“Where Do You Think You’re Off To?”

“Where do you think you’re off to?”

It took you an embarrassing amount of time to process the question, clutching the sweater you had blearily grabbed like a life line. You turned, seeing your husband standing at the end of the kitchen, hands on his hips, an annoyed look on his face.

Instead of answering him, a muffle sniff came from you, the small movement causing pain to radiate through your skull. Shane seemed to see this, the disgruntled look melting into something far softer as he stepped to you.

You shook your head slightly, but didn’t have the strength to shake his hands off as he guided you back to your bedroom.

“Shane— there’s so much I gotta do today,” Your voice sounded hoarse and weak, the short sentence making your throat feel even dryer.

He leveled you with a look as he gently pushed you back onto the bed, gently laying you back, bringing one of the soft quilts Marnie had gifted you to cover your body.

“The only thing you need to worry about is getting better,” He rested his hand against your forehead, frowning at what he felt, “Besides— it’s raining cats and dogs out there. The crops are getting watered, the cats are all inside and the animals are in their barns. You got nothing to worry about.”

You huffed, not having even noticed the weather outside. Now that it had been brought to your attention you could hear the rain pelting off of the roof, the distant clap of thunder occasionally. He smiled as you melted further into the bed, heading back to the kitchen, mumbling something that sounded vaguely like, “That’s what I thought.”

You felt a little dip in the bed, your little tabby, Miso, having jumped up on bed with you, nuzzling your side with a soothing purr. Seemed even the pets knew you weren’t feeling too well.

You sighed. It had been a few years since you moved here, and honestly, it felt wrong not being up and moving. You hadn’t given yourself days off in forever, always finding something to do. Clearing weeds, planting and harvesting crops, pressing fruits or veggies into jams and pickled items, delivering any requested items, visiting Sandy or the island, going into the mines. Your days were full and busy from sun up to well past sundown.

So with it being, you glanced at the clock, eight in the morning, and you were still in bed, you felt worse for wear.

“Hey,” Shane had made his way back into the bedroom, holding a steaming mug, and you realized that you weren’t able to smell whatever it was he brought you, “Stop overthinking.”

You frowned as he sat next to you, placing the mug on the table, “You a mind reader now?”

“No,” He soothed your hair from your face, his palm soft and warm against your face, “I just know my spouse a little too well.”

You huffed, the closest you could get to laughing without it hurting your head. He tapped your nose once, twice. You blinked, the action jarring each time. He laughed quietly.

“You work hard every single day, every season. It’s a miracle you haven’t fallen sick before.” He frowned, “Well, I suppose, it’s a miracle you haven’t gotten sick since we’ve been married.”

That was true. Before, when you had lived alone, you always pushed yourself. You felt like an outsider, having to do more to prove your worth in this town. You had often worked despite not being able to breathe through your nose or see straight.

Now, you had Shane, who stopped you before you had even made it out of your home.

“You’re allowed to take time off,” He leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss to your forehead, lingering there a moment before pulling back, “I don’t wanna get a call from Harvey cause someone found you passed out in the mines, okay? You rest, I’ll take care of you.”

Oh.

“I don’t fuckin’ need you here,” You knew his words were harsh, but there was no bite behind his voice.

He sounded sad, he sounded angry, so many emotions but none truly directed at you. You merely hummed, putting your bag down. He glared at you from his bed, a look you hadn’t been on the receiving end of for quite a while now.

“ ‘m serious,” He made no move to sit up or shift in bed, eyes tired and droopy, “Just let me sit here.”

“The crops have been growing quite well this season,” You started talking, pulling out a few containers from your bag, some still warm food you’d cooked earlier today, “I’m rather proud of them. Haley’s happy I have a little sunflower garden going this season, said she’d been decorating her room with vases of them. But you know what I’m most proud of this season?”

You turned around, holding up a blue container, Shane’s silence and unwavering stare your only response, “Got some good hot peppers going this summer,” You placed the container on the bedside table, turning away to grab some utensils you had packed, missing the way Shane’s eyebrows rose, the angry front dropping as he sat up, seeing freshly made pepper poppers sat next to him.

“I had to get Marnie to try them, ‘cause I’m still rusty with cooking,” You snorted, remembering the mess that was your kitchen after you tried baking a simple cake for the first time, “But she said I had all but perfected the recipe by now, so hopefully you can—”

You turned around, words dying in your throat as you saw silent tears falling down Shane’s cheeks, holding the container and staring at it as if it held all the answers he’d ever needed.

“Shane?”

He looked up, eyes searching your face, scanning and looking for something. He cleared his throat, “Why— why did…”

Oh. You knelt down next to his bed, feeling tears fill your own eyes, “I meant what I told you before, Shane. You’re my friend, and I care about you. You have so many people here who do, and I know that going through all of this is going to be hard, and I just need to show you that I’ll be here with you, every step you allow me to.”

He snorted, covering his face, hiding away as best as he could, “It’s just— I’m so tired. Of all of these. Of feeling like this,” His hand dropped enough that you could see his bloodshot eyes, tears still falling, “I’m so tired.”

You took his other hand, “You rest, I’ll take care of you.”

You must have been staring for a bit, cause you watched as heat slowly made it’s way across your husband’s cheeks, “What?”

“Nothing,” You whispered, leaning back further into the soft cocoon of your sheets and pillows, “I just love you, that’s all.”

No matter how many times you said it, those little words are ones Shane would never grow tired of. He sighed, watching as you slowly fell back into unconsciousness.

“I love you too,” He leaned across to pet Miso, “I thank Yoba everyday that you mover here.”