Hello, readers! This is a short fic I wrote to get myself out of a slump, seeing as I haven't written anything in a long while. Hopefully you'll enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I do not own Stardew Valley or any of the characters.

You like the way that feels, don't you?

His breath hitched in his throat, a soft touch grazing his chest. Shane looked up into light hazel eyes and quickly looked away. "Who are you?" he asked the girl straddling him.

She smirked as she tucked a strand of long, dark blonde hair behind her ear.

What does that matter? Aren't you enjoying yourself?

His brow furrowed. Shane tried to push his nightly visitor off, proving too difficult in his supine position, and let out a sigh. He gazed up at her again with tired eyes. "You just like torturing me, don't you?" Shane questioned in a low voice.

I'm not sure what you mean.

Shane growled lightly in frustration and tried to move the girl off of him. It was apparent by how he struggled that he was unable to budge her even though she was much smaller than him. His arms came to rest on either side of his head as he stared up at his bedroom ceiling, having given up yet again.

"Why won't you leave me alone?" he asked.

The young woman sat back slightly, her hands on his stomach, and shrugged one shoulder. Her eyes fell to the side as she breathed a sigh out of her freckled nose.

I can't.

Shane lowered his eyebrows in confusion and studied her face. Her expression seemed almost sad, but the corners of her lips were turned up in a small smile.

I'm trapped in this just as much as you are.

"I don't understand," he responded.

The long-haired woman shook her head lightly and moved to get off of her quarry, only to be stopped by an outstretched hand wrapping around her wrist. She gazed across at Shane in confusion as he leaned up on his other elbow.

"Nevermind," he said, giving her a reassuring smile. "I didn't mean to upset you. It's just-" Shane blushed lightly before continuing, "You've been coming to me almost every night for months now. You've made me feel less lonely, but I just wish you were really here. Not just in my head. Not just in my dreams. Here."

The girl smiled gently and nodded.

I wish that I could be.

Shane sighed and let out a laugh.

"It figures I'd meet the literal girl of my dreams and she's not even real."

His visitor's brows furrowed; clearly she was perplexed.

But I am real.

Before Shane could respond to her statement, a blaring buzz pierced through the air, startling him out of his slumber. He slammed his hand down on his alarm clock and sat up in bed, raking his fingers through his purple locks.

"It's always like this, isn't it?" he thought as he got out of bed. "I guess I'm not meant to know the truth."

Begrudgingly Shane got ready for another dreary Monday at JojaMart, and before anyone else was even awake, he started the long walk to work. The spring air felt heavy as he trudged toward his destination with not one person in sight. Normally he preferred it this way but not so much today. With his dream girl's face still fresh in his mind, Shane welcomed the idea of any kind of distraction-anything to keep his thoughts away from her. However he knew that wish was futile. Stocking always made his mind wander.

Several frustrating hours later, Shane raced out of JojaMart toward the saloon, knowing at least Emily and a few beers could divert his attention. As he crossed the bridge near the Mullners' place, a familiar sight caught his eye. In the distance his green eyes came upon a head of long, dark blonde hair.

"It can't be," he said to himself as he cautiously drew closer. He came to a stop near the elderly couple's mailbox, his eyes still fixated on the figure standing in front of the general store. "This is impossible."

As if on cue, the woman tucked her hair behind her ear and glanced in his direction, her eyes widening upon seeing him.

"It's you. I-it's you! It's really you! Oh my god, you're actually real."

Her words hung in the air as she closed the gap between them, Shane's expression a mixture of surprise and bewilderment. Had she been...?

"You...you do know who I am, don't you?" the girl asked, her hazel eyes searching his face. She blushed and shook her head. "You must think I'm crazy. I'm sorry." She started to walk off before a hand wrapped around her wrist, stopping her in her steps.

"How do you know who I am?" Shane asked, still holding onto her arm.

She blushed, her eyes darting to the ground and then back up at him. "This will probably sound weird, but we met in my dreams," she responded hesitantly. "You started visiting me a few months ago probably when I was at my loneliest. I thought you were just-just a figment of my imagination, but the last time we met, you told me you were real. The next day I found the deed to my grandfather's farm and well-here I am." The girl smiled nervously as her eyes once again found the ground.

Shane let go of her wrist and rubbed his face with both hands. "Okay, you're messing with me again, aren't you? This is just some sick joke and I'm still sleeping right now. This is so-"

"This isn't a joke!" the girl exclaimed.

"How am I supposed to know?" he practically shouted, throwing his hands up in the air.

His exasperated reaction caught her off-guard, causing her to flinch. "I... I don't know," she responded weakly. "I wish I knew how to make you believe me."

Shane let out a sigh and paced back and forth, glancing over at her every once in a while. "Okay, so in all the dreams that I've had, you won't ever give me a straight answer. You're always so vague," he said as he came to a stop, giving her a very serious look. "If you can answer my question, then this is real."

The blonde visibly swallowed. "Ask me anything."

Shane studied her face for a moment before he asked, "Who are you?"

"Who-who am I? That's your question?" she queried, taken aback. "That's what you want to know?"

"Just answer the question," Shane halfway demanded. His features softened after he spoke and with an almost pleading tone, he added, "Please."

The girl blinked several times as she looked down in thought. "I-I don't know if this is some kind of existential question or how I'm supposed to answer. All I can think of is..." she said in a defeated tone and her voice trailed off. With an apologetic expression, she breathed out a sigh and with a small smile said, "My name is Margo."

A huge smile stretched across Shane's face as he enveloped her in a hug, his body trembling with excitement and relief. "Thank you for not being a dream. I'm so glad you're actually here, Margo," he murmured, sounding almost giddy upon saying her name.

The blonde's arms wrapped tightly around him, her fingers curling around the fabric of his hoodie. "I am, too," Margo responded gently. A light laugh escaped her lips as she turned her head toward his and asked, "So do I get to learn your name now?"

He pulled away slightly until he could fully see her face and answered amusedly, "It's Shane."

Margo pulled him back into a hug and let out a sigh. "It's nice to finally meet you, Shane."

"You too, Margo."

Thank you for reading!

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Please no flames! Those are only good for cooking marshmallows! ;)