"You, Hasil… are servin' as th'distraction t'night," they'd said, patting him on the back before jogging over to their buggies and hopping on. "Krake's outta yeast and it's 'bout time we had ourselves a lil' fun!" another howled.

Hasil grinned. They hadn't gotten the Bren'in's approval, but he was still excited by the prospect of what would eventually be a night time run down to town. He hopped on his own vehicle, starting off after the group, the sound of their collective "Ged-gedYAH!" echoing its way through the trees.

By the time they arrived, night had fallen, and the city lights had become bright, decorating each building along the sides of the street. They headed for whichever store Big Foster fancied most at the time, Hasil coming up from behind through the door. Already, a path had been created with those walking out, who'd began dipping out of the way in either direction in an effort to avoid being hit. Hasil stopped a little ways inside the store before jumping off and making his way to the nearest cashier.

"Hello, thar, lady" he began, trying to catch her attention. Her eyes looked through him, and then past his shoulder as she watched his family search the aisles for what they needed.

"No, no, no," he pressed. "Don'tchu mind them… hey! Look'it me… hey!" He gestured to his eyes, until hers met his. "Look'it me." The cashier nodded, swallowing. "Hey… now, what's yer name?"

She stared innocently enough, clearly at a loss for words and inevitably unsure what the heck was even going on (and in truth, this was correct – the only intelligible thing running through her head at the moment was that this wasn't your run of the mill robbery in progress).

He was surprised by the way she looked at him once he'd managed to get her to see him. It wasn't the same look he and his kin usually received from the local townsfolk - she hadn't sneered at him, or turned away. It was almost as if she saw just another normal person. He found he liked that. Liked the feeling that came with being the center of her attention. Hasil smiled and shifted his head, his interest piqued by her silence.

"What's th'matter, you a wee bit shy?" Her mouth moved, but no sound came out. Best come up with somethin' good, girl, she thought and struggled to get something out in time.

"I never seen…"

"…seen what?" he interrupted.

"… one of y'all before." She breathed, before looking away briefly, still unsure if she should be doing something else… anything else but standing here, distracted (and purposely so, she knew), while merchandise was flying off the shelves.

His eyebrows raised. "One ah' who all, before?"

She chose to ignore that sticky subject, instead moving onto the more pressing one at hand. "They… they… they can't just… take stuff…. Right?" Her hands rose, adding emphasis to what she thought was a well-understood concept and rather obvious problem that no one seemed to be doing much of anything about. But upon turning around to look for back up, all she found were empty registers. Not good, she thought, forlornly. Security cameras and all, and here I am, in front of a member of Kentucky's contribution to the "wonders of the world" list…. and destined to lose my job for it. She could only sigh, and turn back around, meeting the eyes of the stranger ahead.

"We thank ya kindly for your generosity" he stated, presenting her with a tiny, delicately carved bird. She picked it up, understanding it to be symbolic of a trade – an exchange for the merchandise and an expression of thanks. She looked closer, holding it gently in her hands. It was beautiful.

His hand raised, motioning to her name tag. Having lived in this town as long as she had, she understood why, knowing the rumors of the mountain folk's illiteracy, and gave him what it was he sought.

"Sally-Ann."

"Sally-Ann," he repeated, a grin she couldn't help but find adorable, spreading over his face. "Like two names rolled up inta'one, that'sa beautiful thang!" Fueled by the sight of her lips, moving into a smile, he pressed onward again, hands spreading wide as he struggled to find the words to articulate his question; he felt it was like trying to find out why stars twinkle, or asking the sun or moon how they did what they do. "Say, Sally-Ann, how'dya get your hair to go like that? Like it… just… looks like ya got light… comin' off of ya."

Big Foster drove up behind him just then, delivering a gruff, "Are we done here?"

Hasil looked down, fighting off an oncoming blush and by the time Big Foster had left, the next few words had popped out before he could help himself. "You gotta boyfriend?" He was a man short on time, and he needed to know.

What. in. the. world. is. going. on? Sally-Ann asked herself, flabbergasted by the simply ridiculous notion that this, perhaps, had moved past his just being a distraction. He's not seriously flirting with me, is he? The thought kept her silent, unable to find an answer suitable for a situation this bizarre. Thankfully, she didn't have to.

"Hasil, come on!" They'd called from outside, and he had little choice but to leave her, darting through the door. Sally-Ann peered out, the light inside the store obscuring her ability to see into the darkness clearly. They were gone, and were it not for the woodsy scent the feral stranger had left behind, Sally-Ann would have wondered if she'd actually imagined it all.

…well, at least until she looked at the ruined displays down the store's main aisle, that is. She shook her head and smiled, incapable of holding it back despite the additional work now added to her shift. This was going to be a very long night.


Breathless from the night's excitement, Hasil followed behind his kin as the last in line, the cool air whipping past his face the faster he drove. After some time had passed, they'd made it back to the bottom of the mountain and drove up the grassy curve that began the trail that would start the way back up to their home. Hasil stopped, watching them disappear into the darkness of the trees.

He cut his own engine, getting off his vehicle only to begin shuffling and pacing restlessly. He didn't want to go home yet. Not yet. Not while he was this antsy inside, his limbs and the very tips of his fingers tingling with the desire to do something other than turn in for the night. He couldn't understand why he felt so empty all of a sudden. So sad and happy and nervous, all rolled into one.

Eventually, he turned to lean against one of the ATV's larger back wheels, trying to steady himself and focus; to listen to the sound of his breath reach his ears.

In… and out. In… and out.

But the sound of her voice wouldn't leave him. Nor the memory of her warm, chestnut skin and the way she'd looked at him with wide, bright-eyes, like a deer caught in headlights. The way a task as simple as the one he'd be given, had come to make his heart bang against his ribcage from the moment he first heard her speak.

His excitement, he found, was as agonizing as the thought of having to wait to see her again.

He'd been down to town more than once in the past, usually making up the last of the group Big Foster would choose to go on missions, whatever they may be. This was no big thing for him – as normal and part of life as anything else on the mountain. Just the same, he'd seen his share of womenfolk, both down there and up, but there was something so different about this one time. About her.

In the clan, the elders had a name for this sorta thing. Like a soul's unsettled affliction. Used to talk about it back when G'Win and Asa were a thing and looking to get married. Said half the time, you could hear G'Win's heartbeat echo off the trees whenever he appeared, and with the havoc it wreaked on her when he up and left, Hasil could remember once hearing her lament that Asa had plumb took her heart and every good part of her there was, with him.

One of these days, he decided, he'd have to talk to Lady Ray about it. About love.

Hasil sighed, gazing at the way the lights glowed from the little down not far away. Hopeless, he rubbed his face, eyes watering at the sense of yearning he felt, tearing him apart inside, the very threads of his being pulled taut, as if somehow, someway, he'd become tethered to the little lady with doe eyes and her two names rolled into one. He felt he could only stand to be but so far away from her, and for only so long. He'd have to go back down again. He needed… to go back down again. Soon. And often.

The lights blinked at him, mocking and teasing him with their distance.

Somewhere down there, he'd left his Heart… and whither she'd go, there he'd find his home, also.


A/N: Thanks so much for the sweet reviews on "Lessons Learned"! This couple won't leave me alone, obviously, so I think I'll use this story for prompts that align more fully with the show's plot, and use LL for the AU updates. Hope you enjoy(ed) both!

Disclaimer: I don't own the canon characters. Everything pre-owned belongs to its owner(s). No copyright infringement intended.