#it's like the dogs nudging their owners into each other trope but better!

[softquietsteadylove]

What came to my mind recently is a AU in wich Thena is a very talented and famous dressage rider. For Gil I thought he would be the one who is responsible for looking after all the horses at the most luxurious horse riding club. And Thena is a member at this club.👀

"Whoa, girl," Thena crooned, pulling back on the reins gently as Olympia slowed to a canter and then to a walk. Thena lowered to the saddle before dismounting and pulling off her helmet, patting her mare's sheer white side of gossamer fur. "That groomer really knows what he's doing."

"It's apple juice."

Thena whirled around, glaring at the sudden source of sound intruding on her space. He wasn't as close as she had feared, although most at the club still knew to give her an even wider berth than the horses.

She hadn't actually met the caretaker in person yet, mostly having heard how much the horses all seemed to adore him. She had doubted it to a certain extent, especially in the case of her Olympia. The sparkling white mare was just as antisocial as her rider.

Or so she thought.

Thena stared as Olympia happily nudged the caretaker's hand with her nose, inviting him to pet her with a swishing of her tail behind her. Her ears even flicked with joy as he showered her with compliments on her coat and her form and anything else he could think of.

And the stubborn and aggressive Olympia ate it right up.

"Thena, right?" he looked at her with a smile, still rubbing Olympia's nose as he took her reins in hand for himself. "I'm Gilgamesh, the new carer for the horses."

"Yes," she murmured, eyeing the man cautiously. He seemed nice enough, but didn't most people, at first? He was tall in stature and even wider than that. Perhaps it came from having to haul the hay. "I have heard about your exemplary work with them."

"Aw, that's sweet," he grinned at her, uncaring if she was making it up or paying him a false compliment or not. "I don't know about that. Some of us are still getting to know each other."

Thena was still taking in the way Olympia was nearly giddy from the presence of the caretaker. She had never seen her horse like this before. "Will you stop it?"

Olympia whinnied at her, though.

Thena bristled, "are you laughing at me?"

Gilgamesh tickled between Olympia's nostrils. "She's just excited because I promised her some sugar after your ride today."

Thena crossed her arms at the caretaker, walking beside him - although Olympia had proudly stuck her head between them - as he guided them both back to the stables. "And how often do you let her have this?"

"Just once a week," he promised her, unminding of her sharp line of questioning. "I know Olympia doesn't do well with a lot of sugar. But she really loves it. That's where the apple juice comes in."

"Don't tell me-"

"It's not from concentrate," he assured her preemptively this time, which only made her even more annoyed with him. "I press the apples myself and then I add it to her mix. It all tastes a lot sweeter for it, so then I can add more vitamins to it without having to argue with her to eat it."

"Well, that's..." rather brilliant, actually. Thena had long suffered Olympia's stubbornness about eating a well balanced diet. "I suppose that was a good idea."

Gilgamesh let Olympia nudge his face with her nose in affection, even giving his ear some attention. He just patted her cheek, letting her express herself freely. "She's a beautiful mare, and she's stronger than any of the others. She needs the right nutrition to keep that up. But she's also just like any young horse who wants to let loose and have fun sometimes."

Thena observed Olympia critically. It was true, she was relatively young for a mare in competitive dressage. And she had been in a rather good mood the last few weeks, the reason for which had eluded Thena. It seemed she had found it at last.

"Thank you."

"Hm?" he looked past Olympia's nose at her.

"For caring for her so," Thena ran a hand down her mare's neck, "diligently. It assures me that she's in good hands when I'm not here."

Gilgamesh ducked around Olympia's head to walk on the same side as Thena, still holding the horse's bridle gently. "You take really good care of her, and I know you want to know I'm doing the same here."

"Of course I do." It baffled her that some of the other riders in the club didn't care for their horses so much as see them as vehicles. She had heard some of them refer to the horses' rest days as 'tune ups', as if they were racing cars.

"I've met a few horses like her," Gilgamesh offered lightly in conversation. "It takes a strong rider to tame one this strong willed. I can see why you two get along."

"Because I am also stubborn and difficult?" Thena raised a brow at him.

"I was just gonna say because you both hate Ikaris."

Thena turned her head back to the track as a tiny laugh escaped her.

As if sensing her desire to keep her laughter concealed, Olympia nickered loudly instead.

"That's right, don't you?" Gil cooed to the horse, who stomped her front hooves in glee.

"Olympia," Thena sighed, although she had already gotten the impression that scolding her horse would do no good when the amiable caretaker was around.

Finally at the stables, Gil undid Olympia's bridle and slipped it off her head. He scratched her face for her, which made her shake herself off in appreciation. "It's friday, girl; let's get you that pedicure."

Thena smiled to herself. She could see more and more reason the horses enjoyed his company so much. "Thank you, Gilgamesh."

"It's nothing," he shrugged off her genuine praise of him.

She crossed her arms, "it is not nothing. I am trying t--Olympia!"

The horse whinnied again, nudging Thena continuously in the back with her massive snout.

"Olympia, that's enou-" Thena didn't get the chance to finish, nudged directly into the chest of the caretaker.

"Whoa," he let out a puff of air, one of his hands coming up to her arm. "Are you okay?"

Thena growled, pushing off of his - stupidly firm - chest and whirling around on her horse. "You and I are going to have a chat, young lady."

Olympia turned away from her like a sullen teen, flicking her tail.

"Look at me when I'm speaking to you!"

Gilgamesh just chuckled to himself, beginning the process of putting away Olympia's equipment so he could scrape her hooves. He let Thena have her discussion with her suddenly disobedient companion. He wouldn't want to interrupt and undermine Thena's discipline. Plus it was cute to see her arguing with a horse.