Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Equinity ❯ Chapter 39 ( Chapter 39 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Disclaimer: I don't own the G'boys, I just borrow them from time to time to play with and return them a whole lot happier, ne?
 
Rating: NC 17
 
Warnings: Sap, angst, yaoi, Lemon, AU, OOC
 
Pairing: 2x1
 
Summary: Heero is a successful up and coming Showjumping rider with his promising new horse Zero. A fall at a show renders the animal injured and it is up to Duo Maxwell the new vet to treat the horse.
 
Dedication: To Klingonpoodle who gave me the plot bunny for this fic. *huggles* This one's for you hun!
 
Many thanks to my betas Yami_Tai and Ryouga.
 
Archive: http://gundam-wing-diaries.150m.com
http://www.templeofthegoddess.com/files/FrontPage1.html
http://adultfanfiction.net
 
Notes: All the information on showjumping, horses, etc is taken from my own knowledge of the sport having been a competitor and now judge for many years and is written from an Australian perspective. The rules and regulations are courtesy of the E.F.A Handbook. (Equestrian Federation of Australia) Should you have any questions just e-mail me.
 
Many thanks to Yami_tai for the title! *hugs*
 
 
"Equinity"
 
October. 2004 ShenLong
 
 
 
Chapter 39
 
They located the secretary's tent and Heero collected his number. The secretary pointed him in the direction of the course plan and Heero went to study it, happy to see that it was the same course for his event as it was for the C grade event. He gave a nod of approval. "Good," he said under his breath.
 
"Huh?" asked Duo. "What's good?"
 
"The course. It's the same for the Open event as it is for the C grade."
 
"And exactly how is that good?"
 
"It means that by watching a few of the C grade horses go through I will get an idea of how the course is riding, if there are any jumps in particular that are causing problems. I will also get a chance to observe the jump off course and see where the best parts are to cut corners."
 
"I think you should concentrate on getting clear in the first round Heero and not worry about the jump off for now."
 
"Good point." Heero smiled at the vet and ached to hug him. "Come on, let's go watch a few jumping the course before I saddle Zero and start to warm him up."
 
"I'm right with you, Heero." Duo smiled as he once again fell in step beside his lover.
 
They strolled back over to the jumping ring and found a spot where they had a clear view of the course. Heero knew he would have the chance to walk it properly before his event but it was important to gather as much information as possible wherever you could and he certainly wasn't going to pass up this opportunity.
 
Duo was a little more familiar with jumping courses now than he had been twelve months ago; all thanks to Heero. He ran his eye over the various fences, they all looked pretty big and solid to him and they would be going higher for Heero's class. A shiver of apprehension ran down his spine.
 
Heero spotted the shiver and had a good idea of what was going through Duo's mind; he was having similar thoughts himself, only not so much about the height but a certain fall the last time he'd jumped here. He shifted his weight a little and brushed his shoulder against Duo's, giving the vet a little comfort. "It will be all right, Duo," he said softly.
 
"I know but I can't help feeling worried. Anyway, it's my job to worry about you and Zero," Duo said quietly as he offered a small smile.
 
"God, I want to hug you," whispered Heero.
 
"And I want you to hug me, reassure me that you're going to be okay out there; but we can't, Heero."
 
"I know." Heero turned his gaze back to the course and settled for brushing his hand across Duo's back on the pretense of pointing something out. "Later I intend to kiss you senseless," he whispered.
 
Duo moaned under his breath and trembled slightly. "Promise?"
 
"Oh, yes."
 
* * *
 
Heero had watched a few riders go around the course and it appeared to ride okay. There was only one section he could see that was giving anyone any trouble and that was from part B of the double to jump five. If you didn't follow a straight track coming into the double then you wouldn't be able to make a clean enough turn onto fence five and ran the risk of your horse either taking off too early or putting in a short stride and jumping awkwardly. That's presuming it didn't run out or refuse completely. Heero made a mental note to walk that section twice.
 
They returned to the float and Zero in silence, Heero's mind on the course and Duo's mind on Heero. Duo popped the trunk and began to rummage around inside, searching for the grooming kit and jumping boots for Zero. When Heero appeared beside him and kissed him he nearly had a heart attack.
 
"Fuck!"
 
"It's okay, Duo. No one can see us, we both have our heads inside the car trunk," teased Heero. "Besides, I couldn't wait until we got home to kiss you, I needed one now."
 
"Next time just give me a little warning will you? I nearly smacked my head on the trunk," replied Duo, although his tone was soft. "I needed one too," he added.
 
Heero smiled. "Help me get Zero ready?"
 
"Of course I will, just as soon as I can find where the hell I packed the grooming kit."
 
Heero laughed and went to take Zero's rug off while his boyfriend finished locating the missing items.
 
It didn't take long to get Zero ready; Duo brushed the animal's already gleaming coat while Heero fitted the jumping boots and then saddled the horse up. Duo put on the bridle while Heero fetched his boots and helmet, putting them on as Duo tightened the throat latch to the bridle.
 
"All set?" asked Duo as he held Zero ready for Heero to mount.
 
"Yeah. Thanks." Heero took the reins from Duo and slipped them over the horse's neck. He checked the girth again and tightened it a hole, Zero was apt to blow out his tummy so the girth always needed tightening, before pulling the stirrups down the leathers and preparing to mount. Heero swung himself up into the saddle with ease and landed softly on the horse's back. His right foot found the other stirrup iron and Heero gathered his reins up.
 
"Where you gonna warm up?" asked Duo as he handed Heero his whip.
 
"I think over there would be a good spot. It's pretty quiet so I should be able to get him to settle and loosen up before I take him over to the practice jumps."
 
"Okay. I'll follow you." Heero nudged the horse with his lower leg and Zero moved off into an easy walk, Heero guiding him behind the line of horse floats to a wide section of grass that was currently unoccupied. Duo walked along behind and found a spot under a tree where he could watch but not be in the way.
 
Heero let the horse walk around for a bit, stretching his neck out and relaxing. Gradually he picked up the contact with the reins and applied a little more pressure with his legs, asking Zero for a little more effort. The horse obliged, shortening his stride a bit but putting more spring into each step. When Heero thought the horse was ready he applied more pressure, picking up the reins again and asking Zero to trot. Zero gave a snort, tossed his head and leapt forward, giving a huge buck as he did so. Duo gasped and put his hand to his mouth as his heart tried to jump out of his chest and his stomach greeted his feet. However, Heero never moved in the saddle. He sat the leap and the accompanying buck with ease, shortening his reins further and driving his legs hard against Zero's side, pushing the horse forwards and thus preventing Zero from bucking again.
 
Zero continued to prance and snort, dancing across the grass and generally showing off, his rider just as determined to bring him back under control. They shared a battle of wills for a few moments; Zero snatching at the reins and doing his best to unseat Heero. Heero remained quiet in the saddle, retaining his contact with Zero's mouth and using his seat and legs to drive the horse ever forwards. Eventually Zero gave up and lowered his head, working forward at a more suitable pace. Heero patted the gray neck.
 
"That's better, boy. Settle down and save your energy, you're going to need it later."
 
Zero cocked an ear back to listen and gave a little prance before settling back into a steady trot.
 
Duo's nerves began to settle down a bit as Zero gave up on his playing and began to work properly. Even to Duo's inexperienced eye he could see the partnership the horse and rider shared. When Zero began to work he was a sight to behold; a powerhouse of muscle and bone with a quick mind to compliment it. Heero was no slouch either and Duo thought again just how hard it was to see where Heero ended and the horse began. It was as if they were a part of each other.
 
After twenty minutes of trotting and cantering around, Heero thought it was time to take Zero over to the practice jumps and let him get his 'jumping legs'. Duo walked alongside, nodding occasionally to people he knew in the crowd as he passed them by. There were quite a few people at the practice jumps and Heero was quick to find a slot and work Zero around, waiting for his turn to take the horse over a jump.
 
Duo let his eyes wander over the crowd of people, horses and riders. A few he recognized from previous shows, going to the different shows with Heero you couldn't help but run into a lot of the same people. A couple of them said hello as they rode past and Duo returned their greetings with a smile. He watched as a tall horse approached the practice fence and sailed easily over it. Duo knew the face but couldn't think where from at the moment. He frowned as he watched the rider continue on, slotting back in amongst the riders still practicing and awaiting another turn to jump. Duo didn't ponder much though as his attention turned back to Heero who was getting ready to bring Zero into the practice jump. Duo held his breath.
 
"Steady, my son," said Heero softly as he felt Zero tense slightly beneath him. The gray had spotted the jumps and the excitement began to flow through him. Heero circled and then brought the stallion towards the jump, sitting down in his saddle and trying to keep the horse together. Zero was pulling, eager to be jumping and it took all of Heero's skills to stop the horse from rushing the fence and flattening it. He kept the animal in check until he was three strides away, then he let the reins slip slightly through his fingers and brought his body forwards to follow the movement of the horse as he jumped. Zero shortened his stride a fraction, sat well back on his hocks and sprang into the air. He cleared the fence with a foot to spare and gave a toss of his head as he cantered away.
 
"Show off," muttered Duo under his breath, but he couldn't help the grin. Zero was looking in fine form.
 
Heero took the gray over the practice jumps another six times, Duo raising the rails for him for the last couple to get Zero's mind really on the job at hand. With the gray now responding perfectly to his aids, Heero decided he'd had enough. He brought the horse to a walk, collected Duo and made their way back to the float to rest before the competition. The C grade was almost finished, the last two riders awaiting the jump off then there would be the presentations before the course was raised and open for walking for the Open class. Zero was tied back up to the float, his girth loosened but the saddle left on. Heero put the rug on over the top, checked Zero's water and made sure the horse had enough hay to keep him occupied for a short while and then managed to sneak in a quick grope and kiss of his boyfriend inside the float where Duo was hanging up the bridle before grabbing his helmet and whip and walking back to the ring.
 
When they arrived back at the ring the presentation was underway for the C grade class so the pair stood to the side and watched. The course was then raised and the loudspeaker announced it was open for walking. Heero waited for a couple of minutes before entering the ring, giving the main crowd a chance to get a little ahead first. He hated having a lot of people around him when he walked a course, their chatter could be distracting. Heero preferred to walk with just Duo for company, the vet didn't say anything unless asked his opinion by Heero and then he was totally honest with his answers.
 
"Ready?" Heero asked as he turned to Duo.
 
"Yup. How about you?"
 
"Come on, let's go walk a course and map out a winning game plan." Heero gave his partner a warm smile and brushed lightly against him as he headed for the ring and the start flags.
 
Duo grinned. "Right with you, Kemosabe." [1]
 
Heero rolled his eyes. "You'll keep, Tonto." [1]
 
They entered the ring and Heero paused at the start flags. He took a long look around and then with a deep breath began to walk the course.
 
The course was quite a nice one in Heero's opinion. The first round wouldn't be too demanding, provided you got the turn from 4B to 5 correct. He could see that that would depend a lot on how you took the double, if you came in too fast you wouldn't have the horse collected enough to follow the proper line, too slow and the horse wouldn't have the impulsion needed to clear five. "Very clever," muttered Heero.
 
"Huh?" said Duo as he paused beside Heero.
 
"The course designer has been very clever here." Heero turned and pointed to show Duo what he meant as he explained. The turn from part B onto fence five. You will need to have your horse set up just right for the double if you're to have any chance of successfully clearing five. It's definitely a rider's course, designed to test the skill of the rider and education of the horse in regards to listening to his rider. If the horse is educated enough it will have no problems clearing the fences; but... If it isn't then there could be a few rails hitting the deck today."
 
"Ahh." Duo gazed at the course. He still wasn't as tuned in as Heero was but he'd learnt a lot over the past months.
 
"Come on, let's finish walking it." Heero continued on around the fences, pausing to look back from time to time. When they got to the last fence, Heero stopped and gazed at it. It was a triple bar, tall and wide.
 
Duo swallowed as he looked at the sea of poles before him. He walked around to the back pole of the jump and looked over it. He could only just see over the top of it and that only added to his nervousness. It was big, no two ways about it; it was high and it was wide. Duo began to have doubts about Heero and his horse clearing it. It had also been the jump that Heero had fallen at in last year's show.
 
There was an unfamiliar twisting in Heero's gut as he studied the fence. He shook his head and tried to dismiss the feeling. Zero could jump that with feet to spare, he told himself. They'd jumped bigger fences at previous shows, and wider ones; so why was he having these thoughts?
 
Psychological, that's what it was, his mind unsettling his nerves. Heero knew it was simply because it was the same fence that had taken him out last year but he needed to quell that fear, conquer that demon for if he didn't... Well, he might as well give up jumping completely and take up knitting. He snorted at that thought.
 
"You okay?" asked Duo as he reappeared at Heero's side. "If you're having second thoughts you can always scratch, no one will think any less of you if you do."
 
Heero shook his head. "Iie. I won't scratch. I have to do this, Duo. Zero is more than capable of jumping this course. If I want to qualify him and stand any chance of being selected for representing the country in international competition I have to jump. International courses are much higher and harder than this. No, I need to do this; I need to lay this demon to rest." Heero turned his blue eyes to his lover. "You understand what I'm trying to say?"
 
"Yes, Heero. I do," replied Duo softly. "I know you can do it, I have faith in you."
 
Heero didn't give a shit who was around and watching at that particular point in time. His heart was warmed by his boyfriend's words and he needed to express his gratitude and thanks. He draped an arm over Duo's shoulder and gave him a quick hug. "Thanks, I needed that."
 
* * *
Duo stood in the collecting ring fidgeting nervously. Heero was walking Zero around, keeping the horse warm and alert. There were three more to jump before Heero's turn. So far Heero's prediction about fence four B and five was proving to be correct. Even Duo could pick the differences by now between horses that were obviously seasoned competitors and those that were still to gain experience. Once they had completed a couple of jumps on the course Duo could tell if they were going to be successful or not.
 
So far there had only been two clear rounds from the ten competitors that had jumped. Heero was number fourteen, twelve was just entering as eleven came out with four faults. The class had a total of eighteen competitors in all with the better jumpers featuring in the latter half of the draw. Of the four remaining to jump after Heero, two were equally, if not better than Zero and Heero. Duo knew these would be the ones to watch out for.
 
Subconsciously Duo began to bite his fingernails as number twelve cleared fence after fence and then came to grief at five. The horse came in too short, didn't have enough impulsion and ran out the side of the fence. When presented a second time, it cleared it effortlessly but the damage was done. Four penalties. Number thirteen went into the ring and Heero brought the gray to stand beside Duo as he watched and waited for his turn to jump. Duo leaned against the horse and gave Heero's calf a squeeze.
 
"Be careful," he said softly as he looked into Heero's blue eyes.
 
"I will," replied Heero with a smile. "Stop biting your fingernails," he chided and Duo sheepishly lowered his hand.
 
"Number fourteen? You're next," said the gate marshal.
 
Heero nodded and then turned his attention back to the ring where the current competitor was busy demolishing the brush fence then having a refusal at the triple.
 
"Eight faults," announced the loud speaker. "Next competitor, number fourteen; Heero Yuy on Zero."
 
"Good luck," said Duo as Heero nudged the stallion forwards to enter the ring. "Be safe," he added under his breath.
 
Heero gave his lover a nod and blew him a subtle kiss as he entered the ring and then completely focused on the course ahead.
 
Riding across the green turf, Zero's step had a spring in it. Heero found the judge and saluted then gathered up his reins and turned the horse, heading for the start flags and awaiting the bell that would signal he could commence the course. The bell rang and Heero pushed his helmet harder onto his head, collect the reins and sent Zero forward into a steady canter. The flags appeared and fence one loomed ahead. Everything faded into the background, all that remained was the horse beneath him and the jumps ahead as Heero's concentration narrowed to the task at hand.
 
Zero bounded up to the first fence and cleared it with a flick of his tail. The second one appeared and they popped over that, Zero giving a snort as if to say, 'These aren't worth the trouble'.
 
"Steady, Zero. These are only the lead ins, the tough ones are yet to come," Heero said as he ran a hand down the gray's shoulder. The skin rippled under his fingers as Zero silently communicated his acknowledgment back. They bore down on the third fence and Zero grunted as he lifted off, clearing it easily. Now for the double.
 
Heero checked the animal, driving Zero's hocks further underneath him and re-balancing the horse. Zero had the necessary impulsion and sailed over the first element, landed, took a stride and gathered himself up for the second part. He cleared that and still full of impulsion cantered a couple of strides, made the turn and came into five perfectly balanced.
 
Duo could hardly bear to watch as Zero approached the double. He could see Heero bringing the horse together underneath him and Zero's stride shorten a fraction before the horse cleared both elements, landed and then made a beautiful turn to come into five perfectly. Now there was only the triple bar left for Duo to worry about.
 
Fences six and seven were cleared in similar style, Zero seeming to bound over them with eagerness. Heero was really enjoying himself now. There was something about the wind in your face, the power and beauty of the animal beneath and the jumps ahead that gave one an adrenaline rush like nothing else. To know that he controlled that power, that just the slight shift of his weight, or shorten or lengthen of his rein would allow that power to be unleashed was a huge buzz.
 
The wall loomed before them; a massive, solid structure of red 'bricks' and Heero felt a ripple of apprehension run through Zero. "It's okay, boy. Nothing to worry about," he reassured the horse. Whilst Zero loved to jump and definitely had his favorite types of jumps, walls were not one of them. Heero sat down harder in the saddle and rode the horse together. He held the contact, pushing Zero's hindquarters underneath him and containing all the energy in a tight ball beneath him. Three strides away, Heero went forwards, applied his legs and drove the horse forward.
 
Zero didn't hesitate, the energy was unleashed and Zero exploded over the wall, clearing it with inches to spare. He landed safely on the other side and headed for the final jump; the triple.
 
Heero gave the stallion a quick pat before setting his sights on the final fence.
 
Back in the collecting ring, Duo was hopping nervously from one foot to the other, desperately trying not to bite his fingernails any further. He felt as if he'd ridden every inch of the course with Heero. He held his breath as the pair bore down on the final jump.
 
Steadying the horse again, Heero felt the fear begin to rise in his gut. The triple was ahead of them and it looked like an endless sea of poles. The momentary lapse of concentration combined with the touch of fear had Zero hesitating. The stallion picked up on his rider's unease and wondered what there was to be worried about. Zero eyed up the fence ahead and figured there must be something awful about it if his master was radiating fear.
 
Zero faltered in his stride, unsure what to do and hoping his master would tell him.
 
Duo saw the horse slowing, watched as Heero stopped riding the animal and gave a low groan of despair. "Heero," he muttered quietly. "What the fuck do you think you're doing? Get your act together and ride the damn horse!"
 
Zero gave a low snort and shook his head. His canter had slowed considerably as his confusion grew. As they passed the collecting ring on their way towards the last fence, Zero hesitated, wondering if he shouldn't simply duck out now.
 
Duo could see the uncertainty in Heero as they neared the collecting ring where he was standing. He could read the body language and knew instantly what was wrong. He edged a little closer to the rope that separated the collecting ring from the main arena, eyed up the horse and rider as they approached and when they were close enough, Duo called out. "Heero! I have faith in you."
 
Somehow the words managed to penetrate Heero's mind and he abruptly brought himself out of his distraction. With a jolt he realized that they were fast approaching the triple and Zero was losing impulsion. Shoving the fear aside he set his jaw, grit his teeth and sat down hard in the saddle. He shortened his reins, put his legs onto the animal and rode the stallion forwards, trying to regain some of that energy they would need to clear the jump. If Zero faulted then it wouldn't be the horse's fault; it would be Heero's. And Heero couldn't bear to think that he would let his horse down, not after Zero had done so much for him.
 
Duo gave a small sigh of relief as he watched Heero pull himself together and then promptly held his breath as Zero did his best to get himself together for the jump. It was going to be a big ask seeing how the horse wasn't forward going as much as he should be due to Heero's lapse in concentration. Their striding was slightly off and Duo's heart rose into his throat as he watched. Everything appeared to go into slow motion. Zero sized the jump up, Heero applied the leg as he gave the horse rein but Zero was on the wrong striding, they came into the fence too quick, Zero having to put in a short stride and seeming to take off right under the first pole.
 
The crowd all gasped as one as the gray stallion sat right back on his hocks, pushed off hard and propelled himself into the air. To Heero it felt as if Zero was launching himself vertically going up and up without there being any end to the ascent in sight. Zero pushed as hard as he could, muscles in his haunches straining hard as he leapt into the air. His front legs tucked neatly underneath his body as his hind end followed him upwards.
 
Heero felt the strain of the horse as he did his best to clear the fence from a seemingly impossible angle. They were too close, way too close and yet Zero continued to rise into the air. The horse leveled out, his back arching slightly and then they began their downward plunge. With a twist of his hindquarters, Zero's hooves touched the back pole, the rail rocking for a moment and then settling back into the cups. Zero's forelegs came out in preparation for the landing, the full weight of horse and rider being absorbed by the bones, ligaments and tendons of those fragile legs.
 
Given the awkwardness of the jump, Zero pecked on landing, stumbled to his knees but forced himself up and forwards. Heero was almost unseated, pitching forwards and then taking a blow to his nose from Zero's neck as the horse threw its head up in an effort to regain his footing. Heero's eyes watered but he let the reins slip through his fingers so as not to jag Zero in the mouth. As the horse recovered so Heero was able to clear his vision long enough to spot the finish flags and take up enough contact with his reins to guide Zero through.
 
"Clear round," blared the loud speaker.
 
Heero guided Zero to the exit where he was congratulated by fellow competitors as he scanned around for Duo. He spotted the familiar braid as the vet tried to get through the crowd to his boyfriend.
 
"Congratulations," said a voice to Heero's left and the accountant looked around to see a familiar face smiling at him. "Spectacular finish if I do say so."
 
"Thank you, Mr. Kushrenada. Momentary lapse of concentration. I'm lucky that Zero here took charge and got me out of trouble."
 
"He's an exceptional animal, and please, call me Treize," replied Treize as he gave Zero an appreciative look.
 
"Yeah, he is," said Heero and gave the stallion a pat. He noted Treize's number; eighteen. "Good luck to you."
 
"Thank you. It will be interesting to see how Epyon here handles the course. He's only been in open competition for the last four shows," replied the man as he patted the satiny neck of the liver chestnut he was riding.
 
"There you are," said Duo as he materialized beside Zero. "What the fuck were you thinking out there, Heero? Shit! You nearly gave me a heart attack. Now I think I need a change of underwear as well!" Duo paused when he realized that Heero had company. "Oh, errr... Sorry."
 
Treize smiled. "No problem, Mr?"
 
"Maxwell, Duo Maxwell of the Maxwell Veterinary Hospital."
 
"Duo, this is Treize Kushrenada," said Heero who had finally gotten his senses back on line and remembered his manners. "Treize, this is Duo Maxwell, head vet of the practice and my partner." Heero didn't elaborate on the word 'partner', he figured Treize could take it whatever way he wanted to.
 
"Pleased to meet you, Duo," replied Treize and leaned forwards over the horse's neck to extend his hand to Duo.
 
"Likewise," replied Duo as he shook the offered hand.
 
"If you will excuse me, Treize, I need to walk Zero around. Good luck again."
 
"No problem, Heero. I hope to challenge you in the jump off." Treize rode away, leaving the pair to their own devices.
 
Immediately the other man was gone, Heero dismounted and loosened Zero's girth whilst Duo ran the stirrups up and checked Zero's legs for any signs of damage. Other than a few grass stains the gray appeared to be okay, which Duo was grateful for. The vet didn't say anything more, opting to wait until they were away from the crowd in the collecting ring. Once they had moved out and were walking Zero around, Duo gave vent to his bottled up emotions.
 
"What happened out there, Heero? One minute you were riding beautifully and the next you went to pieces."
 
"Duo..."
 
"Shit, Heero. Have you any idea how I felt standing on the side lines wondering if you were going to come out in one piece again?"
 
"Duo...I'm..."
 
"I'm surprised I didn't have a heart attack watching you over that last fence. I honestly thought I was going to be scraping you up off the grass and heading to the hospital again."
 
"Duo, I'm sorry," said Heero, finally managing to get a word in.
 
"And so you should be, making me worry like that," huffed Duo. They stopped by some trees for a moment and Duo put Zero between them and the people around. He quickly pulled Heero to him and gave him a fierce kiss. "You had me scared, Heero," he said as he broke the kiss, his body shaking now that the adrenaline had eased.
 
"I know, and I'm sorry. I... I just fell apart for a moment there. Just seeing that jump, I... I couldn't help but think about what happened last time." Heero lowered his eyes. "Kinda stupid, huh?"
 
"No, Heero. Not stupid, perfectly logical. But you have conquered that demon now. You cleared the fence without a problem... well a little bit of a problem but Zero here managed to get you over okay and kept you safe."
 
"Yeah, he did, didn't he?" said Heero softly.
 
"He's one hell of a horse, Heero," said Duo quietly as he petted the gray. "And thank god his legs are all right, you didn't do any damage to that weaker tendon."
 
Zero wuffled and began to search their pockets for carrots. Duo duly produced one and fed it to the animal.
 
"Now you have to go back out there and jump again, this time I want to see you concentrating all the way, no more mishaps. Zero is jumping his heart out for you, Heero, so you be sure to keep with him and not let him down."
 
"I'll try," replied Heero with a grin.
 
"What?"
 
"You're sounding more like a mother or a spouse than a groom," Heero teased.
 
"Yeah, well..." Duo suitably blushed.
 
"I promise to keep focused this time. I've done that jump now and proven to myself that I can do it so there won't be any more dramas."
 
"Good. I don't think my heart could take another round like that and I didn't bring a second pair of underwear with me."
 
"God, I love you, Duo."
 
"Love you too, Heero."
 
Their tender moment was cut off by the cheering from the main arena followed by the loud speaker announcing another clear round by Treize Kushrenada. The announcement was followed almost immediately by another one stating that the course would now be raised for the jump off and would the following numbers please report to the collecting ring.
 
"Better get going back I suppose," said Heero. "Although I would like to try and put Zero over a couple of higher practice jumps first."
 
"Come on then, if we go now you will have time to get a couple in while they're raising the course," said Duo as he began to tighten Zero's girth.
 
Heero chuckled. "Okay."
 
Heero took the horse over a couple more practice jumps that Duo raised by six inches. Zero was still fresh and eager to go, the little mishap earlier not having dampened his spirit in any way. Heero was happy with the result and vowed to keep his head together in this round. He would need to as he was against the clock, the jumps had been raised and it was a shorter course.
 
The pair made their way back to the ring to watch the first competitor in the jump off head out to start their round. Heero had already figured out his game plan, he knew he could save time by angling fence five; that was if he could get Zero over four A and B the way he wanted. He could also shave a few seconds by taking the wall a certain way and making a sharp turn to come into the triple. It would mean he'd need to have Zero completely focused and between hand and leg to pull it off successfully, Zero would only have four strides from the wall to the triple so it was vital that Heero ride it accurately. Heero didn't tell Duo his intentions as he knew it would only make his partner worry more and looking at Duo's almost non existent fingernails, the vet had already experienced enough excitement for the day.
 
Heero was the fourth to jump in the jump off, six riders having made it through in total. After Heero would come another girl and then Treize. Heero wasn't too worried about the girl or the other three competitors, he knew his main rival was going to be Treize. Despite being on a relatively inexperienced horse, Treize was a master horseman and Heero knew the man would be using every ounce of skill to get his horse around in the fastest time.
 
Treize was the one he would have to watch out for.
 
The first of the riders went around the course slowly, obviously not intending to push their animal. Heero thought that was a wise decision as the horse was obviously 'green' and it wouldn't do its confidence any good to be rushed at this stage of the animal's education. They came out with another clear round but a slow time of 68.57 seconds.
 
The next competitor rode in, saluted the judge and set off at a cracking pace.
 
"They're not gonna last long," muttered Duo as he watched the horse gaining speed but losing impulsion. Sure enough, they were traveling too fast and the horse was beginning to flatten. The horse pulled a rail on part B of the double then came into five completely wrong and flattened the entire fence. After that they settled down a bit and finished the remainder of the course without incident but the damage was done.
 
"Eight faults and a time of 72.32," announced the loudspeaker.
 
The next rider entered and began their course, starting out at a reasonable pace and putting on a little speed between the fences, steadying back as they approached the take off point. Duo could see this was an experienced rider who wasn't taking chances. They didn't make very sharp turns though and lost precious seconds. They did however manage to go clear.
 
"Clear round in a time of 52.28. That is our current leader, ladies and gentlemen. There are three more riders to go. Can they beat the time of 52.28?"
 
Heero's mouth was set in a grim, determined line as he picked up his reins and prepared to enter the ring. He felt a touch to his leg and looked down to see Duo's violet eyes looking up at him. Duo motioned for him to come closer so Heero leaned over Zero's shoulder and was pleasantly shocked when Duo gave him a quick peck on the lips.
 
"Go knock 'em dead, Heero. Show them all what you can do."
 
Heero gave a smile. "Mission, accepted." He gathered up his reins and pushed Zero forwards and into the ring.
 
Now was the moment of truth, now was the time to show everyone exactly what he and Zero were capable of.
 
Heero saluted the judge, sat into his horse and cantered towards the start flags. The bell sounded, Heero's concentration narrowed, everything faded into the background and there remained just himself, Zero and the jumps ahead.
 
He broke through the electronic timer beam and began the course.
 
~ * ~
 
tbc......
 
[1] From the classic TV show 'The Lone Ranger'
 
In the previous chapter the line was taken from the movie Jurassic Park - Lost World ~_^