horseboykarl

After being gone so long, and deciding that I’m going to move somewhere with Sean, I look around my house and see that it need a lot of work. So when I get a free day, I start to work, Sean leaving to get things done at his own house.

Once I get some basic repairs done, there's lots of work in my garden. Things are ready to be picked so I spend some time on that and clearing out the weeds. I stand back, looking at what I've accomplished today and feel a quiver of nerves. About the decision we made, maybe. I call Sean, but he's not answering his phone, so I saddle Smokey and ride along my borders.

The air is nippy compared to the warm breezes of our tropical paradise, and I feel cold, wanting Sean with me, to share his heat.

I leave him a voice mail, "Tahu, I've finished here, and I'm going to throw something on the grill. See you soon, I hope."

( I'll get a shower and then fire the grill. )

NC-17

I get our remaining gear out of the boat while Sean is inside, calling for some dinner. We're gonna have guests, to I told him to get enough for several people. He gave me an odd look, but I think he'll see what I mean soon enough.

We spent the day on one of the private motus owned by the resort. It was hardly more than a sandbar with palm trees, barely 3000 square meters. We had snorkeling equipment and the resort sent along plenty of food in a picnic basket that's part of the package for the motu.

So we snorkeled for hours, Sean proving to be a very good teacher and we explored the reef, stunned at the beauty and complexity of the life under the water. We would take breaks, lying in the sun, doing other sorts of exploration. And talking. We talked a lot, about all sorts of things, but the conversation veered around to shifting and the troubles they’ve caused.

I told him everything, finding that there's nothing I can't tell him, no secrets that I need to keep. The painful parts . . . what Paris and I did accidentally, the arrests. The bruises that weren't mine. He told me about Boromir's fighting, seems to be a common thing with this crew from Middle Earth. I told him about Dave and Théodred's first meeting and my own scraps with Théodred. But I didn't leave out the good things that Éomer has done, including taking on the Balrog which left the scar on my arm.

But we decided to avoid any misunderstandings and pull our shifts in now, tonight. Let them know what the situation is, make sure there's no mistakes. I don't think Éomer would shift in without permission, not now, but he's capable of it and I don't want him doing anything to Sean if he does.

So Sean is getting enough food to keep that horseboy content, and we're going to let them have dinner together. Sean walks out to the deck.

"Ready?"

( We decided to call Éomer first. )

NC-17

After dinner, Sean and I took a ride to the sunset, and he let me have my weirdest fantasy.

The weather is cooling off . . . mid-April is one of my favorite times of year, yeah, I'm fucking weird, I like winter. But I've got other reasons for liking it now. My green-eyed blonde Brit was born this month. And I've gone completely sappy, fuck. . .

I grin, though, not too upset by the way he's gotten into my life and under my skin. My life's a whole heaps better since the day he showed up on my doorstep. And that's what tonight's about.

The box is on the seat beside me, green cloth decorated with cavorting lovers. This is more of a present for both of us, and I hope he enjoys it. Hell, his other present is for both of us too. And now my grin has gone even wider . . . thinking of the fun we'll have with both his presents.

He decided on a quiet night for his birthday tonight, although I was fucking tempted to call of our mutual friends and throw him a party, there's enough of 'em lurking around Wellie. But this is what he wanted, and I'm highly in favor of giving him whatever he wants.

But I did want to do a few things to make it special, so I ran out to the bakery to get a Pavlova and now I’m on the way back to his house.

( I park the truck in his drive, and gather up the Pav, and the green box, and the other thing. )


NC-17

"Dave, are you fuckng out of your mind? Last time we tried this, I nearly killed you!

Éomer walked Artanis home and met her household and her grown up self.

Éomer: Karl leaves and I am alone in his house, for the first time in many weeks, even by the slow movement of time in Middle Earth. Ire greets me happily and we go outside to find a stick for him to chase and return to me. He will play this game for hours. Smokey Joe is in the barn and I greet him as well. It touches a part of my heart that these animals in this world remember me with fondness and reminds me that the peace I fight for in my world is the peace of their world also.

Théo will be here soon and Karl tells me that Paris has healed. I enjoyed the peaceful day that we spent together though I know that Théo chafed at the inactivity.

The sun is brightly shining, but I lift my face into the wind streaming down from the mountains in the distance. I smell the rain that will be here by mid-afternoon. I decide that today will be a good day to teach Théo a game of my own. I smile at the thought and go to sit on the small floating dock in the pond. I pole it away from the shore, ignoring Ire's frustrated barking now that I have abandoned our game. It is almost winter in the Mark and I lay back on the warm boards, enjoying the summer day.

Théo: Leelu purrs into Karl’s yard and I park her up in front of the house and turn off the engine. I look around as I pull off my helmet and there is no sign of Mer but Ire’s barking gets my attention and I unfasten my jacket as I follow the sound. The tone of his barking changes as he notices me, and he greets me with a wagging tail as I see what he was barking at.

( You look so peaceful, lying on the floating platform, soaking up the sun that I almost hate to disturb you. )

NC-17

Sean and I agreed to meet at the Firkin for drinks and a relaxing game of darts, but instead Sean runs into Viggo and I go little alpha . . .

Éomer came to find respite from a recent battle and wandered to one of the city parks in Wellington, and there he met someone he did not expect

We finally get sick of eating frozen steaks, and there's nothing else in the house, so Sean goes back home and I go to the store. After being gone over a month, I've got heaps to restock.

Hi, mate. Your shift is done pretending he's in films?