Post by Sulfurlix on Aug 20, 2015 5:30:25 GMT
"It'll be fun. We'll turn you into a cowboy!" Dixie chirped, hopping up and down for Mary to pick her up again, which the woman gladly did.
"This way, y'all." She chirped, leading the way off to where Mr. Jacobs was selling his merchandise.
"Don't worry, I'm sure country will look good on ya'," Harrison mused, tossing his arm around the guy's shoulders and pulling him into his side in a 'friendly' manner as they headed to find where this stand was that Mary had seen. Harry simply continued after the others, musing polite 'excuse us's as they weaved through the crowd with the others.
"I don't think it's my type of clothing." He murmured in response to the guy's words, though his heart seemed to almost skip when the guy hooked his arm over his shoulder, breathing caught when he was pulled into Harry's side... This really wasn't the time to panic, but damn he couldn't help it. Exhaling heavily, he merely offered the guy a small smile; his eyes dropping to the ground... Damn, a flannel, jeans... Okay the Jeans he could deal with, but a flannel? That wasn't smart at all, so informal. Another defeated breath escaped his lips. "I also don't think it'd suit me." He added, still using that low muttering voice.
"You'll never know until you try," he said to the man's muttered words of not thinking it'd suit him. Harry followed until they came to a stop by a familiar old man's booth, the man's leather cowboy boots propped up on the counter, hat tilted over his face.
"Mr. Jacobs!" Dixie giggled, running over to try and climb in the elderly man's lap.
The man grunted at the sudden intrusion, though hefted the girl up onto his lap. "Hey there, sweet cheeks. What I got to owe this pleasure to?" He chuckled, head turning to the side to spit onto a metal can, making a sharp 'ting'.
"We need to make Russy into a cowboy!" She chirped, pointing over to Russell.
"A cowboy, eh? I'm guessin' yer not from around here, huh, fella? Come on back here, we'll fix ya' up real good." He said, motioning for Russell to follow him up into the trailer. Harrison grinned, dropping his arm so he could gently nudge the guy forward.
"You'll be a true cowboy in no time," He stated, leaning against a pole and picking up Dixie when she ran over to him.
"He has to have matching boots like mine, Mr. Jacobs!" Dixie giggled in delight, showing her boot to the old man before he chuckle and went into the trailer to find clothes for Russell.
When they finally got to the booth, Russell had been about protest again before he was nudged forwards by Harrison, turning back to look at the guy before biting on the inside of his cheek and following after the old man, keeping his eye contact to the ground... This was going to be a change from what he normally wore, embrace it, embrace the new you; thoughts he told himself, but how could you change that quickly without having a few protests about it. Oh peer pressure was such a bitch sometimes, and Russell was too gullible to argue against people, especially not Harrison... How could he? Releasing a heavy breath, he merely continued to follow the other guy, hopefully this would go over better than he thought it would... Hell, maybe he would actually be able to look alright in this new fashion that'd been thrust upon him. But for now, he couldn't do much else but internally argue about pros and cons of gaining some new style... Well... If ya can't beat them, join them right?
Mr. Jacobs opened a few cabinets that had clothes neatly stacked in them, humming to himself. "Pick out whatever you'd like, son. Any friend of the Wakefields is a friend of mine." He walked to the back of the trailer, tapping on a door. "That's the bathroom so ye can change, and boots are right on back here. I got some nice brown ones to match Dixie's if ya' want." He said, motioning to where the boots were settled before walking back out. "Got shirts and pants of all sizes and colors, pick what ya like." He gave him a grin, but like a lot of old men, his teeth were yellow from smoking and tobacco chewing.
"Er- Thank you sir." He muttered, looking around... He needed to at least try make the effort, sighing quietly he picked out a dark blue flannel, some jeans and decided he'd take the brown cowboy boots. Changing into his new clothes, but keeping a vest on underneath the flannel so he could have the top few buttons left undone, his old clothes draped over his shoulder whilst he held his polished riding boots in his hand. Finally exiting the trailer, he brought his lip in to chew on it blue eyes falling immediately to the ground... Damn it already felt so strange to be in this new clothing.
Harrison looked up from Dixie drawing in the dirt to see Russell coming out of the trailer. He let his teeth catch the inside of his lip, discreetly looking the man up and down for a moment before redirecting his eyes to look at his face. "You look good," he stated, the normal stoic look on his face letting the corner of his mouth twitch up into a half smile. His words made everyone turn.
"Now we have an English cowboy!" Charles mused, grinning. "Come on, we can put your stuff in the truck and then head on to the stadium. Bull riding will be starting soon."
"Sounds like a plan to me," Mary chirped before going back to talking with the other girls as they began to head back. Dixie fled after Mary and her female cousins, wanting to be in on the girl talk, the guys following right behind them.
His gaze settled on the man as he spoke, still awkwardly biting on his lip as he offered the guy a small thankful smile, his attention turning to the other guys before nodding slowly. "Sounds good to me." He mused, once again that curiosity and enthusiasm to see the Bull riding becoming evident in his tone... It'd be a new experience that was for sure, his gaze dropped once again, walking after the guys. He wouldn't openly admit that he was looking forward to seeing the bull riding, probably the only thing he really had wanted to see... After what had happened the night before, it only peaked his interest in knowing what working with those creature was like exactly... Maybe he could ask Harry. Shaking his head he sighed, he couldn't dream of working with bulls until he got into the thick of western riding, maybe when he learnt the ropes for that, he'd ask then. For now, he remained quiet at the back.
As they got back to the stadium, everyone split up. Charles, Harry, and Logan - one of their cousins - headed into the back, the others heading off to get good seats with the rest of the family. Charles wasn't into bull riding, he was more of a horse trainer. He liked watching from the back though, and helping Logan and Harry get ready. It didn't take them too long. They put on their padded vests, slipped their gloves on and put the tape around their wrists, and then attached the western leather slacks on over their pants. His mother always begged him to wear a helmet, but Harry always shrugged it off, saying he didn't need one despite all the head injuries he had received. He was fine. Currently, there were three men before Logan in line to ride, and then Harry. Gringo was out there, bucking off the man on his back, proceeding to charge after the rider until the rodeo clowns managed to herd him back into the back. Pistol also bucked off his rider, along with Blue, and then came Logan's turn. He was riding Pistol, the aggravated bull ready to launch the man off, but Logan kept hold despite the bull's violent bucking. Eight seconds always felt like so much longer here, but the buzzer went off, and Logan let go, jumping from the bull and landing on his feet. The clowns herded Pistol back in, Logan jogging over to the fence as the stadium cheered and yelled. Harry was watching as they put Gringo into the loading pen, the tight space pissing the bull off as he smashed his skull into the bars, bellowing out angry roars. His heart was already racing in anticipation, mouth a thin line as he adjusted his hat.
When they had returned to the stadium, he followed the other members of the family to settle into their seats, eyes widening when he saw just what Bull riding entailed... That bucking, the spins, jumps... It was worse than training a highly-strung stallion; something that Russ knew about, probably more than others, recalling his mother's horse almost trampling him. Sighing quietly he leant back in his chair, seeing Gringo being loaded into one of the pens... Something that made his gut absolutely plummet, but.. Harry. Wait, Harry was going to ride him. His eyes widened in absolute dread, no, god. He inhaled heavily hearing the beast thrashing around and causing noise in the pen, worry taking over any interest he had in the bull riding; as long as Harry came out safe all would be fine... Right? Would he be alright? He turned away, unsure of whether he could even go through with watching the guy getting thrown around; worried out of his mind whilst scenarios played through his head.
"Good luck, son," James said, patting his boy on the shoulder as Harrison shifted over, climbing into the pen with Gringo. He dropped down onto the beast, legs already taking a beating from him thrashing around. He shifted his right hand under the handle, beating his hand into a tight position and breathing in and out slowly, adrenaline already starting to rush in his system. He could hear the announcer saying his name, reporting the fact they had a professional bull rider in the house, what a treat, and then the guy got excited when Harrison gave the go-to for them to open the gate and release the beast, literally. Once that gate was open, Gringo flew out bucking like mad, his hind legs flying into the air and twisting around. Harrison kept on, his left hand held in the air to help steady himself, rocking back and fourth with the bull's violent bucking. The beast thrashed around, leaving the ground completely a few times. Harry lifted up off his back, but hit right back down, tightening his thighs around the bull. Gringo let out an angry bellow, saliva flying from the beast's mouth before the eight seconds drew to a halt, the buzzer telling him it was time to get off. He withdrew his hand, loosening his legs, and Gringo did the rest of throwing him forward as if the built man was a small child. Harrison hit the sand and tumbled, rolling before popping back up to his feet. Gringo roared at him, taking off after him with no warning, but Harrison just made it to the fence in time, practically hopping up it and waiting at the top before the rodeo horses came running in - wearing protective padding - and corralled the beast away. Once it was safe, he dropped back down into the arena and jogged over to the exit gate, being let into the back again. His heart was still pounding, a grin on his face as he clasped a few hands with his before heading back up to where the others were seated.
His eyes widened in fear when the bull was released from the pen, almost having to avert his gaze... He couldn't watch, his worry filling him with complete dread about what could happen to this man; he dropped his gaze, closing his eyes and waiting until the buzzer sounded signalling the end of the eight seconds. Only opening a single eye to see the bull taking off after the man before being taken away by the horses at least the man was safe now, a heavy breath of relief sweeping through him before he felt himself being picked up by his collar. "Hey kid, what's the problem... Not enjoying yourself?" Mused a rather burly man, holding the kid off ground; Russ only struggling to get away to no avail. "You know a rodeo is no place for a city slicker like yourself, ya'll may be dressed like us, but ya'll never be like us." Commented his friend, Russ allowing a few tears to well up as he shook his head.
"I'm n-not trying to be like you. I-I just want to fit in." He muttered in return, his eyes closing and tightened as he felt himself be hauled up and then thrown back down, the man chuckling about how weak the young man was... Which wasn't exactly the case, Russ just didn't want to get into a fight and into trouble, he was outnumbered anyway. Instead he carefully picked himself up, dusting off his jeans and turning his attention back to the man. "Why did you do that?" He whined, feeling the guy's dull brown eyes staring back at him before he let out another hearty laugh, moving forwards to this time to snag the front of the guy's shirt, pushing him against the metal fencing off the stadium, seeming to find some sort of fun from watching the guy squirm under his grip, hands lifting to curl around the guy's arm, trying to push him back. "Let go, please." He cried, only making the man chuckle, pushing Russ further against the fence.
He hopped up the stairs to the arena seating. It was loud up here from all the cheering as the next rider was being announced. Harrison kept on heading up with a grin on his face, only to be taken over by a frown when he saw some guy shoving Russell into the fence. There wasn't even a second thought or a moment of pause as he went over. His hand snagged the man's shirt, forcefully ripping him away from Russell and smashing his fist right into the man's face. He dropped like a sack of potatoes, knocked out on the floor. Turning his gaze, he glared at the other man.
Of course he was upset about seeing his friend get beat, the man charging forward to try and tackle Harry, but he threw a leg back, the man's shoulder shoving into his gut as the man shoved Harrison backwards. Pushing back, be suddenly threw his leg into the man's stomach multiple times until he forced himself away, throwing a punch right at his face and hitting Harry's cheek. There was a crack of skin contacting so harshly, but Harrison didn't care about that. Instead, he threw his own fist right back at the man, only to get a fist right in the stomach, making him double over slightly, only to get a knee to the face. Still bent over, Harry shot forward and tackled the man over the seats, anyone sitting in them squealing and running off to avoid being hit by the fists the two were throwing. The man kicked Harry off and into the bolted down chairs, hitting another fist into his face as he tried getting up. Harrison also got up, the man not wasting a second of throwing a one two at Harry's jaw and stomach, a grunt leaving him before Harry stood up and threw a solid punch right at the side of the man's head. He dropped back against the ground, unconscious.
"Harrison Jacob Wakefield. Get down here right now." Charlotte's voice suddenly drowned out the crowd around, snapping Harry's attention over to her instead of holding onto his stomach where he had been hit multiple times. "Now look what you done did?" She motioned to the two men he knocked out as he wander-limped back over to where she stood by Russell and the others.
"They had Russ pinned up to the fence," he stated dully, that stoic expression draining anything on his features, mostly to mask any pain now that the adrenaline was wearing off.
"Even so, you could have asked them go let him down instead of fighting. Y'all know how I feel about fighting, I thought we took care of this, Harrison." She said, frowning at him.
He wiped a bit of blood from his lip with the back of his wrist. "Sorry, mom." He stated, about to open his mouth again but she cut him off.
"Damn right you are. Now you need to head home for the day and patch yourself up." Her attention turned to Russell, that soft motherly look filling her eyes. "Are you all right, sweetheart?" She asked, ignoring the knocked out man on the ground. Fights were bound to break out around here. Big men with a lot of alcohol and big egos sometimes got a bit carried away.
When he was ripped away from the man, he almost flinched as the other man slumped to the ground, his gaze turning to see Harrison start fighting with the bloke's friend... No, he didn't want this; shuffling backwards to re-join the family group, his eyes closed, not wanting to watch the two men fighting, flinching when he heard something hit the seats and then when he heard someone else hit the ground... What if it was Harry? He'd never forgive himself for that, the thought made his stomach drop. He would only peek an eye open when he heard Charlotte shouting at her son, causing him to instantly shrink back, his attention turning back to Harrison for a moment before returning to Charlotte when she questioned on how he was feeling. "I... I'll go home with Harrison ma'am." He muttered quietly, taking a few steps forward to stand besides the other man; giving him a once over... Still worried that he was more injured than the man would let on.
"All right," Charlotte said, sighing heavily before taking a set of keys out of her pocket and handing them to Harrison. "We'll be home late, but you need to rest anyways." Charlotte stated before turning and leaving with the others.
Harrison blew out a heavy breath, bending down to snatch his hat from the ground where it got knocked off. "Come on," he uttered quietly to the man as the rodeo's medical team came to pick up the other two men, not that Harry cared. They had a lot of nerve trying to pick on Russell, and he would hope he got his point across to not mess with him. Harrison was dead set of trying to walk off any pain that came with the fight, forcing his limp to die down just a bit. It didn't help that Pistol rammed him last night, and now he just got thrown into some chairs, but he was fine. He was still alive, so he was fine. Walking in silence (which wasn't unusual for Harry) out to the truck he had keys for, he unlocked the vehicle and got into the driver's side seat, starting the truck up and waiting for Russell to get in before he'd drive the truck out of the large field they used as a parking area, and off onto the road to head home.
Nodding wordlessly, he followed after the other man; observing the way he walked... He was still limping wasn't he? Sighing quietly he slipped into the truck, leaning against the window and merely watching the landscape going by as they returned him; worry giving way to nerves again at the silence that descended over the truck... He always forgot that some of the people in this family were the silent-type, Harrison being one of them along with his father. Closing his eyes, he leant his head against the window; just wanting to be home as soon as possible, maybe he could take out Aphrodite for a small ride... Yeah, that could calm him down, some quality time with his favourite horse. Of course he loved his other horses, but Aphrodite was his own. He did own two other horses, the siblings Rosebud and Alphonse; though his father protested against bring those two along so Aphrodite was his only choice. When they finally got back, he hopped out the truck, though when the door closed, he merely leant back against it.
His eyes glanced around the familiar ranch, a small breath blowing out of him as he heard Russell getting out of the truck, looking over to see him leaning against the door. He worried the man was upset at him, gnawing on the inside of his cheek before getting out of the truck himself, putting the keys into his pocket. Eyes glancing go the stables in the distance, he decided maybe going for a ride would help. Looking back to Russell, he wandered around the truck and leaned against it by the man for a moment before he'd speak. "I'm going to go for a ride, if you want to come." He started. That went against his mother's wish of him patching himself up, but Harry saw nothing to be down. His lip ceased bleeding on the drive home. Now he just wanted to relax and go up to one of his favorite points on the mountain.
Turning his attention to the other man as he questioned upon whether he wanted to go on a ride with him, Russell allowed a small smile to pull up across the corner of his lips, though it was dropped to a frown when he looked the man over. "But... You got hurt." He muttered, tone filled with worry as he dropped his gaze from the guy, kicking the ground with his boots before sighing quietly. "I was already thinking about taking Aphrodite out to stretch his legs anyway." He mused, though he didn't return his gaze to the guy... He didn't think that the man should just jump onto a horse after firstly being in a fight and secondly being thrown from a bull, no, he should go rest up. His internally battled with himself again, sure he wanted to go for a ride. But he also wanted to make sure the guy would rest... Knowing that Harry was unlikely to actually go lie down in the first place.
He shook his head. "I'm fine, really." Lifting a hand, he rubbed his jaw for a moment, set on going out for a ride. A small breath slid from him before pushing himself up and off the truck. He needed to go get a horse ready to ride. Harry had ridden under worse conditions, even with a broken arm at one point (even though that ended badly). Heading over to the stables without second guessing it. It was too early to turn in and go rest. It was only around one. Harrison walked on up to the stables, unlatching the door and pushing it open. There was no need to turn on the lights due to the fact the sun poured in and lit the place. He went around and readied the horses before letting them out into the pastures so they could run and graze for a few hours. After, he went to the brown thoroughbred he skipped, getting the saddle and reins and getting the mare ready to take out. She snorted happily, hitting her hoof against the ground as he did so. She was eager to get out and stretch her legs. Harry patted Kallie's shoulder, a small twitch moving the corner of his mouth up slightly in a half smirk.
Sighing when he was fed the usual 'I'm fine' he merely rolled his eyes, he followed after the man, wandering into the stables and seeing the usual face of the black stallion looking at him; the animal nickering and kicking at the stall door to which he chuckled. "Alright, Alright." He mused, grabbing the bridle and saddle and shoving the door open with his spare hand. Tacking up the horse before leading him out of the stall, hopping up into the saddle, and flicking his wrist to bring the animal into a walk. His eyes closing as he leant down to press his hand against the horse's neck, patting the Stallion before stopping to wait for the other man. "Lead the way." He mused with a smile, holding the stallion away so the man could bring out his own horse. Cooing quietly to Aphrodite whilst he waited.
Once the brown horse was tacked up, he shifted one foot into the stirrup and hopped up onto her back, parting her neck. Kallie took it upon herself to trot over to the black stallion, letting out a small nicker in greeting. He clicked his tongue as he was told to lead the way, gently nudging Kallie. Excited as could be, she started off from the stables, tail flicking behind her as she headed off, breaking out into an excited gallop. She was a younger horse, and simply lived to run. They were going to race her, but then she broke her leg after someone let her out late at night, and now they didn't want to risk her racing. But that didn't break her love of running. When they neared the mountain trail, that was practically on the other end of their property (though they owned the nearby mountains as well), he slowed Kallie down and carefully guided her up the clear path that had been worn down over the years. It was a calming ride up the mountain, the sounds of the wildlife filling Harrison's ears and letting the tension in his muscles relax away. He loved it out here. It was calming, and felt like nothing could go wrong out here. Finally coming up to one of his favorite look out points, a smile shifted onto his face, looking out where he could see the ranch, which looked like a toy set. The small forms of the horses running about in the pastures could be seen, along with the herd of cattle being led by the even tinier forms of the dogs. It was beautiful up here. Kallie dropped her head, nibbling at the grass as Harrison finally shifted off of her back and let his feet drop to the ground. There was a slight wince in his face, but he hid it as he went to tie Kallie up to a tree where she could nibble on some grass but not go running off.
Finally exiting the stables, the stallion followed behind, unlike the young filly he would only move in a controlled canter; the movements were still as elegant as though the animal were performing a normal dressage movements, however he wasn't exactly trying to do that this time; Russ was merely riding him as he would usually when not doing dressage lessons. His father had taught him the difference between the two, when dressage riding movement in the saddle had to be ridiculously reduced, when riding out on a hack or for leisure you could freely roll with the movements. Being a rather back-end driven horse, his canter was rather bouncy, causing Russ to roll in his saddle; lucky it was a dressage one and not your average general purpose saddle. When he finally got to the mountains, he had to slow the large stallion into a trot; being that the black mass was - looks being deceiving - a delicate butterfly, hooves not used to the different terrain; trying to prevent the animal from being harmed. When he finally made it to the top, he hopped off the back of the Hanoverian; unlike the filly, Aphrodite wouldn't need to be tied up; when grass was concerned nothing else mattered. So with that Russ shifted his attention to Harry, wandering over to stand besides him; offering the man a small smile before turning to look at the view.
He ran a hand down Kallie's shoulder before heading over to the grassy are that was by the edge. He shifted his hands into his pockets, looking out over the land but sparing a glance to Russell, catching his small smile. With a single breath shifting from his lungs, he dropped down to sit in the grass, hands leaning back to keep himself propped up. "I've always liked coming up here," he stated, tilting his head back before he dropped against the grass. He shifted slightly, concealing a breath of pain by holding it in. His back was sore from being hit against the chairs and thrown off of Gringo. Though he was eventually able to settle down, pale blue eyes shifting up to look at Russell before patting the ground beside him for the guy to relax and lay down as well. Harrison returned his gaze to the tree tops, hands behind his head before he shifted his hat down a bit so it was angled over his eyes.
The guy had been too busy taking in the landscape and the stunning view to realize the other man move, his mind only brought back when he heard the man speak. His attention dropping to the guy as he motioned for Russell to sit next to him, of course Russell happily obliged settling down next to the other man, practically dozing off as soon as his body felt comfortable enough to do so; knowing that Aphrodite wouldn't run off if his owner was around; the horse was far too loyal for that. The guy rolling onto his side, quite comfortable in this position. A smile breaking across his lips as he sank into a deeper sleep, eyes fluttering beneath his eye lids.
It wasn't hard for Harrison to drift off, eyes slipping shut, mind wandering off to who knows where. It was a nice day out, and Harry had taken naps outside more than once. He hardly noticed himself shifting onto his side, having always been a heavy sleeper due to the fact they'd work long hours all day and then crash at night. It was probably a few hours before he even started to rouse, the sun still hanging in the sky, but pink and purple were now mixed with the deep blue. A small yawn left him before he realized his cheek was pressed against another head, blinking slightly before realizing just how he was laying. They had somehow cuddled up together while sleeping. He had Russell's head laying on his arm that was bent up slightly, his other arm wrapped around the man's waist to hold him against his chest, and somehow they got their legs wound around one another's. He was comfortable. A small breath slipped out of him, not wanting to move and disturb the other man. Shifting his arm up, he let his fingers shift through the man's hair, gently playing with the dark locks as he laid there, mind drifting here and there as they laid there. He wasn't sure when he had shifted, or when Russell had shifted, but he wasn't about to complain. A small, content breath slid from his mouth, letting a strand of the man's hand fall from his fingers gently.
It would take a while for the man to rouse from his sleep, having been about to jolt back before feeling soft fingers running through his hair, a sigh of content passing through his lips before he remembered just who he was with. His eyes slowly opening before widening when he realised just how close to the other man he was, even his legs were wound around the other man's... What on earth had possessed him to get so close to the other man, but he didn't say a word actually he somewhat relaxed back against the guy, enjoying the feeling of Harry playing with his hair, even daring to bring up his arm to curl it around the other man's back, his eyes fluttering back to a close; he didn't even know the time, nor did he realise they'd likely need to head back soon.
Harrison continued to let his fingers run through the man's hair, playing with the locks until his halfway dazed mind realized the other guy had woken up. Quick to pull his hand away, he bit the inside of his lip. "Sorry.. I didn't mean to wake you," he murmured softly, feeling bad that he had probably woken the man up from playing with his hair. It was just.. hard not to? He had soft hair, and Harry enjoyed playing with it, but he didn't want to disturb the man anymore.
A sound of complaint left him when the man's hand was moved away from his hair, his head lifting to look at the other man before shuffling his way closer to the guy, pushing his head under the guy's chin. "You didn't wake me." He muttered in return, dropping his head back against the guy's arm with a small breath escaping his breath, his hand gently placed on the guy's side. Still slightly confused as to why he wasn't pulling away in shock... Hell he really didn't want too, being at the guy's side was a comfort to him... Not that he could really explain why.
A faint smile flickered up at the edges of his lips when Russell pushed his head under his chin, saying he hadn't woken him up. Harrison returned his hand to play with the man's hair, letting his fingers slowly run through the soft locks. Another content sigh slipped from his lips, not caring his hat had been knocked off at some point, resting in the grass near by. He let his eyes flicker shut, not caring about what time it was. It was only around 4, yeah? His family wouldn't get home until later, maybe around 8. They could just hang around. Of course he realized 'friends' didn't cuddle up like this, and he didn't know what to really think of this, other than the fact he liked it, so oh well.
Well, Russ wouldn't admit too it, but he had fallen asleep again after the man had returned to brushing through his hair though was woke again when it was time to return to the stables, Russ making sure that he kept Aphrodite in a walk, considering the horse would be likely to fall in the dark and he couldn't afford a vet in this place. When he safely got back to the stables, he gave his horse a little more bedding; placing the pony in his rug and remaining with him for a little while before saying a good night to the stallion. Back into the house, he was settled in the living room, chin resting against his arm as he drifted in and out of sleep, his attention on nothing in particular as he waited for Charlotte to call for dinner.
Multiple screams chased after him as he fled throughout the house, trying to stay away from his little cousins and sister. It was easier for them to run about when they were smaller, but he had to avoid more things being so tall, though Harry could also leap over things to escape these kids. He had been sitting on the couch in the living room, but then Rufus barged in and exclaimed "Get him!" and next thing he knew he was being chased down by a bunch of animals. Well, children. It was fun, admittedly, but Harrison was eventually tackled to the hard wood floor with a thump, grunting under the twelve kids that attacked him. A chorus of "keep him down!" and "he's trying to escape!" was heard as Harry tried breaking free, swinging one kid over his shoulder, another trapped backwards under his arm, and about three clinging to his legs. He had a smug grin on his face as he tried walking, legs weighed down by children. Once again he was tackled, hitting the ground with another grunt, the air being knocked out of him. Tiny fists pounded his back, a set of arms wrapped around his next. It was hard fighting off kids, it wasn't like you could actually do anything against them. Harrison pinned a few down with his legs, grabbing for the little male twins who were using his back as a punching bag, ignoring the giggling Dixie for now as she was just trying to push him over, but she'd have no luck with doing such.
The guy wasn't much woken by the screaming off the kids, something he'd gotten used to over the few days and right now he was too tired to really care. His eyes were drooped, head resting against his arms whilst his eyes closed and re-opened, trying to fight away the sleep. His attention partially taken when he saw Harry get tackled to the ground by children, a sleepy smile pulling up across his lips as he watched the children try keep the much larger man down on the ground, something that they wouldn't exactly achieve. After a moment however his eyes shutting as he dozed off once again, his head dropping to one side as he fell into a light sleep.
Harry managed to wiggle his way onto his knees, still being jumped at by kids. It only took a moment before noticing the back of Russell's head in the living room from where they were in the hall. Smirking, he hushed the kids. "Guys.. let's get Russell. I'll go get him, you guys tickle him, okay?" He mused quietly, kids immediately falling off of him and nodding eagerly. They finally let Harry up, and he snuck on into the living room where Russell was dozing off. He put his finger to his lips to shush his grandmother as she gave him an odd look, a small chuckle leaving the woman. He wasted no time in scooping the man up from the couch and into his arms, holding the guy partially over his shoulder as the kids started going wild again. Before he even made it back to the hall, the dragged him onto the ground with them, Harry letting Russell drop down into his lap, kids squirming to tickle the man he was holding so he couldn't escape.
There was no time to escape when he was scooped up from the couch, noticing it was Harry a look of confused was sketched across his face; though seeing the kids trailing behind he started to pick up what was going on... No, oh damn it. Dropped into Harry's lap he was pinned down, unable to escape when he was tickled... Damn being a ticklish person, Russ could only struggle and fidget pointlessly against the other guy's grip, choking out laughter as he was tickled, kicking his legs out in struggle as his eyes were squeezed shut in response to the tears of laughter being pushed through closed eyes.
He kept one arm hooked around the guy as the kids trampled over him to get to Russell to tickle him. All the kids were giggling and laughing in delight, dodging his flailing legs and using the fact they had Harry on their side against the poor guy. A few spare laughs even left Harry, a grin slipped onto his features always being a nice difference from the serious look that usually marked his face. After a little while, he nudged a few kids, keeping Russell on his lap still. "All right, all right, give him a second to breath," he chuckled, the kids all giggling and flopping around them. Dixie went back to clinging to Harrison's side, giggling into the cloth of his shirt. "You're really ticklish," Harrison mused, letting his fingers poke into the guy's side for a second before stopping.
When finally the kids stopped tickling him, he lifted his hands to wipe the tears along his cheek, his attention turning to Harrison as the man spoke. Tilting his head slightly he offered the guy a small nod before shrugging. "It's a curse, my half sister used to torture me with it." He mused with a small smile; fidgeting slightly when the guy poked his fingers into his side, his attention turning to the children. "You got me." He mused with a small chuckle, turning his attention back to Harrison, taking a moment before realising he was still settled into the man's lap. Erm... Wasn't he supposed to have moved away or something?
"That is something a sibling would do," he mused, returning a small smile to the guy. His smile morphed into a small smirk when he fidgeted under his fingers. Hey, this was a good piece of information for later. He simply stayed settled on the floor with the man on his lap, not minding the guy settled there. Though before he could open his mouth, he heard his mother calling for dinner, the kids all stumbling to their feet to run to where the kids' table was at. "Finally, I'm starving." He said, using an arm to help the guy up before he'd also shift up to his feet and head into the dining room to take his seat. Plates and utensils were already set out as the family poured into the room with that warm essence about them, smiling, laughing, joking. An inside cat here or there running by feet to look for scraps.
When Charlotte yelled from the kitchen, he found himself being helped from his position, following after Harrison into the kitchen before settling down in his usual seat, seeing the cat on the ground which only made a small giggle escape his lips; he'd always loved cats, not that his father wanted to keep them after his mother died, but Russell was always one to be stubborn when it came to the farmyard, His attention was nowhere in particular, listening to the different conversations and hearing the same usual stories being told that he'd heard each day he'd been here; some tales of the events at the rodeo after they'd left... Everything was interesting, but again his same spark of curiosity became evident in his eyes hearing the conversations of bulls once again.
Once everyone was settled down, the bowls of food were passed around like they normally were until everyone was able to eat and talk. Harrison was glad to be putting some of the beef into his mouth, having been hungry. He was mostly stuck in a conversation with his brothers to the right of him about various topics. A few kids came running in, being shooed back to their own table by their parents. Dinner wore on as usual, ending with the ladies taking all the dishes and leaving the guys in the dining room so they could talk about their husbands in the kitchen, and the guys could talk about whatever else came to mind. James was arguing with his brother on how to train their two colts, though James won with a grunt and falling silent, his way of saying 'you're stupid, asshole'. Harry was ignoring the banter from his brothers, instead speaking to his aunt across the table about how her cow just had a calf and how reckless the young bull was so far.
The horse training was one thing he would remain silent about, after all, he knew how to train dressage horses not rodeo horses. His attention was more drawn to the conversation of the bull, listening to the woman as she spoke about the young calf; though masking the curiosity by looking elsewhere and acting like he was paying no attention what so ever, bringing his hands to his mouth he allowed a small yawn to be thrust through his lips, trying to conceal it behind his hands before returning his avid attention to the conversation. He'd need to ask about the western riding at some point, though decided now wasn't exactly the time for it... Hell he'd need a new horse if he were to pursue this new idea, unsure of whether any of his horses would even cut it as a western horse... The simple answer being no, all the horses owned by the Victor's Stud were bred specifically for their chosen discipline.
The two continued to talk for a while before goodbyes were once again passed around, the family dragging Russell into the affair that happened a lot: hugs and more hugs always went around with this family. Leaving for the night? You got a hug. They tried to stay close, and clearly it worked. They were a rather tight knit family. Harry got dragged off by Dixie to help her get ready for bed, wanting him to tuck her in. Charles was in the kitchen talking to Charlotte and their Aunt May. James had ended up in his chair in the living room with his reading glasses on the bridge of his nose, and a newspaper in his hands. Jed was playing with one of the cats, the feline swatting at the toy he was messing with. -s-
[8/4/2015 7:55:30 PM] Captain Levi: Russell wasn't bothered so much about being dragged into the family anymore, if anything he felt quite comforted that they considered him as such. After the rest of the family had left, Russ had returned to the couch, not long after falling asleep with his head rested against his arm, legs curled back against him whilst his breathing came out in small and almost silent wisps; letting himself curl just the slightest bit tighter against himself. It wasn't exactly long until he became completely unaware of what was happening outside, having drifted into a far deeper sleep than he had thought; thinking he'd just take a small nap whilst he was on the couch and drag himself up the stairs later. -s-
[8/4/2015 8:21:37 PM] Mãria—Šulfurlix—Büttertøast: Harry put Dixie to bed, the girl sound asleep in her bed with the lights off and the door shut. He headed off to shower and get dressed for bed himself, hearing the sounds of everyone else doing the same. He looked at himself in the mirror for a few moments, able to see the formed bruises on his cheek bones, jaw, and around where his lip had been busted. Blowing out a small breath, he looked down to his bare chest - having always been one to sleep shirtless - to spot the bruises that were left there as well. He had some on his back as well from being it into the chairs, as well as hitting the sand. His thigh was bruised up too from where Pistol rammed into him, but Harrison could care less about any of these bruises. Blowing out a stream of air, he left the bathroom and headed down to the kitchen for a glass of water, wandering around while he drank the liquid before noticing Russell passed out on the couch. He must have been really tired. Wandering over, he placed his glass down on the side table on a coaster before gently slipping his arms under the guy, not wanting to wake him up. Once he was cradled in his arms, Harry leaned him against his chest, starting to slowly head upstairs, to the guy's room, and then over to the bed where he set him down.
Simply too tired to really notice himself being picked up, the man heaved out a breath in his sleep dropping limp against the other man's grip as he was carried up and into his own room, placed down against the bed his head hitting the pillow and from there out like a light until the morning rolled around and it was this morning he dared to ride Aphrodite in his jeans, button-up shirt and cowboy boots; the combination of posh tack, smart horse and showy movements would clash with the rider's outfit but it didn't matter too much.
Showering and ensuring he remained out the way of the others as they prepared for another eventful day the guy decided today would be a home day... He'd spend it with Aphrodite, the horse would probably take some comfort in a day with it's owner; considering he'd been practically threatened the other day he thought it'd be best if he stayed away from the rodeo... Especially considering that the worry of seeing Harry getting harmed had exhausted him, it was just better for him to stay at home, relax and do some bonding exercises with his horse.
After the rodeo, everyone was beat. Today everyone got mixed up in different forms of competitions. Racing, wrangling, riding. It was a fun day. Jed was annoying one of their cousins over the table as everyone did the usual talking and laughing, story telling and advice giving. Charles and Harrison were talking about the up coming bull riding tournaments that would place you into this year's pro competitions. Charlotte was going off about her garden to her sister in laws, and James was gruffly arguing with his brother once again over training techniques. James always one, but Uncle Bud was a persistent man.
[8/4/2015 9:18:59 PM] Captain Levi: Dinner brought about the usual conversations, Russell being again quiet and listening as the other spoke after a moment beginning to play with his food before dropping the fork onto the plate and linking his fingers together, leaning his chin on them for a moment; without another thought about it... Not even pausing for a moment to consider his words. "I want to ride western." He blurted out, not even taking a second to think over what he'd said or how the others would react to the words, his eyes were still looking at the food on his plate. He didn't have any other way to explain why he'd just blurted that out... All he knew was that he'd been thinking so persistently upon it that it was going to be brought up in his speech at some point... Probably wasn't best when surrounded by the whole family, but oh well such is life.
Everyone carried on with their conversations, voices filling the room until one blurted out about learning Western riding, heads swiveling over to look at Russell. Grins took over everyone's face, a chorus of "we can teach you" or "I know some col tricks to help you" and the like spilling from everyone excitedly. Well, before Charlotte hushed everyone, laughing.
"Are we rubbing off on ya' that much?" Jed joked, a few bursts of laughs and giggles coming from the table.
"I can help teach you," Abigale piped up, one of their older cousins. She was around twenty two, with strawberry red hair and freckled cheeks. "It'll be fun!" She laughed, grinning at Russell.
Excitement seemed to fill the air when he mentioned this, causing him to instantly chuckle quietly to himself, his attention turning to Jed for a moment, debating upon telling them the real reason before merely shrugging it off when one of the older cousins piped up, turning his attention to her for a moment before offering her a small smile. "That'd be nice." He returned with a small dip of his head before leaning back against the chair. "I just really like how ya'll handle those bulls." He mused with a smirk, dropping his hands into his lap as he spoke before going back to his food.
A few chuckles came from around the group. "You'll probably pick up riding real quick, it'll be a change, but it'll be fun!" Abigale chirped. "Just find me whenever you want to get started!" She added, grinning still.
"Any of us, for that matter. These bull riders might not be much help in the more advanced stuff, but they can help too." Charlotte said, chuckling.
"If you ever need to break a wild mustang, we're the ones to come to," Harry mused, James and Logan, along with the other fee bull riders of the family laughing.
"Well this can wait, who wants cherry pie? I made a fresh one, and it should be done!" Charlotte mused. Everyone cooed a yes, commenting just how good her cherry pies were. Well, any of her food really.
Harrison turned his attention back to Russell. "So you learning to like it over here?" He mused, offering a small twitch of the corner of his lip, a hardly noticeable hint of amusement in his pale blue eyes.
"I hear it's easier for an English rider to pick up Western than the other way round." He mused in return to the words, his attention turning to Charlotte for a moment before he nodded his head slowly. "Well, I don't mind." He mused in reply, releasing a small breath when Harry spoke, though before he could reply Charlotte questioned upon whom wanted a piece of pie, to which he went with the majority and commented a simple yes. His attention turning back to Harry as the guy spoke once again, sure he could tell Harrison right... The man probably wouldn't be as shocked as the other family members, nodding in answer to the question he allowed his bright eyes to rest on the other man's offering a small smile before he'd speak. "I really wanna work with the bulls." He muttered, quiet enough so that only Harry would be able to hear his words.
He rose a brow to the guy's statement. "Really?" He blew out a small breath, leaning back in his chair. "Have you ever worked with cows?" Harrison questioned. They always started them off with the cows. Cows could easily be just as stubborn as bulls, but they were much better tempered, and good for starters to learn to take care of before getting near an unpredictable bull. He ducked his head slightly as one of his aunts came over to snatch up their plates, another aunt coming to put down clean desert plates as Charlotte came in with the home made cherry pie.
"Used to herd the bastards around the fields every morn' and evening." He explained, shrugging his shoulders before ducking his head when the women came around, one to take the plates away another to put down the dessert plates. Though he merely turned his attention back to Harrison. "I just thought you'd be the best to ask... You seem to know a lot." He mused quietly back to the guy, dropping his head slightly as though to apologise about even mentioning the idea of working with the bulls... Even if it was something he really did wish to learn. Hell, maybe he would even learn to ride them some day, but how long was he planning to stay? Sighing quietly, he leant back in his seat; millions of thoughts rushing through his mind.
"Good, then you already know some stuff." Harry stated, taking a drink of his water for a moment before he heard the guy's words. He almost sounded like he was apologizing. "You can ask any questions you want, Russ. I won't shoot you down," he said, raising a brow slightly before looking to where his mom was coming around putting pie on everyone's plate. "Thanks," he mused to the woman before picking up his fork to take a bite. He always loved the pies they made. They were always so delicious.
"I suppose, it probably wouldn't be much help." He shrugged, going quiet for a moment when the cherry pie was placed before him. "Thank you ma'am." He mused politely, picking up his fork to cut a small piece before slipping it into his mouth; well this really was a tasty pie, something that he didn't often get at home courtesy of his father's disgusting cooking and his inability to bake. Deciding to drop the subject of learning to work with the bulls for now, he silently and slowly ate away at the pie; always having been a slow eater and sometimes getting distracted by the conversations and forgetting about the food all together.
Once again talking started up amongst the group, laughing and eating their pies. Harrison always liked listening to everyone talked, sometimes dragged into conversations, but being a quiet guy, he usually listened and threw in a few words here or there, just like his father and a few others did. Of course Charles and Jed were the two who joked around the most. After desert came the normal clean up routine and goodbyes, hugs squeezing everyone at any moment they could, kids trying to hide because they didn't want to leave just yet. Harrison wandered into the kitchen to help his mother clean up after everyone was gone. James was yet again reading the daily newspaper at the head of the table, that serious expression written on his face; it wasn't hard to see who Harry got that from. Dixie ran over to Russell, a huge grin on her face as she tugged at his arm. "I want you to tuck me in, Russy!" She giggled, a happy gleam in her eyes, having already gotten on her light blue nightgown, bare feet jumping up and down on the floor slightly.
Going through the same routine of hugging and saying a goodbyes to the other family members as they left, Russ once again resting on the couch with his nose buried in a book he'd brought over from the UK, his attention lifting when he felt the tug on his arm, his bright-eyed gaze turning to look at the young girl, a small smile forming at the corners of his lips before he nodded his head slowly. "Alright." He mused, placing the book on the arm of the couch for a moment before picking himself up. Releasing a small breath. "Wish someone would tuck me in at night." He mused half to himself, chuckling quietly; returning his attention to the young girl as he began in the direction of the stairs. -s-
She grinned in excitement as Russell agreed to come tuck her in, only to hear his words saying he wished someone would tuck him in. Her head tilted. "I'll go get Harry. He can tuck us both in!" She grinned from ear to ear before taking off without another word. Dixie ran into the kitchen, grabbing Harry from what he was doing and dragging him back to the living room.
"What's wrong, Dixie?" He asked, confusion on his features.
"You have to tuck me and Russell into bed." She declared as they got back to the living room, flashing the two a big grin.
"You and Russell?" He echoed, raising a brow, sending the guy a small smile before looking back down to Dixie. "Alright."
"I-Er..." He dropped the hand that'd reached out to grab the bring the girl back, biting on the inside of his cheek as she returned with the guy, offering a nervous chuckle when Harry smiled at him; turning his attention back to the young girl. "Let's go you to bed then shall we?" He mused, beginning to wander up the stairs and into the young girl's bedroom; best idea to put Dixie to bed first.
"Okay!" Dixie chirped, still pulling Harry along after her as she skipped after Russell and into her room. She had plain white walls, with horse trim along the bottom. Her big, fluffy blankets had a huge bull head on them, something she took from Harry, and there were countless stuffed animals all over, decorating the room and all over her bed. Once they came into her room, she let go of Harry's hand and hopped over to her bed, crawling up and into the soft covers. Harrison went to tuck her in, but she let out a whine. "No, I want Russy to tuck me in. Then you can go tuck him in." She chirped. Lifting up his hands in 'surrender', a small chuckle left him as he went to the door and leaned against it, a half smile pulled up at the corners of his lips while he watched.
Seeing Harry move backwards, he tilted his head slightly before nodding and making his slow way over to the young girl's bed, kneeling down to tuck the young girl in before picking himself off the ground. "Goodnight Dixie, Sleep tight." He mused before turning around and moving back towards the door before walking out the room, his gaze turning back to Harry with a small smirk pulling up across his lips, turning on his toe and heading towards his own room. Damn that kid had really dropped him in it, but hey maybe it was his own fault for even sounding his opinions out loud.
He watched the man tuck Dixie in, using his finger to cut the lights out once she was all snug in her bed and Russell had moved past him. He caught the small smirk on the man's face as he quietly shut her door and turned to follow Russell back to his room. Once the man walked into his room, Harrison leaned against the doorframe, that half smirk pulling up onto his features, a slightly unreadable. "You really want me to tuck you in?" He questioned, a glint of mischief hidden in his eyes, but it'd be hard to catch onto that.
Turning on his toe, he gave the man a quiet chuckle before nodding his head in response to the question. "Of course." He mused with a soft breath, though turning around so he could slowly un-button his shirt and pull it off, trample scarring littered his back and side; his mother's stallion had been a real pain when the equine had been younger, after neatly placing his shirt back on the drawers, he began to pull down his pants, folding them and placing them on the drawers in the same pile as his shirt before snagging his bed pants to pull up, glancing towards Harrison before wandering over to his bed and settling down in it, pulling the covers over himself before turning his attention back to Harrison, offering the guy a small smile.
At the man's answer, he was about to move into the man's room before he noticed he was aiming to start shedding his clothes to change. Oh. For a moment he almost looked away, just to make sure no one was coming down the hall, though, before turning his attention back to Russell, only to see the man pulling the pants down. His eyes trailed over the other man's body as he crossed his arms over his chest, tracing along the scars that came from a horse no doubt, and then down to the man's rear. He only realized he was staring when Russell pulled on his bed pants, a heavy yet silent breath leaving him as he turned his gaze back to the man's face. He drew his bottom lip into his mouth, teeth biting down on it slightly as the man slipped into his bed, pushing himself onto the wall to start heading over. Harry released his lip after a moment before he'd actually lean over to tuck the man in; he had half the mind to curl up with him like they had done up on the mountain lookout, but he'd refrain from doing such right now. Just.. not right now.
When the guy came over to tuck him in, Russell offered the guy a small smirk lifting himself up to press his lips to the man's cheek before snuggling back into his bed. A glint of mischief dancing almost unnoticeable through his bright blue eyes as he settled his head against the pillow; fingers curling around the edge of it before rolling onto his side. "Goodnight Harrison, sleep well." He mused quietly to the other man, practically able to fall asleep within a few moments; didn't matter whether the man was still in his room or not; Russ could sleep through almost anything, a trait picked up when you spent time sleeping in a large vehicle with horses in the back. Of course he wasn't bothered by taking off his clothes in front of the other guy, hell, nothing to be ashamed off right? Despite his personality Russ would happily wander around in the nude if he wanted, he just chose to be formal in that respects.
Feeling the man kiss his cheek, he looked down to him, an almost unnoticeable smile playing along his lips before he pulled away after tucking the man in. "Goodnight, Russell." He stated back softly before turning to head out of the room, shutting the door quietly behind him after flicking the light off (if it was on). He lifted a hand to the back of his neck, fingers rubbing into the skin for a few moments before he returned back to his own room. Now he couldn't get Russell out of his head. That was a first in at least two years since his last relationship ended and Harry had kept himself away from getting close to anyone else despite his mom's need to try and set him up. Blowing out another breath, he pushed his door open and kicked it shut after himself. It was dark in his room now, but he didn't care. Harry merely pulled his clothes off minus his boxers, put them in the hamper, and then slipped into his own bed under the covers. It took him a while to fall asleep, unlike normally, but he eventually did drift off and fall into a deep sleep.
When morning came around, it was the normal waking up when the rooster crowed, and everyone quickly getting ready for another day at the rodeo. Harrison woke up a bit normal than usual, meaning he was already ready and doing the rounds of feeding the animals. Jed and Charles were quick to get ready and come down to help him as well. They had lots of animals to feed, and they always rushed during the rodeo so they could get off the ranch quicker. Currently they were off a good mile at the dog kennels, feeding all the dogs. They had three horses tied up just a few feet away so the dogs wouldn't herd them off.
Usual morning, up early; showered and dressed... Jeans, shirt and cowboy boots once again. Horse tacked into his usual gear, just because Russ was out of his normal clothing, his horse unfortunately could not be. Taking the animal out for a few dressage exercises before putting him back in the stall, feeding him and giving him some clean water and hoping into the truck with the siblings to head to the rodeo with them; guessing he'd be alright today... Considering no one would want to mess with Harry after the scene from the other day. Currently he was passed out on the bed of the truck, it hadn't even been a week yet and Russ was fitting into routine rather well; knowing exactly what was going on and when, so he was beginning to relax. Breathing out a small sigh, he had his arm covering his eyes, unlike the others he didn't yet have a hat to shade his eyes; so his arm would have to suffice.
Once feeding was done and everyone was settled in the bed of the truck, only one big dog with them this time - Brownie - they'd start off to the rodeo. The truck bumped along as usual, the brother all talking about the horses and who needed more training or refreshing before they actually arrived. Dixie jumped from the truck in excitement, followed by her brothers. They landed on the grassy field, Dixie squealing in delight as her same-aged cousins ran over.
"Y'all take the kids to play at the carnival games." James said, waving them off.
"Yes, sir," all three brothers barks in unison before they'd head off, Harry motioning for Russell to come along as well. Their other older cousins tagged along as well, all laughing and cutting up like usual.
When they finally made it to the rodeo, the familiar scents, sounds and sights were greeted with air of comfort, jumping off the bed off the truck and following the others, when the man spoke about the games, he nodded his head; allowing himself to be ushered along with the others as they wandered along, listening to the conversations and joining in where he could. Feeling an air of ease about being back at the rodeo, being back where he 'didn't' belong, but... Right now, he felt like this was his calling, the same feeling he had had the first time he'd come here, that gnawing feeling to give up his dressage days and begin a-new with this family, start learning how to live how they do, ride like they do and belong in this place.
It didn't take long to get over to the games or get the kids set up to play some games. Harry amusing himself by helping Dixie win a few games before wandering off with the adult cousins once again. They really let all the kids run loose. It was a close knit town, so all the residents knew one another. Out of town folk wouldn't stand a chance if they tried snatching a kid. They were in the south after all, and what was the south without concealed and unconcealed weapons being allowed? As they all started wandering a bit more, their little cousins checking in every now and then, Harrison noticed the same old man set up, selling hats. The good kind too, real ones like the one settled on his head currently. Not those cheap things city folk could be tricked into buying. With a small hum, he dropped back a bit to snag Russell by the wrist and pull him on over away from the rest of the group and over to where the old man grinned at the sight of one of the Wakefield boys. With a quick glance around, he snagged up a hat that looked like it would look good on the guy, thumbs brushing over the material to make sure it was genuine leather, which it was. Lifting it up, he dropped it onto the man's head, a rare grin spreading across his features. "There. Now you got all ya' need to be a western rider." He stated, grin falling into a smile.
The guy followed around the others, though mostly around Harrison; though he had been about to wander off in search of something before he felt his wrist being snagged, being pulled back by the guy. About to question upon why he'd been pulled back his eyes narrowed in slight confusion when the hat was dropped onto his head, looking back up to the man as he spoke. It took him a moment, though he allowed himself to return the small smile. Lifting a hand to run it along the surface of his new hat, blinking a few times before shrugging it off; he wasn't exactly used to wearing hats... Oh well, he'd get used to it.
Seeing the small smile was a good sign. Right? He glanced up, seeing the rest of the group lingering by one of the shooting games before returning his attention back to Russell. "Do you like it?" He asked, head tilting slightly before lifting a hand to shift his own hat on his head. "There's more to chose from," he motioned to the other hats before looking back to him, unsure as to if he really liked the hat or not.
Turning his attention back to the guy for a moment, he silently pondered the question... It wasn't like he'd want to change it, Harry gave it to him so, it was special. Offering the guy another smile he nodded his head. "I love it." He mused quietly, looking around for the rest of the group before turning his attention back to the other man, his fingers curling into the fabric of his own shirt; fidgeting with it as he allowed his gaze to once again observe the surrounding area.
His smile grew a bit at the man's words before he'd turn to the old man sitting behind the tables and pay for the hat, bidding him goodbye after a few questions of how his parents were and how the ranch was. Turning back to Russell, he went to slip his arm back around the guy's shoulder like he had done the first time (in that "friendly" manner of his) as they'd head back over to the others. "You won't have to use your arm to block the sun anymore." Harry added after a moment. The others let out happy musings upon seeing the new hat on Russell's head, saying it looked good on him or that he looked like he belonged down here. Harrison gave a quick look around to make sure he saw each one of their little cousins darting about nearby.
Offering a friendly smile to the man behind the booth, he waited quietly for Harrison; surprised when the guy slipped his arm around his shoulder again. Though he didn't voice any protest, when they came back to the group he offered everyone a smile; happy to hear they liked the hat... Maybe he'd fit in now? His attention turned back to Harrison, offering the guy another thankful smile before looking around again. "I could get used to this lifestyle." He mused with a small chuckle. "My father would hate me... But, I really wouldn't mind it." He shrugged, maybe he'd try get Father to buy him a home in the area. His attention returned to Harrison after a moment however, blinking a few times.
"Hate you?" He lifted a brow, looking down to the other man. "Why?" He didn't get much time to wait for an answer before he heard a small cry mixed with his name, quick to turn on his heel. Once he saw Dixie dropped on the ground crying, he was off. Scooping her up, Dixie whined bout having fallen, bumping her head on the ground along with scraping up her hands and knees. Harry brushed the dirt off of her dress, crouching down to set her feet onto the ground and access the damage done to the little girl. She kept crying as Harry turned her hands over, her palms and finger tips scraped up with a few dots of blood, her knees the same, and there was already a small bruise on her head. "What happened?"
"W-we was playing tag, a-and I fell. I wanna go h-home, Harry," she whined, tears staining her cheeks.
"Shh, you're fine. I'll go get the keys from dad and take you home, okay? You can have some ice cream. How about it?" He wiped her tears away with a finger as he scooped her back up.
Dixie clung her arms around his neck, still sniffling. Before he could start walking off, she made him stop, reaching out a grabbing hand towards Russell. "Russy, you come too," she whined out. Harry rubbed her back slightly, looking over his free shoulder to see if the guy was coming.
Hearing the small cry, he followed after Harrison, giving Dixie a once over when she was placed back on her feet; she'd be fine, just a little bruise and a few scrapes. When he heard Dixie mention him coming him with them, a small breath filtered through his lips before nodding his head slowly and wandering back to Harrison, moving to walk by his side. Allowing a small smile to pull up across his lips, sure he liked it here, but he was more happier back on the ranch... Especially since he and Harrison would be for the most part, on their own and that was something he didn't mind at all. His attention dropped to Dixie for a moment, hell he couldn't say anything, he'd been a wimpy child when he was younger; not that it was something to admit too. But his mother had brought out the strength in him, making him a lot braver than he had been, hell it was his mother he put him back in the saddle when he was thrown off and trampled; after that accident his mother had said 'No use in mulling over the past, you gotta get back into the saddle and show him you aren't afraid.' Which was something that he practically lived by... Same rule would apply to when he would start western and further more when he would start working with the bulls.
Dixie clung onto Harrison as he headed for where their father was. It didn't take long to find the man at a table with a few others, a glass of beer in his hand. He and his father always had a weird way of communicating, a simple look and they knew what they meant. Charlotte mocked him for it, saying he'd end up rarely talking just like his father one day, but Harry didn't see much of a problem with it. He talked when needed. All he had to do was give James a small nod when the man rose a brow, and he knew exactly what happened. James handed the keys over to his son, and Harry turned and headed for the truck. It was a quiet walk minus the small whines coming from Dixie. She never did well when she got hurt. Unlike her brothers - who had spent their childhoods getting trampled by horses and cows and goats - she spent her days helping their mother garden or feed the chickens or in the kitchen. Once they got to the truck, he unlocked it and let her climb in. "When we get home we have to wash your hands up, all right?" Dixie nodded as she sat on the center console of the truck. Once Russell was also in the car, he'd start it up and start heading back to the ranch.
The quiet exchange of looks between Harrison and his father confused Russ in slight, unsure of how they knew exactly what one another meant, though he guessed that the two were similar in that respects; both had that same silent and strong personality. Walking with the man and Dixie back to the truck, he settled into the seat, looking down at her for a moment and offering a small smile. "Don't worry, Russy and Harry will getcha all cleaned up." He mused, his voice dropping to a tone that was meant to offer the girl some comfort, yet holding a small joke at the words; after a moment he merely leant back against the seat, turning to look through the window as they made their way back to the ranch.
Pulling back up to the house, he parked the car, got out, and let Dixie fall right back into his arms to get carried inside. She was always a clinger when she got hurt, but Harry didn't mind. He held her up on his hip with one hand, her head on his shoulder, using the other hand to lock the truck up. Heading inside, he went right to the kitchen and placed her on the counter. "What kind of bandaids do you want?" He asked, already knowing the answer, but asking anyways.
"I want my horsie bandaids!" She piped up, lifting a hand to wipe away a few tears.
"Alright. Horsies it is." He went over to one of their many medical cabinets (something they needed in this family) and opened it up. He found the bandaids, along with the antibacterial wipes, and headed to start cleaning her knees up so the dirt wouldn't infect the small wounds. She started on her own hands, whimpering about how it stung for a moment.
When they got into the house, Russ merely leant back against the door frame, his attention turning to the man as he went about cleaning the young girl up and patching up those little scrapes. Chuckling when she mentioned wanting the 'horsie' bandaids, something he remembered from his childhood, hell Russ was no stranger to broken bones either; he remembered his leg cast and how his mother would draw ponies on the side whenever she had the chance. The thought caused his lip to twitch slightly, his attention returning to the young girl as she began whimpering about the pain. In which time Russ headed over and gave her a comforting smile. "Least it's all cleaned up now." He mused to the girl, his gaze turning to Harrison for a moment before he moved back to stand against the wall once again.