an: I did mention I wanted to do an Alex/Casey fic. It's nothing but lame fluff, but I have to say, it's nice finally getting over writer's block (aka laziness). Oh, and a mounting ledge is similar to mounting blocks, except they're typically a few feet off the ground and just as wide (where as the blocks are like 1 - 2 ft off the ground). It will make sense when you read. Have at it.
Disclaimer: I own no one. All mistakes are mine. And since we're stating facts here... I like reviews.
"You trust me, don't you?"
Alex heard the question loud and clear as she stood on the wooden ledge. But there was something about climbing on the back of the beastly creature she wasn't too thrilled about. Well, maybe the thing wasn't so beastly if her counterpart could sit atop him so easily. And fearlessly. Still, she wasn't about to jump on and gallop off into the night.
"What happens if you fall off, Casey?"
"I get back on." Her tone implied the other woman should have already known that. "Will you stop being such a chicken shit?"
Even in the dark, Casey could see her glaring back with that look. She sighed, feeling the equine below her shift his weight. Alex's refusals had gone on for nearly five minutes before she agreed to get on the mounting ledge. And after that, she continued with her hesitance. She had been far too proud to admit her fear, so she stuck with the 'horses are dirty and smell horribly' bit.
She held out her arm for the blonde woman but wasn't acknowledged. She growled.
"Alex, I know what I'm doing. I won't let anything happen to you." She held her gaze for a minute and took a deep breath. Of course she trusted Casey. There was no way in hell she would have let her bring her out in the middle of Nowhere, New York if she hadn't. But she had also seen the damage a horse can do to a person. Casey was absolutely crazy for enjoying the sport.
"Fine." She said, finally. "But if I fall off, you better believe I'm suing your ass." She was certain she could see the other woman softly shake her head.
She took hold of Casey's extended arm for balance and swung one leg over the horse's back. Despite having the advantage of the mounting ledge, she thought the task to be somewhat difficult. She wasn't sure how the redhead had been able to lift herself up off the ground and over the horse in one try, but it certainly amazed her.
Once she felt Alex positioned behind her, she lead her round-bellied Quarter horse into a lazy walk. She felt the other woman's arms wrap tightly around her waist and she couldn't help the hitch in her breath. Though, she did have to laugh at the other woman's exaggerated behavior. "You know we're only at a walk, right? You're not going to fall off."
"If I go down, I'm taking you with me." She didn't care. The fact that her movements were not hers, but the horse's, had been enough to warrant her to hang on for dear life. "Don't you normally use saddles when you ride? This can't be safe."
"Oh stop it." Casey only rolled her eyes.
The full moon lit a good portion of their grassy path, and she was grateful for that. However, the more seasoned attorney still clung to her. She found it to be pathetic and cute all at once. Her four-legged friend had clearly disagreed, though, and pinned his ears back. He sensed her tenseness too.
"Do me a favor?"
"Hm?"
"Relax. He can feel your tension too."
For one reason or another, Alex loosened her hold on the younger woman and found herself wanting to hang on for other reasons. There wouldn't have been any as legitimate as the one she had come across then, though. She had to hold her, or she'd fall off. It had nothing to do with the citrus scent of her perfume, or the way she'd softly lean into her. Nope, nothing at all.
It was strange; of all the moments they've shared, that was the one to get her. That was the one to undo her tightly knit poise. That terrifying, heart-stopping moment.
The normally graceful animal had lost his footing as he kicked a few misplaced rocks. Of course, it wasn't anything to be concerned about. Not for Casey, anyway. But that was before she had the bright idea of placing an increasingly uneasy Alex on the horse. With her. Bareback.
She wasn't sure what happened, but she knew the woman behind her was, no doubt, falling off. And true to her word, she took Novak down with her. The two dropped to the ground like deadweights. Alex knew she fell hard, and was certain she'd be feeling it the next day. Scratch that, she was feeling it right then and there. She looked over to see Casey propped up on her elbows, and the shady bastard that had caused their fall lowering his head over her. He had bolted when they fell, and then came right back. Damn it.
"I can't take you anywhere, Cabot." Casey said as Alex sat up.
"Me? We could have been seriously injured." She was too serious for Casey's liking.
"Hey, I had it. If you hadn't freaked out none of this would have happened."
"Right. It's my fault your horse tripped." She quipped.
Casey sighed. She knew the entire situation could have been avoided had she actually been paying attention. She would have seen the quite obvious mess of rocks. But alas, she was too focused on the woman behind her, on the thoughts that included her and occurred because of her. That part wasn't any different than any other day, though. She was often caught in Alexandra Cabot's web. Still, she couldn't put her at fault. She was, after all, the one who let her fall.
The blonde felt she may have been a tad dramatic. She was sore, yes, but she wasn't broken. She could talk, see, and think just the same. She followed suit as Casey laid back down on the cool grass, and their transportation strode off to graze. They had been quiet for a minute when she felt the goosebumps trail her arms; somewhere in their silence, Casey had scooted closer.
Perhaps it was the utterly hopeless romantic in her, but Casey had craved the contact. She didn't really think about what she had done until after the fact, and that meant she couldn't take it back. That meant she had knocked on the door she had been pacing outside of for weeks. And that pissed Alex off to no end.
She wasn't supposed to feel anything toward anyone. She was her own woman, and she liked it that way. She couldn't be bothered with something as petty as a schoolgirl crush. She had a job to do and... she was beginning to forget that. She silently cursed herself each and every time she had found herself in Casey's company. She had been even more flustered when she found herself enjoying her company outside of work.
Then, as she laid there beside the redhead, she had a realization – she liked the time she spent with her. She liked her throaty laugh and her crooked smile. She liked the way the starlight contrasted her pale skin, and she liked the way she put so much emotion into her movements. She wondered if those emotions carried into closer moments, too. And suddenly, she couldn't help herself. In that moment, it was all too easy to locate her sorrowful green eyes in the dark. It was even easier to get lost in them.
Casey hadn't been sure what to expect when their adventure began, but she would have never guessed she would end up on the ground with Alex, sharing lips and bits of intimacy. The way she smiled into the kiss nearly flipped her insides. They broke apart, not quite breathless and not quite willing.
"Well," Alex began. "this was quite the fruitful endeavor." She said coolly, knowing full well her words wouldn't be taken seriously. "But I think I'll still be taking you to court, if only to watch you move."
Casey had gone from laughing to thanking those lucky stars Alex could not see her blushing.
Extended/Unnecessary Author's Note: Don't try any of these things at home. I don't see the riding nor the kissing ending as well as they do in fan fiction.