If there was ever a place that had no need of Celestia’s day, Las Pegasus would be it. The end of a day never seemed to touch the vast neon paradise that sat on the very edge of the San Palomino Desert. The city was a bustling metropolis of both commerce and vice, a sprawling urban jungle of casinos, tourist attractions, and just a hint of corruption. It was Equestria’s most popular tourist destination, and Thunderlane was starting to see why.

Such were his thoughts as he looked around in awe at the buildings around him, brightly covered in neon lights of all colors. The crowds parting around him and Soarin went almost unnoticed as he took it all in. He was so accustomed to small-town life that the sheer scale of one of Equestria’s largest cities was still something he hadn’t quite wrapped his mind around. However, his attention was torn from the amazing neon spectacle when he heard a low rumble from next to him. He turned his head to look over at Soarin, who was giving him a goofy grin.

Thunderlane rolled his eyes. “Let me guess…”

“Yep!” Soarin replied, completely unabashed. “You hungry?”

“A little,” Thunderlane said. “You know any of the restaurants around here?”

Soarin smiled. “There’s a pretty good place just down the street. A bar and grill kinda thing. Sound good?”

Thunderlane shrugged. “As good as anything.”

Soarin gave him another smile, one of the casual ones that made Thunderlane feel warm and fuzzy inside. Over the past eight months of their relationship, Thunderlane had been learning just how many kinds of smiles his coltfriend had. There were the smirks, whenever he was about to do something annoying. He had the soothing ones, for whenever Thunderlane felt nervous. The simple, everyday ones that just made him feel happy and content. And then he had the sly or mischievous ones, which usually came right before he pounced Thunderlane and had him melting under his roving hooves.

Thunderlane felt himself blushing and quickly forced those thoughts out of his mind. The middle of a crowded street was not the right place to be having less-than-pure thoughts about the stallion. He knew very well how things tended to go when he got aroused around Soarin, in public or otherwise. His coltfriend made it difficult enough already just by being so damn attractive.

“Alright, follow me,” Soarin said, beckoning with a sweep of his wing. He turned and continued trotting down the sidewalk.

Thunderlane quickly caught up, taking up the same pace beside him, only a couple inches away. The crowds were thick, of course. Mares and stallions of all races were everywhere. Las Pegasus was always a tourist destination, but it was a dozen times worse with the Wonderbolts show coming up at the end of the week.

“So, what’cha think of Las Pegasus so far?” Soarin asked, glancing over at Thunderlane with a knowing smile.

Thunderlane grinned. “It’s amazing!” he said. “I’ve never seen so many lights in one place before. I don’t even know how ponies can sleep at night.”

Soarin smirked. “Well, there’s this thing called ‘curtains’…”

“Oh, shut up,” Thunderlane said, rolling his eyes.

“Some ponies even have blinds,” Soarin said, undeterred. “Once, I even heard about something called a ‘light switch.’”

Thunderlane sighed. Soarin laughed at him, but didn’t comment further. After a moment, the black stallion tensed, then relaxed as he felt one of Soarin’s soft wings gently press down over his back, the feathery warmth quickly causing him to forget any annoyance he might have had.

He glanced over at Soarin, and a smile appeared unbidden at his lips as he lost himself in those stunning green eyes. No matter how hard he tried, he never could stay annoyed at Soarin. For a moment he even forgot where he was as an urge to kiss the stallion came over him. He started leaning forward, intent on doing just that, until Soarin suddenly halted.

“We’re here,” he announced.

Thunderlane blinked a few times and looked around, a faint blush on his cheeks. He wasn’t sure if Soarin had noticed anything, but either way he didn’t comment as he led Thunderlane into the building. It was a mid-sized restaurant, a homey little place with wooden floors and furniture that made it seem rather old-fashioned and slightly unusual in this particular city.

It was already past normal dinner hours, so there weren’t that many ponies in the restaurant. That suited Thunderlane just fine. Most ponies didn’t recognize him, since the reservists didn’t get nearly as much recognition, but it wasn’t unheard of for Soarin to get surrounded by crowds of fans in the blink of an eye.

More than once, Thunderlane had gotten irked at the more flirty ones that vied for Soarin’s attention, but his coltfriend would always rebuff them, keeping it strictly to smiles and autographs. As it was, only a few ponies looked up at their entrance. As Thunderlane watched, he saw a few sets of eyes go wide among the various mares and stallions, and the murmuring grew a little louder as more and more of them noticed Soarin.

Whether he was oblivious or just pretending to be, Soarin paid them no attention and walked further into the restaurant. Even a few of the servers had stopped to stare, and Thunderlane felt a slight twinge of annoyance at one waitress that was eying Soarin with a slightly hungry expression.

He shot the mare a fierce look, causing her to blush and hurry along toward the kitchen. Thunderlane smirked to himself. He was generally a nice guy, but his hawkish eyes made for quite a threatening glare when he wanted. It had been useful more than once for scaring away the fans that clung to his coltfriend a little too closely.

“Hey, hold up a sec,” Soarin said, coming to a stop. “That pony over there… The big red one. I feel like I know him from somewhere.”

Thunderlane followed Soarin’s gaze, and his eyes fell on a booth along the back wall. Sitting on one side of the table were two stallions. One of them he recognized as Big Macintosh, and next to him was a smaller light-brown earth pony with a blonde mane that he didn’t know. The two of them hadn’t received their food yet, and the conversation seemed to be mostly the brown stallion chattering away while the red one grunted and nodded from time to time.

“That’s Big Mac,” Thunderlane said to Soarin. “He lives in Ponyville.”

Soarin brightened up. “Oh! From Sweet Apple Acres, right?” When Thunderlane nodded, Soarin grinned. “I love their cider. I stop by every year to pick up a few bottles that I reserve in advance. Their pies are great, too.” He glanced at Thunderlane. “Wanna say hi?”

Thunderlane shrugged. He didn’t know Big Mac all that well, but he was nice enough from what he’d heard. “Sure.”

The two of them trotted over toward the alcove, and Thunderlane took the time to study the smaller stallion’s appearance. Unlike most ponies, he was wearing clothes; a simple leather vest along with a brown stetson. Thunderlane had never thought he’d see a pony that looked more countrified than Applejack or Big Mac, but this one was certainly giving them a run for their money.

The one wearing the stetson noticed them first, pausing in his conversation as he looked up at them. “Y'all need somethin’?” he asked, in a thick southern accent.

“Heya!” Soarin said, his easy smile in place. He glanced at Big Mac, who recognized him immediately and gave him a smile and nod. “I’m Soarin, and this is Thunderlane.” He nodded toward his companion. “And you’re Big Mac, right?”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac said, his voice a low rumble.

Braeburn brightened up. “Well, any friend o’ Mac’s is a friend o’ mine!” He extended a hoof toward them, and they both gave him a hoof-bump. “I’m Braeburn!” he said, voice full of pride. “Come on, have a seat with us!”

Well, he sure seems friendly, Thunderlane thought. He sat down on the bench and slid over in front of Braeburn, feeling the long tablecloth brushing against his legs. Soarin followed suit, sitting next to him and scooting over until he was pressed gently against his side.

“So, how do y'all know each other?” Braeburn asked, looking between Big Mac and Soarin.

“Cider and apple pie,” Soarin said with a smile. “I buy from Sweet Apple Acres a lot. Haven’t found anypony that can do it better.”

Braeburn laughed. “And ya never will, partner!” he said, earning a satisfied smirk from Big Mac. He glanced at Thunderlane. “How ‘bout you?”

“Oh, I don’t know Big Mac myself,” Thunderlane said. “I just recognized him since I’ve seen him around town.”

Braeburn grinned. “Well, he does stick out like a sore thumb. ‘Specially ‘round these parts.”

“True enough,” Soarin said. “So, what brings you two to Las Pegasus?”

“Vacation,” Braeburn said. “Funny story, there. Applejack just showed up at my place in Appleloosa and said ‘Braeburn, you’re gonna take your coltfriend here and you’re gonna make him relax for a week. I ain’t got no use for workers that run themselves into the ground right before the harvest!’” He chuckled to himself and leaned back in his seat. “Then she just handed me a big bag o’ bits and left Mac here on my doorstep.”

Big Mac looked slightly annoyed, but a smile appeared on his face when Braeburn looked at him.

“Oh, so you two are together then?” Soarin asked.

Braeburn grinned. “Sure are. For about a year now.” He leaned against Big Mac, who grunted and placed a foreleg around his shoulders. “He don’t talk much, but he’s a sweetheart.”

Thunderlane chuckled. It wasn’t hard to tell that they liked each other a lot. Even before Braeburn had let it slip, it was obvious that they were quite comfortable around each other.

“So, what about you two?” Braeburn asked. His smile was infectious, and Thunderlane found himself grinning back.

“Yep! We’ve been going strong for about eight months,” Soarin said. He stretched a wing out and slipped it around Thunderlane’s back, causing the black stallion to blush and smile. He was quick to return the favor, extending one of his own wings to curl it around Soarin’s lower back, leaving them in a mutual embrace.

“I thought y'all looked mighty cozy, sittin’ close together like that,” Braeburn said. “But I actually meant what brings ya to Pegasus here.”

“Oh,” Soarin said. “I’m surprised you don’t recognize me. We’re both Wonderbolts, here for the show this weekend.” He nodded toward Thunderlane. “He’s one of the reservists, in case somepony breaks a wing or something.”

Braeburn beamed at him. “I thought ya looked familiar! Couldn’t place it, though. It was drivin’ me crazy!” He then looked a little sheepish. “Hope that didn’t bruise your pride or nothin’. I’m not much into sports.”

Soarin chuckled. “Don’t worry, it’s nice not being asked for an autograph for once.”

Before the conversation could continue, a waitress, a pink unicorn with a golden mane, nervously trotted up to the table to take their order. A disarming smile from Soarin almost caused her to melt into the floor, but after a lot of stammering she managed to take their orders and very nearly bolt away afterwards.

Braeburn chuckled as he watched the mare depart. “That must get aggravatin’,” he said, glancing at Soarin.

He shrugged. “I don’t mind too much. The ponies I care about most are pretty comfortable around me already.” Thunderlane felt the wing rub against his back, causing him to smile.

Braeburn chortled. “Good to know it ain’t goin’ to your head, then.”

“That’s still up for debate,” Thunderlane said, causing Soarin to snort and Braeburn to laugh.

“So, how’d you two end up together anyway?” Soarin asked.

Braeburn’s eyes glazed over as he smiled at the memory. Mac scooted a little closer, pressing his larger body against his companion. Braeburn leaned into the touch, a slight blush on his face. “Well, me and Mac live in separate towns, but we pop over to each other’s farms sometimes to help out when we can, so we see each other a lot. Long story short, we spent a lot o’ time around each other, most of it workin’.”

To Thunderlane’s surprise, Braeburn suddenly looked a little sad. “And, well… Here’s the thing. To tell ya the truth, lot o’ ponies don’t wanna spend too much time around me.”

“Why’s that?” Soarin asked with a frown. “You seem nice to me.”

Braeburn chuckled. “Thanks. But, the thing is…” he squirmed a bit, but Mac gave him a reassuring squeeze that made him relax again. “Well, I talk a lot,” he said, looking ashamed. “Too much. It’s just habit. And I don’t mean to be annoyin’, but a lot o’ ponies think I am.” He shrugged. “I actually had somepony once tell me that I was a good guy, but only in small doses.”

Big Mac grunted, looking displeased, and pulled Braeburn a little closer against him. “You’re not annoyin’, Brae,” he said. His voice was no more than a quiet rumble, and yet there was a clear, powerful conviction to his tone.

“Yeah, not at all,” Thunderlane said. He glanced at Soarin, who gave a firm nod in agreement.

“Aw, shucks…” Braeburn said, blushing as he smiled, ducking his head to hide his face underneath the brim of his hat. “Thanks for sayin’ so. I’ve heard it from Mac, but… Sometimes it’s nice to hear it from other ponies too, ya know?”

“Definitely,” Thunderlane said.

At that point the food arrived, the plates suspended in a pink magical aura as the mare returned. She’d managed to regain most of her composure while she was in the kitchen, but she still didn’t say much more than a squeak as she tried not to stare at Soarin.

Once the mare had left, the four stallions dug into their chosen meals. Veggie burgers for Thunderlane and Braeburn, a grilled cheese for Soarin, and some kind of pot pie for Big Mac that Braeburn had ordered for him. Thunderlane watched as the other three started to eat. Mac did so calmly, if not exactly gracefully, while Soarin and Braeburn started wolfing down their food without regard to their appearance. Thunderlane rolled his eyes as he ate at a much more measured pace, deciding not to comment.

After a few bites, Soarin swallowed and spoke up. “So, how about the rest of that story?”

“Oh!” Braeburn said, straightening up. His mouth was full of food, so he chewed and swallowed quickly before continuing. “Anyway, like I said, some ponies think it gets annoyin’ when I talk too much.” He nodded his head toward Mac. “He never seemed to mind, though. And I could tell he wasn’t just fakin’ it either. Heck, he seemed to like listenin’ to me.”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac said, nodding and giving his coltfriend a smile.

Braeburn smiled back at him, a clear fondness in his light green eyes before he cleared his throat and continued. “So, yeah. We just talked for hours while we worked—well, mostly I talked—and since Mac didn’t say much, I started kinda payin’ attention to him.” He shrugged and took another bite of his burger, swallowing it down before continuing. “So I started takin’ notice of his habits, how he acted, that kinda thing. Got real good at figurin’ out what he was thinkin’ without him ever havin’ to talk. And he appreciated that as much as I did him lettin’ me talk.”

“Well, that’s… Pretty cute, actually,” Thunderlane said, a smile on his face.

“Sure is,” Soarin said with a goofy grin. “So, what happened next?”

“Well, one day he just… Asked me out,” Braeburn said. “Just like that. Told me how much he liked me, and all that good stuff. Most words I ever heard him say all at once.” He chuckled. “Heck, I was so surprised to hear him speak up that it took me a minute just to answer him. Saddest I ever saw him until I managed to say yes.”

All four of the stallions were smiling now. “That’s a nice story,” Thunderlane said. He shot Soarin a look. “A bit more romantic than ours.”

Braeburn tilted his head. “What’cha mean by that?”

Thunderlane’s eyes widened in horror as Soarin grinned and began to speak. “Well, Lane and I met at the Wonderbolts Academy. One day after practice, we—OOF!”

Braeburn and Big Mac guffawed as Soarin rubbed at his side where Thunderlane had punched him. “We do not tell that story in public!” Thunderlane growled, cheeks burning under his fur.

“Oh come on, it’s not that bad!” Soarin said, wincing as he poked at the sore spot. “Besides, it’s not like these two have never heard of—OW!”

Thunderlane shook his aching hoof with a grimace as Soarin nursed his second bruise, grumbling to himself as he finally conceded the point.

“Little abusive, ain’tcha?” Braeburn asked, looking bemused.

Thunderlane snorted. “He’s tough enough to handle it. Besides, it’s all that gets through to him. I’m pretty much all he has for a verbal filter.”

“I’m not that bad!” Soarin said.

“You still haven’t figured out when Spitfire’s questions are rhetorical,” Thunderlane said, cocking an eyebrow at him. “There’s a reason why she makes you do so many wing-ups.”

Soarin smirked. “Oh, you mean like that time she was yelling at us about how many times she’d caught us—OUCH!”

“He’ll learn eventually,” Thunderlane said, nodding sagely while Soarin grumbled and rubbed at his foreleg.

Braeburn and Big Mac both looked amused. “Well, it must be one heck of a story for you to be all shy about it,” Braeburn said.

“Yeah, you could say that,” Thunderlane said. It was obvious that he held some lingering resentment over it, but when he glanced over at Soarin again, his irritation melted away to be replaced with a fond smile.

When Soarin noticed he returned the look, looking into Thunderlane’s amber eyes and losing himself in them. There was a fierceness to them that had always appealed to him. A hidden strength belied by the stallion’s normally reserved mannerisms. As much as Soarin liked to tease him, he had to admit that his coltfriend had quite a glare when he really got angry. Those occasions were what made Soarin glad that he was the faster flier of the two.

Thunderlane felt that intense desire again, the one that had him leaning forward, bit by bit, intent on staring into Soarin’s eyes as they pressed their lips together. His breathing quickened for a moment, and he felt Soarin’s warm breaths against his muzzle. Then the world melted away around him as their lips touched, and Thunderlane sighed in contentment as his eyes slid closed.

Soarin gave a quiet noise of approval, moving his lips gently against his. Soarin’s lips were soft, yet also a little rough, lending a firmness to the kiss that made Thunderlane feel just a little bit submissive. In silent agreement they both tightened the wing they’d wrapped around the other, pressing their bodies more closely together. Thunderlane barely registered it when he felt Soarin’s hoof brushing against his thigh, and instinctively spread his legs for him.

Soarin was quick to take the invitation, his hoof slipping in between Thunderlane’s spread thighs. The black pegasus grunted softly into their kiss as he felt Soarin’s hoof brush against his sheath, tracing a small circle before moving lower to cup his balls, gently kneading them. It wasn’t much, just affectionate fondling, but Thunderlane was already feeling stirrings of arousal, a blooming warmth as his heartbeat quickened. As he lost himself in the kiss and Soarin’s careful ministrations, he felt his stallionhood begin to emerge from its sheath.

At that point Big Mac coughed loudly, causing Thunderlane and Soarin to break apart, both blushing as they suddenly remembered where they were. Thunderlane squeezed his legs together in a vain attempt to suppress his growing arousal, and even Soarin looked embarrassed as he rubbed the back of his neck.

“Sorry about that,” Soarin said, giving Thunderlane a regretful look. “We can get a little… affectionate.”

Big Mac snorted and Braeburn grinned. “I can tell,” he said. “In case you were wonderin’, nopony else noticed anything.”

“Oh, thank Celestia,” Thunderlane said. He was still half-erect under the table, not helped in the slightest by Soarin’s hoof still lingering at his thigh, just inches away…

“Though, to tell ya the truth, I get the sense that it ain’t the first time y'all have been caught,” Braeburn said with a snicker.

Thunderlane sighed. “Soarin gets us into a lot of trouble. It’s like nopony ever explained privacy to him.”

Soarin rolled his eyes. “It’s not like you usually say no.”

Thunderlane squirmed as he felt Soarin move his hoof again, back between his legs. He gently stroked his hardening flesh up and down, steadily coaxing it to its full length. Soarin was using the very tip of his hoof to rub it along the underside, pausing halfway up to tease the medial ring each time, and then fondling the head before making his way back down to the base to repeat the motion. It was maddening how it felt so good and so unfulfilling at the same time.

“You’re too damn hot to say no to,” Thunderlane grumbled. He then gasped as he felt Soarin curl his hoof around his cock and give him a particularly firm stroke in response, all the way from the head to the base. It was enough to earn Soarin a drop of precum that slowly trailed down the underside of the shaft to be smeared around by his hoof, producing audible squelches.

“And don’t you forget it,” Soarin said with a pleased grin, savoring the sight of his coltfriend melting at his touch and the feeling of that gently throbbing stallionhood in his hoof.

“Y'all, uh… Do ya need some time to yourselves?” Braeburn asked, looking a little embarrassed.

Big Mac, on the other hoof, didn’t look troubled at all. In fact, much to Thunderlane’s surprise, he simply smirked at Soarin. Braeburn then emitted a rather feminine squeak and tensed up as Big Mac held eye contact with Soarin.

Soarin grinned at Big Mac, showing off his even white teeth and accepting the unspoken challenge. His strokes got a little firmer, pumping Thunderlane’s cock up and down, listening to him panting and huffing, unable hold himself still. He was fully erect now, steadily leaking precum from the tip of his cock to dampen the fur on Soarin’s hoof, and Soarin seemed to have no intention of letting up until he’d made him shoot his load all over himself.

“M-Mac, what are ya doin’?!” Braeburn hissed, not quite keeping his voice low enough. Big Mac grunted and Braeburn moaned, expression becoming one of bliss as Big Mac apparently followed Soarin’s example.

“You are so going to regret this later…” Thunderlane muttered, eyes closing as he finally gave in.

He moaned softly and spread his legs wider, exposing himself fully to Soarin’s roving hoof. Soarin was only too happy to take advantage of this, his firm strokes speeding up as a reward. He savored every little moan and sigh he got from his coltfriend, who was steadily forgetting his inhibitions as lust overcame his sense of reason. Soarin grinned to himself as he felt Thunderlane’s sticky, warm precum accumulate. He made sure to spread it around, producing sloppy schlicks with his motions as he smeared Thunderlane’s cock with his own hot sticky mess.

Braeburn wasn’t any better off. He was rather red in the face now, and unlike Thunderlane he didn’t have the benefit of black fur to hide it. He was squirming and writhing in his seat, seemingly unable to decide what to do as Mac continued to pump him under the table. Mac wasn’t quite so refined as Soarin, but his strokes were insistent, coaxing Braeburn to full hardness in a matter of moments without trouble.

Soarin narrowed his eyes at Big Mac, determined to make his coltfriend finish first. He smirked and leaned over to whisper directly into Thunderlane’s ear.

“You love this, don’t you?” he asked seductively. “The feeling of my hoof rubbing you up and down… You’re afraid of being caught, but it feels too good to stop, doesn’t it?”

Thunderlane whimpered quietly, wanting to protest, but the problem was that Soarin was right. To make matters worse, they’d missed their usual morning romp when they’d overslept and had to rush to catch the train. As a result, Thunderlane was more pent-up than usual, and rather quickly approaching his orgasm.

“M-Mac, this a-ain’t somethin’ I ever expected outta you…” Braeburn said, panting and moaning softly as he started to visibly buck his hips. Despite his embarrassment he seemed more accepting of the situation than Thunderlane, and Big Mac seemed to have no shame at all as he just smirked and muttered quietly into Braeburn’s ear. Going by the way Braeburn tensed up and closed his eyes, his deep voice was something of a turn-on to him.

“D-damn it,” Thunderlane muttered. He was still, on some level, worried about any spectators, but at this point the promise of his orgasm had overridden his more rational thoughts. He started bucking his hips softly, humping against Soarin’s firm strokes. He continued to listen to the stallion whispering into his ear, pausing only to trace it gently with his tongue, the dirty talk and the affectionate licks turning him into a helpless, spongy heap of desire completely at Soarin’s mercy.

“That’s it…” Soarin whispered, his voice a sultry growl. He tightened the grip of his wing curled around Thunderlane and leaned against him. “Go ahead, Lane… Cum for me.” He bit down softly on the tip of his ear and sped up his pumping, feeling Thunderlane’s cock throb and flex in his grip, the head flaring as the black stallion was pushed over the edge.

Thunderlane clenched his teeth and gave a muffled moan, bucking his hips hard as spurt after spurt of sticky warm spunk erupted from his cock, splattering against the underside of the table between him and Braeburn and hanging down in gooey strands. Soarin kept stroking him all the while, savoring the feeling of warm spunk oozing down over his hoof as he stayed with his coltfriend throughout his orgasm.

At the same time, Braeburn, who had been getting increasingly flustered, gave a moan of his own as he tensed up. Thunderlane then felt thick, heavy volleys of cum that weren’t his own land directly on his cock and Soarin’s hoof, trailing down the underside of the shaft to his balls. He felt more landing all over his bottom half, coating his thighs and groin in the sticky strands of Braeburn’s lust. A few of them went wide and hit the bench underneath him and the table over his lap. Soarin responded by aiming Thunderlane’s cock at Braeburn, sending the last few spurts of his cum toward him and giving him his own dose of Thunderlane’s sticky mess.

Thunderlane and Braeburn were both red-faced and panting hard as they came down from their orgasms, giving each other awkward looks, knowing perfectly well that they’d just shot their loads all over each other. Soarin and Big Mac were staring each other down, both wearing confident smirks.

Thunderlane felt Soarin release his softening cock, to his mixed relief and disappointment. Without looking away from Big Mac, Soarin showed him his sticky hoof, coated in strands of cum from both Braeburn and Thunderlane. He then made a show of slowly licking it off, making several passes to ensure he got it all. He stuck his tongue out, letting them all see the warm spunk he’d gathered before he gulped it down, smirking as he smacked his lips. Braeburn looked astonished and more than a little flustered, while Big Mac simply narrowed his eyes, apparently taking it as a challenge.

“So, who won?” Soarin asked.

Big Mac shrugged and his stature relaxed, the tension fading away almost without warning.

“I think we did,” Braeburn said, nodding at Thunderlane. That earned him a snort of laughter from the black stallion, causing him give a weak smile.

Nervously, Thunderlane looked around at the other ponies in the restaurant. A few of them had given them funny looks, and one or two were actually blushing, but it seemed like the majority hadn’t noticed anything was off. Small favors.

Then again, he realized, that was only because of the tablecloth. He could feel both his and Braeburn’s cum drying on his cock, balls, thighs and hind legs, and on his black fur that would stand out like a spotlight when he tried to leave. He imagined that Braeburn was in much the same situation.

“Here,” Soarin said, handing him some napkins. Still embarrassed, the napkins disappeared under the table as Thunderlane tried to clean up some. Across from him Braeburn did the same. Despite the lingering shame, it was obvious that Braeburn was feeling something of a thrill about the whole ordeal, going by the look on his face.

Once Thunderlane had cleaned up as best he could, he set the used napkins on the table, pitying the poor mare who would have to collect them later. He’d make sure to leave an extra-large tip. Braeburn didn’t take much longer, and the table fell silent as the four just sort of looked at each other, not quite knowing how to proceed.

Eventually, Soarin was the one who broke the silence. “So… Anypony up for a foursome?”