⯎

"come !" i called over my shoulder,
voice higher than the late summer sun
in chime with the song birds and wind gusts
the sweet air settling on my tongue

we echo your joyous laugh like a child's
one by one, our rapid heartbeats out of beat with the gallop of heavy hooves
singing and running through the lush gardens
tips of my fingers brushing thick trees and long grass

water runs, rushes, cascades down the side of a cave
spreading into a pool of crystal clear that glimmers
we strip off our stresses, and i'm first
skipping off like skipping rocks into the bone chilling pond

oh, he's just gorgeous
absolutely angelic, thatches of soft hair on his body like a true man's
slender and lean, hair perfect for running my hands through
beautiful from the top of his head, to the tips of his toes, beautiful.

i wait, i'll always wait for you
even if it's only for this, for you to shed articles of clothing
expose yourself, dive into the water as if they were my open arms
even though it's cold, i'm not always perfect

he's funny. he laughs. he makes me smile
splashes and sprays move onto bigger things
playfully wrestling, covered in the cold water that descended into them
going under the surface, pulled out feeling baptized

is this love ? i don't think i have to ask
in the arms of a man who gave me everything and more than i asked for
i'm truly happy, i feel as if nothing else matters
they treat me best, as if i was nothing but theirs, one who needs tender care

it's impossible, utterly impossible to believe i'm anything undeserving of
because none of this was their fault
even though i can't come to terms with that
i can't just.. make it better. but he does. they do.

they always do
pepper kisses on my eyes, the tip of my nose and pink lips
never had daddy loved me like they do
not recently, at least.

as we're frolicking like foals
i know heaven is a real place
i think i can believe that now
finding solace and sanctuary in their embrace better than a home

he steps out, heavy breathing
i can't help but watch, but i don't wanna stay
lose the warmth of your body left in the cold of the water
i chase, i run back after you like a horse

we become one in touch with the soft earth, soil warm
sink into the touch, hear your sighs and they settle my restless soul
i love the feel of his skin as he gazes into my eyes
your paternal hands in my hair send shockwaves like lightning

i was almost distracted, seriously
but don't think i forgot about you, not once
i want you closer but i'll give you your space
knowing you're mine is enough in moments like these.

flushed pink, skin sweet, pressing soft kisses without any bite from my teeth
everything's like it always used to be
but it's better now, i don't know what i'd do without you
don't ever leave me, you're all i've ever wanted.

we used to hide away from everyone else
because no one cared for me like he did, not genuinely.
sharing soft touches and kisses in this almost sacred space which existed for us
perfect, really. even better that you're here with me.

i yearn for you
i want to give you my life
because you give me what i love
almost without question, without unease

"what about you, mon chéri ?"
oh, it's just... perfect. everything i could ask for
it's my favorite, and it's even better with you
but i need you closer. i need to feel your love.

oh, it's the happiest day of my life
i'm brimming with adoration, i want to tell them how i feel
feeling his fingers brush my hair
i know i love it because i love you

my darlings, strong like two broad stallions
with big hearts, they strive to protect me like a harem
filled with them, only them, i feel it under my skin
it's nothing i think i could ever live without

it really does feel nice to be loved.
it lasted longer than a split second and they made sure of it
i wanna express it to you in the form i love it most
but we're being called back, pulled out of the sunshine.

⯎

you call me your baby, so i might as well act like one
i've always been one to bite the hand that holds the milk bottle
you wanna see me act out so you have a brat to punish
but you ain't seen nothing yet.

i wanna knock you into next week with what i could tell you
darling boy throws a temper tantrum,
but maybe that's cause they don't listen to what baby wants

if i gotta get hit to earn my hit
then i'll do it.
i just want your attention, and i want them to see it.
cause all they see now is god in the eyes of a boy in the stable stalls

darling boy gets a sugar cube if he behaves well
he knows just what to do
but he wants you to crack that whip over his yielding spine to make it hurt

so don't speak to me in my precious mother tongue
i want to hear the low, sensual note of your sweet 'enchante' rolling off
or maybe i want to hear you nicker like a horse..
since you're my friesian, such a beautiful stallion

give me what i want
a mass of bruises and scars and they spill out all over the sheets
not too hard, just raise your fist and let it fall with the same impact of their words

stick it and twist it
see how much i writhe for you
darling boy loves it much
can you see it in his dead eyes ?

i miss the soft 'sweetheart' of my daddy
especially as i see the birthday wishes which read like death notes
give me something good to remember

call us the master and pupil
the stallion and the foal
my eyes glimmer at sight,
because the stud and the syringe are one and the same

he doesn't like the disrespect, dongwook, look me in the face
darling boy has black eyes and both cold hands
on the barrel of the--

It was eerie just how silent the estate was tonight. Save for the sound of the sleeping horses and the occasional cry of the night birds far across the grounds, there was nothing.

No pitter patter of rain, no distant voices carrying on the breeze. Even the manor was close to dead at this midnight hour. Only a few windows were illuminated.

Several of them belonged to Seonghwa’s ground floor suite. It seemed he was having a late night too. Only his evening probably revolved around glasses of expensive wine and cigarettes on the chaise longue beside the hearth, with a good novel in hand or a classic film playing on the mounted flatscreen across the parlour.

As he got it ready, he glanced up to watch the Master and the horse.

Yunho was standing just to the side of Lucie’s head. He held out the sugar cube with a fond smile. Unlike with the apple, Lucie didn’t need encouragement. She saw the delicious treat and turned her head to pluck it off his palm with her moist lips. The ticklish sensation made him giggle. His voice was whisper-soft as she nuzzled against his palm and twitching fingers.

“Un pour toi, un pour moi.”

Mingi silently observed the boy as he stuck his hand in his pocket. He pulled it out and uncurled his fingers to reveal a second sugar cube. He brought it to his lips. His fingers were wet from the mare’s slobbering drool as they slipped inside his mouth to place the little treat on his tongue. When he pulled them free, a strand of commingled spit stretched from his fingertips and then snapped down onto his chin.

As the hard cube dissolved, Yunho scrunched up his face with a giddy sound. His lips parted to show almost every single tooth, and his eyes narrowed into slits. The intense sweetness made his fingers twitch and curl at his sides.

The noise he made caught the attention of Lucie. She turned her head again to bump her muzzle against his cheek. Yunho lifted his hands to hold her face.

He pressed his round cheek against the strong wing of her hollow cheek as his fingers scratched and stroked around her ears and down her neck.

Mingi thought he was about the sweetest foal he had ever laid eyes on. The thought made him snort under his breath and drop his head to focus back on the machine.

Quick as a whip, Yunho jumped to his feet and raced across the floor to go inside the massive closet. Mingi heard him rifling through drawers and hanging clothes, the little sounds he made under his breath as he searched for what he was looking for.

After several minutes, the Master emerged in a whole new outfit. He was wearing a Ralph Lauren jumper. It was baby blue cotton, with ribbed cuffs, neckline and hem. On the chest was a stitched image of a brown teddy bear. It was wearing a baseball cap with casual clothes and sneakers.

Beneath the jumper was a white shirt with an exaggerated collar. The top button was open to expose a hint of his neck. He had paired the jumper and shirt with little white shorts and light blue socks.

Finally, he had slipped into his black horsebit loafers with the thick heels. Yunho skipped out of the closet and spun on his heel to show off the outfit. The Roméo charm was hanging from his phone case. It bounced from the movement. He let out a breathy giggle and smiled wide enough to show off his teeth.

Seonghwa moved to retrieve a hat from a drawer. It was a twill nautical cap, with a navy brim and band and a white top. Little brass buttons on the band matched well with the brass details on the lamb bag. He neatened the Master’s hair with his fingers and then tugged it on for him.

“There, now you look perfect, my darling boy.”

Yunho gushed and leaned against his fingers. “What do you think?” he asked, glancing at him with his big, sparkling eyes. “Do I look beautiful?”

Mingi had gotten used to the Master’s little uniforms and layered suits. He no longer furrowed his brow when he came skipping into the stable, his shoes clip-clopping and his hands swinging at his sides. He didn’t even see it as childlike anymore, because he had spoken to him enough to understand that he was an intelligent young man beneath the princeling costumes. However, now he could see him dressed in a preppy, casual outfit, he found he liked it a lot. Yunho still looked boyish, but he was handsome rather than cute.

Mingi gave him a slow smile. “You look very handsome, Yunho.”

Oh, Yunho had to turn away from him because he was so overcome with joy. His ears turned a shade of deep pink from beneath the brim of his cap. The flush even crept down the back of his neck above his shirt collar. He cupped his face in his hands and let out a series of flustered noises.

This made Seonghwa beam at him. “Mingi’s right; you look very handsome. Now, you must behave when you’re with him. Yes? Don’t wander off, stay by his side. Remember to be patient with him, especially if he comes over quiet. And most importantly …”

Seonghwa took hold of his shoulders to turn him around so he could look into his eyes. Yunho wasn’t quite able to hold his gaze because he was still so flustered. “Enjoy yourself,” Seonghwa finished, giving the boy another soft stroke beneath the chin.

“No more pouting, no more sadness. Today is your special day, and you must enjoy it whilst it lasts. Yes?”

Yunho nodded and skipped across the room towards Mingi. He held his hand out in silent request. Mingi studied it and then glanced at Seonghwa, just to see how the other man reacted to the gesture. It looked familiar, like they had held hands before. He saw no concern or confusion on the other man’s expression, so he took hold of his hand. It was as moist and warm as always as the boy entwined their fingers.

“Alright,” Mingi sighed out, his shoulders lifting and falling in a soft wave. “Let’s see what’s happening in town …”

As he got it ready, he glanced up to watch the Master and the horse.

Yunho was standing just to the side of Lucie’s head. He held out the sugar cube with a fond smile. Unlike with the apple, Lucie didn’t need encouragement. She saw the delicious treat and turned her head to pluck it off his palm with her moist lips. The ticklish sensation made him giggle. His voice was whisper-soft as she nuzzled against his palm and twitching fingers.

“Un pour toi, un pour moi.”

Mingi silently observed the boy as he stuck his hand in his pocket. He pulled it out and uncurled his fingers to reveal a second sugar cube. He brought it to his lips. His fingers were wet from the mare’s slobbering drool as they slipped inside his mouth to place the little treat on his tongue. When he pulled them free, a strand of commingled spit stretched from his fingertips and then snapped down onto his chin.

As the hard cube dissolved, Yunho scrunched up his face with a giddy sound. His lips parted to show almost every single tooth, and his eyes narrowed into slits. The intense sweetness made his fingers twitch and curl at his sides.

The noise he made caught the attention of Lucie. She turned her head again to bump her muzzle against his cheek. Yunho lifted his hands to hold her face.

He pressed his round cheek against the strong wing of her hollow cheek as his fingers scratched and stroked around her ears and down her neck.

Mingi thought he was about the sweetest foal he had ever laid eyes on. The thought made him snort under his breath and drop his head to focus back on the machine.

Yunho spoke around his dangling cigarette. It bobbed from every slight twitch of his pretty lips. “Mmm, my body hurts.”

“Your body hurts?” Seonghwa repeated in that same sweet tone, like a mother talking to her toddler. His rubbing hand slid down his back, focusing more on the potential source of the pain. “How come?”

“Riding the horses,” he explained, his gaze still burning into Mingi’s skull.

“They can be rough. But it feels so good, doesn’t it?”

At this, Seonghwa clicked his tongue and started rigorously rubbing the dip of the Master’s curved spine. His warm palm would soothe away the lingering discomfort.

Only, it wasn’t really what he needed, and they both knew it.

No, what Yunho needed was a nice soak in a warm bath, and maybe a soothing after-care balm to take down the sting.

Knowing Seonghwa, he would probably slather it on for him with a series of gentle coos and head strokes.

“Oh, dear! No one enjoys a rough ride, least of all the horses. Which one was rough with you? I’ll have to ride them myself and see if they need some more balance and gait training.”

Mingi managed to not choke on his next pull, but only just. He coughed into his fist, tried his ******* hardest to disguise it as a little tickle. It worked, for the other man didn’t give him so much as a glance. He was much too busy babying the little darling on his knee.

“That’s quite alright,” Yunho replied, his lips lifting in a hollow smile around his cigarette. “I have to learn how to train it myself. I’ll put plenty of work into it.”

“Good boy,” Seonghwa praised, reaching up with his free hand to give him a gentle stroke under the chin.

Yunho turned his head to look at him and suddenly asked, “Do you think I could ride a stallion?”

“Hmm, the question isn’t if you could, rather if you should,” came Seonghwa’s earnest and soft-spoken response. “I’ve no doubt that you could handle one. Not all stallions are temperamental. Some are calm, good-natured. But they’re just too unpredictable, love. They can’t help it. It’s their hormones, their drive to reproduce and protect their herd. So, it would need to be a well-trained stallion, and it would have to be once breeding season is over.”

“What about you?” Yunho reached up to get his cigarette between his fingers. As he exhaled smoke out the corner of his pursed lips, he turned his attention back to Mingi. His gaze shifted to look down at the soft rise in his sweatpants before lifting to his face again. “Do you think I could handle a stallion?”

The Master wasn’t talking about horses.

The stallion he longed to handle had stormy eyes and calloused hands, and it couldn’t be held down with ropes and ties. And the field he wanted to break it in was more like a sea of wrinkled cotton, with down pillow hillocks and wooden headboard mountains.

“… Yeah, you could do it,” Mingi said, his voice low and soft in the quiet of the courtyard. “We’ll have to reach out to the stud farms in a few weeks. Maybe they’ll have a suitable stallion for you to ride?”

“You promise?” Yunho asked, his chest puffing up in excitement.

Mingi nodded because he suddenly found it hard to speak. He dropped his gaze to the sound of Yunho excitedly giggling and rapidly clenching his fists, and Seonghwa softly chuckling as he watched him with a fond smile on his lips.

Yunho nodded because he was too busy chewing something to speak.

The soft and wet sounds coming from his mouth were loud, obscene to Mingi’s keen ears.

“What are you eating?” he asked.

Yunho plucked something from the bowl to hold it up. In the dim moonlight, he could just about make out the shape of a strawberry. It was small and looked like it would be so delightfully sweet. “Would you like one?”

Mingi shook his head and filled his mouth with more smoke instead.

Yunho considered this, his fingers stroking and teasing the strawberry. Then he cocked his wrist to toss it down into the courtyard.

Seonghwa had such precise reflexes he was a sight to see. He tracked the curved descent of the tossed berry, his feet skipping over the cobblestones until he had gotten into the perfect position. He jumped to catch it right between his teeth, bearing down just enough to dimple the skin without biting clean through the strawberry.

The little act was met with applause and giggles from Yunho. The sound was airy and sweet because it was genuine. After all, Seonghwa was one of the only people on the entire estate whom the Master didn’t mask around. His smiles were never forced, they just sometimes lacked animation because it was something he clearly struggled with.

Seonghwa folded an arm over his stomach and gave the deep bow of a Commedia dell’arte performer. It made his loose hair bounce around his handsome face. As he straightened up, he ****** the strawberry into his mouth. It must have been sweet because his smile grew as he reached up to fix his messy hair.

Yunho plucked another strawberry from the bowl resting on the balcony wall.

He brought it up to his lips, only he didn’t bite it. He pressed a kiss against it and then shifted to lean over the railing. The movement made his robe slip off one of his shoulders to expose even more of his bare skin. “Now, Mingi! You too!” he called out, his wrist cocked and ready to toss the berry down at him.

Mingi felt his heart stop beating in his chest from a mixture of lust and dread.

For a second, it seemed like every single bruise and bite was on display for them all to see. He anticipated the gasp of shock Seonghwa would let out, followed by a string of panicked questions about what had happened to him.

But the light coming through the lace curtains was too dull to fully illuminate his body. It threw him into darkness, nothing more than an aureole of warm orange behind him.

A saintly halo for a devilish boy.

Mingi swallowed down the moan that so desperately wanted to escape his clenched teeth. He dropped his eyes to see that Seonghwa was still smiling up at the boy, his expression one of delight and not horror.

“I’m afraid Mingi isn’t the kind to play such games,” Seonghwa remarked with a soft chuckle. “Try as I might, I just can’t get him to play nice with the other horses.”

Yunho was quick to argue, “It’s because you’re too gentle with him. I think a firm hand would work better.”

For a moment, a fleeting look of uncertainty came over Seonghwa’s expression. Mingi saw the twitch in his strong eyebrows, the falter at the upturned corners of his lips.

Memories of the crop cast on the stable floor, still warm from the Master’s hand. The sound of his wailing echoing through the dusty sunbeams casting through the doorway. The creeping sense of dread floating up towards the old timber beams where the swallows liked to nest.

When Seonghwa spoke, the dazzling smile appeared once more. Like the sun disappearing behind a tiny cloud but for a second, returning more vibrant than before. “No, Mingi needs a gentle hand. Believe me, I know him better than anyone else.”