Summary: when sy and his wife finally settle on the syverson family ranch there was one hiccup sy didnt account for.
Warnings: fluff, porbably incorrect horse info
A/N: i wanted to make some fluff, and whats better then fluffy cute supportive sy?
"Okay here we go bug, right through here. Dont you worry sugar i got ya" sy spoke from behinde you holdingnboth of your hands as he lead you into the stables of your texan ranch.
To say he was nervous was an understatement . Sy was bricking it. He had done something a bit rash, and hadnt really thought about the consequences if everything went south. But on the other hand he was also confident in his genius.
When sy had met you, you were a proper city 'yuppy' been brough up in the steel jungle of high-rises and the fast paced modern life. After making an honest woman out of you and marrying you whilst he was in the forces he had managed to pull you around to the idea of a simpler life. Years of you living on a quiet suburban barracks had helped him ease you into his way of thinking.
And when he finally took early retirement you had both agreed to move out to texas and take over sy's family ranch, buying out his ageing uncle and taking over the homestead.
Life on the ranch was strange, a mix of super fast paced calving season and then seeing to the crop of hay for the winter, and keepjng ontop of the heard kf cattle whislt also maintaining all the fences, feeding and up keep of the place. But then at the same time it was also quiet. No sirens or people rushing around, just peace and quiet with sy racing across the dirt road in his betsy, the syverson family heirloom tractor that always sound like she was about to konk out but never did.
It was busy, but a peacfull busy. Sy was home each and every night, and youd share a bottle of wine on the porch swing, or stargaze on the lawn. And on the few days where there was nothing to do you would go into town, or be naughty and skinny dip in the lake.
Well you used to skinny dip, but sy hooked a fish. Now swim trunks were a must. Though a few weeks later he did teach you how to fish this time with a rod and reel.
Youd fallen inlove with the syverson homestead the second you set foot on its wide open space. But the one thing you still hadnt gotten used to were the horses. My god! No one told you they were so fucking big!
I mean yeah they were meant to be big because people rode then. But jesus christ! Cheif was a beast. An 17 hand high mega horse that had a habit of eating hair. Your hair specifically. Honestly it was a fear you hadnt known you had untill ckmin to live on the ranch but horses? They just werent your thing. Sy had tried a few times to help you face your fear with a few of the other smaller gentle horses but no. You were nervous of them and it always ended in in tears as you spooked a nervous horse and they bolted making you all but piss yourself.
He felt for you, he truly did. You liked the horses and wanted to ride, brush and help care for them. You were just scared of their size and power. And sy did understand that, yoh were a tiny thing yourself, so the stallions he thought were a tad big, were huge to you. But then sy had a thought, a last ditch attempt to help you get over your fear and give you the gift of a horses gentle companionship. To sy there was nothing compared to being a horses favourite person. The trusting bound was just indescribable, and he so desperately wanted you to experience it yourself.
"Sy? Sy where are we?... are we in the stables?" Sy bit his lip hearing the panic seepjng into your voice and your hands darted to the blindfold. God knows he wouldnt uave got you in here without it.
"Yeah;" he stared speaking but didnt get more then a single word out before you squeaked and jolted back trying to revers out of the stables.
"Sy no, no dont you put me in with him! Please dont make me touch him! I cant, i cant please please dont" you begged trying to cut and run, terror taking over you at the thought of being ushered into the huge freisians stall.
"Whoa now, calm yourself im not making you touch chief...i wouldnt do that to you" sy soothed somehow manageing to press you farward kissing your hair lghtly humming to you softly as he passed his own steed who had come to the door as if smelling you fear. Honestly Chief would never hurt a fl, he was just a little shit that seemed to enjoy messing with you.
You ducked slitly as if feeling the stallions eyes watching you as you walked further into the long line of stalls. And funally sy stopped and turned you.
"Here. A little closer. There ya go, just hold the stall door" he coaxed slowly, inching you forward to the stall. You shivered ducking further almost anticipating a horses head to suddenly pop up infront of you.
"Sy?" You questioned, moving your hands infront of you searching for the door. Yoh yeled when you touched it and pulled back li,e it has scalded you. But sy was insistent and held your hands lifting them to hold the top of the stalls door.
"There we go, your alright love. I promise your fine okay? Do you trust me?" Sy hummed quietly, careful not to spook your little gift. Who was now looking up at the both of you curiously. God he hopes he hadnt fucked up.
"Yeah i do,im just... scared" you whimpered almost breathless in your anxiety. Sy took one last glance to the stalls residant before drawing hos onw nervous breath. Here goes nothing.
"Well you can take off your blind fold now" he uttered thightly, praying to god you didnt rip him a new one for his last mineut decision at the market. He went there to pick up a few more chickens for the garden. And well. Yeah he might have bit off a bit more then he can handle.
You quickly took the blindfold off, tugging it down as if your life depended on it and glanced up around the stall, expectingnto be face to nose with a stallion who was all saddled up for you to try again. There was nothing here; oh my god.
You froze as your gaze dropped and your eyes landed on possibly the most adorable thing you had ever seen in your entire life. There in amongst the hay was a tiny brown horse.Holy shit.
"Sy whats tha; oh god. Oh god thats a? Sy?" You squeeked eyes widening as the tiny horse stood up slowly and eyed you curiously, making a tiny high pitched whinny.
Sy smiled. Gotcha. He felt pride wash over him as you turned to mush over the foal. His great plan seemed off to a cracking start. Women like baby things, so how better to help his wife over her fear of horses then to buy her, her very own foal to help hand rear. He moved next to you a d leant on the top of the door peaking in at the small draft foal.
"Yep poor little thing was just being brought into the farmers market. I couldnt just leave him there. He was scared stiff" he said casually, and lowered a hand into the stall and clicked his tongue a few times lureing to fola over. Luckily it was well socialised because it had been fed by hand since day one.
Sy noticed you didnt jerk away as the tiny thing wobbled over to you both, still half asleep. And quickly began pretting him. Youtr fingers twitched, the need to pet the baby was almost to much.
"Oh my god sy hes so tiny; is he a baby? Why do we have a baby horse? how old is he?" You gushed, voiced growing higher as you eyed the foal with huge eyes cooing over him. Sy scoffed trying not to chuckle as you didnt know what to call him. But then again youd never seen a horse in real life untill moving here. So how would you remeber baby horses were foals?
"Yeah he is a young'un. And they are called foals. He's about a week old. He's an orphan. His mama didnt survive the birth and he needed to much care so they were selling him" sy explained whislt giving the foal some much needed nose pets and neck sdcratches.
"And well he was a sweet lil' thing nickering and stuff. Little bugger came right up to me when i called and nuzzled. So he has a good temperament" sy carried on and sgrinned as your hand moved slowly, reaching out to pet the side of his tiny head. Sys heart almost burst when you beamed down at the foal. When he pressed his cheek into your hand.
"What are you nameing him?" Yoh said quietly desperate not to spook the small horse letting you pet him.
"Im not. Hes yours" sy shrugged pulling his hand away letting you bond with the foal alone.
At his declaration you frowned and napped your head to sy, shaking your head a little. Lost for words. But sy noted even in your shock you hadn't stop petting the foal.
"What? Sy i dont think i can;" sy held up a hand silencing you quickly before you talked yourself into a tizzy.
"Are you about to tell me your fear of horses will stop you from goin' in there and cuddling up with that tiny foal?" He quizzed critically. A smug knowing smirk crossing his face as he flicked his gaze down to the foal again. Somehow your othernhand has slipped over the door and you were smoothering him with soft pets and scratches.
"I... well he does look like he needs a snuggle" you acquiesced looking back down to the gentle baby.
"He needs a mama bear and you are just the woman. His formula is in the feed room, he needs it every hour or two for a week or so. But dont worry, im not expecting you to do all the work,ive already told the guys and made a feeding chart" he explained and tapped the small chart you hadnt noticed was pinned bedise the stall. A grid with times and dates on it and a few already ticked off.
"He is about ready now for a feed, luckily for you iv prepared some for you to give him" sy anounced and picked up the premade bottle that was on the floor. And then handed it to you.
"O-okay do i err call him or?" You uttered nervously. Youd never done anything like this before and wanst entirely sure what to do.
"I dont think you need to look at him, sees the food and bam wide awake. Here just tip it up a little. There we go, see such a happy little fella" sy instructed but the foal was already latching one and drinking happily, wagging is tail like a pup.
You cooed at him, baby talk slipping out as you praised the foal for drinking. Encouraging him to grow big and strong. Sy grinned as you seemed to forget he was even there. Yeah this was definitely going to be a success story.
"We should keep him on the bottle for a few days then try to bucket feed him, bottles not really good for 'em honestly the stables he was from didnt seem to know what to do with him" he added watching with a huge grin as the foal melted your heart just li,e he had intended.
"Hes so soft and gentle" you said tipping the bottle higher making sure there were no air bubbles near the nipple. You ran your hand through the foals short mane with a smile.
"Most horses are love, but they are mischievous to. Well chief is. He senses your fear thats why he plays up for you" he offered glancing the the huge black stallion who chose that moment to snort loudly. It would appear he had heard sy.
"He is just so tiny~ arent you? Such a sweet little boy hmm? Yes you are~ so skinny to, we need to get you all filled out" you ccoed, falling i to the voice all women used when interacting with babies.
"So your not mad i got you the very thing your terrified of?" Sy asked slightly sheepish. He still felt a tad guilty, he didnt want to force you. Just help, he knew deep down you wanted to get along with the horses and was disappointed when you let your fe ar get the better of you.
"I dont think so no. I mean maybe Tuppence here can help me over my fear? You know just untill he gets bigger" and there it was. The official acceptance. Youd named him and he was now a permanent fixture on the ranch.
"Tuppence?" Sy tested the name on his tongue tippingnhis head to the side. It was a good name, different. He liked it, maybe he should let you name all of the new arrivals.
"Yeah he has a... old soul feel to him, so Tuppence. Dont you like it? Its not a very horsey name" you hummed eyeing the foal sweetly. Before frowning second guessing your new babies name.
"Tuppence is perfect for him, Im relieved you didnt name him star light rainbow moon beam." He quipped and curled himself around you nuzzling your hair before ducking down kissing your neck lightly.
"Aww look he likes me~" you exclaimed softly as Tuppence tilted his head to your hand, following it begging for ear rubs as he nursed.
"He does, he knows he found his new mama" sy hummed relishing in the fact that he had managed to find a way to help you. Not onpy that it was darn chte watching you go all gaga over a foal.
"Thank you sy, this was a wonderful gift... im still not going near chief though. Not yet anyway" you thanked him with a big kiss to his cheek making him glow with pride. Sy was incredibly pleased with himself.
"Of course sugar, wouldnt dream of putting you two together yet" he promised. Though thats not to say he can wait untill you were confident with Tuppence and finally stood uo to chief and showed him you wont put up with his nonsense anymore. He was excited, hed make a proper rancher out of you yet.
“Taller than you’d imagine, bigger than you’d imagine, his eyes are bluer than you’d imagine, he’s better looking than you’d imagine and… he’s nicer than you’d imagine.” - Nathan Fillion about Henry Cavill.
Henry Cavill on set of Nomis / Night Hunter. (Video - ET Canada, YouTube)