be far off. Why did he say that? He didn't want her to leave, he only wanted...fuck, he doesn't know what he wanted. What else is new?

He sighs and tosses a rock into the sea. The resulting plunk does nothing to soothe his frustration. What is she even doing here? Why would someone move from Zuzu to Pelican Town of all places?

And what kind of a farmer dresses like that? His thoughts linger on the shape of her legs in the ripped tights, the way her oversized sweater fell to the hem of her shorts. He palms his face. Snap out of it. They only met today. He has no business entertaining those sorts of thoughts.

Still, he's curious why she left the city. There's something up with her. Something he finds familiar. His shoulders tense the more he thinks about it; the way their eyes met, how their gaze lingered. Nope. Nope. Fuck this. Sebastian pulls a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, lights one with a shaky hand. He watches the sun sink below the waves, sits there until the ashes drop into his lap.

He leaves the beach and plods over the cobblestone streets. Lamps bathe the area in dim light, and the chill deepens. The road up the mountain is long and winding, surrounded by trees and wildlife. Crickets sing, and the river trickles below. The full moon illuminates the path. It's eerie, a little forlorn, and Sebastian relishes it. Exactly his kind of mood. His house comes into view, walnut siding with a blue-painted roof.

To anyone else, the light pouring from the windows would look inviting. To Sebastian, it makes his stomach twist.

He veers toward the mountain lake, not ready to face his family. Linus stands at the edge, skipping stones over the water. Sebastian slumps beside him.

Linus has lived in the mountain wilderness for as long as Sebastian can remember. He thought it strange, at first, but over the years Linus proved to be both a friend and a mentor. More of a father figure than Demetrius ever was. He's one of the few people Sebastian feels truly relaxed around.

"Anything troubling you?" Linus sits and regards him with kind, curious eyes. "You seem unsettled."

"I was an asshole to someone." Sebastian stares at the water, plucking at the grass. "I don't understand why I do this."

Linus nods. "I think we've all been there. Do you want to talk about what happened?"

"There's a new person here. She moved into that old farmhouse. We were talking on the beach, and it was fine until I told her I came to think alone. She ran off." He sighs. "I didn't mean I wanted her to leave. I only wanted some silence. But I didn't say it right. I get so anxious talking to new people and stupid things fall out of my mouth. And now I've probably alienated her." Part of him hurts. Another part thinks it might be for the better. He's not sure which side to trust.

"She may have her own experiences that could lead her to make assumptions." Linus peers up at the sky. "It isn't easy to move to a small town on your own." He chuckles. "That I can say from experience."

Sebastian frowns. "I don't follow."

"What I mean is, her hurt may have been something she projected upon you, rather than something you caused out of cruelty. She may have assumed you didn't want her there, or that you disliked her. But we're only responsible for how we act toward people, not for how they perceive us." Linus smiles at him. "If you apologize the next time you see her, I'm sure she'll understand. Miscommunications are part of being human."