The Chosen Farmer

Pre-dating:

Talk of the new resident arriving at the old farm was the hottest topic during the last week of winter before spring began. Practically everyone was chatting about the newcomer and trying to guess what they were like. Sterling heard about it from Mia, as his friend and roommate bustled back and forth across the kitchen, busy preparing her signature dishes for Farmer to show off her hospitality. At first, Sterling wasn’t really listening, trying with all his might to forget about his hangover headache, but later he found himself speculating about Farmer.

And so, on the very first day of spring, he was at work as usual, and the first customer walked through the door of Pierre’s shop — that very same new farmer. And holy macaroni, they weren’t what Sterling had imagined... they were even better! A real gem, a feast for the eyes, hot stuff — those were probably the most appropriate words in his head.

As they got to know each other and Farmer settled into Stardew Valley, they and Sterling started hanging out more and more, getting to know each other better. Which surprised Sterling a bit, because, to put it mildly, he hadn’t exactly shown his best side at certain moments. That incident with the trash can near the Saloon would definitely stay with him for the rest of his life; it was very embarrassing… And yet Farmer didn’t push him away, but continued to invite him for walks and give him fruit and flowers. Heh, they're such a good friend...

Of course, he had Shane, with whom he could always have a drink or two and share his problems, as well as Mia and Henry, but with Farmer, it was different. Their conversations on all sorts of topics, their playful rivalry in festival competitions or just seeing who could run to Sunberry Village first, their silly tickle wars or water fights in the ponds when they tried to splash each other… All of it was a warm, comforting feeling… Better than all that crap Sterling pumped into his body to feel good.

He likes Farmer. He likes them a lot. Their attractive appearance, their charisma, their kindness, compassion, and care for all people and animals, their boundless generosity, their sweet smile and the penetrating gaze of their beautiful eyes... But Sterling is playing it safe, not wanting to jump to conclusions and screw this up just like he did in his past relationships.

The only problem is, the poor guy couldn’t make sense of the mixed signals. One day Farmer called him a good friend, and the next one they gently rested their head on his shoulder; one moment Farmer gave Sterling a friendly pat on the shoulder, the next day they wrapped their arms tightly around his waist as they rode on the motorcycle. Sterling couldn’t figure it out, and he was afraid to ask directly. Afraid of misinterpreting them and ruining his friendship with Farmer, afraid of revealing that he’s only hanging out with them to transition into a romantic relationship, which isn’t true, but at the same time true but not like— Ugh... He needs a drink to forget his problems, at least for a little while. Though that won’t be easy, since Farmer is also a regular at Saloon...

At that very turning point, when, overcome by despair and self-loathing, Sterling collapsed to the floor in Pierre’s shop, clutching his head with both hands and trying to hide from Pierre, who was twisted with rage, from the rain pounding down outside, from Henry and Mia’s gentle words, from the soft touch of Farmer’s hand. Why, of all people, did Farmer have to be right there... Maybe it’s for the best. Maybe they’ll see what a pathetic loser and addict he is and leave before it’s too late.

But that wasn’t the case. They visited him, offered words of comfort, continued to cheer him up with bouquets of sunflowers, giving him the warmest hugs, listening silently as he apologized for everything and poured out all the pain that had built up inside him. And in Farmer’s eyes — not pity, but sincere concern for the person dear to them. For him…

And yet, a signature bouquet that can mean only one thing came as a surprise to him. Do Farmer really want to be with him? With him, of all people? After everything— No, they’re right, he’s being too hard on himself. Sterling admits that he’s actually had feelings for Farmer all this time… and is completely shocked when Farmer shyly tells him that they’ve felt the same way, for a very long time too, but were afraid of being misunderstood. Heh, in that case, Sterling suggests they make up for lost time.

As a boyfriend:

Sterling loves surprising Farmer by taking them to new and wonderful places. Sometimes they’ll go to a carnival, spending the whole night on all the amusement rides; other times they’ll stop by a small village to take in the local sights; or they’ll head to the beach, have a little picnic there, and reminisce about that very first time they came here. He always tries to take his dear partner out from time to time so they can take a break from the hard farm work and spend time together.

No matter how hard Sterling tried to act like a super-cool boyfriend who could make anyone blush and giggle with his flirting and jokes, it was his cheeks that betrayed him with a blush when his partner handed him a bouquet of sunflowers, his favorite flowers, it was he who was left speechless by his beloved’s counterattack to his flirting, it was he who so often had butterflies in his stomach and goosebumps when Farmer whispered something romantic and tender in his ear, or promises of a fun and wild night at home.

Caring and gentle Sterling would spoil his dearest Farmer with delicious treats at every opportunity. He was still a long way from Mia’s skill level, but his desire to delight Farmer with a slice of cake or a fragrant cappuccino filled him with the determination to try his hand at cooking, no matter how many times he failed. Look, he made pancakes and drew a cute bear’s face with chocolate syrup — all by himself! …Well, okay, Mia helped a little, but everything else — he did it all by himself! To tell the truth, he gets nervous with every dish, but seeing how the Farmer happily devours all his culinary creations makes him incredibly happy.

Stardew Valley Expanded:

Hmm, no surprise about that, in Lance's opinion: Farmer is a brave, kind, and charming — both in appearance and personality — who draws people to them like a magnet, so they're sure to have plenty of admirers. He’s well aware of Stardew Valley’s traditions, and if the bouquet is accepted, does that mean Farmer is taken? Or is the bouquet from Farmer for someone? Still, Lance doesn’t lose heart, planning to politely ask if they’re single, ready to accept a rejection (not without a touch of sadness). And his attempt pays off.

Magnus was terribly depressed after seeing the bouquet of flowers in Farmer’s hands. He’s well acquainted with the tradition of this place (though a bit strange in the old wizard’s opinion — why a bouquet from Pierre specifically?) and either Farmer has accepted a proposal to date someone, or they’re heading to see someone with the same intention. For a couple of days, Magnus won’t leave the tower, trying to suppress his feelings. When his crush stopped by on some business, he didn’t forget to congratulate Farmer and their partner... only to be surprised to learn that they had bought the bouquet for themself. "Traditions and all that, but can’t I just have a beautiful bouquet for myself, just because?" Hmm, yea, you can...

Are they already taken? Victor had been thinking about how to confess his feelings to Farmer, how to give them a bouquet of their favorite flowers — ones that could express his feelings for them without needing words. But was he too late? And Farmer had already accepted a bouquet from someone else... "I don't understand why Pierre can't just sell flowers, without all these 'traditions' and 'signs of love.' I just bought these for myself, because they're so beautiful." Oh. Besides the fact that Victor had found hope, he was thinking about some other gift that would symbolize his romantic feelings for the Farmer.

Ridgeside Village:

Wait... Is that a flower bouquet? The very bouquet that means— Hmm. So it turns out Jeric will have to compete with a rival for his rival’s attention. Challenge accepted! And he’s not about to give up easily! True, Jeric has no idea who this rival is, but still! Although later he’ll tell Farmer that he’s happy for them, though not without a touch of sadness. He’ll be pleasantly surprised when he finds out that Farmer bought the bouquet for themself, just for the sake of beauty. And if they’re still single and don’t mind having coffee with their rival in farming skills, then Jeric invites them to a Pika's restaurant~

Philip had already downed his second large glass of beer, but unlike on other occasions, he didn’t want to answer Gus’ questions about what was bothering him. At the very least, because the reason for his sad mood had popped into the Saloon to quickly grab a cup of coffee to go, holding a beautiful bouquet of flowers in one hand — clearly a gift from someone. Philip doesn’t want to tell them the reason for his upset. Gus complimented Farmer's bouquet, to which Farmer replied, "Thanks! I bought them for myself to put in a new vase." That last sentence sobered Philip up immediately. So, they weren’t from some suitor? Maybe he’d try asking Farmer… But not in this state!

Heh, Anton didn't stand a chance, did he?... Sigh... Well, Farmer is a cool, kind, wonderful person who really deserves someone just as cool, and not– Anton will be down for a few days, but he'll come to terms with the situation. After catching up with Farmer and chatting with his secret crush, he asks who gave them the bouquet. "Oh, I bought them for myself. Roses are my favorite." Anton was a little surprised, but still didn’t rush to hope that Farmer was single and— "Hey... Do you want to go to a Pika's and grab a bite?~ If you want to, of course!" Anton was completely taken aback by Farmer’s tone. Taken aback with happiness.

Sean knocked on the door of Farmer’s house, cheerfully greeting the homeowner and asking where to put the bags of seeds they’d ordered. While the handyman carried the heavy load to the closet, he glanced at the living room out of the corner of his eye and noticed a beautiful blue vase with— !!! "Is that a bouquet of flowers from Pierre?" The kind people usually give to show their feelings?... And Farmer accepted the bouquet... Hey, Sean isn’t upset, and hopes his friend is happy with— "Beautiful, isn’t it? I bought it for myself to put in a vase and admire." Ooooh. Maybe he’ll try to invite Farmer for a walk in the park tomorrow and ask them out... if they’re singe, of course.

Oh... What a beautiful bouquet Farmer is holding. June happened to run into his crush at Pierre’s shop, where Pierre was handing the flowers to Farmer. "A Stardew Valley tradition! A sign of romantic interest!" — all these words echoed through the sad pianist’s mind as the cheerful Farmer accepted the flowers. "Thanks, Pierre, but this is for me. I’ll put them in a vase~" Oh, so there’s a chance they’re single. A few minutes later, June will ask Pierre to put together the same bouquet for him. "Are you going to put them in a vase too?" Well, sort of, but not in his vase~

The walk with Farmer to their house isn’t just a chance for Shiro to spend more time with his crush, but also a decent workout for his body, as recommended by his personal physical therapist (the main thing is not to rush). Standing by Farmer’s mailbox, the veteran was gathering the courage to ask them out before saying goodbye when flowers fell out of the overflowing box. "Oh, a bouquet!" Farmer quickly began brushing any dirt off the flowers. Shiro recognized this particular bouquet. Someone else is trying to confess their feelings to Farmer, right? "I ordered a bouquet for myself and asked Pierre not to put the flowers in the mailbox — the bombs crushed the roses in there…" Farmer noted with a hint of annoyance. Oh, maybe Shiro has a chance? So, how about a walk on the beach tom– Wait. What bombs.

Ian had been saving up specifically to buy a beautiful, lush bouquet from Pierre for Farmer and present it to them as a token of his feelings. His heart sank when he saw Farmer walking by with the same beautiful bouquet in their hands, smiling as they sniffed the sweet-smelling flowers. Noticing Ian with the flowers, they congratulate him (but they looked kind of... sad?) and asked who the lucky one. "Um… I got this for you." "Oh." "And yours…?" "I just bought it for myself; these are my favorite flowers." Almost half of their friends will laugh at the fact that this is exactly how Ian and Farmer’s relationship began.

Zayne personally came to Pierre’s shop to pick up his order for a special bouquet of flowers intended for someone whose name the ambassador and future head of the Amethyne family did not wish to reveal. Well, Pierre didn’t need to know — Zayne was already the second customer today to buy an expensive bouquet, so he wasn’t complaining. "Farmer just came by for flowers, they left right before you arrived." What?... Zayne’s smile slowly faded, replaced by a hint of shock and sadness. "...though, they told me they just needed the bouquet at home to decorate a vase, and that’s their business— Um... Are you okay, sir?" Poor Zayne was on an emotional roller coaster.

While Kenneth was thinking about giving the Farmer a metal rose as a gift — one that would never wilt (and even glow in the dark!)— someone had already given Farmer equally beautiful, fresh flowers, which Farmer was holding in their hands and twirling around, delighted by the gift from someone. They looked so happy... Probably a romantic gift from someone they really liked. Perhaps the electrician would drop the rose idea and take on another project. A complex and lengthy project that will help him lose himself and forget the pain of his broken heart. Later, he’ll find out that Farmer bought the bouquet for himself, and yet he’ll still think about bringing back the metal rose.... Or maybe a real rose after all.

A custom-made bouquet: just like that one from Pierre's store, but even more lush and rich with a variety of flowers that blend harmoniously. Whoever gave Farmer such a beautiful gift has definitely outdone Bryle’s attempts to create a special bouquet for them. Damn... And since Farmer accepted the bouquet, does that mean the bodyguard shouldn’t even try? "When I bought this bouquet, it seemed a bit too simple to me, so I decided to add more flowers. Isn’t it beautiful?" Ah, there’s still a chance. And Farmer was just as happy with the simpler, yet no less beautiful, bouquet from Bryle.