Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

After a bad murder case resulting in me losing an arm and getting PTSD, I've managed to get into sort of an early retirement. Sure, I can still work but not in the forces anymore. Which is sad, but oh well what can one do? Being a detective already brought me a lot of stress and I don't need more.
Anyways, I thought I needed a new start, and I thought of something. Long before moving to Houston my father lived on a farm with grandpa. After he died, when I was around 14, his farm was sadly abandoned. Untill now.
After a painful conversation with my father about how I'm wasting my time not getting a wife and having children, and a long warning to beware of the “gaybos” in Pelican Town, I finally got the keys to the farm.
I packed my bags, got my dog and headed out with my car.
When I arrived at the farm I felt a pang of nostalgia as I approached the old house. It was sad seeing the once booming farm so empty these days. I sighed as I unlocked and stepped inside the house, hoping that maybe, I'd be able to somewhat restore it to it's old state. If anything at least Roxy will enjoy the big yard to run around in and explore.
As I looked around the simple home from the doorstep, I suddenly heard someone approaching. Turning around I saw a greying old man with a mustache in a green shirt.
"Uhm, good afternoon." I hesitantly said. I didn't exactly expect guests on my first day here. The man chuckled.
"Good afternoon, son. You're new here, aren't you?" He continued after I nodded. "My name is Lewis, I'm the mayor here. Welcome to Pelican Town." He said as he offered me a hand. I took his hand with my metal one and shook it, his eyebrows rose at it slightly.
"Thank you, sir. I'm Eric Burnham and... that's my dog Roxy." I said, pointing to Roxy who was already sniffing at something in the yard. The man scratched his chin in thought as if he recognised something
"Burnham eh? Do you have a relative called Gerald by any chance?" He asked.
"Yes. My grandfather. Gerald Burnham, he died...twenty years ago now maybe? This was his farm.” I paused, “Did...you know him?" I raise an eyebrow and squint my eyes at him. Sure he seemed familiar but...I couldn't put my finger on it. Lewis chuckled. “Know him? He was my best friend! Ah…those were the days. I remember when you were born heh. You were a wee thing….and look at you now! A man!” Lewis chuckled again as he reached out and patted my head. I just kinda stared at him confused. “You were like…what 10 when I last saw you? How old are you now?” He asked. “Uh, I'm 39…” I answered. Lewis choked on air, his eyes widening “39?!” That made him pause, earning a small snort from me. Lewis then cleared his throat. “Ahem, anyways....again. .. Welcome to Pelican Town, Eric. It's nice to finally have new people in our little community. Be free to explore around and meet with others. You can stop by the stardrop saloon later. That's where most of the townfolk are in the evening. See ya later!” Lewis waved goodbye as he walked away. I just gave him a small wave. What a weird guy. But at least it seems like it won't be boring here…

After unpacking and settling in, I finally decided to take a walk through the town, see what there is and finally take on Lewis's offer and stop by the Saloon.
I slowly stepped inside, immediately being hit by the smell of food and alcohol. A few people gave me looks as I walked towards the bar but....for once they weren't judgemental but surprisingly welcoming as a few people gave me nods and small smiles.
"Evening", I said as I sat down.
"Evening sir. What can I get you?" The man behind the bar asked.
"Whiskey. Neat." The man nodded to that and immediately got to it.
"Here you go. You must be new here right?" he continued with a warm smile when I nodded, taking a sip.
"Well welcome to the town. I'm Gus." I returned the smile offering him a hand which he took.
"Thanks. Name's Eric." Gus nodded before the man sitting next to me spoke up.
"Oh! You're the guy that moved in today?" The man asked fixing his glasses. He was a bit shorter, with soft looking brown hair, brown eyes and a neat mustache, dressed in a white button up with a red tie and a green coat over it. Overall very nerdy looking. And for some damn reason.... That made my heart THUMP. I cleared my throat.
"Oh uh, yes. Nice to meet you...?" I said with a questioning tone. The man let out a cute chuckle.
"I'm Harvey. I'm the town's doctor." Harvey...even his name sounds kinda nerdy. Dammit Eric why do you always fall for the damn doctors?!
"Oh, that's nice. Uhm..." say something say something say something- "Is there any work around here?" Dammit that's a stupid question! He probably doesn't wanna talk about his job right now!-
"No, not really heh. Just the yearly check ups and occasional small injuries and stuff..." Harvey answered politely with a smile. I nodded.
"Ah I see. Well... that's nice I suppose. I mean ...that people aren't getting injured or sick...." I spluttered out taking a sip of my whiskey to calm my nerves.
"Yeah, heh." Harvey paused before noticing my arm. "Is that a prosthetic?" He asked.
"Oh, yeah. It's a prosthetic. Lost it a bit ago." I answered. Harvey nodded in interest.
"I see ....mind telling me what happened? ...Er-! You don't have to of course! Only if you want to!" I chuckled.
"Well.... it's a long story. Basically... before coming here I was a detective. I was working on a murder case and ....to put it simply, I almost became part of it...." Harvey's eyes widened at my story, clearly slightly impressed, making me feel a bit giddy...
"Woah! That's quite the story you've got Eric ....." He said
"Yeah heh. It wasn't too long ago. Been a few months maybe. Still getting used to it and all." Harvey nodded, his eyes still on the prosthetic.
"Do you get ghost pain?? Like, does your arm hurt even if it isn't there?" Harvey suddenly asked.
"Yeah....sometimes.....I even get ghost itches I can't scratch-" I answered, making Harvey chuckle.
After a while of talking, the Saloon was close to closing and Harvey had to go.
"It was nice talking to you Eric. I'll see you around." He gave me a smile as he started walking away.
"Yeah....it was nice talking to you too, Harvey. See you...." I watched him slowly walk away, heart still thumping in my chest and my cheeks feeling warm. Gus raised an eyebrow, giving me a knowing look. Dammit am I that obvious?! What is wrong with me?!
I quickly paid for my drinks then headed home, eyes lingering on the hospital and Harvey's silhouette from the faint light coming from it. I slowed down slightly as I passed the hospital, but quickly shook my head and headed home faster. My cheeks feeling even hotter now.
The whole night I could barely sleep, thinking about the stupid cute doctor…

Chapter Text

A week has passed now since I moved to the old farm. I've settled in nicely and I've been slowly working on restoring it.
It's very nice. Really. I'd wake up around nine, have a coffee and read the newspaper on my deck, then work on the farm a bit. After that I'd eat, explore the town a bit more, chat with the townsfolk then go home and sleep peacefully. Without any loud cars, without people disturbing me, without anxiety about whether they'll call me in, in the middle of the FUCKING NIGHT.
Anyways, while exploring I found out that there's a beach nearby. I decided to spend a day there. It was nice. I met Elliot and Willy there. I like Willy. He gave me a fishing rod and taught me some basics and tricks. I'll probably spend more of my time there fishing with Willy or sunbathing…
However, this whole time….one guy hasn't exactly left my mind. And it's not helping that every time I go to town I pass the hospital. I'm so pathetic. I'm a grown ass man, acting like a lovesick teenager! And the worst part? Harvey is completely oblivious! I genuinely cannot anymore. I considered trying to avoid him in a wide circle but I know that's impossible. Besides, it's rude! He didn't do anything to me. Well anything bad at least. But what am I supposed to do??? He probably doesn't even like men-! But….what if he does?

I sipped on my coffee thoughtfully, unsure what to do when Roxy barked. Looking over I saw a woman bending over and petting her. With a sigh I stood up and went over to her.
“Good morning ma'am.” That startled the brunette woman slightly.
“E-er, good morning sir….” she stared at me sort of nervously “is this your dog?” she asked.
“Yes. That's Roxy.” I answered, “Er….what are you doing in my yard-?”
“Oh uhmmn…I was just passing by and I couldn't resist petting your very cute dog sir hihi! Er, you're new here right? Eric? Lewis told me about you. I'm Marnie!” I still looked slightly sceptical at her but offered her a hand.
“Nice to meet you, Marnie. You live nearby?” She shook my hand and nodded.
“Yes, down that road just below your farm…” I take note of that, thinking for a moment
“I see…. Well, Marnie, please…. don't just barge on my farm next time…. Roxy could've found you as a threat….” I warned her. And it was true, Roxy was a police dog after all. Marnie nodded sheepishly.
“Oh…I understand. Sorry heh. Err…I will….stop bothering you now….” She said,
“It's fine….just uh….you know….yeah. See you.”
That was…. interesting to say the least. Seems there's more entrances to the farm. I should keep in mind to fix that.

Anywaysss…after that exchange I went to the beach. I was too tired to really do anything and well it was a warm sunny day. So I got some essentials and went sunbathing on the sand.
I had a lot of fun. Napped a bit, swam with Roxy, even had a chat with Willy. Apparently the Stardew Valley eco system is rather diverse! And there's lot's of different fishes in different areas of it. There's even jellyfish in the sea. Jellyfish….
When I was swimming there was a jellyfish. But I didn't notice it and it stung my shoulder. And that shit hurt like HELL. I came out of the water to a very concerned Willy, who immediately suggested going to Harvey's clinic. Harvey's. Clinic. I'm going to be completely honest right now. If it weren't for Willy I woulda just walked it off. Especially since…well….Harvey. But obviously Willy insisted and even went with me. Dammit I don't know why but I felt so goddamn anxious, my heart was doing back flips in my chest.
When we arrived at the clinic we were greeted by Maru, who immediately redirected me to Harvey.
I swallowed hard as I entered the room, Harvey immediately greeted me with a warm smile, but it quickly faltered when he saw my reddening shoulder and pained expression.
“Oh! What happened?” He asked, stepping closer to take a better look.
“Uhm, I was at the beach and a jellyfish stung me….” I answered. Harvey gasped and pulled me to sit down. He immediately started treating my shoulder. The whole time I felt extremely flustered. The extremely close proximity, the fact I was shirtless…dammit Eric get your shit together! Act professional! He's just doing his job! I swallowed hard.
After a bit, Harvey finished and stepped back.
“There! It should be all good now! Just rub this cream every day and you'll be good.” I nodded with a smile.
“Thank you, Harvey. Uhm… how much do I owe you?” I asked him.
“Oh, nothing! I just cleaned the wound and rubbed some cream on it!” Harvey quickly said. And that didn't sit quite right with me. He didn't JUST do that!
“Are…you sure? It still took…you know…time and resources.”
“No, no, no. You're free to go! Go!” He quickly said. I blinked at him. That wasn't gonna pass. But I obliged, standing up.
“Alright then I… thank you I…I owe man.” Harvey just quickly nodded, seeming slightly flustered. With a last glance at him I left his office, left slightly confused. But then I was filled with determination. I quickly went over to the front desk where Maru was sitting.
“Maru. I have a question for you that might seem a bit weird….” Maru raised an eyebrow and nodded, before I continued. “What does Harvey like?” Maru’s eyebrows both rose and she paused for a moment.
“What…does Harvey like?” She repeated, pausing again before continuing “Well uh, hm, he's secretly a big fan of Jazz? He, uh, loves coffee…wine….” She pauses, “....pickles…” I snorted.
“Pickles?” I repeated. She nodded, seeming just as amused as me.
“Yes… and uhm. Yeah. That's all I can recall." I nodded, taking note of all of that.
“Alright. Thank you, Maru, I appreciate that.”
“You're welcome, just don't make me regret telling you that” she chuckles.
“You won't heh.”

With all that, I already had a plan in mind…. Kinda. I knew I wanted to get Harvey something. Like some fine wine or something. But I wasn't sure about what to do next. I knew I wanted something…subtle and friendly I suppose? I didn't want this to scream “I LOVE YOU HARVEY PLEASE DATE ME AND LET ME KISS YOUR SCRUMPTIOUS LIPS AND FEEL YOUR MUSTACHE AGAINST MINE-” ahem. Yeah, no. So, after wrecking my brain I decided I needed a walk to clear my mind a bit.

I grabbed my jacket, since it was already a bit chilly outside, and went out to explore the mountain area a bit. The air was nice and fresh, a light breeze rustling my long hair.
As I walked, a cigarette between my lips I came across a lake. That must be the one Willy talked about. I thought, stepping closer to the edge and looking down in the water. And surely there were lots of fish swimming around.
I sighed, taking a seat on a nearby rock, thinking over everything. About Harvey. How he helped me. How I wanna pay him back somehow. I couldn't stop thinking about how much of a sweetheart that man is and how gentle he was when treating me. It almost makes me wanna be more reckless just to see him more…

As I was lost in thought daydreaming about Harvey, I didn't notice someone approaching me.
“Hey.” They spoke up startling me as they stood a few feet away. Thankfully it was just Sebastian. I sighed.
“Oh, hey, kid.” I muttered, blowing out more smoke. Damn, I'm starting to sound like an old man…. Sebastian just nodded in acknowledgement. Comfortable silence settled over for a moment before I spoke up.
“Hey Sebastian?” He looked over at me slightly confused. I quietly smoked for a moment getting my thoughts together.
“This probably sounds weird but. What do you think about Harvey?” Sebastian looked at me even more confused now. Till realization seemed to hit him and he smirked slightly.
“Harvey? He's….a nice guy. And like…very nerdy.” Sebastian pauses to blow out smoke. “He's not exactly my type, but too old for me, but he's cute.” He adds with a small smirk, watching my reaction. I hum thoughtfully for a moment, looking down at the lake. However Sebastian spoke up before I could.
“You like him. Don't you?” He asked bluntly.
“....maybe ….” I muttered shyly, suddenly finding the sleeve of my jacket very interesting.
“I just …I'm not sure what to do…” I admitted with a sigh. “He's just…so great…. I…I feel like I'm not enough? I don't know anymore.” I shrugged, looking down. Sebastian seemed lost in thought for a moment.
“Well. You have a chance. As far as I know he isn't interested in anyone…and well…if he was, surely he would've already made a move.” Sebastian said with a shrug of his own. “Just be yourself and…if things work out they'll work out. You can't make someone love you after all...” I nodded at his advice but still felt sceptical
“Easier said than done kid….” I grumbled, puffing out smoke. “Besides. I don't even know if he's into men.” Sebastian gave me a cryptic chuckle at that. I furrowed my eyebrows at him. What in the world could he mean by that?
“What…. What's funny?” I pause “Oh…OH.” Sebastian chuckled at my realization.
“Yeah heh.” He muttered. I stared blankly at the lake in thought for a moment.
“Dammit I hate it when he's right!” I suddenly buffed, catching Sebastian slightly off guard and earning a small huff of amusement from him.
“Uh, who are you talking about?” He asked, clearly amused.
“My father. I usually never admit he's right….because he basically never is.” I grumbled.
“Really? I can relate heh. What was he right about?” He asked curiously.
“Well before I came here he ‘warned’ me that there's lots of gay people in this town.” I rolled my eyes as I explained. Sebastian raised his eyebrows at it though.
“...’warned’ you..?” He questioned.
“Yeah…. he's er….one of those …if you get what I mean….”
“A bigot?”
“Yeah…red cap and all.”
“Oof. That's tough.” Sebastian internally winced, giving me a sympathetic look. I just nodded solemnly.
“It's like. Whatever tho. I only see him like what? Twice a year?” I shrugged.
“That's…good then I suppose. At least you have somewhere to get away from him… I still can't save up to move out.” Sebastian sighed dramatically. That made me pause for a second.
“Your parents suck too eh?”
“Sort of. Mostly my step father. Demetrius.” Sebastian rolled his eyes.
“That's tough buddy. Hope you manage to get away as well. Whatever your situation may be.” I gave him a sympathetic look. Sebastian just nodded bitterly. He glared at the lake like it personally offended him then cleared his throat.
“So …about Harvey. You got something in mind?” He asked, clearly eager to change the subject. I nodded.
“Well, today he checked me out for free. So I thought I could like…get him something to pay him? Like some fine wine or something.” Sebastian nodded.
“That's a good start. And maybe get him some roses too. A few tho. Not a whole bouquet. You don't wanna look desperate. And….if you wanna ….maybe a small box of chocolate.” he pauses “Or whatever he likes” he shrugs. I just nod along, taking mental notes.
“Yeah that. That sounds good! …..but….how should I approach him?” Sebastian hums in thought.
“Just casually approach him after work.” He suggested. I nodded again, lost in thought for a moment before standing up.
“That- that sounds great! Thank you Sebastian! I owe you!” Sebastian just chuckled.
“No problem, man.” He smiled.
“I'll tell ya how things turned out. Thanks again and see ya!” I immediately went home. Sebastian just chuckled and gave me a small amused wave.