Ashrain

14. Hooves in the Mud

Smut warning

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The night swathed the two lonely travellers in its distant smell of winter. The wind tugging on them was faint but frigid as it bit into their fingers cradling their items. Hongjoong leaned his head between Seonghwa's shoulder blades, leeching off his warmth as they made their way down the path. The street was dark and discarded by this time; neither man nor animal crossing their path for the swinging light alerted every night dweller to scurry away before the thunder of hooves hit the earth.

Seonghwa didn't gallop, still startled from the last time they went too fast and the lack of safety precautions had nearly cracked Hongjoong's skull open. His pace was still swifter than Hongjoong would have been on foot, and Hongjoong appreciated his company on a ghostly night.

They left the last farms behind and entered the path over the fields that led into the black silhouette of the towering forest that seemed to want to swallow them. Hongjoong's home wasn't far from the entrance into the woods, but this part was always the eeriest when alone. Seonghwa's warm skin under his fingers soothed him.

Mindless and to convey his gratitude, Hongjoong nosed up the dark line of Seonghwa's hair that was drawn over his left shoulder so it wouldn't get stuck between their bodies. He kissed Seonghwa's nape and relished in the centaur's shiver.

"Falling asleep?" Seonghwa asked, his voice silky like the night. Hongjoong shook his head, not sleepy. He was looking forward to the evening spent at home with food, Mingi, and Seonghwa.

"Just happy you are out here with me. Thanks for tagging along. The idea of wolves must have terrified you, too."

"How would you defend yourself when you go alone?" Seonghwa brushed past the reminder about the wolves, but the tension in his shoulders gave away his respect for them.

"I usually carry a knife, but I wouldn't be able to fend off a pack. It's a common dread among humans to end up as one of many bodies ripped apart by them when travelling without company."

Seonghwa shuddered in the night. The dull throb of his hooves travelled through Hongjoong's body and had him adjust his seating. There was no good way to sit on a trained horse - especially one without a saddle - to avoid pleasant vibrations gathering in his middle. When Hongjoong had been younger, this happened more often, and he suppressed it ever since. Perhaps Seonghwa's attractive human half that Hongjoong yearned for was at fault.

"Don't go out alone next time. I can join you." Seonghwa's steady voice was laced with concern. Delighted at the promise, Hongjoong cuddled him tighter. A faint smile ghosted over Seonghwa's face when he settled a hand on Hongjoong's that were crossed in front of his body and dangled the basket with chestnuts.

"You are welcome to do that for however long you're staying with us," Hongjoong agreed.

A brief pause followed, as if Seonghwa had to battle his protectiveness and his wish to return home.

"I'm worried about you, Hongjoong," he confessed. His face was turned to the front so Hongjoong wouldn't see his expression, but he heard the unrest in Seonghwa's voice.

"You don't have to be. I'm careful and sometimes Mingi walks with me."

When Seonghwa stuck to displeased silence, Hongjoong parted from him with a sigh. Before the centaur could protest, Hongjoong pointed over his shoulder and at the wreck of a wooden cart that had once got stuck in the ditch and never retrieved. Nobody bothered to claim it, and the guards didn't care for its removal, so the one-wheeled old thing served as a landmark for directions now.

"Let's take a short break there."

Seonghwa didn't protest. He dutifully carried Hongjoong over and helped him sit on the cart. Like this, they were at the same height. Hongjoong put the basket on the tilted surface behind him and placed the lantern next to it. It illuminated Seonghwa's form lovingly when Hongjoong reached for him. As soon as Seonghwa stepped between Hongjoong's legs, they sunk into an embrace. Hongjoong buried his face in the shoulder covered by soft hair, breathing in the scent of apples and hay.