“Drink.”

“Fuck you, cunt, I don’t want fuckin’ water! Where’s the fuckin’ rum gone!?”

“No. This entire glass of water first. Then you can have more rum.”

“Highground. Can ya not like… be a fuckin’ complete crotch crepe fer once in yer goddamn life, lass?”

“Stella I swear to god if you don’t drink this water right now I’ll cite you for disturbing the peace back at Echo’s. Now drink, you dumb bitch… before I pistol-whip your goddamn eyes purple.”

Fredrick watched his drunken mare grumble… then snatch the large glass of water from Highground’s hand before she began to chug it. More interestingly than that, the more she drank, the more she seemed to love the taste of said room-temperature water. It was almost like—in his inebriated mind—water was the eternal thirst quencher.

Who could’ve imagined?

But in the end, their current venue was certainly a nice change of pace from earlier in the evening.

The Library was just as he had described it before they left for their evening out—a still-crowded, but a much more vast expanse of relaxation. Bookshelves—with actual, readable books on them—lined the entire perimeter from the entrance to the bathrooms and rear exits… save for the long bar that seemed even more impressive than at Echo’s.

Even said bar had bookshelves lining its wall. Though, instead of playing host to reading material like everywhere else, there were dozens beyond dozens of canisters of alcohol of various shapes, sizes, and colors adorning it. Despite this being somewhat of an ‘egghead venue’ per Stella’s own words, he could still see why she wanted to check this place out—the alcohol selection was worth a novel in its own right.

Highground suddenly passed over a glass of water for himself, and then started going around the table handing off the hangover-preventing elixir to each and everypony else. He—and the others apart from Stella—were much more receptive and thankful for her thoughtfulness.

He also noticed the rather laid-back mood that pervaded their little group… a welcome change after the adrenaline rush of the half an hour ago. Perhaps it was also their seating arrangement in their admittedly much more relaxed venue that contributed to everyone’s zoned out, blissful mood.

Fredrick gulped down half of his water, set it on the circular table in front of them, then reclined back into his large beanbag chair.

I could actually come back to this a couple times a week… I’m sure Stella wouldn’t mind.

“Alright guys…” Highground cut in over the general chatter and white noise of the venue.

“I’m going back to get more water. By the time I come back I expect all of these to be done.

“And I lied, Stella—finish the second one I’m bringing you and then you can have more alcohol,” she let on. She then also drew a finger once around the table. “And the same goes for the rest of you too, okay?”

Stella scoffed, and annoyedly threw both her arms into the air.

“Oh fuck me in the ass, Highground! Clearly ya really want to! Just fuckin’ bend me over the table and get it over-with. I’m sure Fredrick would love tae watch!” Stella complained.

Highground appeared to ignore her completely.

“Thanks, Highground!” Fredrick added, raising his glass to her before drawing the ice-cold brim back to his lips.

Everyone else (barring Stella) raised their glasses to match him.

“Cheers, mate,” Sveta added.

“Thank you, Mommy~,” Midnight giggled.

“Danke, Highground!” Schnee cutely slurred.

The crimson-maned cop seemed to completely ignore Midnight’s little comment as well, since she sauntered away towards the bar without an extra word.

An aura of silence enveloped Fredrick and the rest of the group once again.

As he zoned out and stared at the colorful display of incandescent lighting (and interestingly, just the right amount of amber lighting for comfortable reading) that adorned the ceiling, he absentmindedly reached out to his right…

...and on cue, he felt Stella’s hand fall into his palm, and her fingers curl around his.

He felt his core lighten considerably, and he turned his head to face Stella… whose face turned to him in kind. She flashed him her fangs in a drunken smile with those same, starry, golden eyes.

He felt the blood rush straight to his cheeks, and he smiled brightly right back at her.

“Hey gorgeous,” he said.

“Oi yerself, handsome,” Stella shot right back, cocking a knowing, cheeky eyebrow.

He shot that look right back at her. He could’ve also sworn that an annoyed groan graced his ears from Sveta’s direction.

“You still having a good time, babe?” he asked.

The right side of her lips curled upward, exposing more of those pearly whites of hers.

“Aye I’m havin’ a greeeeaaat time, love! Just like when ya fuckin’ asked me about two hours ago, ya drunk cunt. Thank you again, though!”

Fredrick lowered his eyelids.

“Anything for you, cutie. By the way… where the fuck are my manners? I never asked if you—or any of y’all—were hurt from the fight back at Echoes?”

Stella shook her head.

“Not at all, mate! Those fuckers were amateurs… they thought they were hot shit, so they talked shit. Then got hit. Probably some of the best fun I’ve had in a while, lemme tell ya… the unsanctioned fights have their own charm to ‘em,” she said.

But she was quick to add:

“But to tell you the truth I’d rather get bruised up with you if ya know what I mean, Freddie~.”

He smirked devilishly at the thought.

“That can be easily arranged, my dear,” he said.

Stella giggled evilly, and teasingly curled her legs into her torso. And while Stella clearly enjoyed their sexually tenuous banter (as did he), Sveta immediately let it be known that she was having absolutely none of this.

“UGH,” she scoffed, while standing up off her beanbag chair and stretching. “Not this fuckin’ horseshit again—I think I get it now! You drunk fuckers literally get extra lovey-dovey-horny when you get pissed on grog, don’t ya?”

Fredrick shrugged, yet smiled knowingly right back at her.

“Guilty as charged—don’t hate on us, girl! Besides, we don’t even need alcohol for that!”

He glanced over at Stella once he heard her giggle, and watched her tilt her head incredulously—and cheekily—towards her younger, miffed sister.

“Oi, nopony said ya had tae watch, lass… though yer more than welcome to~. Technically it’s my night out so I can do as I fuckin’ please…” she noted with an innocence so feigned and so orchestrated that Fredrick couldn’t help but feel half-way aroused by it.

Sveta, to her credit, seemed to agree with that wholeheartedly. She downed the remaining half of her water glass and set it back on the table with a satisfied ‘ahhh.’

“Aye… and that’s why I’m gettin’ in line fer karaoke. Order me another round of whatever when it’s time, pretty please?” she asked…

...and then promptly waved everypony off as she left the table to go to her life’s calling.

“Look fer me on stage in a little bit! Later, fuckfaces,” she added.

Fredrick—and the others—waved her off, but Stella was the one to supply the parting words most fitting for her little sis:

“Righteo! Fuckity bye, cunt!”

Right at that moment, Highground returned with another tray of waters in tow, and she looked around curiously as she set the flight on the table.

“W-Where the hell did Sveta go? I swear if she snuck away to get more alcohol…” she questioned aloud.

Midnight was quick to the answer:

“Nope! She went to get in line for karaoke… and I have half a mind to join her too and flex my last name, especially with this performance right now…” she said with a straight, pointedly annoyed face.

Midnight casually pointed off into the aether, and that’s when Fredrick—and the others—became astutely aware of the current karaoke set being played… and their collective drunkness and general ‘vibing’ mood had likely masked the abomination that was currently echoing through the establishment.

All spared a glance towards the stage, where a dimly lit mare, debatably drunk off her ass, was singing to her heart’s content to the music. Fredrick recognized the tune for sure, especially with his tenure in Equestria by this point. She not only failed to hit the notes, but she failed on such a grand scale that… what was a poppy, pleasant sounding song was reduced to the figurative grating of nails on a chalkboard.

He, and the rest of his excellent company, grimaced at each and every time a note went much too high, and felt like she was piercing their collective brain matter. The whole display was made even worse by the fact that this poor, drunken mare was trying to look so sexy to go along with the general tune of the song… but her body refused to play along… which helped create the Eldritch horror they were all witnessing.

“I’m almost certain that’s what you hear and see the exact moment you die and descend into the depths of hell...” Fredrick said.

Midnight didn’t need any more convincing.

“Right, fuck this. I’m getting in line right behind Sveta… gonna have to heal the ears of all these ponies here. I’ll meet up with you cuties a little later,” she announced, then promptly stood up to leave.

“Hey!” Highground pointed right at her, snagging her attention. “You better finish your goddamn water!”

Midnight wordlessly grabbed her second full glass and shot it down her gullet after a few gulps, slamming the glass back on the table with a satisfied ‘ahhh…’

She grinned impishly.

“Thanks again, Mommy!” she said as she sauntered towards the stage and the crowd.

Highground stared emotionlessly as she watched her go.

“She called me a MILF—again—in a roundabout way, didn’t she?”

Hearing Highground of all ponies say that certainly earned Fredrick’s attention. But the funniest part of this to him was when Stella’s drunk ass looked up at her pointedly, and seemed almost unimpressed at the interaction.

“You seem upset by that moniker?”

Highground cocked an eyebrow and looked down at Stella on her chair, who was staring straight back up at her.

“Well… I think the most interesting thing about this was you using the word ‘monicker,’ because I didn’t think you had above a primary-school vocabulary,” she began sarcastically.

“But I mean… a MILF?”

She took a quick look at herself, almost disturbed.

“Really?”

“I mean…” Stella added. “You kinda are…”

Fredrick and Schnee nearly lost it together at the sheer nonchalance.

Highground shrugged.

“Meh. Guess it checks out. Being called ‘mommy’ by a grown mare makes my tits shrivel though…” she said, shuddering.

Stella stood up off her chair and stretched her arms above her head. Fredrick took no qualms in taking a rather conspicuous look at his mare, and how her midriff top rode higher up her toned stomach than it already did. He still wasn’t exactly sure what it was about this particular top on her… but he was gonna enjoy every extra minute he took to get her out of it later.

“Welp… I think I’ll get a good view from in front of the stage when it’s Sveta’s and Midnight’s turn. Think I could go fer another dance or two… how bout you, ‘love?” Stella asked, leaning over Fredrick all predatorily like in a way that tickled his primal instincts and his dick.

He smirked up at her, but he did have to be honest with her on that front:

“I think I need an extra little bit to get my leg muscles to cooperate after the what… like… hour and a half of straight dancing we did back at Echo’s?” he said, but mirrored her smile.

“Mind if I catch up with you a little bit later, hotstuff?” he asked.

His heart warmed and his core was splattered with pieces of stomach butterflies after an unfortunate road accident involving a semi when Stella smiled warmly at him, and then planted a wet one on his forehead.

“Sure thing, love! I mean… not everypony can have the legs and ass that I do so I totally get it. Just make sure you don’t end up at some gay bar while I’m away, aye?” she giggled evilly, then nudged him on the shoulder before planting yet another wet kiss on his cheek.

Fredrick still had enough coherence to roll his eyes.

“Right… I’ll make sure of that. And don’t worry, I won’t be long.”

Stella flashed him another fangy grin before turning towards an equally vibing Schneeblume and casually pointed at her.

“What about you, ya Alemaneian warrior princess? Wanna go dance?”

Schnee held up a single hand, shaking her head.

“I think I’m good for right now, Liebe. I think I need an extra couple of minutes like Fredrick here—he’s got the right idea~” she said.

Stella shrugged, not seemingly put off in any way.

“Suit yerself, lass. See ya out there in a bit then!” she said before turning to Highground.

“You and me then, HG! Let’s go fuckin’ dance fer a while… as much as we can at least with that shit bein’ spewed out that cunt’s mouth on stage but fuck me at least the music is good, aye?” she proposed.

Highground—in Fredrick’s opinion—seemed more than a little reticent.

“I mean…” she began, and ran her hand down her arm with a barely-restrained eagerness.

Stella appeared to see right through the ruse and interrupted any excuse she might have thrown out.

“Oh fuck off, lass! You’ve been playin’ mum fer the entire night! Sveta an’ Midnight ‘re on their own! Fredrick an’ Schnee here are just… vibin’ fer fuck’s sake. I’m pretty sure they can fuckin’ handle themselves, innit?”

Fred could—even in his drunken state—read those pursed lips and that averted stare… along with that refrained pep in her step.

“Stella’s right, Highground… at least have some fun tonight, yeah?” he said. A quick glance over to a splayed-armed Schneeblume revealed her on the exact same page.

Turning back to Highground, Fredrick watched the tiniest, unnecessary deliberation in her head before she offered up a half-smirk. She casually pointed to both him and Schnee.

“You two good here?” she asked.

Fredrick angled his head toward her and smirked, amused.

“I’m pretty sure two drunk idiots can handle kicking back on giant beanbag chairs…” he began, then glanced over at the Flower Mare.

“What do you think, Schnee?”

Though clearly just pleasantly existing, her tone still brooked zero argument, and she dismissively shooed Highground away.

“Verlasse uns, bitte! Tanzen!”

Highground sure as hell didn’t show it that much, but her golden eyes brightened with a—dare Fredrick say, ‘cute’—excitement that he had not seen since the night began.

“Sounds good… thanks. Catch you two over there,” she said, and quickly fell into step with Stella.

The latter began leading her away and waved behind her.

“See ya later, masturbators!”

Fredrick giggled at the comment and saluted Stella as she walked away… and Stella in turn blew him a kiss before disappearing into the lighting and the mild crowd. He watched her go up to the point where he couldn’t track her anymore.

He sighed out blissfully before letting his head fall back and get cradled by the beanbag chair once more. Arms splayed out comfortably, he angled his head over towards Schnee, who looked at him in kind.

He smiled, perhaps a bit too cheekily.

“And then there were two…~” he said.

She beamed right back at him.

“And so there were…” she replied, then drunkenly giggled.

And in a move that nearly burst Fredrick’s aorta, she brought both of her tiny hands to her face and continued to blush and giggle like she knew something he didn’t. She shimmied excitedly in her seat all the while.

It was so contagious that Fred couldn’t help but laugh himself, though with that display, he had the overwhelming urge to prod her thoughts.

“Heh, what is it?” he asked.

Schnee—red in the face even under the dim lighting, likely mostly from drunkenness—calmed down enough to answer him in a sing-song voice:

“She looooves youuuuu~,” she said.

Fredrick chortled heartily at the sheer randomness of her statement.

“Well I would certainly hope so!” he joked. “Still… really nice to hear that from an outside observer, so thank you for that!”

“It’s… interesting,” Schnee began anew with a barely noticeable slur of her words through her already thick accent.

She cutely ‘hopped’ in her bean bag chair to scoot it closer to Fredrick, then lay across her seat and gazed upon him while her face was upside down. This mare was murdering him slowly by the second with her antics, on top of him being able to unwittingly sneak a better look at her lithe, petite, toned body within her dress. The man in him really couldn’t help himself.

Goddamn she’s legitimately gorgeous.

“When I first heard about you from her all those months ago, I didn’t know what to really expect—” she was promptly interrupted by a sudden hiccup and belch. She held up a single finger for a moment before feeling comfortable enough to continue.

“But I knew you had to be pretty incredible, considering she wouldn’t shut up about you—she’s very rarely talked anypony’s ear off about her love interests, which made the ummm…”

She twirled her right hand to jog her vocabulary.

“Wie sagt Pony… Ah! The hype… around you all the more real.”

Fredrick couldn’t help but laugh at a scenario that seemed all-too familiar by now.

“Heh, jeez. Stella’s like the realest fuckin’ pony ever. She talks shit about me to my face and praises me behind my back. That mare… what an absolute doll and legend,” he said.

Schnee wagged her ceramic index finger at him pointedly from her still-upside down position.

“Right you are, Fredrick! A legend she is! And…” she hung onto her words as she appeared to almost trust a belch just a bit too much. “…and in the future, you—Fredrick—and Stella are going to have legendary children!”

Fredrick settled into his position, and froze in place while he pleasantly stared at the mare in front of him… the mare that was returning his stare with a rather knowing, mischievous one. It was a look that Fredrick knew well from the Sabre lineage.

“Fuck’s sake, Schnee—you too?”

Schneeblume giggled heartily into both of her hands. Fredrick wasn’t exactly sure what it was, but something about seeing this mare happy and gleeful in general made him feel more alive. He attributed it to the contagiousness of her demeanor.

“Well, I sort of have to… because talk like that gets under most stallions’ skins, hehe,” she said with the cutest bit of guilty sheepishness that Fredrick had ever seen.

Fredrick rolled his eyes… and his entire head at that comment, which made the mare continue giggling.

“I’ll say! But real talk…” he began anew. “…I don’t really want kids. Stella despises children from what I’ve heard her say. I’d say the bigger obstacle is even getting to that point where we both come around to something like that, sooo…” he drunkenly rambled.

Schneeblume shrugged, shifting to a more traditional, upright sitting position while still sprawling out lazily.

“Her mother would take major issue with both of you, you know…” she gladly pointed out.

Fredrick’s eyes widened at the thought. Schiavona seemed exactly like the kind of mom that wanted—no, demanded—grandchildren…

“Yeah, no fuckin’ joke there. If she knew what I said here, she’d probably have me cast aside for being ‘useless to her daughter’ or something like that,” he said.

Schnee—for the umpteenth time tonight—giggled all girly like into her hands.

“Perhaps… but on a more real note myself,” she began. “I only needed to see how you two interacted tonight to know that you two have made the right choice in placing faith in one another.”

With her right cheek resting on the beanbag chair that seemed so massive with her on it, she punctuated her words with a soft smile.

Fred was more than eager to meet that smile with one of his own—one filled with gratitude.

“Hey, thanks Schnee! I really appreciate it! Like I said, it’s always nice to hear an ‘outsider’s’ perspective of things once in a while. But… after only a night you’d stick by those words?” he dared ask, cocking a teasing eyebrow at her.

Her soft expression hadn’t changed in the slightest, save for mirroring him with her own cocked eyebrow.

“I’d like to think I know a thing or two about putting faith in the right ponies. You two are perfect for each other…” she said, and then quickly added with a coy smirk:

“For better or for worse.”

A guffaw nearly ripped through Fred’s chest at her quip.

“HAH! You may be joking but that’s probably how I’d describe my relationship with that mare in the crowd: ‘Perfect. For better or worse.’”

Summing up the very thought of his relationship with Stella, mentally juxtaposed with Schnee’s description was making him uncontrollably heave with pending laughter. With his drunkenness layered atop of that like a proverbial cherry, the dam burst, and Fredrick let his full-blown cackling take the wheel.

Fredrick heard Schnee suffer the exact same fate, and her giggling quickly morphed into a proper, open-mouthed, choking laughter of her own.

Said chorus of laughter was interrupted when a waiter came by with—what Fredrick could make out—was a massive flight of various, assorted shots.

Sheepish, yet polite obligation was written all over his face.

“S-Sorry to bother you two… but would you care for any more to drink?”

Fredrick glanced over at Schnee, who was coming down from their shared moment.

“Let’s do a shot—you and me, especially for those words,” he suggested.

The mare beamed right back at him. He was liking this mare more and more by the minute.

“Ja! Lass uns!”

Fredrick turned back towards the patient waiter.

“Absolutely! We’ve got a full table, so five shots please. Surprise us!” he said.

The young waiter needed no further invitation, and with some brief sleight of hand, he set down five shot glasses of differing colors and concoctions within them—one for each beanbag chair around the table. Once finished with his little random arrangement, he stood up proudly.

“There ya go! Am I good to put it on your tab?” he asked.

Fredrick nodded once with a wide smile.

“Perfect! Thanks, man! And yeah—read my mind.”

“You’re ‘Fredrick,’ right?”

“That’s me!”

“Awesome. Well, if you need anything else, don’t hesitate to ask!”

Fredrick leveled a single finger-gun at him.

“You bet I will. Thanks, dude!”

Both he and Schnee watched him stride towards the dancing crowd (in spite of the abysmal karaoke performance still going on), and then turned towards each other. They beamed once more before Fredrick broke the silence:

“Alright! Pick your drink!”

Schnee leaned forward in her chair—finally extracting her body from the comfort of the beanbag—and pointedly scanned over the flight of drinks in front of her. Fredrick noted how she cutely held a single finger to the edge of her mouth as she seemingly ran over the super serious options in her head.

She then pointed tentatively to a rather familiar-looking, neon sapphire concoction.

“Is… Is that the Northern Sapphire Cream Cutie that Stella always raves about? I don’t think I’ve ever tried it.”

Fredrick gestured openly towards it.

“Take it—I’ll just pretend that they never brought any out,” he said, winking. “Besides, Stella likes to mix alcohol in her stomach to get that extra intoxication amplifier so I’m almost positive she won’t mind in the slightest.”

Schneeblume giggled maniacally to herself and did just that, taking it in her gentle grasp.

“Very good, then! Mein!”

Fredrick hovered his own hand over the remaining choices, and settled on a liquid that looked much too transparently green to be anything other than toxic waste.

“Then I guess I’ll find out what this one is, the hard way,” he said.

Once he made his selection, he saw Schnee raise her shot-glass front and center with a rather determined smile—he was quick to match her, but she was the one to start off the toast:

“To Stella!”

“To Stella!”

He clinked his shot-glass against hers and—without a moment’s hesitation that would make him question what he was putting in his mouth—shot the green substance down his gullet. He felt his eyes shoot open as his esophagus and stomach lining began to peel. The taste was as familiar as that very day back in college when he had the misfortune of chugging down this very same drink during a winter-break party… and then immediately going skiing down a slope and somehow not dying.

The vodka-tequila mix. The mighty vodquila.

He had no idea what made it green, though.

That’s when the camaraderie of the toast was completely swept aside by the need to not trust the forthcoming belch too much. Fredrick balled his hand and loosed a watery burp into his fist lest he spew it all over the table. Terrible memories that tainted the wretched substance for him for the rest of his life flooded back into his mind.

But thankfully, he was able to hold it in. Even more thankfully there was still some unfinished water that he was able to use to wash it all down. There was even enough water to cool his reddening cheeks from embarrassment when Schneeblume began cackling, unrestrained, at his expense.

She was straight up pointing at him, laughing, while his insides were getting Chipotle’d. Absolutely savage—Stella certainly knew how to pick her friends to complement and match her personality in all the right ways.

“UUUGH!” Fredrick said in what sounded like he was getting choked both sexually by Shrek and non-sexually by a drug lord he owed money to.

“FUCK I chose hella poorly…”

“Speak for yourself, Freddie! Now I see why Stella loves this drink holy Scheiß I think I’m in love!” she exclaimed.

Seeing the smol mare enamored with her drink returned the smile to Fredrick’s temporarily diseased-looking face.

“Well, get as much as you like! Remember, the night is fully taken care of,” he reminded.

Schnee rolled her eyes but still maintained her grateful smile nonetheless.

“Yes… as you’ve made sure to remind us all despite our best attempts—infuriatingly so. But with a taste like that, I don’t think I’ll have much choice but to ‘abuse’ your offer,” she added.

That slur of her words from her accent in conjunction with her inebriation continued to amuse Fredrick to no end.

“I’m glad you see it my way—I must say on another real note, I’m almost annoyed that Stella didn’t introduce me to you sooner! You’re hilarious and you’re always welcome around when my delicious thestral mare decides to put together her nights out,” Fredrick said.

An eternally welcome voice made itself known from the direction of the dance floor:

“Yer fuckin’ right I’m goddamn delicious!” Stella announced her re-introduction to the table.

Fredrick felt the edges of his lips tug upward as he turned to face his mare… who was making her way back with that saunter in her hips that always drew his attention.

“Well helloooo there, hottie mcfucking hottie… you goddamn snack you—more like the whole goddamn meal!” Fredrick drunkenly blurted out with no regard for his words.

He nearly lost his shit when he witnessed Stella’s usual, cocky visage turn down at an instant like a bomber plane getting flak-fucked out of the sky. He could hear how dry she suddenly became. These were the echoes of vodquila talking for sure, but at least Schneeblume was continuing to laugh at his expense.

“…mate, I’d outright fuckin’ denounce yer poofery but, like you said, I’m too fuckin’ busy bein’ delicious—OH! More drinks!”

“Yeah, one of the awesome waiters came around with another flight. Since we all got our good-boy points from Highground for drinking our water, I figured all was kosher,” Fredrick added to Stella’s last point.

Stella chuckled while scoffing, having selected some crimson-looking shot that smelled distinctly of cinnamon. Fredrick wagered a guess that it was this world’s version of Fireball or something similar.

“Quite frankly, my dear, I don’t give a right fuck what Highground thinks,” she whispered, punctuating with an open-mouthed wink.

She shot her drink down and roughly set the glass back on the counter.

“OOOF!” she flinched, then clicked her lips pleasurably. “Cinnamon. Fuckin’ hell…”

Fredrick chuckled, then fancied a glance behind her once he realized that Highground—once her name was dropped—was nowhere to be found.

“Yo… where’s our chaperone? Jeez did you kill her on the dance floor or something?”

Stella shook her head, but chortled at the thought.

“Nae she just went tae have herself a piss. And really, she’s just not so much the dancer despite her havin’ fun with it, which was the important part. She just sways around like a fuckin’ dolphin giving a blowjob.”

Fredrick nearly cocked his head ninety-degrees at that comment.

“And how the hell would you know what that looks like?”

“PFFT fuck I dunno mate, I’m drunk! But what I do know is that coppin’, bobbin’, blowjobin’ dolphins aren’t really my thing on the dance floor.

“Which is why I came back tae get ya! Daaaaaance with meeeeee again, you cheeky dickwaffle!” Stella pleaded.

Fredrick watched as she reached for his hand in his lap and tried her damnedest to yank him up by the arm and onto his feet.

“Hey, you know I’d never say no to you on that but I’d feel a bit guilty leaving Schnee here all alone,” he said, gesturing open-handed towards the mare in question—who found herself back in her seat—while he stood himself up.

Said mare in question did not seem to be having any of it though. She seemed much more eager to get to the floor when another drunken, off-key note ripped through the Library’s ambiance.

She shuddered.

“No worries about that, because I think I’ll come with you two… this officially sounds worse than someone dying in no-pony’s land,” Schnee said.

Then—way too cutely for this world—the smol mare extended both her arms out, grasping the air towards him and Stella.

“Hilf mir! Auf, bitte!” she ‘pleaded’ with a giddy exuberance that could bring a smile to anyone’s face.

Fredrick stepped towards her without a second thought and offered the ‘entrenched’ mare his right hand—his father raised a well-adjusted son, not a fucçboi, after all.

“I gotcha! On your hooves, soldier!” he said as Schnee took his hand in her ceramic, prosthetic one.

Even for one who had succumbed to the extra warmness afforded by alcohol, Fred once again noticed the stark difference between a genuine, garden-variety pony hand, and a ceramic prosthetic—it was way too cold.

…much unlike the mare whom it was attached to.

In fact, Fredrick was so engrossed in the moment for a split couple of seconds… so focused on her ceramic prosthetic was he, that as he moved to help Schnee to her hooves, he didn’t notice the impish smile glint off of her porcelain face.

As he pulled back with her weight as a counterbalance, Fredrick stumbled backward by virtue of gravity and kinetic energy when Schnee’s prosthetic detached completely. He was able to stabilize himself pretty easily… but his attention immediately went to the literal hand and forearm in his clutch.

He felt gravity stick its ethereal hand up his black hole and pull his guts back through his sphincter and down to the core of the earth.

He couldn’t get his fear-laden apology out fast enough—or coherently.

“JESUSTITTYFUCKINGCHRISTI’MSOSORRYSCHNEEHOLYFUCKI’MSORRY!”

Literally shaking by this point at having thought that he accidentally tore a prosthetic clean off the remnants of a limb, he fumbled to hand it back to the mare who he figured surely hated him right now and was likely in a lot of pain.

Except when he refocused himself on Schnee, no sign of anger nor malcontent graced her features at all!

In fact, she was completely silent… entirely because she had evacuated her lungs and was struggling to laugh her little heart out. She expended all of her air and, despite clutching her chest with her left hand and the stub of her right arm, she simply had no more to give.

And that heaving eventually gave way to jovial guffaw.

Fredrick blinked a couple of times, still reeling from the thought of ever bringing harm to one of Stella’s greatest friends, however accidental.

As for the birthday mare in question, Fredrick was quickly drawn to a familiar cackling that always brought joy to his heart… a cackling which played double duty in calming him down as he finally realized that there was no danger, and instead, he had been brilliantly punked.

She had detached her arm on purpose—just to fuck with him.

Stella, laughing loudly with her face to the ceiling, was barely more coherent than Schnee:

“HAHAHAHAHA SCHNEE! Ya fuckin’ cheeky cunt, I told ya to go easy on the poor bastard! I’d like me coltfriend not collapsin’ a fuckin’ artery tonight, thank ye kindly!”

Still slightly skittish, Fredrick turned back to Schnee, who had been shaking off the last bit of her impish laughter, and got to her hooves without any assistance from the poor dude.

She swiped ‘her arm’ out of his hand.

“Hehe, I’ll try, Stella… but no guarantees~,” she answered.

Fredrick—heart still racing and hands shaking—watched her line up the base of her prosthetic with the end of her stub, attach it, and then twisted it once to ‘set’ it. She then flexed each one of her fingers (as much as she was able to) in a way that reminded him very vividly of Star Wars.

“I’m sorry, Fredrick… I just couldn’t resist. Forgive me?” she asked.

She further punctuated by binding both her wrists together in front of her and batting her eyelashes.

It was Fredrick’s turn to blush, and Stella piped up behind him right on cue, giggling through her mock chastising:

“Fuckin’… SCHNEE! ‘Don’t give me coltfriend a heart attack’ didn’t mean ‘try an’ steal him away from me!’ Fer fucks sake, lass! Midnight’s already been a bad influence on ye!”

After that, Fredrick was quick to recognize the hilarity of the situation. He chuckled heartily and shook his head.

“It’s all good Schnee… but goddamn you’re kind of a maniac when you’re drunk, you know that? You got me good!”

Schneeblume giggled… curtsied for some reason, and then brushed past Fredrick to the table. She ran her hand through her mane all the while.

“I still got it!” she said triumphantly.

More shockingly for Fredrick—and seemingly to a hilarious extent, Stella—the small mare took another of the shots at random and chugged it down. She punctuated that show of chad-ness with a satisfied sigh.

“You two go dance… I’ll get in line for karaoke with Midnight und Sveta, ja?” she suggested happily.

Fredrick offered her his signature finger-guns in response, while out of the corner of his eye, he saw Stella do the exact same thing, though merely adding a wink. Perhaps he was rubbing off on her in the best of ways, just as Stella did on him. To him, the former had to be the case some way—with the collective volume of how much he had cum on her to this day, he figured that she probably adopted some of his personality traits by osmosis through her skin or some shit.

“Sweet!” Fredrick said, offering the first response. “Look forward to hearing your voice—literally.”

Stella was quick to follow that up as the three began making their way towards the floor:

“Sounds good tae me love. You three better get up on stage together after yer own songs… I just might join ye up there~,” she said.

Schnee giggled lewdly.

“You better! It won’t be a birthday orgy without the birthday mare~,” she quipped, then nudged the taller mare with her butt before breaking off and, literally, skipping merrily towards the karaoke stage.

Fredrick watched her go, as did Stella. He took her hand in his own and chuckled, shaking his head.

“Good god she is druuuuuuuuunk,” he said, stating the obvious once more.

She shared the same sentiment.

“Fuck’s sake… I mean, you met her when she was just sober. She’s cute and shy as fuck. I’ve never actually seen her drunk so this is a new fuckin’ experience fer me too, mate.”

Stella began to lead the two of them towards the crowd of ponies—and, Fredrick figured, back to Highground—when he put some extra thought to the situation.

“Righteo, note to self—she’s a sleeper alpha who comes out to rule the world when she gets alcohol in her system. You really do keep the best of friends, my love,” he said.

Stella silently laughed, and angled her open-mouthed, fancy smile from the side.

“I sure do, Fred!” she said, leading the way as they began to meander through the now-still crowd as the war crime of a performance had finally reached its denouement.

She then hit him with a rather interesting tidbit:

“Also, you’re gonna be seein’ a lot more of Schnee… maybe Midnight, actually!”

Fredrick idly weaved in between the ponies of the crowd as he let Stella lead him to the stage. He cocked an eyebrow nonetheless.

“Oh? How come? Not that I’m complaining or anything… your friends are awesome, even Midnight—sometimes,” he said, adding that extra quip at the end.

“HAH!” Stella replied with a single laugh. “As abrasive as she is, and as much as I wanna stab her repeatedly, she’s a good lass, mate. And as fer Schnee, I had a bit of a talk with her tonight.

“I want to standardize the hand-to-hand and close-quarters training regimen—Luna’s given me some… unofficial winks and nods to bolster the capability of the ranks. I want to bring in Schnee as a part-time ‘contractor’ of sorts,” she explained.

Fredrick’s jaw dropped about half an inch.

“Jesus… I mean, she’d be perfect for the job but like… you’re gonna give the castle infirmary a lot more business, heh,” he voiced.

Stella shrugged cutely.

“Ehh, it’ll build character. And it’ll be a valuable lesson, aye?” she remarked with that quintessential Stella smile.

“You are one hell of a commander, you know that, babe?”

Stella—with the extravagance of a drunken, pseudo-Scottish batpony mare—swayed and leaned up against him for support, all while somehow able to maintain rather poignant eye-contact.

“Fuckin’ right, love! I gotta be the very best, like nopony ever was,” she said.

Fredrick gazed down upon her and knew that he had to take the opportunity as it was handed out to him on a golden platter.

“Well yeah, you gotta get the best recruits. To catch them is your real test. To train them is your cause.”

“You know me too well already… may have to kill you soon. But aye, I wanna make captain in good order, so gotta have enough brag-able shit under me clit hood tae put on me CV fer promotion… gotta leave a legacy, after all,” she said.

Fredrick loosed a few errant giggles at the mention of her being promoted to captain. He knew the whole truth, but also knew that he couldn’t tell a soul. He was glad that her heart was in the perfect place, and with what she had planned, he had full confidence that Stella would likely realize her goal quicker than even she would’ve thought.

In a pose that came to define their relationship, Fredrick snaked his arm around Stella’s exposed back, and rested his right hand on her hip. As he had come to expect, his mare rested her left arm around his neck and leaned back against the extra support afforded by his arm.

He smiled brightly at her, and she returned the favor, lidding her eyelids for extra effect.

“Oh you’ll leave a legacy. If not a famous one, an infamous one for sure,” he said.

“As always, you know how to flatter a mare.”

“I love you.”

“I love you.”

“Gay.”

“No, you.”

“Fuck.”

“Hehehe…”

The previous performances had ended, which reaffirmed a faith in a higher power for Fredrick now that his ears weren’t being molested. That’s when he felt Stella excitedly wrap both of her arms around his shoulders and began hopping on her hooves excitedly.

“Yes! The lasses are up next!” she squealed.

Fredrick smiled brightly, but still regarded Stella’s behavior with mild suspicion.

“Since when do you get so excited over people going up for karaoke?” he asked.

“Because fuck you, that’s why! It’s me birthday, I’m having a wonderful time! And I’m drunk as bollocks! Give a bat a fuckin’ break, aye?”

Fredrick rolled his eyes, though he couldn’t make his smile dissipate even if he tried. He kissed her cheek for good measure.

“Fair. Totally, one-hundred percent fair,” he said.

All attention was pulled towards the stage when Sveta drunkenly sashayed her way up there. It wasn’t like a true rock concert so there wasn’t really a whole ‘reception’ from the dance floor, but a bombshell like the younger Sabre sister more than commanded attention from any crowd.

Stella eagerly waved up at her, and Sveta pointed right back, identifying her in the crowd.

“Alright!” the she announced, testing the microphone.

“Well, as lovely as the earlier performance was…” she began, and Fredrick could immediately tell that she had not sobered up one bit while she was waiting her turn.

Hell, she seemed drunker than when she left, based solely on the fact that she was slurring specific letters of her words… which only meant that this performance might be even more legendary than the times Fredrick had seen her perform sober and at her best—for better or worse.

“…I’ve got something extra special for you lot. And I’m more than drunk enough to do this without a second thought, so whaddya all say we embarrass me sister in the crowd… right there. It’s her birthday, too!” she said, and pointed squarely at Stella again.

Fred could feel an evil smile being generated on his face as he slowly turned towards Stella… and just as he expected, he found her at-first, ecstatic face having morphed into one of deep suspicion.

He watched her howl into her hollowed tunnel hands, since Sveta wouldn’t be able to hear her through the birthday cheers and well-wishes that erupted for her:

“What the fuck are ye plannin’, lass! I swear tae fuck…”

Sveta paid her no mind as she began to pace again.

“What me lovely sis doesn’t exactly publicize, is all of her music tastes. And since she’s too much of a pussy to do that, I’m gonna sing a song—on her behalf—to her fantastic coltfriend in her embrace right now…

“A sappy song that really encapsulates their relationship and arguably, gave her the courage to really embrace it. It’s from one of her favorite artists…”

First, Sveta had Fredrick’s curiosity. But now, she had his attention… because now that he thought about it, he hadn’t really delved much into Stella’s musical tastes at all, beyond a couple vague genres.

More than that, felt as if all of Stella’s initial excitement shifted over to him, and he dared look at his mare once again. Also as he had expected, her previous, suspicious visage had downturned even further into one of abject horror. The coat on her face appeared to lighten a couple of shades at Sveta’s little revelation, so he deduced that Stella knew exactly what her younger sister was talking about.

Even though Stella continued to hold onto him tightly, he knew that his mare would still find the energy to condemn her sister on stage.

And that’s exactly what she did.

“Sveta… SVETA!” she yelled, then pointed directly up at her. “I SWEAR ON ME MINCES I’LL FUCKIN’ CUT YER CERVIX OUT IF YOU FUCKIN’ START THAT SONG!”

Sveta ignored her entirely—even though Fredrick knew she could hear Stella loud and clear—and pointed back towards the DJ who was organizing everything.

“We all set, mate?” she asked into the mic.

Stella’s vein on the side of her head was easily visible.

“DON’T YE FUCKIN’ DARE, YOU CUNT!”

The DJ gave her a thumbs-up.

“Alright! Then hit it!” Sveta directed happily.

“NO DON’T—”

And then the music started… and once it did, Fredrick wasn’t exactly sure what he was expecting. But clearly, Sveta pushed the right button because all of Stella’s enthusiasm left her body in one powerful sigh, and she just stood there… deadpanning.

As hilarious as the whole situation was, and even though Fredrick lived for the times when Stella was the victim of trolling, he definitely wasn’t expecting a tune like this. Further, it wasn’t exactly like she was the butt of the jokes right now—once the beat was ascertained and Sveta’s voice began filling the ambiance of the room, everypony really got into the dancing spirit, paying Stella no mind whatsoever.

And Fredrick’s drunken mind directed him to start dancing (exaggeratedly poorly) right next to his ‘suffering’ marefriend… who had not moved in the slightest. Her face remained unchanged, deadpanning while glaring daggers at her singing, sensuously-dancing younger sister.

The song, however, was fantastic, as cheesy as it was… but Fredrick was always into the cheesy love songs. He never pegged Stella for the type at all though, which made it all the more hilarious to find out…

…and flattering, considering the subject matter.

As a side note in his mind though, he had to give massive credit that Sveta pulled together incredibly well when she was drunk and performing. That, or all her inhibitions were gone, and combined with her always taking the opportunity to fuck with her older sister, likely she didn’t give a single shit.

Fredrick could’ve done what a normal person in this situation would’ve done… which was to focus entirely on the gorgeous Sveta singing and showing her moves, as well as dance however well or poorly he wanted to all the while.

However, he had other priorities. Namely keep his shit-eating grin on his face and nudge playfully into a miffed Stella, imploring her to dance with him, as was originally intended. He understood fully that she was sensitive to anything that broke down that ‘Northern Range batpony machismo’ that she upheld and prided herself in.

And boy did he love prodding that sensitive piece of ethereal skin on her personality.

“Oh come on, babe!” he yelled over Sveta’s voice emanating throughout the hall, and then added through barely contained, evil laughter:

“You don’t have to… look for love anymore. I’m right here!”

Stella literally swiveled to face him at an instant, and her face reeked of somepony who’s pride was mortally wounded on a Great War battlefield.

“I will actually kill you, mate,” she threatened.

Fredrick swooped in and wrapped his arms around Stella’s waist from behind. A stallion in lesser standing with her would’ve surely signed their death warrant, but to Fredrick, she didn’t resist in the slightest. Though she sure as hell tried to level her annoyed gaze at him at every turn, Fred could see her struggling clear as day. She was further ‘calmed’ since she loved him pressing his crotch into her booty.

Okay, maybe nuzzling his face into the crook of her neck from behind also had a way of softening her up when she was feeling a little too uptight.

He brought his lips right next to her ear, and made sure she felt his hot breath with every word he sarcastically breathed out:

“Kill me? Will you, now?” he said, and began swaying the two of them with the beat.

“Or are you having problems realizing that you can be yourself with me all of the time?

“And also… maybe you take some aspects of your front-facing personality way too seriously? You cute, tsundere bitch, you?”

Oh yeah, he went there. It was worth it to see Stella pout cutely from her side profile.

With an outsider’s perspective, one might suspect that Stella was about to slug him… or rip his nuts off. But as always, Fredrick knew better when it came to his mare.

Even when she was at a complete loss for words and going red in the face in public, she always still managed a sly smile for him. He knew he was getting better at having that effect on her.

“Yer a fuckin’ knobgobbler, ya know that, aye? I should use her fuckin’ bollocks as a bolo tae go hunt wild game,” she asked, with the tiniest amount of a soothed giggle ebbing out on her last couple of words.

He only flashed her his smile in response, and tactically ran his palms over her toned tummy. Fred made sure to just barely brush the tips of his fingers in the crevices of the outlines of her abs.

“Oh I’m well aware… but I’m your knobgobbler, babe,” he simply said. “As you are my cockgoblin, right?”

That entirely broke the steely, outer shell that she had thrown up.

“PFFFFT!” she nearly choked on her own spit, and gladly howled in drunken laughter towards the ceiling.

Fredrick didn’t notice the sweet looks the two of them were getting from Sveta—all while she was projecting that lovely voice of hers. In fact, the two of them were probably the only one’s not eye-fucking her in the establishment right now.

Stella angled away from Fredrick just enough so she could look at his face directly from in front of him. He kept a firm hold on her midriff to support her, and shared in her coy smile.

“Yer goddamn right, ya fuckin’… ya fuckin’…” she slurred her last few words as her thought seemingly left her head before the accompanying words did her mouth.

Fredrick was quick to giggle… then plant a satisfyingly wet kiss on her cheek.

“MWAH! I’m glad to see I can still take your breath away…~” he followed up, completely on a roll this evening.

She blushed furiously… again.

“Oh fuck off, mate… and know what? Fuck it, let’s just fuckin’ dance, aye?” she finally acquiesced, turning to face him in his arms, her usual smirk plastered on her face.

Stella draped her arms on his shoulders, around his neck, as was their oft-positioning when just holding one another—one that Fredrick cherished every time. That’s when he placed his right hand on the small of her back, his left on her upper back, and leaned her backward, much to her readily apparent drunken giddiness.

She seemed more than willing to be at his mercy, and she let her right arm fall slack towards the ground.

He felt her lift her right leg up against him, just to complete the ‘look.’

Applause and cheers began to erupt from the crowd around them, all aimed at the stage as Sveta cutely bounced on her hooves, then took a grateful curtsy…

…before stumbling over herself in her intoxicated stupor, and almost spilling off the stage.

Both Fred and Stella looked to the stage… then to the crowd… and then back to each other.

That’s when they came to the same conclusion that Stella had spent an inordinate amount of time lamenting the loss of a layer of her hardened exterior, and Fred an equal amount of time shitposting at her over said loss. The didn’t really get to dance at all.

Whoops.

Stella was the first one to put those thoughts into words over the encouragement of the crowd.

“Well… shit.”

Fredrick helped her get back on level ground, but refused to relinquish his soft hold on her exposed waist. Stella seemed to have no inclination to leave his hold, either.

“Well, we’ve always got the next couple of songs… from competent ponies, I might add. So all’s not lost,” Fredrick replied.

On cue, Midnight made her way up to the stage and sauntered up to the microphone as Sveta delivered her last thank you’s. The crowd went much more silent at the sudden appearance of the drop-dead gorgeous amazoness of a copper-colored batpony… though quite a few prominent whistles and less-than dignified words met her entrance

The emerald-eyed mare just… oozed confidence. She held a commanding aura just by her presence in a way that Fredrick had trouble explaining, other than with a profound fluttering in his core.

Yeah, she was probably just hot as hell, was all. Fred figured that if she weren’t a soldier, Midnight would’ve been a sex icon of a generation.

She gently tapped Sveta on the shoulder, alerting her to her presence. Her words were just loud enough where the mic could pick her up.

“Sexy performance, girl! I’ll take it from here, hehe~,” she said.

Sveta rolled her eyes, but smiled nonetheless. As forward as Midnight was oft to be, the silver lining was that her compliments were always genuine. Even Fredrick could admit that.

“Cheers, lass! All yours!” she said, before skipping her way off the stage and quickly finding her way to Fred and Stella.

“Hey guys!” she greeted.

Stella met her with an index finger.

“You know I’m gonna fuckin’ murder you and use yer fuckin’ ovarian tubes tae fuckin’ skip rope, right?”

She didn’t seemed concerned in the slightest.

“Considering you two had a fantastic moment, I think I did pretty well, which means ‘no you’re not, cunt!’ Because you know that I’m the best wing-mare in existence,” she added with a knowing chuckle.

She held a hand out to Fredrick, and he understood immediately—he delivered a firm low-five to her whilst chuckling evilly at the whole scenario.

He glanced back to Stella, who seemed completely besides herself, and she opted to just grumble while she found her way back into Fredrick’s one-armed embrace. He was more than willing to accept her back, though there was a more subtle, underlying message to Stella’s actions that both he and her younger sister understood completely… one that her built-up machismo prevented her from really expressing in public.

“You said everything for me… thanks.”

Knowing from a literal lifetime of experience of when to drop a subject with her, Sveta took her place by Fred’s left side and casually rested her forearm on his shoulder, leaning on him.

All three faced the stage.

“So. Wonder what Midnight’s gonna perform?” Sveta dared ask.

Fredrick shook his head, watching the mare stretch her neck from side to side, then mutter something intelligible towards the DJ.

“Fuck if I know, man, but my educated guess is… something that’s definitely not for kids,” he said.

He heard Stella scoff knowingly.

“Just watch the fireworks, mate. This place is in fer a treat… and do me a favor, love?”

Fred spared a look down towards her.

“Hmmm?”

“Try tae keep yer dick in yer pants.”

He blinked a couple times at that one.

“O-Okay…”

After a couple words being exchanged with the DJ, and an oddly-precise index finger towards Schneeblume in line back in the darkness, the music commenced.

Fredrick’s intuition served him well. Way too well.

But even with that, he didn’t expect something like this. He still had some faith in the mare on the stage—the one that was gyrating and moving her fit body so perfectly, so sexily to every single turn of her beat and lyric in their appropriate likeness. His faith was not well-placed.

He was completely struck. So much so he had no brain power left to actually dance with Stella nor Sveta… and this was likely due to the fact that all the blood in his upper body ran south for the winter.

But the crux of it all was her voice—unmistakably feminine, but deep and profound. Commanding.

Just like her existence.

She had everyone—regardless of sexual orientation—enraptured from the first time she ran her hands from the sides of her lust-filled face, down her ample chest and all the way down her powerful legs. By the time the instrumental solo dropped, Midnight really strutted her stuff uninhibited with the nuisance of properly singing. Every move was deliberate—calculated… and executed with a form so precise and disciplined that any doubt over her armed service to the crown would be immediately quelled.

And her eyes—those lidded, emerald pools that showcased a confidence learned over a lifetime of wrapping ponies around her finger—told all.

Fredrick was snapped out of his silent stupor right then when he felt Stella’s hand cup his crotch. He looked down immediately.

“Throbbing. Fuckin’ knew it.”

Fred pried her hand off of him, much to her hilarity.

“Fuck’s sake, Stella! Public!”

She—sly humor scrawled on her face in graffiti—didn’t seem particularly impressed at Fred’s exhortations.

“Love, you look on that stage right now and tell me that that isn’t softcore solo porn… and you’re worried about me grabbin’ yer meat n’ two-veg through yer trousers in public?”

Fredrick could not muster an argument to that.

“I… okay. Fair. Fuck me though… look at her go. She’s got a fucking banger voice too, like holy shit—how’s she not married yet?” Fredrick rambled.

Once again, he found himself mighty impressed with Stella’s company she kept.

“Do you honestly believe anyone would be able to keep that tied down fer long?” she asked in return.

Fred shrugged, unsure.

“I mean… is she more of a free spirit? Or…”

He felt Stella shake her head against him.

“Nae. She’ll go fer a quick bang with anyone she fancies at a glance if she’s in the mood… but tae actually tie her down? It’d hav’tae be someone really special, know what I mean?”

“Yeah, I think so… makes sense to me. Sorta like me with you,” he noted, glancing down at her with a knowing smile.

Stella appeared to be struck with a sudden bout of pleasant self-awareness at that his words.

“Aye… like you and me.”

Sveta cut in most matter-of-factly:

“Not gonna lie, mates. I’m straight, but with that performance… fuck it, I’d consider it, if only fer the novelty.”

Stella gently cackled into her left hand and shook her head, burying herself in Fredrick’s right pec.

“Pfft! …the novelty, fuck me…”

About a minute remained of the rather… lewd performance, but everypony hung on Midnight’s last word, right when the song ended. Only a moment later did the entire dance floor erupt in rapturous applause, shrill whistles, calls for encores, and an unknown mare who apparently demanded Midnight take off her top.

And just like he expected, Midnight ate it all up with a sloooow bow that offered a most tantalizing, fleeting view down her tank top…

…and then blew a kiss to the crowd before sashaying off the stage like the absolute mad mare that she was.

Fredrick watched her descend back into the crowd, barely paying any of her clear admirers any mind, save for an off-handed wink here and there… all the way up until she rejoined the three of them with a bright smile and an extra sheen of moisture on her face.

“Hey there, my lovelies~,” she greeted.

Stella greeted her first, less than surprised.

“Great fuckin’ performance as usual, Midnight… fuck’s sake you’re givin’ the entire city a goddamn boner. I can’t let you out anywhere, lass!” she jokingly chided.

She then thumbed towards Sveta.

“Oh, and by the way Middy, just so ya know, Svet’ here says she’d fuck ye fer the novelty.”

Sveta jerked her head towards her.

“Oh fuck off, Stella!”

“Fuckin’… yer words, not mine, cunt! I was just ‘relaying information,’ is all!”

Midnight interjected right then and there with a lewd and oddly matter-of-fact tone:

“A most natural reaction! I told you everypony’s… Songsexual!” she said…

…and then promptly grabbed herself two servings of Sveta’s tits from behind. She hefted them upward and more than emphasizing the cleavage Fredrick had more than intimate experience with.

All of that, to Sveta’s readily apparent astonishment at the brazen violation of her personal space.

“FUCKIN’! Can ya not sexually harass me, please?!” she exclaimed, then pried both Midnights hands from her chest.

Stella took little issue in laughing at her expense, but felt every absolute need to add:

“Aye… please refrain from sexually harassin’ me sis? That’s my fuckin’ job and I’ll be damned if that gets outsourced!”

Sveta looked like she had just… given up on life in that moment, and opted to just hunch over with a hilarious emotionlessness taking over her face.

Midnight placed a single, pensive finger to the side of her mouth, and Fredrick could only guess that she was envisioning after getting two glorious handfuls.

That’s also when he did a quick tally to see where everypony was… Sveta, Stella, and Midnight were mingling right in front of him. Schneeblume was just about to go on stage (which would probably be another spectacle in its own right), and that just left…

“Hey… where’s Highground?” he asked.

Stella thumbed back towards the bar.

“Hydratin’. And she needed a break. When I was annoyed at her dancing and came to get you, she dismissed herself. She says she trusts you tae ‘keep everypony in line,’” she added, with no small snicker at the last statement.

He took one look at the smiling mares in front of him—and everything he knew about them up to this point—and shuddered.

“Good god that’s a horrific image… I can barely chaperone you, Stella.”

Again, she looked rather unimpressed.

“Fredrick, love… you can’t chaperone me at all… bitch~.”

Fredrick shot that unimpressed look right back at Stella—he figured that to outsiders, the two of them had identically smug expressions right now.

“That’s fine… see if I drag you back to barracks while you’re so sloshed that you can’t even walk straight, anymore.”

“I will see, because you wouldn’t do that.”

“Test me.”

“I will… ya fuckin’ dickblister!”

“Bet, jizz jacuzzi.”

“PFFFFT! Awrite mate that was pretty good!”

Sveta was more than content in intervening in their little couples’ banter.

“Cunts! Schnee’s about tae come on! Go fuck in a room or shut up! I wanna see this shit…” she so elegantly put it.

“Hey don’t tempt us, Sveta,” Fredrick pointed out, and earned some lascivious giggling from Stella at this side.

And Stella had another observation she wanted to be let known:

“Midnight’s been way too silent these past thirty seconds…”

Sveta seemed to understand immediately, and flashed her sister a knowing look.

“Gee, Stel’… I wonder why~.”

Before Fredrick could offer any snarky input of his own, Midnight was more than intent on owning the situation and making that well-known:

“I just wanna gawk at the pretty mare in the cute pink summer dress coming up on stage right now, is that so much to ask after the show I gave all of you?” she asked.

“I mean… totally fair. I think you’ve earned it—that was a fantastic performance,” Fredrick said.

He could feel Midnight’s lidded eyes on him before he even looked to see himself.

“Always more where that came from~,” she hinted.

Fred thought his face was about to burst from how quickly the blood rushed back. Stella wasn’t able to deliver an effective counter to that before Schneeblume emerged from the darkness that was the side of the stage…

Going from Midnight—who owned the stage just by force of aura—to a much smaller, unknown quantity that was Schnee was almost tonal whiplash for Fredrick, to say the least.

She hiccuped into the mic, and nearly lost her shit in a giggle fit. Wittingly or not, she asserted her drunken cuteness to the entire establishment. No one was gonna be able to compete with that.

And she shrugged.

“Hmmm… Yeah. I’m also drunk enough for this,” Schnee said offhandedly into the mic.

And apparently that was the cue for the music to start… aggressively.

Once Fredrick recovered from the initial recoil of both the hardness and the suddenness of Schnee’s music decision, he knew that she had—once again—subverted many of the remaining preconceived notions he had of her…

…all but one: she began to sing—quite beautifully—in German.

And if he was being quite honest, this was a goddamn banger. Stella and Sveta seemed to agree wholeheartedly with the way they were right back to drunkenly dancing.

He could only pick out the odd word here and there… definitely not enough to understand what Schnee was singing about, but he figured it couldn’t have been worse than Midnight’s overt sex anthem. Especially since she was just tenderly letting the rhythm and her words carry her body. Her movements and gesticulations were much less pronounced, and she put all her effort into enunciating her lyrics with a raw passion and determination that seemed… oddly suspicious.

In short, she was just being ultimate hella cute.

Sparing a quick look at Midnight, however, he found her just… standing there. She stared in the most hilarious mix of jaw-dropped horrified and abject shock that he’d seen in a while. In his non-expert opinion, she understood everything that he, nor the others, hadn’t the slightest about.

“Uhhh… Midnight?” he cautiously asked. “You good?”

She proceeded to absolutely lose her shit. Somehow able to even make laughing sound ‘hot,’ Midnight was evacuating her lungs with a zealousness and ferocity reserved for only the funniest ‘you had to be there’ moments.

And that stopped the Sabre sisters in their tracks.

Stella’s smile gradually widened.

“Middy… what the fuck is she singing, lass? Tell us! TELL US!” she asked.

Midnight didn’t answer her at all, and only yelled through hollowed hands at the still-singing Alemaneian mare on stage:

“UHHHHH… LEWD!”

Schneeblume didn’t let Midnight’s words register as even a blip in her cadence. In the middle of a verse, though, she winked right back at her.

Midnight also had a little something to add to that:

“WANNA TEST THAT THEORY?!”

Fredrick, Stella, and Sveta shared an identical look of morbid curiosity at that.

But, Schnee’s complete lack of any feedback nor response didn’t shed light on the situation at all. Fredrick opted to follow Stella’s and Sveta’s lead by just going right back to dancing without a care in the world to this still-absolute-banger of a tune. They’d probably figure out what the hell she was singing about later, anyway.

…or not. And maybe—in Fredrick’s opinion—would be for the best.

Schneeblume concluded her set with modest fanfare—seemingly as she had hoped, and rejoined the group. While she, and the others, could ignore Midnight’s hilariously faux disapproval in her general direction at… whatever the song’s subject matter was. Her emerald eyes did have an extra bit of an innuendo-laden edge from then-on.

However, what couldn’t be ignored was everyone’s less-than-subtle yawning.

A quick check of his watch told Fredrick everything he needed to know. It was time to start winding down… which meant that—after linking up with Highground, who was stuffing her face with fruit—it was time for one last drink for the road.

It may not have been a proper last call at this establishment, but it was the last call for the group. And with Highground’s blessing, all of them decided to take one last drink of their choice at the bar… together.

But as Fredrick peacefully sipped the last gin and ginger for the night, he got an idea.

And he was kinda sad that he didn’t start the night off with such an idea.

“Hey girls!” he announced, garnering the entire group’s attention at an instant.

Stella was more than keen to answer on the behalf of everypony:

“What’s up, love?”

Fredrick chose not to answer her immediately, and instead bounded off from Stella’s side and backed up just the perfect amount before he reached in to his pocket. There, he found his trusty phone where he had always kept it since he was back on Earth.

And the moment that Stella spotted it, he saw her face light up instantly.

“I need a picture of you girls, just to immortalize the night,” Fredrick said.

While everypony else besides Sveta were clearly curious about the slab of metal in his hand, Stella clapped her hands giddily together while swinging her legs as she sat on her stool.

“Right! Form the fuck up, lassies! Time fer some human technology wizardry!” she said, gesturing everypony to fall in.

And she pointed right at him, too:

“You better be in this too, fuckface!”

Fred waved her off.

“I will, babe. But first I want one just of you and your friends. Then I’ll jump in, okay?”

Sveta backed her sister up and she formed up on Stella’s right:

“You better! Yer as much part of this big happy family as any of us,” she said, which earned her some snarky chuckling from Stella and Midnight.

Fred rolled his eyes.

“Well then, tickle my anus and all me Samantha because I’ve got one hot fuckin’ family, dude.”

He didn’t give them a chance to come back with their would-be-hilariously-disturbed-on-multiple-levels replies.

“ALRIGHT! Get into position, y’all! Oh, and if you’re drinking something, just be basic bitches and hold them in your hand for the camera to see,” he said completely seriously whilst up the camera viewfinder on his phone.

“Hah! I like the way you think mate!”

Lining up the shot, he found Stella right in the middle—as she should be on her night—having opted to remain o her stool. Her legs were cutely bent, supported by one of the rungs and she held her glass in full view while smiling her usual Stella smile.

Sveta stood to Stella’s right with that infuriatingly identical smile to her. Midnight followed up on Stella’s left, and Highground to the right of Sveta. Schneeblume opted to remain on her own stool—on Midnight’s left—on account of her height.

Fredrick couldn’t have asked for a better layout… or even a better scene that just demanded it be enshrined in history. And as he adjusted the exposure and the shadow, he was also giddy about the prospect of getting a hard copy of this picture. While there was obviously no computer to connect his phone to, nor any printer to connect to such a hypothetical printer… through some magical mystery from the Princesses, he had been able to obtain photo-realistic hard copies of any of the pictures he had taken thus far.

A couple of them sat on his desk back in the castle. He was almost afraid to ask how the princesses were able to achieve that… but the alternative was a massive headache.

Once he had everything set to come out just the way he liked it, Fredrick gave the final call:

“Alright, you cool cats! Say ‘cheese,’ bitches!”

In hindsight, he should’ve expected the loud, simultaneous response he got:

“Cheese, bitches!”

*SNAP*

Everyone was exhausted.

But given the time, even Fredrick knew that everypony could settle down and the fun technically wouldn’t have to end. After they left the Library, a discussion of logistics came about as to how—and when—everypony was going to depart back home.

Highground wasn’t an issue, and could easily make her way back to her place once she confirmed that everypony else’s drunk ass was safe for the night.

Midnight was a Royal Honor Guard, so she had her barracks in—and her own private residence near—the castle.

Sveta was staying with Stella and Fredrick.

And Schneeblume had the longest commute back home to Ponyville.

That’s when Fredrick threw out the idea of all the drunkards just staying in his room for the night, then everypony could formally part ways in the morning after some breakfast and hangover treatment, if the latter was needed.

He didn’t expect such an enthusiastic response once he offered it, but he was equally enthusiastic to oblige. He had more than enough room and more than enough bedding material for everypony involved. It also worked out well for Highground, as the castle was on the way to her place, so she figured she could ‘drop everypony off’ before she headed out for the night.

And so, that’s where Fredrick found himself—back in his room with a bunch of pretty mares chit-chatting nonstop as they distributed blankets and pillows amongst themselves.

That’s when he felt somepony tap him on the shoulder… and he turned to find Highground.

“You did good tonight, kid… Definitely one of the funner, exciting nights I’ve had in a while.”

Now, he was still fairly drunk by this point, but he was still capable of speaking well-enough when he knew that he was having a moment with somepony else.

He clamped his hands together warmly in front of his chest, elated.

“I’m so glad! And thanks for keeping us out of trouble… as much as possible at least. We brought home everyone in one piece, thanks to you,” he said.

Highground smirked lopsidedly.

“Honestly, it was my pleasure. I had a great time—thanks for dinner again, by the way,” she said…

…and then tried, but failed, to conceal her yawn.

Fredrick’s soft smirk remained.

“The privilege was all mine. And I owe you proper drinks another time… just hit me up whenever you wanna collect on that.”

She nodded, and no further convincing seemed necessary on her part.

“Oh don’t worry… I definitely will.

“On that note though, I think I’m ready to head home and pass the fuck out. You got everything under control here?” she asked.

Fred chuckled, letting his left hand slip casually into his pocket.

“Yeah I think so… I’ll make sure everyone drinks their damn water because I really don’t want to be dealing with any hangovers tomorrow. But yeah, I think we’re good,” he answered.

Highground nodded once, then turned to address the rest of the room:

“In that case,” she began, and garnered everypony else’s attention by clearing her throat.

“I’m gonna head home, gals, so I just wanted to say goodnight!”

Stella was the first to deliver the token protest, even if she knew the inevitable would be upon them:

“Awww come on, mate!” she complained.

“…but fiiiiine!”

Stella was quick to jog up and throw her arms around the police officer, the latter reciprocating fully in kind. Right when she separated, she managed— in her usual, graceful fashion—to come off as sentimental, heartfelt, and sassy all at the same time.

“Thanks so fuckin’ much fer comin’ out tonight, love… and fer helping Fred put this all shite together. I love you so much! Now fuck off tae bed, aye. You’ve earned it,” Stella said.

It truly impressed Fredrick, no matter how many times he saw it.

And much to his pleasant surprise, everyone else came up one by one to give her hugs and well-wishes for the night.

Though Fredrick was last in line for that since he’d be seeing her out, he had no intention of following up Midnight when she tried to grab Highground’s ass. The older thestral seemed to anticipate the act and was much too quick with her parry than Midnight’s lust for succulent batpony rear.

Oh the equinity.

Once everypony had broken off and gone back to setting up their bedding for the night, Fredrick took his opportunity to see Highground off.

He gestured towards the door, and then held his hand out all the while.

“Again, it was really fun tonight. Thanks so much and please get home safe, okay?” he said.

Highground looked oddly at his hand, then decided to smile widely and hug him properly… a gesture that he was more than willing to accept and return with equal vigor.

“Thanks for having me along too, Fredrick. For what it’s worth, I’m glad you were good to put this together. Stella really couldn’t have a better coltfriend than you,” she said softly into his ear.

“I’m serious.”

Fredrick felt his cheeks warm up instantly at those words, and he sighed out as he hugged Highground tighter for a couple more moments.

They separated.

“Damn, man… means a lot to hear you say that. Hell, hearing that being said by everyone here in some manner tonight really makes me feel like I’m doing halfway decent here,” he admitted.

Highground smirked again, flashing one of her fangs as she reached for the handle of the massive bedroom door. She turned it once and opened the right side inward.

“Trust me…” she began, then finessed herself to the other side of the open door after zipping up her jacket.

“…you’re doing more than ‘okay,’ kid.”

Right before Highground closed the door behind her, she suddenly stopped and peered back over her shoulder through the small sliver of still-open door.

“And hey…”

Fred cocked his head.

“Hmm?”

She smirked rather deliberately.

“Think about what I said earlier, yeah?”

He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.

“Oh yeah, definitely. Totally will. Eeyup,” he said sarcastically, and gave her a single thumbs-up.

Highground chuckled deeply before sealing herself outside, and leaving Fredrick to his guests for the night.

Turning back towards the room, he found Stella and Sveta sitting on his bed, talking silently amongst themselves about… hell he had no idea what the hell they talked about on a normal basis. What he didn’t understand was why they were being silent… it was only just after midnight, so he didn’t really mind them being as loud as they normally were.

That’s when he remembered that there were two more individuals in the room… and a suspicious lack of noise coming from them.

Fredrick immediately scanned his room for them. It was two goddamn mares, there’s no way he could’ve possibly lost two mares. His first thought—from how Midnight and Schnee interacted with each other the entire night—was that they snuck off to the bathroom… because of reasons.

A massive bundle of blankets to the left of his bed caught his eye, though…

…like, a fuckload of blankets and pillows. He was certain his entire linen closet was raided for the occasion, not that he was complaining.

Because—upon stepping closer to investigate—he found a fully dressed Midnight and Schneeblume all bundled under the covers and one-hundred percent conked out in a deep, drunken sleep.

Even cuter than that was that the two of them were snuggled tightly together… or at least Fredrick figured they were, considering the tips of their muzzles were pressed together.

And they were both gently snoring.

Fredrick held his chest with a warm smile at the scene.

That is so goddamn wholesome, holy shit…

He shook his head, then quietly stepped away to join the two Sabre sisters.

“So…” he began, earning both of their attentions. He thumbed back towards their sleeping friends.

“Guess they didn’t end up boinking like we expected,” he said.

To him, both Stella and Sveta wore identically unfazed expressions.

“Honestly,” Stella began. “…they seemed really close until they literally both fell asleep. Like… they said goodbye tae Highground, sounded like they were foolin’ around, and then fucked off tae dreamland. Kinda impressive, actually.”

Sveta held out a pensive index finger.

“Oh you just wait, mate. Fuck knows they’ll wake up while we’re all sacked out an’ have a go in the bathroom… or sneak away somewhere.”

Fredrick had to make sure he didn’t chuckle too hard at that, but regardless, admired Sveta’s zeal on the subject.

“Damn girl, you’re really rooting for them, aren’t ya?” he asked.

Sveta held a hand to her mouth to stifle her own cackling from Fredrick’s obvious observation.

“Pffft. Mate, whatever keeps Midnight off me tits is more than good in me book. Besides, the two really clicked anyway, so…”

Fred shrugged.

“Fair ‘nuff.”

The conversation took a new turn when Stella got back to her hooves and stretched both her arms overhead… all while yawning deeply.

“Right… well, I’m gonna have m’self some fresh air out on the balcony. Does the body good, n’ all,” she said.

She ran her tail up Fredrick’s leg and began to saunter towards the balcony doors while speaking over her shoulder:

“Mind helpin’ Sveta set up fer bed, love?” she asked sweetly.

Fredrick couldn’t hope to even say ‘no’ to that, especially with that tone and that extra sway she gave to her butt as she trot away.

“You got it, babe,” he said, then promptly turned back to Sveta, who had also gotten back to her hooves by this point.

“Let’s go find you some blankets and pillows,” he said with a tilt of his head towards his closet. “I’m pretty sure Midnight and Schnee didn’t take all of it… fuck, at least I hope not.”

“Hold that thought, mate,” Sveta replied, then drew her hand over her entire body less-than enthusiastically.

“I actually wanted tae wash up in the bathroom for a little bit, if ya don’t mind? After a day of travelin’ and the night out I feel fuckin’ mingin’.”

He smirked, nodding vehemently.

“Oh yeah, yeah! Completely forgot about the first part actually,” he replied, then pointed towards the bathroom.

“Towels are in the cabinet right by the shower. Help yourself to whatever you need, mkay?”

Sveta beamed (tiredly) and pecked his cheek as she brushed past him.

“Cheers, lad! See you’s in a bit, aye?”

He saluted as she strode away.

“You got it, Sveta.”

Once the bathroom door closed with Sveta behind it, Fredrick was left to himself… and that’s when he figured the only course of action was to join Stella out on the balcony. Though really, he was gonna do that anyway.

Fred kicked his shoes and socks off, and let the cool night air waft over them from the balcony… then sought to reunite himself with his mare.

A quick peek outside later, and he found said mare casually leaning over the balcony rails and staring motionlessly out towards a distant Ponyville below. The gentle breeze outside blew a couple, loose strands of her beautiful mane whichever way it commanded, and only added—in Fredrick’s objective opinion—to Stella’s allure.

The fact that her ass was also on perfect display did not sway his opinion on the matter in the slightest… nope. Not at all.

Nevertheless, he drank in the sight, took a deep breath of the fresh, non-sweat-stained evening air, and stepped forward to join her.

“Hey,” he greeted, along with wrapping both his arms around her exposed tummy.

Stella, it seemed, would much rather be facing him, as she turned around in his hold and looked at him directly. Her soft, tired smile and lidded eyes told him everything he needed to know.

“Hey. Thanks… fer tonight, Fred,” she replied, then ran the fingers of her right hand through his hair.

“And fer everythin’.”

Fred closed his eyes for a moment when he felt her nails scrape at his scalp in all the right ways. He, in turn, brought his right hand up and cupped her cheek and stroked her with his thumb, much to her own apparent pleasure.

He also knew, just by the sheer, wordless emotions being shared between them right now, that they were on the cusp of another ‘moment.’ He could feel his cheeks warming up, his core lightening, and became acutely aware of his heart beating faster behind his ribcage… especially when Stella looked at him like that.

“Of course, Stel’!” he said. “I’m just glad you had a fun time, is all… that’s all I ever really want for you. To be happy.”

He watched as Stella draped both her arms on his shoulders and pulled herself against him. She rested her head under his chin, and against his chest.

“I’m always happy with you. I just… I dunno mate, I just love you so much right now… ” she said.

And the slurring of one of her words also pleasantly reminded him that both of them were still drunk. Sobering up, for sure… but still not in a position to be operating heavy machinery of any kind. Also was the fact that if Stella was the one that was bringing the sappiness, then Fredrick was going to respond to that with all the artillery he had to offer.

He dipped his hands to either side of her bare waist.

“I love you too, babe,” he said.

“So… so much. I really don’t have the words to explain it right now so your bitch-ass is gonna have to settle for me just saying ‘I love you’ over and over again. Hope that doesn’t get too old for you.”

Stella pulled her head back and batted her eyelashes at him. She then hooked her lower lip with one of her fangs.

“Those words? Comin’ from you? Nah… I don’t think they’ll get old,” she mused aloud.

She was quick to add a single qualifier to that statement:

“They may be gay as all fuck… but get old, they shall not.”

Fredrick smiled widely at that. He slid his right hand up her back, right in between her wings, and pulled her that much closer than they already were… as if that was somehow physically possible. He could feel her heartbeat through her chest, and it seemed to be beating faster than his.

They shared a profound, loving gaze… one that Fredrick felt warmed him further on this cool evening. Neither moved from each other’s embrace, and they held each other’s gaze for what seemed like an hour. They did rest their noses against one another for that extra spiciness.

Fredrick wanted to just dive in and kiss her… make out with her aggressively but for some reason… it felt inappropriate at the moment. He couldn’t place it, but there seemed to be a deeper understanding of some sorts, here.

And Stella seemed ordained to be the one to maybe shed light on their massively intimate moment:

“H-Hey… Fred?”

He figured there was just enough time to at least peck the tip of her muzzle… which earned him the cutest scrunching of her nose. Totally worth it.

“Yeah, hon’?”

Her tone turned much more serious… not in a bad way, but Fredrick could immediately sense the distinct lack of a teasing edge to her next words. This was even more interesting given that they were both still drunk as balls:

“You know how we always joke around with one another about getting married fer tax benefits n’ shite?”

Fredrick blinked twice without saying anything at first. He was too busy using a fair amount of his processing power in noting how fate seemed to be playing some tricks on him this evening.

Still, he was more than curious as to where Stella was gonna go with this.

“Totally!” he exclaimed, chuckling. “Piece of paper wouldn’t really change what we have.”

Stella giggled back.

“Heh… aye. But…”

Fred cocked his head.

“But…?”

She looked up to him… one-hundred percent knowingly.

“We’re gonna spend our fuckin’ lives together, aren’t we?”

Somehow, some way… he knew this was where it was all leading to. The questions that were jokingly asked of him from the like of Highground and Schnee almost blew him over from their sudden introduction of the subject matter outside of a joking context.

But a serious question on the matter from Stella?

It felt… oddly right.

He was contented by those words.

They further warmed his core… it was the warmth of coming home to someone you loved on a cool winter’s night. It was the warmth brought by a blissful rain on a spring day. It was the warmth of all the eccentric ways the mare in his arms loved him… all fueled by the light she brought to his life.

All the roads they had traveled together. All the shenanigans he experienced with her…

…the destination was starting to take shape.

He wasn’t sure how to describe it, but he could feel his eyes lighting up as he smiled.

“You know, despite what I’ve said on the subject in the past…

“…if I was to spend my life with someone, I’d only want it to be you,” he said.

He could also read the impact his words had on her through her eyes. He might as well have dropped an earthquake and an ensuing tsunami of love on her. But even in her inebriated state with the rather serious subject matter, he knew her pride still factored into it all.

So, she amusedly scoffed. As expected.

“…we’re gonna get a fuckin’ piece of paper. Aren’t we?”

Her increasing heart-rate that he could feel drumming through her chest belied her ultra-confident, blasé exterior on the matter.

But, what harm was there in letting her have this one? He elected to not shitpost at her this one time, and answer in a way most honest to himself and befitting of his mare:

“Only if your name is on it,” he said.

Stella flipped some of her mane out of her face, and lidded her eyes further.

“Mate, my name’s only gonna be on that shit if yer name’s gonna be on it… so we’ll call it a wash, aye?”

Fredrick chuckled, bringing his mouth ever-closer to hers where he could feel her pensive breaths breaking on his lips.

“Deal,” he said.

That’s when he finally allowed himself to kiss her fully. He shut his eyes and let his lips mold to the shape of hers, much like he had done likely thousands of times by this point. And as he had become a fan of, recently, the two of them had been bringing back some tongueless kisses…

…because sometimes there was no need to play tonsil hockey.

No… sometimes, much like after the extreme highs of emotions that were shared tonight, a kiss where they could just feel each other was just what was needed. Their bodies together could do the rest of the figurative talking.

What made it even better was that Fredrick could’ve sworn a gust of wind blew through the two of them the moment they connected. It served to cool him well, as he got a bit hot under the hood…

…but such a valiant effort would be for naught, anyway.

Fredrick separated from Stella with a barely-audible smack, but left his nose pressed against hers. He could barely stay away for even a moment, as he went right back in to take a gentle nip of her delicious lower lip.

And while she giggled lewdly at the act, Fredrick pulled Stella’s lower body tightly into his… so she could properly feel him.

“So… did you still want to—as you said earlier—‘shag?’” he dared to ask.

Stella met him half-way with massive optimism… but with one part of cautiousness.

“Always but uh… Midnight? Schnee? Sveta? They’re all in there, mate. Sveta’s also awake, heh.”

Through his sloshed zeal, Fredrick wasn’t exactly fazed.

“They all wanted to come back to my place to crash. They knew the risks~.”

Though extremely suggestive, her tone brooked no argument at Fredrick having successfully pressed the correct launch sequence.

“Hehe… well then,” she said, then placed her hand on the nape of his neck and bit at her lower lip.

“But before that… you never did tell me what a ‘thot’ was.”

“Fuck.”

This chapter was an absolute shit show and everyone knows it. But this arc of the story is done. Time to take everything back down to earth. Still more shenanigans to come tho.

Oh and if you're curious, by all means, I leave you to look up a translation for Schnee's karaoke song