Us | A Stardew Valley FanFiction

Chapter 16 - Winter 25

"Merry Christmas!"

My eyes fluttered open to an excited scream that could only have come from Sam. Nestled on one and a half cushions of the couch, Haley's legs absorbed the remainder of space and more—every vacant crevice occupied by pieces of her.

The living room itself resembled that of the shack—a sight that, strangely, caused nostalgia to wash over me. The boys, sprawled uncomfortably on the hard wood—somehow managing to lay in the scarce areas that were not engulfed in sleeping bags and blankets—were peering up at us eagerly, like little kids who had counted down the minutes until morning. I laughed as Haley flicked Sam's head, sinking back into the corner of the cushion opposite of me.

"Mommmmm, come on," Sam whined, my face distorting at the sound of his high-pitched wail.

"First of all, do not ever call me that again," Haley muttered from within the comfort of the sofa. "Second of all, go away."

"You're going to miss the Feast if you don't get up, lazy bones," Sam murmured, annoyance tainting his tone. "Sade, I thought you were better than this. You haven't gotten up this late since, well..."

I knew what he was referring to, and I cringed at the thought of myself proudly wearing those damn pajama pants backwards. Alex's reaction was non-existent; judging by his tousled hair and blank stare towards the kitchen, it was clear that he, too, was not fully awake yet.

"You people are practically zombies, for the love of God. How are you not excited?"

I groaned, holding a throw pillow over my face to prolong the darkness for a few more seconds. The Feast of the Winter Star, a staple event in the lives of locals, was no stranger to me; Sam had been gushing on and on about it for the past few weeks.

Admittedly, it had become something I was looking forward to. Winter at the farm was desolate, even with the constant company of the three stooges. Crops couldn't grow, the animals couldn't come outside, and it was too cold for Alex to work out on the shipping bin—he had begun to retreat to his weight set at Evelyn's every morning.

I panned the room, my gaze landing on the crumbled letter that I had received from Lewis a few days prior. Revealed on the parchment was the name of the villager whose gift I was assigned this year—a discovery that was less than pleasant.

Alex had claimed that the picks were rigged after we received our envelopes, asking the others if they had ever gotten the person they had hoped for. His query was met with solemn head shakes.

"I mean, there is an easy gift to give, yes, but I don't want to be responsible for fueling that damn addiction," he huffed, staring intently at Pam's name scrawled in large print across the note.

"You want to bitch about fueling an addiction? At least Pam doesn't spew all over the Saloon every night," Sam said, his energy matching Alex's as he attempted to throw his mail across the room. The weight, or lack thereof, of the letter caused it to flutter onto the floor, Shane's name written in bright red across the center.

"I wonder if I could kidnap Emily for this," Haley mused, looking at her assignment. Clint.

"Seems like Emily might be occupied," I sighed, my eyes glazing over as her name stared back at me. "What are the odds, seriously?"

"Well, if you take the number of—"

"Shut the fuck up, Sam!" Haley screeched, her command immediately being met.

"Here, just switch with me," Alex suggested, now leaned back into the recliner with his feet propped on the coffee table. "I'll give her a pile of dirt. Or coal. Whatever it is Santa gives pieces of shit for Christmas."