Chapter Text
As was typical of any Friday night at Gus’ Saloon, the place was abuzz with the chatter and bustle of the citizens of Pelican Town. However, unlike most nights where they exchanged inane banter about their farms and daily chores, tonight, the villagers’ conversations seemed to always drift back to one topic– the new farmer moving into Stardew Valley.
The pool area claimed by the local band was not an exception to this.
Sam in particular, as he was with most things in his life, was very enthusiastic. Even the current score of 0-3 did not dampen his spirits.
“I’m so excited! I mean, how often do we get new people moving here?”
Sebastian simply gave a non-committal hum, contemplating on how he should decimate his opponent.
“Man, I wonder what they’re like. Even Lewis doesn’t know them that well, other than the fact that they’re apparently taking over one of the old farms. Y’know, Wanderlost farm or whatever?”
The balls clattered across the table, and Sebastian grinned triumphantly as one rolled into a hole. Sam groaned, and Abigail cackled from the nearby sofa. Smugly, Sebastian leaned against his stick and watched his friend bend over the table, brows furrowed in concentration.
“You mean, Wander-lust . That old farm on the west side, right?” Victor’s voice piped up from where he stood at the arcade machines, eyes still glued to Junimo Kart. No one could recognise the level he was playing.
“Yeah, that’s the one!”
Sebastian tilted his head in thought. Another clatter, and not a single point scored yet again.
“I’ve seen it before. It’s crusty as fuck, though. Gonna be hell to clean that up," he muttered.
“Ugh, why does everyone care so much about the newbie?” Abigail grumbled, and Sebastian nodded in agreement. “They’re probably some stuck-up loser like every other person who moves in from the city...”
“Er, no offence, Victor. You're not–”
“It’s fine. I know me and my mom were snobby as hell when we first arrived. Carry on.”
“Oh, okay, good. Hey Seb, can you pass over that bottle?”
“Nuh-uh. Do it yourself.”
Another clatter. The score was now 0-5.
“Well, fuck you very much then, asshole.”
“You guys think they’ll be into skateboarding? It’d be nice to finally have someone who knows how to appreciate my sick skid tricks.”
“Shut up, Sam. You can barely do a kick flip.”
A week flew by after Mayor Lewis’ big announcement and the topic had quickly died down since then— something Sebastian was grateful for. The constant mention of the newcomer had become annoying fast and thankfully, it seemed they were really taking their time coming. Even Sam’s avid interest had already disappeared, replaced by some disappointment.
“Man, are they even coming?”
“They probably chickened out and decided not to come in the end,” Abigail snorted. She took a sip of her milk and immediately spat it back into the mug, choking.
“What the— SEBASTIAN!”
“What did I do?”
He raised an innocent eyebrow and smirked into his own cup of untouched, perfectly normal milk. Ah, how delicious.
“YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DID— ack !”
“You had it coming, to be honest.” Sam patted her on the back as she coughed. “You shouldn’t have dropped crumbs all over his keyboard right after he told you not to.”
“Cough — FUCK YOU— cough .”
Sebastian ignored her venomous glare and smiled, rolling his dice. Oh, he landed in jail.
“God, I hope the new farmer learns to watch their back around Seb as soon as possible. In fact, that’s going to be the first thing I tell them.”
Abigail tossed the dice aggressively. She landed in jail as well. Sebastian snorted derisively.
“If they ever come.”
“What’re you talking about, Sebby?” Robin’s voice floated down the stairs as she arrived with a plate of cookies, coming to a stop by his doorway.
“He’s already here.”
“Wait, WHAT?” The three of them squawked in tandem.
“Yeah, Feng’s been here for like, three days. Oh, I guess I forgot to tell you,” she said, though her grin spoke of the opposite.
“What? His name’s Feng? I thought his name was Eric or something.”
“Where the hell’s he been at, then?”
Robin only laughed jovially at the slew of questions, and she set down the snacks with a wink.
“Well, last time I saw him, he was focused on planting his parsnips and cleaning up the farm. But you’ll probably see him reeeeal soon. Lewis told him to go greet everyone around town, after all.”
“Oh my god, I can’t wait to tell the new guy to stay away from Seb and his salty milk.”
“…His what?”
“Don’t worry about it, Mom.”
Soon turned out to be an understatement, because it was only two days later when the rest of Pelican Town finally saw their new neighbour in person.
It also just so happened that his first stop had been Pierre’s— Abigail’s dad’s shop.
That Thursday morning, an unfamiliar man walked through the doors with a basket full of plump parsnips under one arm, and when Abigail laid her eyes on him, she realised that maybe the new guy really was worth all that hype.
Golden skin, brown hair dyed a pale pink and eyes sparkling sage green. Upon seeing Abigail, he gave her a bright smile that seemed to light up his whole face.
Jesus . If she saw this guy at a club, she wouldn’t have hesitated to pounce. Still, within the confines of this tiny town where secrets could not be kept, she had to keep it casual and maintain her cool demeanour. She cleared her throat and cocked her head to the side.
“Oh that's right...I heard someone new was moving onto that old farm. Feng, right?” Real smooth.
The man nodded, and Abigail tried to focus on his smile and not the way sleeves of his white button-up were rolled up, exposing defined forearms. He had also left his top three buttons undone and she could see the firmness of his chest—
“Hello,” was all Feng said.
Wow, his voice was deep . Really soft, though. Maybe he was the quiet type.
“I’m Abigail. It's kind of a shame, though. I always enjoyed exploring those overgrown fields by myself.”
His head tilted a little as confusion entered his eyes, dangling gold earrings tinkling against his face, and Abigail kind of felt like hitting herself. Why’d she always have to say shit like that–
But before she could say something even more dumb, Pierre entered from behind.
“Oh, it’s farmer Feng! Welcome, welcome.“
Later in the afternoon, she and her family ate the parsnips Feng had sold to them for lunch. They were very good– much like the person who grew them, she thought, and Abigail felt her cheeks warm as she shoved another spoonful into her mouth. How embarrassing… She was twenty-three, not twelve!
Fortunately, Abigail was not the only one who had been caught off guard— it seemed almost everyone in Pelican Town found the new farmer to be a very pleasant surprise.
The bachelors and bachelorettes were especially interested that day, responses ranging from Shane’s classic self-deprecation (“I’m sure there are way cuter guys you could be talking to right now.”) to Alex’s brazen flirting (“Woah, you’re doing something right with those pants, Feng.”) to Hayley’s backhanded compliments (“You’re not half bad— might be cuter without that awful outfit, though.”).
Even friend-of-the-world Sam stuttered through his greeting.
“Sorry, I’m a little nervous, as you can tell. I didn’t think the new guy would be such a cutie.”
Feng chuckled softly at his admission, and Sam loudly laughed along with a light flush on his face. In the end, he forgot to ask about skateboarding.
By that night, the only person Feng had yet to find and greet was Sebastian, who had decided to lock himself in his bedroom and code the entire day, uncaring of the newcomer. And so, with the determination to introduce himself to everyone in Pelican Town, he decided to try the next day.
Along with the town’s approval, even fate seemed to be on the new farmer’s side— it was a rainy day which meant that Sebastian, as always, had finally left the basement and had made his way to the docks.
Why? Because of the vibes, obviously. Rain always makes depressed daydreaming better.
Right in the middle of concocting his next steps in becoming the world’s worst supervillain, Sebastian heard wet footsteps approaching from behind– which never happened, because everyone in town knew not to interrupt an emo dude’s pondering. That could only mean…
He slowly turned, meeting the dazzling green eyes of a stranger. Oh. No wonder Maru had kept talking about the new farmer during dinner. He really was…
“Robin’s son,” the man said, so soft it was almost like he was talking to himself. “Hello. Are you Sebastian?”
Very, very attractive.
Sebastian looked away and cleared his throat, hoping he didn’t look like a wet cat.
“Oh, yeah. And you're Feng, the one going to live in that old farm right? Cool.”
Feng nodded and came to his side, smiling. There was a question in his gaze, and in the face of that gentle expression, Sebastian found himself not minding to answer it. He moved his gaze away, feeling a little shy.
"I usually stay inside, but I do go to the beach now and then. Pretty much only when it's raining, though. For some reason, staring off into the bleak horizon makes me feel... I dunno. Like it's worthwhile to keep pushing on, I guess—” he muttered on, before abruptly cutting himself off.
He peeked back up at the farmer who he found was staring at him thoughtfully. Fuck, he hoped Feng really was as soft-spoken as Maru said and wasn’t just silently judging him. He bit his tongue before he could ramble on any more, and gestured to the spot beside him.
“Um, anyway. You’re welcome to stay here with me, if you want.”
He was rewarded with another smile as the other man sat down, looking out into the distance with him. The rain pattered down on them in a constant rhythmic beat, and with the sudden need for a smoke, Sebastian pulled out a cigarette. Glancing at Feng, the man nodded and so he lit it, shielding the flame with his hand.
With nothing to say, they sat side by side in silence for a while, just basking in the serene atmosphere together. Feng swung his legs and skimmed the tips of his shoes along the top of the water, creating a little array of patterns along the surface. He leaned forward, admiring the way the water rippled out with every touch, and Sebastian felt very amused. Has this guy never seen the ocean before?
In a spur of mischief, he leaned back on his arms and kicked his boot out, sending a sudden splash of water towards Feng’s shoes. The low chuckle he received in response was something he would daydream about later ( can a laugh be attractive? ), and the man kicked back playfully. A playfight quickly ensued between them, and Sebastian found himself laughing as well when Feng sent an especially large wave towards his ankles.
There was a sort of comfort he found in the other man, with how friendly he was in his own calm and quiet way. It was refreshing to not be immediately written off just as some odd loner. Even the other townspeople looked at him weird sometimes.
The playfight slowly dissolved. Taking another drag of the cancer stick, he looked at Feng out of the corner of his eye, taking in the array of pastel colours. He snorted to himself as he thought of their distinct contrast— an emo punk sitting next to the human embodiment of a sunflower.
Feng glanced at him in puzzlement at the sudden sound, and Sebastian decided that they should probably be talking more instead of playing around like elementary schoolers at their first introduction. Like regular people, as his friends would put it.
“So,” he began. “How old are you?”
Feng turned to him, the corner of his mouth tugging upwards at Sebastian’s attempt at small talk.
“Twenty-six.”
Sebastian‘s eyebrows shot up.
“No way, and you’re already out here taking care of your own farm? I’m twenty-five, and I’m still living in my mom’s basement.”
Feng’s eyes crinkled in amusement, which Sebastian took in with pride.
“Fresh out of university?”
“Yeah. But it was an online school, so I’ve never left the valley. How about you?”
Feng shook his head and turned his gaze back to the water, giving it another kick.
“I started working right after high school.”
“Oh, cool. What’d you work for?”
The man looked a little guilty then, and his voice dropped an octave lower.
“...Joja Corporation.”
Oh.
“Oh.”
“...”
“Well, nothing wrong with that,” Sebastian broke the awkward silence. He took another drag, blowing the smoke into the distance.
“You’re not working with them now, anyway. It’s not like you could’ve known about their… interest in our town.”
“...Mn.”
Interest was an understatement, but he didn’t need the guy to feel more guilty than he already did. It must have been awkward as hell to see your ex-company trying to monopolise the town you just moved into.
“Actually, why did you move here anyway? I’m sure there are way better places than Pelican Town of all things.”
“My grandfather left the farm to me after he passed three years ago,” Feng quietly admitted. “And… I needed a fresh start.”
“Mm, I get that. That’s cool.”
Sebastian understood that feeling all too well. He nodded, looking at the way the raindrops pattered on the back of his hand. His cigarette burns stood out against the pale skin— a permanent reminder of bad decisions.
“What did you work as, back then?”
Feng’s eyes finally turned back to him, and he gave him a grateful little smile.
“I was just a data analyst. But my managers weren't very competent at their jobs, so I had to take up a variety of tasks for them as well. Though, it doesn’t mean I earned more.”
Sebastian blinked at the sudden rush of words, and a large grin grew across his face.
“They must’ve been really shit, because that’s the longest sentence I’ve heard you speak so far.”
A light dusting of red spread across Feng’s face, and Sebastian laughed as he earned another splash, drenching his feet even more.
“I’m not complaining, though. Thanks for hanging out with me, Feng.”
They smiled at each other, awkwardness vanished.
“You’re welcome.”
As if the weather had been listening to their conversation, the skies cleared and as the sun slowly made its appearance, the rain reduced to a light drizzle. Sebastian looked down at his watch, and it also happened to be dinner soon. That was awfully good timing.
“Hey, it’s about time we head back.”
Together, they got to their feet and he turned to wish Feng goodbye—
Woah .
Sebastian nearly dropped his cigarette at the sight.
“Um, your shirt… It’s—it’s really see through right now.”
Feng blinked owlishly, before looking down at himself. His wet shirt clung to his body tightly, the thin white cloth completely drenched and translucent. His already half-exposed torso was now on full display, pebbled nubs on his chest included.
When he looked up at Sebastian with a helpless smile, a hazy ray of sun shone down on his face to reveal a light speckling of freckles across Feng’s nose. Meanwhile, a stray drop of rain rolled down his cheek, dripping from his chin onto his bony clavicle and made its way down between firm pecs—
Fuck.
Suddenly discomforted at the thought that anyone else would see the farmer like this, Sebastian really did drop his cigarette then, stomping the ember out. He shrugged off his black leather jacket, draping it over the other man in one swift motion.
“Here, have my jacket for now.”
“…?” Feng frowned, a concerned look in his eyes. Sebastian shook his head and smirked.
“Keep it, I have an undershirt. You can always return that to me some other day.”
The other man’s smile was small and sweet as Sebastian tightened the jacket over his chest. Despite being a little shorter, Feng’s shoulders were surprisingly broad and the jacket fit snugly over him, thankfully covering the parts of him that mattered.
“I’ll come by soon, then,” he murmured, and Sebastian gave himself a mental fistbump.
“Cool. And if you need help with anything… you can, uh, ask me. Or my mom. I don’t mind helping.”
They parted ways at the beach, and as Sebastian turned back to watch Feng’s departing figure, shrouded in his black jacket, he found himself unusually excited for the days to come.
“You’ve got a visitor, Sebby!”
“I already told you that I – oh, hey. Nice to see you again.”
Sebastian tore himself away from his computer and was greeted by the sight of a messy-haired, soot covered man that he barely recognised as Feng. There was even a smear of… something red and gooey across his cheek.
“…Did you go to battle or something?”
“I just went mining for a bit in the morning,” Feng chuckled softly. “And now I need to buy things from Robin. Here, your jacket.”
Setting down the large backpack stuffed full with tools and rocks, Feng reached a hand in and retrieved the jacket, carefully wrapped in plastic. Sebastian accepted the dusty package, eyes still roaming over his disheveled appearance.
“Uh, thanks. Do you need some water or…?”
Feng shook his head with a tired smile, running a hand through his sweaty locks before he came to a sudden pause. He stuck a hand down his bulging pants pocket, rifling through it.
“I have something for you.”
“Huh? You didn’t have to— oh .”
A small crystal was deposited into his palm, clear and sparkly. Amazed, Sebastian held it up to the light and watched the little rainbows dance around within.
“It’s quartz.” Feng’s eyes squinted into crescent moons as he smiled up at Sebastian. “It looked pretty, so… I wanted to give it to you.”
Oh. Oh fuck . That’s so fucking cute.
Sebastian breathed out, trying to calm his pounding heart.
“Thank you, Feng. I really, really like it. I’ll gladly add this to my rock collection.”
The other man perked up at that, flashing him an excited grin.
“I’ll give you more rocks in the future, then.”
Feng left quickly, and after Sebastian saw him out the door, he went back to admiring the quartz again. When he was done appreciating his first ever gift from Feng, he padded to his bookshelves and shoved a pile of CDs aside, making room for his new prized possession.
He didn’t actually own a rock collection— he’d meant it as a joke. But if Feng was going to start giving him more…
Well, what better time to start than now?
It was pretty much an open secret that Sebastian was obsessed with the new farmer— at least, among his close friends (and of course, his mother, because she seemed to always know literally everything ). His brazen words and glaring eyes whenever Alex flirted with Feng did not at all hide the way he felt. Not to even mention the bizarre assortment of rocks he now kept on his shelf, which he smugly proclaimed to all be gifts from Feng.
Abigail was… at a crossroads. She spilled her inner conflict to Sam, the bystander, who was also secretly a nosy bastard that loved gossip. Innocent golden retriever himbo her ass .
“Don’t you have a mega crush on Hayley? What happened to that?”
Abigail felt herself flush hotly at the reminder of the other source of her distractions and fantasies, and she gave Sam’s arm a light punch.
“Hey!”
“It’s not like I even had a chance with her anyway! Let’s face it— a punk girl like me could never pull a prep like her. And like, she is super hot, but that’s only if she shuts her mouth. I swear, if she calls me emo again… I’m alternative!”
Her friend laughed at her plight, ripping open a bag of chips. He threw a handful into his mouth, dropping crumbs onto her carpet like the heathen he was. Thankfully, Abigail was too immersed by her rambling to care.
“Uh-huh. So if not Hayley, you think you can pull Feng?”
“Well, I mean— I don’t know,” she muttered. “I just think he’s cute, is all. And he’s super nice and is all responsible and financially independent like that…”
“Mmhmm, get you a guy that knows how to do taxes .”
Sweet, smart, and total eye-candy? He was the whole package, and Abigail, who had a working pair of eyes and a healthy libido wanted a taste of that, thank you very much.
Though, perhaps it was proving harder than expected. Feng was nice, but he was nice to everyone. So far, there wasn’t even a hint of interest in Abigail other than the occasional flower– and even those weren’t limited to just her. She’d seen him giving a daffodil to Hayley once, who had flushed all pink and pretty in a way only Hayley could do. That had been a really weird moment of both envy and jealousy.
The jolly tune of another death sounded from the screen, and both she and Sam groaned in frustration. Abigail tossed her controller to the side and slumped onto the ground.
“Ugh. Journey of the Prairie King feels like a metaphor for my fucking love life. I suck ass at both .”
“If it’s any consolation,” Sam chewed around a mouthful of chips. “I think Seb’s scared too. Feng’s pretty damn popular and he told me he’s afraid someone will ask him to the flower dance before he does.”
“Oh man, I totally forgot about the flower dance!”
“Not that it matters, cuz’ you never dance anyway.”
“True. Even Feng can’t get me to wear that stupid white dress.”
Abigail picked up a pillow, smashing her face into it.
“Fuck, it’s gonna suck to watch him dance with someone else, though,” she mumbled. “Especially if it’s Sebastian of all people.”
Ugh, crushes were the worst, especially now that she didn’t have high school flings to distract herself with. She really hoped it went away fast. Emos and punks were already rivals by nature, and she really didn’t want to become romantic rivals with Sebastian.
That guy was becoming increasingly ballsy with his moves. Abigail had never seen him this openly flirtatious with someone before. And that meant that for once, he was actually determined about the chase— and a determined Sebastian was extremely rare, but extremely dangerous if their game nights were anything to go by.
Damn it all. Sebastian was her friend, but that didn’t mean she liked losing to him.
“I’m gonna scream. I hate this. Feng’s just so…” She flailed her hands around in a vague pattern, to which Sam nodded sagely.
“Yeah, I get what you mean. He is pretty awesome. One time I told him ‘lookin’ fly, cutie pie!’ which was seriously the lamest thing I’ve ever said, and he still laughed!”
“…You actually fucking said that?”
“Yeah, I know . It’s a miracle he didn’t unfriend me on the spot. But either way, don’t think too much about it, alright? Let’s play a different game.”
Oh well. What were the chances that king-of-darkness Sebastian would be able to win over Feng anyway? All she had to do was up her game a little more.
She sighed and picked her controller back up to start another round but as always, she died way too quick.
As was with every evening, Sebastian found himself by the lake next to his house with his fourth cigarette in his hand, the bitter taste of nicotine sitting heavy on his tongue. Surrounded in a thick cloud of smoke and his mind deep in the clouds, his thoughts couldn’t help but wander towards mesmerising green eyes that seemed to always suck him right in.
The truth was that while Sebastian had told Sam he was worried that Feng would end up dancing with someone else, he wasn’t actually that afraid. In fact, filled with an unusual sense of confidence, Sebastian was pretty sure he would be able to dance with Feng.
It had only been a few weeks since Feng first stepped into Pelican town, but he was already quickly becoming everyone’s favourite person. After all, what was there to dislike about someone who made daily rounds around the village, greeting everyone with the same bright smile and gifting them little trinkets and treasures every so often? He liked everyone, and everyone liked him.
And yet, while Feng seemed to treat everyone the same, Sebastian had the distinct impression that there was just something … different between them.
Sunny grins and pleasant words— those were things everyone received in equal amounts.
Long walks by the pier, soft conversations, private little glances when they think the other isn’t looking only for their gazes to meet and quickly break off with warm cheeks— those were things that only existed between them.
The young, self-destructive, high-school loser version of Sebastian would’ve told himself that this was all in his head; that he was being a delusional idiot and that he would never have a chance with someone so out of his league he was practically begging to be rejected.
But Sebastian now?
His fingernails mindlessly scratched against the hard scabs on his hands, picking at the cigarette burns
He was tired of giving up on others just because he’d already given up on himself. Who cared if he really was just imagining this? Did it matter if he and Feng didn’t actually have anything special going on?
It didn’t take away from the fact that when he stood by the river to smoke and bake in his own thoughts, the first thing that always came to mind was a man with forest green eyes. It didn’t erase the reality where Feng was all he can think about when sleep escapes him again and his hands creep beneath the covers and he wonders if he’ll ever see the muscled body hiding under that tight, white shirt.
Sebastian wanted to make Feng smile, wanted to hear that low chuckle that sent heat coiling deep in his gut, and wanted to know how those calloused hands would feel against his own.
He wanted, and he would never get anything if he didn't even give himself a chance.
So, he’s going to try anyway. And the first step?
He was going to make the flower dance unforgettable .
“Wait, you’re going this year? For real?”
“Yeah.”
“With Feng, right?”
“...Hopefully.”
“Damn, he really is a miracle worker. After so many years, your mom finally gets to bust out her old polaroid, Sebby!”
“Ugh, please don’t.”