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J.B. was a happy horse. And why shouldn't he have been? He had everything that a stallion could ask for, plus more as he watched his keeper order food for himself while staring up at the buxom waitress that was serving the lot of them. His human was pleasant enough to bond with to keep him sane, he had a spacious front yard to roam around in to his heart's content and he was currently sitting in a restaurant, well more like eatery, with his keeper's friends while waiting for his order to be taken. Everything was good and for once in his life, J.B. could say that he couldn't imagine wanting anything more.

"Two Caesar salads, please." J.B. ordered without even having to look at the menu.

"Coming right up." The anthro equine bobbed his black maned head at the waitress and then turned away from her to look at Marcus. The dark skinned human was busy trying not to look back at him, but J.B.'s sensitive nose could tell that the man was all but honing in on every little feature that made up his black hide as the scent of arousal wafted dangerously from around the human's lithe, yet muscular form. While not exactly the most stunning visage of humanity that the world had to offer J.B. made a game of mapping all of the little contours and lines that made up his keeper and without meaning to the anthro stallion found himself blushing some as his fingers ached to touch his master once again; the memory of having the smaller human in his arms, rubbing and grinding against his jet black body made J.B. whicker while shivering in his seat next to Nate. The other human looked at him oddly for a moment but the anthro stud simply shook his head down at him.

The hour beforehand when he and Marcus had bonded was nothing more than a cheap tease to J.B. and the stallion had to bite at the inside of his muzzle as he tried to will his erection from pressing up against the bottom of the well kept table the four of them were sitting at. No one around seemed to take notice of the stud horse's plight as Marcus, Nate and Thomas soon descended into a round of conversation that J.B. kept himself well out of. That didn't mean that he wasn't listening in on everything being said as furry ears twitched and then cocked in the human's direction.

"So, what's the plan for the rest of the week for you Marcus?" Nate asked as he tried to shoo away Thomas' roaming hands stroking at his knuckles from on top of the gray table the lot of them were seated at.

"Uhm...not sure really. Heh. I'm still trying to come to grips with everything I just learned today, so I hadn't really thought over it yet." The man chuckled nervously as he tried not to speak ill of the sudden 'complication' that had been unknowingly dropped into his lap with J.B. Not that he was hesitant or resentful of the situation; Marcus was made of tougher stuff than that. However, realistically, this new responsibility was one that the human hadn't really thought over how to deal with just yet. Especially since it put a whole different spin on how he would have to handle himself around his 'stud'.

"Sorry if I'm a bother, slick." J.B. turned his head to the side while saying this and then had to wrestled down a playful whinny when Marcus suddenly looked at him as though he had been struck. He does like me more than he thinks, the stallion cheered inside of his head. But just how much? J.B. wasn't sure since this was all still so new to Marcus.

"N-no! You're not a bother. Really. I'm just...well...ugh..." The dark skinned human scratched at the fuzz growing at the bottom of his chin as he tried to find the right words to say. Meanwhile, he prayed in the back of his mind that the food would get here as soon as possible before he stuck his foot into his mouth. "Well...I'm still not sure about how to deal with you, with regards to how I'm going to need to raise and provide for your upkeep." J.B. whickered at that.

"Shoot. I can feed myself just as well as you could feed a regular horse." The anthro stallion lifted one arm up, the muscles in his bicep flexing for all to see, which everyone did with various looks of awe coloring their faces, as J.B. pointed a thumb at himself. "I've been doing it ever since I learned how to put a feeder bag onto myself."

"Feeder bag? You mean you don't eat with...ugh knives and forks and such?" Marcus suddenly looked at the utensils on the table as though they were national treasures about to be stolen and J.B. didn't stop the whinny of mirth that came from him next.

"Of course I can!" The equine reached over and then wiggled his fingers for his keeper to see the mobility of each digit. "See these hands? They ain't for show!" Marcus gazed upon the meaty extensions and then hesitantly let his own hand slip out from under the table so that he could touch one. J.B. froze as the sudden contact with his human made the fur along his spine tingle. While he had told the others what bonding meant to him and other anthros, and what was required for his mental and emotional health, what J.B. hadn't informed the group on was that ANY touch with his chosen human would sate the need inside of him for human contact. The smallest brush up against Marcus would have given J.B. his 'fix' for the next few hours, but at the same time it would make the craving inside of the Mustang grow more and more as all of the stallion's senses would slowly attune to the whole that was the darker human. Soon enough J.B. was sure that he might even come to know just exactly what Marcus was feeling and feeling just by concentrating on the human, and that possibility both frightened and excited the equine.

"Wow. I'm impressed. I have to admit that it really never hit me to think of you as being able to take care of yourself. At least, not until I felt these hands of yours," Marcus almost whispered as he let his own digits trace small lines within J.B.'s palm. Unlike humans J.B. didn't have the lines along his inner hands that humans did, instead the anthro stallion possessed a sleek and smooth field of black skin that was dusted with a light dew of fur. The strangeness of the other's outward stretched appendage had Marcus wondering how it felt for the Mustang to fit something into his fist when he curled his fingers together. His answer came suddenly when J.B. balled his fingers together into his palm and then wrapped his meatier digits around Marcus' own smaller fingers. The warmth and pure feel of the horse holding him so tight, yet gently made the human blush and then stammer slightly as he looked up into J.B.'s shining onyx eyes.

"U-uhm...s-should we really be doing..." Marcus felt as if the world around him was suddenly narrowing down to a single point as he stared at the anthro Mustang smirking at him. Had he not been so focused on the glimmering black diamonds shining at him Marcus might have been able to take note of how J.B.'s wiry tail whipped behind him as the stallion took in his nervousness with a certain level of admiration.

"What are we doing, slick?" The anthromorph asked with a husky whisper lining his words; words that were directed solely onto his owner with a declaration that turned several heads.

"Ugh...w-w-we...that is...are doing...uhm this?" Marcus noted where his hand was still clutched carefully within J.B.'s own much more powerful hold, the muscular palm of the stallion refusing to let his keeper go anytime soon.

"And what is this, exactly?" J.B.'s nose quivered and the equine longed to flick his lips so that he could taste the scent of Marcus' nervousness, but he held back in fear of startling the skittish human. How ironic that the one who was the supposed lead between them seemed to not know what to do with himself while the 'animal' in question played on the nervousness of the man.

"A bad romance flick!" At that J.B. clenched his fingers harder around Marcus' fingers than he meant to. Marcus let out a startled yip and instantly the stallion released his keeper, only to then turn to look around for the voice that had ruined the moment between himself and his human.

The interloper in question turned out to be a punk-wannabe sitting two rows down and looking all the more like he was going to hurl as he dramatically retched off to the side while sticking his index finger into his mouth. The look on J.B.'s face was livid and had it not been for the waitress returning with his and everyone else's food both Nate and Thomas would have sworn that the Mustang would have gone over to throttle the blonde haired teen, consequences be damned. Marcus' ex and his veterinarian lover were quick to calm the incensed stallion down as J.B. whickered loudly while kicking a hoof against the tiled floor of the eatery.

"Hey, hey, calm down already." Thomas said while waving his hands in front of the anthro equine in a calming gesture. "He's just a kid, after all. There's no need to go and do something rash, now is there?" The fact that Thomas was sweating while saying this -- his dark and curly hair growing almost shiny with his perspiration - didn't help things out as J.B. turned to glare at him with a look no horse should have been able to muster into existence. Anger mixed with irritation mixed with disappointment was the color of emotion that painted itself onto J.B.'s muzzle and Thomas was quick to shut up and pick up a fork as his food suddenly seemed a lot more intriguing. Yes sir, there was nothing like steak and potatoes to make a man wonder about the oddities of life...and how much effort a half ton horse would need to use to trample over his spine.

"Shouldn't you be more grateful that Marcus didn't immediately bolt out of here than be upset about what some nobody kid has to say?" Nate said and at that J.B. stopped, blinked and then whipped his head around, mane flying behind him with the force of a small gale, to look at his keeper.

Marcus was redder than a tomato, something that should have been impossible given the shade of his skin tone, as he nervously played with the food sitting upon his place. Peas and carrots were placed on a plate alongside a nice helping of cornbread while beside it a steaming basket of fried chicken awaited to be eaten. It was obvious that the human in question was beside himself with nervousness, but J.B. didn't know exactly why since he had been the one to start things and not Marcus. Why humans always seem to find themselves anxious over their own emotions was something the stallion would never understand, however that didn't stop J.B. from letting his ears lower onto the top of his head once he realized that he was the cause of his keeper's uneasiness. The equine's furry folds almost disappeared into the 'hair' of J.B's mane as the anthro Mustang started to work up the nerve to apologize; the sudden bout of shame forcing J.B. to come to resent his previous actions.

"Look, I'm sorry about that, slick. I didn't mean to..." Before J.B. could finish what he was saying Marcus made a move that shocked nearly everyone inside of the small dining area.

Because of how they were seated, Marcus in front of J.B. while Nate sat in front of Thomas, the human was in a position to rise up and then lean over to plant his lips directly onto the anthro Mustang's black muzzle, silencing J.B. just as he was about to finish his lackluster apology. Again, the surrounding people gasped and then gaped as they watched the human and horse begin to swap tongue with each other there in the middle of the pseudo-restaurant. So obvious as they were being about themselves in the public setting it didn't help any when J.B. suddenly reached over and hugged his keeper into his body while at the same time he slathered his tongue up over and across Marcus's lips and lower face. The difference between their respective 'mouths' made the situation between the two a little ridiculous to look at as J.B. easily dominated Marcus' own smaller tongue, but at the same time the stallion was receptive to whatever his owner wanted and eased himself back so that the smaller human could suck the breath out of his own throat when Marcus whimpered into their shared kiss. When the two finally pulled back Marcus had to be eased into his seat by Thomas as his ex pushed his arms down onto the other human's shoulders.

"Ahem, that was fun! But I think you two should keep the intimacy level down just a touch, otherwise people might start getting weird ideas." Thomas teased and J.B. could only turn his head to regard the other man curiously before his gaze found its way trailing across the room. All around the room there were various looks crossing the faces of the humans surrounding them. The emotions running throughout the eatery ranged from enamored to outright horrified, with some people going so far as to get up to leave, while others cheered on the stallion and his human.

J.B., being the tower of modesty and self-control that he was not, got up and then flexed for the people watching. Showing off his impressive masculine features for all to see -- from his pulsing abs to his well defined chest and arms corded with thick and throbbing veins -- while keeping his lower half shielded from view from. J.B. whickered proudly while throwing his black mane back behind him like a wild stallion as he let the whooping onlookers know exactly what was being offered, but only for preview.

"My, my, aren't you just the pillar of humility," Nate quipped while rolling his eyes. The veterinarian had watched the show, same as all the rest, but only after handing a stunned Marcus several napkins with which to dry his face off with.

"Of course I am. I being reserved enough not to show everyone what's under the hood ain't I?" J.B. whinnied while sitting down with a thump onto the seat he was sharing with Nate.

"Are all Mustangs like this?" Marcus had to ask as he didn't know whether to be embarrassed of just perplexed by the whole situation that had just occurred.

Before Nate could say anything J.B. interjected with his answer, "Not really, slick. You're lucky. Most regular old Mustangs are kinda boring compared to me." A wink in his direction had Marcus groaning as the man reached out to grab a piece of southern friend barnyard bird. "But then, most Mustangs ain't me. So I'll be sure to let you have everything I can give you when we get back to the place." And thus conversation ended as J.B. picked up a fork, much too small for his massive hand, and then started in on his late lunch.

Nobody said anything else for the rest of the time they were there, not even when a stray knife was caught in J.B.'s hand, inches from his head, and then snapped in half like toothpick. All eyes traced in on the trajectory that the metal utensil had come from and most of the patrons narrowed their eyes at the youth that was trying not to swear as he buried his attention into his half eaten meal of fish and fries. When the manager and proprietor of the little place came over to admonish the punk about what he had done there was instant friction between the two as the youth got up into the older man's face and then started in with his bullshit static. The level of disrespect that the blonde showed the man was almost enough to make people want to say something, especially Marcus who had been raised to know better than that and who was just itching for a chance to break his foot off in the kid's behind for tossing that blade at J.B., however the anthro stallion beat him to the punch.

Without so much as a word being said J.B. got up from his seat, the frame groaning in relief from having to hold up a half a ton of stud horse, went over to where the punk was now shouting at the manager, hefted the kid up by his scruffy little neck with one of gigantic hands, walked the brat over to the front door and then tossed him out onto his face. Closing the door behind him after whickering a warning at the young man, J.B. didn't say anything more as he returned to his seat and then polished off the rest of his salad like nothing had happened. It took the crowd almost ten seconds to realize what just happened, but upon the collective consciousness of the people coming to assess what the horse had done a small wave of applause ripped throughout the resturant as though the president had come into town. And J.B. being who he was...

"What? Did somethin' important happen?" The cocksure smile on the stallion's face spoke volumes about the other's true thoughts as the Mustang whinnied happily at his keeper.

"At this rate I'm starting to wonder if I should let you go on and become an actor with the way you can work a crowd." Marcus said wholeheartedly as he looked across his plate at J.B.

"Nah," The equine shook his head. "I'd never leave you for all these wonderful humans." A wave of his arm had Nate ducking for cover. "Besides, I told you before, slick," J.B. turned to give his full attention to Marcus. The anthro stallion's eyes piercing the other man like a butterfly to a wall. "You're mine. I'm not letting you go to be in show business. Besides, an ass like me would get canned before long because everyone else would start to get jealous of all of my studliness." Another flex of an impressive arm and Marcus balled up a napkin to toss at the big ham.

"If you two ain't a match made in heaven, then I feel sorry for whoever put you both together." Thomas said and both J.B. and Marcus turned to scoff at the other man, though for differentiating reasons.

The rest of lunch/dinner was a much quieter affair with J.B. ordering two more salads before deciding that he was finished with the hour's meal. Whenever everyone was ready to leave Marcus reached into his pocket to pull out his wallet to pay for the food, just as he had promised to do earlier, but was stopped by the waitress that had served them when he went to take out a few bills to place on the table.

"For what you're stud did over there with the kid and all the meals on the house." The busty woman explained at Marcus' dumbfounded look. "That kids been a real pain in the arse every since he started to come around here, but this is the first time he's done something that stupid before. Manager wanted to let you know that he appreciated the pony over there setting the kid into his place."

"I'm a stallion, ma'am. NOT a pony." J.B. corrected as he puffed himself up like a preening bird while crossing his arms over his inflated chest.

"Oh, my mistake big boy." The woman giggled and J.B. had to fight off a sudden case of the shudders rolling down his spine.

"No problem," J.B. was quick to sidestep the woman as she tried to walk over to him with a slow sway of her ample hips accenting every step she took. The equine showed a great amount of indifference as he skillfully walked right past the female without showing his revulsion at her mere presence.

"He's kinda shy around the ladies," Marcus cut in as the waitress wondered where the sure shot stud she had just seen went to. "you know, the gentlemanly type." Marcus tried to keep well off his mind how, not more than two hours ago, he and this same 'gentleman' had been all but bumping pelvises together in the middle of his living room.

At the woman's sudden case of understanding, her head bobbing like a bobble doll while chuckling demurely behind her pale hand, Marcus coughed to cover a grunt before walking after J.B., who happened to be whistling while standing near the human's truck. I didn't know he could whistle with those lips, Marcus thought before shaking his head and looking to his ex and his ex's current lover. What he saw made Marcus' entire posture suddenly go rigid as he looked to the conversing pair who seemed to be having an argument over something. Thomas and Nate were speaking in hush tones while standing next to Thomas's jeep so Marcus didn't hear what the problem was about, but whatever they were saying it couldn't have been anything good as Nate had a stony look perched precariously along his angular face. Being the person that he was Marcus didn't think it wasn't any of his business and carefully walked over to the two to see if he could help with whatever was going wrong.

"Everything ok?"

"Huh? Oh Marcus," Thomas said as he jumped a little, obviously having completely forgotten about the other man. "ugh...no. No everything not alright. Nate just got a call about one of his patients who needs major surgery ASAP and how he was needed to be at the clinic right now." Thomas said carefully. It was easy to tell that the other man was easing his way around the subject and Marcus felt as though he were treading through shark infested waters as he narrowed his gaze between the two.

"So...you need to go? I'm not sure what else is the matter here, but if you need to go its fine with me. We can hang out some other time."

"The problem is that the patient in question shouldn't even need surgery since I told the owner what to do so that this circumstance could be avoided." Nate hissed and for the first time since he had met him Marcus backed up several steps as he wondered what was up with the other man. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to....I just need to go. Can you take me to the house first, Thomas?" Nate asked after sighing loudly. Suddenly the vet looked as though he had aged by five years as he spoke up at his taller lover.

"Of course I can," Thomas turned to regard his old flame. "Catch you next time?"

"Sure. Good luck with whatever's going on, Nate." Marcus said and the other man just nodded before turning to head to the passenger side door of the truck.

Marcus jumped slightly when a bulky form came up beside him, but he quickly settled down when a meaty black hand took him by the shoulder and then pulled him in close. Brown eyes looked up into black orbs that gazed down at him and both human and horse found themselves saying nothing as they watched each other fondly.

"You're a good man, slick." J.B. offered and Marcus could only smile with embarrassment as he shook his head.

"No, I'm just decent enough to be likeable, is all."

"Heh," J.B. hugged his human closer into his chest, slightly smothering Marcus into his sweaty chest before whickering loudly up at the half way set sun. "am I going to have to work on your self-esteem?"

"Oh please," Marcus playfully pulled away the equine to nudge J.B.'s ribs with his elbow. "you have enough for me and then rest of the county so...J.B. duck!" On alert the anthro stallion did as his keeper said, bundling Marcus in between both of his arms while flattening his ears atop his head, just as a shot rang out.

The bullet that said shot came from whizzed itself through the air and, thankfully for the pair, over and above the top of J.B.'s head. The shooter cursed loudly before raising his gun to take another aim at the stallion. Once J.B. took mental stock over himself to assess that he hadn't been shot the stallion moved like lightning around to the other side of Marcus' truck in order to get both himself and his owner to safety. Marcus, still crouched down tightly into the horse's hold and holding onto the equine for dear life, shakily trying to get himself together as he listened to J.B. swear as another shot rang out alongside the hood of the truck. Having never been in a situation like this, Marcus felt as the world were turning completely off kilter as he looked up at J.B. for reassurance while pressing himself in closer to the big stud unfaltering chest and pecs. An unconscious clench of the bicep holding onto him pulled the smaller man further into the Mustang's hold and instantly Marcus felt appreciative of J.B.'s protective nature as the equine continued to look around for the shooter without looking down at him.

A second of listening to more pointless cursing and J.B. tentavily lifted his nose up to the sky to try and pinpoint the location of the person that had just tried to off him and his keeper. When the Mustang finally found the other J.B. let out dangerous whicker as the scent of a familiar troublemaker filled the stallion's nose.

"Who's shooting at us?" Marcus asked once he noted the boiling look of anger growing hotter onto J.B.'s muzzle. The equine looked as though he were about to charge over to where the next three shots whizzed by over the top of Marcus' truck as he snorted angrily down to the human.

"That little punk ass kid from before," J.B. answered while counting off how many shots were coming their way. "I think he's a little sore about me throwing him out from before."

"So he's shooting at us!?"

"Slick, humans don't make sense to either me or other people so I have no idea what to tell you," J.B. said without thought. The look that Marcus gave the anthro equine would linger for a few days afterwards though as the man gaped wordlessly for several seconds. "He's out!" J.B. grunted and then pressed Marcus down closer to the ground with a heavy hand before getting up slowly. "Stay here. Don't move." The Mustang ordered and for some reason Marcus found himself obeying without having to be told twice.

Like a flash J.B. rounded the side of the truck and then charged across the ground, his hooves eating up the distance between himself and the blonde haired punk hiding behind a set of garbage cans. The kid was so busy fumbling around and trying to reload the six-shooter he was wielding, probably stolen from his old man J.B. thought offhandedly, that he barely had time to notice when the wall of muscular anthro stallion surged up over him. J.B hefted the blonde haired punk's much thinner frame up by the sides of his neck and then griped his skull hard enough that the youth actually yelled out in pain. The blonde tried vainly to lash out against the equine to get J.B. to drop him while at the same time he fought against pissing himself as the stud horse whinnied heatedly in front of his face. And yet, in concentrating so hard on getting the other to let him go the punk was in no way ready for the stallion to suddenly increase the pressure of his grip as J.B. silently threatened to crack the other human's head open like a walnut.

Marcus braved the chance to look up and see what was going on, after hearing a pleading yelp come from the younger man of course, and when he did the Marcus found himself moving before he could think better of himself as he saw what his stud horse was about to do to the kid. Murder danced freely inside of J.B.'s eyes and though the other might have been in his right to exact vengeance on the kid, Marcus didn't want the anthromorph to bear the kid's death on his conscious because he lost himself to his rage.

"J.B., don't kill him," Hoof kicking against the dirt underneath his half ton frame the Mustang turned to look at his keeper with a look that was almost indescribable to the human. Marcus could see in the Mustang's eyes that the equine was spoiling for a reason not to kill the young man at the same time he was almost itching to have the blonde's blood staining his hands. The fury inside of the stallion's black orbs burned with an unholy light and it took everything that Marcus had not to cower from the sight of J.B. in such a furious state.

"J.B., don't do it,"

Anger mixed with fear inside of J.B.'s onyx orbs and when the stud horse snorted a heavy breath of air over him Marcus had to take a calming breath in order to cast away his own trepidation of the other. It was easy to forget that J.B. both outweighed him by almost three time his own weight and was a half a head taller than him, not to mention the fact that the anthromorph was still, at heart, more animal than human, if such a thing could even be said. That being the case there were still certain instincts and responses to said instincts that J.B. operated on that Marcus didn't know how to deal with as of yet. How strange was it then that saving the blonde haired punk's life would be the first step in curbing such reactions from the Mustang after just bridging a large gap between himself and the equine come earlier that day? Fate really was a fun thing after all...

"Let him go J.B.," Marcus neither pleaded nor commanded of the stallion as he looked up at the anthro horse. An uncompromising whinny was the equine's answer and Marcus had to wrestle the urge to swear from off of his lips, especially when he heard police sirens echo off into the distance. Someone from inside must have called the local authorities and as time began to tick down to the wire Marcus really didn't have the time to debate as he didn't know what the sheriff or whoever was in charge might do at seeing J.B. holding onto a scrawny teen boy by the head. Only an idiot wouldn't have been able to feel the anger pulsing off of the stallion as the intent to crack the younger human's skull open like a coconut literally oozed from off of J.B.'s body. And considering the disparity between the two the average court would probably side with the blonde over J.B. given the situation. "J.B.," Marcus stepped closer to the other, despite the whicker of warning the Mustang let out, and then placed one of his hands onto the shuddering bicep of the anthromorph. Marcus could feel the trembles that welled up inside of his stud horse and knew that J.B. was probably scared out of his mind, more at himself right now than at either the kid or the cops coming up faster across the road. Marcus tried to keep himself calm as his own anxiety began to rise with the shortening amount of time he had to comfort the stallion before things exploded out of control. It really wouldn't do for him to panic right now, "Put him down,"

A firm, but reassuring clench of fingers along the horse's bicep had J.B. whinnying loudly before suddenly opening his hands and then dropping the blonde onto the ground. A cloud of dust kicked up from where the younger human hit the earth but soon said cloud billowed to an impossible level as the punk literally ran onto all fours like a beaten hound over to where the sheriff was just now shutting off his patrol car and stepping out onto the hard earth. By the time that he and his deputy, who was in the second cop car Marcus just happened to note offhandedly, got out to shut their doors behind them the blonde was nearly in the sheriff's lap, blubbering and begging up at him not to let the 'crazy, psycho horse' get hm. Marcus would have laughed at the sudden spinelessness of the young man, had he not been whispering and murmuring pleasant noises up at J.B. who was now shivering like a leaf in a storm.

It was the deputy that took handle over the young man as the slightly pudgy sheriff tossed the punk over to his second-in-command and then stepped over to where J.B. and Marcus were. The darker skinned man was busy stroking at his stallion's mane and shoulders and almost missed it when the police official grunted to draw his attention. Almost.

"Sir, can someone here tell me why the McClain's boy is over there whimpering like a kicked pup?" The green eyed man asked after taking his sunglasses off from his face as he looked between J.B. and Marcus while sizing the two up.

It took Marcus almost a minute before he was ready to answer the other man, he was too busy focusing in on his shivering Mustang to care about what the sheriff wanted, but when he finally did however, "What happened is that, that little lunatic over there started open fire on us after myself and J.B. here came out of the dinner behind us." Marcus' voice was both hard an emotionless as he spoke to the other man without a hint of compassion for the punk's current condition.

"Could you go a little bit further into detail?" The sheriff pulled out a pad and pen and then clicked the writing tool in question as he prepared to take down a summary statement.

Marcus told the sheriff exactly what had happened, mentioning on how the blonde had tried to assault J.B. with a knife in the dinner, how the anthro horse had thrown the youth out after the punk had started with the manager and then how J.B. had disarmed the boy once he had run out of bullets. The officer tried to ask J.B. what his side of things were but the stallion was too distraught to speak the human language as he just whickered and clomped his left foot against the ground while glaring at where the blonde was now sitting behind the back of the deputy's police vehicle.

"I'll need his statement later on, so can you run down to the station tomorrow?"

"Yes sir, by then things should be better," Marcus answered while keeping a firm hand onto the side of his stud horse's arm. The shivers had stopped but J.B. was still a mess emotionally.

"Alright then," The sheriff clicked his pen and then pocketed his small notepad. Turning to leave the man stopped for a second and then looked over his shoulder at the two. "For what it's worth, I'm grateful that you didn't hurt the kid too bad. Would have been a big mess to try and sort this whole thing out if you had." The sheriff's words seemed veiled with something unspoken but Marcus would only figure out what that was later on, right then and there his only real concern was getting J.B. home and maybe washing the other down via a sponge bath to make the equine feel better.

"Thanks officer," Marcus dismissed the other human without great thought as he kept a vigil eye on his Mustang all the while.

The sheriff didn't say anything else as he rolled his head back around and then headed to his patrol car. Speaking to his deputy and then getting a confirmation from the female in question on what the blonde had to say about the things that had happened the two authorities were quick to take their leave after that as they got back into their cars and then drove off down the road. J.B. and Marcus took little notice of anything but each other as they stood side by side while staring into one another's eyes. So wrapped up in each other as the pair barely even noticed when the manager of the small eatery came out of the building behind them. Again, almost...

"Is everything alright?" The man asked, clearly at a loss for words as he wrung his hands together nervously.

"No, but it will be later on," Marcus eased J.B. towards his truck and offered to let the stallion's hop in the back so that the ride would be easier on him, but the Mustang was having none of that.

"I...need to run, slick. I just need to feel the wind on my mane right now."

"Do you want to go straight home or someplace else?"

"Home. Just home."

"Ok J.B., let's go home." Marcus had nothing else to say as he got into his truck, kicked the engine into high gear and then sped down the lane back to where his small, but comforting farm waited for the two of them. It didn't take long for J.B. to pass by him; the anthro horse was moving with the speed of a gale as he rushed passed the red truck without really seeing it. Marcus didn't see a reason to try to keep up with J.B. as he knew that the stallion just needed time to think and clear his head and so he set the truck for an easy thirty miles per hour -- fast enough to keep the Mustang in his sights but not quick enough to get up alongside the other. And then the two were headed for home, leaving the manager behind to watch and then sigh before returning to his small diner.

The trip home took almost twice as long as it did going out as J.B. seemed to be in little mood to run as speedily as he had before on the way going from the house. There was a fatigue about the other that hurt Marcus in an unfamiliar way as the man watched how his horse seemed to slightly sag while running across the concrete road towards home. Once they did pull into the driveway, almost an hour later, Marcus killed his engine after getting up next to the house and then got out to go to see about J.B., the Mustang having automatically made his way into the back of the yard where the small barn his keeper had built for him was situated. The equine was quick to make his way over to one of the stalls only to then plop himself quietly down into one of the large booths. Being as silent as he could for several seconds Marcus just watched as the massive Mustang shuddered and then curled himself up with his knees against his chest before he couldn't stand it any longer.

"J.B.," Marcus called out tentatively as he didn't know what to say for right at the moment, not after seeing the stallion shivering while trying to calm himself down while flicking his wiry tail along the dirt floor that made up the ground underneath his rump.

"I don't get you humans! I really don't." Marcus wasn't prepared for the Mustang to suddenly speak out as he did. Holding himself back from moving towards the other Marcus just watched and listened as J.B. transformed his feelings turn into loud bursts of sound. "I didn't assault the little snot. I didn't try to actually hurt him in any serious way. And I didn't even do what I could have had I been in a different state of mind, but he pulls out a gun and tries to shoot at me anyway! Worse off, he tried to shoot at me with you there beside me! He had to have been watching us ever since we came out of the dinner because he scent lingered all over the place, so he knew what he was doing but just didn't give a damn!" J.B. began to rant while thinking back to what just happened. Marcus chose to let the other expel all of his feelings first before trying to speak up, but J.B. cut him off before he could utter a single word. "The worst part is that if the ass hadn't been such a bad marksman then he probably would have hit me twice over before you could have said something. Thank sweet mercy that you've got such sharp eyes, slick!" The Mustang turned to regard his keeper with watery eyes and Marcus had to lower his head from the intensity of those twin black diamonds shining up at him.

"And I just know in my heart that the little bastard would have gotten you out of spite after he had dealt with me. I know that kind!" J.B. continued and Marcus lifted his face to gaze at the anthromorph when the equine began to whicker sharply. "He's the same as the researchers back at the Chimera Institute. Those are the kinds of humans that love to bully others just because they can. Not because they really need to! And worst still, it seems like this is a common human trait that keeps popping up in front of me. Bad enough when old Mackery had to almost get fired because the assholes at the old ranch where I was wanted to 'brand' me with a hot iron just to say that they owned me, but then they had the nerve enough to try and do so while I was asleep."

J.B. clenched his hands together as he thought about that less than pleasant time back before when he had just been 'given' over to his previous ranch handlers by Chimera. "Did they really think that some rope and a few padlocks were going to keep a four hundred and seventy-five pound Mustang held down while they tried to violate my hide like that? Like I couldn't smell the hot iron once it got close enough to me that I could actually hear the metal hissing. Why in the hell are humans so bent on trying to prove their superiority over everything else by defacing it in some way!? I mean, the little shit was lucky that I didn't do what I did to the previous guys that tried to hurt me and kick his ribcage into his fucking chest. He'd better thank whatever higher power he doesn't believe in that you were there to keep me calm, otherwise I would have broken his skull open like a pecan between my fingertips!" At that J.B. whinnied loudly at Marcus while his lips flared wildly into the air.

The dark skinned human didn't know what to say or do at this. He felt that J.B. was right in his thoughts, but at the same time he Marcus just couldn't summon up what he needed to say to pull out the hurt bleeding out of the stallion. So when seconds of attempting to vocalize his thoughts failed him Marcus went over and then settled himself down beside his stud horse to comfort J.B., or maybe himself as the rage bubbling off of the equine was making his stomach do cartwheels. Minutes spent in silence seemed to calm J.B. down and upon the tidal wave of emotion rising within the Mustang crashing itself over the rocks of the human's wordless fortitude Marcus found his voice coming back to life within his somewhat dried out throat.

"I can't say what's right and what's wrong about people, not even with being one myself because I've seen some really horrible things in the world. But I can tell you this, if nowhere else in the world, then at least right here, you'll be able to make your own rules about what goes on and what doesn't and can live the way you choose to, within reason, of course." Marcus offered, but J.B. just shook his head, mane flying everywhere before he reached out to hug his keeper in close to him.

"Not what I mean, slick, though I appreciate what you're trying to say. What I want to know is why are humans so damn insane? This whole thing could have been avoided if the kid just left well enough alone. Why did he take it so far? And where is this going to lead both of us later?" J.B was almost pleading for an answer as he looked to Marcus for his answers.

"I don't what to tell you. Freewill? Choice? Or just plain good old disregard for someone else's life. The punk made a decision based on whatever was going on in his head and reaped the consequences of it. What happens now depends on the justice system." Marcus leaned his head down next to J.B.'s shoulder and then sighed wearily against the anthro stud's leather thick black hide. "And as for the future, well we'll just have to wait and see. I can't promise you anything about how someone else will act, I don't think even the almighty can, but what I can promise you is that this will be a safe place for you. As long as I live and breathe, that is. So let this place be where all your thoughts and feelings turn for the better at and let the rest of the world go round as it may with its own madness." At that Marcus lifted his head and then regarded J.B., who in turn was much calmer now that he had let out all of that painful poison from out of his soul, with a hopeful smile framing itself onto the human's tired looking face.

A whinny from the Mustang later and Marcus was sputtering, or trying to as J.B. pushed him to the ground and then kissed the human dead on to the face. There was little finesse as J.B. used his lips and tongue to smoother his keeper in warm affections, all the while running a heavy hand along the lower curves of the man's chest and torso.

"You're a good one to me, Marcus. I hope for both our sakes we can stay together for a long, long time." J.B. whispered after pulling off of his owner's face, a twinkling light in his eyes telling the human of his conviction towards him.

"Me too, and hey you said my name finally." Marcus cheerfully cooed as he smirked dreamily up at his stud horse.

"Yeah, but don't let it go to your head, slick. I'ma still call you slick for as long as I like, and trust me on this, I like that name for you." At that Marcus grunted and then plopped his head back onto the dirt ground. "Now about that bath," Marcus blinked as he had forgotten all about giving J.B. his cleaning for today. "Maybe a sponge bath would be a nice way to end the day, since I don't think either of us feel like working right now."

"Who owns whom, again?" A sudden grope of a meaty hand against his rear had the human jumping slightly. "Never mind." And with that Marcus sat himself underneath J.B.'s heavy frame for almost ten minutes with brown eyes simply gazing up at the anthro stallion with a loving look on his face as J.B. looked back at him with an adoring smirk.

Twenty minutes later both man and horse were sitting in front of the open yard with J.B. on his hands and knees while Marcus worked to scrub the Mustang off with an extra large sponge he had been saving up for his first 'horse'. The equine whickered and whinnied playfully as he slapped his tail around behind himself, spraying water and suds across his human's already wet frame as Marcus stood over him while grumbling underneath his breath. "Next time, I just get the hose and wash you like a Ford Mustang." Marcus grouchily muttered, to which J.B. snickered openly.

"Do that and I show you what real horsepower is with a foot to face."

"You know, I read somewhere that tamed horses were supposed to be gentle and loving and somewhat docile," Marcus waved his hand into the air as if trying to draw down a small pamphlet of adjectives that went along with how human bred stallions were supposed to behave. Hoping against hope that maybe J.B. would adhere to this mysterious and unseen list.

"Yeah, the gelded ones are...or so I've heard." J.B. fought off a grunt as his keeper knelt down to run soaked hands across his plentiful nuts. "But I'm a stud horse and we're supposed to be wild and somewhat aggressive." J.B. huffed while puffing himself up so that Marcus could see him in all his glory.

A sudden increase of pressure along his balls had the stallion hissing though as Marcus gripped J.B. a little too friendly-like. "Hmmm, maybe I should think about doing something to restrain that male assertiveness that you have built up. Maybe have some built a nice cage for your cock and balls here? I'm sure that I could talk someone into building something like that for you." Marcus teased as he reached a hand into J.B.'s sheath to clean the other of any smegma that might have accumulated.

"Right, and what makes you think I'd let you put it on me in the first place?" J.B. asked with a rising degree of seriousness in his voice.

"Because you long to please your owner and make him happy by doing so?" Marcus ran one of his wet hands along J.B.'s rump and then gave a loving pat along the hardened muscles therein. A snicker came from the human a second later as he watched how the Mustang quivered from his playful touch.

"So what you mean to say is that you think I'm some kind of chump that will follow you're every word and command. Ok, when you stop dreaming let me know. I'll be here in 'reality' to let you in on otherwise." J.B. whickered.

"Oh really Mr. Stud Horse...well the way I see it..." And thus the day continued between man and horse with J.B. and Marcus bantering good-naturedly with one another while the human continued to wash off the anthromorph. It would take Marcus a full hour before he was done with cleaning J.B., not that either of them would complain about it later, as Marcus would soak and clean and rinse J.B. off almost twice over before calling it quits. After doing so the equine would then run around the empty farm to dry off, letting the warm wind rush over his magnificent body while Marcus watched affectionately as the sun colored the droplets of water, turning them into rainbow-like crystals before the two would head into the house for the day. The only sign of life that would come from either J.B. or Marcus later would be loudening whinnies and pleased moans as man and stallion bonded with each other for a second time today.

But that was something that no one but the birds would be privy to listen to as they soared above the small one story house in the middle of nowhere while making their way further north for the spring. After all, some things should be kept private...shouldn't they?