He was already sitting on the edge of the bed when I walked in. It looked like they had just changed out his bandage. His pajama pants looked fresh too. The gentle smile and steady stare was focused on me as I handed him his tray of food.
I plopped down in the usual chair and opened up my brown paper bag. I dug around for my lunch.
"Anything interesting happen since I last drew you?" I asked, still searching around my lunch bag.
"No, only the usual routine."
I nodded.
Ah ha! Found you potato chips!
I peeled their bag open and popped one into my mouth. I closed my eyes and quietly hummed in satisfaction.
"It seems you prefer potato chips, you eat them daily." His quiet voice seemed amused.
I opened my eyes to look at him. He was intently watching me.
"Have you even had a potato chip?" I asked incredulously.
"No, I have not."
"Then you clearly don't understand my obsession." I chuckled, crunching on another one.
He tilted his head as he looked at me.
"May I have one?" His question seemed hesitant.
Sweet niblets your pitiful face is adorable.
"If I give you one, and you up chuck like you did the other day, they're gonna have my head." I said as I raised an eyebrow.
He frowned.
"Up chuck?" His tone was inquisitive.
Oh, right, that's a human slang term.
"Throw up."
He continued to stare at me.
What is a human word he'd know?
"Vomit." I finally said.
The smile tipped up the corner of his lip.
"Ah, I see." His voice was soft.
He focused back on his tray, his eyes traveling over it as if he couldn't decide where to start.
I couldn't really blame him for wanting a potato chip. The infirmary cuisine looked blander than a desert color palette. My gut felt guilty.
Poor thing.
"Alright, alright, here…"
I held out the chips. He glanced up at me, and then the bag. After a moment, he reached into it and pulled one out. With slow precision he examined it. He seemed to do that with everything. It was as if he was trying to analyze and categorize.
At last he put it in his mouth. I had to stifle a laugh as his expression slowly changed. His eyebrows lifted up his forehead as he slowly chewed. He finally swallowed. When he looked at me, I could see a bit of mild amusement on his face.
"I am surprised." He quietly said.
"See? There's just something about frying that tuber up in some oil and sprinkling just a bit of salt on it afterwards that somehow makes it magical." I replied with a grin.
"Do you make them yourself?"
"Pfft, no. Way too much work and too messy."
"Then where do you acquire them from?"
"There's this old elf that has a fry cart on the way to the palace. I walk by it every morning on the way to work."
His stare focused on my face for a moment before it returned to his tray.
I reached into my bag. It was empty.
Well, poo.
"I promise to not divulge that you offered me a potato chip in the event that I do 'up chuck', as you say." His quiet voice had a bit of playfulness in it.
"Alright, I'll hold you to it." I snorted.
I grabbed the other paper parcel out of my bag. After unwrapping my sandwich, I bit into it. I glanced over every once in a while to check and make sure he was eating.
I'd been keeping him company during my lunch hour for the last lunar cycle or so. Apparently he hadn't been too keen on eating, so Haelorn and Syldral supposed my presence would help him do so. I had a down right fit when they proposed it. I usually went out to get fresh air during my lunch hour. They offered to thoroughly compensate me. After that I begrudgingly gave in. The extra currency was helping me save up faster for my residency hearing.
After a while it became less about the coins, and more about observing who he was. Kagorn was a gentle and quiet soul. His curiosity was as endless as his stare. He had a patient ear. Our conversations ranged from the serious to the ridiculous. Nothing seemed to phase him. I had expected something far different from a lethal assassin. He wasn't rough around the edges like I thought he'd be.
He finished the last bit of food off his plate and set the tray aside. I ignored his stare as I continued to eat.
"Haelorn advised I take short walks around the ward. Would you accompany me?" He asked with exceptional quietness.
A bit of sandwich got caught in my throat. I forced it down with a swallow it as I gave him a look.
Am I taking you for walks now?
I glanced up at the clock on the wall across the room. The lunch hour was only half over.
"Alright, sure. Let me finish this up before we go. But you better put a gown on over that." I said, nodding at his bandage.
He frowned slightly, "Do I need one?"
"Well, If you don't, you're gonna give all the old female elves on this ward a heart attack." I sniggered.
His ears twitched as he looked at me.
Dear heavens to betsy…
"Do I have to explain this to you too?" I asked in amused exasperation.
The smile flickered onto his lips.
"I prefer that you would. I am fond of your humor."
I shifted in my chair.
"Look, you're handsome, alright? If you walk around half naked like that, the old female elves will get all hot and flustered, and their weak little hearts can't handle it." I snickered.
His smile brightened as he chuckled.
I ate the last bite of my sandwich as he dawned a infirmary gown. He opened the door and followed me out. We wandered around the halls. I explained everything he had questions about. His eyes did their analyzing wandering everywhere we went.
"Hey, Hey, Hey!"
I know that voice.
I looked down the hall we just passed. Hazel eyes were flashing at me. James was approaching. He still had some wood chips from his lathe on his shirt. The smug grin was plastered across his face. I grinned back.
"Taking an afternoon stroll I see." He said.
"Yup, nothing quite like the fresh scent of sickness and decay to finish up a good lunch." I joked.
"Aw, common, it ain't that bad."
"Says you! You don't live it everyday," I said through a laugh.
"Then shouldn't you be immune by now?"
"Pfft, you think I would, but no. Apparently the fates don't shine that brightly on me."
We both shared a chuckle.
"You come to pick on Haelorn?" I asked.
"Of course, gotta make sure that sap isn't up to any nonsense with out me." He snickered.
"Just so you know, he always is. He's making us dizzy with our round schedules." I snickered back as I jabbed his ribs with an elbow.
"I beg to differ."
My gut jerked at the sound of Haelorn's voice.
Holy mother of pearl, I'm in for it now.
Haelorn rounded the corner. His eyebrow was raised as he gave me a look. Just as his lips parted to say something, his eyes flicked up behind me. A look of mild shock ran across his face. It quickly eased into a smile.
"I am glad to see you took my advice, Kagorn." He seemed pleased.
"Yes, Ms. Mcguire insisted…"
The relief of the abrupt subject change was immediately replaced with confusion. I snapped my head around to look at Kagorn.
Wait, What? No I didn't.
He glanced at me for a moment before he continued.
"…I could not deny her request." His quiet voice was sure.
I narrowed my eyes at him before I looked back at Haelorn. His grin was beaming at me.
"I am glad to see that you are invested in his care."
"Uh, yeah, just trying to help." I stuttered.
Haelorn nodded at both of us before slipping his arm around James' waist and quickly placing a kiss on his lips. I took the opportunity of his distraction to jump start down the hall. Kagorn was quickly at my side.
"What was that about?"
He gave me a quick look.
"I do not understand your question." He replied.
I raised an eyebrow at him.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about."
Something in his stare flickered.
"I simply wish to keep you in Haelorn's good graces." His voice had gone quiet.
I looked him over in suspicion. He couldn't hold my gaze.
Well that's a first.
He was lying to me. Why?
When we entered his room, I waited for him to close the door. I shoved my hands in my pockets as I gave him a dose of his own stare.
"I know you're not being truthful with me. Now spit it out." I huffed.
His ears twitched as he hesitated. The stare was finally holding steady on my face. He slowly leaned back against the door.
"My recovery is progressing to a point of independence. I fear that Haelorn may deem you unnecessary and remove you from my care. I find your company to be pleasing. I wish to portray that your presence is the reason for my progress." He said barely above a whisper.
His voice seemed to have a bit of shame in it.
I tilted my head as I looked him over.
Well alright, that wasn't what I was expecting.
"I'm pretty sure he wouldn't do that. Even if he did, you could just ask me to keep having lunch with you." I shrugged.
"I was unsure if you would accept my offer."
I chuckled, "Of course I would. You're one of the few friends I have here on the island."
His soft smile seemed to glow.
"As you are mine." His voice was so gentle.
That made something prod my heart. My fingers entangled themselves their pockets.
"I'm glad to hear." I slowly replied.
We held each other's gaze for a moment. The bell tower chimed in the distance. It snapped our silent connection.
He moved to open the door and I slipped past him.
"See you later, alright?" I said over my shoulder.
"Of course." His voice seemed bright.
When the door clicked shut my mind chewed on his words. I was surprised to find that they made me feel good. Just knowing I had a solid friend was making this place feel more like home. I couldn't keep a small smile off of my face for the rest of the afternoon.
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