Unfixable

The Accord

"Phck! It's freezing!" Gavin was shivering in his saddle as they returned from their customary ride in the forest. They no longer stopped at the apple tree. It was far too cold for that, but they still went riding. Blossom and Goliath needed exercise, even if the weather was cold. Blossom had healed wonderfully, and all of them were happy to be out again. Nines chuckled his agreement as he watched his breath cloud in the air. There was something quite bitter about the British weather, even though the temperature was much higher than they were used to.

"Don't worry, I'll be sure to warm you up when we get back." He enjoyed the way Gavin glared in response. They both knew he'd be the first one out of his clothes when they got back. But perhaps some hot tea would be a nice preamble. There were few things he liked more than curling up with Gavin and a hot drink, and Gavin's mood always improved when there was cake involved. It would likely be teatime when they got back. Hank and Allen were probably in the hall already. Over the past month, Allen's skin had shown a lot of improvement. The burns had healed enough for him to perform regular leg exercises in preparation for the prosthetics. They were just simple lifting movements to keep his hip joints in shape for now. He wouldn't actually be fitted with prosthetics for at least another month. The burns around his thighs needed to completely heal lest the prosthetics rubbed them raw again.

"Phck, I could even go for a cup of that piss weak leaf water they have on the front at this point!" Gavin's teeth chattered as he gripped the reins with frozen fingers. Nines laughed at the admission. He really must be cold if he was willing to go that far. He hated weak tea. Nines was glad he'd convinced him to dress properly that morning. The weather could be deceptive from the warmth of the bedroom. Clear sky and sunshine didn't mean it was warm outside. Not at this time of year. Blossom snorted, lowering her head as she walked so that Gavin jerked forward to rest a hand on her neck. "Hey! Easy, alright? We'll be back soon! Guess I'm not the only one who's cold."

"You both have weak constitutions." Nines smirked as Gavin scoffed, patting Goliath's shoulder as he plodded along. The larger horse had no such issue with the weather. He was in no particular hurry to go anywhere as he plodded along the path, looking around the trail for any fallen treats.

"You're American too, dingbat! We have the same constitution!" Nines blinked before chuckling and shaking his head. "What? What's so phcking funny?" Nines didn't enlighten him, choosing to pick up a little speed instead. The sooner they got back, the sooner he could have Gavin huddled in a blanket. Goliath obligingly picked up his feet, breaking into a light trot as they made their way back to the stables. Blossom kept pace, occasionally snorting and skipping her way into the lead. Goliath wasn't particularly competitive. He seemed content to allow her to lead.

It was a nice day, despite the cold. The air was crisp and fresh. It bit their hands and cheeks, but the sun was out. There were clouds in the distance, but otherwise the day was quite fine. The birds were singing and fallen leaves were being crunched underfoot as Goliath and Blossom trotted along the faded path. A lot more sun broke through the branches now that the leaves were falling. Many branches were already bare. Nines was glad to be away from the front in this weather. Last winter had been truly unbearable, though considering the time he'd spent with Gavin, he wouldn't change it. Stealing time with Gavin along the treeline, both of them shivering and complaining about icy hands, was something he would always cherish.

"The phck are you looking at?" Nines blinked. He didn't even realise he'd been staring. He softened a little as he smiled, enjoying the way Gavin flustered under his warm gaze. They both paused as they reached the end of the trail that led back to the stables. There seemed to be a lot of excitement up at the mansion. They could hear the raised voices from their place on the edge of the paddocks. "What's gotten into them?" Nines shrugged as he turned Goliath towards the stables.