Heeey aca-mortals! So who missed me?
Ooh, a show of hands at the back there ... good to see, good to see!
This was a massive work in progress for me, something I've been writing on and off for probably a solid month now as the inspiration struck. If you can't tell, I'm a horse girl, and the horses at the farm I work at are my life. The cover picture is actually Foxfire, my horse, and he legit is my best friend. He's a sexy motherfucking horse, ain't he? Awesome for impressing the ladies too. Everyone loves a knight on a white horse, right? I'm not gonna ramble anymore, but I do hope you enjoy this mortals, because I really enjoyed writing this. :) I know this is like twice the length of a normal one shot, but I really just couldn't help myself.
Big thank you to waatp for being my awesome beta. Mate, you the bestest :)
I own nothing. It sucks but it's true, but I say this so now you can't sue!
It really shouldn't be a surprise that Beca was an indoor person.
Because she was. Like, she really, really was. Sunlight sucked, though not quite in a vampire fashion, but her computers were her absolute pride and joy. She wanted to be a DJ as it was, so she'd be working nights anyway. And she'd be inside of a club. So yeah. She didn't really have to be an outdoorsy kind of person. She really, really didn't.
And Aubrey respected that.
Personally, she wasn't really an outdoorsy kind of person either. Not to say she didn't like the outdoors. She liked biking and skiing. She didn't mind hiking, but only on an organized trail, and she only camped if it was in a mountain house; which wasn't really classed as camping, but whatever. She didn't like fishing either, but boats were good. Yachts were better though. Not to be a snob, but they were! But yeah ... she could do outdoors, but she wasn't really an outdoorsy person. There was an unusual amount of dirt and bugs and they had the right to be there. She could live without that. Anyway, she was a law student. And then she'd be a lawyer. Last time she checked, courthouses were indoors. Hence why they were called courthouses. So like Beca, she didn't really have to be an outdoorsy person either!
However, one thing that Aubrey also knew about her short girlfriend was that the girl had more tricks up she child sized sleeves then a magician. So really, she shouldn't have been surprised at Beca's latest talent revealing itself. She really shouldn't have. And yet ... yet, when they drove up to the place, Aubrey's jaw literally dropped, and she stared incredulously at the smiling brunette beside her. As hard as she tried not to, and she really, really did, she always seemed to underestimate her girlfriend.
Like right now.
"Oh my God Beca, are you for serious?!" Aubrey screeched as she saw the sign. "No way."
"You know, I feel like I should be offended right now!" Beca laughed, as she pulled her car into a space, switching off the engine easily. "What's wrong with this? Why does it seem so impossible to you I can do outdoor things too? I'm not just a computer geek you know!"
"No, but this, seriously Beca?!" Aubrey said. "There is no way you know how to-"
"-Aubrey ..." Beca said, cutting Aubrey off. "... do you remember where I said I grew up?"
"Hellertown, Pennsylvania." Aubrey said immediately. She remembered all the little (and an awful lot of big) things about Beca. "But what does that have to do with-"
"-Aubrey, there are like fifty trillion horse farms in PA!" Beca laughed, unclicking her seatbelt. "Not those like huge ones you see out west, though there are a few of those, but a bunch of small, privately owned farms! Didn't I tell you I grew up on one?"
"No!" Aubrey all but shouted in excitement. She did love to learn new things about Beca. "Rebecca Alexandria Mitchell, you've been holding out on me! How did a farm girl like you even turn into the social recluse you are now?!"
"Hey, there are a bunch of different kinds of social recluses!" Beca said defensively as they both got out of the car at the same time. "Back then, I was a social recluse who talked to horses rather than computer screens though!"
"But, you..." Aubrey trailed off, for once completely at a loss for words. "... you grew up on a horse farm?!"
"Hell yeah I did!" Beca laughed, locking the car behind them. "I even know how to ride!"
"You do?" Aubrey asked.
"Yeah. In fact, I'm so good, I could teach you how to ride too! And that's why we're here! I thought it would be a fun thing for me and you to do ..." Aubrey turned to look intently at her girlfriend, a look on her face that Beca couldn't quite place and suddenly trailing off, she felt quite nervous. "This isn't like, lame or anything, is it Aubrey? Because if it is, we can totally go somewhere else ... I just thought that well, you know... shit, this is lame-"
"-No it's not you dork," Aubrey said, gently kissing Beca's cheek. "I love it."
"Yeah?" Beca asked, hopefully.
"Yeah baby." Aubrey said, holding out her hand to Beca and squeezing her hand when Beca took it. "Now move your ass Mitchell! You claim you're so good at riding, now prove it!"
Laughing, Aubrey jogged down a dirt path leading to the big red barn in front of her while Beca fumbled about to get herself together so she could chase after Aubrey. About half way down the path, Aubrey stopped and waited for Beca to catch up. Looking around a bit, Aubrey saw this was more of a home run place, rather than one of those massive, shiny horse stables like the one her sister used to ride at. This one seemed rather laid back and Aubrey felt like she could actually relax here, and just enjoy herself. No pressure and no snobbery. Suddenly, Aubrey felt a familiar pair of arms wrap around her waist and Beca head settling itself onto Aubrey's shoulder.
"That wasn't very nice!" Beca mumbled, her voice muffled by Aubrey. She put on her sad face and matched her tone; knowing it always worked a treat with Aubrey. "You leaveded without me!"
"But then I waited for you!" Aubrey smiled. "So can I be forgiven?"
"Yeeeah, I guess so." Beca sighed and then smiled. "Ready to go ride some horses?"
"I was born ready Mitchell!" Aubrey said airily. "Bring it on!"
"Alright Posen. Just know you asked for it!" Beca said, teasingly.
Grabbing Beca's hand, Aubrey just shook her head and followed her down the dirt path to the barn. Swinging their hands together comfortably, Aubrey just enjoyed the time with Beca. They'd come a long way since her senior year and Beca's freshman year. Back then, Aubrey had been far more uptight and OCD about perfection. Really, she just cared too much about all the wrong things. Beca too was not without faults either; the short brunette had so much anger in her, and couldn't trust anyone. As a result, Beca had a lot of trouble caring about something, anything actually other than her music.
But now, four year later, Aubrey liked to think they balanced each other out. Aubrey wasn't letting the little things bother her as much anymore and to live in the moment a bit more. And Aubrey hoped she was helping Beca care just a little more about other things and to let people in. Not just her either. But like actual other people. Like her Dad. And the other Bellas that they were still really good friends with.
Smiling, Aubrey continued on the path with Beca until a large fenced in area came into view. Inside of the fenced in area, there was a smaller fenced area, though this was more like a round cage? Would that be right? Aubrey wanted to learn the lingo. Inside of the smaller round area, there already was a horse, with a saddle and reins on. Looking over to Beca, Aubrey was about to ask a question when a man, probably in his early twenties jogged over to them and waved.
"Hey Beca!" The guy said happily, punching Beca playfully on the arm. "How's it going? Long time no see B dog!"
Stiffening, Aubrey was suddenly wary of the good looking young man in front of them. Holding Beca's hand tighter, Aubrey tried really hard not to feel so jealous, but she couldn't help it. The knowing smirk on Beca's face didn't help either.
"Yo, what up J!" Beca laughed and turned to her girlfriend. "Aubrey, I'd like you to meet my cousin Jack. Jack, this is my girlfriend Aubrey Posen, you know, the girl you've heard so much about?"
"Well, hey Aubrey!" The guy said cheerfully. "I'd offer to shake your hand, but I was just in the stalls, and yeah, my hands are a bit nasty right now! I'll wash them before I help get Foxfire, the horse you're gonna ride tacked up. Anyways, nice to meet you! I was thinking Beca over here was full of shit when she said she had a hot super smart girlfriend. She's been going on about you for four years now, and it's nice to actually meet the legend in the flesh!"
"Hey! I take offense to that!" Beca said indignantly beside her cousin. "What, you don't think I could have a girlfriend like Aubrey? Dude, that's hurtful!"
As the two continued to banter on, Aubrey's head spun. She just couldn't get over how at ease Beca seemed to be here. She'd only ever seen her girlfriend this relaxed when she was mixing or with Aubrey. Not that she was jealous or anything, because she was genuinely happy that Beca had another place she could be herself at, but it was just a bit surprising to her.
And she also felt like a bit of a dick for feeling jealous of Jack now ... I mean, for aca's sake, it was her cousin! Sometimes she really needed to get a grip!
"Alright guys!" Jack said, clapping his hands together. "I'm gonna quick go grab Ellie from the fields. B, you wanna take Aubrey around and show her the ropes a bit?"
"Sounds good to me!" Beca laughed. "Wait, J, old Foxy boy is for Aubrey, right? So why are you getting Ellie?"
"Yeah!" Jack said. "I thought Ellie for you. You haven't ridden in what, five years now, so thought I'd let you start off easy."
"Oh hells to the no!" Beca laughed. "My horse is still here, right?"
"As if anyone else could ride that bastard!" Jack laughed. "Yeah, old 'Cello's still here. You want me to grab him instead?"
"Fuck yeah!" Beca said, pleasure washing over her face. "Bring my baby boy down!"
"You're crazy B dog!" Jack shouted, already walking up the hill to where Aubrey assumed the other horses are.
Just laughing, Beca took Aubrey's hand once more and smiled. Leading her down into the fenced area, Beca just opened the gate and walked in, gesturing for Aubrey to do the same. Tentatively, Aubrey walked in, stepping over the steaming pile that one horse had beautifully left right by the entrance, closed the gate, and followed Beca. She would not gag and vomit, this was all good. Once she was near the round pen, Aubrey took a second to admire the picture before her.
Beca was already in the round pen with a beautiful speckled white horse, Foxfire, Jack had said his name was. Beca was scratching Fox's ears and whispering to him. The horse seemed to be enjoying Beca's attention, throwing his head around, and nuzzling Beca. Laughing when the horse almost knocked her over, Aubrey for some reason found it hilarious how tiny Beca looked next to the large horse. Taking her phone out, Aubrey snapped a quick picture before she went and walked over to where Beca was.
Stopping what she deemed to be a safe distance away from the horse, Aubrey glared at Beca as she laughed. So what, she wasn't totally comfortable being right next to a massive horse.
"Babe?" Beca smirked, "Why don't you come a little closer?"
"You're really enjoying this, aren't you?" Aubrey glared, though she still smiled.
"Yes, yes I am," Beca smirked, though soon a genuine smile replaced that (sexy) half smirk. "Hey, come here. Nothing to be afraid of baby, I promise. Ol' Foxy here is one of the best horses on the farm, aren't you boy?"
Snorting, the horse just nuzzled his head against Beca. Giggling, Beca just scratched behind Fox's ears and gestured for Aubrey to come closer. Slowly walking over, Aubrey stopped right in front of the horse and just stood by awkwardly. Tensing a bit when she felt Beca's hand over hers, Aubrey could admit she was afraid that the white horse was going to bite her. Instead though, he just pushed his head into Aubrey's hand and shook his head seeming to be quite happy with all the attention he was receiving. Smiling a bit, Aubrey looked excitedly over to Beca and Beca just shrugged and lifted her eyebrow, her own silent little 'I told you so'.
"Okay, you were right Mitchell." Aubrey huffed, still petting Fox. "He's a good boy and I was being silly."
"Well duh!" Beca laughed. "I told you ... wait! MARCELLO!"
Both Aubrey and Fox flinched away from the sudden loud outburst from the short DJ.
"Sorry guys!" Beca said, rushing out of the round pen, not even glancing back.
Looking over at the horse, Aubrey would almost swear he shook his head at Beca, as if to say 'what can you do?'. Nodding half to herself and half to the horse (because, no, she did not talk to animals, that was just plain silly) Aubrey watched as Beca sprinted to the gate of the arena and waited, bouncing up and down as Jack brought a large all black horse down. Suddenly stopping short, the horse reared up and pulled against Jack.
Glancing nervously over at Fox, Aubrey scooted away. Yeah, that right there was why she was slightly, yes, only slightly, nervous around horses. Call her crazy, but she really didn't like the idea of having one of those hooves going through her skull. Strange huh, but hey, that was how she rolled! Some people were just weird that way.
Cursing loudly, Jack tugged on Marcello's halter, trying to get the horse to move. However, no matter what Jack did, Marcello refused to shift. The loud jangling of the gate made Aubrey look over to here Beca once was. Now, instead of waiting by the gate, Beca was actually jogging up to the horse!
"Beca!" Aubrey shouted. "What in the aca-hell are you doing?"
"I got this Bree!" Beca shouted back, nearing the horse.
Biting her lip, Aubrey watched anxiously as Beca approached the still rearing and bucking horse. As confident as Beca had been around the horses, Aubrey still didn't like the thought of Beca going up to Marcello. Fox was one thing. He was just standing next to her, nuzzling her arm every now and then. Marcello on the other hand? Yeah, Aubrey was getting why Jack called Beca crazy now.
Walking slowly up to the irate horse, Beca stopped next to Jack and took the lead line from him. Rearing up completely and raising his front hooves, Aubrey tried not to scream at Marcello. Beca was literally dwarfed by the massive horse. However, Beca just stood in front of the horse and held her ground, seemingly unconcerned that Marcello could easily crush her if he wanted to. Suddenly, as if by some unseen force, the horse lowered itself back down and then proceeded to follow Beca into the ring, as docile and tame as could be. Looking incredulously over to Fox, Aubrey couldn't believe what the aca-hell she'd just seen.
"What the ...? How in the ...?" Aubrey said, half to herself, and half to no one in particular.
Shaking her head, Aubrey watched as Beca jogged back over to where she was standing. Narrowing her eyes, Aubrey glared at Beca, refusing to give into the smirk. No, no, no, no. Beca was an ass, and no, she would stay mad at Beca this time. Yes, she would. Because she did not like the idea of Beca being trampled to death by a horse. And Beca probably knew that ... though, they'd never discussed that possibility before, but you know what? To steal one of Beca's sayings, 'fuck that shit'. Beca should know better then to just go up to a rearing horse!
"No." Aubrey said, the second Beca got to the round pen gate, "No, you were an ass, so don't even say it."
"You right, and I'm really sorry Bree." Beca pouted, quietly begging Aubrey to forgive her by shooting giant puppy dog eyes in her direction. Which clearly wasn't going to happen ... yet, judging by the stance that Aubrey was currently holding. Beca knew that pose; hands on hips, head cocked to one side ... it just smelled of pissed off. "Marcello's just my baby, and I know he looked fierce, but really, he's a good boy ... um, with me anyway. He hates everyone else, but he's cool with me. I promise I wasn't in any serious danger. At least ... yeah, no I was good. I'm really so, so sorry if I scared you, so please forgive me?"
Narrowing her eyes, Aubrey glared at Beca for all of five seconds before she sighed and shook her head. Dear God, the mix of Beca's steely blue eyes and sincerity got her every single time. She really had to work on her self control with that.
"You know, sometimes it really sucks I can't stay mad at you." Aubrey sighed.
"For you maybe. Not for me!" Beca laughed.
"Watch it babe." Aubrey smirked. "I can still make you sleep on the couch."
"Duly noted ..." Beca said nervously. "We don't ... uh- you don't need to do that. How about we forget this whole thing ever happened and I teach you how to ride a horse? I think that plan sounds a lot better ..."
"Mhmm." Aubrey smirked."Okay baby."
"Cool!" Beca said, already moving on to the next thing. "So, wanna go over tack first? I know Fox is already all tacked up for you, but I figured you'd probably wanna know what's what."
"You know me so well!" Aubrey laughed. "Yes, please."
"Alright!" Beca said, first pointing to a pad sitting underneath the saddle. "This is the saddle pad, and you'd put this on first. It's basically to just give the horse that added level of protection because ya know, you're on his back, and the saddle has some padding, but yeah! It also helps keep everything else in place and helps prevent rubbing and friction and shit."
"Okay." Aubrey said. "I'm guessing the next thing is the saddle?"
"Yeah!" Beca said happily. "This is the saddle. I had Jack put an English saddle on. What that means is that you're going to learn how to ride English style. I- um, oh you'll figure more out about that once you ride."
"Should I start talking like a British lady and take luncheon at noontime then? Be a lady who lunches, gallivanting around the countryside. Have a spiffing chin wag with them, drop a few clangers. Sit on a wonky table. That would be the dogs bollocks, especially if I got to wear new trousers." Aubrey laughed, speaking in a obviously fake British accent. "Allo guv'nor! Stone the crows! Cor blimey! Top of the morning to you, what what! Bob's your Uncle. Oh, how jolly! Bugger that, do I need to go out and pull a bird? Get au fait with them and make you seethe with jealousy. Or get down to some hanky panky, you know rumpy pumpy! Or get my brass monkeys out perhaps? Oh, give someone a knuckle sandwich? Oh, that would be the bee knees! How smashing. Take the pony to a pub, tie him up outside while we go on a cheeky bender and become a wanker. That would be ace, would it not?! What a load of codswallop. How's your father? Crickey Moses. I know diddly squat about it all, so fiddlesticks to it all really. It's a bit of a shambles! But I am glad that I can put my arse in the saddle."
"No!" Beca giggled, laughing at how uncharacteristically ridiculous Aubrey sounded. "Well, you caaaaaaan, but you don't have to."
"Very well." Aubrey laughed, her voice returning to normal. "So what else Mitchell?"
"This bit strap thingy ..." Beca said, indicating to the big strap that looked to be attached to the saddle from both sides. "... is the girth. It's like a belt for the horse, and you put it on so your saddle so that everything doesn't fall off when you ride. It's important you put it on tight enough so that ya know, your tack doesn't slip off, but then also, you don't want it so tight that its uncomfortable for the horse."
"Got it." Aubrey said, nodding. "Saddle pad, saddle, girth. Saddle pad is for protection to the horse's back, the saddle is for me and the girth keeps this together. However, the girth needs to be tight but not too tight so that it's uncomfortable to the horse."
"Excellent baby!" Beca said proudly. "Got it down first try. So are you ready to move onto the harder stuff?"
"Bring it!" Aubrey laughed. "I got this Mitchell."
"Yeah? Alright then!" Beca laughed. "On to the next thing."
Pointing to a leather strap with a bunch of rings in it, Beca continued her mini lesson on horse tack.
"This is the martingale." Beca said, running her fingers over the leather. "It's more of a training device then anything. At a horse show, you can't use one, but when you're just learning, it's great. This basically helps you keep the reigns in place and all dat shit. The martingale attaches to the girth down here."
"Alright ..." Aubrey said slowly, processing all of the new information. "The martingale attaches to the girth and is for the reins, but only for training. In a show, you don't use one?"
"Precisely!" Beca beamed. "So then that brings us to the next part! The reins, cavison, and bridle. And before you panic over all the new terms, just breathe. It's really quite simple. All three of these are on the face of the horse, and they all are used for steering, except for the cavison. The cavison is mostly for the horse, to let him know he's got the bridle on and shit, okay?"
"Okay ..." Aubrey said, doing her best to keep up. "... although, watch your language."
"Baby, don't think you can just remember all of this on the first try, okay?" Beca said, trying to help her girlfriend, ignoring the comment about her cussing. "If you like this, we can come back, and then you can worry about mastering all the terms and shit. Right now, this is suppose to be fun, okay? Not stressful or anything. The horses don't like stress, so stop messing with Fox, okay?"
"You're a dork, you know that?" Aubrey laughed, secretly grateful that Beca always knew exactly what to say.
"Psh, you love it, don't lie." Beca winked.
"Yes, I do." Aubrey smiled, leaning down and kissing Beca. Fox stamped his hooves and fidgeted, finally making them break apart.
"Duuuuuuude!" Beca huffed in Fox's direction. "You really gotta hate like that? It's not my fault I got hotter girls now then you!"
"Girls?" Aubrey asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Erm, girl. Singular, as in only you!" Beca corrected quickly. "You know you're my one and only, right Bree?"
"I know baby." Aubrey laughed, running her hand lightly down Beca's arm. "Now, where were we? You were talking about the cavison, I do believe and then we were kissing before we were rudely interrupted by Fox."
"Riiiiiiiiiight." Beca said, reorganizing her thoughts. "So yeah, the cavison. That goes on before you put the bridle on. The bridle is the thing that you use to steer. Basically, it's a piece of metal in the horses mouth that you tug on, but you don't really tug on it to make him go left or right. The reins are attached to the sides of the bridle and you use those to steer, okay?"
"Um ... could you repeat that?" Aubrey asked sheepishly, her head spinning from all the new information that Beca was throwing at her.
"Nope!" Beca laughed. "Trust me, all this is a shit ton easier when you're actually on the horse. The names and shit of the tack really isn't that important baby. I use to call the martingale, the jangly ring thingy for the longest time and I use to call the bridle, horse braces. Don't laugh at me! I was like ten! But anyway, yeah. Don't worry about the names, though I know you're going to, despite what I just said. I'm gonna go get Marcello tacked up while Jack gets you started, okay?"
Suddenly, Aubrey's laughter was cut short.
"You're leaving?" Aubrey asked nervously. "I thought you were going to teach me ... "
"No sweetheart, I'm just moving over to where 'Cello is to get her ready. Jack could teach you the basics though baby. But I promise I'm not going anywhere." Beca said soothingly, seeing the wash of relief flood Aubrey's flawless face. "Do you doubt Jack's teaching ability baby? Because, while I am obviously the better rider, Jack's perfectly capable of teaching a newbie like you to ride."
"Yo B!" Jack said, walking up before Aubrey had a chance to say anything. "What shit are you spewing right now? I heard my name, and I'll bet you were claiming to be a better rider then me again. Which, by the way Aubrey, is a load of shit. I'll have you know I'm a three time state champ!"
"Yeah, and how many times have I won state Jack?" Beca smirked.
"You know what!" Jack huffed, looking over to Aubrey again, before thumbing backwards towards Beca. "This one here's a cocky little shit. Just because she won State five times-"
"-Wait, what?!" Aubrey all but screeched, her eyebrows disappearing into her hairline. "Beca? You were a state champion?!"
"And a national reserve champ too." Beca said proudly.
"Which is basically just fancy horse people talk for second place!" Jack laughed.
"Oh fuck off!" Beca huffed, though Aubrey could tell that Beca wasn't REALLY mad, the glint in her eye the evidence of her happiness. "You're just jealous that I've actually placed in nationals and you haven't."
"Dude, that was rigged!" Jack complained. "I SO should have placed had at least fifth, but I fucking KNOW that the Harfields paid the judges off to get their riders in! I know it! And you know it!"
"Dude, you are still so bitter about that!" Beca laughed.
"Not at all! But don't you think it's a coincidence that the five Harfield riders placed fifth through tenth? I think not! I KNOW I was at least better then freaking Declan Mcreedy. The shit was on the wrong lead the whole fucking time! And he couldn't even get his diagonal right to save his life! And yet he placed tenth? And I only placed eleventh? Fuck that shit! I'm convinced you-"
"-Both of you are good riders, okay?" Aubrey huffed; while she enjoyed the banter between the two, weren't they here to be doing something? "Beca has more ribbons or trophies, or whatever it is you get at horse shows, but Jack should have just as many because his shows have been rigged, but the point of the matter is you're clearly both exemplary riders and I know nothing, so could someone PLEASE tell me what I'm supposed to do next? I'm most certainly enjoying your familial banter, but I'd really like to move on now!"
For a second, both Jack and Beca stared at Aubrey , open mouthed with shock at her outburst before all three began to shake with uncontrollable laughter. Even Fox seemed to join in, as he tossed his head around and nuzzled even closer to Aubrey, nudging her shoulder and stamping his foot on the ground. Finally, as everyone calmed down, Jack was the first to be able to speak once more.
"Damn B!" Jack laughed. "You sure know how to pick 'em! She's freaking great! Keep her, she's brilliant. I don't ever wanna be on her bad side!"
"Aw hells no you don't!" Beca laughed, before looking loving into Aubrey's eyes. "I love you Bree, but you can be reeeeallly scary sometime ... why don't you tell Jack here what we all used to call you at Barden?"
"She, uh ... they used to call me the aca-Nazi," Aubrey said, her cheeks suddenly flaming from embarrassment. "Why don't you tell Jack what I use to call you though Beca?"
"What ... 'ridiculously sexy'?" Beca asked innocently.
"No, Darth Hobbit!" Aubrey smirked. "But I'd like to beg to differ on the ridiculously sexy part though. Honestly, you're too short to be ridiculously sexy. I can agree with adorable though."
"Duuuuuuude! Not cool!" Beca whined, ducking out of the way as Aubrey tried to ruffle her hair as Jack roared with laughter. "Shove it Jack Jack. I'm out dudes! I'm gonna go get Marcello ready. Aubrey, Jack can show you the basics while I do that."
"Aww, Beca Boo! Don't go off in a huff!"Aubrey laughed, unable to stop her teasing. She switched to stand like Beca and copied her mannerisms and tone. "Dats not niiiiiiiice duuuude!"
Instead of answering, Beca just flipped Aubrey and Jack off as she walked away, not even glancing back.
"Damn Aubrey!" Jack finally said, "You know, I have to say, I'm impressed. You handle Beca quite well. I'm really glad you two have each other, and you know, I don't really think I have to give you the whole hurt her and I kill you speech ... I will though, mind you, because someone has to look after the little power pack so here goes ... you hurt Beca, and I will hunt you down and kill you."
"Noted." Aubrey said calmly, though she was secretly quite afraid of Jack's threat, even though his eyes sparkled the way Beca's did when she was worked up or excited. "I assure you I have no interest in ever harming or hurting Beca in any way. I love Beca more then anyone or anything else in this entire world, and I wake up everyday, ridiculously happy that I can call Beca mine. I do mean that Jack, and I appreciate your concern for Beca."
"Awesome! Now ..." Jack smiled, before leaning forward and slapping Aubrey playing on the ass. "... you ready to ride?"
"What?"
Aubrey glared at Beca as she literally rode circles around her.
Beca wasn't kidding about being a good rider, and within only a few minutes of walking around on Marcello, she was now cantering all over the ring looking completely at ease, despite not even being around horses for almost five years. Compare that to Aubrey who was clutching tightly onto her saddle, petrified of falling off while Jack led her around on a lead rope, Aubrey could admit she felt slightly in awe of Beca's abilities.
As a couple, they were quite evenly matched in their abilities. Beca was streets ahead in terms of her music and Aubrey lead the field with her negotiating abilities and how she could talk in or out of anything. They could both cook, they shared chores and neither one was essentially more dominant in their relationship. But this, this through Aubrey out of kilter.
"So how you feeling Aubrey?" Jack asked after a few minutes.
"Um, a little nervous to be honest," Aubrey said, never once taking her eyes off of Fox. She had taken a minute or two to speak after she had first alighted on Fox; causing an amused twist to Jack's mouth when she asked if he came with a seatbelt.
"Why Bree?" Jack asked. "Fox here's a good boy. He'll never hurt you. Sure he could, but then, so could you. Trust him, all right? He won't hurt you and he won't let you fall either."
"You're kidding me, right?" Aubrey asked, holding the saddle just a little bit tighter, the whiteness around her knuckles even more apparent. "Call me crazy but I have a reasonable fear about getting bucked off!"
"See, now, that's your problem!" Jack said. "Horseback riding; it's about being relaxed, ya know, being one with the horse and all that. It sounds a bit funny, but really, that's the key to a successful ride. Talk to Fox, trust him and just ... relax."
"You want me to talk to a horse." Aubrey asked incredulously, staring at Jack as though he had lost his mind.
"Hell yeah I do." Jack said. "They can understand us you know. Try it, seriously. See how Fox is shaking his head like that? It's because he can feel your anxiety. Just talk to him, tell him what's going on. Like ... hang on, watch this."
Turning to Fox, Jack scratched behind Fox's ears, getting his complete attention.
"Hey buddy, how's it going?" Jack paused while Fox reared his head slightly as if he was nodding to say 'yeah, all right mate'. "Beca's got herself a real odd one here, hasn't she bud? I'm sorry she's so closed minded about you dude. I'm sure-"
"-Hey! I'm right here!" Aubrey huffed, slightly indignant that Jack was talking about her like she wasn't even there ... to a horse of all things. "I am not odd! I just find the idea of talking to a horse slightly absurd."
As though Fox actually understood her, he suddenly stopped short of his nuzzling into Jack's armpit, and turned his head back to look right at Aubrey. Recovering from almost falling, Aubrey looked right back at Fox. Staring into Fox's big brown eyes, Aubrey was surprised at the depth she seemed to find. For some absolutely absurd reason, Aubrey felt like Fox just got her, like those big brown eyes could just see straight into her soul, completely understanding her thoughts and knowing what she needed.
"I'm sorry Foxfire." Aubrey said formally, still feeling slightly silly for talking to a horse. "I did not mean to insult your intelligence in any way shape or form. You seem to be a very ... uh ... a very attractive and um, a lovely, intelligent horse."
Snorting, Fox just looked over to Jack.
"I know dude, I know. A real weird one this is. Not bad to look at though." Jack winked at Aubrey before turning back to Fox. "Cut her a little slack though buddy. From what Beca's told me, she's a city girl. I'm sure she'll catch on soon though. B's also said she is a smart one, so meh. Get her to let go of her logic, and get her to relax, and we'll be golden."
"You're really seriously about me talking to the horse?" Aubrey asked, watching how closely Jack interacted with Fox.
"Hells yeah I am Aubrey," Jack said solemnly, "I'm serious. The horses, they get us. They might not be able to talk, but I assure you, they'll let you know what they think of you. Look at Fox now, and tell me, can you hear him talking to you? He uses his body language to talk Aubrey. Watch him, and then think. Can you hear him?"
Staring at Fox, Aubrey noticed the subtle things now, the way his ears flicked back and forth when he was irked or how his ears stood up straight when something caught his attention, like the dog barking outside. Suddenly, the way he had acted before made so much more sense. It was as though he understood her uneasiness around the horses and he sought to just be an oversized dog. And Aubrey loved dogs!
"Hey Foxfire ..." Aubrey said quietly, pleased to note the way Fox's ears flicked up, twitching as he listened. "How are you Fox?"
As if to answer, Fox started walking again, slowly thankfully and shook his head happily. Loosening her grip on the saddle slightly, Aubrey tried to relax. Fox didn't want to hurt her. He was her friend, right? That was what Jack had said. Fox was a good boy, and he wouldn't hurt her. She just needed to calm down a little. 'Chill' as Beca would say.
"Good!" Jack's voice bringing Aubrey back to reality. "You're doing a lot better now Aubrey! Now, on to the next step. Do you feel the way Fox moves side to side when he walks? Do you feel his rhythm?"
Relaxing even more into the saddle, Aubrey found that she could feel his rhythm. What she had initially thought was a rather uncomfortable and jerky gait, she soon realized was a smooth, even pace, in tune with every step Fox took.
"I ... I feel it!" Aubrey said, slightly surprised that there was a rhythm and pattern to the way Fox walked.
"Awesome!" Jack beamed. "So, how are you feeling now Aubrey Posen? A little better?"
"Most certainly." Aubrey smiled. "Fox is a good boy, aren't you?"
Shaking his head, Fox snorted and continued walking, seeming quite content now. Feeling slightly more confident, and slightly less foolish about talking to a horse, Aubrey drew herself, her back straight and began to actually enjoy herself.
"You look good up there Aubrey!" Jack beamed. "So now, ready to learn how to actually ride?"
"You know I think I am!" Aubrey grinned.
"Awesome!" Jack said happily. "So, let's work on foot positioning first. Your heels should be down, and your toes will always point to the sky, okay? Also, keep your legs back, so bend them a bit at the knee. Imagine a pole running from your shoulder to your hips, to your heel, okay? It should be a straight line all the way through, cool?"
"Yes, okay." Aubrey said slowly, as she tried to position herself the right way.
She quickly found out that this was something easier said then done, and as Fox kept walking, she found her heels going up and her toes pointing down. Looking over to where Beca was now jumping over a series of approximately two foot tall hurdles, she couldn't help but to feel a slight bit more admiration for her petite girlfriend. Beca looked like she'd literally been born to be on a horse, when the horse moved, she moved with it.
"Hey Bree!" Beca yelled, from across the arena. "So you liking this so far?"
"It most certainly is a new challenge!" Aubrey yelled back, as once more she found her feet in the wrong position.
"Don't think of it as a challenge!" Beca said, riding over to where Aubrey was in the round pen, pulling up beside her. "See, there is such thing as trying too hard, you know. Pretend you're a centaur baby. Become one with the horse, and this becomes that much easier. And I know, I know, that all sounds a bit silly to you, but trust me, all right? I know horses. I literally grew up with them."
"Ooooh, Greek mythology. Nice Mitchell," Aubrey laughed. "Where'd you learn that from?"
"Dude, my dad was a college lit professor, remember!" Beca scoffed. "I know all about that Greek shit. Freaking grew up listening to those stories! Like the one with Poseidon and Athena on how horses were created!"
"Is that so?" Aubrey asked, chuckling. "Well, well, well, aren't you full of surprises today? I'll have to get you to tell me that myth tonight."
"Well hey, I gotta have SOME way to keep you interested, right baby?" Beca smirked, "I mean, I know I'm hot, but a babe like you needs more then just good looks to impress, huh!. We can definitely schedule a cuddle and story session later though."
"And who said you were hot again?" Aubrey asked innocently.
"Oh fuck off!" Beca huffed. "Do you NOT want me to tell you about that myth? And don't say you can just Google it, because you damn well know I'm ten times better then fucking Google. Can Google give you a hug?"
"No, but at least Google doesn't snore!" Aubrey laughed.
"I don't snore!" Beca huffed again.
"Oh hells yeah you do!" Jack laughed. "Aubrey, I shit you not, one time our cousin Abby was with us on a camping trip. She woke up in the middle of the night, and was scared that there was a bear in camp, so she got up really quietly, and you know what? Turned out there wasn't a bear, and it only was little Beca over here snoring like a freaking chainsaw!"
"No way!" Aubrey laughed, unable to help herself, despite Beca's obvious embarrassment. "I'm sorry babe, but that's really funny! Your cousin Abby thought you were a bear?"
"You know what, I don't need your hate! I'm out again bitches!" Beca huffed, ignoring Jack and Aubrey's laughter, but secretly pleased they were bonding, even if it was at her expense. "Me and Cello are off to go ride and have fun. By the way Aubrey, I'm a fucking genius. Look at your feet and you'll see what I mean. Told you I'm better at all this than Jack Jack!"
With that said, Beca rode off again before Aubrey or Jack even had a chance to say anything else. Shaking her head, Aubrey was about to yell back to Beca when she glanced down at her feet. To her surprise, they were exactly where they were supposed to be, her toes pointed up and her heels down in the stirrups. Biting her lip, Aubrey just smiled over to where Beca was now cantering in what looked to be a figure eight. Shaking her head, Aubrey spoke aloud, half to herself, and half to Fox and Jack.
"What am I going to do with Beca?" Aubrey scoffed.
Two hours later, Aubrey's legs were burning and she had sweat rolling down her face. Fox and Jack were in the same condition, both breathing heavily and both quite sweaty. Only Beca seemed to be fairing all right in the hot Georgia sun; a very slight sheen of sweat the only tell tale sign that Beca was feeling any sort of fatigue. One could argue that Aubrey was in excellent physical condition, however, now she was just realizing how and why her socially recluse, computer geek girlfriend could out last her in the bedroom.
All afternoon, Jack had been teaching her the basics, posting and two point at the walk, steering, and he'd even had her trot for a little, though carefully supervised, in the round pen, AND on a lead line.
To be honest, she actually really enjoyed trotting. Sure it was a bumpy gait, and she felt like she might fall off, but it was also just fun. She had also pretty well mastered steering, the one thing she really excelled at this afternoon. Jack's explanations were quite easy to follow though slightly silly. Reins were like bike handles ... slightly ridiculous sounding, but considering everything else that had been said today, Aubrey hadn't even offered a single word of protest, and she soon found that there was no reason to. Pull back slightly on one rein, and let go a bit of the other, and fox went exactly where she wanted him to go. The only thing that she could compare it to was bike handles!
Through out the entire time, Beca was in and out, yelling encouragements and tips from Marcello. She even help to demonstrate the things Jack was having trouble explaining, giving Aubrey a very helpful, albeit slightly distracting, visual for what she had to do. There was only so much Aubrey could take. She hadn't realised watching Beca take charge on a horse would be so enthralling. And now, two hours later, Aubrey was exhausted, but feeling quite confident about being on Fox.
There was only one incident to note, and that was when a car backfired about an hour ago, and Fox spooked. He'd bucked slightly and tugged against his lead line while Aubrey was on his back, admittedly holding on to the saddle for dear life, yelling for Beca to make it stop ... and she could easily admit that it hadn't been her finest moment, but Beca had literally hopped off Marcello without a single thought and ran right over to where Jack was struggling to calm Fox down. A few soothing words in Fox's ear, and a few shouted words for Aubrey to just calm the fuck down, and soon, everything was back to normal. The rest of the lesson went without incident, and Aubrey had to admit, Beca was right. Fox really was a good boy.
"All right Posen!" Jack said, haven taken to only using her last name sometime during the lesson. "You ready to hop off?"
"I think so." Aubrey said as Fox stopped walking. "Thank you so much for teaching me today, Jack."
"It was my pleasure Ms. Posen." Jack said in a hilariously fake Southern accent. "Its not often we get such fiiiiiiiine young ladies like yourself down here in these paaaarts. I'm glad you had fun, Miss."
"Stop flirting with my girlfriend Jack!" Beca huffed, riding over to see while they had stopped. Aubrey laughed. "For the umpteenth time she's GAY! That means you don't even have a chance bro. And hell, she has ME for fucks sake! Why would she choose you over me? I'm far better looking then you."
"Have you seen my abs?" Jack scoffed. "I had way more babes back in high school then you ever did B!"
"And have you seen my tits?" Beca smirked. "I had way more guys AND girls back in high school!"
"Aca-scuse me Mitchell?" Aubrey asked, glaring at her girlfriend. Honestly she couldn't care less that Beca had dated a bit back in high school, but she really did love just messing with her girlfriend.
"Oh, Beca was QUITE the player back in high school!" Jack laughed. "B, why don't you tell her about Homecoming 2010?"
"Fuck off Jack!" Beca growled through gritted teeth, pulling on the reins a little as Marcello had just to lose concentration. "Aubrey doesn't want to know about that."
"Oh no, I think I do Beca." Aubrey smirked. "Care to enlighten me, or should I just let Jack tell me?"
"You know, I should have known it was a bad idea to let you meet my asshole of a cousin!" Beca sighed dramatically. "You're suppose to be on MY side Aubrey! So quit taking his side and back me up!"
"Quit trying to change the subject and tell her about homecoming ... or I will." Jack smirked.
"Oh for fucks sake!" Beca sighed. "I was asked by the captain of the cheer squad to go to homecoming, but half way through the night, I got bored with her. Sometime later, she caught me making out with some girl she apparently really hated. Words were shouted, a girl fight was had; you know drinks were thrown, hair was pulled, i think lights got broken so I just slipped away while all of this was going on and spent the rest of the night in Cello's field, talking to him. I didn't even known the Police had turned up until the next day but because I wasn't there, I didn't get arrested or anything and no one could actually remember why it started in the first place. Happy now?"
"Beca Mitchell!" Aubrey said in mock astonishment. "You seemed to have been QUITE the player back then. What happened? According to Chloe, you're not to confident about all that, though, you seemed to be-"
"-Ohmygodshutup!" Beca screeched. "Aubrey! Jack doesn't ... just no! GOD no. Don' t ... fuck! No! Just get off the damn horse now, and let's go home. For fucks sake!"
"You know, I'll bet Fox resents being called the damn horse." Aubrey smirked as Fox stomped his foot in agreement. "You should apologize to him."
"I don't- you actually- fucking ... UGH! You're right." Beca huffed. "Fox buddy, I'm sorry about that. But come on, you see how infuriating my girlfriend is. I didn't mean to be mean. Forgive me buddy, pleeeeeeeeeeeease?"
For a second, Fox glared at Beca before he snorted and just looked back up at Aubrey. However, Aubrey's feeling of victory was cut short by Beca once more.
"So ready to hop off now Bree?" Beca smirked.
"Aca-scuse me?" Aubrey asked, blanching slightly. All day she'd done her damnedest to avoid falling off of the horse, and now she had to get off the horse. Shit ... how did she do that without hurting herself now?
"Baby, its actually really easy, okay?" Beca smiled. "I promise you won't get hurt if you do it right ... which I know you will because I'll be right there to catch you, and I'll even show you how, okay?"
Swinging her left leg over the side of the horse, Beca slid down Marcello's side and landed right on her feet, bending her knees ever so slightly upon contact with the ground. Taking a second to regain her balance, Beca looked back over to Aubrey and smiled.
"See, just like that." Beca said, tucking her hair behind her ear.. "All you gotta do is take you one foot out of the stirrup, swing it over the side, take your other foot out and then slide down the horse's flank, okay? Really, its super easy."
"Okay ..." Aubrey said uneasily. "But you know, I'd really rather Jack catch me. No offense babe, but he's a lot bigger then you, and I doubt ... um, you would really actually be able to ... um, catch ... you know what ... yeah, um, why don't you put Marcello back and um ... yeah ..."
"Hahaha! I told you I was better B!" Jack roared, laughing. "Take that motherfucker! HA!"
"No, Jack, I really actually do mean no offense." Aubrey said. " But oh, how do I say this? Jack, while you have been an excellent instructor today, Beca has also shown herself to be an exemplary horsewoman and I in no way doubt her abilities. However, for this stage, I'd rather have brawn over brain or even beauty as to increase my chances of an incident free dismount."
"Say what now?" Jack asked, scratching the side of his head. "Posen! I'm a simple country boy! How in the hell am I suppose to know what the hell you're talking about? English please Posen!"
"Riiiiiiiight?!" Beca laughed. "I think Aubrey forgets sometimes not all of us are fancy schmancy law students!"
"I'm not even going to gratify that with a response!" Aubrey huffed. "Now could you PLEASE help me get off of Fox now?"
"Yeah, sorry Posen." Jack said, walking over to where Aubrey was and lifting his arms up ready to catch her. "Ready?"
"No, but let's just do this!" Aubrey mumbled.
Taking her feet from her stirrups, Aubrey took a deep breath. She could do this, right? Beca said it was easy! But then again, she also had been riding her entire life, and she made riding look effortless when Aubrey knew that riding most certain was NOT easy.
Swinging her leg over, Aubrey had to bite her lip to stop herself from laughing when she almost nailed Jack in the head. Feeling Jack's strong hands on her sides, Aubrey relaxed and slid down the side of the horse. Holding Aubrey just long enough to make sure she was steady on her feet, Jack let go and then beamed.
"Hey Beca!" Jack hollared. "She came down like a champ! She's strong! Like really strong. You got yourself a real keeper here mate!"
"No shit Sherlock!" Beca yelled back, Marcello's tack already off. "Aubrey's one of a kind Jack, so keep your dirty hands to yourself! She's MINE asshole."
"Psh, possessive much!" Jack scoffed, while Aubrey watched the cousins bicker. "That's not cool bro! Any way, sharing is caring!"
"You wish, dipshit!" Beca scoffed, walking back over to where Aubrey and Jack were. "Anyway ... as if someone as classy and awesome as Aubrey would want a country hick like you!"'
"Bitch you forget you're a country hick too!" Jack smirked. "You might live in a fancy city now and you may be a college girl, but you can't forget your roots Beca! Once a country hick, always a country hick dude."
"Aw hells no!" Beca laughed. "I'm faaaaaaaaaaar more sophisticated then you Jackass!"
"Then why are you back here college girl?" Jack challenged.
"I- you know ... I don't- Aubreeeeeey!" Beca whined. "Tell Jack I'm more sophisticated then him!"
"Sorry baby, but I can not tell a lie." Aubrey smirked, enjoying the flustered Beca.
"Meanie." Beca pouted.
"You know it babe!" Aubrey winked. "So now what? I'm off Fox so what do I do now?"
"Well, normally, you'd groom him, but we have dinner reservations so Jack had kindly offered to groom our horses and put them back up to the fields." Beca said happily. "So now me and you go back home, get ready for dinner and then the rest is up to you!"
"For serious Beca?" Aubrey asked incredulously. "How long have you had this day planned?"
"Oh you know ..." Beca said sheepishly, her cheeks pinking quickly.
"Like a few months!" Jack laughed, "She's been planning this day ever since she learned that a Mitchell Horse Farm opened up down here in Georgia! Actually, we opened this branch because Beca over here begged her dad too ... actually it hasn't turned out to be a half bad idea. We're usually booked solid every weekend with at least two lessons a day during the weekdays."
"For serious?" Aubrey asked, impressed.
"Hells yeah!" Jack said. "Pint sized over here might have just wanted Marcello nearby, but turns out all her points have been spot on. There's only a few other barns down this way, and we've been doing just fine. Beca's been planning this for the longest time though. Once business was steady, she made sure I could block out three hours for you two and then made corresponding dinner reservations! She really went all out for this ... any particular reason? Oh wait ... you're not like ... proposing or anything are you B?"
"What? No!" Beca exclaimed, however, upon seeing Aubrey's raised eyebrow, she tried to recover. "I mean ... not 'no' like never, but um ... not now kind of no. This was just because I wanted to show you part of my childhood and I think I'll just shut up now before I dig myself into a bigger pit now. Thanks a lot dipshit! If Aubrey's mad at me now, I blame you. We haven't even ... UGH! I dislike you sometimes Jack ..."
"Psh, you love me biatch and you know it!" Jack scoffed. "And Aubrey's cool, so she ain't mad ... you're not mad, right, Aubrey?"
For a second Aubrey glared at them both before she burst out into nearly uncontrollable laughter ... maybe it was just her, but it seemed like she was laughing a lot more then usual today.
"No! Of course I'm not mad!" Aubrey laughed. "I just enjoy giving Beca a hard time!"
"You irk me," Beca pouted.
"Aww, I'm sorry baby." Aubrey said, slipping her arm around her girlfriends shoulders. "I had a really good time today, so thank you. I mean that baby. I really did appreciate and enjoy meeting your cousin and riding Fox ... I'd say I enjoyed meeting Marcello, but to be honest, he kind of scares me, so I can't say I enjoyed that honestly, but this whole day has just been absolutely incredible, so thank you baby. I love you Beca."
"I love you too Aubrey," Beca said sweetly before kissing Aubrey's neck, nuzzling against her gently. Aubrey grinned to herself; she loved the fact that Badass Beca could be so cuddly at times.
"EEEW! Can't you keep it in your pants for ten minutes!" Jack said in mock disgust. "Come on B! No PDA! Think of the horses! They don't wanna see all that!"
"Aww man!" Beca sighed, breaking away from Aubrey. "You just gotta ruin the moment like that? Really? Come on man!"
"Just get out of here, Mitchell!" Jack said, sighing dramatically. "You've got a hot date to get ready for and I gotta get ready for the next lesson. So get out of here college girl and enjoy your time with your city chick, hot lawyer girlfriend."
"Hey!" Aubrey said indignantly, slapping Jack's arm. "I'm right here, you know!"
"Indeed you are!" Jack smiled. "It was really nice meeting you Aubrey and it was good to have you back B! Same time next week good for you Beca?"
"Umm ... Beca said sheepishly, looking over to Aubrey. "So Bree ... how do you feel about coming back here again? You know, if you um ... if you wanted to? I mean, no pressure babe."
Looking over to Beca's hopeful face, Aubrey smiled.
Really, today had been absolutely incredible, and it wasn't even over yet. She could honestly say she loved Fox, he was such a nice horse, and Jack was a cool guy. Listening to his and Beca's familial bickering was highly amusing. Beca seemed to be totally at ease here, and honestly, so was she. Everything at this farm could really only be described as perfect. The horses, the people, the feel, everything. Aubrey didn't even have to think about her answer to this.
"Hell yeah baby!"