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Autumn Year 4: Yeehaw, Partner!
"You'll be the cutest cowboy!" Haley cooed at Alex as he stood in front of her floor length mirror.
Clothes were tossed all over the floor and bed, as she made Alex try on various pieces she'd bought recently from a Zuzu thrift shop in the search for a Spirit's Eve costume. They only had a few hours before the festival would be starting in the plaza. Usually Haley was more organized than this and already had their costumes planned out weeks before, but since she started dating Abigail she'd been too busy with her to make their outfits. Alex matched her every single year, it was something he'd been doing since they were little kids, and even now at 25, he was still following his best friend's lead as she dressed him up.
He made a face at her as she helped him button up the white shirt. He thought maybe this year she'd like to put together a couple's costume with Abigail, but Haley said Abby had plans to dress up with Sam. He, for sure, thought Sam would have decided on something with Sebastian and his girlfriend, Lucy Fallin, not Abby unless all the best friends were fighting or something.
"Isn't it a little on the nose?" He asked cautiously. Her blue eyes glanced up narrowing, nose wrinkled at him trying to decipher his meaning.
"In what way, Alex? Do you mean the whole working on that stinky farm thing or…?" She questioned.
Alex's cheeks reddened as he realized she didn't get his point. Of course, she'd see it as ironic since he worked on Hognose Farm as a farmhand for the oldest Fallin sibling. It wasn't the most glamorous job, but he did enjoy the physical work out it provided him, and he'd made friend's with Shane and Mo in the process. The married couple provided him with wonderful support and gave him a chance to grow as a person in the last few years.
"No. I mean like… cause I'm… you know." Alex's cheeks got even redder spreading to his ears, as his eyes moved to her beach wallpaper to look at anything but her. Haley's eyes widened as she understood what he was going for, and lightly slapped her hand over his chest. Her giggle making him even more embarrassed that he brought it up.
"Alex! No! I mean, it would be kind of ironic for you to dress up as a cowboy with your love of other cowboys, but Brokeback Mountain is like so two decades ago! No one even talks about it." She teased, and he sighed at her. Sure, it wasn't something people talked about anymore, but it was a stereotype at one point and it made him feel vulnerable. But if she was dressing up too, no one would have anything to say, right? Alex let her pull on a green vest with a golden floral pattern onto him, and buttoned it up. His Yoba's cross necklace pulled from under his shirt to sit on top of his built chest. Her smile at him was soft as she stepped back to look at her work. The final touch was a brown cowboy hat with a green band. He adjusted it and posed in the mirror.
Yeah, it'd work. He smiled at how well he looked in western wear. Fingers formed into pistols as he pointed at the mirror and pretended to shoot.
"Bang!" He whispered, blowing the imaginary smoke from his fingertips.
"See, handsome! Jojo's going to eat you up!" Haley smirked at him as she worked on putting on her costume.
Alex rolled his eyes, cheeks still bright red from her mentioning his current crush; Jojo Fallin. One of the younger Fallins; twin of Lucy; only brother of the two sisters. The man had just moved to town this summer in his RV and took the whole place by storm with how much of a upstanding young man he was. Alex knew the older folks only revered the younger man because he was a veteran and seemed more put together than his sisters. Nothing wrong with him being ex-military, but he knew the man struggled with his own mental health at times, and it made Jojo uncomfortable the way people talked around him as if was something to be coddled. Only Alex and Kent seemed to understand that he wanted to be treated like a normal human. Not some fragile thing that would break at the slightest slip up of words or noise.
Alex brushed Haley off as he checked his phone as she went to her vanity to do her makeup. Just one text sent to Jojo earlier that morning to see if he was coming out to the festival. Jojo had only replied with a simple thumbs up. Guess that meant he was showing up.
He wanted nothing more than to spend more time with the man. They already ran together every morning. Just moving throughout the town the only sounds their heavy breathing as they jogged in the morning dew and darkness before the sun came up.
"Ready to go, partner?" Haley whispered up at him, her eyes meeting his as he looked down at her. His smile grew as he noticed her outfit. A white cowboy hat, pink embroidered button up shirt that was unbuttoned a good amount to show off her assets, a white denim fringed vest, and a matching white denim mini skirt to top it off with pink rhinestoned cowboy boots. Alex whistled low, and spun her around.
"Looking good, Hals. Abby will love it."
Leaving Haley and Emily's house, they were just around the corner from the plaza where the festival was held every year. Alex glanced down at Haley, her arm in his, and smile on her face as they followed up the cobblestone road. They looked like the perfect couple in their matching western wear. Most folks in town thought they were together throughout high school, and the two never corrected them. Pretending to date to keep the gossip to a minimum so they wouldn't figure out both of the two were in fact queer. If he wasn't gay, he would have probably been with Haley a long time ago. She seemed to be his 'type' in theory, but he never could get past the fact that she was a woman. Back when they were younger, they both tried to fool around, but stopped when he couldn't perform and she was grossed out by his body. It killed his ego for a while, but he knew it wasn't personal.
"Hey, you two!"
Abby was standing on the path in front of them, waving frantically as she saw them coming. Sam, Sebastian, and Lucy crowded around her. Alex glared at Haley as he noticed that she had lied to him. Abby also was dressed as in western wear. All purples and deep umber for her clothes. A black hat with fringe around it swooshing around her face. Goth accents with her deep purple makeup around her eyes and black lipstick. If Abby also dressed up, then Haley had a plan. Alex didn't view himself as the smartest man in town, but he could always tell when Haley had something nefarious up her sleeve. Her smile back at him indicated such deviousness.
"Oh shit, you got Alex to dress up too? Looking good in the green!" Sam grinned brightly at Alex, his usual golden retriever personality shining just as bright as always. He was dressed up as a vampire; blonde hair slicked back, white foundation dusted across his face, and fake teeth making him slur his words a little. Sebastian and Lucy matched as well with pale makeup (honestly, Seb probably didn't have anything on with how pale he always was) and dark eyeliner across their eyes. Matching black and red costumes for the three of them. Lucy gave Alex a little wave, while Sebastian ignored him. The man still barely talking to Alex on a good day.
"So we're just waiting for Jojo? Luce, did you see your brother on your way over?" Haley asked impatiently.
"Oh. Yeah, I saw him. He was helping Mo get the alpacas inside." Lucy said, leaning against Sam instead of Sebastian. Alex glanced between the two before Lucy caught him staring and moved away from Sam, the blonde not even noticing her purposely moving, and instead wrapping an arm around her. Seb was busy lighting up a cigarette while he had time to smoke on the outskirts of the festival. 'Huh, that was new,' Alex thought. Sebastian had been living with Lucy for over a year now in her cabin on the farmlands, but Sam too?
The cold autumn breeze blew through the group, making the less dressed ones shiver. It would be turning into winter in no time now. The seasons of Stardew Valley always seemed to change quick;y and harshly. From a warm summer day to a cool rainy autumn, and then devolving into a harsh cold icy winter, only to bloom into a green spring day as the new year turned over.
They could hear the festival from their location, the screams of children, and excitement as the visitors from other villages and towns came all this way to see their offerings for Spirit's Eve. Pelican Town relied on the tourism of these festivals they held. Once barely visited, but by a handful, now they had packed plazas and streets. Since the oldest Fallin got the economy going, it's changed a lot for the town. More advertisement. More effort put into the planning by the town. Lewis finally having to give in and let someone else take over. Someone meaning Marnie, who was glad to finally use their taxes for something other than a gold statue and letting the town rot.
"Hey! So sorry I'm late!" the group heard a man shouting from down the southern path. Alex's breath caught in his chest as he saw the final person for their party appear. Jojo ran as if he was late to something actually important, hand on his straw hat as he rushed up. His smile sparkling under the colorful Spirit's Eve themed lights strung around the streetlights and fences. He wore a pastel pink button up shirt, barely fitting over his muscled chest, a little half leather fringed vest swishing with his movements, muted denim jeans and Alex's eyes ran down him to his cowboy boots. Jojo tugged at the red bandana around his neck like it was too tight. Almond green eyes instantly glanced at Alex's matching colored ones.
"Oh look at how we're all cowpokes together!" Haley cooed at Alex, a shit-eating grin on her pink lips.
Haley planned this. She knew Jojo was going to dress up as a cowboy. She made sure Alex would be coupled with the man he was crushing on. Alex's cheeks burned as he waved at Jojo, who stopped his running right next to him. Sweat was dripping down his face as he fanned it with his borrowed straw hat.
"Oh hey, Alex. Whoa, that looks so good on you. Accents your gains." Jojo grinned wildly, flexing to make a point. His pink shirt barely hanging on as the buttons were on the edge of popping off. Showoff.
"You too, man" Alex huffed; bright red all the way past his ears and down to his chest. He could hear the snickers from the rest of the group.
It was going to be a very frustrating uncomfortable night trying to ignore the human equivalent of a chiseled god next to him.
