Ernesto chuckled at the wicked quip. This girl had a sense of humour on her, that was for sure. He enjoyed the back and forth; it was a pleasant experience to find someone willing to play along with him without getting bored or irritated by his demeanour.

“Well, we wouldn’t want that, would we,” he replied with mock sincerity.

They arrived then at the Lagoon, and Ernesto watched with a pleased smirk on his lips as Swift took in the sight. The whisper that escaped her lips was reward enough for him. For just a moment their playful aura seemed to melt away, and there was a second of sincerity between them and the view.

It didn’t last long, but felt all the sweeter for its fleeting presence.

She nipped at his shoulder playfully, and Ernesto let out a snort as if indignant, and then she was away, darting along the shore where the ground was soft and damp. He watched her for just a moment, her dark legs flying out wildly behind her as she let out a burst of energy with bucks and kicks. The smile on his lips widened, and with a short whinny he went after her, bounding along the shore to catch up with her.

It had been some time since he had ran so carelessly and for fun, and it felt quite liberating.

“Pretty quick, señorita,” he said, just a little breathless, as he drew closer to her again. “Es todo lo que tienes?”

With a laugh he put on a burst of speed and darted beside her, splashing through the very shallows of the Lagoon’s edge as he did his best to overtake her.

ernesto
heartbreak is savvy and love is a bitch