Ashrain

38. Hooves Return

Seonghwa returned on the second warm day of the year when the sun filtered through the dark pine trees in Hongjoong's favourite forest spots and the birds had assembled to sing their merry songs.

Mingi and Hongjoong were outside to plant fresh seeds in Mingi's little vegetable garden to prepare for yet another year full of harvest and fresh food from their backyard. They knelt on the soft earth, pointing out the first flowers to each other with excitement that never lessened with every new year.

At first, the sound of hooves coming down the road didn't bother them. The patrolling guards usually came in twos and none of them cared about Hongjoong's respectful nods at their hard work. With his hands full of earth and helping Mingi dig around, Hongjoong ignored the familiar noise to let them pass in peace.

Only when the sound of hooves halted in front of their house and he felt a gaze on the back of his head, Hongjoong glanced over his shoulder.

Blinding white fur shone like a star in the sun. Open black hair whispered around a bare upper body that melted into a horse's half and four hooves.

The lips pulling into a gentle smile were familiar to Hongjoong. He had kissed them many times and would kiss them many times more so he could engrave their taste in his mind.

Seonghwa had brought Yunho, and the other centaur wasn't marred by an angry scowl this time. His face was open and kind, with no weapons around his hips, for he wore bags strapped around his muscular body this time.

In his hurry to stand up, Hongjoong dropped the earth he had been holding. He ran at Seonghwa while Mingi looked around in confusion, slowly catching up.

Yunho stepped aside politely so Hongjoong could crash into Seonghwa's arms. The centaur bent to accommodate the human, but their embrace was tight enough it lifted Hongjoong off his feet and a couple of centimetres into the air. With a delighted squeal, he held onto Seonghwa tighter.

"Hello, my dear," Seonghwa breathed against Hongjoong's temple and pressed a kiss to the spot. Their warm bodies fit each other as if they had never parted.

This time, no scars or blemishes marred Seonghwa's skin. He still wore his fur pattern to disguise the burn mark, but it suited him and added to his beauty. The gentle breeze caressed his hair and let some strands float in the air like smoke.

"You're back," Hongjoong replied, his head tilting back to study Seonghwa's face. It looked refreshed and contented after his time at home. All worries about his situation back then had vanished.

"Of course, I'm back. I couldn't wait to see you."

Delighted, Hongjoong surged in to kiss him. Seonghwa caught his excitement lightly, careful not to hurt either of them as their lips moulded into each other. His hooves shuffled to accommodate Hongjoong on his tiptoes.

A meaningful kiss later, they embraced again. Hongjoong helplessly brushed the earth he had dropped on Seonghwa off his back, but only made it worse. A convenient excuse to groom his perfectly clean fur later and spend time alone.

When Hongjoong retreated to hold Seonghwa's hand, he found Mingi had closed up on Yunho. He shuffled in his spot, unable to meet the centaur's intense eyes directly.

"You, ah, you stuck to that promise to accompany him," Mingi murmured, a dirty hand coming up to scratch his nape.

Yunho hummed, arms loosely propped on the bags framing his hips. He watched Mingi struggle with a subtle smile, as if he had looked forward to their reunion, as well.

Without making a sound, Hongjoong and Seonghwa watched them interact. Like rabbits alerted to movement and frozen in contemplation.

"I keep my promises," Yunho agreed, voice ever so stable compared to Mingi's muttering.