Chapter Text
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She stepped into the forceful stream of running water and gently closed the glass door behind her, letting the cool water flow over her face and and body, getting lost in the sensation. Her hair feeling heavy with the added weight of the water, she squeezed the excess out and reached for her favorite body wash. As the smell of cinnamon and pumpkin and autumn leaves filled the small shower, she was transported to her favorite time, and let out a contented sigh, just loud enough for her not to hear the softly approaching footsteps or the shower door quietly opening. In stepped a tall, sunkissed, brunette with piercing eyes. Not quite lean, not overtly muscular, but strong and soft and healthy in all the right ways. She let out a small, surprised, “oh,” as he took the loofah from her hands and spread the sweet smelling bubbles across her shoulders, then her back, all the places she could not reach on her own. He gently moved her hair out of the way and placed a gentle yet commanding kiss on her neck. She reached up behind her, bent her head back against him, and pulled his head down to her mouth. She kissed him with an intensity and a longing she didn’t know she contained. He kissed her back just as passionately, parting her lips with his tongue, adding his own sense of urgency and hunger. He squeezed the loofah and dripped more bubbles down her stomach and breasts, slowly caressing one in his free hand, just grazing her sensitive nipple, causing her to moan sweetly into his mouth. She turned around taking the opportunity to return the favor, swirling soap across his chest, his back, his shoulders… getting lost in the beauty of his form. He slowly slid a hand up the back of her neck, his fingers slightly tangling in her wet locks, while the other snaked around to the small of her back, pulling them together. He pressed forward into her until the wall held them in place, breathing each other in, water rolling off his body, their mouths so close you could taste the electricity between them. He slid the hand from her back down slowly and used it to confidently hitch her right leg up around his hip. Her gasp of approval was cut short and swallowed by his kissing her deeply again, so the only sounds left were the running water, the music playing from the bedroom (“I’m your passengeeeeerrr”), and the sudden, loud ‘bloop’ and clunky splash of something heavy hitting the pool she hadn’t realized was rising at her feet.
“Dammit!” she swore loudly, being jolted back to the reality of her, alone, in the shower where she had been unknowingly standing on her loofah, completely blocking the drain. Picking up the fallen bottle of body wash she had knocked over while lost in her daydream, she kicked the loofah out of the way, sighing, “well that was different.” She said it to herself, wondering where this imaginary man had originated from. He was definitely not her usual type, void of tattoos, long hair, and the air of numerous red flags. She rinsed the soap from her body and hair, turned off the water that she honestly didn’t know how long she had been standing under, and stepped out into the hotel bathroom. She was one more night away from her destination, a tiny town in Stardew Valley. She was excited and nervous to be getting this fresh start, even if she wasn’t entirely sure she deserved it. Throwing her hair up in a towel, she picked up her phone, pausing her playlist (making a mental note to be careful playing Deftones in the shower from now on), sadly noticing she had no new messages or missed calls. Typical, she thought. She pulled on her pajamas and sat on the bed. What am I doing? I’m too old to be starting over….again. This was a mistake. You’ve royally fucked up and there’s no fixing it now. You’re such a failure. The same intrusive thoughts raced through her mind as they always did. Although she really wasn’t too old, it still felt like the time for starting new lives was right after high school or college graduations. Leaving everything you've known, everyone, and moving to a town you don’t really remember being in… seriously who does that? She sighed and lay back, not realizing just how exhausted the traveling had made her, falling asleep without even getting in the sheets.
*
The alarm playing her favorite video game theme much too loudly jolted her awake, still in the position from the night before. Oh no, my hair. She thought, unwrapping the towel to see an unruly twist of unbrushed frizz and towel marks. Of course this would happen with my straightener packed away. I’m going to look mentally unwell coming into town like this, well, more so than necessary. She scoffed to herself. She was very grateful that the stigmas around mental health were lifting with each new generation, but this was a small town, and she really wasn’t trying to burst onto the scene and be talked about and looked at any more than was reasonable for a new arrival. A task that was seeming more and more unreasonable by the minute as she dressed for the last leg of her trip. She wasn’t small-town material by any means. She was probably the exact opposite of conventional. Dyed hair that was a severe contrast to her skin tone, black clothes barely hiding the extensive amount of tattoos that covered her arms and parts of her legs, a pierced nose, eyebrow, and lip. She was going to be the talk of the town no matter how her hair looked. She gave up trying to smooth it out with her brush and packed up the few things she brought inside with her. After checking out and getting in her fully packed and loaded down car, she sent a quick text to the group she had labeled “fam” that read, “Heading for the Valley! Should be there in a few hours…wish me luck.” Without waiting for a reply, she took off in the direction of her new home.
The drive went smoothly, iced coffee in the cup holder, her driving playlist blasting through the speakers, and traffic almost nonexistent. So weird. She thought. You could never make this kind of time in the city. Traffic would be one thing she would definitely not miss. The hours went by quickly, only stopping for gas and a lunch break, and she found the turnoff to Zuzu City and the adjacent town nearby with ease. She followed her GPS, passing the lights and sounds of the city, and finally found the last road she would need before arriving in the smallest town she’s ever lived in. She chose to take the path behind the town square so she didn’t have to turn down her music (or see any people just yet) and after she passed the only bus stop, saw the tattered sign and rusted gate to her grandfather’s farm. She flipped on her headlights, slowing to a stop as the sun started to dip down behind the mountains, and hopped out of the car to open the gate. The mayor (who was also in charge of real estate around here?) was kind enough to leave her the key to the farmhouse in her mailbox. She grabbed it and pulled the car in as close as she could get to the little house surrounded by overgrowth and debris from the nearby trees. Yikes. This place was in worse shape than she thought. She grabbed her overnight bag, and stumbled up the steps to her front door, only now realizing how dark it would be without city streetlights. The heavy door clicked open with some effort, and she felt around for a switch on the wall, hoping not to run into any spiders. A lamp in the corner blinked on and as her eyes adjusted, she looked around at the small room with minimal furniture covered with sheets. Looked like a table, chair, old tv, a fireplace, and a single bed. The fuck is the kitchen? The bathroom?? She surveyed the space once more and saw a doorway she hadn’t noticed the first time. She peeked in, using her cellphone as a light, and sighed with relief as she saw a couple of closed doors leading to a bathroom, closet, and kitchenette on the other side of the wall. The last door was locked and she didn’t have another key. Weird. She flipped on more lights, pulled the sheets off the furniture, and started unloading the things she would need for the night, including the now cold fast food she got on the drive into the valley. “Made it!” she texted the group, and settled in for her first night of her new life.