Tabitha returned to the building in time to find a pony exiting that she recognized. "Due Note, hey."

He looked up sharply at her and went red all over. He glanced left and right. "I-I... I didn't..."

Seeing Due Note was about to break down, Tabitha held out a hand and approached slowly. "Relax. Deep breath. Whatever it is, let's talk."

"Yes! I mean, yes, right, talking." He forced a few deep breaths before he sank to his haunches. "I am so sorry for how I behaved last time." He raised a hoof to his heart. "I didn't mean it! I mean... That's not..."

She put the same hand over his snout, silencing him. "It's alright. You weren't yourself."

He pulled away from the palm. "What do you mean? Um... Nevermind that. My sister said she was going to come check things out and I thought I should... apologize properly." He was so very red, blushing fiercely. "If you can even consider forgiving a horrible and depraved co..." He glanced left and right before leaning in, voice dropping. "Colt cuddler."

Colt cuddler? "You do things with little kids?"

He blinked at Tabitha, confusion mounting. "N-no! Celestia, no! I would never dream of harming a goat, or a foal." He raised a brow, uncertain of which meaning Tabitha meant and which would be worse. "You, um... I mean a stallion that... prefers the company of other stallions..." He darkened by the moment. "Could we go inside? I don't want to talk about this out here."

Tabitha moved to lead the way to her office, but as she did, she remembered... He was susceptible to her stink. If she took him there, he would lose control. Already, just being near her seemed to be very slowly relaxing him, and it wasn't at a properly concentrated level yet. Maybe talking would help? "Look, I put out a smell."

"Smell?" He perked an ear, nostrils flaring wide before he smiled, though just as dark. "You smell divine."

Not what she had in mind! "It's a pheromone."

"What?"

"Basically I smell like I'm super interested," she tried to explain. "Biologically, so it turns you on, biologically."

He sniffed once more and shook his head. "You just smell... nice? Does it really--"

"--You tried to rape me, remember," she cut in, making him shrink. "Look, no hard feelings. It was as much my own fault as anything else. I just want you to know so you can control yourself."

He licked over his lips. "I don't... normally even feel half this way unless there's a stallion involved. When I'm... with you... I feel like maybe I made a mistake. Maybe I could be with a mare, if that... Oh Celestia, listen to me, rambling."

Tabitha's smile was forced as she imagined things from the other side. To him, she stank of the stallion he wanted. He didn't realize what she properly was, yet. No wonder he had grabbed right for those parts. "Look, privacy." He followed right after her as she went into the office, unwilling to continue that delicate conversation in the lobby. She kicked the door shut and faced him. "I'm not a stallion."

He blinked at that. "But... I felt? There... How?" He looked like he was losing his grip on things. "I know you're not... normal... but what are you?"

Tabitha moved through the office, to her place behind her desk. "I'm both, stallion and mare. I was born a mare." She didn't see the point in bringing in the definition of girl or woman to the poor stallion. "So I tend to think of myself that way."

"But... you're not." He approached cautiously. "Both? May... Oh, I'm being awful again." He sank to the floor. "Please don't hold this against her!"

"You can stop that." She snorted like the horse she was. "Relax."

"Alright, relaxing..." He sat up and took a breath, probably getting a good whiff of stallion. He was reacting, at least physically. His sheath was swelling and the peak of his pony member was poking out, threatening to spill. "M-may I ask a personal question?"

"This entire conversation is personal." She rolled a hand in the air. "Go ahead, and I'm not angry, just no rape again, ever, right?"

"Right." He nodded firmly. "Have you... been with a stallion?"

She blinked softly. That was personal. That was very personal. It was her turn to darken. "O-once, why?"

He licked his lips as he glanced around. "T-top or B-bottom?" He looked like just asking might kill him.

"I'm not sure which this would even qualify as," admitted Tabitha. "How is this helping?"

"P-Please?"

She grumbled softly. "So, I take it there aren't many gay ponies?"

"Most ponies are a little gay, why?" He tilted his head with obvious confusion.

Tabitha put a hand over her brow a moment. "Homosexual."

"Oh!" He perked his ears up, understanding. "Colt cuddlers, for stallions. I'm one. There aren't... too many, and they don't... much like us."

Some things didn't change. Though as she thought of it, she was kind of gay both ways. She'd always be grinding something with the same bits, though likely not many things that had all of her bits. She heard a sudden zip as Due's magic worked the zipper of her pants. She gave him a scowl and the zipper noise returned as it was pulled right back up.

"S-Sorry... May I see?" He raised a shaking hoof to point at the desk and the strange creature behind it. "Are you really? Are you... just trying to scare me away?"

On one hand, hurling Due Note out again was becoming tempting, on the other, she could see he was really a mess of emotions, and she was the source of most of it. "For now, take me at my word. I have no reason to lie to you."

"No... I suppose you don't." He sat up a bit. "Both?"

"That's what I said."

He didn't seem to grasp it. "That... must be hard. I mean, getting ponies to understand you."

She smiled a little. "I have one I'm dealing with."

He thrust up his hooves. "No! Not me. Please... I'm not disgusted or anything, I swear. I mean... Do you have..." He was floundering.

She could see where he was headed. "I do have a marefriend."

He blinked at the news. "Oh. You have both?"

"Yes?" The question bothered her a bit. "I said that already."

"Don't you want..." He rolled a hoof in the air. "What about a coltfriend?" He smiled so very wide and bright. He clearly wanted to be considered even as he tried so miserable to be suave about it.

It was both endearing and more than a little worrying. "Even if I said yes, you have no idea what you're asking."

He blinked at that. "What do you mean?"

She rolled a hand. "Both, remember? You climb on me, I'll want attention to something you usually avoid, even if I have what stallions have."

He somehow went all the darker. "I would... make an exception..."

Those were brave words, but she imagined they were made of bravado more than any intent. "Let's assume, for a moment, you were being truthful with yourself. You don't know me. I'm basically a stranger."

"No!" He clopped a hoof on the ground. "You're an amazing customer I've helped before, and my sister's landlord--"

"--lady--"

"Landlady." He nodded quickly. "You're not... You didn't try to get away when I said I was a colt cuddler."

She hadn't, but... "That's because I was raised to be a good person, and good people don't stress out over what other good people are doing with other good people so long as everyone involved is having a good time. You have a job, and manage your affairs. Our one 'incident' aside, you seem like a good person. Is that right?"

"I try to be," he squeaked.

"Good, then I hope you find a pony just as decent to be happy with." She nodded firmly. "And that will make me happy, not you being gay or not."

He smiled a bit sadly. "And that pony won't be you?"

She couldn't help but sigh loudly. "You still don't know me."

"I'd like to." He circled the desk. "Hello. My name is Due Note. Let's go out and get something to eat, together, and talk." He offered a hoof right to Tabitha. "No strings attached."

There was, of course, another issue. "I did mention I have a significant other, right?"

"S-sure, and she's a... mare... So you don't have to worry about me messing with her. You keep her and be happy." He made a dismissive motion. "If I had both too, then I'd be upset, but I don't. I'm a stallion, so I can do half, and she can do half, but neither of us can do it all."

"And you're alright with your 'stallion' having mare parts?" She raised a brow. "I don't think you're even thinking this through. I'm not even sure you can think this through right now, so here's how it is. Go." She pointed out of the office. "Go on. I'm not super mad at you, but you need to cool off. Go and get some fresh air."

He glanced at that door and back at the alien but attractive creature before him. "I'll do that, Tabitha. I'll walk and clear my head, but I'll be back." He rose to his hooves. "I'm certain."

She hoped not. "Go on, Due Note. You can find a nice stallion more your speed and less involved already."

He moved to depart, then stopped. "Oh! Dummy... I forgot all about my sister." He turned to Tabitha. "You'll give her a fair chance, I hope? You don't mind earth ponies, right?"

Tabitha blinked at that. "Of course not."

"Good! Good... I didn't think you would, just being sure. She's very nice, and driven. She's a newspaper reporter, you know. I'm very proud of her."

"My girl is an earth pony," spat Tabitha a bit defensively. Perhaps that was a mistake.

He looked ashamed. "O-oh... You probably want an earth pony stallion." He flashed an obviously fake looking smile. "Listen to me, getting all worried about... nothing at all." He raised a hoof and rubbed over his nose. "You're really knocking me for a loop, uh, sir, ma'am? I'll go take that walk. Please don't think too poorly of either of us." He suddenly jerked. "Wait... I might be getting more clear being away from you, Miss Taylor, but do you have a cutie mark?"

"A what?"

He blinked at her again. "A cutie mark. Look, I have one." He turned to display his mark of a bit being passed from one hoof to another on his flank. "All ponies have one to show what their destiny and inclinations are. Do you... have one?"

Tabitha was quite confused. "Did you get that tattooed on?"

He was equally baffled at the reply. "I should think not! Most ponies get one during early foalhood, during grade school. It's a sign of maturity for most." He leaned forward a little. "How do you not have one?"

"I... wasn't always a pony," she confessed as she looked back at her equine flank. It was covered with her clothes. How had Due even seen her mark or lack? "Do ALL ponies have it?"

"It's... I never saw an adult without one, before now." He dipped his head, ears splayed. "I won't hold it against you, ma'am. You seem to have a very firm grasp of your destiny. I get jealous just a bit." He flashed a big grin. "I'll take that walk now."

Author's Notes:

Tabitha puts things to rest, sort of, with another pony in her life, and learns a few things.