a Stardew Valley fan fiction: The Proper Care and Feeding of Souls

Linger

"'In all the world, there is no heart for me like yours.

 In all the world, there is no love for you like mine"

- Maya Angelou

The next morning, Grace stood outside the door to Sam's house in a simple black dress, returning the glass container she'd borrowed from Jodi the night before. Lightly, she knocked and waited.

No one seemed to be home, which seemed odd for a Monday morning at 9 AM. She waited and patiently knocked again. This time, she heard some rustling from inside, and then as the door swung open, she found herself face to face with Sam, his sun-kissed hair adorably in disarray, wearing gray pajama pants and a white t-shirt. He blushed immediately, his hand raised to the back of his neck as it always did when he was uncomfortable.

"Oh Sam," Grace giggled slightly, "I am so sorry. I didn't mean to wake you......I was just returning this to your mom...." She lifted the container, smiling at her boyfriend.

Sam smiled, releasing his hand from the back of his neck. "My mom and dad took Vincent to the city, a spontaneous bonding trip or whatever. They won't be back until tomorrow." Sam, recovering from his initial embarrassment, took the container from Grace, placing it on a nearby table. He grabbed her hand and pulled her close. "I have the day off", he breathed.

Allowing herself to be pulled in, Grace grazed Sam's neck, taking in his scent of sunshine and warmth. She delicately kissed his neck. She could feel the movement of Sam growing hard against her. She looked up into his eyes expectantly.

Sam led Grace into his bedroom and closed the door behind them. The sunshine of the beautiful fall morning poured through the window, giving a warm light to everything in its path. Sam met Grace's expectant eyes with intensity. Staring into her eyes as they stood in the middle of his room, he pulled off his t-shirt revealing his bronzed, muscular chest. Grace's breath caught, she grazed her fingers along the tattoo on the side of Sam's torso that she had only just discovered two nights before. "Grace," he said urgently, placing his hands on her hips. A small moan escaped her mouth as she took it all in.

Sam lowered her onto the bed. "Is this okay?" He asked gently. Grace nodded, silently. Grace sunk into the fluffy white comforter atop Sam's bed, exactly where she had been when they'd had their first kiss. He pulled her close, pressing his lips to her as she had done to him that night. His hands moved slowly up her thighs, pulling her dress up. "Can I take this off?" He whispered urgently. Grace nodded, as Sam's warm hands glided against her body removing her dress. 

******

Laying next to Sam, naked, breathless, Grace's body flooded with pleasure and peace. After a moment, she rolled on her side, facing Sam. Delicately running her fingers along his chest, she whispered, "I love you." Sam's eyes sparkled. He turned onto his side, propping himself up with his elbow to face her. "I love you." He said, leaving out the word too as if it would somehow cheapen the sentiment.

"I owe you an apology......" Sam started, "...or at least an explanation." He stumbled.

Looking into his eyes, Grace listened.

"When my dad came home....." A look of hurt flashed across Sam's face, "things got.....really hard.....intense.....I... it wasn't like any of us expected......" he took a deep breath and kept going. "I got into a dark place. I was obsessed with this idea that I could not be perfect for you. That I would break up our future family just like I thought my dad had done with ours....That I would ruin it all......." Sam's eyes stung a bit. "That I couldn't be who you needed me to be." Sam looked down, trying to avoid the tears from leaving his eyes. "I'm sorry."

Taking in all that Sam must have been thinking, Grace lifted her finger to his chin, pulling his gaze back up to meet hers. "I don't want you to be perfect.....We....we'll never be perfect. I don't want us to be." She smiled into his eyes. "Perfection is a mirage, created by desperate people who no longer see the goodness that is right in front of them." "But Sam, I see the goodness right in front of us. As long as I love you and you love me.....and we never give up on each other" She nervously chuckled, "well, then as cheesy as it sounds, I think that's all that matters." Grace stumbled with her words, feeling suddenly self-conscious. 'I...... I mean....our lives won't ever be perfect.....but I think.....well...." Grace shook her head and smiled.....unable to finish her thought. She blushed, feeling her face grow hot.

Sam smiled. "My dad kind of told me the same thing", he said quietly. "I....." Stumbling to find his words as well, he said the only thing he knew she would understand. "no regrets, right?"

"No regrets."

The fall sun fell behind a cloud as the morning progressed and the cool crisp atmosphere evolved into an endless display of drizzling rain and fog. Grace cooked Sam breakfast wearing nothing but his t-shirt, and afterward, the warmth and bliss of Sam's fluffy bed, the erotic exploration of newfound love and deep conversations that evolved between two lovers naked in bed the occupied the rest of the day. Of all of the things Grace had planned to do that day, she couldn't think of any that topped what she chose to do instead.