Now that Lachlan was all fixed up it was time for Tyrian to make good on his promise. While Tashi had tended his wound Tyrian had excused himself to go work on dinner. He'd walked away with his usual unhurried swagger but the moment he knew he was out of sight it had been a mad dash to the cellar because fuck he didn't know what to feed Lachlan or what kind of scene to set. Did he show off the smoked meats? They were kind of an acquired taste but they hinted - at least in his mind - at wealth because who but the fat cats had time to store food? And giving someone food you'd carefully seasoned and preserved had to mean more than something recently killed, right? Maybe he was putting too much thought into it. This was literally just a meal but he'd never brought anyone home before.

Tyrian had done what he'd could in the short amount of time he'd been provided, but all too soon he had to get back to Lachlan. There was only so much stalling Tashi could do and honestly he hated to leave Lachlan in his paws for long. If he ran out of things to do the langu was bound to get into the nitty gritty of sheep husbandry and that was a dry subject at the best of times.

He arrived back on the scene of the surgery with a half smile and the same unhurried stride he'd left with. It was a short jaunt to the barn from here so his heart was still beating from all the racing around he'd done while he was gone. "All patched up?"

Lachlan couldn’t say he was a little nervous about being left alone in packlands with only the langur for company. He didn’t show it, and tried not to watch too closely as Tyrian left them to get the job done. The primate’s skilled hands worked much more efficiently than any healer Lach had been around before, and while he was intimidating the rust marked boy was impressed. There was minimal pain and before he knew it Lachlan felt good as new. He was given a small amount of pain medication for his headache and the wound was patched up so he wouldn’t have to worry about blood dripping into his eye anymore.

Honestly he thought that Tyrian was just going to grab a haunch from somewhere and the two of them would dig in, but not long after Tashi finished his delicate work Lachlan spotted the Fireside King in his return. He did a good job hiding how much effort he’d just put into their dinner. Lach was more than curious about what Tyrian had planned if he hadn’t brought the food to him. Already his heart was starting to beat faster in excitement and the return of Tyrian’s presence.

”I think so.” He looked towards the langur for confirmation as a pale paw gently touched the bandaged wound. ”I feel as good as new, even if I don’t look like it.” He chuckled softly, thankful for both the medical care and again for Tyrian being there to save him. ”Is dinner ready then?” He perked, more eager for food with the injury he sustained. More than that though, his stomach fluttered with anticipation at his first date.

Tyrian's gaze went to Tashi for confirmation. The langur, to his credit, had taken his sweet time and now was slowly and carefully winding up his unused bandages with the air of a man who knew he deserved a thanks. "Yes, he's ready for round two." At this Tyrian nodded his satisfaction. ""Good, then we can get going. Thanks, Tashi. I owe you one." The langur hummed and shrugged. "I'll add it to the pile." In truth neither was keeping tabs on who owed what anymore. At some point their relationship had shifted from hired help to friend.

To Lachlan, Tyrian said, "It is." With a grin he swept into an exaggerated bow and then motioned in the direction he wished Lachlan to take. "If you'll follow me, it's this way." Hopefully this went well. This was entirely new for Tyrian, but he thought that if he could successfully wing being a big serious alpha he could pretend he had his shit together enough for a suave dinner date. "I thought you might like to see the project I'm working on."

Tyrian didn't explain further as he led Lachlan to the barn. When at last they stood before it's closed doors Tyrian stopped and cast Lachlan a wry look. He'd sunk a lot of man hours into fixing this thing up. Well, Tashi had. It was the sort of project that required thumbs. But he'd planned and supervised which had to count for something. While a touch frail still, the barn was still an impressive engineering feat and Tyrian was proud to call it his. As far as he knew it was the only one of its kind still in existence. Hell, it was one of the only structures still standing if you didn't count the metal ones on some of the islands.

He pushed opened one of the doors and then stepped aside with a flourish so Lachlan could go first. Lanterns unrelated to the dinner hung in front of the stall doors and a few lit the wide open space at the front of the barn. They lit up the otherwise dark space and cast a gentle glow throughout. The interior was still and quiet, and smelled strongly of hay, grain, and the herbs that hung drying along one wall. In the center of the open area Tyrian had laid out a deer skin on which he'd placed the meal. "I wasn't sure what you liked so I got a bit of everything." From the stores he'd pulled cuts of venison, pork and bear. From a lamb butchered this morning he'd stolen a shank and it would be that that made up the bulk of the meal. The rest was for sampling and yes, maybe, showing off a little.

Lachlan had little desire to go another round with a bear, if that’s what Tashi meant. Lachlan made himself blush when his mind went a step further and thought about round two with a certain bear like man. He tried to focus on the moment, and not what ifs, as Tyrian’s attention returned to him and with a bow ushered him forward. Lachlan felt the corners of his lips pull back into a grin at the show, he felt increasingly special at all the efforts Tyrian was putting in for his benefit. Lach couldn’t help but play into all of it. ”Of course,” th young rust marked man grinned and ventured forth. ”Project?” He added in a question as he followed alongside his handsome dinner date.

Said question was quickly answered as the paused just in front of the large rust red structure. Lach tilted his head curiously as Tyr gave him a look and didn’t hold back a similar show of the final reveal. Lachlan took a step forward as he beheld the sight, he’d never seen such a structure before. The lanterns and their gentle light seemed nearly magical as his eye gave way to the cozy setting that held their dinner.

Tyrian accomplished this in what seemed like no time at all, a perfect little spread done up all for them to enjoy. Lachlan felt his body warm as he stole another glance at the man who was swiftly stealing his heart. He’d be offered a buffet if only because Tyrian forgot to ask, but Lachlan was certainly impressed. ”This is.. Tyrian I…” What even were words when he was treated to such luxury? There was no way anything he thought he could provide for a meal would be anywhere near as nice as all of this.

The look of wonder was slowly replaced by a shy grin as his icy gaze searched for Tyrian’s stormy eyes. ”This is the nicest dinner I’ve ever seen.” A rosy blush concentrated on his features as he then hurriedly made himself comfortable at the edge of the deer hide. He leaned over slightly, fully expecting Tyr to sit close as they enjoyed a well deserved meal. Tyrian had practically saved his life when he’d scared off the bear. Speaking of. ”Is this bear?” He asked, trying to keep half the surprise from his voice.

Tyrian had picked the barn for several reasons. The first was that he was very pleased with it. The second was that under the right circumstances it had a certain ambience he wished to take advantage of. The lanterns Tashi had up because he and his primate buddies couldn't see well in the dark were largely useless to the many canines who came and went, but they gave the dusty structure a gentle glow that softened its otherwise stark features. Pair that with a setting sun and all Tyrian had to do to make this meal a Dinner was provide the food. That part had been easy in the acquisition but difficult in the decision making. The young King had had choices aplenty and all within easy acquiring distance which had made the choosing itself difficult. All he could hope was that he'd done well in that regard.

He followed along at Lachlan's hip with the smallest of butterflies fluttering around in his stomach as he waited for a reaction. Tyrian had no idea what he was doing. He'd grown up with a blunt father unwilling to censor anything so he had gobs of crude knowledge and euphemisms for what he and Lachlan had done on the beach, but he had nothing in the way of romance. It left him feeling a bit naked in an unprepared sort of way. Though it would undoubtedly be a bit of a knock to his dignity Tyrian decided that after this he would seek out a more knowledgeable someone who might be willing to give him advice on the finer points of...whatever this was. He was hesitant to considering it dating since they'd only shared a drunken night together and then serendipitously met again, but he rather liked the idea of getting to the point of being able to say he was dating someone.

"I save the best for bear fighters," he said with a smirk. "Is this bear?" Tyrian's smirk widened into a grin and he nodded. "I thought you might appreciate that. Not quite the hair of the bear that clawed you, but it seemed fitting," he added, mixing colloquialisms all the while knowing that if it was needed, the actual hair of the dog was close by. Jupiter was a notoriously scattered hoarder and there was a small store of goods tucked away in the rafter that Tyrian suspected his nephew had forgotten.

He settled down beside Lachlan and then began to identify the spread. "We have bear, of course, and lamb," There was a soft shuffling in one of the stalls behind them that Tyrian pointedly ignored. Inwardly he hoped the lamb would settle back down and go to sleep, and let the wolves have their dinner in peace. It's not time to be fed, he said to himself, willing the lamb to remember that. "And I pulled some venison and pork from the cellar in case you wanted to try them. It's been a good year for us."

Lachlan was all but mystified by the setting Tyrian had chosen, the soft light of the lanterns mixed with the slowly fading light of the sun. Mixed with the warm scent of hay, and the King’s company. It was private, something their first encounter had been extremely lacking in. Lach tried not to think about it too hard lest he make himself blush at the thought. He found it difficult to push that beachfront scene from his mind now that he was so close to Tyrian again. This was just dinner, sitting close and enjoying each other’s company over dinner. The rust marked wolf tried to soothe his nerves inwardly as Tyrian rustled them easily.

He was taken aback enough that the future didn’t weigh too heavily on his mind, being in the present was all he needed. His amazement was easy to see in his expression, with his lopsided grin and glossy gaze as he looked from lights, to food, to Tyrian’s handsome face as the King assured him it was indeed bear. Lachlan chuckled, ”I do appreciate it.” He tried not to interrupt too heavily. Tyrian’s deep voice was soothing and added to the mood he’d created within the structure. Lachlan was certainly smitten, which was obvious in the way he struggled keeping his eyes off Tyr’s.

Leaning his shoulder slightly against Tyrian as he settled in beside him he looked to the display before them as the courses were pointed out. ”All this for me,” Lachlan spoke breathlessly, hardly feeling worth the attention, but also bolstered at the thought. Those little nerves kicked back up in his chest and his heart skipped a beat. ”Might have to take up bear fighting more often.” He joked, Lach knew he wasn’t built for bear fighting, but more like bear baiting. With another grin Lach painstakingly chose his first bite of bear, and he was sure it tasted like victory. It was fatty and rich, Lach showed his appreciation in the soft hum of approval from his lips.

"All this for me." At this Tyrian hummed his approval but said nothing. So far it seemed like he had chosen well. He was finding that he enjoyed Lachlan's speechlessness almost as much as he enjoyed his blushes. Almost. He was going to have to go digging for more of those later. For now he was satisfied with what he was getting. Lachlan's reaction was just what he'd been hoping for and proof Tyrian had the right idea.

He watched as Lachlan sampled the bear. It was an unusual meat. In his experience most carnivores went for herbivores and tended to leave other predators alone. He was of a similar mind but willing to make exceptions in some cases. This bear, for example, had been a nuisance in life. Sure the occasional predator sniffed around and got chased off, but this one had been a repeat offender. It would not be dissuaded so it had to be dealt with and as it lay there in the snow a big promising mound of fur, fat and meat, Tyrian had decided that wasting it would be a shame. Now he was doubly glad he had. "Not bad, eh? If I'd known bear was that good I'd have added it to the menu sooner."

After a beat Tyrian dug in as well. He started with the lamb as there was a lot of it. The others, while there was enough to split, might be novel if wherever he was from didn't dabble in preserving meats and Tyrian wished to give Lachlan opportunity to sample and eat as much as he wanted of whatever he ended up liking. The young King could have as much of any of this as he wanted later. Right now was about Lachlan.

There was a single solitary clop of a hoof against wood and enough of a pause for Tyrian to believe that was going to be all, and then he heard the second one strike and knew the babe had simply balanced itself against the door. Which meant...

"Meeeeh..." came the most pitiful muffled bleat through the gap in the door. Without even looking Tyrian knew what scene was playing out behind them. This was not his first rodeo. The lamb was no doubt glued to the gap alternating between pressing his lips to the space so the sound carried better and then peeking through to make sure his cries had been heard. Tyrian pursed his lips, sighed, and then rolled his head over to look at Lachlan. "He was so quiet when I was setting up I forgot he was here," he said apologetically.

Lachlan was certainly enjoying being the center of Tyrian’s attention as the two of them got comfortable for dinner. The Valentine savored every moment like he’d savor every bite. When it came to food the bear was by far the most exotic, they weren’t often hunted but when one presented itself at the border Lachlan didn’t think Tyrian was a wolf to let an opportunity go to waste. He was glad for it, the addition really made the meal. Not that he didn’t enjoy everything that Tyrian provided. He wasn’t sure he’d ever seen this quality of pork before and he tried to think if he’d ever eaten a sheep. All of it brought a look of awe to his expression that mixed with his warm hearted grin. The butterflies hadn’t ceased in his stomach, even with the addition of the meal. Lachlan tried to calm his heartbeat and just enjoy the meal and his company. Along with the tingly feelings Tyrian caused him.

He was going for a bit of the lamb when he looked up to the sound against the stall door. Rust ears perked but he didn’t say anything before Tyrian acknowledged it. Until the most pitiful sound he’d ever heard in his life drifted their way. Lachlan wasn’t sure if his heart had just broken or not but he looked up to Tyr with a curious expression before the man went on to explain. ”He? I think that’s the saddest creature I’ve ever heard.” It was probably a lamb but Lachlan wasn’t completely sure with the different scents in the barn. ”I can… I could try and help if you need to do something?” With his silly nerves flaring up anyway he wasn’t sure how much he wanted to eat to begin with. Having a distraction like this would surely settle the excitement.

And just like that the dinner was derailed. Tyrian glanced over his shoulder and sighed as his eyes locked with the lamb's. Though his role in care-giving paled when compared to Tashi's, the lamb had seen him enough to associate him with food so when it saw it had Tyrian's attention it got excited. Through the gap he could see it wiggle and seconds later the insist knocking of its little hoof against wood echoed dully off the barn's rafters. The baby's excitement was such that Tyrian knew there would be no peace until something was done about it. He resisted the urge to sigh again.

"Oh, don't let him fool you," he said with a laugh. "He gets his way more often than not." As though disagreeing with him the lamb cried again and frantically smushed its face against the gap. Tyrian rolled his eyes and fixed Lachlan with a look that said the theatrics were not to be believed. "And yes, he. The little drama queen back there is one of this year's lambs. Mom supposedly booted him for being the smallest of her three, but I'm of the opinion it was his personality that got him kicked." He was joking, but it didn't occur to him that Lachlan might not know that triplets were a strain on mother sheep - especially first timers like this boy's mother. His sheep were good mothers but they didn't manage big litters like wolf mothers. At least not yet. Tyrian couldn't claim to be a sheep expert; in time perhaps he could get better numbers. Until then this barn would likely see its fair share of bottle babies.

As for Lachlan's offer to help, Tyrian was quick to turn him down, not because he didn't think Lachlan capable or the lamb deserving, but as a last ditch effort to save what was supposed to be a nice little dinner. He just couldn't let that go easily. "Nah, don't worry about him. I'm sure Tashi will be along shortly to feed him." There was another round of knocking from the tiny hooves and Tyrian resisted the urge to bite his lip. Surely Tashi would be along if it was time to feed him. Otherwise what were his options? Lean into the scenario? Lachlan did seem interested. Or maybe he could take him on a tour of the place.

Though unplanned the joyous little creature did much to bring a grin to Lachlan’s features as Tyrian tried to explain his evil ways. A grin played on his own rust features as he leaned slightly to get a better look between the gate. As he peered the young man leaned more heavily into Tyr’s shoulder, unintentionally but Lachlan still felt a thrill race through his middle at their close proximity. He wouldn’t shy away even as his offer was appreciated but turned down.

Lachlan wasn’t afraid of getting his paws dirty, but he was still recovering from a bonk on the head, and they both had more pressing matters to attend to. Like the perfect little dinner Tyrian set up for him. ”He seems like quite the pawful.” Lach chuckled as he looked back up to the king with newfound awe. Lachlan had seen companions and the like, but keeping prey animals like this seemed ingenious.

”I don’t think I could worry about anything tonight. Good food, better company.” Lachlan couldn’t help the dreamy air his voice took as he spoke. Again warming the pale tones of his fur with pink. The lamb knocked against the wood again and Lach chuckled, ”And a band.”

Tyrian was acutely aware of the growing pressure on his shoulder as Lachlan leaned into him to get a better look at the lamb. That of course played no role whatsoever in Tyrian's quickly shifting opinion that the lamb thing wasn't so bad after all. This was nice; he could work with it. Going with the flow was more his speed anyway and if he took a moment to actually look at the situation it would have surprised him how much he was trying to micro manage it. He sought control over the things that involved more than himself. Pack business was an area of his life he couldn't afford to be lackadaisical in, but in every other aspect he relaxed into a casual, natural whimsy. So why not here too? This felt kind of important...and it had him a bit flustered.

"You have no idea," he said with a playful sigh. "Someday soon he'll figure out the gate and then there will be no stopping him." The young sheep was a nightmare in the making. He may have started out small and bullied, but he was getting bold. Already he had picked up the habit of showing off his crown to those that annoyed him. Of course he was far too young for horns, but the fact that he was already inclined to scold probably said a lot about his budding personality.

Tyrian hummed thoughtfully. "Not what I would have picked for a band, but I suppose as far as animal encounters go today I think I'd pick him over the bear." He fell quiet for a second while he debated exactly how much of this dinner he wanted to lose to a lamb. In the end, since Lachlan appeared more interested in the baby, he decided to give up more ground. "Want to meet him?" Tashi would definitely be along at some point to take care of the lamb at which point Tyrian would hopefully be able to get things back in line with dinner. Ah, there was that control thing again. Maybe he wasn't as ready to relax as he thought.

He didn’t notice the tension in Tyrian’s shoulder, even as he leaned more heavily against him. Lachlan had no idea the importance that the king was putting on these moments, outwardly he looked just as calm and cool as ever. Lach wasn’t even sure he’d seen him flinch when the bear had been right in front of him. Tyrian was steadfast and strong, two qualities that drew the Valentine boy in. Tyr went on to better explain the young lamb, a pawful and sure of himself. Definitely a little ram. Lachlan chuckled alongside his date as the mention of the bear earlier came up.

Lachlan rubbed his head a little where it was still a bit sore. Whatever the monkey had put on his wound certainly helped and it didn’t feel inflamed or warm. ”Me too,” Lachlan added, not ready to tango with a bear again anytime soon. He wasn’t really built to be a fighter, average in height and build he didn’t stand a chance against most larger predators one on one. Yet again he was thankful for Tyrian’s quick action, he might’ve lost a lot more than a bit of skin if he hadn’t shown up.

”If you want to introduce me,” he grinned as he looked back up to Tyrian bashfully. ”I’ve never… Met a sheep before.” Already Tyrian was back to showing him another round of firsts. A little excited thrill raced up Lachlan’s spine as he wondered what else his date might have hidden up his sleeve.

In hindsight feeding Lachlan a lamb and then asking him if he wanted to meet one probably wasn't the best idea, but honestly he'd forgotten all about the orphan when he'd picked the barn and set things up. If the tyke had started banging around sooner Tyrian would have gone elsewhere and made a picnic of their dinner. Auntie Rhythm had been fond of a little den shaded by a wizened old tree and sheltered by a flattop boulder with a breathtaking view of the packlands. Sitting atop there with this spread and the setting sun would have been quite nice. That would have been a lovely, lamb free alternative.

With a knowing smirk Tyrian twisted around and reached over Lachlan to smack at the latch holding the lamb back. In doing so their faces were close for a second during which time Tyrian's smirk widened as he sought his date's gaze. He knew what he was doing. It would have been less work for him to turn the other way but in doing so Tyrian would have missed out on this proximity and chance for another blush. "This guy is a bottle baby so I wouldn't consider him a prime example of his species. They aren't usually so..." A round of banging drowned out anything Tyrian would had added so he had to pause and wait it out. "Full of piss."

The latch undone, Tyrian had just enough time to get his paw back before the now-frantic lamb shoved the door open and fell out in a jumbled mess on the floor. "Brace yourself..." If he had his guess it would be up in an instant and checking the wolves out. Lachlan's newness would likely be a fascinating thing so Tyrian suspected he would get the brunt of the lamb's curiosity. Absently, a perhaps a little impishly, Tyrian wondered if he should warn Lachlan about the lamb's tendency  to go nipple hunting.

If their current trajectory was followed Lachlan could hope for a lot more dates, including lamb free sunsets looking out over the territories. For now, getting a taste and then meeting the live version didn’t phase the rust marked wolf. Lachlan was a hunter and had no illusions about what he had to do to survive. Nor would he hold any moment of this surprising night against Tyrian. Lachlan was enjoying himself.

He was already grinning but as Tyrian shifted he hadn’t expected the sudden closeness. His ears suddenly grew red as he blinked back bashfully and felt his belly flutter. He was given a small warning, and even if he hadn’t wanted to be introduced it didn’t seem like the lamb was going to let them have peace. Lachlan flinched sympathetically as Tyr was forced to pause before finishing his thought and finally releasing the beast.

Lachlan let his attention shift to the gangly creature, it was covered in curly thick wool and barely had control of its long legs. His face was mostly dark, but he boasted a few endearing freckles. Persistent, but adorable. Tyr warned him one more time and Lachlan did as he was told, bracing against Tyrian as the lamb found his feet and didn’t hesitate to nose his way over. Hesitantly he reached out his nose and sniffed wildly as he nearly touched Lachlan’s own nose. Once the lamb was satisfied it knew who Lachlan was all bets were off.

The little ram was suddenly very nosey, rooting up under Lachlan’s chin at first, until he realized how much smaller he was than Tyrian. Lachlan was more surprised than anything as the lamb suddenly vaulted up his shoulder to start suckling on his rad tinted ear. Lachlan started to giggle, which grew into laughter that continued at the absurdity of it. Like a lamb trying to use his ear as a teat was the funniest thing he’d ever seen. ”He’s so…” Lach could hardly breath with how hard he was laughing now, ”Friendly.” And the giggling continued.

As soon as it was clear Lachlan was definitely going to get the bulk of the attention Tyrian laid down and rolled onto the hip opposite of Lachlan to give the lamb room to stomp around. Just in case. He didn't want to get caught in the crossfire while the babe clumsily looked him over. Those hooves were sharp. A soft, crooked smile touched his lips as he watched the lamb stick out his neck to sniff at Lachlan. "Hm," he hummed teasingly. "That shyness? That's a lie." Three, two, one. The lamb dove for Lachlan just as Tyrian expected him to. There was a constant dull clatter of hooves as he investigated the new wolf thoroughly and then, not at all to Tyrian's surprise, the lamb was suddenly after Lachlan's ear.

Tyrian's faint smile blossomed into a smirk as Lachlan got to giggling and then he too started to laugh. Short little Lachlan was lucky the lamb had gone for his ear. He had a tendency to go under tall critters in search of a meal - which was a penchant Tyrian had experienced once before deciding he needed to keep an eye on the hungry beast at all times lest he be molested again in the hunt for a viable nipple. That incessant searching had led to more than one encounter where the pair went round and round; Tyrian sidestepping as fast as he could and the lamb chasing him with dogged determination.

"'Friendly' is one word for it," he said, still laughing. The scene was funny by itself, but Lachlan's laughter was what got him. "Careful, he's hungry enough he might take the color off."

Tyrian narrated for him, the beginning of the meeting was uneventful, but only moments after Tyrian let him know it was a ruse, the lamb proved it was a ruse. Thankfully he wasn’t a huge sheep, and for a moment Lachlan would even wonder if he was part mountain goat, but he had a sudden affinity with his ear. Luckily it wasn’t something else. Being a bottle baby hadn't lessened any instincts he had to where to find food. As Lach continued to laugh Tyrian joined him. Maybe not the funniest thing he’d ever seen, but having his date laugh along with him was suddenly the highlight of the night.

There was a warmth that Lachlan could feel from the deep laugh that bubbled from Tyrian’s chest. More than amusement from the scene, but an enjoyment from the other’s joy. Having trouble breathing Lachlan shrugged the lamb off, not completely sure that Tyrian wasn’t wrong about the color leaving his ear. The lamb was forced down but was quick to turn around and reach for Lachlan’s ear again.

”Is ‘persistent’ another?” He chuckled amusedly as he tried to catch his breath but also fend off the baby sheep. ”Alright you, behave.” Lach said, his voice low but serious as he booped the little ram on his nose. It shook its head and backed up a couple paces, deterred for mere moments before his eyes focused on a rusty ear again.

Tyrian snorted and shot back, "I'm afraid so." He fell quiet as Lachlan commanded the lamb to behave and watched to see if it listened. A playful poke on the nose caused the baby to back up in surprise, but if Tyrian had his guess it wouldn't be put off for long. Lachlan had been right about the persistent thing. No more than a handful of seconds passed before Tyrian saw its eyes go to Lachlan's ear again. He was on the verge of intervening when one of the barn doors clattered open. Tashi stepped through and then heaved in a pail from outside. The primate let the pail sway pendulously from his hands as he staggered across the open ground. Clearly it was heavy. The lamb knew what was up and abandoned the wolves with a bleat and a clatter. "Ey," Tashi scolded it as its antics threatened the pail's contents. "You dump it you're gonna have to lick it off the floor or go hungry."

"Excellent timing," Tyrian said as he got up and shooed the lamb away. "He was about to eat Lachlan's ear."

"Oh, there's a surprise," the wizened old langur said with a chuckle. The lamb ran to Lachlan and nosed around him for a second before the draw of a meal was too great and he boomerang'd back to Tashi. "Hm," Tashi observed as he crossed the barn. "He likes more than your ear. You ever want to work with sheep that would serve you well."

Tyrian wandered back to Lachlan as soon as it was clear the lamb could handle the walk without spilling the pail. He waited until Tashi and the lamb were past them before turning to Lachlan with a smirk. "So that's lambs for you."

For a moment he could almost imagine the little guy had listened to him, he stood still for all of five seconds before returning his attention to Lach’s ear. Before he could take another chomp the door of the barn opened. A draft spilled in with the primate and his bucket and Lachlan almost pressed himself to Tyrian for warmth. The lamb seemed unperturbed and raced to the langur excitedly. His little tail wagging even more joyously than a puppy might, the sight made Lachlan giggle, the eager baby sheep quickly endeared himself to the rust marked boy.

”He’s pretty cute,” Lachlan observed softly as the lamb pranced from langur back to him. He was almost affectionate, nosing surprisingly gently as he tried once more to get sustenance from Lach. As the lamb raced to his dinner he perked at Tashi’s words. Was he a shepherd? This was the only time he’d interacted with a lamb before, but perhaps the langur was right. It was something he’d need to think on. ”I’d let him chew on my ears some more.” He chuckled again as Tyrian returned to him.

”Feisty little guy,” he returned amusedly, having half forgotten the meal they weren’t quite finished with. ”So I guess you have a few more where that one came from?” He hadn’t gotten a grand tour or anything, and really Lach knew very little about Tyrian and Fireside. He’d easily been smitten, but now he wanted more. It was easy to get lost in the thoughts of the future on a night like this. Deep down the rust marked boy was already wondering where he might fit beside Tyrian going forward.

Tyrian too had just about forgotten the meal. It wasn't until he settled down beside Lachlan that he realized just how much of a failure this dinner was turning out to be. At least some food had been eaten pre-lamb, but it wasn't the romantic atmosphere he had been hoping for. Again he had to remind himself to be at ease. If Lachlan was put out by the turn of events he certainly wasn't showing it and while Tyrian couldn't claim to know him well enough to be able to read him like a book, if those blushes of his were any indicator he wasn't particularly good at hiding his feelings. Which meant, possibly, that Tyrian could take his expression at face value. Pun intended. In turn it meant he needed to fucking relax already. He'd thought it several times, but committing to it was proving hard.

"Quite a few, it's been a good year for us." There were lambs aplenty in the fields and though a few hitches had cost him some newborns, by and large the flock was doing well. He didn't want to count his chickens - or rather his lambs - too early but if they made it to weaning he would have more than enough to pad his flock, butcher and maybe, possibly, sell. If that ended up being the case it would mark Fireside's first lucrative year. Not bad considering he'd only had them for a few short years.

Tyrian turned fully to Lachlan and fixed him with a smirk. Candidly, he began, "This is not quite what I had in mind when I took over dinner, so it seems only fair to give you some options, eh? We can pretend there isn't a monkey in the back room bottle feeding a lamb and continue on with our dinner or I can show you around." His eyes briefly rolled heavenward in thought. "Or both, I suppose. You have the head injury so your wish is my command."

Lachlan didn’t take long to get comfortable in Tyrian’s presence, he sat close and enjoyed the attention he was receiving. Even if their dinner had been interrupted Lachlan loved to hear the sound of Tyr laughing along beside him. It was a warming feeling that went deeper than the other emotions he felt towards the King. Though, he hadn’t really noticed how tense Tyrian was until he leaned lightly against his supple limb. Concerned about the thought he had little to no solution as Tyrian explained how fruitful his flock had been this year.

He’d never really thought of sheep more than any other animal he preyed upon and livestock were a whole different ballgame, but maybe he could take up the skill of a shepherd. He didn’t know what kind of turn this relationship might take so he tried not to dwell too heavily. However much the thought of shepherding Tyrian’s sheep appealed to him.

Tyrian returned his focus on Lach, and the strange direction their dinner went. Their privacy had been ruined anyway and making their way to take a look around was just as tempting. He wasn’t sure if there would be anywhere quite as cozy as this, but he was eager to see if Tyrian had another surprise up his metaphorical sleeve.

”I like both, enjoy a few more bites in a cozy barn then walk off our meal.” He said brightly, as though he didn’t still have the head wound or the lamb on his ear hadn’t aggravated a headache. Lachlan didn’t want to get too far ahead of himself but the words came tumbling out of his mouth before he could stop them, ”Find somewhere else cozy without monkeys and lambs.” He chuckled nervously but his cheeks flushed bright red as he spoke.