Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

You sighed heavily, pulling into your new home, and circling through the driveway so the large trailer behind you was near the gate. You'd bought a large plot of land in Wrath, the land was plentiful and exactly what you needed.

You shut the truck off, getting out, and opening one of the side doors on the trailer. You'd moved here because you were one of the biggest racing hell horse breeders. You needed the space and after years of being in the business you figure out the horses raced better when they were able to run and play as babies.

If you let them run around and play as babies they viewed running on the track as fun, and they didn't think of it as work. Hell horses hated work, so make something fun and they'll do anything for you.

You grabbed some of the lead ropes, opening each of the trailer windows, and hooking them to your horses. You had more horses coming, but they wouldn't be here for another day or two.

You had taken your most prized mares with you, not wanting them to get hurt or left behind because decent help was so damn hard to come by. You opened the large door, your smallest mare nickering at you. "Yeah, yeah I'm working on it Hera." You hopped in, patting her neck. She was anxious but contained it well, or so you thought.

You unclipped her from the trailer, grabbing the rope. She damn near ran you over trying to get out. "Mare!" You growled, digging your feet into the ground, trying to get her to stop. A shrill neigh wrang through the air and she immediately stopped trying to drag you. "Thanks, Brutus!"

You moved closer, leading her off towards the field. You took her through the barn, opening one last gate before setting her free. She took off, calling to her friends.

They responded and you began the process of getting all 8 horses out of the trailer. It took a bit, some of them being rude because of the new environment. You had to put your biggest mare, Celeste, in her place, backing her the whole way to the field because she was being such a prick.

She was growling at you, angry at your discipline. "Had you not been such an ass I wouldn't have to do this," you growled back. She snorted, but when you let her out she waited for you to pat her butt so she could leave.

"Thank you, ma'am," you called behind you as you went to get Brutus. He was the biggest damn horse you'd ever seen. Standing at over 9 feet tall. He made anyone look like a dwarf. He was waiting patiently in the trailer, and when he heard you approach he called to you.

"Yes, Brutus, I'm coming my big sweet boy." You walked towards him, opening the divider and unclipping him. As you were walking him to his separate pasture you could hear the girls squealing at each other as they tried to re-establish their hierarchy.

Brutus was prancing, wanting to give his own input on the girl's fight. You gave a quick sharp tug on the rope, causing his head to dip. "No one asked for your input Brutus." He snorted but walked beside you like the well-behaved man you knew he could be.

He got his own pasture since he was a big ladies' man. You opened his gate, patting his butt. He trotted over towards where the girls were, as they shared a fence line and started to snort.

The girls were eating it up, prancing with him as they trotted up and down the fence line. You rolled your eyes and went to get yourself settled. You back the truck and trailer up and unhitched the trailer so you could head to town if you needed to.

You grabbed a box from the back of the truck, setting it down on the porch as you fished your keys from your pocket. You found them, putting them in the lock and opening your front door.

The home was nice, a big four-bedroom house. It was old, but exactly what you wanted. Each room was huge, about 15x15 feet. The barn was a little run-down but large too.

You were ecstatic when you saw this place for sale. It may have been a fixer-upper but it was your dream property. You jammed the door open, going back and forth with boxes and setting them down in the living room.

You had worked your ass off to get where you were today. It was hard for an imp to climb up the social ladder, but you'd been able to do it. You lived every imp's dream, and you were so thankful.

You put all the boxes in your living room, shutting the door, and opening all the windows to let the place air out. It had been for sale for a while so you didn't know how long it had been vacant. You had brought some clothes with you, but mostly any decorations and cleaning supplies.

You pulled out your simple cleaning supplies and started dusting the place first. You tied a bandana around your face, not wanting to inhale too much dust. It didn't take long to dust because of the limited amount of surfaces within the empty house.

Your furniture was supposed to come with your next shipment of horses. You had 20 mares and your one stud. You didn't have as many mommas as other breeders but your quality was far higher.

Your horses were more important, so for now you just had a little mattress on the floor to sleep on. Your horses' comfort was far more important than your own. You swept your new home, moving some boxes around, and trying to get the cleaning over with. You'd need to go into town for food, and you wanted to do that earlier rather than later considering you didn't know when everything closed.

You had just finished moping, deciding to go into town now so that your floors could dry. You stepped out, locking the door behind you. It was hot, hotter than what you'd like but nothing crazy.

You put a hat on your head, taking the bandana from around your mouth. The hat helped keep the sun off your head, you did not want to get sunburned on your first day. You jumped into your truck, turning the key, and heading towards town.

It only took you about 5 minutes to get into town. As you parked your truck, you seemed to be one of the few vehicles present. It was early afternoon so if everyone else was still working it wouldn't surprise you.

You entered what seemed to be a grocery store, and as you did everything went silent. You elected to ignore it, grabbing a small basket and going about your business. As you did every other person in the store started to whisper.

You guessed since it was a small town, everyone knew everyone, so you were the outsider here. They'll have to get over it, you shrugged. You grabbed a few necessities for the first few days, going to the checkout so you could go home.

The clerk didn't speak to you, just scanning your items and tapping the screen. What an ass, can't even speak to me? You fought to keep your face neutral, handing over exact change as you took your bags and left.

Your truck wasn't a very far walk, but the bags were heavy so you rushed to it. You tied the bags, putting them in the bed of the truck. Climbing in, starting it up, and heading back towards your house.

You pulled into your driveway. Feeling exhausted already. You still had to feed all the hungry monsters, so you put what little groceries you bought away, and moved to get the food for the horses.

They were meat eaters, the absolute heathens. And their favorite meal was wild deer, but they'd have to suck it up and eat what you gave them. You went into the freezer, pulling out a large bag that had a cow carcass in it.

You grabbed it out, going outside to cut it up. Brutus always got a tenderloin, he was the biggest and the best money maker. His stud fee was 5,000 souls, and he had a limited amount of 200 a year. He was a sought-after sire, and you only picked the best mares for him.

You cut the cow up, making sure they all got the necessary proportions. Hera getting the smallest amount. She didn't need as much food considering her size, but she could pack a punch. She was one of your best mommas.

You and her had gotten into a fight the first time she got pregnant. She was trying to protect her baby and all you wanted to do was give the poor thing some necessary shots. She'd almost torn you to shreds, Brutus being the only reason you were still standing there.

Brutus was your baby. You'd raised him, and he viewed you as one of his girls, and Brutus looked out for his ladies. Sometimes you'd have to give his nose a little pop when he got in your space, but he learned his boundaries and had adhered to them.

"Everyone time to eat!" You yelled, whistling after and waiting for everyone to come to their stalls. Each stall had a door to the pasture, and you left them open so they could come when they wanted to.

Everyone came running in. They picked their own stalls and usually made that their own personal space. Brutus got his food first, as he would throw a little tantrum if he didn't.

Everyone else got fed in the order of how they'd put themselves away. Brutus was the only one who cared about eating first. You turned the light off to the barn, bidding everyone goodnight. Brutus nickered at you, and you pat his head. "I'll see you all in the morning," you called behind you as you exited the barn.

You went into your home, going to shower quickly before going to bed. Though the shower was nice, even with the low water pressure. You dried your hair as you moved toward your bedroom. You groaned, tossing your head back. You hadn't made the bed yet. 

You grumbled to yourself as you made your bed, "stupid fucking bed," you growled, tossing the sheets over the mattress. You tucked in the sheets, making sure it was to your liking. If the bed was crumbled, especially around your feet, you wouldn't be able to sleep. And at that moment you really just wanted to fall face-first into the bed. 

After finally finishing putting your bed together, you did just that, collapsing on top of the bed. And then cursing your existence because you hadn't shut off the light. You got up, submerging yourself in darkness. 

"Finally, sweet, sweet sleep," you sighed. You lay on your bed, sleep overtaking you shortly after. 

Chapter Text

The sun shone right into your eyes. You groaned, rolling over and snuggling yourself further into the bed. You were able to sleep for a few extra minutes, but a ruckus of hooves and horses jerked you out of your sleep. 

You went tearing down, tank barely covering your tits and short barely covering your ass, ripping the door open and rushing to the barn. 

And there stood all of the horses, in their stalls. Clearly, nothing was going awry. You huffed, slumping against one of the barn walls. “I want you all to know that I hate you.” You gruffed as you prepared their breakfast. 

“Spoiled bastards, the lot of ya’.” You croaked, still sleepy and only wanting to crawl back into bed. They ignored you, not caring if you lacked sleep or not. You fed them and decided to sit on a stool for a few minutes against one of the stalls. 

Well your oldest girl, Birtha, decided she didn’t like you there. So she grabbed the strap to your tank, in her stupid teeth, and jerked her head up. You gasped and jerked awake, having been halfway to dreamland when she took action. 

“Oh, you whore,” you grunted. She had absolutely ripped the strap of your tank clean off. You were holding it up so as to not be exposed, annoyed by her. “You’re not getting any food tonight,” you huffed while pointing at her. 

She shook her head, looking taken aback. “Had you not decided to rip my shirt!” You glared at the mare, “then you’d get food. You still get forage so don’t come trying to tear my door.” 

You walked back to the house, going upstairs to get dressed for the day. You’d need to go back to the store as you’d only brought one pair of pajamas with you. You didn’t expect one of your horses to tear it and you were only supposed to be here by yourself for a day or two.

You grumbled as you changed, tugging your jeans over yourself, doing a little dance to hike them up the last bit. You tossed your torn shirt toward the trash can, missing by just enough that the shirt hung on the edge. 

You threw your own shirt on, tugging it down over your chest and allowing it to simply sit on your frame. You grabbed your hat, settling it over your head, and walked down the stairs. 

You grabbed your hat off the rack, settling it over your head, and grabbing your keys. You opened the door, locking it behind you, and went to the truck. It thankfully started right up and you sighed, absolutely relieved. 

You put it in drive, meandering down the driveway. You did your best not to hit any of the potholes in the driveway, but they were so abundant you still hit a few. You cringed every time to truck dipped from one of the holes, but eventually, you hit the pavement and the ride became much smoother. 

You rushed to town, wanting to get to the store before anyone came with your horses. You parked outside of the store, adjusting your hat on your head, and walked in. 

The cooler air settled over your skin, and you felt your shoulders sag at the refreshing air. You walked around, trying to find the clothing aisle. You were growing annoyed at not being able to find the damn aisle. 

You finally resigned yourself to asking one of the workers. It took a few more times of walking up and down aisles to finally find a worker. They were stocking shelves, “excuse me,” you spoke, leaning down slightly. 

They jerked their head towards you, their body tensed up and their eyes widened. They turned their head, mumbling something out. “Sorry to bother you, but I just wanna know where the clothing aisle is.” You smiled politely. 

“Aisle 8,” they mumbled, shuffling away. “Thank you,” You affirmed, walking off towards the aisle the worker directed you to. You thought it was weird the way the staff member interacted with you, but decided to shrug it off for now. 

Most of the people you’d seen seemed to avoid you. It was a small town, but you thought the people who lived here would be more friendly, with southern hospitality and all. 

You found the aisle, and you beamed, rushing over to the clothing racks. There were the tank tops, and you grabbed one that felt soft. It was soft to the touch, and you grabbed it before expeditiously going to the register. 

The cashier didn’t speak to you, but you gave them your money and left the store. The truck started up on the first go, and you put it in gear as you left to go home.  

It wasn’t long till you pulled into your driveway. As you pulled in something didn’t feel right. You parked the truck, rummaging for your shotgun. You weren’t a fucking idiot, you had learned long ago to trust your instincts. So that’s exactly what you did.

You set it in the passenger seat, pretending to be oblivious. You grabbed the shotgun, making sure it was loaded as you opened the truck door. You slammed the door closed, shoving the keys in your pocket.

You cocked the gun, keeping it ready for the intruder. “Okay ya’ bastard, why doncha come on out!” You hollered. You would rather look crazy than have some whacko come up on you. You walked towards a nearby gate, Brutus’ gate specifically. 

You unlatched it, but as you turned you heard thundering hooves. You snapped your head towards the noise, seeing a large hell horse pounding towards you. There was, what appeared to be, a man atop the horse. 

“I suggest you slow down! I’d hate to shoot such a beautiful horse!” You aimed the gun right for his head. He slid to a stop in front of you, sneering down at your form. “Why don’t ya’ get the hell outta here you city bitch.” He snarled. 

“I don’ know what the hell yer talking about, but I suggest you get the hell offa my property.” You sneered, not moving the gun from its aim at his head. “I don’ wanna shoot cha. But I will if I have to. And I’ll take that handsome horse and keep ‘em.” You declared, finally hearing Brutus’ hooves thundering closer. 

The other imp seemed oblivious until your behemoth of a stallion came charging at him. The other Imp's eyes widened and he pulled back on his own horse, trying to get it to back up. 

Brutus charged toward the other horse, pinning his ears and stretching to bite the other horse. Brutus squealed at the other horse, pawing at the ground. You lowered your gun, stepping up next to Brutus’ shoulder. 

“Easy bud,” you averred and patted his shoulder. He snorted, his teeth barred at the other horse. The other Imp’s eyes were the size of saucers. “This is my boy Brutus, I raised him since he was a baby. He does what he needs to do to protect his own.” You glared at the other Imp. 

His mouth was agape, clearly shocked at your horse's size. “Now, why doncha get off that horse and have a civilized conversation?” You asked, the both of you oblivious to the truck and trailer pulling in the driveway. 

You heard a truck door slam, and you swing your head toward the sound. A hellhound emerged from the truck, timid eyes looking between you and the other Imp. “Momma?” He asked, trying to figure out the situation.

“Son of a bitch,” you mumbled. You went under Brutus’ head, walking towards the dog. “Hey baby, get back in the truck for a second.” You shooed him off, but he didn’t listen. 

“I ain’t leavin’ momma,” he growled, going to stand by your side. You let out an exasperated sigh, giving up. “Oran, what am I gonna do wit’ ya,” you shook your head as you looked back at the Imp. 

He seemed to have noticed that he lost, and got off his horse. Brutus snorted, nipping at the Imp. “Brutus, that’s enough,” you asserted. Brutus stopped, no longer giving any outward displays of aggression. 

“Names Striker,” the Imp finally said. Now having a face to a name you replied, “(Y/n), now mind telling me what the hell you're doing on my property?” You lifted the gun a bit, reminding him you were still armed. 

“Came to run ya’ off. The folks ‘round here don’t appreciate change. I thought you’d be a little scared city whore. Guess not.” Striker shrugged. “I don’t appreciate the insults, but I’ll let it go this time,” you criticize.  

“My folks didn’t wan’ no city slicker livin’ next to ‘em.” 

“Well tell them they don’t got nothing to worry about, now please get off of my property.” 

Striker nodded, tipping his hat, and hopping back on his horse before taking off down the road. 

You sighed heavily, pointing for Brutus to get back in his pasture. He nickered, going back into his field. You closed the gate behind his big butt and rested against it. 

“Oran, you’re here early,” you turned towards our adoptive son. “Yeah, sorry?” He questioned. “No, I appreciate it. Come on, let’s get these horses unloaded,” you smiled at your son. He smiled back, and you both went to the back of the trailer to unload the 6 other horses he’d brought.

Chapter Text

He grabbed one horse. And you switched back and forth. These girls got their own field for now since they were used to each other. You finally had enough land now that you could put most of your horses together, which you planned on doing once they settled in.

You’d put the last horse in the pasture, closing and locking the gate behind her. They all began to explore their expansive pasture and you left to help Oran finish unloading the trailer. You’d brought some tack on this run, but it was mostly Oran’s belongings and some furniture. 

Oran had grabbed an ungodly amount of boxes and was determined to get as much into the house in as few trips as possible. You could almost see his arms shaking from the effort of holding all three boxes. 

You knew they were heavy, as they were labeled “ books ”. You smiled at his grimace and grabbed your own box to bring into the house. 

You met in the doorway, stopping for a moment with the box still in your arms. “Know when your sister’s supposed to leave?” You questioned as he passed you. He shook his head, shrugging and heading back towards the truck. 

He helped you get the furniture in, and you were finally able to collapse onto the newly placed couch. He flopped down next to you, huffing and puffing away. You weren’t doing much better yourself, however, trying to regain your own breath. 

“Want,” a breathy pause, “some ice tea?” You asked, shifting your weight to stand. You turned your body to look at him, seeing he had closed his eyes. Oran only nodded, not even opening his eyes to look at you. 

You huffed, rolling your eyes but going into the kitchen to get the two of you some cups of the cool beverage. You threw some ice in the cups and poured the tea, which you had brewed yesterday. 

You went back into the living room, plopping next to Oran and handing him his tea. He thanked you and threw his head back as he gulped down the drink. You took a few moments to sip your tea and cool off before asking him if he wanted help setting up his room. 

He shook his head but thanked you for your offer. You nodded, getting up and heading toward the kitchen. You decided that you’d begin to cook dinner while he started to move into his room. It didn’t get dark till pretty late, but it was around the time you usually got hungry.  

You were scavenging the cabinets, trying to find something you’d be able to cook for the both of you. There was food but most of it wasn’t enough for the two of you. “Shit,” you groaned. You closed the cabinets begrudgingly and huffed.  

You walked towards the stairs, climbing one to yell at Oran. “Hey, Oran! I gotta go to the store, do you want anything!?” You inquired. His head popped up from his door, “wait for me and I’ll come with you.” 

You groaned, “I’m an adult Oran, I don’t need to be babysat.” He smirked at you, “I know,” he grinned and went back into his room. You rolled your eyes but went to the entryway to wait for him. 

He came bounding down the stairs not long after and stopped just in front of you. You sighed, but grabbed a set of keys and walked out to the truck. 

He climbed into the passenger seat, almost bouncing in place. He was excited to go into town and see the new area he’d be living in. You rubbed his head gently and started the truck up. You put it into gear and made your way into town. 

You parked at the grocery store, hopping out and locking the truck behind the two of you. Oran skipped to your side, wrapping his arm around your shoulder. You rolled your eyes, flicking his nose. He huffed but did not let you go. 

He was always a playful pup, him and his sister. But at this point, they go along like cats and mice, constantly bickering and posturing at the other. You figured it was because they were teenagers, and you had siblings growing up, so the bickering wasn’t anything new. When it got too intense, however, you stepped in and sent them off to their respective rooms. 

Oran towered over you as you rolled your cart around the store. Grabbing a few things from the shelves and putting them in the cart. Every one of the other patrons glared at you and stayed as far away as possible. 

Oran huffed, leaning down to ask you a question. “Have they been like this since the beginning?” You nodded, throwing a box of cereal into the cart. “Yeah, it’s been annoying as all hell,” you grumbled. He grunted but said nothing else. 

You finally finished all the shopping and moved to check out. You had only just gotten into the line when someone came up behind you and tapped your shoulder. 

You turned, thinking it was Oran as he had just told you he was going to find something you had forgotten. It was a random imp, he wasn’t very tall but was wide. “Dumb city folk don’t know when to leave well enough alone do they?” 

You quirked your brow, standing in front of him and puffing your chest up. “Scuse me, sir?” You dared, glaring down at the man. He flinched but didn’t cower away. Oran walked up at that moment and growled at the imp, and he decided to take his own advice and leave. 

As he did, Oran and you looked at each other, rolling your eyes simultaneously. You finished checking out of the store, and Oran helped you load the truck up. 

You grumbled the whole way home, already annoyed with this small town. You had just pulled into your driveway when you saw the same horse that Striker fellow rode. “Jesus fuck,” you lamented, slamming the truck into park and angrily grabbing some of the grocery bags. Oran grabbed the rest of the grocery bags, being the kind of guy who refused to take more than one trip.

You walked onto your porch, Striker sitting on one of the benches. You grabbed your keys out of your pocket and unlocked the door. You ignored the man, going into the kitchen to begin putting away the groceries. 

Oran followed close behind, glaring at the intruding Imp as he passed. Striker only huffed a laugh, inviting himself in. Oran turned to make one last trip to grab the last of the groceries and bristled at the sight of the other man in his new home. 

Your back was turned, putting groceries away, but you felt the air shift. Oran was always able to do that, the feeling of the air would shift, specifically when he was angry. 

Striker’s smirk never left his face, with a wide grin and sharp teeth on display, he raised his hands in surrender. “Just came to welcome you to the neighborhood this time. My folks made ya’ll a customary welcome pie.” 

Striker's grin was sending a shiver up Oran’s spine. He desperately wanted to grab Striker and chuck him out of his home, and tell him to stay the hell out. But Oran knew better, you’d taught him better, so he just grumbled and went to get the rest of the groceries. 

“Where is it then?” You questioned, leaning against the counter expectantly. Striker’s grin faltered for barely a second, but it was enough that you were able to see it. Your own grin split your face. “Forget it?” You taunted. 

Striker grunted but shook his head. “It’s still on bombproof,” Striker grumbled, leaving your house. You assumed he was going to his horse. Oran came back in before Striker did, assuming he was even coming back in at all. 

“Don’t like him,” Oran griped. “I know honey, we just have to be civil for a bit longer, then he’ll be out of our hair.” You gave him a slight ear scritch. Striker bust through the door at that moment, with a pie in his hands.

Chapter Text

Oran’s hackles raised at the sudden slam of the door against the wall behind it, glaring at Striker and his teeth bared. You simply glared, exasperated at his entrance. “It’s a fire apple pie. Folks thought you’d like it.” Striker’s face annoyed you and you took the pie begrudgingly. “Thanks. Tell them that I appreciate it.” You turned away from him and set the pie on the table. You’d have Oran sniff it later to make sure it wasn’t poisoned. You didn’t care if he was trying to make peace, you didn’t put anything past the other demons here in hell.

Striker’s smile almost faltered before he grunted and walked out the door. Slamming it behind him. You huffed at his behavior. You’d much rather keep to yourself and work your farm as you need. In about 2 weeks you had someone coming over to ask about what your plans for this breeding season were. Your hell-horse foals were the finest in the racing business and people lined up for months. They bought foals before they’d even been conceived. Some people even contacted you so your mares could have one of their own stallion foals. You only occasionally agreed.

“I wanna eat him,” Oran grumbled, slumping against the couch and crossing his arms. You laughed, shaking your head and moving to make dinner for you two. “When did you say your sister was getting here?” You questioned him again from the kitchen. “Probably tomorrow. You know how she is.” He huffed, a sour expression on his face.

You sighed and shook your head. They seemed to always be at odds. They were both in their teenage years. Rafla was barely 19, still annoyed by her baby brother who was days away from turning 16. “You’ll be best friends when you get older. I wouldn’t let all this bickering get to ya’.” You smiled at Oran, trying to make him feel better about his current rocky relationship with his sister.

He grumbled but said nothing before he suddenly perked up. “Can I take Bertha out for a ride? I wanna see the whole property.” He grinned, his eyes big and pleading. “If you wanna take out that old shit you go ahead. If you die it’s not my fault.” You shrugged, waving him off.

“Thanks, ma!” Oran cheered, hesitating in the doorway. He walked towards you, hugging you quickly. “Love ya momma.” His chest rumbled affectionately as you pat his head, a gentle scratch behind his ear. “Love you too.” He grinned, running off and out. If there was anyone Bertha liked it was Oran. Hell-horses were picky bastards. They had people they did and didn’t like. And being on the didn’t like spectrum was a bitch and a half.

None of your horses didn’t like you, but there were definitely things they would rather do than listen to you. But Brutus had a way of being a good peacekeeper, always polite, sweet, and affectionate towards you. Which really was all you needed. If he wanted to hurt you there really wasn’t much you could do to prevent it considering his size.

You took a deep breath, cleaning the vegetables in the sink as you prepared dinner. You had a nagging feeling in the back of your head, that even though you had everything you wanted, it still wasn’t right. You still didn’t feel like everything was right. You still didn’t feel complete.

You sighed, resting your hands against the sink counter, your shoulders hunching forward. You were exhausted, you realized. Another deep breath, and out. You ignored the drab feelings that pushed and prodded at you, cutting the vegetables with little thought.

It was monotonous work and you only stopped when you had nothing left to cut. You sighed again, moving on to the meat that you were preparing. It was steak stir-fried tonight. A good balanced meal for both yourself and Oran.

It wasn’t until the smell of meat wafted out the open window that Oran came trotting into the house. An easygoing smile on his face as he slid into a seat at the table. “Mm. Smells good momma.” He grinned, his canines flashing. A low gurgle came from his stomach. You grinned, the presence of your adopted son bringing your spirits back up. “Thank you. Should be done in a few minutes,” you said while covering the pan with its glass lid.

“Why don’t we go feed the horses while this cooks and then it should be finished by the time we’re done.” I offered, slowly going towards the door to leave the house. Oran jumped up, walking up to you briskly to follow you outside. You both went into one of the sheds, housing a large refrigerator that kept all of your horses' food. You grabbed the ground meat for them, sectioning it off before going into the barn where you could hear their impatient nickering.

You took one side of the barn while Oran took the other, giving them their food quickly so no one grew more impatient. Brutus being the first in the line, whom you gave a quick kiss before putting his bowl on the floor of his stall. He snorted his thanks, hoovering it happily. Bertha was happy to receive her meal, nuzzling against Oran before she ate her own meal.

You glared at the old mare, annoyed by her good nature. Only ever directed at Oran or Brutus. You huffed, moving down the line and shoving bowls into stalls. You were both done quickly, all horses happy and eating. “Ready to go in and eat ourselves?” You questioned, nudging Oran’s arm in good nature.

He hummed, nodding, jogging inside to grab himself a drink and set the table. You smiled at the kind gesture, happy to have such helpful kids in your life. As Oran set the table you checked the steak, seeing that it was cooked perfectly, and plated the food, handing Oran his portion. He thanked you, waiting for you to sit before he began to dig in.

You smiled at him, eating your food and humming at the taste. You finished your food, bidding each other good night. You locked the front door, turning off all of the lights and putting away any leftovers, the cool night air welcoming against your hot skin. You made yourself a glass of water, going upstairs to go to sleep.

Chapter Text

You walked into your room, tossing your clothes off to change into something cooler, goosebumps popping up on your skin at suddenly being exposed to the cold night air. It was refreshing, and you sat yourself on the window sill, taking a deep breath of the fresh night air.

It was tempting to sleep naked but you decided against it, throwing on a pair of “skimpy” pajamas. It was too hot to consider anything else. You turned on your fan, shifting under the sheets and shifting under them to get comfortable. Your eyes closed and sleep took you softly.

You always woke early, per usual. You rolled over and closed your eyes again, hoping to sleep in even if just for a little while. When you turned to face the wall you were quickly shown that there would be no sleeping in.

You grunted and stood up, throwing on your clothes and starting on both breakfast for Oran and the horses. Oran wasn’t too picky but he was also always grouchy in the mornings. You left out a steak for him and left to feed the horses.

They were all in their stalls, calling at you in the excitement for breakfast. You deposited their food, all of them huffing happily. You smiled and laughed softly, turning and leaving the barn. They all had access to their pastures and would likely leave their stalls once they were done with breakfast.

You walked back into the old farmhouse, seeing Oran sitting at the table, slowly chewing his steak. “Morning Orie,” you spoke his nickname easily, his eyes blinking up at you blearily. He grumbled a greeting, muffled behind his steak. You smiled and shook your head, grabbing a fruit and taking a large bite out of it.

The fruit was refreshing, juicy, and ripe as you both ate in the silence of the dining room. Rafla, Oran’s older sister, was supposed to be here today, but you weren’t certain. She didn’t exactly have the best track record of arriving on time.

“Did you sniff that pie yesterday?” You questioned offhandedly. Oran nodded, “Yep, it’s fine.” You nodded in response, turning and opening the fridge where the pie sat. You gave it your own sniff, cutting a small piece out. You were raised to appreciate every bite of food available and you trusted Oran’s nose explicitly.

It smelled good, and you took a small bite of it, your eyes rolling back slightly at the taste. It was one of the best pies you’d ever had the pleasure of tasting. “Oran, come try this,” you instructed, offering him the other bite. Oran sniffed it once more, taking a bite. He groaned at the taste, his eyes widening at the taste.

“Good right?” You smiled at him, and he nodded vigorously, taking to fork and spearing another bite. It tasted divine, and you knew you’d have to thank Striker and his folks for the amazing pie.

You ruffled Oran’s hair as you set to unpacking what was available, deciding to do the living room first. You usually found yourself inside your previous living room when you had any downtime. “Oran, why don’t you go ahead and unpack your bedroom?” You called out, hearing Oran yell back a confirmation.

You heard him walking up the stairs as you began to move furniture in the living room, setting up the bookshelf and the couch. None of it was difficult to move by yourself, just time-consuming. You had two couches and a chair. You shoved both of the couches against opposing walls, the chair sitting in a corner with a bookshelf.

After some time you had the living room looking partially presentable and sighed, wiping off any sweat that had gathered on your forehead. “Oran!” You called out, waiting for his response. You heard a muffled yeah and called back. “I’m going out on Brutus, I should be back in an hour or so!”

“Okay!” He yelled back. You nodded, leaving the house and walking out to Brutus’ field after you went into the barn and grabbed his halter and lead rope. You whistled to him and saw his head shoot up. “Come on big guy!” You called to him again, and Brutus came trotting over.

You smiled and pet him, throwing the rope over his neck and putting the halter out to him. He was trained well enough to help you along, sticking his own nose into it. You smiled and pet his head, leading him into the barn to groom him and get him ready.

He was always so good about being handled, even as a stud. You threw the saddle over him, getting everything strapped and hooked up, leading him over to the side of the fence and using it to help you up.

Petting his neck you clicked your tongue, setting him off into a walk as you toured the property past your fence lines. After the long walk to the back of the pasture, you urged him forward, asking for a smooth but faster pace. He obliged, happy, tossing his head in excitement.

You saw a beautiful open valley, instantly knowing you were going to let him gallop through it. You could feel his excitement grow as you got closer as he started to toss his head more and try and take off underneath you.

You laughed at his behavior, finally turning him towards the valley and urging him on. He took off, and you could feel the power underneath you as he did so, his front feet coming off the ground. Your grin was wide as you held on, squeezing your legs around him to push him faster and also to hold on.

As you reached the end you sat back from your forward position, slowing him down as the open area came to an end. “Easy, easy.” You cooed, his breath puffing out harshly. “Good workout, huh bud.” You laughed and patted his neck.

You heard thundering hooves behind you, turning Brutus quickly. You saw Striker and his mount high tailing it towards you, doing a quick stop next to you. “Howdy neighbor,” his grin was almost malicious as you looked at him. You nodded to him, “hello.”