Shane X Female Reader - Stardew Valley

Chapter 21: Life Goes On

After dinner, Marnie brought out the pink cake, which you hadn't tried before. Mayor Lewis explained that it was also a traditional treat from the Valley. It was a wide, tiered circle vanilla cake covered in baby pink frosting. There was melon jam in between each layer of cake, and there were candied pieces of melon dotting the top. It was a treat to look at...and to eat.

By the time the cake was finished, it was a little past eight. Marnie went to put Jas to bed, leaving you alone with Shane and Mayor Lewis. "Can I get anyone anything else?" Shane asked, trying to play host in his aunt's absence. "More wine?" He grabbed the bottle and filled up your glass and the Mayor's.

"No more wine for you tonight, Shane?" Mayor Lewis asked as he saw Shane leave his own glass empty. You had noticed that Shane had stopped himself after a single glass. You were overcome with pride for his improvements and desire to get better.

Shane's face turned red but he played it off well. "No, not tonight." He yawned. "It is getting late though. We- (Y/N) should probably be heading home soon."

"Alright, well it was great to see you again." Mayor Lewis bid you a farewell. "I hope the farm is holding up for you." You made your replies and headed out of the house, passing by Marnie to thank her for the meal.

Shane walked you out onto the front step. "Do you want me to come home with you tonight?" He asked. "Or at least walk you there?"

You thought about it for a moment. As much as you wanted to spend the night with Shane, it was probably good to take things slowly. "I do, but I think you should probably stay here tonight. Jas clearly misses you, and I don't want you to get burnt out on me too quickly." You winked as you smoothly grabbed his hand.

"That's probably a good idea." Shane nodded, taking your other hand as well. "Plus, I volunteered to cover Sam's shift at work tomorrow. I don't want to have to wake you up that early on a Sunday."

"Thanks." You joked. "I really want to cuddle up with you again tonight though."

Shane nodded as he pulled you into his chest. "That was wonderful last night."

You agreed and looked up at your boyfriend. "I love you, you know." You smiled.

Shane's face lit up with a grin as he looked down at you. "I love you, too." He quickly kissed you. You grabbed his head before he could lean completely away and pulled him into another, longer kiss. You slowly pulled away, your faces still touching. "These last two days have felt like a dream, (Y/N)." Shane whispered. "I'm so glad that they weren't."

"Me too." You smiled.

Your loving boyfriend caressed your face and gave you a final peck before sending you off. "Goodnight, chickpea." He smiled. "Get home safe, okay?"

                                                                                               * * *

You woke up the next morning refreshed from spending the previous day with Shane, but sorely missing his presence in the bed at the moment. Your blankets felt cold and lonely without him there with you. You got up slowly and started about your day. You had only done the bare minimum for the farm with Shane yesterday, and you had several chores that you needed to get done. After a quick breakfast of hot cereal with honey and salmonberries, you hurried about your farm to get some work done. The main thing you wanted to get done today was a trip to the beach. You wanted to gather seashells to sell, as well as buy some bait and tackle at Willy's Fish Shop. You might even get some ocean fishing in on the docks, the rod Willy had given you had been sitting in your chest since you received it.

After you finished all the usual farm chores, you grabbed the rod, your pack, and headed towards the beach. It was about a 45-minute walk there from your house. As you passed by Marnie's Ranch, you thought about the wonderful time you had there the night before and how much you missed Shane. He was at work, though, and you had things you needed to do as well. You hoped to see him tonight or the next, though you assumed he was busy with his work and chores at the ranch.

You were nearly to the beach by now, and you could see there were a plethora of shells and treasures littering the golden sands. It was a sunny Monday, and the warm sand radiated the sky's glow. You gathered a few choice shells before making your way to Willy's Fish Shop. You walked in and dropped the shells on the glass display counter.

"Productive day, eh miss?" The battered fisherman asked as he started counting the treasures. "You've a good lot, I'll give you 500g for 'em all."

You paused the old man before he could shell out the coin. "I was actually coming to buy some bait and tackle as well, could we see to a trade?"

You saw a smile through his matted gray beard. "Aye, miss. You've the heart of a fisherman alright." He grabbed a couple of items from the shelf behind him. "I'll take these shells and give you a net to hold your catch; a lead bobber, which'll keep your line from bouncing when you hook a fish; 50 pieces of bait; and a handmade lure to help you attract bigger catches."

You thanked the man kindly and made the trade. You had finally gotten into the swing of things with your gardening and chickens, so you were ready to advance your other farm life skills: starting with the art of fishing. "Any other tips for fishing?" You asked the sage angler before you left.

"Go with your gut, miss. That's how fish think, it will help you too." He smiled. You realized he probably didn't get a lot of people in the shop looking for fishing supplies and advice. You guessed his main clientele to be people looking at fresh fish to have for dinner. It warmed your heart to think that you were helping him keep the passion for fishing alive in Stardew Valley. "Also, look for small bubbling spots on the water. Usually means there's a fish lurkin' under the surface." You thanked him, said your goodbyes, and left to go fishing.

You perched yourself on the dock, fairly close to the beach. You let your legs swing off the edge and felt the cool rush of the water grazing your toes. You cast your line and waited. It felt like you had waited for hours when you finally felt the first tug. You quickly pulled it in. The fish was small and blue, only about half a foot, but you were proud of your first catch. You realized you didn't know what kind of fish it was, but you could be sure to ask Willy. You tried your line again.

This cast took less time to reel in a much bigger, black fish, reaching almost two feet long. The next fish you caught was similar to the first, maybe a few inches longer. After that you caught a ten inch blueish-purple fish. You checked your watch to see it was nearing four in the afternoon and you had amassed around a dozen various fish. You decided to take the fish to Willy and see if he had any insights into what they are.

"That's a nice catch." A buttery voice commented from behind you. "You ought to be quite proud of yourself, fishing is a battle of both patience and practice, you seem to have mastered both."

You turned around to see Elliott standing stoically behind you, looking down at you and your fish. "Oh, thanks. This is my first time."

"Well, you will make quite the fisherwoman." He carefully picked up the giant black fish. "Just look at the size of this halibut."

You were surprised he was willing to touch the fish, let alone that he knew what it was. "That's a halibut?"

He nodded as he set it back down. "Do you need help classifying them? I have a directory on fish breeds back at my cabin."

"That would be great!" You squealed excitedly.

"Perfect, follow me." Elliott started back towards his home and you quickly gathered up the fish in the net and your supplies before trailing behind him. By the time you made it over, Elliott had already retrieved the book from inside and was waiting for you in front of the cabin.

The two of you spent a while looking over the fish, flipping through the directory in hopes of finding a perfect match. To be honest, you were having a ton of fun. It made you sad when you found the final fish to be an anchovy, meaning you had nothing left to discuss.

"Thank you for helping me." You told the renaissance man. "You're welcome to pick some fish to keep as thanks. I won't be able to eat them all myself."

"Oh, I'll take one, but keep the rest." He smiled. "You can sell them, I'm sure." He grabbed a herring of medium size. "You've earned this catch."

✏️ A/N: Thanks for reading! Next week will see the debut of Chapter 22: Coupled Confusion on April 03, 2022. Thanks!