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themerrypanda · 9 months

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For this year’s Grapefruit Sky gift exchange, I wrote a fic for @purpleandgreen13 about their OC Jerusha Howard and Harvey. You can read their main fic Harvey and Jerusha on AO3!

Title: At Last

Word Count: 3,780

Summary: Dr. Harvey Brennan and farmer Jerusha Howard have been married a little more than a year. Extreme weather foils Jerusha’s grand plans for celebrating her husband’s birthday. Still, they manage to have a pleasant day with each other.

The morning sun brightened the room through a slit in the curtains. Harvey slowly stirred at Jerusha’s waking, and smiled when she rolled over to hold him in her arms.

She yawned, then kissed his cheek. “Happy birthday, handsome.”

“It is happy when you’re with me, Jerusha.”

Softly she giggled. “I’ll start breakfast.”

He embraced her more snugly. “No…” he mumbled as he held her closer. Then his stomach grumbled in protest. Traitor.

Jerusha laughed at the sound. “I promise, I’ll be right back, honey.”

She gave him one more squeeze, then she rolled out of their bed and left the room. Harvey listened to her footsteps pause, then walk again.

“Oh.” She sounded surprised, but also a little disappointed.

“Oh?”

“Harvey, do you recall how yesterday’s forecast predicted snow for today?”

“Mm hmm?”

“Take a look.”

Slowly, he rose from the bed, muscles protesting, and he grabbed his glasses from the nightstand. He placed them on his face, then stretched his back before rising up to look out the north-facing window next to the bed. Harvey drew the curtain. He didn’t see anything remarkable at first. It was white, which nearly blinded him. Was he missing something? He blinked several times.

Oh.

There was nothing remarkable to see because snow covered the entire window.

He heard Jerusha flip a switch, turning on a radio in the next room.

“…That’s right, people of Stardew Valley: We have two feet now, and the snow just keeps piling up! Even my neighbour is saying this is looking more like the blizzard of ‘78 by the minute. My suggestion: Stay home, and stay inside! You can get turned around in a storm like this even if you’re only ten feet from your door. Unless you can see your destination, stay inside, and stay warm. That means in the car too! If you are trapped in your car outside, stay put. Emergency vehicles and snow ploughs will be on their way to find you as soon as possible.”

“St… Stay?” Harvey’s jaw dropped. “But… I have appointments today! Three flu shots and an annual checkup.” He looked at the digital clock on his nightstand, only for it to have cleared its time entry. There must have been a brief power outage while he slept. Next he rummaged in a drawer for his analog watch. It read 8:04 AM. “And I’m running late!”

His cell phone vibrated where he had left it the night before, on an end table in the living room area. Jerusha reached it first and picked it up.

“Hello?” A pause. “Oh, hello Maru! Yes, Harvey’s here.”

She handed him the phone before picking up her own cell to make a series of messages.

“Hello?” Harvey said.

“Happy birthday, Doctor Harvey!” Maru sounded rather chipper. “I guess we’re both taking the day off work, right?”

“I suppose so.” Harvey chuckled nervously. “It seems we have no choice but to close today.”

“Hey, if it’s the day’s appointments you’re worried about, there’s no need. I connected my cell to the clinic’s line. The voicemail message is already set to reach me for scheduling and basic questions and you only for emergencies. I’ll call today’s patients to reschedule their appointments. You just enjoy your day off. A birthday off, for once. Yoba knows you deserve it.”

“I…” Jerusha came to his side and squeezed his free hand with hers. Harvey reminded himself to take a deep breath and relax. “Thank you, Maru.” He willed his heartbeat to slow and steady.

“Of course, Doc. I’m impressed you’re taking this so well.”

Jerusha smiled up at him, which he returned. “As am I, Maru.”

“That’s good. I’ll see you later, Doc, hopefully tomorrow if the storm lets up. Again, happy birthday!”

“Thank you, Maru. You have a good day as well.”

“Thanks. Bye!”

She hung up. Harvey placed his phone back down on the end table. He allowed a wave of relief to come over him, but was then met with another wave of concern, one that struck him like a freight train.

“Jerusha!”

“What?”

“What about the chickens and pigs?”

At that moment, Bear, the German shepherd, began to whimper at the front door.

“And Bear.” Jerusha agreed. “He can’t take his potty breaks until we can clear enough snow from the door.”

They quickly donned their coats, boots, and gloves. Jerusha retrieved two snow shovels from the tool rack next to the door. Thank goodness she thought it better to store them inside the farmhouse rather than in the greenhouse nearby.

When Jerusha signalled she was ready, Harvey slowly pulled open the front door. Thankfully, snow was not piled up nearly as high on the south-facing porch than the north-facing windows. But it was still knee-deep, despite the farmhouse serving as a cover against much of the snow.

“It’s a good thing snow was blowing in from the north.” Harvey exhaled. “We would have been trapped.”

“Unless we use a window upstairs.” Jerusha grinned slightly.

“You… have you had to do that before?”

“No,” Jerusha shook her head, “but I heard a story from Linus from when he lived in the tundra past the Frozen Sea.”

“Will he be alright?” Harvey couldn’t imagine that his tent would provide the man with much cover from the cold weather.

“I hope so.” Jerusha said. “He said he would be at the spa when I saw him last night. I think he had a feeling the snow would be pretty heavy last night.”

Jerusha began to shovel snow off the porch. The shovel filled itself quickly, taking a few shovels full to clear up a square foot of patio.

Harvey followed after her, clearing snow from the other side of the patio. His arms grew more sore as he shovelled. Shovelling and shovelling until–

“Ah!” A yelp, followed by a whump.

“Jerusha!”

He whirled around, turning behind himself, and found his wife half-buried in snow, one arm still gripping her shovel while the other extended upward.

“Help?”

Harvey noted snow prints on the patio indicating she likely tripped and fell. Careful not to slip on ice, he walked over and pulled her up.

“Thanks.” Jerusha panted. “I forgot we had steps down from the porch.”

She embraced him, and Harvey hugged her back.

“I’m just thankful it wasn’t anything worse.” He breathed into her ear, warming her face just a bit.

“The snow certainly cushioned my fall better than the porch would have.” Jerusha chuckled softly, which only resulted in Harvey hugging her for longer. “I’m alright, honey. Thank you for being here.”

“Of course. Let’s take a break and get you inside.”

Jerusha nodded in agreement. She pulled the door open, and out rushed a barking Bear. He quickly descended the steps into the Jerusha-shaped imprint on the ground– still snow-covered ground, but ground nonetheless– circled the imprint’s perimeter a couple times, and did his business.

“Well, at least one thing is taken care of.” Jerusha sighed. She waited for Bear to dash back inside before closing the front door.

Carefully, she and Harvey removed snow-covered winter gear so as to reduce how much melted snow soaked their clothes and dripped onto the floor. Finally, boots were removed, and Jerusha managed to keep from stepping her wool-socked feet into any small unseen puddle. Harvey was less fortunate.

“Well, I had plans for us to go out and celebrate your birthday, but I predict shovelling snow off the barn and coop roofs is going to take all day.” She frowned and looked at him apologetically.

Harvey hugged her reassuringly. “It’s not like you could control the weather. I don’t care what we do today, as long as I get to spend the day with you. I won’t let you rescue your animals alone. Now, let’s have breakfast. Perhaps something heartier than toast and a cup of coffee? You’ll need your strength.”

Jerusha smiled up at him. “That sounds lovely.” She went into the kitchen and burrowed in the refrigerator and cupboards for ingredients. “How about blueberry pancakes and hashbrowns?”

“That sounds wonderful. I’ll go scramble some eggs.”

“Harvey, it’s your birthday.”

“And we’re going to be working all day. I can’t offload all the work onto you. Please, allow me.”

Jerusha smiled. “Very well.”

Methodically they worked together, lending each other ingredients as needed. A pause to allow food to simmer was occasionally used to hug the other around the waist from behind them. Harvey smiled as he listened to Jerusha hum as she worked. He hadn’t quite gotten the hang of timing cooking various items at once like she had, but he could admire her talent and observe, hopefully gleaning some tricks.

Finally, they settled down for their complete breakfast. Jerusha raised her cup of earl grey tea, chinking it against Harvey’s mug of Gus’s special blend of black coffee before drinking. “Cheers.”

In a comfortable silence they ate, cleaning their plates. Jerusha insisted on washing the dishes herself, but Harvey found ways to assist her in the meanwhile. He filled up water bottles and stashed field snacks and various treats in her coat pockets. His own pockets held another water bottle, more snacks, a battery-powered torch, and his cell phone zipped up in two layers of clear sandwich bags. He glanced out the window once more. The snow looked as though it might be beginning to let up. He could barely see the shadows of the barn, coop, and greenhouse. He would make sure to leave the house lights on while they ventured out, but he also packed a spool of thick, sturdy red fleece thread just in case, ready to compensate Emily for the loss if it was used and damaged today.

Jerusha embraced him, then slowly began to gear up once more, this time adding snow goggles, hats, and scarves. “You don’t have to help, you know. It’s your birthday after all.”

“I’d rather not risk losing you to the storm today.”

This elicited a laugh from Jerusha. “I thought you would say that. Come along, Ariadne.”

Then their arduous day of shovelling snow began.

The storm did finally let up after a couple hours in it. Still, Harvey and Jerusha returned to the farmhouse thoroughly worn out.

The sun barely hung in the sky by the time their task was finally complete. After sluggishly prying off coats soaked with sweat and melted snow, Jerusha and Harvey warmed themselves under a shower, dried off, then put on clean, warm clothes before collapsing onto the farmhouse sofa. Slowly, they shifted as they regained energy to snuggle more closely. Bear rested underfoot, where he liked to be best it seemed.

“I’m starving.” Jerusha yawned. “I know I should start on dinner soon, but… just five minutes.”

Five minutes stretched into ten. Harvey contemplated getting up to start a pasta dinner himself, but the effort required too much prying Jerusha from on top of him. It wouldn’t work, not without waking her as well. And he was just out of reach of a medical journal sitting on the end table. So he dozed too.

Another fifteen minutes for himself did the trick. Restfully, he stirred, waking to Jerusha’s soft snoring. He smiled and brushed bangs from her forehead with his fingers. She sighed contentedly at the touch. A few minutes later, she finally woke, smiling lazily at Harvey until she gasped in surprise.

“How long was I asleep?”

“Not very long.” Harvey reassured her.

“Sorry about that! I didn’t mean to pin you underneath me. You couldn’t even reach your journal.”

“Jerusha, I promise, I’m not upset about that. Honestly, nothing else could happen today, and I would still consider this one of my best birthdays ever.” The best, he would have said, if it wasn’t for the spectacular birthday she prepared for him last year.

Jerusha smiled and hugged him. “Oh, Harvey.”

“I mean it! I know you would chalk it up to me having such low expectations for my birthday, but I do enjoy a night of peace and quiet with you.”

She shook her head playfully. “You get those every other night, love. But I suppose I shall respect your wishes today. It’s not like I have any other choice.”

Jerusha winked. There had to be some other birthday plan cooking in her brain; Harvey knew how she worked.

Still, she allowed herself for now to focus on dinner. She pulled out a cutting board and knife and began chopping up a variety of colourful vegetables.

“Anything I can do to help?”

“Just lay down and rest, Harvey. You worked more than you had to today.”

“I’d have worked either here or at the clinic, Jerusha. And you’ve worked just as hard, if not more so. Please, isn’t there anything I can do?”

“Hmm… could you pick out a wine for dinner?”

“What are we having?”

“Veggie curry.”

Harvey’s stomach rumbled at the splendid idea. Jerusha could whip up a perfect curry. Harvey feared the repercussions if he confessed to Gus he enjoyed hers more than his. Muscles aching in places he didn’t know they could ache, he willed himself to join Jerusha in the kitchen. This time, she didn’t protest when he volunteered to make naan to go with the curry. Carefully, he followed the instructions in the Queen of Sauce recipe book.

As he kneaded the dough, he pondered what he could add to their evening that would both make him happy and assure Jerusha his birthday was not wasted today. He thought of previous birthdays, his and Jerusha’s, and of their anniversary just last season. Something to make today seem less like an ordinary night in. He set the dough aside, covering it with a towel to let it rise.

“Are you alright?” She asked. “You can take a break, you know.”

“I know. I’m just thinking.”

“About what?”

“I…” He said the first lie that came to mind. “I haven’t heard from anyone about any medical emergencies today.” While true, it distracted her from his wondering how to complete their evening.

“Is that worrying you?”

“Only a little. I know I can’t be held accountable if someone isn’t able to make contact, but I still worry about the town in general. I know I can’t do anything about it yet either, so I’m trying not to worry too much. Let it be tomorrow’s concerns, you know?”

Jerusha paused her work to embrace her husband. “You’re a wonderful person, Harvey. It’s amazing to see how much you’ve changed. You’re more confident, less fearful. And yet, still the caring man I fell in love with.”

Harvey could feel his face blushing red as he smiled. He turned to kiss her tenderly. “I thank you for that, you know.”

“And still humble, too.” Jerusha winked. She returned to the tomatoes she chopped, bright red against the wooden cutting board.

There the perfect idea came to him. He grinned to himself while he pulled out the necessary pots and pans. Then he kissed Jerusha’s temple, careful not to disrupt her process.

“I’ll be right back.”

“Take all the time you need.”

Harvey entered their bedroom, almost climbing over Bear who loved dwelling near the kitchen when cooking was taking place. He found his record player and placed his selected vinyl album in place, selecting the correct speed and even putting the needle at just the right place on the vinyl for a certain track. He then checked inside the closet, hoping he wouldn’t accidentally find Jerusha’s intended present for him, and that he would instead find what he came for.

He succeeded.

In the back of the closet, buried behind and under many other articles of clothing, Harvey spotted it. He pulled it out and placed it on the bed, out of Jerusha’s line of sight into the bedroom. He then found shoes that matched, and placed them on the floor beside the bed. Next he searched his own section of the closet for formal tweed slacks, a matching suit jacket, and a white button-up shirt. He knotted a vibrant red tie and hung it in front of his chest. He took some time to comb his hair, even if it would inevitably curl against his will soon anyway.

Finally, he returned to the kitchen. Jerusha was nearly finished with the main course, and she gave Harvey space to cook the naan in a pan.

“Oh my, don’t you look dashing?” She purred.

Harvey beamed. “If you don’t mind, I picked out an outfit for you to wear as well. I placed it on the bed. Once you’ve finished the curry, you can put it on. If you like, I mean.”

Jerusha raised a sceptical but friendly eyebrow. “Alright. I’ll indulge you. It is your birthday, after all.”

Minutes later, Harvey was finishing up cooking the last naan, and Jerusha removed the rice and her finished curry from the stove, placing them on trivets at the dinner table. She then dared enter the bedroom.

Harvey held his breath, suddenly worried if he overstepped. What if she didn’t like–

Cackling. Jerusha was cackling.

“Harvey! I can’t– you– Hahaha!”

He could hear her climb on top of their bed, using a pillow to stifle her loud guffaws. Slowly, he smiled as well.

“I’ll still wear it, of course. But…” She laughed again. “Harvey, do you enjoy tormenting me?”

“Tormenting you?” He feigned offence at the claim. “I would never.”

Harvey finished setting the table, placing down the naan and a bottle of his favourite wine from Jerusha’s first creations. Vintage, he thought, and he chuckled to himself.

Five minutes later, Jerusha returned from the bedroom wearing her hair down, a little makeup, and the vibrant red dress she wore to her first Flower Dance in Pelican Town. Though smiling pleasantly, her eyebrows were scrunched slightly, as if to ask why. Why this dress?

“You look beautiful in that dress. I thought you might like to make a better memory with it.” Harvey answered the unspoken question.

“Well, that’s one way to do it.” Jerusha gave him a mirthful smile. “Now, let’s eat!”

The meal was scrumptious. How to convince her to prepare this rather than return to Chez Adèline for his future birthdays, Harvey wondered. But for now, they enjoyed the soul-warming, filling meal.

Having eaten his fill, Harvey stood up. He was going to turn on the record player, but–

“Wait!” Jerusha protested. “I still haven’t given you your birthday present.”

She got up, burrowed in a less-frequently used kitchen hutch, and pulled out a box wrapped in pine-coloured paper and a violet ribbon. Beside it lay a homemade card.

On the front Jerusha hastily drew a bowl with some orange inside it. ‘I absolutely mean to curry favour with you.’ And inside the card was a more steadily drawn picture of a spine and the text: ‘Thanks for always having my back. Happy Birthday Harvey!’

“Sorry.” Jerusha smiled. “It’s kinda hard to top ‘We be-lung together!’ on the anniversary card.”

“It doesn’t matter to me.” Harvey said with a twinkle in his eye. “Your puns leave me in stitches anyway.”

Jerusha grinned, then turned their attention back to the gift. “Open it up!”

Carefully he untied the ribbon and tore the tape that held the paper together. He peeled the wrapping paper, then opened the box.

“It’s a Sopwith Camel!” Harvey beamed, and inspected the box at each angle. It was a brand new build-it-yourself model kit of the plane they saw at the Zuzu City Wheels and Wings Spectacular last year. “I’m impressed you remembered!”

“You mentioned it was the most famous aeroplane of the First World War. That was my biggest clue. I’m glad my research paid off!”

Harvey set the box down on the table and embraced Jerusha again, giving her another slow kiss. “Thank you, love.” They kissed once more.

“Oh yeah! I have dessert too!” She pulled away to dig for something buried deep in the freezer, then pulled out three tiny boxes.

“If you’re daring to try something sweet, I made tiramisus last night. A coffee one for you, and an earl grey one for me. And if not, I also made this!”

She opened one box. Inside lay a round cake consisting entirely of sliced pickles.

Harvey laughed at the sight. “You’re amazing, Jerusha.”

They each enjoyed a few bites of the desserts. Harvey even managed to sample a few bites of his tiramisu, and, to his pleasure, it wasn’t too terribly sweet.

He boxed back up his two unfinished desserts, and Jerusha, with a pout, followed suit.

“Now, before I do anything else tonight, do you have any other surprises for me, my dear?” Harvey asked.

“Nothing that can be done tonight.”

“Too tired?”

“No…” Jerusha slyly smiled. “I may have convinced everyone to move all of your birthday surprise plans to tomorrow.”

“What?”

She giggled, almost maniacally. “You didn’t think I was going to cancel all my plans, did you?”

Harvey shook his head, smiling. “I wouldn’t have expected otherwise, Jerusha. Anything else besides that?”

She shook her head.

“Good. Follow me.”

She followed him into the bedroom, all the way to the record player. A familiar tune began to play from the Etta James album, and Jerusha grinned. He extended a hand, and she accepted it, and slowly they began to sway.

“When we first heard this song, Jerusha,” Harvey said, “At the jazz orchestra concert last year, I thought of how wonderfully the lyrics conveyed my feelings about you. And still I feel this way, and plan to stay this way as long as I live.”

He quietly hummed along, barely on pitch. Jerusha seemed to be enjoying it anyway. She rested her head against his chest, and Harvey found himself falling in love with his wife yet again, as he does every hour of every day. There they swayed until the song finished At Last.

Jerusha wiped a tear from her eye. “You have me here forgetting it’s your birthday, not mine. Silly.”

“You can do your best to remedy that tomorrow.” Harvey winked.

Jerusha smiled as she slowly loosened his tie. “Or tonight.”

“Or both.”

Jerusha delicately placed a kiss where his cheekbone and jawbone meet. “Thank you for taking care of me today.”

“And thank you for spoiling me. Every day.”

Harvey and Jerusha enjoyed the peace and quiet the night brought. They never knew what mayhem life would throw at them each day (and believe them, life gave them plenty of mayhem), but the two knew– twelve hours away from discovering they two were three– they could always count on each other to make it through.

#stardew valley #stardew valley harvey #stardew harvey #sdv harvey #harvey sdv #harvey stardew valley #purpleandgreen13

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