AN~ Hey you guys, sorry it's been so long since there's last been an update. I promise I'll be more consistent with it. But in this next one, don't wave off what happened to Mag so quickly, there very well may be something amidst ;3 Enjoy, R&R.
"Nathan! C'mere, here's the website."
I glanced over my shoulder as Nathan came into the den, responding to my calling him. He leaned forward with his hands on the back of my chair before moving to my shoulders kissing the top of my head with his lips lingering there. I clicked the link to Navarre 367's page. I could almost feel Nathan's eyes sweeping over the page of the stallion. The picture caught him in mid-trot with amazing knee action and a huge reach. I looked up at Nathan only to see his eyebrows shoot up, clearly impressed.
"My God," He breathed, leaning forward, eyes narrowing to get a better look. "He's really only ten grand?"
"Indeed," I responded, laying a hand over one of his that he had on my shoulders, gently squeezing. "He's a great addition. He's an incredible horse, Nate."
"Hang on, hang on." Nathan said, amused. "We've got to try him out before we make any immediate decisions. Horse before the carriage... literally."
He bent down and wrapped his arms around my shoulders, kissing the top of my head. I leaned back against him, lifting one hand to his arm and lowered my head to kiss it.
"Promise we can go look at him though?" I asked, looking up at him. Nathan chuckled, kissing the top of my head once more.
"Promise."
Suddenly, Cooper's wild barking at a crow landing in the front yard caused both me and Nathan to jump. Nathan's head turned over his shoulder, his smile disappearing for a moment. He left my side to be sure whatever our one-year-old Shepherd's conniption fit was wasn't anything to be majourly concerned about, moving to the window that Cooper was practically launching himself at. "What are you looking at? It's a bird!"
"Oi, Cooper!" I called from the living room. "Settle down, you mental thing."
Next thing I know, Nathan chuckled behind me and I could feel him moving closer. Placing both hands on my shoulders, he leans over my left, his face near mine.
"I love it when your accent comes through," He mutters playfully, leaning over my shoulder to kiss me. With a grin I kissed him back.
"What do you mean 'comes through'? It's normally there," I said, mock offended. Nathan grinned.
"You know what I mean, it gets thicker." He kissed my forehead, letting go of me to go sit down on the side of the corner couch. I had to agree with him. I was born in Berkhamsted in Hertfordshire, England, but moved with my parents when I was very young. My parents' accents had remained the same, so mine naturally came with it, if not a bit watered down and since they had hired an elocutionist, it definitely helped. But every so often it did become thicker and British dialect is very hard to lose entirely.
I stood up and moved toward the couch, watching Nathan inch toward the corner of it with his arms draped over both sides of the back of the couch. I moved toward him and crawled over toward him, settling with my back against his chest and lying between his outstretched legs, feeling his heartbeat behind me. He gently draped an arm over me, his hand settling at my waist.
"S'pose you're right." I responded with a good-natured shrug. Nathan grinned, drawing me a bit closer.
"Don't lose it entirely." He warned, kissing the top of my head with a grin. "Don't get me wrong, I love both accents."
"Let's talk about you're accent, mister," I shot back, playfully poking him in the ribs.
"My accent?" He laughed, kissing the side of my neck. "What accent?"
"Yeah, you're accent," I countered with a grin. "You and you're American accent."
"I didn't even know we had an accent," He said with a laugh. I stood up, draping my arms around his neck and felt his own go around my waist, pulling me closer to him.
"Of course you do." I responded with a grin, kissing along his jawbone and planted another one on his chin. "So, what do you think?"
"Of you? You know what I think, you're gorgeous, you're amazing, I love you with all my heart... " Nathan said, teasing.
"You know what I mean," I growled playfully, nudging him in the side which made him squirm, but wrapped my arms back around him. "But I love you, too, with all my heart. I mean the horse?"
Nathan kissed my forehead and I tightened my arms around him, cuddling close. "I don't see why we couldn't go take a look at him."
I gave a slight squeak of excitement, diving forward to kiss him. I could feel Nathan chuckling against my lips, holding me and kissing me in return before it was broken.
"Thank you!" I said, thrilled. "Now, I was going to also bring up, I've been looking at parrots-"
"Stop right where you are." Nathan halted, laughing. "Forget it. We have a menagerie of animals as it is. I do four legs, paws, hooves, fur only. I don't do feathers or wings or any of that. Nothing of the avian variety, thank you."
He had me cracking up at that point, and even he was laughing. Tightening my arms gently, I hugged him tightly, feeling his arms tighten around me, laying the side of my head against his collarbone. I could feel him kiss the top of my head.
"I love you," I murmured, tightening my hold.
"I love you, too, sweetheart." He said softly in response, his tone full of meaning. There were random moments like this where I just had to hold him, to hug him. I couldn't seem to get him close enough, and when I did I didn't want to let go. He was safe, he was everything to me.
We sat down on the couch, with me sitting on the corner of the couch and Nathan sat beside me, letting me drape my legs in his lap.
"Nathan, this would never end, would it?" I said softly, lifting my eyes to his. Nathan's eyebrows furrowed.
"Would what never end?" He asked, gently stroking a section of my calf with his thumb.
"Us, what we have." I said, then lowered my eyes again. "I've gotten myself so invested in this, Nathan. I love you, so much, and I know what you've been through and what that's maybe caused, and what scares me is losing you. Having you suddenly shut down and close yourself off, wanting me out of your life."
Nathan's eyes softened, concerned as he leaned toward me with a hand on my leg, shaking his head. "Maggie... "
"It's stupid, I'm sorry," I shook my head, looking away, embarrassed that the topic had actually surfaced emotion, my own insecurities of feeling like I wasn't good enough for him. I had always been the one that was second to Marni, and now out of nowhere, that fear of losing Nathan when I loved him so much and finally had him in my life, I felt like that could be gone at any given moment. "I shouldn't have asked, you don't have to answer it."
"No, sweetie... hey, look at me," Blinking back tears, though a part of me was wondering where this all came from, swallowing, I met Nathan's green eyes. He scooted closer to me, cupping my face in his hands. "There is no way, I could ever, ever not love you for fall out of love with you. Out of anybody, you are the one person who's been there for me the most, and if I were to shut anyone out, the last person it would ever be is you. Ever. You're my everything, Maggie. I would die if I lost you. Ever. I know I can be a jerk sometimes, I know that the way I act sometimes can be hurtful, I've never meant to hurt you. I react to things that happen in the only way I know how to, but that would never mean I don't love you."
Tears welled in my eyes, totally against my will. I nodded slowly.
"I'm sorry," I choked back a laugh combined with a sob, embarrassed by how much this had gotten to me.
"No, honey you're fine," Nathan said gently, giving a soft, sad chuckle as he pulled me into his arms. I folded my legs under me and sank against him, letting him hold me. "Where did this come from?"
"I have no idea," I murmured, shaking my head, laying the side of it against his chest. "I've been hormonal lately, I have no idea why."
"You've been stressed out lately, we both have," Nathan said, kissing the top of my head. "You're okay, don't worry about it."
We sat there for a few moments, and I held on to the man I loved, taking in his comfort and reassurance. Something that was always constant, and something that was always a huge support for me.
Two days later, I woke up early that morning with my stomach churning. I sat up, glancing over at Nathan still asleep next to me when I suddenly felt something rising into my throat. I stumbled out of bed and toward the bathroom, kneeling by the toilet as I got sick. I gathered hair off my forehead, feeling nauseaous and feeling like I was going to vomit again. It scared me, since I had no idea what had suddenly made me sick.
"Mag?" I heard Nathan's voice and heard his footsteps, feeling him come to my side. "Honey... "
"I'm alright," I assured him, though shakily. "I'm not sure what caused it."
Nathan filled a glass with water and knelt beside me, handing me the glass as he gently rubbed my back. I took a few little sips of it, one of which I swished around my mouth to get rid of anything remaining and spit it into the toilet.
"Maggie, you should stay in today," Nathan said softly. "If you're getting sick..."
"I don't think it's the flu or anything though," I said. "I'm not shaky or feverish or anything like that. This is different."
Nathan nodded slowly, though I could tell by the way he was looking at me when I stood slowly that he was still concerned and not totally convinced I was fine.
A couple hours later, I was fine. Nathan and I were going to go check out the stallion. Nathan, ever protective, kept an eye on me as we drove to the facility where Navarre was kept. We pulled into the property. I turned to Nathan as we pulled in.
"Who exactly are we asking for?" I asked him. Nathan picked up a folded piece of paper.
"The guy who owns this place is Sigvard Daaé, he's Swedish. I guess he specialises in training these horses." Nathan said, setting the paper down in the centre consol. "I think he was the one I spoke to. He had a fairly heavy accent."
We got out of the Explorer with the two horse trailer attached to the back and the second I did, I saw a younger girl, had to be eighteen years old at the most, riding a huge Friesian, but the two together was breathtaking.
"Dr. Wallace?" Both Nathan and I turned when an older man with the slightest Swedish accent came out way. His eyes were warm, his entire demeanor welcoming. Nathan turned and nodded, shaking the offered hand.
"Yes, Mr. Daaé?" Nathan said.
"Please, call me Sigvard," Sigvard said. "It's a pleasure. Dr. Wallace-"
"Nathan," Nathan said quickly with a thin smile. Sigvard nodded with a smile and then turned to me. "And my other half, Mag."
"A pleasure meeting you both," He said. "So you're here to see the big boy, eh?"
"We are," Nathan responded. "Mag actually found him. We're excited to see him."
"Follow me, I'll have my daughter bring him out." Sigvard said.
"Was that... your daughter on the horse in the arena? For that matter was that Navarre?" I asked. Sigvard looked toward the arena as the girl dismounted the Friesian and nodded.
"Yes, that is Christine. The horse is her mare Meyke." Sigvard explained. I could immediately see the fatherly pride Sigvard had in his daughter as she walked the massive, yet elegant animal back to the barn. I knew that someday Nathan would be looking at Shilo that same way. As we entered the most pristine barn I'd ever seen in my life, I could hear someone else coming down the aisle with the soft clopping of massive hooves on the cobblestone aisles.
"Christine! Komma med Navarre ute , behaga." Sigvard said. The girl that clipped the mare into the crossties looked up, nodding immediately, her dark eyes shifting to Nathan and myself.
"Hi," She said, a warm smile crossing her face as she nodded toward us. Sigvard stopped her before she could turn back away, motioning her over with a smile.
"Vänta vänta vänta , stanna lägga, come say hello." Sigvard insisted with a chuckle, laying a hand on Christine's shoulder as she came over toward us. She wore a blue zip-up hoody with jeans, her dark hair pulled back in a french braid. She regarded me and Nathan warmly, as though knowing we would possibly be giving the horse she had worked with for so long a good home.
"Christine works with all of our horses," Sigvard said.
"How old are you, Christine?" I asked, genuinely curious.
"I'll be nineteen in the fall," She said. "My father told me you were interested in Navarre?"
I couldn't believe that this girl had literally no accent. She must have been born here. Nathan nodded.
"We are. We saw him online." He responded. Christine nodded.
"He's an incredible horse. He's approved with the Friesian registry, is registered. He's produced incredible horses. We bred him with a Thoroughbred mare that we bought awhile back, and the colt wound up being an amazing sport horse." Christine said. "I'll go grab him so you guys can see him."
Within moments, Christine came back out with the gigantic seventeen-hand Friesian stallion in tow. Navarre had a thick, wavy forelock travelling down past his nose. He had a stunning head and was completely solid. An elegant, graceful powerhouse of a horse.
"Holy hell... " Nathan breathed. Christine smiled, adjusting a bit of Navarre's-literally-forearm length mane. The stallion's ears were pricked, studying all of us, though not dubiously. It was genuine curiousity in who the newcomers were. The horse seemed to genuinely enjoy human company.
"How old is he?" Nathan asked. Sigvard turned to his daughter, encouraging her to answer. It was refreshing seeing a trainer who was willing to give his daughter a chance. It seemed Christine knew this horse well.
"He's nine years old," She said, her dark eyes sweeping from Navarre to us. "He's always been sound, hasn't had a thing wrong with him. We started him when he was four years old, so he had plenty of time to get any muscle tissue developed. He's always been an extremely powerful mover, very eager to please."
We spent about a half hour there before Nathan and I both decided to have the horse on trial for thirty days. We loaded Navarre in the trailer, said our goodbyes to Sigvard and Christine. When we got home, we unloaded the stallion, which caused a ruckus with the other two... or should I say three with Dragon Blade now added into the mix. But Navarre didn't skip a beat. He took it all in stride, walking quietly beside me as I walked him around the area a bit, waiting for Nathan to bed down a stall for him. Thank God for that because I knew that if he wanted to, Navarre was powerful enough to drag me wherever he pleased.
"I'm dying to get on him, Nate," I looked over my shoulder at Nathan, who was stuffing the hay feeder with a flake of grass hay. He brushed his hands off on his pants, looking up at me.
"Go for it." He said with a grin. "I want to see him move."
Grinning, I lead Navarre over to the aisle crosstie and clipped him there. The stallion, calm as could be, stood quietly and watched me as I ran my hand over his haunches, moving down his side. It was the first time I had actually gotten to take a look at the stallion up close.
"Look at the size of his hooves," I remarked, bending with my back facing the horse's front, lifting one of his legs, pushing feathers away from the hoof to get a good look. Navarre's hoof had to be about the size of a large saucer. Nathan stuck his head out of the stall.
"You don't want those anywhere near toes," He said, dryly joking. I grinned, giving Navarre's haunches a quick pat, reaching for his thick tail and gently dragging my fingers through the waves of jet black trendils, moving to the tack room to get my saddle. Unsure of what he rode in, I selected a bridle with a loose ring snaffle, draping it by the crownpiece and reins over my forearm, a saddle pad in hand. Hanging the bridle on the hook, I draped the pad over Navarre's back, pulling it up in the slightest so it rested right at his withers. I watched him out of the corner of my eye just to see how he would react. The stallion was alert but placid. Making sure none of his long mane got caught under the saddle pad, I went to get the saddle and girth, got him saddled, unbuckled the halter to buckle it back at the base of his neck to keep him there while I bridled him, I looped my arm around his nose with my hand settled there to keep his head down, taking hold of the middle of the bridle with my other palm holding the bit. I gently pushed the the bit toward Navarre's lips and he easily accepted it. I pulled the bridle over his ears, pulled his forelock out from under the brow band and smoothed it down his face, buckled what was needed to, then I pulled down the stirrup and attempted to get my foot in.
I had seriously underestimated the horse's height. After a few failed attempts of jumping around and struggling to get on, I finally gave in, shaking my head with a defeated laugh. "Nathan? Can you give me a leg up, honey?"
Nathan's head popped out of the stall, his green eyes quickly assessing the situation and I could see the grin growing across his face.
"I missed you trying to get on? Ohh, I'm so bummed." He groaned with a laugh, moving toward me with his hands at my waist as he moved around me to the back of me, taking hold of my shin when I lifted my leg back toward him. "He's got to be more than sixteen hands. Well over it."
"That wouldn't surprise me." I responded. "Ok, on the count of three."
At three, I jumped and Nathan pushed me up into the saddle. Still struggling, I wriggled my way into the saddle and got both feet in the stirrups. I leaned to adjust them, noting that Navarre stood extremely quietly as I did so. Straightening, I gently nudged him with my heels and clicking my tongue at him. His ears whipped back toward me and immediately he started at a high-stepping, enthusiastic walk toward the arena. I could feel him round his neck and drop his muzzle to his chest, but his mouth was soft on the bit. He was 'in the bridle', had done it without me even asking. Nathan was following me toward the arena, shutting the gate behind me as we entered. I walked Navarre around the arena a couple of times to warm him up, knowing that it probably wasn't going to take much. Gently tightening the reins in the slightest, I pressed my heels against his sides, urging him into a trot.
For anyone who has never sat a Friesian horse's trot, you are missing out. Navarre was floating. Floating. His knee action was incredible, but each leg would shoot out with each step, carrying himself at an incredible, almost surreally smooth trot.
"Look at him go." I heard Nathan call from the fence, clearly amazed. I was a bundle of raw excitement, giddy at the idea of what I was riding. The trot was quick and powerful, but somehow Navarre stayed collected with his full attention on me. Kissing at him and squeezing my leg, I asked him for a canter and he lept into it, his hooves ripping at the ground with each massive step. His breath exploded from his nostrils with each stride, his head still rounded and at his chest. I circled him, did figured eights, asked him to alternate between a canter to a trot, then back into a walk. He did all of it. He was a powerhouse of a horse, but an absolute stunner. I walked him over to the gate where Nathan stood, loosening Navarre's reins.
"I've never seen a Friesian in action, but my God... " Nathan said, stunned, but I could easily tell he was greatly impressed. "I think we have ourselves a hell of a horse."
"What did I tell you?" I said witha grin, leaning to pat Navarre's neck. "You've got to get on him at some point, Nathan."
"I don't know about that-"
"Oh, come on. You got on Kilkenny Creek, you'll be fine. Where's the dog?"
"He's fine, he's with Shilo inside." Nathan responded. His green eyes swept over Navarre and he sighed heavily. "Alright, I'll get on him at some point. I can't resist."
I laughed, guiding Navarre out the gate as Nathan opened it. A little over an hour later, we got the stallion settled, fed him and the others after they all came back in. There were two seperate paddocks, one of which contained the three mares; Tinkerbell included, plus Batten and Kilkenny Creek. The five of them got on brilliantly, and in the other were the three stallions. We had been extremely careful about turning out the three together. The paddock was well on the other side of the barn so the mares were well out of sight. It had started off with Phaeton, and, when Nathan reluctantly agreed, Uther. For a few days both of them would come back in with bite marks and welts from having kicked each other here and there, but eventually they got the pecking order worked out. Surprisingly enough it was Uther who came out the victor, holding the position of alpha in the group. He and Phaeton got along just as well, and after making sure they were settled, we had turned Dragon Blade out with the two of them. It took both Phaeton and Uther knocking the ornery colt around a bit before he settled in the little three-horse-herd at the bottom of the pecking order.
The mare/gelding paddock was a complete different story. I would have expected one of the Thoroughbreds to be the dominant one, but the fact that Tinkerbell was ruling that paddock didn't entirely come as a surprise to me. All the pony had to do was give one of them a nasty look and the others would be well out of her way. It took awhile for that to be established, but Nathan and I both knew when all the Thoroughbreds came in with bite marks no higher than their barrels. It didn't take long for Nathan and I to figure out the culprit and we couldn't help but laugh. We knew it would take time before turning Navarre out with the stallions though. When we had gotten finished and Nathan shut the barn door, we headed back up to the house. Shilo was downstairs with us, and Cooper lay at her side, keeping a watchful eye on the two year old girl. Nathan and I sat on the couch. I leaned against the corner of it with Nathan's head in my lap and his body between my legs, lying on his back and I ran my fingers gently through his hair.
"You look tired," I commented gently, looking down at him. Nathan was watching Shilo, but lifted his eyes to me, laying a hand on my leg, though gave a light shrug.
"Somewhat," He said softly. "Haven't really been sleeping well,"
"Really?" I said softly, my eyebrows furrowing in concern. It occured to me that I had noticed Nathan tossing and turning alot lately. I hadn't really given it much thought, since Nathan usually moved about quite a bit in his sleep, but this had been more restless. I used my nails to gently run over his scalp, stroking his hair at the same time. I could feel his head tilt back against my stomach in contentment, though I could still feel uneasiness in his body. "What's been bothering you?"
Nathan sighed, tilting his head toward the back of the couch as though in thought. "Just... the whole situation at work, I've just been worrying about it. I have no idea what the outcome of this is going to be."
I lay my hand on his shoulder, gently sliding it down and over his chest, kissing the top of his head. "Well, if anything it's better than you going to jail," I said softly, gently scratching an area of his chest. "The idea of that happening scares me, I don't know what I would do."
Nathan lifted his hand to lay it over the hand I had on his chest, gently squeezing. "They wouldn't put me in jail," He said, shaking his head. "They have no direct proof it was negligent homicide, there were too many other factors in that. And I did state the warning that Uther seemed off, Marni ignored me," He said, his voice quieting in mentioning her. "What their concerned about is a lawsuit for malpractice in the future. This situation had no relevance to my abilities as a practitioner, but the clinic thinks it does. I just... I'm worried about losing my job. I can't, we've got the horses, I can't provide for you and Shilo... "
"Sweetheart," I murmured to him, gently rubbing his chest. "Everything will be alright. That's the worst-case-scenario. I promise you, if something happens, I will look for a job until you can find another one."
I could feel Nathan relax slightly, but he shook his head. "If they let me go, it could mean the end of my career as a vet, nobody's going to hire me if they see that I have a background in malpractice, which is exactly what they'll put on my record if they do wind up firing me."
"Oh, honey," I said softly. I knew where he was coming from, and absolutely felt for him. My hand continued in gentle, soothing circles over his chest, kissing the top of his head. "It'll be okay, Nathan, everything will work out."
Nathan exhaled slowly, settling against me, nodding in response.
"Changing the topic." He said. "What's been on your mind?"
I continued absently stroking Nathan's hair, tilting my head in thought. "Well... you may not want to hear it right now."
"Oh, that's not fair, that's going to torment me," He said with a half smile, looking up at me. "Tell me."
"Well," I said softly, trying to think of how to word it. "Remember when I told you about Navarre, and you said we were turning into a rescue facility?"
Nathan's smile faded, looking at me with mock dread. "Oh no... I know exactly what you're thinking."
"It would be a great opportunity. We've got the room."
"No,"
"We could do this! It would be a great thing, we could go to auctions, rescue the ones that might be going to slaughter,"
"Yeah, and we would wind up keeping them all. Especially with you onboard. You wouldn't be able to let a single one go."
"Yes I would, we'd be able to rehome them, and take on people whose horses have behavioural problems."
Nathan scoffed. "Yeah, there is no way I would get on a horse with serious behaviour problems. I do it enough with the Thoroughbreds."
"Exactly, that's why I would do it."
"That's what scares me. I know you would, you would get on a psychotic horse who would flip over a fence at the drop of a hat without a second thought. There is no way, you're going to get yourself killed."
"Nathan, I've been riding since I was four, there isn't a single behaviour issue that I haven't already experienced."
"So have alot of people, and accidents still happen."
"Of course! Accidents always happens, Nathan, there is always a risk."
"Exactly! You just proved my point," Nathan responded, clearly exasperated and a bit annoyed with our conversation. "Accidents happen, we've had this conversation before. Some of them can't be prevented."
"Nathan, we take a risk walking out of the house each day. Each time someone gets in the car there's a risk of an accident. Unpreventable."
"That's not the same as working with a thousand pound animal with a brain the size of a walnut."
"Coming from the man who is a large animal vet."
"One; not the point, and two; you see where it's gotten me? It's a bad idea."
"Nathan, if anything we can hire a professional trainer."
"Then what's the point of this? We advertise that we work with problem horses, and we bring in a trainer," Nathan countered, shaking his head. "'Work with problem horses', that has bad news wirtten all over it. Who knows what people would bring around."
"Why are you being so difficult about this?" I shot back with an exasperated sigh. "Then I can get on the horse."
"I'm not being difficult. Mag, I love you, but you can be foolish on a horse sometimes. You're willing to get on anything, it's going to get you killed. Did what happened to your best friend mean anything or open your eyes to anything?"
Nathan's words stung, especially bringing up Marni against me. My knee-jerk response of muttering that that was a low blow and getting defensive was right at the tip of my tongue, but I knew that in this case, I couldn't be defensive. While Marni was my best friend, she was also Nathan's late wife. He was entitled to say it, as much as it hurt to hear it.
"That's not fair, Nathan." I said, my tone quieting but still somewhat clipped. "We would be doing a great thing. As a vet you of all people should know the issues with abandoning horses, having them go to slaughter. It's murder. We have a twenty-five stall barn. There is no way we would fill it up, but we can get these horses rehomed."
"It requires a license to be able to do that." He muttered.
"Then I'll get the paperwork done for it. I know that in the long run, it would mean alot to you knowing what you were doing to help these horses. We can cancel out working with problem horses. I don't blame you, we're not equipped to handle that or trained. As much as I think I could do it, you're right, something bad would be bound to happen, and I know you're feelings on it, I don't blame you for that. I know you're not comfortable with it, we don't have to do it. But the other part I really want to do. If people want to abandon their horses, they could bring them to us, too."
He didn't say anything. Wouldn't look at me, but instead kept his gaze on the other side of the room. I ran a hand through his hair.
"You're still mad, aren't you?" I said quietly. Nathan exhaled and shook his head.
"I'm not mad, Maggie, I wasn't. I just hate arguing with you." He said softly. There was no aggravation in his tone, just tension and almost sadness. My heart went out to him.
"I know, we never argue, but I hate when we do, too." I responded softly. Nathan said nothing. I slid my arm over his chest and kissed the top of his head, lips lingering there as I began little puppy-style whimpers. Nathan gave a soft snort.
"You're pathetic, you know that?" He muttered, but I could see the slight smile slipping across his face.
"I know, but you love me regardless," I said gently, wrapping my arms around him. Nathan took hold of one of my hands to bring it down toward him, kissing my knuckles and gently squeezed my hand.
"That I do," He said, lifting his eyes to me for a moment. I could easily see he was in a better mood. He exhaled slowly.
"Let me think about it. This'll add up the cost of feed and everything, and it probably wouldn't be for a long time, Maggie, I don't want to start something like this when Shilo is still so young, there's enough we've got to deal with as is."
"That's reasonable." I said, tightening my arms around him. "I'm sorry, honey, I didn't mean for this to turn into an argument."
Nathan pushed himself up, twisting around and kissed me. I immediately kissed him back, breaking it just as he did. "You're fine, sweetie. These things happen. We have disagreements and we work them out." He said, lifting one hand to my cheek, his thumb gently stroking my cheekbone before leaning to kiss my forehead. "Let's put Shilo down."
Nodding, I stood after he did as we both headed for the stairs. Following him up the stairs, I lay a gentle hand on his lower back and rubbed it affectionately. We reached the top and Nathan immediately turned for Shilo's nursery. He opened the door and we walked in quietly. I watched Nathan lean over the toddler bed, gently stroking Shilo's dark hair and tucking her in. When he turned back toward me and the door, I watched his eyes for a moment, trying to read him. He lifted them and glanced at me, moving toward me and he wrapped his arm around my shoulders. A smile slipped across my face and I wrapped my own around his waist.
"Let's get you to bed," I said, laying a hand against his stomach with my other wrapped around to his waist.
"Sounds like a plan," He responded with a thin smile, but I could hear the exhaustion in his voice. We went to our bedroom and Nathan pulled his grey t-shirt over his head. My eyes wandered toward him while I was changing, myself. Seeing Nathan; seeing his body never failed to make me want to wrap my arms around him. We both got changed and we crawled into bed. Nathan lay on his side and I crawled in beside him, feeling him curl himself against me. I kissed the side of his head, gently stroking his hair and running my fingers through it. I could see his green eyes start closing.
"I love you so much," I murmured to him, kissing his forehead. Nathan opened his eyes and inched closer, wrapping his arm around me.
"I love you, too, Maggie, so much," He murmured, tightening his arms around me. It wasn't long before he soon fell asleep. I continued gently stroking his hair until sleep found me as well, completely contented in curling up beside him and holding him.