It's unsettling to see a stranger staring at you from afar in public. What's worse is seeing the same person staring at you from your front porch when you arrive home.

Your POV

You'd never liked being the centre of attention and in the city you never were, so it worked out. But, city life and Joja life just got to be far too much. You opened the envelope from your grandfather and moved to Stardew Valley to restore his life and hopefully your spirit. Unfortunately, being the sort of new kid on the block in a town of only 28 other people made you stand out considerably, and people were interested in your existence. One morning, you'd decided to check out the mines and stopped outside the general store to check the help wanted adds and calendar before you headed down. You were sure you could feel someone watching you and when you looked over your shoulder you could see a man with nearly black hair wearing a tattered blue Joja -the name made you shiver - jacket and some sort of sports jersey watching you intently from next to the pub. He looked away in embarrassment but when you turned around you could feel his eyes on you again. You shoved it from your mind and continued on with your day, not thinking any more of it. You'd been in town less than a week, maybe they were trying to figure out if they knew you or something. When you arrived home, you almost didn't notice at first but someone was standing on your porch. You checked your watch, it was 9pm. Okay. Maybe it's a neighbor welcoming me to the neighborhood. But this late at night? Wait. That's the guy from earlier, I'm sure. You looked more closely at the person on your front porch and, sure enough, it was a man with nearly black hair wearing a tattered blue Joja - another shiver - jacket and a sports jersey. It was definitely the same guy. He held some sort of dish or something in his hands. You checked your watch again. It was definitely after 9pm. You stopped walking and after a moment he spoke in a gravelly sort of voice that sounded underused,

"I'm Shane. I live south of here with my Aunt. I'm sorry for staring at you earlier. I'm not here to hurt you or anything," You allowed yourself to breathe some and walked up onto the porch.

"Hi Shane, it's, uh, it's nice you meet you," You said, still a little wary and kind of tired and sore from your long day in the mines. "I'm (Y/N). Though, with how small this town is, I'm sure you already knew that. What brings you here?" He hesitated for a little before thrusting the dish toward you awkwardly,

"My aunt wanted me to bring you this snow yam casserole as a house-warming or welcome to the neighborhood gift. Her ranch is south of here a little ways, in Cindersnap forest." I smiled and took the dish from him,

"Oh! That's so nice of her. Thank you so much for bringing it over." You turned and opened the door to your one room farm house, "Please, come in for a minute. I'd like to write your aunt a note to thank her for the casserole and I can't just take it and send you off. Would you like some tea?" (tee, hello, ya nerd ;p)  You walked in the door and welcomed him to follow. He did, hesitantly, and you closed the door behind him.

"You - you really don't have to give me anything. I-it's..uhh," You chuckled as you set the dish down on the table,

"I insist. Unless of course you don't like tea," You offered, walking over to the fire, stoking it gently to make the flames roar. You took the kettle from the ground next to the fireplace and checked inside to ensure there was enough water before placing it on the hook over the fire.

"N-no, I like tea," You nodded,

"Do you have a favourite type of tea?" You asked as you added a log to the fire and headed back to your table, next to which was a small crate containing several different varieties of teas.

"Whatever you have is fine," he said, still standing sheepishly by the door.

"Please come in and have a seat, you're even making me nervous." He mumbled an apology and walked toward you to sit at the seat at the table at which you had gestured. "Thank you. I have a lot of different teas. Please, what's your favourite?" He seemed to struggle with his words for a moment before saying,

"Lemon balm, if you have it," You nodded and turned to your tea crate and opened it. Lemon balm was a predictable choice for him. Like chamomile, it was excellent for stress, but, unlike chamomile, it didn't cause drowsiness. You pulled out a bag of Traditional Medicinals organic lemon balm tea for him and a bag of Twinings green tea and mint for yourself. Green tea helped to boost metabolism which was great for weight loss and a high activity lifestyle and the mint was refreshing and could ease anxiety and help with bad breath, which was a plus since you definitely hadn't brushed your teeth since morning. You set them on the table and closed the crate. You walked over to the fireplace and, from a mug rack containing 7 mugs hung above the mantle, grabbed down two, brought them over to the table, set them down, opened the tea packets, and put the bags inside. You placed the empty bags in the rubbish bin next to the table. You turned back to the fire and grabbed a thick mitten from the mantle. You put the mitten on your hand and lifted the top of the kettle to check the state of the water. Not a single bubble. You turned back to the table,

"Sorry about how long it's taking the water to heat; I've been out all day so it was able to get pretty cold." You said. You opened a small box on the table and withdrew a piece of stationary and a pen. You sat down in the chair opposite Shane and began to write a thank you note to his aunt. While you were writing, you continued to attempt to make conversation with your new neighbor. "How long have you lived here?" You asked, glancing up from the letter for a moment. He shrugged and seemed to focus,

"3 years?" He said. You nodded without looking back up.

"Do you like it?" You saw him shrug in your peripheral vision,

"I guess. It's better than the city but Joja is hard to escape," You tensed up slightly at the mention of your former employer,

"I can hear that. I thought I'd never get out." You said,

"I wish I could get out," You looked up at him,

"You work at Joja?" You asked, concern lacing your voice. He rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably,

"Unfortunately, yeah. I help my aunt out but there just isn't enough business here for her for me to not have a job," Your frown deepened and you found that your letter had been completely abandoned for the conversation.

"What does your aunt do?" You asked. You set your pen down, knowing that you wouldn't be able to focus on writing anything more for a little while.

"She breeds and sells animals and supplies and feed for them," He said, "I help with the chickens, mostly. They're my favourite." You watched a small blush creep onto his cheeks and found yourself smiling at the fact that he seemed to really like chickens.

"Well, when you give her this letter, tell her that you won her a new customer. I was thinking about looking into at least some chickens after I got the place cleaned up. Do you have any tips?" you asked. He grinned and you put up a hand to stop him, "Hold on. This is important to me." You took out another piece of stationary, picked up your pen and wrote Chicken Tips on the top and looked up at him, "Alright, sorry about that," His grin only seemed to widen as he went into telling you about proper chicken care.

"Oh! I almost forgot! Make sure to leave a couple of trees standing wherever your animals are let out to graze. during the summer, when it's hot, they'll want to be outside to try to catch a breeze, but they'll be unhappy in the sun all day. A couple of the chickens might try to roost in the branches but as long as at least one chicken is going in at night, it will eventually draw them back in. And they'll definitely go back in once it starts getting colder at night during the fall," You smiled and finished jotting down the last few tips on the back of your paper. He sure did have a lot to say about chickens. There was a new life to him now, too. You rather enjoyed it. Once you'd finished writing the tips, you folded the paper into thirds and set it in the bowl sitting next to the wall and the box of stationary and pens.

"I'm sure the water's hot now. I'll pour the tea and finish the letter while we drink, sound alright? I know it's getting kind of late bu-" He cut you off,

"No, it's alright. I don't work tomorrow, anyways, and I already did my barn chores. I don't have anywhere better to be, I'd love to stick around a little longer," You smiled,

"Alright," you said as you stood and turned to the fireplace. You grabbed the two mittens off of the mantle and donned them both. You carefully took the steaming kettle off of the hook above the fire and brought it over to the table where you secured it from the bottom with one hand to help you pour while Shane asked,

"Are you sure you don't want any help with that? It looks really hot and heavy." You glanced up at him with a smile,

"That's alright. I do this by myself all the time. I think my diet is actually becoming mostly tea. I don't have a kitchen yet so if I want to eat something besides a seed bar I have to go to the saloon and that's a little expensive for someone just starting out and coming from a Joja job in the city, y'know?" You saw him nod as you turned your focus back to gently pouring still-boiling water into the mugs on the table. When you'd finished, you handed Shane the mug with the Lemon Balm tea brewing inside and set the kettle on the stone of the fireplace. It didn't need to continue boiling; you'd likely go to bed as soon as Shane left. You returned to the table and sat back down across from Shane and pulled the letter for Marnie back infront of you and continued to work on it. You both seemed to mutually agree to let the crackling of the fire and the scratching of your pen on the paper be the only sound, so a comfortable silence drifted between you. In just a couple of minutes you'd finished the letter and folded it into thirds. You walked over to the fire, grabbed a taper candle in a walking holder and removed the taper from the holder to light it in the fire. You then used the taper to light a purple votive sitting on a plate. You placed the taper back into the holder, picked up the plate with the votive on it and walked back to the table. You set both of the candles on the table which illuminated it considerably. You hadn't realized just how dark it had gotten and just how insufficient the light from the fire was for lighting your table. You sat and from the stationary box you withdraw an envelope and a very fine silver and ivory pressing tool which would stamp your family's crest. It had actually been in the box from with you just withdrew it in this house, hidden under a loose floorboard that you were "fortunate" enough to trip on your second day staying here. Also in the box were a few purple votive candles, instructions on how to make more of the candles, and a note for you from your grandfather, sealed with the family crest and purple wax.

"Is that for pressing a crest into wax? Are you going to seal the letter to my aunt with wax?" He asked. You nodded,

"My grandfather loved to seal things with this. Every holiday card his family received from his grandfather was sealed with the same kind of wax and this seal. I remember receiving tons of letters from him sealed this way, as well. I guess it's been in the family ever since we started using this crest almost 300 years ago. He revealed to me that he used it as often as possible for nostalgia purposes and I find myself doing the same," You explained. You slid the letter gracefully inside the envelope and folded it closed. 

"That's.. actually really cool that you have something like that," He said. You glanced up at him and had trouble reading his face so you turned to watch the wax pool up in the votive candle so that you could pour it onto the envelope. In just a moment you decided that there was plenty and poured it onto the envelope, right at the corner of the flap, and pressed the tool firmly into it, ensuring that it was facing the correct way. You kept the pressure for a moment and carefully removed the tool. You smiled at the seal, remembering countless post from your grandfather, all sealed with this very same crest, in this very same make of wax. You felt some tears begin to well up in your eye and took a deep breath to combat the approaching emotions. You gently placed the tool back into the box and blew out the votive. You set the votive on top of the box and turned back to Shane,

"Sorry, the seal still brings back a lot of memories. The letter containing the deed to this farm was sealed with that, actually, so it holds a- it holds a lot of memories." You explained, taking another deep breath to collect yourself. He nodded and slid the letter toward himself gently and picked it up to examine. 

"It's a lovely seal. I'd love to receive a letter sealed this way." A moment after he spoke, he seemed to realise what he said and you watched him blush fervently, "I-I mean, w-well, th-that is to say-err," You chuckled in a good-natured way.

"That's alright, you don't have to try to explain yourself. I get it." He sighed in relief,

"Thanks. That isn't to say that I don't want you writing me I jus-" You cut him off,

"I'm not offended. No worries. I get what you mean, I promise. You can relax," He sighed again and you watched some tension leave him. He leaned forward some and smiled, 

"I've been living here three years and this, right now, feels like I'm finally being welcomed into town. By the newcomer, no less," You chuckled in an amused way,

"You're the first visitor I've had, actually, besides Robin and Mayor Lewis dropping by when I arrived. It's nice to have such lovely company." You said, taking a sip from your steaming mug.

"Really?" He asked, surprise evident in all of his features. You nodded, taking another sip of tea but watching him with interest. He blushed lightly,

"Would it be alright if I were your second visitor, as well?"

"What do you mean?" You asked, setting down your mug. His blush darkened,

"Could I come over again soon? I'll bring another caserole or something, animal tips, maybe, but I've honestly never enjoyed the company of another person more and I'd like to do this again soon." Now you were the one blushing.

"That honestly sounds great. But you don't have to bribe me with food or information because I think I can say the same. Everyone here is nice but I actually get along  with you. I feel like I can say things besides nicities and you'll take it in stride and have an actual conversation with me, you know? It makes me feel really comfortable. I don't have a ton of crops. I'm kind of focusing on cleaning up the feilds and exploring the mines right now. I don't know your work schedule but if you want to let me know a day that's good for you, I can put stuff aside for most of that day and we can just have tea and talk or whatever. I have some boardgames around here somewhere." At this point he was grinning in pure happiness and you were sure you were, too.

"I work weekdays and I usually go to Pierre's for my aunt on Saturday so what about Sunday?" You nodded,

"Sunday sounds perfect,"

     You continued to talk. Shane asked about your grandfather, you asked about his aunt, the subject of your childhoods was brushed upon and Shane even told you tidbits of his time in the city. You could tell that Shane was really unhappy a lot by the way he talked and at some point your chairs found themselves next to each other and your arm was around his shoulders as he struggled to tell you why he moved to the valley. You told him to stop since he was so upset but apparently he hadn't told anyone and he trusted you and for some reason needed to tell, so you comforted him and listened. You could feel yourself growing close to Shane just in that evening. Your chairs moved to infront of the fire, for the night was only getting colder, and your mugs sat on the table, long forgotten, neither had very much out of it. After talking about nearly everything under the moon, while Shane was telling you about Charlie, you yawned,

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry! Working on this farm must be such hard work and here I am keeping you up until all hours. How late is it?" 

"No, no, it's alright. I've been enjoying your company," You glanced at your watch through your tired, blurry vision. You squinted,

"12:51," Shane drew in a sharp breath, 

"I am so sorry. You should get to sleep. I wonder if Aunt Marnie is wondering about me. Ah, geeze." You chuckled tiredly,

"Don't worry. I'll be alright. I've stayed up this late working once before. I'll just be a little tired in the morning, no big." Shane didn't seem convinced. He seemed rather worried about you. He helped you up and walked you over to your bed. Once you were seated he walked over to the table and blew out the taper candle sitting on it. He returned and frowned,

"Are you still sitting up because I'm here?" You smiled,

"It's rude to sleep in front of a guest," He chuckled slightly,

"Promise me you'll go to sleep as soon as I leave?" You nodded.

"Hey! Will you make it home okay? The taper can be relit and you can borrow it. You're coming back Sunday so I won't be missing it."

"Will you be up worrying about me if I don't take it?" He asked. I chuckled.

"It's like you've known me for years. I will." He sighed,

"I'm sure I'd make it, but I'll take the candle for your sake. I promise to bring it back with me on Sunday." You nodded in a tired, lopsided fashion.

"Don't forget the letter for your Aunt, okay?" He nodded and leaned over to give you a hug. You wrapped your arms around him in a tired fashion and held him there for a minute,

"Thank you," You mumbled into his jersey (at some point you'd shivered and he'd thrown his Joja jacket over your shoulders and you'd slid your arms into it and hadn't taken it off) "I didn't really feel welcomed here before you," He gave you a small squeeze,

"Neither did I," he replied quietly. Your sleepy smile widened. When the two of you released the hug, you let yourself slide into a horizontal position from sheer exhaustion and Shane pulled the covers up over you. His hand found itself on your cheek and he let it linger there for a little longer than he really needed to before an affectionately murmured,

"Goodnight," just before he turned back to the table to grab the letter and the taper candle which he lit before walking past you out the door with a gentle,

"See you Sunday," as he passed. You cuddled into the scent of him and fell immediately into a sleep full of very pleasant dreams.

------

     A while passed and Shane and you made it a sort of tradition to stay in at your place every Sunday, playing board games and drinking tea. Sometimes Shane would bring over pizza rolls and, after you had your house upgraded by Robin and got a kitchen, you started making pizza rolls and pepper poppers. The first time you did it as a surprise and you weren't sure if you'd ever forget how happy he looked when he found out. You'd returned his hoodie to him that Sunday, you swear, but, somehow, it kept winding up back in your possession and as Fall got colder and colder, you were wearing it working in the feilds more and more.

     Fall was coming to a close. All of your crops had been harvested and, of course, when you woke up the Saturday before winter would start you could hear rain drumming on your roof. It was pouring outside and you knew it would be freezing. Luckily, you had Shane's Joja jacket from when he walked you home from the Saloon last night so you wouldn't have as much trouble making sure the coop was secure and warm before Winter. After checking the coop, feeding the chickens, and doing some checking around the feilds to check for loose stones or fallen logs, you walked into town. When you got Pierre's, you were surprised to see Marnie there instead of Shane. You silently questioned it but figured Shane must be doing something for the chickens. When you walked in Marnie was up talking to Pierre. She turned and looked at you, turned back to Pierre, said something quickly, and then went back to watching you. You tried to ignore her gaze but she was definitely staring at you. You walked up to the shelf and grabbed down some sugar and wheat flour, planning to make something for game day with Shane tomorrow. You took the items up to the counter to pay and could still feel Marnie's eyes on you. It was really unsettling but made you so uncomfotable that you didn't dare approach her. You and Marnie got along fine but this was just weird. When you left Pierre's you stopped by the Saloon to talk to Gus and stopped by Alex's to talk to Granny and George. You still had a leek leftover and you knew that George would appreciate it and you had found a diamond in the mines the other day and wanted to give it to Granny to thank her for being so kind and supportive and so much like a grandmother to you. Alex was home working out in his room, probably sulking about the rain and cold weather and you didn't talk to him. Next, you went over and talked to Clint for a while. You asked about upgraded tools and promised that you'd be getting some upgrades over the winter. When you were done there you headed to the museum/library and ran into Elliot, Penny, Vincent, and Jas who were all very pleasant to talk to for a while. You really weren't enjoying walking around in the cold rain and you drew Shane's jacket around you tighter as you walked to Jodi's to talk to her for a while. When you finally left Jodi's it was starting to get dark and you walked home the long way, stopping in the pub to see if Shane was there. He wasn't.

     When you arrived home, Marnie was standing on your porch staring at you the same way she had been in Pierre's.

"What's with your family and staring at me in public and then waiting for me on my porch?" You asked in a joking manner. When you got closer you could see that Marnie's face was red and her eyes were puffy from crying. There were tear stains down her cheeks and more unshed tears collected in her eyes. You dropped your bag on the porch and rushed to her,

"What's wrong? I'm so sorry. I was just kidding around. What's going on?" She sniffled and took a gasping breath trying to get words out,

"I-It's Sh-Sha-ane," she cried out. Your face fell and you gulped,

"What about Shane?" You asked, trying to keep calm for Marnie's sake. "Take a moment to collect yourself. You're no use to anyone if I can't understand what you're saying. Come on now, deep breaths," You said, rubbing her arm comfortingly. She took a minute and cried some more,

"He-He wasn't home when I woke this morning and no one has seen him all day. I'm so worried. It's so cold and it's raining and you have his jacket, which I don't fault you for, dear, I know he gives it to you. But I don't know where he is and I know he hasn't gone into the desert because the bus is out of commission right now and it'll get cold enough tonight to kill him and-" She cut herself off but letting out a sob.

"Don't worry, Marnie. I'll find him. I promise." You dumped the contents of your backpack on the porch and quickly replaced them with a thermos of hot lemon balm tea (you'd kept the kettle close enough to the fire to have hot tea when you got home because of how cold it was), an ace wrap, a Joja brand flashlight, a field snack, your axe, your pick-axe, your led rod, and a walkie-talkie. You were running around and grabbing all of the items in an efficient matter. You handed another walkie-talkie to Marnie,

"This way if I find him and need help I can contact you. I'll radio as soon as I find him, okay? Go home and take care of Jas. She's young and needs you around to provide for her all the time. If you get too nervous waiting, just radio me and I'll let you know how it's going, okay? I'll have this on my hip the whole time," You said, hooking the walkie-talkie to your belt and drawing the flashlight back out of the bag before zipping it closed and throwing it over your shoulders,

"Thank you so much, (Y/N)." You nodded and jogged off, determined to find him quickly. You headed first for Cindersnap forest. He talked of the place a lot and you figured that if he were to be somewhere, it would be there. 

     You checked first the peer where you had sat with him numerous times while he'd downed more beers than you thought healthy but there was no sign of him. You decided to check the edges of the forest first, and work your way in from there. It was best to have a plan of action, not just wander about aimlessly. 

    You followed in the shine of your flashlight, which illuminated the path in front of you and enabled you to not trip over random logs and stones. The rain was coming down harder, if anything, and you were soaked to the bone. You knew Shane was outside somewhere and it honestly broke your heart. You broke back into a jog, wanting to find him as quickly as possible. When you turned because you'd reached the cliff, you saw an unnatural looking lump on the ground near the cliff a ways ahead of you. You broke into a sprint and found Shane, laying sprawled on the ground, surrounded by empty beer bottles. You gasped back a sob but the sound was covered up by a loud thunder clap. You dropped to your knees next to him. You'd never been religious but right now you were praying to Yoba that he was alive and would be alright. You shook him gently and when he didn't respond you shook him harder,

"Shane!" You shouted through the driving rain,

"Shane, please! You have to wake up so that I can get you somewhere warm!" He groaned and moved so that he was sort of looking at you. His gaze was drunken and there was mud all over his face and in his mouth,

"(Y/N)....." He slurred through the booze and the mud. "I-I'm sorry," He hiccupped. He was so drunk you could hardly understand him. And his body was shaking from the cold. You stripped yourself of his jacket and layed it over him to keep out some of the wind. "M-My life.." He struggled to speak coherently, "It's a pathetic joke," You let out a choked sob. Here in front of you was the most important person to you, freezing in the rain and surrounded by empty bottles of what was basically poison. "Look at me..." He continued to struggle with his speech, though you could tell that it was having more and more to do with the fact that he was fighting tears, "Why do I even try?" He, too let out a sob, and another escaped you in response. "I'm to small and stupid to-" he choked on another sob, "To take control of my life," He sniffled, "I'm just a p-" another choked sob, "piece of soiled garbage flittering in the wind," He let out a large belch that reeked of beer. You could feel your heart shattering in your chest, hearing him talk like this. You knew he was unhappy but this? You had no idea. What if you hadn't found him? 

"I've been coming here often lately," He hesitated. He wasn't looking at you now, he was looking toward the cliff. Youwere practically laying on the ground to be close enough to hear. "Looking down," He paused, "Here's a chance to finally take control of my life... these cliffs." Your breath caught in your throat at this statement. Surely he couldn't mean? "B...bu-" another belch, "But I'm too scared, too anxious. Just like always," You could feel hot tears streaming down your face with the icy rain. You leaned closer to him. You didn't want to miss one word; you needed to know what he had to say. "(Y/N)... all I do is work, sleep, and drink t...to dull the feelings of self-hatred. Why should I even go on? Tell me-" Another sob, "t-tell me why I shouldn't roll off this cliff right now," You sobbed for a moment, unable to stop yourself,

"B-because, you silly fool, if you rolled off of this cliff I'd be lost. I wouldn't be able to stay in this valley without you! Everything here would remind me of you. Sundays, in particular, when we should be in playing board games, would be unbearable. I'm always, always here for you. Why didn't you tell me it was this bad? I had no idea. I could have lost you! It's freezing right now! C'mon, please sit up and lean on me. I brought some hot lemon balm tea, I know you like it. and you'll need something warm. Please," He looked up at you drunkenly. 

"This is the only control I can have. I can't even go on a date. The only person my stupid self likes I have no chance with, they're so out of my league. And I'm too afraid to ask because I might mess something up. Besides, it would be selfish of me to ask. They deserve so much better than a deadbeat alcoholic like me. They deserve the world." You could feel a fresh flood of hot tears stream down your cheeks,

"No one in this town is out of your league, Shane. You're an incredible guy. Anyone, anyone would be lucky to go on a date with you. Please sit up and have some tea," You said. pulling the thermos out of your bag and pulling him up so he was laid in your lap in a semi-upright position. Once he was up some you radio'ed Marnie and asked her to go tell Dr. Harvey that you'd be on your way. Tell him you knew it was late but it was an emergency. You poured some tea into the mug from the lid of the thermos and helped him to drink it. Some of it dripped down his face but it wasn't steaming hot anymore and wouldn't hurt him. Once he downed two mugs you screwed the cap back on the thermos, replaced the mug/lid and tucked it back into your bag. You helped put the jacket on Shane's arms - which he protested, saying you should wear it, but you wouldn't have it - and helped him stand. He was still shivering violently and would have swayed around terribly had he not been leaning on you heavily. Following the light of your flashlight was much slower with a drunken Shane leaned against you but you didn't mind because you'd be getting him to the hospital so that he could get some help. The trip was slow and freezing cold but soon you were in the pool of light coming from Harvey's window and Marnie rushed out the door and helped to support Shane and get him inside. Once inside Doctor Harvey helped rush him into a room and kicked you and Marnie out.     

     The two of you sat in tense silence in the waiting room. You both knew the severity of the situation and the very real posibility that he wouldn't make it. Every so often a sob would be heard but you were so numb you were no longer able to tell which ones were yours and which ones were Marnie's. After about half an hour Doctor Harvey came out and you both leapt up to listen to him,

"I've pumped his stomach and re-hydrated his body. He's going to be okay." You and Marnie both let out a sob of relief. "It's good that you brought him in, though, (Y/N). Too much alcohol is terrible for the body but right now I'm worried for his mental health," You and Marnie were silent once again. You realised that it was all too possible for this to happen again and for him to not be so lucky next time. "When he comes to, I'll have a chat with him about his treatment options. I know and excellent counsellor in Zuzu City." He paused, considering his words carefully. "Life can be painful sometimes. But there's always hope for a better future. You've got to believe in that." You nodded and went to speak, "I know that both of you want to stay here tonight but I want to talk to him alone when he wakes up. I want both of you to go home and get a good night's sleep. Marnie, he'll be well enough in the morning to come home on his own. Please allow him this freedom. I'll talk to him about it, but he won't try anything tomorrow morning. Just let him come home in his own time. If you haven't heard anything by noon, call me," Marnie nodded and we left together silently.

     Outside the rain wasn't letting up any but Marnie stopped and turned to you,

"Thank you so much for going out and finding him and bringing him all the way back here. I don't want to think about what would have happened if-"

"Neither do I. I'd do anything for Shane. You know that. Please don't hesitate to tell me if anything is wrong." She nodded and the two of you parted without another word. Both still numb from the too close call.

    The next morning you got out of bed at 6am, unable to sleep at all that night from worrying about Shane. You walked right out the door, intending to walk over to Doc Harvey's to find out how he was but there, standing on your porch staring at you when you walked out, was Shane. You stopped and rubbed your eyes, not quite sure if you were seeing things or not. Once you had determined that he was really there you lept forward and wrapped your arms around him, despite him being soaked from the rain. He stood there, dumb-founded for a moment before he wrapped his arms around you as well and muttered 

"Hey," into your hair. You stood there silently for a minute before you stepped back and wiped some tears from your eyes. "Oh man....uh..... how do I say this?" He hesitated, not looking at your face. "I'm really sorry about what happened at the cliffs, that was... embarrassing," He said, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand in an ashamed and nervous way.

"I'm just happy you're still here. I'm sure you had alcohol poisoning. And it was so cold. When I got there I was afraid that I'd already lost you." You felt more tears escape your eyes. He still wouldn't look at you.

"Wow, it was that serious, huh? I can hardly remember..." He paused for a minute, looking anywhere but at you,

"I've decided I want to see a therapist. Harvey got me in touch with a colleague of his." He paused again, "Anyway... I just wanted to thank you for taking care of me. And I want you to know that I'm going to take things a lot more seriously from now on. I don't want to be a burden on anyone." Your blood boiled slightly at his last words. He turned to leave and you reached out and grabbed his arm and swung him back around to face you.

"You have never  been a burden on me. Not since the day we met. You're what makes this town pleasant to live in. If it weren't for you, I'd be miserable. I wouldn't leave this farm except for nesessities and to go to the mines. You give me a positive feeling on everything. I go into town smiling every day because you're on my mind. I couldn't make it here if you weren't here." He stared at you blankly,

"You're just saying that because I'm suicidal and you want me to think I have some worth because you don't want to feel guilty for my death," He said. You were taken slightly aback by the tone he took with you. You felt a new legion of tears storm down your face and his face changed into a look of shock and regret,

"I can't believe you've known me this long and would think that," You said, trying to keep your voice level despite the sobs trying to leap out of your throat. His mouth dropped open and he stuttered soundlessly. You sniffled,

"Damn it, Shane," You grabbed him by the shirt and jacket and pulled him to you and pressed your lips against his in a passionate and desperate manner. Maybe if he knew how you felt he would believe you. He stood there in shock for a moment before responding to the kiss and resting his hands gently on your hips. You snaked your arms up around his neck. After a few long moments the kiss broke and you rested your forheads against each other.

"You mean.... after all I put you through, y-you-"

"Shane, I will never be able to say this enough. I love you. I love the absolute living fuck out of you to the point where I forget what season it is at times and all I'd have to do is look out the window to find out but I don't care to because that wastes time I could be thinking about you, or cooking for the next time you come over, or playing games with you. You make my life exciting, interesting, and fun and I don't know what I would do if you weren't around because you or things that have to do with you occupy 97% of my time. I would never lie to you about how much I want you around just to be one of those generic 'there's always a better option' people. Because, while there is, I actually care on a personal level." It was Shane's turn to have tears running down his face. He pulled you in for another kiss and you melted into him easily. The kiss was loving and affectionate and.. slightly salty thanks to the tears you had both shed, but it made you feel welcome and wanted and that was what mattered. He pulled away again and nuzzled his face into your hair. When he mumbled into it it sent hot air across your scalp, which gave you chills and warmed you at the same time.

"I thought I could never have a chance. You're so beautiful and social and intelligent and I'm just the town drunk." You pulled back almost angrily.

"You are not  just the town drunk. You're my best friend and the only person I've ever wanted to be with," 

"I don't know if I'll ever understand what you see in me." He said, looking at you affectionately. You melted,

"Promise me you'll try?" You asked, allowing yourself to sink back next to him.

"I promise," He said, giving you a gentle and loving kiss on your forehead.

"C'mon, let's get you inside. You're definitely not dressed to be out here. Where did you think you were going, anyways? You don't even have shoes on. It'll be Winter tomorrow." You smiled sheepishly,

"I was actually going to walk to the hospital to see how you were," You mumbled, looking down. He was silent for a moment before he sighed,

"I can't believe you would disregard your own health and comfort so much just to come see me. C'mon. Inside." He said, opening the door and gently leading you in with his arm wrapped around your back. He closed the door behind you and led you over to the table where he pulled out the chair closest to the fire and had you sit,

"See? You're shivering. I'd give you my jacket but it's soaked." He gently lifted the chair - with you in it - and set it in front of the fire, then grabbed the top blanket off of your mess of a bed (You'd been tossing and turning all night worrying about him and definitely did not take the time to make it in the morning before heading out to go check on him) and wrapped it around you in a gentle, caring way. "You look exhausted, did you get any sleep last night?" You shook your head,

"I couldn't sleep. All I could think about was you," You said, blushing slightly. He shook his head,

"I will never understand. But I'm so grateful that I have you," He said, giving you another tender forehead kiss.

"Could you please bring me the walkie-talkie from the table? I should let your aunt know that you're here and she still has the other. He nodded and walked over to the table and brought back the hand-held radio. You snaked your hand out of the blanket and took it from him gently,

"Thank you," He nodded and set his hand on your shoulder opposite him. You leaned back into his arm and pressed down the button on the walkie-talkie,

"Marnie, are you awake?" You asked quietly. A response came almost immediately.

"I am. Shane's there, isn't he?" You chuckled quietly and pressed the button in,

"He is. I just wanted you to know that he was safe,"

"Thank you, (Y/N). When Doc Harvey told me to let him come home on his own, I knew he'd be going to your house. Thank you for letting me know."

"You're welcome Marnie. I'll see to it that he makes it back to your place safe when the time comes," The radio went silent and you set it down.

"Aunt Marnie was there, too?" He asked. You nodded,

"I radioed her and had her tell Doc Harvey to get ready for you. We sat in the waiting room together waiting to find out if you were going to be okay. We were both so afraid."

"I'm really sorry that I put you guys through that."

"It's alright Shane, just please don't give us another scare like that. I need you here, and so do she and Jas." He removed his hand from your shoulder and stepped around you and hooked the kettle on the hook over the fire.

"Need some more tea?" I asked. He chuckled,

"This is for you." He went into the chest and pulled out a packet of sleepy time tea and I groaned tiredly,

"Shane, I'll be okay I-"

"Don't argue with me. You're going to drink some sleepy time tea and you're going to rest. You don't need to be getting sick. I worry about you, too," He said. You sighed weakly,

"Alright, but, can I ask you a favour? You don't have to if you don't want to I ju-"

"(Y/N), anything, really. What is it you need?" You blushed slightly,

"Could you lay with me? I need to know that you're here. That you're okay. I don't think I can sleep otherwise." He stopped and looked at you with a face of only affection and caring.

"Of course. I'm sorry I gave you such a scare." He grabbed a mug from the rack above the mantle and readied it for the hot water. While the water was heating he walked over next to you and put a hand on the shoulder opposite him in an affectionate manner,

"Shane, I have some men's sleeping pants and larger T-shirts. Please change into something warm and dry," 

"Alright. I will. Where are they?" You told him the location and he went off to change. You could tell that he was hesitant about leaving you but he was back almost immediately and you could tell that he was a lot more comfortable. He leaned down and nuzzled his face into your hair. He pressed his lips against the top of your head before he stood and walked over to check the tea. He used the mittens to take it off the fire and pour some into the mug he had set up. It wasn't steaming a lot and you could tell that it hadn't been let boil.

"I didn't want you to have to wait very long to drink it." He took a sip of the tea, "Ouch, okay, that's why I did that. You do still have to wait some but at least you didn't get burned." You chuckled wearily at him,

"Thank you," You said, your eyelids attempting to drift closed. You blinked them back open and focused sleepily on the man in front of you. He'd grabbed green plaid drawstring pajama pants which hung off of him perfectly and, in his haste, a large, white, v-neck shirt that showed off his collar bones. Shane in pajamas was a sight you weren't sure you could ever get used to. He was jarringly attractive. After a few moments of him watching you with care and affection he checked the tea again and, apparently satisfied with its temperature, handed you the mug. You sipped out of it carefully and silently after mutting a 'thank you'. His hand was again on your shoulder affectionately and once you'd finished the tea he disposed of the bag and rinsed out the mug. He then picked your nearly-sleeping self up out of the chair and carried you over to the bed - you noticed that at some point he made it and you wondered if you'd been awake the whole time he'd been here - where he gently laid you down. As he was pulling the covers up over you, you noticed that sunlight was streaming brightly in the windows . He left the corner of the covers thrown back and pulled the curtains closed on all of the windows, choking out all of the sunlight so that the warm glow of the fire was all that remained. He climbed into bed next to you and you immediately curled up into him. As soon as his arms wrapped around you, you could feel your conciousness slipping away and just before you were gone for some much-needed rest you heard a very familiar gravelly voice affectionately mumble,

"I love you so much more than I'll ever be able to say. Thank you,"

(((I was just really feeling this one. Which you can probably tell by how soon it was uplaoded and the 8188 word count. I hope you enjoy reading this one as much as I enjoyed writing and editing it. If you have any requests for Shaneshots please comment them or message them to me. I'd love to have some new inspiration and at the same time give you guys more what you're looking for. I will not do smut. I am the Fluff King and I will remain in and rule over my domain. (Also I'm severly socially apothisexual and that kind of stuff makes me uncomfortable, please don't ask for it) Hopefully I'll be back with another imagine soon. Stay lovely, my friends.