#i took some otc sleep meds and they are kicking in baby

[intersexalastor]

stable hand twice and "frail of health" touya where touya comes from a wealthy family but enji "favors" (if you can call it that) shouto and kind of wants touya and natsuo out of the way, to make shouto his primary heir. so due to some bad burns his eldest got, enji labels touya as "frail" and thus cannot possibly do whatever enji does.

and while touya isn't in the best of health, he's far from the sickly runt enji paints him as. and a good chunk of whatever ill effects his body endures probably stems from the fact that enji insists (see: demands) touya stay in his room, preferably his bed, all day long.

now nearing 25, touya has known long enough that enji's discarded him. and maybe he could live with that if it weren't for basically being a prisoner in his own home. and at this rate, he'll never be able to anything. can't even take a walk around the block without enji getting red in the face.

being forced to watch natsuo and fuyumi at least build their own lives, shouto being handed (or forced into, depending on your perspective) their father's role in the local economy, it's enough to make touya lose his mind. especially since it looks like enji's expecting shouto to also inherit "the touya problem"

well, touya's not one to just sit around all day, despite his father's orders. and his mother's reluctance adherence to said orders.

he often sneaks out, if nothing else than to get some fresh air and people watch. it beats looking out that tiny window all day long.

and one day, when he knows enji is out looking for him, he's sneaking through town until he gets to the outskirts. he likes wandering out there, getting to see the treeline and the distant mountains. but he has little time to gaze across the meadow to see if he can spot some local fauna and instead slips into the nearby stable for cover.

and who else works there but jin. working with animals is all he's ever known, ever since both his parents died; his mother from an accident and his father from a disease that swept through the land some years ago. a grizzly old man who owned a nearby ranch put him to work and, well, here he is.

he's gotten the freedom to go anywhere. no matter where you end up, somebody always needs another set of hands to herd cattle, shear sheep, and, currently, maintain the horses.

touya's never been so close to any animal, let alone ones these big. he's come here to hide, but curiosity's got him by the scruff and he's wandering down the stalls.

and jin calls out for him, spotting a trespasser. it's not uncommon for a kid to sneak in, always in awe by the size and strength of these animals. but it's often harrier when it's someone older, someone who should know better.

touya doesn't mind explaining, especially since he is, in fact, on private property. and jin seems to relax.

ok i'll write a pt 2 blabbing post abt this au later i'm so damn tired rip <3