(MxM) Tales Of A Shifter (P1) - The Meeting

Chapter 62 - The Band

After an awkward hour of more work and hay spreading the sun was in the middle of the sky and surprisingly most if not all of the strain between them had managed to melt away.

Brandon was happy to let the silence wash away the confusion and embarrassment and the nervousness that he had felt during the shower and during his and Ezekiel's talk. And since neither one of them seemed determined to dwell on it, or even analyze what had happed or had been said Brandon soon found himself panting and taking a standing break next to Ezekiel.

Ezekiel, who had plopped down on a bench in the shade created by the roof of the barn also seemed content to move on and settled back into the cool manner that seemed so natural for him. Exerted from work, both of them took their time cooling off and catching their breaths before Ezekiel disappeared off inside of the barn, only to reemerge a few minutes later with two plastic flasks, each frosted over on the bottom, suggesting that he had retrieved them from the cooler.

"Here, drink some water and take it easy....." Ezekiel instructed, handing Brandon a chilled flask, which he felt all the way through his gloves, before turning and stretching out on the bench with a sigh. "I can't believe that we managed to finish all that work so fast, doing it solo would have taken me at least another three hours." "I know that they pace was a little rigorous for you....are you feeling okay....is you side hurting you?"

Not exactly used to being asked about his health Brandon didn't want to respond. But he also wanted the awkward moments of before to fade away. He didn't want to think about the vison he had had in the shower....or about Ezekiel's lips on his skin....he didn't want to think about any of that. He wanted to get back to a simple outing with a Shifter that he barely knew. Not a Shifter that he had kissed....and for some ungodly reason....wanted to kiss again.

"No....no I'm...uh...I'm fine...." Bandon found himself responding to the question Ezekiel had posed, just to get away from his own confused thoughts. He swallowed looking away from Ezekiel and finding the prospect of silence undesirable he quickly fashioned a meaningless question to fill the space between them. "So when do you have to bring in the hogs again?"

"We don't." Ezekiel told him softly, twirling the canteen of water in his hands. "Remember, I told you that the Hogs won't be here for another couple of days, you and me have done our part....and a darn good one if I had to put a label on it." Ezekiel said, then he unscrewed his water and tilted the container up. After a moment he sighed, dropped the container and wiped his mouth. "It definitely looks more alive out here after the work we got done, don't you think?"

Brandon glanced around and nodded, the muddy open patches placed al throughout the fences surrounding the fields looked much neater with the hay spread about and the newly cleaned and water filled troughs that dotted the area looked cool and inviting....at least enough to impress a pig. Finding that like Ezekiel he was satisfied with their work, he turned back to Ezekiel and asked him.

"So what happens now....is there more work to do some place else or is this all you had on your schedule?" Brandon sighed, lifting one leg and then the other feeling his knee caps popping as he swiftly stretched his legs, then placed them back into the grass. He wanted to take a load off his feet, but secretly debated weather sitting on the bench at that moment would only renew the awkward silence that he had only just managed to break away from. To Brandon's peace of mind Ezekiel didn't attempt to offer him a seat or bring up that the spot beside him was open, he simply looked at Brandon and answered his question.

"There's always more work to do..." He began softly, leaning over and placing his water bottle at his feet. Then Ezekiel leaned back and folded his arms over his chest. "But I happen to have a little leeway in my patrols or Schedule as you might say." Ezekiel said gesturing out towards the fields. "I could take you to see one of the sights in the Clan Lands as a way to repay you....I know you don't want to spend your entire day out in the field doing hard labor with me. So this time I could go and show you some stuff....?" Ezekiel shrugged and glanced out over the empty farm as he waited on Brandon to respond.