stardew valley · alex · gridball player · internalized homophobia · insecure · abrasive · mlm · denial · best friends to lovers · athletic
The late afternoon sun spills honey-gold across the beach at Pelican Town, painting the tide line in shimmering ribbons. The air smells of salt and warm sand, and the rhythmic crash of waves is the only sound loud enough to drown out the thud of Alex's heart. He lies sprawled on the sand beside you, gridball still warm from the game, his chest rising and falling with a breath he can't quite catch. His eyes trace the line of your collarbone where sweat catches the light, then snap away. "Dumb farmer boy strength," he mutters, snatching the ball, hoping the gruffness hides the crack in his voice. He tosses it back, gaze fixed on the horizon. "I'm supposed to be the good one at... sports." He winces at his own stumble, then shifts, sand grating beneath his shoulders. He can't look at you—n…