Featured: Jarin and Sydney
Following the Stock Show Finals storyline:
Beginning: Travesty to the Equine Industry | End: I Have Hank
Sydney had been in a very odd funk ever since the Stock Show Finals…the whole time at the show, he was so grumpy and just downright mean. At first Jarin felt kind of bad for flipping him off, after getting such a rush of how exciting it was! He regretted it almost immediately. He apologized countless times and even tried to send out individual apology letters to the audience that witnessed his embarrassing display of immaturity. But postage was too expensive… so he just apologized outloud like they could actually hear him. Sorry audience. But something also changed in Sydney. He didn’t seem mad about what Jarin had did. He just brushed it off as nothing. If anything, Sydney seemed more interested in working with Jarin. Maybe he saw the potential in Jarin! Jarin was just glad he wasn’t as mad. He was back to making jests and teasing Jarin. He still had his days where he’d yell and berate Jarin or throw a spur to get his attention when he was in a daze but Jarin would make up for it by letting him come over to his house and share a ramen instant-noodle pack. And by sharing…Sydney just ate it all. Sometimes, Sydney would invite him to the bar and he’d buy him a meal if he could beat him in a round of pool. Jarin went home hungry often. But sometimes Sydney seemed to be driving at more out of Jarin. He couldn’t figure out what he wanted out of him. He tried to do exactly as Sydney told him to do and that wasn’t enough. Jarin was to the point that he was just confused at Sydney and didn’t know how to respond anymore so he just...didn’t. Sydney finally snapped. He had all he could take of this passive aggressive bullshit from Jarin. He grabbed a hold of the hood on Jarin's jacket and yanked him backwards. He shoved him hard against the wall of Jarin’s house. Griff whimpered and hopped off the couch and headed for one of the empty spare rooms (which was all of Jarin’s rooms). He didn’t like violence. His human should be fine! No place for a dog though! Jarin looked terrified and threw his arms up in defense. He knew Sydney was angry but he didn't know it was this bad. He squeezed his eyes tight and braced himself for whatever may come his way. Sydney hated how he cowered from him. It drove him mad that he couldn't stand up to him like the time during the Stock Show competition. He never felt more alive than when Jarin showed a little backbone. Now here he was, looking like he was going to try to cry his way out of the situation again - like he always did. He wanted him to fight back, push him away, yell, do something! Sydney growled and shoved Jarin against the wall again, knocking a picture frame off the wall. It crashed to the floor and shattered glass spilled across the floor. "You piss me off, goddammit! It's like yer doing it on purpose!" Jarin shook in fear but didn't try to fight back. He didn't know what had triggered Sydney to lose his cool but he certainly didn't want to make things worse. This was one of those moments where he didn’t know what to do! He couldn't take him one on one either. He could feel the tears coming to his eyes as his emotions started to peak. Sydney grabbed Jarin’s cheeks with one hand and pulled his glasses off with the other. He tossed them across the room and got into Jarin's face, "Don't you darestart crying! Not now! Not after what you've done to me!" Jarin barely opened his watery eyes to see Sydney's distraught expression. What he did to him? To Jarin’s knowledge, he had always behaved. Maybe he really was upset at getting flipped off. Jarin was about to apologize out loud- Sydney took a swipe at Jarin, back handing him across the mouth, “Say something!” He shoved him against the wall again, “Do something!” Why wouldn’t he fight back? Why was nothing he did not worth a reaction!? Sydney couldn't take Jarin’s hurt expression anymore. He yelled and took a fistful of Jarin’s hair in each hand. Jarin winced and yelped in pain. He was about to protest when something covered his mouth and seemed to take his breath away. At first, he thought Sydney was trying to strangle him or something which caused him to open his eyes in alarm. What he saw was Sydney's long, dark eyelashes. Which meant...right below his eyes...on his mouth was... Jarin turned a fierce crimson like every drop of blood pumped straight to his cheeks. He figured that was why the rest of his body felt so tingly. Blood loss. Yes, that was why. Just when Jarin thought Sydney would pull away, he tugged harder on Jarin's hair. Jarin let out a little gasp which he quickly found out that was Sydney's plan. Sydney pressed himself harder onto Jarin, wrapping his tongue around Jarin’s. Jarin did not like sharing his mouth with another person! In an instant, he threatened to bite down on Sydney's tongue. That would teach him. If he did it hard enough, he wouldn't have a tongue left! But Jarin feared what Sydney would do to him in retaliation. If this is what he did when he was mad, he didn't want to know what he would do if he was mad and hurt too. Sydney felt Jarin hesitate and pulled himself off Jarin. He couldn’t look at him. He knew he was crying already from how wet his own cheeks were. He dropped his head and panted for a moment, trying to collect his calm. He knew he had crossed a line and it was a big one. Jarin knew Sydney hated it when he cried but he couldn't stop the tears. He had no way of understanding what had just happened. People that didn't like each other didn't do the sort of thing Sydney just did and it shook Jarin. That was…his very first kiss… he never imagined it would have come from someone like Sydney. Never in his wildest dreams…and he had some wild ones that he would not speak of...(CP: Jus/Jar | Green Broke and CP: Jus/Jar | Happy 'D'-Day!) He was shocked. Did…Sydney like him…? He stayed very quiet while Sydney tried to calm down. He just wanted to run away to somewhere safe. Anywhere but here. A little sob seemed to slip out of his throat as Sydney's grip tightened on his hair again. Sydney glared at Jarin through his blond lashes. That little sound Jarin made was like alerting a panther to the prey's location. Panic spread through Jarin. He tugged at Sydney's hands and squirmed. He could feel a different sort of anger coming from Sydney and he knew he needed to get away or calm him down, "I'm sorry, Sydney! I'm sor-" It was too little, too late. Sydney's anger took a hold of him again. He was mostly mad at himself for pushing it too far with Jarin. He had broken a lot of trust today and he couldn't fathom any way of recovering it. Without thinking, he decked Jarin across the cheekbone with a heavy fist. Jarin fell to the floor, cupping his already swelling cheek. He cried out as the broken pieces of glass cut deep into his arms and elbows. He tried to get to his feet to run but Sydney held him down again. Jarin looked around wildly for anything he could defend himself with but he couldn't reach any of it. Why was he hurting him if he liked him!? He resorted to pleading, "Sydney! Please! Stop-" Sydney covered Jarin's mouth with hand. Jarin stopped squirming long enough to see something he never thought would happened. Tears formed in the corners of Sydney's eyes until one grew heavy enough and rolled down his cheek. Sydney looked at Jarin like he was the one that hurt the most. He quivered slightly and hung his head, ashamed of his actions, "Jarin, I didn't mean it. I didn't mean for any of it to happen..." Jarin eased back a little, wincing from the glass cutting into his arms. Was he not angry anymore? He didn't know why he should feel guilty for making Sydney cry. Sydney was the one who hurt Jarin, yet Jarin felt worse for making someone else cry. His Momma always told him to right any wrongs and never make someone else cry. She'd tell him he needed to make up for what he did to hurt the other person. Jarin had absolutely no idea what he had done to upset Sydney in such a manner, but he could offer his sympathy. He quietly reached a hand up to Sydney's face and wiped his streaked cheek dry. He didn't say a word since Sydney still had a hand over Jarin's mouth. Sydney seemed to be calmed down and in control of his actions again. He gently pushed Jarin’s hand away from his face. There was no more bitter feeling than pity from someone hurt by one's own hands. Sydney stood and headed for the door, "I need to leave. I can't stay any longer with everything like this." He turned the door knob and almost looked back but he couldn't bring himself to look at what he did. He opened his mouth to apologize and changed his mind. He didn't think there'd be much point for one at this stage. Jarin wouldn't understand what Sydney needed anyway. Jarin watched him open and close the door behind him. His house was very quiet for a brief moment. Jarin broke the silence as he let out a loud sob. He rolled onto his side and curled into a ball. He wasn't sure what part of him hurt the most; his head and back from being slammed into the wall, his swollen cheek forming a dark bruise, his arms that suffered lacerations from the glass, or his heart that felt broken and confused.
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