Hannah – POV
I woke up to a strange green glow spilling through the farmhouse windows. For a second, I thought I was dreaming—until I heard the soft pattering of rain against the roof. A sound I usually loved.
But the light wasn't soft or golden.
It was green. Really green.
I rubbed my eyes and walked to the window. My fields were overtaken with glowing vines, twisted ferns, and moss coating the fences like someone painted the world in highlighter. And the rain... it was glowing too. Bright droplets falling from a fog-soaked sky, almost surreal.
I turned on the TV, flipping to the weather channel.
"Non-toxic green rain, causing abnormal plant growth. Stay indoors."
Well. Stardew never disappoints.
I leaned against the counter, watching the strange mist curl over the trees in the distance. Despite the weirdness, rainy days always made the house feel softer—safer, even. Like the world paused just long enough to breathe.
Then there was a knock at the door.
I frowned. Who in the world was out in this?
Still in my pajama pants and hoodie, I opened it.
Alex stood on my porch, hoodie soaked, hair damp, holding a twelve-pack of beer like it was a peace offering.
"I figured you wouldn't be working today," he said with a grin. "Wanna sit in and day drink?"
I raised an eyebrow, suppressing a smirk. "I don't drink."
"It's just beer," he laughed, brushing past me into the warm house. "Nothing serious. C'mon, green-rain days are made for this."
I sighed, closed the door, and followed him. "Did you seriously walk here in radioactive rain?"
"Umbrella," he said, lifting it as proof. "And George assured me it's not harmful. Also called me a wuss, so, here I am."
I snorted. "I'm glad you didn't grow a third eye or melt into goo."
He cracked open two cans and handed one to me. I took it, hesitating for only a second.
We sat down on the floor in front of the fireplace. The green glow outside lit the room in a soft, otherworldly hue. The fire crackled beside us, and after two beers, it all felt... okay. More than okay.
It felt normal.
We were four beers in before we realized it.
"I feel like Mayor Lewis came out of his mother already in office," Alex said, making me laugh.
"Does he even have parents?" I asked, sipping.
"Of course he does. They were probably mayors too."
I almost spit out my drink laughing, which made him laugh harder. It felt good. I don't remember the last time I laughed like that.
Alex made things easy. Light. Comfortable.
Sebastian was the opposite. He made everything feel intense—complicated. I never knew what he was thinking. He said things that stayed in my head for days, things that meant more than he'd admit. He never flirted, never hinted—but sometimes he looked at me like he was drowning and I was the air. And just when I got close, he shut down. Like always.
Still... I couldn't stop wanting more.
"You're thinking about him," Alex said suddenly.
I blinked. "What?"
"Sebastian," he said, not smiling anymore. "I can always tell."
I opened my mouth to deny it, but... I didn't.
Instead, I stared at the fire, let the silence do the talking.
Alex shifted. His voice softened. "You know, my mom would've loved this green rain. She liked anything weird, anything beautiful. Said storms were her favorite thing—like the world resetting."
I looked at him. His smile faded into something thoughtful.
"You don't talk about her much," I said gently.
He shook his head. "Nah. It's easier not to. She died when I was twelve. Still feels like it messed with every part of me."
There was a long pause.
"She would've liked you though," he said, looking at me with something warm and sad in his eyes. "You're a lot like her."
That one stuck.
"Thanks," I said, a quiet smile tugging at the corner of my mouth. "That means a lot."
He leaned back against the couch. "You know I'm still mad at you."
I gave him a look. "Because I went to the mines alone?"
"No," he said. "Because I told Sebastian. And you're still mad about that."
"I am mad about that," I admitted. "I didn't want him to know."
"Well, I was worried. And you wouldn't listen to me," Alex said. "But I knew you'd listen to him."
"That's ridiculous."
"Is it?" he said, eyes locked on mine now. "So you're saying you don't have feelings for him."
I froze. My beer can felt suddenly heavy in my hand.
"We're friends," I said quietly, looking away.
Alex let out a bitter laugh. "Right. So why do you flinch at his name? Why, when we're all together, do you go to him first? Why do you hang on every damn thing he says like it's gospel?"
I opened my mouth, but no words came.
"Why can't you be with me?" he asked softly.
That question felt like a punch. He wasn't trying to hurt me. I could see it in his eyes. He just... wanted the truth.
"He doesn't let people in," I whispered. "He pushes me away too."
"But you keep going back to him," Alex said. "You want him to hurt you."
I shook my head, eyes stinging. "That's not fair."
"I told you I cared about you," he said. "At the train station. And it meant nothing to you."
"It did mean something," I said, my voice breaking. "I just... I don't know how to stop feeling what I feel. Even when I try to."
Tears fell without warning. I didn't wipe them away.
"You're in love with him," Alex said, but it wasn't bitter. It wasn't angry.
It was understanding.
I looked at him, heart aching, throat closing around the truth.
"I think I am," I whispered. "And I hate it. Because he'll never say it back."
Alex just nodded. No judgment. No drama.
"I'm not mad you love him," he said. "I just want you to stop pretending you don't."
We sat there for a moment, both of us breathing in the quiet.
Then, in a moment of self-sabotage, I added, "I'm going to Skull Cavern soon."
His head snapped toward me. "You're what?! Sebastian didn't stop you?!"
"He believes I can do it," I said. "He saw me fight. He knows I can hold my own."
"This is the most absurd thing I've ever heard in my life," Alex said, standing up fast. "You're going to get yourself killed, and of course the emo is okay with that."
"What is that supposed to mean?" I stood too, anger creeping in.
"I'm not gonna sit here and watch you throw yourself into danger just because Sebastian won't admit how he feels."
I stared at him, heart pounding.
"I'm not throwing myself into anything," I said. "This is my choice."
Alex grabbed his jacket, his eyes dark with frustration. "Well. Good luck surviving it. I'm done trying."
He stormed out, slamming the door behind him. I stood frozen, hand still holding a half-empty can, tears drying on my cheeks.
I stepped onto the porch, the green rain still falling.
"Alex!" I called out, but he didn't turn back.
He disappeared into the mist like he was never there at all.
And I stood there in the glowing quiet, alone—with Sebastian's name still heavy on my heart
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