[Fic] Passage - 1&2/7
Title: Passage
Author: Coley Merrin
Pairing: Zhou Mi/Kyuhyun
Rating: NC-17
Genre: AU, Romance, fluff
Summary: The newest client of the stable Kyuhyun oversees is nothing short of intriguing. His reason tells him no, but he’s willing to go halfway and no further - if Zhou M is willing to let him stop.
A/N: Just a small romp with horses. Carry on~
***
***
Zhou Mi wasn’t the kind of person who went around meeting people without leaving impressions.
And that wasn’t really the first thing Kyuhyun remembered about Zhou Mi. Sure, he remembered the skin tight designer jeans and diamond studs, but those kind of stood out in any situation. He’d come up with a label almost immediately Spoiled Rich Boy. Looking to drop his two well-bred horses off so he could come poke at them now and again.
Okay, so first impressions weren’t always the best ones. But Zhou Mi’s horses had arrived, and Kyuhyun’s routine had gone on. And Zhou Mi, no matter how many times he showed up to ride, or the glimpses Kyuhyun got of him, was generally pushed back into his “work” pile.
No, the first thing Kyuhyun really remembered about Zhou Mi, was the day Kyuhyun accidentally knocked Zhou Mi ass-first into a pile of horse shit.
Those kind of moments, when he, as stable manager, knocked a client to the ground? Those kind of stuck. And the ground wasn’t exactly soft, though what ground was. So he had a man with limbs to the four winds, and himself in the middle of a heart attack. And Zhou Mi’s face seemed to be trying to become some sort of bizarre figure eight.
And then Zhou Mi had laughed. It had been raucous enough to get a few horses to turn their heads, and in Kyuhyun’s horrified state - he could see the pile of poop expanding horizontally - he had almost hiccuped a giggle. And then he’d remembered to extend his hands, after putting down the hoof pick and file he’d been carrying. He could pick those up later. Making sure the person who paid money not to be knocked down needed his attention first.
“Are you hurt?” he asked, offering a hand, and prepared to grab Zhou Mi’s elbow.
“I think the…pile…cushioned my fall,” Zhou Mi joked, and tried to gather his legs under him.
Well. At least it wasn’t cow shit. There was that. Or pig. Or… Well. Yes, horse was preferable.
“Not the first time I got personal with horse poop,” Zhou Mi said, and grunted, as their combined efforts got him upright. “And at least it wasn’t cow poop!”
His mouth was trembling out of control. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you. You sure you’re okay?”
Zhou Mi nodded, wiggling his hips. “Don’t worry! Really. You should’ve seen your face. I’d touch to find out, but maybe… after I change. I feel okay, though. I’ve taken harder spills.”
Of course, no one actually wanted to touch their poop-encountered backside. And the stupid thing was? It was still an attractive rear view as Zhou Mi walked carefully off to get his bag, to go to the provided shower and change. Hey, at least the pile hadn’t been especially fresh.
He was pretty sure Zhou Mi thought he was a klutz and a spaz after that episode. But if he had any chance of forgetting who Zhou Mi was after that, it had been totally obliterated.
***
The sounds of a stable were almost as familiar as breathing to Kyuhyun. The occasional snort or stomp, the rustle of hay pulled from a net, or the grinding crunch of grain. A blunt hip scratching an itch, or a tail flick against the slick boards. He had spent his formative years tottering after his mother in stables much like the one he oversaw. She would let him ride in front of her, and he had pictures of himself on a pony almost before he had been able to walk, thick glasses, big smile and all. So he’d grown up napping to the sounds, the smells. The power of the gentle animals, and the companionship. His mother competed, but he had not, when he had gotten past his teens. He was content to be that person who made sure the horses were cared for. It was hard work. But it was calming to him, as he walked down from his above-stable apartment every morning.
Curry buckets hung beside each stall, lead ropes and halters above that. Owners were particular about such things. Depending on the muck-out schedules, it smelled of manure and acrid urine. But over that, sweet grass hay, straw and shavings, liniment and saddle oil. And the scent of the horses themselves. And that was the real treasure. It smelled, looked, and sounded like a horse barn. And that was all Kyuhyun needed.
Or he was pretty sure about that, anyway.
Most of Kyuhyun’s frustrations came from the people, not the horses. The horses did what they were used to. The owners bitched, moaned, complained, and tried to upset Kyuhyun’s otherwise normal schedule. Hassling some for on-time board payments, and soothing others that their precious baby on four legs was actually just fine. And it sounded condescending, but he’d be the one worrying three times as hard if he knew something was wrong. He oversaw when the horses ate, and how much, guided by owners and the veterinarian on call. He mucked out stalls, bathed horses, hailed them down from the fields, scratched noses, and held a lot of human hands. He didn’t own the place, but he sure as hell wasn’t there for the people.
***
There was something special about Zhou Mi, though Kyuhyun dismissed it at first. Maybe it was his posture, or the line of his back. The fact that his legs weren’t quite exactly straight in his tall riding boots and breeches. Some of the owners who frequented the stable were not too involved in the care of their horses, and they paid a premium for the care of them. But Zhou Mi was not one of those.
He remembered interviewing some prospective clients. Showing them around the barn, the grounds. Some he remembered because they were demanding, or perhaps particularly kind. He knew why he remembered Zhou Mi far beyond that. And that wasn’t even entirely about having been a clumsy ox in Zhou Mi’s presence.
It was hard to miss it, as Zhou Mi stood at the edge of one his horse’s stalls, and basically gave the curious horse kisses on its soft nose through the bars. But Kyuhyun steered his concentration back to bridle he was mending. Just to focus on anything besides men who looked good in riding clothes, and definitely not men who were overly fond of their horses.
And to give the man credit, he didn’t pick at Kyuhyun. He saw his horses were being fed properly, that their stalls were cleaned with efficient regularity, that they were turned out each day for plenty of exercise and grazing when Zhou Mi himself wasn’t there to see to it himself. And that was actually fairly infrequent. Both of Zhou Mi’s horses were under saddle and working to some extent, just about every day.
And he didn’t even hold it against Zhou Mi, that every so often he’d hold his hands up and back away in mock surrender as Kyuhyun approached. As though Kyuhyun was going to go out of his way to knock Zhou Mi, of all people, over.
He just stuck his nose up and kept walking. His ass wasn’t that big.
***
“Zhou Mi is amazing,” Henry, one of the stable grooms, said, stopping at Kyuhyun’s side with a wheelbarrow filled with hay.
“He’s also a customer,” Kyuhyun responded automatically, until he realized Henry was giving him a strange look. As if to ask, what did that mean? He didn’t try and back out of it, just looking at Henry with raised eyebrows until Henry continued.
“You’ve watched him ride, right? He’s really amazing. I know we’ve had some professional riders before, but did you see him taking jumps yesterday? It makes me wish I’d taken more lessons.”
Kyuhyun hadn’t seen Zhou Mi taking jumps the day before, but he had on other occasions. The long torso leaning over the horse’s neck as they propelled into the air. Legs in tight riding breeches, steady seat in the saddle. Zhou Mi patting the horse’s neck in appreciation as they finished their round. It was a joy to watch a horseman at his business, and Zhou Mi seemed more at home on the horse’s back than he was on the ground. Though he supposed he’d only seen Zhou Mi nearly trip over a bucket once.
And if he’d thought Henry’d been talking about something less professional than Zhou Mi’s riding abilities, well. His libido was hardly down for the count, no matter how many months had passed since he’d had anything but his own hand. And Zhou Mi and his tight pants and long fingers didn’t inspire his body to whimper and lie down. Unless it was in anticipation. And even that seemed unwise, considering. Zhou Mi was a client. And he definitely didn’t ogle his other clients that way. Given, many of them were older couples, or women, or men he wasn’t really into. And there was no ignoring, when Zhou Mi rode, how nice those legs looked against the horse’s side. How straight he sat, how attentive he was to the occasional trainer. And the way he treated his horses, yes.
Who knew kindness could be a turn-on. Even if the only thing he could see being possible between him, the guy who made sure stalls were mucked out, and Zhou Mi - the guy who was clearly going somewhere in the world of equestrian sports, was…well. A one night stand at most. Anything else got complicated, and messy, and he didn’t want to lose his job over a man.
And after he figured out all of that, of course that was when Zhou Mi started actually speaking to him. Falling into step with him as he walked toward the little office at one end of the barn.
“I’m so glad the weather’s perked up a little,” Zhou Mi said. “It was getting old having to layer up so much just to ride. And the trails are almost clear again, right?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Occasionally the trails got a little out of order during the turbulent winter months, but the maintenance crew had been hard at work for weeks. One more load off of his shoulders. He didn’t want someone’s horse to get hit with a falling branch, or worse. It was hard enough at times to keep up with the little maintenance issues in the stable itself.
“I’ll have to reward myself after this week. Maybe a movie. Dahua really worked hard today. But I think he was fine with the carrots I had for him.”
“They usually are. I don’t remember the last time I saw a movie in the theater,” Kyuhyun mused.
It was only after it had left his mouth that he realized that it had sounded almost as though he were fishing for information, or worse, for an invitation. Zhou Mi seemed genuinely surprised.
“Really?” Zhou Mi asked.
“Yeah, I don’t get out much. Can’t take a horse to a movie, right?”
Zhou Mi laughed so explosively that Kyuhyun was afraid for his lungs for a moment.
“No, that’s true. And there aren’t hitching posts outside, either.”
He picked up his clipboard checklist for the day, seeing what was next and what he could do on his own, and listened politely as Zhou Mi spoke about the kinds of movies he liked. There were some gruesome horror movie faces in there, and he found himself laughing at the strange stories. Horror movies, who knew? It didn’t bother him that Zhou Mi stood close, using the desk as a prop as he demonstrated how he’d cowered and shook. And somehow came out of all of that with a smile, which was bizarre to both of them.
“And you don’t have nightmares?” he wondered out loud, checking off that he’d inspected the watering system.
“Sometimes! But I learned how to get back to sleep quickly. You do get some nights off, right?” Zhou Mi asked, as though he thought Kyuhyun were chained to the stalls by his ankle after the sun went down.
“Yes?”
Zhou Mi smiled, the expression brightening his face from the neck up. “Let me know when you have time off. Maybe we can go see something.”
And with that, Zhou Mi waved and headed toward the showers.
What had that policy been again? No sex with clients? No flirting with clients? No anything with clients?
Did it count if the client was the one who came on to him?
***
Even mountains could be worn down through erosion. Most of Kyuhyun’s days did center around the stables, like trying to make sure the stalls were filled. So he didn’t have a lot of time to just sit around and think about oh, hey, he wanted sex. He was manning a wheelbarrow, or making sure the right people were showing up for their time in the rings. Lessons, pony classes. Turnouts, muckings. By the time he actually finished, he usually had enough energy to shower, eat, and throw himself at his computer for watching shows or gaming.
The stable was not the newest and brightest thing, built before it would’ve cost a fortune to do so. It held up to 12 horses, on land that sported riding trails, turnout pastures and pens for training and lessons. Inside, there were the box stalls, automatic waterers. A place to saddle up, and wash down. A half sized indoor arena for times when the weather was bad. There was a tiny, if functional bathroom, for those who needed to shower after working their horses, and another for any emergency bathroom breaks.
Ironically it was those bathrooms that caused him some pain. And contributed to that erosion. After Zhou Mi came in from a ride, he always showered before he left. Kyuhyun wasn’t always aware of it, depending on where he was in the stable. And it wasn’t as though it happened at the same time every day. But he still saw, when Zhou Mi emerged with his bag, and in a sweater and jeans. His hair just a little bit damp, and looking oddly not like what he expected in someone who spent their days dirty and covered in horse snot. After their horse poop bonding experience, Zhou Mi had taken to waving at him as he left. Which was fine. He was not totally antisocial. But after he’d spent way too long wondering if Zhou Mi had actually been trying to ask him out, or if it was a friendly gesture.
Well, friendly gesture or not, he still had eyes. And those eyes caught every pair of boots, tight jeans, and awful sweaters.
And it still had him trying to shove Zhou Mi out of his fantasies at night.
What could he say? Go away? Stop talking about your horses? And it was always conversational, and sometimes excitable. Usually not annoying, because he wasn’t trying to think about anything more than washing something down. And sometimes it was amusing, even. Kept him from staying in his own head. When Zhou Mi saw another owner approaching, he gave way and either left or wandered, until the coast was clear. It actually felt like Zhou Mi was interested in talking to him, and he didn’t mean that quite like it sounded. He was interesting enough. But Zhou Mi, from all his rich-boy, high strung first impressions, was not usually the type that flocked to Kyuhyun-who-smelled-like-horses. Though from one horseman to another, the smell was hardly a bad one. That was what gave credence against his mental scoffing. That maybe Zhou Mi wasn’t just bored and trying to go slumming. Though that might have been painting Zhou Mi as less genuine than even Kyuhyun’s questioning mind could conjure.
***
Kyuhyun’s boyfriend, the last one, hadn’t really lived up to the term. They’d been less “boyfriends” than they had been “occasional date and hookup partners.” And it had been fine, really. There hadn’t been a lot of mutual interests. The guy wasn’t into horses, and found Kyuhyun’s job to be rather menial. But he’d made decent conversation, and sucked like a pro. Probably the last ability that had kept the relationship going as long as it had. There hadn’t been any hard feelings when they’d broken up, six months in. The distance and lack of interest had been palpable, and Kyuhyun had begun thinking that another guy was in the mix. But after six months, he’d barely known more than what they’d figured out on the first hookup. He missed the sex, but any connection had been purely imaginary.
Watching Zhou Mi, he let his mind consider it. If Zhou Mi was interested, he didn’t think he’d be the kind of guy to just let a relationship float along. If Zhou Mi had come onto him at say, the grocery store, he’d have been intrigued. Probably more than a little, really. Again, with that part about Zhou Mi never making a small impression. It would’ve been a lot less complicated that way. The business, he preached to himself. And glanced up at the sound of a familiar voice.
Conversation, among grooms or clients, wasn’t unusual. But he’d learned to pick out Zhou Mi’s voice pretty easily. It wasn’t hard, when it usually was accompanied by the very distinctive laugh. But when Zhou Mi was walking with a woman, that was more unusual. And Kyuhyun knew her, another of the stable’s clients. He let his eyes slip up Zhou Mi’s casual riding breeches, to turn back to his polishing.
He wasn’t eavesdropping. He was just…alert to trouble, that was all. And that was how he heard the laughter, and the subtle flirting. From her end, because he didn’t think he was totally stupid where women were concerned. And also Zhou Mi making what seemed like a very natural excuse. He had things to discuss with Kyuhyun.
He spotted Zhou Mi’s boots first, looking up with what he hoped was a pleasantly interested face.
“Ready for the papers?”
Zhou Mi blinked at him. “I…Um. Yes?”
He jerked his head, indicated Zhou Mi should follow, and led him to the little corner office. Where there was at least moderate privacy with the door kicked closed.
“You knew,” Zhou Mi said, collapsing into the chair.
“Hard to miss. I don’t know if you know it, but I think she likes you.”
Zhou Mi laughed, almost curling in on himself. “I caught it. I mean, she’s very nice. And an accomplished horsewoman, but- I don’t… You know?”
“Do I know that guys who try to ask me out typically aren’t into women? Yeah. But if she’s really bugging you, I’m sure there are protocols for these things. I could talk to her or something.”
Having that thoughtful gaze on him made him more than a little uncomfortable, but he did his damnedest not to let that show as Zhou Mi smiled.
“No. She’s very friendly, but I think I can head her off. But… Since you knew I was asking you for a date, does that mean you’d be interested?”
Did he go with the truth? I don’t think interested is putting too fine a point on it. Evasion? You kidding? Guys come onto me at the stable every day of the week. You’re ten down the list, buddy.
So Kyuhyun settled on a time-honored habit - procrastination.
“You busy later?”
“No?”
He leaned back in his chair. “It’s pretty quiet here after the horses are all fed and everyone’s gone. You should come by.”
It’d give him a few hours to figure out how - if - he wanted to respond to Zhou Mi’s obviously renewed advance. Though Zhou Mi clearly took it as something else, the way his eyebrows winged up.
“I’m too busy to talk now,” he clarified.
And it was almost perfect timing, after several seconds of awkward silence, and Zhou Mi clearly trying to formulate a reply, that the phone rang. He put on his best polite smile, and his business voice and answered the phone. Gesturing that Zhou Mi was free to go as he talked to his hay supplier. Not that it called for high security, but with any luck Zhou Mi would be out the door before he coordinated his schedule.
But he managed to flash his fingers to indicate when he’d expect to see Zhou Mi. And Zhou Mi smiled giving him a cute finger wave.
And it wasn’t his fault he kept his eyes on Zhou Mi’s backside until it disappeared.
***
Kyuhyun ate his dinner, did his tidying. And the buzz of the sporty little car’s engine was easy to pick up, even with the occasional stomps and sounds of horses eating. He hadn’t come to any startling conclusions in the hours since he’d last seen Zhou Mi in the stable’s office. Sanity on one side saying he had no idea what the hell he was doing. Interest on the other saying it wasn’t a big deal, especially if Zhou Mi wasn’t all dramatic about it. Casual he could do. Casual meant he didn’t have to worry about calling, or texting, or whatever people did when they were dating. Maybe his last relationship had allowed him to get lazy, but Zhou Mi was funneling money into the stable’s bank account. He was idiot to risk anything at all.
Casual also meant the possibility of sex, which he couldn’t say he was against.
The smaller inset door opened, and Zhou Mi poked his head through. Grinning as he spotted Kyuhyun, who’d just put aside the rake he’d been using.
“Glad I got the time right,” Zhou Mi said. “Hi.”
“Hey. Come on back.”
And he still hadn’t made a decision. Not really. Even as Zhou Mi walked along beside him after cooing at his horses for a moment, he hadn’t really figured it out. It wasn’t quite like going into Waterloo without a gun, but he’d have preferred to have some kind of a mental boundary. Though he realized just by inviting Zhou Mi, he’d set the boundary. It wasn’t like they were in his bed, but he didn’t invite guys over. Not even guys who wore diamond studs and looked like runway models.
And had stupid, clever eyes.
“So, we were going to talk,” Kyuhyun said, and leaned back against the cabinet he used to store first aid supplies.
Zhou Mi’s mouth tugged into a smile. “I’m glad you asked me over. Actually, I’ve been kind of hoping for a while.”
“It’s complicated.”
And that seemed like the understatement of the year, though Zhou Mi seemed to understand what he meant. That fact actually calmed him.
“I know. You being in charge of the stables, and I’m a client.” And Zhou Mi ticked off a few more reasons, and their repercussions. “But we’re both adults. I just want a chance to get to know you.”
“I’m not really in the market for something major right now,” Kyuhyun said. And there were so many reasons. Even with Zhou Mi’s cutely optimistic view of whatever it was he wanted. The euphemism was easier. “If you’re looking for something casual, with some sex, fine. If you’re looking for complicated, some kind of romance, hearts and flowers, okay, you’re looking in the wrong place.”
Zhou Mi’s brow furrowed as though he was puzzled, but his voice didn’t sound so. “So you won’t sleep with me if you think I want more?”
The laugh bubbled, and he realized that Zhou Mi was more tenacious than he might have seemed.
“I’d still sleep with you. If you want to think you can change my mind, that’s on your time.”
“I don’t just sleep with every guy that catches my attention,” Zhou Mi clarified.
“Yeah, me either. But you should go in with your eyes open.”
The smile on Zhou Mi’s face was almost inscrutable. “I think I can do that.”
Even as Zhou Mi’s eyes laughed at him, they were surprised as he realized Kyuhyun was approaching with purpose. Zhou Mi, in the room he did so much work in. Almost right below his bed. His pretty green shirt collar was parted, showing part of a necklace and a white undershirt with the hint of chest. Maybe he’d dressed carefully, knowing they’d be meeting. Kyuhyun was still in his work clothes, but just the scent of Zhou Mi’s cologne had a clutch of arousal simmering in him. Zhou Mi’s chest, warm, where Kyuhyun’s hand planted against it.
“So you want to have sex or not?”
He didn’t bother waiting for a response, figuring Zhou Mi’s body would tell him all that he needed to know anyway. And so it was, Zhou Mi leaning into the sloppily-laid kiss, hands slipping along Kyuhyun’s sides, his hips. Coming to fist at Kyuhyun’s back and pulling him into his body. And Kyuhyun wasn’t resisting, grabbing Zhou Mi’s butt, and taking a slow grind. Barely any friction at all, but it earned him a moan. And there was something so earnest and needy in that single, rising sound, that he couldn’t help but want another.
“I’m clean,” Zhou Mi muttered, and made Kyuhyun grin. Sex it was then.
“Me too,” he said, puffing against Zhou Mi’s mouth. “I have stuff upstairs.”
“Good.”
Though Kyuhyun wasn’t exactly sure how they were going to get upstairs, with the way Zhou Mi was sucking at his lip.
And responsibility trickled through him, breaking the kiss and trying for breathing again.
“I have to- I have to check that everything is locked up, and make sure the horses are secure.”
Zhou Mi nodded in understanding, letting go of Kyuhyun’s jacket.
“Tell me what to do, if I can help.”
He set Zhou Mi to an organizational task as Kyuhyun went to lock the gates, closing up the barn doors. His habit was to visit each stall, checking on the state of food and water, and that the stall door was secured. Zhou Mi could have done that also, but it was his nightly ritual, and he wanted to blame no one but himself should anything go wrong. Probably a sign he needed to let go a little, but hell. He hadn’t even slept with Zhou Mi yet. Trust came later, even if Zhou Mi did care for his horses more than any owner Kyuhyun had seen so far.
Everything was neatly put back together and on the shelves, when he made it back into the room.
“Let’s go up then?” Kyuhyun suggested, and Zhou Mi gave a very curt, agreeing nod. He’d calmed enough in his pants to be able to jog up the stairs, hearing Zhou Mi rumbling behind him. Unlocking his door for them, the one bedroom and living area loft that he called his home. He pondered the last time he’d changed his sheets and figured that Zhou Mi would never figure it out anyway. Zhou Mi was probably used to a higher thread count, or maybe nicer soap, but if he had time to think about those things while they got up to what Kyuhyun was anticipating, then they weren’t doing it right.
***
***
If there was one thing in Zhou Mi’s life that he was sure of, it was that there were always surprises. Like the fact that one stick-thin child could get a hobby that turned into a passion, that allowed him to tell a creature that weighed way more than he did what to do. And he was twenty years into that. A fact that was constantly amazing to him. As was the fact that he could see himself doing it for twenty years more. But his search for a new stable had led him several ways. And the looks of the stable representatives hadn’t factored in - he could’ve gone back to ask Kyuhyun out, but he wouldn’t keep his horses in a subpar location. Professional tour, close by, it had seemed everything worked out. And it was only after that, that he had really paid attention to what Kyuhyun looked like, versus what services he could provide. It was easy to catch Kyuhyun lost in a stare, and sometimes those had been directed his way. And the first easy attraction he’d had after their meeting had turned into something a little sharper. Less passive. More wondering.
And the surprise that Kyuhyun was open, to anything more? He hadn’t gone to the stable that night anticipating leaving with anything less than the acceptance of a date. Though following Kyuhyun up on the promise of sex didn’t feel like he was compromising those goals in the least.
Zhou Mi felt he had not appreciated the sight of a well-formed ass in jeans appropriately before just then. Sure, he liked jeans as well as the next guy, and he was absolutely all for beautiful butts in all varieties. But there something about having Kyuhyun walk up the stairs in front of him, in those ass-hugging jeans, that made the heat start rising up his neck. He didn’t much care if it meant he’d be clutching it, or pounding into it, just as long as he got out of his own pants to do it.
Skirting past furniture, they weren’t making any detours. Not what he’d anticipating when Kyuhyun had invited him. Maybe that they’d eat, or make plans. Curry down a horse? He’d had no idea. Kyuhyun, who had skidded past his previous offer of a movie, only to come to a full stop beside his bed. Turning, pressing. And opening his mouth against Zhou Mi’s.
Kyuhyun smelled of sweat and horses, and neither of those were a turnoff. Solid and warm against him, they bumped together as they backed the few inches to the bed. Kyuhyun was steadily, if awkwardly, undoing the buttons down the front of his shirt, and he shed it, before urging the cloth up Kyuhyun’s torso. Kyuhyun’s hair was mussed from it, but not for long, because Zhou Mi’s hands slid through it, anchoring them both into a deep, throbbing kiss.
The get-to-know-each-other option had been nearly bypassed, except for what they already knew. But to his brain, it led only one way. Kyuhyun and the hands grasping his waist. Kyuhyun and the sexy kiss. Kyuhyun and the erection grinding into his. He wanted sex, and he had a man who made him want it badly.
Kyuhyun pulled back, the sound wet, as he worked at Zhou Mi’s pants. And the teasing glance he sent up at Zhou Mi’s face had him bracing for some kind of joke.
“You like to ride ‘em cowboy, or do you prefer being taken along for the ride?”
He’d never been asked his preference quite so…strangely.
“I don’t like to limit myself,” Zhou Mi said, voice light as he worked his hand down the back of Kyuhyun’s underwear. And those lips quirked for him, drifting almost close enough to touch - before Zhou Mi’s body went taut. Kyuhyun’s hand gripping his erection through his pants.
“I guess we’ll wait and see what you have hidden here and then decide,” Kyuhyun said.
What he had hidden was not so different than what Kyuhyun had. More or less. Function, same, form unique to him alone. He wanted his pants off, and that was enough. Any more discussion wasn’t necessary. That’ll do, Kyuhyun had uttered, stroking along his cock.
He shifted with need, nudging Kyuhyun back onto the bed. A little breathless, Kyuhyun, hard, and ready. Zhou Mi didn’t know where to look first, from the wide shoulders and sculpted arms, or to the heaving belly and widened thighs. One day he’d suck off Kyuhyun, and tease those thighs, that belly button. But not that time. Air hissing through Kyuhyun’s teeth, though not in pain, as Zhou Mi slicked him inside. Tight around his finger, and relaxing for him, as Zhou Mi kept both of them hard. Kyuhyun’s mouth moved, but made no sounds, as though he wanted to ask for something and didn’t know how to. The bravado out of the bed, apparently didn’t extend into it. He found he liked that, at least. Maybe there was a thing or two they could show each other. And Kyuhyun would get comfortable enough with him to growl out his wants without reserve.
Kyuhyun’s eyes were wide, almost startlingly so, as Zhou Mi retrieved a condom and slid into him. Breath emerging in little puffs, one hand tight on Zhou Mi’s shoulder, the other tangled in the sheet. Hot. Tight. Impossibly gorgeous with Kyuhyun’s tongue peeking at his parted, full lips. The sound Kyuhyun made as Zhou Mi kissed him, had his hips twitching.
And even if Kyuhyun didn’t speak, it didn’t mean he didn’t move. Bucking with Zhou Mi’s thrusts, helping Zhou Mi to stroke him. Throwing his head back on a moan and baring that throat to Zhou Mi’s mouth. And he knew Kyuhyun was close from the throaty gasps, the desperate clutch of Kyuhyun’s hands on his back. Eyes unseeing, as his body gave and came. And Zhou Mi took that sight, and lasted little longer.
***
As soon as he figured out how to stop puffing his labored breaths into Kyuhyun’s collarbone, he pushed himself up. Pleased his muscles weren’t so overcome as to prevent that, and humming as he caught sight of the evidence on Kyuhyun’s stomach. Now that his brain was functioning, he got the little kick of pride that he still had it. If he’d managed to get Kyuhyun off, who seemed to want to be some paragon of unfettered sex, well… He had clearly done something right.
Though when he got his head up far enough, there was a sexy smirk tugging at Kyuhyun’s lips. And for some reason, seconds later, it had them both laughing, Kyuhyun smacking at his shoulder as they guffawed for no reason he understood. But it eased any awkwardness he might’ve felt. Sure, he knew Kyuhyun decently well. But what did someone do after having sex that they’d agreed would have no strings?
Zhou Mi eased away, getting his hip onto the mattress and feeling his muscles ease.
“Good thing you’re the one riding tomorrow and not me,” Kyuhyun joked.
It took a moment for that statement to sink in, and he looked up from where he was adjusting himself.
“Did I hurt you?”
“Nope,” Kyuhyun said, sitting up. “I’m just anticipating feeling pleasantly used tomorrow morning.”
And while Zhou Mi felt the urge to stretch out, relax, let the endorphins run, Kyuhyun was climbing over him, disappearing into the bathroom.
He had a suspicion his relaxing was going to be cut short, and getting confirmation when Kyuhyun emerged in a pair of shorts.
“Dinner time for me,” Kyuhyun said.
And the implication had Zhou Mi reaching for his underwear. Dinner time for Kyuhyun, but not for them both.
“I should get back so you can relax,” Zhou Mi said, as though that had been his plan from the beginning. “Morning practices will come early.”
He assured Kyuhyun that he knew how to close up after himself, though he knew without a doubt that Kyuhyun would go down to check anyway. He’d followed Kyuhyun up that staircase, to that bed, not to stay over. But merely for sex. Sleeping over in someone’s bed was not for a casual hookup. He didn’t get to see Kyuhyun when he woke up, when his breath was a little off, or if he squinted when he looked for his glasses. Those things were not Zhou Mi’s right, nor, it seemed, did Kyuhyun expect them to become so. But they’d see. It was only one session of rolling around in the sheets, and he closed the outer gate after his car, staring in at the barn. He didn’t regret it. There certainly wasn’t anything to regret as yet. But he also didn’t really understand Kyuhyun. There were mysteries behind that laugh, those curious eyes. He wanted to figure them out - even as he wasn’t sure he was supposed to.
***
There was something satisfying about waking up the morning after sex, Kyuhyun thought. And it had nothing to do with slapping at his alarm clock and hoping his groom showed up on time to get the day rolling. He could feel it. A little loose. A little well-pounded. It wasn’t like Zhou Mi was a muscleman, but it was obvious he had some strength in those arms and shoulders. Lifting tack, feed. Just in general being capable enough to get a horse around without getting bossed around himself. Considering that was what attracted him to Zhou Mi to start with, it was nice to know their interests meshed just as well between the sheets.
And the best part, no awkward morning after.
Okay, so he’d been pretty unsubtle getting Zhou Mi to leave. But at least it hadn’t been a long drawn out discussion about what they’d both liked, followed by a movie invite. Zhou Mi seemed to get it. All the benefits, and as little of the messy stuff as was possible. And that pleasant little buzz when Zhou Mi walked into the barn the next day with a smile on his face. Of course, that had been for the horse nickering at him, but still. The smile for Kyuhyun had come ten minutes later, and he was hardly trying to hide as he trundled down the center of the stable with a cart. And they had their usual greeting. A smile, and a nod or a wave. If Zhou Mi’s gaze lingered, and he raised his eyebrows - not seductive at all - no one was the wiser. He went about his business.
Zhou Mi had let him know he was heading out, passing Kyuhyun on the way to his car, and Kyuhyun gave his standard, “See you tomorrow.”
Simple. Easy. He didn’t give the exchange a second thought. Except perhaps that night, when he was relaxing and had a thought wondering if, when, they’d repeat it. It’d happen naturally. They’d talk, bring it up, he supposed. Not like he had to go after Zhou Mi with a box of condoms, wondering. He’d give it a few days.
And he did.
***
Sweat was pouring down his back as he shoveled shavings, the afternoon getting almost unpleasantly warm all of a sudden. Reminding him all too well that summer was nearing. The horses were all fine, in the shade, while he did the manual labor. Too bad he didn’t mind so much.
A muffled shout from outside got his attention, and he stepped away from the stall, closing it. No sound like that tended to mean a good sign.
One of the riders was there, in her helmet, holding the reins of a clearly nervous horse. Only…her own horse was standing calmly near a railing.
“Oh, Kyuhyun. He just came galloping off the trail without a rider. Isn’t this…?”
Dahua. Zhou Mi’s horse. Zhou Mi, who had let him know - safety precaution - that he was going out onto the trails.
“Henry’s right inside. Give Dahua to him so Henry can make sure he’s okay. I’m going to go find Zhou Mi.”
She nodded, earnestly, and he double checked for his cell phone and key ring. The four wheeler they kept for checking up on the trails started up under his touch, and he eased onto the trail. He wanted to gun it, but didn’t want to frighten the horses, or risk his own health before he could make sure Zhou Mi was okay.
It was the odd horseman who hadn’t found himself one moment on a horse’s back, and the next on the ground. Those were inconsequential, or dangerous. He scanned both sides of the trail, going along at a fair clip. Every curve he went around had his blood pressure rising.
But luckily he didn’t actually run over Zhou Mi. He was quite easy to spot, actually, walking down the middle of the trail like he had nothing better to do in his his white shirt and fawn breeches. Though Kyuhyun saw the relief, as Kyuhyun pulled to a stop and idled beside him.
“You having a nice walk out here?” he asked, noting Zhou Mi wasn’t limping.
“Fantastic. Dahua went back?”
Just like him - to ask about the horse first.
“Yes. He came back alone, and I set off to find you. Henry will be looking over him, making sure he’s okay. And you’re okay?”
“I’ll probably feel not okay tomorrow, but yeah, mostly. It seemed like a whole flock of birds came out of this bush. I think I was more startled than he was. I tensed, like an idiot, and he went up, and I went down.”
“It happens. Hop on, and we’ll go back. I’ll take you to the hospital if you want.”
“I’ll think about it. I don’t think so, though. I want to see Dahua first.”
“Of course.”
And his heart settled into what was mostly a normal rhythm, as Zhou Mi climbed on behind him and he got them turned back for the stable. Dahua’s tack was off, and Henry waiting anxiously for them when they pulled up. But the horse was fine, getting extra cooing and pats and reassurance from Zhou Mi. It was lovely to see that bond, Dahua nosing into Zhou Mi’s chest for more.
He’d practically had to force Zhou Mi to leave, promising, all but signing in blood, that he’d call Zhou Mi if he saw any sign of lameness. Getting Dahua settled in, totally unperturbed by what had happened. He was pretty sure Zhou Mi would have him back on the trail again, to make sure there were no fears. A freak accident, it had been. A freak accident that had left Kyuhyun a bit wrung out. But he’d finished his part of the mucking, stopping in to give Dahua a pat every so often.
Zhou Mi’s younger horse wanted attention, too. Dahua was clearly further along in his training, but Zhou Mi seemed to have patience for the both of them.
He thought about Zhou Mi, wondered how he was feeling, in the middle of feeding his face. All it would’ve taken was a text to find out, really, but he had no precedent to do so, even if he had Zhou Mi’s number.
And he realized there was a downside, to the casual thing. Just a small one.
Though Zhou Mi fixed that, leaving a short message on the office phone. A cheerful message letting “Kyuhyun and Henry” know he was fine, that nothing was amiss. And thanking them for their help. He didn’t listen to the message twice, so much as one and a half times. And he left it, for the alternate number Zhou Mi provided in case Kyuhyun needed to reach him regarding Dahua. Ignoring that he also wrote the number down, and added it to his phone. But he went to sleep without worries.
***
Zhou Mi dreamed all through the night of Dahua, and falling, and then fighting to get comfortable. He knew that Kyuhyun would have called immediately. Kyuhyun had, after Zhou Mi had inspected every inch of Dahua, assured him that he would be looked in on and checked out often. And Kyuhyun was as earnest as he was capable. There had been no heat in Dahua’s legs, no signs of lameness. He’d had a startle and a wild romp, and Zhou Mi had gotten back up on him as Henry led them around just to get a more pleasant riding experience back in both their heads before Kyuhyun had mostly forced him to go. The way Kyuhyun had stared, Zhou Mi had wondered if Kyuhyun had wanted to make sure he wasn’t lame as well. But he had demonstrated he could walk, and hadn’t hit his head, so at least he’d been allowed to leave on his own. So he’d drank a little, and nursed his aches, and slept poorly.
But watching Dahua’s big head swing out as he approached the barn made the memory of the long night seem a little more distant.
“Hi buddy,” he said, petting the soft neck. And laughed as Dahua nosed him hard in the chest. “Greedy boy. You can smell I have something for you, can’t you?”
Dahua seemed to nod, but was clearly a way of telling Zhou Mi to hurry up and fork over the carrots in his pocket. And his friend was contentedly crunching on the carrots, giving the rest to Zhu. He still had horse slobber on his hands when he turned. Kyuhyun had just hung one of the horse blankets over a stall door, and was looking at him. Kind of like a scientist with a rat. No, he wasn’t going to explode. But the concern was still nice.
“Dahua had a quiet night,” Kyuhyun said, approaching. “I came down and checked on him after everything was quiet.”
“Thank you, really. I knew he was in good hands.” And it was clearly the truth. He just was glad his mistake hadn’t set them back, injury-wise. They’d see how they were under saddle again. “Can we talk in your office for a moment?”
Kyuhyun agreed, walking down the row of stalls with him. “How do you feel today?”
Zhou Mi grinned, and couldn’t help himself. “Like I fell off a horse.”
“That is surprising.”
But after Kyuhyun’s joke, they entered the office, and Zhou Mi closed the door behind himself. He had a lot of words of thanks, but he also wanted to show it as well. Show Kyuhyun how much he appreciated his help, and the peace of mind that Kyuhyun had given him. Kyuhyun didn’t move to the desk, merely standing, waiting for Zhou Mi to tell him what the move had been about.
And Kyuhyun didn’t shy away, as Zhou Mi leaned in. Kissed him. He didn’t have to wait for an answer, because the question hadn’t really been asked. But Kyuhyun still met him halfway. And cleared his throat as Zhou Mi pulled back, lips twitching at the expression on Kyuhyun’s face.
“What was that for?”
“What, you don’t have friends kiss you to thank you?” Zhou Mi teased.
“No, I definitely-” and Kyuhyun had to pause as Zhou Mi’s mouth brushed his one more time. “- don’t.”
“First time for everything. Thank you. For everything, really.”
“It’s my job. Most people just send a card, but…”
Kyuhyun was smiling, however, as he tugged Zhou Mi just that much closer, to kiss again. It had only been a few days, and it didn’t seem like there had been much to miss. One night of making out and sex shouldn’t have made kissing Kyuhyun feel that lovely. He didn’t belong there, and was pretty sure Kyuhyun had no plans to make that be reality. But that didn’t stop them from angling their faces together. Though, they had to very carefully stop. He knew Kyuhyun had things to do. And he had two horses in need of his attention. And it wasn’t like they could lock the door, or go upstairs, and take care of things if they got turned on.
“Thank you, anyway,” Zhou Mi said, patting his back. “That’s what I meant to say.”
Kyuhyun cleared his throat. “Appreciated. You should come by when you’re feeling less sore. We’ll give you a new reason to be. A better one.”
“I’ll do that. I’ll let you know.”
And the conversation they had wasn’t in words, a flirting of the eyes, lifted eyebrows. And he went out first, gathering tack and working out some of his stiffness. He was leading Dahua out to ride when he caught sight of Kyuhyun at the other end of the stable, with buckets in his hands. It gave him a reason to smile.
***
Author: Coley Merrin
Pairing: Zhou Mi/Kyuhyun
Rating: NC-17
Genre: AU, Romance, fluff
Summary: The newest client of the stable Kyuhyun oversees is nothing short of intriguing. His reason tells him no, but he’s willing to go halfway and no further - if Zhou M is willing to let him stop.
A/N: Just a small romp with horses. Carry on~
***
***
Zhou Mi wasn’t the kind of person who went around meeting people without leaving impressions.
And that wasn’t really the first thing Kyuhyun remembered about Zhou Mi. Sure, he remembered the skin tight designer jeans and diamond studs, but those kind of stood out in any situation. He’d come up with a label almost immediately Spoiled Rich Boy. Looking to drop his two well-bred horses off so he could come poke at them now and again.
Okay, so first impressions weren’t always the best ones. But Zhou Mi’s horses had arrived, and Kyuhyun’s routine had gone on. And Zhou Mi, no matter how many times he showed up to ride, or the glimpses Kyuhyun got of him, was generally pushed back into his “work” pile.
No, the first thing Kyuhyun really remembered about Zhou Mi, was the day Kyuhyun accidentally knocked Zhou Mi ass-first into a pile of horse shit.
Those kind of moments, when he, as stable manager, knocked a client to the ground? Those kind of stuck. And the ground wasn’t exactly soft, though what ground was. So he had a man with limbs to the four winds, and himself in the middle of a heart attack. And Zhou Mi’s face seemed to be trying to become some sort of bizarre figure eight.
And then Zhou Mi had laughed. It had been raucous enough to get a few horses to turn their heads, and in Kyuhyun’s horrified state - he could see the pile of poop expanding horizontally - he had almost hiccuped a giggle. And then he’d remembered to extend his hands, after putting down the hoof pick and file he’d been carrying. He could pick those up later. Making sure the person who paid money not to be knocked down needed his attention first.
“Are you hurt?” he asked, offering a hand, and prepared to grab Zhou Mi’s elbow.
“I think the…pile…cushioned my fall,” Zhou Mi joked, and tried to gather his legs under him.
Well. At least it wasn’t cow shit. There was that. Or pig. Or… Well. Yes, horse was preferable.
“Not the first time I got personal with horse poop,” Zhou Mi said, and grunted, as their combined efforts got him upright. “And at least it wasn’t cow poop!”
His mouth was trembling out of control. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you. You sure you’re okay?”
Zhou Mi nodded, wiggling his hips. “Don’t worry! Really. You should’ve seen your face. I’d touch to find out, but maybe… after I change. I feel okay, though. I’ve taken harder spills.”
Of course, no one actually wanted to touch their poop-encountered backside. And the stupid thing was? It was still an attractive rear view as Zhou Mi walked carefully off to get his bag, to go to the provided shower and change. Hey, at least the pile hadn’t been especially fresh.
He was pretty sure Zhou Mi thought he was a klutz and a spaz after that episode. But if he had any chance of forgetting who Zhou Mi was after that, it had been totally obliterated.
***
The sounds of a stable were almost as familiar as breathing to Kyuhyun. The occasional snort or stomp, the rustle of hay pulled from a net, or the grinding crunch of grain. A blunt hip scratching an itch, or a tail flick against the slick boards. He had spent his formative years tottering after his mother in stables much like the one he oversaw. She would let him ride in front of her, and he had pictures of himself on a pony almost before he had been able to walk, thick glasses, big smile and all. So he’d grown up napping to the sounds, the smells. The power of the gentle animals, and the companionship. His mother competed, but he had not, when he had gotten past his teens. He was content to be that person who made sure the horses were cared for. It was hard work. But it was calming to him, as he walked down from his above-stable apartment every morning.
Curry buckets hung beside each stall, lead ropes and halters above that. Owners were particular about such things. Depending on the muck-out schedules, it smelled of manure and acrid urine. But over that, sweet grass hay, straw and shavings, liniment and saddle oil. And the scent of the horses themselves. And that was the real treasure. It smelled, looked, and sounded like a horse barn. And that was all Kyuhyun needed.
Or he was pretty sure about that, anyway.
Most of Kyuhyun’s frustrations came from the people, not the horses. The horses did what they were used to. The owners bitched, moaned, complained, and tried to upset Kyuhyun’s otherwise normal schedule. Hassling some for on-time board payments, and soothing others that their precious baby on four legs was actually just fine. And it sounded condescending, but he’d be the one worrying three times as hard if he knew something was wrong. He oversaw when the horses ate, and how much, guided by owners and the veterinarian on call. He mucked out stalls, bathed horses, hailed them down from the fields, scratched noses, and held a lot of human hands. He didn’t own the place, but he sure as hell wasn’t there for the people.
***
There was something special about Zhou Mi, though Kyuhyun dismissed it at first. Maybe it was his posture, or the line of his back. The fact that his legs weren’t quite exactly straight in his tall riding boots and breeches. Some of the owners who frequented the stable were not too involved in the care of their horses, and they paid a premium for the care of them. But Zhou Mi was not one of those.
He remembered interviewing some prospective clients. Showing them around the barn, the grounds. Some he remembered because they were demanding, or perhaps particularly kind. He knew why he remembered Zhou Mi far beyond that. And that wasn’t even entirely about having been a clumsy ox in Zhou Mi’s presence.
It was hard to miss it, as Zhou Mi stood at the edge of one his horse’s stalls, and basically gave the curious horse kisses on its soft nose through the bars. But Kyuhyun steered his concentration back to bridle he was mending. Just to focus on anything besides men who looked good in riding clothes, and definitely not men who were overly fond of their horses.
And to give the man credit, he didn’t pick at Kyuhyun. He saw his horses were being fed properly, that their stalls were cleaned with efficient regularity, that they were turned out each day for plenty of exercise and grazing when Zhou Mi himself wasn’t there to see to it himself. And that was actually fairly infrequent. Both of Zhou Mi’s horses were under saddle and working to some extent, just about every day.
And he didn’t even hold it against Zhou Mi, that every so often he’d hold his hands up and back away in mock surrender as Kyuhyun approached. As though Kyuhyun was going to go out of his way to knock Zhou Mi, of all people, over.
He just stuck his nose up and kept walking. His ass wasn’t that big.
***
“Zhou Mi is amazing,” Henry, one of the stable grooms, said, stopping at Kyuhyun’s side with a wheelbarrow filled with hay.
“He’s also a customer,” Kyuhyun responded automatically, until he realized Henry was giving him a strange look. As if to ask, what did that mean? He didn’t try and back out of it, just looking at Henry with raised eyebrows until Henry continued.
“You’ve watched him ride, right? He’s really amazing. I know we’ve had some professional riders before, but did you see him taking jumps yesterday? It makes me wish I’d taken more lessons.”
Kyuhyun hadn’t seen Zhou Mi taking jumps the day before, but he had on other occasions. The long torso leaning over the horse’s neck as they propelled into the air. Legs in tight riding breeches, steady seat in the saddle. Zhou Mi patting the horse’s neck in appreciation as they finished their round. It was a joy to watch a horseman at his business, and Zhou Mi seemed more at home on the horse’s back than he was on the ground. Though he supposed he’d only seen Zhou Mi nearly trip over a bucket once.
And if he’d thought Henry’d been talking about something less professional than Zhou Mi’s riding abilities, well. His libido was hardly down for the count, no matter how many months had passed since he’d had anything but his own hand. And Zhou Mi and his tight pants and long fingers didn’t inspire his body to whimper and lie down. Unless it was in anticipation. And even that seemed unwise, considering. Zhou Mi was a client. And he definitely didn’t ogle his other clients that way. Given, many of them were older couples, or women, or men he wasn’t really into. And there was no ignoring, when Zhou Mi rode, how nice those legs looked against the horse’s side. How straight he sat, how attentive he was to the occasional trainer. And the way he treated his horses, yes.
Who knew kindness could be a turn-on. Even if the only thing he could see being possible between him, the guy who made sure stalls were mucked out, and Zhou Mi - the guy who was clearly going somewhere in the world of equestrian sports, was…well. A one night stand at most. Anything else got complicated, and messy, and he didn’t want to lose his job over a man.
And after he figured out all of that, of course that was when Zhou Mi started actually speaking to him. Falling into step with him as he walked toward the little office at one end of the barn.
“I’m so glad the weather’s perked up a little,” Zhou Mi said. “It was getting old having to layer up so much just to ride. And the trails are almost clear again, right?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Occasionally the trails got a little out of order during the turbulent winter months, but the maintenance crew had been hard at work for weeks. One more load off of his shoulders. He didn’t want someone’s horse to get hit with a falling branch, or worse. It was hard enough at times to keep up with the little maintenance issues in the stable itself.
“I’ll have to reward myself after this week. Maybe a movie. Dahua really worked hard today. But I think he was fine with the carrots I had for him.”
“They usually are. I don’t remember the last time I saw a movie in the theater,” Kyuhyun mused.
It was only after it had left his mouth that he realized that it had sounded almost as though he were fishing for information, or worse, for an invitation. Zhou Mi seemed genuinely surprised.
“Really?” Zhou Mi asked.
“Yeah, I don’t get out much. Can’t take a horse to a movie, right?”
Zhou Mi laughed so explosively that Kyuhyun was afraid for his lungs for a moment.
“No, that’s true. And there aren’t hitching posts outside, either.”
He picked up his clipboard checklist for the day, seeing what was next and what he could do on his own, and listened politely as Zhou Mi spoke about the kinds of movies he liked. There were some gruesome horror movie faces in there, and he found himself laughing at the strange stories. Horror movies, who knew? It didn’t bother him that Zhou Mi stood close, using the desk as a prop as he demonstrated how he’d cowered and shook. And somehow came out of all of that with a smile, which was bizarre to both of them.
“And you don’t have nightmares?” he wondered out loud, checking off that he’d inspected the watering system.
“Sometimes! But I learned how to get back to sleep quickly. You do get some nights off, right?” Zhou Mi asked, as though he thought Kyuhyun were chained to the stalls by his ankle after the sun went down.
“Yes?”
Zhou Mi smiled, the expression brightening his face from the neck up. “Let me know when you have time off. Maybe we can go see something.”
And with that, Zhou Mi waved and headed toward the showers.
What had that policy been again? No sex with clients? No flirting with clients? No anything with clients?
Did it count if the client was the one who came on to him?
***
Even mountains could be worn down through erosion. Most of Kyuhyun’s days did center around the stables, like trying to make sure the stalls were filled. So he didn’t have a lot of time to just sit around and think about oh, hey, he wanted sex. He was manning a wheelbarrow, or making sure the right people were showing up for their time in the rings. Lessons, pony classes. Turnouts, muckings. By the time he actually finished, he usually had enough energy to shower, eat, and throw himself at his computer for watching shows or gaming.
The stable was not the newest and brightest thing, built before it would’ve cost a fortune to do so. It held up to 12 horses, on land that sported riding trails, turnout pastures and pens for training and lessons. Inside, there were the box stalls, automatic waterers. A place to saddle up, and wash down. A half sized indoor arena for times when the weather was bad. There was a tiny, if functional bathroom, for those who needed to shower after working their horses, and another for any emergency bathroom breaks.
Ironically it was those bathrooms that caused him some pain. And contributed to that erosion. After Zhou Mi came in from a ride, he always showered before he left. Kyuhyun wasn’t always aware of it, depending on where he was in the stable. And it wasn’t as though it happened at the same time every day. But he still saw, when Zhou Mi emerged with his bag, and in a sweater and jeans. His hair just a little bit damp, and looking oddly not like what he expected in someone who spent their days dirty and covered in horse snot. After their horse poop bonding experience, Zhou Mi had taken to waving at him as he left. Which was fine. He was not totally antisocial. But after he’d spent way too long wondering if Zhou Mi had actually been trying to ask him out, or if it was a friendly gesture.
Well, friendly gesture or not, he still had eyes. And those eyes caught every pair of boots, tight jeans, and awful sweaters.
And it still had him trying to shove Zhou Mi out of his fantasies at night.
What could he say? Go away? Stop talking about your horses? And it was always conversational, and sometimes excitable. Usually not annoying, because he wasn’t trying to think about anything more than washing something down. And sometimes it was amusing, even. Kept him from staying in his own head. When Zhou Mi saw another owner approaching, he gave way and either left or wandered, until the coast was clear. It actually felt like Zhou Mi was interested in talking to him, and he didn’t mean that quite like it sounded. He was interesting enough. But Zhou Mi, from all his rich-boy, high strung first impressions, was not usually the type that flocked to Kyuhyun-who-smelled-like-horses. Though from one horseman to another, the smell was hardly a bad one. That was what gave credence against his mental scoffing. That maybe Zhou Mi wasn’t just bored and trying to go slumming. Though that might have been painting Zhou Mi as less genuine than even Kyuhyun’s questioning mind could conjure.
***
Kyuhyun’s boyfriend, the last one, hadn’t really lived up to the term. They’d been less “boyfriends” than they had been “occasional date and hookup partners.” And it had been fine, really. There hadn’t been a lot of mutual interests. The guy wasn’t into horses, and found Kyuhyun’s job to be rather menial. But he’d made decent conversation, and sucked like a pro. Probably the last ability that had kept the relationship going as long as it had. There hadn’t been any hard feelings when they’d broken up, six months in. The distance and lack of interest had been palpable, and Kyuhyun had begun thinking that another guy was in the mix. But after six months, he’d barely known more than what they’d figured out on the first hookup. He missed the sex, but any connection had been purely imaginary.
Watching Zhou Mi, he let his mind consider it. If Zhou Mi was interested, he didn’t think he’d be the kind of guy to just let a relationship float along. If Zhou Mi had come onto him at say, the grocery store, he’d have been intrigued. Probably more than a little, really. Again, with that part about Zhou Mi never making a small impression. It would’ve been a lot less complicated that way. The business, he preached to himself. And glanced up at the sound of a familiar voice.
Conversation, among grooms or clients, wasn’t unusual. But he’d learned to pick out Zhou Mi’s voice pretty easily. It wasn’t hard, when it usually was accompanied by the very distinctive laugh. But when Zhou Mi was walking with a woman, that was more unusual. And Kyuhyun knew her, another of the stable’s clients. He let his eyes slip up Zhou Mi’s casual riding breeches, to turn back to his polishing.
He wasn’t eavesdropping. He was just…alert to trouble, that was all. And that was how he heard the laughter, and the subtle flirting. From her end, because he didn’t think he was totally stupid where women were concerned. And also Zhou Mi making what seemed like a very natural excuse. He had things to discuss with Kyuhyun.
He spotted Zhou Mi’s boots first, looking up with what he hoped was a pleasantly interested face.
“Ready for the papers?”
Zhou Mi blinked at him. “I…Um. Yes?”
He jerked his head, indicated Zhou Mi should follow, and led him to the little corner office. Where there was at least moderate privacy with the door kicked closed.
“You knew,” Zhou Mi said, collapsing into the chair.
“Hard to miss. I don’t know if you know it, but I think she likes you.”
Zhou Mi laughed, almost curling in on himself. “I caught it. I mean, she’s very nice. And an accomplished horsewoman, but- I don’t… You know?”
“Do I know that guys who try to ask me out typically aren’t into women? Yeah. But if she’s really bugging you, I’m sure there are protocols for these things. I could talk to her or something.”
Having that thoughtful gaze on him made him more than a little uncomfortable, but he did his damnedest not to let that show as Zhou Mi smiled.
“No. She’s very friendly, but I think I can head her off. But… Since you knew I was asking you for a date, does that mean you’d be interested?”
Did he go with the truth? I don’t think interested is putting too fine a point on it. Evasion? You kidding? Guys come onto me at the stable every day of the week. You’re ten down the list, buddy.
So Kyuhyun settled on a time-honored habit - procrastination.
“You busy later?”
“No?”
He leaned back in his chair. “It’s pretty quiet here after the horses are all fed and everyone’s gone. You should come by.”
It’d give him a few hours to figure out how - if - he wanted to respond to Zhou Mi’s obviously renewed advance. Though Zhou Mi clearly took it as something else, the way his eyebrows winged up.
“I’m too busy to talk now,” he clarified.
And it was almost perfect timing, after several seconds of awkward silence, and Zhou Mi clearly trying to formulate a reply, that the phone rang. He put on his best polite smile, and his business voice and answered the phone. Gesturing that Zhou Mi was free to go as he talked to his hay supplier. Not that it called for high security, but with any luck Zhou Mi would be out the door before he coordinated his schedule.
But he managed to flash his fingers to indicate when he’d expect to see Zhou Mi. And Zhou Mi smiled giving him a cute finger wave.
And it wasn’t his fault he kept his eyes on Zhou Mi’s backside until it disappeared.
***
Kyuhyun ate his dinner, did his tidying. And the buzz of the sporty little car’s engine was easy to pick up, even with the occasional stomps and sounds of horses eating. He hadn’t come to any startling conclusions in the hours since he’d last seen Zhou Mi in the stable’s office. Sanity on one side saying he had no idea what the hell he was doing. Interest on the other saying it wasn’t a big deal, especially if Zhou Mi wasn’t all dramatic about it. Casual he could do. Casual meant he didn’t have to worry about calling, or texting, or whatever people did when they were dating. Maybe his last relationship had allowed him to get lazy, but Zhou Mi was funneling money into the stable’s bank account. He was idiot to risk anything at all.
Casual also meant the possibility of sex, which he couldn’t say he was against.
The smaller inset door opened, and Zhou Mi poked his head through. Grinning as he spotted Kyuhyun, who’d just put aside the rake he’d been using.
“Glad I got the time right,” Zhou Mi said. “Hi.”
“Hey. Come on back.”
And he still hadn’t made a decision. Not really. Even as Zhou Mi walked along beside him after cooing at his horses for a moment, he hadn’t really figured it out. It wasn’t quite like going into Waterloo without a gun, but he’d have preferred to have some kind of a mental boundary. Though he realized just by inviting Zhou Mi, he’d set the boundary. It wasn’t like they were in his bed, but he didn’t invite guys over. Not even guys who wore diamond studs and looked like runway models.
And had stupid, clever eyes.
“So, we were going to talk,” Kyuhyun said, and leaned back against the cabinet he used to store first aid supplies.
Zhou Mi’s mouth tugged into a smile. “I’m glad you asked me over. Actually, I’ve been kind of hoping for a while.”
“It’s complicated.”
And that seemed like the understatement of the year, though Zhou Mi seemed to understand what he meant. That fact actually calmed him.
“I know. You being in charge of the stables, and I’m a client.” And Zhou Mi ticked off a few more reasons, and their repercussions. “But we’re both adults. I just want a chance to get to know you.”
“I’m not really in the market for something major right now,” Kyuhyun said. And there were so many reasons. Even with Zhou Mi’s cutely optimistic view of whatever it was he wanted. The euphemism was easier. “If you’re looking for something casual, with some sex, fine. If you’re looking for complicated, some kind of romance, hearts and flowers, okay, you’re looking in the wrong place.”
Zhou Mi’s brow furrowed as though he was puzzled, but his voice didn’t sound so. “So you won’t sleep with me if you think I want more?”
The laugh bubbled, and he realized that Zhou Mi was more tenacious than he might have seemed.
“I’d still sleep with you. If you want to think you can change my mind, that’s on your time.”
“I don’t just sleep with every guy that catches my attention,” Zhou Mi clarified.
“Yeah, me either. But you should go in with your eyes open.”
The smile on Zhou Mi’s face was almost inscrutable. “I think I can do that.”
Even as Zhou Mi’s eyes laughed at him, they were surprised as he realized Kyuhyun was approaching with purpose. Zhou Mi, in the room he did so much work in. Almost right below his bed. His pretty green shirt collar was parted, showing part of a necklace and a white undershirt with the hint of chest. Maybe he’d dressed carefully, knowing they’d be meeting. Kyuhyun was still in his work clothes, but just the scent of Zhou Mi’s cologne had a clutch of arousal simmering in him. Zhou Mi’s chest, warm, where Kyuhyun’s hand planted against it.
“So you want to have sex or not?”
He didn’t bother waiting for a response, figuring Zhou Mi’s body would tell him all that he needed to know anyway. And so it was, Zhou Mi leaning into the sloppily-laid kiss, hands slipping along Kyuhyun’s sides, his hips. Coming to fist at Kyuhyun’s back and pulling him into his body. And Kyuhyun wasn’t resisting, grabbing Zhou Mi’s butt, and taking a slow grind. Barely any friction at all, but it earned him a moan. And there was something so earnest and needy in that single, rising sound, that he couldn’t help but want another.
“I’m clean,” Zhou Mi muttered, and made Kyuhyun grin. Sex it was then.
“Me too,” he said, puffing against Zhou Mi’s mouth. “I have stuff upstairs.”
“Good.”
Though Kyuhyun wasn’t exactly sure how they were going to get upstairs, with the way Zhou Mi was sucking at his lip.
And responsibility trickled through him, breaking the kiss and trying for breathing again.
“I have to- I have to check that everything is locked up, and make sure the horses are secure.”
Zhou Mi nodded in understanding, letting go of Kyuhyun’s jacket.
“Tell me what to do, if I can help.”
He set Zhou Mi to an organizational task as Kyuhyun went to lock the gates, closing up the barn doors. His habit was to visit each stall, checking on the state of food and water, and that the stall door was secured. Zhou Mi could have done that also, but it was his nightly ritual, and he wanted to blame no one but himself should anything go wrong. Probably a sign he needed to let go a little, but hell. He hadn’t even slept with Zhou Mi yet. Trust came later, even if Zhou Mi did care for his horses more than any owner Kyuhyun had seen so far.
Everything was neatly put back together and on the shelves, when he made it back into the room.
“Let’s go up then?” Kyuhyun suggested, and Zhou Mi gave a very curt, agreeing nod. He’d calmed enough in his pants to be able to jog up the stairs, hearing Zhou Mi rumbling behind him. Unlocking his door for them, the one bedroom and living area loft that he called his home. He pondered the last time he’d changed his sheets and figured that Zhou Mi would never figure it out anyway. Zhou Mi was probably used to a higher thread count, or maybe nicer soap, but if he had time to think about those things while they got up to what Kyuhyun was anticipating, then they weren’t doing it right.
***
***
If there was one thing in Zhou Mi’s life that he was sure of, it was that there were always surprises. Like the fact that one stick-thin child could get a hobby that turned into a passion, that allowed him to tell a creature that weighed way more than he did what to do. And he was twenty years into that. A fact that was constantly amazing to him. As was the fact that he could see himself doing it for twenty years more. But his search for a new stable had led him several ways. And the looks of the stable representatives hadn’t factored in - he could’ve gone back to ask Kyuhyun out, but he wouldn’t keep his horses in a subpar location. Professional tour, close by, it had seemed everything worked out. And it was only after that, that he had really paid attention to what Kyuhyun looked like, versus what services he could provide. It was easy to catch Kyuhyun lost in a stare, and sometimes those had been directed his way. And the first easy attraction he’d had after their meeting had turned into something a little sharper. Less passive. More wondering.
And the surprise that Kyuhyun was open, to anything more? He hadn’t gone to the stable that night anticipating leaving with anything less than the acceptance of a date. Though following Kyuhyun up on the promise of sex didn’t feel like he was compromising those goals in the least.
Zhou Mi felt he had not appreciated the sight of a well-formed ass in jeans appropriately before just then. Sure, he liked jeans as well as the next guy, and he was absolutely all for beautiful butts in all varieties. But there something about having Kyuhyun walk up the stairs in front of him, in those ass-hugging jeans, that made the heat start rising up his neck. He didn’t much care if it meant he’d be clutching it, or pounding into it, just as long as he got out of his own pants to do it.
Skirting past furniture, they weren’t making any detours. Not what he’d anticipating when Kyuhyun had invited him. Maybe that they’d eat, or make plans. Curry down a horse? He’d had no idea. Kyuhyun, who had skidded past his previous offer of a movie, only to come to a full stop beside his bed. Turning, pressing. And opening his mouth against Zhou Mi’s.
Kyuhyun smelled of sweat and horses, and neither of those were a turnoff. Solid and warm against him, they bumped together as they backed the few inches to the bed. Kyuhyun was steadily, if awkwardly, undoing the buttons down the front of his shirt, and he shed it, before urging the cloth up Kyuhyun’s torso. Kyuhyun’s hair was mussed from it, but not for long, because Zhou Mi’s hands slid through it, anchoring them both into a deep, throbbing kiss.
The get-to-know-each-other option had been nearly bypassed, except for what they already knew. But to his brain, it led only one way. Kyuhyun and the hands grasping his waist. Kyuhyun and the sexy kiss. Kyuhyun and the erection grinding into his. He wanted sex, and he had a man who made him want it badly.
Kyuhyun pulled back, the sound wet, as he worked at Zhou Mi’s pants. And the teasing glance he sent up at Zhou Mi’s face had him bracing for some kind of joke.
“You like to ride ‘em cowboy, or do you prefer being taken along for the ride?”
He’d never been asked his preference quite so…strangely.
“I don’t like to limit myself,” Zhou Mi said, voice light as he worked his hand down the back of Kyuhyun’s underwear. And those lips quirked for him, drifting almost close enough to touch - before Zhou Mi’s body went taut. Kyuhyun’s hand gripping his erection through his pants.
“I guess we’ll wait and see what you have hidden here and then decide,” Kyuhyun said.
What he had hidden was not so different than what Kyuhyun had. More or less. Function, same, form unique to him alone. He wanted his pants off, and that was enough. Any more discussion wasn’t necessary. That’ll do, Kyuhyun had uttered, stroking along his cock.
He shifted with need, nudging Kyuhyun back onto the bed. A little breathless, Kyuhyun, hard, and ready. Zhou Mi didn’t know where to look first, from the wide shoulders and sculpted arms, or to the heaving belly and widened thighs. One day he’d suck off Kyuhyun, and tease those thighs, that belly button. But not that time. Air hissing through Kyuhyun’s teeth, though not in pain, as Zhou Mi slicked him inside. Tight around his finger, and relaxing for him, as Zhou Mi kept both of them hard. Kyuhyun’s mouth moved, but made no sounds, as though he wanted to ask for something and didn’t know how to. The bravado out of the bed, apparently didn’t extend into it. He found he liked that, at least. Maybe there was a thing or two they could show each other. And Kyuhyun would get comfortable enough with him to growl out his wants without reserve.
Kyuhyun’s eyes were wide, almost startlingly so, as Zhou Mi retrieved a condom and slid into him. Breath emerging in little puffs, one hand tight on Zhou Mi’s shoulder, the other tangled in the sheet. Hot. Tight. Impossibly gorgeous with Kyuhyun’s tongue peeking at his parted, full lips. The sound Kyuhyun made as Zhou Mi kissed him, had his hips twitching.
And even if Kyuhyun didn’t speak, it didn’t mean he didn’t move. Bucking with Zhou Mi’s thrusts, helping Zhou Mi to stroke him. Throwing his head back on a moan and baring that throat to Zhou Mi’s mouth. And he knew Kyuhyun was close from the throaty gasps, the desperate clutch of Kyuhyun’s hands on his back. Eyes unseeing, as his body gave and came. And Zhou Mi took that sight, and lasted little longer.
***
As soon as he figured out how to stop puffing his labored breaths into Kyuhyun’s collarbone, he pushed himself up. Pleased his muscles weren’t so overcome as to prevent that, and humming as he caught sight of the evidence on Kyuhyun’s stomach. Now that his brain was functioning, he got the little kick of pride that he still had it. If he’d managed to get Kyuhyun off, who seemed to want to be some paragon of unfettered sex, well… He had clearly done something right.
Though when he got his head up far enough, there was a sexy smirk tugging at Kyuhyun’s lips. And for some reason, seconds later, it had them both laughing, Kyuhyun smacking at his shoulder as they guffawed for no reason he understood. But it eased any awkwardness he might’ve felt. Sure, he knew Kyuhyun decently well. But what did someone do after having sex that they’d agreed would have no strings?
Zhou Mi eased away, getting his hip onto the mattress and feeling his muscles ease.
“Good thing you’re the one riding tomorrow and not me,” Kyuhyun joked.
It took a moment for that statement to sink in, and he looked up from where he was adjusting himself.
“Did I hurt you?”
“Nope,” Kyuhyun said, sitting up. “I’m just anticipating feeling pleasantly used tomorrow morning.”
And while Zhou Mi felt the urge to stretch out, relax, let the endorphins run, Kyuhyun was climbing over him, disappearing into the bathroom.
He had a suspicion his relaxing was going to be cut short, and getting confirmation when Kyuhyun emerged in a pair of shorts.
“Dinner time for me,” Kyuhyun said.
And the implication had Zhou Mi reaching for his underwear. Dinner time for Kyuhyun, but not for them both.
“I should get back so you can relax,” Zhou Mi said, as though that had been his plan from the beginning. “Morning practices will come early.”
He assured Kyuhyun that he knew how to close up after himself, though he knew without a doubt that Kyuhyun would go down to check anyway. He’d followed Kyuhyun up that staircase, to that bed, not to stay over. But merely for sex. Sleeping over in someone’s bed was not for a casual hookup. He didn’t get to see Kyuhyun when he woke up, when his breath was a little off, or if he squinted when he looked for his glasses. Those things were not Zhou Mi’s right, nor, it seemed, did Kyuhyun expect them to become so. But they’d see. It was only one session of rolling around in the sheets, and he closed the outer gate after his car, staring in at the barn. He didn’t regret it. There certainly wasn’t anything to regret as yet. But he also didn’t really understand Kyuhyun. There were mysteries behind that laugh, those curious eyes. He wanted to figure them out - even as he wasn’t sure he was supposed to.
***
There was something satisfying about waking up the morning after sex, Kyuhyun thought. And it had nothing to do with slapping at his alarm clock and hoping his groom showed up on time to get the day rolling. He could feel it. A little loose. A little well-pounded. It wasn’t like Zhou Mi was a muscleman, but it was obvious he had some strength in those arms and shoulders. Lifting tack, feed. Just in general being capable enough to get a horse around without getting bossed around himself. Considering that was what attracted him to Zhou Mi to start with, it was nice to know their interests meshed just as well between the sheets.
And the best part, no awkward morning after.
Okay, so he’d been pretty unsubtle getting Zhou Mi to leave. But at least it hadn’t been a long drawn out discussion about what they’d both liked, followed by a movie invite. Zhou Mi seemed to get it. All the benefits, and as little of the messy stuff as was possible. And that pleasant little buzz when Zhou Mi walked into the barn the next day with a smile on his face. Of course, that had been for the horse nickering at him, but still. The smile for Kyuhyun had come ten minutes later, and he was hardly trying to hide as he trundled down the center of the stable with a cart. And they had their usual greeting. A smile, and a nod or a wave. If Zhou Mi’s gaze lingered, and he raised his eyebrows - not seductive at all - no one was the wiser. He went about his business.
Zhou Mi had let him know he was heading out, passing Kyuhyun on the way to his car, and Kyuhyun gave his standard, “See you tomorrow.”
Simple. Easy. He didn’t give the exchange a second thought. Except perhaps that night, when he was relaxing and had a thought wondering if, when, they’d repeat it. It’d happen naturally. They’d talk, bring it up, he supposed. Not like he had to go after Zhou Mi with a box of condoms, wondering. He’d give it a few days.
And he did.
***
Sweat was pouring down his back as he shoveled shavings, the afternoon getting almost unpleasantly warm all of a sudden. Reminding him all too well that summer was nearing. The horses were all fine, in the shade, while he did the manual labor. Too bad he didn’t mind so much.
A muffled shout from outside got his attention, and he stepped away from the stall, closing it. No sound like that tended to mean a good sign.
One of the riders was there, in her helmet, holding the reins of a clearly nervous horse. Only…her own horse was standing calmly near a railing.
“Oh, Kyuhyun. He just came galloping off the trail without a rider. Isn’t this…?”
Dahua. Zhou Mi’s horse. Zhou Mi, who had let him know - safety precaution - that he was going out onto the trails.
“Henry’s right inside. Give Dahua to him so Henry can make sure he’s okay. I’m going to go find Zhou Mi.”
She nodded, earnestly, and he double checked for his cell phone and key ring. The four wheeler they kept for checking up on the trails started up under his touch, and he eased onto the trail. He wanted to gun it, but didn’t want to frighten the horses, or risk his own health before he could make sure Zhou Mi was okay.
It was the odd horseman who hadn’t found himself one moment on a horse’s back, and the next on the ground. Those were inconsequential, or dangerous. He scanned both sides of the trail, going along at a fair clip. Every curve he went around had his blood pressure rising.
But luckily he didn’t actually run over Zhou Mi. He was quite easy to spot, actually, walking down the middle of the trail like he had nothing better to do in his his white shirt and fawn breeches. Though Kyuhyun saw the relief, as Kyuhyun pulled to a stop and idled beside him.
“You having a nice walk out here?” he asked, noting Zhou Mi wasn’t limping.
“Fantastic. Dahua went back?”
Just like him - to ask about the horse first.
“Yes. He came back alone, and I set off to find you. Henry will be looking over him, making sure he’s okay. And you’re okay?”
“I’ll probably feel not okay tomorrow, but yeah, mostly. It seemed like a whole flock of birds came out of this bush. I think I was more startled than he was. I tensed, like an idiot, and he went up, and I went down.”
“It happens. Hop on, and we’ll go back. I’ll take you to the hospital if you want.”
“I’ll think about it. I don’t think so, though. I want to see Dahua first.”
“Of course.”
And his heart settled into what was mostly a normal rhythm, as Zhou Mi climbed on behind him and he got them turned back for the stable. Dahua’s tack was off, and Henry waiting anxiously for them when they pulled up. But the horse was fine, getting extra cooing and pats and reassurance from Zhou Mi. It was lovely to see that bond, Dahua nosing into Zhou Mi’s chest for more.
He’d practically had to force Zhou Mi to leave, promising, all but signing in blood, that he’d call Zhou Mi if he saw any sign of lameness. Getting Dahua settled in, totally unperturbed by what had happened. He was pretty sure Zhou Mi would have him back on the trail again, to make sure there were no fears. A freak accident, it had been. A freak accident that had left Kyuhyun a bit wrung out. But he’d finished his part of the mucking, stopping in to give Dahua a pat every so often.
Zhou Mi’s younger horse wanted attention, too. Dahua was clearly further along in his training, but Zhou Mi seemed to have patience for the both of them.
He thought about Zhou Mi, wondered how he was feeling, in the middle of feeding his face. All it would’ve taken was a text to find out, really, but he had no precedent to do so, even if he had Zhou Mi’s number.
And he realized there was a downside, to the casual thing. Just a small one.
Though Zhou Mi fixed that, leaving a short message on the office phone. A cheerful message letting “Kyuhyun and Henry” know he was fine, that nothing was amiss. And thanking them for their help. He didn’t listen to the message twice, so much as one and a half times. And he left it, for the alternate number Zhou Mi provided in case Kyuhyun needed to reach him regarding Dahua. Ignoring that he also wrote the number down, and added it to his phone. But he went to sleep without worries.
***
Zhou Mi dreamed all through the night of Dahua, and falling, and then fighting to get comfortable. He knew that Kyuhyun would have called immediately. Kyuhyun had, after Zhou Mi had inspected every inch of Dahua, assured him that he would be looked in on and checked out often. And Kyuhyun was as earnest as he was capable. There had been no heat in Dahua’s legs, no signs of lameness. He’d had a startle and a wild romp, and Zhou Mi had gotten back up on him as Henry led them around just to get a more pleasant riding experience back in both their heads before Kyuhyun had mostly forced him to go. The way Kyuhyun had stared, Zhou Mi had wondered if Kyuhyun had wanted to make sure he wasn’t lame as well. But he had demonstrated he could walk, and hadn’t hit his head, so at least he’d been allowed to leave on his own. So he’d drank a little, and nursed his aches, and slept poorly.
But watching Dahua’s big head swing out as he approached the barn made the memory of the long night seem a little more distant.
“Hi buddy,” he said, petting the soft neck. And laughed as Dahua nosed him hard in the chest. “Greedy boy. You can smell I have something for you, can’t you?”
Dahua seemed to nod, but was clearly a way of telling Zhou Mi to hurry up and fork over the carrots in his pocket. And his friend was contentedly crunching on the carrots, giving the rest to Zhu. He still had horse slobber on his hands when he turned. Kyuhyun had just hung one of the horse blankets over a stall door, and was looking at him. Kind of like a scientist with a rat. No, he wasn’t going to explode. But the concern was still nice.
“Dahua had a quiet night,” Kyuhyun said, approaching. “I came down and checked on him after everything was quiet.”
“Thank you, really. I knew he was in good hands.” And it was clearly the truth. He just was glad his mistake hadn’t set them back, injury-wise. They’d see how they were under saddle again. “Can we talk in your office for a moment?”
Kyuhyun agreed, walking down the row of stalls with him. “How do you feel today?”
Zhou Mi grinned, and couldn’t help himself. “Like I fell off a horse.”
“That is surprising.”
But after Kyuhyun’s joke, they entered the office, and Zhou Mi closed the door behind himself. He had a lot of words of thanks, but he also wanted to show it as well. Show Kyuhyun how much he appreciated his help, and the peace of mind that Kyuhyun had given him. Kyuhyun didn’t move to the desk, merely standing, waiting for Zhou Mi to tell him what the move had been about.
And Kyuhyun didn’t shy away, as Zhou Mi leaned in. Kissed him. He didn’t have to wait for an answer, because the question hadn’t really been asked. But Kyuhyun still met him halfway. And cleared his throat as Zhou Mi pulled back, lips twitching at the expression on Kyuhyun’s face.
“What was that for?”
“What, you don’t have friends kiss you to thank you?” Zhou Mi teased.
“No, I definitely-” and Kyuhyun had to pause as Zhou Mi’s mouth brushed his one more time. “- don’t.”
“First time for everything. Thank you. For everything, really.”
“It’s my job. Most people just send a card, but…”
Kyuhyun was smiling, however, as he tugged Zhou Mi just that much closer, to kiss again. It had only been a few days, and it didn’t seem like there had been much to miss. One night of making out and sex shouldn’t have made kissing Kyuhyun feel that lovely. He didn’t belong there, and was pretty sure Kyuhyun had no plans to make that be reality. But that didn’t stop them from angling their faces together. Though, they had to very carefully stop. He knew Kyuhyun had things to do. And he had two horses in need of his attention. And it wasn’t like they could lock the door, or go upstairs, and take care of things if they got turned on.
“Thank you, anyway,” Zhou Mi said, patting his back. “That’s what I meant to say.”
Kyuhyun cleared his throat. “Appreciated. You should come by when you’re feeling less sore. We’ll give you a new reason to be. A better one.”
“I’ll do that. I’ll let you know.”
And the conversation they had wasn’t in words, a flirting of the eyes, lifted eyebrows. And he went out first, gathering tack and working out some of his stiffness. He was leading Dahua out to ride when he caught sight of Kyuhyun at the other end of the stable, with buckets in his hands. It gave him a reason to smile.
***