It felt like only a few seconds had elapsed since Kieran began to stare at you. He was unable to prevent it, swear! It just...sort of occurred. The brush he was originally using for the horses wasn't even touching the horses' soft mane; alternatively, he was brushing at the air for who knows how long as his attention drew to where you were seated by the campfire.

How could someone be so...so lovely?

When Kieran was bound to a post, you happened to be one of the not many who genuinely provided him food and water. The majority of either ridiculed his predicament or hurled things at him with the intent to upset him. Some demonstrated a brief act of compassion. You are one of them.

And since then, Kieran found himself incapable to suppress the slight stammer in his heart whenever you even looked his way. His stutter only exacerbated—as much as he despised it. However, you rarely seemed to be hindered when he found a rare opportunity for talking with you. But when you inquired as to why he was commonly staring at you, he stupidly responded in such a soft tone—

"Yer awfully pretty..."

It was the first sentence he had spoken to you without stuttering, and it was that? Oh how Kieran wished he could shrivel up and vanish in that moment.

"N-Not...Not to be forward o-or nothin' I was just...just st-stating a fact was all...E-Excuse me.."