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The Farmer had moved to the valley in search of something that was a little easier on him. Working nine to five, five out of seven days a week with two weeks allotted vacation time yearly (which was a nightmare to even get approved) was exhausting. He’d never consider going through that again.
That wasn’t to say living in the valley was without its flaws. Now that winter was here, he hardly had anything to do. No farming, as no crops would grow in the cold and his greenhouse was still busted. He didn’t want to wander around in the cold, hoping to find something lying in the snow that he could sell. He couldn’t mine today either, as Clint had his pickaxe and was taking his sweet time with it.
He’d gotten used to the rigor of farm life, and now that he had some time off, he couldn’t sleep. The house was old and weathered, too, so he couldn’t help but shiver. That was already bad enough for anyone. The Farmer also had a bad habit of letting his head get to him when he wasn’t distracted. If he wasn’t actively working, he was spiraling. He hadn’t missed this.
He held his blankets tightly around his body, hoping it would be warm enough to ward off some of the worst thoughts. It didn’t help much. The cold still reminded him of how lonely he felt.
The Farmer might have fallen asleep for a few seconds, but it was short lived if he did. He wasn’t sure what day it was. Or what time. It wasn’t dark out, so it was probably… maybe it was noon? It was dark all the time in winter.
He looked at the empty side of the bed with tired eyes. He really didn’t want to be alone right now. It was never a good idea for him to be alone when he was so… weak willed. He didn’t have anyone who would understand, though.
Well, Shane might. He was probably at work, though.
Wasn’t it the weekend?
The Farmer struggled to convince himself to throw off the covers. Cold air hit him like water pouring over him, and it was hard not to retreat back under.
The calendar hung right next to the bed, at least.
Saturday. So he’d be home. It was worth a call.
He pulled himself to his feet, finding the phone. The plastic was cold against his palm, and he dialed the wrong number the first two times. Rotary phones weren’t as streamline as the ones he’d gotten used to.
He listened to it ring. Once, and it took a breath. Then a second time. There was a click on the other end.
“Hello, Marnie speaking! Who’s this?”
“It’s, uh…” He paused. “Sorry, can you put Shane on?”
“Of course! I’ll fetch him for you.”
He heard a faint conversation, and the phone was switched over.
“Hello?”
“Hey Shane.” He cringed at how raspy his voice sounded. Was it recognizable?
“Oh, hey.” His voice softened. “I thought it was some Joja spam call. What’d’you need?”
The Farmer hesitated for a moment. “I, uh, need your help. Can you come over?”
There was a long moment of silence on the other end.
“Shane?”
“Yeah, I’ll be there. I’m just waiting on the microwave.”
“Thank you.” He paused. “Sorry.”
There was the shrill beep of the microwave, and Shane hung up without another word.
The Farmer set the phone down. He wanted to crawl back into bed, but he had to be there to unlatch the door. He’d leave it unlatched if he could, but the wind was great at opening unlocked doors.
He hadn’t eaten today. It wasn’t something he’d been focused on. He’d more so been focused on… not thinking. If that was even possible. He wasn’t doing very good at it.
He didn’t want to be in the kitchen for too long. There were sharps, and he didn’t even want to think about that. He was still wounded from a recent mining incident. Linus found him, luckily, but he couldn’t help but wonder what would happen to him if nobody pulled him out of there. Yoba, he was in a pretty fucked up state right now, wasn’t he? No wonder he felt like shit, even ignoring the past mental health issues.
There was a knock on the door, pulling him back to reality.
He unlatched it, pulling it open. Shane stood in the door, holding a small plastic container. Cold air wafted past him, sending a chill down the Farmer’s spine.
“You look like shit.” Shane said.
“Hmm.” The Farmer groaned in recognition. “It’s cold, get inside.”
Shane stepped in, stomping snow off of his boots and lower legs. “You really should shovel if you’re going to invite someone over.”
“It was a last minute invite.”
“I figured. I brought you a slice of pizza, but it’s cold now.” He gestured with the container in his hand. “I didn’t think it through.”
“That’s okay, I appreciate it. You can leave your shoes wherever.”
Shane kicked off his boots and shrugged off his Joja brand coat, leaving it where he stood. “So.” He set the frigid slice of pizza on the counter. “What did you need my help with?”
The Farmer sighed. “This is going to sound stupid, but I figured you’d understand so it wouldn’t sound as stupid to you. I just…” He hesitated. “I don’t want to be alone right now. It’s winter.”
“Seasonal depression.” Shane confirmed.
“It’s not… it’s just worse in the winter. But yeah.”
“I get it.” He made a face. “You’ve seen me at my lowest, I can handle yours.”
There was a long moment of silence as they stood by the door.
A long, long moment.
“Do you, uh. Want to talk about it? Or do you just want me to be here?”
“I don’t know.” The Farmer said stiffly.
“We can watch a movie and sit in bed if that works for you?” Shane suggested. “Do you have any popcorn?”
“No, sorry.”
“Damn. ‘Movies and Cold Pizza’ doesn’t have the same ring to it.”
The Farmer couldn’t help but laugh a little. “I’ve got plenty of pepper poppers. I know you like those.”
“Whatever works best. You get comfy and I’ll… microwave something. That’s what I’m good at.”
“Thank you.”
The Farmer retreated back to his bed, resisting the urge to dive deep under the covers. He couldn’t see the television set lying down–he’d tried.
The sounds of Shane rustling around in the kitchen kept him grounded in the moment. Shane was reheating something from the fridge, and he’d be over here in a moment.
In the same bed.
Only because the Farmer really didn’t have a couch. It didn’t mean anything more than that.
Shane returned with two plates of sizzling pepper poppers, one in each hand. He handed one to the Farmer, half bowing. “Your snacks, sir.”
The Farmer couldn’t help but crack a smile. “Why thank you.” The plate was hot on his palms.
Shane slid under the covers on the other side. “This is a nice bed. I should come over more often.”
“You’re welcome too.” The Farmer futzed with the remote for a moment, trying to get the television to actually turn on. “I’m usually wandering around the valley, but I think I could trust you in here on your own.”
“Thank you,” Shane said, a hint of sarcasm lacing his tone. “It’s an honor to be trustworthy.”
The TV finally flickered to life. The Farmer flicked through a few channels before leaving one to play.
Out of everyone in the valley, the Farmer was probably closest to Shane. He wasn’t really close with anyone else, actually. Which was funny, considering how much of an ass Shane was when they first met.
“Sorry for stealing your Saturday.”
“Nah, don’t worry. This is better than anything I would have done.”
The Farmer ate a pepper off their plate. It was probably better fresh out of the oven, but it was still good. The moment was comfortable. He understood why Shane liked these so much.
Sliced peppers, filled with cheese and covered in bread crumbs. Practically sliding around in their own grease on the plate.
The Farmer broke the silence once more. “I really appreciate you coming over. Sometimes I worry that I’m going to be alone forever, but at least I have you.”
“If neither of us are married in ten years, how about we just marry each other?” His face got a little red. “Joking.”
“How about we just skip the wait and start dating now?” The Farmer tried to say calmly, but his heart was pounding in his ears.
Shane chuckled for a moment, but the Farmer wasn’t laughing. “Oh. You’re… not joking?”
“Err…” The Farmer stuffed a pepper in his mouth so he wouldn’t have to respond, then pointed at his mouth full of peppers. His eyes started to water as the spice hit him.
“You’re going to choke if you do that.”
“Mmph.”
“Take your time.”
The Farmer struggled to chew and swallow the massive amounts of pepper in his mouth. “Ugh. That was stupid.”
“Yeah, it was pretty stupid. Do you want to elaborate on what you said before trying to choke yourself?”
The Farmer grimaced in embarrassment, face turning red. “We could be boyfriends if you want. I like you.”
“I, uh.” He sighed. “Yeah, I get why you shoved peppers in your mouth, this is hard.”
“Eugh, I’m sorry for making this awkward.”
“No, it’s fine. I like you too. We can be… boyfriends.” He said the last word breathlessly, fighting the smile creeping onto his face. “This is not what I expected, I thought you needed my help fixing a fence or something.”
The Farmer laid his head on Shane’s shoulder, letting out a big sigh. “You should stay over tonight.”
“If you want me too.”
“You’re already here, I don’t see the point in you leaving. Like you said, I didn’t shovel at all.”
The Farmer sat up on his knees, setting the half empty plate on the nightstand. Shane looked at him curiously.
“Can I, uh,” The Farmer glanced at the TV as if it would give him the courage he needed, 9.99 from a 1-800 number. “Can I kiss you?”
Shane nodded.
The Farmer closed his eyes, pressing his lips against Shane’s, the lingering spice of the pepper poppers on his breath. The moment hardly lasted a second, but the both of them would gladly stay there forever.
They broke apart.
“Thanks for coming over,” The Farmer repeated. “I’m glad you’re here.”
“I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my Saturday.” He smiled. The Farmer’s favorite face to see smiling. “You’re stuck with me now.”
“You’re stuck with me. This is my house.” He laughed. “And you’re not leaving until tomorrow morning.”