For
tsuki_no_bara, who asked for Collin/Ally, any time before Collin leaves for uni, when they're not arguing about it.- key words: barn, steam. - Colin's story is told in diary format over at
kettle, so it's a little weird writing him third person.
***** ***** *****
The thunderstorm had rolled up while he was driving over to the farm and showed no signs of breaking any time soon. The rumbles were still spaced out and distant, the rain falling heavily but not lashing down. Colin had been aiming to arrive well after the last students would have left the yard, and from the neat and tidy look of everything evening stables were complete. With luck that would mean Duster was gone for the evening.
Ally was exactly where Colin was expecting to find him, in the feed room with the door open, watching the rain fall and absent mindedly petting Bessy's broad head. Even scurrying, blinking, in the rain and fading light Colin could appreciate the picture, but Ally's warm hand on the back of his neck when he crouched down to say hello to the enthusiastic wolfhound was what really set his heart singing. Long stressful days and never enough time and just that one simple touch made everything right with his word.
Of course, rain meant a zipped up jacket and jumpers and layers of shirts to work past before he could touch back, but somehow with Ally moving a half step back, out of anyone's eye line, and urging him to stand up and take a welcome kiss, far be it for him to complain. At least, not yet, even if the kiss was brief, light, not hardly enough.
"Wasn't sure you'd be coming" Ally smiled.
"I promised, didn’t I?
"That you did."
Neither of them could quit bring themselves to stop touching entirely, and Colin looked around, checking for signs of impending company.
"You got the place to yourself tonight?"
"Near enough – Duster's over to Colchester, and everything here's done and dusted – just got to walk the dogs and see about feeding myself. I just don’t want to head indoors till the storm breaks. "
"So – horses like thunderstorms about as much as the dogs, huh?"
"Less – you don’t mind waiting it out?"
"Nope – so long as you don’t moan too much about my hands being cold."
"Git. How about I make us a cup of tea so you can warm up before you make me yell and frighten the horses. Deal?"
"Deal"
Ally flicked on the battered kettle and tossed over a worn white towel.
"Here – you're half drowned – not even the sense to shake yourself off like the mutts."
"Yeah right – you want me spraying nice icy water all over? 'Cos I can."
Ally raised his hands in truce. "Joke!"
Colin tugged the hair band out of his ponytail, shivering a little when a rivulet of water got down his collar and bent over to dry off. Ally was futzing around, assembling tea bags and mugs and milk powder, and Bessy's claws clicked on the concrete floor as she padded after him. The flash of lightening made them all jump a little, and both boys paused, listening for the thunder, a long ponderous rumble.
"Seven hundred – getting closer."
"Yup." Bessy pressed up close and nuzzled at his wrist with a cold nose, seeking comfort. "Where are the other dogs anyway?"
"Skeetch always gets crazy – hared off into the barn paddock as soon as it started, and Blink went with – they'll be back when they're drenched through and filthy. She hates being penned up when there's wild weather."
Colin nodded and took the steaming mug of tea, wrapping his hands round it as instructed. Ally was a wuss about the cold, but no point in arguing about it when he could just give in and get to what they both wanted sooner.
"So – how was your day."
They both smiled a little at the uncanny domesticity of it, and Colin shifted along the bank of aluminium feed bins so his thigh was brushing Ally's knee where his boyfriend had hopped up to sit on the bins.
"Long. Tiring. Kinda boring. Berrick's little girl's teething, so he got no sleep last night so he was being a right ratty bastard all day, but we're getting on with it. Dad reckons we’ll be done there by the end of the week, so when I get back from Mum's I’ll be on the new site. He says hi, by the way."
"Hi Col's Dad." Ally deadpanned, lifting his own steaming mug high to avoid spilling it when Colin poked him for teasing.
The move left them face to face, Colin standing in the lee of Ally's legs, and the moment turned into a kiss. Long, soft, hopeful, tongues on lips and touching just barely.
"Hello Col". Ally breathed, and then there was more, heat and tasting and that warm hand on the back of his skull again. Colin managed the co-ordination to put his tea down somehow, freeing up his hands to bury through layers and finally touch, spreading fingers over hot smooth skin and yielding muscle. When the next crash of thunder made them both jump and Bessy whimper, the rising heat turned to laughter and promises, leaving two boys, standing watching the rain, with their arms round each other breathing in the scent of molasses and wet dog, with smiles a mile wide on their faces.
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***** ***** *****
The thunderstorm had rolled up while he was driving over to the farm and showed no signs of breaking any time soon. The rumbles were still spaced out and distant, the rain falling heavily but not lashing down. Colin had been aiming to arrive well after the last students would have left the yard, and from the neat and tidy look of everything evening stables were complete. With luck that would mean Duster was gone for the evening.
Ally was exactly where Colin was expecting to find him, in the feed room with the door open, watching the rain fall and absent mindedly petting Bessy's broad head. Even scurrying, blinking, in the rain and fading light Colin could appreciate the picture, but Ally's warm hand on the back of his neck when he crouched down to say hello to the enthusiastic wolfhound was what really set his heart singing. Long stressful days and never enough time and just that one simple touch made everything right with his word.
Of course, rain meant a zipped up jacket and jumpers and layers of shirts to work past before he could touch back, but somehow with Ally moving a half step back, out of anyone's eye line, and urging him to stand up and take a welcome kiss, far be it for him to complain. At least, not yet, even if the kiss was brief, light, not hardly enough.
"Wasn't sure you'd be coming" Ally smiled.
"I promised, didn’t I?
"That you did."
Neither of them could quit bring themselves to stop touching entirely, and Colin looked around, checking for signs of impending company.
"You got the place to yourself tonight?"
"Near enough – Duster's over to Colchester, and everything here's done and dusted – just got to walk the dogs and see about feeding myself. I just don’t want to head indoors till the storm breaks. "
"So – horses like thunderstorms about as much as the dogs, huh?"
"Less – you don’t mind waiting it out?"
"Nope – so long as you don’t moan too much about my hands being cold."
"Git. How about I make us a cup of tea so you can warm up before you make me yell and frighten the horses. Deal?"
"Deal"
Ally flicked on the battered kettle and tossed over a worn white towel.
"Here – you're half drowned – not even the sense to shake yourself off like the mutts."
"Yeah right – you want me spraying nice icy water all over? 'Cos I can."
Ally raised his hands in truce. "Joke!"
Colin tugged the hair band out of his ponytail, shivering a little when a rivulet of water got down his collar and bent over to dry off. Ally was futzing around, assembling tea bags and mugs and milk powder, and Bessy's claws clicked on the concrete floor as she padded after him. The flash of lightening made them all jump a little, and both boys paused, listening for the thunder, a long ponderous rumble.
"Seven hundred – getting closer."
"Yup." Bessy pressed up close and nuzzled at his wrist with a cold nose, seeking comfort. "Where are the other dogs anyway?"
"Skeetch always gets crazy – hared off into the barn paddock as soon as it started, and Blink went with – they'll be back when they're drenched through and filthy. She hates being penned up when there's wild weather."
Colin nodded and took the steaming mug of tea, wrapping his hands round it as instructed. Ally was a wuss about the cold, but no point in arguing about it when he could just give in and get to what they both wanted sooner.
"So – how was your day."
They both smiled a little at the uncanny domesticity of it, and Colin shifted along the bank of aluminium feed bins so his thigh was brushing Ally's knee where his boyfriend had hopped up to sit on the bins.
"Long. Tiring. Kinda boring. Berrick's little girl's teething, so he got no sleep last night so he was being a right ratty bastard all day, but we're getting on with it. Dad reckons we’ll be done there by the end of the week, so when I get back from Mum's I’ll be on the new site. He says hi, by the way."
"Hi Col's Dad." Ally deadpanned, lifting his own steaming mug high to avoid spilling it when Colin poked him for teasing.
The move left them face to face, Colin standing in the lee of Ally's legs, and the moment turned into a kiss. Long, soft, hopeful, tongues on lips and touching just barely.
"Hello Col". Ally breathed, and then there was more, heat and tasting and that warm hand on the back of his skull again. Colin managed the co-ordination to put his tea down somehow, freeing up his hands to bury through layers and finally touch, spreading fingers over hot smooth skin and yielding muscle. When the next crash of thunder made them both jump and Bessy whimper, the rising heat turned to laughter and promises, leaving two boys, standing watching the rain, with their arms round each other breathing in the scent of molasses and wet dog, with smiles a mile wide on their faces.
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