At some point I see the clock by his bed and get a little panicked. It’s only 5:00, but have I really been here that long? How long have I been here? When did I leave my apartment?

“Something wrong?” Bolden asks.

I sigh, “No, I just… have to be at work in a few hours.”

“Oh yeah, me too…” How could we forget about something like that? Did I fall asleep? “Want me to walk you home?”

I laugh a little bit at the offer, though I can’t tell why. Honestly, why would he want to walk me home? Just to see where I live? Did he want to sneak in one day while I was sleeping? That’s preposterous. “I’d love that.”

From his big-spoon position, he kisses my cheek then jumps up out of the bed. I follow close behind, though much more slowly.

He asks where I work and I tell him Bridleway, then I tell him a café. “I’m just an intern at Bridleway, at least for now. I work at the café with my friends, pay my living and all that.”

“Sounds neat,” he compliments. “I’ve been working at this hotel for about three years now. Not a whole lot goes on and nothing ever changes. I might have to find someplace new just to shake things up.”

Playfully, I mock-gasp, “You’d cheat on your hotel?”

He puts on a sinister smile and wiggles his eyebrows at me. I laugh and shake my head. Part of me thinks he was implying something, but I refuse to believe he’s cheating on somepony else with me.

We make it a few blocks while he tells me about the summer-long training course he took to become a legitimate lifeguard. I had never thought about the kind of work one had to put into becoming a life-saver. I look at him while he talks. I stare, lovingly. I know it’s a loving stare, because I really do love him. He has such an immense joy in his silver eyes while he talks. He mentions the CPR course and blushes a little, remembering having to practice on live subjects. I love the way he smiles, his plush lips drawing back to reveal almost-perfect teeth. One or two were just a little crooked.

He gets to a part where he actually saved a pony from choking. Which, in a place like lifeguard training camp, seems like a hard thing to get the chance to do.

He has such sturdy muscles, probably just from swimming to keep fit. I love thinking that he’d be able to hold me up, even carry me around like it was nothing. He’s just so… symmetrical.

He catches me staring and blushes like crazy, “What are you looking at?”

I had just been watching his eyes again, the way they lit up while he spoke, and the overall sparkle in their silver hue. I smile, “Just you.” I lean my head on his shoulder then. What was I thinking?

He sighs, “You know, ponies are staring.”

I sigh, too, “You want me to stop?”

“Only if you want to.” He brushes his chin against my scalp. “I won’t make you.”

We walk like that the rest of the way, which isn’t far. He admires my apartment, my bed, my desk. He doesn’t look through anything, and I’m not sure how I’d feel if he did. He had a right to know everything about me. Though, maybe at a slower pace.

He tells me he has to get back to work at seven, that that’s when he’s really scheduled to guard the pool. “I was just covering for, a co-worker. She just had surgery, or something. I usually work seven to midnight, then close up the pool until morning.”

“That’s not so bad,” I comment. “I usually get out of the theater by midnight, too.”

“Well isn’t that just perfect?”

I smirk, “Yeah, and I guess I don’t need to be there until seven, either.”

He lifts an eyebrow, “You… want to do something?”

I ignore the feeling that he might be implying anything sexual. “Yeah I might make a sandwich. You want something?”

He scoffs, “Nah, I’m good. I don’t want to deplete your stocks.”

I laugh a little at that. “You want to go out and get something?”

“Well,” he shuffles, “I don’t have any money with me.”

“I can treat you,” I offer, which is sort-of unlike me. Then again, maybe not. I enjoyed doing things for my friends, if they ever gave me the opportunity.

“I couldn’t ask you to do that,” he deflects.

“I don’t care,” I insist. I move from my kitchen to stand dangerously close to him by the door. “What are you in the mood for?”

“Well, really I’m not too interested in going out tonight.” That’s a shame. At least he’s honest.

“Okay,” I give in. Then I sneak a little kiss, startling him. “You sure you don’t want a sandwich though?”

He laughs silently while I make my way back into the kitchen. “To be honest, I’ve been looking forward to some leftovers I have in my fridge.”

I chuckle a bit at that, “Well all right then.” I have most of the fixings out, so get back to the kitchen to work. “When can I see you again?”

He smiles flirtatiously, “You sure you’re okay with me going?”

I didn’t want him to stick around if he didn’t want to, what kind of boyfriend would that make me? Still, part of me just wanted him to stay and share dinner with me. “I’ll be fine,” I lie. Well, it isn’t really a lie. I’m just happy to know he’s all mine. After being through everything with Stitches, then Noh, however miniscule of a chance I had with either of them I didn’t feel like risking anything else with either of them. Especially now that I had Bolden. And while parts of me think I might still be moving too fast, most of me just wants to spend a whole day with him, doing whatever we both liked.

He kisses me then. “Okay, good. I wouldn’t want you going back to work stuck thinking about me.” Oh, I’m sure I will be. “And, if it’s all right with you, I’d like to come right back over after work.”

I smile, because that’s exactly what I wanted. Were we moving too fast? We obviously both just wanted to spend time together. I guess he kind of just wanted to get into bed with me, or part of him at least. I did, too, partly. I still wasn’t sure if I was ready.

I get stuck thinking about earlier in the week, with my toy. I had no idea how much bigger he would be.

Then I think about the drunken pedestrians at the café. Then about Lavandula. Am I well enough to feel intimate with another stallion? Of course I am! I’ve been waiting too long to be scared away by the thoughts of would-be predators. Still…

Suddenly he's right beside me in my kitchen. He lifts my chin up, I look into his eyes. “Don’t do anything stupid while I’m gone,” he smiles, “Okay?”

How dare he command me, or accuse me of something so irresponsible? What does he think I’m going to do? What could I possibly do that was stupid enough to make him worry? I’d be seeing him again in just a couple hours. And the way he’s smiling…

But his eyes. He’s really concerned. I should just stop thinking so hard. It tends to give ponies the wrong idea, make them think I’m depressed.

I smile, only thinking about having him with me from now on. I hug him, “I love you.”

Author's Notes:

With which I figure, that's enough for a while.