Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The moment Elsie stepped through the clearing in the Cindersap forest, she was searching for him.  She couldn’t help it, try as she might. Her eyes skimmed over the villagers, hunting for a pair of thick-rimmed glasses amid everyone else. Her whole body was tense, waiting on the bated breath until the moment she spotted him—should he even be here. Mayor Lewis said the whole town was usually in attendance, and yet...

As her eyes glazed over the crowd, she noticed something that made her heart catch in her throat. 

Before her stood a sea of white lacy dresses and cerulean-blue suits. Swallowing, she could feel her stomach twist and churn. Elsie alone wore a pair of dirt-smudged overalls. She felt one or two eyes snagging on her. 

She had either donated or thrown away all of her nice clothes when she chose to move to the valley. She decided by herself that she would not need her fancy work clothes—nice dresses and pantsuits, or expensive sweaters and button-ups for farm work. And with no intentions of ever returning to the city, she determined it was an extra weight in her suitcase. What an incredible idea that had been. 

Dread settled at the base of her stomach. She should have kept something nice. Elsie stuck her hands in her back pockets, taking a deep breath. She wasn’t dressed properly, and she was still learning names to more than half the guests but if she stayed calm and in the moment, she could do it. She came here for a specific reason, and she needed to do it. First, she needed some courage. 

Elsie started towards the easiest place to begin: the food table. 

The tables were piled with food. Green salad, hot soups, and roast beef. A whole platter dedicated to cheese, and another solely to fruit. Pearl barley and spring vegetables. Vanilla cupcakes. Strawberry tea cookies. Buttery rolls shaped like flowers. A large plate of wiggling red jelly. Clear pink punch with fresh ice; Gus outdid himself.

She noticed Shane drooped over the table as well, a roll hanging in his mouth. "Hey, Shane."

He was wearing a suit too, looking a bit disheveled. He poured himself a glass of punch and flicked his eyes over to her. 

“Whassup,” he says, voice muffled from the food. 

Elsie tugged at her fingers. “How’s the party going?”

“‘Ss ‘okay.” Shane gulps, washing it down with the punch. He wrinkles his nose and a smile breaks out over his face. “Better. I think Pam’s spiked the punch.”

Her lips curled upwards, “Well, she’s keeping it interesting.” Elsie returned her attention to the crowd. Her heart skipped a beat. She spotted him with Maru and Penny.

Harvey didn’t notice at first. He nodded to something Maru said and laughed. Then, his head turned and his eyes connected with hers. A tickle formed in her stomach.  

Elsie looked away, suddenly very interested in the tea cookies. She took a bite, and the buttery cookie melted in her mouth. Delicious. She glanced up, and Shane was staring at her. “What?”

Shane flicked his eyes between her and Harvey and shrugged. “Didn’t say anything.” He took a swig of his cup.

Oh, Yoba. Was she that obvious? Hopefully, Shane was just unusually observant.

Most of the townsfolk were still strangers to her, but Shane had become somewhat of a friend for her here. She enjoyed talking with him. The question of whether he liked to talk back to her depended on the day. “So,” she drawled. “Are you dancing with anyone today?” 

“I dunno,” he said. He looked up and nodded to Emily. “Probably Emily. Both of us usually end up without partners each year.”

Elsie looked over to Emily, who was talking animatedly to her sister. A beat. An awkward beat. The conversation seemed to be out the door. “Do you all...wear those suits and dresses every year?”

“Basically,” Shane said. He looked at her clothes, took another sip. “But it doesn’t matter what you wear, the mayor and most of the older crowd don’t go for it.” 

She looked around. That was true, she noticed Lewis and Marnie standing together. Although it was nicer than what they usually wore, it wasn’t the white and blue garb. 

“I’ll be honest,” Elsie said. “When Mayor Lewis said you had a dance every year, I was picturing a barnyard shindig. With line dancing. Not this.”

“Well, welcome to the valley,” he said dryly. He raised his cup and looked confused. He eyed the cup, peering inside. The liquid was already gone. “Aw, man.”

Elsie wrung her hands together. “Hey, if I wanted to ask somebody to dance, do I have to say anything special?” She said it so quickly, her nerves brimming. 

He gave her a look. “Asking ‘ do you want to dance ’ seems pretty straightforward.” Shane shrugged and frowned. “You can’t go wrong. Unless you get rejected. Lemme know how it goes.”

She watched him leave. She needed more friends. At Joja, she had no problems meeting with new clients and newer employees. It was part of the job, and she responded well. Never had she faced the intimacy of small-town living. Everybody knew everybody, and she was the odd one out. Learning the social circles here felt exhausting. When she heard that there was an annual dance every year, she felt excited. Now, she wondered if this was a good idea. 

Taking a deep breath, and feeling a familiar tickle in her stomach, she resolutely walked over to Harvey’s group. If there was anybody she wanted to dance with, it was him. Unless he rejects you, Shane’s voice echoed in her mind. 

She approached the group. Maru was chattering about a new project she was working on, her eyes bright with excitement. Elsie joined the group. “Hi, everyone!” Did that sound too forced? Oh, no.  

Penny smiled welcomingly. “Hi, Elsie. How do you like your first flower festival?” 

“It’s great,” she reported. “The food looks amazing, have you tried any yet?”

“Not yet, but I’d love to get my hands on the cupcakes.”

Maru agreed, and then asked Penny if she would like to go with her. Elsie considered warning them about the spiked punch, but they left too quickly.

She gave her attention to Harvey.

It was only her and Harvey now.

He looked handsome as ever in the suit. He smiled at her, which was not worth the heat that climbed up her ears. Maybe it was the heat of the day. She stuffed her hands back in her pockets, attempting to look relaxed. She wasn’t sure what to say next. She had steeled herself so much for the asking-him-to-dance part, she completely skipped thinking of the small talk. “So," she drawled. "Is it nice to have a break from the clinic for the day?” 

Harvey nodded good-naturedly, “It’s been a busy few weeks, I’m glad for the afternoon off.” 

“You must not get many of those,” she agreed. “Being the only doctor in a 50-mile radius.” 

“It’s not too bad. Spring isn’t very busy. Mostly I do a lot of paperwork.” Harvey stiffened. “That sounds boring. I like my job. I mean, it’s interesting paperwork.” 

A laugh fluttered in her chest. “What, everyone’s medical history?” 

“No! No,” Harvey looked a bit panicked. “Not like that. Well, I guess organizing is fun—”

She touched his elbow, “Hey, hey sorry. I didn’t mean to freak you out. I’m just giving you grief. Besides, I can’t speak. My job gets tedious, too. I do so much fertilizing, I think it’s coming out of my ears.” 

Elsie blanched. Quickly she removed her hand from his elbow. She just admitted to handling animal poop all day. She was becoming less and less the sex goddess she had planned in her daydream this morning. 

Harvey chuckled gently. “Right. How is your farm doing?”

Elsie nodded, “It’s good.” A new thought bubbles to the top, “I’ve got a strawberry patch that’s starting to bud.” Was bud the right word for it? It was growing, and the small green things that eventually become strawberries were poking out from the leaves. She considered it a good start, happy she hadn’t killed it yet. Farming was coming but it was coming slowly. 

Harvey nodded, smiling. “That's wonderful, I’m glad that you're finding your work rewarding.”

His enthusiasm brightened her spirits. She shifted her gaze around the crowd again, shoulder to shoulder with him. “Were you looking forward to the flower festival?”

Harvey hummed. “Well. The food is nice. But I always get a bit nervous for the dancing part.”

This was her chance! She looked at him, swaying a bit. “Oh, really? Why’s that?” She played it off as nonchalantly as she could, hoping her voice didn’t sound too excited. She wanted to be as aloof as she could manage.

“I’m not much of a dancer,” Harvey admits. “It’s fun to dress up, but the parties make me anxious.”

Elsie smiled at him. She let out a little sigh of relief. Parties made her nervous too, and she could tell him that! Then they would bond over it and could laugh about it over the punch bowl, and right into when the dancing started. When Harvey locked eyes with her, it occurred to her she had been staring. Heat rose in her cheeks. She looked towards the tree line. “Parties always make me a bit nervous too.”

A chuckle rose in Harvey’s throat. “That, and asking someone to dance.”

She couldn’t agree more. Wait, why was he bringing that up? Did he intend to ask her to dance? Maybe this would be easier than she thought. Her heartbeat fast against her chest, and she hoped he couldn’t hear it over the music. “I was thinking that, too.” She murmured, sneaking a glance at him. But he wasn’t looking at her. She followed his gaze to the food table. Was he hungry? 

“I’m just working up the courage to ask someone,” he admits. 

She frowns, her eyes darting between him and the food again. Wait, scratch that. Not the food, he was looking at Maru. Maru. 

Realization clicked and dawned on her as heavily as a dropped barbell. Her throat felt dry suddenly, and she wished she had taken some of that spiked punch. “You’re going to ask Maru?”

Harvey nodded, he looked nervous. “Do you think she’ll say no?”

Elsie’s jaw went slack. Her heart had a weight on it. “No,” she said. She shook her head and cleared her throat. “No, I don’t think she would.”

Oh, Yoba. This was the problem with having a crush in a small town. Everyone was so established, she had no idea Harvey was sweet on Maru. What if they were dating, or were about to start dating? She wasn’t sure what else to say and felt no need to stay any longer.  She excused herself quickly and bounded for the dessert trays. 

Soon after, the music began. The villagers lined up for a dance she had no idea how to dance. 

She unwrapped a cupcake from its pink shiny wrapper as the first dance began. She didn’t know why she stayed to watch. Elsie told herself it was just for the food, so she might as well make the best of it. She bit down. The cupcake exploded with a raspberry center. Glancing up, the dance was finishing its first movement. White dresses seemed to move in unison, accompanied by their partners. Harvey spun Maru to the tune of the music, and jealousy made her heart ached. If not for a lost dance, certainly by a desire to feel part of the small community. She didn’t move here to sit on the sidelines, eating sweets. 

If she had committed to living here, then she was going to live. She made a silent promise to herself that come next flower festival, she was going to have a partner to dance with. That, and a place she had made for herself within the community. 

She needed it.

Robin, the town carpenter slid over slyly to her side. “Not dancing this year?”

Elsie frowned and shook her head. “No, I’m not.” A rising feeling of dread rose in her chest. “What about you? You have your husband don’t you?”

Robin chuckled, “Yes but we’ve danced enough of these to last a lifetime.” 

Elsie nodded, that sounded nice. Folding her arms, she focused again on the dancers, trying to avoid looking at Harvey. 

Robin elbowed her side, “Was there anyone you were going to ask?”

Elsie bit her lip, deciding whether to lie or not. She said, “Yes. But he was already taken. Maybe next year?”

“‘There’s always next year,” Robin said reassuringly. “Can I ask who it was?”

An unexpected laugh rose from her throat, “No, you may not! I may be new, but I know how this town gossips.”

Robin shrugged. “Alright. Suit yourself,” she stuck her hands in her pockets. “May I give a piece of advice?”

Elsie watched as Harvey danced alongside Maru. He looked anxious, watching his feet during the dance. It was a bit charming to watch, really. She figured at this point, any advice couldn’t hurt. “Sure. What's the advice?”

Robin leaned in, their shoulders rubbing against each other. With a wink, she said: “Don’t stay strangers.”

Chapter Text

Sunlight poured in thick rays into Pierre’s shop, swirling dust in the late afternoon air. Elsie scanned the rows, lips pressed tightly together. She held up two seed packets to view: melons or sunflowers. The melons would sell incredibly well, but the sunflowers would grow quicker and they would look so lovely. . . 

She kept the two in her hands, strolling casually around the store. Since summer started, her pepper crops had done well, earning her a good bit of money. It was a beautiful new luxury. She was excited to see what she could grow next for the small farm. She wandered into the baking aisle and added a bag of flour to her bag; She had extra blueberries from her latest harvest and wanted to try them in a tart. 

As she looked through the sugar bags, she could notice a figure on the opposite side of the aisle. Harvey. 

Her heart somersaulted. Harvey! She thought briefly about how to approach it. Could it be a, oh hello you, funny seeing you here moment? Or maybe a happy accident, where they both noticed each other at the same moment? 

No, she’d take charge. No use in skipping around him in a town as small as this. 

A surge of confidence went through her. Puffing her chest, she switched aisles and walked up to him. “Hey, doc!”

Harvey jolted, letting out a yelp, neck whipping to face her.

She cringed, “Sorry! Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” She shot up her hands as a peace offering.

Harvey shot up a hand, “No, it’s fine. I’m just jumpy.” He adjusted his glasses, tempering his nerves. “Hello, Elizabeth. How are you doing?”

Elsie took a breath too, the air between them relaxing. “I’m good. I’m trying to decide between sunflowers and melons. Do you have a preference?”

She side-stepped and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with him so he could get a good look. Her heartbeat was a little faster as her shoulder brushed his arm. 

Harvey ran a hand through his hair and chose the melons. She smiled and stuck it in her handbasket. Elsie knew she shouldn’t be nosey, but she couldn’t help but sneak a peek at his groceries. Pickles, a wine bottle, and a few frozen tv dinners. She wrinkled her nose, lips turned upwards. “Looks like. . .a good evening planned?”

Harvey frowned and noticed his basket. “Oh, ah. That’s nothing. That’s. . .that’s my Tuesday.”

Elsie broke into a full grin, “a good Tuesday, then?” 

Harvey chuckled nervously, “I know I should probably be eating healthier, it's just easier to make.”

“Well, if you ever need veggies you know where I am,” Elsie said. “I’ll even give you a discount if you ask nicely.”

“Oh, you don’t have to do that,” Harvey said. “I can pay full price!”

Considering he was a doctor, he probably could. “Well, the option’s always open."

They spoke for a few minutes longer. She told him briefly about the pepper plants and a new addition to her home. He spoke about a little virus that passed through, leaving him with having to make a couple of house calls. After a few minutes, Harvey stopped her and commented, Oh have you gotten your checkup yet?

She hadn’t, and although she thought Harvey was cute, did not want to step anywhere near a doctor’s office for fear of needles and potentially embarrassing herself in front of him. She replied that no, she hadn’t yet and Harvey said something like Oh well you should, with the work you’re doing, you have to be in good health! And she laughed awkwardly and that’s how she wound up with an appointment with Doctor Harvey for noon sharp the next day.

And how she was already dreading it by the time she made it home. 

A part of her—the romantic part—was excited because she hadn’t had a lot of time to chat with him. A doctor’s visit was not a romantic thing, but her heart skipped a little at the thought of more time with him.

Ever since Elsie had moved to Pelican Town, the moment she met Harvey something in her fluttered. Simultaneously, it also made her palms sweaty. 

Oh, Yoba. The first time she met him. That had been a disaster, and she prayed that nobody else had witnessed it.

She’d been in Pelican Town only a handful of times that first week. Necessary outings to restock seeds, for hot meals at the saloon, and saying hello to her new neighbors. She lived miles away from anybody in town, but a neighbor was a neighbor. 

It was after she said hello to Emily, and she cooed at the new dress she was modeling. Red with tulle sleeves and completely perfect for her. It made her blue hair look electric. She begged her to take her measurements one day when she had the money for it. After that, she wanted to make the rounds. Meet the neighbors. She started towards the clinic. 

She quickly eyed the closing time. Checking her watch, she realized she had just a few minutes to pop in. Energetically, she pushed open the door and slammed into a man attempting to leave. 

The door hit his face with surprising force, knocking his glasses clean off. Elsie felt mortified, her body went still as stone. Then, when her feeling regained all-at-once, she cupped her hands around her mouth and bent down to pick up the poor man’s glasses.

“I am so sorry!” She confessed, fishing them off the floor. She shot back up and narrowly avoided hitting his nose. “I—oh!”

She had to crane her neck up to look at him. He looked at her perplexed, and she realized his eyes were very green. 

Gulping, she shot his glasses between them as a peace offering, “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“Quite alright,” he replied, putting on the glasses.  “No harm no foul.”

He was kind, forgiving her that quickly. Her legs went a little shaky as she realized with a start that she found him handsome.

“I’m Elizabeth Adler,” she said. Then, amending it to “Elsie.”

“I’m Harvey,” he said. It was a wonderful name. “The local doctor.”

“You’re—? Oh!” She took in his white doctor’s coat and dreadfully realized that she had hurt the only doctor in town. “Then I’m especially sorry for hurting you, who could patch you up?”

He laughed out of politeness, “Like I said, no foul.”

She breathed a sigh of relief. They were still in the doorway, and she was clutching the door handle. She stepped inside the clinic, letting the door close behind her. Dr. Harvey stepped away, giving her room. “I’m new in town, I’ve only arrived a few days ago. I’m still trying to meet everyone.”

“I heard about a new farmer moving in.” Dr. Harvey said, “Are you settling in alright?”

Elizabeth nodded, “Yes, thank you. Is this your clinic, then?”

“Yes, I perform regular check-ups and medical procedures for all the residents of Pelican Town. Feel free to stop by anytime you feel ill,” he said. “You’re young though, you’ll probably stay healthy without trying.”

She smiled, not sure what to say next. She was taking him in, and looking around the clinic. The front desk, the cool colored walls, and floors, the magazines in the waiting room. “Well. I should get to it. Again, I’m sorry for your glasses. If they need to be replaced just tell me, I can pay you back.” 

That was a lie. She had just spent all her money on buying potato seeds. 

But she wanted to be polite. And she wanted him to think she was good for it. 

“No, I can see fine. Thank you,” Dr. Harvey said. “Good luck with your farm. Please let me know if I can do anything for you.”

She let herself out and took in a gulp of breath as the door closed behind her. 

If she had known the men were so cute in the country, she would have moved sooner. 

There were other men in the valley. Shane was mysterious, and Alex was certainly handsome but something was charming about Harvey and it made her blush.

She thought of this as she padded back to the farm, two large baskets of groceries in hand. She wobbled up the cobblestone, taking a break on the steps of her porch. She stared out at the farm in front of her. The sun was setting slowly over the mountains, giving a soft glow to the earth. She could faintly smell the seawater from here, and a yawn stretched up her throat. 

She was proud of what she was doing here. In only a few months, Elsie had grown to love the valley more than she thought it was possible to love land and sky. When she first moved here, the old house, with its wildly overgrown garden, was silent, secretive, and hadn't been properly tended to in the years following her grandfather's death. She had played in the long stalks of corn and the sugar beets in the summers of her youth, always to leave before the frost hit the ground.

Now the farm was hers. Hers to do with what she pleased, and she was determined to make it something good. 

She wanted only the best produce in the valley, green and perfectly picked. She wanted happy chickens and well-made preserves and pickles.

For the moment, she was pretty sure she was giving the sunflower patch root rot, and the roof had a nasty leak in it, but it was hers. And she was deliciously happy with the independence of it all.  

She trailed inside. Her dog, Elvis, was there to greet her. She stayed awake with him longer than necessary, watching Queen of Sauce reruns in bed with Elvis curled on her toes until her eyes hurt and she was sure she’d regret it in the morning. 

Well, she regretted the morning. It was spent pulling weeds out around the pepper plants until her back ached and she had red scratches up to her elbows. She hated weeding days. She pushed back a strand of wet hair away with the back of her hand. Looking up, she noticed that she hadn’t gotten very far. Elvis came up to her workstation, sniffing the ground. She patted her dog’s head and settled in for another few hours of labor.

When noon finally rolled around, she walked down to the clinic. She was greeted by Maru at the front desk. She told her to take a seat. There were a few people before her, so she nestled into her seat, glad to be sitting down for a while. She played chess on her phone, playing against the bot at the hardest level. She didn’t have a strategy, she just mirrored the bot's movements, until she couldn’t and eventually lost. She did that for about two rounds, losing each time until she heard Harvey call her from her seat. 

“Hello, Elizabeth! You can come in now,” he said.

She wiped her sweaty hands on her overalls and followed him back. She swallowed and met him in the room in the back. He offered for her to sit down. She did, looking around. She watched him work, filling out his clipboard. He adjusted his glasses and looked up at her, “Thank you for coming in! I’m glad you were able to.”

She swallowed, smiling. “Happy to do it.”

He started with taking her vitals, tested her reflexes, all the sorts of things she assumed he would do. She tried to appear as calm as possible, letting nothing show. Until he pulled out a stethoscope and said he’d like to hear her heartbeat.

She murmured that it was fine, but her head was playing two loud songs at once. Harvey pulled out the stethoscope and placed one end on her chest. His face was close to hers. She noticed how long his lashes were. 

“Hm,” he murmured. “Your heartbeat is unusually fast. Are you alright?”

Busted. 

She coughed, shaking her head. “Um. I’m a little nervous.” Not a lie. Definitely not a lie. 

Harvey gave her an easy smile, “Oh! No worries, hospitals make lots of people nervous.”

She gave out one nervous chuckle. “Yeah?”

“Sure. But there’s nothing to worry about,” Harvey assured her. “You’re in good health!” He noticed the small cuts on her arms from weed pulling. He took her arm, rotating it. “How did that happen?”

She groaned internally. “Weeding. I feel like I’m constantly doing it,” she admitted. “I know I should be wearing long sleeves, but the heat has been awful the past few days.”

He rubbed a thumb over her arm. “Are you wearing sunscreen every day?”

“Uh.” She pulled her arm away, feeling like a caught toddler. “No. Sorry.” 

Harvey gave her a look. “Well, Pierre sells it. As for your arms, I have some salve I can give you. Be sure to take care of yourself, I’m sure you have lots to do on your farm.”

She nodded, “That’s true. Sorry, again.” She looked at his charts and his doctorate in the corner. “Thank you for all your help.”

He smiled. “Of course, your health is important to me.”

That tickle reappeared behind her stomach again. Heat rose to her cheeks, and she looked at the walls for something new to say. “The clinic is nice. I bet everyone is glad you’re here.”

Harvey looked bashful, “I’m glad I moved here. I don’t have as many patients as I used to, but I love the country.”

“Where did you used to work before?”

Harvey took a seat. “Zuzu City.”

“Really?” Elsie said, scooting up in her seat. “Me too. Which hospital?”

“St. Andrews, on 10th Avenue.”

That was a big hospital. So big the roof had landing pads for helicopters. She blinked. The small clinic with one checkup room was a total departure. “Whoa. That place is huge,” she said, a breathy laugh caught in her throat. “How did you end up here?” 

Harvey shifted in his chair, adjusting his glasses. “The city made me anxious, and I never felt relaxed. After I finished my residency at St. Andrews, I came here because I liked the small-town atmosphere and the potential for a holistic approach to patient care. I’ve grown to love it.”

Sort of like her. “That’s why I left Zuzu City, too,” she said. 

“Really?” This time, it was Harvey’s turn to inch forward in his seat. “What did you do?”

“I did advertising for Joja,” she said. “But I just couldn’t do it anymore. Every day was the same, I felt so stuck. I needed to get out, get someplace different.” 

She paused. “The farm was my grandfather’s, he left me Blackberry Farms in his will. It’s taking a lot of work to put back together since he passed away, but it’s coming. Slowly but surely.” 

Harvey nodded, his head tilted. “You must be proud of it.”

She smiled, nodding. Then said, “Did I tell you about the addition Robin made to my house? I’ve got a full kitchen now.” She hummed, stretching back in her seat. “It’s amazing. I made bean hotpot the other night.”

Harvey tilted his head. “Do you like cooking?”

“I love it,” she sighed. “I never felt like I had the time to before, and my kitchen was so cramped back in Zuzu.”

“Home-cooked meals are best,” Harvey said. “I’m sure it’s fun having all the ingredients in your front yard.”

It comes out of her mouth before she can think. “You should come over sometime, I’ll make something for you.” Her eyes widened. A blush crept up her cheeks. Too forward, too forward. Back it up! “Just because I’m trying out new recipes. It’d be good to get a second opinion!” 

Yoba.

Harvey looked bashful as well, he chuckled nervously. “Oh! Well, thank you for the offer. That’s very kind.” 

She really should have left it at that. She could’ve gotten away with it but instead, she said something like, “Maru can come, too if she likes.”

Harvey raised an eyebrow. “Maru?”

“Yeah,” she says cooly. “Well, I wouldn’t want to make her… uncomfortable.”

Harvey looked more confused. “Why—why would she be uncomfortable?”

She shook her head. “Well, because—” She frowned. She had a feeling she should stop.  “Well, you’re together aren’t you?”

Harvey let out one breathy huff and quirked a smile. “Uh. No?” He looked more uncomfortable than he did at the flower festival. “Why? Did someone tell you something?”

Oh, Yoba. Yoba. No. Noo, she had assumed wrong and it was worse than if she was right somehow. She wanted nothing more than to melt into the cot and die but dug herself deeper by trying to explain it. “No, I just. Well, because you danced together at the festival,” she said. “I thought that was a couples thing.” 

Harvey shook his head and straightened in his chair. “Elizabeth, we’re just friends,” he said. Harvey chuckled awkwardly. “She’s my… Well, she’s just my coworker.” 

He was blushing. Obviously he was blushing, she said something embarrassing. Probably felt embarrassed for her. She needed to leave five minutes ago. 

“Oh! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make assumptions,” she continued. “I’m new, I just didn’t want to step on any toes.”

Harvey said it was okay, and Elsie decided now was a good time to probably end her checkup.

She cleared her throat, “is there anything else, Doctor?”

“No. Wait, one thing.” Harvey stood up and tucked his clipboard into his arm. He was the picture of professionality when he went to his cupboard and produced a clean white jar. “Here’s the salve. For the cuts. Apply it daily.”

She took it. Looked up at him. Smiled. “Thank you.” 

“You’re welcome,” Harvey said. His face was still tinged pink.

She left quickly after that, waving him goodbye, and took a breath after she shut the clinic door behind her. The tension in her shoulders relaxed. She swallowed and headed for home, replaying the entire thing in her mind the whole way. 

Oh, Yoba.

 She had really asked him out to dinner during a checkup. With her doctor. And then asked if he was single about five minutes later. If it wasn’t her, it might almost be comical.  She cringed at herself, happy nobody was around to see her scrunched-up face the entire walk home. 

Well, if anything else she found out one thing.

Harvey was single.

Chapter Text

Elsie’s arms and legs ached as she curled into her blanket, blinking heavily at the tv. Her body had melted in with the couch, the crowning moment of rest from the whole day. Her arms and legs felt like jelly, her fingernails still had dirt in them, despite showering twice. A long day of weeding, plucking, pruning and watering. She spent the morning tending the blueberry crops, and the afternoon finishing the last of the jams and the pickles in time for a market she had that weekend. 

She’d been watching Queen of Sauce reruns for the past two hours. She wanted to move, but her sore limbs groaned in protest. Elvis’s head was on her lap, snoozing away. 8 p.m. and the hours of watching cooking shows left her starving. She thought about the current state of her icebox. She had some leftovers, a couple of spare vegetables that she hadn’t deemed worthy to sell but couldn’t throw away. None of it sounded good. She missed the days of delivery. 

A thought crossed her mind but she hated it. 

There was food in town. 

 She groaned internally and found the energy to pad to her closet and retrieve a jacket and her shoes. This woke up Elvis. She patted his head and gave him a good kiss, promising to bring him something back.

Elizabeth tied her hair back as she treaded into town. The saloon’s window glowed golden in the dark, and she could hear the music even before she pushed open the doors and found a full house. 

Bubbles of activity: A couple dancing. Emily was taking orders, and Gus was passing out platters of food. In the corner, someone was nursing a bear and there a group of people in the back playing pool. 

Elizabeth took a seat at the counter, checking her phone and email. She was still waiting on another food handler’s permit. Elsie glanced up, seeing if anyone was watching her. She wasn’t sure if she had it in her to be social tonight. 

Emily approached her, bubbly and full of energy, perfectly matching the tone of the saloon. "Hey, stranger!" 

Elsie smiled and was quickly put at ease. Well, she could be social for Em. “Emily! You’re working tonight?”

Emily chuckled, “Who else works here?”

“Good point,” she noted as Emily took her order—to go—and placed a glass in front of her. Elsie brightened whenever she was around—she was funny, and  had a killer wardrobe. Something she was regretting throwing away now and then. 

“You look tired,” Emily noted when she came back with her wine. “Are you holding up alright on your farm?”

Elizabeth took a sip. “I think I’m gonna have permanent lower back pain from weeding,” she said. “But other than that, it’s going good. Did you know my grandpa had all the vinegar he used to make his pickles under the kitchen sick? It was just lying there! So, I’m figuring out how to pickle things!”

Emily cringed, “From years old pickle juice?”

“Yeah, the vinegar stays good!” Elizabeth said confidently. Emily’s grossed-out face made that confidence wane. “Well it does, right? I heard on Queen of Sauce that the older the brine, the better it tastes. And my grandad always used the same base, so. Can’t be bad.” 

Emily laughed again. “Well, hey. Cheers to figuring out pickling things.” She filled her cup. “Years old vinegar sounds gross, but I’m happy for you.”

“What! Noo,” Elsie shooed her off. “You can taste-test it, find out for yourself.”

“Have you taste-tested it yet?”

Elizabeth hesitated. “Well—you know, I.” She returned her attention to her drink. “I like surprises.”

Emily laughed awkwardly. “Okay. But I don’t like pickles. You gotta find somebody who does.”

Elizabeth sagged a bit in her chair. “Do you know who does?”

Emily shrugged and pushed a bowl of bar nuts towards her. “Sorry, Elsie.” She wiped her hands on her apron. “I’m gonna get back to work, but help yourself, okay?”

“Thanks, love,” Elizabeth replied, fetching a pile of cashews. 

Elsie stuffed her mouth and looked around the bar, admiring it. Warm light washed over the saloon, and a new song came on the jukebox bathing the restaurant with a soft melody.

At that exact moment, she noticed Dr. Harvey enter. They briefly made eye contact. Elsie swiveled around and gulped down on the cashews, hard. 

One must’ve gone down the wrong pipe because she started hacking right then for all it was worth. Big, lousy coughs. She reached for her drink and took a deep gulp. 

She felt a hand against her back and saw Harvey there. Her eyes went wide. She coughed some more. 

He gave her back a few good taps, and eventually, her breathing normalized. When Elizabeth looked up again, the entire saloon was looking at her. 

“Are you alright?” Harvey asked. 

“Fine,” she coughed. After a beat, everyone returned to their normal conversations. Her face and ears felt hot. She wished she had stayed home and made do with the leftovers. 

“Well that’s good,” he said. “If you need the Heimlich, I’m certified.”

Elsie laughed into her drink and tried not to blush thinking of Harvey wrapping his arms around her stomach. Oh Elsie, don’t romanticize the Heimlich . 

“Well that’s good to know,” she said and cleared her throat. Desperate for something new to talk about, she noticed the files in his hands. “Are you working?” 

Harvey held up the papers. “Some medical reports I wanted to get through. And you? Enjoying the night off?”

Elsie shrugged, “Best I can, I think.”

Harvey hovered there for a few seconds. Both of them reached a standstill, and Elizabeth wasn’t sure what to say next. “Do you want to sit down?” she asked, gesturing to the empty seat next to her. 

Harvey held up a hand, “I don’t think I’d make good company.”

Elizabeth shook her head, “You can read next to me, I don’t mind.” 

Harvey smiled gratefully and sat next to her. He opened up the file and started organizing the pages. 

“What are you reading?” She asked, sipping her drink. Her head began to feel a bit foggy. She noted how cute he looked when his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. 

Harvey turned over the pages so she could see the title. “A journal about tendon dynamics,” he said wryly.

Elizabeth quirked an eyebrow, “Is it readable?”

Harvey let out a laugh—the unexpected kind. “No, actually. But I want to give my patients the best care, so it’s good to stay updated.”

“Darn Harvey, you’re noble too?” She laughed into her drink, “You must be beating the ladies off with a stick.”

Harvey’s ears went red, but he played it off. “Well, I don’t think I’m. . .It just comes with the territory. You must read books about farming, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I’ve got a pretty sexy collection of my granddad’s farmers almanacs from the seventies.” She agreed, “The library stocks them, too. But I don’t read them here.”

 “Well, the saloon seems to be the only place I can do it.” Harvey shrugged.

“Ah,” Elizabeth said. “So you’re saying after a few beers it’s actually tolerable reading?”

 Harvey chuckled. “I think it’s more like I’m getting stir-crazy in my apartment.”

She could understand. She lived where she worked too, and between her and Elvis she got stir-crazy some days, too.

Elizabeth smiled just as Emily returned with her takeout—a warm box filled with fiddlehead risotto. She took it gladly and returned her attention to Harvey. “Well, I’m heading back. I’ve got an early morning tomorrow.”

Harvey turned to watch her get up, “Of course! But don’t work too hard, or you might end up at my clinic. Make sure and listen to your body.”

Ending up at the clinic wouldn’t be the worst thing, she dumbly thought. She kicked out the idea immediately. Bad idea, bad idea. She’d had too much wine.

“Okay, Doc,” Elsie grinned. She wiped her sweaty palms on her overalls and began to make her way to the door. Then, she thought of something and came back to Harvey. “Hey, Harvey?”

“Yes?”

“You wouldn’t happen to like pickles, right?”

Harvey quirked an eyebrow, “I do, actually. Why do you ask?”

She smiled, “Really? It’s because I’m learning to make them right now. They take a couple of weeks to be ready, but I’m trying to figure out who likes them. Would you be interested in a jar?”

“I wouldn’t want to put you out,” Harvey said.

“Nonsense, we’re friends,” Elizabeth said. Until she had said it aloud, she hadn’t realized that’s what she classified them as. “I’ll bring one as soon as they’re finished. See you, doc.”

Harvey gave her a small wave of goodbye right as the doors to the saloon shut behind her. 

Maybe coming into town wasn’t such a bad idea after all. 

Chapter Text

       Harvey didn't want to go out on such a day but he had finished his last book and was itching for a new one. The overcast skies and gloomy weather wrapped over Stardew like a hug. Rainy days excited Harvey; Perfect for reading.

Grabbing his umbrella, he slushed over to the town's library and arrayed the collection. Over the years, he had made good headway through the medical reports, the sections on planes, jazz, and Ferngill Republic history. These subjects fascinated him, and today was no different. He pulled out a book on second-era planes and stuck his nose inside. 

Harvey trailed over to the tables to begin reading when a glimmer caught in the corner of his eye. He looked up and noticed new installations in the museum section.

Harvey frowned, there hadn't been anything new added in ages. His curiosity peaked, and he closed his book. A scattering of sparkly gemstones caught his attention and held it. He marveled at them, his eyes catching on one titled "Ocean Stone". The blue crystals refracted light all over the walls. 

He smiled to himself, where could they have come from? Perhaps Marlon was taking more trips into the mines these days. 

He heard chatter at the front of the store, and saw Gunther speaking animatedly with Elizabeth. 

After a moment, Elsie noticed him and waved. He waved back, and she came up to him.

"Hi, Doctor."

"Good morning, Elizabeth," Harvey said. He nodded over to the new installations. "Have you seen these yet? I haven't seen anything new in the museum in ages."

Elizabeth smiled and clasped her hands behind her. "Really? Do you like them?"

Harvey nodded, "Yes, it's great." He looked over to her. She looked pleased as punch. He raised an eyebrow, "It's not. . .did you have something to do with this?"

She nodded, falling in side by side with him. They were shoulder to shoulder. She inspected an emerald, glittering green in its display light. "I got those from the mines earlier this week," she said. "It's incredible down there. Feels like the levels could go on forever and ever." 

Harvey's perspective changed quickly. "The mines?" he asked. "Isn't that dangerous?"

Elsie bit her lip, "Well. Yeah, a little. But nothing too serious."

Harvey didn’t want to be a nag, but he was worried. He told her that and added: “As your doctor and your friend, I just want to remind you. Your life is worth more than this.”

Elsie nodded and looked down sheepishly. “Okay. You’re right. I’ll be careful.” She looked down at what he was carrying. “Anyways, what are you reading about?”

Harvey felt dissatisfied but presented the book anyway. She smiled wide and looked up at him. “I didn’t know you were into planes, Doctor.”

He shrugged bashfully. “It’s, ah, a hobby of mine.” He admitted. “And please, call me Harvey.” 

She nodded, and flipped open the book, scanning a few of the pages. "Okay, Harvey. This is pretty neat," she said. Eyes not leaving the page, she asked. "Do you have a favorite?"

A favorite? Harvey’s heart leaped. He loved planes, and couldn't believe somebody actually wanted to talk to him about them. Especially somebody like Elizabeth. He felt heat rise to his cheeks. He scratched the back of his head. "F-15 Eagle. It's a good model, there was a documentary about it on the history channel a few weeks back."

She smiled. "You must know a lot about it, then."

He did but, "Well. Nobody likes a know-it-all." He chuckled awkwardly. He snuck a glance, and she was still flipping through the pages, her focus caught on a passenger airplane. 

He felt awkward talking about himself so much. He refocused the attention back to her. Lucky for him, she had a few books tucked under her arm as well. "What are you reading these days?"

"Hmm? Oh!" She took out a well-worn, dog-eared paperback. The cover was a light brown and read: “FARMER'S ALMANAC. GARDENING, FISHING, FULL MOONS.”

"Is this the secret to multi-level farming?" Harvey asked. 

"Haha," Elsie said. "I know it's old, too. But between memory and this, it's all I have to work off of here."

"Well, I think it's admirable what you're doing."

"You do?"

"Sure," Harvey says. "You're pursuing your dream, educating yourself about it. That's admirable."

She nodded to his book. "And what about you?" She asked. "Is that what you're doing too? Want to quit and become a pilot?"

Harvey grinned. "Mmm. I don't think so. I’m not good with heights."

"Well, you make a good doctor." Elsie hummed. 

His heart stirred a little. "You think so?"

"Yes, of course. You helped me. You help the town, that's important. The world needs helpers."

Harvey smiled, feeling happy. He was about to say something else but noticed the second book in her hands. "Oh? What's that one about?"

"Ah-" Elsie chuckled awkwardly. "Uh. Nothing. Light reading for when my TV stops working.”

Harvey lifted an eyebrow. "What is it?"

Elsie blanched and with a sigh, pulled it out. “It’s just some junk food book,” she sighs. She flipped over the cover. Pictured was a woman wearing a pantsuit draped against a cowboy-looking man with a nine-pack. “I also realize it’s embarrassing before you make any jokes about it.”

Harvey laughed and stuck up his hands in defense. “Wasn’t going to say anything.”

Elizabeth handed him the plane book back, and he gave hers back too. “So what have you got going on today?” She asks. 

“You’re looking at it,” Harvey says. “Reading on rainy days is like bread and butter. I have this theory that when we hear the rain, it’s all the mind can focus on so we feel less stressed.” 

“Makes sense.”

“What are you doing today?”

“Fishing,” she says. “I'm still trying to find my 'niche' in farming and I read somewhere that you can get certain fish in the rain, so I’m about the head over to the lake right now.”

"Well, try to stay warm," he smiled. Harvey asked her a few more questions about how she fished. She offered if he would like to come along, but he gently declined. He didn’t know a thing about fishing and the last thing he wanted was to look foolish in front of the new farmer. 

After a few more moments of talking, he watched her leave. And he found it hard to focus on his book after she left. He cleared his throat and returned his attention to his book. 

      Elsie balanced the fishing rod on her backpack and opened her new novel - a cheesy romance called Bang For The Buck where a beautiful business woman falls in love with the handsome cowboy from a small town. In all honesty, Elsie had researched "small-town romance books" to get some ideas on how they worked. (An old company slogan from her Joja days taught her that research makes the dream work.) The book so far was alright. Albeit cheesy and the pacing was rough, but she preferred a good romance over any other genre. 

That, and the book struck a chord with her. A corporate woman left her job to live in a small town and find true love? That could be her. Well, Harvey wasn't a cowboy with a horse ranch and a nine pack, but she felt that what she was pining for was a lot cuter. His gentle attitude and kindness was a total departure from the alpha-male-type over at Joja Co. and she loved it. Maybe one day she’d buck up the courage to do a thing or two about it.  

She had been on the lake all afternoon, trying to catch bass for a recipe she'd seen on Queen of Sauce two weekends ago and was dying to try it out. An hour rolled by, and another. Eventually, the summer warmth faded to the night's chill.

She had gotten a good haul within a few hours, and she was pleasantly surprised by herself. Perhaps all those dogeared chapters in farmer's almanac and watching Living Off the Land were paying off. 

She hummed in delight to herself as she unhooked a bass from her line, and slipped it into her bucket. The smell was something downright pungent. But the reward of catching it herself gave her satisfaction. 

Elvis padded by her, and sniffed inside the bucket. He whined at her. Elsie ruffled his ears and kissed his nose. 

The rain had begun to pick up significantly in the past few minutes. She had resolved within herself it was a good time to pack up. 

Elsie tucked the paperback into her backpack, and fiddled with her fishing line until it was clean enough to pack up for home. With a tight grip, she teetered with her fish bucket and padded up the dock from the lake.

Cindersap forest was breathtaking in the summer, and the warm rain added to its beauty. Elvis trailed behind her, sniffing the bucket as she walked. 

"What do you think, Elvis?" Elizabeth said. "I'm thinking we grill this for dinner." It sounded great to her. If she finished early, she could get a headstart on prepping the blueberries for canning tomorrow. 

She set down the bucket. As she stopped to catch her breath, she looked back and noticed a figure lying in the distance. Her heart stilled. 

Shane. 

He looked hurt, she set down her rod and raced over. He was lying on his side, and looked sick. She shook his shoulders, "Shane?" she asked. "Shane!" 

His eyes groggily opened. He looked up at her, blinking slowly. He looked dazed. He coughed, and winced. 

"What happened?" She looked him up and down. She ran a hand through his hair, wiping it away from his forehead. The smell of alcohol was unmissable. She wrinkled her nose. Throwup was stained into his collar. She noticed where he layed. Close to the cliff edge. Below, the wind whipped waves against the rocks. She looked at him, really looked and didn't have to ask again. 

"Come on," she said. She grabbed him by the arm and hoisted him up, putting his weight on her shoulders. She struggled under the weight. Her legs teetered. She took a slow step forward, another. The rain pelted her face, and made it hard to see. 

Elvis sniffed Shane's shoe, and whined. 

"Shhhhi....stop," Shane murmured. His head bobbed, and he hiccuped. "Stop. Elsie. I feel sick. Just take me back to Marnie's."

"I am not," she enunciated. "You are going to Doctor Harvey."

Shane groaned, and his whole body shuttered. "Sorry. 'Mm sorry."

She struggled to balance against him. Elsie took a wobbly step forward. Then another. She got them out of the forest, and they reached Pelican Town. She took the quickest way to the clinic.

The clinic was far closed at that time. She banged a hand on the door. "Harvey!" She cried. "Harvey, come help!"

She waited for a few seconds, before the door whipped open. Harvey looked at her first, worry etched on his face. Like the weight of the whole world weighed down on his shoulders alone. He exhaled sharply at the sight of Shane. He took his other elbow and together they led him into the hospital.

They set Shane down on the cot, and Harvey began his work. He rolled up his sleeve, and stuck a needle inside Shane's arm and hooked it up to an IV. His hands moved swiftly and deftly. He looked entirely in his element. He made quick work of what he did. 

Elsie paced around the bed. "He smells like beer," she swallowed. "He was near the cliff. It looked like he wanted to--" The words stuck in her mouth like flypaper. Her hands shook. She hugged her arms against herself. Shifted her weight from one foot to the other. 

"I'm going to flush it out of his system," Harvey explained. He looked back at her. "I don't know if you want to be here for it. It's an intense process." 

"What should I do?" She said, her voice wobbling. 

Harvey took her by the shoulders, "You've done everything right so far, you brought him here. Everything will be okay." He said reassuringly. His eyes were sure and steady. "I'll take care of it. You have my word."

Her heart felt a little better. She smiled at him weakly. "Okay," she murmured. She took a deep breath to steady herself. "Okay."

"You can wait outside if you'd like," Harvey said. He took out his phone, and put the phone up to his ear. He was calling Maru, asking for her to come in. 

She wrung her hands together. Time to let Harvey take care of it. 

Elsie paced around the waiting room for a while. She called Marnie and she came in and waited with her. They held hands and spoke softly one to another. Elsie had never seen Marnie like it before. She wrapped an arm around Marnie and waited for the storm to pass.

It took some time, but eventually Harvey and Maru got Shane stabilized. After all was taken care of, Harvey came in and got Marnie. In the meantime, Maru came by and sat with Elsie. She held her hand, and gave her a tight squeeze. Maru pulled away from her, and said: "I'm glad you were there." She shook her head, "if you weren't, he would have been a lot worse."

Elsie gulped. Her eyes burned hot, and she tried to stop the tears from flowing again. "I didn't know. . . that it was that bad," she shivered. "Will he be okay?"

Maru nodded, and pulled her in for another hug. "Yes. Doctor Harvey did a good job." 

Elsie tightened her grip around Maru. "Thank you," she said. 

Maru pulled away again. They sat together for a few moments, until she said. "You can go in and see him. I'm going to head home, but call me if you need anything, okay?"

She nodded, and thanked her. She was glad she knew her. 

After Maru left, Elsie braced herself and went inside the operating room. Harvey was at his side with a clipboard while Marnie held his hand tightly. Harvey's hair stuck up as if he'd rubbed at it too much. He rubbed at his eyes. He noticed her enter, and smiled weakly at her.

He took her to the side of the room and spoke softly enough that it wouldn't interrupt Marnie. Elsie folded her arms and bore her eyes at Shane. Laying there, he looked more peaceful than she'd ever seen him.

"I've pumped his stomach and rehydrated him," Harvey said softly. "He'll recover just fine. But it's not his physical health I'm worried about."

Elsie's lips tightened. She couldn't look away from him. She pursed her lips and pressed her palms together. She looked down and gulped. "Yeah?"

"I know a good counselor in Zuzu City," Harvey said. "When he wakes up, I'll discuss some treatment plans with him. He'll be just fine."

"Okay," she whispered. "Okay."

Harvey put a hand on her shoulder. She looked at him, and noticed how tired he looked. Harvey looked at her, and said: "He'll be okay. I'm glad you were there, you did a good job tonight."

She felt so small. "You did all the hard work." Her lip trembled, "I knew he drank, I just didn't think it was this bad."

She leaned into him, and rested her head against his shoulder. She wrapped her arms around him, and was pleasantly surprised that he didn't stop her. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, and laid his chin on top of her head. She felt his heartbeat beating steadily, the sound comforted her. 

"I know you were scared tonight," he said. "I was too. But we have to have hope for a better future. Life will get better for Shane, and for us. Everything will be okay."

For us?

Her heart stilled, and realized what she felt might be more than a light infatuation. She buried her nose in his chest, and took a deep breath. "Okay. I believe you." 

When Harvey said it, something burned inside her. She felt her heart expanded, and like nothing could touch her.

"Thank you, Harvey."