Shane realizes he's falling for the farmer but then gets sad because, for one reason or another, he knows he can never be with them
Shane sat on the edge of the farmhouse patio, wiping away the sweat accumulated on his forehead in the Summer heat. Damn it was hot out, but these fences weren’t going to repair themselves. A little break never hurt, though, especially when his back was pleading desperately with him to get up off of the ground.
Ever since Joja packed up and closed down, Shane had begun helping the farmer out instead to make some coin. They paid better, were nicer, and he didn’t have to walk into town to go to work every day. Sure it was still backbreaking work, but he knew it was good for him, and the farmer did too.
The storm door creaked open behind him, thwacking shut against the front door frame. “I made some lemonade!” The farmer beamed bright down at him, setting the tray beside him and joining him on the edge. Their legs kicked back and forth off of the edge, boots dangling playfully.
“Thanks.” A tired smile tweaked ever so slightly as Shane brought the sweating glass of freshly squeezed lemonade to his parched lips, ice cubes tinking together with the motion. At least with the farmer Shane didn’t have to swipe a frozen pizza or eat whatever junk food was discarded in the backroom as a meal. He had found his pants fitting a little looser than normal as of late and would be forever grateful that he wouldn’t have to live off of crappy Joja brand microwavable “nourishment” while he worked.
A sun kissed arm shortened the gap between Shane and the farmer, hand heavy yet reassuring on his shoulder. “Hey, Shane...”
‘Oh shit,’ he didn’t even realize he was staring while lost in thought.
“... Thanks for everything you do around here. It’s been a lot easier with some help. I’m glad this worked out for the both of us!” Their smile was bright and bold, sincere in their words with a budding sunburn tinging the tip of their nose pink. They had gone inside to grab some sunscreen earlier, the thick aroma of aloe vera radiating from their skin mixing with the citrusy sweetness of the lemonade that they had managed to surprise Shane with.
“Uh yeah, it’s no problem at all. Thanks for hiring me.” Blush crept into his cheeks, ripping his gaze away from them with their hand still on his shoulder and their lemonade in his hand.
A bead of sweat slipped down the side of the smooth clear glass, cool water pooling against his palm. The bitter tang of lemons and sweetness of sugar coated his mouth. Yoba that aloe vera was strong, and it was so close. The thought of having to fill his hands with the cool, green, sticky substance to spread across the farmer’s hot sun smacked shoulders flashed to mind, or them doing the same for him, taking turns to relieve each other from their burns with soft and supple touches.
The blush firmly planted itself into his face. Shane took a sip in an attempt to hide it and tame his wandering mind.
“You’re awful blushy, aren’t ya?” The farmer rocked his shoulder slowly, teasing him.
This wasn’t helping, the tone of their chiding further flaming the redness to spread and deepen more. Shane knew he had been getting more comfortable with the farmer ever since he started working out here, being around them more, getting to know them better and in a less defensive and more natural state of themselves. They worked and tilled the earth together, repaired and created new additions to the landscape, watched as the fields yielded the season’s harvests. They had done that all together while watching time pass and the year go by.
But he was no fool, as some may believe otherwise. The farmer was his employer, after all, and he was merely the employee. But perhaps he was a fool, as only a fool would fall head over heels for their boss.
romaincrisis
prguitarman
jacobvanloon
germansingergirl
annaxmalina
