When Robin got into a state, only a few things calmed her down. One was chopping wood, but she had left her favourite axe in the house and she was absolutely not going back in there. Thankfully, another activity that helped was skipping stones, and she took a moment to be grateful that they lived by a lake still enough to do just that.

This reminded her of when Sebastian was young, before Demetrius was in the picture. She taught him to skip stones on this very lake. For Robin, it was an exercise in patience, as he never got the hang of it so much as got easily frustrated. Not to mention he got distracted looking for frogs during the rainy seasons.

Robin sighed.

Oh, Sebastian…

"...you can't force me to stay here."

She had returned from a nighttime walk to the sound of raised voices coming from the kitchen.

"What's the point of moving to the city if you're just going to spend all day in front of your computer anyway?"

"Because there's nothing else to do here!" Sebastian shot back. "Yeah, I'll still be doing freelance work in Zuzu City, but at least there'll be more entertainment than the rec room in the saloon."

Neither of them seemed to notice Robin when she walked in, hovering at the edge of the room. "Your mother and I need you here."

"To do what? You're right. I spend all day at my computer. You wouldn't even notice if I was gone."

Demetrius' expression, to Robin's surprise, showed a flash of remorse. "Sebastian, I–"

"I wasn't asking for your permission, Demetrius." They both winced. He had never called him 'Dad', but this particular address seemed to sting more than most. "I have savings. I've got my eyes on a place. I'm an adult. I didn't even have to tell you that I'm leaving, but I did. Be grateful I gave you that." His footsteps were thunderous down the stairs and the slam of his door reverberated through the rest of the house.

Demetrius' expression was dark, and didn't shift at all when he realised Robin was in the room. He resolutely didn't say a word, forcing her to break the silence.

"I don't understand you."

"Did you know about this?" he asked, his voice tight. "That he wants to leave?"

"No, but that shouldn't matter." She crossed her arms. "Why are you being so resistant? You're the one always nagging him about being a hermit."

"Is that reason enough to leave everything here behind?"

"You know just as well as I do that he won't be leaving much."

From there, it quickly spiralled into a screaming match.

Robin picked up another flat rock and tossed it towards the lake. It managed a good four skips before it sank to the bottom. Life without Sebby would be different. A massive change. For a while after her divorce, it had just been the two of them against the world. She didn't know how to feel about the fact that he'd be gone soon. But she couldn't deny that it would be good for him to spread his wings. Being stuck in their house in Pelican Town was no doubt taking a toll on his mental health. It was for this reason that Robin knew she would support her son's decision to leave without question. She was just about to go back inside and tell him just that when she heard a foreign sound coming from somewhere on her left.

"Hello?" she called out, her skin prickling with caution. Pelican Town was just about the safest place in the valley. She had no reason to feel afraid. And yet, unease settled heavy in her bones. She was met with silence, and was just about to leave to find her son when she heard it again.

It was clearer this time. A pained groan, coming from the mines.

There were only two people who went down there; Marlon and the farmer. And since the lights in the Adventurer's Guild were on and Marlon could clearly be seen through the window dozing at his desk, that could only mean…

"Oh my Yoba." Robin rushed over to the farmer who was collapsed on the floor, clearly having just crawled up from the mineshaft. She was covered in cuts and bruises, and blood poured out from a gash in her left shoulder. It looked bad, deep enough to need stitches. "What happened to you?!"

"Robin…?" the farmer woozily mumbled, eyes unfocused.

"Here, prop yourself up for me, okay?" Robin sprung into action and helped her sit up against the cavern wall. She removed her jacket, looping it around the farmer's shoulder and tying it tight in an attempt to reduce the bleeding. "Sorry," she said in response to the farmer's pained grunt. "Do you have any water on you? Food?"

"Backpack," she croaked, the pain snapping her back to reality.

Robin rummaged through and found a life elixir in the midst of all the ores and minerals she'd been collecting. She held it up to her lips and the farmer obediently drank. If the circumstances were different, Robin might have gotten lost in the way the farmer's lips wrapped nicely around the mouth of the bottle, or how prettily they glistened when she pulled away. But tonight, Robin's maternal instincts and worry for her wellbeing far outweighed any growing lust she could have been feeling.

For the first time in what felt like forever, she was being responsible around the farmer.

Thankfully, the more she drank, the more the light returned to her eyes. After a few moments, the farmer looked at her shoulder as if she'd just now noticed how much blood was running from there. Then, she looked back at Robin. Touched a gentle hand to her bare arm. "Your jacket…" That moment of contact caused goosebumps to rise over Robin's skin, something she hoped the farmer was too shaken up to notice. "I ruined your pretty jacket."

Robin's cheeks warmed. The farmer was clearly delirious with pain. It was making her do stupid things like that. "It doesn't matter. We need to get you to the clinic. Can you walk?"

"I think so."

"Lean on me."

It took a few minutes of hopelessly grabbing at the wall and at Robin, but the farmer finally managed to find her footing. She tested the weight on her legs. "Everything hurts but nothing's broken," she assessed.

"Thank Yoba for that."

Draping her good arm around Robin and using her like a crutch, they began the slow walk to Harvey's.

"What happened?" Robin asked again, partly to try to find out what had caused this – the farmer was usually so careful when she was down there – and partly to keep her alert and conscious. She was exhausted as is. Robin didn't need the farmer fainting on her. She was strong, but not strong enough to drag her body all the way into town.

"Too many skeletons." The farmer winced when she tried to shrug, seemingly forgetting about her shoulder. "I need to see Marlon about getting a better sword."

The older woman frowned. "What you need is to see Harvey about getting some stitches. And to stay away from those damn mines for a while."

"Shit, do you think I'll need stitches?"

"I think you're lucky that stitches are all you're walking away with," she replied firmly. "You gave me a freaking heart attack."

"Sorry," the farmer said sheepishly.

Robin gave her a gentle smile. "It's fine, Farmer. Let's just get you patched up."

Harvey had clearly been in the midst of his nighttime routine, as he answered Robin's frantic knocking in a set of striped pyjamas, much to the ladies' amusement. A matching floppy nightcap wouldn't have looked out of place. He took one look at the farmer and quickly ushered them in.

"It's a good thing you came straight to me," Harvey said as he threw on a lab coat and located his gloves. He sat the farmer down on the examination table and gingerly undid Robin's jacket, revealing the wound. Robin winced.

The farmer didn't want to look. She was no stranger to cuts and bruises, but she had never gotten this hurt in the mines before. She was a little embarrassed at how squeamish she felt.

"Is it bad?" she asked apprehensively.

"It could be worse," he placated. "But you'll need stitches." She let out a defeated sigh. "Do you have any drug allergies I should know about?"

"No."

Harvey nodded and handed her a pill and some water. "Okay. Take this. It's a strong painkiller. I would give you a local anaesthetic but I just used the last of our supply on Clint after a geode breaking mishap and Joja has been awful at getting us our shipments on time."

"Hang on," Robin interrupted, her voice tight with worry. "No local anaesthetics? Would it be better for her to try a clinic in Zuzu City? I could drive her."

"It's late and the wait times in the city are unpredictable. And I don't like the look of that gash. I'd rather it be treated sooner rather than later." He paused. "But it's up to you, Farmer. You'll have better pain management in the city."

"It's fine, Robin," the farmer insisted. She put in a brave smile and swallowed the pill along with some water. "I can handle a bit of pain."

"I'll try and make the procedure as quick and painless as possible," Harvey assured her. "I'm going to need you to take your shirt off, if you don't mind. So I can properly clean the area."

"Of course," she agreed.

Harvey gave her privacy by turning around to prep what he would need to stitch her up. "Take your time. Don't rush it. Robin, are you able to help her out? She shouldn't be moving her injured arm too much."

Help the farmer remove her shirt? The shirt that was the one barrier between her body and the rest of the world? Yeah, that's just great. "O-okay…"

"Don't need to get all shy on me, Robin," the farmer teased, trying to lift the mood. "This is nothing you haven't seen before. We've been to the bathhouse."

Damn it, she was blushing again. It must have been the pain that was making the farmer so bold. She hoped Harvey wouldn't make anything of that. As much as Robin had fantasised about it, the two of them had never actually done anything remotely inappropriate together. Harvey had to know that.

The farmer was sitting there expectantly, using her good arm to unbuckle one side of her overalls. Stop getting distracted, Robin firmly chided. She stood between the farmer's legs and unbuckled the other strap, letting her overalls pool in her lap. With trembling hands, Robin grabbed the hem of her top and gently pulled. When it came to getting her injured arm out, Robin was extra cautious, coaxing it over so it didn't touch her wound. Her fingers brushed bare skin a few times, and she didn't miss the way the farmer's breath caught. Focus.

"Careful," she murmured, bringing the material over the worst of it before finally managing to get her top off.

"Thank you," the farmer whispered. Robin did her best to focus on her face, but couldn't help herself. She stole a quick glance down, at her body toned from all the farmwork, at her breasts held up by a white bra now stained red in places. That sight in the bathhouse wasn't enough. She needed to see her again.

The farmer caught her looking, and Robin cleared her throat awkwardly. "She's all set," she announced to Harvey, a little too loudly.

"I've never gotten stitches before," the farmer said nervously.

"Don't worry. It's a really quick procedure." Harvey rolled his trolley of supplies next to the examination table. "I'm just going to clean the wound and stitch you up."

"Okay." Her voice came out shaky, and she looked at the syringe in Harvey's hands with wide eyes. It vaguely reminded the older woman of a spooked animal, at risk of bolting after one sudden movement. "Robin?"

"Yes?" Robin whispered.

"Can you hold my hand?" she asked shyly. The nerves were clear in her expression.

Really? Robin thought. The woman who willingly traverses through the most dangerous place in Pelican Town several times a week is afraid of a couple of stitches? But she took her hand all the same, ignoring the way her heart raced at first contact.

Harvey began to flush out the wound, the antiseptic solution running down her arm. The farmer's fingers twitched a little. Robin's features creased with concern. "You okay?"

"Yeah, it just stings a little."

"This won't take too long," Harvey reassured her. "Just cleaning it so you don't get an infection." She tensed when a cotton pad was used to wipe away some of the blood. "You're going feel a little tugging sensation, okay?"

The farmer nodded stiffly.

Neither of the women looked when Harvey made the first stitch. Obviously, he was a doctor, and hence completely unfazed. But the other two definitely didn't have the stomach for it.

"Ah!" Robin watched her flinch when a sudden bite of pain caught her off-guard. She felt her heart break a little. Her kids had gotten into their fair share of accidents when they were younger, and seeing them hurting was never easy. This time was no different. She really wished Harvey had something stronger to give her, but she knew he was making the best of a difficult situation. Who ever said small town life was easy?

"I'm sorry, Farmer, but I really need you to be still," Harvey said regretfully as the woman continued to squirm in discomfort. "Robin, could you try and keep her talking?" Harvey asked her. "Distract her."

"Right. Um…" Shit, what do I ask? "What are you growing on your farm right now?" Really? That's the best you could think of?

Still, the farmer answered her question all the same. "I, um…" she winced. "Pumpkins. Lots of pumpkins for the Spirits Eve festival at the end of the season. Cranberries, wh– ow, fuck! – wheat… the merchant was selling rare seeds but I don't know what they'll make."

"Good girl." Robin and the farmer both froze. She hadn't meant to say that, and especially not as seductively as she made it sound. Did it sound seductive? Or was it all in Robin's head? The farmer squeezed a little tighter and Robin cleared her throat. "Good job," she corrected, trying her best to wipe her previous statement from her mind. "That's good. Keep talking. How about your animals?"

At least the farmer didn't seem to be dwelling on the 'good girl' comment. "They're fine. One of my chickens turned black overnight. I was a little concerned but Rasmodius told me it's normal and not to worry about it. It produces void eggs now so at least that's a plus. I feel like they might come in handy someday. And a new baby goat was born last week."

"Aw, cute! What's its name?"

"Robin," the farmer answered in a heartbeat.

Harvey snorted, which he quickly tried to cover up with a cough before resuming with his work. Robin, to her credit, gave her a good-natured grin. "I hope that doesn't reflect what you think of my character."

"What? Oh! No! I just… goat cheese. That's your favourite, isn't it?"

"…it is. How'd you know that?"

"You mentioned it once."

"And you remembered?" Robin couldn't keep the surprise from her voice.

She chuckled uneasily. "I have a good memory for these things."

There was a long gap of silence neither woman could figure out how to fill. Thankfully, the farmer seemed to be getting used to the sensation of being stitched up. And even better, her suffering was soon about to end.

"And we're all done!" Harvey announced.

He applied a sterile bandage and the farmer let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank Yoba."

"You did great," Robin said, giving her hand a final squeeze before retracting. No excuse for them to be holding hands any longer. As the farmer slipped her ruined shirt back on for some modesty and did up her overalls once again, Harvey rummaged through one of the cabinets.

"I'm going to have you keep your arm in a sling, just for a couple of days."

The farmer's face fell. "Seriously?"

"Just to give yourself the best opportunity to heal."

"But I've got so much to do!" she protested. "The Stardew Valley Fair is in less than a week and my grange display isn't anywhere near ready and who's gonna feed the chickens and–"

"Hey," Robin interrupted gently. "Listen to Harvey. The farm can wait. You need to get better before you even think about getting back to work again."

"But I need to harvest another round of pumpkins and re-fertilise the soil before I can plant new seeds–"

"I can help with all of that," she said in a heartbeat.

The farmer blinked. "Really?"

"Really. My parents were farmers too, you know? Carpentry isn't all I'm good at."

"But what about your shop?"

"Sebastian and Maru know how I run things. They can hold down the fort for a couple of days." And being on the farm would be a much needed break from the tortures of home. "You do so much for me and for Pelican Town so please. Let me do this for you."

The farmer chewed on her lip so adorably Robin had to stop herself from swooning. "Okay," she finally said. "Only if you let me repay you once I'm better."

"Not a chance." Robin smiled innocently. "Come on. I'll take you home."

A/N - Hello, dear reader! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'm so excited to post the next one when it's ready. I am far from done messing with these two idiots. As always, let me know what you think and until next time, stay safe.

This story is also available on AO3. I also have a Twitter kayasmuttytoast where I post behind the scenes content, polls, writing updates and more. I also have a Tumblr and Bluesky kayassmuttytoast. The links are in my profile!