Bakugou had waffled for a long time on whether or not he should keep his and Kirishima's date. He was still pissed that Kirishima had refused his invitation to stay the night before--and maybe also a bit hurt, not that he'd ever admit that. Stupidly though, he wasn't quite ready to completely write Kirishima off and he inexplicably wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt and trust that he'd had some actual reason for not staying and hadn't simply wanted to play the idiot Prince. It was an odd feeling, trusting someone, and Bakugou rubbed at his chest unsurely as he stalked towards the stable.
Walking into the stables at exactly four, Bakugou didn't like the vulnerability he could feel welling up as he spotted Kirishima. The redhead was saddling up an absolute monster of a horse, his back to him, and he was speaking to it familiarly.
"You're such a good boy," Kirishima was saying, tightening the straps under the horse's belly. "You're going to be carrying royalty today. Hopefully, anyways," he added, a touch of melancholy in his voice. "It'll be fun," he said, clearly forcing cheer and hope back into his tone. The horse's ears perked and it turned to Bakugou as he approached.
"Do you normally talk to the animals?" Bakugou spoke up, wondering if he should breach the topic of last night.
"Usually," Kirishima said, not even slightly startled. No doubt the horse has given him away. "It makes them stay calm, even when they can't see me. You should never sneak up on a horse," he said, patting at the horse's neck before pulling the stirrup down from where he'd had it looped on the horn to be out of his way while he did the straps. "This is Riot. He's a good ol' boy." He looked over at Bakugou, nervousness wavering in his eyes. "Did you want to take one horse or did you want to ride by yourself?"
"I can ride by myself," Bakugou grumbled, affronted.
A smile teased at Kirishima's lips and he only slightly hesitated before reaching out, hooking a finger in the bottom of Bakugou's shirt and gently tugging him closer. "Did you want to ride by yourself," he repeated, low and slow, "or did you want to ride together?" He murmured.
Bakugou bit his lip, fighting a blush. "One horse should be enough," Bakugou consented. Damn him.
Kirishima grinned, seemingly in better spirits now, walking around Riot to grab their saddlebags that were already packed with their lunch. Bakugou guessed they were putting off talking about last night then.
"What kind of horse is this?" Bakugou asked, deciding to play along, having to look up as the horse raised its head. "It's huge."
"He's a buckskin Clydesdale," Kirishima said proudly. "Buckskins in his breed are a little rarer, but he's got a strong build and is great at working the field."
Bakugou glanced down at its feet; they were easily bigger around than his head. "I can believe that," he said.
Kirishima laughed, walking around the horse without concern and leaning against its side. "Riot here is super manly, don't let his big appearance scare you. He'll treat you right, I promise."
Bakugou eyed Riot's just as impressive rider. Kirishima was no slacker himself, quite easily a foot taller than Bakugou and with arms and a chest that were rock solid. Not that that was a bad thing, as far as Bakugou was concerned. "I'm not scared," he growled.
Kirishima shrugged, tying on the bags and grabbing the bridle to lead Riot out of the stable. Bakugou kept to Kirishima's side, not wanting to get caught behind the horse.
"Alright, up you go," Kirishima said, gesturing to Riot's back.
Bakugou glanced at it then back to Kirishima. "Why don't you go first," he said.
