A Stable Relationship

Myles finally got her to calm down.  It was as if the horses were almost wild, like no one took very good care of the things.  He finally got to get back to taking care of the majestic creatures when he got the casts off.  And Millie here was no stranger to wild.  He could barely pat her neck before she started pulling on the rope and chewing on it.  He knew this would be a challenge, and it wouldn't be one he'd lose.  As he ever carefully attempted to palm her a couple sugar cubes, he kept his eyes away from her face.  Slow and methodical, his arm stretched to it's limit, inching ever closer.  As his boots dragged, he could feel her sniffing on the sleeve of his red and black flannel, searching for the sweet fragrance from the cubes.  She gripped them with her mouth chewing them greedily.  As his hand was already close enough to her face, he very lightly began to rub her face, hoping for the best.  The horse flinched slightly at first, before she seemed content with the new feeder- At least for now.  As he strolled towards her left flank, she kept her eyes on him as much as she could.  He very carefully patted her flank to test her instincts, noting that she was just barely getting wild.  He smiled at this, it meant he'd probably be riding her today.  All he had to do was saddle up.

Sometimes it's easier said than done, but other days, luck sits on your shoulder, and on that day, Myles seemed to have some of the best luck in awhile, a positive change.  He thought back to Texas, running his fingers over the scar running down his face.  He used to fall off these boys all the time, but that wasn't how he got messed up, it was him-freakin'-self.  He just smiled and shook his head, that's the way things were then, and if so, the worst had to be over.  He turned to the wall of saddles, two western and two English held up by pegs.  He shook his head once again at the English saddles, gripping the heavier western.  He grabbed the cover for between the saddle and horse, stretching his neck out a bit.  It was a beautiful morning, and certainly a great one for riding.  He carefully laid the cover on her light brown back, maneuvering the saddle into position.  He crouched under her left flank, pulling the saddle tight with the belt under the saddle.  He took a step back, moving to her front, offering her some soothing whispers and some scratching before mounting, it was probably safer.  He checked the reins that tied her to the stable fence.  Sunshine peeked through a hole in the stable wall.  It was splendorous, and he took in the crisp cool air, the peaceful sounds of birds and nature.  Peaceful and tranquil, it was as if nothing could disturb the peace around.

If she was here, it must have meant she was running out of options. Before, she'd always tried her best to avoid this corner of campus. Yeah, it was remote, and if you needed a quick getaway and a bit of peace and quiet it was better than most places, but she couldn't go within twenty yards of that thing without gagging. The horses were more of a letdown than most of the things she'd run into since she'd enrolled here. Growing up, half the girls she'd ever met had been practically in love with the fucking things, and driving past ranches or looking on from afar, they'd always looked less skittish and annoying than cats or dogs. Instead, the first time she'd ever dropped by, they'd all started trumpeting and bucking around the moment she'd stepped inside and they caught a glimpse of the electricity rippling down her arms. Not to mention, they fucking stank. Bummer. Maybe she just wasn't meant to be an animal person, since animals seemed to hate her so much.

But here she was. Some days, it felt like she couldn't walk to the other end of a hallway without some hotshot trying to pick a fight with her, and she had five or six new burns across her chest from the blonde she'd bumped into a few days ago. She wasn't sure when she'd woken up today. Most of that was lost in a haze after she took her pills, and by the time she'd sobered up, she'd been almost blinded by the sunlight filtering in through her window. She felt nauseous just walking around outside, but she figured the fresh air would be better for her than laying around that stuffy dorm all day. It felt like winter was starting to thaw away.

She'd just planned on clambering up on the roof, but the whinnying and rustle of movement inside attracted her attention. When she'd strained to listen, she thought she'd heard a familiar southern drawl. With more than a bit of a deprecating grin, she peeked her head inside, watching him whisper sweet nothings into some horse's ear. He looked invested. Get a room.

"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" she muttered, stepping inside and leaning against a beam, a spark shooting off near her head. He looked healed up, so she could only hope he wouldn't take the opportunity to fall over and bust his head on the stable gate on his way out.

And then something disturbed the peace...not just something, someone.  Myles didn't know if it was that bad of an idea. Sure she disturbed the peace, but she could be his knight in electric armor..again.  He looked to her as he untied the reins, sticking his tongue out at her, smirking after he pulled the reins from the beam.  He wasn't worried about getting hurt though, he wasn't in a stupor this time.  This time he was in his element.  He pulled her head towards Kayla, stepping up to about foot from the gate, his light blue eyes meeting hers, his smile raising the scar that reached the corner of his lip.  "Horses are wild animals, no matter how broke they are, the longer you leave 'em neglected the more wild they get.  I wasn't able to take care of these poor guys cause my nurse got pissed at me when I broke the stitches helping a fellow cripple out."  He unclipped the stable gate from the fence, pushing it open, pulling her past Kayla and to where various hooks were, his hat hanging off of one them closest to the door.  He reached up  and grabbed the black cowboy hat from it, placing it on his head, looking back to Kayla with a smile "You comin'? I'm taking her to out to the yard for a bit."  The door led to a large fenced off field where he would let the horses graze and run around every day.

Kayla hooked her thumbs in her pockets, looking over the horse. Huh. Yeah, nurses could be real bitches, couldn't they? She adjusted the bill of her cap as he led it out of the gate, a hint of a grin starting to spread along her face. He looked naked without a cowboy hat. Just fill out all the stereotypes, why don't ya? "Sure, I'll follow along," she answered, pushing off the beam and following behind Myles and the horse at a distance. It wasn't like she had anything better to do, and she was already nauseous enough without having to sit around in this pigsty. "Just don't bust your face open again, yeah?" She'd already dragged him across campus once, and it wasn't a pleasant experience for either of them.

Myles pushed the door open, letting morning sunlight pour in.  He smiled as he felt a cool breeze sweep it's way into the stables.  This was what he was waiting for when he thought about getting the casts off.  A cool day, a beautiful sky and something to do outside.  He pulled Millie into the field, throwing the reins over her neck.  He moved with a purpose towards her left flank, putting his left foot in the left stirrup, gripping the horn of the saddle with his hands.  He pushed down with his left foot, pulling with his hands and deftly letting his right leg glide over the horse's body, sticking his boot in the right side stirrup, gripping the reins with his right hand.  He placed his left hand on the horn.  He turned the now slightly restless Millie to face Kayla.  He smiled shaking his head "I'd have to try to fall off, Kayla."  He took her into a pleasant trot around the field, passing Kayla up a few times before he brought her to a run passing her up and slowing down slightly when he suddenly let go of the reins, let out a "WHOA!" and seemingly get left heavy and seemingly fallen to the left of the horse.

Kayla followed him out, drinking in the cool air and watching as he swung himself onto the saddle. This was the closest experience she had to living on a ranch, so he was the closest thing to a real cowboy she'd see. For that reason, if nothing else, it was worth sticking around. Better than laying around in her dorm, anyways. She stood around in the grass, rocking on her soles with her thumbs hooked into her pockets, raising a skeptical eyebrow at his comment. Well, he looked like he knew what he was doing, but with his track record, she wouldn't have tempted fate if she was in his shoes. Or, boots.

She watched him make a few rounds around the field, allowing herself a small smile after the first few passes, but of course he had to fuck it up.

"WHOA!"

Her smile disappeared, and she stepped forward, instinctively reaching out an electrified hand as he seemingly slipped from the saddle. "Dumbass!" she shouted, lightning springing out from her bangs with a loud ZAP, electricity kicking up from the back of her heels as she kicked off the grass to where he fell. Kayla slowed to a stumble after a few steps and snatched her hand back, wincing. Fucking idiot.

Was that him trying, then?

Myles pushed off his left foot, pulling himself up back onto the saddle, his laugh bellowing out across to her. He pulled the horse to a complete stop, leaning forward and laughing even harder. "You shoulda- You shoulda seen the look on your face!" He shook his head as he deftly pulled his right leg over again, landing on his feet only to fall into the dirt attempting to breath. After a few seconds of wheezing and wiping tears from his eyes, he picked himself up off of the ground, picking up his hat that had made it's way off. "Now C'mon Kayla, I'm a walking stereotype, didjya really think I'd lie about my abilities?" He dusted off his hat, placing it back on his head. He stood and crossed his arms, as Millie began to trot to the grassy area of the field to graze. "How bout I make it up to ya and give you a ride?" He offered a smile crossing his arms.

Her eye twitched. He... fucking... what? What?! Electricity cracked around her like whips as she let out an annoyed huff, crossing her arms and looking away from him. So he wasn't kidding. That dumbass did try. "You're a fucking idiot," she snapped back over his laughter, sparks flitting across the bridge of her nose. "I should put you back in all your casts." Did he think he was being funny? Kayla snorted, more annoyed tendrils of electricity snapping through the air around her, faint in the bright sunlight. "No thanks. I don't think your horse likes me very much." Unless he had a rubber suit on standby, she didn't think the horse would appreciate the physical contact either. Her skin was as potent as a live wire.

Myles scoffed, crossing his arms. He clicked his tongue, grabbing Millie's attention. He walked up to the grazing horse, pulling the reins off of her neck and pulling her towards Kayla. He moved around to her left flank offering a smile and patting the saddle. "This here's a western saddle, so it's bigger and it's got a deeper seat. Remember how you were able to keep from killing me when carrying me? Well Leather is an insulator, and the stirrups are coated in leather so as long as you keep the energy coming to me and the saddle, Millie won't know the difference. The only scary thing is getting on, but that can't be too tough. I'll just scooch up on the saddle and you can have the stirrups, and I'll take the reins. Just hold on tight, yeah?" He moved to the left side of the horse, sticking his foot in the left stirrup, gripping the horn and pulling himself up, moving his leg over the horse and into the right side stirrup. He scooted out of the seat , pulling his feet out of the stirrups, leaving enough room to leave room behind him and holding out his hand, raising his eyebrows, holding Millie's head as still as he could with the reins. "Just put your foot in the stirrup and grab my hand, don't worry about shockin' me just keep it off your calf area and it'll be smooth sailin'."

Humph. He said all that, but did he really think that was a good idea? Kayla stared down his hand, still not budging. Either falling on his head had made him forget, or he thought he could handle another tazing. Was he trying to trick her again? If he tried to prank her twice, he'd pay for it. She glanced around the field, clicking her tongue against her teeth, then to the horse, then to Myles again. Kayla frowned. What was his deal, anyway?

"Alright, fine," she murmured, uncrossing her arms. She'd humor him, for whatever reason he was doing this. Besides, she'd never ridden on a horse before. "Clench your teeth, dumbass."

She reached out and clasped his hand. Even trying to hold it back, she couldn't help but feel the volts coursing in through their hands as she pulled herself up, slipping her foot into a stirrup and swinging her leg over. Kayla let go as soon as she was safely in the saddle, but more electricity went flickering around her once she'd shifted comfortably onto the seat. Uhh, there wasn't much room on this thing. She was pressed up uncomfortably against his back, with barely any leeway. A tinge of red spread to her cheeks, but thankfully, he couldn't see it from this angle, with her hat shadowing her expression.

And she was supposed to hold onto him? Fuck that. Kayla pinched at his shirt, leaning back as much as she could in a way that didn't make her feel like she was about to slip off. The horse shifted uneasily beneath them. This didn't feel stable. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" she asked after a short pause, holding in her breath as she glanced around. She spent enough time in that infirmary, and the last thing she needed was a cast from falling from five feet up from a moving horse. Or worse, some two hundred pound hick landing on top of her from five feet up from a moving horse.

Myles smiled, he didn't take her for someone afraid of physical contact.  But she was pretty much a live wire in every sense of the word.  He took the first shock well enough, barely tightening his grip on her hand, curling his toes.  He felt her pulling on his flannel, static tickling his back.  He knew that her shyness would probably shed once she figured out that it would certainly be safer for the both of them if she held on tight.  He turned his head, raising an eyebrow "You'll be fine, it's scary at first, but just hold tight, your body naturally balances itself, I'll start with an easy walk."  He pushed his heels into the Millie's flank right under Kayla's foot with a bit of force, pushing her off forwards.  He rode bareback plenty of times so he knew he'd be fine without the stirrups.  He pulled Millie in a casual circle around the enclosure.  He felt Kayla shifting her weight backwards. He knew that if he didn't get Kayla to relax it would probably drop both of them onto the enclosure ground.  He decided against being direct and just hoping instinct would kick in, "We're gonna go a bit faster now," he warned when he popped his heels into Millie's side a little more forcefully, putting her into an easy trot, slightly bouncing them on the saddle.

Did he really think so? Kayla sniffed and grit her teeth, unconsciously bracing for the moment 'Millie' would take off and they'd both be sent sprawling into the grass. Why did she agree to this? This was gonna be a disaster. She rocked from side to side in the saddle when the horse went stirring forward, trotting along the edge of the field around the enclosure. Kayla winced, but the mare walked fluidly through the glass. Less of a bumpy ride than she expected, but this still wasn't comfortable. Her grip on his shirt tightened ever-so-slightly.

Wait, faster?

Kayla blinked, rocking slightly in the saddle as the horse sped up at Myles' command. She could feel her stomach doing somersaults, and with a sudden flicker of electricity, she lightly grabbed at his waist to keep herself balanced in the saddle. Fuck, fuck, fuck...

Myles raised an eyebrow at the sudden buzzing in his waist. He forced himself to avoid a sudden smile, though the corners of his mouth peaked up slightly. "Feelin' safer now?" He pulled the reins around into a nice circle, continuing the trot around the enclosure. He decided to relax a bit now that Kayla was holding on, fluidly following the horse's movements. He looked back at Kayla holding on to him, quickly looking back to the circle, hiding the reddening of his cheeks under the brim of his hat. He played it cool though, smiling slightly before he prepared to clench his teeth "Let's get Millie movin'!" He let out a Hiya! delivering a rough kick to the horse, flicking the reins, "Hold on!!". He leaned forward for a second before going back to his normal riding position, keeping his elbows high to let Kayla hold on, clenching his teeth as Millie took off around the enclosure.

Electricity flickered along her fingers. No. She wasn't. Hey, she wasn't a chicken, and she'd pop you in the face if you tried to say so, but anyone would be feeling a bit squeamish if they were sitting right where she was with this fatass cowboy as her only lifeline. Besides the queasy feeling in her stomach, she could feel the back of her neck prickle and her cheeks heat up from the embarrassment. God damn it... Did she have to ride with him?

Wait, moving?

The horse stirred forward with a sudden burst of speed as Myles kicked at its flank, and Kayla almost went flying backwards out of the saddle. "H-Hey...!" she cried out, but they were already moving, and she could already tell there wasn't any slowing down. She clutched desperately at his shirt, balling it into knots in her fist to keep her balance, but as they started to round around the fence... Agh, fuck! Fuck it! She threw her arms fully around his waist, electricity flaring around her in a blue aura as she clung on for dear life. Her hat went flying off her head, falling somewhere in the grass behind them. Kayla just clenched her jaw and clung tighter, swallowing her dignity.

Myles rode fluidly with the horse, before realizing after one round that Kayla probably thought she was on the fast track to Hell. He then had another realization that if he didn't stop, she'd probably send him on the fast track to Hell. Best not to knock heads he thought as he turned his trunk, taking his hand off of the horn and putting it on Kayla's stomach. He pulled on the reins with his other hand, pushing Kayla and leaning forward as Millie was pulled to a stop. He let out a sigh of relief, still high on adrenaline, he hadn't felt like this in a long time. He was laughing at the feeling when he realized he was still palming Kayla's stomach. He quickly retracted his hand. He looked down at the mane of the horse, scoffing at himself nervously. He took his hat off looking back at Kayla. "Huh, you look almost naked without your hat..." He flipped his own hat in his hand, attempting to place it on her head, knowing full well it would probably get him suckered. "Now lets go lookin' for yours"