Chapter Text
“Are you serious?” Clint looks up from his palm with a raised eyebrow.
“I-”
“Don't answer that, of course you are,” he sighs, inspecting the five obsidian stones. “You know I'm not a jeweler, right?”
“I'm not asking you to make jewelry,” you mumble, crossing your arms and glancing away.
“I'd need jewel cutting equipment to make dice out of these, you know.”
“Add it to my tab for whatever fee you're gonna charge me,” you glance at him, eyes unwavering in your request.
Clint groans, looking like he's racking his brain for an excuse to refuse.
“Can you engrave the numbers on them too? It would look nicer than paint on the flat faces,” you implement the strategy of assuming he's already agreed, hoping your confidence convinces him.
“I'd need a-”
“Put it on my tab.”
Clint pinches the bridge of his nose, sighing in frustration. “Again, I'm not a jeweller, Farmer.”
“I know it's an odd request, but I don't have any more tools to upgrade with you. I thought you might want the extra business, since I won't be needing your services much anymore,” you shrug.
Clint grumbles, looking at his computer on the counter.
“You know, I bet Emily would love to try making jewelry out of her stones,” you tap your chin, exaggerating a pondering pose.
Clint sighs. “You can be really manipulative when you want to be, you know that?”
“Whatever do you mean?” You cock your head, batting your eyes innocently.
“Fine,” he grumbles, turning his monitor towards you, “If you don't mind paying for these, then I'll do it.”
“Deal,” you reply immediately, not looking at the price.
“When do you need these done?” He inspects the stones again.
“Umm, two weeks? If you can,” you’re not confident that it matters. You probably won't get a chance to give these to him anyways.
“It's for a gift, I take it?”
“Mhm,” now that he said yes, you’re anxious to get out and stop the small talk.
“Who’s nerdy enough to want these? Harvey?”
“Um, no they're for Seb,” you trail off.
“Really!” He looks genuinely surprised, then furrows his brow in confusion. “I thought he left?”
Your heart pangs with the reminder. “He’s not dead,” you chuckle, making your way to the door. “Thanks Clint, you’re the best!” You wave, slipping out the door.
Winter has been hard so far. As soon as the snow hit, it felt like the forward momentum of your mental health recovery hit a wall. A cold, unforgiving, one.
It’s just seasonal depression making it worse, you tell yourself. Though it didn't affect you last year. Last year, you were having the best sex of your life with your closest friend. Despite the annoying recovery period from your injury.
There's not enough distractions right now. Your farm is fully upgraded, barns and coops full of happy animals and fields fully automated with irrigation. Shane handles all the animal care and processing of the goods they produce, and doesn't need help. You couldn't bring yourself to temporarily lay off Alex til spring, so he's here three days a week chopping trees, processing the remainder of the produce and building more kegs and preserve jars for you.
It's not like their salaries are hurting you financially, either. You have more money than you know what to do with. The skull caverns give you loads of raw materials and treasure to sell. The only limiting factor is iridium ore, and even then you've been able to acquire a steady stream of it.
It's frustrating how numb you feel. How you refuse to let yourself enjoy this life you've worked so hard to build. How you can't get Sebastian out of your head. You go through phases with how you feel about him. Furious how he left, made friends with Jamie and cut you out. Sad that you could have prevented this. Mournful of the timeline where you told each other those three little words and let yourselves be happy.
No matter how you feel, you just miss him. So fucking much. More than anything, you just want to talk with him. You crave closure. If it's over with him, fine. Then you can let yourself move on. But you just need to hear it from him directly.
It's been hard to sleep lately. Staying up til midnight isn't a huge feat like it was last year. You sit at the kitchen table, the only light on in the house right above you. You slide the finished dice out of their velvet pouch, admiring how stunning they look. Clint really did a great job. The sharp edges really make the dark stones shine. He even painted the engraved numbers gold, which contrast beautifully.
He's gonna love these, a slight smile tugs on your lips, if I can ever give these to him. The fleeting smile disappears. If things stay the same, odds are he wouldn't want to even look at them. You tuck them away safely, staring at your phone. 11:58 p.m..
You have to try. Maybe it's been enough time now, and he'll consider picking up. Offering a birthday gift might be the icebreaker you need to squeeze back in his life. The clock rolls over to midnight sooner than anticipated. Your heart races as you call him for the first time in months.
Your nerves flutter when it rings- oh. That's weird, the voicemail started after the first ring. You hang up and try again. One ring, two- voicemail.
“Fuck,” you curse under your breath as his voicemail message plays. This means he's up, looking at his phone. Seeing your call and choosing to decline. Immediately.
The beep comes before you're ready.
“Um, hi. Happy Birthday, Seb. I…miss you, so much. I uh, have a gift for you. I want you to have it, even if you don't want to see me. But I- I want to see you. Or at least talk. I'll even take a text at this point. I…hope you’re okay. I'm sure as hell not. Sorry, it's not about me right now. Happy birthday again, uh…hope you have a good day,” you hang up, wincing with embarrassment.
You rest your head in your hands, leaning on the table while hot, frustrated tears stream down your face. What's the point…he's not even gonna listen to it.
Abigail and Sam are in Zuzu visiting Sebastian for the weekend. You debated asking them to bring his gift, but decided against it. He hasn't replied to your voicemail, obviously.
At least this time you don't have to find out about their visit second hand. But now all you can think about is what they're up to at any given moment. Once you handled the morning animal chores, you came straight to the desert for the usual distraction.
You need to push yourself today, and see how far you can go. The deeper the floors, the more dangerous it is. The more dangerous, the more focus you need to not die down here. You recklessly jump down every mine shaft you find, quickly losing track of what floor you're on.
This is probably the deepest you've gone. Iridium ore is plentiful down here, and your bag gets heavier and heavier by the minute. The next stairway down is just a few feet away. With one foot down the ladder, you spot another mine shaft across the room.
Nice. Time is your enemy, and you’re on a hot streak. You jump down the shaft confidently, looking forward to how many floors you'll skip with it. Your momentum speeds up. And keeps going. It's taking too long. Shit shit shi-
You hold your breath as the ground finally meets your feet. Your muscles can't react quick enough to stop your legs from crumpling underneath you. You reflexively pivot to a dodge roll, but your backpack stops you from completing the motion. You thud on the ground, sharp ores attempting to pierce your back through thick layers of fabric. It's not enough to break the skin, but it's enough to knock the air from your lungs.
“Owww…” your groans are drowned out by the familiar hiss of a serpent flying your way. Then another. Then another.
Shit, get up moron, you grip your sword with barely a second to spare, knocking back the first two serpents before you climb to your feet. The third nearly chomps your head off, but you duck just in time for it to swoop over you. Your heart races with fear as you desperately try to regain your breath, eyes darting around for their next approach.
The three of them dive in for a group attack. Your body moves on its own, the flash of your purple blade meeting green scales. They cry out in anger as you injure them, relentlessly coming back for more. When the first one finally falls, you’re able to suck in a decent enough breath to ground yourself and focus.
Blinking tears of pain away, you assess your surroundings between their dives. There's no rocks here. No signs of treasure. It's completely flat. There's large purple slime blobs in your peripheral vision, plopping out dangerous little baby slimes.
“Fuck,” you let out as you slay the second serpent. This floor is fucking infested. You need to get out of here. The mine shaft above you is too narrow and long to try and climb out of. You need to find the ladder to the floor above you.
Barely paying attention to the last serpent’s attacks, you scan the ceiling searching for a way out. The serpent hisses as you swat it away with a slice from your blade. It got enough distance from the knock back for you to make a move and sprint across the floor, dodging slimes as they bounce at you.
There, a glimpse of a ladder rung a few paces away to the right. Putting on the jets, you make a desperate move to reach the escape route.
The serpent cries out again, swooping down for revenge. Right before you reach the ladder, sharp teeth sink into your left calf.
“FUCK!” You cry out, desperately stabbing at it with your sword. The scales on the top of its body are stronger than its belly though. The bastard sinks its teeth deeper, thrashing its body around.
Panic sets in as you feel your muscles tear beneath its jaws. Adrenaline kicks in when you see red splashing out of its green head, and you find enough strength to stab it hard enough in its side to release you. Before it gets a chance to escape, you drop your sword in favour of your slingshot, finishing it with explosive ammo.
Between pants and body shakes, your trembling hands pick up your sword. Your eyes dart around for more threats as you struggle to sheath it before climbing out of here.
Right as your sword clinks into place, you feel a thud against your leg, followed by stinging pain. “Agh!” Your leg crumples from the impact of the purple slime.
Your flight response kicks into gear, and you scramble up the ladder on one leg before it or its siblings can finish you off. Once you reach the next floor, you lie on the ground and catch your breath.
I'm in trouble, reality hits you, looking around. You've skipped so many floors you have no idea how far you need to climb. And the ones you skipped will have monsters you haven't dealt with roaming around.
Time really is your enemy now. The poison from the slime made a direct impact on your open wound. The wound that is bleeding relentlessly. Slingshot in hand, you hustle your ass out of this godforsaken place.
“Foods here!” Sam skips down the stairs with two bags full of takeout.
“Good, I'm starving,” Abigail reaches out to grab one off his hands, quickly opening it and setting out containers on the coffee table.
“What did you get?” Sebastian peeks around Abigail's shoulder curiously.
“Best sushi in Zuzu, according to Charlotte,” Sam hands him a plate and chopsticks.
“Awesome,” Sebastian smiles gratefully. He hasn't had sushi since…he shoves the memory of your birthday down before it consumes his brain for the evening. “Maybe I'll see if they want to join us,” he glances upstairs.
“Don't worry, I already paid the roommate tax. They're enjoying their rolls over a movie,” Sam grins broadly.
“Thanks, guys. You’re the best,” he blushes slightly, feeling spoiled. He didn't expect them to come all this way just for his birthday.
“Don't get all sappy on us,” Abigail nudges him, “tell us how work’s been!”
Sebastian updates them as they dig in. Not that there's much to report, but it's fun telling them all the shenanigans his idiot coworkers get up to.
About halfway through their meal, both their phones buzz with a text. Sebastian watches Sam’s face fall with concern when he glances at the message.
Both him and Abigail share a worried look, furiously typing back.
“What happened?” Sebastian glances between them. A pause lingers. For a moment he thinks they didn't hear him. “Guys?”
“It's, uh. It's Farmer,” Sam glances at him briefly before turning his attention back on the screen.
His heart skips a beat at your name. “I don't wanna hear it,” he grumbles quietly. He was doing good this week, not obsessively thinking about you.
They ignore him, noses glued to their phones, typing intently. Something's not right. They look worried. Concern trickles up the back of his mind when they don't stop.
Abigail glances up at him. “You might wanna hear this one.”
“Fuck,” Sam dials your number before Sebastian can react, putting it in speakerphone.
“Hey,” you say between pants. It sounds like you’re wheezing.
Sebastian’s heart flutters wildly at the sound of your voice. You don't sound right. Something is definitely off.
“Farmer? What happened, do you need help?” Sam asks, panic laced in his tone.
“I'm out…fucki- finally,” you can barely get a full sentence in. “Stupid fu- lizard fucks…slimed me right in the fucking bite spot.”
Sebastian starts pacing around the room, hands behind his head.
“Farmer, you’re kinda scaring us. Do you need help?” Abigail says sternly.
“S’okay,” your breaths are shaky, “Harvey’s coming.”
Sebastian’s heart sinks at his name coming out of your mouth. He leaves the room, taking the stairs up two at a time and barging out the door.
He struggles to light a cigarette, still reeling from hearing your voice. His body shakes with jealous rage. You stupid, selfish fuck, he takes a long drag, exhaling a shaky breath in the cold air. You’re hurt. Badly. And he's pissed about the doctor coming to help? What the fuck is wrong with me.
He stares at your name on his phone, debating trying to call you. The desert is the opposite way from Zuzu, past the valley. It would take about 4 hours to drive from here. Maybe 3 on the bike…he shakes off that idea real quick. What could he even do, if he found you? He's not a doctor. He's just an anxious loser. His programming skills are fucking useless in this situation. He can't take care of you. You don't need him.
What if he doesn't get there in time, his breathing quickens, panic setting in. Harvey doesn't have a car. How is he getting there? He puts out his cigarette, heading back downstairs. Sam and Abigail might still have you on the line.
Abigail is pacing when he gets back, chewing on her thumbnail. Sam takes a deep breath, exhaling slowly to try and calm down.
Sebastian looks between them. “What happened?” He says worriedly. They're not on the phone anymore.
“She got to the Oasis. Sandy’s there to help until Harvey gets there,” Abigail tries to calm her tone, seeing his concerned face.
“I hope she stops going down there after this. This was way too close. What if she didn't make it out? When would we have noticed she missed texting us?” Sam rubs a hand through his hair, glancing at Abigail.
The thought has Sebastian spiralling. They would have sat here, blissfully unaware. And he would have never had a chance to tell you he-
His phone buzzes in his hands with his mom's call. He answers quickly.
“Hey mom.”
“Hi Sebby. I'm driving Doctor Harvey to the desert right now. Farmer called for help, she got injured. I don't know how badly. Just thought you, Sam and Abby would want to know,” she sounds worried too. It sounds like she's got him on speakerphone by how she's pseudo-yelling at him.
“Thanks, mom. Sam actually just got off the phone with her.”
“Did she mention anything about the injury? Did she sound coherent?” Harvey's worried voice comes through.
Sebastian’s eye twitches with irritation. “Honestly, no. Something about ‘stupid lizard fucks slimed the bite spot.’ How far out are you?”
“About thirty minutes. I'm going as fast as I can.”
“Where is she now?” Harvey chimes in.
“She's uh, at the shop in the desert that Emily's friend runs. Drive safe okay? Keep us posted,” he ends the call.
Fuck.
“Sweet Yoba,” Sandy gasps under her breath. She guides your shoulders to sit on the stool near the door. “I’m going to call an ambulance.”
“S’okay, Harvey’s coming,” you wince your eyes shut, leaning your head against the wall.
“Harvey’s the doctor, right? How long until he gets here? You’re bleeding a lot.”
“Dunno,” you keep your eyes closed, catching your breath.
“Shit,” you assume she’s inspecting your leg, “How did you walk all the way here?”
“Had goat cheese.”
“...What? Farmer honey, how can I help?”
You peek your eyes open, her bright hair and dress blurring into view. “Ooo. Sandy,” you reach for her arm with sudden determination, “pina colada. From the shady casino,” you point to the bouncer in the far corner.
“I-” she glances at the bouncer, turning back to you with a hushed tone, “I’ve never been back there, I don’t know if it’s a casino.”
“There’s no way it’s NOT a casino,” you chuckle, rummaging in your inner shirt pocket. You grab the first jewel your numb fingers find, shoving it towards her. “Bribe the scary muscle man with this.”
“I- Is this a diamond!?”
“I got more, you think that’s enough?” you rummage in your pocket again.
“It’s okay, you relax honey. I’ll be right back.”
A cold, frosty glass wakes up the nerves in your hands. Your mouth finds the colourful straw, the sweet slush dancing on your tastebuds. You were thirsty, that’s for sure.
“Careful honey, I got you a double.”
You catch your breath once the liquid stops coming. “You just saved my life, Sandy. Thank you. Owww,” you press two fingers against your frozen brain.
“Don’t thank me yet. I’m going to find a first aid kit.”
You lean your head back on the wall, letting the sugar and alcohol warm your system. Your head starts spinning, and the floor looks really comfortable.
“Shit. Farmer? You still with me?” a clunk of something metal echoes near your head.
Suddenly, you’re sitting up again. You groan, leaning towards the floor again.
“Honey, listen to me okay? I need you to pull up Doctor Harvey’s number on your phone, can you help me do that?”
You pat around your pockets for your phone, opening your eyes reluctantly. Sandy’s face is close. She’s so pretty, you nearly drop your phone while trying to unlock it. Sandy takes it, swiping through it furiously.
“You are so hot,” you look her up and down.
“Thanks, honey,” she doesn’t turn your way.
“SANDY!!”
Sandy jumps. “What!? What is it!?”
“Your name is Sandy…and you live in the desert…HAH!” You break out in giggles.
“Sandy’s not my real name,” she chuckles nervously.
“WHAT!? Deception…”
The bright fluorescent lights start flashing in your eyes.
“...been putting pressure on the wound. I'm not sure if I should…”
“Thank you…soon”
Harvey's voice…”he has pretty eyes…”
“Farmer? Hang tight okay?”
“...gave her alcohol, didn't…”
I'm such a burden. “I'm sorry,” you sniffle.
“...sorry, Robin and I are nearly…”
Robin. “Don’t remind me,” of him…shaky sobs come uncontrollably, darkness taking over as you rest your head on Sandy’s lap.
Ugh. Not this again, you wince your eyes at the fluorescent lights, groaning at the uncomfortable IV taped to your arm.
“Good morning,” Harvey’s smooth, calm voice floats in your ears from your right.
You turn towards him, blinking your eyes open. Your memory is hazy, the last thing you can recall is…pina colada? That can't be right…”Is it tomorrow already?” You groan with embarrassment.
“Er, no,” Harvey chuckles softly, “it's just about nine. Still today.”
“That’s…good…” you rub your forehead, coming to your senses, “how bad is it this time?”
“Well, luckily there was no damage to a major artery this time. The slime poison was more concerning in the short term, but once this IV is done you should feel much better.”
“Oh. So no stitches?” You glance at him with hopeful eyes.
“Oh, no, you've got several stitches,” Harvey smiles apologetically at your pursed lips of disappointment. “Recovery won't be nearly as bad this time. As long as you stay away from those blasted caves,” Harvey scolds you.
You sigh, a mix of frustration and defeat. “It's okay. Mr. Qi was starting to freak me out anyways,” you murmur.
Harvey looks at you with a puzzled expression.
“Er, never mind,” you glance away, an awkward pause following.
“Farmer, I…” he hesitates, adjusting his glasses, “I have some concerns. About you. Both as your doctor and your friend. Um, which…do you want to hear first?”
Oh. You fidget in your hospital bed, unable to fold your knees to your chest to hide like you want to. “Doctor first.”
“Okay,” he takes a grounding breath, grabbing his clipboard and straightening up his posture. “I've noticed a change in your behaviour that seems to be affecting you physically. Aside from the reckless behaviour, which isn't completely out of character, you've lost weight, you’re quite pale, and seem much more fatigued. I assume from a lack of sleep?”
You nod, looking down at the blanket hem you're fiddling with.
“Physical ailments I can treat. But if the root of the problem stems from mental health concerns, I’d recommend seeking help from a specialist. Poor mental health can manifest in physical ways, and I'd like to help prevent further harm. If you’re interested, I can refer you to a great psychologist in Zuzu city.”
Zuzu city, your spine tingles with nerves. I can't get in his way. “Um, thank you Har-Doctor Harvey,” you offer a small smile, attempting to lighten the mood.
“No pressure of course. But I'm here to help if you need it. You can start with small steps, like eating more regularly and adding vitamin D supplements since you aren't in the sun as much this season.”
“Good idea,” you say quietly, feeling embarrassed. You thought you were doing better lately. Or at least better at hiding it.
Harvey offers a kind smile, putting the clipboard on the counter. He puts his hands together, leaning forward on his knees. “Okay. As your friend…” he pauses, finding the right words, “Your call gave me quite the scare today. I was so worried about you.”
“I'm sorry…” you avert his eyes, that guilty feeling returning to your stomach.
“Don't be, I just…I really miss you. I was hoping we could actually go on that date sometime,” he says softly.
His face is flushed when you glance up at him, your stomach twisting in knots. He's been so patient with you. “I…let me check my schedule,” you pull out your phone, ignoring the flood of notifications to pull up the calendar.
“You aren't working for at least a week with that injury, you need rest,” he scolds, Doctor mode returning. “If you don't want to, I completely understand-”
You tune out his rant, eyes fixated on today's date. I’m such a piece of shit. “...It's your birthday today.”
“Er, yes-”
“Fuck,” you put your head in hour hands, “I forgot again. I'm so sorry, I have your gift at home.”
“It's oka-”
“It's not. Unbelievable,” you scold yourself.
Harvey rests his hand on your forearm, encouraging you to meet his eyes. “Tell you what. I'm going to call Robin to come drive you home. I can come with you and help you get settled. I can make you dinner while you relax, if you want.”
“Shitty way to spend your birthday,” you mumble.
“I want to. It doesn't have to be a date,” he adds quickly, removing his hand from your arm.
“...Sure, that sounds nice.”
The past few hours have felt like eons. Sebastian’s mom gave a quick update when they picked you up, but they've heard nothing since.
Sam has been trying to distract the group with band talk or games, but the mood is noticeably uneasy. Boxes of sushi lay abandoned on the surfaces of his room. Sam got way too much food for the lack of appetite the three of them have now.
Sebastian starts tidying up when a quiet moment lingers, Abigail silently helping him. Sam scrolls through his phone aimlessly.
“There's a morning bus back to Stardew if we want to head home early,” Sam looks up at Abigail.
“If she's okay to have visitors I'd like to, yea. You should come with us,” she glances at Sebastian.
“I…have work on Monday,” he keeps his eyes on his task.
“So take the bike, and drive back in the evening.”
Sebastian sighs. “I…can't.”
Abigail rolls her eyes.
“You really don't want to see her?” Sam looks at him with disappointed eyes.
“Of course I want to.”
Abigail's groans are cut short when Sebastian’s phone rings. He answers immediately.
“Hey mom, I have you on speaker phone.”
“Hey guys, quick update to share. I just dropped off Farmer and Harvey at the farm, she's been awake for about an hour and is doing much better.”
With Harvey? Sebastian tenses up.
“Oh she's home already, that's great news!” Abigail lights up.
“It wasn't too bad then?” Sam asks.
“She's got several stitches, but it sounds like the poison was the…”
Sebastian tunes out the update, fixated on what the hell Harvey needs to be there for. If you weren't well enough to go home, he'd surely have you stay at the clinic overnight. But no, he's going home with you. Why? To stay the night? How serious is your relationship with him…
Sebastian snaps out of it as his mom says her goodbyes, ending the call with barely a word.
“What do you think? Join us to visit tomorrow?” Abigail nudges him.
“Why would I? She’s got Harvey,” Sebastian snaps at her.
“Seriously? You don’t care enough to see if she’s okay?” Abigail crosses her arms.
“That’s not fair-”
“What you’re doing to her isn’t fair, Seb. Do you have any idea how hard she’s taking this?” She matches his tone, raising her voice.
“Clearly not that hard, if he’s at her house.”
“Seb, come on, man. I don’t think they’re dating, they barely hang out,” Sam tries to hide his frustration with his calm tone.
“How would you know?”
Abigail pinches the bridge of her nose in frustration. “This is pointless. Just fucking ask her. Or don’t. Stay miserable, for all I care,” she storms off upstairs.
You take a deep breath, finally able to relax as you look through the sea of notifications. After getting Harvey set up in the kitchen, you took a nice hot shower while he started on dinner. He wanted to use the truffle oil you gave him, and it looks like he’s making some sort of pasta. You glance at him from your kitchen table, smiling fondly at his concentration on his task.
Your messages are filled with worried sentiments and well wishes. News travels fast, it seems. All your friends have reached out in one way or another. Jamie too, and even Charlotte, who you’ve never spoken to before. Not Sebastian, though. And he must have known, since Sam and Abigail are with him. He probably heard that call too, you realize, hoping your little mishap didn’t ruin their visit to Zuzu. You reply to Sam and Abigail, assuring them they don’t need to cut their trip short because of you. Tentatively, you open your messages with Sebastian.
I’m sorry if I ruined your visit.
You send it, not expecting anything from him. A few seconds later, the three dots appear on your screen. He’s typing? Your body tenses with surprise as you fixate on the icon. It disappears and reappears several times, and…doesn’t appear again. You stare at the screen hopefully for several minutes, but nothing happens.
You sigh, lock your screen and toss your phone on the table. He doesn’t want anything to do with me, you stare into the kitchen, frustrated tears welling in your eyes.
Harvey’s used your kitchen more than you have. A pang of sadness grips your heart, thinking about how you had this big, beautiful house built with no one to share it with. You haven’t even filled it with furniture yet. It doesn’t feel like a home, but you yearn for that feeling. For a family to call your own.
You haven’t given Harvey a chance. He’d be an incredible partner. He’s the type who’d be so happy and fulfilled just to be your husband. You’re dangling this glimpse of domestic life with you in front of him, with no intention of acting on it. Your mind is consumed by the emo looking frog-loving fuck face who left you alone here.
You exhale a shaky breath, trying to get it together before Harvey notices you wiping your tears.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” he says worriedly, dropping everything to meet you.
Ugh, too late, you can’t contain your tears, being confronted like this.
He kneels in front of you, searching your eyes. “Are you okay?” he asks softly.
You cover your face as sobs erupt, shaking your head no.
“Oh, honey…” he gently pulls you into a hug, letting you cry into his shoulder. “Do you want me to leave?” he offers gently after your sobs start to subside.
“Please don’t,” you squeak out, squeezing him tight. You steady your breathing, blinking away tears. “Um, the pot is boiling over.”
“Shit,” he releases you gently, scurrying over to fix it.