Second Chance Ranch

by Thiefoflight68

Katsuki Bakugou ended up in prison after a gang shootout. Three years later he applies for a post prison program. The job he thinks he's getting and the one fate finds for him are completely different. A chance meeting with a cute freckled face man brings him to the Midoriya Family Ranch, also known as Second Chance Ranch by the prior prisoners that have made a made a home there.

2. Blonde Greeness

"Katsuki? Katsuki Bakugou?" Shouta stepped into the waiting area.

"That's me." A lean, muscular man with spiky blonde hair stood up, a bag on his shoulder.

Looking at the picture in the file that matched his looks, he nodded. "I'm Mr. Aizawa, your parole officer, come in and have a seat." Sitting down behind a metal desk crammed inside his office, he drummed his fingers anxiously. He hated giving bad news to newly released guys. "I appreciate you calling yesterday. Sorry I wasn't here."

"It's okay," he sat down in one of his broken plastic chairs.

"The thing is," he fidgeted with the paperwork. "They came by yesterday, right after you called. They ended up filling the position with another person that was here instead. I'm really sorry." He frowned, "sometimes these places are a little disorganized."

"Oh shit," he let his backpack fall to the ground.

"I might have some other options. Are you staying locally?"

"Well, I checked out of my hotel this morning, but I could probably figure something out." He frowned and sighed, rubbing his face.

"We have funds that I can use for short term housing, and we get a good deal at the local motel. Do you have a phone yet?"

"Yeah." He huffed loudly. "Sorry, shit, I guess I should've come by or tried you again."

"I don't know if that would've made a difference. I've never worked with this particular program before, honestly with these things, sometimes it's just luck."

"Guess my luck's been a little shitty lately." He clenched his jaw.

There was a knock on the door. Standing Shouta held up his hand. "Gimme a second, sorry." Sticking his head out the door, the other parole officer stood with a folder in her hand. He tried to read the name on the tab. "What's up?"

"I have a ranch that needs someone for his family's work program. The person they came to pick up this morning didn't show."

"Which program is that? I might have someone right here."

"Really? It's tough work, I guess they need someone that can do real ranch work."

"Ranch work? Wait, are you talking about the Midoriya place? Is Inko here?"

Opening the file she shook her head, "Midoriya is the right family name but it's a man, Izuku. Izuku Midoriya."

"Are you kidding? Her kid? Where is he?"

"In my office."

Shooting down the hall, Shouta flung open the office door. The kid he'd known for years jumped up, startled at the intrusion.

"Izuku?" He wasn't a kid anymore.

"Mr. Aizawa?" Izuku's eyes widened in recognition. "I didn't realize you were still working here, when I left a message someone else called me back."

"I took some vacation," he chuckled, "finally after all these years."

"Anywhere good?"

"Camping, I got out under the stars and enjoyed the outdoors again, just like old times."

"You should've stopped by, you know our ranch is open to you anytime. Hell, you could've hiked the ridge," Izuku teased.

"Wow, it's been a while since I've done that, over five years maybe. Time sure flies," he sighed. "It was good to hear from your mom. How is everything back home?"

He shrugged, "the same as always. Doubt anything has changed since you got out of there after high school."

"Ugh," he grimaced, "you're right about the valley. Cows and horses as far as the eye can see… Oh!" He slapped his back. "I heard congratulations are in order."

"Please," Izuku blanched. "I, uh… would rather not…" He shoved his hands into his pockets.

"No reason to be shy, I'm happy for you. Enji must be really excited." Shouta could see he was getting uncomfortable. Kids, he wanted to shake him. Love was wasted on them. Mentally sighing, he got back to business. "Inko also mentioned she handed over the reins to you last year, looks like your first pick up is a no-show?"

"I guess," he sighed heavily.

"Do you still want to hire someone? Or are you going civilian now?" Aizawa crossed his arms and tapped his finger waiting. He'd grown up with Inko but only met Izuku a handful of times during their backpack trips over the years. Although Inko swore he'd keep the ranch program going, things tended to change when someone else took over.

"Oh, yes! Isn't that why I'm here?" Izuku seemed genuine in his surprise.

"Let me ask another way. Do you like the program?"

"I do!" He nodded and winced at the motion. "I'm a little groggy today, sorry. Yes, Mr. Aizawa. I've always loved the program. You always find us good people. Mina finally left last year, which is why we need someone, we've been shorthanded too long. Oh!" He laughed, "even Shinsou is still around."

"That kid? Really?" Aizawa made a face, "honestly I'm surprised he's made it that long."

"Right?!" He laughed knowingly, "he's a handful but he's basically a part of the ranch now. I think if it was ever sold, he'd list his name on the bill of sale."

He was relieved to know that Inko had been right to pass the ranch to her son. He'd have to call her after he left. "I'm glad to hear everyone is doing well and it sounds like you really want to continue."

"I do. I thought we could get by without the extra hands, but..." Izuku blushed slightly, "the ranch is a lot tougher to run than I thought."

"That or your mom was better than you realized," Shouta clapped him on the back again laughing. "Come on into my office, I think I've got a strong candidate. He was supposed to meet with another program manager this morning but there was a mix up. They came yesterday and took someone else. I'm disappointed, they don't realize how tough it is for guys first getting out." He beamed at him, "but now I'm glad it didn't work out. I think your place might be a better fit."

Stopping outside his office door, he lowered his voice. "About this guy, he did three years in prison. His parents were killed by a gang, who also burned down their house. Apparently, he escaped but they cornered him in a warehouse. He was shot twice, once in the leg and once in the side. The three that chased him inside were found dead when the police arrived."

"Did he kill them?"

"Not sure," he thinned his lips. "He had an unregistered weapon on him, but the weird thing is…none of the bullets were fired. When he woke up, he claimed he had no idea how they were killed." Shouta shrugged, "since they couldn't connect him to any of the deaths and this was his first offense, the judge went easy on him and gave him five years for the weapon."

"But he only served three?"

"The warden had him in some special program and apparently this guy didn't miss a beat. You'd think he wrote the book on how to get out of jail fast. He did get in a couple of scuffs but from what they could determine it was never instigated by him. Managed to get by the rest of his time without any other incidents."

"That's pretty amazing, sounds a lot like Kiri."

"Exactly," he laughed, "how is Eijirou? Shit, I can't believe it's been, what? Six years?"

"I think so," Izuku nodded. "He loves the ranch, he's been saving his money to buy a place of his own.

"Good for him." Placing his hand on the doorknob, Shouta looked at him expectantly, "so, are you interested in meeting him?"

"Sure, he sounds like a good fit for our place."

Swinging open the door, Shouta grinned wide. "Good news Bakugou, I think I found another job for you." Sitting down, he grabbed his folder to make some notes. "Meet Izuku Midoriya of the Midoriya Family Ranch, also known as Second Chance Ranch." Looking up he noticed a pained expression that flitted across Bakugou's face. Izuku was still standing in the doorway, his mouth open, staring at the man sitting in his office.

"You two know each other?"

"We do," Katsuki sat back in his chair. His heart was about to explode as a thin sheen of sweat beaded on his forehead. A million thoughts flew into his mind at once but the one that stood out most of all was…he knows. His throat constricted, sapping any moisture from his mouth.

For a brief window of time, he'd had a special moment with someone that had no idea about his past and now that was gone.

Aizawa was tapping his pen rapidly on his desk. "Really? How'd you meet?"

"He, uh, he..." Freckles stammered, he was clearly shocked.

"He, what?" Shouta shot Katsuki with a concerned look.

Recovering faster, Katsuki explained quickly. "We met when he fell on the beach yesterday. I helped him get to a doctor." He closed his mouth on the rest.

"Seriously?" Aizawa chortled. "What are the chances? Well, since you know each other, are you interested in working together?"

"What…" everything showed in those expressive eyes as he tried to put it all together. Katsuki couldn't tell if he was uncertain or... disappointed. A wave of self-disgust rolled through him suffocating any other thought from his brain.

Why did he always fucking disappoint people?

After what felt like an eternity Freckles came to his senses and sat down. "What are your qualifications? My family owns a ranch, we're not as big as most since we own water rights, but we still run a few hundred head of cattle."

Katsuki bristled, he sounded so formal and stiff, light years from the funny kid he'd met yesterday. Staring at his hands, he fidgeted with the strap of his backpack.

Freckles cleared his throat, he was waiting for an answer.

Finally letting out a heavy sigh, Katsuki shrugged noncommittally. "I'm good at fixing stuff. Like your truck yesterday."

Aizawa turned a page in his folder. "You wrote that before you were imprisoned for felony gun possession you were a mechanic in a shop."

Imprisoned… felony, Katsuki shuddered at the words. While he'd accepted his fate long ago, to have it voiced now, in front of Freckles… they sounded like the dirtiest words he'd ever heard. Peeking over at him, he really was different this morning. His hair was combed back, and his face was pinched tight, no wild curls or adorable smile like last night.

Last night… It had been incredible, a memory he'd stored away to think about when things got tough. And now, here in this dingy parole office, it felt violated.

"A mechanic?"

His soft voice snapped him from his thoughts. "Yeah, my dad had a shop, and I helped him."

"Mmmm."

Katsuki could feel the irritation starting to mount. This wasn't what he wanted, he hadn't asked for this shit. If he could just walk out the door and never have to see him again, he'd do it at this point. Hell, that's what he thought he'd done yesterday.

"May I see?" Freckles reached out and took the file from Mr. Aizawa. Opening the folder, he began reading quietly.

Katsuki cringed and watched as he read through the page. Tilting his head, he tried to see what was in the file.

"From what I'm reading it says you're a hard worker."

Katsuki froze. There it was. That was the beginning of the 'sorry we don't want you' speech.

Good, he didn't fucking want the job anyway.

Sitting up, he plastered a fake smile on his face. "Yeah, I get it, a mechanic has no place on a ranch." Gesturing towards Mr. Aizawa, he snapped his fingers. "Can I get that motel information you told me about?"

"I wasn't finished," his annoyance was evident.

Katsuki snorted and rolled his eyes. "Okay, sure… I helped you out yesterday, so now you wanna be nicer and explain why you don't fucking need me?" He clicked his tongue. "Fuck that, I'll find another job instead."

"Bakugou," Shouta growled darkly.

"What?" He snapped back defensively.

"Mr. Aizawa," Freckles interrupted their standoff. "Would you mind if we talked alone for a moment?" Katsuki shot him a worried look, his knee began bouncing nervously. Laying his arm on his thigh he tried to calm himself.

Great, now he was probably going to go fucking ape shit about yesterday. Would he report him? A sick feeling twisted painfully in his stomach… he couldn't go back to jail.

"Sure," Aizawa stood and threw some paperwork on his desk. "If you decide to work together, sign this contract." Throwing down a pen, he stalked to the door, glaring at Katsuki the entire way. Slamming the door behind him, silence filled the room.

Freckles took a deep breath. "You're a hard worker and I feel bad after-"

"Fuck that," Katsuki jerked his head up and locked eyes with him. "I don't want your damn pity."

"As I was saying," he was trying to stay calm, but his green eyes flashed angrily, which made him look…. his mind went blank.

Freckles looked fucking gorgeous.

Feeling betrayed by his own idiocy, Katsuki tried to relax, hoping to make himself look as bored as possible. That always got under people's skin. Flinging his arm over the back of the chair, he knew that if could fuck with him enough, he'd be storming outta here in two seconds flat. Then he could start working on getting his life back and away from these distractions.

Because right now this kid was nothing but a distraction.

"I…" Freckles paused and held his gaze, studying him, too closely. Katsuki glared back but shifted uncomfortably under his scrutiny. Suddenly his entire demeanor changed, a faint smile played on his lips. "How are you with… excitable people?"

His question caught him by surprise. He hated people that gave false hope. Narrowing his eyes, he'd pegged Freckles differently yesterday. Probably the drugs. "I can't stand drama and honestly prefer not to hang out with anyone but myself. Makes me a shit employee."

Cocking a brow, Freckles slammed his file shut, the sudden burst made him flinch. "Then you'll fit in perfectly. Welcome to Second Chance Ranch," he extended his hand. "My name is Izuku Midoriya, your new employer." The last three words were said so triumphantly that Katsuki could only stare dumbly at his outstretched hand.

"W-Wait," he stammered trying to understand. "You're hiring me?"

"I am," he smirked and patted his leg with the hand he'd ignored. Katsuki jerked back as if bitten by a snake.

"Oh, and, uh..." he blushed. "About last night."

"F-Forget last night." Katsuki stammered, practically falling off the side of the chair.

What the fuck was happening?

"As if we could," he laughed ruefully, "but considering I'm your employer now, we need to keep our relationship professional." He gave him a weak smile. "Yesterday was unique. I enjoyed your company, but that was all, it was never meant to be more." He tipped his head. "I'm not really that carefree, happy man you met yesterday. So, it's best not to think I'm like that. My life is really… complicated right now.

"Who's isn't?" Katsuki snorted. "Hell, all I did was save your klutzy ass," snickering quietly he noticed Freckles didn't even react, that pinched look stayed on his face. Katsuki clicked his tongue softly, if he hadn't seen him yesterday, he would've guessed that this kid had never cracked a smile in his life.

Suddenly he really wanted to see that smile again, the one that lit up his entire face.

Maybe a distraction wasn't so bad after all?

And a job was a job… even if this one had a cute fucking boss. He could just put his head down and muddle through whatever the fuck, he needed to do and then hightail it out there.

"Alright," he agreed. If Freckles wanted to start over, that was fine with him. Grabbing his hand, he shook it firmly. "Nice to meet you Izuku Midoriya, my name is Katsuki Bakugou, although," he winked, "some people call me Kacchan."

Without waiting for a response, he leaned over and signed the contract. Pushing the paperwork over, he watched as he scrawled his signature across the bottom, remembering too vividly how that same hand had felt in his hair last night. Throwing his backpack over his shoulder, he opened the door and signaled Mr. Aizawa.

"Here's the contract," Freckles handed it to him.

"I'm glad you came to your senses," Mr. Aizawa gave Katsuki a sharp look. "It was really good to see you, Izuku. Is your mom out completely?"

"Not yet, she handed over almost everything but the year-end legal paperwork with the county."

"Good for you, I bet she's really proud."

"She is, thanks," he shook his hand. Cocking a brow at Katsuki, Aizawa laughed, "I guess you'll see how those gym muscles hold up on a ranch."

Not cracking a smile, Katsuki kept his irritation under wraps and followed Freckles outside. His truck was parked on the side of the building. "Do you need me to drive?"

"Oh," he touched his head. "I was going to drive."

"Of course you were," he grumbled.

"I can drive just fine," he rolled his eyes.

"No, you can't," Katsuki bit back. "Even if you're feeling okay, driving is really stressful on your body. Have you even taken the medication I got you yesterday?" Holding out his hand, he motioned for the keys.

"No, not yet." He finally dug into his pocket and dropped them into his hand. "It's a five-hour drive. Why don't you start driving and if I feel okay, I can do a stretch when we get closer."

"You were going to drive five hours today?" Jiggling the keys, Katsuki could feel his anger mounting again. "Stubborn ass."

"I'm not stubborn," he wrenched open the truck door. Luna jumped up, her tail thumping loudly on the seat. "Hey Luna," Freckles slid in and buckled up, punching in the address to the ranch on his phone.

Katsuki peered into the window, not moving.

Noticing that he hadn't gotten into the truck, Freckles reached over and tugged on the handle. "Is it locked?" The door opened. "What's wrong?"

"The dog."

"She won't bug you."

"Not worried about her bugging me, more like biting me." Katsuki slid cautiously behind the wheel. Freckles chuckled in response and scratched Luna's ears. Ignoring him, he adjusted the mirrors and waited as the dog finally laid down between them, her backend smashed against his legs. "I guess I've got the butt end the whole way?" He hoped she didn't start farting.

Petting her massive head, Freckles smirked, "would you prefer the end with the teeth?"

"No."

He smiled, a real smile.

"Just follow the directions on my phone to the ranch."

"What about your meds?"

"They make me drowsy, so I thought I'd wait until I get home."

"Didn't they say the antibiotics were important? Something about bacteria from the tidal rocks?"

"Yeah." Grumbling, Freckles opened his door and got out. Planting his hands on the truck, he leapt over the side into the back.

"Oi!" Shoving the door open, Katsuki jumped out just in time to see him turning to hop back down. "Stop right there!" Freckles spun around startled. Stalking around the truck, he stopped and held up his hands.

"What the hell are you doing?" Freckles moved further down the truck bed to jump down.

Moving with him, he kept his hands in the air. "Am I the only one that remembers what the doctor said? No sudden movements, jerking, jumping or running. You're so fucking bull-headed." Reaching up he grabbed his waist and swung him down, making sure his feet touched the ground gently. Marching back to the driver's side, he climbed into the truck and started the engine.

Getting back in Freckles started grumbling again. "I think I would've been okay jumping off the truck."

Not responding, Katsuki drove following the map to the highway. Freckles settled in with Luna's head flopped in his lap and popping open his pills, he threw two into his mouth. Then he reached over and tapped on his phone. A small speaker shoved on the dashboard began blaring some song.

Katsuki frowned, a country song. The shit was downright awful, but at least he turned it up loud enough to signal they were done talking. Most would consider it rude, but he was used to being lost in his thoughts, especially after three years of being absorbed in his own mind. Sitting next to someone quietly wasn't anything that bothered him anymore. As he turned onto the highway, a feeling of peace came over him seeing that the road stretched out to the far horizon. Peeking at the map, he saw a good-sized town about two hours into the drive. A great place for a pit stop. Another song started on the speaker… he tried to block it out.

After the third annoying song, Freckles lurched upright, his head bobbing forward. Katsuki glanced over as his eyes fluttered open and closed again, then his head lolled to the side. The meds had to be hitting him pretty hard by now. Every time his head flopped, the poor kid jerked awake.

Turning down the music, Katsuki flipped on his turn signal and pulled off the road. Getting out he rummaged around the back of the truck and found his backpack. Unzipping the pack, he arranged his stuff so that his clothes lined one side. He was blinking at him with his big eyes unfocused as he climbed back into the truck.

Katsuki held up the pack. "Is your door locked?"

"What?" He was still half-asleep.

"Lock your door."

"Why?"

"Because," he watched Luna closely as he reached across and pushed down the lock on the door. "You look like you're about to break your head trying to sleep. Use this," he shoved the backpack into his lap. Looking in the rearview mirror, he merged back onto the road.

"Oh, thanks." Taking the sack, Freckles wedged it into the corner of the cab. "My head's kinda spinning," he mumbled quietly.

Rolling down the window a bit, Katsuki let in some air. "This might help." Eyeing the phone with disdain, he pointed to it. "You want the music still?"

"Mmmm," he hummed softly. "Smells like you."

"What?" But he'd gone quiet. Lifting his arm, Katsuki sniffed himself. Shit, did his stuff stink? It'd been a while since he'd had access to any decent washing stuff. Prison soap smelled like a mixture of bleach and mold. "Are you comfortable?" Still nothing. He'd passed out again.

"At least I don't have to listen to your shitty music." Laughing, he sat back and enjoyed the quiet of the open road.

Glancing at the map, Katsuki could see they were getting close to the place he'd punched into the phone. Freckles was still asleep. Although he'd stopped twice for food and gas, he'd only woken up once for about two seconds and passed back out, other than that he hadn't moved a muscle. Luna on the other hand was eager to get out and sniff every damn thing at each stop. He wasn't sure if she'd been fed, so he managed to talk the waitress at the restaurant into giving him some cooked chicken. The dog had wolfed it down in two seconds flat, wagged her tail and licked his hand. He guessed he had a new friend.

The road had slowly turned into a simple two-lane highway that cut through an arid landscape, which seemed odd for a ranch with cattle. He'd always assumed they needed a lot of grass. He'd rolled down the window and was enjoying the freedom of just driving. After being encased in walls and fences it felt incredible.

"Turn left at the next light." The automated voice commanded from the GPS.

Looking at the endless road ahead, he clicked his tongue. "What light?" The map started spinning and began looking for a new route. "Great, stupid phone, got me lost." In the distance, he saw a sign and as he got closer, he could see it was for a town ahead.

Maybe he could get directions there?

As the miles ticked down, he noticed the arid desert was growing more lush, big trees and grassy fields now dotted the roadside. Getting off at the exit, the phone started spinning again.

"Make a U Turn."

Huffing, he ignored the robotic voice and followed the main road that cut right through the heart of the small town. Not wanting a ticket, Katsuki didn't dare to go over the speed limit and crawled along at a snail's pace checking out the various businesses that lined the wide road. He hoped to find a gas station to pull over and find out where the hell they were.

About halfway through the town he noticed a man smiling and waving from the sidewalk, he seemed to recognize the truck. "That's good," Katsuki murmured as he pulled over and parked, at least he knew he was in the right place. Hopefully this person could give him directions. The man walked up to the truck grinning until he saw him, then both his smile and hand dropped. A dark look flashed across his face, but he controlled his expression quickly and approached his window.

"Hi." Katsuki waved sheepishly at him. The man was good looking with red and white hair, almost perfectly symmetrical. He figured they must have a decent hairdresser in town based on the coloring. As he came closer though he noticed his eyes, one was grey and one was blue. Maybe the hair was natural? "My name's Bakugou, guessing you thought I was him?" He thumbed towards the still sleeping Freckles.

"I did," the man lowered his voice and glanced across the seat. Luna had woken and was sitting up, she yawned and began to pant. "Why's he asleep?"

The question sounded normal, but the tone was slightly perturbed. Katsuki could see he was having trouble keeping his anger under wraps.

What the fuck was his problem?

Holding his tongue to keep it from clicking, he frowned. "He hit his head on a rock yesterday, slipped at the beach. I made him take his meds so I'm driving. Based on how loopy he was yesterday, I think they knock him out pretty hard."

"Interesting." Red and grey eyes scrutinized him closely.

Katsuki could feel the hair on his neck stand on end. Something about the way he was looking at him made him feel uneasy. "I didn't catch your name."

"Todoroki, nice to meet you. How do you know Izuku?"

Pausing, Katsuki tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. He wondered how many people knew about his ranch hands. "He hired me to work on his ranch."

"Part of the program?"

Keeping his eyes averted, he nodded. "Yeah, I met him by accident yesterday and then we ran into each other this morning, he offered me the job."

"How lucky for you… congratulations."

There it was again, the words sounded friendly, but his tone was cold. Katsuki wanted to get the hell away from this man, but he was leaning on the window, too close for comfort. His mind clamored for anything to say. "The phone got us lost, any chance you know where he lives?"

Pushing into the window further, the man chuckled low and deep. "You bet I do," he purred, "I mean, I am his fiancé."

Katsuki snapped his head around, almost plowing into his face. Backing up to get some room, he cocked a brow. "His fiancé?"

"That's right," the man's eyes raked over him and snorting softly, he gave him a condescending smile.

Katsuki recognized a brush off if he'd ever seen one. This Todoroki had sized him up in one second and decided he wasn't worth shit.

Typical.

He managed to keep his thoughts to himself. "Well, uh, congratulations."

Todoroki laughed and rested his chin in his hand. "I hope you don't have an issue with two men being madly in love, I mean, since you'll be working for us after our wedding.

Everything was clicking into place, now he understood why Freckles had talked about wanting to forget last night. It hadn't been about him being a former prisoner but everything to do with this two-toned fiancé.

Madly in love though?

That didn't make sense. The kid he met yesterday had acted like he hadn't been intimate with someone for a long time. He glanced at the still sleeping man drooling on his backpack.

"Well?" He goaded him again, "do you have a problem with that?"

Katsuki shrugged. Whether he was a serial cheater or just in an unhappy relationship, it shouldn't matter to him. Either way, this Todoroki was possessive as hell, and he didn't need him breathing down his ass for any reason. "As far as I can tell, it's none of my business."

"You're right, it isn't." Standing, he patted the roof of the car and gave him a tight smile. "Just go further down this road and make a right at the first light."

"Thanks." Katsuki started to put the truck in reverse, when a hand landed on his shoulder and squeezed him tightly.

"I come out to the ranch… a lot, so I'm sure I'll be seeing you around." Releasing him, he stepped back from the window and gave him a fake smile.

Stifling the urge to glare at him, Katsuki kept his eyes on the road as he pulled back into the lane. Looking in the rearview mirror, he could still see him out on the sidewalk watching them drive away.

What a bastard.

Katsuki let out a long breath, it had taken everything in him not to react to that asshole. Casting a quick glance at the sleeping kid, he clicked his tongue. One thing he knew for sure, if Freckles was his fiancé, he sure as hell wouldn't be looking to be comforted by another set of arms. He stopped his train of thought. "Like you're some fucking Casanova," he mumbled to himself.

Focusing back on the road, he made the right turn at the light and continued driving further into the lush valley. Luna suddenly sat up as Freckles moved in the seat, his eyes trying to open. "Welcome back to the world sleepy head." Katsuki smiled watching him wake up.

Rubbing his eyes, he looked around, blinking at the landscape as recognition slowly dawned. "Oh! We're close."

"Yeah?"

"Right there," he pointed to a wide gravel driveway ahead with a wooden sign, Midoriya Ranch was burned into the wood. "This is the main entrance."

Turning into the driveway, the deep crunch of tires on rock echoed in the cab causing dust to fly up into his open window. "Sorry," rolling up his window quickly, Katsuki continued up to the main gate and stopped.

"No worries, I always have my window down," Freckles opened his door, letting in a thick swirl of dust. "Dirt is something we always deal with here." Walking to the gate, he unlatched the chain and opened it for Katsuki to drive through. Closing it back up, he jumped into the truck. He touched the back of his head gingerly.

"How are you feeling?"

"Okay." Yawning, he shot him a groggy smile, his big eyes were still slightly unfocused. Katsuki looked back at the road.

Why did this kid keep getting fucking cuter?

Freckles stretched, "I'm still out of it and kind of sore. I really appreciate you helping… again"

"Way I figure it, you're my employer now, so I should drive you."

"Not sure about that." He frowned pointed to the road ahead, "there's a fork up here, go right, that'll take you to the main area of the ranch."

"What's left?"

"The cattle barns and pastures."

Driving up a small hill, the ranch lay out before them. Braking for a moment, Katsuki took in the sight. To the right, as he'd said, there was a large house up on a hill, with several other buildings all built in a circle below, a central courtyard shared by all of them. Next to those buildings were barns and pens with various animals. Down the hill to the left he could see several pastures with horses and cattle grazing peacefully. Beyond those pastures the rolling countryside spread out until it ended at a hazy mountain range in the distance. Whistling softly, Katsuki rolled the window down again, the scent of grass, earth and manure floated in on the wind.

"This is huge, how much land do you own?"

"My family owns pretty much what you see. But we're not the biggest ranch around, the Todoroki family owns the largest one in the area. My grandfather sold them a large section of his land."

"The Todoroki's?" The red- and white-haired man popped in his mind. His fiancé. Biting his tongue, Katsuki decided to keep their meeting to himself for now.

"There are several families that own ranches throughout our valley. We're one of the few areas that haven't been taken over by corporations. We struggle to keep it that way."

Katsuki stared out across the horizon, the sun was still fairly bright as the heat of the day reflected off the rocks. "You mainly run cattle here?"

"Actually, cattle are just a side hobby for this ranch. All our money comes from water rights."

"Water rights?"

"Yeah, my grandfather bought this land when he was young, back when the government was giving huge land grants. At the time most of this area was deemed useless for large cattle ranchers. It wasn't as lush as it is today because of a limited water supply back then. With only runoff from the mountains there wasn't enough to support a decent sized herd, so the land was cheap. My grandfather didn't care though, he just wanted to get away from the city so he bought up as much land as he could."

"This place looks as green as any ranch I've seen. Did he find water?"

"No, there was a major earthquake, rocked this entire valley, destroyed my grandfather's first house."

"Shook everything so hard that water came up?" Katsuki laughed at the thought of a geyser shooting up through the air.

"Not right away, but my grandfather discovered a huge aquifer of water afterward. We've had a lot of geologists and scientists come out and study the land. There was a plate shift way out that way," He pointed towards the mountains beyond the barns. "Big enough that it opened a huge underwater source that had been trapped at the base of those mountains. While a lot has started to saturate the surrounding land, most of the water has stayed in the aquifer."

"That's kind of unbelievable." Katsuki eyed him to see if he was kidding around but he looked as serious as ever.

"I know, it's a crazy story but within a few years the land started attracting other families. They had cattle and my grandfather had water and grass, so he began renting off water rights to the neighboring cattle ranches. Unlike other ranches, that's where we make our money."

"That much water?"

"Yeah. They haven't been able to even find the bottom of the reservoir."

Turning right, he followed the road into the courtyard he'd seen earlier. There were a couple of men sitting on a bench, a mess of leather equipment at their feet. Luna sat up and barked out the passenger window, her tail whacking Katsuki in the face. "Oi, dog."

"Stop here, this is fine," opening his door, Luna jumped over Freckles and bounded for the two men, wagging her tail so hard, her whole body joined into the motion.

"Boss." A red-haired man stood slowly, setting down what he was working on and giving Luna a pet, strode across the courtyard. He was tall and muscular with a chiseled jaw, his clothes were covered in dirt and grease. Making eye contact with Katsuki, he nodded and waited for them to get out of the truck.

"Hey Kiri, this is our newest employee, Katsuki Bakugou."

Wiping his hands on his jeans, he shook his hand. "Nice to meet you. I'm Eijirou Kirishima, but you can call me Kiri." He tipped his hat, giving him an odd look, "he let you drive?"

"Well, I didn't really give him a choice,"

Kiri narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "You didn't give him a choice?"

"I hit my head Kiri," Freckles sighed as he handed Katsuki his backpack. "I fell yesterday, and the poor guy got stuck helping me out. I had to take medication, so he drove."

"Oh shit, are you okay?"

"Yeah," he nodded, "it'll heal but I just need to be careful a while."

"Anyone gonna introduce me?"

The other man was standing about a meter behind Kiri, he was smaller but just as muscular. His cowboy hat was perched back on his head, bright purple hair stuck out in all directions from underneath. He had deep purple eyes that were almost sunken into his face. Katsuki couldn't tell if he'd smeared too much grime on his skin or if he needed some serious sleep. He was frowning deeply, and unlike Kiri, he did not look happy about his arrival.

"Guess you heard, I'm Katsuki Bakugou, nice to meet you." He reached his hand out but the man didn't move, keeping his own hands perched on his hips as he gave him the once over. Like Todoroki, he seemed to think he was coming up lacking in some way. Katsuki could feel his anger flare… two times in one day. Being out of prison was gonna be fucking hell on his ego.

"Which house you come from?"

"Cut it out Shin, let him get settled in," Kiri shot him a warning look.

"I'm just asking a question." He bit back defensively and puffed up his chest.

"It's okay," Katsuki gave him his perfected bored look as he swung his backpack onto his shoulder. "I was in one of the bigger houses up north." He was too old to play these fucking games.

"What's your crime?"

"Shin," Kiri gritted out, "leave it be. You do this every time."

"I'm just asking!"

"He's right Shin, cut it out." Freckles rolled his shoulders stiffly, his face was drawn and tight. He already looked older than at the beach… it dawned on Katsuki that he was probably the same age, if not older than him. Sighing heavily, Freckles pointed between the two of them. "Shinsou Hitoshi, meet Katsuki Bakugou."

"I just wanna know," he glared at Freckles, who looked like he wanted to be anywhere else but here.

"It's fine, I can fight my own battles." Katsuki faced Shinsou and met his angry gaze. "I was put away for carrying an unregistered weapon."

Shin cocked a brow, his eyes glinted viciously. "That's it?"

"Kiri," Freckles snapped loudly, cutting off the conversation. "Can you show him where he sleeps? I'm going to go up to the house to take a shower, I'm feeling a little sore." Walking to the back of the truck he lowered the tailgate and started to climb inside, his foot was mid-air when Katsuki dropped his backpack and leapt over the side.

"Don't pull that shit on me again." He grabbed his bag and jumped back down. "Where do you need me to take it?"

"I got it," a hand shot out from behind him and pulled it from him. Startled, Katsuki spun around and came face to face with a man his exact height. A cowboy hat pulled low on his head, his black hair hung loose around his shoulders. Like the others his face was covered in a layer of sweat and dirt. Dark eyes glinted. "Only I go into Iz's house."

Bristling instinctively, Katsuki caught himself and let go of the handle, holding his hands up in surrender. "All yours." From the way he was acting perhaps this was fiancé number two? Maybe he could understand Todoroki after all?

"Katsuki, this is Sero Hanta, he's the ranch foreman, your official boss." Freckles tugged at the bag, "and I can carry my own bag."

"Nice to meet you Sero, and no he can't," he glared at him. "The doctor said no stress or strain on his back or head for at least a week."

A wide mischievous grin cut across Sero's face. "Boss, did you go and fall again?"

"No!" he fumed, "I just… just…"

"Fell," Katsuki finished for him. He couldn't help but laugh. Sero winked and tipped his hat. Any animosity between them evaporated instantly. "Let's get you settled in, boss." Sero slung his arm over his shoulders and pulled him towards the house.

Glancing back at him, Freckles almost looked like he was going to cry. "Thanks for everything… Katsuki." Turning back, he seemed to sag under the weight of Sero's arm. Definitely not the same carefree person as yesterday. If Katsuki could guess, and he was almost always right, he didn't look happy to be home.

"We'll show you where you'll be staying." Kiri thumped him on the shoulder. Giving Freckles one last look, he turned and followed them across the courtyard towards the smallest of the four homes. "You luck out and get your own place," he opened the door. "Our prior resident left."

"You guys share?" Katsuki eyed the two men. Shinsou was still glaring at him as they made their way inside.

"Actually no one is sharing at the moment, there are four cabins and with you, only four ranch hands right now."

The inside was clean with a stove style fireplace, an old sofa and an overstuffed chair. A tiny kitchenette tucked into the corner. "This is mine?" He was awestruck at the place.

"Iz, uh" Kiri paused, correcting himself. "Izuku's mom built all these new bunkhouses."

"Yeah, the old places were real shit." Shinsou stood by the door, leaning on the wall. "When I came here, it was just a bunch of beds in a drafty old cabin. About four years ago she had these built, you're a lucky bastard."

"Shin."

"Kiri," Shinsou snipped back, pushing off the wall. He walked to one of the two doors and opened it, revealing a bedroom. "Do what you want, but personally I'd take this room, it has the best view and gets more sun."

"Thanks," Katsuki gave him a curt nod. He doubted Shinsou was calling a truce so soon, he was probably just showing him he knew more. "Do you cook your own food?" He pointed to the kitchen.

"No." Shinsou walked to the couch and sat down, bouncing on it a few times.

Flicking a quick look at him, Kiri sighed. "Sorry, he can be a real ass sometimes."

"I can hear you," Shinsou huffed and kicked his boots up on the coffee table.

"I know." Gesturing out the big window, Kiri pointed to the house on the hill. "There's a big kitchen at the main house, three meals a day." Sitting down next to Shinsou, he smacked him on the leg. "Get your dirty boots off the table." He didn't budge.

Katsuki could've laughed, the coffee table looked like a million pairs of boots had scuffed it already. He wasn't feeling particularly social, but they'd obviously settled in for a chat, sighing he dropped his stuff and sat in the overstuffed chair. A puff of dust came off the fabric spinning in the stream of afternoon sunlight. Small talk wasn't his strong suit, but Katsuki figured getting the basics on what the hell he was doing here would be good for now. "How long have you two been here?"

"I've been here the longest, came out of juvie, was sixteen." Shinsou crossed his arms behind his head and stared at the ceiling, "been here eight, almost nine years."

"Sero and I are right behind him, six years each."

"That's a long time, you never took another job?" Katsuki was surprised, usually these work programs were short-term jobs.

"Why?" Shinsou laughed, "this is the best gig around. Plus, the Midoriya's are decent employers."

Looking out the window, Katsuki could see that the largest cabin looked more like a house and was set off from the rest. "Who lives there?"

"That big one is the foreman's place, Sero lives there. It's got a huge fireplace and pool table, we go there to hang out sometimes."

"How long has Sero been foreman?"

Frowning, Shinsou made a grunt of disapproval deep in his chest. "He got the promotion about three years ago, Inko chose him over me." He rocked back and forth hitting the back of his head on the wall.

"Sero's a good foreman," Kiri murmured.

Looking between them, Katsuki noted that these two were polar opposites. Where Shinsou was fidgety and talkative, Kiri sat completely still and seemed to mainly listen.

"Well, I'm glad for the job but I'm curious, what do you guys normally do here?" Their clothes were covered in dark brown grease, and he could smell the sharp tang of leather oil.

"We were cleaning the tack, everything gets so dirty around here." Shinsou wiped at the smudges on his shirt. "We mainly track the herds grazing out on the aquifer and take care of the animals. What ranch did you work at before?"

"I never worked on one."

"What?" Shinsou looked up.

"Never even touched a horse or seen a cow for that matter."

"Well, shit!" Shinsou jumped to his feet. "Damn fucking Iz!" He smacked Kiri on the shoulder. "Inko was nuts to leave him in charge." Swearing, he bolted out the cabin, his heavy boots thudding on the porch as he ran out.

Getting up slowly, Kiri watched through the window as he hightailed it across the courtyard. "Leaves us in a bit of a bind."

"It does?"

"Yeah," he rubbed the back of his neck. "We're down to four and with one not able to help, it'll make it tough." Wiping his hands on his jeans, Kiri walked to the door. "Also, don't mind Shin, he's a bit skittish around new people. He'll mellow out with time," he snorted. "Maybe." He left, shutting the door quietly behind him.

"At least I'm alone," Katsuki rubbed his face laughing bitterly. He could just imagine the conversation they were going to have with Freckles. He wondered if he'd even have a job by tomorrow. "Fuck," he needed a nap before he dealt with whatever was coming his way.

"Iz!" Shin threw open the kitchen door. Stopping, he crossed his arms. "Where is he?" He yelled accusingly.

"What's up Shin?" Sero kept his voice calm. He could take a wild guess why he was upset. One look at the new guy told him that he'd never set foot on dirt let alone a ranch before. He reeked of the city.

"Big dumb blonde has never done any type of ranch work before!"

"No, he didn't look like the type."

"What the hell? Sero! There's only four of us, we need someone that can pitch in right away, I don't have time to teach him what a cow looks like."

Pouring hot water over the tea bag, Sero tipped his head. "Curious Shin, did you ever do any of this before you came here?"

"Not everything, but my grandparents had a small ranch, I'd at least ridden and been around animals."

"That's true, but not Mineta," Sero smiled, "remember when Maggie threw him the first day he got on top of her?" He chuckled as he added honey to the tea.

"We also had a full crew back then. I thought Inko picked someone that had experience."

"I guess some stuff changed around."

"Dammit, Sero!"

"Hey," Iz came into the kitchen. He'd cleaned up but didn't look any better.

"Hey Iz," Shin edged back a step, thinning his lips. "Guess you heard me?"

"Kinda hard not to Shin." Taking the mug from Sero, he tried to smile but just looked tired. "Look, I know it'll be tough getting him up to speed-"

"So why him?" Shin demanded.

Sitting down Izuku pondered his tea. "A few reasons but mainly because he's a mechanic."

"Seriously Iz? Don't tell me you're gonna try to get those rusty ass quads and shit going again?" Shin snorted derisively.

"Not try, I'm going to, we have to modernize the ranch. I love tradition but I've ordered some stuff that I think will help us out, especially now with a smaller staff. Money's tight, I think we need to prepare to run the ranch with fewer people."

"You were always blabbering on to your mom about that stuff." He huffed. "You're crazy Iz, just like your dad. Nothing takes the place of a horse and a rider. Best damn team around."

Clenching his jaw, Iz blew on the hot liquid. Sero could see he was trying not to lose his temper. It usually only fed Shin's hysterics, so it was best to stay calm. Taking a small sip of the tea he seemed to relax. "I don't disagree with you Shin, but I think if we do it right, we can have both."

"You aren't gonna get anyone else?" Sero asked curiously as he poured himself a cup of coffee.

"Mom never brought in more than one person at a time, so I'll do the same. Let him get acclimated then we can see about adding someone else if we need. I'll show him the workshop and order tools. He can fix the old equipment, and we can start teaching him ranching as he goes."

"You can," Shin groused, "I'll be so damn busy I won't have time." Cursing under his breath he wrenched open the door and slammed it shut behind him.

"Crap," Iz covered his face.

"He's not wrong," Sero put a lid on his coffee container.

"I know."

"You said you had a few reasons, so more than being a mechanic?"

"Yeah," he glanced away, hiding the blush on his cheeks. "There was some other stuff too." He fidgeted with his mug. "When I fell, he helped me out a ton, more than he had to, so I just felt… I felt like he deserved the chance."

"Boss?" Sero stopped at the door, pausing dramatically for effect until he looked up at him. "Don't tell me you actually went and got yourself a heart while you were in town?" His words landed as perfect as a slap across Iz's face. His green eyes went wide as his jaw dropped. Shoving the door open, Sero chuckled as jogged down the stairs and crossed to the barn.

Sipping his coffee, he wondered what could've caused him to make such a drastic decision. Iz had been colder than the iceberg that took down the Titanic when he came home last year from university and things had become progressively worse as his wedding date had been closing in on him. Sero sighed and caressed his horse's nose as she nibbled on his shirt. The mechanic excuse was too much of a stretch. They could've found someone that had experience with both, so why this guy?

"SoySauce," he murmured and traced the large dark patch that covered her otherwise white coat. "I wonder what really made him bring home someone so useless?" She pushed into his chest and nickered softly. "Alright," he scratched her neck. "Time for dinner." Going to the feed room, he cut open bales of hay as the horses whinnied hungrily, he began to throw flakes into the horse feeders mulling over everything.

He knew he'd figure it out eventually. The truth always bubbled up with time.

"Need help?"

Turning, Sero saw the very person he'd been pondering standing in the barn aisle, his hands shoved into his jean pockets. His eyes were huge as he checked out the horses and he looked like he'd landed on an alien planet. Sighing, he knew he had to be patient, if Iz thought he should be here, he needed to respect his decision. "Yeah, grab a couple of flakes and feed the horses out in the round pen," he pointed outside, "down over there."

"Flakes?"

"Shit," Sero muttered, he was starting from scratch. Holding up the rectangle of alfalfa, he spun it for him to see. "Most bales fall apart into flakes, about this size. You can pull them off easily. Just be sure to put it into their tubs, none of our babies like eating off the ground."

"Okay," he walked to the feed area and stood looking at hay. "Is that a bale?" He pointed to the one that Sero had been pulling apart.

"Yeah, just grab the pieces falling off."

"Like this?" He held up two flakes of hay, alfalfa rained down onto his blonde spikes.

Brushing off his shirt, Sero nodded, "yeah, bales usually hold about a dozen flakes. We only keep what we need for the week here, the main hay barn is further down. The livestock don't need as much right now because there is plenty of grass to eat this time of year. Later when it gets colder, we'll start feeding hay, even the cattle. Of course, that's grass hay, this here is alfalfa."

Looking at the stuff in his hands, Katsuki let out a bark of laughter. "I'm not even gonna try to understand what you just said but I think I'll figure it out at some point."

"Yeah, you will." Sero hoisted several flakes and headed outside. "Feed them and I'll handle the goats."

Walking with him, Katsuki saw two metal tubs in the only round pen with horses that he could find. He threw a flake of hay in each bin. The first horse was a soft tan color with a dark mane. It squealed and kicked at a larger black horse, baring its teeth at it. The black one just shook its head and ignored the other horse going back to its meal. "Now you're my kinda horse," Katsuki laughed. "Let everyone else get riled up, stay quiet and you'll have a full belly."

"Is that the secret?" Freckles suddenly leaned up against the pipe corral next to him.

"Shit!" Katsuki jumped at the sound of his voice. "You fucking scared me!"

"Sorry," laughing self-consciously, he reached through the pipes and patted the black horse on the neck. "This is Bombshell, one of the best cow ponies around. I thought he'd be a good match for you." He bit his lip and smiled, "seems like it might be fate since you already have the same personality."

"Bombshell?" Katsuki eyed the animal. "Why Bombshell?" The name sounded a little too foreboding.

"My mom named him after he was born. One minute he was laying in the straw, next minute he jumped straight up and raced around the room, like an exploding bombshell of baby horse."

"He… doesn't do that anymore, does he?"

"Not usually."

"Usually?"

Chuckling, Freckles grinned at him wickedly. "He was my mom's horse. So, not sure how he'll react to a big blonde man on him."

"They… they can tell the difference?"

Laughing out loud, he grimaced, touching his head. "You did it again." He leaned on his arm still chuckling. "Maybe I should have said big naive blonde." His voice was slightly muffled. Katsuki curled up one brow and gave him a dark look. Grinning impishly, Freckles turned to watch Bombshell eat. "You deserve it for making fun of me, something about trusting too much?"

"Stop teasing me and maybe your head won't hurt, Deku." The soft blush that lit up his freckled cheeks made Katsuki's mouth go dry. Snapping his gaze back to the horse, he reached out tentatively to touch his neck. The horse was busy eating and didn't seem to mind. Relaxing, he laid his hand on him completely, feeling the heat of his body.

"They're special animals." Freckles whispered softly.

"I've seen people ride on television and in movies," Katsuki was amazed at the feel of the black silky hair and thick muscle that moved under his hand. "I guess I never thought about the horse in those shows, just the rider."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I was sitting here thinking how freaked out I'd be on his back, way up there." He patted his neck, "but now I wonder how he'd feel with me up there?"

"These are working horses, bred for their temperament and ability. They love getting the job done, so I promise, he'd be upset without a rider."

"Like I said, I never thought of it from their perspective." Running his hand along his neck, he scratched. The horse's muscles twitched violently under his fingers as he blew out a messy snort, hay and dirt flew up into the air. Jumping back, Katsuki held up his hands, eyes wide. "What did I do?!"

"N…Nothing," Freckles was holding back his laughter, without much success. "He liked that, but you were scratching him too softly, it probably tickled him. Some horses have thick skin." Reaching in he rubbed his shoulder vigorously. The horse stepped closer to the fence leaning hard into his hand. "Bombshell really likes to be brushed or rubbed a little rougher than most horses, probably why he's a great trail horse. Nothing really bothers him much."

"It doesn't hurt him?" Katsuki stepped forward. This time he scratched his neck, digging deep with his nails. Bombshell tilted his neck, giving him full access.

"I'd say he likes you and when you're ready, we can teach you to ride."

"I guess," Katsuki mumbled, "he's nice but it might take me a while to get to that point. Besides, I thought you needed a mechanic." The thought of being on top of a horse was still making his stomach roll.

"We do." Checking his watch, he started walking to another large structure. "We have some time before dinner, I'll show you."

"Should we help Sero finish feeding?"

"He'll be fine, but tomorrow be sure you get up early and feed the livestock with him, you'll be taking over that duty. He'll walk you through everything."

"Taking over feed duty?"

"Yeah, we're shorthanded now. Sero and I need to focus on the new cattle and the expansion for hay storage. Shin and Kiri are on dawn patrol. So, you'll do the feeding to get to know all the animals. You'll need to get up early and feed their horses, so they have a full belly before they head out."

"What time is that?"

"At sunrise."

"Okay," pulling out his phone he set his alarm. "What do they do on a dawn patrol?"

"Track poachers."

"Poachers?"

"Water buzzards, that's what we call them. Try to run their cattle for free to feed and drink by the aquifer."

"Seriously? I mean…" Katsuki tried not to sound incredulous. "It sounds so old-fashioned."

"I suppose," Freckles shrugged. "We go out every day, more for show, just so they know we're watching. Then we only get the desperate ones." He stopped at a large metal workshop and slid open the huge door.

"Crap," Katsuki stopped short behind him. He couldn't believe how many lifeless machines and other pieces of junk were strewn across the floor. Stepping into the large space, Freckles flipped on the light, making the whole place look worse.

Picking his way around the debris, Katsuki paused now and then to study the random piles. In the center of the workspace was a massive bench littered with tools, most were rusty and unusable.

"When's the last time someone used this place?"

"We use it all the time."

Flicking him an annoyed look, Katsuki clicked his tongue loudly. "Someone who knew what the fuck they were doing."

"Oh," he blushed, "my dad had this place built, he loved to tinker and fix stuff up."

"Tinker? Was he a mechanic?" Katsuki held up an unidentifiable piece of metal.

"Not really, but he could fix up the tractors if it wasn't anything serious." Walking over to two broken down four wheelers, he ran his hand over the cracked seats. "He's the one who traded one of our old trucks for these two quads. He'd always thought they could work better for the shorter patrols, leaving the horses for the longer ones. After he died…" Freckles slapped the dust off his hands. "My mom always focused on ranch hands and horses, so this was left to rust."

"Is that why you hired a mechanic?" Katsuki inspected a wrench that appeared to be glued to the top of the worktable.

Leaning next to him, Freckles laughed. "I didn't go into town for a mechanic."

Katsuki lifted his head and squinted at him. Was he teasing him?

"I'd say one fell into my lap," he winked.

He was fucking teasing him.

Snorting loudly, he shook his head and grinned. "More like you fell into mine." They both laughed for a moment at the memory, and he could see his face looked relaxed again. Katsuki figured he'd just been tired earlier, it was nice to see him happy again. Wandering over to one of the quads he squatted down to inspect the thick oil clogged around the engine. "You want to use these for shorter patrols? Is that where the water is?"

"No, the aquifer is further away. It's at least a two-hour ride, but we still have to do short runs to check fence lines and feed our own cattle. If we could cut that time down by using quads, it would mean fewer hands needed and less cost."

Blowing a thick layer of dust off the fan, Katsuki thought for a moment. "Your cattle? When we came here, you mentioned you made your money off the water, not the cattle."

"We raise our own herd to sell and stock our freezers. We generally don't feed this time of year though. The grass is perfect for grazing so except for the mamas and babies our larger herd is lumped with all the others."

"Lumped together?" He had a lot to learn.

"We lease out the right to graze cattle on our land to the surrounding ranches. But because we have so much open acreage, we let them wander free as one huge herd, including our cattle. That's what makes it tricky with the buzzards. With so many different herds mixed together, we have to monitor the cattle daily."

"Can't they just get the water outside your land?"

"You drove us in, didn't you notice the change in scenery?"

"Yeah," Katsuki dug around in a bin next to the quad and finding an old towel, he began wiping at the dried oil. "It was pretty dry up until we came into town, then it turned to grass."

"Exactly, there are some wells around the outskirts, but that's what is so unique about our water. It disappears right at the mountain range that borders our land and then along the Eastern ridge. Like a giant cup it's trapped here. Believe me, everyone has dug down as far as possible, but the water is only reachable on our land."

"Sounds like you're more of a water ranch than a cattle ranch."

"Yeah, you could say that, but we still run a good amount of cattle, you'll see."

Standing, Katsuki thinned his lips as he looked around. "So, what's my budget to get this place in shape?"

"As much as you want?"

Stunned Katsuki gave him a sharp look. "Are you fucking with me Freckles?"

"Nope." His tone was serious. "Think you can put this workshop back together?"

A thrill pulsed through Katsuki. Damn.He could already imagine what this place could look like… a real garage. Tamping down his hopes, he could guess this ranch probably ran on a tight budget. "I can put a plan together, but I think you'll regret saying that to me." Sighing, he spun around slowly. "I'll spend the next few days going through everything and will make a list of what I need. Look at the cost and tell me if it's doable. But whatever you do, don't buy everything from Joe's hardware or something." Pulling out his phone he leaned next to him on the workbench showing him a few online retail shops. The heat of his body was distracting.

"What if I like Joe?" Freckles elbowed him.

Katsuki grunted, it was amazing how quickly they'd slipped back into their easy banter of yesterday.

Too bad he has a fiancé.

He shooed that shit out of his head as fast as possible. Clearing his throat he shrugged, "then use Joe for the small stuff, these larger outlets will be cheaper for the first big order."

"That's a deal," Freckles pushed off the workbench and brushed the dust off his jeans. "It'll be dinner time in a few hours. You'll be juggling this with ranch work so probably best to get a head start." Waving, he left him poking through another pile of rusted parts.