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The doorbell rang at two in the morning, rousing Ben from his television induced stupor. Grateful for the distraction he switched it off, took his crutches and started limping to the door.

"I'm coming", he yelled, "Gonna take some time."

Progress to the door was achingly slow. But it gave him time to ponder what was going on. Visitors at this time of night were rare. Sure the thought of burglars shot through his mind. But he hadn't heard of any of them actually ringing the doorbell before breaking in. But it could not hurt to be careful. When he reached the door, he switched on the outer light and peeked through the windows.

Outside stood Thomas, shifting uneasily from one foot on the other, rubbing his hands over his pants and nervously looking over his shoulder.

"What is it?", Ben asked as he opened the door.

"I uh.. I gotta talk to you. It is urgent. Can I come in? Please?" Awkwardly keeping his hands in his pockets, he shifted back and forth. Similar to a child about to confess that he had stolen from the cookie jar.

"Sure." Ben stepped back and allowed Thomas to get inside the house. Then he closed the door, flipped the light off and limped after him. "But couldn't that have waited till morning?"

"Yeah probably would have been best. But I was worried that it would be too late."

"Too late for what?" Ben gesticulated for Tom to have a seat at the old kitchen table. "Coffee?"

"No. I... I'd rather have a beer if you have one." Taking his cap off and flopping it on the kitchen table, Thomas sighed and drew his fingers through his hair. It was short and black, Ben noticed. In the light of the kitchen he looked different than in the harsh sunlight the day before. His face seemed softer, more approachable. He was one of those men who look a lot better in twilight and shades of darkness than in the stark, glaring light of the sun. For a moment he wondered what his face would look like on a pillow, illuminated by candle light. With his hair tousled and a charming smile on his face.

"I don't think I do", Ben answered. "I am not much of a drinker to be honest. And since my toe is broken I am on medicine so two reasons not to." No need to tell a stranger that he had been on medicine a little longer than that.

"Really?" Thomas looked up, obviously very surprised. "I thought you city boys are all about the life of drinking and clubbing. Holding fancy martinis or somesuch while whooping business deals and banging big tittied chicks."

Chuckling, Ben poured himself a glass of juice and sat down on the chair that lay directly opposite of Thomas. "We are. Well, expected to anyway. I found out a few years ago that I make better deals when I sip my fancy Martini all evening rather than downing one after another. Keeps the headache in check and pays off in more than one ways. You can allow yourself to get a few more expensive things and enjoy them. Less regrets, more chance to savor the taste. But if you want a beer, you can check the cellar. I know my grandfather loved them. The door is..."

"I know", Thomas cut him off and stood up to vanish through the door that led into the cellar. When he came back up he had a single bottle of beer in his hand. The way in which he walked over to a cupboard to get the bottle opener made Ben suddenly feel like this man was more at home in this house than he was.

Drawing his head back, Thomas downed a large part of the bottle in one go. His throat worked powerfully under the stubble of black beard that covered his face. It was a beautiful sight. All that he lacked was a few drops of dew on the ice cold bottle. Dripping on his collar bone and slowly trickling down his body.

Ben swallowed hard and felt himself grow hard with the fantasy of following the trail of the drop with his tongue. Tracing his course down between the chest muscles, over the flat belly and even further down. Wrapping his fingers around the large cock and feeling it pulse under his hands.

When Thomas turned back to him, he snapped out of it and blinked several times.

"Sorry", Thomas murmured. "I was thirsty." Slowly making his way back to the bench he threw the cap onto the table and sat down.

Silence rose in the kitchen. The only noises were those of a beer bottle slowly being turned and a glass that occasionally clinked on the table.

"So it is...Benjamin, right?"

"Ben, actually. The rest fell off the face of the world when I realized that Benjamin is going to be cheated at every possible business deal."

"How so?"

Clicking his tongue, Ben shifted a bit and allowed himself a grin. "No matter how old you are, people will always think that a Benjamin is a soft brained fool. Someone who is so green behind his ears that he can vanish in front of a meadow just by facing it. They tend to look down on Benjamin and close deals with Ben. So I changed it. But how do you know?"

"I knew your grandfather. He spoke often about you. Oh and in case you have heard about me, the name is Thomas yes, but I prefer Tom."

Nodding, Ben allowed himself another chuckle. "Yes my grandfather preferred the whole names."

"Yeah."

Again the silence stretched between them. Disrupted by the continuous ticking of the clock on the wall and the occasional noise of the bottle when Tom sat it on the table after drinking.

"So, well it was nice meeting you Tom. But if that is all, I am sure we could have..."

"No", Tom interrupted hastily. His brown eyes looked guilty when he twirled the bottle once more. "No I had a reason to come here at night. I didn't want Kate or any of the others to know that I am here. I don't want to lose my job. And I probably will if they find out that I am here." With a firm noise he put his bottle on the table and sat up straighter. "Look, I learned from your grandfather. I'm a school dropout and I wasn't very... uh, good in my youth. Bit dishonest and, you know, things that boys do. Throwing stones and drinking and making a rampage. Got so bad that I was threatened with prison for a month if I continued. He took me in, gave me a chance and I learned how to work with horses. He kept me till the very last moment he could pay me and still tried to find a different way. And I am thankful for that. I wanted to pay him back somehow. For the chance and for believing in me."

While he was talking Tom started to lean forward a little and Ben found it harder to breathe. There was a part of him that fantasized about the man in front of him. More than he should. Once more his eyes started to wander. They followed the contours of Tom's face down to the lips. Beautiful lips that looked like they were longing to be kissed. Lips that longed to suck and tease, to smile and pout. Lips that he was burning to kiss right this instant. They stopped talking and were silent long enough for Ben to snap out of his fantasy. "Huh?"

"You weren't listening?" There was worry in his voice. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No, no. I..." Ben sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Sorry I zoned out for a moment. The drugs sometimes make me a bit dizzy. It had nothing to do with what you said. Could you please repeat it?." This time he stared at his juice and managed to keep his urge under better control.

"So what I was saying is this: Your grandfather wanted to create his own breed. He wanted to combine the traits of Clydesdales, Shires and Percherons to create a muscular, sturdy breed. But what he also wanted, was beauty. Long legs like the shire, muscles like the Belgian, Feathers like a Clydesdale, frame of a Percheron, mane and tail of the Frisean. Maybe the colors of an Andalusian and Gypsy Vanner thrown in for variety. Daisy and Rose are first generation crosses of Percheron and Gypsy Vanner. Sunflower Buttercup and Daffodil are second generation. They are crossbreeds of Percheron, Gypsy Vanner and a Belgian. He wanted to sell the gelding Lion's Tooth to have money to continue breeding with the rest. That was the reason he was out on the market when that heart attack hit him." His strong fingers started to wander over the table and clamped themselves together, thumbs rubbing over the sunburned skin. "I want to continue his work if you don't mind and if you give me the chance. Together we could breed them until we have something that he would have liked and then name it after him. Or the family. Or after a flower like the horses are now. I think he was playing with the name 'Aurora'. What do you say?"

When those brown eyes looked at him, Ben found his heartbeat quickening and his throat tightening. The pleading look was so full of hope that he found it impossible to resist. He wanted to lean over, kiss Tom and promise him everything he wanted.

It took him a few seconds to realize that Tom was waiting for an answer. "I am not sure how", he said, shifting around on his seat. "I am not experienced with horses at all."

"I can teach you."

The answer came so quick that Ben couldn't help but smile. "Yes but I can't hire you. I will have enough trouble paying for the horses. I have a bit of a financial parachute but I do not intend to use it up on something that I don't even have any knowledge about."

"I can keep working at Black Stallion. No problem. Every evening I can come over and tell you what to do and show you things."

Oh god. He wanted Tom to come over so badly. Every night. And he wanted him to come as well. "Yes", he heard himself mumble in a barely audible whisper. Clearing his throat and squaring his shoulders, he repeated "Yes, that would be delightful." Even when he said it, he realized the problems that would come up from continuing with the business.

"Just do not sell the horses, all right? You can sell Lion's Tooth if you feel like it but keep the females. And one more thing: The Martens, that is the family that runs the Black Stallion is rather paranoid about rivals. If they saw me come over to you and help you they would fire me in an instant. This is why I have come over to talk to you at this hour. I feared that it was too late if I came this morning. And when I saw light here, I just had to come."

"I see", Ben croaked. He watched the smile on Tom's face spread. Suddenly he was radiating. As if the sun had just peeked out from behind a huge curtain of dark gray clouds. He seemed to glow.

"Thank you so much. It really means a lot", he said, giving him a quick hug and a lot of slaps on the back and then parted. When he vanished into the darkness of the night, it felt like a part of Ben had left with him too.

...