Hired Hand 28
Niles makes more of an effort to be active on the ranch, lending a hand with various jobs and other activities. Meanwhile Storm finds it hard to focus because he's got something on his mind, a growing feeling within that he cannot ignore.
More and more, Niles was making efforts completely on his own to get involved with the others on the ranch. He started to go out of his way to do more when there wasn’t anything to do as far as record keeping went. Helping out with the budgeting really was something he enjoyed and he was good at it too, keeping things in order more than before. All of this was something the shiba wouldn’t have expected for himself. Just a few months ago he had resigned himself to sitting in his room for the foreseeable future, but now he was out and about on his own accord, getting to know the others on the ranch, making friends with them without the help of anyone else. He also grew more curious about what the others did. So when he had free time, the shiba tried out different things. Work in the field was tough and it wasn’t something he was all that good at but getting his own hands dirty fostered a deeper understanding and appreciation of what the bigger members of the ranch did so often, using their strength to maintain the land, doing so with tools but also by hand, showing the dedication to their craft. Ryan and Riley let him tag along on a few rides when they needed extra hands to help with the deliveries. And like with the fields, seeing the process for himself in person gave him a greater appreciation of how the goods were delivered in such a personal manner. It would have been faster and more efficient to just have a third party delivery company handle the deliveries but then that closeness, having a face to put to the received goods would be lost… “You guys sure about this?” Niles asked as he hid behind a wall along with Owain and TJ. “Relax, Ni. It’s gonna be fine,” TJ said, looking out for their target who was due to approach at any moment now. “Not like we’re gonna hurt anyone,” Owain backed up his boyfriend with a wide grin on his muzzle. “Come on, what do you take us for?” “Well…” Niles trailed off but he was interrupted by TJ urgently informing them the approach of their target in an urgent yet hushed tone. They all ducked down more but peeked over the wall to see the target itself, being none other than Danny who was in the middle of his usual tasks, holding a basket with him as he approached. Owain counted down with his fingers and gave the signal. TJ acted and pulled on the wire. Attached to it was a rubber snake that slid across the ground, making Danny jump and drop the basket that had clothes in them, which came tumbling out as the basket fell to the ground. Owain and TJ were laughing from what they saw. While Niles agreed it was funny he still got up to approach and help Danny up, along with gathering the clothes and putting them back in the basket. “Hehe, at least they were already dirty,” Danny said, showing no signs of being angry with what happened. He also appreciated Niles helping him out anyways. “Sorry about that,” Owain said as he walked up with TJ beside him. “We just wanted to show Niles the ropes when it comes to playing some good jokes.” “I don’t think he learned much though,” TJ admitted with a shrug. “He was looking nervous the whole time.” “Well I just didn’t want anyone to get hurt. Anybody would freak out seeing a snake pop out of nowhere,” Niles said, quickly explaining himself as best he could. “Uh, maybe playing pranks just isn’t my thing.” “You gotta admit that they got me good,” Danny said. “Really their pranks aren’t that bad. A surprise at best and a big mess they have to clean up at worst.” “Well…” TJ scoffed. “Anyways, wanna help me out with the laundry?” Danny asked. Niles agreed and they went off together, leaving Owain and TJ with their rubber snake. Once they got there Danny got the basin filled with water and the detergent. Niles followed the human’s lead of washing the clothes, doing so by hand instead of loading them up in the washing machine like he was used to. “So, I remember you having a lot of fun at that party,” Danny said, making conversation. The weekend has passed since that Friday night. On that Saturday morning there was more quiet than usual as a few were facing the consequences from drinking so much beforehand, namely Prince who decidedly spent the rest of the day in bed. Things were more lively that Sunday, being a day to just relax and do what they wanted before Monday came around again. “It was a pretty spur of the moment thing,” Niles explained with a bit of awkwardness. “I had a drink or two, enough to not feel so nervous before I decided to just make a move. Really my intent was to do some flirting but… Gordie was so into that the next thing I know, I’m leading him up onto the rise and we’re having our fun.” “I think you have more talent when it comes to things like that than you think,” Danny said with encouragement as he took to scrubbing the clothes before passing them to the shiba who would wring them out and put the clothes up to dry. The slower but steady work gave them plenty of time to talk. “That’s all thanks to you,” Niles said. “I know I’ve said this like a million times before but I don’t think I would even be out here if it wasn’t for you.” “You can pay me back by helping me set up the TV,” Danny offered. “Well it’s not that hard,” Niles responded. “Well I never actually had one growing up believe it or not. My parents were always...super strict and TV was something they were super against,” Danny revealed. “Same with phones, computers… Aside from getting to use them at school or the library but even then I was always way behind everyone else when it came to basic tech knowledge. I’m like an old person.” “Wow…” Niles took a moment to digest that. He did hear from the others that Danny had some kind of strained background with his parents but this was his first time actually hearing it from his friend. “I didn’t mean to pry or anything.” “Oh, it's okay,” Danny assured. “I can talk about it now. Being here, I actually feel safe and…free. So I can talk about how awful they were as much as I want now!” Niles gave into his curiosity and asked a few more questions, giving Danny the liberty to not answer if he didn’t want to. By the time they finished they were also done with the laundry for the time being, having everything that needed to be washed hung up to now dry. “Oh wait… It should be about time for you to go help out Beau,” Danny guessed by the time of day it was now, being later in the noon and he recalled that morning in the Stables that Niles offered to help Beau out with the milking. “Oh right! Thanks for reminding me!” Niles said as he started to briskly walk away. “Sorry if I made you late!” Danny called after the shiba, chuckling afterwards as he moved on to his next task, being ahead of his predicted schedule… Niles rushed his way to the barn, at first apologizing for being late but Beau assured the dog that he was actually on time. Gordie was out with Ryan and Riley, delivering more than usual for the ‘End of Summer’ sales that various clients of theirs were all planning to have to boost their sales before the start of the next season. The unique milk that Beau produced had become rather popular as of late so he was asking for more to have for the sale. Upon having Beau agree Hudson arranged for a bigger cut in exchange for the amount that would be given under such a short amount of time. “I bet you’re really excited for this,” Niles said as he approached and saw that things were already set up for the milking, with more jars set out to be filled up. “We’ll be at this for longer than usual and I’ve gotten some special boosters from the same doctors that changed the way I can produce,” Beau explained. “So you can imagine I’m feeling pretty pent up.” “Well I’m here to help,” Niles assured. Soon enough Beau was moaning out as his thick 11 inch bovine erection was getting stroked with the special lube that wouldn’t contaminate the milk that would be coming out. Niles had always been interested in Beau’s unique state of living with a one of a kind genetic mutation that had him producing his own kind of milk rather than seed ordinarily. It even had its own unique flavor that was very appealing. Usually bovines, anthro and feral alike, were milked for their seed to pass along their genes to female bovines that were willing to carry. It was true for horses as well, be they more for power or speed. But what Beau carried in his big, low hanging balls was his own pure brand of milk that was creamy and warm straight from the tap. Instead of precum, Beau was letting out smaller spurts of precum so Niles had a container on hand, doing his best to collect the smooth fluid as it came out, feeling the pulses growing stronger as he gradually sped up the pace of his strokes, collecting more milk as it came out and really started to fill up the first container. The more he watched it, the more awed and impressed that Niles was, seeing how much Beau could produce before even reaching his actual climax, nearly filling up the container already. While he held it, the shiba could feel the weight and heat of the milk that was a bit thicker than the kind that could be commonly found in the stores and it was making him all the more curiously excited. Knowing that the unique bovine was close to his limits, Niles had another container ready as he step up his strokes, running up and down the thick inches, listening to the moans and huffs from Beau getting all the stronger just as the shaft’s pulses were, all until Beau was shaking deeply from his climax, his cock throbbing all the harder as came and unloaded much more of his milk all at once. Unlike the sticky, ropey fluid that would be typically coming out, the male cow was letting out so much more milk all at once, like a heavy flow coming from a faucet that was freely turned on: the fresh hot milk came pouring out and Niles did his best to collect all of it while Beau was moaning throughout, riding out the extra strong and extended rush of his climax that Niles had to assume felt unique in its own right. When the flow of milk eased Beau’s cock was still hard and throbbing, leaving the cow to sigh deeply. But he could still do more and after a bit he was ready for Niles again. For the second round, Beau leaned over the table with his cock aligned with a huge container under him so there was no need for the canine to hold it steady. Niles had one hand back on the male cow’s cock but he was also kneeling behind Beau, giving light strokes to start but his main focus was on the sliding of his tongue over the bigger male’s smooth rim, smearing his warm saliva over the area, giving Beau an added sense of tingling warmth. Putting his long canine tongue to use, Niles continued his licking, giving steady repeated contact to the area. Beau felt the smooth texture swiping over his tailhole in such a controlled manner, bringing pleasure but only a limited amount. Knowing that there was more to come was a major teasing element that got Beau trembling even more. Feeling the breath on his backside and hearing the hums from Niles added to that and he could almost forget that this was all for the purpose of being milked. The licking started to open the hole up so Niles capitalized by increasing the pressure to start opening up the bovine’s rim, making Beau gasp aloud from his hole getting gradually filled by the tongue worming its way in. A surge of pleasure was given, making Beau moan out even more. Niles slid more of his tongue inside, feeding more of the warm and slick muscle inside, smearing the saliva all over the surrounding walls while reaching all the further into Beau’s depths, bringing his friend nothing but increasing pleasure. The canine’s hand and tongue were moving together, keeping Beau shaking and huffing all the deeper. His hand moved up and down without pause in a smooth manner, giving all of the inches their due attention, at the same time the tongue probing into Beau’s passage and pressing at the surrounding plush walls that squeezed down in response. “Y-you’re doing a really good job, Niles…” Beau told him, which chased away any semblance of doubt that the shiba had. The canine responded with a muffled moan that came out against the bovine’s backside. His exhales coming out, puffing warmth breath there too, it was an addition to the raw sensations. Strengthening on Beau’s end from the strokes and licks gaining speed, he felt his cock pulsing and squirting milk that fell into the container. Gripping the edge of the table harder, he bit his lip from the added rush of his prostate getting touched. The two means of giving him pleasure were really working effectively to get Beau all the closer to his limit again. Simple strokes that happened at a faster pace, giving various sections of his cock a squeeze that would make him jump; the shiba’s muzzle being pressed so deeply in between the male cow’s rumpcheeks with the tongue burrowed deep into him, more effectively sliding and grinding against the walls that pressed onto it from all sides, directly teasing the nerves and pushing on spots that caused Beau to tense and gasp aloud. He kept teetering on the edge, taking heavier breaths and shaking even more while trying to stay steady throughout it all. Stroking faster, licking harder, Niles was also enjoying the acts he was doing to Beau, seeing it more as simply assisting with milking him. Beau could only withstand the strokes and licks inside of him before he was groaning aloud, letting out a lot more milk all at once, pouring it into the container as his prostate was still getting stroked by Niles’ buried tongue. The pleasured pants that came from Beau were laced with greater passion as he rode out the strong waves that raced through him. Niles did his best to hold the throbbing and spurting cock steady, listening to the splashes of hot, fresh milk as it fell into the container and added to the amount inside. Its rich scent was rising, making the canine shiver with a sense of intrigue and want for it. But that could wait until the task was over… “Ready?” Beau asked, being in the same position for the next round of milking. After some hand milking to start, the pump was attached to Beau’s shaft, its lubed silicone walls pumping along his length but there was more to it than that. “Ready.” Like before, Niles was behind but this time he was holding onto Beau’s thick hips as he pushed his length in and pulled back before thrusting his way in again, pushing his way along the tight walls, making them both groan from it. While he was enjoying the hot, wet, and snug hold Beau felt himself getting spread and filled up by something more substantial than the tongue that had been licking within him before. Niles really started to thrust his way in, acting briskly and with a bit of force from the start, being enough to reach all the deeper inside of the big soft bodied male cow, going all the way to the knot which was pressed firmly to the soft rim. As he rocked his hips the canine felt the hold that was maintained and getting better with every squeeze. “Is this good?” he asked, feeling ready to melt from the silkiness that stroked his cock, getting better as he was letting out more precum inside, using it as warm lube to keep going with. The milking machine’s steady pumps were siphoning off the milk that was spurting out from the tapered tip. But even with that, the bovine focus was entirely on the shiba’s length inside of him, making him feel full. It was similar to what happened before but pushed much further, keeping him in a state of reacting with moans and shakes, letting out more milk at one time that was pulled through the sucking tube and into the barrel that was collecting it all. “You’re doing a fantastic job,” Beau’s voice was laced with nothing short of elation that fueled Niles’ action going further. So Niles continued to thrust his way into Beau, going harder and faster still with every thrust, pushing himself to ramp things up so quickly, making a point to slam his way in further, making his body knock into Beau’s, rocking the bigger anthro’s body. Along with the steady sounds of the pump stroking Beau’s shaft, the pants and moans from them echoed throughout the large barn. From all of this, Beau felt himself getting close again and could guess that Niles was feeling the same from the strength of his cock’s throbs. Indeed Niles was gripping his friend tighter, wanting to endure that he really was getting as far in as he could manage. “K-keep going, Niles!” Beau all but yelled out, bracing himself just as the dog responded and pushed himself even further, rocketing his way towards his coming climax. And with another hard thrust the dog managed to get his knot in without realizing it, just wanting to thrust in with added strength that got the bulb to further spread the bovine’s rim, being locked in and having all of his cock kneaded by the squeezing walls was just the thing to completely push him over the edge. Following that were the spurts of his hot seed filling up Beau more and more, giving his friend the added sensation of thick, wet heat pumping him full, bringing another edge that paired with the firm strokes and knead from the milking pump, being the thing to make Beau cum as well. His groans were heavy as his balls drew up and sent their unique contents along through the pump’s tube and into the tank that was getting so much more of the product all at once. And throughout Beau was reeling from the overwhelming feeling as the cum was still getting sucked out while his balls were pulsing so hard. They were both gasping while riding out the lingering rush of their respective orgasms. “You really are getting better at that,” Beau said with a smile on his face. “Sorry for knotting. I guess I just couldn’t help myself,” Niles said with a slight blush on his face. “Oh, it's fine. I think we’re due for a break anyways…” Beau said with heavy contentment in his voice. Niles continued to help Beau out with the milking until the needed quota was hit. By then Beau was feeling very satisfied but also a bit drained so he decided to retire early for the day while Niles got the milk all sorted out with the help of Danny showing up and storing it so it could be delivered the very next day. By now the shiba found his place to fit, really being one of the “guys” as he sat at the table with them at the Stables for dinner that Marlo made. He couldn’t decide whose cooking he preferred between the highland bull’s and his father’s. Marlo appreciated the sentiment and as the dinner conversation started Niles was able to keep up and join in, being not just in the know but also being directly involved in some of the things going on. Beau was pretty proud that his milk was selling so well and Danny told everyone about the prank that was pulled on him. Niles got to give his own input from his perspective. Even after dinner Niles along with Flynn helped with putting in the last of the isolation and soundproofing in Danny’s room, being a much needed upgrade. Niles even had it installed in his own room to not disturb others with the sounds of his video games. They picked out a kind that didn’t clash with the way Danny had already set up his room and with it installed that also meant that Danny could invite others into his room for some private fun if he wanted. But for the time being Danny along with the others decided to retire for the night as it was already so late… “I gotta say it does my heart real good to see you so productive around here,” Hudson said the next day as they had breakfast. Niles was up extra early again for another training session with Storm. “I never had a problem with you getting a later start in life. I always knew that you would be great at anything you put your mind to.” “Thanks, Dad. I guess I didn’t realize it myself. Honestly I did need some help to get out there. And I wanna keep trying things,” Niles said with genuine enthusiasm. “Actually, I love the ranch more now than I did before.” “Oh now don’t make me cry,” the wolf said… Niles met up with Storm to start with another session but as they made their rounds Niles noticed that Storm seemed off, not that anything was majorly wrong but the horse seemed pretty distracted. While they were running and doing their usual drills, the canine seemed to be taking the lead instead. Not that he minded but it looked as if Storm wasn’t as focused as usual. Storm was still thinking about things, specifically that Danny had given him so much recently. He took the time to help prepare him for the race, along with standing up for him against Kevin and taking the time to help him train for the race. Even if he didn’t win officially because of the cheating scandal that was uncovered afterwards… Storm just couldn’t deny the way that he was feeling towards Danny. Those feelings were so strong that he couldn’t really focus on anything else that morning, even while tasked with helping out another one of his friends. “Something wrong?” Niles asked when they were taking a short break. “Am I not keeping up the way you wanted?” “Huh? Oh sorry, Niles. It has nothing to do with you,” Storm admitted as he leaned against the fencing. “The thing about it is… Oh jeez. It’s cause I like Danny. I mean really like him and now he’s all that I can think about.” “Oh. Oh, I see! That...actually makes a lot of sense. You two are always together,” Niles pointed out. “Even if that’s true I’m not even sure if Danny feels the same way,” Storm said with some dismay in his voice. “Well, how about I help you out?” Niles offered. “After all, I owe you both a lot.” “How are you gonna do that?” Storm asked. “Hmm, this is just off the top of my head but…” Niles started to explain the plan as it was brewing in his head and Storm listened. They traded some ideas back and forth until they came up with a solid course of action that would be put in place that same day. Niles was the one to get things in place by making stops through the day, explaining and asking for some assistance while Storm went about his own duties as usual while counting down the time until the workday was over. He all but raced off to find Danny, doing his best to act casual as he approached. “Hey, Danny. If you’re not doing anything, how about we go out and see a movie?” Storm offered. “Go out?” Danny repeated curiously. ‘Uh, y-yeah! You know. Go out. Just the two of us,” Storm said as he felt his face heating up and his chest beating again. “Sure! That actually sounds like a lot of fun!” Danny agreed. Storm led the way into the town, taking Danny out to a local movie theater where they saw a film together, side by side. Midway through the movie, which was an action thriller, Storm dared to make a move by reaching his arm out and around Danny, pulling him in. The human did seem surprised at first but didn’t put up any resistance, even smiling and cuddling up close to the horse for the rest of the movie. Storm’s nervousness eased as he realized that he and Danny were already so close. Maybe he had been overthinking this whole time, letting his doubts get the better of him. They shared popcorn and enjoyed the rest of the movie, walking out together when it was over but that wasn’t the end of the day that Storm had in store for his friend and hopefully his soon to be boyfriend. As he had before, the clydesdale led the way back to the ranch and to the Stables but they were both surprised upon stepping in. Fairy lights had been strung up, casting a warm golden glow over the table and surrounding area. A tablecloth was draped over the main table, complete with flickering candles and a vase that had an array of wildflowers placed in them. Storm brushed his mane with a nervous glint in his eye, and shifted his weight from one hoof to the other, suddenly feeling underdressed for the unexpectedly fancy environment, clad in nothing but his shorts and an ordinary shirt. “You set this up?” Danny asked, turning to the clydesdale. “Well, kind of…” Storm admitted. This was a lot more than he had in mind, the place arranged with a romantic eloquence, with a dinner that had been made by Marlo with Niles’ help while the human and horse were away, served to them by the bull once they sat down across from each other. And the dinner was good too. A simple meal but prepared with an added flair for the occasion. There was even some light music. Danny didn’t ask many questions as he sat down and enjoyed the meal in front of him, of course finding it delicious and so did Storm but of course there was something more pressing on his mind. “What do you think? Of all of this?” Storm asked, poking his pasta salad with his plate. “I didn’t expect it but...you did all of this?” Danny asked, looking around the decorated interior. “More or less. It was an idea that I had and I got some help putting it all together. I just wanted to do something nice. For you,” Storm said, his voice a bit lower and rougher than usual. “Nice doesn’t begin to cover it,” Danny chuckled, reaching for his glass that was filled with cider. “Seriously, this is way more than I could have expected. Thanks. Really.” He clinked glasses with Storm, the sound echoing above the light music. They ate in a comfortable silence for a few minutes with only the sounds of the music, clinking cutlery, and the chirps of the evening bugs. Though peaceful, Storm was finding the near silence unbearable. Every glance that Danny cast his way sent a jolt through him. He wanted to say so much, but the words felt stuck. “Something wrong, Storm?” Danny asked, noticing the expression on the clydesdale’s face. Storm’s heart started to hammer in his chest. “J-just thinking…” he said before taking another large gulp of cider to ease the tightness in his throat. “Thinking about...stuff…” “Anything you want to talk about? You know you can tell me anything,” Danny said with a sweetness that Storm could melt from. Storm’s gaze dropped to his plate. [i]‘It's now or never,’[/i] he told himself. He swallowed hard again before mustering the words. “It’s about...us, Danny. About...how much this friendship means to me.” He forced himself to look up, meeting Danny’s gaze. “You’ve done so...so much for me. You always have. You never judged. You just accepted me, helped me with the race and always made me feel like I had a place.” A smile formed on his lips. “And you always make me feel happier just by being around.” “You’re a good friend to me, Storm. You were the one who really reached out to me and showed me around the ranch. And you took me to see the fireworks… I’ll never forget that,” Danny said, smiling as well. “I won’t either,” Storm said, his voice gaining strength. “And that’s why this is hard. He took a deep breath before saying any more. “D-Danny, I… I think I’m feeling more than just friendship towards you.” The words hung in the air, which terrified Storm. He braced himself, expecting confusion… for all the closeness between them and sweet words said to each other to be one big misunderstanding of their relationship, or even outright rejection. He saw Danny’s eyes widen slightly as the near silence continued between them and his stomach started to churn. “More than friendship? “Danny repeated as if he was processing the words. Storm nodded, his gaze fixed on his hands now, unable to bear the uncertainty. “Yeah, I’ve felt that way for a while now. I know it's unexpected… And maybe you don’t feel the same way, and if that’s the case, I understand. I just… I just couldn’t keep it in anymore.” He finally managed to lift his head again, his eyes almost pleading. “I was just afraid of ruining things.” “Ruining things?” Danny almost stammered. “You… You really feel that way, Storm?” Danny asked, his voice laced with disbelief but also something else. “I do,” Storm confirmed, his voice being almost a whisper. Danny pushed his plate away gently, his gaze being focused entirely on the horse. He reached across the table, his hand hovering over Storm’s for a moment before he made the contact. The horse’s smooth fur was warm and his hand was bigger than his, fitting right into it. “Storm…” Danny breathed. “You didn’t have to worry about something like that. There’s no way I would stop being friends with you. Well… I guess…” “Y-you guess?” Storm dared to ask. “I guess we would call ourselves boyfriends,” Danny said, his eyes brightening upon the realization. “Huh, I never had one before.” “Y-you mean…” “I feel the same way, Storm. And honestly I’ve felt it for a while now but I didn’t know if I was confusing feelings. When I think about you compared to everyone else, those feelings towards you were so much stronger and I just thought at first it was because we were best friends. I’m sorry for making you stress about something like this…” Danny explained. “You’re sorry?” Storm repeated as he rose from his seat. “Don’t you dare be! If you don’t know what love like that is supposed to feel like then I’ll show you!” Storm came around and took Danny’s hands into his own as he kneeled and looked into the human’s eyes. “I love you, Danny.” “I love you too, Storm,” Danny said, feeling his heart soaring in his chest. To their surprise there were cheers from the rest as they made their appearance from the back of the Stables, celebrating the official coupling of the horse and human, completely disrupting the quiet. “H-how long have the rest of you been there?!” Storm asked, feeling like he could just die of embarrassment right then and there. “Forgive us, but we just couldn’t help ourselves,” Prince apologized. “Plus we’ve been waiting to eat too,” TJ added. “And we wanted to act as backup in case things didn’t go well,” Ryan said. “Looks like we weren’t needed though,” Riley finished. “Congratulations you two!” Beau said and the others agreed, making the two blush. “I was super nervous at first but you really managed to turn it around in the second half, Storm!” Sebastian complimented. “I don’t know how to even feel about that…” Storm groaned but then he smiled as he rose to his hooves. “But what I do know is that Danny and I are together now. I feel like the happiest horse in the world!” he yelled that out while scooping Danny up and holding him bridal style, kissing him on the cheek, making Danny smile and laugh. “I guess we can all finish the dinner,” Danny said, properly inviting everyone in so they could sit at the fancily put together table and partake in the same meal that Marlo and Niles had made more of so everyone could have it. The mood was high energy that night with a toast being made to the new couple. Storm sat right next to Danny, finding it hard to not smile while knowing he officially had a boyfriend now.