Chapter Text
"Will you dance with me?"
Shane looked up from his plate to stare. Lucas, the new farmer, kept smiling as if Shane's response would make his day.
Here was the comprehensive list of everything Lucas had said to Shane since moving into Pelican Town:
- "Hi! I'm Lucas. I just moved here yesterday. I hope we'll get along." (Shane couldn't have cared less even if he hadn't been wasted at the time. He couldn't remember what he had said to Lucas in turn, but his money was on it having been something douchey.)
- "Fine weather we're having this morning." (Shane didn't actually mind rainy weather, but he hated walking through it for another day of drudgery at JojaMart. Therefore, Lucas' piss-take had received a glare in response.)
- "Will you dance with me?"
Shane swallowed. It took him a moment to recall how to form words. "...No."
Lucas' smile widened. In other words, it had been a joke from the start. And if Shane thought he caught a strange gleam in Lucas' eyes as the latter turned away and dashed off to join more congenial company, no doubt that was a trick of the light.
Shane shrugged and returned his attention to the buffet spread. It was currently the best thing going on in his life, after all.
By the time he had put away another helping of salad and the delicious spicy green stuff he didn't have a name for, Emily had joined him by the table. "Hi, Shane! Did you try the jelly yet?"
"Nope." He cleaned his plate and realized that for the moment, he felt almost okay. "This green stuff is out of this world."
"I have it on good authority the secret ingredient's crispy garlic in chili oil." Emily tilted her head. "Did you already agree to dance with someone? If not, will you dance with me?"
Shane shrugged. "Sure." It was small enough of a sacrifice to make if it made Emily happy.
When the time came and he took his place in the line opposite of Emily, he noticed Lucas standing to his right, facing Haley with a vague sort of smile on his face. It occurred to him to wonder if Lucas knew the steps. It was a simple dance, but specific to the region, and it was more than possible Lucas was about to make an ass out of himself. Shane almost felt sorry for him for a moment.
As if hearing Shane's thoughts, Lucas turned to look at him. His smile remained indistinct as his gaze swept across and past Shane.
Shane ignored an unpleasant sensation at the back of his neck and refocused his attention onto Emily. Whatever. Time to get the dance over with and then see if there were any leftovers to take home afterwards.
Shane didn't see much of Lucas for the next several weeks. Instead, he heard of him more than he cared to: of how helpful he was, how industrious, how kind, how he was always going around handing out delightful little presents and remembering everyone's birthdays. How he was already beginning to make a whole bundle of money through his inherited farm but still always stopped by to ask everyone about their day and blah blah blah. But apart from when Lucas emerged into Stardrop Saloon during weekends to chat with Gus and the other patrons and to knock back a few, Shane's life was blissfully Lucas-free.
It was the pits in other ways, of course, but he was almost starting to grow numb to the gray dreariness of his existence. It was only when Lucas was around, so vibrant and bright and with so much promise to his future that he began seriously contemplating drowning himself in one of the casks over at the saloon. Still, it could have been worse. At least Lucas, having finally figured out that Shane wanted nothing to do with him, gave him a wide berth.
Only... sometimes, when Shane was nursing his last drink of the night, he would suddenly sense a pair of eyes upon him. Looking around, he never found anyone actually staring at him: Gus and Emily would be busy working, Clint would be in his usual corner casting furtive glances towards the bar, and Pam would be too drunk to focus her eyes on anything.
And then there would be Lucas. He never so much as glanced in Shane's direction, even by accident, just quietly drank his beer and traded gossip with Gus with a subtle smile on his face. Still, the feeling of being watched only came over Shane when Lucas was around.
Shane knew it was stupid to imagine Lucas staring at him, let alone to feel uneasy about it. Even so, more often than not he'd continue to feel strange all the way back to the ranch.
By the time fall began, Shane was so used to hearing about Lucas that it no longer automatically set his teeth on edge. Imagining the fresh-faced farmer merely made him tired.
"Mr. Lucas just bought two of our chicks yesterday," Marnie said one Sunday morning as though she was discussing a major event.
Shane continued staring at his food as it slowly rotated in the microwave. "Think he'll be able to take proper care of them?"
"Oh, I'm certain of it. He loves animals, you know. He took in a stray dog I found last spring, and the dear thing is thriving now."
Shane nodded and glanced over towards the door to the coop. Perhaps he should put in some extra work with the chickens now that he had the time and even something resembling energy for once. "Where's Jas?"
As if summoned by the sound of her name, Jas skipped over to the kitchen. "Good morning!"
"Morning." The microwave pinged. Shane mechanically took out his breakfast. "Any plans for today?"
"I'm going to go play by the lake and see if there are any pretty leaves on the ground yet."
Shane nodded. "Be careful around the water."
"I'm always careful."
"We know you are." Marnie turned around to stroke the back of Jas' head before resuming cooking her omelet. "Do you want apricot or strawberry jam today?"
"Strawberry, please!"
Shane looked on as Jas smeared jam onto her toast and began nibbling at it, demolishing it with surprising speed despite taking such dainty little bites out of it. It was a relief she could still live in the moment and smile so freely despite everything that had happened. Shane only wished he wasn't so utterly useless at protecting her smile. In fact, he had long suspected she might be better off without him in the picture in the first—
He lost his track of thought as he bit his tongue instead of the pizza. Ugh. It was never a good sign when his thoughts turned towards self-hatred this early in the day. He'd try focusing on the chickens first, and if that didn't pan out, he'd head off to town for the cocoon of protective numbness only alcohol could provide.
"Oh dear." Marnie frowned at the contents of the kitchen cupboard. "Shane, could you go and pick up some groceries at some point today?"
"I'll go as soon as I've eaten." As far as changes in plans went, this wasn't a bad one. He could stock up on frozen pizzas and pick up a six-pack while he was at it. It wasn't as if he was likely to find a more productive use for his day.
"Thank you. I'll write you a list."
Once he closed the front door behind him, Shane took a moment to breathe in the scent of fall rising from the earth. It had rained the day before, and the land had come alive with it, the colors brighter, the scents sharper and more acrid. Maybe later he could go and take a walk around the forest and possibly even forget the shittiness of his life for a few moments.
A shiver which had nothing to do with the chilly air ran up his spine. He looked around, but even a close inspection revealed nothing but Lucas fishing by the river just ahead. Shane promptly ignored him and began heading to town.
Hearing his footsteps, Lucas turned his head and gave Shane a wave and a bright grin. "Hi there!"
Shane kept going without comment. By now, he was starting to feel like a real asshole about being constantly rude to Lucas, so he channeled all of his hopelessness to remind himself that it didn't matter anyway, just like nothing he did really mattered.
He still felt Lucas' stare on the back of his neck as he walked past Leah's cabin, only for the pressure to let up as Lucas began to reel a fish in. Maybe this would be it and Lucas would finally give up trying to be friendly. It'd be for the best for both of them.
Still, for whatever reason, the feeling of being watched continued to plague him as he made it to town. No matter how many times he looked over his shoulder, he never actually caught anyone looking at him.