Just a picnic between friends. That’s all.

In the secret forest. Away from prying eyes.

Stop thinking about it like that!

Penny cycled through her limited wardrobe for the fourth time. A yellow dress with thin straps and a suggestive cut high on the thigh hung in the far back of her closet; a beacon against her long-sleeved shirts and modest skirts. Like a highlighter stroke across the page of a well-worn book. Abigail had convinced her to buy it ages ago when Penny went with her to the city. It still had the tags on it.

But what will he think of you if you wear it?

She’d been saving it for a special occasion. Would he like it? Or would it look like a desperate cry for more than friendship?

Wasn’t this special? Wasn’t he special?

With a resolute sigh, Penny slid the straps off of the hanger, then tugged the tag free from the inside. A pair of strappy red heels—fresh in their wrapping paper—completed the ensemble.

She moved to the oval mirror over her dresser, its reflection fogged by years of her mother’s cigarette smoke. The dress did well enough to give her the appearance of curves, but she worried that it showed off too much of her arms and the jutting line of her collarbone.

I look malnourished.

She rolled her burnt orange hair up to the nape of her neck like she usually wore it, then let the thick tendrils fall free around her thin shoulders. At least down it hid some of the tenuity in her structure, so she kept it. The only makeup she owned was a stick of pink lip balm and the last dregs of charcoal eyeliner.

Use them. You need all the help you can get.

Penny held her breath as she slowly lined her eyes, careful not to apply it too thick. This was already so beyond what she’d normally do for a meeting between friends. Her heart hammered against her chest as she pictured sitting with him beneath the thick canopy of trees. Ever since he’d suggested the idea, Penny’s personal theater had conjured a dozen romantic matinees of how this meeting would play out.

We’ll eat our food and go back home, Penny. You’re still turning this into something it’s not.

She replaced the cap on her lip balm and walked the four steps it took to reach the kitchen.

Pam glanced up from the couch. A cigarette rested against the beer can in her hand, the smoke rising to the ceiling in lackadaisical waves. “You’re all dolled up.”

“I’m going out for a while.” Penny carefully wrapped the last sandwiches and placed them in the basket with trembling hands.

“Yeah? With that farmer again?” Pam chuckled. “You gonna make me a grandma soon, kiddo?”

Penny’s face lit up in a deep red blush. “We’re just friends, Mom.”

“Yeah. Your dad said the same thing.” She stole a drink of beer and a drag from her cigarette. “Always use protection, Penny. Don’t make the same mistake.”

The heat in her cheeks doubled. I’ll always be your mistake, won’t I? “Of course.”

There was a knock at the door just as Penny tucked the blanket over their meal. She curled an arm beneath the basket’s handle and moved to answer it, the heels of her shoes clicking against the linoleum. “I won’t be late.”

Pam cackled. “I won’t wait up.”

Penny opened the door and stepped outside, not wanting any of their conversation overheard by her eavesdropping mother.

The one man in town who made her heart skip greeted her with a warm smile. He’d cleaned up with a button-up shirt and slacks, his hair pulled away from his face. His chocolate eyes slid from her eyes to her toes, and a tiny, hopeful shiver slid down her spine.

She suppressed the thoughts that accompanied it. “Hello, Nick.”

“Hey, Penny.” A light pink tinged his cheeks. Was he as nervous as she was? “You look wonderful.”

Penny self-consciously smoothed the dress over her thighs and readjusted the basket in her arm. “T-thank you.”

“Here. Let me.” Nick held his arm out and gestured to the picnic basket.

“Oh! Alright!” Penny passed it forward. “That’s kind of you.”

After securing the basket over his shoulder, Nick turned toward their destination and asked, “Ready to go?”

Penny smiled. “Yes.”

However, three steps through the grass brought on a humiliating realization: there was no way she could walk in heels like this. The rains had softened the ground, causing the points of her heels to sink into the dirt. Her ankles wobbled, and her knees knocked with every step. She was going to fall into the dirt if she kept up like this.

You should have practiced first!

“Are you alright?” Nick had pulled ahead of her but turned when he noticed she wasn’t keeping up.

“I… I, um, don’t really walk in heels.” Penny giggled nervously, chiding herself for looking like a fool. Like she needed to give him another reason to believe that she couldn’t take care of herself. “I’m so sorry. Maybe I should go change.”

To her surprise, he returned to her side and held an arm out for her. “Why don’t you lean on me?” His gaze flickered to the ground. “I mean, if it would help you, of course. You don’t have to.”

Penny slid her arm under his, her heart speeding at the warmth of his skin against hers. It felt intimate and… right. She steadied herself, and he fell in time with her steps.

“Is this alright?” he asked.

The extra support helped her steady her steps and the fear of falling evaporated. “It’s much better, thank you,” Penny replied with a smile.

Being this close, she could smell the scent of rain and fresh blooms wafting from him. Consecutive days spent in the sun had granted him a golden tan—a stark contrast to her pasty skin. The tight muscles in his bicep and forearm held her safe and sure.

I wish we could stay like this forever.

He led her to a paved pathway, making walking on her own possible again. But he didn’t drop his arm.

She looked up at him curiously.

Nick caught her gaze, his blush resurfacing. “Do you mind if we stay like this?”

“N-no. Not at all,” she admitted. “I like this.”

He grinned. “Me, too.”

Penny felt like she was walking on clouds. That no matter what she faced in the past or in the future, just being by his side washed it all away. It was both thrilling and terrifying. What happens when he realizes he’s worth so much more than me?

“Have you read anything interesting lately?” Nick asked, tearing her away from her ruminations.

“A few new elementary school books for Jas and Vincent that came into the museum library.” A graphic romance that Sandy suggested to me, but I probably shouldn’t tell him that. “I, um… I have a bad habit of rereading the books I have at home.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“Mhm.” Penny watched a pair of birds preen one another in a nearby tree. “I love Shakespeare, Jane Austen, and Sylvia Plath. I could read them over and over again.”

“We had to read Romeo and Juliet in high school. My teacher made us memorize some of the lines.” Nick furrowed his brow. “Not my favorite love story, honestly.”

Penny laughed and shook her head. “Mine, either. I much prefer The Twelfth Night.”

“I’ll have to read that one.”

“I can let you borrow it. Then we could talk about it!” Penny exclaimed excitedly. Realizing how silly she sounded, she coughed into her hand and dropped her gaze. “O-only if you want to, of course.”

“I’d love to,” Nick said. “Can make our own book club out of it.”

Penny’s heart soared. “That would be wonderful. I’ve tried to get Maru, Leah, and Abigail to start something like that with me. Maru did for a little bit, but she always drifts back to her experiments. Leah’s sculpting and Abby—” You’re talking way too much! She bit her tongue. “S-sorry. I’m rambling.”

“No, it’s fine. I like listening.” They pivoted around the back of Pierre’s General Store, passed Harvey’s small hospital, and continued on. “What books did you try?”

 “Um, a fantasy book by Sue Lynn Tan…” Her voice lowered as she worked up the courage. “A-and a romance story that Sandy lent me.”

A tiny smile twitched at the corner of Nick’s mouth. “Romance?”

Penny had begun to notice that smile whenever she said anything she found embarrassing. Let it be a good smile. “W-well, The Twelfth Night is a love story, too. But I thought it might be difficult for them to get into. Especially if they’ve never read Shakespeare before.”

“Starting us off on a love story, then?” Nick’s eyebrows raised.

“A-ah! I-I mean—” Penny couldn’t find the words. She’d dug herself into a hole that she couldn’t escape. She’d tried so hard to mask the feelings she had for Nick for so long, and now she’d stumbled over them like a child in a dark room filled with scattered toys. “W-we don’t have to—”

“No, I… Well, Penny, I…” Nick paused, waving to a strolling Leah as she walked by.

Leah shot Penny a thumbs up. Could this get any worse?

They were silent for a long time, still arm in arm, making their way to the secret woods in the depths of the Cindersap Forest. Sometimes their steps fell out of sync, and there were murmured apologies as they readjusted their arms and continued on.

Why can’t I say anything?

Penny felt dizzy with the tension as she wondered if she’d successfully destroyed the one relationship that mattered the most to her because she couldn’t stop talking about books.

He deserves so much more.

“Here we are,” Nick announced. He drew his arm away, stepped forward, and then pulled back the ivy curtain leading to the secret woods.

“You know, I’ve never been back here,” Penny replied timidly, peering inside the dark thicket.

Nick nodded. “That’s understandable. It took a lot of work to clear it out.”

“Is it, um, lighter inside?” She stepped forward, narrowing her eyes and searching the shapeless masses of leaves. “I can’t really see.”

“Yeah, it takes a few minutes to adjust. Here, hang on to me.” He held his arm out for her again with an easy smile.

Penny nodded, some of her worries falling away as their arms touched again.

Just as he’d said, her eyes began to adjust the further in they walked. It was beautiful. Vines and thick-leaved bushes grew along either side of the soft green grass. Sunlight sparkled through the overhanging trees, dotting the overgrown pathway with tiny circles of white. Birds sang from high on their perches, and a pair of squirrels tussled together through a tall fern.

“Penny, there’s something I’ve wanted to say to you for a while,” Nick began.

Penny looked up at his face, studying the strong line of his jaw and the way the sunlight danced in his hair.

Nick opened his mouth, closed it, worked his jaw, then opened his mouth again. “I’m sorry, this is harder than I thought.” He shifted the picnic basket on his shoulder. “I just—”

A sudden, violent rustling in a nearby bush made Penny nearly jump out of her skin. “W-what was that?” she cried.

“Hang on.” Nick slid the basket down from his shoulder, passed it to Penny, and stepped to the side. He murmured two unintelligible words, and a sword appeared in his hand.

Penny gasped. “Should I go get help?”

“No, it’s okay. Just stay behind me.” He readied the weapon in both hands. “I’ll protect you.”

He didn’t look the least bit scared, and his gaze stayed steady on the bush. Penny couldn’t stop the filter that painted the vision before her. A valiant knight guarding his rescued princess, stalwart and true.

A thick, verdant monster tumbled from the bush, its gelatinous body bouncing and reforming against the grass beneath it. It was the size of a large dog, its height reaching Penny’s knees. Two black eyes hovered around its center, blinking up at Nick.

“Ah. It’s just a sli—” Nick began, his shoulders relaxing.

“It’s a slime!” Penny squealed, jumping behind him. She’d heard tales of slimes biting off fingers and stealing jewelry. Not that it had ever happened to her, but better safe than sorry, right? “What do we do?”

Nick glanced over his shoulder at Penny. That tiny smile was back. But he whipped around to face the slime, bending his knees in an offensive stance. Just as the slime bounced once in his direction, he advanced, swinging the blade with his momentum. The sword cleaved the beast in two, and the green goo dissolved harmlessly into the grass.

“You’re so strong!” Penny marveled. She couldn’t believe how fast he’d dispatched the monster—just one swing, and they were safe. She was safe. I’m keeping all of my fingers today, little slime! “That was amazing!”

Nick made a gesture with his hand, and the sword vanished into thin air. He ran a hand through his hair, and his face flushed. “Thanks, Penny.” His eyes fell to the picnic basket, and he shook his head as if escaping a trance. Holding a hand out, he said, “Oh, here. I’ll take that back.”

“R-right! Thank you!” Penny passed the basket back. “Do you have to fight a lot?”

He nodded, fitting the basket’s handle over his shoulder. “The mines have a lot of materials that I need for my farm.”

“Isn’t that dangerous?” Penny murmured. Just the thought of leaving home after dark twisted knots into her stomach. Adventuring into the mines? That was beyond terrifying.

“Sometimes. But I’m careful.” He bent his arm at the elbow, extending it for her to take. “I promise.”

Are you doing this just to be nice? Or do you actually enjoy me being close to you? Penny accepted his arm, and they continued further into the forest.

“You’re so brave,” Penny said after a few steps. “I could never do what you do.”

“I think bravery comes in a lot of forms, though. Not just strength,” Nick replied.

“Really?” Penny held a similar belief but had never seen herself as a brave person. Just a scared little girl, hiding away in her mother’s trailer. Waiting for her valiant knight to rescue her.

“Yeah. Like finding the courage to say what you feel.” Nick stopped.

“Nick…”

When neither of them said anything more, he looked ahead and nodded. “Here should be good.”

Penny followed his stare, and her breath caught. A crystalline pond with rainbow-colored fish shimmered in the shattered sunlight. None of the rivers or lakes in Stardew was this pristine, this… untouched. She let Nick go and knelt beside it, staring in but afraid to touch it. It felt sacred, in a way. “How was a whole world hiding in my backyard?”

“Pretty cool, right?” He lifted the top of the basket and pulled the blanket free.

“I’ve never seen anything so pretty.”

Nick flung the blanket across the grass, flattening the fabric before taking a seat. He watched Penny at the pond’s edge. “I can think of a few things.”

Something in his tone made her skin tingle. Don’t get your hopes up. She rolled her lips together, thankful to still feel traces of her lip balm. Curiosity thrummed in her throat, and she forced two impossible words from her lips. “Like what?”

Nick pulled a knee to his chest, resting an arm over it, propping himself up on his other hand. “Like you.”

Penny smiled. Her whole face felt as if it were glowing. She stood and joined Nick on the blanket. “Really?”

“Yes.” He nodded, then leaned his head back, staring up at the trees. “Let me try this again.” After inhaling deeply through his nostrils, he continued, “Penny, I… I care about you. Immensely.”

Penny’s heart raced, and she held her breath.

“Whenever we’re together, I feel like I can do anything. When we’re apart, I… I can’t stop thinking about you.”

Say what you feel. His words swirled in Penny’s head, joined by the dizzying hurricane of his confession. Her heart spoke before her head could stop her. “Nick, I love you.”

He hesitated, mouth still open with whatever he’d wanted to say.

Penny’s body burned from her head to her toes. There’s no going back now. She picked at a loose thread on the blanket, forcing herself to keep going. “I-I realized it the night you walked me home and surprised me with a bouquet of poppies. You hid them in Mayor Lewis’ truck.” She giggled. “No one has ever done what you have for me. No one thinks about me the way you do. Or,” she raised her eyes, meeting his intense gaze, “or looks at me like you do.”

Nick repositioned himself to face her, crossing his legs and freeing his arms. He reached forward and cradled her chin in one palm, tracing the line of her cheekbone with his thumb. His expression softened with relief. “Do you know how long I’ve wanted to hear you say that?”

She leaned into his touch; it felt like a dream. Every night she’d spent awake thinking of him, every day she’d wondered if she’d ever be good enough, every grain of anxiety; melted away in those eyes. “That makes me so happy.”

He bent forward, touching his forehead to hers. “I love you, too.”

Nick was so close. His lips were so close. Penny could feel his breath on her mouth, smell the scents of blooming flowers and fresh honey on his skin. This was a moment for romance novels, not for her.

Right?

The thought was banished by his kiss. Tentative at first, slow and careful—an askance. It was so soft and gentle, nothing like the swift pecks stolen by grade-school boys. All of her senses seemed elevated; augmented and fine-tuned in that moment. The warmth of the sun on her skin, the chirping in the trees, the lingering taste of her lip balm on her tongue.

Nick traced her lips with his tongue, and her breathing hitched. Panic flooded her veins. She’d never been kissed like this before. What was she supposed to do with her tongue? What if I disappoint him?

His hand moved to rest on her waist, and her heart won over her mind. She parted her lips and let him in.

Much like his initial kiss, his tongue moved in careful, explorative revolutions, testing and teasing the tip of her tongue before advancing deeper. It was soft and intimate, and Penny found herself instinctively responding, inviting him further with small licks. She rested a trembling hand on the back of his neck, letting her fingers vanish into his hair. He traced the line of her thigh with his free hand, and she shivered.

The two of them kissing on a picnic blanket felt like a dream. He tasted like apples and smelled like fresh rain. She’d wanted to feel this for so long. How can I possibly deserve this?

She broke their kiss momentarily, resting her forehead against his as she fought for air.

“Penny? Are you okay?” Nick murmured.

“I’m very dizzy.” Penny giggled. “And… I’m just hoping I don’t wake up.”

Nick touched her cheek and smiled. “You’re not the only one.”

“There are so many better girls in Stardew, Nick. Intelligent girls, ones who play video games,” she hesitated, chewing her lip, “pretty girls who know how to kiss.”

“You’re one of the smartest people I know.” He kissed her forehead. “The other two can come with time.” He brushed his lips against hers and laughed under his breath. “And practice.”

“Nick—”

“There’s no one else in this world that I want, Penny. Just you.” His eyes pierced hers, his truth engrained into his features. “So long as you’ll have me.”

Penny closed her eyes and kissed him. Be mine forever, Nick. She repeated the words in the gentle shifts of her mouth, traced them onto his tongue, willed them into her fingers. I am yours.

His fingers slipped beneath the hem of her dress, traversing skin that had never been touched by another person. She shivered, summoning the courage to do the same with his shirt. Heat radiated from his strong back, and her hand was cool against his flesh. She gasped when his touch reached her inner thigh, stroking against the thin fabric of her panties.

“Is this okay?” he asked against her mouth.

“Y-yes.”

“Can I keep going?”

Penny leaned back, guiding Nick to follow her as she rested against the picnic blanket. Her knees quivered as she spread them further apart, never losing his gaze. “Yes.”

He stripped away his shirt and tossed it to the side, then claimed her mouth. She let her hands wander his chest, memorizing every dip and line of his rigid abdomen. Two years of constant farming had tanned his skin and sculpted his muscles, creating a lovely topography she delighted in mapping.

Their breathing quickened when he shifted the small strip of her underwear to the side.

“Please go slow,” she murmured, catching her breath inside his kiss.

“Of course.”

Gentle fingers caressed the tender skin between her thighs. It was equal parts exciting, exhilarating, and terrifying. Shouldn’t she be doing something for him?

Just as Penny considered her options, he parted her folds and dripped a finger across her yielding clit. She moaned into his mouth and grabbed his biceps, a shudder rolling through her body. This was an entirely different sensation than touching herself. She felt exposed and vulnerable. Nervous that this was just another area where she couldn’t hold a candle to anyone else.

But Nick didn’t stop. He lingered on areas that forced groans from her throat, teasing her until the heat and tension between her legs was nearly unbearable. As if he read her mind, one long finger slid inside of her.

“A-ah!” Penny hadn’t meant to cry out, and embarrassment flushed her face.

“Sorry!” Nick moved to withdraw.

Surprising herself, Penny caught his wrist. “N-no! It feels really, really good,” she whimpered. “Keep going.”

“Okay.” He kissed her cheek, then her throat as he slipped back into her depths, curling his hand so his thumb was at her clit.

Penny didn’t recognize the sounds that escaped her. They were desperate, hungry noises that belonged in hyperbolic romance scenes. She’d never imagined that they were based in truth. But the goosebumps that broke out all over her body and her rising climax said otherwise.

“I-I’m close,” Penny whispered, her back arching as she dropped her hands to the blanket.

“Then come for me.” Nick’s teeth sunk into her shoulder, and he added another finger.

The sound of his voice, the feel of his teeth, the stretch between her legs. It collided in a tonic of sensations that sent her over the edge. His name leapt from her tongue, and her hips bore down against his hand. She’d never experienced such an intense release in her life. An overwhelming pleasure that rolled from the tip of her head to her toes, numbing her lips and fingers.

He kissed her again, tongue rolling against hers through her climax, fingers curling and massaging as if he knew every point of her pleasure.

Penny’s hands found his belt, and she fervently worked at the clasp and strap. Her mother’s words returned like a slap to the face.

You gonna make me a grandma soon?

Penny froze.

“What’s wrong?” Nick rasped, drawing his hand away from her.

“I-I…” She chewed her bottom lip. “I can’t get pregnant, Nick.”

An uneasy grin played at Nick’s mouth as he tugged his wallet free from the back of his jeans. “Not to sound like I prepared for this, but—” flipping it open, he pulled a thin, plastic square, free, “—I brought protection.”

Penny laughed. She didn’t know how else to respond—should she be flattered? Surprised? It didn’t matter now.

His face turned bright red. “I know. Not a good look.”

“It’s not that. I’m just…” She reached for the strings of her panties and slid them down her thighs. When they reached her ankles, she looked up at Nick, her lids heavy. “I’m glad you did.”

Nick’s eyes widened, and he finished unhooking his belt, then his jeans. Penny removed her dress while he did, folding it and setting it on top of the picnic basket. The last thing she needed was grass stains to fuel her mother’s fire.

She reached around the back of her bra, and her fingers were suddenly paralyzed. She knew it wasn’t logical; her underwear was already off, for goodness’ sake. But this felt like such a big step.

“Want some help?” Nick asked. His words were gentle, and he waited patiently for her answer. His expression said he understood her hesitation.

“Yes, please,” Penny said. She didn’t want to keep him waiting, and her fingers were starting to shake.

He leaned forward and reached around her back. His bare shoulder touched hers and she shivered. Once he’d unhooked the clasp, he slipped the straps over her shoulders and set it on top of her dress.

Penny’s first reaction was to look away, but he took her hands in his.

“Look at me,” he murmured.

She nodded and turned to face him. Her breath caught. Any fleeting imaginings of Nick naked didn’t hold a candle to the real thing. If she had even a lick of Leah’s artistic talent, she would have loved to draw the curves and angles of his body; studied him in every light possible to see how it fell against him. For a time, they both sat still, admiring one another in the warm forest air.

“You’re beautiful, Penny,” he muttered, tracing a line from her collarbone to the top of her chest. “I’m the luckiest guy alive.”

She blushed and let go of his hands, clasping her hands instead behind his neck and pulling him down on top of her. The sensation of his skin on hers was wonderful, the pressure of his body steady and sure. She could feel his heart racing in time with hers and the rise and fall of his chest.

Nick aligned his hips to hers, and she parted her legs to compensate. Her nerves were alight, and the vertigo returned. The pressure of his shaft against her opening made her heart skip.

“I’ll go slow,” he assured before she could speak.

“I trust you,” she replied.

The slick result of their foreplay made for very little resistance when he penetrated her. Penny whimpered, resting her head back on the blanket. He was a lot bigger than her tiny fingers, and she couldn’t help but tense with every careful inch he took.

But it was unlike anything she’d ever experienced.

“Still okay?” A thin sheen of sweat had built along his forehead, and his breathing was uneven.

“Yes.” Her back arched into him, and she touched her forehead to his. “Do I… um, do I feel good to you?”

“God, you have no idea,” he breathed. “You feel amazing.”

Penny smiled and kissed the tip of his nose. “I’m glad.”

With one final thrust, he reached her edge, his moan joining hers. So many times had Penny heard how much her first would hurt or how she’d lose her virginity to some no-face who’d leave her for a prettier girl.

But neither was true. Penny had joined with the one person she’d wanted most in this life, and his body felt made for hers.

“Can I—” Nick licked his lips and tried again. “Can I move?”

“Please do,” Penny rocked her hips against his, a delicious shiver running down her spine. She felt needed, necessary, and seen. And she’d never felt so full. It was lascivious and carnal and she never wanted to stop feeling him.

When he set a rhythm, white specks exploded in her vision. She was still sensitive from her orgasm, and his movements reignited the pleasure between her legs.

He wrapped his arms beneath her back, and she pulled him into a kiss.

For one small eternity, Nick was her everything. Her joy, her ecstasy, the very air she breathed. There wasn’t a clear beginning or end to either person—she was as much a part of him as he was her.

Penny broke their kiss, realizing he’d brought her to the edge again. “N-Nick, I’m close—”

“Come with me,” he growled, quickening his pace.

She wrapped her legs around his back and let her hips reciprocate his thrusts. A second climax consumed her. Nick cried out with her pulsing convulsions, his fingertips digging into the small of her back. She could feel his tipping point, relishing his hungry thrusts and the sweat dripping down his back.

Their kiss was passionate and starved. Broken only by gasps for air and descending moans. Penny’s thoughts were as quiet and clear as the cloudless sky, commanded only by the shifts in Nick’s body or the slowing of his heartbeat. No one else mattered.

When their breathing slowed, Nick drew away from her and rolled to her left, bringing her close so their bodies aligned. He smoothed her hair away from her face and pressed his lips to her forehead.

“I love you, Penny.”

Penny was certain that those three words would forever have the same effect on her. Butterflies swarmed her stomach, and a warm tingling enveloped her skin. “I love you too, Nick.”

She wanted to lay there forever in his arms. The sandwiches could wait. The world could wait. Right now, it was just the two of them. Her own romance novel. Better than she could have ever hoped or dreamed of.

After all, this date was special. Nick was special.

Penny would stay at his side as long as he wished.