#actually Thena wants Eros to treat people with some fucking respect

[softquietsteadylove]

Just Eros, Full with his ego, trying to win over the new stallion and Gil watching him with amusement. Eros learns a hard lesson 😈

Eros hit the ground hard, flat on his back with his hair rustling in the dust. The stallion he had attempted to mount whinnied with glee at his failure. "All right, mate, it wasn't that funny."

"I found it pretty funny."

Eros dusted himself off, still with plenty of dignity for a guy who had just been tossed to the dirt by their newest stable addition. He straightened his vest and looked at Gil, "do you not have anything else that needs your attention at the moment?"

He shrugged, leaning off the door frame and walking closer to arguably his second-least-favourite club member. "Nothing as fun as watching Heracles reject you."

"Hercules?"

Gil shook his head, his arms still crossed, "Heracles. Thena picked it."

Eros' face changed in a way Gil didn't entirely enjoy. "Ah, my beautiful Thena named him? I suppose that tracks--she does so have a way with the classics."

Gil resisted the urge to make a face at Eros kissing ass when the woman in question wasn't even present to hear it. "He's responded to her pretty well. But it'll be a long time before he's fit for riding, so I've told everyone to keep their distance for a while. I don't suppose you got that memo."

"Ah, must've flew under my radar, old chap," Eros excused vaguely as he clasped his hands behind his back like the old-money rich boy he was. "Apologies--I merely wanted to test out the new steed for myself."

"Well, you did, and you can see he's not up for it," Gil muttered, but Eros didn't scurry out of the stable like he would have hoped. In fact, he walked closer to the black stallion again. "Hey!"

"Fascinating creatures, are they not?" Eros tossed over his shoulder, leaning his face forward to observe Heracles. The horse paced back and forth in front of him, still tied up but obviously ready to kick and fight and fuss at a moment's notice.

"Uh, yeah man, I'm a big fan," Gil sighed, walking closer mostly to make sure Eros didn't get his skull bashed in by the obstinate stallion. That would for sure come out of his paycheck.

"I had always been around them," Eros shrugged, still monologuing to both of them but also no one in particular. "Comes with the upbringing, of course. But I truly loved riding from the moment I tried it."

Eros was pretty good too, not that Gil particularly wanted to admit it. But the club prized him as a member. He was aggressive and competitive when it called for it. And Gil did somewhat believe that his pretty boy status also helped in that regard.

"Being drawn to my lovely Thena simply came with the territory."

Gil twitched again. It wasn't really any of his business, technically. And he was pretty sure they weren't actually together, despite Eros' overly familiar way of speaking about her. But it gave Gil the creeps the way he attached 'my' to every adjective about her.

Eros gave him a look that felt like an odd mix of resentment and admiration. "Unfortunately, I believe she shares your obsession with these lovely creatures. I've never been able to lure her away form Olympia's side."

Gil had seen him try it, too. But Olympia was always eager to keep her dear rider away from the smarmy equestrian whose hair refused to be defined by the shape of their helmets.

"It seems you have succeeded in forging a," Eros paused, and again Gil got the distinct feeling his cage was being rattled, "friendship, of sorts, with her."

Not that he was an expert by any means, but Gil wouldn't say he completely lacked social awareness with people in exchange for his way with the horses. And he was pretty close to entirely sure that Eros was saying he was jealous, in not so many words.

"In such a short span of time working here, I do not know how."

Maybe it was more like he was about to warn him to stay away from her. Which Gil found even funnier in concept than watching Eros fall face first off of Heracles' back.

"But!" Eros ruffled his ridiculous coif of hair and looked at Gil head on. He put on a pleasant, if uncomfortable seeming smile. "I do believe it would be for my darling Thena's happiness alone that I could see myself setting aside our differences."

Now Gil was having to really dig to find the meaning behind Eros' many unnecessary words. But like shovelling the dung, he was up to the task, and he was pretty sure Eros was trying to say that Thena would be happy if they could be civil with one another.

Gil eyed Eros' vaguely gesturing hand, not at all held out for a real handshake between peers. "She tell you that?"

Pretty boy faltered, and Gil bit back a grin. "Not in so many words. But my dearest Thena isn't so loquacious by nature, now is she?"

My, my, my--that was all this guy ever said. Gil uncrossed his arms and swatted Eros' intrusive hands out of his personal space. And Heracles' for that matter! "I don't know about that. But the Thena I know always says exactly what she means. And she hasn't mentioned anything to me about us having to act like we're drinking buddies."

This time it was Eros who squirmed, and Gil enjoyed it maybe just a little, tiny bit too much. "Ah, well, my-"

"Look, man," Gil addressed the highborn gentleman the way he would any of his fellow shit shovellers. He put a hand on Heracles' neck, whose tail was still whipping around behind him in displeasure. "I don't care what problem you think you have with me. I'm here to take care of the horses. And I don't really care what you have to say on the matter, I trust that if Thena wants me to know something, she'll tell me."

Eros's pleasant smile slowly melted off his face, leaving a cold disdain in its place. He clasped his hands in front of him now, drawing up his shoulders to take advantage of his height. "Talk often with ma cherie, do you?"

Here was the root of the problem. Gil eyed Eros the same way he would Heracles or any other young colt getting a little too brash with him. He could recognise stomping hooves and aggressive breathing in more than just equines. "I don't know if everyday is often."

Eros bristled.

"But Thena likes to come in and spend time with Olympia," Gil shrugged, back to having a little too much fun messing with Eros. He ran his hand over Heracles' mane. "I guess we talk and hang out in here while she does."

It was common knowledge that Eros liked to all but follow Thena around when they were both on club grounds at the same time. The only one who didn't know she was completely uninterested, was Eros. Or maybe he did know, in which case Gil's distaste for the guy would only get worse from now on.

"Gil?"

"Speaking of," Gil waved to her.

"My love!"

"Eros," she greeted as dryly and formally as she could. She gave him and his outstretched arms a wide berth as she walked over to them. "How is he today?"

Gil stepped aside to let Thena greet Heracles in person. The stallion indeed eyed her with mild tolerance, passively allowing her presence in a way he didn't with many other club members. "He's in a pretty good mood. I think that's from rejecting riders left and right, though."

Thena took one look at Eros - and the dirt on the white sleeves of his riding shirt - and smiled. Her hand touched Heracles' nose gently, pulling him so she could nuzzle his snout in good humour. "I can't blame you, boy."

Heracles pulled his head from Thena's grasp, although it did seem like he was nodding. And he didn't kick up his back hooves in protest, either.

"Are you done training for the day, my sweet?" Eros continued, completely undeterred by his rejection, now thrice, nor Thena's refusal to even look him in the eye. "I would be happy to fetch us some lunch."

"No."

Gil chuckled, but Eros looked like she had whispered a sweet nothing to him. A woman of few words indeed. Poor guy; Gil could at least sympathise with the sucker who was clearly blindly in love with the rider between them.

He could see how Thena could have that affect on someone.

"Are you departing for the day, then? I-"

"I'm here to spend time with Olympia, Eros," Thena glared at him, no longer in the mood to even entertain his small talk. "I realise you and Pip are not so close, but some of us actually like our horses."

Eros sniffed, taking at least a little offense at the jab at his pride as a rider. He straightened again, "I shall leave you to it then, mi amor."

Thena didn't even bother looking at him as he dragged himself out of the stables, looking back at her no less than four times in the two minutes it took for him to exit the building completely. "Is he gone?"

Gil chuckled, happy to keep her secret for her. "He's gone."

She let out a sigh, which Heracles pretended annoyed him by shuffling away from her. "Usually he's gone by the afternoon so I can have some peace, but he's been hanging around more and more. He and Ikaris really think they can tame this fellow."

Heracles freely voiced what a ridiculous notion that was.

"Okay, okay, easy," Gil chided the excitable male. "Get over yourself, buddy."

Thena laughed faintly, moving away from the tied stallion with Gil and towards Olympia's pen. "I do hope he wasn't in here pestering you again."

Pestering sure, but not technically about anything related to his job this time. Gil glanced at her, "I mean I wouldn't say we're best friends or anything, but I guess he was harmless."

Thena freely shook her head, how sleek blonde ponytail swishing behind her. "You have my sympathies. But I admit I would rather he be bothering you than me and Olympia."

Gil's smile grew. She was still in her breeches and riding boots, which were pretty flat compared to the elegant heels he'd seen her wear casually. She was shorter than usual, allowing him to look down at her slightly.

"Sorry," she uttered after finding him staring at her. "I suppose that is cruel of me."

"Hey, I don't mind, consider it part of the job," he shrugged with a laugh. He looked in on Olympia, who was standing with her butt to them, as if to give them some privacy. He leaned on the edge of her gate. "I don't think he likes us being friends."

Thena startled faintly at the word. Last they had discussed being friends, he did have a distinct memory of her caring for him rather attentively.

The feeling of her lips on his cheek always came to his mind, whether he wanted it to or not.

"Well, I suppose I have to thank you for that," she pursed her lips faintly, waiting to see if he would further dig up the topic she clearly didn't feel the need to discuss further.

Gil just grinned, opening the gate for her and sliding out of her way. "What are friends for?"

She could definitely tell he was still in a teasing mood after having his fun giving Eros a hard time. But she walked into Olympia's pen to greet her horse.

"Holler if you need anything, ladies," he chuckled, bidding his goodbye to both Thena and Olympia. It was childish of him to like teasing Thena, but she was a lot cuter to tease than Eros.

#Thenamesh Dressage AU #Eros really comes here to say #bro man to man step off #Gil: whomst??? #Eros is like listen man Thena wants us to get along #actually Thena wants Eros to treat people with some fucking respect #Gil straight up tells him no thank you #not interested #I have my horses #and like a true gentleman he hasn't told anyone about his little moment with Thena #gentlemen don't kiss and tell #they are friends #and Gil says it proudly #meanwhile Thena is like #yes friends #friends kiss each other on the cheek sometimes that's very normal #Ajak and Sersi: #Olympia: 🐴