It was still dark, Sero lifted the blind with his finger seeing the first soft greys starting to burn along the mountain tops. Yawning, he moved silently, slipping from the bed and pulling on his clothes. He needed to get back to the ranch to ride the line with Bakugou.
"Hey."
Her voice was a sleepy murmur.
"Sorry, did I wake you?" He buttoned his jeans quickly.
"Mmmm."
He could see her snuggle down deeper into the bed. Smiling, he leaned across and kissed what little of her head he could see. "See you soon?"
"I'm going to the city for a meeting at the hospital, but I'll be back tomorrow," she muffled under the covers.
"Okay, text me when you get there, let me know you made it alright."
"Will you be okay?" She peeped out from under the blanket.
Touching the tip of her nose, he winked. "Last night will last me, I promise."
She cooed softly and smiled. "It was amazing, Sero."
"Sorry sweetie, I gotta go, new guy on the line today."
"Okay, have funnnn." A loud yawn drawing out the last word.
Finishing getting dressed, he stepped out of the trailer and looked around, no sight of them anywhere. Running up through the back pasture, he slipped by the cattle.
He'd been able to see their fire last night and had made a wide berth around them. Backtracking cautiously, the smell of burnt wood still hung in the air. A soft snore drifted from the far side of the pasture. Dodging behind a group of cows, he peered over the top of them. There in the distance he could see a lump on the ground. He'd found them. Now he could make a dash for it. As he turned, he saw an arm reach up and over what appeared to be the same lump. Snapping his head back to see better, he squinted at the person who had their back to him. There was the sound of whispering and a soft chuckle echoed across the pasture. As the person sat up, he had a clear view of Kiri, who leaned over to kiss the person on the ground, who could only be Shin.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck," Sero muttered silently as he raced the other way to his truck.
Unlocking the door, he jumped in the cab and started the engine. Putting the heat on full blast he gave the engine a moment to warm up before he threw it in gear and drove off. His mind was still trying to comprehend what he'd seen.
"I hope lunch is ready when we get back," Shinsou shaded his eyes as he shrugged out of his long sleeve shirt. Now that they were out of the coolness of the trees, he was hot. Glancing up, the sky was bright blue with only a few wisps of clouds. Kiri rode by him, swatting the cattle on the butt with his huge, looped lasso. Blood rushed like a flood through his body as his heart thumped wildly seeing him. He was wearing only his t-shirt in the warm morning sun and Shinsou could easily make out the muscles in his back and shoulders.
How long had he looked like this? And why the hell was he only noticing today?
Stopping Riot in the middle of the herd, he glanced over his shoulder and gave Shin a sultry smile. "I know we're still new at this, but I'm gonna miss being able to kiss you when I want." Turning back around, Kiri whistled loudly and prodded the girls along.
Shinsou's jaw fell open as his heart fluttered like a schoolgirl with a crush. "You -" he huffed, urging Float to catch up. "You can't say that!"
"I can't?" Kiri teased him gently.
"No!"
"Why not?"
"I - I don't know, hell… Kiri." He sputtered and pushed his horse into a faster trot. He heard him chuckle. The red head was enjoying himself way too much. Gritting his teeth, he spun around and balanced his hand on Float's milky rump. "It's not like we've been doing it all day or something!" He hissed violently, his skin reddening as he remembered every kiss that he'd planted on him while they'd packed up camp.
"Mmmm, you're right, that's why I'm upset. We need more time." He cocked a brow. "Less cattle, more kissing."
Letting out a sharp breath, Shinsou felt a sweet tingling explode through his body. Licking his lips, he could practically taste the chocolate and Kiri from last night.
"I hope you're thinking of me with that look on your face." Kiri touched the brim of his hat and winked at him.
"No!" Shinsou snapped, turning to hide his face, which felt like it was on fire. His gaze landed on the long road that led to the main house. Iz popped into his mind. Shit, he'd barely thought of him or Shouto last night.
Back to the ranch.
The worries had already begun to swirl in his brain, even with Kiri's playfulness. Closing his eyes, he really did want the same as him. That they could go back to Snipe's place, keep kissing and never come back.
Slowing Float, he fidgeted with his reins. Suddenly a large hand landed on his shoulder. Jumping, Shinsou practically fell off his horse. It was Kiri. "Shit!" He slapped his arm. "You scared the crap outta me!" He gripped his shoulder harder and smiled. Rolling his eyes, he huffed. "What?"
"Nothing."
"Nothing my ass," Shinsou gave him a withering look. "What is it?"
His gaze slipped down his body and looked at his butt! Then the fucker smiled that same damned sexy smile. His heart missed several beats. "D-Don't look at me like that."
"Like what?" Kiri smiled innocently.
"Like you want to eat me alive," Shinsou whispered and tried to shake his hand off his shoulder.
"Was I doing that?" Kiri laughed low. "I guess I better be careful."
"Yeah, better be… don't want anyone else seeing that. Okay?" Everything was piling on, one after another. First, he had to deal with Iz again, now Kiri and what if Sero caught wind of them? Would he get angry? The worries were like a cyclone in his mind, sucking every normal thought from his head. Kiri's hand squeezed him again.
"What?!"
Leaning across Riot, Kiri planted a kiss on his cheek. "It's gonna be okay." He whispered. Clucking to his horse, he rode ahead to the gate and reached down to unlatch it. Kicking it hard with his boot, it swung open.
Rubbing his cheek, Shinsou felt the tingling again but this time it clashed with the crazy jangle of nerves that were spinning out of control.
Would it be okay? A part of him didn't think so.
Kiri let out a high-pitched whistle, the sound piercing his distracted thoughts. Looking up, he could see him herding the girls into the gate. They needed to finish. Spinning the mare around, Shinsou began collecting up the frisky little ones that were determined to sneak back into the woods. Yelling and swinging his rope, he rounded them up and got the last of babies into the pasture.
"That's it," Kiri bent down and latched the gate. Turning Riot, he started up the hill. Shinsou followed and they settled into a walk side by side. Jiggling the reins nervously, he cast furtive glances up the road.
"Hey."
"What?" Shinsou grumbled, then jerked his head around to see Kiri starting to lean towards him. He pushed him away. "Don't try to kiss me right now. I'm not in the mood."
"No, I guess not." Kiri sighed and eyed the road ahead of them. "Alright then, instead of a kiss, how about a race? First one to the calving barn doesn't do dishes."
"A race?" Shinsou gaped at him, "but we never run the horses towards home!"
"I know, but I've not seen what this new little mare can do," Kiri gave him a sly smile and laughed.
"What are you up to?" Shinsou looked at the barn. "Are you trying to get me in trouble with Sero?"
"No," Kiri teased. "You just looked so damn excited when I said the word race."
Shinsou rolled his eyes and stuck his tongue out at him.
"If you promise not to tell Sero, then one time won't do any harm."
"I won't!" He almost launched out of his saddle. "You're on! Starting where?"
"Line up with the post there," Kiri pointed to the nearby fence. As he lined up Riot, he smashed his hat down and screwed up his face, giving him a quick wink. "Ready?"
The tingling feeling that erupted surprised him, but it seemed with every new face Kiri showed him, Shinsou was amazed. "Y-Yes." Grabbing a handful of his horse's mane, he waited.
"Go!"
Float blasted from the start line, easily flying up the slight slope. Shinsou could feel the raw power of the mare. She wasn't big, but her legs moved so fast he literally felt like he was floating. Riot had started off faster, but they shot past him so quickly that he laughed, the wind almost whipping his hat off his head. Bending down alongside her neck, her long mane blew into his face. "That's a good girl," Shinsou called encouragingly, stroking her muscled shoulder. As if understanding him, she lowered her neck, and her head shot straight forward as she rocketed over the remainder of the distance.
Sitting up, he reined her in as they passed the calving barn. Bringing her to a trot, he glanced over his shoulder. Riot was coming up the last bit of hill, his ears pinned back with Kiri barely visible, he was slung so low behind his neck. As they roared by the calving barn, he slowed down, trotting in large circles.
"Holy shit!" Kiri yelled, his head on a swivel as Riot trotted eagerly, snorting and flipping his head.
"I know!" Shinsou was giddy as a flush of excitement spread through him. The feeling of running at full speed on her had been exhilarating. He could tell Float wanted more as she pranced sideways. Sitting deep, he pushed her hard with his left leg, making her do large circles to calm her down. "She's so fast!" Shinsou gushed excitedly. "Did you see that? Faster than any horse I've ever ridden! I bet she could even beat Medusa, who's two hands taller!"
"She's so fast!" Shinsou gushed excitedly. "Did you see that? Faster than any horse I've ever ridden! I bet she could even beat Medusa, who's two hands taller!"
Kiri nodded in agreement as Riot finally began to calm down, "I think she could've beat Bombshell in his prime."
"Yeah," Shinsou tugged on her reins and waited until she responded, going into a slow jog. Matching Riot's stride he moved to ride next to him. Letting out a long breath, Shinsou loosened his hat, perched it on his head and gave Kiri a small smile. "Thanks, I needed that."
"Yep."
They rode the rest of the way in silence, Shinsou still relishing the way the horse had felt earlier. Looping around the front, they walked the horses into the courtyard.
Shinsou halted. A white SUV was parked by the stairs. "Why's Inko here?" Every nerve drew tight as he jumped off Float.
"She knew Iz was sick," Kiri dismounted next to him and patted his shoulder. "I'm sure she's just here to check on him. No reason to be nervous."
"Maybe," he mumbled.
Had she talked to Shouto?
His gut wrenched painfully, he glanced at Kiri. He didn't know… did he? There was no way, not if he said he liked him. A new fear whipped up practically choking him… what would happen if Kiri found out? Blindly reaching for the saddle he began to tug on the girth, trying to loosen the straps. No matter how much he pulled though, the sticky leather twisted and held fast.
"Here, I'll do it."
Kiri was beside him, gently pushing his hands away. Shinsou backed away, letting him take over and stared at the ground. He wished that there'd be another freak earthquake and he'd be sucked straight down into some gaping hole.
Straight to hell, where you belong.
The words he'd heard over and over as a kid rang cruelly in his head. Wrapping his arms around his stomach, he kicked at the dirt and tried to breathe normally. He could hear Kiri talking to the horses. His deep voice was so calm and gentle. He clung desperately to his soothing tone. Then he heard the rhythmic sound of hooves and Kiri disappeared into the barn.
The courtyard grew quiet.
Looking up at the house, the stairs loomed like insurmountable blocks. "Fuck this." Turning on his heel, he bolted towards his cabin and had almost made it to his porch when Sero's truck drove into the courtyard. "Shit," he stopped as Sero waved at him and honked his horn.
"Shin!" Sero chuckled as he jumped out. "Watch it! Almost ran your ass over. Look!" He lifted several plain plastic bags in the air proudly. "We stopped by Jorge's and got a ton of grub. Our resident city boy has yet to appreciate our finer cuisine available." He teased as Katsuki climbed down from the passenger side.
"Inko's here." Shinsou stated flatly.
"She is?" Sero came around the truck and puffed out his cheeks, the air slowly escaping in a long hiss.
"Should we wait down here?" Katsuki closed the door and looked up at the house warily. Shinsou snorted, at least he wasn't the only one worried about seeing her.
"Hell no," Sero grinned. "I haven't seen Inko in over six months. Miss my baby girl." Hightailing it through the courtyard, he took the steps two at a time.
Following Sero across the courtyard, Katsuki stopped and waited for him. Shinsou's heart was hammering so hard, he felt like he was going to pass out before he made it three steps. Katsuki gave him a funny look. "Is she that bad?"
"No." Shinsou swallowed hard but couldn't take another step.
"Does she know-"
"Fuck you," Shinsou snapped but he could tell that Katsuki had already guessed the truth of his fear.
"I'm sure-"
"You know, fuck you also means shut up!" He shoved him.
"No fighting Shin, not now." Kiri was suddenly next to him. "Let's go say hello." He cast a quick look at them both before turning to go up the stairs.
"Age before beauty," Shinsou pushed Katsuki forward. Hearing him curse as he trailed behind Kiri made him feel perversely better, but only for a moment. Before he knew it the door was opening, and he was walking across the threshold.
Warmth.
It was the only thing Shinsou could think of when he walked into the kitchen. Even with the sun filling the air with its heat, he was ice cold.
Sero was hugging Inko, giving her wet sloppy kisses asking her to marry him. Sliding sideways into the room, he tried to hide by the window. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Iz turn when he moved, their eyes connecting. His face wrinkled in apology and worry but Shinsou didn't change his stony expression, ignoring him for the scene in front of him. Sero finally let Inko go and shared her with Kiri.
"Goodness," she laughed as he hugged her tight. "How are my boys?" Pulling back, she breathed shakily. "I've missed everyone so much!" Clapping her hands, she looked around the room.
Shinsou braced himself as her eyes moved to him.
"Shinny!" Inko giggled. "Don't sulk! I love you too! Where's my hug?"
Stiffening, he walked across the kitchen and barely leaned into her. Her laughter sounded in his ear as she pulled him in for a mom-sized hug.
"What? Too old for this now?" Inko rocked him as she squeezed hard, humming happily.
Shinsou was struggling. The feel of Inko's arms, her easy laughter, even her smell was tearing at the thick wall he'd thrown up in order to walk through the door.
When will she hate me?
Squeezing his eyes shut he tried to keep the python style hug from meaning anything to him. He made all the right noises about seeing her again, until finally she let him go. Backing away, he barreled right into a hard body. Hands settled on his hips steadying him.
"Hey." It was Kiri. He'd leaned against him, so his warm breath feathered his cheek as he spoke. That voice…so calm and soothing, it cut through the wild storm in his head. "Sit down Shin, I'll get you some coffee." Kiri squeezed his waist tight before going to the coffee pot.
In the old days Shinsou heard that the ranch had used hot brands to mark the cattle, before more humane measures were taken by tagging. Walking to the table, he sat down feeling as if Kiri's fingers had branded his skin. Rubbing his waist, he felt comforted by the heat of his brief touch.
"It's good to see everyone," Inko smiled wide. Izuku could see she'd spied Kacchan and walking over, held out her hand. "I'm Inko Midoriya, are you the new person recommended by Aizawa? I heard a bit about you at dinner from Shouto."
"The person you originally chose didn't show up," Izuku jumped in before he could say anything. "I met him at the parole office looking for a job."
"Oh goodness! Fate!" Inko clapped her hands. "Well, welcome, I should've come sooner but it's a bit of a drive from where I'm living now."
"Good to meet you," he nodded formally and sat down.
"Are you hungry darling?" Sero drawled and started pulling out packages of food.
"Mmmm," she inhaled deeply, "fattening tacos and burritos!" She laughed, laying a hand across her plump chest. "This will hit the spot." Both quickly grabbed their favorites.
"They not feeding you in the city?" Sero teased as his mouth wrapped around a greasy taco, thick orange oil dripping along the crunchy shell.
"Oh, there's plenty of food but now that I take care of my dad, he and I are trying to eat healthy. Good for his heart." She picked up a burrito and hefted it in her hands. "Iz, I think this is about the size of you when you were born." She giggled, struggling to take a bite.
"They don't mince portions at Jorge's place," Kiri slid Shin's coffee across to him and sat down in the last open seat by Inko.
"They sure don't," Sero moaned. "Man, this is good."
"Do you like authentic Mexican food?" Izuku glanced at Kacchan, who was choosing two tacos from the pile.
Putting it on his plate, he opened the taco shell. "Do they use regular hamburger meat?"
An explosion of laughter sounded around the table.
"Take a bite man," Sero wiggled his brows, "nothing like this food."
Taking a small cursory bite, he blinked and sucked in a quick breath. "Oh wow," he croaked, grabbing a glass of water as his eyes watered. More laughter as someone pushed the water pitcher his way.
"Shin?" Kiri pointed to the last box. "I bet that's your favorite quesadilla."
"It is," Sero winked, "they made it with at least a pound of cheese for you."
"Thanks," Shin picked up the box and opened it, pulling out the greasy quesadilla wrapped in wax paper. Izuku watched him closely, he still looked upset and ready to run at any minute, but at least he was eating and trying to be social for his mom.
Taking a big bite, Shin chewed with his eyes half-shut. "Man… I do love Jorge."
"You always preferred the less spicy food," Inko set down her burrito. "Always my baby," she teased gently.
"He refuses to grow up Inko," Sero reached for more tacos. "But then, that's what makes him special."
"Shut it Sero," Shin bit back playfully, but his tone had a slight edge.
"Oh Shinny," Inko patted his hand from across the table, "don't listen to them, they're just jealous 'cause you've always been my favorite."
"SEE!" Sero yelled with his mouth full, pointing at her. "I knew it!" He pounded the table with his fist. Swallowing, he winked, "you never had us fooled Inko."
"I never tried Sero," putting her hands on her stomach she groaned. "I just don't eat this much anymore, look at this! Four bites and I'm practically full." Smiling warmly, she looked around the table. "I really do miss everyone, I need to come around more often."
"You do Inko," Kiri continued to eat but Izuku noticed that he was watching Shin like a hawk. He wondered what they'd talked about last night. He felt a blush rush into his cheeks, he could only imagine what Kiri thought of him now.
"I'll visit, I promise," she sighed longingly. "Market season is coming up and then the holidays. Before you know it, it's time for winter calving and I wouldn't miss that for the world."
"Can always use a good pair of hands then," Sero smiled.
"And of course, there's my Iz's big day in August next year," she smiled at him. "That will be a party for the ages!"
His mother dropped the last bomb just as he took a bite of food. Gasping, Izuku managed to inhale the taco. Sputtering and coughing, he grabbed his water cup and tried to calm his spasming diaphragm. "Mom," he choked out, bending over trying to inhale past his gag reflex. "The hell?"
"Are you okay?" She leapt up and pounded his back.
Swinging around he grabbed her wrist. Tears streamed from his eyes, "I'm fine, just… stop." He managed to squeak out, gagging as he dragged in another deep breath.
"Sorry baby," she sat down again and waited for him to breathe. Once he had stopped coughing, she smiled in relief. The table grew quiet with everyone staring at him except for Shin, who was eyeing the door. Izuku glared at his mom, who'd only just noticed the sudden change.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to ruin the fun," she forced a big smile, "eat everyone."
No one moved.
"I think maybe this is a conversation for you and your son," Kacchan started to get up from the table, but Izuku laid a hand on his arm, shaking his head.
"Stay," he croaked out.
"Why shouldn't you stay?" Inko tipped her head. "We've been waiting forever for this day."
"Mom," Izuku found his voice after taking another sip of water. "Stop it," he breathed in and cleared his throat. "I'm not marrying Shouto." The smile she had plastered on her face slipped away and her expression grew cold.
"That's not a choice for you to make," she tapped her finger on the table.
"Last I checked, marriage is a choice for both parties," Kacchan growled.
Inko stiffened at his comment, her dark eyes homing in on him.
"Mom."
"Who are you?" Inko ignored him and leaned forward. "You're new here, so some advice for a rookie. Don't get involved in our family business."
"I'm not a rookie Inko, and I agree with him," Sero spoke quietly but his tone was as hard as steel.
"Sero, stop-"
"He's right," Kiri added, cutting her off. "I think you need to listen to your son and worry less about Shouto."
"Shouto is a fine boy," she growled back at him. A snort from Shin drew her attention. Izuku cringed at the withering look she blasted in his direction. He could see him squirm under her scrutiny.
"Mom."
Holding up her hand she stopped him. "As I understand, there's history between Shouto and you, Shinny? When I talked to him, he mentioned that there were some misunderstandings."
"Is that why you're here mom? To try to smooth everything out for Shouto?"
"No, of course not, I came because of what you said on the phone." Sitting up straighter, she pulled her shoulders back. "Shouto's right," she cocked her head, staring at Kacchan. "Something's a bit different about you." He could guess Shouto had told her the new ranch hand was the cause of him being 'a bit different.'
Crossing his arms, Kacchan glared at her until she blushed slightly and finally looked away. Izuku almost laughed out loud to see someone actually force his mom to back down. She spun on him, making him clamp his mouth shut.
"You will marry him Iz. I know deep in your heart, you love him. He's so excited to be your husband."
"Enough mom!" He slammed his hand on the table. "I am NOT marrying Shouto! End of story!"
"Fine," She scolded. "But you need to know something first." Shoving back her chair, she walked to the door and unhooked her leather bag. Sitting back down, she pulled out a thick folder. "Read that and decide if you want to marry Shouto or not."
Opening the folder slowly, Izuku could see everyone leaning forward trying to look at the papers. Studying the document, it looked like a deed of some kind. Flipping to the second page, he saw the number. "It's not a deed?" He looked at her quizzically. "It's a note?" His mom avoided his eyes, her face was scarlet red from the blush that was staining her cheeks. "Does grandpa know about this?"
Rolling her eyes, she huffed condescendingly. "What do you think?"
He clenched his jaw. "Mom, how could you?"
"Don't talk to me like that," she snapped at him.
"But… grandpa?"
"Look," Inko exhaled, "in the beginning, being a ranch leasing water rights was a good business decision. A way to keep overhead costs down and make money, but things have changed. They already did a survey." She reached into the stack and pulled out an official looking geological map. "Some of the outer edges of the reservoir are leaking and spilling into the surrounding basin."
"We're gonna run outta water?" Shin sat upright.
"As if," she scoffed at him, "don't be so stupid."
"Inko." Kiri's voice rumbled dangerously low, "no need to talk like that."
"I…I wasn't!" She stammered but turned to give Shin a quick apologetic nod. "No, we aren't running out of water, the main reservoir between the ridge and mountains is still untouched and although the spring that feeds this side of the valley is very deep, over the years the ground has been soaking up the water, like a giant sponge. As that happens it will spread across the valley, the arid ground just sucking it up until it's gorged with water and then continues further."
"Wait, mom, are you saying at some point this whole area will be able to support cattle without using our water?" Sagging in her chair, she nodded, tears welling in her big eyes."How long have you known?" Izuku grabbed the paperwork, it was dated the year before he went to university. "Five years!?"
"I - I didn't know what to do," she rasped. "Your father was dead, you were leaving, the ranch was so run down," she sniffled, trying to keep the tears from falling.
Sliding the note across the table to Sero, Izuku tried to process what she was saying.
Picking it up, Sero read it slowly and thinned his lips. "So, let me guess," he chided. "When you needed money, you went to your best friend who was more than willing to help."
Snapping her head up, she glared at him. "How dare you! En-Enji is not like that! He adores me and this ranch! One of the few that truly understands our importance in this valley." She huffed.
"Of course he does mom," Izuku covered his eyes, "add us to their ranch and his profits soar. Endless water combined with endless acreage."
"He could quadruple his profits easily." Sero flipped the page, his brows snapped up and he let out a soft whistle. "There are a lot of zeros in this number."
"But there's an out, he gave me an out!" Inko's voice hitched up a notch. "I would never risk the ranch!"
"What's the out mom?" Izuku picked up the marriage contract and rubbed his forehead, he could feel a migraine coming on from thinking about everything. This was the loathsome document that had been drawn up after he and Shouto had left for university.
After he'd seen him with Shin.
A shiver radiated out from his heart. Flipping to the back page, he did a double take. "What's this, mom? I've never seen this page before," he pointed to the last page.
"Well…"
"What's it say?" Kacchan leaned over to read the small print.
"On the day of the marriage between Shouto Todoroki and Izuku Midoriya all debt of the Midoriya Family Ranch will be paid in full." Slamming down the paperwork, Izuku scowled, "I'm the fucking out?! What the hell? I'm damned chattel! No more than a piece of fucking land!"
"No!" Her eyes grew wide with fright. "No baby!"
"Kinda sounds like it to me," Kacchan clicked his tongue.
"You!" She hissed, "dragging my baby down!" Inko spun on Izuku. "Is this what you really want? A sordid love affair with some… some low life mechanic!?"
"Mom," Izuku glanced at Kacchan apologetically. "Stop before you say something stupid."
"Before?" Shin smirked.
"Shin… please?" Izuku begged, trying to study the paperwork.
"Hey Iz," Shin tapped the paper, "what happens if you don't marry the prick?"
"Shinny!" Inko gasped.
"What?" He winced, "I'm just curious."
"Shouto isn't a-"
"Mom!" Izuku grabbed her hand and squeezed it. "Enough with Shouto." Letting out a sharp breath, he turned back to Shin. "It looks like the entire amount is due or the Todoroki family can foreclose on our ranch." He closed his eyes, "this'll kill grandpa."
"It will baby," Inko started crying, "you have to…to marry Shouto, do you understand now?" Her last words hitched in a sob.
"Mom, hang on, let me think."
"There's nothing to think about, Iz! I spent the money." She covered her face. "I used it for your grandpa's surgery, that nice home for him by the hospital and all the upgrades to the ranch. It's all gone!" Sniffling, she grabbed a napkin and blew her nose. "You loved Shouto, I didn't think anything of it at all." She took a few small breaths, "I swear, I didn't think of you as chattel." She whispered, hanging her head as tears coursed down her cheeks.
"How much?" Shinsou leaned towards Sero. Seeing the number, he frowned and sucked on his cheek. "It's not much Iz, not against a number like that, but I got my savings. Almost every penny this ranch has paid me, it's yours."
"Shin?" Iz popped his head up, shocked. "But… what about?"
Shinsou shook his head, "Nah… I know a lot of shit went down but the way I look at it, I'd be dead if it weren't for Second Chance Ranch," he snorted softly, feeling his throat tighten and tears filling his eyes. "It might not seem like it sometimes but I'm grateful, so think of it as a gratitude payment."
Kiri was bobbing his head up and down, eyeing Katsuki sitting next to him. Smiling to himself, Shinsou knew he was ready to throw the dumb blonde on the floor so he could sit next to him. "If you need to pay that debt by the end of next summer, this'll get you a bit closer." Getting up he circled around the table, letting his hand slide along Kiri's shoulder casually as he passed by to open the small refrigerator. "I'd like something stronger than coffee, anyone else?" He pulled out several beers.
Kiri leapt from his seat and stood between him and the table, taking the offered beers. He lifted his brows and tipped his head, the question spoken silently.
"Yeah, I'm okay… for now." Shinsou smiled shyly, grabbing another beer. He could see Sero leaning back in his chair giving them both a curious look. "You want one Sero?"
"Oh, yeah, sure…" he coughed and took the beer.
Sitting down, Shinsou drank from the cold can, the bitter liquid felt good on his tongue after the greasy food. "So, you got some other money stashed somewhere Inko so that we can save your precious ranch?"
"No! If I did, don't you think I'd say something?" She grabbed Iz's hands, clutching him tightly, "just marry him! Divorce him later but, dammit, get the debt off the ranch!"
"Mom…"
"What?!" She pleaded. "Big deal! You marry him, it's only for show!"
"Mom," Iz took another deep breath. "You know that would never work for me or Shouto."
"Mind if I read that contract?" Katsuki pulled it from the stack. He was curious what a fucking marriage contract looked like and what Inko had offered for her son.
"Go ahead," Freckles grabbed a beer from the middle of the table. Opening it, he took a long drink.
"I'm assuming you read through this?"
"Well only the first two pages, the third one I've never seen," he gave his mom an accusatory look.
"That was added later, after I borrowed the money." She admitted quietly.
Katsuki paused two-thirds down the page. "What's the TM land trust?"
"That's the joint holding that will own all the land together once they get married," Inko nodded towards Freckles. "Both families will be part of the trust and make decisions together."
"How is it structured?"
Letting out a long breath, Inko gave him an irritated look. "What? Are you a lawyer?"
"No," Katsuki cocked a brow, he could see where Freckles got his stubbornness. "I'm asking simple questions, I figured you had a lawyer go through everything before you signed." By the deep blush that stained her cheeks he knew she had signed without a lawyer. He clicked his tongue softly.
"Mom?" Freckles sat back, his eyes grew wide, "you didn't have Tenya review everything before he left?"
"As if that would help," Shinsou snorted softly.
"Who's Tenya?" Katsuki thought he'd heard the name before.
"He was on the ranch a while back. A lawyer, who got caught up in a tax evasion scam and went to prison. He came here when he got out."
"A lawyer on a ranch?"
"Yeah," Shinsou laughed, "kinda like a mechanic."
"Shin," Freckles' voice sounded tired. "Tenya was raised on a ranch and became a lawyer later. When our family lawyer passed away suddenly, Tenya started advising my mom."
"Let me guess Inko," Shinsou sneered. "Tenya drew up the last page of the contract."
"He did," she bristled, "he also helped structure the TM Trust with Enji's lawyer."
Pursing his lips, Shinsou jabbed his finger at the paperwork. "There's a hook Iz. I'll betcha all the damn steak in our freezer. Tenya was working for Shouto, not your mom."
"Shinny," Inko gave him a belittling look. "Tenya barely knew Shouto, he worked with us honey."
Watching Freckles, Katsuki could see the color draining from his face. His green eyes went wide as realization dawned. Shinsou's story from that day…. Tenya and Shouto… that's why he recognized that name. An uneasy feeling settled in his gut. Shooting a quick glance at Shinsou, he looked like he was about to bolt out the door.
"Shin?" Freckles swallowed hard. "What did you say… about… you caught Tenya with him in the cabin?" He was barely breathing.
"Caught who?" Inko looked from Freckles to Shinsou. "What lies are you spreading now Shinny?"
"FUCK!" Shinsou jumped from the table, his chair flying backwards, he stalked to the door and grabbed the handle. He tried to force the words past the lump in his throat. "It's not a lie, Inko!" He took a deep breath, "he was fucking Shouto!" Staring at the door, he could hear Inko let out a loud squawk behind him. "That day… at Iz's graduation party," his voice began to break. Keep it together. "He threatened me because I saw him in Tenya's cabin. They were kissing."
"That can't be true Shinsou!"
"It is." He squeezed the handle. Run, run, run. His stomach lurched as bile shot into the back of throat. Suddenly a big hand covered his, Kiri was next to him, pressing into him.
"Don't run, it won't make it any easier."
"I have to," he hissed softly, looking up into his face. He was going to find out now… about him and Shouto. He suddenly couldn't breathe.
"No, you don't," Kiri squeezed his hand, "not anymore."
"Shinsou, take that back right now!" Inko stomped her foot.
"Mom!" Iz yelled, "you're acting like a kid right now."
"I am not! He's making stuff up because he likes you Iz, he doesn't want you to marry Shouto." She humphed triumphantly with the last statement.
"Inko," Kiri's gaze never left Shin's face. "Why don't you take a seat hon?" His voice was deadly calm. "This is best worked with just us," he tipped his head slightly. "I think you've done enough for now."
"Kiri-"
"I said sit, Inko." His voice snaked through the air like a whip, snapping hard.
Flinching, she sat in her chair.
"Thank you, Kiri," Izuku breathed out. Collecting his thoughts, he looked out the window wishing that he was out on a trail ride under the gorgeous blue sky, instead of sitting here with the fiasco that was his life. Shifting his gaze to Shin still standing with his back to him at the door, his heart wrenched for him. "I'm sorry you've had to live with this Shin. Then I came back and acted like a fucking jerk to you, didn't I?" He laughed sarcastically.
"Yeah." He turned to look at him. Izuku could see the dark shadows under his eyes.
"I'm sorry."
Sighing, he sagged into Kiri, all his fight was gone. "I know."
"You said there might be a hook," Kacchan held up the contract. "What do you think it might be?"
"Something to keep Iz tied to Shouto?" He shrugged. "I mean if they divorced wouldn't they just split everything back up?"
"Possibly?" Kacchan let out a frustrated sigh. "I mean that's what would normally happen."
"Then what's the use of forcing Iz to marry him?" Shin snapped. "If everything went back to the way it was before? You figure it out, I'm not a fucking lawyer shithead."
"Stop! I don't care," Izuku rubbed his face. "It doesn't matter, I'm not marrying him."
Crossing his arms, Kacchan cocked a brow. "Izuku… you need to figure it out, if he has anything over you, well…" He clicked his tongue. "What if he could force you to marry him?"
He was right, as much as he wanted to just ignore everything, it wasn't going away like this. But it didn't make sense. "Mom, was anything else added to this document last minute?"
"Uh," she thought for a moment and then nodded. "One of the sections had a typo and they reworded some stuff according to Ten...ya." She bit her lip
"Which section?" Kacchan handed her the trust. Flipping quickly through the pages, she pointed to a section called beneficiaries.
"This was the part that had the typo." She pushed it back to him.
Izuku scooted his chair closer so they could read it together. Their arms touched as he leaned closer. He felt silly but the simple warmth of his skin felt good, considering the upheaval, he was suddenly very glad that Kacchan was here with him.
The trust was wordy and almost unreadable, and he was ready to give up when he noticed one line at the bottom. "What's that?" Reading, his eyes widened, there it was. "Oh hell, you're right Shin."
"I am?" Shin ran back to the table to read.
"Listen to this!" Izuku gasped horrified. "There's a clause that states if our marriage dissolves, majority rights of the TM Land Trust automatically go to the Todoroki Ranch."
"Meaning what?"
"They could outvote us on all decisions regarding the ranch," Izuku leaned back and massaged his temples as the headache started pounding mercilessly.
"Really?" Inko sounded shocked, "Enji did that to me?"
"Someone did mom." His brain was overloaded. "Why would anyone screw with the contract?"
"I bet those two added that bullshit and no one even looked twice," Shin sat down and started biting at his nails.
Sighing, Izuku kept reading. "What's this land trust mom, how is that different from owning the land itself?"
"I..I'm not sure anymore, originally it gave us joint ownership. All decisions to be made together." Inko looked worriedly at the contract. "I need to talk with Enji." She pulled her phone from her purse.
"Wait, mom," Izuku held her arm. "Let's decide as a group what to do before you call Enji." Pursing her lips disapprovingly at him, she hesitated but finally put her phone away.
"Well," Kacchan threw the paperwork back into the folder. "You have two choices, Izuku. Come up with money to pay off the loan, or…"
"Or marry Shouto," Inko jumped in eagerly.
Glaring at her, he clicked his tongue. "Scratch that, you've only got one choice, find the money."
Izuku laughed, he couldn't help it, but the ferocious look on his face was almost comical. His red eyes flicked to him, narrowing at first but then the corner of his mouth twitched upwards. He was trying not to laugh too. Dipping his head, a thrill of joy zinged through him, and he just felt… better.
Sero's cough at the end of the table brought him back to the business at hand. "This is a lot of money. Is there a way to come up with this?" He glanced at Shin, "without throwing in all of our savings?"
Izuku shook his head. "No! I don't expect you-"
"Can you get more water contracts?" Kiri cut in, reaching over and picking up the note.
"I have two proposals out now."
"That wouldn't be near enough," Inko mumbled.
"And, if that geo-whatever is true, that'll be income that disappears over time." Shin laid on the table, resting on his arms. "This really sucks."
"It does," Kiri agreed quietly.
"Hey," Shin bounced up. "That new mare you bought, the grey one, what's her name?"
"Float?"
"That's her, cute thing. But man, she's fast as lightning, maybe you could take her down and race her at the quarter horse races, she'd make some quick cash."
"What's the purse on that?" Izuku knew Shouto ran his horses in the races and had made some money that way.
"Not that much," Sero shook his head, "I mean it's something and we could do it, but you gotta put money up to get in, plus train her. You don't just run a race."
"She really is more of a cow pony anyway, sweet girl," Izuku smiled. "I'd hate to do that to her, but good idea Shin, every little bit we can scrape together counts." He leaned his elbows on the table and ran his hands through his hair trying to think of anything. It wasn't like he was expecting some magical solution to drop down from the sky, but he wanted some hope, he couldn't marry Shouto. The sense of freedom he'd felt since calling everything off had made him realize how trapped and alone he'd felt. Looking around at the others, he knew for the first time what it must have felt like when they'd been released from prison. Like them, he could never go back to living like that again.
Leaning back, Katsuki stared out at the ranch. He could see the barns and pastures below with the mountains off in the distance. "Could you sell off some of the land?" He wondered how many acres they owned.
"No!" Inko yelped.
Giving her a 'be quiet' look, Freckles shook his head. "What she means is that my grandpa is the only one that can sell the land outright."
Furrowing his brow, Katsuki stared down at the contract, a light popped on somewhere in his brain. "When we first came here, you mentioned your grandpa sold some of the land though to the Todoroki's, why wouldn't he sell more?"
"He did sell some land to Snipe's family and then the whole Eastern side to the Todoroki's but that was part of a bigger deal around the water. Once they secured the water contract, Enji's dad bought up huge swaths of land that looped alongside our ranch. It ticked off my grandpa and so he refuses to sell anything more."
"Why did it make him mad?"
"The whole point of him selling the East land, which is more arid, was to buy more southern grant land from the government. He'd already decided to raise his own cattle. Right mom?"
"Yeah, he was tired of having to watch for poachers, he wanted his own herds."
What he didn't know," Freckles mouth turned in a deep frown, "was that the Todoroki family had already settled with the local authorities for the land he wanted. In fact, they own all the way past the mountains now."
"But that was Enji's dad, not him. He's different," Inko pouted.
"Either way, when they kept pressing my grandpa to sell, he finally blew up at them and told him he'd never sell another acre as long as he lived."
Fingering the land trust, Katsuki snorted, "well that sneaky fucker."
"Sneaky?" Freckles tipped his head.
"Maybe Enji is your friend Inko," Katsuki tapped the paperwork, "but if you can't buy acreage from someone, then what better way than to snatch it by coming in through a side door. Would you consider that friendly? They basically avoided your father by making this some kind of grand love gesture."
"NO!" She shook her head vehemently, "it was all my idea. The loan, the contract!"
"Maybe," Katsuki sat back trying to work through the pieces. "If I know someone's weakness though, I can exploit it easily." Tapping the table with his finger, he frowned, "didn't you say that Enji tried to get his other kids to like you?"
Freckles blushed a hot red. "I guess," he shrugged nonchalantly.
"I hate to cut that two-toned prick any slack, but he could be as much a victim as you."
"I doubt that," Shinsou muttered.
"It's a fucking mess no matter how you slice it," Katsuki sighed. From everyone's long faces, it was obvious the energy of the group had fizzled from the earlier outburst and the reality they were facing was now sapping everyone's strength.
"I'm not sure what to do right now, but," Freckles looked around the table, "I wouldn't want to be with anyone else figuring this out." He smiled shyly.
There was a sense of loss reflected in his sweet smile that tugged hard at his heart. Leaning over, Katsuki ruffled his hair gently. A sound of disapproval from across the table made him pause to see Inko staring at him. In prison, a man had leapt across the table to try to strangle him, and damn if Inko didn't have the same fucking look on her face. Clicking his tongue, he pulled his hand back, more for Freckles than himself. "I think you have some good people on your side."
"I do, but I want you all to think about this," a look of determination crossed his face. "Outside of Katsuki, you're all free to go get other jobs. We could lose everything and so could all of you."
"Iz," Sero scoffed, "if you think we lose anything by being your friend, then you're just plain nuts. Besides," he stood up slowly and stretched. "Way I figure it, someone will come up with something or," he looked out the window. "We all just start again, not like we haven't done that before. Look at us," he chuckled. "We're the experts at starting over."
"Thanks." Freckles murmured softly.
"Inko," Sero gave her a long look before nodding and heading out the door. "Chores to do boys," he called over his shoulder as he headed back down to the barns. Quietly Shinsou and Kiri stood and followed him.
"Want me to come back up to make dinner?" Katsuki half-stood trying to decide if he should leave or stay.
"No," Freckles began closing the to-go containers of food. "Look at all this, we can do leftovers. Besides," he smiled up at him, "you haven't had a riding lesson in a few days. Why not get your horse tacked up and I'll be down in a bit?"
"Okay," looking over at his mom, Katsuki finally conceded to good manners, "nice to meet you, Inko."
Leading Bombshell around the arena, Katsuki wondered how long he should wait. He'd taken his time getting his horse tacked up and had been walking him for almost ten minutes. Bombshell's eyes were closing as his hooves slid lazily through the loose dirt of the arena. The sun was hotter today, another burst of heat before the cooler weather set in soon. Stopping, he mopped his forehead with his bandana and squinted up at the sky.
The sound of a horse walking towards the arena caught his attention. Peering between the fencing he saw a grey horse saddled up being led down the road. All he could see was a pair of jeans as the person walked the horse on the other side. Based on the coloring, it looked like the new mare Shinsou had mentioned at lunch, he wondered if he was heading to the south pasture. They stopped at the mounting block across from the arena. Leading his horse towards the gate, Katsuki figured he'd ask him if he'd seen Freckles. "Hey Shinsou," he called out, bending over trying to see him.
Freckles appeared from under the horse's neck, he smiled and waved.
Katsuki nearly jumped out of his skin. "Oi!" He steadied himself trying to hide his shock at seeing him. "There you are," he laughed self-consciously. "Everything okay?" An uneasy feeling snaked through his gut. Freckles looked too happy considering what had happened with his mom.
"All good," he smiled wider. "Go ahead and get on Bombshell."
Fidgeting with his reins, Katsuki tried to figure out what the hell he was up to, the impish grin cutting across his face was worrying him.
And why the fuck did he have a horse with him?
"Okay," Katsuki walked Bombshell to the mounting block inside the arena and climbed onto his back. Sliding his feet into the stirrups, he rocked gently to get himself settled in the saddle.
Freckles led his horse inside the arena and in one fluid movement mounted and shoved his boots into the stirrups. Clucking to the horse he rode alongside him. Katsuki glanced at the open gate nervously. "Are you riding with me today?"
"I am."
His smug grin wasn't disappearing, causing Katuski's anxiousness to quickly be replaced by irritation. "Side by side?"
"That works, let's go to the end of the arena and then loop around together."
"Ok," nudging Bombshell with his leg, the horse jerked his head and nipped at the grey horse, who squealed in response. Making a loud hissing noise, Freckles reached down and tugged the reins from his hand and popped the horse lightly in the bit.
"Give him a heavy inside leg."
Pressing his leg against the horse's side, Bombshell walked on a diagonal giving the other horse some room. "I've done that before," Katsuki remembered one of the lessons where he'd had to move sideways back and forth across the arena.
"When a horse gets fussy or antsy, give them something to think about," Freckles pointed to his leg. "Best to make them do a circle or weave, try not to be aggressive on the mouth. They don't forget a heavy-handed rider."
Pushing with his leg, Bombshell quieted as they looped around the end of the arena and headed back to the open gate.
"Follow me out the gate." Freckles waved at him as he headed out of the arena.
Sitting deep, Katsuki stopped Bombshell and let him go through alone. "As if," he snorted, shaking his head.
Spinning Float around, he tipped his head and smiled, "Kacchan?"
"Nothing in this fucking world is going to get me out of this damn arena." Placing his hands on top of the saddle horn, he leaned forward. "I'm more than comfortable right here."
"But I have a present for you." He pressed his lips together trying to keep his smile from growing wider.
Clicking his tongue, Katsuki looked towards the house wondering for a split second if he had stepped into a different multiverse. Had the last hour been his fucking imagination? Where was the sad, mopey kid from earlier? This wasn't what he'd been expecting at all.
" Ka-cchan." Freckles teased out his name. "You need to come out of the arena. It's time to go out on a trail ride."
"The fuck?" Looking past him to the pasture, he scoffed. He'd clearly snapped from the pressure. A good kick in the teeth would shut down this nonsense about trail rides. "Where's your mom?"
Arching his brow, he narrowed his eyes. "Gone, went back home. I told her I'd call her if we thought of anything. At the minimum she's agreed not to talk to Enji and will tell Shouto we had a good meeting. That'll keep him off us for a bit." He tipped his head. "Now will you come out?"
"Pffft, no!" Katsuki snorted louder. He clucked to Bombshell and turned him around to walk away from the gate.
"I have two presents for you."
Continuing his circle Katsuki focused on the horse. "When did you have time to shop, Freckles? You've been basically dead for three days."
"Maybe I bought them before?" Izuku leaned on Float's neck watching him move Bombshell into an ever-expanding circle. He'd clearly been practicing while he was out of commission. A sense of joy burst through him making him chuckle.
He was having fun.
For some reason that made him feel freer than ever before. Hell, he'd been handed proof that everything he'd ever cared about could be ending, and yet, he'd never felt more at ease or happy in his life than at this moment. It was ludicrous and probably immature, but to know that he didn't have to marry Shouto had unshackled a heavy chain that had bound his heart. It came with a substantial cost but for now, he felt like he deserved a break from the stress.
He grinned as Kacchan leisurely rode away from him. He'd come running down here because all he wanted was to spend time with him. "Kacchan?" The playfulness that was filling his heart reflected in his voice.
"Freckles."
"Okay, one more present, come on out and I'll give you three presents."
He looped slowly back around and stopped again at the opening. Bombshell was playing with his bit waiting for his next command. "Three?" He mulled over his offer. Picking up his reins, he pretended he was going to leave the arena. "What are they?"
Izuku could tell he wasn't budging. Chuckling, he rode to the mounting block and picked up the large box and a bag he'd set down. Suddenly Float snorted loudly at the stuff in his hands, swinging her head around, eyes rolling, she tried to get a better look. "Easy girl," Izuku squeezed her with his legs, pushing off the mounting block. "Look!" He peeked through the fence at Kacchan, trying to balance the packages in his hands while controlling her, "you're making me scare my horse."
"I didn't bring the stupid stuff out here," he sat watching him from just inside the gate. "Besides, you said three presents, I only see two things in your hands."
"Well, if you'd stop being a stubborn mule and come out, I'll show you." Float finally stood still but was clearly agitated. "She's a young horse, so I need you to bring Bombshell out here and show her that this stuff is no big deal. They learn better from other horses."
"Is that true?"
"Of course it's true," Izuku tried not to smile at the hesitation in his voice. "Come on out, I need help."
Grumbling under his breath and preparing to die, Katsuki clucked at Bombshell, who woke up from his nap. The minute the horse stepped out of the gate, his body went taut with tension. Feeling his rider getting uneasy, Bombshell popped up his head and blew out a quick snort.
Almost immediately Float bobbed her head and began dancing nervously hearing Bombshell's little tantrum, Freckles continued to coo at her. "Relax Kacchan, don't set them both off." He glanced between him and his horse. "Let go of the saddle horn."
His stomach clenched hard as tension wound through his body, he could only see the hard packed dirt way too far below. "I'm trying," he growled.
"Remember that day on the beach when we met?"
It was instant, whatever hold that memory had on him, it was intense. Katsuki took a deep breath, picturing the thundering ocean and seagulls. He felt his body relax.
"That's it," Freckles nodded encouragingly. "Stay in that moment and bring Bombshell to the other side of the block."
Following his directions, he stopped his horse within arm's reach of Float. Freckles was still holding the presents, being careful not to move. "Now what?"
"Take this from me." Very slowly, he held out the box.
"No." Bombshell was taking a sudden interest in whatever was coming towards them. Tightening the grip on his reins, he looked around. Great… no fucking fences.
"Kacchan," he kept his voice calm. "Can you take this please? I promise you everything will be fine."
Letting out a soft hiss, he carefully took it out of his hand. "This is really stupid," he groused, waiting for his horse to bolt. Thankfully Bombshell seemed to figure out that whatever they were doing wasn't worth his time and went back to napping. His head started drooping again. Katsuki noticed that the grey horse was also relaxing, her jerky movements slowing. She let out a loud snort and then chewed on her bit.
"See," Freckles grinned as Float finally gave up and stood still. "She's trained well but she's still a baby and gets a little nervous about new things. Older horses are good to pair them with, especially on rides, gets them to understand and trust us." Picking up the reins with his now free hand, Float flipped her ears back and forth. "She's ready to pay attention," he pointed to her moving ears.
"Can I open this?" Katsuki was happy with all the horse therapy, but he was still worried Bombshell might change his mind. The sooner he opened the damn box the faster he could get both hands on the reins.
"Yep!" Freckles grinned and nodded.
Removing the lid, he laid it on the mounting block and lifted the tissue. Inside was a beautiful black cowboy hat. "For me?" He asked dumbly, and then catching the stupid question, his ears blushed a deep red. "I meant…" Freckles was already chuckling, he smiled and winked at him.
Katsuki had watched westerns as a kid, but he'd always liked the shows with fast cars more, nothing had really intrigued him about horses and cowboys… until now. Seeing Freckles grinning at him, astride his horse with a white cowboy hat perched on his green hair. Bronzed skin showing along the collar of his shirt, which was tucked into his blue jeans, a large silver buckle at his waist. A flush of desire rolled through him. He was decidedly a cowboy fan from now on, especially a green-haired one with wide twinkling eyes and a sweet spray of freckles that darkened his cheeks.
"Are you gonna stare at me or put on the hat?"
Blushing, he dropped his gaze back to the hat and ran a finger over the top, it was soft, like a thick felt fabric. Lifting it carefully out of the box, he turned it around to see it from every angle. It was stunning. Tilting it a few directions, he finally perched it gently on his head, trying not to completely smash all of his spikes. The snort of derision sounding from Freckles caught him by surprise.
"That's a working hat, not for show." He rolled his eyes. "Push it down more or it's coming off with the first wind that blows by you," he bit his lip laughing.
"You're having a lot of fun at my expense today," Katsuki remarked dryly as he pushed the hat down experimentally at first, then more until it was just at the top of his forehead. "Like this?" He adjusted it slightly back. Freckles quieted and coughed lightly. By the blush on his face, Katsuki knew he looked good. This was one way to shut him up. "Or did you like it more forward?" He pulled it down on his forehead, hooding his eyes and based on his reaction, it was everything he'd hoped.
"Uh, forward… back was good but, um, forward… better,"Freckles stammered transfixed by him. His eyes roamed over his face, his mouth open, he looked stunned. "The black looks really… well, good, the blonde…" he motioned with his hand. "On your hair," he finished lamely and finally looked away.
Waiting for him to get everything out, Katsuki was relishing the pay back. "This hat is really great Freckles, but are you sure?" He tipped his head trying to catch his averted gaze. "Cowboy enough for you?" A bright red infused his cheeks, creating an interesting contrast to his hair. He met his gaze again, this time he laughed.
"Yeah," he smiled, aware that he was being teased. "Really good Kacchan." Sighing, he pointed to the mounting block. "Why don't you put the box down and I'll give you this present next."
Setting the empty box down, Katsuki reached out to take the small bag he offered him. Float flicked her ears and looked at them for a moment. Bombshell just snored softly, finally she sighed heavily and went back to enjoying the late summer sun. Settling back in his saddle, Katsuki still made sure he had a good grip on the reins. Bombshell might be half-asleep, but he'd learned the hard way that this horse could move damn quick if he wanted.
Looking inside the bag, he saw a pair of thick leather riding gloves. Pulling them out he could see they were like the ones Freckles was wearing but in black. "Thanks,"he grinned as he slid them on, flexing his fingers to stretch the stiff new leather. Laying his gloved hand on Bombshell's neck, he gave him a good scratch. The horse dropped his head lower and shook his mane. "I like these,"Katsuki nodded, spinning his hand around. "I've been borrowing Sero's old pair."
"Those are good quality, should last a while." Looking further down the road, he tipped his head. "Now I think you're ready…" he stopped as Katsuki shook his head. "It's a simple trail ride," he huffed softly.
"My third present?"
"What?"
Katsuki pointed to the box and bag, "I only got two presents, you said three."
"Did I say three?"
Giving him a baleful look, he arched his brow, "you did Freckles, and I only risked my life for three, no less."
Pointing, Freckles smiled wickedly as he counted, "hat and two gloves, that's three."
"Mmmm," clicking his tongue, Katsuki held up his hands, "hat and a pair of gloves, that's two presents."
"Okay, how about I think about what else to get you while we take a short trail ride." Urging Float alongside Bombshell, he clipped a lead rope on his bridle. "Nothing crazy and I'll have his head if anything happens. We'll go for a mile and come back, that should be good."
Tapping the side of his foot on the mounting block Katsuki leaned on the saddle horn bringing his face close to his. "Not without my third present, unless," he narrowed his eyes, "you lied to me?"
"No!" Freckles looked panicked. "I didn't lie to you. I have something else. It's…" he sucked in a breath and stopped.
"It's?" He echoed playfully, enjoying the moment. "It's what, Freckles?" Teasing him was too much fun and at this point there no reason to let him off the hook, not when he looked so fucking adorable. "I'll count slowly." Katsuki held up three fingers. One," he watched as his green eyes grew wider. "Two," he wiggled his fingers, smiling. Popping up his third finger, Freckles suddenly darted forward and planted his lips on his cheek.
"There," he breathed against his skin, "third present." Pulling back his freckled cheeks were on fire.
Touching the place where he'd kissed him, Katsuki smiled. "Thank you Freckles, for those three presents, since I may die on this trail ride." He paused for effect and bowed his head, "I think I can die happy now." Pushing back his hat, he enjoyed the play of emotions in those big eyes as they stared at him appreciatively. Grunting he slid the reins into his hand and looked down the road. "Now, which way are we going?"