Shenanigans

Four

Viktor awoke the next morning to throbbing agony in his knee. He groaned, grateful that it was the off-season, and that he had two weeks leave from his job as a racehorse exerciser. He peeled back the covers with a hiss to discover that his kneecap was purple and black and green, and swore colourfully, cursing his damned luck, the damned fence, the damned bird that had sent Chase into his fit, as he swung gingerly out of bed and hobbled for the shower.

The hot water was a stinging relief, the delicious, almost scalding heat rather like an acupuncture session as needles of the steaming water struck his caramel skin. His hair had been in utter disarray from tossing and turning in discomfort throughout the night, and as he raked his damp fingers through his dark locks, Viktor decided that the shampoo would be his best friend this morning. He fumbled for the smooth bottle, half-blinded by the spray, and dumped a generous glob of the opaque, viscous liquid into his palm.

The boy took time to massage his head, eyes half-lidded, lathering the shampoo up until his thick hair seemed entirely composed of pale bubbles. His knotted muscles began to properly relax in the heat, and he sighed through his nose as he finally plunged his head back under the spray, the high pressure of the water causing his scalp to tingle as it washed away the foam and oil. Conditioner soon followed, and by the time he'd hobbled out of the shower, he felt somewhat more alive. Good. The last thing he needed was for the rest of his body to feel as crap as his knee.

"Bloody bird," Viktor mumbled under his breath as he patted himself dry and slung his towel around his hips, pausing to wring the water out of his hair.

He'd always liked his hair longer, though if someone asked him why, he couldn't exactly give a straight answer. The best one might hope for was a shrug or a muttered, 'too lazy to cut it'. Watching himself in the mirror as he tied his damp mane back in a neat ponytail. Left out, his hair fell to just past his shoulders, and tickled at his sensitive skin if he weren't dressed. It was the colour of an autumn morning. Rich, dark chocolate, with the odd streak of cinnamon red or sun-bleached blonde. Warm. Snug. Cozy. The length and slight curl kept his angular features somewhat soft, and he had to admit that he enjoyed the contrast between his light, toasty skin and his warm, dark hair. He reached to soothe an itch along his rib cage with an opposing hand, and caught himself studying his own muscle development. Since taking on the job as an exercise rider, he'd become far fitter, that was for certain. The strength of the racehorses made every ounce of that new muscle necessary. They learn into the bridle like nobody's business, and since they were so hot all the time, loved to throw a buck every now and again. All the grain in their diets gave them extra energy for better or worse.

His knee gave a twang as he made to exit the bathroom, a painful reminder that he'd need to rub an anti-inflammatory cream into it before he left the house today. Still in nothing but his towel, he made his way to the kitchen, only to be rudely interrupted by a rather insistent knocking at the door.

Viktor glanced at his watch.

"It's open," he called in a monotonous drone, and the door swung open in response.

"Good morning, sunshine! You ready to - Viktor Leon Kyznetsov, why are you naked? We're supposed to be going for a run this morning, or did you forget?"

Laetitia and he had been fast friends since he'd come to Hopefield. The pair of them worked together as exercise riders, and saw each other a lot around the estate. The sparky brunette was also somewhat fluent in one of his earliest languages, Spanish, which had brought them closer together through shared curses and cheeky backchat over stall partitions.

"I am not naked, Teesh, and you know it," he replied snidely, turning to face her and walking around the kitchen island, one hand firmly on his towel. The two of them were far too uninterested in each other to care about their states of undress, which may have been strange to people outside, but was almost comforting for the pair. They never had to worry about being embarrassment or dealing with any ... unwanted feelings. "You're gonna have to go running alone today, though. I'm officially out of action."