The Pact (Scömìche)(completed)

24 Horses and lullabies

A/N   A longer read today, lovely readers, because the world needs more fluff.  

These are dark days, but we must keep love in our hearts. 💖

Scott gets into family life and tries to open up.

The next morning Scott opened his blinds to a brighter morning, with patches of blue among the clouds. As Saskia had promised, green stretched away from the trees surrounding the house, and he could see down to the creek on the west side. His chest felt lighter, and meditation came easily.

He located the kitchen by smell.

"Morning Scott, sleep all right?" Avi was frying bacon, and Scott's stomach rumbled.

"Like the proverbial log. Where is everyone?"

"Isaac and Kaela are at kindergarten. Sas should be down with Shira any minute. Help yourself to orange juice or milk, fridge is right there. Nearly done."

"Good, because I'm starving."

Avi brought two plates over to the table. "This should keep you going. Lots to see today, I promised you a tour. That means the house obviously, but it also means the grounds. And that means horses."

Scott almost choked on his orange juice. "Horses? No, I don't do horses. Just because I'm from Texas don't mean I was born in the saddle."

Avi laughed, loud and long, and Scott glared at him.

"What's so funny?"

"Your face...priceless." Avi grinned at Scott until he put his hands up in defeat. He couldn't resist those green eyes for long, not when they came with a wide, genuine smile.

"Okay, okay. I guess I knew horses might happen when I came up."

"He can take Juno, she's steady. Morning Scott." Saskia came into the kitchen and patted him on the shoulder. She put the moses basket on its stand near the window.

"I don't do horses, save me," Scott said dramatically.

Saskia sat opposite him with a bowl of cereal. "Nonsense, you'll be fine, city boy. Juno knows exactly what to do."

Scott sighed. He knew he was defeated, but though he was a little worried about the horse, he was also excited to try something new.

After breakfast Avi cleared up while Saskia showed Scott round the house. The music room and recording studio were even more impressive than his own, with views towards trees and space enough for a small choir. There was a gym, an indoor pool and spa that could be opened up to the outside along an entire wall, a ground floor bedroom suite for visiting parents with its own living area, and more. Large windows flooded the interior with light, while green and blue accents linked to the outdoors.

At the end of the west wing he found the guest rooms that Avi had mentioned. The biggest opened onto its own veranda with a hot tub, and an enclosed garden sloping away. Scott heard water running, although the creek was out of sight. He stood on the veranda, and closed his eyes.

Hot tub under a million stars, now that's romantic. And if you're plus one, well...

Avi's words played over in his head, and Scott's throat thickened and closed. He turned to Saskia, but she had gone, presumably to attend to the baby. He shut the glass veranda doors and walked down the long corridor alone, deep in thought.

An hour later they were out under blue skies, and Scott was relieved to find that Juno, a bay mare, was as gentle as he'd been told. Avi sat easily on his black gelding named Apollo, and the two horses walked side by side while the men talked about music, and how LA was both better and worse than Oregon.