Author's Note: I'm sorry that I'm not sorry about the chapter title! :P

By the way, I'm still reveling in all of the kind and helpful feedback you all have been sending my way! Any Saibara converts I have made I consider to be a crowning achievement, haha! You'll be seeing more of him throughout the story. This chapter's a little shorter, but it's an important one! Please enjoy!

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"Alright… You need to get Tucker used to the sound of your voice, so we are going to start lunging today. It'll be good for the both of you to get used to working together." Gray slid the harness on the colt's head, gently brushing the forelocks out of Tucker's eyes and giving the animal a pat. "Barley's already got him used to a lead rope and a halter." He took the rope off of a hook and handed it to her. "Practice makes perfect."

The farmer's heart pounded; she had hardly been able to sleep the night before because she was so excited about her first horse real training session with the apprentice. Claire was eager to please; the young woman had high hopes that Tucker would be an icebreaker for the pair.

She fastened the rope and was surprised at how calmly Tucker followed. She normally lured her colt back into the stable with fresh greens, but she was pleased to find that the rope was far more practical. Claire was glad that she never admitted this clumsy method to the young man; he probably would have thought the whole thing was rather silly.

Gray grinned. "He's a mellow guy."

They walked out to an empty grassy section of the field and the young man took the lunge line. He tugged on the bill of his cap and surveyed the area. They were just going to start with the essentials today. Tucker stood quietly beside him, awaiting a command. Gray found that his heart was throbbing in excitement as he held the rope in his hands and looked at the colt, and he struggled to contain his cool demeanor. After all, if he came off just as giddy as the farmer, he wouldn't seem like a very credible teacher. He attempted to acquire his grandfather's description of the perfect balance of concentration and passion - tranquil as a forest, but on fire within. Gray liked to think the words were pretty poetic and almost lyrical; he wondered if the old man had come up with them himself… "Alright, let's give him around ten meters. Watch what I do, and step back over there," he instructed.

Claire obeyed and watched in fascination as Gray commanded the young horse to walk in a circle around him. She tried her best to focus on Tucker, but she found that her eyes were attracted to the young man's softened facial expressions as he watched the horse follow his orders. He looked focused, but there was an easygoing air about him that the young woman had seen only on rare occasions.

"You got a feel for it? Come on over, Claire," his voice was gentle.

She carefully approached them and felt her face get hot when he put his hands on her hips. Maybe I'm just imagining it, but his touch is so gentle. Loving, almost… Maybe he really is interested, but he has a shy way of showing it…

He was too busy concentrating on the colt to pay any notice Claire's facial expressions. "Move over here," he guided her to where he was standing and handed her the rope. "Okay, give it a try." He got out of the way so that she could maneuver Tucker.

Claire did exactly as she was told, and to her excitement, the horse obeyed. She looked over at the apprentice for approval, but his eyes were glued on the horse. His lips were curled up into a satisfied smile; the young woman's heart pounded. Claire was always so enthusiastic to impress Gray, and it looked like for the first time, she was actually succeeding. The farmer steadied her breathing and continued to command Tucker. Now might be a good time to ask for some advice…

"He's doing well," Gray smiled kindly at the horse.

Claire grinned. "Hey… Gray?"

"Yeah?" His gaze followed the animal as he nodded in approval.

Her eyes were focused on Tucker. "Is it normal for him to hold his head that low? I'm kind of worried about his neck…"

"What do you mean?" He stared at her, folding his arms across his chest.

Claire watched the colt slowly walk past and her smile faded at the young man's stiffened stance and accusing glance. "Well… I saw a few carriages in the park back in the city, and the horses pulling those had much better posture…" she explained. "I just want to make sure-"

"Better posture?!" Was she saying what he thought she was? "You sure as hell better not be suggesting we use an overcheck, because if you are, then I'm taking Tucker back right now," Gray didn't raise his voice around the horse, but his eyes flashed dangerously at her.

Claire was startled by his sudden change in demeanor. Time with Tucker had always meant a happy, gentle Gray. "O-Overcheck?"

"So you don't know, then," Gray's face relaxed and he looked away uncomfortably as he pulled his cap over his eyes. "… Sorry… It just pisses me off that people will cause stress on an animal for the sake of fashion."

"I-I just thought that's how horses were supposed to look," she weakly attempted to defend herself.

Apparently this was the wrong answer; his body became rigid and he clenched his fists, seething. "Horses are supposed to look natural," he spat, "they're not supposed to look like some kind of wind-up toy…" he fumed for a moment, remembering similar carriages in the city he grew up in and wondered if the farmer was really so naïve. It sickened him the way the horses were used to pull along doting couples, but the animal was given such little affection in return; he had seen them panting from overwork on several occasions, covered in sweat in the summer holidays. His eyes returned to the farmer and the color immediately drained from his face when he saw her defensive posture and widened eyes. His stomach dropped. It was like the day he first met Claire all over again; all he could manage to do was say the wrong thing and hurt her feelings. "I-I'm sorry… you said you didn't know…" He cast his eyes to the ground, embarrassed.

Claire wasn't sure what to say; he hadn't raised the volume of his voice enough to startle Tucker, but she found that she was trembling. Why was Gray always so quick to assume the worst in people? Had she not proven to him time and time again that she could be a caring individual? She bit her lip.

"I'm sorry, okay?" He tried again. He tugged on his hat again, as if he was wishing he could use it to conceal his entire body. "You're doing great, really…" his voice softened as he took a few steps closer.

She had a feeling he was just saying that to be polite. Her stomach felt sour. She looked down at the lunge line in her hands and played at the frayed fibers of the rope, losing her focus on the horse as her vision blurred, her eyes threatening to fill up with tears.

The farmer looked disheartened; he tried to reason with her. "I-I guess if you're only used to seeing city horses..." He still attempted to apologize. "L-look… Claire, can you stop Tucker for a moment?" He looked at her with a worried frown, his lungs deflating.

The farmer halted the horse with a trembling voice and her heart pounded as the young man walked toward her. She blinked away the beginnings of tears and moved her gaze toward him anxiously. Was he angry? She said she didn't know about overchecks… She still wasn't quite sure what one was, but she didn't want to ask… Was he going to try to take Tucker back to Barley's and declare her a failure? She found that she was steeling herself for some kind of defense to any sharp words or glares she got.

"I'm really sorry Claire. I really am…" His face turned very red as he stared at the ground. "I… I know I can be kind of a jerk sometimes, but I… I really do want what is best for Tucker. Please… Please let me continue to help with him. I promise I'll stop being an ass…" There was a tremor in his desperate voice.

Claire stopped holding her breath; he was the one asking for forgiveness… "Y-you really like horses, huh?" She ventured, her voice soft. She wrapped the rope around her knuckles absentmindedly.

"Yeah…" He tugged on the bill of his hat. "It's one of the main reasons I moved out here. I get to help Barley a bit, but I've never really been able to help someone train a yearling on my own like this… It's kind of been a dream of mine…"

So Tucker was a project for him the way farming was for her, cooking was with Karen, and socializing was with Cliff…

"Claire… Please let me help…" He repeated. The young man removed his hat and bowed his head, his unruly red hair sticking out in several directions; the farmer stood in stunned silence at the humble gesture for a few moments.

The thought of refusing Gray's help hadn't crossed the farmer's mind until he had pleaded for her permission. She found herself hesitating again, just like she did on the mountaintop when he asked to train with her. Why was she so unsure? Claire frowned. That couldn't be right; Gray had been the only thing she was sure about since she moved here… "Of course you can help," the words flowed out. "I mean, I wouldn't really know what I'm doing without you here to show me…" She admitted. Claire immediately realized Barley could also help, but she quickly stifled this thought.

"Oh, thank you!" His face lit up. "I promise I'll make it worth your while!" He tossed his hat back on his head and his pale blue eyes were wide.

Without warning, he threw his arms around her. Claire gasped and her knees immediately went weak. She was surrounded by the scent of oil and coal; it was intoxicating. The young woman's trembling hands found their way around his waist; she was so happy she was dizzy and she almost forgot to breathe. Yes, she made the right choice to allow him to continue helping, and what a reward she got in return! What was there to decide, anyway?

Gray pulled away from the embrace and looked over the young woman's shoulder. His face blanched as he saw his roommate standing frozen on the mountain path through the farm. He had a makeshift rack of fish slung over his shoulders and a wounded expression on his face. Cliff must have been headed back to their room at the inn, Gray figured. The brunette snapped back to his senses, turned very pale, and did an about-face, hurrying back up the mountain.

The farmer was oblivious to the background activity. "I really do appreciate your help," Claire stammered, blushing deeply. It seemed that Tucker was bringing them closer together once more.

Gray paused a moment before replying; he knew that there could be some serious repercussions for their hug if Cliff mentioned it to Saibara. His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. What was she thanking him for again? His eyes fell to the lunge line in her hands. Right, the horse… Suddenly, the fact that he'd be helping her with Tucker didn't feel all that important right now. He had so few true friends that he didn't want to lose the ones he had… His eyes flew to the mountain trail.

"Of course… I'm glad to be given the opportunity. Thanks again, Claire. Just keep practicing, and I know that you'll do great. I'll check up on you sometime to see how you're progressing." He gave her shoulder what meant to be a friendly pat, but the farmer was too preoccupied to notice how stiff and awkwardly formal it was.

She could hardly hear his words over her heart thudding loudly in her ears. "O-okay. Thanks!" Claire played with the rope in her hands.

His mind was racing; he looked around them distractedly. "Well, I'll leave you with that today… I-I'm sorry; I've got to go talk to someone… See you around." He nodded a curt goodbye and followed the mountain trail.

"A-alright… I'll make you proud, Gray!" She called out to him. The sudden goodbye seemed a bit strange, but the farmer didn't mind; she was still flying high from their hug. Claire was already counting down the moments until her next training session. His embraces were a little rough, but she found that she rather liked it; they gave her heart a thrill.

"Good! You better!" He broke into a jog toward Mother's Hill, cursing under his breath.

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Author's Note: All who are familiar with Saibara's words of wisdom in this chapter earn a cookie.

On a more serious note, my intentions with this chapter were for Claire to get a better feel for the real Gray, and not just the idealized illusion she has created of him in her mind. I'm interested to hear your thoughts on this.

P.S. Any Adventure Time fans out there? I found myself thinking of the "The Eyes" (Season 2 Episode 2) while writing this… "Finn, the horse is bringing us together~!" "The horse is tearing us apart~!"