At first, Tolio fears that Zikar-Sin is upset with him, for he is silent and still for a moment.

It is far more surprising when a rumbling laughter comes spilling forth from his lips, as if he was laughing for the entirety of his life. It encompasses him, dragging him into the exhilaration the other stallion is experiencing. His laugh is large, as if it is trying to stretch over the entirety of the steppe. Warm, bubbling. It makes Tolio suddenly very flustered, as if that laugh had slowly but surely drawn the air from his lungs. He is unable to breathe, and yet he feels warmer than he ever has being in the wintery landscape. It makes him want to laugh as well, but all he can do is sit and stare at Zikar-Sin in wonder. When he laughs, his entire face has a warmth that doesn’t come from shyness. No, it is like he is suddenly aware of how he fits his skin, and it’s so incredibly handsome that Tolio feels his face beginning to burn with embarrassment. At first he had only thought of Zikar-Sin as adorable, with how he fumbled and didn’t seem to understand social norms. Now…now he is very, very aware of the stallion’s attractiveness, and feels almost ashamed. He feels like he is defiling Zikar-Sin, as if he is some kind of pervert, which just makes his face burn brighter. Zikar-Sin is so sweet, surely he cannot reciprocate the small flutters of anxiety and nerves that appear when he hears that booming laugh.

Stop it Tolio, haven’t you hurt yourself enough?

He latches onto a distraction wholeheartedly, dragging Zikar-Sin into the topic as well. He cannot linger on such thoughts. The coal stallion followed without complaint, though Tolio felt a little guilty that the laughter did not continue. Together they gazed out across the beach, Tolio a bit more apprehensive than Zikar-Sin. He enjoyed the beach of the Endless Blue, but this ocean looked as if carved from glowing blue ice. It screamed at him that it was dangerous, and yet even he was curious. The wind was cold as it whipped off the water, slicing neatly into his skin as if he did not have one for protection. Zikar-Sin moved closer, head dipping, and a strangled worried noise slipped from the feminine stallion’s throat. ”S-Sinny I don’t think you should-“ but his words are cut short for the man is leaping forward into the water with a loud splash. Tolio made a high-pitched whine, as if he had meant to scream and it got stuck. Already wide doe eyes only made themselves larger as he stared in shock and horror at the other male. Good Gods it had to be freezing! Luckily as he started running towards the other male in a panic he jumped back out. How the hell he got so wet in such a short amount of time was beyond Tolio, but his eyes focused on the sheepish almost apologetic look on his face.

Heart nearly had a seizure of worry and he circled Zikar-Sin, making noises of distress, face crumpled. Distraught tears are working their way into his eyes and as he brushes his muzzle to Zikar-Sin’s chest he recoils at the cold temperature. ”Of course it’s cold!” He means to scold him, but it is weak with fear. Zikar-Sin had just given him the shock of his life, and he’s feeling a little unsteady. The bit is completely gone from his words, and instead he presses very close to him, head to tail, and drapes his neck over the other stallion. Pressing as near as he can get, sharing his body heat with him. It is nearly excruciating to feel the cold against his own skin, but he stays put. Slowly he feels the cold subside as his own warmth battles it, and lets out a scared shaky breath against Zikar-Sin’s flank, giggle coming out a little hysterical. ”D-Don’t ever scare me like that again!” Finally shoving the fear down and conquering it, idly grooming Zikar-Sin while they stood together. It made his heart jump in staccato beats to be so close to him, but he is also far too concerned about his health to enjoy it fully. ”Are you warming up? Should we move? Should we go to the hot springs?” And again worry is caught in his tone, weaved up inside of it intimately. He’s scared that Zikar-Sin will freeze, or that he’s not doing something right, and his mother-hen voice is coming into play, affection and worry battling it out in his every word.