This chapter has some backstory and sets up some of the rest of the story. I do encourage everyone who reads this to put mounted games into the youtube search bar, and watch a few videos to get some gist about what Blaine and Tina are doing, but it will be more important in a later chapter.

Glossary:

hh = way to measure horses height. 13 hh is approx. 130 cm.

Pony club =british organisation that organises competitions and trainings (ralleys) for kids up to 14.

Full livery = a way to keep your horse where everything is done for you, you do not have to feed it or clean up after it, you can just come and ride.

Yard = A farm which has been specifically altered to keep horses on

Walker= A place you can put horses and have them exercise themselves

Tack = what you put on the horse to ride it, such as saddle etc.

Groom = to brush and clean the pony

Stirrup = metal thing you put your feet in when in the saddle

Girth = strap that keeps the saddle in place.

Bolted = when a horse bolts it runs out of control

Horse Box = a lorry modified to transport horses in

Bit = metal put in the horse's mouth, different types have different severity. Snaffle and dutch gag are different types. (use wiki or google if you are interested)

Mucking out = removing poo and pee from inside stables.

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When Blaine's parents decided that if he would not be "serious" about his riding, they would not finance it any more, he had not known what to do. He had been fifteen, and with school and taking care of Wizard, he really didn't have time to get a part time job. Facing the fact that he had grown too tall for his 13 hh pony, Blaine had cried bitter tears into the little grey's mane when he realised he had to sell him. Thankfully, Shannon Beiste, who used to train Blaine when he was in the Pony Club, remembered Wizard and had helped him find a home for the pony. When Wizard had left, Blaine didn't know what to do with his time. He wanted to continue doing Mounted Games, but without a pony of his own it was futile. Tina had offered to let him ride Blossom from time to time, but it just wasn't the same. It had been at such a time that he had met Sebastian Smythe.

Tina's parents paid for Blossom to be on full livery at the Smythe's yard, and Blaine was supposed to ride the pony for a fortnight since Tina was going on holiday. So he had got his sister Evie to drive him to the yard the first day, to a constant complaint on how he got horse hair on her car seats (Evie had got the car as a graduation present from University the week before).

The Smythe yard was much posher than the local riding school where Blaine had kept Wizard. There was a walker, an indoor school and two outdoor arenas, plus a full size polo field. One part of the yard held a string of well-groomed polo ponies, the other side was for the livery horses, which was where he found Blossom.

Blaine had known Tina and Blossom since they started secondary school together, well Blossom hadn't gone to school, but he had quickly got to know the pony through Pony Club rallies and whenever he and Tina decided to go exploring together on horseback. Looking at the little mare, he wondered if she had shrunk since he saw her last. He was going to look ridiculous riding her, he thought. However, Blaine had promised Tina to keep Blossom in shape, so he found her tack and after a good groom, saddled the pony.

He decided to ride in one of the outdoor arena's, and after warming up, started to put Blossom through her paces. She was a bit cheeky, and tried to take hold of the bit from time to time, but Blaine didn't let her get away with it and soon the little mare mouthed the bit and bent her neck, working in a perfect outline. Blaine was so absorbed in what he was doing that he didn't see the long legged teenager that was observing him from the door to the indoor school.

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Blaine finished walking Blossom to let her cool down and was about to get off when another rider entered the arena. The boy was tall and skinny, and he was wearing expensive polo boots, with a shirt with the local riding club team logo. It wasn't hard to induce that this was Sebastian Smythe, the son of the yard owners, and the owners of the largest estate in the area. Blaine's father often said that the Smythe's had more money than they knew what to do with, but it was said with a bitter tone, because Blaine's father had been at school with Mr. Smythe until Blaine's grandfather lost most of his money in a bad investment. Blaine knew that the reason his father worked so hard now, was to ensure that his children never had to live through what he saw as the most embarrassing occurrence of his life. He constantly tried to install a good work ethic and a comprehension about the value of money on his children. That's why Blaine was now without a pony, because his father thought that a pony should not be played with, but used as a means to compete and get recognition in your choice of speciality, which meant it could be sold on when Blaine needed what his dad called a "proper horse". Blaine didn't see the point in arguing with him, he knew that his dad didn't get his fascination with "playing games". Just because his chosen equestrian sport didn't win him money, didn't mean it didn't require skill, and Blaine had skill. He had been taught on some perfect little schoolmasters by coach Beiste, who was hard as nails, but loved her pupils and had a soft spot for Blaine. She had let Blaine ride other horses when he was experienced enough, taken him with her to test ponies for other families that were thinking about buying and she had pushed him just enough. So Blaine had ridden both dressage and show jumping growing up, however Mounted Games was the sport he loved.

The taller teen rode up to where Blaine had stopped Blossom and was about to get off.

"I don't know you," Sebastian said with a smirk.

"I'm Blaine, Tina's friend," Blaine said as he got off. He pulled up his left stirrup and loosened the girth, then he went over on the right side to pull up the right stirrup.

"Why haven't I seen you before?" Sebastian continued smirking, "I know I wouldn't forget that arse."

" 'scuse me!" Blaine spluttered feeling a blush spreading across his face.

"Well, it's so perky and round, perfect for a good fuck," the other boy continued. "How about a roll in the hay later?" He winked at Blaine, who wasn't sure how he had ended up in this situation.

"I got to go," he muttered, and pulled Blossom with him up towards the stables.

"Shame!" Sebastian called after him.

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It was two days before Tina came back from her holiday when the Smythe's yard manager offered Blaine a part time job. He took it.

The job was good, but it meant he was constantly exposed to Sebastian's very sexual comments. Blaine didn't know whether to be flattered or repulsed by the innuendos or straight out come on's, but Sebastian didn't seem to let up. In fact he had taken to touch Blaine whenever he could get away with making it seem like an accident. If it hadn't been for Tina, and the fact that he needed the money for a pony, Blaine would have quit.

It was late September when Toolie made her entrance. The mare bolted out of the horse box, ripping the lead from the man holding her as she took the ramp in one step and jumped the rest of the way down. Once she was free she shook herself, and then calmly trotted over to the grass lining the road with the lead rope dragging behind her. The brown pony started to munch on the grass, and Blaine slowly made his way over and got hold of the lead. After that Toolie quickly became his favourite pony of Sebastian's. The little mare was well behaved and affectionate when she was handled on the ground (except for exiting horse boxes apparently), but when Sebastian got in the saddle the show started. She would throw her head in the air and skip sideways whenever Sebastian tried to shorten the reins to gain some control, if he asked her to trot she would just start cantering, slowly accelerating until she was in a gallop. Every time Sebastian had to steer her into a corner to get her to stop. If it hadn't been for the fact that Sebastian was hurting the little mare when he was yanking on her bit, Blaine would have laughed out loud. He was amused though, at how the brown pony took charge and took Sebastian for a ride, literally. Sebastian got more and more frustrated, and on the tenth day he exchanged the snaffle bit on the bridle with a dutch gag bit, that was the day of the famed flight. Toolie did not like the severe bit and when Sebastian pulled on it, she put in a full stop and kicked her hind legs in the air, causing Sebastian to fly and land ungracefully in the dirt.

The next day the yard manager told Blaine that Toolie was for sale, and since the old owners refused to take the pony back, Blaine went to Mr. Smythe and offered to buy Toolie. The rest is history.

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The day after meeting Kurt and crashing the filming, Blaine was working in the morning. He had fed the horses breakfast and let them out in the fields and was mucking out when Tina arrived. She was wearing a dress and the sight made Blaine almost fall into the wheel barrow in shock, he was used to seeing Tina in dirty jodphurs and t-shirts or their school uniform, she looked nice, and had even done her hair.

"Why are you not ready yet?" she asked, she was all jittery and couldn't stand still, but kept hopping from one foot to another.

"I had to work today," Blaine sighed, he had known yesterday as well, but had kept silent because Tina was so excited.

"I can't go alone!" she was close to tears now, but then that was sort of the norm with Tina.

"Of course you can. Besides, you're the fan, not me. It's important that you go, or I'll never hear the end of it," he teased. Of course Blaine wished he could go, he would probably never get to see a real film set in his life, but work had to come first.

"I'm gonna ask Sebastian if you can go…" Tina said as she turned on her heel and strode down the row of stables.

"Tina, wait!" This would never end well, Blaine knew that Sebastian would love to have something to hold over him, and there was no chance in hell he would let Blaine skip out early.

Blaine caught up with Tina as she found Sebastian by the tack room.

"Sebastian…"
"Tina!"
"Blaine!"

"Not that it isn't entertaining to watch you two shout at each other, but I've got more pressing things to do, so will you fill me in… or leave."

Blaine saw Tina take a deep breath.

"Sebastian, can Blaine skip out early today so that he can come with me to the movie set?" She looked so hopeful, but one glance at Sebastian and Blaine knew it was not going to happen.

"Well, Blaine… if I let you go, what are you going to do to make it up to me? After all, there is loads of work to be done here, so I would need something in return."

"Never mind, Sebastian." Blaine turned to go back to his mucking out, but he didn't get far because Tina grabbed his arm.

"Blaine!" She turned to Sebastian. "I'll work with Blaine next weekend, give you a two for one."

Sebastian smirked at her.

"No offense, but you are a girl…" he turned and left Tina standing there, spluttering.

"Tina, that was not what he wanted in return." Blaine dislodged himself from her grip and headed for where the wheel barrow was standing.

"You mean… sexual, he wanted you to… ewww gross, Blaine." She jogged beside him. "You wouldn't do something with him would you?"

Blaine laughed, but it sounded more like a croak.

"Are you kidding me, of course not. I've turned him down so far, why would I change my mind now."

Tina watched as he picked up the shavings fork.

"I'll tell you everything later, okay? We can skype tonight." Blaine nodded and went back to getting the horse dung out of the clean shavings.

"You're sure you're okay with me going alone?" He stopped and looked at her. She was upset, but fighting the excitement that was bubbling underneath.

"Yes Tina, I'm sure. Now go and stop distracting me from my work." He watched as a smile broke out on her face and she turned and almost skipped away. It was true what he said, he didn't mind. She was his best friend and it was her dream to meet Kurt Hummel. Blaine knew far too much about Kurt Hummel thanks to Tina. The fact that he loved coffee and wanted to do theatre, preferably Broadway was just two tiny titbits from the facts Tina had told him. Blaine smiled to himself. In all the information there was nothing about him being gay though. It was probably wise to keep that one quiet, he would have to remind Tina tonight. He just hoped she had sense enough to not blurt it out whilst with Kurt today.

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I want to thank all that have commented so far and wishes have been taken into consideration. Please leave a comment or a question if you have one.