Challenge #39: Check In #2
Title: Permission to Imagine
Word Count: 867
Rating: PG-13 (for TJ's dirty thoughts)
Fandom or Original: Original: The Song Inside Me
Pairings (if any): TJ/Cora
Warnings (Non-Con/Dub-Con/etc): n/a
Summary: TJ conquers a fear of his.
TJ stood at the front of the barn. Every single eye was on him and that was when he realized that Cora had been right. He was setting a bad example. Two out of the eight kids, Zack and Johanna, didn’t want to get on their horses, and they had made a beeline to him when they saw him not participating either. It was rough being a role model to kids who obviously looked up to him. He guessed that he had been a role model before, but that was in such a completely different way. He had never really thought about it till that moment. But he didn’t want the kids to miss out on riding horses just because he was afraid.
“Are you going to get on a horse and go riding with everyone?” Zack asked, looking up at TJ with his big eyes.
Johanna didn’t say a word. She only stepped close enough to TJ so she could hide behind him.
Cora was looking over at TJ and nodding towards the horses, like he should make the right decision.
He sighed. “I think we should all try our best to get on the horses and go out on the trail.”
“Otherwise you’ll be very bored,” Cora said. “Tristan, I found the perfect horse for you. Come here. Zack and Johanna, too.”
Several of the ranch hands were waiting for them, and they began introducing the kids to their horses. They showed them how to brush the horses and how to put on a saddle. TJ had to admit it was pretty educational, well, for someone who was interested in riding horses. He, however, was not really interested, but was determined to do the thing for Cora’s sake. He thought it would help him score points with her. Well, also because he thought it was important to show the kids that they shouldn’t be afraid. But mostly to win points with Cora.
“Hold my hand while I do this,” he said to Cora while they stood beside the horse.
She patted his shoulder. “You’re going to be fine. Don’t scream.”
The horse was extremely large. It was almost all black, but had a diamond of white on its nose. It was actually quite beautiful, but in a looking at it from far away type of way. Close up, TJ didn’t really care for it. “I’m not going to scream. I’m not going to scream. I’m not going to scream.”
“Put your left foot in the stirrup,” Cora said. “And grab onto the horn. Then all you have to do is pull yourself and swing your leg over.”
TJ had no idea what these things were, but figured it out when Cora pointed them out to him. “You sure it won’t kick me?” he asked, looking down at her. “Hey, I bet I could do it if you climbed up with me. You could hold onto me the whole time--”
“Tristan,” she said, a warning note in her voice. “Get on the horse. You can do this. Plus--” She leaned closer to whisper to him. “I’ll let you imagine my arms around you. But only because all the kids are watching you, and you have to do this.”
He looked at her like she had two heads. “Imagine? You have to give me permission to imagine? Cora, you’re way too late for that.” He closed his eyes and shook his head. She was so innocent. “Try again.”
When he opened his eyes, she was blinking at him in shock, probably wondering what he had been imagining. “TMI.”
He grinned and reached for her hand, but she pulled away.
“Like I said, grab the horn and pull yourself up.” She pointed to the saddle.
Man, she was tough. He would break her--when they were alone, and he actually had a chance. “Okay, I’m getting up.” He turned back to the horse, and suddenly it looked twice as big. Why couldn’t she have chosen a smaller one for him? He slid a shaking foot into the stirrup and pulled himself up. His hands and feet felt numb and his head was spinning a little, but somehow he made it up without screaming.
Cora patted his leg. “I knew you could do it. Worst part is over. Now stay here while I make sure the rest of the kids are okay. I think they’re going to lead us out onto the trail once everyone is ready.”
“Sure,” he called after her. “Leave me here.”
But she didn’t turn around. He watched while she talked to Zack and Johanna, pointing to him and no doubt telling them that if he could get up on the horse, so could they. He smiled and waved for their benefit and then clutched to the saddle when his horse made a funny noise and shook its head.
“Look, buddy,” he said to the horse. “You’re going to go nice and slow and come right back here. Then I’ll get off without you kicking me. Got it?”
The horse shook its head again. TJ didn’t know whether it was a yes or no, but prayed that he and the horse were on the same page.
Word Count: 867
Rating: PG-13 (for TJ's dirty thoughts)
Fandom or Original: Original: The Song Inside Me
Pairings (if any): TJ/Cora
Warnings (Non-Con/Dub-Con/etc): n/a
Summary: TJ conquers a fear of his.
TJ stood at the front of the barn. Every single eye was on him and that was when he realized that Cora had been right. He was setting a bad example. Two out of the eight kids, Zack and Johanna, didn’t want to get on their horses, and they had made a beeline to him when they saw him not participating either. It was rough being a role model to kids who obviously looked up to him. He guessed that he had been a role model before, but that was in such a completely different way. He had never really thought about it till that moment. But he didn’t want the kids to miss out on riding horses just because he was afraid.
“Are you going to get on a horse and go riding with everyone?” Zack asked, looking up at TJ with his big eyes.
Johanna didn’t say a word. She only stepped close enough to TJ so she could hide behind him.
Cora was looking over at TJ and nodding towards the horses, like he should make the right decision.
He sighed. “I think we should all try our best to get on the horses and go out on the trail.”
“Otherwise you’ll be very bored,” Cora said. “Tristan, I found the perfect horse for you. Come here. Zack and Johanna, too.”
Several of the ranch hands were waiting for them, and they began introducing the kids to their horses. They showed them how to brush the horses and how to put on a saddle. TJ had to admit it was pretty educational, well, for someone who was interested in riding horses. He, however, was not really interested, but was determined to do the thing for Cora’s sake. He thought it would help him score points with her. Well, also because he thought it was important to show the kids that they shouldn’t be afraid. But mostly to win points with Cora.
“Hold my hand while I do this,” he said to Cora while they stood beside the horse.
She patted his shoulder. “You’re going to be fine. Don’t scream.”
The horse was extremely large. It was almost all black, but had a diamond of white on its nose. It was actually quite beautiful, but in a looking at it from far away type of way. Close up, TJ didn’t really care for it. “I’m not going to scream. I’m not going to scream. I’m not going to scream.”
“Put your left foot in the stirrup,” Cora said. “And grab onto the horn. Then all you have to do is pull yourself and swing your leg over.”
TJ had no idea what these things were, but figured it out when Cora pointed them out to him. “You sure it won’t kick me?” he asked, looking down at her. “Hey, I bet I could do it if you climbed up with me. You could hold onto me the whole time--”
“Tristan,” she said, a warning note in her voice. “Get on the horse. You can do this. Plus--” She leaned closer to whisper to him. “I’ll let you imagine my arms around you. But only because all the kids are watching you, and you have to do this.”
He looked at her like she had two heads. “Imagine? You have to give me permission to imagine? Cora, you’re way too late for that.” He closed his eyes and shook his head. She was so innocent. “Try again.”
When he opened his eyes, she was blinking at him in shock, probably wondering what he had been imagining. “TMI.”
He grinned and reached for her hand, but she pulled away.
“Like I said, grab the horn and pull yourself up.” She pointed to the saddle.
Man, she was tough. He would break her--when they were alone, and he actually had a chance. “Okay, I’m getting up.” He turned back to the horse, and suddenly it looked twice as big. Why couldn’t she have chosen a smaller one for him? He slid a shaking foot into the stirrup and pulled himself up. His hands and feet felt numb and his head was spinning a little, but somehow he made it up without screaming.
Cora patted his leg. “I knew you could do it. Worst part is over. Now stay here while I make sure the rest of the kids are okay. I think they’re going to lead us out onto the trail once everyone is ready.”
“Sure,” he called after her. “Leave me here.”
But she didn’t turn around. He watched while she talked to Zack and Johanna, pointing to him and no doubt telling them that if he could get up on the horse, so could they. He smiled and waved for their benefit and then clutched to the saddle when his horse made a funny noise and shook its head.
“Look, buddy,” he said to the horse. “You’re going to go nice and slow and come right back here. Then I’ll get off without you kicking me. Got it?”
The horse shook its head again. TJ didn’t know whether it was a yes or no, but prayed that he and the horse were on the same page.