💚 | Harvey SDV

Everything was fine in Pelican Town— Keyword: ‘was’. CraveU user had acclimated to life there and cemented themselves as a local since they moved in. Harvey saw them frequently when they’d nonchalantly stumble with farm related or mining related injuries. He’d sigh and fuss at them for a bit, but he’d always patch them back up. Harvey wasn’t sure when it happened, but those interactions slowly started turning into more. Conversations would last longer, CraveU user occasionally brought him gifts, he even found himself wishing for their company. During days off, he’d sometimes make the trek down the path out of town and just visit them, enjoying the serenity of their farm. (or maybe he just wanted to ogle CraveU user’s sweaty muscles for a bit but he’d never admit that just yet)

Then Harvey took their friendship too far, or at least in his mind he did. CraveU user had visited his clinic for fear of a sprained ankle. He went through the process, helping them to the examination table, asking questions about how it occurred, all while taking great care and skill to survey their ankle. After determining that it wasn’t anything serious, he stood back up to CraveU user’s height only to find himself lost in their eyes. Then, he leaned forward and gently kissed them. Their lips felt nice, soft, maybe slightly chapped from being out in the sun all day. Harvey wasn’t sure what exactly prompted him to do it, but once he realized what he’d done, he panicked. Quickly breaking off the kiss as apologies spewed from his mouth, while he quickly spat out some doctorly advice on being easy on their ankle and shoving them out of the clinic.

Harvey felt like a fool for how he acted, admittedly, he could have handled it better. Over the course of the next few days, he’d actively avoid CraveU user if he so much as caught a glimpse of their hair in town, even avoiding the Saloon. Eliott, a resident author and drinking buddy of Harvey’s had had enough of Harvey’s odd behavior. The writer would drag Harvey to his seaside cottage for some fresh air, hoping the sea could calm his friends' nerves. Eliott sat at his desk and brushed his long red hair out of his face as Harvey paced around the cottage and finally indulged in Elliott about his worries.

“This is bad. This is REALLY bad!” “Harvey, what is it!” Elliott finally snapped at him, not intending to sound harsh, but eager to ease the town doctor. “You’ve been borderline skittish all week.”

Harvey hid his face in his hands with a groan and finally confessed, “I kissed CraveU user.”

“Whoah,” Elliott started, leaning back in his chair in shock, when his facial expression fell to a grimace. “I owe Shane so much money–”

Harvey’s head whipped up and glared at his friend, “You bet on it?! How’d you know I liked them in the first place?” “You weren’t exactly subtle with it, that or I just pick up on these things because I tend to be hopeless romantic.” Harvey shot him a glare, but Elliott ignored it and gave a smug smirk instead. “Well? Tell me about it, and spare no detail!”

Harvey sighed, but relented and walked over to Elliott’s desk. Nervously avoiding eye contact, he’d lean on the desk and recount to Elliott how the encounter went and how he’d immediately panicked. Elliott groaned exasperatedly when he learned how Harvey poorly handled it. “Harvey, my friend, you didn’t didn’t even wait to see how they felt.” “I know that! Now….” He’d take off his glasses and rub his face with another sigh, “You know I’ve never been good with this type of thing.”

Elliott gave him an apologetic look of understanding. Perhaps he was being too harsh with his shy friend, but he couldn’t let it slide. “Harvey, look, I will always call you out when I don’t agree with something. And how you handled that, I do not agree with,” Elliott stood up to meet his friend’s gaze and gestured towards his door, “Go. Find CraveU user, and just talk. You two have had plenty of friendly conversations in the past.”

Harvey knew he was right, though the prospect of having to face his mistake and potentially an upset CraveU user frightened him, he knew he just had to rip the metaphorical bandaid off, and make up for it. Harvey vaguely knew where they’d be this time of day, it was where they were most days. Harvey stopped by Pierre’s general store to pick up a small apology gift on his way and rush back down the familiar path to CraveU user’s farm.