Falling Faster (Aiden)

[<Amy>]

Aaron McClain & Comanche Chief

A heavy sigh was drawn from the seventeen year old youth as he drove his truck slowly into the parking lot of the Southern Blues Stables. He drove with one hand on the wheel, the other wrapped and splinted so the break could heal. The busted up right hand was laying on his leg, left hand on the wheel and for once no horse trailer on the back of his truck. Yesterday he had gotten back from a long week in Tulsa with his cousins, rodeos and family troubles. His mom had been killed in a car wreck and his dad had decided to disappear, leaving him and his twin sisters, Jill and Kelly, with their uncle Richard in Ravenhook. For Aaron it wasn't much of a change but his sisters had been talking and crying long into the night and through their drive from Tulsa. Aaron mourned his mother quietly, looking more tired and haggard than usual but none the worse for wear.

Yesterday he had driven Comanche and Heart back to Southern Blues and got them settled in, checked Comanche's sprained leg and let Heart out to run for a while. Now after a long night of sleeping, and most of the morning too, he was roughly ready to get back into the swing of normal life. His sisters had dumped him in favor of exploring Ravenhook for the morning and would probably be up on their horses before two in the afternoon to give Smoky and Gambit a little run around.

Pulling into a stop, Aaron killed the engine and pocketed the keys as he hopped out of the truck. He had jeans that were faded almost white, frayed hems, faded stains from working on cars, chasing horses and fixing fences. A white loose t-shirt completed the look with old farm boots making him look like he'd just walked in from the fields. Confident as any cowboy of old, Aaron walked into the stable, passing by fancy thoroughbreds, warmbloods and Arabians in favor of two stalls near the end of the row labeled "Comanche Chief" and "Queen of Hearts." The two equines in question came forward at his approach, Heart nickering at him while Comanche just blinked at him, leaning on his stall wall with his sprained leg held up off the ground.

Aaron smiled. "Hey guys, feeling any better Chief?"

Approaching the bald-faced palomino stallion, Aaron peered into the stall, scratching Comanche's muzzle with his unbroken hand. The blue eyed stallion just blinked at him balefully looking very unenthused at the idea of staying in his stall for a long time but it would be best for his leg. Chuckling, Aaron moved across the aisle of stalls to two new horses, "Rambling Gambling Man" and "Smoke Signal," his sisters' horses.

"What about you two?" he asked the mustang paint and dappled grey warmblood. "Liking the new home?"

Smoky snuffled and lipped at his shirt. Being a former school pony but of fine lines, Smoky was the only warmblood probably to ever be owned by a McClain and was Jill's pride and joy. Gambit was a sturdy mustang splashed bay and white, slightly shorter than Heart but with a much more subdued personality and more white. Aaron patted Gambit's neck, making sure the pair were alright before going back to Comanche's stall.

Leaning on Comanche's stall door, Aaron sighed, his wrapped hand on the top of the stall door. "This isn't no way for cowboy's to be" Aaron said to Comanche. "Can't ride, can't run. No fun at all." Aaron sighed and Comanche seemed to sympathize, mimicing his owner's sigh almost perfectly as he leaned on his stall wall.

[b.ounce]

This morning when Aidan had arrived at the barn, she saw Heart and Commanche in their stalls and she could have sworn she felt butterflies in her stomach. It had been over a week since she'd so much as spoken to Aaron. She figured he was with his family and she didn't want to bother him, so she didn't call him, even though she wanted to. She didn't want to seem.. well.. clingy. She tried to keep herself busy until she saw his truck pull in. She cleaned her horse's stalls and organized her tack truck, and then she figured she'd work with Check. She put his new tack on and put him on a lunge line, taking him into the ring and going over his simple flat work, seeing how he did. She wanted to gain his complete and total trust before she started riding him, but by the way things were going maybe it wouldn't be too too long from now.

Finally, she saw Aaron pull up, but she paced herself. She let Check cool out a little bit before and gathered up the line and led him back into the barn, smiling in Aaron's direction. Hey there. Long time no see. She stopped Check in front of his stall and replaced his bridle with his halter, clipping him to the cross ties.

[/size][/font]

[<>Trinity<>]

The sound of horse hooves coming down the stall aisle made Aaron look up. Without thinking he let his broken arm slip off the stall door so it was mostly hidden by his leg as he turned to watch the new person come into the barn. What he saw first was a very tall brown horse being led toward the cross ties. The horse was maybe an inch from being seventeen hands but didn't look overly aggressive or anything. Actually he looked like a horse Aaron could probably ride with relative ease even on an English saddle considering his last English horse had been what? Fourteen hands?

Next Aaron caught sight of the person leading the horse and his heart jumped from his chest to his throat. A grin appeared on his tanned face as he turned, leaning back against Comanche's tall door as Aiden led the tall Oldenburg into the cross ties. Thoughts of family troubles floated out the door and Aaron laughed a little at her words, still hiding the broken wrist as subtly as he could manage.

"It can't have been too long, doesn't look like anybody noticed I was gone" Aaron joked.

Comanche snorted from inside his stall, shifting his weight uncomfortably, drawing Aaron's attention and a sympathetic look from his master. "Easy buddy, just a few more weeks" Aaron murmured to the stallion.

The palomino nickered unhappily, hung low over the stall door next to Aaron. Normal quite a content stallion, this was one of the few things that made Comanche truly unhappy. If he was injured and stuck in his stall, Comanche wouldn't work and he was a true working horse. It wasn't to the extent that Heart got to but it was a noticeable difference from his usually happy personality.

[b.ounce]

Aidan smiled. She could tell that he was happy to see her, and that of course made her twice as happy to see him. She set Check's bridle off to the side, along with the lunge line, prepared to take it into the tack room once his saddle and polos were off as well. So how was your we- Her sentence was cut short when she caught sight of his wrist. Babe, what happened? She liked the way that sounded. Babe. She liked being able to call someone that. But her mind wandered back to the fact that her boyfriend was a little on the injured side. She left Check's side, trusting him to be fine, and walked over to Aaron, gently touching his hand and examining his wrist. Does it hurt? ... Are you okay? She didn't wanna seem like she was asking too many questions, but she was definitely a little bit worried about him, and she had reason to be.

[/size][/font]

[<>Trinity<>]

Drat, trying to hide the injury hadn't worked. Aaron winced a little. He had hoped to hide it for as long as possible but when Aiden left the stallion's side, he let her examine the injury and smiled a little at her concern. She was just too sweet. "Me and Comanche took a little spill in competition" he explained, leaning down and kissing her cheek in a more intimate greeting than he'd given her originally. "I've got money on me not hurting as bad as Chief. It doesn't hurt that bad though. My cousins got me patched up, I'm just not supposed to ride and Comanche is on stall-arrest."

Comanche snorted from within his stall, watching Aaron and Aiden, leaning on the stall well. He was envious of Heart, off in the pasture or pens whenever Aaron was around to keep an eye on her while he was stuck in the confines of four walls. It just wasn't natural for a worker like him. Comanche nickered unhappily, nudging Aaron's arm, seeking pity as he shuffled forward awkwardly to hang his head over the stall door between Aiden and Aaron. He felt he deserved it. His week had probably been more stressful than Aaron's in any case, with competition and long distance travel stuck with a very twitch Heart for over twelve hours in the confines of a two-horse trailer.

Aaron chuckled and patted Comanche's nose with his unhurt hand. "I don't know Chief, you think a kiss from a pretty girl'll make you feel better?"

The Chief snuffled softly, his nose bumping Aiden's arm in his own little greeting despite his look of being more droopy than usual. Aaron laughed. Even when down for the count, Comanche still retained some form of a good humored nature.

[b.ounce]

Aidan looked up when she felt his lips on her cheek, smiling a small bit. Oh I see.. Well then.. I no longer have pity for you. She took a step back and pet Commanche's face gently when he put his head between them, resting her head against his forlock and cuddling with him a bit. Poor thing. She over dramatized her affection and pity for Commache only to tease Aaron about her lack of pity for him. She kissed Commache's face gently, going back to resting her head against his forlock, looking up at Aaron and smiling a small bit, as if laughing at him.

Check snorted softly, picking up his back foot and gently slamming it down, only enough to make a noise to let everyone know that he was not happy standing in the aisle like this.

Aidan looked at him from resting her head on Commache. Check, that's enough. Knock it off. She didn't want to be too too strict with him and slap him for slamming his feet down like she would have done normally with Finnegan and Charlotte, considering Check had been abused. The last thing she wanted was for him to think that Aidan would abuse him, too.

[/size][/font]

[<>Trinity<>]

Comanche snuffled a bit more happily at the attention until he heard the ruckus the Oldenburg made. His ears flipped up and he looked over at the other horse curiously. Aaron for his part looked over at the Chief and sighed dramatically, looking almost like the most unloved person in the world just by way of expression. "I feel so unloved" he said. "Oh well." His eyes brightened mischievously as he looked at Aiden. "I don't mind stealing kisses." Aaron leaned down quickly and kissed Aiden before looking over at the obviously unhappy Oldenburg. "But I think that poor boy needs a little of your precious attention too, hmm Aiden?"

Aaron took Aiden's joking in stride, it was one of the things he liked about her. She was lighthearted and not stuck up or easily offended like some loco chicas he had met. Some girls were just too stiff. Aiden wasn't and he loved it. She could baby his horses all she wanted if it meant he could get back at her in some strange little way. It was fun and made his former misery and tiredness slip away. Right now he didn't need to be mourning or dreading anything, just have fun with Aiden and try to get back into the normal swing of life with his sisters once again being part of it.

Walking over toward the cross tied Oldenburg, Aaron approached slowly, watching the brown stallion. "If you see two slightly ditsy blonds running around the stable, let me know" he told Aiden with a sly grin. "I'm supposed to keep an eye on them but between the two its almost impossible."

Aaron leaned against a post that supported the ceiling of the stable now standing next to Checkmate. Behind him in a stall was a dappled grey warmblood labeled "Smoke Signal." The mare reached out and tugged the back of Aaron's shirt making him yelp. "Smoky! Don't do that" Aaron said, swatting lightly at the mare's muzzle. She snorted and tugged again, this time on his sleeve.

[b.ounce]

Aidan smiled when he leaned down to kiss her. When she saw that he was about to pull away, she put her hands in either side of his face and held him there for a moment, smiling and kissing him still, until she finally let him go a few seconds later. She let him leave her side and go over to see Check, figuring maybe he'd like the attention. Or maybe he wouldn't and he would completely discard Aaron in a rather rude way.

Check watched Aaron approach him and pinned his ears lightly, giving him a rather nasty look, as if politely asking him to go away. Or polite for Check, that is.

Aidan looked over quickly when she heard Aaron yelp and chuckled. Oh, that's lovely. She left Commanche's side and went to Check, lifting up the flap on his saddle and undoing his girth, sliding his saddle off of his back. There, that feel better, boy? She pet his neck gently and picked up the lunge line and his bridle, walking into the tack room to put it away.

[/size][/font]

[<>Trinity<>]

"Jill spoils this mule rotten" Aaron told Aiden, glaring at Smoky. The Warmblood nickered and butted his back with her head making him stumble forward, arms flailing to keep him from falling on his face. Grumbling, Aaron righted himself and once more glared at the Dutch Warmblood. "Yeah I called you a mule, live with it." Smoky whinnied and lashed her tail but Aaron turned his back on her. This time he made sure he was far enough away that she couldn't bite him or anything. In his opinion the mare was spoiled rotten just because she was the only warmblood to be owned by a McClain in the past fifty years. Jill had had to work for her since their dad wouldn't invest money in horses that couldn't "work" on the ranch. Now it didn't matter but Aaron would always take a sturdy stock horse over a long-legged warmblood or weak-ankled thoroughbred.

Turning his attention back to Aiden, Aaron leaned on a pole watching Aiden take care of Checkmate. "Did I miss anything important while I was getting my brains scrambled in Tulsa?"

From the looks of things everything had been quiet which Aaron was grateful for. The last thing he needed was some sort of major drama in Ravenhook when he hoped to leave that all in Kansas now that his mom was gone and his dad was being an ass to his own kids. Who needed that kind of stress? Apparently a seventeen year old kid was who. God it was annoying. He'd probably have high blood pressure before he was twenty if things kept up.

Aaron watched Aiden work with untacking Check, using it as an opportunity to stare. Aiden really was a pretty girl, perfect hair, skin lightly tanned, doe-brown eyes and a figure that wasn't all curves but not as straight as a ruler. He could see her in a cowgirl hat and western gear but right now would be a bad time for such very nice imagery.

[b.ounce]

Aidan shook her head, walking out of the tack room after putting everything back exactly where it belonged. She was an organization freak. Not really. My cousin moved her horse in, and we might have a new Co-Owner. His name's Tanner.. and EVERYBODY thinks he's just the cat's meow. Never seen anyone in such a frenzy. She smiled, going over Check's body quickly with a brush. Minus your accident.. how was your week? She tossed the brush back into her brush box, taking Check off the cross ties and leading him to his stall, letting him in and watching him go directly to his hay. She slid the door shut and turned back to him.

And how about your sisters? They enjoying themselves so far? She hadn't seen any 'ditzy' blondes around, so she hadn't exactly met them, but she was sure at some point she would.

[/size][/font]

[<>Trinity<>]

Aaron arched an eyebrow when she mentioned a possible new co-owner that everyone thought was some hot stuff. Oh well. He was sure he could handle himself. From the sound of it Aiden didn't seem that interested so Aaron wasn't worried. He watched her bringing the body brush over Check to get dust and sweat off the stallion. Her question about his week though made him wince a little. He had mixed feelings as to the "wellness" of his past week so he decided to just spill before he exploded or something. No need to get blood, bones and brain matter all over a nice clean stable.

"Horrible" he said with a sigh that seemed to make him delfate somewhat. "Mom and dad split and then a week later mom's in a wreck. Dad dropped off the face of the earth and I had to drive an equivalent of twenty four hours straight back from Tulsa with no sleep and buzzing on energy drinks. Heart just about kicked her stall door in when we did get here and my family, very large family at that, is turning upside down."

Heaving a second sigh, Aaron rubbed his eyes, not still quite recovered from his long drive from Tulsa to Ravenhook. The trip had been made that much longer by the fact he had to stop at every available interval to let Comanche and Heart have a walk around. Well, at least he'd said it but he was half waiting for Aiden to decide he had too many problems and bail out on his overly weird family situation.

"Jill is ok I guess but Kelly's the one I'm worried about. She's so withdrawn on a normal basis, I don't want to even know how crazy this'll make her."

Was it just him or did he weigh about a ton right now? Blah he could couldn't tell anymore. He needed to really get away from things but there was no getaway in a small town.

[b.ounce]

Aidan made an over dramatic upset face. Awe, poor baby. She chuckled, walking over to him and running a hand through his hair. But, you survived. I think you'll be fine. She smiled, making her way over to Charlotte's stall and going inside of it, watching her munch at her hay. She softly put a hand on her stomach and smiled up at her. How y'uh doin', momma? She gently rubbed her hand along Charlotte's growing stomach, looking over at Aaron. At least you made it out alive. She chuckled quietly, walking out of Charlotte's stall with her halter in her hand, putting Charlotte on the cross ties in the asile.

She went into the tack room, getting a few cut up apples out of bag that she had sitting on her tack box and walking back over to her, offering her one.

Charlotte's ears perked when she watched Aidan come out with apples, quickly, but nicely, taking the apple slice from Aidan's palm.

[/size][/font]

[<>Trinity<>]

Aaron shrugged, half agreeing with Aiden. Yeah, he'd made it out alive but it didn't help that his mom was..well...dead and his dad was just gone. It troubled him but he wasn't going to put that all on Aiden, not this early in a relationship and probably never. Like he did with his sisters he would suffer in silence. The last thing Jill or Kelly needed was him saying he wasn't sure or that he was upset over something. It just wouldn't be good. So, Aaron kept quiet as he watched Aiden walk to the tack room after leading Charlotte out into the cross ties. Out of Aiden's equestrian trio, Charlotte was his favorite and not because she was the only one he had ridden. She wasn't arrogant like Finn and he didn't know Checkmate well enough to really say one way or the other.

"I guess you're right" Aaron said as Aiden walked out with apple slices in her hand and offering them to Charlotte. "Be right back."

Aaron left Aiden and grabbed a lead rope out of Heart's stall, heading out of the barn. In one of the pens, Aaron had left Heart to move around a while before he had to put her in her stall. When she was exercised and happy, Heart had managed to be fairly agreeable so long as she was conditioned for it. Right now the mare trotted over to him happily which told Aaron she would be agreeable. Aaron smiled, clipping the lead on her halter and leading her to the gate. Swinging it open, the teen led the mare out and back into the barn toward Charlotte and Aiden.

Using a second set of cross ties, Aaron clipped her in and headed into the tack room. He gathered Heart's saddle and bridle, balancing it a bit awkwardly but managing well enough with a broken wrist. Heading out into the stable again, Aaron looked over at Aiden and grinned.

"I'm not supposed to ride but I usually ride my horses one handed anyway." He winked and used his left hand to switch out Heart's lead for her bridle.

The mare was busy focusing apprehensively on Charlotte but took the bit without force. Aaron went for the saddle and situated it on her back, fumbling with the girth strap.

[b.ounce]

Aidan slowly fed the remainder of the apples to Charlotte, watching Aaron walk around the barn and take Heart out of her stall. She listened to him speak for the moment that he spoke, drawing a deep breath before she decided to say something. I don't think that's a good idea, Aaron. Heart's.. Kind of a handful. I really think you should give yourself a rest before you start riding stuff again.. Whether that be horses.. orrr... She blinked a few times, giving him a look that kind of said 'me, you idiot'. She chuckled quietly, of course only kidding.. sort of.

She turned her attention back to Charlotte for the time being, who was perfectly content standing there and being pampered, little did she know that in just a few weeks time she'd be pushing two foals out of her body and caring for them for a year. If she did.. well.. she'd probably be a little less relaxed then she was at that very moment. She snorted, lowering her head slightly until she felt the tug of the crossties at the sides of her halter and slowly brought her head back up, looking at Aaron and whinnying for attention. Feeling a small kick in her stomach, she pinned her ear's lightly and nipped in the direction of the kick, looking at Aidan thinking it might have been her for a moment. Charlotte did look rather ridiculous, such a small, petite pony with a huge, pregnant belly. But, she was cute, never the less.

[/size][/font]

[<>Trinity<>]

Aaron chuckled, raising an eyebrow and not missing Aiden's suggestive unsaid sentence. Heart snorted and bumped Aaron's arm but the country boy just chuckled to Aiden and glanced at Charlotte. They had studded Comanche with Charlotte a few weeks back before Aaron and Aiden had gotten together. Aaron had been unable to be there because his uncle had absolutely demanded he be home that day but it seemed the breed had been more than successful. Why breed a prize like Comanche with a crossbred mare? Because sometimes crossbreeds turned out the best horses and Aaron had read the mare's info. Before meeting the owner he had liked the mare but now he just liked them both all the more. If Comanche and Charlotte turned out good foals, it was possible the mare might be one of Comanche's more frequent broods despite the cross.

"Heart won't hurt a fly so long as you're not another horse" Aaron promised, winking and patting Heart's neck.

Leaving the mare for a moment, tacked and relatively ok with standing still for just a moment, Aaron approached Charlotte. He smiled at the fourteen hand pony, getting a mental flashback of him mounted on the mare trying to figure out how to stay on the saddle. Sadly he had epically failed and landed on his arse in a way he hadn't for years until then. Still...the whole encounter had had good consequences.

Stepping behind Aiden, Aaron slid his arms around her waist, linking his arms over her stomach. He let his chin rest on her shoulder, watching Charlotte with a small smile. "How's she been holding up?" Aaron asked, watching the mare pin her ears and nip at her belly. Apparently the little whippersnappers had started kicking.

In her own cross ties, Heart pinned her ears and snorted in a jealous way, looking unhappy at still being tethered while her owner paid attention to another mare. Swinging her black tail back and forth, Heart whinnied and shook her head making the reins jingle and her black mane fly all about only to receive nothing for her efforts at attention.