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Summer Romance

Fandom: Stardew Valley

Pairing: Sam x Maru

Rating: T

WC: 5095

Contains: tooth rotting fluff, first kisses

Summary: When Maru was a child, she couldn't stand her older half-brother's best friend. But a tiny accident Sam has changes everything.

"When Maru was twenty-five, Sam and Penny had broken up. She found out when he was standing out the front of her house waiting for Sebastian. A fleeting part of her felt overjoyed. She didn’t even think Penny swung that way, but she shook the thoughts out and replaced it with sympathy. She imagined he was probably hurting, and being selfish wasn’t the kind thing to do.

And it was at the age of twenty-five that Maru realised that, shit… she was in love with Samson Harris."

Read on AO3 or continue below:

The first memories Maru Castellano had of Sam Harris, she was four years old.

He and her older brother, Sebastian, were both eight years old. Sam had come over many times, hiding away with Sebastian in his room doing whatever it was smelly boys did and Maru had seen him in the park a few times when her mom took her over for a walk and a play.

But this time, Sam wanted to sleepover at their house.

Mom had said yes and was standing in the kitchen on the phone to Mrs. Harris.

It sounded like Mrs. Harris wasn’t very happy with the idea, but mom was doubling down, giving Mrs. Harris a very thorough run down of why it was okay.

In the end, Mrs. Harris relented, and Sam was hand delivered an overnight bag and bombarded with too many kisses and hugs from his mother that he was quick to swat away.

That night, they got to have pizza for dinner and Maru watched with a scowl as Sam scarfed down half of one by himself.

When Maru was twelve, Sam spent an increasing amount of time at her house. She didn’t like it when Sam was there because he was too loud and made Sebastian act the same. They disturbed her from her school work and robotics projects.

Maru brought her concerns to her mom, but they were quickly dismissed. Sam had a new baby brother at home and things were complicated, apparently.

That didn’t make much sense to Maru, but she knew better than to argue. Instead, she asked her mom to buy her earmuffs.

It wasn’t that Maru hated Sam. He was just everywhere . She couldn't escape him. If she was in the kitchen getting a snack, he was raiding the fridge. If she was at the table doing homework, he and Sebastian were in the living room, yelling at a video game.

When Maru was fifteen, Sam and Sebastian had started bringing Abigail along to their hangouts. That was when Maru's mild annoyance turned into something else. Not because of Abigail herself, but because with her around, things got even louder and even more distracting. And that made her dad angrier.

Maru was almost excited when Sebastian would go to his dad’s for a weekend once a month and she’d get some peace and quiet, if only it didn’t make Sebastian so depressed afterwards.

When Maru was twenty-four, her brother had long moved to Zuzu City, and now the house was too quiet. It was strange how much she missed the chaos, the tiny arguments, the way she knew Sebastian was coming up the stairs by the way he walked all heavy and lead-footed, and she oddly missed the way Sam was a constant presence in their home. Sam was annoying, yes. A little aloof, definitely. But the older Maru got, the more endearing he seemed to her, and she understood why her older brother attached himself to the human equivalent of a golden retriever.

Maru would be lying to herself if she said it didn’t sting a little when she watched her best friend, Penny, shack up with Sam for a while. She lost her best friend and… whatever Sam was to her.

When Maru was twenty-five, Sam and Penny had broken up. She found out when he was standing out the front of her house waiting for Sebastian. A fleeting part of her felt overjoyed. She didn’t even think Penny swung that way, but she shook the thoughts out and replaced it with sympathy. She imagined he was probably hurting, and being selfish wasn’t the kind thing to do.

And it was at the age of twenty-five that Maru realised that, shit… she was in love with Samson Harris.

───── ⑅ ♡ ⑅ ─────

“Hey, Vince,” Sam said from where he was sat on the grass out by his house. “Reckon I can ollie off that planter over there?”

“No. That belongs to Emily and Haley,” his younger brother had replied, completely deadpan.

Sam let out a loud “psssh” and waved his hand.

“C’mon, I’ll land it this time,” Sam said, pushing himself up from the grass.

Vince squinted at him, “You always say that.”

Sam ignored the jab from his perfect angel of a baby brother and grabbed his skateboard, flipping it upright with his foot. He had done dumber things before. Probably. This wasn’t even that high. Just a little jump. Nothing to worry about.

Sam pushed off, bent his knees, and went for it. For a split second, he thought he had it. Then the front wheels of the board caught on an uneven ledge of the pavement, and then he was airborne.

He hit the ground. Hard.

Vincent sighed, “Told you.”

Sam groaned from where he lay sprawled on the asphalt. Yep. He’d done it.

He sat up with a hiss and realised that… wrist = fucked.

“I’m uh…” Sam wheezed, “Just gonna pop up to Dr. Harvey for a minute. Head inside but uh… don’t tell mom.”

“What’s in it for me?”

Cunning little asshole…

“You can have all my candy at the next Egg Festival.”

“Hmmm…” Vincent hummed. “Deal.”

Sam struggled to his feet, nodding Vince in the direction of their house, cradling his wrist as he staggered off toward the clinic.

He wasn’t going to cry. Not at all. Nope. Not over a little fall. He’d taken worse hits skating before. But damn, it hurt like a bitch .

The clinic was quiet when he stepped inside, save for Maru, and when the door clicked behind him, she looked up quickly.

“What did you do?” She said, narrowing her eyes.

He sighed, holding up his wrist in her direction, “Might’ve messed this up a little.”

Maru gave him the most unimpressed look ever mustered by anyone, “Skateboarding?”

Sam hesitated, “...no?”

She rolled her eyes, “Come on, let’s get it looked at.”

She took Sam straight through the back, almost startling Harvey who was mid-way through a sip of his black coffee.

Harvey blinked at the sight of Sam cradling his wrist and sighed.

"Let me guess," Harvey said, setting his mug down with a thunk. "Skateboarding?"

Sam huffed, "Why does everyone keep assuming that?"

Both Maru and Harvey glared at him.

Harvey didn’t even dignify it with an answer, just motioned for Sam to sit on the exam table, "Alright, let’s take a look."

Sam did what he was told and held out the arm as Harvey checked for swelling, pressing gently along Sam’s wrist.

And on one particular spot, he let out a yowl.

“I think you might be dealing with a fracture here, Sam, it’ll need an x-ray.”

Oh. Well, shit.

“I unfortunately don’t have the equipment nor am I a radiographer, so you’ll have to head into the city, I’m afraid.”

“What!? I can’t get into the city, I don’t have a car! And I can’t borrow dad’s truck, mom will kill me…”

Maru sighed. She realised there were a few options.

Send an ambulance for him and get chastised for it not being that bad of an injury that it required an ambulance.

Send him home with a potential break and wait for Pam to drive him to the city when she was on shift next.or

Drive him herself.

She didn’t want to go the ambulance route. Too dramatic and probably a waste of resources. Sending him home would just mean he'd sit there with his wrist possibly getting worse and that was probably a lack of duty of care on her behalf given her profession. The answer was pretty obvious. He was Sebastian’s best friend after all.

"Alright, I'll drive you," she said with a sigh, taking off her nurse's cap and leaving the exam room.

“What? Maru, you can’t, you’re working, and—”

“It’s fine,” Harvey said with a dismissive wave of his hand, “We aren’t too busy today. Drive him to the city.”

───── ⑅ ♡ ⑅ ─────

The car ride was quiet at first. Sam winced as he struggled to buckle the seatbelt, then winced again when Maru hit a pothole not five minutes later. And another one. And another one.

Sam deduced Maru was not a very good driver, and he may well end up simply crashing at Sebastian’s apartment until he could catch the bus home rather than risk the drive home with Maru at the wheel.

“You hit that one on purpose,” Sam muttered, clutching his wrist.

Maru sighed deeply, and simply turned the radio up.

Much to Sam’s delight, they made it to Zuzu City hospital unscathed and wandered into the emergency department, checking Sam in and then…

They waited.

And waited.

After the first hour, Sam had slumped so low in his chair he was wondering if he was ever going to be able to climb out of it. His arm was now in a sling, thanks to one very kind nurse, and he yawned loudly.

He peered across at Maru, who was flicking through some old magazine she’d found.

“You know there’s a very interesting piece on Ada Lovelace in here,” she said, obviously feeling Sam’s eyes on her, but choosing not to meet his gaze, instead, shoving the magazine in his direction.

“Who?”

Maru groaned.

“Only the greatest computer programmer ever,” she muttered.

“What about Seb?”

Maru burst into laughter.

“Are you kidding? Without her, Seb wouldn’t even be a programmer!”

Sam blinked at her, then shrugged, “If you say so.”

With another exaggerated roll of her eyes, Maru went back to reading, and Sam slumped back in his seat again.

He didn’t even remember falling asleep, but the pain that shot through his arm when Maru started shaking him certainly let him know that he had indeed shut his eyes for longer than a few seconds.

“Get up, they’re calling you.”

God. Fucking finally.

Sam stood up too quickly, unsteady on his feet, then wiped the corner of his mouth where a pile of drool had accumulated.

He should have been embarrassed, but he really just felt sorry for himself. The pain had well and truly settled in now the adrenaline was long gone. A little bit of drool was not going to humiliate him.

The way he carried on once he’d found out that, yes, his arm was fractured and he was getting a nice cast he’d have to go home and explain to his mom? That was humiliating.

He walked out of that hospital, fresh cast on his arm and denim jacket thrown over his shoulder, like a puppy with its tail between its legs.

“You okay?” Maru asked gently as they finally stepped out of the stuffy and germy hospital into the somewhat fresh air of the city.

“Yeah, I guess so. It is what it is,” Sam shrugged.

“Did you wanna see if Seb’s around?” Maru suggested.

Sam simply shrugged again, “Nah. I’ve had enough people tell me I’m stupid today. Don’t need him doing it too.”

That made Maru frown.

Sam Harris didn’t get self-conscious. Sam Harris didn’t know how to be anything but cheery as far as she knew. So seeing Sam all vulnerable and sulky, exposed like that in front of her was just plain odd. And hurt her heart a little.

“You’re not stupid, Sam.”

Sam snorted, “You don’t have to say that to make me feel better. It’s okay. I know I am. I didn’t even know who Odi Loveshoe was.”

“ Ada Lovelace…”

“See!?” Sam scoffed. “ Stupid .”

“That doesn’t mean you’re stupid, Sam. You just have different interests. I certainly couldn’t do what you do with a guitar. I might know my x’s and y’s with computers but I sure don’t know my e minor from my f major.”

“There’s… there’s no f major on a guitar.”

“See? Now who’s stupid?”

Sam laughed. Hard. Then he looked at Maru, Sebastian’s younger sister who he really hadn’t had much to do with at all, ever. But she was looking at him with those soft eyes, all big and brown and sparkly. And for once he didn’t feel like she was looking at him like he was dumb, like she was offering him pity.

“Look, I know I’m not stupid. Really,” Sam sighed. “I just feel like I am, you know? Everyone I’m around is just so smart in ways that I’m not and it makes me feel unworthy. Seb’s a wizard at computers, I’ve watched him play with those numbers. Abby’s deceiving but she’s got the wit and capability to go into those mines when no one’s looking, she strategizes before she goes, thinks before she acts. I don’t do that. Rosie, she’s turned that old place into a damn money making machine in a few years. And you… well, you know what you do. I don’t need to explain it to you. How can I hold a candle to any of that?”

Maru didn’t say anything at first. She simply stood there, strangers passing them by, looking at Sam. Studying him.

Then, quietly, Maru spoke, “You don’t have to be the smartest person in the room to matter, Sam. You make people laugh when they don’t want to. You’re loyal to everyone in your life. You don’t think before you act sometimes, but that’s just you. You do hold a candle, even if you don’t see it.”

Sam just stayed in place, staring at the floor and shifting his weight from one foot to the other, like he always did. Sam, the kid who could never sit still, who could never focus, who used humour as a coping mechanism had never felt so fucking raw and exposed. And with his best friends sister of all people.

Then finally, he said, “I don’t know. I guess I never really thought any of that mattered much.”

“It does,” she said. “A lot more than you think.”

“Well… thanks.”

Maru gave a soft smile, then peered down at the floor herself before glancing at the time.

3 p.m.

“You hungry?” she asked quietly and honestly, quite randomly.

Sam blinked, clearly confused. “I mean, yeah, I could eat.”

“Great! Seb told me about a little place nearby. You like ramen, right?”

“Ramen’s like, top three best foods ever invented,” Sam replied with his returning cheerful tone. “Right behind festival corn dogs.”

Maru snorted, “I’ll take your word for it. Come on.”

The two of them wandered down the sidewalk, Maru leading the way. Sam walked a little awkwardly, like his cast was definitely heavy and weighing him down. But, to Sam’s credit, he didn’t complain, even when he smacked it on a few poles along the way.

The ramen shop was small and cosy, tucked between two large buildings, the sort of place you’d miss if you weren’t specifically looking for it.

They grabbed a booth by the window, and Sam fumbled a bit trying to sit without bumping anything, which didn’t exactly work in his favour because when he sat down his cast made a large thump against the table.

“Grace of an elephant, you have,” Maru commented.

Sam simply grinned at her, then turned his attention to the menu, both of them browsing in a peaceful silence until they ordered.

But even the silence didn’t feel awkward or weird considering neither of them had really spent any time alone together. Ever. In fact, it felt entirely natural and after they’d ordered their respective bowls of ramen, the conversation seemed second-nature, easy and comfy.

When the bowls were plonked down in front of them, Sam picked up his spoon or… at least he tried to.

“You’re not going to be able to eat that, are you?” Maru laughed.

“Don’t mock me!” Sam retorted with a frown. “Otherwise, I’ll just have to resort to lapping it up like a dog and I am certain you don’t want to see that.

Maru nearly choked on her water, “ Please don’t. I’m begging you.”

Sam raised his good hand in front of his face like he was feigning innocence, “Alright, alright. Only for you.”

That remark seemed to catch Maru off-guard a little as she blinked, her lips parting as if to respond but no words came out at all, which she found rather embarrassing.

There was something about the way Sam had said it. Playful, sure. Sam was always playful. But Maru felt like there was something else hidden beneath the tone, there was always something hidden beneath his tone. Sam was very good at masking his true feelings, but Maru felt she was finally figuring that out lately.

Without giving it anymore thought though, because overthinking tended to kill her bravery, Maru clicked her tongue and stood up, moving to Sam’s side of the booth. She slid in beside him and collected his spoon, scooping up a pile of piping hot broth and gesturing for him to open his mouth, “Lean in so it doesn’t spill. I’m going to help you eat, princess.”

Sam laughed, but then his face dropped quickly, “Wait, you're serious?”

“Yeah?”

“Oh. And you’ll hold this over me forever, right?”

“Obviously,” Maru responded with a grin.

Sam let out that awkward chuckle and scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, like Maru had noticed he tended to do a lot when he was uncomfortable, but he leaned in anyway, obediently parting his lips as she lifted a spoonful of broth to his mouth, tilting the spoon and pouring it in.

He was quick to realise just how hot it was and started to ‘ hash-ash-asha-shas-ash ’ the broth around his mouth in an attempt to cool it down, but just spilled a whole pile of it down the front of his chin and shirt.

Maru gasped and immediately started laughing, grabbing a handful of napkins from the middle of the table, reaching over and dabbing at his chest, and much to Sam’s surprise, the action made him freeze up, air catching in his throat, eyes wide.

Thankfully Maru didn’t seem to notice the way he started buffering when she pressed her hand to his chest.

“Okay, sorry, that was my fault. I didn’t test the temperature first. I’m a terrible nurse.”

“You are . I trusted you.”

“You’re not supposed to agree !” Maru scoffed, tossing the now damp napkins on the table.

Sam laughed, a loud one that made him throw his head back and clutch at his soggy shirt.

“Okay, I’m sorry. You’re a great nurse. Not every medical practitioner personally drives their patients to the hospital.”

Maru cocked her head to the side, “We’re patient and nurse now, are we?”

“I dunno. I guess. We aren’t friends… are we?” Sam asked, clearly now confused by whatever the fuck this was.

Maru simply shrugged, “We can be friends.”

“Just don’t tell Seb.”

They settled into laughter again. Then Maru realised she couldn’t remember the last time she’d laughed so hard. Chatting with Sam felt normal and his humour that once annoyed her was strangely warm and comforting now.

Weird.

But she shook off that strange, bubbly feeling in her gut and turned her attention back to the food.

“Surely it’s cool enough now. Wanna try again?” She suggested, already dipping the spoon in the ramen bowl once more.

Sam nodded and when Maru brought the spoon to his mouth again, he gave it his own cautious blow before wrapping his lips around the spoon.

Holy. Shit.

He hadn’t realised he’d closed his eyes, but he didn’t care. The swirling tastes of the meat and noodles, salty and savoury and that one word that started with a u that Sebastian had once described his own ramen tasting like.

Umber? Umbrella? Udon? Ubiquitous?

Whatever Sebastian had called it, Sam was sure that’s what he was tasting now. And it was damn good.

When his throat made an involuntary whimper noise, his eyes snapped open and— fucking hell —he was met with big, brown eyes staring right into his.

“You alright there?” Maru asked, tilting her head at him.

“Yeah,” Sam said, clearing his throat and rubbing the back of his neck again. “Just, uh… you’re really close.”

“Oh. Do I make you nervous, Sam?”

“Uh…” he muttered, “kind of.

Maru’s expression softened and she slid back a few inches to give Sam the space he was so clearly asking for.

Sam shrugged, eyes flicking to the table, “I guess because you’re Sebastian’s sister and you’re really smart and pretty. And I don’t know. I say dumb stuff when I’m around you. More than usual… apparently .”

Maru didn’t speak right away, instead, it was her turn to get all red-cheeked and flustered.

Never in her life had she been called pretty. What she was used to was being complimented on her brain rather than her physique.

“Wow, Maru! You’re so smart!”

“Your dad must be proud, a nurse and an aspiring scientist!”

“You’ve got his looks and his brain!”

Being compared to one’s father certainly didn’t do great things for one’s confidence.

She picked up a napkin from the table and fiddled with the edge, choosing to focus on the texture under her fingers in a feeble attempt not to spiral. She was supposed to be the composed one. The logical one. The adult. Everyone her whole life had complimented her on her maturity and calmness, and here she was, heart racing, no doubt blushing, stumbling under her words like an idiot.

“You, uh…” she finally said after chanting to herself to be brave over and over and over, “you don’t say dumb stuff. You say honest stuff. That’s different.”

Sam snorted softly, “Well the honest stuff gets me into trouble sometimes.”

“Sure,” Maru said, taking her lip between her teeth. “But maybe it also gets you exactly what you want.”

“Huh?”

She stayed silent, giving Sam a moment. He stared at her, those bluey-greeny-oceany eyes locked right onto hers and it took every fibre of Maru’s being to not tear her eyes away first.

But she watched in real time as Sam’s eyes changed. They weren’t searching her face for a meaning anymore. He got it. Sam really got it. Clear as mud.

Because before she could say anything else, apologise for being too forward, he closed the distance between them, eyes fluttering to a close as he leaned in.

Holy shit holy shit holy shitholyshsithilyshit—

As if it were instinct, Maru’s eyes closed too, just as Sam’s lips hit hers.

They were rough and chapped. Maru wasn’t really sure what a boy's lips were supposed to feel like, but despite realising rather quickly that Sam didn’t own chapstick, she didn’t entirely hate it.

Sam’s lips were warm, wet and slightly salty, probably from the broth he’d just spilled all over himself, but none of that seemed to matter, really.

Between thoughts sprinting around and around in her head, a thousand ideas and warnings and potential freakouts all banging and crashing against her skull, she realised she probably needed to do something with her hands.

So she let one hand reach forward and curled into the fabric of Sam’s broth covered shirt because if she didn’t anchor herself to something, she was certain she was about to float away. And when she brushed her knuckle over his abdomen, Sam almost flinched. Maru was about to pull away and apologise, but she felt Sam’s uncasted hand land on her hip, fingers gently squeezing the soft curve of her waist.

Maru had spent most of her life calculating everything. Accounting for risks, planning outcomes, predicting every variable possible. But nothing in her life had prepared her for the way Sam’s fingers on her hips made her stomach twist and somersault with just one small, soft touch.

His lips lingered against hers a moment longer, not moving, just touching, testing, experimenting, like neither of them wanted to break first, but naturally, they finally did.

They barely parted, their faces still close, foreheads almost touching, breaths mingling in the warm space between them.

Sam was the first to speak. Sort of.

“Holy shit, ” he whispered, then blinked hard. “I mean, whoa. That was… shit, Maru, you’re a really good kisser.”

Her face flushed again, and she looked away quickly, the napkin from earlier looking rather interesting again. “I’ve, uh… never really had any practice.”

Sam looked at her, stunned, “Wait, seriously?”

“Yeah? Why is that surprising? There’s not really anyone in town to pay me any attention, and I’ve been so focused on my studies and pleasing my dad and—”

“Ah, shit. ” Sam muttered.

“What?”

“Your dad.”

Maru groaned, “Ugh, please don’t talk about my dad while our faces are still basically touching.”

“I’m sorry!” Sam winced. “It just hit me that I kissed Demetrius’ perfect daughter and… fucking hell , Sebastian’s sister. They’re both gonna fucking kill me.”

Maru sighed. She sat back and fiddled with her thumbs in her lap, then finally, she opened her mouth and whispered, “I mean… they don’t have to know.”

“What?” Sam asked with a crack to his voice. “You don’t wanna tell them what we did?”

“Yeah, but… I mean, if we… did it again… we wouldn’t have to let them know.”

Jesus Christ, Sam almost saw stars.

“You… you want to do it again?”

Maru simply shrugged and finally looked at him again, “Well, yeah. I mean, if you want to of course. I’d like to, but—um, obviously not here. We could, uh…”

She was stumbling. Maru didn’t stumble over her words. Maru was clear and concise and proper and—

“Yeah, I’d like to do it again.”

A silence fell over the table. But it wasn’t uncomfortable, it certainly wasn’t the kind that made your stomach sink or your skin crawl. It was peaceful, almost reflective. Like they were taking just a few seconds to process what the fuck had just happened and what the fuck to do next.

Well, at least Sam was taking time to process the fact that Maru, that girl he knew of who always had her shit together, the one who made circuit boards for fun, had just said she wanted to kiss him again.

Holy shit.

And not only did she want to kiss him again, but she suggested it first.

“I mean,” Sam said after a beat, “we should probably wait until I’m not wearing half a bowl of soup. But, yeah. We should do it again.”

Maru beamed, then suggested they finish up their meal so they could go home and Sam could get out of his soupy shirt, then maybe they’d kiss just once more.

Sam agreed, and even forgot that he’d sworn he wasn’t going to get back in the car with Maru. Until she hit another pothole on the way back.

But once he was back safely in the mountains of Stardew Valley and not in the vehicle, insisting he’d simply walk home from Maru’s house because honestly he needed the walk to cool off, Sam decided he truly didn’t mind and it was worth the risk. And next time he took her out, it would be a date. And he’d drive.

“Thanks for today, uh, for taking me to the hospital. Not many nurses would do that,” Sam said sheepishly, hand scrubbing the back of his neck.

Maru offered him that soft, lopsided grin, one Sam had only ever seen on Sebastian before. But Maru made it look a thousand times better.

“Of course, what kind of friend would I be if I didn’t?”

Sam smirked, “Friend, huh?”

“Well, I mean, we said we could be friends.”

“Right,” Sam said, glancing towards the front door, then back at her. “Friends who kiss?”

“Sure,” Maru agreed.

For a second, neither of them moved. Sam was half waiting for Demetrius to storm out and demand to know why his daughter was out so late past her shift without so much as a single word about her whereabouts, but when nothing came, he breathed just a little.

Then Maru stepped forward and reached out to tuck a piece of messy blonde hair behind his ear, “You’ve got a noodle in your hair, by the way.”

“Shit, seriously?” Sam exclaimed, hand flying to the side of his head.

“No. Not really,” Maru grinned.

“You’re evil,” he muttered with a groan as he brushed a hand through his hair, just in case there really was a noodle there and she was simply pulling his leg.

“Mm. And yet you kissed me anyway,” she teased.

Sam stared at her for a moment, then nodded, “Yeah. And I’m gonna do it again.”

Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.

Maru was about to tell Sam not to take another step forward, because she was certain she was about to throw up her heart all over his shoes.

But the words didn’t come, as she so often found the words being sucked right out of her when Sam was around her lately.

Instead, Sam stuck to his word, taking one last glance at the door before tentatively placing a respectful hand on Maru’s upper arm, squeezing lightly before leaning in, brushing his lips against hers once more.

This one didn’t linger as long, in fact, it was more a peck than anything else, but the feeling Maru got in her gut didn’t change, the butterflies well and truly in a flurry.

“Goodnight, Maru,” Sam whispered as he pulled away. “I’ll text you tomorrow.”

Maru couldn’t offer him more than a nod, then he turned on his heels and walked away in the direction of his house, cast swinging haphazardly, bouncing as he took each new step with the tips of his toes.

She didn’t turn around and go inside until he was out of sight, then took herself straight to the bathroom to shower before flopping into bed, avoiding her parents completely.

Normally, Maru would spend a few hours unwinding from work doing the things she loved. She’d tinker, she’d plan, maybe even stargaze if the skies were kind enough, but that night she found herself the most relaxed she’d ever been. She didn’t need to calm the swirling thoughts, because her mind was filled with nothing but the lingering memory of Sam’s lips pressed against hers instead of the crippling fear of failure.

She pressed her finger to her lips, like she was trying to savour the taste and feel and then the realisation struck Maru like a hurtling freight train.

At the age of twenty-five, finally having been kissed, Maru laid in her bed and finally admitted to herself—she was in love with Sam Harris.

#stardew valley #stardew valley fanfic #sdv sam #sdv maru #these guys are a rarepair right #i am shocked #give me best friends sister trope mmmm yummy delicious

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