Unconventional Love

The coming weeks after their wedding were nothing short of torture for young Ashley. It wasn’t because his new husband, nor the young man’s parents, mistreated or abused him; it was because there were so many changes he had to adjust to. For one, he was never locked away as he’d grown accustomed to over the past decade, but was instead allowed to roam the house.

He also had to adjust to having people around who actually cared about him and his feelings, people who actually wished to talk to him and didn’t mind him giving verbal responses. On top of that, he was still adjusting to having more than enough money for anything he wanted, which included far better dresses, underskirts, stockings, and the like than he’d ever dreamt of having. He also had to adjust to not being forced into a corset as soon as he was dragged from his pile of rags on the floor, which had morphed into a very soft and comfortable bed that cradled him like a cloud.

Many guests who came calling after their wedding wanted to meet him, but he refused to go near them. Andy understood that he was painfully shy after a life of being locked away, and on top of all those other adjustments, guests were likely too much for him. One even tried to barge into their chambers to drag him out to socialize, which got quite the reprimanding from the young man who’d wed him. His parents didn’t even try to stop him from giving the woman a good tongue-lashing, both because they were aware of how painfully shy the boy was, and because it was rude of the woman to do such a thing. Needless to say that she and her husband were both thrown from their property and told to never show their faces there again.

Thankfully, though, the young man he’d been forced to wed showed nothing but care, consideration, and respect for him. He’d kept his promises of never pushing for intimacy before he was ready and teaching him how to play the piano, as well as started helping him learn how to read. Years of never being taught meant that he had quite a bit of learning to do, but thankfully he was patient with young Ashley, often making him take breaks when his head would start to ache horribly.

“Good morning, my dear.”

With a soft groan as he awoke, the young boy rolled onto his back and pushed himself into a sitting position, sleepily rubbing his eyes.

“I figured you could use breakfast in bed this morning,” Andy said softly. He gently sat on the bed’s edge beside him, then set a tray over his lap.

“Won’t Mother be angry if crumbs get in the bedding?” he asked timidly.

“Not at all, Ash,” his groom laughed. “She would rather you be comfortable and well-fed than worry about there being crumbs in the bedding.”

“Y-you c-called me A-Ash,” he stuttered, his eyes widening.

“I have called you thus since the day we were wed.” The young man’s brows furrowed. “How have you not noticed?”

Embarrassed, Ashley ducked his head to hide his face behind his hair.

“Uh uh uh,” Andy admonished softly, using a single finger to lift his chin. “There is no need to duck your head with me.”

“I cannot believe I have not noticed you calling me Ash,” he groaned miserably. “We have been wed for a month! One would think I would have noticed such a thing by now!”

“Shhh, shhh, shhh,” his husband whispered. “You have had much to adjust to since the wedding. ’Tis not surprising that you allowed such a thing to slip past conscious thought until now.”

“I suppose so,” the young boy conceded.

The young man gently pressed a kiss to his lips, still slowly working his way toward being more intimate with his young bride. He’d meant what he’d said about not pushing him into intimacy, and thus far, the only thing he’d been comfortable with aside from a chaste kiss was letting the young man gently suckle his lower lip. It wasn’t what Andy wanted, by far, but it was progress from when he’d cringed and tried to pull away from even a chaste kiss.

After their sweet kiss, he rose from the edge of the bed to lay out his clothes while he ate. Ashley would choose between two of something he held up, or if he said that he only had cotton and silk stockings clean, he’d choose that way. Laying on the sofa in their reading nook was a beautiful lavender gown, which brought out both the shade of his eyes and the slight tan of his skin, a white underskirt and petticoat, and white silk stockings. Everything that was laid out was made of silk, even his underdrawers, but he loved wearing it since it felt so soft against his skin. It was certainly a change from when he’d pratically worn burlap sacks to their wedding, and he couldn’t say he didn’t enjoy such luxury.

When he was done eating, his young husband moved the tray from his lap, allowing it to be left on the coffee table in the outer room for the maid he summoned. He then locked the door to their bedroom so they’d have privacy while he helped the young boy dress. Just as he’d promised upon arriving home from their wedding a month ago, he never forced him into a corset again, nor would he allow anyone but his mother to help his bride dress. Even then, Amy didn’t help him dress unless Andy wasn’t feeling well, and so far, there’d only been one morning that he woke up with a headache and didn’t wish to leave their bed.

“What shall we do this day, my dear?” the young man asked. “We can continue your efforts with learning to read, or play the piano, we can talk a walk through the woods. Even ride the horses through the woods. It is up to you.”

“Can we go riding?” Ashley asked excitedly. “I have never been on horseback before.”

“In that case, until we can have some mens’ garments made for you, we’ll take a single mount,” his husband answered, nodding. “I do not mind teaching you to ride, but I’d prefer you start learning how astride. Sidesaddle can be a bit too difficult to master at first, if one has never ridden.”

“But I do not like wearing mens’ clothing,” the young boy pouted.

“I only say mens’ clothing and riding astride at first so you learn how to safely,” Andy swore. “If not for having your safety in mind, I would not say such a thing, as you well know.”

He had to admit, if only to himself, that it was true since his husband had done nothing to endanger him, and had even done all he could to prevent him from hurting himself. “All right.”

“For how, you will be riding with me,” he told him. “I may have to have you mount and ride astride, but we shall make it work.”

“Will my skirts still keep me covered?” Ashley asked, sounding a bit worried.

“Of course. Not that there is anyone within the woods surrounding this property to see your pretty little ankles, anyhow,” Andy teased him, gently kissing the tip of his nose.

“You handsome, randy devil, you,” the young boy said, blushing at his attention.

Laughing, the young man allowed him to gently grasp his elbow so he could lead him down to the stables. Having been born into such a rich, opulent lifestyle, Ashley almost wondered if he could even saddle a horse, but he supposed he’d find out soon enough. It wouldn’t surprise him if his young husband couldn’t do such a thing and required a stable boy’s help, but he just didn’t know.

Upon arriving at the stables, Andy had him stand under a shady tree not too far from its doors since it was a decently warm, June day. Even though he never forced him into high-necked dresses like his mother had, his three-quarter length sleeves and all his skirts couldn’t possibly be very cool, and he didn’t want him overheating. That was the only thing the young boy despised about wearing womens’ clothing, but he’d made this choice back when he was much younger. He’d gotten too used to wearing dresses, even as cumbersome and hot as they were, to change now.

Moments later, his husband led a mare out the double doors by the reins attached to the bridle strapped properly in place. He had a saddle in his other hand, deciding that it would be the perfect time to begin riding lessons for his bride, even though he wouldn’t allowed to ride alone just yet. Ashley was very astute and a quick learner, so mastering getting the bridle and saddle on weren’t that hard and didn’t take long. It would be actually riding once he started the lessons that would take time for him to master.

“Left boot in the stirrup, my dear,” Andy said, the two of them standing on the horse’s left side.

Timidly, he raised his foot and put his boot in the stirrup, quickly reaching up with his left hand to grab the saddle horn.

“And upsy-daisy!” his husband said, grabbing his waist.

“Oh!” he gasped, letting out a squeak as the young man boosted him up.

“Now take your right leg and throw it over the horse’s back,” he told him.

Scared that he’d fall, he did as he was told, groaning as he plopped his weight down in the saddle wrong.

“Hang on to the saddle horn, my dear.” It was obvious that he realized what he’d done. “The pain will go away in a few moments, and you can readjust yourself then.”

“This is embarrassing,” Ashley squeaked as the pain in his groin lessened.

“It is okay, Ash. Your first time on horseback is bound to be full of valuable learning experiences,” he assured him gently. “I bet this is the first lesson, aside from how to saddle a horse, that will stick in your memory.”

“For certain,” the young boy agreed, nodding. “That hurt like nothing I have ever felt.”

“Well, you have been coddled and treated gingerly, as all girls are, your entire life.” Andy paused in thought for a moment. “’Tis no wonder you have never experienced that kind of pain.”

Without further delay, his husband had him remove his feet from the stirrups, shocking him when he put his own boot in the one on the left hand side. With the ease and dexterity of years of practice, he pushed himself up and threw his leg over the horse’s back, settling himself comfortably on it behind the saddle. Ashley was afraid that he’d fall and hurt himself trying to ride like that, only to be silenced and reassured. This wasn’t the first time that the young man had ridden bareback, nor would he fall unless the horse got spooked and reared up.

Still a bit uncertain and afraid, the young boy grabbed the saddle horn in what could only be described as a death grip. Andy chuckled softly as he took up the reins, his arms wrapped loosely around his bride’s waist, and gently nudged the horse’s ribs with his heels. A soft squeak came from the boy tightly clutching the saddle horn in front of him, and he couldn’t help but laugh a bit louder, as the horse began to move.

It wasn’t long before they’d ridden a trail the young man had cleared on his own one afternoon while he was sleeping off a headache. They were deep in the woods surrounding the Biersacks’ rustic mansion, and he was completely in awe. Having been locked away the majority of his life, and being treated so gingerly when he wasn’t, he hadn’t gotten to experience such things as a simple walk in the woods. It was also part of the reason that, despite growing up on a ranch, Ashley hadn’t the first inkling of how to saddle a horse until his husband had shown him, much less ride one.

“Beautiful, is it not, my dear?” his deep voice rumbled in his ear.

“More than words can say,” the young boy agreed, nodding.

“I am glad you think so,” Andy chuckled. “Now imagine how this will feel when you are in the saddle on your own, able to ride as you please without help from another.”

The thought scared him a bit, but the idea of being able to ride when and where he wanted to was exciting.

“It will take time for you to gain the skill, never mind the confidence, it will take to venture this far from home on your own, but you shall eventually,” his husband told him.

“How long do you reckon it will take me to learn?” Ashley asked, letting a word not many from the South knew slip past his lips.

“It depends upon how quick you learn,” he answered, ignoring his speech. “It might take you a month, it might take you a year. I cannot say for sure, nor will I without knowing you better.”

“I would ask if it could take a week, but I doubt even you learned that fast,” the young boy said.

“It took me about a month to get the basics down,” Andy laughed. “And I am pretty astute, myself.”

“How long have you been riding?” he asked curiously.

“Since I was five,” his husband answered. “I am eighteen now, due to turn nineteen the day after Christmas this year.”

“My parents say my birthdate is the twenty-eighth of January,” Ashley told him. “They also say that I am fourteen, but with the way they have spread falsehoods in the past, I cannot be certain.”

“Well, now that I think about it, you are about the size of an average fourteen-year-old boy,” he said thoughtfully. “I had originally thought you were twelve or thirteen, but your hands seemed too big for a child, especially a girl, of that age. And even if your birthdate is not the twenty-eighth of January, we can still celebrate it then, unless you choose otherwise.”

“If they had papers saying when I was born, I would not try changing my birthdate,” he told him. “But considering that I have never seen such documents, and they never turned them over to your parents, to our knowledge, I suppose I am free to if I choose.”

Nodding his agreement, Andy gently kissed the top of his head as he turned their mount around to head back to the mansion. It was easily around high noon, and the heat was starting to get to the young man, despite being in the mountains, so he knew it had to be getting to his bride, as well. That much was confirmed when the poor thing started pulling his chemise and the front of his dress away from his chest, a feeble effort to circulate some air beneath the fabric.

Deciding that they’d spent enough time in the sun and that he was getting too hot, he kicked the horse’s ribs again, sending them from a trot to a canter. Ashley tightened his grip on the saddle horn, his thighs instinctively clamping down on the mare’s sides, as he struggled to stay on. Thankfully, his husband’s arms around him helped, and his own strong thighs kept him from falling off.

It wasn’t long until they arrived in front of the mansion, Andy reining the horse in so it would come to a full stop. Chris and Amy were sitting outside, and they could tell by the way their son had ridden up that something was amiss, if only slightly so. The young man’s mother took Ashley into the house so she could help him out of his dress, hoping to cool him off a bit while his husband returned the horse to the stables. He was feeling a bit too miserable to argue, but he wished it was the man he’d wed helping him right now. He was reassured that he’d be up soon, and allowed his father-in-law to carry him to their bedroom.

Notes