Chapter Text
It's leg day, egg day. To the max. Alex is surrounded by eggs. More eggs than he could dream of. More eggs than he could eat in a week. Maybe two weeks.
He's already had ten hard-boiled, seven plain, three dyed. Then some deviled, just as a treat. Honestly, the mayo content cancels out any sort of nutritional value completely, but it's a holiday so he's giving himself some slack.
He’ll just have to work out a little extra tomorrow. If each deviled egg is 85 calories, then he'll have to do, what… 300… maybe 400 more push-ups? Wait. That doesn’t sound right. If 10 push-ups burns 5 calories-
“Oh my god, Alex, hello?!” Haley waves her hand back and forth in front of his face. “You're not listening to me!”
“What, Hales?”
“Look at them!” She whips around, pointing across the town square.
Alex doesn't notice anything out of the ordinary. “Who? Gus? Clint? Is Pam spiking the punch again?”
Haley gestures wildly. “No, talking to Shane!”
“Stop yelling, Yoba.” Alex side-steps to get a better view around Emily and Jodi. There is, in fact, a stranger, talking animatedly to Shane, of all people. But Alex’s line of sight still isn’t too great, he can only see the stranger’s back.
They’re tall, with a mop of wavy brown hair, and a long-sleeve t-shirt. Sky blue with a tan stripe. And is Shane smirking? Anything but a scowl on his face is extremely unusual. “Who's that?”
Haley sucks her teeth. “The new guy! The farmer? I swear, you never listen to a word I say, do you?”
Alex turns to her, placating. “That’s not true. I do kinda remember you telling me about a uhh... farm guy?”
She tosses her hair dismissively. “Don’t even. It’s all gridball and macros up there.” With a quick flash of impeccably manicured nails, she gives Alex a firm thump on the forehead.
“Hey!”
“His name is Dylan? He moved to that crusty old farmhouse out past the bus stop?”
“Dylan... Dylan...” Alex wracks his brain.
“He’s older? He’s got a dog? I definitely told you all this.”
Alex scratches the side of his head, screwing up his face. “Dog, huh? A dog... A farmer... Dylan...”
Grabbing his arm, Haley hisses, “Stop saying it, weirdo, he’s coming over.”
“I don’t-”
“Don’t be weird. He’s super hot. I know I told you that.” She runs her fingers through her hair, primping.
She’s not wrong about him coming over. The stranger-farmer is making his way toward them, pausing to say hello to Emily and Jodi on his way, both women greeting him as if they already know him.
Haley’s also not wrong about him being super hot. Needless to say, he’s not as built as Alex, but he doesn't look lanky or out-of-shape like every other guy in this town. Big, with broad shoulders. Long legs. He’s wearing shorts of all things, and his calves look like he’s been eating plenty of eggs himself. Alex doesn’t know how to feel about this new development.
Is it a good thing or a bad thing? Maybe he likes gridball and he and Alex can talk about the Tunnelers together. Maybe even throw the ball around some. Or maybe he’s here to kill Alex and take his place as town jock. Obviously, there can only be one.
Then something completely unexpected happens.
Dylan, the so-called farmer, suddenly changes course and marches up to Alex’s own grandparents, dirty boots clomping on the makeshift festival flooring. He walks right up to George and shakes his hand without a second of hesitation.
Alex watches as his grandmother’s lips form the words 'oh hello, dear' and the three of them start chatting away. Oh hello, dear. He’s definitely here to kill Alex and take his place.
Haley shoves Alex's shoulder. “Evelyn and George know him too?! Oh my god.”
Alex can feel his ears getting hot. How do his own grandparents know the new guy and he’s just standing here, totally clueless? “They didn’t say anything! At least... I don’t think they did...”
Crossing her arms in front of her, Haley tips her head to the side. “You really need to get with my sister. Practice some mindfulness or something. She’s not even this lost in the clouds.”
“I’m allergic to incense.”
Haley rolls her eyes. “Everyone should be allergic to incense. Her side of the house smells like a burnt-out hippie head shop-”
“He’s coming,” Alex warns.
She immediately goes back to smoothing her hair, and Alex watches as his new possible-nemesis moves toward them again, waving widely.
“Haley! Hi!” In his haste, the farmer accidentally bumps a chair with his hip. He stops mid-stride to gently and deliberately push it back in place at the cocktail table.
“Oh no, he’s fucking adorable,” Haley whispers under her breath.
“Don’t be weird, remember?” Alex whispers back, annoyed, as the new guy steps up to them.
“Hey, farm boy,” Haley teases. Alex can’t tell if she’s being smug or flirty.
Dylan smiles at her and runs his fingers through his stupid, shiny hair, pushing it back from his stupid, handsome, five-o-clock-shadowed face. “I didn’t find any flowers on my way here, sorry.”
“That’s okay! I still have the daffodil from yesterday.”
Daffodils... Daffodils... Is it daffodil season? Alex used to know these things. Maybe he has been a little distracted lately.
“Who’s your friend?” And now the new guy is looking at him, extending his hand. “Haven’t met you yet, I’m Dylan.”
Alex looks down at the peeled, hard-boiled egg he's been holding in his dominant hand. He does the first thing that comes to mind and shoves the entire thing in his mouth.
At least he has the sense to wipe his hand on his jeans before clasping Dylan’s own. Squeezing it probably more than necessary. Casually sizing up his opponent with a small show of dominance.
“Ah-wex.” His name sounds garbled around the half-chewed egg in his mouth.
Dylan grips Alex’s hand just as strongly, pulling it back-and-forth, not just up-and-down. Energetically chaotic. “Hell yeah. Egg Festival champ right here.”
“Please, don’t get him started,” Haley says with a withering tone.
Alex releases Dylan’s big, warm hand and swallows. “I need the protein... for my legs.”
“You lift, bro?”
Alex pulls a face that he knows looks offended. “Sure, I lift.”
The farmer grins at him. His second top-tooth to the left is a little crooked. He eyes Alex’s upper body. “Thought so. You look super fit, man.”
Alex feels heat wash over his face. He doesn’t know what to say, stunned by the compliment.
Thankfully, Haley seizes the opportunity to take back the spotlight. “This festival is alright, but what I’m really looking forward to is the Flower Dance.”
“Oh wow, that’s so surprising,” Dylan replies cheerily, “I mean, who’d have thought you’d be into something called the Flower Dance?”
Haley lightly smacks the farmer’s upper arm with the back of her hand. Smiling, now obviously flirting. “It’s not just about flowers.”
“You mean there’s dancing too?”
She nods emphatically. “And a winner, the Flower Queen.”
“Yoba, don’t get her started,” Alex cuts in.
Dylan looks to him, grinning lips parted and-
“Farmer Dylan! Hey!” Abigail is a blaze of purple, power-walking quickly past their group.
“What’s up, Abigail?”
“The egg hunt’s about to start! You want in?”
After a short moment of consideration, Dylan responds, “Why not? It’s my first Egg Fest, I guess I should.”
“Killer! C’mon then.” She beckons him toward the town square where the kids are waiting. “Just don’t be mad when I kick your ass!” she yells over her shoulder.
Dylan huffs and turns back to them. “Guess I gotta go. See ya later, Haley. Nice to meet you, Alex.” He takes off without waiting for a response.
As soon as he’s out of ear-shot, Alex rounds on Haley. “He’s been bringing you daffodils?”
“I mean, yeah, they’re in season,” she replies, defensive.
“Have you been hanging out with him?”
“No! Not really. He just-” She twirls her hair around her finger. “He’s always going to Pierre’s, and that creepy old community center, for some reason. We talk at the fountain sometimes. I told you this!”
Narrowing his eyes, Alex studies her. “And what do you two have to talk about?”
“Lots of things! Clothes, malls, how dirty he is all the time.”
“Well, I didn’t know how- how-” Alex brings himself up short, not exactly sure how he was going to finish that statement.
Haley makes wide eyes at him. “How ridiculously fine he is?”
“Haley...”
“Are you jealous?” She grins mischievously and Alex rolls his eyes.
“Of him?” he scoffs, “Yeah, right.”
Haley shakes her head and lets out an excited giggle. “Of me, Alex. You’re jealous of me!” She bounces on the balls of her feet. “I saw you blushing. I saw it. You wanna kiss the farmer.”
Alex whips his head around wildly to check if anyone can hear them. “Haley, stop.”
“Oh my god, it’s not a big deal, everyone probably wants to.”
“Well, I don’t.”
“You’re lying, you liar. Come on. Let’s go watch this shitshow.” She turns on her heel and strides off for the town square.
Releasing a long-suffering sigh, Alex hurries after her.
They take their usual spot in the corner and do their usual thing of ignoring whatever’s coming out of Mayor Lewis’ mouth.
Adjusting her top, Haley says, “Just so you know, I’m not calling dibs or something childish like that.”
“I wouldn’t care if you did!” Alex whisper-yells.
She rolls her eyes. “Why don’t you have another egg and chill out? Your little sexuality crisis is so exhaust-”
“Are you saying I need another egg? My legs-”
The screech of Mayor Lewis’ whistle rips through the previously-peaceful atmosphere, startling Alex to attention. All of the egg hunters scatter, Abigail dashing toward the river, Jas following behind her after a second of deliberation. Sam and Vincent head east and Maru goes west. Dylan looks around, seeming a bit lost, before taking off for the graveyard.
Alex tracks his movements until he loses sight of him, muttering, “No way he’s gonna win this.” He turns to his right and Haley is gone. He turns to his left and there she is.
“I mean, duh. Not when Abigail has all the hiding spots memorized. Here.” Haley hands Alex a blue-and-yellow egg. She must have grabbed it while he was not-watching the farmer.
He cracks it and starts peeling. “She’s so annoying with that.”
“So annoying.”
“Ruins the spirit of competition.”
“It’s borderline cheating, if you think about it.”
Alex stuffs the egg in his mouth and chews thoughtfully. He takes cheating at games very seriously. It’s a big accusation. Career-ruining even. However, the integrity of the game always comes first. “I fink you-a wight, Hay-wee.”
“Eww, Alex, don’t talk with your mouth full. Look!” She points toward the Stardrop Saloon. Dylan has reappeared and seems to be speaking to someone, or rather, some thing.
Alex squints. “Is he talking to that bush?”
Haley laughs unexpectedly, covering her mouth. “Oh my god, he’s actually insane. I knew there had to be something wrong with him.”
Alex paws at her arm. “Wait... Look...”
Dylan crouches down and reaches into the bushes. When he steps back, Jas emerges, gripping his hand in her own. She’s wiping her eyes with her other little fist, egg basket dangling from the crook of her elbow.
Haley grabs Alex’s bicep. “Oh nooo...”
Still bent over, talking to her face-to-face, Dylan takes Jas’ basket and leads her around the bushes, to where an orange egg is peeking out from under some leaves. Jas snatches it up excitedly and Dylan offers her the basket to toss it in. Seeming back in good spirits, she marches toward the mayor’s house, pulling the farmer behind her.
“Do you think that is cheating?” Alex asks.
Haley removes her hand from his arm and uses it to poke him. “Of course not! That is teamwork. You saw how upset she was, poor thing.”
“Good sportsmanship, then.”
“Yes, definitely.”
“Hmm...” Alex watches as Jas points and gestures, instructing Dylan to jump the fence behind Lewis’ house.
The farmer doesn’t hesitate, grabbing the top of it and swinging himself up. With some minor fumbling, he gets both legs over and drops out of sight.
“Well, that was certainly athletic.” Haley bumps Alex’s shoulder with her own, looking smug.
Alex just nods; again, not sure how to feel about this newest development. Jealous? Impressed? A weird mixture of both?
Jas bounces up and down happily as Dylan rushes around the opposite side of the fence. He’s got his arms held high, one egg in each hand and another shoved in his mouth. He sprints to her and tosses them all in her basket, just as Mayor Lewis’ whistle splits the air.
Of course Abigail wins, like always. Surprising and pleasing exactly no one.
Haley’s gone over to talk with Leah and Elliott, leaving Alex to his own devices. He fills a cup with sparkling beet juice and considers taking another deviled egg or five. He tries to do the push-up math in his head again, fails, and decides to just forget about it. He’ll go grab his grandparents and walk them home, it’s getting kind of late.
“Hey, dude. Is there a beverage around here that doesn’t contain alcohol?” It’s Dylan. The farmer. No one else in this town except Sam talks like that, and the farmer’s voice is much more manly.
Alex turns and holds out the bottle of beet juice. “This, and the punch, maybe.”
Dylan shakes his head. His hair falls across his forehead and he rakes it back again, russet strands not long enough to stay behind his ear. “Nah, Pam spiked it. She told me earlier, and then I had a glass, and then I ran around a lot. I just need some hydration, badly.”
Alex feels himself light up, against his will. “Staying hydrated is so important.”
“I know, right? I usually drink like, four gallons of water a day.”
“Oh wow, that’s a lot.”
“I know, right? But think about it...” Dylan gestures to himself. “Farmer guy. Outside all day, in the sun. Chopping down trees. Breaking rocks like a felon. You wouldn’t believe how much I sweat.”
Alex tries really, really hard not to think about it. “Yeah, that uhh... sounds intense.”
“It is intense. So what’s the deal with this non-alcoholic wine?”
Alex forgot all about the bottle he’s still holding out, like a weirdo. “Oh, it’s not really wine. It’s sparkling beet juice. For the kids, mostly, but there’s no added sugar or anything. It’s just carbonated.”
“Awesome, thank you.” Dylan takes the half-empty bottle from him and doesn’t bother with a cup. He just puts it to his lips and turns it up.
This is also the moment when Alex notices he’s pushed his sleeves up to his elbows, exposing tan, muscular forearms, covered in dark hair. Alex’s eyes roam, and he continues to watch Dylan drain the bottle, Adam's apple bobbing as he swallows the drink down. Dark red juice gathers at the corner of Dylan’s mouth, drawing Alex’s attention to the tight seal of his lips around green glass.
Somehow, Alex snaps himself out of it, looking anywhere but the farmer, eyes darting over coleslaw and ham and salad and eggs.
Setting the empty bottle down on the table, heavily, Dylan takes a deep breath. “Holy shit, so refreshing.”
Alex snorts and can’t hold back his two cents, “Beets have a lot of natural nitrates.”
Dylan grins as he wipes his mouth with the back of a hand. “Nitrates are good, right?”
“Very good. For blood pressure and uhh... stamina.”
“Now you’re speakin’ my language. I haven’t slowed down since I got here. And actually, I do need to run, gotta feed my dog and get these cauliflower seeds in the ground before dark.” Dylan reaches into his pocket and flashes the corner of a beige seed packet.
Alex wants to ask the farmer about his dog and tell him all about the vitamin content of cauliflowers and figure out what his hair routine is, but he holds his tongue.
“I’ll see you around, huh?” Dylan scans the area, ready to make his exit.
“Oh! Wait, real quick,” Alex interjects, “I saw what you did, for Jas? At the egg hunt? I just- I uhh... thought it was really nice of you.” Not to his surprise at all, Alex can feel himself blushing again. Why did he have to run off at the mouth like that?
But Dylan doesn’t seem fazed, staring back at him sincerely. “No big deal, bud. What good is a game if we’re not all having fun?”
Mind confused, but heart in agreeance with this new sports wisdom, Alex watches as the farmer strides off into the evening sunset, nodding and waving to all the townspeople he passes.