Pas de Trois

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Follows after:   (Jarin's POV) and   (Sydney's POV) 

(Yea, it's a bigass story.)

    Back from Japan and all too late at night. The jetlag had Jarin feeling like it was early in the morning but the sun was telling him it was late at night. With Abe and Fame tucked in a stall for the time being, Jarin trudged into the darkness alongside the highway. Tomorrow, he’d get to see everyone again! Tristan, Jennie, Zora, all of his horses he missed so dearly. Sydney…
    “What on Earth are you doing?”
    Jarin jerked sideways a little as a car teleported next to him. Early on in Jarin’s riding career, Tristan made it a point that Jarin should get into shape starting with running to get his stamina up. Ever since, Jarin rarely skipped a morning or evening where he didn’t get a run in. His house wasn’t too far from the stables so he began his day with a run to the stables and ended it with a run back to his house. (It wasn’t like he could drive. No license and no car…)
     At the speed that Tristan drove, it was a wonder that Jarin wasn’t just a blur on the side of the highway in his eyes. Low and behold, there he was, slowing to a slow crawl beside Jarin. Jarin calmed himself, “Hi Tristan! Well, I’m walking home. I always run home!” He gave a grin and a thumbs up. “You don’t have to wait on me. It’s not too much further and I know you’ve got a long drive ahead of you. I’ll be in bright and early tomorrow!” Some people would consider a 2-hour commute too long for a daily job at the stable. But given Tristan’s particular style of driving, it was condensed down to a 45-minute trip so long as he avoided the cops.
    Tristan looked a little baffled at whatever the hell Jarin was talking about. A long drive?  “We’re literally going back to the same place idiot?” He said questioningly, arching an eyebrow before he shook his head. Jarin hadn’t been back from Japan long enough to know yet.  “Come on, get in the car,” he told him calmly, leaning across to click the car door open for him, ready to head back out onto the highway as soon as Jarin was strapped in. “Why you didn’t just come to me for a ride, I don’t know.”
     Jarin looked just as confused, getting into the car, “Same place?” They clearly weren’t on the same page. Was he supposed to go to Tristan’s tonight? Not that he was so opposed to it, not really anymore but surely, it was hard on Tristan to have to feed him and such. He didn’t want to be a bother or anything. Although, his first time over to the suite sure had taken a turn he hadn’t expected… Was that what he was expecting as soon as he got back from his stay in Japan?
    Jarin blushed a little, hidden in the darkness of the night, “Well, I-I didn’t wait around because I thought you were done for the day so I went ahead and started for home. I didn’t know you wanted to take me to your home, honest! I would have waited if I knew!” Jarin tried to explain himself so that he wouldn’t make Tristan mad! What if he kicked him out of the car and made him walk to St. Louis. There’d be no way he could make it there and back in one day on foot!
    Tristan arched an eyebrow over at him, very blatantly confused by whatever the hell Jarin was talking about, “Uh, Jarin, I gave up my suite. What the hell do you think I’ve been doing while you were gone?” He pointed out with a shake of his head, giving a chuckle as he set out down to the house, Jarin really did have a talent of being an idiot. It was almost impressive. “Shall I just spell it out for you, that I’ve moved in?” He stated, glancing to him briefly before putting his eyes back on the road, making his way back to their house.
    “You moved in!?” Jarin was so excited and nervous, he didn't even notice them tearing down the road. He covered his mouth before more incoherent babble fell out of it. “To my house!? Oh gosh! I-I would have cleaned up a little better if I knew!” His house was always kind of an open invitation but he never thought Tristan would ACTUALLY do it!!
    Jarin had never lived with anyone other than his moms! Even during his stay at college, he was supposed to get a roommate but they never did stay longer than a day, at most. He couldn't stop smiling. The Tristan Ennerstone living at his house!? The Tristan Ennerstone! Jarin turned to face Tristan, his hands couldn't even block out the brilliant smile on Jarin's face, “So are we, like, roommates then?”
    “I assume so. Though, you have more than one room, so perhaps housemates.” He grinned, giving an amused look as he drove back to his house. They arrived at home fairly quickly thanks to Tristan’s normal driving pace. He lent across to Jarin and pecked his lips. He felt a little pang of guilt for just a moment but forced it back down, climbing out of the car. He wouldn't let the past affect him anymore. No.
    Jarin glanced down and saw Tristan's features up close and personal! He squealed, covering his mouth, shooting backwards in his seat, bright red and embarrassed. The shock and awe of being around Tristan in an intimate way was still so mind blowing to Jarin;  He doubted he'd ever get over the butterfly feeling. He had all those weeks to think it over, prepare himself, and yet, just like that, he was still wildly caught off guard! Even all that time apart, he still…

    While Tristan threw some instant meals into the microwave, Jarin got a look at his house. Everything was so different. It looked like it had grown in size! There was furniture and décor. It looked lived in and flourishing unlike the bare cave it had been before. Tristan really did make himself feel at home. In a sense, it warmed Jarin’s heart that Tristan had someplace to call his own again, rather than staying in a fancy hotel room so far away. On the other hand, Jarin felt a nervous twitch he couldn’t shake. It was that same feeling he got around Sydney only it didn’t feel like fear.
    Over dinner, Jarin spouted off about his trip to Japan. The parts he hadn’t already stuffed in garbled texts and heavily filtered photos. He got on the subject of meeting many new faces and hearing about where they had started as equestrians. Which naturally Jarin was so curious to hear about from someone like Tristan.
    “I used to live up near Stornoway,” Tristan explained over their meal, “but I spent so much time Island-hopping with Angel, you just needed to catch a ferry and within 30 minutes you could be in an entirely different landscape. If the weather was good, I’d go out early in the morning with some food I’d cooked with my mum, and get back home way late at night. The scolding I used to get.” He chuckled with a shake of his head, a slight, soft smile on his face as he ate. “Everything was far simpler for me back then, I rode for the sake of riding and little more, or at least, when I was out and about. I still trained in Dressage with my Grandma, and damn did she used to get mad if I skipped a day to go out riding elsewhere with Angel.” He shuddered a little at the memory, before he gave a sigh, “Still, good memories, nonetheless, and they’re what cooking reminds me of.”
    Jarin paused from “slowly” devouring his meal to lean his chin into his hands and enjoy the imagery of Tristan’s youth. It sounded so adventurous and fun! Jarin sighed sweetly with a dreamy smile, “That sounds magical. I want to get back into Dressage! Abe and I are ready!" Jarin smiled brightly.
    Tristan gave a chuckle, “We’ll see, Jarin. Have you started trying to come up with a dressage test for you to compete with? There’s a show in a few weeks that I might enter you in… possibly with Abe if you get him fit enough.”
    “Wait! A show!? Compete!? Already?” Was he going to be ready so soon!? All that time off! He only did a little bit of Dressage while he was away! He wasn't scared of the thought but certainly hadn't expected it so soon! His smile lit up, hopping to his feet and huddling over to Tristan's feet, looking up at him with eyes that sparkled like the night sky, “Can I take Abe!? Please! I wanna show him to everyone so bad! I'll do whatever it takes! Oh, pleeeease!?” Jarin was practically vibrating with excitement. A show with ABE!!! OMGOMGOMGOMG!!!!
    “Hmmm, I suppose it’ll be more than enough to get you back into the swing of things. I want you to compose a dressage routine in the meantime, and let me check it over with you. Put a song together and so on. We’ll see where we can go from there.” He told him calmly, giving him a stern look for a moment. “And I’m serious Jarin, I don’t want you injuring yourself further. If I find out that you’ve done anything stupid, I’ll be making sure you’ll be not riding for a lot longer.”
    “I can’t wait! This is so exciting! Are you going to compete too!? Are we in the same class? Could we go at the same time! I’ve seen some videos where two people were riding together! Can we do that too!?” Jarin was in full babble mode. It had been a long time since he felt happy enough to let it all loose like that and just ramble on. He was honestly just so excited for the opportunity!
    Tristan gave a smile at Jarin’s enthusiasm, but shook his head. Pas de Deux with Jarin? Absolutely fuck no. “I won’t be competing, I’ve already got enough going on without an added dressage show, but I will be there as your coach…” Tristan gave a smile. “You’ll do just fine,” he said calmly, leaning in to peck Jarin’s lips, before he took his hand, “Come on then, if you’re wanting to ride tomorrow, you at least need to give yourself a fair chance at getting some sleep. So let’s get you to bed, hm?” He arched an eyebrow at him gently, before leading him through to the bedroom.

    Jarin was all in a tizzy. First a kiss and then he just goes and takes all his clothes off like it’s no big deal! Why did people sleep without clothes on!? Why did people get naked in front of other people!? Why did naked people sleep in his bed!?!? Why was he looking back at him like he expected him to join him in the same bed!?!?!? SURELY, THERE WAS ANOTHER BED SOMEWHERE. THE FLOOR WAS A BED.
    First, Jarin surveyed his own clothing situation. He didn’t really want to sleep in his t-shirt and jods but after another glance at Tristan crawling into bed with nothing but his underwear on… nope, there was no way Jarin could change with him right there. Nope. One peek into the drawers beside him and he realized that not only had Tristan moved himself into his house, he moved all of Jarin’s clothes too.
    The panic was setting in. He tried to ask where he could find his clothes, but the dark sleepy eyes from Tristan sapped the words right out of Jarin’s throat. A pathetic wheeze wasn’t enough. Jarin looked about wildly for anything to cover up with!
    THERE!
    On a coat rack, Tristan’s trench coat! That would have to do! It was kind of like a robe, right? He yanked it on, buttoned it up, and tied it shut before awkwardly shuffling back over to the bed with the basically naked man laying in it. “Do you mind if I borrow this, Tristan?” He held up an arm with a sleeve almost too long for him.
    Tristan arched an eyebrow over at Jarin, looking very baffled by the fact that he was even considering wearing a trench coat to bed. Like, an outdoors winter trench coat… the guy would roast to death. “Jarin, just take that off. We’ve fucked before. There is hardly any point in getting all self conscious with me now.” He pointed out with the shake of a head and a smile. Jarin never failed to bemuse him, no matter the time of day. It was a natural talent of his, Tristan supposed. “Now come on, just get into bed, you need some rest.”
    “Well-!” There it was. The topic Jarin bolted from like it chased him with an electrified barbed whip. “Th-that’s…it’s different!” Jarin pulled up the collar, looking away. He didn’t know how to explain it. But he definitely felt being naked during sex and being in his underwear on a regular basis were two different degrees of nakedness. One was sort of a necessity - although Jarin would argue it was NOT! The other was a choice to be so exposed and vulnerable!
    Tristan gave a roll of his eyes as Jarin continued to vacuum seal himself under the covers as an extra layer of Jarin-induced stupidity. Giving a grin and a laugh, he threw an arm around Jarin’s body, snuggling into him to let him go to sleep. The pathetic squeak was expected. Tristan was more than happy to just settle in where he was for the evening, letting Jarin drift off in his arms.

    Jarin melted into slumber. He got so hot so fast, he didn’t last for more than a few minutes while his mind shut everything down. It was like a fail-safe as the circuits were frying, sparks were flying, lights were flashing.
    Slowly, a new program booted up. It opened with a sea of Abe’s flowing locks: so soft and silky. Jarin smiled, swimming closer to the stallion, cuddling his face gently. Abe greeted him with a quiet nicker. It was heard by other horses making their way over to them, galloping along the fields of hair.
    One was Fame, Lukas's horse. Jarin was saddened, at first, because it reminded him of the fire at Acetoma that displaced so many horses and some that didn’t make it out. He was ever-so grateful Fame wasn’t one that was consumed. He’d see Lukas again one day. And hopefully, he’d see both Fame and Lukas together again.
    The other horse was Angel. The horse had been retired for so long from an injury. But he was Tristan’s childhood. A longtime partner. So much history that Jarin wanted to learn everything about. Oh, if only Angel could talk!
    “You like him?”
    Jarin looked up to where the voice had come from. Tristan! He sat atop of Abe in his magnificent flowing garb. A true hero’s outfit. He was always saving Jarin.
    “Shall we dance with him?”
    Jarin found himself in Tristan’s arms. The horses twirled around them like the planets orbiting the sun. The gravity pulled Jarin in closer to Tristan. He wanted it to. He didn’t want to resist as their lips got closer. Jarin felt a shudder travel through his body, leaning into Tristan. “I want to dance…”
 
     “Come on Jarin, up and moving.” Tristan groaned with a sigh before heading through to the kitchen to go and get a coffee, after throwing on some jodhpurs and a polo in a half daze.
    Jarin’s body jerked but his eyes opened slower. He had been so cozy and toasty in his oven with Tristan wrapped around him all night. He was like a heated piece of cheese, strung out and ooey-gooey goodness. He didn’t want to get up from it. That dream. Was beautiful. Even… even as his cheeks got redder and redder… He cast a glance outside to see the sun shining happily over the dewy grass, the birds singing a happy tune, a truck he recognized the second it passed…  
    He sat up, straight as a rod, watching the truck drive by. He dared not breathe. Even his heart seemed to stop for a moment. A single tear rolled down his cheek. The dream was gone. Where was his hero now?
    Sydney.


(2764 wordcount)
it big.

tldr with with minimal spoilers:
Jarin is back from Japan
Tristan lives with Jarin now
Sydney is also back at the stable

Previous: Distracted As Ever(Jarin's POV) and Land Ho!(Syd's POV) | Next: No Mercy

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Weee~
Story art~ 
That I was supposed to have done half a month ago lolololol Big whatevs. I originally was going to do something even more zany and Jarin-wonderland-esque like circus acts and all xD But my brain struggled enough just with this lol Then it went to high-fantasy/anime vibes? But then I didn't wanna do cell shading SO here's weird realistic-ish anime wonderland? Yeh, Jarin's brain in a nutshell. 

SO NOW EVERYONE IS BACK. (Besides Justin. He's still busy but he doesn't count lol) MY MAINS ARE BACK. 
HOW EXCITING! :"""DDDD 
It's only took me half a century. 

Poor Jarin just getting more and more tangled as he does xD He'll figure it out. I'm sure(?) The boy just gotta chill on the ol' heart meter! 

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Jarin/Abe/Sydney/Zora/Jennie/Art © Drasayer
Tristan/Angel and RP Words © Saoradh
Fame/Lukas/Acetoma © Acetoma 
No specific refs used


SAI/Photoshop CS6