"Forgiveness is beautiful. So is sex..."

Detention. For a year.

Thunderlane sighed dully as he made his way home after his fifth session of punishment after his and Soarin's 'venture.' The sky was clear thankfully, allowing the grey pegasus to enjoy the sensation of the radiant sunlight kiss his wings, bringing a thin smile to the stallion's lips. His saddlebags felt lighter, his wings warm and smooth, and his mane swept and soft as the summer breeze ran its touch through its styled fibres. The summer season was in full swing around the young pegasus, and Thunderlane, despite his punishment, was content.

Especially as a certain somepony came fluttering up beside him.

"Hey handsome! Where ya goin'?" Soarin' chimed merrily as his hooves touched down. "I got a hankerin' for some apple pie. Wanna come with me?"

Thunderlane grinned. "Didn't you eat a whole plate at lunch? And now that I think about it, during Prench class?"

"Your point? Those things are good!"

"I dunno. You're getting fat, Soar."

The pale blue pony gaped stupidly as his new partner continued walking, swaying his flank playfully and smugly.

"Fat? Me? Damn, Thunder, right in the feels," Soarin' motioned over his heart with a hoof, gaining a strong laugh from the other pegasus. Soarin' leaped forward to catch him, wrapping a strong feathered wing around Thunderlane's withers as he landed and pulled him in close. "So, you haven't answered" he said mischievously, nuzzling Thunderlane's neck as the pair walked briskly down the cloud-road.

"Maybe..." Thunderlane purred. "What's in it for me?"

"Pie."

Thunderlane stopped for a second before yielding to Soarin's logic. Wasn't what I was expecting, but whatever...

"I'll buy you a milkshake too," Soarin' said in a sing-song voice before planting a peck on Thunderlane's cheek. The grey pegasus' heart melted.

"Urrgh, fine. You win. But I want a banana one."

"You love bananas, don't you?" Soarin' quipped as he gave a sly wink. Thunderlane's face contorted into a look of shock before he began swatting his new coltfriend over the head with his wings playfully.

"Don't say things like that, you hypocrite!"

"Hippo-what?"

The pair continued down the street, laughing madly and beaming at each other's antics, Soarin's wing shading the two as they finally made their way towards Soarin's favourite patisserie, which he assured Thunderlane was stocked full of low-calorie snacks for the athletic pegasus. The summer sun continued to shine down benevolently upon Cloudsdale, and the clouds shimmered and blazed in the golden-white light. The floating city as alive and buzzing as always, and many pegasi of all shapes and sizes flitted this way and that across the expansive blue sky.

In light of this sudden congregation of ponies, Soarin' let his wing drop. Thunderlane still felt incredibly nervous when it came to them. He still hadn't told his parents, and while Soarin' assured him that most other ponies were more accepting and tolerant, he still didn't want to take that chance just yet. He shot Soarin' a shy smile as the pair continued to journey on hoof.

It didn't take long for the couple to reach their destination, a quaint establishment by the name of Crusty Clouds. A pair of large windows faced outwards, displaying a dazzling and mouth watering selection of delectable pastries and desserts to the ponies outside. Thunderlane silently gasped at the array of muffins, crêpes, cakes, pies, and most importantly, waffles. A great frosted banner was emblazoned over the door in flowing gold script.

"La meilleure pâtisserie dans les cieux" Thunderlane read out load. "Hey Soar, you pay attention in Prench class, what does that say?" The light blue pegasus scoffed and waved a derisive hoof at the sign.

"Obviously," he began in a sarcastic, knowledgeable tone, "it says that 'Thunderlane is a fool for doubting the power of pastry.' Sweet Celestia, you really need to catch up on your homework." The pair laughed as Soarin' led the way inside, a tiny bell heralding their entrance. Immediately, Thunderlane was overcome with an intense waft of warm baked goods tempered with an undertone of sweet, sweet sugary icing. The décor was rustic yet oddly sophisticated, with stained clouds made to look like wooden panelling, marked with floral patterns that mimicked the old Prench style.

As the pair made their way inside, a rounded, flamboyant pegasus mare suddenly dashed before them, a flour dusted apron hanging from around her neck, its embroidery matching her triple cake-sliced flank. Her rosy cheeks wobbled slightly as she beamed at an apparently regular customer.

"Soarin'! Mon chèri, where 'ave you been? I 'ope you're not getting into trouble, ma business 'as been suffering without you, mon garçon. We 'aven't sold a single apple pie for almost four days! Thank Celestia that you and your friend are 'ere today," she exclaimed, her voice heavy with a Prench accent, though from what region, Thunderlane could not tell. He was more surprised at just how often his new coltfriend seemed to spend his time in the cake shop.

"Hey Chèvrefeuille! Yeah, been busy lately, but I'm back, baby! Show me and my good friend here," he wrapped a foreleg around Thunder's withers, "to your most scrumptious, fragrant, crispy, divine apple pies, s'il vous plaît." Soarin's poor accent caused the rounded mare to giggle, and with a grand flourish of her pudgy wings, she ushered them over to a spare table, where a pair of menus waited eagerly to be opened. As they sat down, Thunderlane gave Soarin' a cheeky grin.

"What?"

"Told you you're getting fat," Thunderlane ended the sentence with a firm wink.

"Tu n'es pas en mesure de me juger" Soarin' quipped back, eliciting a wide eyed gaze from the grey pony.

"You can actually speak it?"

"I always pay attention!"

Thunderlane's disbelief was interrupted by Chèvrefeuille, who promptly took his and Soarin's order of two apple pies before disappearing into the kitchens, leaving the two young stallions alone once more. The chatty atmosphere of the patisserie hadn't immediately rubbed off on Thunderlane, who stole a couple of shy smirks and glances at his new coltfriend. Soarin' however, was not so reserved. Leaning over towards the charcoal grey pegasus, he gave a stupid grin before asking, "you ready for the best pie in the sky?"

"Heh, I guess"

Soarin' raised his eyebrows. "I can't hear you" he said in a sing song voice before taking Thunderlane's forehooves in his own. But even this gesture was met with hesitance.

"Soar, d-don't do that here. Ponies are watching us!" he hissed. Soarin' craned his neck upwards with absolutely zero tact to survey the café, only to find ponies going about their own affairs, oblivious to the pair of colts in the corner holding hooves. With a grand flourish, Soarin' smiled to Thunderlane.

"See? Nopony cares! In the real world, ponies are generally accepting and tolerant. Hey, it takes a lot to make a world. Why should a stallion and mare be accepted and a pair of colts or fillies not be? Anypony who tells you otherwise is backwards, in my humble opinion."

"I, I know Soar, but..."

"Hey, it's okay. I can understand if you're nervous, but I'm just saying that it's not as bad as you think." Soarin' punctuated the sentence with a lightning quick peck on Thunderlane's muzzle, so speedy that the grey pony didn't even have time to think about stopping him. And to Thunderlane's surprise, nopony batted an eyelid. And further to his relief and surprise, me found all negative feelings slowly ebbing away the more Soarin' talked to him.

It didn't take too long for the pies to arrive, borne upon the wings of the round Prench mare. The scent of finely baked pastry peppered with white icing sugar, mixed with the aroma of succulent apples floated over to the colts, and Thunderlane's eyes widened as the great dessert was placed before him. Chèvrefeuille seized Soarin's head in both hooves, and gave him two strong kisses on his cheeks.

"Enjoy, my two cuties!" she sang as she disappeared behind the counter.

As Soarin' looked towards his pie, he raised his eyes towards his coltfriend. Thunderlane was sitting there, his head cradled in both his forehooves and his golden gaze fixed upon Soarin's own jade. A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips, showing a look of thoughtful restraint, wrapped in a handsome face that hid a mischievous centre. Thunderlane sighed and beamed, showing off his white teeth before kicking his hooves under the table against Soarin's legs.

"What?" the blue pony asked, "what'd I do?"

"Soarin', are you cheating on me with a certain café owner?" Thunderlane giggled.

His response was a firm kick from under the table, and the grey pony burst out laughing.

The afternoon disappeared quickly after that, and Thunderlane burped quietly to himself as he trotted down towards his cloudhome, his mind wandering to Soarin', who had returned to his own house a few cloudbanks away. The apple pie, as he had promised, was fantastic, and Thunderlane heaved his swollen gut along with him through the front door. His parents weren't in, he had no homework, and Rumble was probably round a friend's. That meant only one thing: the gym.

Thunderlane, while not the most athletic pony in the world, still had a figure to maintain. His father used to be an unmatched skyball player, and his mother still held the record for the fastest mare at her university. As he grabbed his gym bag and a bottle of water, Thunderlane smiled at the family picture near his bedroom door. Storm Runner, his father, had one forehoof draped around Thunderlane's mother, Starcatcher, and the other around a thirteen year old him. Baby Rumble was sitting in front of them all, clutching to his little Wonderbolt plushie as if his life depended on it. The scene made Thunderlane grin softly, and he sighed to himself as he flung the back over his withers, and scooted out the door.

The flight to the gym wasn't a long one, and Thunderlane saw the welcome sight of many other mares and stallions coming in and out of the frosted glass doors, some pumped and healthy, others sweating and almost broken from their workouts. Thunderlane made a silent promise to himself to be like the former group of ponies rather than the latter.

The gym was one of Thunderlane's common haunts, and the grey pony often spent an evening working away his troubles are the foot of a treadmill. There was something he enjoyed about the idea of exercise: the sensation of blood pumping through his body, the feeling of sweat on his charcoal grey fur, the sound of his heavy panting... all of it was exhilarating. But as Thunderlane made his way towards the changing rooms, an unwelcome sight greeted his eyes. Windstorm, in all of his cocky glory, stood at the reception desk, hopelessly trying his luck with the reception mare stationed there, her eyebrows raised at the sound of the colt's forward advances.

Trying his best to be sneaky, Thunderlane zipped towards the other side of the desk, flashing his membership pass before scuttling away before he drew unwanted attention. The receptionist barely registered what had happened before Thunderlane disappeared into the locker rooms on his left. Breathing a sigh of relief, Thunderlane suddenly stopped and realised something. Why should I be hiding any more? Fuck Windstorm! Soarin' was right, nopony cares...

It was with a satisfied huff, that Thunderlane stood up straight, marched to the locker room, threw his bag in the nearest locker, and strode boldly into the gym.

Cloudsdale Steel Wings Gymnasium was the largest in the city, and by far the most popular. Climbing four storeys into the air, the building was made entirely of glass and steel across one side, giving the ponies inside an obstructed view of the sky-bound metropolis. The upper levels were filled with every exercise machine imaginable, from rows upon rows of treadmills to gymnastic mats, to entire rooms filled with weights, dumbbells and benches. The gym housed a swimming pool and spa at cloud-level, and the final floor was home to four badminton courts.

Despite the fact that Thunderlane had been a member for over a year now, the sight of the sweeping skywall and the vast rows of ponies always filled him with excitement, and it was with that same feeling that the grey pegasus took up his favourite treadmill. It was on the first row, giving the stallion a complete and marvellous view of Cloudsdale, Celestia's afternoon sun just beginning to graze the tops of the highest cloudbanks as it sank.

Pressing the fiddly buttons on the machine, the grey pony began to build up to a light jog as a warm up. He could go for hours if he so wished, but today, he wanted to test his limits, and that meant he needed to prepare himself for the next stage of his workout. One of the greatest things that he'd discovered about he gym was how easy it was to relax and just think about things. The past few days were a blur to him, and Thunderlane concluded to himself that now was a good time to mull things over.

"Soarin..." he breathed to himself before letting out a beaming smile. Oh Celestia, I have a coltfirend. I have an actual, real coltfriend. The thought of his new strong, funny, handsome stallion made Thunderlane's heart flutter as he slowly picked up the pace. All the events in Miss Horsefeather's classroom seemed like a dream, despite the fact it was less than a week ago. He and Soarin had spent every afternoon since together, but nothing else of that nature had happened.

Thunderlane pressed the buttons again, speeding up the treadmill before returning to his thoughts. What have I done to deserve this? Damn he's hot! The grey pony was running with a big stupid grin on his face, oblivious to the fact that the mare running beside him looked at him as if he was a crazy pony. He didn't notice her stop and move up one treadmill. He's so handsome, so sweet, so -

Thunderlane stopped his train of thought as he caught a familiar flash of sky blue fur as Windstorm strutted onto the floor, heading straight towards the weight rooms without giving anyone a glance. Except one pony, an orange stallion. Both said a short 'hey' before continuing on their ways, but as the orange pony left, Thunderlane could have sworn...No, really? Did Windstorm just...

Of course he didn't. Windstorm was the last pony Thunderlane knew to do that.

There was no way Windstorm was checking out that stallion's flank...

The next day didn't begin as a particularly eventful one. The school bell cried out loudly across the Academy, signalling the end of the morning break. Thunderlane and Soarin were walking side by side, talking. Yet as per his coltfriend's wishes, Soarin made no move to reveal anything or give any affection to Thunderlane outside what friends would do. They laughed, they chatted, they joked, but nothing beyond that. The sun was still climbing into the sky as the two ponies made their way towards the Academy's stadium for gym class, and the pair were joined by two others: a white coated mare named Blossomforth and a tall, lanky colt with a dark blue coat, Star Hunter. The two had been among the few who had stayed true to Thunderlane since his spectacularly awful coming-out at the Hearth's Warming Eve Ball.

"Heya Thunder, haven't seen you in almost a week!" Blossomforth squeaked as he nudged her way beside her friend. "Damn feather-flu's been a pain in the A. You should see the pile of work Miss Rainfall's given me for Cloud Construction. It's like a hoof thick."

"Well," piped up Star Hunter, "that's what you get for playing hookie all week." He gave the mare a wink before smirking. Thunderlane and Soarin just watched in silence as the other two quipped at each other before noticing the new, pale blue addition to their group.

"Oh hey, you're Snow - no! Soarin, right?" Blossomforth held out a white hoof directly in front of Soarin's path, blocking him. He took it gingerly, not knowing how to react as the young, spirited mare shook his own with such force that he winced.

"H-hey there. Yeah, that's me. You must be Blossomforth, right? Or Flitter? Thundy's told me a lot about you guys but I have like, no clue what you look like."

"Right first time, cutie" she giggled. "And this is Star Hunter." The dark pegasus gave a low "yo" in greeting. Throughout it all, Soarin couldn't help Thunderlane blushing furiously under his charcoal grey fur, keeping his head draw back. As Blossomforth continued, the blush only became richer. "If Thunderlane had bothered to come visit me," she gave the grey pony two sharp, playful jabs to his side, "then I would have come back daaaaays ago. C'mon Thunder, where d'you meet this cutie-pie?"

"OH LOOK WE'RE HERE ALREADY WHAT A SHAME GUESS I'LL SEE YOU LATER BYE" Thunderlane trotted quickly away towards the changing rooms as the stadium loomed above the group of ponies. The other three simply watched as he disappeared sheepishly inside, leaving all but one completely dumbfounded.

"Huh," said Star Hunter simply.

"That was weird."

"Yeahhhh..." said Soarin guiltily. "I guess I'll see you guys later in the canteen or something?" Without waiting for a response, the pale blue pony glided swiftly to the door and vanished just as quickly.

"What's up with those two?" Blossomforth thought aloud.

"You are joking, right? It's obvious!" Star Hunter grinned. "I think our little Thunderlane's found himself a coltfriend."

"What the hay makes you think that?"

The dark blue pegasus raised his head in mock superiority, his voice giving a matching tone. "Well, my dear, blind companion, he called Thunderlane 'Thundy' without any hesitation. Not even we do that. Secondly, did you see Thunderlane's face as you and Soarin were talking? The last time I saw somepony that red was you when you talked to that exchange student from Germaneigh for the first time."

"Hey! Blitzschlag was gorgeous. Nopony could resist that."

"His name has 'schlag' in it. That's the ugliest sound I've heard since your brother's farts."

"You're just uncultured" Blossomforth laughed before fluttering away. As she did, she pondered over what Star Hunter had pointed out, and while it wasn't much to go on, the idea of her dear friend having a Special Somepony was beautiful. Making a mental note, Blossomforth vowed to discover the truth, no matter what.

"Well, I can say that you handled that with tact, grace, and no awkwardness whatsoever" Soarin laughed as he put his gym bag in the locker beside his coltfriend's. Thunderlane sat on the bench between the rows with his head in his hooves, groaning. "Dude, it's okay. I doubt they know."

"I may as well have made a banner saying 'me and Soarin are fucking'. Oh Celestia, I'm such an idiot."

"Yep, you are. But it doesn't matter, right? They're your best friends. It's not as if they're not gonna find out sooner or later."

"I know," Thunderlane sat up and sighed. "I just want to make sure that there won't be any screw-ups or stuff like that. I want this all to be perfect without anything going to horseshit."

"Buddy, that's a big ask. But to me, if they had a problem with you and me, they wouldn't be your friends now!" Soarin gave Thunderlane's hoof a quick, tight squeeze before making his way towards the stadium door. "C'mon, maybe a few laps around the track will calm you down. Plus, you'll get to see this sexy body fly." He gave him a wink, gaining a laugh from Thunderlane as the pair stood up and joined the steady flow of stallions going out into the arena. The sun shone brightly as Thunderlane finally breathed the fresh air within the arena, following Soarin as they made their way over to the benches at the side of the flight track.

No sooner had he set his haunches down did a tall, intimidating figure of a pony march out across, his shiny silver whistle glinting around his neck. On his head he wore a white baseball cap with the Flight Academy's emblem proudly stitched on, and his thick brown moustache bobbed up and down as the grey coated pony grumbled under his breath.

Coach Cyclone had arrived, and every stallion present could feel a tingle run down his spine. His reputation at making even the toughest and most powerful flyers cry was legendary, and his furious cries would echo upon the winds as they heralded the doom of a poor, unfortunate pony. Thunderlane gulped as he glared at the line of colts before him, his gaze piercing all defences and laying their worst fears bare. He cleared his throat.

"Alright, listen up." His voice was deathly calm. "You don't want to be here, and I don't either. I have so many other things I'd rather be doing than standing here, watching you group of crippled mules fly in circles for an hour. But like you, I have no choice. So make this easier on yourselves and don't fuck up!"

Everyone winced. "Now, get your fat flanks around that track! Fifty laps! Go, go, now!" Nopony needed telling twice. Thunderlane turned his eyes to Soarin who, like him, was barely holding the urge to break down in fear. Just keep flying, just keep flying...

The hour was one of the longest of Thunderlane's life, it seemed, and the poor pony dragged himself back into the showers of the Arena with his exhausted wings hanging limply to his sides. His breath came out in ragged gasps as sweat coated every inch of his body, running in little rivers down onto the floor. His heart was hammering, his vision was rimmed with stars, and Thunderlane said a silent prayer to Celestia for the sweet relief of death. His actions were mimicked by everypony else, although in varying degrees of severity. Soarin trotted alongside him, his strong muscles bulging as the blood still pumped through them. His breath was heavy, but nowhere near as bad as his coltfirend's. Smirking, Soarin wrapped his hoof around Thunderlane's withers.

"C'mon, buddy. Almost there. Coach Cyclone can't hurt you anymore."

Thunderlane's only response was a pathetic spluttering of half-words.

"Hey, don't use that kind of language with me," Soarin laughed. "I'm not dragging your fat ass to the showers out of the goodness of my heart. I want an apple pie on you the next time we go to Crusty Clouds." Thunderlane nodded half heartedly as his hooves finally made contact with the shower wall. He mumbled a vague "thank you" before letting a hot stream of water pour over his aching body. As the steam rose and the water fell, the grey stallion let out a wide smile. He closed his amber eyes, relishing in the joy that could only be brought by the magical touch of perfect pegasus plumbing. Giggling softly to himself, Thunderlane turned to Soarin.

"Hey Soar, imagine if we did it in a shower."

"Ha, you really think I'd do something that sleazy? Fuck off, Thundy." Soarin winked as Thunderlane leaned into the warm water, smiling at the thought of what that scenario might feel like...

"You got any plans tonight?" Soarin asked as he dried his wings, his dark blue towel matching his mane.

"Detention. Like every day this year," Thunderlane sighed, his eyes giving Soarin a sarcastic glare. They both smirked as Soarin moved on to his hind legs.

"I meant afterwards, you reprobate!"

"Oh, somepony's been reading the dictionary in his spare time! Keep it up Soar, you'll get that D in literature class in noooo time at all." Thunderlane gave him a dashing smile.

"Oh fuck off, mister-straight-A's-I-suck-Mr-Dawnwing's-dick!" Soarin whipped his towel at his coltfriend's flank, the blow leaving a small red mark that spread beneath his dark fur. The rest of the locker rooms had long since emptied, the only company the two pegasi had being a small, skinny pony listening to music, and at the far end of the room, Windstorm, his attention far away from the happy couple.

"Oh my Celestia, don't do that!"

"Why? You know you like it." Soarin gave a grin as Thunderlane's face widened, his silence screaming words that seemed to get lodged in his throat. "After detention maybe I'll give you another D you've been craving."

"You have such a special way with words. You should write poetry," Thunderlane quipped, causing both of them to giggle stupidly. With a final shake of his tail, Soarin spread his wings and flapped, removing the final bits of moisture from his athletic form.

"Alright, smart guy, I'm gonna go get a drink from the vending machine. You want anything? A proper sense of humour perhaps?"

Thunderlane waved him off with a dismissive hoof and returned to drying himself. As Soarin departed, Thunderlane looked around to see that he was the only one left in the locker room. Letting out a deep sigh, the grey pegasus stretched out his sore wings and trotted back over to his own locker, the thought of his coming detention looming like another dark cloud on his horizon. He had been covering his tracks by lying to his parents, saying that he had joined the track flying team and was at training. If they could see the state he was in now, they would know for sure that their darling son was not made for such athletic pursuits. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a locker door opening far to Thunderlane's right, and he turned to see that he wasn't, in fact, alone. Windstorm turned to face him, his cocky face twisting into a snarl.

"What you looking at, faggot?" Thunderlane turned away and rolled his eyes. This wasn't something he needed now. But Windstorm had other ideas.

"Don't turn away from me. I see you watching me you little cocksucker!"

The grey pony sighed. "I thought you didn't want me to look at you."

"The fuck you say?" Windstorm slammed his locker door shut and began walking quickly towards the smaller pony, who hastily picked up his things and began to head for the exit. Far too slowly. Windstorm's forehooves grabbed Thunderlane's shoulders and spun him round until they were nose to nose. He kept advancing until he pinned the grey pegasus up against the far wall, his athletic body easily overpowering Thunderlane's.

"You think you're funny? You really think you're so fucking smart? Don't test me, Thunderlane." His voice was angry and threatening, but the thing that struck the grey stallion most was hearing Windstorm say his name. He hadn't done that since the monumental coming-out to end all coming-outs at the Hearth's Warming Eve Ball. The sound of it caused Thunderlane to frown in confusion more than fear.

"Bet you do this all the time, don't you? Look at me and imagining filthy faggot things you wanna do. Bet you love staring at what you can't have."

"Windstorm, for the last time, I'm not interested!" Thunderlane gave a firm shove and unpinned himself. "I have better things to worry about than fantasise over your pretty mediocre body." His answer came in the form of another push back, and Thunderlane winced as he was slammed against the wall.

"You're all talk, aren't you? Just on and on and on but you never know when to stop." Windstorm pressed his body up to Thunderlane's towering over him and there suddenly became very close.

"At least I'm not the biggest closet case known to Ponykind."

The silence that descended between the two stallions was almost tangible. It was heavy, an almost physical weight that bared down like a prowling lion. Their noses were touching, and Thunderlane shivered as he felt Windstorm's warm breath mingle with his own. They were so close.

Suddenly, all the weight was removed from Thunderlane's body as Windstorm was ripped away from him. It took a moment for both ponies to realise that the source of this unexpected interruption came in the form of Soarin, his hooves pulling the other blue pony away from his coltfriend and onto the floor.

"Yeah, you back right off, pal" Soarin spat as he threw Windstorm down, shielding Thunderlane from him as he walked in between the pair. "Don't you dare touch him like that or I swear I will beat your ass to Tartarus and back." There was a moment of stillness as Windstorm looked back at the pair of stallions above him, and for a second it seemed as if the whole situation would escalate into something that would land them all in deep, deep trouble. Yet what followed was something that neither Thunderlane nor Soarin expected.

Windstorm, the tough, cocky, athletic skyball player, began to tear up.

Soarin stared as the sky blue stallion seemingly broke down on the floor before him, filling the silence with quiet, faint sobs. He turned away from the two other ponies, who were both stunned and confused by what they were witnessing. It was truly a pitiful sight.

"Gee, maybe I should write poetry if my words can move a pony to tears," Soarin said, almost without thinking, earning him a light punch on his shoulder from Thunderlane. "What? I don't know what happened!"

Thunderlane rolled his eyes and approached the sobbing Windstorm slowly. "Um, are you okay?" His brain immediately slapped itself. Of course he wasn't, dumbass. "Like, um, what's wrong?" Despite the fact that Windstorm had been his tormentor for months and months, the sight of him in such a vulnerable state caused a little spark of empathy to flicker in Thunderlane's sarcastic heart. It was almost a familiar sight.

"H-how did y-y-you know?" came a croaked response from Windstorm. Soarin and Thunderlane frowned at each other before turning back to the mess that lay before them.

"Know what?"

"T-t-t-that I... you know..."

Soarin shrugged as he tried to make sense of what he was hearing, but Thunderlane let out a silent "oh" of recognition and realisation. He had seen this before, but in a mirror in the months before the Hearth's Warming Eve Ball. It was a classic case of closet-fever. After a brief moment, Soarin too realised what was happening.

"Oh my Celestia, those rumours about you and North Star making out weren't rumours after all."

"Shut up!" Windstorm hissed, rising to his hooves defiantly despite himself. "You think you're all so funny and so smart in your little coltcuddling world together, don't you? You don't think how sick it makes every pony else!"

"Hey, back right up, buddy. We're not the ones in a state over who we are. We've had the insults, the bullying, the mean words and shoves. I think we have a damn right to be happy with who we are and with each other," Thunderlane snapped back, suddenly gaining a surge of confidence and anger. "I have had to go through months of shit from you and so many other assholes for no reason at all. I should punch you in the jaw for all the things you've said to me, and the only reason I'm not is because I've been exactly where you are now." The other reason was the fact that Thunderlane doubted he was actually strong enough to inflict any damage on Windstorm in the first place, but he kept that to himself.

Another brief yet thick silence arose around the trio of stallions, until Windstorm sighed deeply and looked up at Thunderlane, meeting his steely, amber eyes.

"Y-you're right... I, I'm sorry...Thunderlane..." Soarin and Thunderlane both raised their eyebrows as Windstorm continued, choking back another wave of tears. "I'm sorry for everything I've said...and for h-hurting you j-just now..."

A part of Thunderlane boiled up inside, a fire that didn't want to accept the apology and instead urged him to cast Windstorm back down to the ground. Yet the greater part of him caused the grey pegasus to relax and soften. His ears pressed themselves flat against his head as he stepped forward, reaching out gingerly before placing a forehoof on Windstorm's shoulder.

"It's okay," he breathed. The blue pony managed to crack a small smile.

"You won't t-tell anypony, will you?" he stammered.

"Only if you get everypony else to leave him alone," said Soarin firmly, but not unkindly. Windstorm looked at him with wet eyes and nodded. The atmosphere seemed to lighten as everypony let out small breaths they weren't aware they'd been holding. As a gesture of goodwill, Thunderland hesitantly opened up his forelegs and gestured to the tall blue pony before him. Windstorm looked first to Soarin, who simply rolled his eyes and smirked. Gingerly, Windstorm stepped forward and wrapped his foreleg around Thunderlane's shoulders.

It was an almost surreal experience, hugging his tormentor, yet Thunderlane felt oddly content. He breathed in his scent, something which for whatever reason, reminded him of peppermint. Before long, Thunderlane relaxed his shoulders and leant in further, not realising just how close he and Windstorm were getting...

Soarin cleared his throat suddenly, breaking Thunderlane's reverie and snapping him back to reality. Blushing fiercely, the grey pegasus stepped away and gave a weak smile to his coltfriend. But something in Soarin's gaze made Thunderlane feel a little confused. It wasn't annoyance or jealousy, no. Was it...

"You guys just gonna leave me out?" Soarin quipped as he strutted over slowly, his steps firm and measured, a cocky grin pulling on the corners of his mouth. His eyes followed Thunderlane's form from his neck, sweeping down his athletic form and wings until resting firmly on his firm, perky rump. It was a look that Thunderlane had seen before, and his mind suddenly went into overdrive.

"Soar, you can't be serious!" he spluttered.

"What? I bet you've always wanted to."

"To do what exactly?"

Soarin winked at him, drawing his gaze to Windstorm. "Oh you know, be in the middle of nice stallion sandwich..." Soarin walked up to Windstorm, who, having just bawled his eyes out not a few minutes prior, seemed to be suddenly lucid and alert, his eyes following Soarin's as the pale blue stallion planted a forehoof on his muscled chest.

"Plus our good friend here has had to deal with nothing but mares. Imagine that horror, Thundy. I think it'll be good for all of us." Windstorm looked at the couple of stallions in shock as he realised what exactly Soarin had said. He began to stutter, to almost automatically retreat and spout something homophobic by sheer reflex. But the sight of Soarin's athletic form and Thunderlane's handsome face began to stoke another fire inside.

"I, uh, I've never done anything with a colt before..." Windstorm whispered. Thunderlane shot him a look and then back to Soarin, who came up towards him and planted a soft kiss on his lips. Thunderlane's eyes were still open, darting around him as he processed what was about to happen. I can always say no, I can always say no. He didn't. Thunderlane at last leaned into his coltfriend's mouth, opening his lips and letting Soarin slide his tongue inside, wrestling his into submission as the lighter pony pushed harder.

Thunderlane could already feel his stallionhood beginning to poke its way from his sheath, every sane thought in his mind telling him to stop, but his baser instincts driving him onwards. It was then that he felt another breath upon his neck, and Thunderlane opened an amber eye to see Windstorm tentatively approaching, his gaze locked firmly on his own. Thunderlane watched those big, wide eyes as Windstorm's lips gently grazed his fur, almost as if he was afraid he'd be hurt by the touch. Yet having no such response, Windstorm pressed against Thunderlane and tenderly planted long, wet kisses along his neck, slowly reaching higher until he arrived at the jaw. Soarin had seen this and not wanting to be outdone, seized the other side of Thunderlane's head with his hoof and held him in his kiss.

The charcoal grey pegasus had turned almost scarlet and he moaned with pleasure at the feel of a tongue in his mouth and one on his neck. He was almost at full mast, his cock hanging between his legs and already starting to leak the first drops of precum. Soarin then suddenly broke his kiss, his emerald eyes drawing in Thunderlane as Windstorm too stopped. The trio of stallions stood still for a brief moment, until by some unspoken command, Thunderlane began to kneel, never breaking his gaze with his coltfriend. Soarin gave him an almost reassuring smile as Thunderlane lay down on the locker room floor, looking up at Soarin and Windstorm with hungry eyes.

"That's my boy..." Soarin whispered to him, suddenly rearing and planting his forehooves on the wall behind Thunderlane, giving him an unobstructed view of his large, swinging cock. It somehow looked bigger than Thunderlane remembered, the massive shaft of stallion meat swaying in front of his muzzle temptingly, practically begging to be sucked. A sudden movement to Thunderlane's left had Windstorm doing the same, revealing his own hard member. And Thunderlane gaped.

"Holy fucking shit," he breathed. "How is that even possible?" Windstorm's dick was the largest that Thunderlane had ever seen on a pegasus. It was a good three inches longer than Soarin's but much thicker. It was dark blue, just like his coltfriend's and the veins practically bulged along the meaty shaft. Thunderlane could feel his mouth drooling. Soarin laughed at his comment, but Thunderlane could see that in his eyes Soarin too was amazed.

"Guess I'm just lucky like that," Windstorm smirked, "or maybe you're the lucky one," he added seductively. He thrust his hips forward, urging Thunderlane to take it in his mouth. The musk of two endowed stallions was driving Thunderlane crazy, although he tried his best to hide it. Taking both Windstorm's and Soarin's cocks in his hooves, he opened his mouth.

"Mmmm, that's it, Thunder..." Soarin breathed as Thunderlane began to lick and kiss the head of his dick, his tongue swirling around deftly as his hooves began to slowly rub back and forth on both stallionhoods, gaining a deep groan from Windstorm in return. Thunderlane slurped on Soarin's member greedily, lapping up the flowing precum like a dog, yet soon pulled away and faced his other, larger prize. Opening his mouth, the grey stallion licked the wide head of Windstorm's cock, slurping as swallowed up the precum of his former bully and sometime-sexual-fantasy. Yet just as Thunderlane began to open his mouth wider, he felt a firm hoof on the back of his head shove him into Windstorm's crotch. Thunderlane's jaw felt like it was being stretched beyond its limits as the fleshy rod of Windstorm's member shoved its way down his throat. He gagged, he protested, but the hoof behind him stopped him from pulling away, and he could swear that his throat bulged with stallion cock. Oh sweet Celestia, carry on...

"Dude you gotta let the guy breathe!" came Soarin's concerned voice as Windstorm finally let Thunderlane go.

"S-Sorry. I've just wanted to do that for a long time."

"Actually, so have I," Thunderlane choked, laughing as he wiped the tears and spit from his face. "Guess you liked me looking at you in here then?"

Thunderlane's only response was both Soarin and Windstorm thrusting their members into his muzzle, which he did so gladly. Thunderlane built up a steady rhythm on Soarin's long rod, moaning as he slid his tongue over the veiny shaft like a popsicle. The fleshy taste was one which he knew he would grow to love in their relationship, and both his hooves moved back and forth as he milked both stallionhoods eagerly. Soarin and Windstorm were so caught up in having their dicks tended to by such a young, handsome and athletic colt that at some point one had turned to the other and locked lips. The sight of Soarin and Windstorm making out above him caused another wave of precum to spurt from the end of his own neglected dick. Switching to Windstorm's member, Thunderlane spat on it before swallowing the thick meat whole, deliberately gagging himself as he tried to fit in as much as he could into his hungry, slutty throat. The musk of both stallions above him made him feel drunk with pleasure, and with every thrust into his mouth, Thunderlane moaned like a mare in heat. He wanted more. Seizing both thick members in his hooves, Thunderlane rubbed them both against his lips, smothering his own muzzle with their scent and a thick load of precum.

"Hot damn," Soarin laughed. "Somepony's hungry." The pair of stallions moaned as Thunderlane, ever the submissive colt, sucked tenderly on both stallionhoods at the same time, rubbing them together as his tongue lapped and wrapped around the shafts. Soarin slapped his dick against his cheeks, beating his coltfriend with his thick member as he groaned ravenously. "You dirty, little pony. You dirty, little bitch..."

"Fuck, you know how to suck a dick," Windstorm breathed, answered by Thunderlane licking up and down the underside of his long shaft.

"I want you both to fuck me," Thunderlane said, his voice sounding almost desperate as he planted kisses on both members before him. "I want to be fucked by my two big stallions." He was swaying his flanks almost instinctively, arching his back and to emphasise his round, plump ass to the two horny studs above him. Soarin and Windstorm grinned.

"Get up."

Thunderlane did as he was told, walking over to one of the benches in between the lockers as Windstorm sat down in front of him, spreading his hind legs to reveal his massive shaft in all its glory. It was slick from Thunderlane's saliva, and the cocky athlete stroked his rod slowly as the grey submissive pegasus lay flat on his stomach, spreading his own hind legs to reveal his tight, puckered hole. Soarin almost growled with lust as he too lay on the floor, his nose breathing in the smell of Thunderlane's musk as he began to lick his coltfriend's fat, weighty balls. It was his turn to pleasure his partner, and Soarin kiss each orb lovingly, holding each in his mouth and sucking gently. He could hear Thunder's adorable little squeaks of pleasure as he worked on the thick shaft of his fantasy.

Soarin worked his way upwards until he arrived at Thunderlane's tight entrance, perfectly framed between the rounded cheeks of his bubble butt. Soarin slapped Thunderlane's cutie mark and smiled as his coltfriend whimpered in delight. The blue pegasus grabbed a hoofful of prime stallion rump and squeezed as he buried his muzzle into that sweet space in between the two toned globes. Soarin's tongue worked in circles, licking around the rim of Thunderlane's plot before plunging his skilled tongue into his hole. Thunderlane let out a very fillyish squeal over his mouthful of stallion cock, moaning into Windstorm's crotch as Soarin plundered his ass with his tongue.

"Goddess-dammit, Soar. Don't stop. Don't stop, it feels so good," Thunderlane moaned in a flustered whisper, his nose and snout covered by Windstorm's heavy ballsack, filling his senses with pure masculine musk. His amber eyes rolled back into his head as Windstorm lifted his chin with a forehoof before slapping Thunderlane with his long, thick rod.

"Such a pretty colt..." Windstorm breathed, his cocky demeanour returning like a lustful tide. "Filthy little coltcuddler, sucking on my big fat cock..." Thunderlane moaned again as Windstorm grabbed his styled mane and shoved his penis back into his mouth, fucking it in long, slow thrusts that reached the back of his throat every time, making the grey pegasus gag as his tongue lapped over Windstorm's medial ring. Thunderlane's mind and body were running at a thousand miles an hour. His neglected cock was flat against the ground, rubbing against the hard floor and oozing fluids, his mouth was being dominated by Windstorm, his cockiness as much of a turn-on as his thick, juicy stallionhood, and his tight hole was being eaten and tended to by his coltfriend. A sudden whisper in his ear made him blush with excitement.

"You want me to fuck you?" Soarin hissed lustfully, his voice dripping with desire, yet his tone was almost reassuring. Thunderlane shivered as Soarin's tongue traced the length of his neck lovingly. "You want me to fuck your cute, tight asshole?" Thunderlane opened his eyes and met those of his coltfriend and nodded. He had never been so horny in his life and his raised his hindquarters invitingly, relishing the feeling of Soarin's thick member resting between his butt cheeks.

"Rut me, you stud... make me yours."

Soarin grinned that award winning smile of his as he mounted Thunderlane's rump, taking a moment to admire the sight of his heavy dick perfectly framed in between Thunderlane's perfect flanks. He smacked his cutie marks again and smirked as he watched the ass jiggle slightly. Thunderlane was beginning to press his rear into him insistently, practically begging to be fucked beyond measure. It was a want that Soarin was only too happy to fulfil. Positioning himself above his coltfriend, Soarin teased his entrance with the end of his love stick, eliciting a low moan of impatience from Soarin, who could barely breathe as a very flustered and sweating Windstorm raped his mouth. Final topping on the sandwich, Soarin thought to himself, making him smirk a little. With a little testing, Soarin at last began to slide his member into Thunderlane, both ponies moaning in pleasure at the feeling.

The feeling of penetration was one which Soarin lived for, both when giving and receiving. That initial tightness as Thunderlane's anus yielded to his rock hard cock was utter perfect, the way its warmth expanded to accommodate Soarin's stallionhood as he took the smaller pony from behind. It felt just as good if not better than the first time in Miss Horsefeather's classroom, and Soarin grabbed his coltfriend's perfectly toned flanks as he eased himself inside to the hilt. For a moment he simply stood there, relishing in the warm tightness of his prize before slowly backing out, reaching past his medial ring and almost to the tip. Then without much warning, Soarin drove back into Thunderlane's ass with almost bestial ferocity. The grey pony whimpered and cried out, removing the thick cock from his mouth to let out a moan of painful pleasure.

"Ahhh, Soooarin..." he moaned, opening his eyes just a little to look at his partner, yet every thrust that Soarin gave made his eyes roll back into his skull. Every movement was hard and forceful, every move filled with dominance and lust. Soarin sent waves of pleasure up through Thunderlane's body and back again, almost like an electric shock as his penis struck that sweet spot with every rough entry into his body. He felt so used, so powerless. And he loved it.

"Did I say you could stop?" Windstorm growled above him before seizing Thunderlane's mane again, his strong grip messing up the perfectly styled fibres as he forced the grey pegasus back to tending his massive member. Thunderlane's tongue was working overtime on Windstorm's shaft, making the dark blue flesh slick with his spit as he traced every vein along its surface. His vision was nothing but that wide shaft getting longer and shorter as his head bobbed up and down like a yo-yo as he was dominated at his top end as well as his bottom. He groaned as Soarin continued to pump into his ass, occasionally spanking his cutie marks firmly as well as pulling on his tail to reach even further into him. His unattended cock throbbed on its own accord as his body was used and abused by two fit, powerful stallions. If there was indeed a Heaven, Thunderlane pictured it to look something a lot like this.

Soarin lowered his hips, pinning Thunderlane's hind legs beneath his weight as he began to thrust in with the strength of a lover, lowering his head and licking the bases of Thunderlane's wings tenderly, his movements strong but slower, making sure to please every nerve on Thunderlane's body with his tongue and member. He smiled to himself as he could feel those perk flanks of his coltfriend pushing back against his thrusts, trying to bury his cock even deeper inside. In a moment of clarity, Soarin leaned forwards whispered into Thunderlane's ear as he nibbled on it.

"You're doing great, baby." His response was a high pitched moan over Windstorm's dick and Thunderlane opened his eyes, his gaze filled with a mixture of lust and genuine happiness. Suddenly taking his mouth away from Windstorm, he pulled Soarin into an embrace, kissing him tenderly. Windstorm simply watched as the couple rutted and fucked, lost in each other for a moment. Using a hoof to stroke his saliva-lubed shaft, Windstorm panted and licked his lips at the sight of Soarin taking Thunderlane's ass. He was close to release, and the sight of two beautiful stallions going at it lit a fire within that he had kept dormant for so long. His hoof worked faster and faster, the head of his cock swelling in excitement as he built himself up to a climax of monumental proportions. Finally, me couldn't hold it back.

"F-F-Fuck, I'm gonna blow. Thunderlane, look at me..." The grey pony at a split second of realisation before Windstorm let out a guttural cry. Aiming straight for Thunderlane's open, panting mouth, Windstorm's monstrous cock let loose a tide of thick, virile seed. As the first rope of cum lashed Thunderlane's muzzle, Soarin began to thrust harder and harder. A second strike hit his tongue, a third his nose, a fourth his mane, a fifth his tongue again.

Sweet Celestia, how much more is there? Rope after rope exploded from Windstorm's phallus like a cannon, until Thunderlane could barely see through the layer of stallion seed covering his face. He licked his lips like a slut, relishing the salty, creamy taste of a jock's cum. Soarin turned his face towards him, eagerly licking his cheeks and eyes and savouring a taste of the thick baby batter for himself. Thunderlane lifted his head, his tongue teasing the end of Windstorm softening cock to lick the last drops of his cum from the end, suckling on the flaccid horsecock like a sex slave, all the while Soarin pounding into his behind and biting his neck as he too began to reach his limit. It didn't take long. The sight of his partner beneath a stallion, covered in his cum coupled with the feel of his warmth ass was enough to drive Soarin over the edge.

"Th-Thunder..." was all Soarin could manage before he unloaded into Thunderlane's ass with a howl of pleasure. The grey pegasus groaned in unison as he felt his insides coated with a wave of Soarin's precious, warm seed. He continued to thrust into Thunderlane, making sure that every rope of his cum made its way into his coltfriend's ravaged asshole. Soarin stood there in Thunderlane for a moment, relishing in the afterglow of having bred his stallion. As he pulled out his still hard yet softening cock, a wave of thick, white semen poured from Thunderlane's well-used entrance, flowing over his round balls like syrup. It was then that Soarin realised that those balls were yet to be emptied.

"F-Fuck...that was amazing. You were amazing," Soarin panted. "But get up, Windstorm move!" Soarin hoisted Thunderlane back to his feet and shoved him down onto the bench where Windstorm had been sitting.

"Dude, what gives?" Windstorm began to protest before he saw Soarin drop to his knees and begin licking his partner’s heavy ballsack. Realising what he was doing, Windstorm quickly did the same, taking one of the orbs into his mouth as Soarin planted sloppy kisses onto Thunderlane's dark, aching shaft. It was already slick from the sheer amount of precum that Thunderlane had been producing, and Soarin could see darker patches against his coal grey fur where the fluids had rubbed into his coat whilst he had been taken on the floor.

"I want you to cum for me, baby," Soarin said seductively, keeping eye contact with Thunderlane as the latter began to stroke his own shaft furiously. Thunderlane was exhausted, but the sight of Windstorm burying his muzzle into his crotch and Soarin's beautiful, jade eyes locking with his as he kissed his stallionhood drove him on to finish. It was on those eyes that he looked as he finally reached the edge,

"Ah fuck, oh fuck...oh my Celestia, fuuuuuck!"

A burst of hot, thick semen shot out from Thunderlane's flared head like a rocket, flying straight between the pair of stallions and landing on the floor. Soarin and Windstorm quickly moved and fought over the rest as spurt after spurt shot out from Thunderlane's impressive member as the grey pegasus rode out his orgasm. Every rope of cum was plastered in Windstorm's mane, Soarin's throat, and all over both their faces. It was the most intense finish of Thunderlane's life to date, and he continued to moan and pant frantically as Soarin took his still-cumming-cock into his mouth, eating up his cum like a whore. As the waves of joy finally subsided, Thunderlane practically fell off the bench in exhaustion. Soarin nuzzled up beside him in the crook of his neck, pecking him gently with his lips before wrapping a foreleg across Thunderlane's heaving chest.

"Thunder, that was amazing..." he breathed, smiling goofily as Windstorm stood up, wiping the last of Thunderlane's cum from his face.

"I, err...I guess imma go shower..." he muttered, looking at the pair of cum soaked colts on the floor sheepishly. "Listen, Thunderlane...I promise I'll get the others to stop and err, I'm sorry about the things I --"

Thunderlane cut him off with a dismissive hoof. "Apology accepted. As long as you promise me one thing."

"S-Sure."

"Talk to North Star. He might be in the exact same position you are. You never know how much good you could do by telling him."

Windstorm shifted on his hooves timidly, something rarely seen by anypony at the Academy. "I dunno, dude. I don't wanna let anypony else know about this. You promise not to tell?"

Both Thunderlane and Soarin let out flustered laughs. "Of course we won't, you asshole." Thunderlane said, a contented smile on his face. "And if you don't wanna tell anypony, that's fine. We'll keep this a secret." Windstorm seemed to be satisfied, giving the pair a final awkward nod before disappearing around the corner to the showers.The pair of coltfriends continued to sit there on the floor for a moment longer, savouring the afterglow.

"Hey Soar?" Thunderlane suddenly whispered.

"Yeah?"

"You never actually got me that milkshake yesterday."

Soarin looked up and smiled. "By the goddesses, you're right. Dammit! This needs to be fixed." And with that, the blue pegasus suddenly sprang to his feet, all of his energy surging back through his veins in a heartbeat. "C'mon, we gotta go!"

"What? Right now? When we're all covered in sweat and cum? I don't think so!"

Soarin stopped for a moment and laughed, realising how horrific that might have been. "Shit, I forgot. Chèvrefeuille would ban me for life if we came in like this."

"Now, that," Thunderlane said, standing up, "is something we can't let happen. C'mon, let's hit the showers..."

Author's Notes:

Surprise! Yeah, 4 years overdue. What can I say?

Note: I know the whole situation with Windstorm being distraught to then fucking Thunderlane's mouth in the space of about 2 minutes is ridiculous but honestly I wrote the end to this in a wine -fuelled rampage and didn't really think about that much. Enjoy!

Edit: Lol this fic made it to the feature box twice. Imma shamelessly toot my own horn...