Ashrain

37. Missing Hooves

Hongjoong lay with his cheek pressed against the tabletop while his fingers idly crocheted a hat under the table. Every couple of minutes, he sighed heavily as his eyes stared into an unknown distance through the kitchen.

Mingi was in the stables and forged horseshoes and nails with as much care for his shoulder as possible. The door between them was open to circulate heat, but Hongjoong wasn't in the mood to talk. While lost in his mind, it was easier to conjure images of Seonghwa and pretend he was still just a room over.

He was glad Seonghwa was in safety, but the lack of his large body left a painful gap in Hongjoong's and Mingi's home. It seemed colder, and the silence that greeted Hongjoong every day in the stables was most depressing. He avoided them to the best of his ability, but Mingi went there every day to work.

It had been another month since Seonghwa left. Since Wind's Bridge wasn't connected to the courier system, they couldn't exchange letters, so Hongjoong was left to mope. He didn't fear for Seonghwa's safety, but he missed his sweet hooved lover every day.

Hongjoong sighed, needles clicking against each other rhythmically.

Yeosang had turned tail and not shown up within that month. His near-death experience with Mingi must have spooked him, and Hongjoong imagined Jongho got him into trouble for initiating the Seonghwa matter now that it was too risky to complain against the centaurs. Hongjoong hoped the king punished his insolent son and the cruel elf for their misdeeds. Until then, they had every right to refuse another payment, since Yeosang had made triple or four times the money they would owe him by selling Seonghwa.

The brothers lived in peace, not too worried about being chased down by Jongho since his father had been the one to warn his son to let it rest. The animals escaping from his prison alongside Seonghwa must have been a loss, and Hongjoong imagined that whenever the prince didn't lick his wounds, he tried to make up for their loss. He hoped most of them had escaped, as Mia did, and he had trouble finding replacements.

Mia was a gentle mare, and she enjoyed munching on hay in peace. While she seemed confused initially why the stables smelled of a male horse that never showed up, she didn't question it much. Under her ruffled fur was the beauty of a wild horse from the south, and Hongjoong appreciated grooming and talking to her whenever he missed Seonghwa.

Hongjoong sighed.

The door burst open unannounced and in came Wooyoung. With a trail of snow and mud staining the floor behind him, he blessed the brothers with his red cheeks and a hare tucked into his belt.

Since it was winter and Mingi was recovering, the brothers didn't venture into the city for food often. Wooyoung made an extra effort to feed them, and in turn, Hongjoong had woven a blanket for San. How it helped in his wet surrounding, he didn't ask.

"Hello, dear acquaintances," Wooyoung called, bringing life back to their dull house with his enthusiasm. Hongjoong continued moping, but Mingi called over a good-natured greeting. In gratitude, Wooyoung winked at him before he dropped the hare on the table and sat down next to Hongjoong. Expectant, he looked between his empty gaze and the clicking needles.

"Having a good time, I see," he noted.

Hongjoong sighed.

"Want to meet San with me? I specifically dropped by to offer you some relief from your dull existence." Proud, Wooyoung stretched out his chest, but he garnered no reaction. Robbed of his spirits that had left together with Seonghwa for Wind's Bridge, Hongjoong laid there.

With a helpless coo, Wooyoung adjusted his seating until his pose mirrored Hongjoong. With squished cheeks, they looked at each other.

Their setting was goofy, and Hongjoong couldn't help how the corner of his mouth twitched as soon as he regained his bearings. Wooyoung broke out in a huge grin.