i have wips for seb, haley and shane and i dont know what to finish first đ
itâs winter and samâs your secret santaâŚ
part i, part ii, part iii
a/n: the well awaited end to this fic is here! enjoy :)
synopsis: the three times you friendzoned Alhaitham, and the one he made damn sure you didn't.
tags: alhaitham/reader ; school setting ; valentine's day special ; reader likes sewing, miscommunication
Itâs Valentineâs Day, and the most unusual thing to ever happen to youâhappens.
A pristine white note falls out of your locker, and you never thought you would see the day. Youâd assume, being a workaholic and being relegated to tasks (due to people pleasing tendencies you canât seem to shake off), that youâd finish off the school year without falling victim to Valentineâs day sickeningly sweet confessions.
Please meet me in the homeroom lab after classes. â H
If it was any other day, youâd assume one of the teachers wrote you this note, and that you were going to be subjected to a ruthless talking-to. Yet, coincidentally, itâs that time of the year, and everyone else is getting notes like these too.
For the fun of it, you still decide to go where the note directs you. Mostly because youâre deathly curious to who this H person is. No expectations, of course.
When the dismissal bell rings, you quickly scramble out of your classroom, pointedly ignoring your friendâs confused call of your name. Leaving your bag and belongings behind. Youâll get back to her laterâbut now, the curiosity is killing you.
You navigate the sloppily decorated hallways; passing by lovestruck couples and through streamer paper decor of pinks, whites and reds. Cupid balloons and the overwhelmingly sweet scent of roses suffocate your senses.
The homeroom lab is at the end of the hallway, where all the decorations dwindle or are practically deflating with the lack of attention to detailâit irks you slightly, if this is a confession like you suspect, the surroundings could afford to be somewhat romantic. Not this cheap, unenthusiastic mess, it certainly wouldnât be helping your case.
Your eyes lock onto one heart helium balloon, it drifts aimlessly across the floorânot enough to float up but not completely deflated. You glare at it, like trying to pop it with only your gaze, then to the door.
Steeling yourself, you take a breath then slide it open.
The last person you ever expect to be there, is there too.
âAlhaitham?â you ask, breathless and puzzled.
Was it him that sent you the note?
You shake that thought away, although you got your hopes up the tiniest bit, itâs probably unrelated to anything hearts themed. Youâre pretty sure heâs been actively avoiding people confessing to him today. Maybe thatâs why he hid in here, you muse.
âItâs me, yes,â he nods. âI assume you read my note?â
You laugh, shutting the homeroom lab door unceremoniously behind you. âThat was you? Dude, you couldâve just told me, whatâs with all the secrecy?â
âThereâs something that I need to discuss with you.â
âDiscuss with me,â you repeat, walking over to lean against the working table. Which, thank heavens, is pristinely clean. âAm I in trouble?â
âNo,â he responds and you hum in faux relief. âThough there is something else.â
Alhaitham produces a sleek black chocolate box from seemingly nowhereâor maybe you hadn't seen him hold itâand holds it out to you.
âSweet!â you grin, snatching the chocolates and examining the box. âThis is some really good chocolate, Haitham. Who gave you this one?â
âNo one,â he says. Alhaitham picks at his black painted nailsâones that you yourself painted a few weeks ago in his apartment. The polish is immaculate, almost looking freshly painted if it werenât for the new nail growth starting underneath. âThose are completely from me, for you.â
You double take, taking a long lingering look at the gift. On the smack middle of the box, is the same type of note from earlier in your locker, but this has your name written in elegant cursive:
Happy Valentines. It writes, and you feel strange tingles travel down your spine. Not entirely unpleasant.
âYou shouldnât have,â your eyes widen. âI didnât get anything for you, I never thought we were getting each other friendship chocolates!â
Thereâs a lengthy pause before you hear any reaction from him. Alhaitham makes a strangled noise from deep in his throat. âFriendship chocolates?â
He stresses your name, while massaging his temples. â...I wrote you that note, I waited in here for you and have the audacity to think what I gave you are friendship chocolates. Does that sound logical to you?â
âOf course,â you snort, putting down the chocolates to rest on the low table. âThe only other reason I can think of would be because you like me, which I doubtââ
His lips flatten in unamusement. âSo what if I do?â
âWait, what?â
He inhales deeply, and you swear you see the slightest hints of pink on his ears that peek from underneath silver hair. The silence now is absolutely deafening, and the anticipation even more so. To you, the knowledge of his bashfulness makes the situation feel all the more real.
Alhaitham utters your name softly, like heâs pleading you to understand so that he neednât repeat himself. Which he never does, the damn prideful man.
Youâd make a teasing remark if you werenât so frozen with nerves, the sound of your name from his lips is causing ticklish shivers up your spine. It sounds so intimate when he says it.
Like a secret, even. Although Alhaitham might be the most self-preserving and unambitious person you know, when it comes to the things that matter to himâhe takes initiative right away.
âSo you like meââ you breathe, the button up collar of your shirt feels all too tight all of a sudden, you tangle your fingers together and squeeze tightly. âLike, like like me?â
âIâve been trying to tell you,â he sighs, low and long-suffering. âFor three whole years.â
Holy. Fucking. Shit.
Your eyes widen and you feel a low simmering heat spreading all over, even till your fingertips. You recall all the other times, past Valentine's days and recounting his strange behavior. All the dots start to connect together and you wonder how you never noticed. âWhat the hell.â
âSo that one time last year when you were offering me your buttonââ you gasp. You remember, itâs a stupid highschool tradition, a boy would offer the second button of his uniform to a girl if he liked her. Itâs the closest to the heart, but to you, itâs a thoughtless way to ruin perfectly good clothing. âHaitham, did you ask Kaveh for advice or something?â
âMatters like these are irrelevant to argue with him about,â he scoffs. Alhaitham folds his arms across his chest. âHe ran off and came to the conclusion himself. Ever since then, heâs been bothering me with trying all types of confession tradition.â
Laughter starts to bubble out of you, disbelieving and flustered to the maximum level. âDude, I basically friendzoned you and had no idea! You shouldâve told me.â
His shoulders stiffen and he gives you such a disarmingly attractive look. And if your eyes dare deceive you, he looks the teensiest bit hopeful too. Right now, you feel like your heart is beating right out of your goddamn chest. The sound is so loud, the quickening thumping sound of your chest that you swear he might hear it too.
â...I see that now,â he says, his expression is exasperatedâbut so unbelievably soft. You feel yourself melting like butter under his gaze. âThough I am disappointed in your lacking ability to identify context clues.â
âOh whatever,â you bump your shoulder against his, though you donât move back away. The warmth of him is all consuming and comforting as hell, you could burrow yourself in him and never resurface, you think. He accepts your closeness with a strong arm wrapping behind you to hold you by the hand. Your stomach does somersaults in your stomach. âItâs all your fault. Youâre an idiot for not telling it to me straight.â
âDoes that mean you reciprocate?â he murmurs, leaning closer to whisper in your ear.
You pull back enough to take the box of chocolates, opening it and popping one in your mouth. âThis chocolate is pretty good. Guess Iâll have to let you stick around for more.â
I like you too.
He nuzzles into you, leaving a chaste kiss on the crown of your head. âI guess you do, donât you?â
i will anywayâŚ
what would you guys think if i wrote for stardew valley expanded
word count: 2.1k
summary: sebastian brings you on a ride.
tags: emotional hurt/comfort, slight angst, dialogue heavy, sebastian and reader have a heart to heart
a/n: i never thought i'd be writing for the emo boy but here i am. hope you guys liked this as much as i liked writing this! :D
Like the green rain phenomenon or the cute little junimo creatures that live in the community center, thereâs always something new to experience in the valley. As odd as it might be.
Hunched over, tending to your cropsâis like living in wait, the calm before the storm, the thrum of anticipation as you await the next exciting thing.
Like todayânow.
âAh, there you are.â
The garden shears in your hands are dropped into the thick down crawl of growing fruit. You look up, squinting your eyes due to the warm beat of dying sunlight.
âSebastian?â you pause, looking up at him from your spot amongst growing melon vines. Your overalls smeared with dirt and damp with sweatâthis is the last state youâd want to be seen in.
âHey farmer,â The keys dangling from his index finger jingle as he gives you a close-lipped smile. âWanna go for a ride?â
â
The place Sebastian stops at is quiet.
But not in the way most people thinkâthe valley is never quiet, birds chirping, the breeze singing through tall grass and the rustle of branches swaying slowly. Youâre aware of the sounds in the recesses of your mind.Â
The view is breath-taking.
The sun set long before you arrived on Sebastianâs cliff side spot. Itâs cool and grassy, ticking your ankles as you walk through the field. The air, no longer warm but a cool breeze that you greedily inhale.
You stop right before the edge, thereâs a big drop that you'd rather not slip and fall into. Zuzu city lay just under the horizon, a smatter of light in the otherwise now-dark forest. A cluster of flashing lights that remind you of starsâthat have fallen and gathered from the night sky.
âAmazing, I know.â Sebastian says, a few steps behind you. Heâs leaning against his bike, staring at the same view as you. âZuzu city is miles from here, but thereâs so much lightâyou can see it even from high up.â
You fold your arms, turning your back at the viewâfacing him. âWell, it is nicer from afar.â
Sebastian gives you a look, then nods his head to the grassy patch behind him. âMhm. Letâs sit?â
You settle down together, side by side. You, him, and his motorbike beside himâthereâs barely any space between your legs. You feel the warmth of proximityâso close. What youâd give to bridge that gap once and for all.
âWant a drink?â he asks, pulling out a beer bottle from his hoodie pocketâyour brow raises, a miracle it didnât break on the way. âOnly got one though.â
You shrug, taking the bottle. Itâs warmâwarmed by his body heat. âSâokay with me. Weâll just haveâta share.â
He looks at you, eyes momentarily flickering to your lips as you use your teeth to pop the bottle cap off. âI guess we do.â
â
The beer is settling warmly low in your stomach, loosening every tightly wound muscle in your body. You feel weightless, the edges of your mind made fuzzy.Â
âIâve been savinâ up a lot,â he suddenly says, picking absentmindedly at the blades of grass underneath him. âAlmost have enough too. Once I do, Iâm skipping outta this town on my bike.â
You nod your head. âIt is a pretty cool bike.â
âMhm,â he drawls, patting the side of his motorcycleâalmost lovingly. âItâs gonna take me all the way to Zuzu city.â
âZuzu city,â you repeat slowly, feeling the sound of the words in your mouth. Itâs unpleasant, Zuzu city is a place youâd rather leave behind. You look down at the view of it, squinting. âWhy go there?â
He pauses, inhaling the cool night air deeply. His fingers itchâlike theyâre searching for the comforting hold of cigarettes he so enjoys.Â
A part of you wishes you didnât ask. Difficult conversations and cliff sides donât mesh well together, you think. You donât dare move a muscle as you wait for him, your eyes drifting back to the glittering light-filled view of Zuzu city.
âItâs suffocating hereâeverything about the valley,â he replies mirthlessly. âI live in the basement of my momâs house for fuckâs sake. I know how she looks at me, like she couldâve done so much more to make me less of a shitbag. Maybe she couldâve, I donât care. Itâs way too late now.â
A low whistle escapes past your lips. You swirl the beer bottle loosely in your grip. âI seeâŚâ
Sebastian narrows his eyes at you, scoffing. âYouâre pretty shit at comforting words, yâknow that?â
âHarsh,â you look at him quizzically, shoving the beer bottle into his hands. He accepts it immediately. âWhat do you want me to say, Seb?âÂ
âNothing,â he smirks, downing a generous gulp of beer, the bottle is a little less than half full now. ââm just teasing. Donât gimme that look. I didnât want comfort anyway, Iâve had enough of that. I want you to tell me the stone cold truth.â
âPromise not to get pissed off?â
Sebastian clicks his tongue against his teeth, then smiles. âDepends on what you say.â
âWow, guess Iâll have to lie.â you joke.
âHeyââ
âKidding.â You laugh softly at his pinched expression. His eyes narrowedâlacking any real aggressionâat you as you poke harmless fun.Â
You grin, slowly turning back to the view. âYou wonât find yourself there,â you say simply, taking a slow sip of beer, the smoothness of it running smoothly down your throat. âBelieve me, Iâd know.â
Sebastian turns to face you, irritation spelled out in every feature of his face.Â
âSmartassâŚâ
âHey, you asked for the stone cold truth,â you lift your fingers into air quotations to emphasize your point.
âTch. Tell me this then. If I canât find myself there, or here in the valley. Where the hell do I go?âÂ
You pause, clicking the bottle with your nails idly. Heâs irritated obviously. But you think more frustrated and confused than anything.
You sigh, then smile. The valley hasnât been the kindest to its resident shut-in.
âMid-life crisis at 24,â you tease gently, poking at his side. Sebastian shoots you a heatless glare. âDonât worry too much Seb, your hair is gonna turn gray.â
âHa-ha,â he replies sourly. âYou talk as if that isnât the same reason you moved to the valley.â
âHey, I gave a generous amount of my life to Joja,â you snort, shifting your feet into a better resting position. âI paid my dues over there before I found some semblance of peace here.â
âI canât just sit around and wait my whole life.â
âThen donât,â you reply simply. âGod knows I wish I followed my dear old grampsâ footsteps sooner.â
âIt isnât that simple.â
âYep. It isnât. It does get easier though.â
âYou say it so easily.â
âSometimes, it just is.â you reply. âOnly sometimes, though.â
For all you remember, your grandfather absolutely adored the valley, though he couldnât convince you in the height of your angsty teenage phase to do the same. Youâre long past that now, life didnât go as planned and you ended up right where your grandfather said you would be.
Funny, how fate works so mysteriously, so weirdly.
You shake that thought away, turning to Sebastianâwho has the same contemplative expression as you.
Heâs silent, thinking. His fingers grasping and twirling the drawstrings of his hoodie. âYou never told me the story.â
âWell,â you purse your lips, handing him the bottle. He drops the drawstrings to grab it. A wordless agreement between the two of you to share what remains of the liquid. âYou nâver asked.â
âI wanna hear it,â he says, looking at you at the corner of his glittering obsidian eyes. âplease?â
âHow polite,â you laugh, he lightly hits you on the back of your head with his palm. âOuch. No need to be rough wâme, Iâll tell you.â
You clear your throat with an obnoxious ahem. âOnce upon a timeâŚâ
ââCâmon farmer, stop messing around. I wanna know your story,â he interjects, and it almost sounds like a plea. âNo theatrics.â
Your lips flatten into a grim line. Heâs being unusually insistent on the topic. But now that you think about it, you havenât told anyone why you moved into the farm. Not your mother, not your father, and definitely not anyone else in Pelican Town.
Sebastian may be your first, you think to yourselfâinnuendo unintended.
You hug your arms closer to your chest, the cool draft sliding over your skinâmaking you shiver. No better way to battle the uncomfortable situation with an even more uncomfortable conversation. You take a deep breath.
âI was a fresh graduate when I started working at Jojaâworked my way up from customer service to marketing. Crazy, right?â you chuckle, though it sounds hollow even to you. âAll the pretentious proposals I would write and those useless meetings thatâd take forever. There wasnât a day where I didnât hate my 20 year old self for starting at Joja. 5 years down the fucking drain when I quit. Let me tell you, itâs the best decision I made in my stupid corporate slave life.â
Sebastian says nothing, he hands the bottle back to you, which you take a generous swig of. You grip the bottle tightly around its neck, the warm feeling of alcohol loosening your tongue.Â
You exhale deeply through your nose. âI was in my cubicle when I just âbout had enoughâby the way, I hate that theyâre called cubicles, I felt like a number in some executiveâs spreadsheets instead of a living breathing person.â all that talking and your throat itches for more of the sweet burn of alcoholâyou oblige it with another weighty gulp. âGrandpa left me this letter, told lilâ old me not to open it until I really, really needed to. Now that I think of it, he knew.â
Your voice cracks by the end of it. Your tongue feels way too thick for your mouth. And your eyes blurâthere seems to be twice as many stars as usual.
Sebastian stays quiet, reflective even. Though his hands have stilled, and he feels closer than he was earlier. Itâs warmer, you think.
If he asks, youâve decided youâll blame it on the alcohol.
â
You and Sebastian talk for hours after, the bottle of beer being passed between the both of you too often. You feel a tad tipsyâhaving drank the lionâs share of beer. Your head lolls onto your arms as you talk about everything then nothing.Â
Thereâs a fair moment of silence that blankets the two of you afterâcertainly not uncomfortable. You feel Sebastain knows the fact more than anyone. He seems to thrive in the quiet moments.
âI donât think Iâm leaving the valley any time soon, though,â he says softly, breaking the tranquil silence.Â
So heâs been thinking. âWhy so?â
He shrugs his shoulders, taking the final sip of beer that finishes the bottle. âSomethingâs makinâ it worth staying a little longer.â His eyes meet yours, albeit for a secondâbefore he refocuses on the cliff side view.Â
Ah, you understand.
Suddenly, alcohol isnât the only thing making you feel so warm. You thank the stars for the dark, for hiding any warm pinkness in your expression. You smile, more to yourself than anything. Taking the bottle from him, brushing your fingers over his perpetually cold ones.
The bottle is lighter than it was at the beginning of the nightâyour shoulders too, less achy, less stiff. With all that weight off of them, you can afford to be less wound up.Â
You tip the bottle over the grass, nothing but a single drop comes out. You watch it fall and drop into the grass. âGood. This something thinks youâll come to like it even.â
Sebastian tilts his head, a tentative smile playing on his lips. âThatâs presumptive.â
You shrug, smirking. âI have a sense for this type of stuff.â
âReally now?â
âMhm. I donât just lie for no reason. And my senses are telling me youâll be alright.â
You hear the silent hitch of his breath, the momental widening of his eyes and the tremble in his jaw. It saddens you slightly, no one has probably reassured him of it before.
God knows you needed some while working at Joja, youâre just returning your dues to the universeâand to him.
He laughs softly, and bitterly. His fingers twitch againâfor that darn cigarette. âGod, I sure hope so.â
Sebastian will be just fine, you know that. And itâs about time he knew it too.
Haley! I donât play but my bsf loves her <3
done with Sam! enjoy this golden retriever :)
pairing: sam x reader
wc: 1.1k
tags: CHEEEEESY cheesy cheesy puppy love, mutual pining, sam is PATHETICALLY down bad, pre-relationship, abigail and sebastian mentioned, friends to lovers
synopsis: if it were up to sam, he'd spend every second of everyday at your side.
a/n: in all of my other sam fics, its reader embarrassingly in love with him...he gets a taste of his own medicine here lol!
With vanilla ice cream melting and dripping down your fingertips, coarse sand underneath you and the salty ocean waves lapping at your feet; you are a child again, sitting with your grandpa at the docks, watching as he reeled in a âbig oneâ. Filling his bucket with loads and loads of fish.
Those days are far gone now, but the memory remains, as clear as the day you remember it. The feeling is nostalgic, sleepy in the way your senses are dulled by syrupy thick contentment. Beaches at sunset have that effect on you, you suppose.Â
âThis is fun,â Sam says, tone lacking its boisterous loudness, you almost donât hear it over the sound of crashing waves. âI had a lot of fun today, farmer.â
Your eyes flicker to him, his green gaze dead-set on the peachy golden sky, the taste of sea salt mingling with sweet ice cream heavy in your tongue. The sea breeze is cold, whipping against your face and running through your hair.
âI did too,â you agree. âYâknow, I donât get a lot of off time with the farm and stuff. This is a nice change of pace.â
He smiles, that sunshine smile youâve come to associate with Sam. âI caught you at just the right time then, huh?âÂ
You shrug, your own smile mirroring his. âAuspicious.â He did.
The sun is setting, the day is coming to a close yet Sam wishes it wouldnât, silently pleading with any higher being to somehow stretch time. He is barely a religious person, but the weight of his want is enough to transcend his own beliefs. Every second with you barely feels like enough; like sand slipping through his fingers.
One thingâs for certain, Sam isnât going to just let it end here.
âWe should hang out like this again,â Sam says, a little hurriedly, captured all in one breath. Shy and tentative, like a bashful child with a school crush. âUh, I mean, do you? Wanna? Hang out with me?â
You can barely suppress a delighted chuckle from slipping past your lips, your chest warming with fond affection. âIâd be more than happy to. Yoba knows I need a break or two or Iâll actually explode,â you huff while Sam hums in agreement. âWe can even invite Abigail and Sebastian⌠so can demo that new song for me, I see you all working very hard when I visit sometimes.â
He should be happy to hear that; that youâd be more than happy to spend your precious off time with him out of all people. You and him, him and you, Sam and the farmer. Your name connected to his with âandâ, it makes him giddy, causes his cheeks pinken and pinken.Â
Just the two of you, though. Sure, he loves his friends, Abby and Seb have been with him since day one. But it feels out of placeâ
(Sam, Sebastian, Abigail and the farmer doesnât have that ring to itâŚ)
âYeah, IâI dunno, itâs justâŚâ
The unfiltered truth is stupid, at least to him. Vincent is far too young for some of the things Sam longs to say. Thereâs a reason Abby and Seb hang out under his nose, he wonât blame them, they have their own secrets he isnât privy toâtoo serious, too dull for him.
(And now with you, he thinks you might just be the one he can share his own secrets with. Because even he has his own serious, dull thoughts. Thoughts that he doesnât want brushed away with a snarky remark or a sarcastic laugh.)
âI kinda like that itâs just the two of us?âÂ
His voice sounds unsteady, squeaky. Trailing off at the end, lost in the sound of water crashing at your feet. Phrasing his statement into a question that you could deny, that you could easily brush offâbecause if you did, he would too.Â
(It would be a bummer if you did though, but Sam is cool with that, chill with any decision you make. Really, he totally is.)
You grin, bumping your shoulder against his, your ice cream is dripping down, down, down your knuckles. Once your skin meets his, you donât pull away, you press closer and closer to his side. Leaning your head against his sunburnt shoulderâbut he barely registers the stingâand your arm against his own. Itâs a pleasant weight, having you against himâgrounding and tethering him to you.
âI do too. Like it, I mean. I think I get to see so many other sides to you, Sam. Without the others and all that.â
Sam feels his breath hitch, his cheeks flush even pinker even with the sunburns. âWoah, phew, I meanâawesome⌠When, when do you think we can meet next?â
You tilt your head, running calculations through your mind. Youâre very busy on that farm, he knows; but Sam canât help but keep his hopes up, youâre fun company. Maybe the best heâs had yet.
âI know I wonât have enough time until my melons are ready for harvestingâand donât you dare try making a joke about that,â you smile, wide and cheeky. Right as Sam readies an innuendo at the tip of his tongue; it makes his blood pump faster and his breathing stutters at the thought of you knowing him so well.Â
âSo how about this?â you propose slowly. âWe spend one day every month doing all the stuff we wanna do, together. just you and meâfun right? Iâll even sleep a little earlier the night before.â
Sam bites into his ice creamâchocolate and your treat, at your insistenceâthough he isnât quite sure if the immediate smile on his lips is due to its sweetness, or yours.
He leans closer into you, resting his head on top of yours, strands of your hair tickling his lips. Lowering his voice into a whisper so only you can hear.
(The secret is that you make Sam want. Want, want, want like heâll never get sick of it. He hoards these stolen moments with you so greedily yet wants more.)
ââŚtwo days, two days each month.â
He feels your body shake with the strength of your laughter, warmth swirls all throughout his body, tingling wherever your body brushes against his own. Sam finds that he likes the feeling, the buzz of itâitâs addicting.
âYeah, alright then,â you reply, mirth dripping from each and every word. âtwo days. We have a deal. Better?â
âYeah,â he turns back to face the water, the ocean spray misting his face. âYeah, a lot better. That does sound fun.â
Anything sounds fun when it involves you.