Hushed Willows Can I Get A Lucky Break?

Maybe @Teagan, since these two havent met? :3 Anyone is welcome to jump in at any point

Grace sat perched at the entrance of the Keep, looking out into the barren land. She planned on checking the den today, to see if the rocks and such that she'd covered the entrances up with were still holding; to see if their herbs had made it. Hopes high, the russet yearling stretched in a play-bow looking way, and then stretched out each hind leg as far as it would go. Her leg felt good today, she decided. Was life as a pack wolf strengthening it? She sure hoped so. Maybe things would be easier if her leg weren't so weak. It'd only been a few months since the end of her physical training, which started only weeks after the injury, so perhaps it just needed more time to heal. She regularly poked and prodded the site, and figured to do so before she left. Then, when she got home, she would feel for a difference. The faded black yearling set off at a leisurely walk, looking at absolutely all the damage done as she went.

Since that night with Trick, Teagan, while still effectively maintaining his nonchalent, insouciant behaviour, had times where he was silent, lost completely in his thoughts. At those times, he would either retreat to the back of the Crook where nobody was, or find somewhere where it was quiet and usually no one was there. Today, the fox-like wolf decided to go on a walk to clear his head and perhaps meet a packmate; he'd been feeling awfully confined the past few days and needed to regain his sense of freedom.

So he set out on a walk, posture casual and carefree. It wasn't long before he spotted a figure ahead, and after a second of deciding, he let out a chuff of greeting, his signature smirk already tugging vaguely at the edge of his lips.

Grace noticed the coywolf just before his greeting, and halted to turn her golden gaze behind her. The fiery male, Teagan, was approaching her with a rather cute smirk spreading across his features. The russet yearling smiled letting out a friendly chuff of her own. Nervousness spiked at her heart, but she has proof that not all males are out to hurt her: she would give Teagan a fair chance too. Perhaps they could be friends, and there was usually something to learn from everyone.

Teagan's green eyes twinkled in a friendly manner, his everpresent mischievous glint evident in his gaze. "Hello," he drawled, smiling. "The name's Teagan, but you know that already. You're Grace, right?" he said, still grinning while his tail wagged in an amiable manner. The coywolf paused in his footsteps as he neared his dark furred packmate and bowed in a gentlemanly manner, obvious jokingly. "Allow me to accompany my lady to wherever she's going?" he asked, british accent flowing out with ease, viridian gaze twinkling in amusement as he awaited for her response.

Grace giggled, already taking a liking to the coywolf. He seemed like a fun guy to be around, and his next actions proved it. A warm blush spread over her skin, and the dark female was glad for her russet fur. Her golden eyes were warm and friendly, and she nodded before even thinking about it.
          "If you don't mind herbs, sure."
She didn't mind the company, and perhaps she could even be good friends with this wolf. Maybe he would be the next she bonded with?

"Herbs?" Teagan cocked his head, a boyishly charming smile on his anguar features. "Nah, hun. I ain't scared of any herbs, I'll accompany my lady to wherever she needs to be and protect her from any dangerous herbs that shall cross our path! Or creatures, for that matter. Whatever," he chuckled softly, then lifted a fiery shoulder in a shrug, then dipped his upper body in a knightly bow once more. "Don't worry," he said seriously, green eyes lifting to meet hers. "I will be here. So, shall we go, sweet lady?" Teag asked, not dropping to act, finding it quite fun to pretend to be a righteous knight which was exactly what he was not. Hmm, maybe he should play this role more often.

Grace, despite usually being suspicious, fell for his act. The yearling saw a knight, true in his words and his way. The coywolf didn't seem to mind the dull chore herbs usually wrought, but enthusiastic to be with her. Could that be? A warm blush spread across her skin, visibly hidden beneath russet fur.
       "If you wish, then lets go."
She set off at an awkward-gaited trot towards the den, a smile spread across her face. Her tail wagged behind her, though she didn't notice until turning her golden gaze back to make sure he followed. Something nagged in the back of her mind, telling her that the man was not what he seemed, but she pushed it away in an excited haze. She could be making a friend, or perhaps something more. Why leave that? Esaro, she worried, would never be coming back. She needed to move on, not linger on someone who she'd likely never again see.

Teagan wasn't really that bad; he wasn't a knight, but neither was he a villian secretly planning to ursurp the King and manipulate everyone to do his bidding. Okay, he liked to tease and prank people, as well as, using words to achieve what he wanted or needed but he did so with minimum harm, making sure that if people were hurt, then at least they wouldn't be really, really heartbroken and shit. And even that was from his younger years. Now, he was more of a free spirit than a manipulating bastard; he didn't care much, but he wasn't bad.

He was just a bad boy, with a heart.

Teagan followed her, his lips quirking upwards in a boyishly charming smile and green eyes glittering with playful mischief, everything a girl liked in a boy. "So, sweetheart, you wanna be a medic?" he drawled, trotting beside her casually, smile on his angular coywolf features. "Must be hard to remember herbs." he canted his head thoughtfully and flashed her his trademark grin. He wasn't really playing her; now he was genuinely interested. They were packmates after all.

His pet names for her made her heart melt within her core, and a giggle fell from her ebony lips. Odd as it was to feel this way, it was one the yearling soon decided she liked, even if she didn't recognize it as the beginning of a crush. How would this one turn out, after the first vanished? 
      "It is pretty hard, but with time it just comes naturally. I hear a symptom and instead of going over what I know, it just automatically pops into mind."
A healer was something she was good at, even of she was very new to it. The russet female knew a little more than basic skills, and learned all the time from Trick in their den. One day shed be a great medic! 
      "What about you, what do you want to do?"
Grace turned the question on him with her smile, lurching slightly along the path she knew so well to the herb den.

Teagan watched with a smile as she giggled at his words. While he might be enjoying this teasing, a tiny part of him was cautious; he knew he was quite charming and appealing to most ladies, and guys as well if he was being honest, he didn't want to break anyone's hearts despite his previous reputation as a heartbreaker. Grace seemed like a sweet girl, and he genuinely didn't want to ruin her like he did with the others, accidentally of course. It'll be fine, you know what to do know, you won't break her heart.

"Ahh," Teag said with a nod, "Wish I could do that but nah, all I get is a silvertongue," he smirked, green eyes glinting with playful mischief. He considered her question with a thoughtful cant of his head. "I wanna be a warrior and a diplomat and a scout and a boyfriend," he said after a a second and lifted a shoulder in a 'i don't really know' shrug. "I mean, I don't have my life planned out, I go with the flow and see what life throws at me. Probably shit, to be honest."

Grace didn't notice his little internal conflict as they came into an open and once pretty grove.  The only thing off from it was the tree sticking halfway out of the earth, for only a knowing eye would see the sporadic piles of stones as what they really were: a door, of sorts, blocking the entrances to the cave the tree grew from. They still hadn't been unplugged yet in fear of the locusts coming back in another wave, but she planned on doing so soon. Perhaps her coywolf companion could help her?
         "A silvertongue?"
The phrase to the words was unknown to the yearling, but his next words were ones she could process and so that is where her energy went to. 
              "Sometimes no plan is good too. At least you have an idea."
She stopped at the largest pile of rocks, starting to pick at each one carefully as to not send them cascading down. Not that it mattered.

"Yeah," Teagan nodded, "You know, a tendency to be eloquent and persuasive in speaking, as well as maybe sarcasm and sassiness. I got loads of that," he smirked, a crooked smile that tugged at the edge of his lips and crinkled the corner of his eyes. He padded beside Grace, tail waving behind him. "Yeah, I suppose. Might be good to have a plan though, even though plans usually go terribly wrong for me." He chuckled softly, lifting a shoulder in a casual shrug. 

He watched as Grace started to pick rocks and he watched with a curious glint in his green eyes, unsure of her intentions. Lounging languidly against a tree, he drawled out slowly, "So, princess, what you doing?"

Grace listened to his explination, and wagged her tail at the new knowledge. Well, now she knew! Not that she was new to sarcasm, or any of the things he said, but now there was a better name for it. Cool. Teagan's lack of luck, however, brought her head to a tilt as she finally cleared the rest of the rocks.
       "A lot of these rock piles here are openings to mine and Trick's herb den. Wanna help me clear them? They aren't so heavy."
She moved onto the next pile, glancing over her shoulder to see his he was following as well as to show she was still listening.

"Trick, huh? You like him?" Teagan inquired, cocking his head in a birdlike manner as he appraised Grace with curious green eyes, lips quirked into a crooked half smile as he recalled the memory of the night he and Trick had. Unconsciously, without realising it, Teag's eyes crinkled cutely and he licked his lips. He should probably meet up with Trick soon; he sort of missed his boy friend, plus he needed to know what Trick thought of him. While he might be a one night stand sort of guy, he wasn't like that all the time; this was one of the times where he genuinely wanted to be friends too.

The coywolf approached with a slight swagger and began helping Grace clear the rocks with a certain sort of grace and ease. He concentrated on the task at hand so hard that his wolfish brows were knitted as he frowned in concentration and bit his lip. Rarely did he make this expression, but when he did, well, it was apparently very memorable because it was genuinely genuine. At least that was what his old girlfriend had said.

Grace went on to the next pile, clearing away that one to hopefully speed the boring process but still listening. He questioned about Trick, and the russet female merely shrugged.
         "He's a good friend, and a sort of partner, mentor person I suppose."
She knew not of the night going through the firey males thoughts, but it probably wouldn't have bothered her: if it did, it might, however, set her off from liking the male in worry of making him uncomfortable. 
The next time she glanced over to him, the expression on her face made her giggle again. He was cute when he was focusing, she decided.

"Yeah, I suppose," Teagan said, a small smile tugging at the edge of his lips. "He's a good guy, maybe a bit lonely though," he tilted his head thoughtfully, a curious glint entering his clear green gaze as an idea entered his head. Then he shook his head; it didn't matter, it wouldn't work anyways. He would just have to use the old fashioned way of talking and getting to know a person to break down their walls of steel. Trick might be certain that Teag would never be able to see him as he truly was, but the coywolf had heard many say that about themselves and he'd never disappointed, always seeing the best in people. This time would not be any different. It might be somewhat harder, if Trick was persistent, but Teagan was determined as well, and with time, Trick would see that he had good intentions. Trick's walls would fall.

A giggle pierced his web of concentration and with a small frown, Teagan turned his fiery crown and met her gaze with his own narrowed green ones, lips pursed in a disapproving line. Then the thin line broke into his trademark crooked smirk and his eyes flashed with boyish delight. He leaned forward, making kissy faces, a mischievous look on his angular features. "Like what you see?" he teased with a warm chuckle. "I know I'm good looking and all," he laughed. "You're pretty too, princess, even though I'm obviously hotter," he leaned closer, eyes crinkled in amusement.

Lonely might be a good word to describe Trick, Grace thought, but the subject was soon changed. He'd noticed her looks and giggles, and at first she couldn't tell how he thought about it. The coywolves smile, though, brought yet another smile to the yearlings face. 
       "Perhaps I do like what I see, whatcha gonna do about it? Nothing wrong in thinking you're cute when you get all focused."
Grace was easy to tease back, rumbling deep in her chest playfully in laughter as she finished clearing yet another pile. There was only one other one, but her attention was grabbed already: the clearing could come later.

The grin on Teagan's lips grew larger at her reply and his brilliant green eyes twinkled with an emotion that one could not simply pinpoint. "I ain't gonna do shit about it," he told her with a cant of his head and a smirk. "Why should I? I mean, you obviously think I'm hot and cute, and I wouldn't want to interrupt your sweet train of thought about me would I? Unless, you wanna do something sweeter?" he wiggled his eyebrows at her, then winked and smirked, leaning closer towards her, eyes holding a playful glint.

Then he leaned away, a frown crossing his features for the briefest of seconds before it vanished, replaced by a boyish smile. "Nah, jokes," he laughed, though this time, his eyes did not crinkle. "You wouldn't want to, after all. Not with someone like me," he said this all in a joking manner and lifted a shoulder in a shrug, but there was something deeper and darker in his gaze.

Entranced, the red female herself leaned towards Teagan as he spoke. His words, his voice, pulled her in, literally, and his bright green eyes seemed to keep her there. A grin played across her faded black muzzle, and a giggle bubbled through her lips at his wink. Before she could answer, however, to the mysteriously enticing words, his mood flickered and he leaned away. Confusion bursting from her chest, a frown creasing her face, Grace tipped her head. The coywolf laughed again, but it didn't come from his heart, just his throat. She was not at all blind to the darkness that sudddenly overcame him, and her golden eyes sparkled in worry.
                "Why would you think something silly as that?"
She couldn't say much, but she did know there was SOMETHING she wanted to do with this man. What, exactly, was beyond her though, even if she was intent on figuring out what. This wasnt what she'd felt with Esaro, after all, but she was also unsure what THAT feeling was too.

Teagan was a very contradictory creature. He loved the thrill of luring others in, of crushes, but he feared love, he feared the possibility of others falling in love with him and vice versa. He wanted it, but he was scared of it. He was so scared of it. So Teag would like them, would be their friend, but when the first signs started showing, he backed away into his shell and vanished. He'd broken many hearts that way, so nowadays, he had a new protocol. Yes, he still befriended and lured others with his charm, perhaps unconsciously, but he did not go further, did not entrance them with a possibility. 

He was a bad boy, a playboy, a jerk. But he'd broken too many and fixed none. So he wasn't going to break anyone again, perhaps, just himself.

"Sweetheart," Teagan said, smiling sadly. "You wouldn't want to end up with someone like me. You deserve better, babe. Trust me on that." Perhaps Teag was being selfish, just because he didn't want to accidentally break another heart didn't mean he should cut of all approaches. After all, they deserved a chance, right? Maybe they were the right one for once. He wouldn't ever find out if he closed off, right? Nah, better both sad than both broken.

Their playfulness had evolved into a much more serious topic, but Grace found herself as entralled as ever. His words not just confused her, but enticed her more. It was in her nature to help, and this coywolf in front of her seemed to need it. Perhaps her affections influenced her decision, but in her eyes that was okay.
            "How do you know that? Why worry? Everyone deserves to be happy, Teagan."
She found herself once again going back to the logic she and Esaro had used: every soul deserved to be happy. The russet female was adamant on it, and truly did believe that no matter a wolves past they deserved happiness, a chance to turn themselves around if they hadn't already. Teag didn't seem so bad a man to Grace, but truth be told she barely knew him.

She asked him how would he know, why did he worry, the proceeded to tell him that everyone deserved to be happy. Teagan lifted his eyes to the heaven, contemplating her words for a few moments. Yes, how did he know that she wasn't good for him? That he wasn't good for her? Why should he worry? He'd always told others that they should risk it, do it if they wanted to because life was simply too short, yet here he was, holding himself back. But it's different though, he insisted to himself. You've done the same thing so many times and broke so many hearts, you're learning from experience not to do it again. It's different.    

But was it?

He tamped down on those troubling thoughts and turned back to Grace, "It's because everyone deserves to be happy, sweetheart, like you said," he told her. "You deserve to be happy, and I can't help you to be happy. I'm no servant of light or shit like that. You'll be way better off without some shit like me in your life."

Teagan seemed to actually think about her words, and Grace could almost seem to see the wheels turning. The result was the same, but the red yearling was adamant on breaking through the walls he'd obviously built up. She took a few slow, limping steps towards him to close a bit of the gap, stopping at around a foot away. Her golden eyes bore into his flashy green ones, pleading and searching for a way in.
"I never expected you to be pure, Teagan. But you deserve to be happy too, and how do you know what will happen if you don't try? How do you know I wouldn't be your... Your saving grace?"
Of course she couldn't help a giggle when using her own name in a phrase, but she was totally serious: how did he know things would go wrong without trying? Of course, using herself was just an example. Though she was truly interested in the male she was now focused on, its not like she was in love with him. Nothing was set in stone, not in her mind, but whether it be her or some other-male or female- Grace was intent on getting Teagan to open up.

She stepped closer and Teagan suppressed the urge to step back. He was usually a wolf who didn't mind close contact, didn't care, really, but right now, he just didn't want it. He smiled at her words, amused, really, at her naivity but otherwise said nothing, simply analysing her with his clear green eyes. "Saving grace, huh?" Teagan said thoughtfully, mind flashing back to the night with Trick and he couldn't help but smile a sad smile and shake his head. "Sorry, sweetheart," he told her, backing away. "I'll see you another time." He dipped his head apologetically, before turning to go.

Grace stayed quiet even as he left, still as a stone. She wouldn't give up yet, no, but clearly now was not the time. The future would bring more talks, and more trust between not just them but the pack as a whole. Then, perhaps, she would chip further at the walls Teagan had built. 
Turning away, the russet female slipped down into the den and began to go through the wilty herbs they still had. She kept her mind as blank as she could save her work.