Dinner for Two ((Cross, Freya))

[.:Fawn:.]

A cupful of October Ale (and a separate one full of Strawberry Fizz if they wanted something a little milder), a warm chestnut flan, a steaming bowl full of Hot Root Soup -- a favorite of otters -- and a slice of pie with a generous heap of meadow-cream on top to put a little smile on one's face. With dinner balanced carefully on a medium-sized ashwood tray, Freya's hold tightened on the handles, her nose twitching with the ticklish beginnings of a sneeze -- the ottermaid forcing it down with sheer willpower alone. A soft set of taps with her rudder announced her presence at the infirmary door, Freya's smooth voice ringing out while she pushed it open,
"I'm coming in! I've brought dinner!"

Catching a glimpse of bandaged otter, a smile blossomed on her face like a day lily, and she resisted the urge to wave at him cheerily should she end up dropping the tray -- and his dinner -- all over the nice clean floors she should've been scrubbing earlier... Oops. Remind her to thank Sister Armel for doing it for her; the Friar had kept her quite busy cleaning up the kitchen and she'd siimply forgotten all about it. Setting the tray down at Cross's bedside, she had half a mind to fuss over him like she did the dibbuns whenever they had a tummy ache or a sore thumb -- but he was no dibbun, and that certainly was more than a tummy ache.
"How are you feeling? A little better this evening, sir?"
Oh yes, must be on her best behavior before she bombarded him with questions.

It wasn't often that Redwall Abbey got so many travelers, and it seemed that with each incoming visitor, the urge to leave behind these rose-colored walls grew brazenly stronger, pulling at her whole body every time the gates opened. When Koa had returned with the injured sea-otter in tow, Freya had tried to give him as much space as she could -- to let him get used to the Abbey and adjust to a long recuperation before the young, curious ottermaid bothered him about things he probably didn't want to talk about.

Having set down the tray, Freya did not make for the door immediately, instead lingering by the handsome otter's bedside, trying not to make it too terribly obvious that she'd rather stay and visit instead of head back to the Great Hall to dine with the others.
He looks like he's been through so much, she noted, regarding the glazed over eye and the thick bandages.
Where on earth had Koa met this interesting young traveler?
Freya was dying to get to the bottom of this.

(( xD wasn't sure whether to mark this open or not, I can if you want me to. And sorry, it ended kind of awkwardly lol.))

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[Cross]

Cross lay with his head rolled to one side, his left paw draped over his chest above the swatch of bandages. His eyes were closed, but he opened them as soon as dinner was announced. He kept still as the ottermaid walked in, smiling prettily and setting the tray of food down. Clenching his webbed paw into a fist and straightening his elbow, he winced slightly as the joints popped.

He rubbed his forehead, doing his best to return the smile as he inhaled deeply. The decadent aroma of the meal drew his attention to the tray. Many delicious-looking treats sat waiting for him to start eating. He was feeling a little cold this evening (probably because those blasted bedsheets were much too short for him) so he went for the warm soup first. Nodding his thanks to the ottermaid, he pushed himself into a sitting position and picked up the bowl of soup, blowing on it gently.

"How are you feeling? A little better this evening, sir?"

Cross nodded again. "Aye, thank ye," he replied softly. Raising the bowl to his lips, he didn't detect the hotroot until it was too late. The spice stung right at the back of his throat as he swallowed on instinct. What kind of soup was this? Reaching for one of the drinks, he gratefully cooled his mouth and tried again, this time braced for the spice. It was actually quite good. He just hadn't expected the hotroot.

He finished nearly a third of the soup before realizing that the ottermaid was still in the room, watching him intently. Pausing with the bowl halfway to his mouth, Cross raised an eyebrow curiously. He set the bowl down and offered a friendly smile. "Thank you for bringing food for me," he said. "I am Cross. What is your name?"

[.:Fawn:.]

He set the bowl down and offered a friendly smile. "Thank you for bringing food for me," he said. "I am Cross. What is your name?"

A faint glimmer of a smile danced across Freya's face as she noticed him trying the fiery soup otters were known to favor so much. Perhaps it was his first time experiencing it? Whoops, she probably should've let him know it was a little more than 'hot', it was eye-wateringly spicy. "Freya Shellpaw, it's a pleasure to meet you Cross, it's certainly good news you're feeling better -- Koa talks about you every day, you know."
How could the ottermaid resist bringing up everyone's favorite little otterbabe? It was turning into quite an interesting relationship between those two, Freya had noted, noticing the otterbabe's absolute idol-worship towards Cross, and the fond, little-brother adoration that seemed to light up the Koa's eyes whenever Cross was mentioned.
He really loves him, she thought warmly, a fuzzy feeling wriggling it's way into her stomache that had nothing to do with the fact that she'd had more than her fair share of strawberry fizz before coming up here.

Looking around for a seat, Freya hoped to make the atmosphere a bit less awkward if she stopped standing around like a frog without a lilypad, and drew up a chair near Cross's bedside -- far enough away to give him space, but close enough to indicate she intended to chat with him a little. "Koa tells me you're from-- oh how did he phrase it? Far-to-the-South?" Her whiskers twitched with mirth. "I don't mean to pry or bother you, I'm just admittedly a bit curious. I never get the chance to really leave Redwall."
Perhaps she should've waited until he was done eating? Yeesh, way to come off as rude! Just let the poor otter eat, Freya, he doesn't need your babbling for company! Freya smiled at him meekly, "I can come by later if you'd rather eat in peace, I can be a bit...noisy."

...well, at least she'd warned him, right?

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[Cross]

"Freya Shellpaw, it's a pleasure to meet you Cross, it's certainly good news you're feeling better -- Koa talks about you every day, you know."

Cross chuckled lightly, helping himself to more soup. Oh, Koa . . . there was probably no other little otter who had seen as much of Cross as he had. Except of course, Cross's own family, but that was long ago. Koa was his new family, and Cross couldn't ask for a better little brother.

"Koa tells me you're from-- oh how did he phrase it? Far-to-the-South?" Her whiskers twitched with mirth. "I don't mean to pry or bother you, I'm just admittedly a bit curious. I never get the chance to really leave Redwall."

Curious? Cross avoided curiosity as a rule, since it normally led to trouble. When somebeast was curious about him, well . . . He tried not to look uncomfortable, and covered his sudden reluctance with another swig of soup, the wooden bowl knocking quietly against his gold lip ring. If he revealed his past, this Freya would simply know too much.

And that's bad, how? a voice asked inside his head.

Shut up, another voice snapped irritably. They'd kick him out of Redwall if they knew what he'd done.

"I can come by later if you'd rather eat in peace, I can be a bit...noisy."

"No, no, it is no trouble," he replied, setting the half empty soup bowl down. "I, ah, I would like the company." He smiled again, this attempt coming out much better than previously. "What . . . what would you like to know?" He didn't ask that question often, probably never had, really. At least, not in regards to himself. Picking up the October Ale, he vaguely wondered if he was of legal drinking age.

[.:Fawn:.]

"No, no, it is no trouble," he replied, setting the half empty soup bowl down. "I, ah, I would like the company." He smiled again, this attempt coming out much better than previously. "What . . . what would you like to know?"

"For starters, did that hurt? Your lipring?" Though it was meant as an amusing question that wasn't really a question, Freya was silently contemplating how much pain she'd have to go through to get her ears pierced. Then again, she'd have to okay it with her parents first, and that nearly caused her to roll her eyes at their own ridiculousness. I swear, Dad would find some way to make it seem like getting my ears pierced is a life-threatening situation. "Other then that, I'd like to hear a little about the place you come from. Why you left...what's good about it, what's bad about it -- that sort of stuff." Trying to be conscious of his privacy and his feelings, Freya tried to avoid any questions like 'what's your family like? Do you miss them? Did anything happen? What's it like traveling all the time?', and intended to stick to just basic questions that required basic answers.
After all, showing too much interest in this stranger she'd met five minutes ago might freak him out a little, and that was the very LAST thing Freya wanted to do. She knew herself to be a bit persistent, but Freya would be on her best behavior for this conversation, and hopefully she could walk out of the door when dinner was over with another person she could call a friend.

((XD short, sorry about that.))

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[Cross]

"For starters, did that hurt? Your lipring?"

Cross raised an eyebrow again, glancing aside as he tried to remember. He'd had his lip pierced for as long as he could remember. "I . . . don't think it hurt for more than a day, really," he replied. He barely noticed the thing now, only when it hit against a cup or bowl, or clinked against his teeth.

"Other then that, I'd like to hear a little about the place you come from. Why you left...what's good about it, what's bad about it -- that sort of stuff."

"Well, it, uh, it wasn't much," he began. "I grew up in a holt on the western coast. It was . . . nice for a time, I guess." A sweet little otter face, creamy white, a conch shell on her head, a smile that could wrap twice around her chubby cheeks. Who was she, again? Then an older otter, Cross knew all too well who he was. "I--I don't remember much about it, actually," he went on, his words rushed, almost flustered, as he avoided her eyes. "It was a beautiful cove, though, that much I do remember."

Yes, a tropical paradise, really. No wonder things had gone downhill. Not every beast lived in a lush cove, and those who didn't, and wanted to, often took it by force. "There was nothing bad about my home," he continued. "I left because . . ." No, he couldn't tell her the truth. This pretty otter didn't need to know the truth about his past. This pretty otter didn't need to know the crime he had committed. She would hate him if she knew, and he didn't want that.

No, he didn't want this beautiful creature to know what a horrible beast he was. "I wanted to travel," he finished sullenly. She really was pretty, wasn't she? His attention turned outward, focusing on the maid. What kind of otter was she? Not quite river, and not quite sea. That blouse looked beautiful on her, and her eyes seemed to sparkle of their own accord. Cross laid his ears back as an unfamiliar hotness crept along his face. What--what was this?

[.:Fawn:.]

"I . . . don't think it hurt for more than a day, really," he replied.

Freya nodded softly to show she'd heard him, biting back a playful grin. She was dying to ask him if he'd got it just to impress the ottermaids -- or if he did it to look cool? Regardless of his reasoning, it was definitely working.

"Well, it, uh, it wasn't much," he began. "I grew up in a holt on the western coast. It was . . . nice for a time, I guess."

[...]

"I--I don't remember much about it, actually," he went on, his words rushed, almost flustered, as he avoided her eyes. "It was a beautiful cove, though, that much I do remember."

"There was nothing bad about my home," he continued. "I left because . . ." [...] "I wanted to travel," he finished sullenly.

A soft sigh escaped the ottermaid, and she regarded him with a newfound glint in her -- admittedly a bit glazed over -- eyes. If she noticed his awkwardness and his flustered, rushed words, she didn't show it. "That sounds like a beautiful place, Cross. Even if you can't remember that much of it... I can understand you wanting to travel though. I personally think otters were meant to roam a bit, it's just in our nature." Well, it was definitely in hers. One thing certainly intrigued her, however, and caused the pretty ottermaid to tilt her head to the side in a visible show of curiosity. "Your parents just let you travel wherever you wanted to?" She asked, voice full of badly disguised awe. Oh great, so it's just MY parents who are overprotective and won't let me set foot outside this Abbey. Did he regret traveling? He'd ended that last statement on a bit of a sullen note, Freya couldn't help but notice, and it piqued her interest even more. This Cross fella was one interesting otter, that was for sure.
What he must've seen, experienced, who he must've met and talked with... Her life seemed so boring in comparison, and Freya's pride for the Abbey did not diminish entirely, but it did shrink back a bit against someone who had seen so much of this big, wide world. She loved the Abbey, there was no mistaking that, but compared to other places -- places like Cross's home, it didn't seem all that great in her eyes.

Freya wanting a change of scenary was a bit of an understatement.

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[Cross]

"That sounds like a beautiful place, Cross. Even if you can't remember that much of it... I can understand you wanting to travel though. I personally think otters were meant to roam a bit, it's just in our nature."

Cross let out a short breath, not quite a chuckle. He drained his cup of ale and set it on the tray again, reaching for the chestnut flan. He rubbed his face a little with his free paw. This warm sensation on his cheeks was also a little itchy. Was he--oh, gods. . . He'd only heard about this kind of feeling from others. No, no, it couldn't be . . . D*mn, he was feeling self-conscious around the pretty maid. Was she really that pretty?

Yes, the annoying voice purred in his thoughts. An extremely inappropriate curse threatened to escape his lips, but he bit it back. He tried to focus on what she was saying rather than these strange thoughts and feelings inside himself.

"Your parents just let you travel wherever you wanted to?" She asked, voice full of badly disguised awe.

Well, not exactly. "I . . . lost my father before I left," he replied quietly. "My mother . . . understood why I felt I had to leave." Or, at least she might if she even knew. "I felt restless . . . like I could not stay at the holt any longer." He sighed, staring at the uneaten flan in his paw. "It was not easy. I do not remember clearly, but . . . I think I left behind a younger sister." There it was again, that sweet little face, with glassy blue eyes just like his own. She had to be related to him.

He glanced up at Freya again, wishing this--what was it called?--blush would leave his face. She looked so curious and full of wonder. Had she ever left the abbey? She certainly looked like she could handle herself. But that curiosity could land her in some bad scrapes. Still, it was almost . . . cute. Not cute like Koa, but a different kind. It was more like charm, or gentility, or even a spark of recklessness. He was attracted to her and slightly intimidated by her at the same time. Was this how other male otters felt around her?

[.:Fawn:.]

"I . . . lost my father before I left," he replied quietly. "My mother . . . understood why I felt I had to leave."

"I felt restless . . . like I could not stay at the holt any longer." He sighed, staring at the uneaten flan in his paw. "It was not easy. I do not remember clearly, but . . . I think I left behind a younger sister."

What had caused his memory to become so flighty? Was it the same incident in which he'd damaged his right eye? What was his little sister's name? She must miss him terribly -- okay breathe, Freya. Don't run him out of the Abbey with your questions. She smiled at him, judging by the sigh that it was a little...taxing to discuss his past, so she tried not to pry further. "Don't tell Koa you have a little sister, I think he'll get jealous." It was quite possible that he might, after all, seeing as how attached he was to the big sea otter. "I do understand what you mean by restless, Cross. I've been feeling the itch to leave this place for a few years now," the pretty otter reached up to scratch her ear where the flower petals had rubbed it, glancing to the window with a faraway look on her lightly tanned face. "But my parents will never let me leave the Abbey, they're convinced it's far too dangerous -- even if my ol' father used to go out every month on some wild and fantasti adventure." Though she was trying to make light of an otherwise oppressive situation, Freya couldn't keep the slight twinge of sadness out of her tone. It was as though it had crept in there when she wasn't looking, and it was too late to pull it out now.

Freya's eyes strayed to Cross's, and for a moment she couldn't meet his gaze, a sudden shyness sinking into her stomach like a slingstone. He must think her such a silly, dreamy little creature, finding him so fascinating, especially when her life paled in comparison to his own. Even still, she couldn't supress the urge to be near this interesting -- and admittedly attractive -- stranger, and maybe through his stories she could experience a little of what she's been missing all this time...

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[Cross]

"Don't tell Koa you have a little sister, I think he'll get jealous." It was quite possible that he might, after all, seeing as how attached he was to the big sea otter. "I do understand what you mean by restless, Cross. I've been feeling the itch to leave this place for a few years now,"

Cross smiled, placing the flan back on the tray. It seemed like every other young beast he met had wanderlust. Plenty of the younger creatures in the village he'd once lived in wanted to travel, but Cross was almost the opposite. He valued the idea of a home, a safe haven with one's family. He even wondered what the appeal was to those who craved to roam.

This pretty otter didn't need to go anywhere. Redwall was a wonderful place. Good food, a roof over your head, plenty of company. What more could one ask for? Life out in the 'wild blue yonder' was not all it was cracked up to be. In fact, it could be pure terror.

"But my parents will never let me leave the Abbey, they're convinced it's far too dangerous -- even if my ol' father used to go out every month on some wild and fantastic adventure."

"You know, Freya," Cross began gently. Life was not a wild and fantastic adventure all the time. Bad things happened. Loved ones were lost. You got scars from the outside world. Take him, for instance. Even in a sheltered cove off the western shore, his life had gone from wonderful to a living Hell. "I do not mean to dampen your spirit, but . . ." He gingerly placed a paw on the swath of bandages around his middle as if to say, "The outside world literally ripped me apart."

He hated having to make his point like this, but it was the truth. It almost felt like he was crushing her dreams. How rude of you, that voice admonished. Stop being mean to the pretty otter! Why couldn't his mind just leave him alone about how beautiful she was?

[.:Fawn:.]

"You know, Freya,"

The sea-otter had began, his statement instantly commanding her attention, her large, honey-brown eyes focused on the heavily bandaged visitor.

"I do not mean to dampen your spirit, but . . ." He gingerly placed a paw on the swath of bandages around his middle as if to say, "The outside world literally ripped me apart."

A concerned look flitted across the ottermaid's soft, feminine features, eyes darkening as a few equally as dark thoughts jumped in at Cross's words of warning. Ripped him apart, huh? Clearly it had done a little more than rip him apart, in her eyes, it had taught him a valuable lesson about life; the world was a dangerous place, and sometimes you got hurt, but you couldn't dwell only on the bad things, otherwise things would hurt a lot more. Her nostrils flared a little, but it was not a sign of irritation, more like a semi-playful 'try and stop me' kind of statement, the darkness lifting slightly in favor of a lighter, happier look. "Thank you for trying to warn me," she started, giving him a sincere smile to show she'd meant it. "But I don't think I could be happy here at Redwall without seeing a few things first. I know the world can be a dangerous place -- " a slight lump in the female otter's throat caused her words to come out a bit quieter than she meant them to -- "I lost my brother a few years ago, actually. He was lost at sea, and I guess you could say my parents have pretty much banned me from ever leaving this Abbey."

Freya didn't try to hide her frustration this time, and instead looked at her paws as they rested in her lap, "but I truly can't be content with only knowing this Abbey, the orchards and the good creatures in it. There's so much to do and see..." Freya sighed, "that every day I stay here, I want to see it a thousand times more." Alright, so maybe she was being a tad bit on the dramatic side, but she couldn't help it. The more her parents told her no, the more her heart was telling her 'yes'.
Besides, she still had to find Bruno.
Just because her father had given up the search didn't mean she had to.

Freya stole a glance at the young otter sitting up in bed, studying him softly, as though merely a few long looks could tell her even more about him than she'd ever dared to ask. Where had he been? She wondered, apart from the beautiful place he'd called home, and Redwall Abbey of course. I bet he's met other otters who were interested in him, this mutinous thought caused a slight blush to creep in beneath her fur, and she looked away quickly, as though fascinated by the soft song of a nightingale. Unfortunately for Freya, once these...rather off topic thoughts had started, they couldn't be stopped quite so easily.
He must have someone waiting for him somewhere, as nice and handsome a creature as he is, so he'll probably have to go on his way as soon as he's healed up, her mind reasoned, and Freya shut her eyes a moment, trying to pretend she didn't understand why she was suddenly feeling a little...disappointed.

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[Cross]

"Thank you for trying to warn me," she started, giving him a sincere smile to show she'd meant it.

Cross laced his fingers behind his head, unable to resist a humoring smile. 'I hafta go wid ya, Cross!' the little mouse in the village had begged. But her place was with her family, and Cross had done everything in his power to show her that. Freya did deserve some time outside the abbey, surely, but not a life. No, it wasn't life out there. It was only survival. It could be easy enough survival, but it wasn't life.

"But I don't think I could be happy here at Redwall without seeing a few things first. I know the world can be a dangerous place -- " a slight lump in the female otter's throat caused her words to come out a bit quieter than she meant them to -- "I lost my brother a few years ago, actually. He was lost at sea, and I guess you could say my parents have pretty much banned me from ever leaving this Abbey."

Cross's smile vanished at this. Her brother? She sat close enough that he could reach out his arm and gently touch her paw. "I am sorry," he murmured. Truly, he was. Releasing her paw, he returned to his former position. She knew what it was like to lose a loved one. She wasn't completely deluded about life outside the abbey.

Freya didn't try to hide her frustration this time, and instead looked at her paws as they rested in her lap, "but I truly can't be content with only knowing this Abbey, the orchards and the good creatures in it. There's so much to do and see..." Freya sighed, "that every day I stay here, I want to see it a thousand times more."

Yes, the longer one was forced to stay in one place, the more one wanted to leave. Cross knew the feeling. Years of imprisonment, real imprisonment, in the lower decks of a grounded corsair ship had given him much more than cabin fever. But if one chose to remain somewhere, then one could learn to be content. Freya had not chosen to stay at the abbey.

Looking up at her to speak again, his words caught in his throat when he noticed the blushed creeping along her cheeks. Gods, she's so pretty! that blasted voice shouted in his thoughts. Why was she blushing? Was it something he'd said? "Freya?" he said, hoping to get her attention. "Is--is everything alright?" She seemed frustrated somehow, or even disappointed. Oh, why had he tried to dissuade her? Couldn't he just let her dream about traveling? D*mn, what was wrong with him?

[.:Fawn:.]

She sat close enough that he could reach out his arm and gently touch her paw. "I am sorry," he murmured.

Freya had both been expecting that, and not expecting that; she'd been expecting him to murmur a few comforting words, like all beasts did when she brought up her brother, but she hadn't anticipated him actually touching her. The blush deepened, and she tried, by sheer force of will, to make her cheeks stop reddening and for her heartrate to slow down -- even if just by a little. So embarrassing, he probably thinks I'm such a fool. Bah, getting flustered over a little paw-holding! She was as bad as her mother sometimes.

"Freya?" he said, hoping to get her attention. "Is--is everything alright?"

Whoops, had she been staring away for too long?
Letting out a soft, slightly awkward laugh, Freya smiled at him reassuringly, the ottermaid's answer coming out soft but cheerful. "Honestly? It's....okay. Everything's okay. Not great, but not bad either. I'm just...missing my brother, that's all."
And you'll be missing him too, if he keeps on acting like such a gentleman. Freya gave her conscience a good mental kick, as though trying to force it to be quiet. Thinking things like that wouldn't really improve her mood, now would it? Not with the idea that he would be leaving after he was all healed up.
Well, perhaps not. Perhaps he had become so attached to Koa, he'd stay?
Frey glanced at him, remembering his words about his little sister. Probably not, if I had a little sister somewhere who needed me, I wouldn't stay here either. Poor Koa...that'd break the otterbabe's little heart, to see Cross leave the Abbey without him.

Yeesh, when did she become such a depressing creature?

"Feeling okay still? I'm not keeping you up or boring you, am I?" Freya asked, trying to bring the mood up a bit despite her cheeks still retaining that reddish tinge.

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[Cross]

"Honestly? It's....okay. Everything's okay. Not great, but not bad either. I'm just...missing my brother, that's all."

Cross was able to tell that everything was not okay, especially when her cheeks reddened to a shade akin to that of ripe strawberries. His own face began to grow warm and itchy again, and he knew his own blush was returning. What was it about her that made him feel so . . . uncertain?

Was it her beautiful features? Her bubbly charm? Her friendly smile? Her dazzling eyes? Her exotic fur? No, it was all those things combined. Cross mentally shook himself. Was he this easily distracted by a pretty face? He'd never met an ottermaid as stunning as Freya, so, maybe, yes, he was this easily distracted by a pretty face.

"Feeling okay still? I'm not keeping you up or boring you, am I?" Freya asked, trying to bring the mood up a bit despite her cheeks still retaining that reddish tinge.

Fine, he admitted it. She looked adorable when she was blushing. He shook his head in response, sniffing away the embarrassed smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Not at all," he replied. "I, ah, slept well last night, actually." It was true. Ever since coming to Redwall, his usual night terrors had been leaving him alone for the most part. They had only plagued him once or twice.

He twisted the bedsheets with one paw idly, leaning his head back. "You know," he said, chuckling softly. "It could just be my constant traveling, but I do hope I get to stay here. I . . . I need to stop runn--stop moving." He sent her a warm smile, somehow getting past all that uncomfortable blushing.

[.:Fawn:.]

"Not at all," he replied. "I, ah, slept well last night, actually."

"You know," he said, chuckling softly. "It could just be my constant traveling, but I do hope I get to stay here. I . . . I need to stop runn--stop moving." He sent her a warm smile, somehow getting past all that uncomfortable blushing.

Wait, he was going to stay?

"That's excellent news, Cross!" The ottermaid chimed, her infectious smile returning in an instant, her somber mood vanishing like a ghost. Reaching out to touch him to express her happiness, Freya gave his arm a gentle pat with a small, light-brown paw. "Koa will be so happy," and so will I. Perhaps now that Cross was staying, life at the Abbey wouldn't seem quite so boring? Even if it wasn't exactly the ideal way to learn about the world, Freya could envision quite a few things happening thanks to this dark-eyed, injured visitor. When he was healed, the Skipper would probably ask Cross to join his otter crew, and when he wasn't busy doing that, Freya might have the chance to steal him away for a bit, to chatter his ears off with all kinds of questions.
Still...even if things didn't happen quite like that, the fact that he was staying would certainly be the best news she'd heard in a while. Freya's eyes glittered. I bet Koa didn't even contemplate him leaving. He knew he was going to stay all along... For such a young otter, the dibbun had a lot more intuition than she had at that age.

I can see why Koa got attached. There's something about this otter...I can't put my paw on it, but there's something about him that just makes me want to be near him. Whether it was because Cross exuded a kind of quiet strength, despite being bandaged up and with one glazed over eye, or if she was just drawn to him for her own selfish purposes, Freya didn't know. He has such a nice smile... A little blanket of warm began spreading over the ottermaid's heart, the Redwaller knowing all too well just how happy that was making her -- the idea that she could draw out such a kind, warm-looking expression. Alright so maybe he'd just been smiling just to smile, but it wouldn't hurt to think she might've had a little something to do with it.
It's definitely the hotroot soup, she inwardly joked, eyes straying to the tray.
"I should take that down for you, if you're finished -- but you haven't touched the pie at all."

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[Cross]

"That's excellent news, Cross!" The ottermaid chimed, her infectious smile returning in an instant, her somber mood vanishing like a ghost. Reaching out to touch him to express her happiness, Freya gave his arm a gentle pat with a small, light-brown paw. "Koa will be so happy,"

Cross placed his paw on top of hers briefly, glad that she didn't seem so crestfallen anymore. He chuckled at the mention of Koa. That little otter was going to be his shadow from now on. He wondered why the babe had gotten attached to him so easily. What did Koa really see in him?

"Yes," the big otter replied, resting a paw on his chest. "And so will I." He may have finally found a place where he could stop running away. His old home was more than two years' journey behind him. He had to stop. He needed rest. Letting out a deep sigh, he glanced down at the tray of food again. Though the soup had been good, he was still a little hungry.

"I should take that down for you, if you're finished -- but you haven't touched the pie at all."

He smiled again, reaching for the pastry. "I haven't had pie in . . . well, a long time," he remarked, taking a bite. It was delicious. He didn't know what this cream was called, but it had a marvelously sweet taste. It wasn't long before the pie was gone, and Cross was smiling and blushing ruefully, wiping cream off his thick whiskers. "Thank you."

[.:Fawn:.]

"I haven't had pie in . . . well, a long time," he remarked, taking a bite. [...]It wasn't long before the pie was gone, and Cross was smiling and blushing ruefully, wiping cream off his thick whiskers. "Thank you."

"It was my pleasure," she replied cheerily, whiskers twitching with mirth as the ottermaid noticed a spot of whipped cream on his face he'd managed to miss. Rather than wipe it off herself, Freya handed the sea otter a napkin so he wouldn't have to keep wiping his mouth on a the back of his paw. "I'll take this down to the kitchen then," she stood up, her small but firm paws curling around the tray's handles as she lifted it from the nightstand, the load much lighter now that there was hardly anything on it. "I...really enjoyed talking with you, Cross," were Freya's honest words, a smile accompanying them like clouds on a clear blue sky. "We should talk again soon -- and who knows, when you're up and walking, maybe you'll let me show you the rest of the Abbey?"
Freya glanced over at the bandaged otter one more time, as though missing his company already despite not making it past the doorway; it was going to be nice, having him here. Very nice. "Get lots of rest, okay?" Freya insisted, a twinkle in her eyes, "Because as soon as you're well enough, we can take a stroll down to the Abbey Pond before it gets too cold to put our paws in the water." Koa, of course, would more than likely wanna go with them, and she had very little problem with the otterbabe's desire to bond with Cross. She couldn't hog him all to herself, after all.

With a backward glance and a smile, the ottermaid exited the Infirmary, the tray feeling lighter than air to her now, the door swinging softly closed behind her.

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[Cross]

"I...really enjoyed talking with you, Cross," were Freya's honest words, a smile accompanying them like clouds on a clear blue sky. "We should talk again soon -- and who knows, when you're up and walking, maybe you'll let me show you the rest of the Abbey?"

Cross returned the smile. Considering he'd only seen a blurry view of the front gates and the infirmary, and maybe another room or two, a real tour around the abbey would be wonderful. "I would like that," he replied, just as sincerely. Gods, she was so pretty! . . . D*mnit, I'm blushing again, aren't I? He rubbed his good eye, letting out a long exhale. Oh, yes, he would like that very much.

"Get lots of rest, okay?" Freya insisted, a twinkle in her eyes, "Because as soon as you're well enough, we can take a stroll down to the Abbey Pond before it gets too cold to put our paws in the water."

"I look forward to it," the big otter called as she sashayed out the door. No, don't leave . . . Why was he thinking this way? What was wrong with him? Nothing, nothing at all. His attraction to this pretty ottermaid was completely normal, right? Plenty of other young males had experienced the same thing around her, surely.

Oh, just let me rest, he begged his thoughts, irritated with this new and unfamiliar thought pattern. Stretching his arms, he settled back into the covers. Freya was probably getting ready for bed, as well. So it was probable that he wouldn't have anymore visitors tonight. Unless Koa decided to show up, but he was never bothersome.

Cross yawned and gingerly rolled onto one side, letting his cross-marked back cool off from being lain on for who-knew-how-long. With one arm supporting his neck, the other draped over the edge of the bed, his legs halfway beneath the covers, and his rudder falling off the bed frame, Cross slowly closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. He dreamt of flowing rivers and Freya Shellpaw, of sea shores and little sea otters who wore conch shells for hats.

[.:Fawn:.]

A sudden last minute question paused Freya in her tracks, tray still in paw as she abruptly turned on her heels, heading back to the infirmary door. She intended to ask him when she could come by again tomorrow, having no intention of arriving too early and interrupting a decent nap, or showing up too late and leaving him subject to boredom or loneliness. Gently opening the door, Freya was forced to stay her tongue when the hall light fell across the sea otter's face, his body still as he breathed in and out peacefully, clearly caught up in the arms of sleep. The hallway light also illuminated the cross-shaped mark across his back, which was more than enough of a reason to walk a little closer -- breath caught in her throat as though by merely breathing too loudly she might wake him.
What an interesting mark! So that was how Cross had gotten such a name, eh? Freya smiled. It suited him well; she was quite glad it was only a cross shape made from darker fur instead of say a scar or a huge wound. He looked as though he'd already been through so much that to just pile that on would be something like overkill. Seized by a sudden boldness, the ottermaid crept softly from one side of the bed to the other, careful not to brush against any leg or limb that protruded from the bedside. "Sleep well, Cross," she whispered, her breath tickling his face as she bent down, lips brushing his cheek in a shy but sweet kiss, the ottermaid pulling away and backpedaling to the door should he wake up and suddenly ask what she was doing here in the first place. When it became clear he wasn't going to stir, Freya took it upon herself to cover him properly with his bedsheets, knowing that a night spent at the infirmary in the middle of fall could be a bit on the chilly side.

Freya threw one last, long look at the sleeping sea otter, her feminine outline framed by the hallway light as she stood beside the door. I'm glad I met you, Cross from Far-to-the-South. She smiled, backing out slowly and gently closing the door behind her, leaving Cross inside to dream of wonderful, pleasant things, and perhaps of life here at Redwall Abbey -- where wounds like the one across his chest were a rare thing indeed.

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(( ^^ Done. ))