Work Text:
1.
It's fair to say that Sebastian was a complete stranger to strangers. Not many came to the sleepy village of Pelican Town, and those who did didn’t tend to stay for too long. Thus it was a shocking surprise when not one, not two, but three newbies came to town to spruce up and maintain the farm that Old Man Charlie had left behind.
The one to truly inherit the farm was named Ryun. Odd name, but she did come from the city. Ryun was married to Zen, the second of the new farmers but easily the most reticent. Sebastian met them both when Ryun was negotiating with Robin for a new coop and silo a couple months ago. They seemed nice enough and Sebastian could see how well they worked with each other, Zen’s quiet nature allowing for Ryun’s outgoing personality to shine.
Then there was the third farmer.
Sebastian wondered if he could even call her a farmer, seeing as he rarely saw her doing farm things. Which, to be fair, he didn’t go out of his room often enough to see much of anything, but he only ever saw the girl coming out of the mines or hefting a fishing pole and bucket over her shoulder. Hell, he didn’t even know her name until the day of the Flower Festival.
Kitty. He watched as she tentatively approached the citizens gathered for the festival, only talking to each for a brief time before following behind Ryun. He kind of felt for her; it seemed she had as much difficulty talking to people as he did.
It didn’t make him any softer when Ryun came up to him next with Kitty in tow.
”Heya, Sebastian!” Ryun called. He nodded, hoping his position far away from the main crowd would discourage them from getting closer.
No luck. Ryun’s white ponytail swished in the wind as she dragged her friend right up to him. “I don’t think you’ve had a chance to meet Kitty yet! Kitty, this is Sebastian. Say hello!”
”Hello, Sebastian,” Kitty repeated dutifully, thrusting her hand toward him. She wore shades that clashed horribly with her outfit, her mousy brown bangs curling up from the sticky humidity that was just starting to come with the change of seasons. He couldn’t tell if she was pretty or not. He promptly decided he didn’t care.
He shook her hand then stuffed his own back in his pockets, hoping they’d get the idea and leave him alone. Ryun seemed happy with the exchange and Kitty seemed happy to be done with their conversation, if it could even be called one.
Mayor Lewis called out for couples to line up for the annual dance. Sebastian watched as Ryun led Kitty to the men’s line before taking up her own position on the women’s line. Sebastian idly wondered where Zen was. Maybe they had a polycule or something and took turns.
Whatever the case was, there wasn’t room for him to dance, thank Yoba. He spotted Abigail’s disappointed face, but it was hard to look at her when Kitty was botching the entire dance. He couldn’t help the snicker that escaped him. He briefly wondered if she was purposefully bad just to make Ryun laugh (and Ryun was laughing pretty hard). However, he could see Kitty’s earnest face as she tried desperately to keep up with the other dancers.
Sebastian had never been sad for a dance to end before, but this was the most amusement he’d gotten out of a festival since the rotten egg toss last year. Abigail and Sam beelined their way over to him, and thoughts of the new farmers were forgotten in favor of planning their next game night.
2.
The next time Sebastian happened upon Kitty, she happened upon him first. Still wearing those hideous shades despite the lack of sunlight, she approached him as he flicked the ashes from his cigarette into the night air. She must’ve just come from the mines with how much dirt and monster grime was spattered on her arms and legs.
Before he could speak, she presented to him a large rock in the shape of a teardrop.
”Wow,” he said, instinctively taking the frozen tear. “For me? I love it.”
”The children yearn for the mines,” Kitty said in response. She saluted him and walked away.
What the fuck?? What in the actual fuck did that even mean? He stared at the retreating figure then turned his attention to the freezing rock in his hand. He pocketed the frozen tear and took another drag from his cigarette, choosing to think instead about the line of code that was currently giving him fits.
It was easier to figure out than the enigma that was the new girl.
3.
The summer was coming to a close, which meant the Dance of the Moonlight Jellies would be upon them soon. It was one of the only festivals that Sebastian didn’t mind attending given that it happened at night and all anyone did was watch the ocean. He idly wondered if Ryun and Kitty would be there.
After his weird run-in with the miner a year ago (he could hardly call Kitty a farmer when the only things he heard about her came from Willy or from Gunther), she'd occasionally bring him things from the mine or chitchat with him before going off to do whatever it was she did. Against his will, he'd become somewhat fond of her; she wasn't around much, and she was so awkward when she was that he almost looked forward to the weird things she'd say.
He’d also started noticing more of the things people said about the trio from the city. About how sweet and helpful Ryun was, about how rare it was for Zen to be seen off the farm. About how strange but oddly charming Kitty was when she'd pass by.
About how there wasn't a polycule like he'd originally thought but just friends hanging out. He'd asked Kitty about it once. She shrugged and said, “Gamer commune” like that meant anything, then went on her way to fish.
He didn't understand why he had such a peculiar fascination with her. Usually he hated being in a small town where everyone knew every little thing, hence why he locked himself in his basement room more frequently than his coding required. Yet there he was, searching for more information on the enigmatic trio.
Speaking of trios, it had been a while since he'd hung out with Abigail and Sam. Usually they hung out every Saturday, but ever since Ryun had absolutely annihilated Abigail in the egg hunt again this year, Abigail vowed to find something she could best the farmer in and threw herself into the search. Sam had been hanging out with Zen playing the latest trading card game whenever the elusive farmer was around, which happened to be the past two Saturdays. Still, Sebastian made the trek to Stardrop Saloon in hopes that he'd find his friends there.
Which they were. And so was Kitty.
Kitty who was absolutely hammered if the bright flush across her nose and the newfound talkativeness were anything to go by.
“Seb!” Abigail called, waving him over like he wasn't already headed that way.
“Hey, ‘Bastian,” Kitty smiled wide. He was about to greet her back when he noticed her signature shades were gone. She had muddy green eyes that matched the moss that grew on the sides of the trees that he leaned against during his midnight smoke breaks.
He belatedly realized he was staring, but before he could mutter out an explanation or an apology or a deflection or…anything, really, Kitty was already talking again.
“Abby and Sam invited me over, hope I'm not intruding or anything,” she laughed brightly but nervously. “Anyway, I promise I'm normal. Like, so normal. The most normal, in fact. Nobody has ever been more normal than me.”
Sebastian couldn't help the small quirk of his lips at her rambling. Totally normal, indeed. Kitty turned to Abby. “Can we do more shots? Those last ones were so tasty!”
The night when on much the same. Abigail and Kitty giggled between drinks and jeered at Sebastian and Sam while the boys played pool.
“No faiiiir, when's it our turn?” Abigail pouted, slinging an arm over Kitty's shoulders. “We should do girls versus boys and kick your asses.”
“Abby,” Kitty returned the embrace, “Abby, I'm so ass at pool. You do not want me on your team.”
“Oh come on! You can't be that bad!”
She was. Yoba above, Sebastian didn't think anyone could be that bad if they tried. And Kitty was trying so hard to be good that he just felt bad for her. Even so, she appeared to be having a good time, laughing and smiling more in the past two hours than he'd seen in the past year.
Happiness looked good on her.
Sebastian tamped that thought way down and sank another ball into the pocket.
4.
The Spirit Festival was one of Sebastian's favorites. The weather was cool, and nobody cared if he brooded off to the side since it matched the atmosphere.
He hated the way that his eyes instantly caught on Kitty and Ryun as they entered the town square in matching maid outfits. Ryun was always social, but Kitty had opened up to the townsfolk as the months went on. Sebastian had come to understand that Kitty had terrible social anxiety, and it had made so much sense why she was attached to Ryun and Zen like a child hiding behind their mother's legs. He got it; he was much the same.
Since that Saturday Kitty had hung out with Sebastian and his friends, she'd been more open with her smiles and more free with her laughter. She continued to bring him cool stuff from the mines, and he kept her company while she fished at night. She was still awkward, but it had become - dare he say - endearing.
“Oh! ‘Bastian!” Kitty called to him. She and Ryun ran over to where he stood outside the skeleton cage. They ran around him in circles like children, giggling and effectively trapping him until Kitty ran into Ryun and sent them both tumbling to the ground in a fit of laughter. Sebastian, dumbfounded by their antics, simply watched as they helped each other up and dusted off their costumes.
Kitty pointed to the skeletons in turn. “Skeleton maaaan~” she sang. At his bewildered look, she squinted at him. “Y’all never heard the Skeleton Man song?”
“No,” he deadpanned.
"Well, you should look it up sometime!"
“Hey, wanna go to the maze?” Ryun asked suddenly. Sebastian wasn't sure if he was included in that question but was saved from answering when Kitty excitedly turned away from him and followed Ryun into the spooky hedge maze a few yards away.
Later, at his computer, he searched “Skeleton Man song.” As the cheesy lyrics filtered through his headphones, he couldn't help the smile that crossed his face.
5.
It was raining. Just absolutely pouring, with thunder and lightning to boot. Instead of taking his smoke break by the lake, Sebastian opted to remain by the house under an awning to protect himself from the storm overhead.
Movement out of the corner of his eye caused him to turn and peer into the night. He figured the storm was making him antsy and seeing things that weren't really there, but then he heard a wet plop and a groan.
Against his better instincts, he went and searched for the source of the noise. He instantly went on high alert when he noticed ugly sunglasses on a pale face.
“Kitty?” He hovered over her, trying to assess what had happened. She must’ve come from the mines again; that was nothing unusual. What was unusual was the way she could only moan out in pain instead of actually answering him.
“Kitty, you gotta talk to me. What happened? Are you okay?” He removed her sunglasses to better see her face.
“...fuckin…what're they called…got me good…” she slurred out, eyes closed and breathing shallow.
“I'm taking you to the clinic,” Sebastian decided. “Shit. Did you hit your head?”
“Dunno,” came Kitty's answer. Helpful.
“Can you stand?” He watched as she slowly rolled over and brought herself up to her hands and knees, shaky but stable. Or so he thought until her elbows gave way and she almost face-planted into the mud. His arms darted out to catch her before she got a mouthful of wet dirt.
“Whoa there, c'mon,” Sebastian said, hauling her up to her feet. He had to crouch to keep her upright since she was so much shorter than himself. “Okay, I'm going to heft you up onto my back. Ready?”
“But 'm gross,” Kitty protested weakly. Her legs wobbled and Sebastian chose not to wait for her acquiescence. Up she went onto his back, her arms circling around his neck once she was situated against his shoulder blades. Her thighs were soft yet firm in his hands.
Wordlessly, he carried her into town, guided by flashes of lightning and muscle memory. He kicked at the door to the clinic before it opened to reveal a bleary-eyed Harvey.
“What in the world…?” the doctor started before Sebastian all but shouldered his way into the building.
“Whassup, Harvey?” Kitty garbled out. “Sorry ‘bout this.”
“I found her sprawled on the ground coming from the mines about thirty minutes ago,” Sebastian filled the doctor in as he unceremoniously dumped Kitty onto the examination mat. She squinted at him under the fluorescents.
Harvey ran through the gamut of usual testing and the result: exhaustion and enough cuts and bruises to make a professional boxer cringe. It was nothing that wouldn't heal with time. Sebastian could feel the relief coursing through him.
“No strenuous work for two weeks, young lady,” Harvey advised.
“Sure thing,” Kitty sighed. Harvey sent them off with painkillers and another reminder of “no mining” to Kitty.
“What the hell am I s'posed to do?” Kitty whined on the slow, slow trek to her house. At least she was feeling better enough to complain, and Sebastian didn't have to carry her. Those painkillers were the real deal.
They made it to Old Man Charlie's - er, it was called Honey Tea Farm now - and up to Kitty's porch. She turned to say something, but he beat her to it.
“If you're really that bored, you can come hang out with me,” Sebastian offered before he could think about it.
“Oh!” she exclaimed, surprise clear across her face until it was replaced by guilt. “I couldn't impose on you like that. I know you're busy with your programming stuff and I would just be in the way.”
“Nah, you wouldn't be. Offers's open if you want to,” he tried to be nonchalant.
She tucked a lock of muddy hair behind her ear. “O-okay, then. If you're sure?”
“Come over whenever,” was all he said in response. A shy smile blossomed on her face, then with a whispered word of thanks she disappeared inside.
When he made it back to his bedroom, he realized he still had her sunglasses tucked into his pocket. He gently set them on the side table next to the couch and made a mental note to give them back to her when she came over.
He laid down in bed, and while he was somewhere between waking and dreaming, he could admit to himself that he hoped she would come over.
+1
Despite having visitors on a semi-regular basis (thanks to Abigail and Sam), Sebastian had never really looked over the state of his room until he heard a tentative knock on his door. Neither Abigail nor Sam had any qualms about barging in, so it could only be one person - Kitty.
Sebastian scrambled up out of bed and tossed on his hoodie before yanking the door open. There stood Kitty, dressed down in an oversized hoodie of her own and fuzzy socks pulled over her leggings.
“Oh! I - hello, ‘Bastian,” she stuttered, face slightly pink and her hands clasped against her chest. “I, um, hope I didn't come at a bad time?”
“Nah, you're good,” he said, stepping aside to let her into his room, internally cringing at the mess. He guided her to sit on the couch before plopping down beside her. “I'm usually awake and contemplating the heat death of the universe by now, so don't sweat it.”
“Fair enough. Don't let me cut into your existential crisis time,” she replied, smiling and slowly relaxing. They bantered back and forth for a while until Sebastian could no longer put his work off, and he reluctantly made his way over to his work station. He typed and clicked away at his computer while Kitty played on her phone over on the couch.
Time passed, and he almost forgot she was there if not for the light snoring coming from just past his monitor. He rose from his chair and took a moment to peek over at her, being careful so as not to disturb her.
She was sleeping peacefully all curled up on the couch. She barely took up one cushion, she was so small. Her face still had cuts from her fiasco in the mines a couple days ago. Her mouth hung open and her pigtails were lopsided from slouching against the throw pillows.
She was beautiful.
Oh. Oh.
He was so fucked.