Frankie couldn't help but stare for a while as she walked off to the little river, blushing fiercely once he realized his actions. He shook his head and tried to convince himself that he was just impressed by how she was able to carry everything so easily… But he knew that wasn't the whole reason. He… really… really liked her. She was incredible. In so many ways. This didn't feel like anything else he had ever really experienced before with anyone else… Not that he had been in a lot of relationships but…
He sighed a little and went back into the cave to put everything away and grab what they would need for their hike tonight.
Selina didn't take long to wash the dishes, making sure they were thoroughly washed and cleaned before she headed back. A soft smile was present on her face when she was visible on the trail, and she was carrying everything just like before, balancing the now clean dishes in one hand and the supplies in the other, trying not to drip on herself more than what was already on her shirt and pants. "Do you want me to set these somewhere to dry?" She asked when she saw Frankie, stopping near the entrance of the cave.
Frankie almost jumped when he heard Selina was back already. He had, fortunately, finished putting everything away and was halfway through double-checking what he was bringing along. ”Uh, not really. You can go ahead and bring them in.” he called out to her. He already had a spare jacket, a flashlight, and some water. He blushed a little, feeling like a dork, as he looked at his walking stick before making sure he had his knife… You know, just in.. case.
She nodded, smiling and setting them down in a stack inside of the cave. Selina glanced around, leaning against the rocky wall and focusing on Frankie. "Ready to go?" She asked, brushing her hair over her shoulder and straightening out her shirt. Going out to teach Frankie was going to be fun, and though she was in no rush, the faster they got going, the more time they would have to perfect his technique.
He smiled at her, standing up and grabbing his walking stick. ”Yeah, I’m ready.” he nodded as he took a couple steps towards her. Frankie was very much looking forward to learning if his howling was any good and how to improve it. ”You ready?” he asked, already willing to follow her lead.
"Definitely. This is going to be fun," She replied, a spring in her step as she led the way out of the cave and onto the deertrail again. There were quite a lot of good howling places on pack lands, but she didn't want to get caught with Frankie still around the pack. Selina wracked her brain for good spots away from the pack, though it did take her a minute before a smile split onto her face and she glanced at him. "I know the perfect spot."
Frankie smiled brightly as he exited the cave, right behind Selina. ”Yeah, it will!” he agreed very enthusiastically. He almost couldn't a small chuckle, he was so excited. Though he wondered where they were heading but happily returned the smile when she looked back at him. ”I’m right behind you. Lead the way, Selina.” he encouraged.
"Do you prefer somewhere our howls will echo a ways or somewhere they're not as loud?" She asked, turning along the path and heading upstream once they reached the river. No matter what he chose, both places she had in mind were gorgeous, and they were good places that he would be able to fine tune his howl without being caught on pack land.
”Echoes.” he said eagerly, thinking how cool that would be. He honestly couldn't stop smiling as he followed her, trusting her lead. He could already picture it feeling like they were their own full pack. As long as they didn't get in trouble, he didn't care how loud the howls sounded.
Selina nodded, a giddy smile on her face as she continued along the river. "Do you have any questions you want to ask me while we walk?" She asked, just to break the silence. They had a bit of a walk, and the sun was dipping low in the sky, but she didn't want to just focus on walking. After all, who knew how many more days she would be able to spend with Frankie before he had to leave.
Frankie looked up at the question and let out a thoughtful hum. ”Not really… Oh! Any tips you can give me before we start?” he asked, feeling more than a little giddy himself. At the moment, he honestly didn't remember if he had told her that he had changed his plans and was going to stay all summer. He thought he did but wasn't completely sure. Actually, he wasn't even sure how many more days that meant… But he could easily check once they got into the town.
"Hm…..Oh! Don't be afraid to make a fool of yourself, focus on the howl, not on how weird it might seem or look," She offered, smiling, "I remember how different it sounded when I stopped focusing on myself and on the noise instead." It was true, howling in human form could easily seem stupid or humiliating, but it was honest advice to ignore that and focus on howling instead. It sounded much more real that way.
He couldn't help but laugh at that, though he wasn't making fun of her. ”Don’t worry about that. I’m an expert of making a fool of myself.” he smiled softly, thinking of all the times someone told him that he was embarrassing them… Especially his ex-girlfriend. You would think that was her favorite phrase when he was around. He honestly didn't mind throwing his head back when he imitated a wolf. When he did something he really enjoyed, he didn't care how silly he looked when he did it. He just enjoyed the moment, often laughing with someone else after… even at his own expense.
She laughed lightly and shook her head, slowing her pace so she could walk next to him, "I'm the same, it's easy for me to make a complete fool of myself anytime. We can make fools of ourself together." Selina smiled at Frankie, walking with the twisting path and pointing him down a smaller one that branched off. They still had a ways to go but she wasn't worried. She would be able to see for at least two hours longer, but she wasn't sure how much longer Frankie would be able to see clearly.
He grinned brightly at her admission as they walked together. ”That sounds like a lot of fun.” he said genuinely before smirking playfully. ”You know, I knew there was a reason I liked you.” he teased. If he was completely honest, there was actually a growing list of reasons why he liked her. Their shared sense of humor was just the newest addition.
Selina beamed at the playful compliment, bumping him and winking back, "Why thank you, I knew we had something in common, that's why I liked you." Joking around with him was extremely fun, and she loved just spending time with him even more, so this combination was perfect. Especially in the fading light, not only was he funny and nice, he looked even more attractive than she normally found him.
Frankie laughed and playful stumbled for a second before lightly bumping her back. ”We-well, thank you.” he said, blushing fiercely at the wink. He did like joking around with her like this, it really was a lot of fun but… he also liked her in general. She was so beautiful, in both forms honestly, and he was finding that they had a lot in common. He glanced down for a moment and briefly thought about holding her hand, wondering what her reaction might be, before he looked back at the trail. It was getting darker but he wasn't too worried. Selina no doubt had incredible night vision and he had brought a small flashlight just in case.
"It gets rocky ahead just to let you know," She warned him as they continued along, flashing another smile in the quickly fading light. For a human it was getting to the point where they would have to focus to make out objects on the ground, but for Selina, she could still see perfectly fine. One of the perks of being a werewolf. Just incase he couldn't see the rocks as they started down a small hill, she held out her hand, intending to lead him down the least dangerous path if he didn't trust himself to choose the right one. Focusing on the trail let her push away the thoughts of confessing her feelings, and so that's what she did. Keeping him from falling would be better than telling him how much she liked him after all.
”Ok.” he nodded at her warning, his eyes already starting to strain a little as he tried to see the trail. He was just debating getting out his flashlight when she offered her hand. Frankie swore his heart leapt into his throat before he accepted, gently clasping his hand around hers with a small nervous smile. He couldn't think of anything to say… or if there was anything to say about this, as he let her lead him down the hill.
She squeezed his hand gently before starting down the rocks with confidence. Selina was more than cautious as she led Frankie down the path, making sure that every step was safe for him and notifying him if he would have to watch out for a particularly hidden rock. Plus she took her time so she had an excuse to hold his hand for longer. It was nice, almost comforting to her though she didn't know why. She supposed it was just because she liked him, nothing more than that. Or at least she didn't think further into it than that.
Frankie let out a soft breath at the reassuring gesture, making sure to step where Selina did and being careful when she told him to. He also appreciated the pace she was going at… It gave him an excuse to hold her hand longer. ”Thank you.” he smiled at her as they reached the bottom of the rocky hill, not letting go of her hand just yet… though he did relax his grip so she could pull away if she wanted.
"No problem," She replied gently, smiling back at him. Selina felt his grip loosen, but she made the daring move not to let go as they continued on, instead, squeezing his hand gently. At least in the fading light, her flushed cheeks weren't visible. All she could do was scold herself for falling for a human, but she couldn't care less as they walked, knowing this was what she wanted, if Frankie felt the same.
Frankie's eyes widened slightly when he felt her grip tighten for a moment. She hadn't pulled away… The thought alone made him smile brighter as he slowly readjusted his grip to hold her hand better. This wasn't the first time they’d held hands but something felt a little different this time. He couldn't hide how red his face was or how fast his heart was beating…
Was… Was he really in love with her? He was starting to think so…
After a few more long minutes of walking, they were back in the semi open, and enough moonlight shone on the path that Frankie could let go of her hand and see fairly fine if he wanted to. Still she didn't let go right away, though her grip loosened slightly. "Only a little further, just up this hill," Selina said easily, glancing over at him with a soft smile.
He didn't mind the walk in the least, in fact he always enjoyed one. While he was thankful to be able to see better because of the moonlight he didn't let go of her hand. He smirked briefly before repeating her action from earlier when he felt her grip loosen and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. Frankie smiled back at her, excitement in his eyes, and nodded a little. ”I can't wait.”
