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The day had finally come. Zia could feel it in their gut, heavy as a stone, but felt almost peaceful with it. They just couldn't take a second longer of dealing with JojaCorp, taking their complaints as the company terrorized small businesses and destroyed so much land. They didn't want to be even the smallest cog any longer.After all, what had it gotten them? Years with the company, no promotions, and with the cost of rent and living going up but no raises, they barely had enough to go a month without another job lined up. It was worse than pathetic, it was demeaning. It was bullshit.Zia reached for the letter, their grandfather's last words echoing in their head. They tore the seal and read the long awaited contents before taking a deep breath and smiling. They hadn't smiled in weeks, maybe months. They tucked their letter into their bag, clocked out, and left. Fuck a two weeks notice, Joja hadn't given any notice to the chat development team before nixing the department and having them packed up by the thirty minute unpaid lunch break.Outside, in the city air, Zia started to laugh. It was madness, really, but after starting at Joja they had lost everything so there was really nothing left to lose.There wasn't much for them to pack-- essentially just their clothes and the last of their prescriptions. Any hobbies they’d had were a distant memory to a time where they had the mental energy to handle them. Their furniture was shitty and came with the equally shitty, tiny apartment. So much for the big city. Zia had hated it as soon as they moved but thought they might get acceptance out there. They found instead they wouldn't have any time or consistent schedule to see if they could. After breaking their lease and paying for travel, Zia was left with a measly five hundred gold. They didn't care. They would survive however they needed to until they got Grandpa's farm back up and thriving.--Okay, so maybe it wasn’t really what Zia had been picturing in their head as they fantasized on the journey to Pelican Town, but they could make it work. Anything was better than what they had been dealing with, and if it meant clearing the land branch by branch and stone by stone, well, Zia had a lot of pent up aggression to work out.Lewis and Robin seemed nice enough. They couldn’t even be mad when Robin had belittled their homestead, it really was little more than a shack. But it was their shack, their home, and they loved it fiercely on sight. The furniture inside was simple, but well built and solid. The tv didn’t have cable, but a couple of local channels. Really just the weather and a strange fortune telling show, though Lewis had mentioned there was sometimes a neat farming tips show in the mornings, and he had seen a cooking show come through every now and again.But Zia hadn’t traveled upteen miles to watch tv. They came to farm.They spent much of their first day trying to clear enough dirt to plant the parsnips seeds they had been given, and found that it took a lot more energy than they thought it would. They needed to eat, too, so Zia went the long way to town through the woods, stuffing their pack with wild horseradishes and leeks, hoping to find something to do with them before the day was out.Then it was time to try to meet the neighbors.While Lewis and Robin seemed okay enough, trying to understand when Zia explained that they didn’t use he or she, but were agender and didn’t feel like a boy or a girl, they had no idea how the townsfolk would respond to their identity. They wouldn’t back down about it, but Zia did long for a sense of community, deep down.They found that the introductions were slow-going. Everyone had their own schedules, and though it wasn’t a particularly large town, it was fairly well spread out, and Zia was pretty busy trying to stay alive and get things going. It was exhausting, and their body ached terribly every night as their muscles adjusted to use after a few years of a desk job.They met Pierre and Caroline pretty quickly, as Zia wanted to get more seeds and to sell some of the things they were finding out in the forest. Pierre was frankly glad to see a more commercial kind of farmer moving in, and was the one to break the bad news that there was a JojaMart in that very town.Their ensuing bitchfest about the company lasted about thirty minutes, got Zia ten free cauliflower seeds, and created a strong and immediate bond of friendship. Caroline understood their grievances and was fairly amused by the ordeal, and welcomed Zia politely to the town.Harvey and Maru were also some of the first Zia met, as they needed to be sure they could keep up their prescriptions out in the wild. Maru was sweet and understanding when they met, and seemed more excited about what they might grow on their farm than their gender, which was a great relief. When Zia got into the privacy of Harvey’s office and explained the nitty-gritty of it in secrecy, that they were female to male to nothing, and took testosterone every other week and antidepressants and needed to keep that going, thanks, Harvey brightened immediately.“Oh, my brother is too!” he exclaimed, a gentle smile on his face. The prescriptions were easily sorted out, and he also advised Zia on better forms of cutting trees and hitting rocks to avoid straining his back so much. He also promised that the town was far more open minded on things than they might seem, and pointed out what wild foraging was most nutritious and where to find it.“I know it must be rough right now, trying to restore the old place, but you need to keep your health in mind as well. No point in pushing yourself to collapse and letting your hard work fall apart. Pace yourself. It’ll get there,” Harvey told them at the end of the appointment, giving Zia a friendly smile before walking them out.Zia really enjoyed Linus, who lived in a tent in the mountains by himself. He felt like a kindred spirit in a way, and Zia resolved to look out for him when the weather turned colder. Demetrius, Robin’s husband and Maru’s father, was interesting enough. They could see where Maru got her scientific mind from, for sure. Penny and the kids were polite but understandably standoffish with the stranger in town, Elliot was intriguing and kind. Sam, Abigail, and Sebastian seemed alright but not very welcoming.It wasn’t until they stopped by the saloon on a Saturday night that Zia got to finish meeting the town, who up until that point had largely seemed polite and nice enough. They knew they were a stranger among people who had known each other for years, and it would take time to become a part of the town and make friends. It would be a long process, but Zia hoped they would be able to ingrain themself to the community. Everyone seemed open to the thought, at least.And yet.Fucking. Shane.“Hey there, I’m--”“I don’t know you, why are you talking to me?” he immediately grumbled, cutting Zia off and sipping his beer without looking up. Zia stopped their awkward wave and frowned, scoffing. Alright, they thought. Fuck you then.They splurged on a take out dinner from Gus and left, annoyed. Clint was kind of standoffish, but that was in a shy, insecure way. Shane was just fucking rude. Zia ruminated on it their whole walk home, as they ate their delicious spaghetti, and as they tucked into bed. They weren’t sure why the rudeness stuck with them, the blunt dismissal. They had handled far worse working in Joja’s complaint department. Something about having someone so blatantly not give a flying fuck about meeting them, just brushing them off like that, felt inexcusable in a town of barely thirty people.Zia was ruminating on those thoughts while they worked the farm, trying to fell more trees. They were hoping to build a coop before the end of spring, but were going to need a lot more wood to do it. They worked through lunch, absorbed in their thoughts and not paying attention to their screaming muscles as they turned their attention to the small boulders getting in their way and started whacking at those. They normally were self aware enough to know when to stop and have a break, but the work got away from them. They were on the ground before they even noticed.--“...Zia? Are you with us?”Zia slowly blinked their brown eyes open, squinting at the bright overhead lights of the hospital. Their whole body ached terribly, and their head throbbed.“Wha…?”Harvey’s disapproving face came into view, his eyebrows furrowed sternly. Zia groaned and tried to sit up, and he pushed them back onto the bed with ease.“Stop that. You overworked yourself. Lewis found you passed out on the farm when he came by to check your shipping bin and had you brought here. I warned you not to work so hard, this is what happens! You’ll need to spend the rest of the day here, I’ll see about releasing you in the morning, but you need to hydrate first,” Harvey lectured. Zia could see Maru standing over his shoulder, writing something on a clipboard. Ugh, barely in town and already on the doctor’s bad side.“I’m sorry, Harvey. I was… distracted. I’ll pay better attention to my body moving forward,” Zia promised, and Harvey sighed, lecture mode over.“I’m sure you will. I don’t think this is a lesson you need to learn multiple times. Planning out a farm and bringing it to fruition must take a lot of thought, I suppose I can't blame you for getting too caught up to notice how dehydrated you were," he said, taking the seat next to the bed while Maru left the room.Zia flushed, looking down at the white blanket."Uh, actually I was fuming over something else. A rude person," they mumbled. Harvey blinked."Oh, Shane? I wouldn't put any thought into him at all. JojaMart just sucks the life right out of him, he's pretty unpleasant to be around," he said, shrugging it off.Of fucking course he worked at JojaMart, Zia thought. Only JojaCorp could make people into that kind of a husk.Harvey and Maru got Zia hooked up with a hydrating IV and left them alone with their thoughts, letting them begin to ruminate on Shane again. Not because they were so offended and angry over a rude interaction anymore, but because Shane was what Zia had been on track to become -- just an angry, bitter person that didn't want to talk to anyone and hated themselves and the world. What he needed to hate was JojaMart, and Zia would find a way to get him out of his funk and back into life.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Zia was much more careful after their collapse, and pushed Shane’s rudeness from their mind after it. There were plenty of folks in town more welcoming, Zia would save their energy for befriending them, at least for the moment.Slowly, they were starting to become part of the town. Zia made the effort to go see everyone once a day, checking in on the goings on of the town and getting to know the people in it. They started to learn the dynamics of everyone’s relationships, and even got tips for gifts to give if they wanted to get on any certain person’s good side. They were nowhere near best friend status with anyone, but got on particularly well with Leah, Elliot, and Emily.It definitely helped that they were all nearly or fully into their thirties, or perhaps that they were all artists of sorts. By the time spring was starting to wane, Zia was meeting Leah and Elliot at the Saloon on a regular basis. They would chat for a few hours over drinks, Emily joining when there was enough of a lull that she went on break.They often saw Shane at the Saloon, always alone in his corner of the bar. It was like a barrier was up between him and the rest, who avoided that side of the bar or standing too near the fireplace. Zia mostly left him alone outside of a nod when they saw each other, only sometimes acknowledged by Shane. Zia still wanted an in with him, to get him to talk. Even George was easier to talk to.Only by chance did Zia see the notice board that day, but they mentally thanked whoever had the idea to put community birthdays on the calendar. They headed to the Saloon after taking care of everything for the day, and saw Shane still alone against the wall. He looked extra miserable, and Zia frowned. Didn’t he live with Marnie and Jaz? Were they not going to do anything together?They walked up to Gus and leaned in close to whisper to him.“Hey, what’s Shane’s favorite food? Tell him a round and dinner is on the house,” they said behind their hand. Gus glanced at Shane for a moment in thought before ringing it up.“Pizza, it’s the only thing he gets when he orders food. Well, maybe a pretzel. He seems to like it a lot,” Gus told Zia. They put that information away in their mind, next to George loving leeks and Sam actually liking Joja Cola.They took their seat and drink, covertly watching Shane as Gus brought him a fresh beer and thick slice of pepperoni pizza. Shane quickly looked around as Zia took a drink from their beer. When they looked back, Shane had a small smile as he ate his pizza. It was tiny and likely to disappear at any second, but Zia felt oddly charmed by it.Maybe it was because Zia could not recall ever seeing Shane smile, but their heart twinged a little. Their opinion softened, and they hid a smile behind a hand. Maybe they should try again with Shane, if it meant getting him to smile more. Zia ran a hand down their face, exasperated with their own soft feelings.From then on, Zia made the effort to greet Shane when they saw him, normally when they spent a nice afternoon fishing near Joja Mart. Or sometimes early in the morning, if they were going to the forest before his shift. At first, Shane either didn’t notice or stared suspiciously when talked to. Before long, however, he was frowning yet acknowledging the greeting.Zia was pleased with the progress. They were working hard on the farm as well as making offerings to the Junimos in the community center, out fishing, mining, and building anything useful for the farm that they could, but still maintained a thriving social life.Before, they never would have thought that would be possible. Not only was Zia able to take care of themself better, they found all aspects of their life growing. The muscles that came with farm work made them feel very comfortable in their body and appearance, and their products and produce were starting to sell well in the nearby market. They were self reliant in a way they had only ever dreamed of. They felt healthier and happier than they had been in years.The only problem with their newfound energy and contentment was that Zia was becoming very aware of their libido. Before, they had been so depressed and tired that it was far easier to ignore, but as the days went by and Zia felt more comfortable in their skin, it was harder to repress.Certainly, there were some attractive people living in the valley. Zia was starting to crush on Leah, but had gathered that she was a lesbian. They also couldn’t help but be interested in Elliott, the handsome writer living alone by the sea. Harvey was handsome and compassionate, and more than once they caught themself fantasizing about his large hands. They also were deeply interested in the Wizard, but he was a fair bit older and far more standoffish than anyone else, though Zia still enjoyed checking in on him every few days. But even with the allure of some of the villagers, Zia was extremely reluctant to approach anyone with a hint more than friendship.There was the major fear of being called a pervert and shunned by everyone if they remotely tried to pick someone up. That had become their big nightmare: being shunned by the community. Even if that didn’t happen, and anyone they approached just turned them down, Zia was still afraid it would ruin their tenuous friendships. At no point did they consider that anyone would actually be receptive-- they were imaginative, but that felt like a stretch.It would be best to keep things the way they were going, and maybe take a trip to Zuzu sometime to buy a new vibrator or something. They could deal with it.--“So, who were you thinking of asking to dance at the Flower Festival?” Leah asked, waggling a brow at Zia. He had seen that festival written on the calendar and dreaded it. Boy outfits and girl outfits, a dance that just sounded like an ancient fertility ritual, and the fear of rejection in one event. Zia wrinkled their nose in distaste.“No one, I’m just going to watch,” they said, shrugging. Leah blew a raspberry at them.“That’s no fun. There’s gotta be someone you were thinking about asking to dance,” Leah pressed. Zia fought the urge to admit Leah would be their first choice, unwilling as they were to disrupt their friendship. Leah was treating it as a silly dance, but they all knew that actually asking someone to dance, versus being paired with whoever Lewis declared, was an act of declaring interest. Zia wasn’t inclined to make overtures at anyone, at least not their first year.“Mm, could ask the Wizard,” Zia replied, landing on being cheeky. Leah scoffed, but Zia was half serious.“What, that weird guy in the tower? I’ve seen him in the woods sometimes, he’s stranger than Linus,” Leah complained, and Zia grinned and sipped at their drink.“Maybe I like ‘em weird. Maybe I’ll ask Linus,” they continued, making Leah laugh. Zia knew there was no way Linus would accept the invite, anyway, or the wizard. They continued on, though, naming only the older people in town, including George and Evelyn, with descriptions of their hotness, until Leah was crying with laughter. Zia grinned at their work, proud that if they weren’t hot enough for anyone to be interested in, they were at least funny.Zia got up the next day with trepidation. They weren’t sure at all how they would fit into the festival proceedings. It wasn’t like the egg festival, where they could participate even though it was supposed to be a kid’s game. They dressed simply in blue linen, deciding to take the man’s dress code.They walked through the forest, trying to shake off their discomfort. They found the directional posts put up by Lewis that showed the path to the grove used for the Flower Festival, and headed that way. It was a part of the forest they had never seen before, and they were blown away by the beauty of the small space.Evelyn had clearly been hard at work the past few weeks making all the flower displays that lined the clearing. Everyone was already there, grouped into their little pods to chat. Zia felt out of place already-- late from his daily farmwork that had to come first, the odd man out of the village. He had his friends, but he wasn’t yet ingrained in the town.They caught Leah’s eye, and joined her and Elliott by the river. They were both dressed appropriately, with Leah in a long plain white dress and Elliott wearing blue linens.“You made it! I was half worried you might skip,” Leah said, smiling at them. Zia shrugged.“Mm, I thought about it, but then Pierre told me he would have a special scarecrow for sale and that did me in,” Zia quipped, only half joking. They were getting the scarecrow-- damn birds wouldn’t stop going after their crops.“Leah tells me you won’t dance with any of us boring singles,” Elliot said, raising a brow. Zia sighed in exasperation.“It’s not that, I just don’t know anyone well enough to ask,” they said, and Leah rolled her eyes. “Er, other than you two.”“It’s not that big of a deal and you know it, you rutabaga,” Leah scoffed. When Zia looked at her incredulously, she motioned to Jas and Vincent running around nearby. “Young ears.”“Truly, it isn’t. I’ve been here a couple of years myself, dancing with Leah has not led towards even a kiss on the cheek,” Elliott said, lamenting with a teasing smile. Leah stuck out her tongue at him. Zia laughed.“Quit flirting, you two. Look, if it makes you happy, I’ll do a lap and see if anyone is interested. But really, I’m fine just watching,” Zia said, rolling their eyes. They dodged Leah’s swat and started walking. They greeted the other townsfolk politely. Everyone seemed to be in a fine mood, with the exception of Abigail who hated wearing the girly dress.There was a little bit of time before the dance would start, and Zia didn’t feel like anyone looked particularly keen to be asked to dance, nor had anyone asked them. They thought about just knuckling down and asking Leah if she was so enthused for them to participate when they spotted the Wizard watching from a cliffside behind some trees. There was a fence clearly designating the festival area, but Zia easily hopped it to get closer.Once past the fence, Zia spotted a Junimo dart behind a tree. They looked around and could see the sprites peaking through the forest at the clearing, looking curiously at the residents. They smiled at the creatures that apparently only they and the Wizard could see, and carefully made their way towards the cliffside.The cliff was taller and less climbable than Zia had assumed from afar. They frowned, their distraction forgotten in the face of difficulty. They turned back, and froze. A small pack of Junimo had surrounded them. Normally, the creatures were terribly shy and always running away, though some might loop between their legs when they brought a requested item to the derelict community center. Zia wasn’t sure what to do with their staring, curious looks.“Er, hello, little friends. Ready to see everyone dance?” they asked, squatting to be closer to their size. The junimos made tinkling, fairy like sounds that Zia couldn’t comprehend. Still, they nodded as if they did.“Yeah, I want to join too. It’s tough to ask anyone though, you know? What if they reject me? This isn’t like Zuzu City, we’ll have to see each other every day. I would take you dancing if I could. But then everyone else can’t see you, so that might be tough,” Zia sighed, smiling at the small workers.“How about we dance here? I can hum a little tune,” Zia offered, smiling again when the junimos started to jump up and down, apparently happy with the idea. Zia was no professional musician, but they hummed an old folk tune they recalled, singing the sounds but not the words. They started to twirl and dance, carefully watching to not step on the small critters that danced around them. They smiled brightly, happy to share a moment with the unsung helpers of the valley.Before too long, they slowed to a stop. It was close to when the real dance would begin, and they needed to go, if not to dance, then to at least be present. Zia squatted down next to the happy looking junimos.“Thank you for this dance. I feel more confident now,” they confided. They were surprised when one of them came forward and booped their nose. They grinned, unsure of the significance, and definitely unaware of the sparkles that surrounded them for a brief second after. They stood back to their full height and waved before making their way back to the festival.Zia tried to hop the fence again, only to lose their footing. They nearly fell off but were caught by strong arms. Zia glanced up to see that Shane was the one who had reacted to catch them, and blushed a little.“What, are you a little kid? You shouldn’t go wandering off,” he scolded, then sighed. Zia brushed off their suit, watching as Shane struggled to make himself say something.“Usually I dance with Emily, but she told me it’s Clint’s turn this year. If I don’t participate, Jas is gonna cry. I don’t know why I had to tell you all that, just, will you dance with me this year?” he asked, biting out his explanation before rushing through the question. Zia blinked back their shock, but nodded.“Oh, sure! I’d hate to disappoint the kid,” they agreed, and Shane sighed with relief and led Zia over towards where the other “young” singles of the valley were congregating. Leah spotted them and bit her hand to keep from laughing. Elliott nudged her, and gave Zia a soft, encouraging smile. Clint looked shocked to be standing next to Emily, his face deeply red next to her serene gaze.“Alright everyone, line up here, that’s right!” Lewis called out, trying to organize the pairs. He smiled wide when he saw Zia was participating, and put them across from Shane. The music began, and Zia tried to follow the steps. They knew they had seen it as a kid, but actually doing it was different. They took a deep breath and tried to relax, and it seemed like their feet simply knew what to do. They smiled at Shane, unsure but glad to be with another awkward soul. He flushed but didn’t smile, a typical Shane response.All too soon, the dance was over. Zia felt silly but exhilarated, and a little more connected to everyone in town by virtue of sharing the event. They had an energy that fueled them through the rest of the day, when they went home and tended further to the farm.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Zia stood from their barstool with a stretch, ready to call it a night. It had been a few days since the Flower Dance, and spring was officially at an end. The weather had turned warm, and it would just keep heating up. It wasn’t one of their nights with Elliott and Leah at the Stardrop Saloon, but they enjoyed stopping by more and more often just to see some of the working crowd after hours. Besides, Gus was a damn fine cook and the local wine was something Zia was really enjoying."Hey, Zia, think you could walk Shane home?" Gus asked quietly. Zia glanced up at Shane, considering the request. Shane was a regular drinker, but he was looking rougher than usual. Instead of standing near the wall, he was half laying on the counter, grumbling about something that they couldn't make out over the noise of the saloon. It was a bit out of the way, but Zia sighed and nodded in agreement before finishing their last sip of tea. He’d saved them from the embarrassment of sitting out the flower dance, after all."Sure thing, Gus. Have a good one," Zia said, leaving a few bucks for a tip on the counter. Oddly, their tip always seemed to cover at least a beer or two for Pam's tab. They shuffled over to Shane, gearing up for his bitching."Alright, buddy, let's go home," Zia said, putting a hand on his shoulder. Shane shot up in his seat and threw off Zia's touch with a disgruntled growl."I'm fine!" He grumbled, nearly falling off his seat. Zia rolled their eyes and slipped an arm under Shane's and lifted him easily. Daily farmwork had given Zia a solid amount of strength that Shane, in his drunkenness, could hardly fight against. He seemed to realize it, and leaned against Zia on uneven feet. The other usuals pretended not to notice as they gave their cheery farewells.The heat of the summer day had cooled as night had settled in, and a nice breeze gave them further respite. Zia breathed it in with a small smile, half carrying Shane in the dim light of the full moon. Shane continued to grumble unintelligibly under his breath, but said nothing that let Zia know why he had decided to drink so heavily that night.They had just gotten down the path from Pelican Town to the woods, Marnie's house visible with the outside light on, when Shane finally said something Zia could understand but did not comprehend."Wanna watch me jack off?"Shane was standing more on his own feet rather than being carried, and his pale face was flushed. Zia looked at him, his hand already on his belt, his dark eyes desperate and drunk. His breath stank of beer. They knew in the morning, if Shane even remembered asking, he would be embarrassed and guilty.And yet, Zia couldn't remember the last time they had seen a cock that wasn't in a video. They shoved the thought away. They were the sober one, the responsible guy. They opened their mouth to tell Shane to stop joking and go to bed. That would be the right response."Only if you watch me too."Shane's eyes widened and he nodded immediately, so Zia led him a little further into the forest. Just enough to be hidden by bushes should Marnie or Leah look out their windows despite the late hour, but close enough that the light from Marnie's helped supplement the brightness of the moonlight.It took a little bit of finagling, some cursing and pants removing, but soon they found a position that worked.Shane had his pants pulled down just enough get get his dick and balls out of his underwear, sitting back on the ground. Zia had shed their pants completely in a moment of frustration, underwear too, and sat on the pile, spreading their legs over Shane’s knees to be close enough so that he could see in the dim light. Both were blushing and hesitant to be the first to start.“You don’t have a dick,” Shane blurted out, gripping his own that was quickly becoming hard in his fist. Apparently the alcohol wasn’t having as much of an effect on his erection as Zia might have thought. They scoffed and spread their vulva wide with their index and ring finger, using their middle finger to play with their slick entrance.“Not here I don’t. Left it at home,” they quipped, and could see Shane’s cock throb as they said that. Good to know. Banter was dropped in favor of heavy breaths and grunting. Zia strained their ears to take in every smack of Shane’s hand as it came down the shaft to the base and smacked his balls, watching as his hips started to buck until he was fucking his fist. God, he had a pretty cock. Even in the moonlight, Zia could tell. It wasn’t too long or too thick, and had just the slightest curve that they best would make the head hit just right when he fucked you.Zia bit their lip to keep from begging Shane for a fuck. What they were doing was more than enough. Their horny brain was a demanding little slut, but this was already the hottest thing they had done in ages. Zia’s fingers stopped sliding in and out of their entrance and moved on to their sensitive and throbbing clit and they couldn’t help but let out an airy moan when they pinched it. Shane’s eyes hadn’t left their pussy since they had gotten into position and spread their legs wide, and when Zia moaned he gasped and cussed as he came all over his hand.Some of his cum spluttered onto Zia’s thigh, and without thinking they moved their leg to make Shane lean down.“Better clean up your mess,” Zia said, voice husky as their fingers continued to work their clit. They were so goddamn close, and didn’t want to stop. To their amazement, Shane shifted immediately. He got onto his stomach and licked the shining cum spot, and where it had begun to drip. Zia fell back to one elbow, fingers working furiously as Shane’s tongue moved slow and wet over their thigh, sure to clean up every salty drop. He stared at them as he licked, eyes hazy with want and face fully red. His hands were gripping their legs and slowly shifting them as he licked further and further up, biting along the way. Zia’s fingers stopped moving as their heart raced, beating just as powerfully in their clit as it did in their chest.“Y-you don’t--” they whispered, and Shane shrugged.“I wanna,” he said, and plunged his tongue in. Zia moaned, throwing their head back and gripping Shane’s hair tightly. He moved it in again and again, lapping at all the juices Zia was secreting. They hadn’t come in forever, even masturbating by themself, and feeling Shane’s hot mouth on their cunt was nearly enough to put them over the edge alone. But it was like they had forgotten how to interpret the incredible feelings and greedily took them in without flowing over, and soon Zia was lost to it. They felt no shame as they grabbed Shane’s hair and guided him to what felt best, arching their back and planting their feet to better fuck his face.Shane just seemed more and more into it, groaning into Zia’s pussy and putting his tongue to work. He licked and sucked and even nibbled at their large clit, letting his face be used. He eventually got brave enough to slide his fingers inside Zia’s cunt, curling them in time as he sucked on their clit.“Oh fuck, don’t you dare stop,” Zia managed to gasp out, writhing on the ground and letting out a pathetic mewl. Shane growled, and somehow that put Zia over and they tugged him off and clamped their legs shut as waves of trembles overcame them. They shook violently as they came, their clit throbbing deliciously, sensitive even to the summer breeze. Zia was hardly even aware as Shane awkwardly tried to figure out what to do until the tremors ended with a satisfied sigh.When Zia opened their eyes, Shane was sitting where he had been, gently holding Zia’s legs over his lap and looking up at the stars. He hadn’t done back up his pants yet, and when he realized Zia was stirring again he looked back at them with a flush.“That was more than jacking off,” Zia joked, and Shane looked pained.“I didn’t ask.”“I didn’t complain.”They lapsed back into silence, half naked but neither making a move yet to fix that. Zia couldn’t really tell if Shane was sobering up, or sliding into a depressed mood. There didn’t seem to be a difference with him. He was looking off into the distance again, that look of upset disgust on his face that he wore so often. Zia sat up on their elbows, half ready to think it was because he’d went and fucked around with a big ol’ queer like them.Instead, he just said it had been about five years to the day since he had fucked anyone, and wasn’t that fucking sad.“Not like there’s a lot of options out here, especially living with Marnie,” he continued to complain.Zia snorted.“Y’know, it’s been a few years for me too. Just because I was in the city didn’t mean I was slurping dick on the daily. Meeting people sucks everywhere.”The two both sighed, focused on their own miseries, before awkwardly dressing. True to their word, Zia walked Shane the last few yards to his front door. Though, by that point, they were the one with wobbling legs. Shane stared at their face, their lips, for a moment before he shook himself and went inside without even a goodnight, making Zia smile at the familiarity of it before they wandered back to their own farm.--The next day, Zia shot up quickly with their alarm, memories of the night before flooding back to mind. Their face heated up as they remembered Shane in the moonlight, and how intensely they’d gotten off. They groaned into their hands. What the fuck had they been thinking? They kicked themself out of bed and started their morning routine, mentally attacking themself.What if Shane felt taken advantage of? What if he thought that meant something? What if he didn’t remember at all? Zia was overwhelmed by the potential of the situation. They went out to the fields, putting their worry and fear into tilling the fields. It was easy to distract themself from thoughts of the night before when they had a whole field to set up for the new season.It was shaping up to be one of those rare days that they didn’t leave the farm at all. Even with only a small half hour break for lunch, it was nearly six before they finished with the fields. Most of the summer crops would keep regrowing after he picked the ripe fruits or veggies, but some of them took more prep because of that. They needed to get trellises ready for some of the plants to grow onto, plan out their planting so they could easily pick everything. It was just as intensive as when Zia had started the spring crops, but moreso since for spring, they’d had to do it piecemeal as they could afford more seeds.Their whole body ached, but they were proud of their work. They had even planted some wheat with the intention of possibly making beer. Zia smiled at their handiwork as they stood on their porch overlooking the farm. After a few minutes of contemplation, they went inside to make a simple dinner with some of the remaining fresh vegetables before taking a long shower and getting into bed early.They woke the next morning to the blessed sound of rain. Rain was a godsend to a farmer, and Zia smiled with delight as they got out of bed, completely well rested after their arduous day before. They didn’t think about what happened with Shane at all as they prepared for a more relaxed day. They just needed to feed the chickens and reset the furnaces, then they would spend the rest of the day fishing.Zia set out to do just that. The chickens clucked happily when they got them fresh food, and their eggs were in fine quality. The furnaces were emptied and changed, a quicker process than when Zia first started using them and was so afraid of burning themself. They were pleased to see they had more than enough silver to upgrade one of their tools-- they put enough in their bag to take to Clint to improve their ax.They headed off the farm towards town, refreshed and pleased even as they were rained on. It was still plenty warm even with the rain, so they didn’t bother with their umbrella. They waved at everyone they passed by, stopping for a quick conversation or two about what they were going to grow that season. Zia stopped by the Clinic to chat for a moment with Maru and Harvey before moving along.Clint was glad to take on the project of improving Zia’s ax, and they popped in at the library to donate a few more oddities that they had forgotten to take out of their bag. Gunther was pleased with the additions, and they were able to give a quick hello to Penny and the children.Finally, they headed down to the beach and pulled out their fishing pole, ready to spend hours reeling in fish both to cook with and to sell. They settled on the shore and started casting. They had good luck, too, until there was a shift in the weather a couple of hours in. While the day had started with a calm, steady rain that wasn’t too heavy, it suddenly became more intense as it began to storm. Wind whipped up and thunder started to rumble in the sky, signaling Zia to get inside.They saw Elliott’s lights on, and thought to try there first. They liked Willy, but didn’t want to have to spend who knew how long in his fish shop.“Hey, knock knock!” Zia called as they entered Elliott’s hut. Elliott looked up from his desk with an easy smile.“Ah, Zia, come get out of the rain for a while! I’ve just reached an excellent stopping point and was going to break out tea to celebrate. Join me,” he invited, rising from the writing desk and stretching. Zia did so gladly, and took their customary seat on the floor by the small table while he fussed about making some warm tea. They were glad to have a little break, and always did enjoy breaks with Elliott. He was pleasant to talk to, and did make nice herbal tea.They accepted their mug as Elliott sat, and they started to converse easily about the novel and where it was going, and how the heat had made writing difficult. Zia told him about the long set up for the season on the farm, and their plans to start making beer and possibly wine. Slowly talk turned to gossip, and eventually Elliott made a bit of an odd expression and cleared his throat.“Actually, I’m glad you stopped by. I, ah, heard an interesting rumor from Leah. She said that a couple of days ago she was headed home from the saloon and saw something…. Interesting, in the woods,” Elliott said, and Zia could feel their skin flush from their neck up. They hadn’t noticed that Leah was still at the saloon when they had left, and could have seen them and Shane…. Oh God and Yoba both.“Ah,” they coughed, and Elliott waved his hands, trying to explain quickly before Zia got so embarrassed that they left.“I’m not judging anything, I promise! I only bring it up because, well, ah, I’m curious,” he said, voice raising slightly as he took on a blush of his own. He looked down at the table and his tea, now forgotten, and played with his fingers.“Well, you and Shane, are you… an item? It’s just that… well, Leah and I are dear friends but I’m afraid I’m rather not her type. And it’s just that, were you open to things of that nature, that is to say, I would be quite interested in knowing that,” he said, quicker than he usually spoke, and far less eloquently.Zia sat, half crouched to get up, and took in what was being said. They thought over their encounter with Shane, and what had been said. Exclusivity hadn’t really come up, and frankly, it hadn’t really been Zia’s style to begin with. They slowly relaxed back into a more comfortable position, and leaned on the table, looking Elliott in the eye. Well, as best they could. He was adamantly not looking them in the face.“No, we aren’t an item. We did hook up, but we aren’t dating or anything,” Zia said, and Elliott looked up at them, a mixture of hope and hesitation on his face.“Really? Good to know…” he said, quickly sipping his tea. Zia studied him, having never seriously considered him in such a way before. Elliott was really quite handsome. He lived in a shack by the sea, but his long hair remained shiny and smooth, his skin looked soft and warm, and his fingers were slender and calloused from writing. If they were honest, they had fantasized a few times about him.“Would you like to sleep with me, Elliott?” Zia bluntly asked, making him spit out his tea. Zia chuckled, hiding a smile behind their hand. Their timing was a little unfair. Elliott cleaned up the mess, face red, hands shaking, but nodded his head.“Very much so, yes,” he admitted, and Zia rose to their feet and took Elliott’s hand to help him up.With Shane, Zia felt the need to command and do and dominate, but with Elliott, things felt softer. He was taller than Zia, but it still felt like Zia was in the lead as they leaned up and gently held Elliott’s face, guiding him into a kiss. There was a lust there, a passion. It was overshadowed by nerves, so Zia kissed him again slowly, sensuously. They were gentle as they pressed their lips together, spreading their hands over his back and pressing their chest against his, stomach to stomach. One hand reached up again to cup his face as their tongue slowly traced the opening of his lips, lazily. Their fingers brushed into his hair.Elliott was slow to respond, but began to hold Zia back. He embraced them tightly, and as their tongues began to brush across each other, he tentatively moved his hands from Zia’s back around to their chest, staying on their ribs as his thumbs teased the edges of their breasts. Zia sighed and sucked his tongue into his mouth, the light suction surprising and delighting Elliott.Zia pulled away from the kiss, a small string of saliva connecting their mouths. Elliott looked a little dazed.“Go lay on the bed, let’s get comfortable,” Zia instructed, and Elliott nodded, quickly locking the door first, though Zia was typically his only real visitor. He got on the bed and sat on it, looking unsure. Zia pushed him back and instructed him until he was lying back in the middle of the twin, and they were straddling him.“Is this alright?” Zia asked, and Elliott nodded emphatically. Zia smiled wickedly before removing their shirt and bra in one practiced motion, leaving Elliott awestruck and gaping.“Now you,” Zia told him, and he was quick to take off his two layers. His chest was sculpted fairly nicely for someone who did not work out quite often, though Zia figured he often swam when he was alone. They stared at each others bodies, and it was Elliot who moved first. He sat up to kiss Zia again, open mouthed, and wrapped his arms around them. Zia relaxed into him, kissing back with matched intensity. They were surprised when Elliott pressed them into laying back, and his hands came to pin them down. Zia supposed it just took him time to warm up, and warm up he had, judging by the thick bulge pressing against their core.Elliott pulled away from the passionate kiss and began to leave trails of bites from one side of Zia’s collarbone to the other. They gasped out not to leave a mark where townsfolk could see, and Elliott muttered an acceptance as they kissed and licked their neck. Zia turned to give them better access, loving the sensation of the pain as he bit down and sucked before licking over the spot and finding a new one. He started moving down their breasts, which he hungrily went after.“How should I refer to the parts of your body?” Elliott asked after running his tongue along Zia’s nipple, earning a moan.“However you like, I’m not picky,” they sighed in response.“Your tits are gorgeous. I could suffocate gladly between them and it would be a most noble and beautiful death. What perfect pink nipples. I want to kiss and lick and suck on them all day. It is an honor to hold your breasts in my hands and feel this perfect flesh and bring such pleasure to it. I cannot help but bite and mark them so that the world might know I was graced by their presence,” he started, burying his face into Zia’s tits with a poetic sigh when he finished. Zia blushed at his praise, but he went right back to sucking on a nipple.Zia’s hands were still pinned down by Elliott’s, and they longed to explore his body. The weight of him over them was promising, and they could feel his cock twitch from where he had them pinned at the hips. Zia tried to angle their hips to rub against him, earning a swift bite that made them yelp.“Patience, dear Zia. This is our first meeting, and I plan to turn you into a quivering mess. And despite my beauty, I am but a man who has one shot at this, so I must make it count. Need I teach you patience?” Elliott asked, and Zia grinned up at him.“What if I said you needed to?” they asked, and he grinned in return before unpinning them and getting up.“It would be with your permission, of course, but…” he said, rummaging around in a storage bin under the bed before he pulled something out. A home-made rope and ribbon set. He smiled sheepishly.“I haven’t tested it yet, and it’s entirely up to you, but--”“Oh my fucking god, yes, please,” Zia begged before he could finish. Elliot looked at them with delighted surprise and chuckled.“As you wish,” he said cheerfully, and quickly bound Zia to the bed spread eagle after they removed the rest of their clothes. Though they were tied with ribbon around the wrists and ankles to avoid chaffing, they were attached to the bed with strong rope that kept them from being able to do more than barely wiggle. Elliott looked pleased.“Before we go any further, anything I should know? Any absolutely nots?” Elliott asked, and Zia tried to shrug before shaking their head.“Please don’t leave a mark where townsfolk can see and I can’t explain it as a mining accident. Other than that, not really, safe word is starfruit,” Zia said, and Elliott smiled.“What about where Shane can see it?” he asked.“Let me worry about that,” Zia said, not wanting to think about complicated things while tied down and head hazy with lust.That seemed to be quite good enough for Elliott, who descended upon them again with another passionate kiss that they felt to the core of their being. With the first kiss, Zia thought Elliott was shy and needed to be coaxed out. They were realizing that Elliott was waiting for Zia to show them their limits, and quickly realizing they had quite little.While he thoroughly kissed them, Elliott started to play with Zia’s tits. He groped them slowly before playing with their nipples, pinching them harder and harder until Zia let out a pained gasp before letting off again, and never exceeding that level. He finally broke off the intense kiss to start kissing and licking their neck, and one hand moved from their nipple down their hairy stomach to their groin.He started to tease their nipple while he splayed open their pussy, earning panting breaths in return. His middle finger teased the entrance to Zia’s pussy, already sopping wet, and barely slipped in before circling it again, never touching their throbbing clit.“Oh please touch me,” Zia begged in a whisper, and Elliott kissed their throat.“You don’t need to be quiet on my behalf. With this storm, no one else will be on the beach. Even Willy will be in his shack. I want you to make all the noise you want,” Elliot told them, and gently tapped their clit once.“Touch my clit!” Zia begged again, watching as Elliott smiled sweetly, resting his cheek on their tit so that his breath cooled Zia’s saliva wettened nipple. His finger barely grazed their clit just the once, making Zia wriggle desperately trying to meet his hand to no avail, only for Elliott to laugh gently and suck on their nipple again.“Tell me what you want, Zia,” he demanded, and Zia wanted to scream.“I want to come, please, please make me cum,” they pleaded, and Elliott’s eyes brightened. He sucked harder on their nipple as his fingers started to rub on Zia’s clit, squeezing the engorged and sensitive nerve bundle between his fingers before spanking it. That was a new sensation, and Zia gasped and mewled, trying to arch their back on the bed. Elliott spanked their clit again, and again before grabbing it between their thumb, index, and middle finger, jacking it off like a dick.Tied down, bitten up, and reeling with sensation, Zia quickly shouted out and tried to tell Elliott that they were about to come before they started jerking and gasping, only managing to mutter out ‘fuck’ between breaths as their thighs tried hard to clamp close as the sensation continued. Elliott kept pumping their clit, continuing the orgasm, and Zia was too out of breath to tell him how overwhelmed they were.Somehow the rolling sensation hit again and they could feel the orgasm rock them a second time as they screamed gutterally, tears coming out of their eyes. They could barely tell who they were or what was happening, it was so overwhelming.“P-please-- can’t-- Star--” Zia tried, eyes rolled back as Elliott watched them writhe in fascination. He finally pulled his soaked hand away, letting Zia tremble without being touched until they could finally focus their eyes on him.“That wasn’t quite the safe word, but I took pity,” Elliott quipped, and Zia tried to scoff but couldn’t muster up the energy to.“You are fascinating to watch orgasm. I’ve never seen anyone give themselves over so freely to the feeling, so absolutely. As if you had gone to another plane of existence where there was only pleasure to be had. I am honored to have sent you there, and I aspire to continue to send you there in new and exciting ways,” he continued, making Zia shudder yet again with the thrill of the promise.“How sensitive are you?” he asked.“Extremely. Like all my nerves just went to heaven,” Zia explained, and Elliot smiled gently and laid on his side beside them. He took a small lock of his hair and trailed the end of it over Zia’s breast, barely touching their flesh.“Is this too much?” he asked, and Zia shook his head. Elliott leaned in and barely pressed his lips against their breast, nose nearly caressing their nipple.“This?” he asked, and again they shook their head. The game continued as he kissed and gently caressed and Zia’s body cooled down and heated up again. Elliott seemed to enjoy finding new ways to touch them and excite them before he slowly made his way to lay between Zia’s tied apart legs. He gave light kisses along their inner thigh.“How’s this?” he asked innocently. Zia’s breath hitched.“That’s fine,” they breathed. Elliott looked up at them mischievously before darting out his tongue and swirling it around Zia clit just as he had their nipple. Zia immediately cried out, and the game was over. He kissed their cunt as passionately as he did their mouth, caressing their clit and pressing his tongue inside of them, tasting how they had already came before and excited to make them do it again.He was an awful tease, though, and pulled off of Zia’s clit just to suck on their thighs, leaving little purple welts near the junction of their thighs before diving in again. They would teeter on the edge of orgasm when Elliott seemed to sense it and would draw back again, making Zia whine until a few seconds later he was curling his tongue around their clit again. Even with Elliott’s prolonging, Zia was still quick to come, and Elliott refused to stop licking at their cunt until Zia was panting the word starfruit with shaking legs on their fourth orgasm.Elliott kissed Zia deeply, letting them taste themselves. They moaned into the kiss, exhausted with pleasure. They nearly fell asleep when Elliott stepped off the bed just to return a moment later, completely naked.“Now it’s time, only that you’re thoroughly sated,” Elliott said, sporting a large, thick cock that stood straight up, throbbing and leaking precum. He untied Zia’s legs, but left their arms. He rubbed himself against their pussy, utterly soaked with Zia’s cum and Elliot’s saliva, and teased Zia’s entrance with the head. Zia could see why he wanted to make sure they were thoroughly warmed up first.He slid in slowly before backing out again, going deeper each time. Soon he had buried himself to the hilt in Zia, who moaned in pleasure.“God, your cock feels so good inside,” they panted out. Elliott chuckled and grabbed their legs, holding their ankles to be on either side of his head. He moved his hips slowly, careful not to hit too deep. Zia wanted to rise to meet him, to make him come just as hard as he had made them, but let him take the lead.He started to move a little faster when he could see that Zia could take it, but Zia was impatient.“Fuck, just fuck me how you want to. Don’t worry about hurting me, just fuck me!” they demanded, about to come again from the feeling of Elliott’s cock thrusting inside them. Elliott looked down at them in consideration before nodding and gripping Zia’s thigh tight in one hand and their throat with the other.Elliott started to really pound into Zia, his hips coming back before slamming his cock in again and again, his balls slapping loudly against Zia’s thigh as more juices leaked out of their cunt, making it even easier for his cock to enter. Zia gasped when he put pressure on their throat and came quickly, their favorite fetish unlocked. Their cunt pulsated around Elliott’s cock, squeezing down and milking it as he fucked them roughly. It caught Elliott off guard and he quickly had to pull out, shooting his cum onto Zia’s thighs and cunt.He sat back and took deep breaths, panting and catching his breath, before he got up and untied Zia. They sat naked together for a few moments, neither keen yet on moving.“That was phenomenal, Zia. Your cunt is truly divine, sent by Yoba. I never would have guessed you were so giving,” Elliott reflected as he lounged. Zia chuckled.“I feel like all I did was lay there and let you ravish me,” they said, and Elliott eyed them with delight.“Yes, but you give such delectable responses! I do not want to ravish a doll, but someone of real flesh and blood. The sounds you make are lustful music, and your body writhes so wonderfully when you want to be touched, when you’re trying so hard to come. And when you do come, it is a sight to behold. You are lost in the senses. You truly know how to make one’s efforts feel appreciated,” Elliott explained, and Zia grinned sheepishly. They couldn’t really help their body’s response to such things, but it was nice to be praised for it.“I would be delighted to have you over again another time. Feel free to clean up in my bathroom,” Elliott offered, and Zia finally got off the surprisingly comfortable bed to go wash the cum off of them and then dried off. When they stepped out, Elliott was dressed in boxers and a dressing gown and had set out some snacks on the table.“Come, sit here,” Elliott said, patting the spot next to him. Zia did, and he got them to lean against him and took a hold of one of Zia’s arms. He slowly massaged their wrist, making sure they hadn’t been injured or even rubbed too roughly. Elliott gently pressed kisses across their shoulders as he massaged them.“Thank you,” Zia murmured, comfortable in his arms. Before that afternoon, they hadn’t considered approaching Elliott with anything more than friendship. He was quite attractive and flirty, but never made any passes at them before. Zia relaxed into his tender hold. There was something so wonderful about sharing an intimate moment with a friend.“Tell me, have you thought about me before?” Elliott asked, moving his massaging hands up Zia’s forearms. They tilted their head to lean against his.“Mm, a couple of times. I never pictured anything like this,” Zia admitted, chuckling deeply when Elliott bit their ear.“Oh? What did you picture?” he asked, amused as well as curious. Zia felt silly to admit it.“Rather like Fabio. Something tender and romantic. But then I started to really talk to you and became friends and felt strange trying to picture you.”“Learning more about you only compelled my fantasy,” Elliott whispered, brushing his nose over Zia’s neck. The farmer was putty in his arms, and he was enjoying getting to hold and touch them. Their position hid his soft grin.“I never knew how to picture you naked, but reality has trounced all fantasy. I think of you often, and I think that will only increase now that I know how delicious you are,” he continued, licking their throat. Zia turned in his arms to look at him with surprise. Elliott smiled, unrepentant.“Oh really? You know, you don’t need to just think about it. I’m here,” Zia told him, and Elliott kissed them soundly. They responded with a sigh and touched his face gently. Zia ran their fingers through Elliott’s hair as they kissed-- languid and slow, appreciating the softness of each other’s lips.“Tell me about your fantasies,” Zia asked against his mouth, and they felt Elliott smile and let out a laugh.“Mmmm, tying you down was a frequent fantasy of mine since I found those on a weekend visit to Zuzu City. I also have thought a lot about being tied down by you. But also moments like this, simply getting to kiss you and be kissed. You have such soft, full lips… I have often thought about how they would feel,” he responded.“I hope I’ve not disappointed you,” Zia teased, pressing a few more kisses to Elliott’s lips before trailing kisses across his face and down to his throat. Elliott sighed, letting his head tip back as Zia pressed forward. They shifted again, so that Zia could pull Elliott against their chest and run their hands over his torso and thighs.They started to massage Elliott’s shoulders before moving to his chest. Elliott let out a sweet sigh that turned into a moan, and Zia’s hands continued to explore his body. They had been pinned and tied down before they could really appreciate the form of his body beneath their hands. He felt divine. They could feel his lean muscles under soft flesh, the heat Elliott naturally gave off, and the small goosebumps that appeared as they trailed fingers lightly up their arms.They moved to touch Elliott’s abdomen, and smirked as he let out a laugh before he could brace himself. Zia could feel as his muscles tightened and rippled, and moved their touch lower. They could hear his breath hitch as they palmed his dick through his underwear. He gasped at the touch, and Zia wrapped their other arm around his torso to hold him close.“Beautiful boy, what a lovely body you have,” Zia praised, and they could feel his cock twitch under their hand. They pressed kisses to Elliott’s neck and slid their hand into his boxers, gripping him and pulling his dick through the hole.“I didn’t get to appreciate that beautiful cock. So velvety in my hand, so thick and delicious. How did you fit this inside me, hmm?” Zia continued to coo, stroking Elliott’s cock as it grew hard in their hand. He started to moan and panted, but Zia moved their hand slowly, flexing their grip to make him gasp.“The tip has such a pretty pink color. It’s the same color as your lips, you know. Now every time I look at your lips, I can picture your gorgeous cock in my hand,” they teased, swirling their thumb over the tip and squeezing the head. Elliott cried out, blushing from his face down his neck. Zia bit his shoulder, feeling incredibly turned on by the noises Elliott was making.“You told me you would only have one shot, but look at you. You’re so ready to cum again, aren’t you?” Zia breathed into his ear. Elliot whined under their touch.“What can I say, you’re a miracle worker,” he panted, starting to tense up again. Zia slowed their hand but continued to pump his cock, enjoying as he writhed for want to get off.“Tell me Elliott, do you want me to talk you off, or should I suck you off?” they asked, lips to his ears. He gasped loudly, the question itself nearly making him cum.“Talk, talk, talk,” Elliott begged, grasping at the floor as Zia grinned and increased their pace.“I love feeling your cock, Elliott. I want to feel it inside me in every possible angle. You use it so divinely. That’s right, fuck my hand. Let me see you cum, angel,” Zia encouraged, watching wantonly as Elliott lost it. He moaned loudly and came hard, shooting their cum over Zia’s hand and up his chest.Elliott fell back into Zia’s strong hold, panting with exhaustion. Zia kissed his shoulder sweetly, no longer biting and licking the flesh. They could see plenty of love marks they had left on him, and knew they had plenty of their own.Elliot started to chuckle as he caught his breath, and he wrapped an arm over Zia’s across his torso. He took a hold of their hand, the one spared being covered in his ejaculate, and kissed their knuckles. He squeezed their hand and held it tight to his chest.“You are truly a divinely giving lover, Zia. My only regret is not asking sooner,” he praised. Zia kissed his temple.“At least there is the future,” they said, nuzzling into his neck. Elliott sat up and turned so he could grip Zia’s chin gently, his green eyes sparkling as they met Zia’s brown. He brushed his fingers over Zia’s shaved down jaw, feeling the facial hair that was coming in. The farmer was keeping it trimmed in the heat of summer, but it was still softer than expected.“What future do you see, Zia? What would you like to happen from here?” Elliott asked. His voice was soft and gentle, and Zia tried to read what he wanted to hear in his face but only saw openness. They shrugged, turning away. Their heart had started to race when looked at so kindly, particularly by someone they had been so thoroughly fucked by. They wiped their sticky hand on a hand towel on the table near them, to distract themselves as they thought.“I… I don’t know. I didn’t think this would happen,” they started, trying to be honest. Elliott continued to watch their face, waiting for them to continue.“I don’t date. If you wanted to continue on a casual basis, I’m okay with that,” they said after a couple moments thought. Elliott’s smile only slightly deflated before nodding. He pulled back and turned away, rising to his feet.“Ah, I see,” Elliott murmured before turning back around. He was trying to look as content as he had before, but there was a tightness to his eyes that Zia didn’t like. They had disappointed him in their answer, and they weren’t sure how. Had he been hoping for more?“I’m polyamorous,” they blurted out. The word that both defined and haunted them. The one that had sabotaged a few relationships before they began, some after. What had made them give up on dating entirely. They didn’t anticipate any change then; Elliott would be either confused or disgusted, or confused then disgusted after they explained. That was why Zia didn’t bother with committing to dating anymore, but they couldn’t help their honesty with their friend.“Oh?” he asked, eyebrows rising. The disappointment had slipped from his expression, and curiosity had taken its place. He tilted his head. Zia couldn’t stop themself from going on.“I'm not built to love one person exclusively, forever. I know that's a deal breaker, but I can't pretend to be someone I'm not. Even if I never fall for anyone else, it needs to be on the table, the acknowledgement that I might," they continued.Elliott sat back down next to them, a wonderful smile on his face. He gently cupped Zia's face."What if that is not a dealbreaker?" He asked, and Zia's eyes went wide. Rarely did they ever get that far, and certainly they didn't expect it in Pelican Town."It isn't?" They breathed, too stunned to believe him. Elliott kissed the tip of their nose with a chuckle."I've felt… similarly, before. We weren't dating terribly seriously, but I have dated multiple people at the same time, with everyone knowing about it. I did not anticipate finding someone of a similar disposition here," he explained. Zia was astounded."Zia… this need not be anything serious. I ask for nothing more than you are willing to give. Your time, your friendship, and should you wish it, your passionate body. If at any point you wish to be friends only, tell me and I will respect that without hard feelings. If you wish for something more devoted… that could be discussed," he went on. He blushed and looked away."I admit when I propositioned you this afternoon, I hadn't thought anything through. But now, clear headed and full of consideration, I can say I do have an interest in a more intimate relationship. The extent of that is yours to define."Zia was dumbfounded. Elliott was placing the power in their hands. They couldn't recall if anyone had ever told them the limits were theirs to set. They had always felt lucky to have what they could get. This felt light and honest and it was terrifying."I-I need to think," they gasped out, head swimming. Elliott smiled softly, his eyes crinkling. He kissed their cheek."You need not tell me today. Take your time," he insisted. Zia looked away from his honest face, suddenly feeling tense and unsure. The afternoon with him had been wonderful. They didn't want to ruin anything with feelings. Feelings were messy, they just led to pain.They excused themself to wash up again, but mostly to have a moment of peace to breathe. Elliott was not pressuring them, and was calm and open to their needs. Zia didn't understand why they felt like they were going to throw up over the very insinuation of having an emotionally intimate relationship, but they were swallowing their nausea just the same.Zia tried to leave as quickly as possible, mumbling excuses. The storm had cleared sometime since, and the rain was a simple drizzle. It wouldn't have mattered if it was a typhoon-- the farmer was going to bolt. Elliott took a gentle hold of their arm before they could run out the door. The touch stopped Zia in their tracks, but they still couldn't bring themself to look him in the eye again. He sighed.".... I hope I'll see you at the usual time at the Saloon," was all he said, though the feeling he had wanted to say something else was heavy in the air. Zia nodded and he released them to go bounding across the sand towards town.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Zia spent the next few days near the farm, unwilling to deal with the emotional mess they had gotten into. They finished clearing out the last of the debris and started to lay out paths that lead from their farmhouse to town, the mountain ridge, and down to the forest. Once Clint sent back their ax, they headed down to the forest as well, chopping down a few trees where they grew in excess. They needed the wood to build a barn, their next big project.On the third day of lumber and foragable gathering in Cindersap, Zia took a well deserved break. They stretched out under some shade by the lake, nearly dozing as the wind cooled them with a nice breeze.“So you are alive,” Leah said teasingly. Zia opened one eye to see her standing over them, leaning over with her hands on her knees and a smile on her face. They blinked both eyes open and smiled sheepishly.“Yeah, got caught up in project mode,” they explained, and Leah nodded her understanding.“Well, I can get that. But what I can’t get is you not stopping by yesterday. I saw you out here then, too. I could have made you food,” she scolded, only mildly hurt Zia hadn’t come by. The farmer shrugged, not sure why they hadn’t.“So, are you going to tell me what got you so anti-social recently? I feel like I haven’t seen you all week,” she asked, sitting by Zia’s stretched out form. Zia couldn’t help but scoff at that.“Hmm, I received word that you definitely saw me earlier this week. A few yards over, I think,” they joked, peeking at Leah to see her face go bright red.“That doesn’t count and you know it! Also, Shane?” Leah asked in a strangled tone. Zia closed their eyes again, throwing their arm over their face to shut out the sun as the shade shifted with the wind.“It surprised me, too. He asked, I agreed, that’s about all there is,” they explained. Leah went silent, and Zia shifted to look at her. She was picking blades of grass, a concerned look on her face. Zia waited patiently for her to say what was on her mind.“Elliot came by yesterday. He normally does on Wednesdays. He was really worried that he did something to drive you off. He wouldn’t tell me what had happened, but that he had asked you to see him casually, and you ran off. He asked me not to mention it if I saw you, but I’m doing it anyway. You can turn him down, you know. He’s a grown man, he’ll be fine,” Leah finally said, trying to sound light but coming across as worried.Zia’s stomach tightened and twisted again. The subject they were absolutely not thinking about while they threw themself into the farm was out in the open. They rolled into sitting up, no longer relaxed. They wrapped their arms around themself and shook their head but stopped looking at Leah, too filled with discomfort to take in her concerned face.Leah and Elliott were their two closest friends in Pelican Town. Everyone else was friendly and welcoming, but those two really made them feel accepted and a part of town. Over the past couple of months, they had taken Zia into their fold and easily became a trio. Zia swallowed the feeling in their gut that they would lose them because of their goddamn slutty actions.“I don’t want to turn him down. But I don’t want to hurt our friendship. I think that bridge has already been crossed and I can’t stand it. I would have been happy to just be friends with the both of you forever, why did we need to bring anything else to the table?” they nervously spat out, unaware that they had started crying. Leah put an arm around their shoulder and pulled them in close.“You haven’t hurt your friendship. What will hurt is if you never answer him, if you just run from it. That’s doing both of you a disservice. I’m not going to tell you what to tell him, that’s all you, but don’t leave him hanging too long, okay? And, you know, maybe you should talk to Shane,” Leah told them. Zia looked up with confusion.“Why talk to Shane?” they asked, unsure how he had come to the conversation. Leah lowered her voice and leaned in closer.“You haven’t really been around town this week, but he’s been extra bad. Marnie told me he missed work because he was too drunk to go in-- he got wasted at the Saloon and never went to sleep, just got home and kept going. He hasn’t been this bad since he first moved here. Marine’s kind of scared,” she told Zia quietly. They felt their face go pale as they considered the timing.“Fuck,” Zia muttered, covering their face with their hand. Leah put a comforting hand on their back.“I’m sorry, I don’t want to overwhelm you, but this isn’t like Zuzu City. You can’t pretend something is happening, it’s too small a town. You see everyone all the time. I ran here from the city and learned really quickly that everyone here is permanent, no matter what. You have to see them every day, until one of you bails and moves away or dies. And honestly, it’s not nearly so bad as it feels when you’re embarrassed or scared. I don’t know what you’re feeling, I won’t unless you tell me. But if you’re just afraid that if things go badly, it’ll be unbearable, I can tell you it’s not as bad as you think,” she advised.Zia looked at her with a disbelieving look, and she responded with a crooked grin.“I slept with Emily when I first moved here. We fooled around a while, but just weren’t really compatible to date, and it got a little messy. But I still had to live here, and so does she. We talked about it a few times, and now we’re good friends. You just have to deal with it,” she explained.Zia’s eyebrows shot up. Leah had never mentioned that before, and none of her behavior with Emily indicated anything had ever happened between the two. They were friendly and close, occasionally flirty but never crossing the line. Thinking about it, Zia could see how it happened, but also why it might not work out. They still felt scared and uncomfortable, but had to admit that Leah’s realistic advice helped.There was no use in trying to hide forever or run away-- they lived in Stardew Valley, they were going to be found eventually. And if their actions had hurt someone, they needed to fix it. Especially when it was apparent that no one else would or could. They took a deep breath through their nose, and nodded.“You’re so fucking right. I just-- it’s really hard. When I’ve tried to date before, it’s always gone so badly. I don’t want to go through that again. I can’t lose Elliott as a friend. Every time before, they’ve just been gone forever. Sometimes that was a blessing, sometimes not. I don’t think I could make it if things went terribly and he found some other beach to live on because of it,” Zia explained, feeling their tears come out again. Leah rubbed their back encouragingly.“They would freak out if I started to have feelings for them, y’know, real ones. Some were open about casually seeing me, but some past partners didn’t want anyone to know they were sleeping with me. No matter how dedicated or how casual, I’ve never been able to feel happy looking back on any aspect of my past relationships. Logically, I know Elliott isn’t like that. That I was dealing with a terrible crowd and had a string of bad luck. But that fear won’t leave me,” they went on. It was the most they had ever opened up to Leah, but they felt safe from judgment.Leah pulled Zia into a hug, rubbing a hand over their back. She squeezed tightly, and Zia slowly returned the favor.“I’m so sorry, that sounds despicable. I promise, I pinkie swear even, that if Elliott has somehow swindled me over the past two years and turns out to be an utter asshole instead of a total dork, I will personally beat him with my own hands. And maybe your farm tools. I’ll put him on the first train out myself. That’s if he doesn’t take your rejection, or if you do end up dating and it goes poorly. Cross my heart and hope to die. You give the word, and it’s on. I may know Shane less well, and can’t really kick him out since he has family here, but I’ll be by your side through whatever happens. We’re friends, I would do anything for my friends,” Leah promised.Zia laughed at the thought of Leah chasing Elliott away with a hammer and leaned into the artist with relief. They hadn’t realized how long it had been since they felt supported by a friend, no matter the decision they made. It felt so golden and pure. Zia pulled away, the tears in their eyes from happiness.“I pinkie swear to do the same for you, should you choose to date again,” they swore, holding out a pinkie. Leah shook on it, but a pretty blush crossed her cheeks, piquing Zia’s interest.“Um, I’ve actually been thinking about that again,” Leah admitted. “With Maru.”Zia raised a brow, curious and interested. There was a fair amount of an age difference-- Leah was turning thirty that winter, and Maru was barely twenty one. However, Zia knew that wasn’t the appeal for Leah. Maru was a hard worker and while she focused on science, she still had an appreciation for the arts. She was very interesting to talk to, as Zia had learned when popping by the clinic for a chat on slower days. She was also cute as a button.“I hope that goes well for you,” Zia told her genuinely, smiling a little smile. Leah grinned, her face red.“You know,” Zia started, smiling as they reminisced, “I had a crush on you when I first moved in.”“What?! You never--” Leah gasped, blushing even hard. Zia chuckled, but Leah got quiet. They looked over to see her looking embarrassed. The farmer felt tense-- that had been inappropriate for them to say.“Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that,” Zia apologized, grimacing. Leah’s head swiftly turned to look at them, face still red.“Oh, no! Don’t apologize! I just-- I didn’t realize,” Leah stumbled to get out. She looked at Zia, her gaze focusing on their lips. She almost looked torn. Zia frowned, unsure what that meant.“Yeah, I just put it away when I figured out you’re a lesbian,” Zia explained with a shrug. Leah continued to look at them, face shifted to one of abject amusement.“You did? I mean, I see why, but I would probably say pansexual with a large preference,” Leah corrected lightly, making Zia look up at her in surprise. Catching the insinuation that they might have a chance, Zia turned pink, eyes wide. Leah tucked her braid behind her shoulder, exposing her neck. They watched the movement with interest.“Ah, I see. Sorry to assume…” Zia apologized, mouth feeling a little dry. They ran their tongue across their lips, startled to see Leah’s eyes dart to catch the movement. The redhead moved seemingly without thought, her hand coming up to touch Zia’s face. They took in a sharp breath, and Leah covered their lips with her own.Zia was surprised to be kissing Leah, but their body couldn’t help responding. Her lips were so soft and supple. Her mouth was warm and inviting. Zia felt Leah’s hand move from their cheek to their hair, her fingers sliding through the long pink strands. Her lips parted and her tongue passed over Zia’s lips, which opened eagerly. She tasted sweet and feminine.The farmer placed their hand on Leah’s shoulder, drawing her closer and feeling the heat of her through her shirt. They sighed into the kiss and ran their hand from her shoulder over her neck and to the back of Leah’s head, taking care not to mess with her braid. Leah pressed closer, the kiss growing more intense. She pushed Zia back and laid over them, their hand moving from touching Zia’s face and hair to ghosting down their chest and gripping their hip.When Leah’s fingertips slid under Zia’s shirt, they let out a loud moan. Leah pulled back, breathing hard, and looked at Zia with wide eyes. Zia, kissed senseless and incredibly turned on, had to focus their eyes for a moment to see the panic and worry in Leah’s face.“Oh fuck, I’m so sorry-- I don’t know what came over me,” Leah apologized, scooting away and covering her face with her hands. Zia sat up and touched their bruised lips, a cold feeling seeping into their guts.“Don’t apologize,” they muttered. After a beat, they continued, “I won’t tell Maru.”Leah’s eyes snapped to them and she frowned.“It’s not about that. I was just sitting here telling you how to handle Elliott liking you and now I’m kissing you. That isn’t fair to you,” Leah told them. Zia flinched. Once again, someone was talking about what they might feel, what was fair to them. They didn’t know what to think about that.“It’s fine. I am attracted to you,” Zia said, shrugging. Their mind couldn’t comprehend the problem was, if not Maru finding out Leah had kissed them. Leah stared at them, as though they were being obviously dense. They tried to guess at what they were missing.“I haven’t answered Elliott yet, so it’s fine. Things happen,” they shrugged. Leah let out a long sigh and stood.“Zia, when was the last time you considered what you want?” she asked, and walked off. Zia watched her go, confused by the question. What did they want? They stood and started to gather their lumber, continuing with their project as if Leah had never come by.--The farmer swore loudly later that night when they realized they had left their ax down by the lake. After their talk with Leah, they’d gotten lost in their thoughts and hadn’t noticed that they didn’t pick up the ax. It was nearing when they would be going to bed, but there was rain on the forecast and Zia didn’t want the silver ax to get damaged. They grumbled as they put back on their boots and walked out of the house.What did they want? It should be an easy answer, but Zia found themself unable to articulate a good response. Did they just want to get their rocks off, or did they want to build a connection? They knew deep down that they did want intimacy beyond sex-- they wanted the soft kisses all over their face, they wanted to be held as they fell asleep. They wanted to see someone look at them with joy because they simply exist.But experience had told them that simply wasn’t for them. If they were wanted, it was for their body alone. Anything more was asking too much. Their feelings hadn’t been necessary or wanted. It was hard to consider that they might be now.Elliott was offering his own feelings, asking for that connection, but their chest still felt tight when they considered his offer. His promise that their polyamorous nature was not a deal breaker was very interesting, but they wondered what would happen if that were tested. They still had a lingering crush on Leah, but what if someone else made them interested?They broke off from their thoughts as they spotted their ax, the moon glinting brightly off the silver metal. Tucking it into their bag, they startled when they heard a clatter. Zia looked up and saw someone on the docks, and from their silhouette figured it was Shane. They thought about leaving him alone, but recalled what Leah had said earlier and sighed.Zia walked down the dock quietly and plopped next to Shane, who wasn’t nearly as drunk as they thought, just abjectly miserable. He startled badly when Zia sat down, letting out a surprised yell, then flushed and grumbled and took a swig of beer.“Whaddya want?” he snapped, and Zia leaned back on their elbows to take in the bright stars over the valley. In Zuzu City, you could hardly make out any, but out in Stardew Valley it was like an explosion of diamonds in the sky.“What’s got your panties in a twist?” Zia countered, too tired to be patient. Shane started to retort but sighed instead. He pulled a beer from the cooler and passed it to Zia. They shrugged and took a swig, frowning at the taste. Shane stared out across the water, frowning deeply.“You ever feel like nothing you ever do is going to be good enough? Like you’re stuck in some dark pit, so deep that you can’t see the light any longer? I don’t… I keep trying, but it’s like I know I’ll never be strong enough to pull myself out,” he rambled. Zia chugged the rest of his beer, unsure of how to respond to that. Shane noticed and laughed without mirth.“Fast drinker? Careful with that. At least you have a future,” Shane pointed out before falling back into depressed silence. Zia stared at his face, but he didn’t seem to notice or mind.“What do you want?” Zia asked him. Shane blinked rapidly, trying to refocus his brain but a little drunk to do so. He furrowed his brows and shrugged.“I just want to feel like I’m worth a damn,” he offered. Zia put a hand over his, and felt him flinch from the contact before slowly responding to holding their hand. They gave a light squeeze and stared back out over the water.“I think you’re worth a damn. A whole fuck, even,” Zia offered, giving a half smile at their poor attempt at a joke. Shane laughed dryly, but didn’t pull away.“Look, I don’t know your life. I’m just that asshole who keeps waving at you. But I like seeing you around. I liked dancing with you at that flower festival. And I liked seeing you smile that one time,” Zia went on, and Shane shifted beside them awkwardly.“When did you see me smile? That never happened,” he refuted, half joking. Zia grinned at him.“When I bought you pizza for your birthday. You looked so delighted that someone remembered,” they admitted, and his face became one of surprise.“I thought it was from Gus! … well shit, I never thanked you,” he remarked. Zia tilted their head one way and then another.“Well, in a way you did. Should we talk about a few nights back or would you rather not?” they said, deciding to just be out with it. He looked startled and blushed heavily before turning away.“That was a mistake. I shouldn’t have… it was gross of me,” Shane said, his self hating voice back. Zia considered throwing him in the lake just to snap him out of it, but refrained. He’d been drinking, and they didn’t feel like going in after him if he couldn’t swim.“I agreed, didn’t I? In fact, added to it. If anything, I took advantage of you,” Zia told him, but he resolutely shook his head.“No, you-- that’s-- it was pity, that was all,” he landed on, and Zia laughed.“I don’t pity you. I don’t fool around because of pity. I said yes and asked you to watch me because I think you’re hot,” Zia refuted. Shane looked at them as if they were crazy. They probably were. But they were trying to be more honest about things, and it felt like Shane really needed to hear the truth.“Why?” he asked after a long moment spent trying to articulate a coherent thought. Zia glanced at him.“Thick body still full of muscle, but a little squishy. I love the squishy, but also love strong people, so two in one there. Scruffy facial hair, air of mystery, beautiful eyes. You’re a DILF,” Zia casually explained, watching him grow more and more red.“What the fuck is a DILF?”“Dad I’d like to f--”“OKAY WOW.”Zia laughed while Shane short circuited, unable to process the compliment. He covered his face with his hands and grumbled something under his breath that Zia didn’t quite catch.“Are you being serious or do you just want me to be less of a sad sack?” he asked, and Zia looked at him with a serious expression on their face.“Why do you think it can’t be both?”Shane lapsed back into silence, a thoughtful expression overtaking his face. Zia was content to sit by him through the quiet, listening only to the sounds of the forest. The water lapped at the dock gently from the late night breeze, and there were frogs croaking somewhere out in the water and grass. An owl hooted from a nearby tree, and the sounds of a myriad of insects rounded out the symphony. In their tired and admittedly slightly tipsy state, Zia closed their eyes and smiled softly.Shane placed a hand on their thigh, the warm weight of it comfortable despite his tension. Zia opened their eyes to see Shane staring at the water, red in the face, but arm reaching out to touch them. Zia didn’t respond, curious to see what Shane was trying to do. His fingers lightly squeezed, starting to massage the muscle.He tried to inconspicuously move closer, but the dock creaked from his movement and he huffed with annoyance. He scooted until he was touching shoulders with Zia, then removed his hand from their thigh to wrap his arm around their waist. His breathing sped up, and Zia turned to face him, curiosity winning out.Shane was leaning in close, so when Zia turned they nearly bonked his head. His dark eyes were staring at Zia’s lips. The farmer nervously licked them, and Shane swallowed hard. He tilted his head forward and pressed their lips together. It took Zia a second to respond, but they shaped their lips to his. Shane’s lips were slightly chapped, probably because he was always dehydrated and half drunk. He tasted like the cheap beer he drank, but he kissed tenderly.He pulled away after a few seconds, looking ashamed.“I’m sorry,” he whispered, clenching his fists and pulling away. Zia grabbed his face and kissed him roughly. It was demanding and bruising, but they didn’t care. After a few seconds they pulled away, wiping saliva from their mouth.“Sorry,” they sneered, and Shane stared at them like they were insane. They may have been. They were just tired of being kissed and apologized to. They turned back to looking at the lake, feeling that frustration rise up in their chest.“Y’know, when I first got here and you were rude to me, I was so pissed about it. But I think that was probably the most honest greeting I got here. Everyone else was friendly enough, but I knew it would take a while to fit in with them. You may as well have told me to fuck off. I didn’t have to wonder how much you meant your greeting.”They could feel Shane’s eyes still on them, and they let out a long sigh.“I dunno. Maybe they were all honest and I don’t know how to handle that. Maybe I’m only used to assholes.”“You hang out with nice people,” Shane pointed out. Zia smiled softly, and allowed a little nod.“Yeah, I do,” they said, knowing he meant Elliott and Leah. Even with their difficult situations, they knew that they were good people.“So why are you hanging out with me right now?” Shane asked. Zia glanced at him and grinned.“I think that you’re secretly nice,” they told him. Shane scoffed bitterly, and the farmer nudged him with their shoulder. He shook his head.“Nice people don’t end up like me. I’m just a fucked up jerk,” he declined. Zia turned suddenly, throwing their legs across Shane’s lap. His eyes widened in surprise, and his hands hovered uncertainly over their legs. They were wearing shorts, and their scuffed up and hairy legs were on full display. He slowly put his hands on them, as if gauging for permission.“How?” Zia asked. Shane blinked, unsure what they meant.“How are you fucked up? I got the jerk part, but how are you fucked up?” Zia explained, leaning back and waiting for an answer. Shane nervously stroked their legs, put on the spot and unsure if he even wanted to answer. His instinct was to tell them to fuck off and run off to Marnie’s and pretend like the whole night never happened.“I don’t know if you picked up on this, but Jas is my goddaughter, not my real daughter. Her dad was my best friend. We were both on the high school gridball team, Craig and I. We were inseparable since childhood. He got married, but still kept me around. I loved being Uncle Shane, the guy who told jokes and could sneak Jas extra snacks. We were out drinking one night, Craig, Joanna, and me. It was the national championship game for our college team, so we watched it at a bar. It was February and so icy out. We… there was an accident ahead of us. Joanna couldn’t stop in time, not with the ice. And someone else hit us from behind.”“I woke up a couple days later in the ICU. Craig and Joanna were gone. Ended up staying in the hospital for a month. Lost my job, took on a lot of debt because that took my insurance away. Got evicted, too, because I missed rent while stuck in the hospital. When I got out, I didn’t have anywhere to go but here. And that’s when I found out that I had custody of Jas. Craig’s parents had already passed a couple years before that, and Joanna’s mom couldn’t take care of a little kid anymore. No siblings either. It was up to me. Marnie had reached out when she heard what happened, mentioned she had a couple of empty rooms if I wanted to recoup out here. Doctor Harvey helped me with the physical therapy I needed, and I picked up the only job I could get out here once I could. Been drowning the memory away ever since.”They sat in silence after Shane’s revelation. Zia had heard none of that from anyone in town. Hell, they wondered if anyone besides Marnie and Harvey knew any extent of what Shane had gone through. They had a feeling if the others did know, they wouldn’t shrug off his behavior as being an asshole town drunk. Everything about Shane recontextualized in Zia’s mind, and they moved to wrap Shane in their arms.He gripped them tight, accepting their offered comfort like the lifeline it was. Zia rubbed his back in slow, gentle circles, pressing him tight against him while he started crying. He buried his face in their neck, and Zia could feel his tears soaking into their t-shirt. They didn’t care, they just kept him wrapped in their strong arms. They could feel their own tears, but wouldn’t dare let go to dry them.Eventually they laid back on the dock together, Zia still holding Shane as his sobs subsided and his tears stopped flowing. He was breathing slowly and deeply, but his arms still gripped Zia tightly. They moved one arm so they could stroke Shane’s hair, and felt him relax further in their arms. They felt relaxed as well, the late hour and hard labor from the day catching up with them.Shane moved his head, leaving the crook of their neck to brush his nose against Zia’s. He kissed them for the second time that night, at first a gentle press of the lips before gaining intensity. His tongue gained entrance to ravage Zia’s mouth. He rolled them so he was over Zia, holding himself up with one hand while the other started to shakily explore Zia’s body, starting with their neck and shoulders and slowly moving down their chest and ribs. He started to grind their hips together, his growing erection apparent against Zia’s abdomen.His hand slipped under Zia’s shirt to palm their stomach. They had gained a lot of muscle since taking over the farm, but they still had soft fat on their stomach, covered in fuzzy hair. Zia gasped at the feeling of his warm hand on their flesh, and he took that as encouragement. He fumbled with the button of their shorts, and Zia finally moved and gently took a hold of his wrist.“Shane,” they breathed, turning their face from his frenzied kissing. He continued to breathe heavily, but his head hung down, his dark hair tickling Zia’s chin. They breathed deeply, Shane still above Zia. The farmer let his hand go, and he placed it back on their exposed stomach but did not try to go further down.“I’m--”“If you fucking say you’re sorry, I will toss you in this lake so fast.”Shane’s teeth clacked as he shut his mouth, having been in the middle of an apology. Zia leaned up and kissed his forehead before easing them both into sitting up. Shane remained silent, swallowing down apologies that Zia didn’t want. They took a hold of his hand and brushed their thumb over his knuckles.“I don’t want to be another regret. If you want to fuck me, that’s one thing, but don’t do it if you’re just trying to punish yourself or find something new to feel bad about. Fuck me because you’re attracted to me. Fuck me because you want to. But don’t do anything you want to apologize for.”Zia spoke with deadly seriousness. Their hand twitched, and they let go of him. Shane could barely see a tear roll down their cheek in the dark of the night. The farmer stood and offered Shane a hand.“C’mon, get up. I think that’s enough for tonight. I’ll walk you home,” Zia told him, still giving him a kind smile despite everything. He swallowed and nodded, taking their hand and rising up with a grunt. Zia grabbed their back and Shane’s cooler easily, and offered him an arm to lean on. He instead took a gentle hold of their hand. They left the dock and started the short walk over to Marnie’s without another word, though Shane projected an uneasy air of someone who wanted to speak.At Marnie’s door, he kept a strong hold on Zia’s hand when they wished him goodnight and turned to leave. They looked at each other for a moment before he rose up slightly and pressed a kiss to Zia’s lips.“I’m not sorry for that,” he said, and slipped inside without another word. Zia smiled softly at his departure.“Finally,” they muttered and started back towards the farm.

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Zia slept in the next morning, a combination of the drizzle of rain on the roof and the late night talk with Shane on the dock. They stretched out as they woke, feeling the days of chopping trees in the weariness of their muscles. In particular, something felt strained in their neck. Their cat, Hashbrown, was curled up on the pillow next to them and snoring lightly. They felt jealous of the cat’s simple life and fought the urge to wake him with scritches.It was Friday, and they knew they would be due at the Saloon in the evening to see Leah and Elliott. They had reached the end of their hiding. But that was much later, and they had most of the day to spend elsewise. They dressed again in shorts and a t-shirt, the rain doing little to quell the heat. They fed their chickens and fussed over all three of them before checking the fields to see how the crops were coming along. Nothing was quite ready yet, but it was looking promising.Farm cared for, Zia wandered towards town. They stepped into the Clinic first, shaking their umbrella outside before stepping in. They were hoping to get some naproxen, and if Harvey was up for it, perhaps a neck massage to work out the kinks. He wasn’t a masseuse, but he had learned a lot about muscle manipulation and was very good at helping them when they had a problem.It was Maru’s day off, and Harvey wasn’t at the front desk. The clinic was definitely open; the lights were on, and the quiet jazz Harvey liked was playing over the speakers. Zia hummed to themself, curious. It was pretty early, and she knew he sometimes sat in his office on days that Maru didn’t work, so they decided to head back and pop their head in.“Heya Doc,” they called as they opened the door. Harvey startled badly and let out a strange strangled sound. His high back chair was faced away from the door, and he took a moment to turn around. His face was as red as a tomato when he looked at Zia.“O-oh! Hello!” he greeted, voice pitched high.“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” they apologized with a chuckle. Harvey’s mustache twitched, but he was starting to calm down.“Ah, it’s alright. I thought the door was still locked. My, is it that time already? I hardly realized we opened. I was, uh, reading a medical journal,” he explained, though there was no journal in his hands or on the desk. Zia nodded, starting to feel as though they were missing something.“Were you… jerking off?” Zia asked in a whisper, and from Harvey’s blushing face and strangled noise, they figured they were right.“N-no?” Harvey tried, and something in Zia wanted to tease the poor doctor. They closed the door behind themself and leaned against it, a sly grin on their face that made Harvey gulp nervously.“So if I walk around this desk, you’ll be neat and tucked in, nothing to see at all?” Zia asked, slowly moving to walk around the desk. Harvey scrambled to cover himself, and as he scrambled, Zia moved faster. They took quick steps and pulled the file out of his quivering hands, revealing his lap.Harvey’s belt and pants were undone, and his shirt partially unbuttoned. His cock was still erect and leaking precum, as though being caught excited him more. He was larger than Zia would have thought-- girthier too, given his long and scrawny frame. Zia licked their lips in appreciation, and Harvey’s panting breaths from nerves increased.“Where were you hiding that, Doc?” Zia teased, and Harvey ducked his head.“Zia…” he whined, but the farmer wasn’t done teasing him yet.“Were you hoping someone would catch you and finish the job?” they asked, and to their surprise Harvey nodded.“Maybe,” he whispered, cock twitching. Zia reached towards him, slow enough he could swat their hand away if he wanted, and gently caressed his shaft with their fingertips. Harvey let out a loud moan and tilted his head back.“Do you need some relief, Harvey?” they asked, voice a husky whisper. Harvey nodded quickly, and Zia lowered themself to their knees behind the desk.Harvey whined at the sight of them, the farmer’s hands on his thighs as they leaned forward and licked the tip of his cock. Zia swirled their tongue around him before covering his head with their lips, darting their tongue out along the shaft. They wrapped one hand around the base, and used the other to massage his balls as they sucked.“Fuck!” Harvey called out, slumping back into his chair. Zia’s head bobbed up and down in rhythm with their hand, using the drool that slid from their mouth down his cock as lube. A wet slurping sound filled the air over the softly playing jazz, intercut by Harvey’s lewd noises of enjoyment. He fisted a hand in Zia’s hair and thrusted, making Zia open their mouth wider so he could fuck their face. They moved their hand to set their limit to how far they could take his cock in their mouth, gripping and massaging the base of him while he moved their head.“Zia, fuck, I’m gonna cum,” he warned, loosening his grip to let them pull away. The farmer doubled down instead, increasing their intensity and using their tongue to draw out his orgasm. Harvey lost it and grabbed their hair again, rough enough to cause pain. Zia moaned delightedly and he came down their throat, thrusting into their mouth a few times until he was spent and Zia had swallowed it all.Zia leaned back on their heels, lips parted. Saliva and cum ran down their chin, and they grinned up at Harvey before wiping their face on their arm. He looked down at them with hazy dark eyes and stroked the hair that he had pulled.“You’re such a good cocksucker,” he murmured, and Zia felt themself gush at the praise. They hadn’t expected Harvey to say something so filthy, and they shifted uncomfortably on the ground as their body responded with want to his praise.“Yeah?” they asked, unsure of how to respond to the unexpected praise. Harvey grabbed their chin and brushed his thumb over their bottom lip, smiling sharply.“I never expected this from you. But God have I fantasized,” he admitted, voice quiet and deep. Zia whimpered, and he grinned. He motioned for them to stand, so they did, and he grabbed their hips to pull them down to sit on his lap.“You’re so pliant, Zia. Is this just for me, or do you love being moved around like a fuck toy?” Harvey asked. They wiggled on his lap, his dirty talk doing them in.“I…” they started, unable to finish the thought as Harvey’s hands started to roam their body. He ran his thumbs over their peaked nipples, poking through their sports bra and shirt. One hand started to touch their abdomen, above the shirt and then poking his fingers underneath. He unbuttoned their shorts.“Harvey,” Zia started, trying to have their rational adult mind again. Harvey did not stop his ministrations, but flicked his eyes up to Zia’s.“I-- ahn! I should tell you I’ve been with other people in town--” they started, and he moved his hands to their hips to stop distracting them.“Oh? So is this adultery, or are you eager to help in more ways than the bulletin board?” he asked, thumbs rubbing gentle circles over their hip bones. They sighed from the contact and tried to refocus.“It’s not adultery. I just thought you should know,” they told him. Harvey finished undoing Zia’s shorts and slipped a hand in their underwear. Zia gasped as his fingers found their clit and entrance. Harvey stroked them, making Zia moan loudly at the contact.“Tell me about it,” Harvey demanded, moving teasingly slow. Zia whined and looked at him with confusion. He moved his other hand up Zia’s shirt, shoving the shirt and their bra up to expose their breasts. He leaned forward and licked an erect nipple before biting it.“Tell me about your last sexual encounters. You don’t have to name who, just tell me what they did to you,” Harvey clarified, and Zia hesitated before he pressed against their clit and drew out another moan.“H-he wanted me to watch him jack off. I asked him to watch me too. Ahh! I put my legs over his so he c-could see my cunt. When he came, it got on my legs and I made him lick it up. T-then he kept going until he was licking my pussy,” Zia told him, pausing as his touches elicited moans or sighs. Harvey moaned as he sucked on a nipple. He slid a finger inside Zia, and growled for more.“Someone else, fuck, THERE! Ah! He t-tied me to his bed and ate me out until I screamed and came twice. Then he fingered me until I was loose enough to take his cock. It’s as big as yours, and god it filled me so good. He fucked me into the bed until I came on his c-cock,” Zia went on, and Harvey removed his hands. It was only for a moment for him to lift Zia from his lap to the desk before yanking down their shorts.He knelt down and latched himself to Zia’s clit, sucking on them and teasing the tip of their large clit with his tongue. He slid in two fingers and curled them expertly, drawing an orgasm from the farmer. Zia cursed and groaned and fell back across the desk, eyes rolling to the back of their head as Harvey refused to stop servicing them. Their thighs squeezed around his head, overstimulated, but he used his free hand to pull one leg back down.He growled into Zia’s pussy, fervently licking and driving his fingers in, needing more and more. Zia tugged at his hair, but it just encouraged him.“Please, Harvey, I can’t--” they tried to beg, near tears until they felt another orgasm coming on. The tip of his tongue teased the sensitive head of their clit, and Zia cried out and thrust towards his face, their legs shaking uncontrollably. Harvey removed his fingers and slid his tongue inside their opening, lapping up Zia’s cum.Zia was an exhausted and sweaty mess, but Harvey wasn’t done yet. He stood up and pressed his once again erect cock against their entrance. Zia looked up at him, and he looked nearly feral with want, face and mustache glistening with their drippings. He propped Zia’s legs up on his shoulders and rubbed his cock over their cunt.“I’ve fantasized about this,” he admitted, pressing the head of his cock against Zia’s clit. They panted out a breathy moan, the overstimulated bundle of nerves sending shockwaves through their body. Harvey watched them shudder and pressed a kiss to their calf.He pressed in slowly, moaning as he bottomed out. Zia cursed as he filled them, his cock tight and massive. Before Elliott, it had been years since they had been penetrated by more than fingers. Now they had their second massive cock in less than a week stretching their needy hole.Zia’s eyes rolled back and they gripped at Harvey’s forearms. They realized that while they were practically naked on his desk, sprawled over paperwork and who knows what sort of important forms, Harvey was still completely dressed, his cock removed from his pants. They gripped his white lab coat over his regular green suit and rocked their hips towards his.Harvey’s eyes flashed and he pulled out completely just to slam himself in. Zia gasped out a curse, so he did it again and again until he was rhythmically fucking the farmer. Harvey gripped their hips tightly as he plowed them, grunting with each thrust. He fucked hard, his balls slapping against Zia’s ass as he thrusted. His grip was rough enough that Zia was sure he would leave bruises.Harvey pulled out suddenly, and Zia sat up, thinking he was finished. Harvey just gave them a dark smile.“Turn around,” he demanded, and Zia did so obediently. Harvey immediately pushed them to bend over the desk and slammed back into them, grabbing their hair in one fist and slapping their ass with their other hand. Zia cried out from the sting, and he did it again on the other cheek. The desk was pressing into them as Harvey fucked them, and now his balls smacked their clit.“You’re so fucking tight,” Harvey praised, squeezing a stinging ass cheek. Zia whimpered and gripped the front of the desk, feeling another orgasm creeping up as Harvey dominated them. It was entirely unexpected of the otherwise timid doctor, but it thrilled Zia to no end. They were so close, and whimpering for another release. Harvey yanked them back by their hair, biting their neck when they were back to chest. Zia moaned loudly, the pain increasing their pleasure.“You’re going to cum all over my cock, Zia. Be a good slut and milk my cock when you lose control,” he growled, slapping their ass again for good measure.“Yes sir!” Zia answered on instinct, and Harvey groaned and sped up his pace. Zia quickly lost it, feeling their muscles squeezing and contracting as they gave in to pleasure. Harvey followed quickly with a roar, and Zia could feel his hot cum filling them up. Distantly, they were glad they had a birth control implant because they were incredibly turned on by being filled. Harvey slowly pulled out and Zia felt his ejaculate start leaking out.They rested on the desk, sprawled over it with trembling legs dangling off the edge. Harvey stepped away, and they could hear him opening drawers and cabinets until he returned behind them. He cleaned them up with a wipe, something sweetly unexpected. Zia blushed, but let him tend to them. After, he started to rub a soothing lotion into their reddened ass cheeks.“I was very rough with you. I would apologize, but you certainly weren’t complaining,” Harvey remarked, breaking the silence between them. Zia scoffed.“No, Doc, I believe that was one of the hottest experiences of my life. I didn’t think you could be rough with anyone,” they admitted, and Harvey chuckled.“I’ve certainly always fantasized, but I’ve never… Well, prior partners weren’t as interested. Something about you just pulled it out,” he revealed, and Zia opened a sleepy eye to glance back at him. He met their look with a wink, and continued to rub their ass."I know today was unexpected, not to mention inappropriate. How are you doing?" He asked, moving from rubbing their ass up their back. Zia sighed under his strong touch, their worn out muscles relaxing."I'm okay," they sighed, burying their face in their arms. Harvey continued his massage quietly for a few moments before bringing up what Zia was mentally avoiding."These other partners… are you sure our hookup is okay? I don't want to distress you or put you in a bad position," he delicately asked. He could feel their back go rigid before Zia sat up and quickly readjusted their bra and shirt and pulled up their shorts."Zia--""It's fine, we aren't dating. No one--" Zia started to spew out before stopping suddenly. They were about to say what they always knew to be true, that no one would care who fucked them as long as they were clean. Their chest ached as they realized that wasn't true anymore. Their eyes watered miserably as they realized Elliott might care, could be hurt that they had slept with Harvey, and nearly slept with Shane, instead of trying to address their feelings towards him.Harvey looked at Zia as they clamped a hand over their mouth and started to cry, confused and guilty."Zia…" he started, and they roughly shook their head."I need to go. I-- you're fine, Harvey. You're wonderful. It's not you, it's not your fault. I'm-- I'm sorry," they rambled, beginning to pace before heading for the door. Harvey called out after them, but Zia did what they were learning they did best and ran off.They left the clinic and went to return to their ranch, but saw Lewis on the path and turned north, going past the park and ducking into the community center. At least they knew they were the only ones who stopped by there.They only took a few steps into the center before they collapsed to the dusty floor and started sobbing. Their nails, kept short by necessity, dug into their arms as they held themself tight, rocking on the ground as they cried.Zia felt awful. What the hell were they doing? They remembered when they cut off their old social group, moved from their small town to Zuzu City without contacting them again. They had willpower then, the ability to say no and a refusal to accept that all they could ever hope to be was a fuck buddy. They knew they were capable of love, of being in love and even loving many people at once. They had felt it before, even if it had been unreciprocated then.Now they couldn't stop picturing Elliott's crumpled face, his hurt and disappointed if he knew Zia would rather take sex where they could get it than deal with the potential of being hurt again. They tangled their fingers in their hair and tugged roughly. They didn't want to hurt him, not at all.Leah's words echoed in their head, asking again what Zia wanted. They wish they knew, because they couldn't keep doing what they were doing. They thought of Shane, too. He had been vulnerable with them last night, opened up far more than they thought he would. Zia found him difficult to read, but were certain he would have a reaction if they started dating Elliott. Would he be okay? Would he talk to them, or go back to barely acknowledging their existence? Harvey, too. They had run instead of discussing anything with him, but would he be hurt if they were suddenly with someone else?But what did they, Zia, want?A warm hand touched their back and Zia startled badly, failing onto the floor and scooting away with fright. They looked up to see the Wizard inexplicably standing over them, staring at them as if they were a particularly complicated spell. Or perhaps an interesting new ingredient to experiment with."The Junimos summoned me. I believe they were concerned over your distress," he explained, making no effort to help them up or stoop to their level. Zia furiously wiped at their eyes but knew it was pointless-- they were already puffy and irritated from their salty tears. They glanced to the side and saw a few of the Junimos gathered and watching, a few of them shifting around. Zia offered them a half smile, grateful they wanted to help but bewildered by who they chose to send."Are you injured?" The Wizard asked, looking them over. Zia shook their head and sniffled."No, just… emotional," they admitted. The Wizard continued to stare but finally nodded sharply once, confusion apparent on his face. At last he offered a hand for Zia to pull themself up, which they quickly did. As their hands touched, a spark flashed through the farmer. As soon as they were on their feet, the Wizard dropped their hand as if burned."There is something different about you," he said nearly as a warning, his purple eyes narrowing. Zia blinked at him, not understanding what he meant. He stepped closer, and Zia was forced to remember that he was much taller than them and despite seemingly only reading tomes and communing with nature, he was fairly built. He invaded their space, standing toe to toe, and sniffled deeply, before sniffing at their neck."Ahh!" He gasped and took a few steps away, surprise in his eyes. He looked back at the Junimos and then Zia, eyes wide. Zia started to panic with him."What is it?!" they asked, subtly sniffing themself. They were a little sweaty but not stinking. The Wizard shook his head."Tell me, how much have you interacted with the Junimos?" He asked, and Zia shrugged."Not very much? I bring them the things they want for the community center, and sometimes leave extra crops for them. I wave when I see them in the woods. Oh! Er…" Zia listed off before stopping, realizing they had forgotten something that the Wizard, looking at him now, would berate them for. He stared at them expectantly."I danced with them at the flower dance," they admitted, and he went pale."You -- the Flower Festival? You danced with the Junimos? For what reason?!" He demanded, and Zia shrugged."I didn't plan it! I was trying to find a way up to talk to you--" they started and he made a choked noise. Zia eyed him warily but he motioned for them to continue. "It was a sheer cliff, though, and the Junimos had been watching everyone gathering. I thought they wanted to join, so I offered to dance with them."The Wizard looked weak in the knees. He ran a hand over his face and looked at the curious creatures that had gathered to watch them. He grabbed Zia's arm and muttered "come with me" before they were gone in an instant.Within the second, they were in the Wizard's tower. He let go of them and swiftly walked away, opening his windows."Wizard, please tell me what you know," Zia asked, more and more concerned by his reaction. He sighed deeply, leaning on the windowsill, and turned back to face them with a wary expression."The Flower Dance is not merely a Stardew Valley tradition. It is the descendent of an ancient ritual we humans once performed with the nature spirits. We have carried on a part of it without recalling the meaning, the origin… it is a mating ritual, a fertility ritual. You, without thinking, performed it in the old way, dancing directly with the spirits. Spirits, I may add, which already seemed particularly interested and attuned to you," he explained, voice grave.Zia frowned, trying to understand what he was implying."Yes? What does that mean?""What it means, farmer, is they have given you the full amount of their… blessing. Even with your attunement I doubt you could pick it up if you are the one exuding it.""Exuding? What am I exuding?" Zia demanded, starting to blush. The Wizard actually went red himself, something that had seemed beyond the mystic.".... Pheromones. Not the regular sort. It's difficult to explain, but essentially they have, ah, granted you a rather potent amount of pheromones. Normal people cannot tell they are smelling them. Given my extensive training with the natural world, I am able to recognize what is there," he explained.Zia went red, deeply embarrassed that he was admitting he could smell something coming off of them, despite the implications."I would like a sample to study."Zia snapped their eyes to him at his request. He looked serious, but did not meet their eye. The farmer sighed."Okay, fine," they agreed. "But only if you tell me what you discover as soon as you can.""Deal," he agreed with a nod, and summoned a small glass vial. He took cautious steps towards them, and Zia couldn't tell why. They weren't going to explode."Does it smell that bad?" They asked, and he shuddered and shook his head, coming to stand close to them."Quite the opposite. It is driving me to frenzy," he admitted dryly. Zia looked at him, ready to call him out for joking, but on closer inspection he was absolutely serious. His pupils were wide and he was trembling as he held the vial up. With his other hand, he waved over Zia's chest and small droplets raised into the air before going to the container. He closed it and quickly backed away."What is it doing to you?" Zia asked quietly. They were vaguely aware of pheromones, but thought they only indicated that an animal was keen to mate. They didn't think it could elicit such a response in an aware being, particularly such as the Wizard. He growled in response."You are something of a friend to me. Please do not make me say such things to you," he warned, and Zia swallowed their questions. He retreated to the back of the tower, towards his lab. Zia followed at a respectful distance until he held up a hand to stop them."Please, Zia. I will send word when I have answers, but for now you must leave."Zia stopped, a little hurt, but nodded. The longer he was in their presence, the worse he seemed to get. There was so much more they wanted to know, but he needed the time to research. They walked out and heard the door lock behind them with a solid click.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Zia probably should have returned to their farm and locked the doors, but somehow didn't think quarantining themself with a sign about being extra magically irresistible would work for their problems. Instead, they meandered towards the library. They hesitated near Leah's cabin, wondering if they should visit or give her space. They decided on space, and hoped to see her at the Saloon later.Gunther greeted them the same as always with a friendly smile and wave, and Zia mirrored the action before going to the books. They were hoping someone had written something about the old festivals, if not for answers about their current state then for what to avoid in the future. After a few minutes of looking around, though, they didn't see any title that looked particularly relevant so they approached Gunther."Hello, little archeologist. How can I help?" He asked, teasing them with the nickname. Zia glanced around at the items on display and realized they really were the only one donating. They were also the only one exploring the mines, so that did make some sense."I was hoping you could help me find a book. I want to know more about the older Stardew Valley festivals-- where should I look?" They asked, smiling gently. Gunther nodded and left the counter, walking them over to the other side of the shelf they had been looking at. He pulled out a slim volume from between two large tomes, and handed it over."This should be of help. Ritual of the Junimos: A Regional Guide to Ancient Rites to Modern Delites. The title is strange, but it might hit on what you're looking for," he offered. It was an older book, likely from the early 1900s. Zia took hold of it carefully, their hand brushing Gunther's. He lightly blushed as he handed it over and excused himself to return to his desk.Zia glanced at him, wondering if that was a response to their pheromones. They shook their head and focused on the book and found a seat to read.The book was slim but the print was small and cramped, fitting in quite a bit of information among small woodcut prints of proceedings. Zia focused on their reading, wishing they had brought a notebook to write some of the parts down. It was quite informative, mentioning nearly every festival that Pelican Town performed and a couple more lost to time. They were pulled in by what they read, surprised how much tied back to asking the nature spirits to help in some way and providing something for them in return.They reread about the Flower Dance multiple times, though it was only two pages in the hundred page book. Originally, couples intending to procreate were the ones who danced. The dance was to please the nature spirits who would then provide the couples with fertility and abundance, so the town could grow. Slowly it came to be simply about tradition, and any unmarried resident would join. Without the intention to grow the town, the nature spirits, claimed the book, simply blessed the land instead of the dancers.Zia put the book down, trying to think about what they had intended when dancing with the Junimos. They had wanted to make the Junimos feel included, and they vaguely felt like they had been thinking about how they weren't close with anyone in town. They felt like that was significant, but before they could think on it further, they were startled by Elliott sitting down across from them.The farmer jumped and quietly swore as they noticed Elliott, and he made a strained expression."Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I called your name a few times," he explained, and Zia offered him an apologetic smile."You're alright, I was caught up in my own thoughts," they explained. Elliott tilted his head as if waiting to hear what those thoughts were. Zia didn't think explaining how they may have performed an actual old ritual would be acceptable, so they just smiled. He nodded slightly when he realized they wouldn't disclose."What are you reading?" he asked instead, gesturing with long fingers towards the open book in front of them. Zia flushed, but it was easier to explain the book than their thoughts."Ah, it's a neat old book about all the festivals around here. I still don't know much about them, and I don't know how accurate this is, but it's still fascinating," they explained. Elliott watched their face as they spoke, a soft but wary smile on his face."I see, learn anything fascinating?" He asked.Yes, I'm starting to think some nature spirits decided to make everyone eligible in a fifty mile radius fuck my brains out, they thought. Zia cleared their throat instead."Yeah, there's a couple of festivals here we don't do anymore, at least nowhere near the same. It's neat to see how a town can shift, even one this small," they told him. His eyes crinkled as he smiled genuinely at Zia, and their heart sped up again. The look faded back to weariness as he looked back down at the table."I was surprised to see you here. I don't think anyone has seen you in a few days," he said, and Zia fidgeted. Before they could speak, he continued."I apologize for the other day. I made you uncomfortable, you need not worry about a decision," he told them. His green eyes reflected his sadness despite the half smile on his face. Zia stared at him, feeling hollow. They should have known they already screwed it up. Their stomach tied in a knot."Elliott…" they started, but he soldiered on, putting on a brighter disposition."I am sorry to have interrupted you. I'll see you at the Saloon, perhaps," he said, and went to leave. Zia grabbed his hand, making him stop and look at them. Zia blinked back their tears and looked up at him, finding they didn't know what to say."Please, wait. Can we speak privately?" They asked, glancing around the library. No one else was around but Gunther, and Zia wasn't keen on him overhearing their personal revelations. Elliott held their hand tenderly and nodded."Of course. Would you be comfortable in my cabin?" He asked, and Zia nodded as they stood. They brought their book back to Gunther with a thanks before ducking out into the rain. When Elliott saw that Zia didn't have their umbrella, he stepped closer to cover them with his.They walked quietly away from the library, the path soft from rain. No one else seemed to be outside in the weather. Zia didn't want to open up until absolutely sure no one but Elliott would hear them, but started to chatter to fill the awkward void."I'm nearly ready to build a barn. That's what I've been working on. I got a little into it I guess…" Zia explained. Elliott glanced at them, a small smile on his lips."I thought you had a barn?" He asked, and Zia shook their head."No, I had the remains of one. I demolished it and started getting lumber for Robin to build a new one," they clarified and paused."Have you been to the farm?" they asked. Elliott thought for a moment before shaking his head."Actually, I don't think I have. Perhaps I should pay a visit," he answered. Zia smiled up at him."I would like that," they told him, and realized they had reached his cabin. He unlocked it and gestured them in. It looked the same as it ever did, but Zia's eyes lingered on the bed and what had happened there. Elliott gestured for them to sit, his movements a little stiff and unsure.Zia sat at his low table, feeling terrified yet knowing they needed to provide Elliott with honesty, at least about their feelings. It was what they wanted, they decided. If everything fell apart they would just be a hermit on the farm until they died."I like you a lot, Elliott," they started with. They watched him tense up, waiting for the but."I haven't dated anyone before. I told you I don't date, but that was something I started telling myself because no one wanted to date me. Before, people were only interested in what I could give them. No one… no one cared about what they could give back," Zia admitted. Elliott looked up at them, about to say something when Zia held up a hand. They need to get through what they had to say without stopping, or they might not start again."No one has asked me what I wanted, or if they did, they didn't care what the answer would be. You do. You are caring and kind and I like you. I was… I am terrified that I will hurt you, that I won't meet your expectations. I ran away and hid because I felt you deserve better than to be hurt deeper later rather than a little now.""I have spent so long content to take my intimacy from sleeping with anyone who expressed an interest, but it's no longer enough. It's not-- it's not what I want. What I want is to have someone I like return my feelings. I want to have a partner to grow with, to get to know, who I can lean on as much as they lean on me. That might eventually change, but I don't want to focus on what ifs and avoiding heartache. I want to be with you, if you'll have me."Elliott moved to sit next to Zia, who had started to cry at some point of their speech. He pulled them in close to his chest and cradled their head to his shoulder, stroking their hair and holding them close. He whispered their name over and over, kissing their forehead as they cried. It was only when they were able to breathe slow and deep and their tears dried that he let them go, but still kept an arm around their waist."Zia, I am so sorry I had caused you distress. You did not owe me an explanation for why, but I am grateful you shared this part of you with me,” he told them, pressing his forehead against theirs. Zia had their arms wrapped around him, and started to shake again but swallowed their sobs.“I would be honored to be the one to show you comfort and care. You are such a treasure, and I will prove it to you,” Elliott continued, pulling away so he could look Zia in the eyes, could show his honesty in his promise. Zia smiled as their eyes filled once more with tears.“What if I hurt you?” they asked with a hiccup. Elliott kissed their tears away.“Then I shall be hurt, and write a thousand poems about it, until the wound heals,” he responded. Zia chuckled, but took a hold of his hands, trying to be serious.“I mean it, Elliott. I don’t know what I’m doing here. I-- I have something else to tell you, before you accept for real,” they said, and he squeezed their hands to show he was listening.“I-- I nearly slept with Shane last night. And I did with Harvey this morning. It wasn’t planned, they both caught me a little off guard, but I did,” they admitted, turning red with shame after saying it. They closed their eyes, bracing for him to let go, to step away and ask them to leave. He squeezed their hands again, and Zia flinched, ready for the rejection.“Alright, so that happened. You had made no promises to me. I won’t say I’m not surprised about Harvey, but I am not a terribly jealous lover,” Elliott told them. Zia’s eyes snapped open, wide as they took in his expression. He was almost a little amused. He gently stroked their hair before trailing fingers down their jaw to cup their face.“Listen to me, Zia. I am not angry with you, I am not upset. Yes, we should probably discuss boundaries and be clear in communication, but I am patient. We will grow and figure this out together, my beautiful farmer,” he told them, pressing a kiss gently to their lips.Zia broke down again at his sweetness, and he continued to hold them in his arms while they let it out. All their fears were being tenderly kissed away, met with patience and understanding instead of pain and grief. Their relief was strong and overpowering. They had always wanted this-- being held and coddled and simply wanted, but it had always felt so far away, particularly after they came out in a town that couldn’t be bothered to respect their identity.“It’s alright dear, it’s alright,” Elliott whispered, kissing the top of their head.“I don’t even know why I’m crying now, I just am,” they huffed into his chest when their sobs subsided but the tears continued to roll. Elliott didn’t waver as he held them, stroking their hair or whispering soothing things but never telling them to stop crying. Zia eventually stopped on their own, and he kept them pressed to his chest.“Can I stay here forever?” Zia whispered, already exhausted with the day without half the farmwork. Elliott chuckled.“Well, it might become difficult to run your farm if you lay on me all day, but I certainly won't object. You are welcome anytime you need,” he told them, and Zia finally pulled away from him. He ran a thumb under their eyes.“Feeling better?” he asked, and Zia nodded shyly. Elliott smiled his eye crinkling smile that Zia was starting to deeply enjoy and pressed a long kiss to their lips, lingering for a moment before pulling back. Zia smiled in return, soothed by his continued affection.“Here, let’s help those poor eyes of yours. I know a great trick,” Elliott said, kissing Zia’s forehead before rising up and going to his small fridge. He pulled out a cucumber, already cut in half, and cut off two small slices.“Go lay down, get comfortable,” he advised, so Zia took his instruction. Once they were laying back, he placed the cool slices over the farmer’s eyes. They shivered from the cold, but relaxed somewhat onto the bed. They felt Elliott sit on the bed next to them, the weight of him and his warmth by their side.“You looked like you had already been crying today,” he broached, and Zia shifted.“Yeah, I had a moment earlier,” they admitted.“Do you wish to talk about it?” he asked, and Zia bit their lip.“I… It was after… I was feeling really low. I thought I had probably ruined everything,” they admitted, and felt Elliott take a hold of their hand.“What did happen this morning?” he asked, voice calm and curious. There was no hint of jealousy or anger, but Zia still flinched regardless. He rubbed their knuckles soothingly.“Um, I walked in on Harvey. Y’know, touching himself. Instead of leaving or anything reasonable like that, I, ah, offered assistance,” they explained, their face reddening as they did. Elliott shifted on the bed and they could feel him lean over them, one arm bracing him on their other side.“Zia, do you… like Harvey?” he asked, and Zia’s heart pounded. He didn’t sound jealous at all. He sounded husky and turned on. Zia lifted one cucumber to look at him. Elliott had a blush on his face, and was biting his lip. Zia tilted their head to the side, considering.“Yes? I certainly think he’s attractive. Well, even more so now. I don’t think I’ve considered him in that way before, other than some fantasies,” they explained. He raised a brow at them, and stopped holding their hand to rub up and down their arm.“Keep the cucumber on, darling. It’ll reduce the puffiness,” he reminded them, and once they had their eyes closed and covered, he began again. “Why is he more attractive now?”“He’s very dominant,” Zia mumbled with a blush, and Elliott brushed his fingers down their throat.“Is he? How so?” he asked, hand trailing down their body. Zia went to move the cucumber again to look at him, but he suddenly grabbed their hand while clicking their tongue.“Now, now, do we need another lesson in patience?” he asked, and Zia shuddered and shook their head, a jolt of excitement shooting down their body straight to their clit. Was Elliott getting just as into Zia describing sex with someone else as Harvey had? They licked their lips and continued.“He grabbed my hair a lot, painfully. To fuck my face, to yank my head back. It hurt so good. I might have bruises from where he grabbed me to fuck me,” they described, voice deep as they recalled how turned on they got from Harvey’s behavior. Elliott made a needy sound and ran his hands over Zia’s chest, groping their tits. “His voice was so hot when he called me a good cocksucker.”“Mmmf, and are you a good cocksucker, Zia?” Elliott asked, groping them roughly. Zia let out a breathy moan, their back arching. Want began to pool in their underwear.“Why don't you climb up here and find out?” they teased. Elliott rub his thumb over their lips, whining as Zia licked him.“But then how will you finish telling me about sucking Harvey’s cock?” he asked, moving down to Zia’s shorts and opening them. Zia helped him slide the fabric down their thighs.“I didn’t know I could open my mouth so big. He might be bigger than you. I had to keep my hand on him so it didn’t go all the way down my throat. I didn’t want to gag. And I swallowed every last drop. He fucked my mouth as hard as he wanted until he came right down the back of my throat,” Zia continued. Elliott’s fingers traced his opening, finding the farmer already slick. They gasped at the touch.“Then he pulled me onto his lap and started to finger me. He wanted to know about my last couple of hookups. Wanted me to describe the experience, demanded it,” they revealed, breathing heavily as Elliott slowly stroked their cunt. They could hear the shuffle of fabric before Elliott started to make his own noises of pleasure.“Mmm, smart man. Tell me what else,” he asked, voice hitching as he stroked himself. He slid a finger inside them and pressed his palm against their clit, making them thrust towards his hand and cry out.“Fuck! I-I told him about Shane and I jerking off together, and how he-- ahh!- ate me out. How I came all over his face. Then I t-t-told him about how you tied me down and made me orgasm again and again before you fucked me. How you forced me to keep cumming, how incredible that felt,” Zia panted out, distracted by his attention to their pussy.“He fingered me until I came before throwing me on the desk and ripping off my shorts. He, fuck, sucked my clit and d-devoured me until he forced me to cum again and again. I think he was trying to beat you. I think I s-soaked the whole desk by the time he let up. Fuck, Elliot! Then when I thought I might pass out, he slams right into my pussy! He filled me up so tightly, I thought I would burst. He held my legs by his neck to keep me tight and he fucked me as hard as he wanted to. Just when I thought he was going to cum, he flipped me right over. Fucked me right into the deck, yanking my hair back until I thought I would cry. He made me cum on his cock before he came inside me,” Zia went on.Elliott moaned through the rehashing, growing louder and louder as he came closer to the edge. His fingers tried to find rhythm but became erratic as Elliott started to lose himself to his passion.“Please, fuck my mouth, “Zia begged, and his fingers slipped away as he got off the bed, shuffled out of his pants, and climbed back on, stradling Zia’s chest. Zia sat up a little on the pillows, careful to keep the cucumber slices on their eyes from sliding down. It had become a challenge at that point, something to stay focused on so they could recall the details of their hookup.Now Elliott propped them up on their pillows to help their neck and Zia felt the tip of his cock at their lips. They eagerly parted and they began licking Elliott with enthusiasm, moving their lips over his cock and pressing kissing up and down the shaft between licking him in long strokes. He grabbed the headboard with one hand and placed the other on top of Zia’s head.Zia took Elliott in their mouth and started sucking, using one hand to stroke the base of his shaft and the other to squeeze his ass. Elliott gasped at their eagerness, stroking their hair and trying not to move his hips. It left him twitchy and writing as Zia took more and more of him into their mouth, swirling their tongue over his dick until he pulled back.Zia pushed closer, their mouth working on his cock while their hands started to play with his ass. They spread his cheeks and teased his hole with their fingers. Elliott made wanton sounds as they did, and cursed when Zia moaned around him. They had reached between their legs and started to finger themself, removing their fingers when they were covered in their slickness.The farmer slowly slid their middle finger inside Elliott, who cried out. They were mesmerized by the sounds he made as they pleasured him. His hips moved to meet Zia’s finger, curling in rhythm with their sucking.“Zia, I’m so close,” he whined, giving them a warning, and Zia started to speed up, eager to taste his cum. They pressed their finger further in and were rewarded with Elliott twitching and moaning, and they smiled around his cock. He was starting to stammer, and couldn’t get out the curse on his tongue before cumming. Zia milked him for all he was worth while he whined and jerked. Only when he was too overstimulated did he lean back, pulling his softening cock from Zia’s mouth with a pop.“I knew you would be a divine cocksucker, Zia,” he panted, wiggling off Zia. He moved to sit between their legs, and yanked them up by their hips, forcing their crotch into his face and legs around his head. He licked their wet cunt with a long, flat swipe that made the farmer cry out.“Fuck, you taste so good,” Elliott moaned, licking them again. “How many times do you want to cum today?”The question seemed to be rhetorical as Elliott started to lick them in earnest, swirling his tongue from their entrance to their clit and back. He dipped his tongue inside them before wrapping his lips around their clit and sucking hard. Zia cried out, but he held them with both arms around their waist, hugging them to him. He reached down and groped a clothed tit. Zia was thrilled by how strong Elliott was, and feeling trapped by his arms while he ate them out without mercy edged them as much as his tongue.“Elliott” they cried out, again and again as they got closer to orgasm. He worshiped their cunt, intent on delivering pleasure. His folded tongue lavished the tip of their clit, then he would switch to thrusting his tongue inside and using his nose to press against their clit. He was lapping at their entrance, letting out a moan, when Zia came again, coating his face in the farmer’s juices.He kept going, licking up everything on Zia’s pussy and their thighs before returning his tongue to right inside them. Zia struggled, but his grip on them was tight. They were loudly moaning and begging him to stop, but he needed to keep tasting. He delightedly continued, moaning into their cunt as he sucked. Zia squeezed their thighs around his head, overly sensitive and crying. Only after they were forced to cum again did they reach to squeeze his thighs, stuttering on saying ‘starfruit.’Elliott laid Zia back down flat on the bed, chuckling at their exhausted face, eyes still covered in cucumbers. He pressed a kiss to their lips, letting them taste themself on his mouth. When Elliott pulled away, he took the vegetable slices with him. Zia blinked open their eyes, finding Elliott sitting between their legs and watching them with an amused expression.“See, the puffiness is gone. I knew it would work,” he said, grinning. Zia raised an eyebrow and squeezed him with their knees. He ran his hands over their legs, the movement soothing.“Are you feeling better?” he asked with a more serious tone. Zia smiled softly and nodded.“Much.”Elliott motioned for them to scoot over and laid beside them on the bed, scooping Zia into being little spoon. He pressed kissing along the back of their shoulders, arms wrapping around their stomach.“I glanced at the clock. We’re late for the Saloon. Leah may send a search party,” Elliott murmured into their back. Zia groaned, unwilling to leave the comfort of Elliott and the cabin.“What do you want to tell her?” Zia asked, lifting their linked fingers to indicate what they meant. Elliott sighed contentedly, breathing into their back.“That we send our regrets but must fuck like rabbits until spring?” he offered, getting a laugh from Zia. The farmer thought it would get the point across. Elliott continued to nuzzle them, making them feel warm inside.“I do not feel we need to inform anyone of what we choose to be with each other, but Leah should probably at least know things are no longer awkward between us,” he said, treating it more seriously. Zia agreed. They didn’t want to deal with well meaning but invasive questions from the others in town. It was a close knit community, but Zia wasn’t very experienced with others wanting to know every detail of their life.“We can tell Leah, I think, but otherwise I like this being only ours, for the moment,” Zia told him, and he rolled Zia back so he could kiss all over their face.“As you wish, my dear farmer. Shall we dress? I imagine Gus might be happy we remembered shirts, but a little ashamed if we forgot pants,” Elliott joked, leaning over Zia and smiling gently down at them. Zia looked at him warmly, a content smile on their face. They would have been content to lay there all night in his arms, something that startled them.After a few more kisses, Elliott got off the bed and pulled Zia up to do the same. He slid back on their shorts, kissing their legs as he did, before helping them put back on their boots. Zia watched him with a bashful smile, unused to his princely levels of treatment. When they were both put back together, he pulled them in close and kissed them soundly on the lips.“If you keep kissing me, I’ll drag you back to bed,” Zia warned with a grin, and Elliott pressed a last long kiss to their lips before stroking their hair.“I cannot help it, your lips keep drawing me in. It’s as if I have tasted water for the first time, and realized I need it desperately to live,” he explained, making Zia blush. He finally led them out the door and towards town, his arm around their waist until they reached the end of the sand. Elliott removed his arm but walked close enough that his fingertips brushed Zia’s arm.--Leah watched the pair enter from their usual table, a drink already in hand. She grinned wide and raised her glass at their approach. Zia flushed lightly as Elliott subtly pinched their ass as he moved past them to take his seat, his face betraying nothing. Zia sat next to him, trying not to feel as though that were obvious.“I’m glad you’re doing well, Zia. You look happier than the other day,” Leah said, and Zia shrugged.“Yeah, I’m doing good. Very good,” they said, smiling. Leah brushed a finger down their neck, eyebrow raised. Zia turned red and shivered, and Leah smiled deviously. Her eyes flicked between Zia and Elliott and her eyebrows waggled.“Yeah, looks like you’re doing good,” she joked, and Zia smacked a hand over where Leah had touched. Did they have a hickey? Elliott's cheeks were mildly pink, and he looked at Zia’s neck. He bit his lip and looked away to hide a laugh, and Zia laughed at his audacity.“Alright, screw you guys. I’m going to get a drink,” Zia mouthed off, ignoring Leah’s quip about only screwing one of them. They walked up to the bar, careful to keep their hair on the bitten side of their neck. After ordering a drink for Elliott and themself, Zia leaned on the bar and glanced around.Friday nights were the busy day at the Saloon. Robin and Demetrius were dancing together, having their regular date night. Willy and Clint were chatting at a table, and near them Marnie and Lewis were pretending they weren’t making eyes at each other. In the other room, Zia could see Sam, Abigail, and Sebastian hanging around, the two boys playing pool. Each of them looked up at the farmer and smiled, though Sebastian's was more of a twitch of the lips.“Here you are, a beer and a wine,” Emily put the drinks on the bar, smiling warmly. She paused and leaned in towards Zia, sniffing delicately before her smile widened.“Oh! That’s why!,” Emily said, and Zia eyed her with confusion. Before they could ask what the hell she meant, Emily was off, called over to Sam, who had approached the bar. Zia put their money on the counter and returned, eyeing Emily once more before taking their usual seat.They forgot about it as they slipped into easy talk with Leah and Elliott, the teasing over. They discussed Leah’s newest sculpture and Elliott’s latest chapter. He was excited to admit he had also started to outline another book, though he refused to say what it was about. He did tell them he was thinking of publishing under a pen name for it, though, which only served to intrigue the other two. Zia talked about the improvements they had made around the farm, and some of the products they were hoping to start making.“I have enough lumber, but I realized I have way less stone than I thought. I used up too much making paths. I’ll be making a trip to the mines soon, probably the next rainy day. I’d like to collect some gems, too,” they told the table, thinking wistfully about the sparkling things.“Just be careful down there. When you get too lost in a task, you don’t always pay attention to yourself,” Elliott warned, taking Zia’s hand, and they gave him a half smile.“I’ll be fine, I promise,” they told him, crossing their heart. He still looked dubious but didn’t press further. Leah asked about what sorts of things they’d found in the mines, and Zia grabbed onto the topic with delight. They started to talk about slimes and skeletons coming after them, bats that would converge as a group, and even ghosts. Zia could remember a few encounters that left them terrified they would be killed down in the mines, before they fully understood what lurked there, and some scars to prove it.“You should write stories like Elliott, you’ve such a mind for adventure,” Leah teased, clearly not believing the fantastic elements. Zia laughed and agreed, covering their souring stomach. They didn’t expect to be believed, but it still stung to be so easily dismissed. Elliott touched their hip under the table, glancing at them, and Zia’s smile brightened.The subject changed again to how there had been a bath house up the mountain near the railroads, but it had been blocked off about a year ago when there was a landslide and massive rocks blocked the way. Zia’s interest piqued-- they had seen the rock formation that blocked the path, but had no idea what was on the other side of it.Eventually they looked at their watch and saw the late hour.“Alright, time to head back. Early riser and all that,” Zia told them. Elliott held their eye for a moment, questioning if they wanted company. They gently shook their head with a smile. Leah noticed and rolled her eyes. They bid them good night and Zia headed for the door.They didn't have the time to notice Harvey before bumping into him on his way back from the bar. His arms grabbed Zia to steady them before he realized who he was holding, and let go with a blush."Zia, hey! Actually, I was hoping to speak with you, er, privately," he asked, and Zia froze up. They darted their eyes back towards Elliott and Leah, and realized that though Elliott had mentioned discussing boundaries, they didn’t actually talk about it. But they also knew they needed to tell Harvey something after they ran out on him in tears, so Zia nodded.Harvey glanced out the window and saw that it was still raining, so he guided Zia further into the Stardrop Saloon and into the storage room. It was dim, but neither really cared. They stood near each other, and though they were alone neither seemed to know what to say. With him so close, Zia could vividly remember Harvey’s dominance and strength. They shuddered.Harvey looked down at them, eyes searching their face. He reached a hand towards their face and stopped, twitching his mustache.“I must apologize to you. My behavior earlier… Every step of it was incredibly unprofessional, and I put you in a terrible position. I know what you said, but I can see… When you left, I realized how you may have felt you didn’t have the power to walk away or end the encounter. I didn’t even ask what you wanted, or if I could… I am deeply sorry, Zia. I treated you like an animal,” he apologized, face anguished. Zia blinked up at him, color draining from their face. Was that how he’d felt all day?“Harvey, I’m the one who initiated things,” they pointed out, but he shook his head.“That doesn’t excuse my behavior!” he snapped before pinching the bridge of his nose and sighing. Zia flinched, but put a hand on his chest. He looked at them, stricken.“Please, don’t feel like this. I don’t feel at all taken advantage of. It was really a great time. I… I ran away because I felt guilty. You didn’t do anything to cause it. Well, besides having an irresistible di--”“Zia!” he hissed, turning red when Zia nearly mentioned his penis. The farmer grinned at him, and he gave a shaky smile in return.“So, you’re okay now?” he asked, and Zia nodded.“Yeah, I’m alright. Learned a bit about myself, had a couple of good talks, I’m good,” they reassured him. Harvey still searched their face but eventually nodded a little, and placed his hands on their shoulders.“Good. And don’t worry, I’ll try to, ah, forget about this morning. I won’t mention anything to Elliott” he promised, but Zia snorted.“Don’t bother. I told him myself. Were we so obvious?” they asked, and Harvey looked bewildered.“You did? O-Oh. And I did happen to see him pinch your ass…” Zia grinned wide.“Oh, yes. He was quite keen to know the details, too. Wanted to know every movement, how it felt,” they whispered, leaning in close. Harvey’s redness returned with a vengeance, and Zia didn’t think he’d ever been so embarrassed in his life. Or, glancing down, so turned on. They mentally slapped their hand and shook that thought away.“Everything’s alright, Doc. I’m sorry I worried you,” they told him, turning pink, embarrassed that they were still being so flirty. He sighed, and finally gave in to touching Zia’s face. His large hands cupped their jaw and his thumb brushed their cheek. There was something soft and wistful in his expression, but he smiled and it faded.“I’m just glad you’re alright. Please don’t feel like you can’t come to me for your medical needs. I swear, the clinic shall be for professional visits only,” he promised, and Zia chuckled and nodded. His hand reluctantly dropped, and he bid them a good night before walking away. Zia watched him go, something like sadness washing over them.They took a couple of moments to themself, processing what happened. The looks from Harvey, his lingering touch, sent a thrill through them. They wondered if Harvey had considered them as more than a hookup, and the thought stuck in their throat.“Zia?” Elliott had entered the storeroom, concern etched on his face. Zia jumped.“Oh! Sorry,” Zia gasped. Elliott stepped close to them.“I thought you had left,” he said, and smiled nervously. “I came up to use the bathroom and heard you. And Harvey,” he admitted. Zia flushed, looking down. Nothing had really happened, right? It was just a talk.“I heard you flirting,” he whispered, and Zia went red. He grinned, pinning them to the wall. Zia looked up at him nervously.“It was quite hot, hearing you tell him how you described it to me,” he told them, brushing his thumb over Zia’s lip. The farmer shuddered. Elliott leaned down and kissed them. His lips moved to their neck. He kissed and nipped at them, pressing a kiss over where Zia had a hickey.“Did you realize? This one isn’t mine. My bites are all lower,” he murmured, and Zia shuddered. He sucked on the spot, pinning up a boneless Zia by pushing his hips against theirs, shoving his thigh between their legs. Zia bit their lip, trying not to moan at Elliott’s sensual assault.“It’s very arousing, the thought of sharing you. Competing to claim you, back and forth,” he whispered in their ear, his voice sinfully deep. Zia squeezed his thigh between theirs as they shuddered with need. He pulled back, a satisfied smile on his face.“Perhaps I can come over tomorrow. We got a little distracted, we never did have that talk about boundaries,” he asked. Zia nodded breathlessly, incredibly turned on. The thought of Elliott getting them off then and there, where anyone could walk in or hear them, was melting their brain. Elliott seemed to read their mind and chuckled lightly before kissing their forehead.“Shall I walk you home, Zia? Ensure you make it home without anyone else cornering you over a sexual escapade, you naughty thing?” he teased. He was having fun with them, but Zia knew he absolutely would go home with them if asked. They enjoyed the thought, but after everything that happened, they were exhausted and wanted to be alone with their thoughts.“I’m sure I can fight them off to make it to bed. Maybe you can walk me out the door? I think all my confrontations are limited to the bar,” they joked. Elliott kissed their cheek and agreed, leading them out of the room by the hand. He let go before they left the hall, but Zia made eye contact with Sebastian. He nodded towards Elliott and mimed a few lewd acts before giving them a thumbs up. Zia flushed and looked away, only to hear laughter from the pool table.Elliott stepped outside with them and pressed a quick kiss to their lips before wishing them a good night, and insisted he would watch them through the streetlights until they made it to their path home at least. Zia acquiesced and waved as they walked off, exhausted and strongly considering getting a horse.