I Dare You

---

Follows Months After: Sad Washed-Up Clown/Speaking in Silence 

     Chris groaned, blowing his nose for the umpteenth time after another sneezing fit. He had caught a cold just before he set out for Pemberley. With great haste, he got the hell out of the house before his dad caught on. Heaven forbid any of his kids catch any sort of illness. He was such an overbearing hawk, it was suffocating.
     Things were awkward, uncomfortable rather, between them. More so than usual after Chris effectively tore his pride to pieces. Chris pretty much kept his head down and ignored Dave. And Dave still didn't know how to approach the subject. Or even if he should. And what good it would do if he did.
     Chris, for one, was relieved to have some distance. If he had to hear one more-
     "You would get better faster if you would allow your body to rest, Christopher."
     Chris jerked sideways into a stack of hay bales. He wasn't supposed to hear that voice and yet, there he was! He scowled hard, "Dammit, dad!"
     "Chris, please don't swear-"
     "Did you seriously have to follow me? Don't you have anything else you could possibly be doing? Literally, anything," Chris grumbled. He coughed to clear his lungs after the boost of adrenaline from shock. It was one of those coughs that sounded worse than it really was. "How did you know?" He hadn't told anyone and he was sure he concealed it well enough.
     Dave's expression softened. He knew coming unannounced would irritate Chris. But he also knew if Chris found out he was following after him, he'd do something silly like divert to a different show. He couldn't stop himself. So what if he was the worst father figure and an embarrassment to those with functional, loving families. Just because he wasn't the best didn't make him love his kids any less. His shoulders slumped a little, "I raised you, Christopher. I know when you're getting sick. Your ears turn a vibrant red."
     Chris cringed and covered his ears instinctively. That was just creepy. And how come he had never noticed this? "It's a cold dad, I'll live."
     Dave held his hands up in defense, "I just want you to reconsider this show. There will be other shows. You don't need to push yourself when you're not well. Especially with your pains coming back."
     Truthfully, with his medication back in full swing, Chris was feeling better now than he had in a long time. No annoying ache in his leg, no sudden sharp stabs, no muscle spasms from being so tense. He didn't even have a headache from being so stuffy from the cold. "Dad, I'm-"
     "Would you at least consider riding a different horse than that...that...horribly mannered horse of yours?" Dave started his plea bargain. Chris was stubborn, he'd have to up his ante.
     Chris sputtered a couple coughs, curling his lip, "Different horse? Yea, let me just order one in. Oh wait, they're on the other side of the country. What a shame." He rolled his eyes. No, he wasn't going to back off riding Jax just because Dave was a wimp. Jax was far from being a well-polished horse but he wasn't as bad as Dave made him out to be either. That was the whole reason Chris took him here, for the lower level class. He had some serious work to be done on the basics after trying him out on big fences at Midsummer. First place had been by sheer luck and Chris wasn't banking his future in luck.
     Dave moved in with his next wager, taking a concerned step closer, "I've brought one for you. I anticipated you wouldn't be so easy to sway."
     Chris raised a brow. Well, there was something they could both agree on for once.
     "Your horse. I know...you haven't wanted to ride him in the past. But he's in prime shape. He can handle those fences. You've seen for yourself. Please, if you're going to take such high fences while you're not feeling well, at least take a mount that will take care of you." He had brought Chris's first horse, Hakuna. He thought maybe, just maybe, he could convince Chris one last time to ride the horse. Perhaps, it would make him realize the past was done. Maybe move on, forget those horrible horses he had as replacements.
     Chris was not prepared to hear he had brought Hakuna. He had honestly expected Dave to pick out one of his own trusty steeds like Birgitta or Bell. He was either being extremely stingy, which he always was with his horses, or he was trying to trap Chris into riding Hakuna again. It wasn't happening. He couldn't bring himself to ride that horse. It made him mad that Dave would even think…
     Chris glanced to the ground in thought. So, Dave thought he was doing the higher jump class... If the idiot knew anything about Jax, he'd know he wasn't even old enough for that class. But the idiot had come rushing out here with some mission to magically fix everything. There was no fixing anything from the past and that made Chris even angrier that Dave thought he could. Oh, Dave just tried to pet the cornered monster and it was going to bite back.
     Chris looked back up to Dave with a softer expression. He sniffed and sighed, "Fine. But I'm still riding in that class. I didn't come all the way out here to quit."
     Dave had to take a step back, blown away his wager had worked! Hakuna really was a soft spot in Chris's heart! He must have been sicker than he looked for him to agree. And thank God Dave had brought that horse for this very reason.
     "Would you register me to ride him? I need to look over the course again, rethink my way of go."
     Dave nodded adamantly, "Yes! Yes, of course! And, Chris, if you start feeling worse, please tell me. No ride is worth the cost of your health."
     Chris worked up a soft smile like he appreciated the sentiment. It about melted Dave in his shoes. Chris watched him scamper off. He wiped his poor red nose, shaking his head. "Dumbass," he grumbled under his breath. He cupped his ears and noted, they did feel warm…


     Dave's frown sank, dragging his furrowed brows along, "Chris. You're too sick to be riding. Stop being silly."
     Chris coughed and coughed, hunching his shoulders and muffling his haggard breath in the crook of his elbow. "Just a cold-" he coughed again. He finally caught his breath and blew his nose again.
     Dave shook his head vigorously, "Say that after you've given yourself pneumonia."
     Chris shooed Dave from his side, trying to finish tacking Hakuna. It was all going smoothly. Dave was taking the bait. With his raspy voice, cracking from puberty as a bonus, Chris could really lay it on thick. A throaty cough here, a sneeze there, a little stagger, Dave was eating it up. "I'm not backing out. This is my chance to finally get back on Hakuna." A well placed cough and fumble of the girth. Chris Burton would never appear so weak. The horror.
     Dave snatched the girth away, "This is not the time to decide to rekindle your childhood, Christopher." Dave was convinced he had to be running a fever at this point to start behaving so irrationally.
     "Dad-" Chris's voice cracked at just the right time, sounding distraught. He looked up at him, the storm clouds drifting from his eyes, opening up clear afternoon skies. From the sneezes, his eyes still looked red from being watery, using that to his advantage to look oh-so upset. "I can't just stop because I'm sick. All those placings. The work I put in. I'm the only one that can carry on what it means to be a Burton after you… I have to keep going."
     "Chris…" Dave could hardly whisper. His boy. His beautiful brave boy!~ Something had changed! Something finally changed. This was the moment Dave had been waiting for! He was finally opening up. Finally, they could be reunited as the father/son duo they had been before. Better, even!
     Chris coughed, averting his eyes, "Let me make it up to you with this ride, Dad. It means so much to me." He raised his eyes again, looking like an abused puppy behind bars.
     "I...you…" Dave's chest felt simultaneously inflated with pride and crushed with sympathy. He didn't want to take away his moment to shine, but equally, he was so sick. He couldn't let him get hurt out there if his body should get worse. "...I'll do it."
     Chris tipped his head to the side, a soft smile on his lips, "Cheer me on?"
     Dave huffed out his chest like he was a superhero. A superdad. "No. You rest. I will take your place."
     Chris's smile faltered to confusion, holding his act together only just. He shook his head, "Chris Burton-"
     "We both carry the pride of the Burton title. One need not carry it alone in a time of need." Dave raised a clenched fist boldly. He felt the flames of duty and honor dancing around him! He was going to be a hero! Finally! He could do what a dad was meant to do! Save the day! "I shall ride in your stead, as Christopher Burton!"
     Chris muffled his snort with a cough, quivering as he fought his outburst of laughter. "How do you plan to even look like me?"
     Dave waved a hand, "Not a problem." He picked at the scarf around his neck. It wouldn't be strange to cover up in the outdoor arena, being chilly outside. "Although," he picked Chris's sunglasses from his head and put them on, "I'd fit the part better with some hip shades."
     Chris's eye twitched. He fought the urge to snarl. He forced a hard fake smile to cover his outrage of him touching his things. He had to nail this performance to the very end. "Wow, you sure you don't want to ride Jax instead? He's faster than Hakuna."
     Dave chuckled, raising the sunglasses, "No, I think…" he swallowed, looking at the golden fur, sooty spots, white markings crawling up his legs and belly, and blue eyes… such unnecessary flashy markings. Like ruining a perfectly beautiful sports car with a spoiler and racing stripes. It gave him chills, looking at the jagged white edges of his markings like the rough ocean waves.
     On the other hand...was Jax. Yet another modifier but he found grey less offensive. A shame it was covering a perfectly acceptable bay. Even so...Jax's behavior was his most repulsive aspect. Fiery, too eager, bull-headed, and as naive as his rider.
     He looked back at Hakuna, feeling the ground shift under him slightly. With a gloved hand, he gingerly gave Hakuna a pat on the shoulder like he was made of trash and didn't want to get dirty. "Yes, I think this one will do...just...fine…" he subconsciously wiped his hand on his coat. He pulled Chris's shades over his eyes, hoping to block out the ungodly creature before him and maybe mask his undeniable regret. Dear God, what had he agreed to?
     Chris's lips curled up as Dave's morals cracked. Not only was he getting his snotty father on a loud, flashy colored horse, he was potentially risking a DQ for impersonation. Perhaps even a penalty or a suspension. A place with the prestige of the Darcy family, maybe even a hefty fine. No doubt, gossip far and wide. And if it stayed under wraps, Chris had some powerful blackmail. Win, win, win, win, win.
     "Try not to ruin my name, okay, Dad?" Chris patted Dave's shoulder, outshining his devil horns with an angelic smile.
     Dave glanced at Chris by his side. He inherited his mother's grin. Outwardly innocent to those that didn't know any better. A brilliant disguise. But Dave knew there was the slightest twist and curl at the corner. Those that could see it, knew it was a challenge: impress me, I dare you.
     And Dave was an absolute fool for it. He scowled, wrapping his arms around his son and hugging him firmly to his chest. Chris was not prepared for that!! His eyes about fell out of his skull, flinching like he had been electrocuted! Dave patted him hard on his back a few times, "Fear not. It won't be a problem. Who raised you, after all?"
     Yes, Dave was going to be the coolest dad. Breaking rules like a ruthless villain. Riding something so scandalous. He'd have his son's attention and respect now. Sad washed-up clown no longer. Today, he would be known as Daddy Badass; the myth, the legend.


(2139 word count)
whoops, got passionate xD

Previous: Sad Washed-Up Clown/Speaking in Silence || Next: Stupid Is As Stupid Does

---

For those of you that read; heheheheee I've done a plot~ (with decors permission to be naughty in her show~ teeheheheheeee) Will "Mr. Burton" be discovered for who he really is? Well, time will tell~ This family, I swear xD Chris finally got a strong piece of blackmail to bend his father in the future, definitely! But at what cost?

SO! This was the story I had to tell backwards because in my planning, I forgot that the FIRST piece was going to literally take me the longest to get done xD So the full Pemberley story is finally out:
 ---->   ----> 
So, hopefully, it made enough sense as I was writing backwards xD And hopefully, it makes even more sense now that I have aaaaalllll the twists and turns explained. So...who's the real asshole in this lot? (Chris...). 

Artwise, I tried a more limited palette approach! Well, I didn't start out thinking that but as I chose what I wanted to portray, it turned into that xD It still feels like it's missing something but after weeks of slogigng away on this bad boy, I'm done. And deadline is here, so it's done. I couldn't retire Hakuna out to the dust and cobwebs just yet <3 Without Jarin riding him anymore, I dunno if he'll get to appear anymore :''D He needs someone to love him -sobs-

---

Chris?/Dave?/Hakuna/Jax/Art © Drasayer
No specific refs used.
     -lots of Googling holiday decor for ideas and poking through my local stores while Christmas shopping xD


SAI/Photoshop CS6