After the invasive visit from the ladies from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, that left Jongin with an irritated Kyungsoo for a week and they still ended up in Carson City for another very long day of interviews they couldn’t be together for, it was finally determined they were married for real, and he was allowed to continue with his request for citizenship. That was however put on the backburner for the time being, because he was now deep into rodeo season and it wasn’t six months yet anyway. It had just been suggested when he was doing research to get the paperwork started early, no doubt due to bureaucratic bull. Well, at least that’s what he’d taken to telling people. Truthfully, he and Kyungsoo miscounted months from their unexpected wedding. It felt to both of them like they’d been married longer than they had.

                Jongin finished picking out Cream’s hooves and stretched. He had another rodeo this weekend, starting with a parade and town picnic tomorrow. At least it was reasonably local. His gelding hated being in the horse trailer, but Peaches wouldn’t behave to have her mane and tail braided with ribbons, let alone walk with the other horses, most of whom she didn’t really know. She also got jealous having to stand in a stall while he was trying not to get killed on the back of a bucking bronco. Cream didn’t care. He didn’t require any warnings, loved meeting people and other horses, and was a good boy in general. He just didn’t like moving when it wasn’t with his own legs.

                There was going to be something new for Cream, and everyone else tomorrow though. The grapevine had caught wind Jongin had gotten married, and it had been requested his wife ride with him since apparently the fact Kyungsoo was a man hadn’t been passed along. Actually, what had actually been said was his wife should ride her own horse, and although his husband had taken to borrowing Silverdust, the biggest brat of the two-year-olds, and was pure poetry on horseback, he’d said he’d be too embarrassed. Cream wasn’t as used to Jongin riding double as Peaches was since Tansy absolutely adored the naughty mare, but he’d been okay when they practiced, with Ollie trotting behind and Alice in Kyungsoo’s lap to show off just that much more. The cowboy just wasn’t sure if being in the parade would make a difference. Now Kyungsoo and his little blonde shadow were busy in the kitchen of the dining hall with Cook and Missus Holland, working on the food Holland Ranch would be contributing to the picnic. He wasn’t sure what all they were planning, beyond each of the four of them choosing something to make. Being five, Tansy’s specialty was butter sandwiches, so he wondered what the little girl had chosen. Kyungsoo had asked Cook where to order a bunch of chickens, so it must have been some sort of stew or something for his part.

                Stomach growling, Jongin picked up and put everything away, then washed up as best as he could before heading for the dining hall. Kyungsoo had already told him he’d probably be cooking late so they’d have supper with everyone else for once. The cowboy certainly didn’t mind eating with everyone, but he had gotten used to showering before supper, so still felt gross even though he’d been eating this way for years before he met Kyungsoo, showering afterward.

                “Hi Baby! I’ll join you in a minute!” Kyungsoo called cheerfully from the kitchen as Jongin stepped into the dining hall. He started making his way toward his husband, only to get greeted in English and Spanish with teasing yells of

                “Hey Roadblock! Joining us peasants tonight?”

                “Only because my king has been mingling with the commoners” Jongin playfully called back before going to see what the cooks had been up to.

                The kitchen had been turned into a near wonderland of food. Rows of cupcakes made with Cook’s latest cake recipe were on cooling racks on one of the long tables, no doubt waiting to be frosted, while tubs of salad ingredients waited on beds of ice on the other, along a half-full buffet pan of sliced oranges. Also at the rabbit food table was Tansy, standing on a stepstool in her pink mini-apron with a hard-plastic children’s knife she was using to cut more oranges from the crate on a stool next to her.

                “Hi Kai!” the little girl said cheerfully, setting her knife down to wave. “Granma an Mither Cook and Kunthu are letting me cut my oranges myselth!”

                “I see that. It looks like you’re doing a great job too. What’s everyone else making?”

                “Mither Cook made cupcakes and rith pudding (Tansy made a face as she said rice pudding, which Jongin couldn’t blame her for. It was a crime against perfectly good rice), Granma hath been making thanwithes all day with her thpread (Missus Holland’s homemade sandwich spread was a special favorite locally, and she refused to tell anyone what was in it), and Kunthu made a big pot of thumthing Korean but I can’t pronounce what. After thupper we’re all going to make the thalad.”

                “Tansy’s been a busy little bee all day, flitting about the kitchen and helping wherever she could til her oranges arrived, and checking on the dogs. Ollie and Alice have been asleep on the porch in the shade since we got here this morning” Kyungsoo came up behind Jongin and kissed his cheek. “And I made dakdoritang. I was going to do chicken wings or ribs, but apparently enough people bring those so I made something different.”

                “They look like puddles of doggieth!” Tansy said with a giggle.

                “Alright you two, go wash your hands and sit down so we can eat. We’ve still got work to do tonight” Missus Holland joined the trio, a large pan of cornbread in her hands.

                “Yeth Granma” Tansy said, untying her apron and hanging it on a hook on the side of the table before carefully stepping off her stool. “Come on Kunthu. I can’t reach the think without help.”

                Jongin and Kyungsoo ended up joining the same table as the cowboy’s old dormmates, which of course meant there were a lot of jokes that weren’t safe for little ears. Tansy however was on the other side of the dining hall between her grandparents, so comments about when they were going to have their first baby and which one of them was going to get pregnant since he bottomed but Kyungsoo was more mothery wouldn’t lead to awkward questions. The short man gave better than he got, sharpening his tongue against everyone else at the table, while Jongin just shoveled in his goulash and cornbread and wished he had a tenth of his husband’s wit, even in his steadily increasing third language of Spanish.

                After supper, Jongin was drafted to help with dishes, then sat next to Tansy and helped her finish her oranges, with many eye rolls and comments of “Really Kai? No wonder Kunthu don’t let you help cook! You’re cutting all wrong!” before she showed him how to cut properly, again. Meanwhile Boss Holland joined his wife, Cook, and Kyungsoo to chop up and mix the salad.

                Finally everything was done, and still half-asleep dogs in tow Jongin and Kyungsoo said their goodnights and went back to their cabin to feed Ollie and Alice and enjoy a long, steamy (in more ways than one) shower before tumbling into bed, only to fall asleep tangled together before they could finish.

                The couple woke early out of habit the next morning, but since Jongin was let off work for the next three days because he was in the parade later then performing for the next two, they had the luxury of continuing from where they’d fallen asleep the night before. The cowboy stretched afterward, enjoying the dappled sunshine and slight breeze coming in through the open windows and the warm presence of his husband behind him, spooning him and gently his hair.

                “I didn’t hurt you did I Baby? I don’t want anything to affect your performance.”

                Jongin carefully rolled over so he was facing Kyungsoo instead, and smiled. “You were gentle as always Love. I promise I’m fine. Today is just sitting on Cream and looking manly and waving.  Are you going to be okay though? You know, if you really don’t want to you don’t have to ride in the parade with me. It’s bad enough you’re expected to sit with the wives and girlfriends and children of the other performers during the rodeo itself this weekend.”

                “As you just said, I’ll be fine. I’ll be with you after all. Tansy’s going to sit with the dogs and me tomorrow and Sunday and explain as much as she knows of everything and everyone. I’m not sure how much help a five-year-old is going to be with helping me understand everything, but Boss and Missus Holland assured me there’s a program and plenty of announcements, and at any rate I’ll appreciate her company.”

                With that mutual reassurance from each other, the couple dozed back off in each other’s arms.

                Jongin and Kyungsoo eventually woke again, and lazily got up to wash and dress. The cowboy, grateful Cook and the hands he deputized to help him were transporting the food, while someone else was doing the same for the horses, including Cream,  went to feed and water the dogs and give them a good brushing, then they both cleaned up and collected Ollie and Alice for their debut.

                Jongin chuckled at the size of Kyungsoo’s eyes as the cowboy directed him into the fairgrounds to look for a place to park, dogs barking happily in the bed of the truck. The pre-rodeo picnic had become rather famous in the last few years, attracting hundreds of visitors from not only the state, but the whole country and even some foreigners. Then the parade, giving everyone a taste of what was to come. Before, he’d been on a float with some of the other bronco busters, but now he’d be with his husband.

                “Kai! Kunthu! Alith! Ollie!” Somehow Tansy had managed to spot them in the crowd and came barreling out of nowhere to crash into the men’s legs, trying to hug them at the same time. She had what Jongin was guessing was strawberry juice around and dripped on her t-shirt, her knees and shoes and socks were filthy, the less said about her shorts the better, and her tangled blonde hair had bits of straw and dead grass sticking in it.

                “Hi Tans! What on earth have you been up to today?” Jongin greeted the little girl after her attempts at throwing her arms around both men had failed and she settled for hugging one at a time, before throwing herself down by the dogs for pets and return to the face.

                “Playing. There ith kids today!” Tansy happily answered, giggling as she was nosed by her furry friends. Jongin could well understand her playing so hard. She seldom saw other children on the ranch, there weren’t many in town and no one was her age anyway, and her swimming lessons had ended. School wouldn’t start for her for a while, so as much as she adored everyone at Holland Ranch she still took every opportunity she could to socialize with her peers.

                “How come you guyth are tho late? The picnic ith tharting thoon!” Tansy finally answered, standing up from her furry friends and making an attempt to brush herself off.

                Jongin didn’t want to lie, but he wasn’t about to tell a five-year-old about the adult antics they’d been up to, but as usual Kyungsoo had the answer.

                “You know Jongin usually has to get up so early because he has to take care of the horses, right?” At Tansy’s nod, the short man continued. “He didn’t have to get up today since he’s in the parade, so we decided we weren’t going to get out of bed at all. Well, we didn’t until Alice and Ollie started barking they wanted their breakfast.”

                “Oh, okay” Tansy answered, standing up and grabbing their hands. “Come on, leth go find everyone!”

                As usual, Jongin ate way too much at the picnic. There were always so many different dishes, and they all looked so good. Even limiting himself to only a bite or two made no difference, there was just that much. As usual, Holland Ranch’s contributions were among the first to go. Cook’s desserts and Missus Holland’s sandwiches of course were the best-known, but even the salad and Tansy’s oranges quickly disappeared. What made him the most proud however, was Kyungsoo’s spicy chicken stew. He’d barely managed to snag a taste, but all around he heard compliments about his husband’s cooking, even if people didn’t know the short man was the cowboy’s husband yet. After they’d eaten they ended up getting separated to talk to different people, though he managed to stay close enough to keep an eye on Kyungsoo in case he looked too overwhelmed and needed to be rescued.

                Eventually, it was time for them to get ready for the parade and Jongin left his conversation with some of the other performers he knew and went to collect Kyungsoo, who had been shyly chatting with some of the ladies about his recipe. The short man looked relieved at the cowboy’s appearance, but managed to say his goodbyes politely before tugging Ollie’s leash and whistling for Alice from where they’d been sleeping under the picnic table, no doubt overfull due to everyone giving them treats.

                “Aw Kai, we were enjoying talking to your friend here” One of the younger ladies, who had been clumsily flirting with him for years pouted. “I heard you got married, but I don’t see a wife on your arm. Did you start that rumor just to fend off all the girls that want you?”

                Jongin was trying to think of what to say, when a suddenly angry Kyungsoo laced the fingers of their left hands together and held them up so their matching wedding bands were showing.

                “Jongin did get married, but there was never any confirmation from him he had a wife. He’s married to me, and if you ladies will excuse us we have someplace to be.”

                The girl gawped like a stranded fish for a moment, eyes wide. Jongin readied himself for another possible attack like the one that put Kyungsoo in a coma for two weeks, only to have her smile and nod her head instead.

                “Kai’s gay. That explains so much. We all wondered why he never had a girlfriend. Well, congratulations you two. You’d better run along now before you’re late. It was nice meeting you Kyungsoo.”

                It was Jongin’s turn to gawp like a fish as the ladies all waved as the couple and their dogs started threading their way through the crowds to get to the stables to tack up and collect Cream and put Ollie’s and Alice’s special booties on them so their feet didn’t get burned on the asphalt, then take their place in line for the parade and wait forever for the crowds to arrange themselves along the parade route before everyone was given the signal they were going to start.

                “Hey Kai! Where’s your wife?” was a frequent question Jongin got while waiting, only to have SatanSoo rear his head and respond he was Kai’s “wife.” Eventually word must have gotten around about the cowboy’s spouse and people started coming up to meet his husband and offer their congratulations.

                Even Jongin was getting tired of strangers, and Kyungsoo looked like he was about to pull out his knives and turn people into sashimi, when a miracle happened and they were given the signal to get ready. The cowboy took Ollie’s leash and waited until his husband climbed on top of the ever patient Cream, before handing the short man Alice and looping the bigger dog’s leash through the special loop on the back of his saddle he’d had added for just that reason so their arms didn’t get yanked off when they went on rides. He accepted Alice’s booties when he was handed them and tucked them in a saddlebag then took his own place behind Kyungsoo, and arms around his husband held the reins while the short man held Alice securely, the little dog sitting up proudly in his lap.

                Thankfully the parade went off without a hitch. They smiled and waved, Alice even sat up on her hind legs a few times and wiggled her front feet, and both dogs barked whenever they saw others of their species. Cream marched with the others like he’d been born to do so, and Ollie didn’t try to bolt once, just trotting along behind his horse friend as though it was a Sunday afternoon at home.

                People seemed shocked at Jongin’s choice of “wife” of course, but for the most part seemed to quickly get over it and cheer and wave and yell out their congratulations and queries about his husband’s name.

                “He’s Kyungsoo Do, the love of my life! He’s opening a food delivery service soon, so keep him in mind!” Jongin replied again and again, trying not to yell directly in his husband’s ears, grateful when they were finished and he could slide down and take Alice, while Kyungsoo did the same and untied a worn-out looking Ollie.

                “I think it’s time to go. Fortunately the truck should be on just the other side of the barns. Yeah, there’s a beer tent and dancing, but I don’t think Ollie’s going to last much longer.”

                “I think you’re right.”

                Jongin quickly stripped Cream of all his gear, brushed him thoroughly, then started cleaning the tack, while Kyungsoo, after asking where everything was got water for the dogs in their portable bowls and gave them the treats he’d brought for being such a good boy and girl, then made sure Cream had hay and water and got him some corn and oats, and fed him a couple carrots and apples for doing so well. He’d stay at the fairgrounds for the weekend, since Jongin usually needed a good horse for something he hadn’t been told about, usually some type of promotional stunt. He’d ride around with his shirt off and wave his hat, doing his best to stir up the crowds.

                It was a rather quiet drive home. Once they were loaded into the bed of the truck the dogs flopped on their blanket, and didn’t even bother barking once the entire way. As usual Kyungsoo was quiet, keeping his attention on the road, although he did slip his non-driving hand into Jongin’s as the cowboy tried not to nod off. He wanted to sleep soundly that night so he could focus the next day on trying not to get killed. Little did he know that focus wasn’t going to end up doing him that much good.

DUN DUN DUN! Congratulations, you have reached the cliffhanger! Only a few chapters left now my little kittens. What’s going to happen to Jongin? You’ll find out eventually, I promise.