The farmer swung the pickaxe as hard as she could, groaning when the steel made contact with the stone. She'd been in the mines all day- she could feel the sweat rolling down her back, her hair was sticking to her face, and she was ready for a drink at the Saloon. Her whole body ached; why couldn't the Valley have a massage parlor?

Swinging the pickaxe once more, the farmer did a double take when she noticed the tremor in her arms... Had she really been in the mines this long? She swore she'd packed some snacks, maybe some elixir- nope, her sack was empty. Maybe the time had come to go home.

Dragging her feet towards the elevator, she allowed her mind to wander. Was it as late as she thought it was? Glancing at her watch, she sighed; the saloon was long closed. She wondered if Shane had been there, if he'd noticed her absence, if maybe he'd have bought her a drink. 

Lord knows how many drinks she'd bought him over the years. Beer, always - his favorite.  It was how she'd eventually won over his friendship, and dare she say, more than friendship.

By the time she got home, she was exhausted. She wanted nothing more than to collapse into bed and watch some TV, but she was met with a figure standing on her front porch.

"Shane?"

"Y/N! Where have you been?" He came towards her, a flashlight in his hands. "Are you hurt?"

"No, just dirty," she said, brushing some dirt off her shirt. Shane's brow furrowed as he continued to look her over, and Y/N couldn't help but blush under his gaze. "You wanna come in? I'm so tired."

"Of course." Shane held the door for the farmer and clicked his tongue to call the cat inside. "I missed you at the Saloon, y'know."

"Oh, did you?" she asked. "Waiting for your free beer, huh?"

"More like a tall drink of water, but she never came."

"You're hilarious." The farmer flopped back onto the sofa, throwing her arm over her eyes. She needed to change her clothes, as she knew the furniture was going to be filthy, but she didn't care about much else besides the fact that Shane was standing in front of her.

"You hungry? I can cook you somethin' while you rest."

"You spoil me," she laughed, "but that would be lovely."

Shane made his way into the kitchen, shooting her a wink over his shoulder. He began to throw together some pepper poppers- something easy he could make with things the farmer had on hand.

"I've never been so tired in my life," the farmer said, "Except for that time I completely exhausted myself, and Linus had to bring me home."

"That's what I was worried about," Shane replied, his back to her. "I was scared I'd see Linus comin' up the lane instead of you."

"That's only happened once, I don't think it'll happen again. I'm much more careful now." Pushing herself to her feet despite her urge to sink deeper into the couch, the farmer approached Shane, cautiously wrapping her arms around his middle. As soon as her head his his shoulder, Shane swore his heart was going a mile a minute. What was she doing? "Mmm, you're warm."

"Warm?"

"Yeah. This hoodie is really soft." She pulled away to run her hands down his back, goosebumps appearing on the skin underneath. "I like it."

"Take it," Shane blurted out, unsure of where the words came from. "I mean... if you're cold. I can always get another one."

The farmer laughed at him, a slight pink tint crossing her face that matched Shane's. "Maybe I will, Joja boy, maybe I will."

"Joja boy? Aw, no way, I'm outta here." He pretended to walk out of the kitchen, and they both dissolved into laughter. Real laughter, which was the first in a long time for Shane. "You're lucky I love you. Now, eat."

"What was that?" The farmer asked with a sly smile, already shoving the first bite of pepper poppers in her mouth. "What was that, again?"

"Nothing! God, leave me alone, you're terrible!"

She caught his eyes and they stared at each other for a moment. "Do you want to stay the night?"

"Of course, I do."