Work Text:
It was raining in Stardew Valley.
More than raining, in fact. It was coming down in sheets, droplets close enough together that it left visibility all but nonexistent. You had been busy all day running errands; stopping off to have Clint open up some geodes you’d found and delivering a fish that Willy had all but dared you to catch. You’d gotten stuck talking to the Old Mariner on the beach, trying to coax his name out of him and watching him chuckle before telling you to run along home before it gets too late. You promised to be back to visit him next time he was passing through Stardew Valley and he gave a casual salute to mark both his gratitude and farewell.
By the time you made it back, tossing open the door to your little home and kicking the mud off your black boots, the rain has soaked you through, completely. You stood a moment in the doorway, watching a small puddle form on the ground beneath you. A soft sigh passed your lips at the same moment as a familiar voice called out your name.
You looked up to see Alex leaning against the doorway to your shared bedroom, his signature jacket missing to reveal the tight blue t-shirt beneath, the muscles of his arms clearly visible without the article to hide them. There were days when you would wonder which of you was really the farmer, the thought always passing through your mind that he’d only need a cowboy hat and a pair of riding boots to look like the hot farmhands they like to put in the movies. He must have noticed your thoughts on your face because the curious look he was giving you settled into something a little more smug.
“Hold onto those ideas for later,” he suggested slyly, moving from the doorway to cross over to the kitchen. A towel was pulled out from under the sink. He came back over to you, taking the hat off your head and setting it on a peg behind you before dropping the towel over your head; A small mercy, given that it hid the red that had taken to your ears and face. He rubbed the towel over you, attempting to dry off your hair with firm, but not painful motions. It was a welcome treatment after a long day of running around, almost like a head massage, and it drew a soft hum of appreciation past your lips.
“How was your day?”
It was a common question. For as long as you’d known Alex he’d always been attentive to his dreams, sometimes to the point of blowing off the rest of the world to focus on it. It’d been a challenge to get him to notice you once upon a time, particularly when he’d come with misconceptions about you, but somewhere along the way, his dreams had changed . He’d started thinking less about leaving Stardew Valley, chasing after fame and status off in the professionals, and more about the reasons he had to stay. His dreams changed, altered to match the growth he, himself, went through since you’d arrived on your grandfather’s farm, but the dedication and care he put into them was still just as strong.
“It was okay,” you answer, simply. He moved to stand behind you, using the towel to dry off your neck. His fingers seem itching for work tonight, because they quickly find the knots in your muscles and your eyes flutter closed of their own accord.
“What did you do? Tell me everything.”
It takes you a moment to focus, especially when Alex pressed a gentle kiss behind your ear, but you manage to rack your brain for the answers he is seeking. “I stopped in town for a while. At the blacksmith and then down to the beach - Spent some time talking to the seaman.”
“To semen, huh?” Alex cracks. You give him a look over your shoulder, reaching behind yourself to give him a light smack, but the mischievous laughter that bubbles out of him at your response has you shaking your head, turning back to hide your own lips pulling upward of their own accord. “I’m sorry, Babe... That sounds like a nice day. You seem exhausted, though. And tense.”
“A little bit,” you admit, softly. “I’m glad to be home.”
Alex settles his finger beneath your chin, directing you to turn your head enough that he can meet you in a kiss, his lips warm against yours. His fingers moved across your skin to caress your cheek, your eyes having already fluttered closed. His freehand slid across your hip, the tips of his fingers slipping beneath your shirt and splayed against your stomach. When he finally pulls away, it’s only just far enough to give you the chance to take in a deep breath, precious oxygen filling your lungs, but doing nothing for your jumbled senses. He whispers so that you can feel his hot breath against your lips.
“I’m glad, too.” His fingers catch into the hem of your shirt, tugging lightly. Your eyes crack half open, vision lazily casting downward towards the movement before finding Alex’s face once again. “Let’s get you out of these wet clothes, hmm?”
You can only nod in agreement.