Prompt: "You booked a snowy carriage ride through the park & I'm afraid of horses but you're excited OH GOODNESS HORSES ARE BIGGER CLOSE UP & GOING TO EAT ME"
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Author's Note:
This is self-indulgent as hell >:) Literally I wrote this solely bc I want to pet horses right now.
Enjoy!
-Sugar
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"Aaaannnd, open your eyes!" You removed your mitten-clad hands from their position over your boyfriend's face, letting him take in the sight before him.
Across the street, a small carriage sat idle at the entrance to the park. It was drawn by two large horses standing at the front; one of them tossing its brown and white head.
"Isn't it beautiful?" you gushed beside Tamaki, taking his hand and bouncing on your toes. "We can take a nice ride through the park! It's so gorgeous this time of year, with all the snow on the trees!" You began to lead him up to the small vehicle, quickly checking that it was okay to cross the road.
When you said you had a surprise date planned for him today, this wasn't exactly what Tamaki had been expecting. He wasn't necessarily opposed to your idea now that he knew what it was, but he had to admit he was a little nervous.
Well, what else was new? he asked himself as you greeted and paid the driver. Tamaki took a look inside the buggy. It seemed nice enough. The air around you was cold today, so maybe you wanted the chance to snuggle into him during the ride. But what if the coachman turned around and saw you? That would be completely embarrassing.
Tamaki had begun to fiddle with a piece of fuzz on his glove when you caught his attention by asking a particular question of the driver.
"Your horses are so lovely!" you gushed. "Can I pet them?"
"Sure. Just be careful."
"Alright!"
You tugged Tamaki to the very front of the carriage, bringing him face to face with one of the biggest horses he'd ever seen. He hadn't had many encounters with the animals, so it must have been years since he was in the presence of such a creature. He simply had forgotten just how big horses were.
"Hey," you cooed beside him.
Tamaki turned to see you taking off your mitten to allow the horse before you to smell your hand. He felt a brief flash of panic when his mind decided to show him an image of the horse chomping off your hand. But nothing of the sort happened. The animal simply stretched its muzzle out, blowing a gust of warm air over your fingertips.
Tamaki could see you practically vibrating with joy as you brought your hand up to stroke the large white blaze that spanned down its forehead.
"These are probably Clydesdales," you said softly, and it took a moment for Tamaki to register that you were talking to him. "See how big they are? And the feathers above their hooves? They're so pretty." You moved to the second horse, repeating the process of letting him greet you before rubbing its head. "What're their names?" you called out to the driver, poking your head around to try and see him.
"The one you're petting's Sora, and the other one's Haruki."
"Hi, Sora," you crooned in a voice you normally only used for Tamaki.
The other horse nudged his head into Tamaki's chest, making him startle at the contact. He met the horse's dark eyes, standing out against its fur like pools of melted chocolate. Hesitantly, he offered his gloved knuckles to its snout, copying what you'd done moments prior.
As soon as Haruki exhaled, Tamaki moved his hand to scratch at its forehead. The fur there was surprisingly soft and warm, and he could see how long it had grown out for the winter.
"Aww, you made a friend!" Tamaki turned back to look at you, who beamed at him. "Are you ready to get in and ride?"
Tamaki nodded, letting a small smile grace his lips as he gave the horse a final pat.
He walked with you to the steps up to the carriage, helping you in before getting in himself. Once you were both settled in the seat, the driver urged the horses forward and into the park. Tamaki felt you hug yourself close to him, helping to keep steady in the slight jostling of the cart.
You had been right; the park was beautiful. Snow and frost covered every surface in a thick layer, giving the atmosphere an almost magical feel. The air was crisp, and Tamaki was glad to have your warm body pressed against his.
Finally settling down, he pulled you in closer, relaxing as you went around the park.
"Isn't this nice?" you asked in a low voice, looking up at his face.
"Yeah," he agreed, glancing around again at the bare trees. "I'm glad I came."
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