Polo and Dreameh's VERY short RP. For real this time. (Mature)

"You," Sloan answered sternly, "Are going to stay home and rest. I'll cover your work" And I'll sort out Theo... His eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn't give voice to his thoughts. "If you need me, just call, and I'll come straight home. I've left you some water and Aspirin," He indicated the bedside table, "Make yourself some Nutella toast or something if you get hungry later. Anything dry, and it should help."
He smiled tenderly, and stroked Dane's short fringe away from his forehead. "It's going to be okay, Dane. I promise you that. Theo won't come anywhere near you again."
I'll see to that...
"Just be strong, okay?" He offered another slightly forced smile, then stood up to get ready for work. "I'll see you soon. And don't forget: call me."

Dane hiccupped at the thought of eating, since he could still taste vomit between his teeth. He probably wouldn't be hungry for a while. But still, he was grateful for the aspirin. That would definitely be used again.
As if on cue, his tongue went dry with the thirst, and the urge to drink was too strong to resist. Forgetting about the plastic cup he grabbed the jug and gulled down a few mouthfuls of water, dumped it back on the bedside table and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
He knew what Sloan planned to do, he just prayed the man wasn't going to do anything reckless, like getting himself sacked or injured. Theo was no fighter, but he had some fair arm muscles on him, and Dane didn't know how far Theo would go to prevent getting beaten by Sloan.
"Sloan?" Dane asked, perhaps a little less frail than the night before. "Please be careful, especially with your leg. Don't go getting yourself hurt for me, alright?"
Hie smiled softly for a moment and pushed himself up slowly into a sit.
"Yes, I know what you're like. I'll make sure I have my phone on me all the time, anyway. I'll call you if I need anything. Thanks." He grabbed Sloan's hand and squeezed it gratefully.
"Once again, I owe you."

"You don't owe me anything." Sloan replied, ruffling Dane's hair, "And I promise I won't get hurt." He added carefully. But I'm sure as Hell not promising that Theo won't!
"Look after yourself." He said, and with that, he left Dane to get ready for work.

The first thing he did when he arrived at the stables, was to walk off in search of Theo.
Conveniently, he found him in the back field - trying to catch the school ponies himself, since Dane wasn't there to bring them in to have their hooves trimmed like he usually was.
"Oi!" Sloan called, quickening his pace toward Theo.
The closer he got, the more he could hear the roar of blood in his ears. Adrenaline was searing his veins with each rapid beat of his racing heart, and already his fists were clenching at his sides.
"Who the hell do you think you are?!" Sloan growled viciously, lips pulling up into a snarl.
He reached Theo, and grabbed him by the collar with such force that he nearly lifted him off his feet.
"You'd a sick f*cking bastard, d'you know that? Dane trusted you, you pathetic f*cking excuse of a man!" He spat at Theo's feet, and shoved him roughly away in disgust.
"Now listen here, mate. F*ck with me all you want, but don't you dare f*ck with Dane!" He lunged forward again, grabbed Theo's throat, and smacked a heavy fist into his face with such force that he felt his knuckles bruise.
"If you so much as look at him again, I swear to God I'll kill you. And believe me, Theo, I don't f*cking bluff!"
Sloan clenched his jaw, and stared at Theo with utter repulsion - fists shaking at his sides.
He was proud of himself. He had kept his cool... So far.
((Yup, that's Sloan keeping his cool. XD ))

((:Click-eth: Dude... The most uplifting and annoying tune ever!!! ))

The minute Theo spotted Sloan coming towards him, he started to back away. Damn it... What did that bastard want? Because by the looks of things, it definitely wasn't to give him a hand with catching the schooling ponies.
For Goodness' sake, he didn't want to get a tongue lashing right then. He had a headache from drinking the vodka last night, although he obviously wasn't as drunk as Dane had been. That was just an act. They say if you act drunk enough around someone, whether they're sober or tipsy, they sub-consciously start acting the same. Dane, in turn, hadn't drunk that much. But if he'd never had alcohol before then... Well, that was probably why he wasn't at work.
And Theo had been left to catch the stupid nags himself.
He hadn't been able to find the keys to the quad, either. So he'd had to walk across the fields himself, and the grass was still slightly damp from last night's light showers. His boots were already muddy, and he hadn't been walking for long.
But seriously... Sloan chose then to stir up trouble? When no one else was around?
Brilliant. Bloody fantastic.
But really, Sloan wouldn't do anything serious. He wasn't that kind of guy, was he? He didn't seem it, anyw-
Suddenly he felt a fist grab his collar and he was yanked closer to Sloan, and in a heartbeat he was staring into a pair of raging, icy blue eyes that seemed to bulging out of their sockets. The sight of them made him want to shrink away. They were alone, he didn't have anything to protect himself with, and Sloan looked angry beyond control.
Theo was no fighter, but if he didn't get his act together he might just get his ass kicked.
This thought disgusted him.

“What the Hell, man?!” He squirmed, attempting to crush Sloan's grip with both his hands. But before he could do, Sloan shoved him away and spat at his feet. The headcollars that had previously been slung on his shoulder fell to the floor in an untidy head.
Theo staggered backwards to keep on his feet, glaring at Sloan with a look of annoyance. Funny, he actually thought he was going to be punched, or something.
“Now listen here, mate. F*ck with me all you want, but don't you dare f*ck with Dane!”
His eyes widened when Sloan was at him again, seizing him by the throat. He gasped in surprise and planned to force Sloan's hand away by twisting his wrist – he'd seen that in a movie once – but then a fist flew to his jaw, and in the same f*cking place Dane had hit him last night, and the momentum twisted him round until he almost had his back to Sloan, clutching his bruised jaw.
That had been a lucky shot.
He didn't react to Sloan's shouting, because he could feel his eyes watering with the pain and he didn't want his opponent to see.
F*ck. That hurt.
He flexed his lower jaw slowly, making sure it hadn't been broken, blinked his eyes dry then coughed, spitting phloem onto the grass beside him. Panting, he slowly turned to Sloan, not only furious that he didn't have a say in this, but also because he had just been punched in the face by his competition. Dane my have turned him down, but Sloan was still competition in his eyes.
“I... I don't get it.” He croaked, glaring back up at the man before him. “I don't get what he sees in you.” Shaking his head, Theo wiped a droplet of blood that had appeared on his bust lip and dabbed it carefully with his tongue.
“When you buggered off to America, you were all he f*cking talked about. Sloan this... Sloan that... But where were you? Half way around the bloody world. I was still here, working everyday, spending time with him. All I wanted was a bit of gratitude.”
He reached up and rubbed his jaw again, wincing with the pain.
“Sure, I gave him a bit of alcohol, but he'll get over it. Come round eventually. He'll have to...” He eyed Sloan up and down, narrowing his eyes. “Because there'd no way he'd want to stay with you.” The words oozed sickeningly out of his lips like they tasked revolting. Theo's bloody lip lifted into a smirk. “Look at you. You're just a cripple. You can barely walk, let alone ride.”
He chuckled bitterly and stepped forward, squaring himself up before Sloan, glaring right into his eyes.
“Why the Hell would I bow to a prick like you?”

((BURRRRRRRNNNNNN. Kill him, Polo. He makes me cringe.... XD))

((My PC won't let me watch it. ))

Sloan stood with his shoulders tense and his arms folded as he waited patiently for Theo to turn back to him. He was no coward – he’d give the man a chance to defend himself, if he wanted it, or a chance to apologise and run along home with his tail between his legs.
Theo, it seemed, had other ideas.
“I... I don't get it. I don't get what he sees in you.”
Sloan’s eyes narrowed at this, but he said nothing… Because in all honesty, he had thought the same thing on multiple occasions… Hell, he still wondered why Dane was with him – now more than ever…
Theo was bitching on about how Sloan had run off to America, but he was no longer listening. He was thinking of Dane, and how much better off he’d have it without him, Sloan, in his life.
It was true, Dane probably wouldn’t want to stay with him, once he realized how much better he could do.
Theo was right – damn him to hell!
“Look at you. You're just a cripple. You can barely walk, let alone ride.”
At this, Sloan glanced back at Theo, one eyebrow raised. Did he seriously think that insult would get him anywhere? Sure, his comments about Dane had hit a nerve – but if there was one thing Sloan was confident in at that moment, it was his riding.
He looked at Theo’s cocky smirk, and his lips pulled into a grin before he could stop them.
Theo may have been right that he wasn’t good enough for Dane, but Sloan knew he was a damn sight better than Theo would ever be. The fact that he was here to beat the stuffing out of the man for what he’d done to Dane clearly proved that.
Theo took a step forward, and Sloan met his eye, holding his gaze viciously.
“Why the Hell would I bow to a prick like you?”
“Why?” Sloan repeated sweetly, taking a step forward, which brought him so close, he could feel Theo’s breath at his neck.
“Here’s why.”
In one swift movement, Sloan grabbed Theo’s shoulders – mostly to steady himself – and jerked his knee up roughly to catch Theo hard between the legs, then he stepped back to let Theo fall.
“I don’t think I’m worthy of Dane either, mate.” Sloan snarled, glaring down at Theo as though he was something filthy he’d found on the sole of his shoe, “But he chose me, so suck it up, and get over yourself! You can’t just go around playing with people’s emotions because you feel like it! Who the Hell do you think you are, huh? You honest to God get me so f*cking angry I’m afraid I just might hurt myself.”
He jabbed Theo in the ribs with his foot, but since he knew he couldn't deliver a decent kick with a recently healed leg, he decided to drag the man to his feet instead.
“Theo.” He growled threateningly, fingers clamped firmly around his collar, “I’m not a man you want to mess with. If you’re so bloody horny that you’d force yourself on Dane, I swear I’ll f*ck you so hard you’ll be walking sideways for the rest of your life!” He snarled, and brought his face closer to Theo’s, muttering vindictively, “And I don’t kiss nice.”
With that, he threw a savage fist into Theo’s stomach, then dropped him to the floor like a rag doll.
“If you want to keep those f*cking peanuts you call your balls, then don’t you dare let me see you within a mile of Dane or I ever again, ‘cause I can’t promise I’ll be able to keep my cool next time I see you. You’re a perverted f*cking pig, Theo, and you do not want to know the sort of things I could do to people like you.”
He took a deep breath, released it in a sigh, then rolled his shoulders. It was over. Time to call it a day.
“Get yourself cleaned up,” He snapped, “And give Jane a reference for a new farrier. If you ever show your pervy little face around here again, I’ll rip it straight off.”
With that, he raised his chin in a dignified fashion, and walked away – taking care to step on Theo’s face as he left.
He was still fuming, but damn, the rush felt good. In fact, this was the best he’d felt in ages!

((Duuuuude, I hate Theo so much. XD Feel free to skip ahead to when Sloan comes home if you like. :3 ))

((Oh Don't worry, you can watch it later ^_^
Dude, you and me both. -_- ))

Theo braced himself for another blow to the face, ready to block it with his own hand, but the blow didn't come.
Not to his face, anyway.
He grunted loudly, sinking to his knees and clutching his crotch. He'd not seen that coming.
F*cking Sloan, he was a damn lot better at fighting than he looked.
He then realised how poor a choice of words he had used. 'Bow'? He was pretty much bowing to him right then, and he didn't even have any choice in the matter. Pain throbbed between his legs, causing his entire body to shake. He couldn't believe he hadn't seen that coming. He'd left it completely open to attack – his prized possession. ((Go screw yourself, mate. -_-)) No wonder it friggin' hurt!
If Sloan bruised his crotch, he would sue him. Hell, he'd put the guy in prison if it meant he had Dane to himself.
“Who the Hell do you think you are, huh? You honest to God get me so f*cking angry I’m afraid I just might hurt myself.”
“Diddums.” Theo snarled. “The feeling's mutual.”
He flinched when a foot jerked his ribs and curled up into a foetal position, protecting himself with his hands. In a flash, Sloan bent down and dragged Theo's shaky self to his feet, pulling him towards him by his shirt. He winced as the pain from his head, jaw, crotch and ribs all throbbed at once, causing him to tremble and his eyes to water so much he almost looked like he was crying. He tried to keep his dignity, but covered in mud, with evidence he'd been beaten pretty badly, by a cripple was difficult to hide.
He raised his chin, nostrils flared, his breath coming out shaky and uneven. He'd lost, he knew that.
“If you’re so bloody horny that you’d force yourself on Dane, I swear I’ll f*ck you so hard you’ll be walking sideways for the rest of your life!”
Theo's lip curled in disgust, as he studied the angry face before him. He hadn't asked for this, he'd not even thought about what Sloan would do if it went wrong. Honestly, he didn't think it'd go wrong. He thought it would go to plan, that Dane would like it, and when he realised how fit Theo's body was he might change his mind about Sloan. Not once had he guessed that Dane might not like it, especially in his drunk state.
“I'd rather stick pins in my eyes.” He grumbled, just as a fist flung into his stomach and he collapsed in a heap in the muddy grass, coughing and sputtering. He clutched his stomach and bowed his head, a lock of dark hair falling over his face. He desperately wanted to kick Sloan in the balls himself for that, but he was in so much pain he feared if he tried anything and it went wrong, he'd end up having his face shoved in the dirt, for real.
He didn't hear Sloan's threats until he mentioned Jane and getting a new farrier, and this caused hs head to snap up in alarm. Sloan stepped over his body to go back to the stables, and Theo scrambled to his feet, eyes wide in disbelief.
“You're sacking me?!” He exclaimed, before doubling over to choke and spit again. That blow to the stomach would certainly hurt for the next few days, for sure. He then straightened, grabbing the headcollars and jogging after Sloan, his brow – smudged with mud – creased into a frown.
“No, no... You can't do that.” He chuckled bitterly, raising a finger accusingly as he leapt into Sloan's path. “You can't sack me, because you're not my employer. Jane's my employer, and she wouldn't get rid of me over something so pathetic.”
He shook his head, his lip curled into a snarl. He didn't work at the stables like Sloan did. He went from place to place. Technically, he didn't have to listen to this.
“You know what?” He dumped the headcollars at Sloan's feet. “Get your own damned ponies.”
He eyed Sloan for a moment and then turned away, rubbing his stomach where Sloan had punched him. “It's not my job, it's yours. Why don't you do it, for once?”
He whistled, and in a few seconds a brown smudge galloped into view, a small mess of long, brown and black hair. A German shepherd trotted to his side, nuzzling his leg, then followed him across the field.
He'd get his chance again, one day. When Sloan wasn't around Theo would meet up with Dane again, and they'd actually get a decent relationship. This was all just a blip. All he needed to do was apologise, then he'd show Dane what he was really made of.
And then we'll see who's kicking who's ass then, eh Sloan?
“Don't worry, I'll stay away from Dart.” He called over his shoulder. “You can get a new farrier for her. I never really liked her, anyway.”

((Gonna kill him. *Twitches* GONNA KILL HIM!!!))

"You stupid f*cking idiot..." Sloan muttered under his breath, glaring after Theo in disbelief for a moment. "Hey!" He growled, quickly catching up, then grabbing Theo's shoulder, and ripping him around with such strength, he actually worried for a moment that he might have dislocated it.
"You've misunderstood me, asshole!" Sloan sneered, "I had no idea you were as much of an idiot as you are a coward. Life must be tough." He tweaked his eyebrows upwards in a mocking fashion, then grabbed Theo tightly by the throat, and went on to calmly explain, "I know I'm not your employer, mate. I'm just saying that if you don't stop working here, I'm going to make you wish you were never born." He smiled pleasantly, then released Theo, and dusted himself off in a dignified fashion.
"I know where you live." He finished threateningly, a devious grin splitting his face. At that moment, he looked truly mad, and more than capable of murder.
He was tempted to say more, but instead he just flexed his fist, and turned his back on Theo, storming off back to the gate.
He couldn't ride when he was shaking from fury. It wouldn't be fair to the horses.
He would take an early lunch, and come back later to ride, when Theo was gone. And if Theo had the f*cking nerve to stick around, well... He'd said it before, hadn't he? Sloan Terse did not bluff.

He arrived home around 10 minutes later, slightly calmer than before, but still tense from anger, and hyped on the adrenaline from the fight. He felt barely human... But damn it, he liked it.
"Dane?" He called, dropping his keys on the table in the lounge, then pausing to wait for his boyfriend's response.

((DUDE! I'm so mad it's not even funny! I want him to die! XD ))

((Mission accomplished!! ))

The minute Sloan grabbed hold of Theo's throat, Dodger – the German shepherd – started to growl. However, Sloan seemed unfazed by this, he must have already known Dodger was harmless, and gave Theo a smile that looked honestly mad, like he could do anything he wanted without being bothered by it.
There was no one around to stop him, either.
For the first time since he'd been approached, Theo felt genuinely scared.
He trusted Sloan's word then, about if he ever saw him again he'd make him regret ever having been born. His hands wrapped around the one that clasped around his throat and his nostrils flared, his face going red with shame and fear. He couldn't let himself panic, otherwise he really would be strangled. He had to keep his dignity. He had to fight back...
Dodger's barks echoed in his head along with Sloan's words, but all Theo could hear was his pulse banging savagely against his ears.
Let go... He begged silently. You'll actually kill me. Let go, dammit!
Eventually, he was released.
He doubled over once more and coughed, rubbing his throat desperately. Sloan;'s grip was terrifyingly strong, much stronger than he'd expected. Really, he should have already established he'd lost the fight. Why did he have to open his mouth again?
Forget it. He may have been fired from this stables, but there were others he worked for. It wouldn't be difficult to replace this one.
Besides, Dane lived close by. They'd see each other soon enough.
“I know where you live.”
“No you don't.” Was Theo's first reply, then he realised Dane probably had told Sloan everything when he got home.
He looked up at the man, who had turned his back and was walking away like he owned the place, frowning. Sloan knew where he lived. He actually f*cking knew where he lived.
F*ck.

Dane felt considerably healthier when Sloan arrived back, although he hadn't bothered to shower due to his headache. He'd drunk two jug-fulls of water and made himself some toast and jam, which he had managed to keep in his stomach... So far.
“You home already?” He waddled into the lounge from the kitchen, in nothing but a vest top and some large, baggy boxer shorts. He was still rather shaky and seemed like he was hiding within himself, but at the sight of Sloan, his eyes lit up.
“What, aren't there any lessons today?” He went to the sofa and instead of slouching with his legs stretched out in front of him he curled up against the cushion, hugging a glass of water. He frowned when he noticed his boyfriend's body language was a bit different than usual. “You alright? You seem a bit weird...”

"Taking an early lunch." Sloan grunted in response, walking over to meet Dane. Being around his boyfriend always calmed him down, and already he was starting to feel better. Well, not 'better' so much as 'calmer'. Truth was, he enjoyed being angry.
He missed Dane's question about the lessons, since he was still rather lost in thought, but when he saw Dane sit down on the couch, Sloan copied him.
He raised his right hand, and examined his knuckles curiously. He'd grazed them slightly, and his hand was bruised, but Theo's face hurt far less than a wall did - so all in all he felt pretty lucky.
“You alright? You seem a bit weird...”
"Hm?" Sloan asked, glancing innocently back at Dane. "I'm fine. Bruised my hand, though." He offered it to Dane to demonstrate. "Some asshole rammed his stupid face into it."
He flexed his fingers, then glanced back at Dane with a grim smile. "He won't be bothering you again in a hurry, I promise you that. Nobody f*cks with my Dane."
He ruffled his boyfriend's hair affectionately, smiling at him with a content, loving expression which hadn't adorned his face for quite some time.
It was quite remarkable how different he seemed when he was honestly happy, even if it was to be short lived. He knew the thrill would wear away soon, after all, but still... It felt good. For just a moment, he got to feel like somebody again.
"You look better." He commented, pressing the back of his hand to Dane's forehead, "How are you feeling?"

Dane should have been disappointed that Sloan had gone through the trouble of hitting Theo in the face and bruising his hand, but he found himself smiling despite this. Besides, he couldn't really talk, since he'd done the same the night before. Except, perhaps a little lighter.
His cheeks warmed lovingly for the an before him Bless him... Sloan really did have his back.
He closed his eyes and allowed his hair to be ruffled - although it felt strage now that it had grown out a little more, enough for it to remain in different directions when it was ruffled. He grumbled and flattened it back out, scrathcing the back of his head with a free hand.
"I'm feeling better, thanks." He mumbled, shifting closer to Sloan and resting his head on his boyfriend's strong shoulder. "The water hasn't done much besides making me pee, but the Aspirin seems to have lessened the headache."
He sighed and sipped the water anyway. Then he sighed, and stared at it for a long while. It looked a bit like the vodka Theo had been drinking the previous night. This memory caused a lump to build up in his throat. How could he have been betrayed so easily? Theo had been so friendly when Soan wasn't around, what had led him to try and force imself on Dane? He couldn't understand it...
"This is yet another f*cking reason to hate alcohol." He mumbled, the fact that he was swearing just proved how low he was. "As if it killing my Dad wasn't enough."

Sloan patted Dane's shoulder sympathetically, but he was still feeling too cheerful to empathize with his boyfriend, so he tried taking the more lighthearted route to cheering Dane up instead.
"I quit drinking." He pointed out innocently, poking Dane in the ribs. "Nearly two months sober now." He flashed that ridiculously contagious grin of his, and bent his head closer to Dane's, resting his forehead against Dane's temple.
"Come on, mate. You're not helping anybody by dwelling on it." He pointed out fairly.
After a moment's thought, Sloan added, "Want to come with me to the stables? I'll still cover your work - just figured you might like to spend some time with Archie."
He patted Dane's shoulder, then stood up. "Anyway, I'm grabbing a quick bite, then I'll get going. Think about it, and let me know."
He hurried off to the kitchen, poured some cornflakes into his mouth from the box, then grabbed an apple.
"Cfomingf?" He mumbled as he reached the door, mouth still full of cornflakes.
He swallowed, then added, "If not, I'll see you later. Love ya, mate."

Dane tried not to smile at Sloan's joke because it wasn't funny, but he couldn't help it. That smile was way too contagious to resist! "Shut up." He muttered, his cheeks blushing, and curled tighter in a ball, almost like the 'hedgehog' Sloan once called him.
At the mention of going to the stables, Dane's face lit up. Sure, he wasn't in the mood for work, but Sloan was right; Archie would certainly make him feel better. Hell, just by existing, that stupid horse made him smile. Besides, he'd not eally spent much time with him in a while.
He nodded and went off to get dressed. A few minutes later he arrived in a pair of jeans and a plain shirt, not dressed for riding but not interesting enough for him to care if he got a bit mucky.
When he spotted Sloan, he immediately started to chuckle. The man was stood with a mouthful of cornflakes and an apple in his hand, and he could barely talk he had so much food in his mouth.
"I'm coming." He nodded, then wandered to Sloan's side, nuzzling Sloan gratefully then pulling away. "You're right, I could do with the company. But..." He rubbed his arm self-consciously, the smile disappearing rom his face. "Will Theo be there?"

"Dane," Sloan replied confidently, slinging his arm around his boyfriend's shoulders as he led him outside to the Jeep, "Theo will never show his stupid f*cking face there ever again."
With that, he unlocked the Jeep, and waited for Dane to get in before starting the engine.

They arrived at the stables a short while later, and sure enough, Theo's car was gone. Sloan walked Dane to Archie's stable, then said a hurried goodbye before he was dragged off by an eager pupil to teach his first lesson of the day.
For the resat of the day, Sloan was running madly back and forth, trying to cover both his work and Dane's. He didn't mind at first, but as the excitement of the fight dwindled, so his good mood waned, until all he could think about was how busy he was; how tired, how stressed...

By the end of it all, when he put the last horse away in its stall, Sloan was back in his little pit, and Theo's words from earlier coupled with his own doubts to eat away at him.
What did Dane see in him?
What if Dane did leave him for someone better?
Was he being selfish keeping the relationship alive? Was he holding Dane back?
Pushing his dismal thoughts tiredly aside, Sloan dragged his feet to Archie's stable, and called Dane.
"Time to go." He said wearily, "You ready?"

((Sorry, time skipping to keep it moving, because I have a tiny, slightly pointless idea that isn't really a twist, but serves as an idea nonetheless. ))

((It's alright, I've got no more ideas now, so go as mad as you like. ))

Dane was surprised at how easy it was to spend an entire day doing nothing but hanging around his horse, fussing over him, grooming him, leading to the field, sitting with him, leading him back to his stable and even just sitting and watching him munch away at his hay net. He'd missed Archie, greatly, and he was grateful that Sloan had let him have a day off. He'd not had a single day off from the stables in years, and for once he was glad not to have to look after or ride any of the other horses. That day, he just had to look after Archie.
He shovelled some manure that hadn't been sat on the straw for three minutes before he moved it, and wheeled the tiny dropping up to the muck heap. When he came back down he grabbed a body brush and began to pointlessly brush Archie as he ate away at his haynet, one arm wrapped around the gelding's shoulder, the other hand brushing the other side of his neck.
He loved how Archie could acknowledge his existance at the right moment, and ignore him at other times. Now, after spending hours socializing with Archie, Dane was glad that the gelding was ignoring him, because of course, the hay was far more interesting. But also, it allowed Dane to waft away into his own little world, and leave him to his thoughts without totally abandoning him.
When Sloa appeared outside the stable Dane nearly jumped out of his skin, but gave his horse a brief pat and went to the door obediently. "Yeah, I'm ready." He smiled and left the stable, reaching his boyfriend's side. "How've you been? I'm sorry I didn't give you a hand, I've been in my own little world today..." He shrugged helplessly and tried for a faint laugh, then rested a hand on Sloan's shoulder. "Thanks for today." He mumbled. "I really needed the day off."

"I'm tired." Sloan admitted - but with Dane's hand on his shoulder, he managed to smile all the same. "You really do a lot around here." He laughed weakly, then shook his head and fell into step beside Dane as they walked back toward the Jeep.
As they go there, Sloan turned to Dane, forcing a smile, and added kindly, "You know that any time you want a break, you can just ask me. I don't mind covering for you. I don't have all that much to do around here at the moment anyway, since I lost half my pupils when I went to America."
He shrugged, and swung himself into the driver's side of the Jeep, waiting for Dane to get in beside him.
Honestly, he was exhausted - but he didn't think it was from the work... He was always exhausted these days, because he had a constant mental battle waging in his head, and the resulting depression just trained him. He thought he would have shaken it off by now, but try as he might, he just couldn't. That morning had been a wonderful moment of relief - but now his doubts and fears were back to haunt him.
He drove in silence back to his house, lost in thought, and once he was inside, he just collapsed onto the sofa, and stared at the blank TV screen. This seemed to have become something of a ritual for him.
He wondered vaguely if he should talk to Dane... Tell him what was going on, and maybe ask him for help... But it didn't take him long to squash that idea. Poor Dane had enough problems, especially now. It wouldn't be fair to load more onto him. Sloan would just deal on his own, as he always had...

"I know." He smiled as he got in the jeep, loving Sloan even more than ever. Not because he'd said it, but because he was so obviously lying that it didn't bother him, that he didn't have much to do usually. Dane wasn't stupid, he could tell the man was barely able to stand up. Hell, Dane was always tired after work, and that was just with his job.
But he didn't say anything, because he knew Sloan just needed to sit down and know he didn't have anything left to do that day. From that moment on, for the rest of the day, Dane decided he'd do everything for Sloan.
Once they both got into the house, Sloan threw himself onto the sofa and Dane kicked off his muddy shoes, and trailed around with the damp ends of his jeans trailing by his heals.
He made himself some more water, gulped it down and went to the toilet straight after. Damn it... That stuff really hadn't been making him feel any better...
He went to his bedroom and changed into a pair of huge army pants - That had actually been Claire's, since the army clothes were all unisex, and the sizes differed from small or large - nothing in between. He then took off his shirt, and due to how warm he was, he just grabbed an old, button-up shirt and wore it completely open. His unusual choice of clothing for once wasn't very stylish, nor fitting. But he didn't care. He went to the kitchen and poked his head around the door to see Sloan was just sat, staring at the blank TV screen. He wondered what he was thinking about for it to be so important that he hadn't even thought about turning on the TV with the remote right next to him. Whatever it was, it wasn't something to smile about, according to Sloan's facial expression.
Frowning, Dane turned on the kettle and prepared the man a hot chocolate, and found a packet of cocolate digestives hidden in what must have been Sloan's ex's secret stash, and wandered to the sofa. He handed Sloan his hot chocolate from behind and sat down beside him, cupping the biscuits as if they were made of gold. He opened the packet, pulled one out, sunked it in Sloan's hot chocolate without bothering with consent and bit into it. The biscuit tasted like sawdust and he really shouldn't have been eating it, but it didn't matter if he threw it up. He'd live.
"Don't ask what I'm wearing." He said before Sloan had the chance to bring it up, and wiped some crumbs form the corner of his mouth. "My body temperature's still playing up, and I'm boiling." He smiled, then offered the biscuit packet to his boyfriend, curling up in a ball beside him.
He waited for a moment then, still staring at the opposite wall, asked "Mate, what's up? And don't tell me it's nothing." He lifted his eyes, they were sparkling slightly. "You've been staring at the TV for ages and you haven't smiled once. Talk to me."

When Dane appeared behind him, Sloan was jolted out of his thoughts, and finally looked away from the TV screen. When he saw the hot chocolate, he smiled gratefully, and took it with a murmured word of thanks.
Bless him... Dane always knew just what he needed.
He blew on the hot chocolate for a moment, but before he could take a sip, Dane had dunked his biscuit in it. Sloan shot him a friendly glare, then brought the mug to his lips.
Even though he sipped it carefully, it still burned his tongue - but he didn't care. He had never had the patience to safely drink hot drinks, and he never would.
He was too busy thinking about his drinking habits - and not the alcoholic kind - to really pay attention to what Dane was wearing. When he brought it up, however, Sloan raised an eyebrow. He was about to comment, when suddenly Dane said something that surprised him somewhat.
"Mate, what's up? And don't tell me it's nothing."
So Dane had noticed him looking all gloomy? He supposed he shouldn't have been surprised, really. He was too tired to put on his usual act... "You've been staring at the TV for ages and you haven't smiled once. Talk to me."
At first he said nothing, but took the opportunity to nibble on one of the chocolate digestives that Dane had offered him.
At last, he looked at his boyfriend - but instead of answering Dane's question, he posed one of his own.
"Listen, Dane. If I ask you something, do you promise to be completely honest with me?" He held Dane's gaze for a long moment, then glanced away, as though trying to decide how to word his question.
"Are you..." He muttered incoherently. Then he cleared his throat, looked up at Dane, and tried again. "Are you happy with me? I mean, really?" His eyes searched Dane's face for any trace of a lie, eyebrows drawn together in a slight frown.
He just had to know... Was he doing the right thing by keeping this relationship alive?
He hated to admit it, but it was time to have 'the talk'. He was in too deep now to 'just wing it'.

The first question was a stupid one. Dane hoped Sloan had just said it to give himself time to think, because he knew fair well Dane was a crap liar, and being honest was the only thing he was good at, as socialising went.
He held his boyfriend's gaze for a long time, and nodded earnestly, picking up a iscuit without looking at it and nibbling at it like a little hamster.
"Are you happy with me? I mean, really?"
He wasn't quite sure how to respond at first, because the answer was so obvious he was sure, at the fact that Sloan had asked him such a question, was wrong. There had to be a catch to this. Didn't Sloan like him anymore? Was he having second thoughts about this whole 'moving in' malarky?
Frowning, Dane shook his head in disbalief. Had Sloan seriously just asked that?
"Of course I am." He gave his boyfriend a funny look, then smiled uneasily. "Really, d'you think I'd have moved in if I wasn't? Stayed by your side after you'd broken your leg? Honestly, Sloan..." He took the man's hand and laced their fingers together. "You should know by now that I'm not that good an actor."
He smiled, a lot more relaxed now and wrapped an arm around Sloan's shoulder, feeling odd for playing the strong boyfriend this time. Especially when he was feeling so vulnerable himself.
"I'm glad, actually, that I found you, to be honest. I was such a social retard when we first met." He smirked at the memory, and chuckled when he realised how much of a social retrd he still was. The entire day he spent with a horse just proved that.
"Are you happy with me?" He asked, narrowing his eye suspiciously, "Or have you just been thinking too much."

Sloan allowed Dane to take his hand, but despite his boyfriend's answer, he still did not seem pleased. He had known that Dane would say that, of course... But Dane just didn't understand... He'd never been in a relationship, after all. He could be happier.
Come to think of it, Sloan wasn't actually sure why he'd asked that in the first place - seeing as he was clearly going to stick to his own opinion all along.
When he felt Dane's arm around his shoulders, Sloan frowned and shrugged it off. That was usually the point where he would mirror Dane's smile, admit he was being stupid, and allow Dane to cuddle him all he liked - but this time, he couldn't let go of his doubts so easily.
"Are you happy with me?" Dane asked out of the blue, sounding suddenly suspicious, "Or have you just been thinking too much."
Sloan was silent a long while after this - staring out of the window, lost in thought.
"You're the best thing that's ever happened to me." He said after a while, "And I mean that. You've made me happier than I've been in my life, but recently, I-" He broke off, struggling to find the right words. "I'm happy with you." He said after a moment's thought, "But I'm not... Happy."
He sighed, shaking his head, until finally - he decided to come clean.
"I've actually been quite down for a while now. I thought I'd be fine once I could go back to my usual life, but I'm not. I want to be happy, nothing would make me happier than to be happy-" He laughed helplessly, "But no matter how hard I try, I just end up getting more and more depressed. I guess I'm just such a screw up, that I-" He broke off suddenly, and with a growl of frustration, muttered, "You see? I can't stop. And now I feel like an even bigger jackass, because instead of supporting you like I should be doing, I'm sitting here whining about how f*cking miserable I am."
He uttered a derisive snort, and shook his head in disbelief.
"Good lord, I'm pathetic."
What the hell do you see in me, Dane?
When are you going to realize that you deserve someone better?

Dane frowned when his arm was shrugged off, and pulled it back to his lap uncomfortably. Sloan didn't usually turn away from means of affection, and this made Dane worried. What could be so wrong that Sloan wouldn't even accept loving gestures? He'd never acted like that before...
In the silence that followed, Dane looked down at his hands, gnawing at his lower lip, and stealing a biscuit every now and then.
"You're the best thing that's ever happened to me."
He wanted to smile at this, but the way Sloan said it almost made it sound like... A bad thing. It contradicted his words completely. Dane looked up at him, his brow furrowed with concern.
When Sloan started to go on about not being happy, and about the depression that had been hauntig him for a long while, Dane remained silent. He took in every word, nodded when it was needed, perhaps giving a quiet 'mm-hm' every now and then. It didn't surprise him that Sloan was depressed. Sure, he may not have been cutting himself - as far as he knew, anyway - but he'd been slightly 'off' at times, and wouldn't tell Dane what was going on. Besides, after everything he'd been through he was bound to be depressed at some point. In fact, Dane was just glaad Sloan had confessd it all, before it got out of hand.
However, when Sloan started saying how pathetic he was, obviously disgusted with himself, Dane started to feel slightly irritated.
"Stop it!" He snapped, turning sharply to face his boyfriend. "Stop putting yourself down like that, it's annoying."
If the 'soft' card wasn't going to mae a difference, he'd have to go with the 'tough' one.
He crossed his arms over his chest, exaggerating his frustration, and let out a sharp sigh. "Why can't you see how perfectly happy I am? Or was..." He corrected himself, raised an eyebrow. "About ten seconds ago, anyway." ((Did totally not steal that line from Breaking Dawn... :3))
Grumbling to himself, Dane rubbed his face tiredly with both his hands and sat on the arm of the sofa, facing his boyfriend. "You're the only one that thinks all this, and the more you keep telling yourself it's true, the more you f*cking believe it. Well, how 'bout you stop talking, and listen to me for once."
With an uncharacteristically firm voice that he'd never used before, Dane reached out and kicked the man's leg lightly.
"You're not pathetic, you're depressed. You can't help being depressed, and you can't force it away, either. We both know what happens when you do that. You're not a screw up, you're... You're brilliant. You are Sloan. And d'you know what? Shockingly, I wouldn't have you any other way."
He narrowed his eyes, as if he was honestly pissed off. "Now how 'bout you stop talking crap and get rid of that sad face, before I kiss it off."
The firm expression didn't leave him, but his eyes softened. His tongue-lashing was over, for now. He just wondered whether it would make a difference to how Sloan saw himself.

((Don’t worry, I steal an alarming amount of lines from Scrubs… XD ))

Sloan glanced up in surprise at Dane’s snappy response, because he’d honestly never expected to hear his boyfriend use such a harsh tone. He stared at Dane in shock for a moment, not quite sure what to do or say.
When Dane went on talking, he figured he’d better just clam up and listen.
"Why can't you see how perfectly happy I am? Or was… About ten seconds ago, anyway."
“I’m sorry…” Sloan mumbled sheepishly, dropping his gaze. Maybe he shouldn’t have said anything after all…
"You're the only one that thinks all this, and the more you keep telling yourself it's true, the more you f*cking believe it. Well, how 'bout you stop talking, and listen to me for once."
Sloan fell obediently silent, looking up at Dane in a somewhat submissive fashion, and listening meekly to what he had to say.
"You're not pathetic, you're depressed. You can't help being depressed, and you can't force it away, either. We both know what happens when you do that. You're not a screw up, you're... You're brilliant. You are Sloan. And d'you know what? Shockingly, I wouldn't have you any other way."
Honestly touched by this statement, Sloan glanced away again, willing himself to take Dane’s words to heart. He knew his boyfriend meant it completely… Dane really was happy with him, and he really did love him – but Sloan still couldn’t fathom why on earth he would be settling when he could do so much better.
If he’d let himself look on the bright side, maybe he would have realized that he didn’t have to be perfect to be just right for Dane, but Sloan’s thinking was cruelly boxed, and his mind could still only conjure up one explanation: Dane loved him, because he didn’t know any better.
Still, he had to admit, he felt a lot better after discussing this with Dane, and hearing what he thought. He had never seen his boyfriend quite so forceful before, and to be honest, it was oddly reassuring.
He glanced back at Dane, meaning to thank him, but shrunk away slightly with a disgruntled expression when he found his boyfriend glaring back at him.
"Now how 'bout you stop talking crap and get rid of that sad face, before I kiss it off."
That did it.
“Sorry.” Sloan chuckled, shaking his head, and allowing a grin to creep sheepishly across his face.
“No, wait, what am I apologizing for?” He snapped suddenly, frowning at Dane, “You can’t control what my face looks like.”
He stuck out his tongue teasingly, then grabbed Dane into a headlock, and ruffled his hair deviously.
“Thanks.” He murmured, pulling his boyfriend into a brief hug, and smiling gratefully, “I really needed that.”

As soon as Sloan's sad frown slackened into a grin, Dane instantly mirrored it. Thank God that had worked... He wasn't all that sure what he would have done if he hadn't smiled. Probbly kissed him. Badly. Desperately, too. He was never good at looking angry, even when he was it rarely lasted long. Sloan seemed to have taken that into account.
"So you should be." Dane replied smugly, kicking his boyfriend gently in the thigh again.
"Hey!" He shrieked suddenly as he was yanked into a headlock, and slapped Sloan's hand pathetically to get him off. "Oi... Gerroff!" He pulled away in a laughing mess, slapping down his scruffy hair sheepishly..
"You're welcome." He said eventually, being pulled back into Sloan's embrace. Glad that he'd been accepted again he leant his head on the man's shoulder and offered him a biscuit. "Thanks for telling me what was up. I appreciate it."
He reached up and pecked Sloan on the cheek, then shuffled around and rested his head on the man's lap, facing the ceiling. ((If he was facing downward, that would be awkward. ))
"And I don't know if you've noticed..." He grinned, staring up into Sloan's eyes. His opened shirt fell back onto his arms, showing off his bare stomach and chest. "I'm not really wearing much of a shirt."
Funny... He should really have been affected more from the fact Theo had touched him there that night, but he trueted Sloan, and he was more affected by the betrayal more than what had happened in detail.
"You're supposed to notice. It's like... Boyfriend rule number one."

((Honestly, I don't think Sloan would mind. XD ))

Shrugging off Dane's thanks, Sloan glanced down at him, smiling mildly. He didn't quite look happy - there were no magic fixes to depression, after all - but he certainly seemed to be in a better mood than before. At the very least, he was willing to put his doubts on the shelf for the time being.
Dane started grinning, then, and just as Sloan started wondering why, he said one of the few things that could always distract Sloan completely from whatever was bothering him.
"And I don't know if you've noticed... I'm not really wearing much of a shirt."
He raised an eyebrow as he realized the truth of this, letting his eyes dart over Dane's chiseled abs.
Yep, that wasn't much of a shirt, all right.
"You're supposed to notice. It's like... Boyfriend rule number one."
"I noticed!" Sloan retorted, grinning despite himself, "Better late than never, right? And by the way - you're wearing that shirt more often from now on. I like it." He winked, and poked Dane playfully in the chest. "Very slutty."
He tried to keep the devious grin on his face, but eventually it faded, and he was left smiling warmly at his boyfriend - looking surprisingly grateful, for him.
Dane really did know him perfectly. Sloan had never met anybody who could shove his insecurities aside, and then make him forget about them so quickly, that he found himself grinning from ear to ear before he even knew why.
He shook his head silently, then let his lips shift into a smirk again, a playful glint reigniting in his eye.
"Comfy?" He asked teasingly, regarding Dane with his head cocked slightly to one side - fringe falling over his eyes just a little.
Perfect. At last it was the length he wanted it. That, at least, was good news.

((Niether do I. XD My friend did that once when she was drunk. Her poor boyfriend looked mortified. ))

“That's fine with me.” Dane chuckled, opening the shirt absentmindedly with his hands. “As long as you don't make me wear it like this outside, since that would be, you know...” He reached up, yanking more of the shirt away from his stomach, and scratched his head. “”A bit weird. “
Something dawned on him for a moment, and his expressino changed to a look of amused annoyance.
“Oi! I'm not a slut!” He exclaimed, then rested his hand back on his stomach, reaching up with his other and flicking his boyfriend on the nose. “I walk around shirtless for my benefit. Not everyone else's.”
He nodded, as if this justified everything, and then folded his hands coolly behind his head. Honestly, he was very comfy, but the look on Sloan's face warned him that he was planning something that meant he may not be for much longer.
“I am.” He mumbled, glowering at Sloan's eyes hidden behind a thick lock of hair. His brow creased into a suspicious frown, although he couldn't help but grin.
“Why?”