Chapter Text
Eren
My heart pounded in my chest in time with the hoofbeats beneath me. Da-thump, da-thump. Da-thump, da-thump. I leaned to the outside of the curve as we rounded the lone jump standard— our first makeshift barrel in the lineup. Titan didn't need to be told twice— he wanted to run as badly as I did.
I felt the sculpted muscles ripple beneath me as my horse pivoted expertly, balancing his turn with my weight shift. Adrenaline surged through my veins as my eyes locked on the next obstacle. I kept my reins straight but out of Titan's mouth, letting him run as he pleased. Da-thump, da-thump. Da-thump, da-thump.
I threw my weight into the opposite foot as Titan swirled around the next jump standard. I couldn't tell my heartbeat from hoofbeats, my blood rushing from the wind whipping at my face, and I didn't care. Everything was blank as we careened through the course; time was simultaneously stagnant and in hyperdrive. I felt like we were slicing through the morning sky as the first rays of sun peeked over the treetops.
I felt free.
At the turnaround, I almost lost my balance. Panic flashed through me as I gripped a handful of black mane, clenching my teeth and pitching my weight forward to correct the mistake. Titan's step almost faltered, and I prayed to any gods that would listen that he wouldn't trip or pull a muscle.
But Titan had lightning-fast reflexes, and the broad shoulders his bloodline had gifted him with shifted our center of balance at just the right moment. I let out a whoop of encouragement as he picked up speed again to finish the course. After we rounded our last pole, I stood tall in my stirrups and let him slow to a canter along the rail. Thump-da-thump. Thump-da-thump.
Sweat stung in my eyes as our pace gradually slowed to a trot. Titan stretched his neck low and sneezed while I tried to wipe my bangs aside under my helmet. We trotted half a lap before I signaled him to slow to a walk. At this point we were facing the gate again, and I gulped in trepidation as I came down from the high of galloping full-speed ahead.
There, at the gate, stood a breathtaking white Lusitano, her muscled neck arched at the perfect angle. Her one blue eye glittered in the sunlight as she tossed her head, her nostrils slightly flared. While the mare was certainly a privilege to behold, I was more focused on the man who began to stroke her nose in a soothing motion, effectively quieting her impatience.
The man stood facing his horse, his slender back turned to me with a black velvet helmet secured under his arm, but his short stature and trademark undercut were unmistakable. As we rounded the ring closest to the gate, the man turned to glare at me with his steely gray, hooded eyes.
“Are you quite done yet? You're cutting into my ride time,” he quipped. “And those jump standards better be out of the way by the time I've warmed up.”
“Y-yes, Captain Levi!” I stuttered, gathering my reins to steer. “I'm sorry! I'll cool out on foot!”
As we passed the gate, I barely heard him mutter, “Damn straight you will, kid.” My jaw clenched at the remark, but I knew better than to call him out on it. I had just commandeered the outdoor ring without consulting the schedule, after all.
I asked Titan to stop in the center of the ring and dismounted with an “oof!” It had been months since I had the opportunity to ride without Mikasa around— which meant I hadn't done barrels for he same amount of time. My legs felt like jelly, and Titan was still breathing heavily. I fumbled with the cinch, painfully aware of he scrutinizing gaze piercing the back of my head at the moment. Once it had been loosened a few notches, I led Titan back through the gate and tried to avoid looking directly at Levi and his mare Freedom.
He tsked as we passed, mumbling, “About damn time” as he led his horse into the ring. I tied Titan to the top rung of the fence and hurried back inside to move the poles back out of the ring.
I most definitely did not let myself appreciate Levi's tight riding pants and fitted polo shirt and the way his tall boots hugged the curve of his calves. No way.
Well, maybe just a little.
Levi and Freedom complemented each other like a custom glove to its hand. And my train of thought was totally not on the way Levi tugged his sleek black riding gloves onto his slender hands, his dressage whip tucked under his arm. Nope.
My throat felt dry, and not just from the workout I'd gotten. I was grateful for the flush already on my cheeks— I would just die if Levi realized I was blushing at him. Was I blushing at him? Shit. I grabbed the first pole and decided to take two at a time to save trips.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Freedom move forward, Levi perched atop her with the perfect amount of release on her reign. The tack was surprisingly spare— just a simple D-ring snaffle bit on a standard bridle with no additional aids. I briefly wondered if Levi shared my distaste for martingales and draw reins, snapping back to reality as I collided with the second jump standard in the ring.
I heard an amused snort from the same direction as Freedom's hoofbeats, and if my face hadn't been red before, it sure as hell was now.
“So you barrel race, huh?” The smooth, deep voice snapped me awake immediately and I focused on carrying the two poles to the gate.
“Um, well, not really...” I began, trying to keep my voice from cracking out of nervousness. “That is, Mikasa— my sister— doesn't let me compete or practice, really. Says it's too dangerous. But I can't just leave it alone, so I do it only when she's not around.” I dropped the standards against the outside fence unceremoniously and turned to retrieve the other four.
Levi hummed in acknowledgement, standing in his stirrups with his reins knotted at Freedom's neck, his arms stretched out wide as if he were flying. I watched curiously while I made my way over to the next two pieces. My thighs burned in an odd kind of sympathy pain at the sight. The mare began to serpentine with no rein direction, relying completely on Levi's leg pressure and shifting center of gravity. As they turned back towards me, I caught a glimpse of Freedom's brown eye; I almost sighed out loud at the sheer beauty of those mismatched eyes.
“You were doing alright until the turnaround,” Levi commented, now lowering himself back into the saddle and twisting around to reach the base of her tail with his left hand. I almost dropped the jump I had just picked up in surprise. Was he... complimenting me? “You're lucky your horse is so intuitive. If he was a half-beat slower or didn't shift his weight at just the right angle, you'd have ended up on the ground.” He switched hands to complete the stretch.
“Y-yeah, I could tell. I'm lucky to have such a great horse.”
Levi turned to raise an eyebrow at me and I felt my cheeks flush again. Damnit.
“Is he some kind of mustang? He's very toned.”
I nodded, picking up another standard. “Kiger Mustang, actually. I got him as a rescue. He was really skinny and they broke him too early. I was relieved that here was no permanent back damage, but it took a while to train him.”
Levi's eyes widened in surprise at this. “You trained him yourself?”
I laughed as I carried the jumps back out. “I had a lot of help. Do you know Keith Shadis? He walked me through the whole process. Mikasa had an easier job with her horse, but I think Titan turned out alright, all things considered.” Was I really having a conversation with Levi— THE Captain Levi? Dressage champion and Olympic hopeful? Leader of the award-winning Trost Ridge Farm dressage team? I wanted to pinch myself. I lamented the need to hurry my task— both for his sake and Titan's.
“Keith was the one who pointed me in Freedom's direction,” Levi replied quietly. I felt my jaw drop open, but he continued before I could interject. “Titan, is it?” I nodded, jogging out to the last two poles. “He's more than alright. Intuitive, like I said. You can tell he listens to you.” He stood in his stirrups again, this time to reach between Freedom's ears. “He predicts your cues and is attuned to your balance shifts. It almost masks the sloppy little mistakes you make along the way.”
I felt my ears redden and reminded myself that any criticism from Levi should be taken seriously if I ever wanted to improve. “What do you mean, exactly?”
Levi hummed to himself again. I was reaching the last jump standard, and I had to hurry to cool out Titan to prevent injury. “Well, you threw your shoulder too far out at the turnaround, and it caused him to drop his own shoulder and almost trip. I know it's not dressage, but you should always collect from the haunches forward. Collection at the turn not only prevents injury and missteps, but helps improve your own balance and stay in the saddle.” His eyes shifted to my face as I picked up the last pole. “You have potential, though. But only if you clean up your form.”
He shrugged and turned away again, spreading his arms wide and urging his horse into a trot. I tried not to gawk at the grace in not only Freedom's effortless gait, but in the smooth up-and-down rhythm of his hands-free posting. I wasn't very good at posting myself, seeing as the Western discipline rarely utilized it. But I could see how incredibly talented Levi was in the way he glided up and down in his seat with ease. I tore my gaze away and headed back to the gate before he could catch me staring.
Titan's neck was still warm, so I quickly removed his saddle and walked him around the outer perimeter of the ring by hand. It was hard not to sneak glances at Levi, who was now posting without the aid of his stirrups, hands gentle and yielding on the reins. Titan's ears pricked at the sight of the lovely mare, but she ignored him as she rounded the corner closest to us. I chuckled to myself and patted him on the neck. “You have great taste, my man.”
He rubbed his face on my back, trying to scratch the sweat from behind his ears, then sneezed all over the back of my shirt. “Ugh, gross, dude! What was that for? Thanks a lot.” I started walking forward again, wondering if I had actually heard Levi laugh or if I'd just imagined it.