With the sun rising over Equestria, it was Soarin who was first to take the hit of the blinding light as it started to shine through the room. With a small groan the stallion repositioned himself on the bed, but quickly realised he wasn’t on his usual surface of the sofa. Cracking open an eye, Soarin found himself cuddled next to the rainbow mare he’d been sharing this house with for the past few weeks. After getting the initial reaction of shock past him, his thoughts started to reply in his mind. Soarin started to feel a warm sensation in his chest as he thought about the successful dinner night before and a smile spread across his muzzle, but before he could let his mind wander any further a certain voice spoke.

“Aurgh, Mondays suck,” Rainbow groaned, stirring slightly still under Soarin’s wing. He chuckled lightly, making the pegasus open her eyes slightly to look up at the source of the voice. “What’s got you laughing?” she asked groggily.

“It’s Friday,” Soarin corrected with a grin. Rainbow gave a few seconds of staring blankly at the stallion with a small blush forming on his cheeks as she did so.

“I knew that,” Rainbow answered hesitantly as she squirmed a little in her pocket of warmth next to her new coltfriend. “So, what do you wanna to do today?”

“Well, we only have another week until it’s time for the Equestria Games, how about we go training?” Soarin asked, thinking Dash would be wanting to do something along the lines of flying. However to the his surprise she gave out a slight groan to the idea.

“Soar, I think we can give ourselves a little break from the morning sessions,” Rainbow started, “besides, I think I had way too much cider last night. How about we go see the others? Guess Pinkie will wanna throw us some kind of party,” Rainbow said, giving playful shake of her head. “Then we can have a training session afterwards.”

“If that’s what you want, Dash,” Soarin replied, happily leaning in closer to the mare, he knew he wanted to give her an affectionate nuzzle, but wasn’t sure how to execute it without looking too shy. Rainbow grinned at the look Soarin was giving before letting out a slight giggle, causing the Wonderbolt to pull a face of confusion. Rainbow rolled her eyes and leaned up nuzzling him to get the message across.

“You do know how being in a relationship works, right?” Dash asked raising an eyebrow. Soarin nodded sheepishly.

“Yeah, I know, it’s just... I mean... well... how do you want it to work?” he asked, blushing slightly from embarrassment, not sure of a clear answer.

Rainbow moved closer and on top of him for a moment. Soarin’s eyes went wide at just how beautiful Dash could be in the morning, her fur soft and warm, her mane slightly let down from its usual style and her eyes half lidded from Dash not being totally awake; she was utterly amazing. Unfortunately what came out of her mouth was something entirely different to the fantasies that were flowing through Soarin’s mind at this point. “Well, how about we work this way. You make us breakfast, I’ll go get washed up.”

Before the stallion had time to even lift a hoof in protest, Dash was already heading out the door. She looked back at Soar with a smirk before leaving causing Soarin to sigh and let out a slight chuckle as he did so. The bed was still dragging him back to sleep at this point, but Soarin forced himself out and started trudging towards the staircase. As he trotted down he noticed his blazer from last night was still hanging off the sofa. He casually trotted over to the item and smiled, just as he was about to pick it up however something interrupted him.

“Well, well, well… if it isn’t the stallion who managed to pull some flank last night.” Soarin turned around to see Fleetfoot hanging from the window ledge at the far side of the living area.

Soarin stifled a laugh as he rubbed his neck with a hoof. “Yeah, I guess I did, huh?” he said with a genuine smile.

Fleetfoot giggled slightly. “Well besides the fact you cost me a lot of bits last night I’m happy for you, Soarin,” the arctic mare admitted.

“Wait, I cost you—”

“Never mind that,” Fleetfoot said, cutting him off quickly, looking slightly nervous.

“So… I don’t wanna be rude, Fleet, but why are you here?” Soarin asked slightly puzzled.

“Spitfire caught me on break and asked me to come to you and offer her congrats on getting all mushy with Dash, but she also told me that the Wonderbolt relay team is going to be leaving a week early to the Crystal Empire, which means we’ll have to leave this week,” Fleetfoot said in a casual tone.

Soarin however wasn’t too pleased. “Wait, so I’m only just going out with Rainbow and you're asking me to leave her for a week?” he asked.

Fleetfoot rolled her eyes as she jumped into the room. “Soarin you're acting like you just got married to her,” she started chuckling as she put a hoof on his shoulder. “Trust me, it’s gonna be just fine, but you need to remember in whatever brain you have that you’re still a Wonderbolt. We’ve got duties we need to uphold.”

“But—” Soarin tried to say before Fleetfoot cut him off again.

“Besides, Soar, if she really wants this relationship, and I’m pretty sure knowing Dash, that she wouldn’t mind if you told her. It’s only a week,” Fleetfoot said, Soarin finally nodding in acceptance. It wasn’t like he was leaving for six months on a world tour, he would see Dash again before he even knew it... hopefully.

“Right, I need to go back to the Bolts. Have fun, slowpoke,” Fleetfoot finished walking over to the window before flying away.

“Ha, ha, ha,” Soarin said sarcastically, pretty sure that the pony was already out of earshot. The stallion looked towards the kitchen with a smile spreading across his muzzle. He then began making his way over to the room to start breakfast.

“This is pretty neat, Soar,” Dash said, entering the kitchen to see a stack of freshly baked waffles sitting neatly on a plate on the dinner table.

Soarin turned off the tap as he finished washing his hooves before turning around. “Thanks, it used to be my favourite breakfast, unless my mother baked a pie.

Rainbow snickered, “How you’re not the size of this village with all the pies you eat does amaze me, Soarin.”

The stallion felt a small tinge form on his cheeks as he tried not to look at her for a moment before sitting down at the table with his marefriend. Soarin actually struggled to believe that fact for the moment, but he liked it in every way.

“So… I can’t really ask how you’ve been,” Rainbow said with a smirk as she scratched her neck. “In fact, I heard you talking. Was there someone at the door?”

“Yep, Fleetfoot came by to check up on me, she also told me Spitfire had a message for me too,” Soarin replied hesitantly, taking a bite of his waffle.

Rainbow raised an eyebrow curiously. “What about?” she asked, before her lips turned from a smirk into a grin, “or is that some secret agent Wonderbolt stuff that I can’t know about?”

Soarin played with the thought of telling Dash it was secret information, but he knew in hindsight it would come back to bite him. “Well... Spitfire actually told me something I should probably tell you as well,” Soarin admitted with a sad smile.

“What’s up?” Rainbow asked. She stopped eating and leaned forward slightly with a concerned look.

Soarin swallowed the lump in his throat before continuing. “Well, Spitfire wants the relay team to go up to the Crystal Empire a week before the Games, which means I have to leave you here as well…” Soarin said, lowering his tone as he got to the last part of his sentence.

Soarin kept his eyes off Rainbow as he tried to think what her depressed expression must look like, but when he finally gained the courage to turn back to Rainbow, her expression was a lot less sad than Soarin would have expected.

“Don’t sweat it, Soar, I don’t mind. Besides, I guess I’m the captain of our relay team since I’m so awesome so that doesn’t mean to say we can’t go up early as well,” Rainbow replied with a wink. Soarin smiled at her happily. The two then dug into the rest of their meals before finishing off to make their way into Ponyville.

“So, why are we on our way to the library?” Soarin asked as the pair trotted through the main streets of Ponyville. Rainbow was currently looking through her saddlebags when Soarin asked the question and her response was muffled by the bag.

“Pardon?” Soarin said confused. Rainbow pulled her head out of the bag before replying.

“I said, we’re going to Twilight’s because all of my friends are there,” the mare said happily. She smirked at Soarin’s slightly nervous expression, but she was happy that she would get to share this news with her best friends.

Soon the two came up on the old oak tree which housed a few windows and a balcony. The large tree housed a red oak door with a sign not too far away from it indicating it was indeed a library. Soarin raised an eyebrow, puzzled. “Why does Twilight live in a library again?” he asked.

Rainbow shrugged. “Princess Celestia put her up here for her studies, plus she loves books more than she loves life itself,” Dash replied with a chuckle. “Plus it’s not like it’s that weird, because most of my friends live in the places they work. Rarity in her kinda fancy shmancy shop and Pinkie lives in Sugarcube Corner,” Rainbow explained as the two arrived at the door.

“Uh, ladies first?” Soarin asked hesitantly.

Rainbow felt the urge to roll her eyes, but instead she gently nuzzled the stallion before speaking. “You know you open the door first,” she said, lifting up her hoof to knock the door, “before saying that.”

The red door swung open to reveal a small dragon. His eyes fixed on an embarrassed and blushing Soarin, he then shifted his gaze to Dash and turned confused. “What did you do to him?” he asked casually.

Rainbow smirked as she looked back over to her coltfriend before returning to Spike. “Soarin’s just bein Soarin,” she said playfully hitting him on the shoulder.

“Welp, make sure you don’t make him too crazy cause I need some guy friends around here,” Spike said opening the door wider to let the two ponies in. Soarin shook his head playfully as he and Dash trotted into the home towards the five ponies that were currently chatting.

Upon seeing the arrival of the two ponies Twilight smiled and greeted them. “Hey guys, take a seat anywhere,” the alicorn offered. “How are you?” she asked happily.

“We’re good,” Soarin replied as Dash sat down on one of the cushions, patting it with a forehoof to tell Soarin to sit next to her.

“Yay! We’re all super duper happy!” Pinkie exclaimed from her position on the pile of books Twilight had yet to color coordinate and file into her book shelf.

Before Twilight could reply to Soarin, Rarity spoke. “Yes, Pinkie dear, like you’ve said all morning,” the mare said with a hint of sarcasm in her voice before turning to the two new arrivals. “Soarin, may I say your looking quite delightful this morning.”

“Thank you, Rarity,” Soarin replied with a slight tinge of redness coming from his cheeks. Rainbow shot Rarity a glare, to which the fashionista just rolled her eyes at.

“Ya’ll look pretty snug there on that cushin, ya’ll have somethin you wanna tell us?” Applejack asked from the couch, smirking at the two.

Rainbow tried her hardest not to blush as she spoke up. “Well, actually we kinda wanted to tell you, me and Soarin are goin’ out,” Dash answered earning slightly shocked looks from the ponies, as well as Rarity’s jaw dropping slightly to which Rainbow reveled in the envy.

“I thought you said, back at Sugarcube Corner—” Twilight tried to say before Rainbow cut her off.

“Well, actually I wasn’t the one to ask someone out,” she said with a proud look as she turned to the stallion next to him who by now was red from ears to cheeks. The five ponies in the room now understood what had happened and thankfully their smiles were of joy.

“Well, I’ll be the first to congratulate ya Rainbow, didn’t really bet on you bein’ the first to get with a pony since we all became friends,” Applejack said.

“Well, she is awesome,” Soarin answered happily. Suddenly he felt Rainbow’s tail wrap around his own, but out of sight of the five others in the main room. The two shared a loving glance before a loud bang caught everyones attention. Confetti began raining from the roof of the home before Pinkie started bouncing around at a fast pace.

“WE TOTALLY NEED TO GET A PARTY FOR THIS!” the pink mare hollered at her friends who all drew their ears back from the sheer volume of excitement coming from the earth pony.

After a few moments Twilight responded. “I guess that can be arranged,” she told Pinkie before turning to the two lovers, “what do you think, Dash?”

“Well, actually,” Soarin interjected. “Would you mind doing that after the Games? It’s just I need to get going early to the Crystal Empire this week,” the stallion asked.

Twilight looked over to Pinkie who trotted over to Soarin with a serious expression now plastered onto her face, everypony in the room found the need to hold their breath as the mare came within inches of Soarin’s muzzle. Pinkie Pie leaned in close before she spoke. “Pinkie Promise,” she said, poking Soarin in the chest with a forehoof. The stallion looked over to Dash cautiously.

She snickered slightly before turning to Pinkie. “I don’t think Soar knows what you mean, Pinks.”

Pinkie’s expression changed instantly to Soarin’s relief and surprise. “It’s easy!” she exclaimed, “it goes like this,” she said using the actions with a forehoof. “Cross my heart,” she said making an ‘x’ on her chest with a forehoof. “Hope to fly,” she continued making a soaring action with her hoof, “stick a cupcake in my eye,” she finished putting the hoof to her eye to show Soarin.

The Wonderbolt nodded hesitantly before repeating the words and the actions, “Cross my heart, uh... hope to fly… stick a cupcake in my... eye?” he said, hoping he had got it right.

Pinkie nodded happily. “That’s it, now you’ve Pinkie Promised!” she said.

“And I wouldn’t break it if I were ya, Soarin, I learned that first hoof,” Applejack said as Twilight and the others nodded. Pinkie though was oblivious to this and continued to bounce around the room.

The Wonderbolt nodded before Twilight started up another conversation with Applejack, Soarin turned to Dash and leaned down to whisper. “That went better than expected.”

Dash giggled. “Well what did you think, Soar, they’re my best friends, now you just have to tell your buddies at the Wonderbolts.”

Soarin smirked. “I think they might already know.”

Rainbow was confused by this, but decided not to question it. Instead she started to think about the up and coming Games, a few thoughts started to fill her mind. “Hey, Soar,” she started, causing her coltfriend to turn around. “You know how we’re both pretty... well known?”

“Yeah, what about it?” he asked, not getting what she was getting at.

“Well, don’t you think we’ll attract a lot of… attention?” Rainbow asked with a curious expression.

“I guess... that’s not a problem, right?” he asked, turning slightly nervous.

Rainbow shook her head. “Nah, it’s all good, Soar. It’ll be fun, right?”

Soarin chuckled as he leaned in and nuzzled her when nopony was looking. “I think it will. Besides, I think a week apart will want us to be together even more.”

Rainbow smirked. “You’re getting better, Soar,” she said. Soarin smiled proudly before she spoke again. “Not as good as me, though.”

Soarin smiled, “Maybe one day,” he said chuckling slightly. Rainbow’s smirk turned into a genuine smile as the two shared a loving look. Soarin knew that Rainbow was the one for him, he just hoped that the next few weeks would be plain sailing. But knowing the crazy world they lived in, it was going to be a hell of a ride.

To Be Continued...