Don't Stare Too Long (ReD)

This will be useful for me in the future. I'll check that place out if I have free time, uh......Sorry, I don't know your name. I can't thank you properly."

"Oh!" Lochlann said, mirroring her movement by scratching the back of his neck. He gave a soft, embarrassed laugh. "I'm sorry, my name is Lochlann."

"Mine is Adelene. So uh... You don't mind if I stay here a bit longer?"

He reached out and took her outstretched hand, brushing this thumb across the edge of her hand. If she was quick, she'd catch the way his eyes dilated before he closed them and took his hand back.

"Yeah, please," he cleared his throat, motioning to the space across from him, around him, where ever. It's not like there was assigned seating in the woods. "It'll be nice to have some company, besides the sheep, I mean.

He dug through his backpack and pulled out another bottle, cracking the top off and taking another sip. "I mean, not like I'm making the sheep up. Some sheep got out a few weeks ago and they were everywhere. it was a disaster. I'm surprised we didn't catch the woods on fire."

He looked up at her suddenly, and then, rather embarrassingly, asked, "Can you whistle?"

"What..?" She stared at Lochlann with that look on her face. "How horrible... Are you saying they caught on fire? Here..?"

"Mhmm," Lochlann said, taking another sip from the bottle. "It was horrible. Some got in the lake, and I think one even ended up in a tree. It was sheer chaos."

He found himself glancing at her legs from the corner of his eye, following them down to the way her ankles were crossed, and then shaking his head as to put his thoughts back in order.

"Yeah, it's not that hard. Why?"

She'd turned her head to him and Lochlann hoped she didn't notice his looking, or the way he was rubbing his bad leg. He dropped his hands back to the ground, fumbling with the poetry book at his feet. That was just as damning evidence, so he flipped it over so the cover was hidden.

"I can't whistle, but if you can, some of the sheep might come back. They like things that sound like music," he explained.

He gave a short laugh. "I can't sing, either, so I can't really call them."

"Hey, are you hurt or something? I mean... your leg...We can call some sheep later. Is your leg okay?"


She leaned to face him more and started to reach out and Lochlann sort of panicked. He sort of leaned back, but there wasn't really a place he could move since he was up against the tree, and he really didn't want to be rude but he was suddenly very, very awkward.

"Ah, I'm okay, really," he said, taking another drink from the bottle like that proved something. "It's just...it's an old injury. It acts up sometimes."

Maybe because he felt bad for spazzing or because he'd been drinking, Lochlann sighed and rolled up his pant leg a considerable amount to show her the scar on his thigh. It was still pink and new-looking, and the area beneath it was bruised. Anyone with a bit of experience with weapons-related injuries would be able to recognize it as a gunshot wound. "It's really nothing, it's just awkward."

Lochlann followed her gaze to the trees, expecting to see something. He kept staring for a while, squinting, but he couldn't find whatever it was she was looking at. Still, he visibly relaxed again now that he was certain he wasn't under the spotlight.

"Have you tried drinking some healing potion?...I work for someone who knows how to make something like healing potions. He's pretty awesome. If your leg's hurting, you better do something about it."

Lochlann shook his head. "I am done with healers and doctors and that whole mess. I'd rather deal with the pain that have to go back there for help."

He shuddered, but then relaxed against the tree again, perking up when she whistled.

"Okay! This will be great," he said, the excitement in his voice almost tangible. "They're really friendly! See, here they come."

As if on que, a fluffy lamb started out of the woods and down the path towards them but it hesitated. Lochlann leaned towards Adelene and said, "They're a little shy, but they like food. If you pretend you have something it'll come closer."

She made something like a kyaaa noise and Lochlann was suddenly blushing. Gods damn was that cute.

She slowly stood up and Lochlann's eyes went right to her butt without even thinking about it. He checked her out as she inched forward towards the sheep, whistling a tune that Lochlann had never heard before.

it seemed to have an affect on the lamb, which had stopped moving, but hadn't bolted yet, either.

"Come here, little one~.... Oh, I think I do have some food in my bag. But I left it in the other side of the trees..."

The lamb took a few more hesitant steps towards her, stretching it's nose out as though it was smelling the air.

"Loch, is it okay if you get my bag? It's not so far from here. Please?"

She turned and Loch was so grateful he'd been looking at the lamb right at that moment. Still, he nodded, surprised to find a very real smile on his face as he stood up. He held onto the tree for a moment, and then carefully limped over to collect her bag.

It took him a few minutes to find it, and he hoped he wasn't too late when he returned. He walked up quietly right behind her, touching her on the back of the elbow and learning close to her ear to whisper, "Here, sorry."

The invasion of her personal space might have been intentional. He wasn't sure himself. Before he took a step back, he whispered, "I'm surprised there's only one. There's usually more."

He wanted to see her touch the little lamb. He felt guilty that he'd almost thought about eating it.