Cal woke up that morning to a familiar scent; a sweet, comforting fragrant he knew belonged to his wife. Smiling as he recalled the night before, he draped an arm over her waist and drew her closer to himself.

They pronounced their love to each other last night, they kissed.

And he wasn't plagued by his symptoms.

Even though he was more than willing to proceed to a more intimate gesture, he remembered that Gigi's arm was still recovering and he'd want her to experience the utmost pleasure, knowing he'd screwed up the first time.

As he nuzzled into her silk ebony hair, he felt Gigi sighing contentedly into his neck and soon he was met by a pair of dark umber irises.

"My husband," she greeted, eyes lit up as the sunlight touched them. "You're awake."

"Good morning, darling."

"I didn't tire you out last night?" she jested playfully.

Cal snorted. "We were just kissing, Gi."

"More than anything you've done in weeks," she yawned. Snuggling against the curve of his body, Cal felt himself slowly responding, making her expression morphed into a saucy smile. "Apparently, you're not the only one who awakens."

"Oh," he moaned lazily. "What are you going to do about it?"

"Let's see... Maybe, something that would make last night look very innocent." As she continued to wiggle against his crotch, her face recoiled in a wince caused by her bad arm.

"Told you, it's a bad idea." Shifting away from her, Cal helped her reposition her arm into a better spot. "Better wait a week or two before we start exercising, my love."

"It's too long," she sulked, rising up into a sitting position. "You've made me wait enough."

"Can't argue with that, but you still shall wait for your arm to recover before you can wield them properly," he stated firmly.

"There are ways where I needn't use them. My arm might be injured, Sire, but my legs are not." Feeling her crawl across his legs, Cal watched her wide-eyed as she seated herself right atop of his lap, the hem of her skirt hiked up to her porcelain thighs.

Placing her uninjured arm on her chest, she used it to prop herself up as she grinded herself down on him. Her eyes were locked on his as she continued to sway her hips, both emitting a moan in the process.

As she started picking up her pace, Cal reached up to her spaghetti straps, aching to slip them down her shoulders to bare more of her delicate curves before his very eyes.

Suddenly they heard a loud banging on the door and the panicked sound of a maid announcing Junior's name, before the latter barged through the front doors and towards the bedroom.

Cal quickly placed the straps back in place as his wife rolled off him.

"Father, Mother, good morning!" Junior stormed in happily in his pyjamas, climbing up the bed and into Gigi's lap.

Even though he wasn't used to hearing Junior call Gigi that, it felt so right, like the first time he'd seen her teaching him Prajan language in the library.

"Good morning, Junior," Gigi giggled at the sight of Junior's bed head, tangled up like a bird's nest, and started smoothing it out.

"Junior, you cannot just pop up at the door and jump into our bed. This will be the last time," Cal warned, pulling a blanket over himself to hide his arousal.

Junior pursed his lips. "But I've always woken you up in the morning. How's it any different now?"

"It makes all the difference. From now on, you can greet us when we go down for breakfast. Or send a message if you'd like us to drop by your room before then."

"Mammi," The colour rose in Junior's cheeks, both from nervousness and excitement for being able to call Gigi his mother. "This is why I need you. He's so mean to me sometimes, even for ridiculous reasons!" Junior rambled, burying his face in Gigi's bosom, the place he could've been now if they hadn't been interrupted.

"Sire, there's no reason for you to be so sour about it. Not every son is eager to greet their father in the morning, you should cherish that," rebuked Gigi, her right arm curling around Junior protectively.

Oh, so that's the way Junior wanted it to go. Well played.

"I am cherishing his enthusiasm, darling. Which reminds me that I planned to take Junior to help down in the stables this morning. You left Inferno a little mud-stained from your escapade."

"What?!" Junior's eyes widened to the size of a squash ball. Cal knew he hated getting dirty and mundane routines. "But I'm... still sleepy."

"If you're not too sleepy to jump in my bed you should be awake enough to brush a horse's back."

Puffing his cheeks, Junior pursed his lips as he looked away in defeat.

***

After they got showered and had breakfast, Senior took Junior to a small, separate shelter a walk away. As they approached, a golden-maned horse popped its head out of the unglazed window.

"Hi, girl. Ready to go out today?" Senior greeted her, reaching to stroke the side of her head. It was the Prajan mare that Gigi had bestowed him as a gift for his birthday. Knowing the mare would need some time to adjust to the environment, he kept her in separate confinement before she was introduced to the herd.

The mare nickered back, nuzzling his jacket affectionately. Unlocking the pen, Senior unfolded a black horse blanket that he had been holding under his arm, wrapping it over the mare's golden brown coat.

Senior stood back to have a look, feeling rather satisfied. "It is a little too big, but you'll soon grow into it." He bent down to put matching protective boots on each of its legs.

"Are you going to take her to see the others?" asked Junior unenthusiastically. Clearly he was wrong to expect that Junior would lend a hand when the most he did was stand around and watch.

"Yes, Junior. It's been more than a month, it seems like a good time. You go get Inferno."

Junior let out another long yawn before turning back on his heels and heading back to the stables.

As Cal held her by the reins, the mare timidly followed him as he walked her around the stables toward the paddock. He glanced at the window on Inferno's cubicle, thinking Junior must have gotten to him by now.

"Come on, girl." He gently lured the mare, whose ears twitched back as she looked at the stables, nostrils flared wide. "It's alright, I got you."

Hearing his master's voice, Inferno eagerly shoved his head out of the stable window. He immediately spotted Cal, who was walking with the new mare in hand. Realizing that he wasn't coming towards him, the stallion started to grunt and bobbing his head impatiently.

"Inferno, stop stomping around!" He heard Junior nagging.

Cal had conflicted feelings, letting his boy down like that, but he shouldn't be tempted to come and console him with the mare in hand. He wouldn't want his horses to butt heads now, would he?

After getting her into the paddock safely, he left her alone to graze in the grass, heading to check on Inferno and Junior. It was agreed that his son would bathe the Friesian since he returned him coated in dirt after his escapade.

He found Junior standing atop a small wooden stool with scissors in one hand and a brush in the other. He was staring cluelessly at them, not knowing which one to use first.

"What have you got there, Junior? Let's have a look." Senior circled his horse, noting that most of his legs were covered in mud. "See? You got him dirty, look at his legs. Fetch me the bucket and get the water running. I'll show you how to clean him."

Junior let out a little grumble but didn't protest. Soon, he came back with a bucket of water filled with soap and a sponge.

Taking the water hose, Cal sprayed some on Inferno's body to get him wet. Then he dipped the sponge in the soapy water and started rubbing it over the horse's legs. "See, this is how you do it. Scrub him clean."

Cal took pleasure in watching Junior bend down to wash Inferno's legs. His small eyebrows formed a wrinkle as they knotted together, concentrating. He looked so cute. "You made poor Inferno do the dirty work for you, Junior. He became a pawn in your scheme. It's time to apologize."

"Yes. I'm sorry, Inferno!" exclaimed Junior, raising his head toward the stallion and cupping his hands around his mouth.

Seeming uninterested in Junior's apology, Inferno was eager to follow Cal as he left to check on the mare. "Stay, Inferno," Cal ordered, making sure the horse wouldn't move around while his son continued to clean him. Before he left, he reached into the pocket of his coat to give Inferno an apple treat.

Going back into the paddock, he led the mare back out to let her trot around in the arena. The mare appeared to welcome the small exercise joyfully, thumping and galloping in enthusiasm.

He encouraged her, giving her plenty of affectionate gestures, rubbing her neck and ears. Occasionally she would respond to him with a playful nudge.

"I have not given you a name. What would you like to be called? I hardly know any good Prajan names." He grinned at the mare as she was busy munching an apple off his hand. "I would have to ask Junior for that."

Overall she looked happy and healthy. There was only one thing that bothered him, something he noticed when she had her rear facing him. She would sometimes raise her tail when she got too excited.

Putting that out of his mind for now, he took some time to check on the other horses in the stable; one of them an elderly chestnut stallion named Cadence. Cal used to ride him in his teenage years until Junior was born.

Now, Cadence had grown too old and shouldn't be ridden anymore. Still, Cal liked to make sure that he lived his remaining years in comfort.

"Hello, old boy. Are you doing alright?" Cadence snorted, making Cal chuckle as he gently brushed his coat with a currycomb.

Checking back on Junior, he saw his son struggling to brush some of the tangled hair of Inferno's mane.

"You can't help it, if it can't be detangled it has to be cut off," Senior said, picking the scissors up off the floor. He examined the horse's jet black mane before cutting down some of the messy parts and lightly tidying up the tips.

"Papa, you should open a barbershop!"

"I would if no one minded me giving them a horse mane haircut," He cackled.

As Junior snickered and went back to brushing the shiny charcoal coat on Inferno's back, Cal remembered his plan about making progress on his intimate relationship with Gigi, which would be easier to do if they have their own shared bedroom.

Since he would no longer be staying with Junior in his old room, he didn't want him to think that he was being abandoned, it's only fair to compensate him with a new space of his own.

"Junior, how do you feel about having a new bedroom?"

Junior turned his head toward him abruptly, almost losing his balance on the stool. "What do you mean?"

"Would you like to move to a new room of your own, alone?"

His son did not immediately respond, appearing to weigh his own answer as he looked down on the brush. "...No. I don't wish to move to another room, I like the one we are sleeping in. But I would like to have it redecorated as my own, thank you very much," He ended pompously.

Chuckling, Cal approached him to ruffle his hair. That was just what he expected of Junior. "Is that so?"

"I realized that you wouldn't sleep with me anymore yesterday. I don't mind, but I do not wish to move. You can find a new one for you and Mother."

"I plan to." A sudden urge of curiosity ran through him. "Junior, I see that you've finally accepted Gigi as your mother. She told me yesterday, it was the most delightful thing that she ever woke up to."

Junior's hand stopped brushing as he turned to look at his father. "...It was she who accepted me," he whispered. "You don't mind, do you?"

A tender smile bloomed on Senior's lips as he rubbed a patch of Junior's back. "Of course not. The moment I saw you together I knew it would happen. I'm very happy for you, Son. It means I did right by you."

"You always do," whispered Junior inaudibly.

Washing and grooming Inferno left Junior exhausted and Senior much satisfied. The stallion once again looked so dashing and handsome, just like his master.

As they walked him back into the stables looking nice and clean, Cal heard a nicker from the Prajan mare who was still grazing in the paddock.

Oh, no! He had forgotten to return her before getting Inferno!

Seeing her, the stallion quickly reacted. With ears all perked up, he arched his head and neck, lunging in her direction.

"Inferno, no!" Cal barked.

The mare turned around, giving them a full display of her butt, tail raised high.

She squirted.

.·。.·゜·༺♥༻ ·゜·。.

What do you think happened with the mare? 😏