kidd still in h.school
2025-01-09 14:53![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mekachu04"And how was classes?"
Kidd glared as he hopped into Victoria Punk, Killer pulling away as he was still setting in. The ride was quiet for the first half, before Killer asked his follow up question:
"You gotta get home or do you wanna ride around with me tonight while I work?"
Kidd looked at him sus, "You don't usually ask?"
"You could have homework? Maybe your mom wants you home?"
"Tch"
"Okay."
"What's really going on?"
"Just got a job is all - driving hay out and checking on some horses out on Shank's winter fields."
Kidd turned slowly and -glared- "You working for Akagami now?"
"/Akagami/ pays up front. If he's offering me a job, I'm taking it."
"Asshole."
"... him or me?"
"You. Both. Fucking -him-"
They didn't say anything for a bit.
"Look. I'll drop you off at home." A pause. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything."
"You think sneaking around would make me feel better?"
Killer drummed his fingers of the steering wheel but said nothing.
"Damnit Kil - how long?"
Killer refused to answer, jaw set in that way of his that meant this was one of his lines. One of the things he fuses to let anyone bully him on. Not even Kidd.
"Fine. Whatever."
Nothing
"He pay you fair, or is he a cheapsake because it's cash up front?"
"Good money." Killer says softly, "Stupid good money."
Kidd scoffs, "and how out of the way is it taking me home first?"
"You don't have to come - "
"-not what I asked. Just do the fucking job. No point making multiple trips."
They pull off the highway 20 minutes before the turn off to the county road they live down, a wide dirt road cutting back into the unfamiliar east mountain, back around behind Heat and Wire's on roads not usually traveled, certainly not by them. A few more turns and they pulled across the cattle guard across the Swinging S Ranch House, driving right past the main buildings around to the massive hay barn trucked around back next to a large pond. Killer backed the truck up next to the large open bay doors.
Kidd surprised him by getting out with him.
"You.. you don't have -"
"How many bales we grabbing?"
"Six."
Kidd hauled himself up into the truck bed. "Easy fit." he grabbed the left hand of the pair of gloves out of the little tool box they'd bolted in the summer before, and tossed it at Killer - who caught it before Kidd could nail him in the face with it. "You need both or just the hooks?"
"Hooks is fine, you use the other."
Kidd did not throw the hay hooks, just dug them out and walked them down the truck bed as Killer rolled his sleeves back down, formerly tossed glove tucked between his thighs, and buttoned the cuffs. He braided his hair back in a rush job, before securing the thing back in a lazy bun, end under his hat's brim, studying the small hay mountain in front of him.
"okay" he tuned back to Kidd, who handed the two hooks off before Kidd worked on getting the right hand glove one - it was a little small for him, and he had to bite the trim and hold it with his teeth before shoving his hand into it.
in the mean time, Killer had half climbed the stack so he could hook off the top row - a careful balancing act seeing as the last person to pull form the stack was clearly taller than him or they would have left on more layer of bales to stand on. the first bale Killer hooked didn't go in the truck, and Killer assembled himself a step-up
"You're so fucking short."
Kidd had caught up with Killer in height when he was 15 - and despite the four year age gape, Kidd now was nearly a head taller and twice as wide. Killer was still slowly getting taller, but Kidd was pretty sure he was never going to catch back up. And with his bare hand, Killer had relaxed the hook so it fell back and gave Kidd a clear view of his middle finger.
Kidd only grinned back - "Come on little man - 6 bales you said?"
Killer would hook the bale, and toss it down on the tail gate. Victoria would grumble, but the impact of each following bale shook her less as Kidd shifted the weight out. The two of them took longer than Wire and Heat with bucking; Killer lacked Wire's height and Kidd lacked Heat's two functional arms. Granted - Wire and Heat are monsters at it - they'd even shown up and won a few competitions at the country fair for the last few summers. 50 pounds of hay at a time, Kidd would grab the two twines in his one hand and Tetris them into the bed. Five fit in tight in the bed, and Kidd stood awkwardly on the first layer of compacted grass, and Killer threw him down bail number six. Kidd shifted it back up to the cab window, before picking his way to the tail gate.
Kidd held his hand out, Killer - still up in the hay mountain - reached down and tugged the glove free, before handing Kidd his two hooks. Killer pulled the glove onto his bare hand, taking one of the hooks back, and shifted the mountain around so it was stepped better for him to climb up and down.
"We coming back tomorrow?"
"Day after" Killer corrected, handing the hook back for the last time once he was happy with his work. Kidd tucked them back into the tool box, before climbing back over the side, using the back tire as a step down. Killer picked his way back down to the truck bed. As the one with the gloves, he moved the last hay bale to the middle, buying his tool box, but leaving the hay centered. He brushed some of the loose hay off his shirt before gesturing Kidd to the driver side.
"Drive so I can get the gates once we get up there."
The last thing Kidd wanted was to be seen driving off Akagami's property, but Killer had a point, so behind the wheel he went.
Killer directed him back up into the unfamiliar back roads, before they were driving down a narrow road nothing more then a set of tire tracks though a field. Sure enough, there was a wire gate stretched across on over the run offs, and Killer jumped out to drag it open long enough for Kidd to crawl through before securing it behind them. Another three wire gates, and Kidd officially had no idea where they were anymore - deep into the patchwork of Akagami's winter fields and national forest.
"Last gate" Killer warned, scanning the fence line for the horses in question.
"I don't see them" Kidd offered, as he stopped the truck at the gate. Killer opened the last one - both on high alert for any of the horses that might attempt an escape before securing it behind him. Instead of getting in the cab, Killer hauled himself into the truck bed.
"Pull up maybe 40 yards, and I'll drop the first bale here."
Kidd crawled along, mindful of the uneven ground and Killer precariously balanced in the back. Killer tapped the cab roof them he though they'd gone far enough and Kidd stopped. "You need help?"
"Nah" Killer called back, dragging the bale to the truck edge. The knife at his belt was whipped out in the smooth move that always fascinated Kidd, cutting though the twine like butter, before slipped back away again, and Killer was breading up the first half of the bale, leaving the sheets of hey scattered around. "Pull up another 20 yards, and let me drop the last half."
They continued like that, Kidd picking around the rocky field, Killer scattering half a bale at a time ever 20 yards or so.
They'd gotten to the last two before the horses finally came around to investigate, and Killer hit the cab roof again to get Kidd to stop. "Hey - park her and come out a sec."
Kidd parked the truck, stepping out in confusion. Killer offered him a hand, which Kidd took unquestioningly, using the back tire to step up and let Killer pull him up into the truck bed. Killer cut the second to last bale, and dumped the whole things out the back. Then he used the last a bench seat, patting next to him to get Kidd to sit too.
Then he gestured to the horses.
Kidd didn't know horses the way Killer and Heat did, but he recognized a few of them, included Akagami's prized mare Gryphon. And... a black mare - "Isn't that Dracule Mihawk's Yoru?"
Killer nodded. "Yeah. See who's next to her?"
Kidd frowned, before seeing a tiny little black form trotting up along side the two mares. "That's a baby. Like a .. baby baby!"
"I think Shanks said he's called Kogatana. He was born last week."
Gryphon and Akagami's other mares paid them no mind, fighting over the newest dropped hay - despite the trail they'd left behind them as they'd driven out. Yoro and the tiny little foal eyed the truck warily, the new mother's head down, snorting at them. The boys didn't move for a while, letting her investigate before she started easing up - the new hay too tempting.
Kidd couldn't help but watch the little foal in fascination. He'd been around plenty of baby calves. He and wire had even gone and helped Whitebeard a few springs while the calving season of his buffaloes. But Kidd always been more comfortable behind an engine then behind some reigns and hasn't seen many horses too young to ride before.
And never /so/ young.
He'd not realized he'd left the hay bale and started inching across the truck bed to where Yoru had starting picking at the hay. Her foal stuck at her side, and Kidd wondered if the baby had even seen a truck yet.
"Hey.." Killer whispered, and Kidd look back to see he'd opened the last bale, and was holding a sheath of it to Kidd, nodding to Yoru who was now looking at him curiously.
Balancing the leaf one handed was awkward, and as soon as Yoru decided Kidd was safe to take from, she'd stolen the entire thing from him. She relaxed next to him, eating away, and Kidd marveled at the foal.
Killer would hand him another sheath now and again, to offer to Yoru or one of the other mares that started to get picky. Kidd watched when Killer took off his gloves, and help his hand out for the mother's inspection. She snickered at him, nibbled on his cuff, and when certain he had no treats for her, turned back to the hay. Killer left his hand out, though he did lower it and Kidd could only barely not rush over then the tiny black foal repeated his mother's action and inspected him.
"Hey, Kidd, some here. Slow. Bring some hay" Killer whispered, not looking over. Kidd did so, Yoru looking back up to watch him, before Killer took Kidd's hand in his own - the one she'd already approved of - and offered them back to the mother.
He'd only a small handful of grass in his hand, and she took it with no fuss, before going back to eating. Kogatana repeatedo his mothers action - though he was far to young for grass and didn't care that Kidd's hand was empty, softly mouthing at Kidd's fingers before becoming bored when nothing was given to him.
Killer draped himself around Kidd a little, left hand under Kidd's stub to hold the truck rail while using his body to push Kidd over, tilting them down and right hand in his own until he could reach out and pet the tiny little baby along his neck and back. Yoru paid them no mind, and Kogatana made a little nickering noise and Killer let go of his hand to let Kidd pet the foal on his own, stretched awkwardly down over the truck bed, anchored in from falling ass over heels by Killer.
The novelty of fresh hay wore off on the collected herd, and the horses started to wander off - and it was time for Killer and Kidd to head home. Kidd was still driving so Killer could get the gates, and each time they stopped, Kidd would grin at his hand with a silly little look, remembering the soft baby fur.
"You know" Killer said, as they finally got back to the highway, "I have no idea why Shanks' got one of Dracule's best mares out here, but I *do* know that she wasn't supposed to give birth until this week."
"Fourth." kidd prompted, but he was still listening, as Killer shifted up for him.
"And I also know that the last guy Shanks had running hay didn't know she'd gone into labour until he came out Sunday and saw a fucking baby out there. Got himself kicked in the face by Yuro for getting too close."
"Is that why Akagami hired you - knew you were a fucking horse whisper?"
"'m not a horse whisper - its just common fucking sense. I think he more knew I wouldn't get myself beaned by a hoof to the face." he deflected.
Kidd snickered. Killer might had a mean right hook and nerves of steel when facing against feral dogs, bobcats and black bears, but he was a fucking softly when it came to babies. Wither it was the calves, or Silvers' puppies, the cats of every barn in the county, or apparently fucking Dracule Mihawk's colt, Killer oozed an aura of peace that had baby and mother alike calming down around him.
"Any-way." Killer continued, "What I was trying to say was - I do believe that makes you the first human to actually get to pet Kogatana. I assume Dracule knows, but otherwise, Shanks hasn't told anyone about the colt yet and Dracule hasn't been out the the field for himself. No one else has been able to get close - and while i said *i wouldn't* bother them, I never said I wouldn't let you pet them if they came up to the truck."
Kidd risked a glance to Killer, who was grinning at him like a cat with cream. like he was some brilliant mastermind that had pulled of some great heist. Maybe he was. "Has Akagami even seen the colt yet?"
"Yuro wouldn't get close to him when he drove out to see them the other day. They're all just running off that she and the baby look healthy, until Dracule gets out here and decides what to do."
Kidd's hand flexed on the tuck wheel.
You didn't get a lot of wins out here - but Akagami Shanks was the biggest and best horse master in three countries. And the fact Kidd got to meet one of his foals (even if by proxy) first was a big fucking win.
Kidd glared as he hopped into Victoria Punk, Killer pulling away as he was still setting in. The ride was quiet for the first half, before Killer asked his follow up question:
"You gotta get home or do you wanna ride around with me tonight while I work?"
Kidd looked at him sus, "You don't usually ask?"
"You could have homework? Maybe your mom wants you home?"
"Tch"
"Okay."
"What's really going on?"
"Just got a job is all - driving hay out and checking on some horses out on Shank's winter fields."
Kidd turned slowly and -glared- "You working for Akagami now?"
"/Akagami/ pays up front. If he's offering me a job, I'm taking it."
"Asshole."
"... him or me?"
"You. Both. Fucking -him-"
They didn't say anything for a bit.
"Look. I'll drop you off at home." A pause. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything."
"You think sneaking around would make me feel better?"
Killer drummed his fingers of the steering wheel but said nothing.
"Damnit Kil - how long?"
Killer refused to answer, jaw set in that way of his that meant this was one of his lines. One of the things he fuses to let anyone bully him on. Not even Kidd.
"Fine. Whatever."
Nothing
"He pay you fair, or is he a cheapsake because it's cash up front?"
"Good money." Killer says softly, "Stupid good money."
Kidd scoffs, "and how out of the way is it taking me home first?"
"You don't have to come - "
"-not what I asked. Just do the fucking job. No point making multiple trips."
They pull off the highway 20 minutes before the turn off to the county road they live down, a wide dirt road cutting back into the unfamiliar east mountain, back around behind Heat and Wire's on roads not usually traveled, certainly not by them. A few more turns and they pulled across the cattle guard across the Swinging S Ranch House, driving right past the main buildings around to the massive hay barn trucked around back next to a large pond. Killer backed the truck up next to the large open bay doors.
Kidd surprised him by getting out with him.
"You.. you don't have -"
"How many bales we grabbing?"
"Six."
Kidd hauled himself up into the truck bed. "Easy fit." he grabbed the left hand of the pair of gloves out of the little tool box they'd bolted in the summer before, and tossed it at Killer - who caught it before Kidd could nail him in the face with it. "You need both or just the hooks?"
"Hooks is fine, you use the other."
Kidd did not throw the hay hooks, just dug them out and walked them down the truck bed as Killer rolled his sleeves back down, formerly tossed glove tucked between his thighs, and buttoned the cuffs. He braided his hair back in a rush job, before securing the thing back in a lazy bun, end under his hat's brim, studying the small hay mountain in front of him.
"okay" he tuned back to Kidd, who handed the two hooks off before Kidd worked on getting the right hand glove one - it was a little small for him, and he had to bite the trim and hold it with his teeth before shoving his hand into it.
in the mean time, Killer had half climbed the stack so he could hook off the top row - a careful balancing act seeing as the last person to pull form the stack was clearly taller than him or they would have left on more layer of bales to stand on. the first bale Killer hooked didn't go in the truck, and Killer assembled himself a step-up
"You're so fucking short."
Kidd had caught up with Killer in height when he was 15 - and despite the four year age gape, Kidd now was nearly a head taller and twice as wide. Killer was still slowly getting taller, but Kidd was pretty sure he was never going to catch back up. And with his bare hand, Killer had relaxed the hook so it fell back and gave Kidd a clear view of his middle finger.
Kidd only grinned back - "Come on little man - 6 bales you said?"
Killer would hook the bale, and toss it down on the tail gate. Victoria would grumble, but the impact of each following bale shook her less as Kidd shifted the weight out. The two of them took longer than Wire and Heat with bucking; Killer lacked Wire's height and Kidd lacked Heat's two functional arms. Granted - Wire and Heat are monsters at it - they'd even shown up and won a few competitions at the country fair for the last few summers. 50 pounds of hay at a time, Kidd would grab the two twines in his one hand and Tetris them into the bed. Five fit in tight in the bed, and Kidd stood awkwardly on the first layer of compacted grass, and Killer threw him down bail number six. Kidd shifted it back up to the cab window, before picking his way to the tail gate.
Kidd held his hand out, Killer - still up in the hay mountain - reached down and tugged the glove free, before handing Kidd his two hooks. Killer pulled the glove onto his bare hand, taking one of the hooks back, and shifted the mountain around so it was stepped better for him to climb up and down.
"We coming back tomorrow?"
"Day after" Killer corrected, handing the hook back for the last time once he was happy with his work. Kidd tucked them back into the tool box, before climbing back over the side, using the back tire as a step down. Killer picked his way back down to the truck bed. As the one with the gloves, he moved the last hay bale to the middle, buying his tool box, but leaving the hay centered. He brushed some of the loose hay off his shirt before gesturing Kidd to the driver side.
"Drive so I can get the gates once we get up there."
The last thing Kidd wanted was to be seen driving off Akagami's property, but Killer had a point, so behind the wheel he went.
Killer directed him back up into the unfamiliar back roads, before they were driving down a narrow road nothing more then a set of tire tracks though a field. Sure enough, there was a wire gate stretched across on over the run offs, and Killer jumped out to drag it open long enough for Kidd to crawl through before securing it behind them. Another three wire gates, and Kidd officially had no idea where they were anymore - deep into the patchwork of Akagami's winter fields and national forest.
"Last gate" Killer warned, scanning the fence line for the horses in question.
"I don't see them" Kidd offered, as he stopped the truck at the gate. Killer opened the last one - both on high alert for any of the horses that might attempt an escape before securing it behind him. Instead of getting in the cab, Killer hauled himself into the truck bed.
"Pull up maybe 40 yards, and I'll drop the first bale here."
Kidd crawled along, mindful of the uneven ground and Killer precariously balanced in the back. Killer tapped the cab roof them he though they'd gone far enough and Kidd stopped. "You need help?"
"Nah" Killer called back, dragging the bale to the truck edge. The knife at his belt was whipped out in the smooth move that always fascinated Kidd, cutting though the twine like butter, before slipped back away again, and Killer was breading up the first half of the bale, leaving the sheets of hey scattered around. "Pull up another 20 yards, and let me drop the last half."
They continued like that, Kidd picking around the rocky field, Killer scattering half a bale at a time ever 20 yards or so.
They'd gotten to the last two before the horses finally came around to investigate, and Killer hit the cab roof again to get Kidd to stop. "Hey - park her and come out a sec."
Kidd parked the truck, stepping out in confusion. Killer offered him a hand, which Kidd took unquestioningly, using the back tire to step up and let Killer pull him up into the truck bed. Killer cut the second to last bale, and dumped the whole things out the back. Then he used the last a bench seat, patting next to him to get Kidd to sit too.
Then he gestured to the horses.
Kidd didn't know horses the way Killer and Heat did, but he recognized a few of them, included Akagami's prized mare Gryphon. And... a black mare - "Isn't that Dracule Mihawk's Yoru?"
Killer nodded. "Yeah. See who's next to her?"
Kidd frowned, before seeing a tiny little black form trotting up along side the two mares. "That's a baby. Like a .. baby baby!"
"I think Shanks said he's called Kogatana. He was born last week."
Gryphon and Akagami's other mares paid them no mind, fighting over the newest dropped hay - despite the trail they'd left behind them as they'd driven out. Yoro and the tiny little foal eyed the truck warily, the new mother's head down, snorting at them. The boys didn't move for a while, letting her investigate before she started easing up - the new hay too tempting.
Kidd couldn't help but watch the little foal in fascination. He'd been around plenty of baby calves. He and wire had even gone and helped Whitebeard a few springs while the calving season of his buffaloes. But Kidd always been more comfortable behind an engine then behind some reigns and hasn't seen many horses too young to ride before.
And never /so/ young.
He'd not realized he'd left the hay bale and started inching across the truck bed to where Yoru had starting picking at the hay. Her foal stuck at her side, and Kidd wondered if the baby had even seen a truck yet.
"Hey.." Killer whispered, and Kidd look back to see he'd opened the last bale, and was holding a sheath of it to Kidd, nodding to Yoru who was now looking at him curiously.
Balancing the leaf one handed was awkward, and as soon as Yoru decided Kidd was safe to take from, she'd stolen the entire thing from him. She relaxed next to him, eating away, and Kidd marveled at the foal.
Killer would hand him another sheath now and again, to offer to Yoru or one of the other mares that started to get picky. Kidd watched when Killer took off his gloves, and help his hand out for the mother's inspection. She snickered at him, nibbled on his cuff, and when certain he had no treats for her, turned back to the hay. Killer left his hand out, though he did lower it and Kidd could only barely not rush over then the tiny black foal repeated his mother's action and inspected him.
"Hey, Kidd, some here. Slow. Bring some hay" Killer whispered, not looking over. Kidd did so, Yoru looking back up to watch him, before Killer took Kidd's hand in his own - the one she'd already approved of - and offered them back to the mother.
He'd only a small handful of grass in his hand, and she took it with no fuss, before going back to eating. Kogatana repeatedo his mothers action - though he was far to young for grass and didn't care that Kidd's hand was empty, softly mouthing at Kidd's fingers before becoming bored when nothing was given to him.
Killer draped himself around Kidd a little, left hand under Kidd's stub to hold the truck rail while using his body to push Kidd over, tilting them down and right hand in his own until he could reach out and pet the tiny little baby along his neck and back. Yoru paid them no mind, and Kogatana made a little nickering noise and Killer let go of his hand to let Kidd pet the foal on his own, stretched awkwardly down over the truck bed, anchored in from falling ass over heels by Killer.
The novelty of fresh hay wore off on the collected herd, and the horses started to wander off - and it was time for Killer and Kidd to head home. Kidd was still driving so Killer could get the gates, and each time they stopped, Kidd would grin at his hand with a silly little look, remembering the soft baby fur.
"You know" Killer said, as they finally got back to the highway, "I have no idea why Shanks' got one of Dracule's best mares out here, but I *do* know that she wasn't supposed to give birth until this week."
"Fourth." kidd prompted, but he was still listening, as Killer shifted up for him.
"And I also know that the last guy Shanks had running hay didn't know she'd gone into labour until he came out Sunday and saw a fucking baby out there. Got himself kicked in the face by Yuro for getting too close."
"Is that why Akagami hired you - knew you were a fucking horse whisper?"
"'m not a horse whisper - its just common fucking sense. I think he more knew I wouldn't get myself beaned by a hoof to the face." he deflected.
Kidd snickered. Killer might had a mean right hook and nerves of steel when facing against feral dogs, bobcats and black bears, but he was a fucking softly when it came to babies. Wither it was the calves, or Silvers' puppies, the cats of every barn in the county, or apparently fucking Dracule Mihawk's colt, Killer oozed an aura of peace that had baby and mother alike calming down around him.
"Any-way." Killer continued, "What I was trying to say was - I do believe that makes you the first human to actually get to pet Kogatana. I assume Dracule knows, but otherwise, Shanks hasn't told anyone about the colt yet and Dracule hasn't been out the the field for himself. No one else has been able to get close - and while i said *i wouldn't* bother them, I never said I wouldn't let you pet them if they came up to the truck."
Kidd risked a glance to Killer, who was grinning at him like a cat with cream. like he was some brilliant mastermind that had pulled of some great heist. Maybe he was. "Has Akagami even seen the colt yet?"
"Yuro wouldn't get close to him when he drove out to see them the other day. They're all just running off that she and the baby look healthy, until Dracule gets out here and decides what to do."
Kidd's hand flexed on the tuck wheel.
You didn't get a lot of wins out here - but Akagami Shanks was the biggest and best horse master in three countries. And the fact Kidd got to meet one of his foals (even if by proxy) first was a big fucking win.
