Out in the cool night air of the Everfree Forest, Rainbow Dash returned with her team after a long turnover with the oncoming Overwatch team.

Twilight had taken her time eating and would periodically look back at the dinner basket as if doing so would cause another desert to appear. However, it wasn't the lack of sweets she was thinking of. There was a nagging feeling of dread in the back of her mind that still had her fretting her pending apology to Sniff.

Cerb had taken notice of her distracted state and thought maybe she was upset with him over spooking her and the following criticism.

Best to make amends before it becomes an issue.

"I apologize if I insulted you earlier, Twilight."

Twilight had barely comprehended half of what Cerb had said but gathered what he was referring to.

"Hm? Oh, sorry, no, I'm—"

She contemplated making an excuse that something else was on her mind but figured that it would be better to just be honest. Keeping it all to herself was only causing more problems.

"I'm still worried about what happened between Peter and me… Do you think two days without talking to him would be enough that he might start to resent me?"

Out of all the things it could have been, that wasn't what Cerb would have imagined.

"Not in the slightest. I mean, seriously, when you see him again, apologize, smile, and buy him dinner at Grapes and Olives or treat him to a day at the spa. He'll be the happiest sum bitch in town after that.”

Through all the years Cerb had known Sniff, two things were consistently true when it came to women. One, how much he could upset a woman, he always felt worse. Two, any gesture to appease him worked better than she could have hoped for.

Then again, these weren’t the women any of them were accustomed to, let alone himself.

“Or have you heard something bad from your runners that go back and forth to town for you?"

"No," Twilight groaned. "It's just that after everything he did to help me, I thought he… I don't even know why a question about dating made me think he was trying to be insulting."

Cerb looked at Rarity, who was still focused on Twilight. There were enough similarities between these mares that he thought he'd take a stab at what could be the issue.

"Not trying to make the same mistake by asking, but is dating even common for any of you?"

The way Cerb asked reminded Twilight how unfamiliar most of the humans were with ponies in general, let alone their group specifically. Still, if he was trying to help, she would do her best to inform him without making any assumptions.

"Well, not for me at least. I've been too busy with my studies and royal duties to have the time. And that was long before I moved to Ponyville and started to study the importance of friendship.”

She rolled her eyes and huffed, still angry at herself for her less-than-sociable early years.

“Still need to reevaluate my lessons to see where I forgot how to treat a friend, not that I had much time after becoming a princess. But others like Applejack—"

She couldn't finish that sentence without having to slap herself for speaking so illogically. At least she caught herself in time and smiled apologetically, ready to try again.

"Sorry, Applejack has the whole Apple farm and her family to take care of. However, somepony with a lot more free time like Rainbow… Okay, maybe not her, either. Wonderbolts, duh. Heh… Um, Pinkie on the other hoof… um… Well, Fluttershy—"

She looked at Fluttershy, cringing and trying to sink her body under her wings. That shy pony dating anypony was about as likely as Pinkie being anti-social.

Twilight then looked to the last Element of the group.

"Rarity! Yes! If anypony is going to be socially savvy enough to—"

She could see all the wrong emotions fighting to hide themselves on Rarity's face before they fell behind her notepad and Twilight's mind word dumped her last option.

"Star… light?"

It wasn't a surprise to Cerb anymore why Sniff's question might have struck a nerve.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked, but I’m guessing this is something that's going to be a sensitive topic because you've all been so busy. What with the important work you all do, you haven't had the time, you know?"

There it was, the perfect explanation for Twilight. Humans, and Sniff especially, were all romantically social creatures, or at least far more than ponies were. Enough that, at their worst, they were okay with joking about each other dating or being romantic with a pony. Yet, at their best, Cerb himself was socially versatile enough to have a date with Rarity. Chris even admitted to finding them attractive. Sniff must have been trying to find another way to connect with her!

Although, that might actually draw more of a question if Sniff actually was trying to ask her out. Did that have anything to do with Sniff going out for dinner with Oven Fresh? Did that make ponies less romantic or loving than humans? The same species that damaged such caring and amazing creatures like Cerb and all of his friends?

Twilight set her salad bowl down. There was too much running through her mind to focus on eating now that she had this issue to deal with.

"Justin, why is it that whenever I think I know something, all I have to do is talk to one of you to find out that I'm utterly clueless about what I thought I knew?"

Cerb was hit with that question while peeling another eggshell. He was in the hot seat for something someone else said. Or was it what he said? Whoever said it, they’re an asshole.

"Honestly, I don't know. Perhaps we hold a lot of the same values but go about living them differently. That and the way our cultures differ made different norms for us. But to be fair, there's so much we have to relearn now that we're in your world."

"Maybe," Twilight sighed, lightly pushing her bowl from side to side.

"Look," Cerb tried to sound more encouraging. "Sniff loves it here. And that is not how he felt when we first crash-landed. He's... actually a lot better off having you around."

He stood up and popped the rest of the egg in his mouth, chewing it as he started to make his way back to the tent.

"Stop worrying about it so much. That's my professional advice. Focus on finishing the mission so we can all get back safe and sound. Then worry about the little things."

He unzipped the tent, getting ready to throw out the best excuse he could think of to distance himself from the conversation.

"I'm gonna get the beds ready. Be out in a minute."

As soon as Cerb stepped into the tent, Rarity put down her notepad and cautiously addressed her troubled friend.

“Twilight, my dear, please don't get angry at me for asking, but are you developing feelings for Peter?"

Twilight cringed, fighting off the urge to allow herself to be angry, but her answer seemed to lack the confidence to really sell any look of resentment.

"No, I am not falling in love with Peter. We're just friends, and I haven't been treating him like one... or..."

With a sympathetic tone, Fluttershy leaned in slightly and asked, "Or?"

Perhaps it was only a passing thought for Twilight, but she didn't know what her mind was reaching for.

"I'm not sure. Something Applejack said about how she felt with Lumberman helping her out with everything she's been dealing with. Feelings she couldn't describe... I think I felt them when Peter was taking care of me. Whatever they were, what I felt, they really were indescribably... good.”

She held her head between her hooves and rubbed her temples, her mind in conflict with itself.

“But... I just can't get over how poorly I treated him after all the kindness he showed me. I’m afraid I’ve undone all the goodwill and trust I made with him. I don’t want him to hate me or go back to being mean to me again."

She finally put on an honest smile and turned to her friends with a positive outlook.

"Justin is right. I need to get this training exercise over with as soon as possible and not sweat the small stuff. Once we get back, I'm going to ask Peter to join me in Canterlot. Then I'll show him the time of his life with all the best foods a princess can offer and spoil him rotten so he knows how much his friendship means to me."

Fluttershy smiled sweetly, thinking, and maybe hoping that there was something more for Twilight to gain with Sniff.

"That sounds like a great idea. I think he'll really enjoy all the high society ponies out there, especially with you there alongside him."

The ruffling from the tent alerted the three that Cerb had finished and was coming out to join them.

"Beds are ready, and I don't know about all of you, but I'm looking forward to racking out for the night so we can make it back home as soon as possible."

That seemed to get Twilight motivated and gave her a great idea.

"Things would go a lot faster if I brought Spike and Starlight out with me tomorrow. I could get more things done in less time with both of them here to help."

Cerb smiled with a shrug, happy to see the change in her attitude.

"You're the commanding officer; you make the call."

"Right," Twilight proudly agreed. "I'll head back and get things in order for them. Do any of you need anything else from me before I leave?"

Rarity waved her off and answered with a cheerful tone.

"We're perfectly fine, dear. We'll see you in the morning, and please do get everything sorted, for your own sake."

Cerb lazily saluted, "Night, Twilight."

Twilight snorted and rolled her eyes at the gesture, returning an equally half-assed salute.

"Good night, Justin. You too, Rarity. Night, Fluttershy."

Fluttershy was busy picking up the last few dinner items and turned to see her friend off for the night.

"Good night, Twilight. See you in the morning."

A brief flash of light illuminated the forest, and Twilight was gone.

"Well, then," Cerb called out to his caretakers. "Do you mind calling it a night early? The sooner we get to bed, the sooner we can wake up."

There were no complaints, though Fluttershy wished she could have been given a chance to go up in the clouds first. Having the opportunity to preemptively...relieve some stress she had built up after Cerb had saved her would have been appreciated. Then again, maybe going to bed earlier would lessen the likelihood of desiring another Wonder Rush?

However, before going to sleep was an option, Fluttershy stopped Cerb for something equally, if not more important.

"How is your leg doing? You did a lot of running and climbing today."

Cerb stopped short of entering the tent, having planned on dressing down in the tent so as not to lose his clothes again.

"Oh... uh? I guess you kinda beat me to it. I was going to ask to see if you could work on that same area again tonight. It's not bad, but... yeah. I'm definitely feeling it after all that running and going up and down the damn hill."

Everything continued much similarly as it had the night before. Cerb did a few squats and bent over in certain positions. This time though, he did so, laying on his back and letting Fluttershy move his leg for him started in the tent, mostly for convenience.

There was some soreness, but as he said, it wasn't anything terrible. So, again, Cerb protected his modesty with a towel while Fluttershy and Rarity went to work attending to his needs.

The massaging went on no different than the previous night, with the exception of Cerb being far more relaxed through the whole ordeal.

As a matter of fact, as he was enjoying it, he made idle chat while they did their work.

"So, what’s the castle like in the Crystal Empire?"

This was a question Rarity thought best to answer.

"It's simply to die for. The entire castle is made from pillars of crystals, very similar to Twilight's castle; only they're a beautiful white and blue."

Cerb playfully coiled a lock of Rarity's hair in his finger as she talked and twirled it, "So they modeled it after you, I take it?"

Fluttershy and Rarity both giggled, but Rarity couldn't accept such a compliment.

"Oh, if only, but no. That castle is far older than I am. Although much of their city looks more modern than Canterlot in some ways."

Cerb had another question, still not knowing much about this world or their plans.

"Any idea what all we'll be doing there?"

Fluttershy was in the middle of a long stride from the top of Cerb's knee and working her way up to his pelvis.

"Well, aside from helping you during the day and sharing your bed at night, I'm not sure."

"Don't forget about our training," Rarity said through her giggles.

"Oh, yes," Fluttershy was quick to support the idea. "After what happened today—" She glanced back up to Cerb with loving eyes. "—I don't ever want to put you in that kind of position again."

"Ha," Cerb laughed, putting his hands behind his head, making himself more comfortable. "I'm sure if you got mad again, you'd have smacked him around just fine. But yeah, you and me, I think we'll make a great team."

Rarity continued massaging little circles on the side of Cerb's inner thigh and playfully added, "Don't forget about me, Justin. You haven't seen what all I can do. Don't let this pretty face fool you. I'm not afraid of getting my hooves dirty, and the last thing I want is to see anything bad happen to either of you. Which reminds me, I owe you something special for keeping our dear little Fluttershy safe out there."

Cerb couldn't believe how great his life was now at this point. He had his spark again. Not only had he established himself a worthy protector in the eyes of the rulers of this kingdom, but he had also proven himself in the field without any bloodshed. On top of that, he was finally on the path to bettering himself with the help of his appointed caretakers.

He was getting his life back.

In fact, taking a good look at them in the softly lit confines of the tent, he couldn't express what he felt for them. To him, they were perfect, and to call them angels would be embarrassingly cliche, although not far from how he pictured them.

Okay, even that was a stretch. However, they were everything he never knew he needed to escape his miserable cycle of barely coping through the days. Even nights had become restful again with the comfort and support they provided.

Truthfully, their arrangement was comical at face value. Yet, the more he drank in their alien appearance and the unearthly effect they had on him, the more he found himself caring less and less about what others might think.

In this tent, it didn't matter that they had the cartoonish facial features of a pony. They were beautiful.

Their equine bodies were no longer an oddity; they were elegant and powerful. And the hooves they had in place of hands? They were the vessels of healing and comfort he now welcomed. The only drawback was that no matter how close to perfect they could be to him, they would always be different. Just like—

At the end of a wonderful night with each other, Cerb watched Rarity walk back into her house. However, he found himself distracted by something she said that made him question a lot of things about his life

"If things were different, I'd be furious if we didn't do this again."

It had hurt that someone as compatible as Rarity wasn’t human. With so many amazing qualities, charm, class, and appreciation for him, they were too different. In fact, it hurt knowing that she must have felt that way as well if even she had to cut short their expectations.

After an emotional rollercoaster of a day and a lot of heartfelt exchanges, Cerb found himself pushing harder to express his trust for his two caretakers. He had lowered so many defenses that he was now lying in bed nude with the two in an attempt to show how much he trusted them.

After getting settled in for the night, Rarity had finished exposing her admiration and how pleased she was with his progress.

"Now, things, I can safely say, are different. I hope you can say the same."

Cerb was uncertain if he really had changed and answered quietly, "Maybe."

Fluttershy had been the catalyst for so many of Cerb's breakthroughs and was devotedly nuzzled against his side.

"Maybe you don't see it like we do, Justin, but things are different, and we're so happy that they are. But until you see it too, we're both here for you."

Had he been blind, or was he just stupid?

It couldn't have been something as simple as denial or willful ignorance. Every time they had offered him help, every touch, warm embrace, or soft-spoken words. They had constantly been pushing him to be more open and comfortable with them to the point he was willing to strip naked and let them feel up his body. Yet, they were always cautious and considerate of his sensitivities, never forcing themselves past his comfort levels of being touched. They even went as far as covering themselves and never manipulated him to flaunt his bare skin.

Or had he been the one pushing? Testing them and carefully feeling around for meeting him where he was comfortable and striving to give and show them more? They had only offered their help. He was the one who pulled them closer and strived to appease them and earn their trust. He even pleaded for them not to leave him.

Why hadn’t he allowed himself to realize it? They wanted to be with him as more than only caretakers or even friends. Were they too wise or too scared to admit it? They had to know how he and all his friends reacted towards them.

They had been waiting for his view on them to change. Waiting for him to be different instead of the way things were.

Even now, they were still waiting. Subtle hints of what they wanted, yet never allowing their desires to exploit his own needs, even though they could have manipulated him through his desires many times over.

They could have held their help for Becky at ransom for his compliance, extorted any of his horrific traits or violent acts to force him into… No… That wasn’t them. Even before they knew how dangerous he was, they protected him, came to his aid, and still continued to risk so much for him.

His happy smile and carefree demeanor changed as he looked at the two mares happily nursing his war-ravaged body. Everything they were doing, all they had done, it all made sense. This knowledge changed everything! ...yet, nothing.

In a moment of clarity, Cerb quietly gave an admission of his shortcomings.

"I'm sorry I never fully appreciated just how much you two care for me."

Rarity's ear twitched forward to Cerb, and she stopped what she was doing to address him.

"What was that, dear?"

Cerb's mind raced through a million thoughts at once. How he and his friends had arrived in this world. All his fears and doubts about being under some mind spell. Finding comfort and a way out from his hell with these two. Discovering he was magic-proof. Proving himself as Fluttershy and Rarity cheered him on. Being able to finally do something that could save Becky with Fluttershy's help. Saving Fluttershy and having the feeling of value and purpose again.

It was because of these two. That's why he was here. He was here to be saved by them. Now, where that was leading him, he didn't care anymore. Whatever that location was, that was his desired destination.

"I..."

Cerb reached the point where anyone else would choose fight or flight, but all he wanted to do was surrender to his caretakers. He started to sit up and didn't bother to cover himself when the towel fell away.

"You both have done so much for me. I never really stopped to think of why. I was too caught up on the how it was happening. Too scared that it couldn't be real... but now things are different."

The two were confused as to where this was all coming from. Naturally, they were both flattered by the sentiment but didn't appear to know how to respond.

Not wanting to keep the awkward silence going, Cerb leaned forward and wrapped both arms around the two mares, though with a slight hesitance. He didn't know exactly where they stood with him. They wanted to be with him in some capacity, but neither had propositioned him for a relationship.

Actually, he didn't thoroughly think this through. He was too caught up in the moment to comprehend where this could lead.

Then again, part of him had already accepted it. He made this bed and was ready to sleep in it. After so many years of being tormented in his own personal hell, this compromise had to be the better alternative.

If that were true, maybe these two were to be his angels sent to ward off his demons after all. Regardless, he was going to stick it out and do all he could to repay them. Anything to keep the pain and misery from dragging him back into the darkness and haunting nightmares. Whatever it took to keep these two happy and fulfilled.

"I love you both," he said as he hugged them tighter. "Whatever you need. Whatever you want. Just ask... I don't know what else I could do to make it up to you for all you’ve done for me."

This was a welcomed display of affection, and the two returned the gesture just the same.

Rarity, specifically, cooed softly behind Cerb's ear as she wrapped herself around his left side.

"There's no need for repayment, darling."

Fluttershy answered just as sweetly, with her forelegs and wings enveloped around him.

"We just want to help you, Justin, and after saving me and all my friends today, I could never ask anything of you. I just want to see you happy and make sure you get better."

Cerb breathed deep through his nose, taking in their natural perfume. That bewitching sweetness with just a hint of tart, so alluring and welcoming.

"Well, you're both stuck with me until then," he answered.

Ending the emrace, he relaxed his hold on them and gave each a kiss on their cheeks. A simple gesture to test the waters.

"And hopefully long after that as well."

The two blushed deeply, and Cerb now knew, without a doubt, these two were hiding their infatuation for him. This new revelation wasn't entirely clear yet, but there was nothing about it he was uncomfortable with. Certainly more so if they were not lusting after him inappropriately.

He was okay with how close they all were, for now. Enough that he could safely admit it to them.

Then again, he was already planning on a second date with Rarity. If things were different, if he and his friends were forever stuck here, and those two would love him more than he did there and then… wouldn’t it have to happen? Not if he wasn’t just offering lip service and platitudes?

In all honesty, how close was he to pushing past that line if he had already gone this far with them? If he was truly stranded here and wanted to find someone to love again, maybe there was a reason he was so drawn to these two. Maybe that's why he wasn’t even repulsed at the idea of it all.

Wasn’t he?

He hadn't fully considered it.

What would a real kiss with them feel like? What would it taste like? Danishes and salad? Then there was sex he had to think of, but he’d already seen them and wasn’t horrified by what he saw. They were almost human-like in appearance and proportions...for ponies, anyway.

There was the thought, but it came without disgust or shame. Perhaps a little concern for not having any disgust or shame, but… this was too much to think about now.

Cerb took another deep breath of the two, relaxed, lowered himself back down, and pulled back the covers. For now, fuck it. Let it ride.

"I'm ready for bed. Let's see what kind of position we wind up in tomorrow."

Fluttershy couldn't hide the return of her blush and giggled, "You almost sound excited to find out."

Rarity didn't blush but found the statement rather odd for him to say.

"You're not embarrassed by it at all?"

Before joining him under the covers, they both slid into their PJ bottoms but opted to remove their tops.

Cerb opened his arms and let the two cuddle in close to him.

"Not anymore. I think the closer I get to the both of you, the better I sleep. That and—" He massaged his hands up and down both of their backs. "—I think I just like the feeling of having someone I can be close with, just holding onto you both at night... I dunno... I guess it's kind of like what we did back at the castle. Only, I don't need any magic spells to feel the love of those around me when I'm with you."

Fluttershy softly hummed out a laugh as she traced her hoof over Cerb's chest.

"Cadance was certainly right about one thing. You do have a lot of love in your heart."

Rarity raised her free hoof and let it sit just above Cerb's heart, where Fluttershy was still tracing over.

"And we don't need any magic to know it's there. We feel it all the same."

"Good night, you two."

"Good night, Justin."

"Good night."

Dinky pranced her way out of the pink doors and down the brightly colored steps with all the carefree joy and excitement a child could have.

"Thank you, Chris! That was the best dessert ever! What did you like better, mommy? My cupcake or Chris's cheesecake?"

Derpy stepped out with Chris at her side, still beside herself that she was able to see Chris again.

"I don't know, sweety. They were both so good, but I think I liked my muffin the best."

"Awe," Dinky tried to whine, but her open smile gave her away. "You always say muffins are the best."

"Yes, I do," Derpy happily stated before turning to Chris. "It's going to be dark soon. Do you still want to go to the playground?"

Chris stuck his hands in his pockets because, for some reason, he wasn't sure what to do with them. Regardless, he had enjoyed his time with Derpy and didn’t want the evening to end so soon.

"Yeah, there's all sorts of fun you can have in the dark."

Semi-inappropriate joke aside, it was a surprisingly farther walk to the schoolyard playground than Chris had expected. For some reason, he thought it would have been located closer to the center of town, not closer to the edge.

Fortunately, Derpy made for good company along the way. Mostly it was her talking about her job as the mail mare and how busy it kept her. At least when that had her working full-time hours, and she wasn't taking odd jobs on the side.

Unfortunately, it was Sunday, and she would have to go in tomorrow morning. On the subject of work, she took a break from telling another story of mixing up the mail.

"Thank you again for going out with me, even though I wanted to bring Dinky along. I don't get nearly enough time to spend with her."

"It's not a problem at all," Chris assured her. "This is nice, and Dinky is super adorable."

Derpy giggled and looked up to see Dinky ahead of them, bounding from one side of the path to the next, excited by every bird or butterfly that flew away at her approach.

"She's the most important pony in the world to me and is the only pony, besides you and your friends, that don’t look at me like I'm different or act like they're embarrassed of me."

Chris could relate, having much of his history sounding the same.

"Everypony is different, just because you have Strabismus shouldn't take away from how others look at you."

Derpy's eyes widened, and her wings extended in shock.

"You know what my eye condition is?"

"Yep," Chris carelessly answered. "Hyper and Hypotropia for your higher and lower eye. People have it in our world, too. Actually had a client with it who filed bankruptcy. Kinda reminds me of you."

"Because of her eyes?" Derpy asked, not sure what he was implying.

"Not just that," Chris told her. "She was also a single mother, but she had two boys, not a girl. Also, she had one eye that was permanently stuck with hypotropia. Her left eye was always looking down… she also wasn't as lovely as you."

He looked down at her with a grin, "I'd pick you over her any day."

Up ahead, having reached the playground, Dinky shouted out and stole the moment of flattery away.

"Mom! Give me a push!"

"Oh, excuse me for a moment," Derpy pardoned herself, not hiding the rose color on her cheeks, and flew ahead to get Dinky started on the playground's swing.

Chris was only a few steps behind, reaching the playground, when Derpy flew off, leaving him to sit on a small section of fence to wait.

Three good pushes later, and Derpy fluttered over to join him again.

Looking out at her daughter gleefully swinging, she quietly asked, "Can I ask you why you like me enough to go on a date with me, but the rest of your friends don't want humans dating ponies?"

This was a question Chris was reluctant to answer; still too many unknowns of what they were socially adept to. Not to mention, with Dinky there, he had to be mindful of his words, even if she was too far out to hear.

Time to see what his best efforts looked like.

"Our world is very different from yours. Here, dating can be done between all the different pony types, plus griffons, dragons, or any of the other creatures like that. In my world, humans are the only intelligent creatures. All the other species can't really communicate with us. Some can be trained and eventually might learn to make a certain noise and point or motion towards something they want, but that's not the same as expressing ideas or giving consent.”

Derpy nodded, thinking she was getting the gist of it.

“So, there aren’t any ponies where you come from?”

Another question not so easily answered. Great.

“No, we do,” Chris said with a slight laugh. “Unfortunately, ponies in our world lack intelligence. They’re about as smart as a Timberwolf, though, probably a lot less. Then again, I don’t think there’s a species back on Earth that’s as smart as even the least intelligent animal here. So, it’s kind of hard for my friends to accept there’s a race that isn’t human, that’s datable. It’s never been a possibility for us.”

"Oooooh," Derpy was amazed by the explanation. "Must be lonely, only having one race to choose from."

Chris thought to try and explain the complexities of the many races that made the human race but thought it best to leave that for another discussion.

"Yeah... for people like me, it certainly can be. I guess that's why I don't mind dating a pony. The rest of my friends, though? They never had the same kind of trouble finding someone to date like I did. But—" He turned and gave Derpy a wink. "—I think there might be at least one who's coming around to the idea of being okay with humans and ponies being together."

Derpy turned her body to Chris, and her eyes aligned properly with his. Kinda sad that they don’t last that way for very long, yet it was still nice to see her smile back at him.

"I like the sound of that,” she giggled.

Chris leaned in a little closer, trying to be cute.

"What do you like better? The sound of that, or muffins?"

Derpy leaned in a little closer, the battle between Chris and muffins in her mind; both made her happy, but which was better?

"Hmm... what kind of muffin?"

And a perfectly romantic moment ruined in three, two, one.

"Kiss him, Mommy!" Dinky shouted from the swing.

Derpy and Chris both stopped. They weren't close enough for the illusion of them kissing to even be a thing, but the embarrassment of being called out still stood. They immediately turned away from each other.

While A kiss would have been nice, sadly, Derpy’s confidence, much like Chris’s, was still rather low. Still, it was a step in the right direction...interruptions notwithstanding.

"Don't mind, Dinky," Derpy bashfully requested. "She thinks... Well, you know how foals can be."

Chris chuckled and tried to play down the tension.

"Sorry, I guess I already have a reputation, according to the rumors going around. I don't really want every pony thinking I'm some kind of kissing machine going around trying to smooch everypony."

Some soft giggles escaped Derpy's lackadaisical demeanor. Talking to Chris was so easy, and he was so kind to her and Dinky. He was even strangely physically attractive in his own way. More than handsome enough to want a kiss from, but this was too soon.

"That's okay. After what Starlight told us about what happened with the two of you, you don't seem to be the pushy type. Even Cream Heart said she had to make the first move. Honestly, right now, I'm not looking for anything more than some good company."

That just made Chris all the more embarrassed about his own reaction, and wanted to try and divert back to what they were doing originally.

"Well, that's a nice change. Not that I have anything against kissing a pony, but it seems more natural to take things slow, you know?"

"Yep," Derpy said, sounding more at ease with the situation than he would have expected. "Cream lost her husband about two years ago. Prim Posy a year before that. As for Berry Punch, I think she’s just like me and never got married."

With an apologetic tone, Chris looked to Derpy and asked, "Dinky's father never stuck around?"

Derpy put on a strong face and answered through a not-so-convincing smile.

"I... don't know who her father is. I just remembered I met a really rather nice stallion a long time ago while helping with the Winter Wrap-Up in Canterlot. I don’t remember much about him, though I think he was... Really, the only thing I know for sure was that he was nice and had a coat the same color as Dinky's."

That story seemed oddly out of place for this world to Chris. It was too much like a terrible case of a drunken one-night stand, if not something genuinely evil.

"You don't remember a name or even his cutie mark?"

"No," Derpy sadly answered but turned back with an honest smile. "But it's okay because now I have Dinky, and I can't really miss having a special somepony if I don't even remember who they were. All I need is Dinky."

She noticed the state of the sky and looked surprised. Time was passing by faster than she would have liked.

"Oh, it's getting dark, and Dinky has school tomorrow.” Derpy’s eyes immediately shot up as she realized something else. “Oh, no, I have to open the post office tomorrow, too. I'm sorry, but we need to get back home."

Despite the more than valid excuse, Chris still wanted to spend more time with the adorable mail mare, so he made one simple request.

"Since nopony is throwing me a party or dragging me out to a dance floor, do you mind if I walk you home this time?"

Derpy closed her eyes and gave her usual bubbly smile, "I'd love that."

She opened her eyes and turned back to the swings.

"Come on, Dinky. Time to go home."

"Awe!" The filly started to complain. "But we're having fun!"

Being a mother first, Derpy flew over and picked Dinky out of her seat in mid-swing and brought her back safely to the ground. The cute giggles she coaxed out of her daughter only warmed her heart further.

"And we can have more fun on the walk home with Chris." She gave her daughter an Eskimo kiss. "Now, come on, you cute little Cupcake Monster. You can't be tired when you go to school tomorrow."

The walk back to Derpy's was a pleasant one, with the conversation quickly diving into Dinky's days at school. She talked about her friends, how nice Miss Cheerilee was, how cool the CMCs were, and all the pictures she would draw.

It was just the distraction Chris needed to let him not focus on how tired of walking he was and how terrible his cardio had become.

As they approached their house, Derpy could see that Chris had been pushing himself, if his flushed cheeks and labored breathing were anything to go by.

"Would you like a glass of water?" she asked, hoping her request would let him stay a little longer.

Chris wasn't too proud to have admitted he needed hydration and a moment to rest. He really needed to start being more active again.

"Please, and do you want me to wait outside?"

Derpy reacted as if the question was a joke.

"What? Of course not. Come inside."

She opened the front door and let him in with Dinky.

"Go brush your teeth, Dinky. Then I'll tuck you in."

Obviously, thinking her mother wanted some alone time with Chris, Dinky ran off to the bathroom. Real romance happens when two ponies can be alone, after all.

"I'll tuck myself in! Have a good night, Chris! Thank you for the cupcake!"

Chris could barely catch everything Dinky said before she disappeared behind a corner and shouted back to her. That kid was too damn cute.

"Good night, Dinky!"

No sooner had he finished saying that; he looked around what must have been the living room and noticed how empty it was. Not only was Derpy nowhere in sight, but the room was also mostly bland and bare itself.

The furniture consisted of only a worn-out couch, a poorly maintained coffee table, and two very simply designed wooden chairs.

He never thought a mare that worked as hard as Derpy would live in such impoverished-looking conditions. Even the few pictures that covered the walls looked to be some of the drawings Dinky had talked about, save one small photograph of them together. A rug on the floor that had seen better days and fewer stains than in the current condition.

"Here you are," Derpy chirped as she reentered the room with a glass of water she carried on a tray with her wings. "Would you like to have a seat? It may not look like much, but my couch is very comfy."

Without any words, Chris led the way onto the couch and took a seat next to his host. Comfortably seated, he took his glass.

"Thank you, and yeah, very comfy." He took a long sip from his glass. "And thank you for the lovely time tonight."

Derpy sat with a bashful expression. Her posture looked only slightly reserved, more relaxed than she had been before the walk home.

"Thank you for saying so, but I know tonight wasn't as fun or exciting as your date with Cream."

Chris set his drink down. He wasn’t about to let his date think she was anything less than the others.

"No, don't compare yourself to the others. I'm serious, I really enjoyed our time tonight. I do enjoy video games, but... this was so relaxing. I didn't feel any pressure, and I can just be myself and really get to know you. This felt so real to me. I'm so glad I got the chance to meet you."

Derpy turned her gaze back to Chris's, and her eyes aligned with his again. Her confidence steadily rose along with her hopes.

"Do you think... I'm pretty and not... goofy or silly looking?"

There was one clear and obvious answer to give, but Chris wasn't about to feed her lines and decided to take a different approach.

"If you’re worried about what I think about your eyes, they don't bother me. Just like I'm sure you don't mind that I'm not skinny like Sniff, tone and cut like Benny or Lumberman—" He chuckled and raised both arms and flexed. "—or some towering hulk, like Cerb."

Derpy had a short chuckle at Chris's display. His playful humor was really winning her over. Even if he had some extra pounds on him, there was still a strong frame buried under his outward appearance. And now that they were sitting closer together and there was no breeze blowing away from her. She could finally appreciate the peculiar scent he carried. Something rich and sharp, a little sweet with a pinch of sea salt.

"No, you don't need to look like them to look nice to me. I like you just the way you are."

Chris folded his hands over his belly, feely like a hypocrite for not believing her.

"I'm a little fat, I know that, but I'm glad that you don't mind. Kinda funny how we both have our insecurities about how we look but don’t have any problems with each other’s appearance. But, I actually do like how cute your eyes make you look sometimes. It adds a lot of character, and while it might look a little silly at times, it’s a face I love to look at because I know who it belongs to. But... I just noticed that your eyes don't do that when you look at me?"

"Really?" She held up a hoof to focus on and verified that her eyes weren't off-center like usual. "I didn't notice."

She looked up to Chris with a pleasant smile, her heart still silently singing.

"I guess I have something to focus on when I'm looking at you."

A cute voice shouted from around a corner down the hallway in a bedroom, immediately shattering whatever kind of mood was building.

"I'm in bed now, Mom!"

Said message served as a reminder it was unfortunately late, and Derpy knew enough not to mess up their schedule.

"I'd love to have you stay longer, but Dinky and I both need to get to bed. Maybe I can see you again next week, and we can do this again?"

"I'd like that," Chris said before reaching over and finishing his water.

He put the glass back down on the coffee table before standing up. This had been a wonderful evening, indeed. He appreciated the slow pace and relaxing atmosphere. However, it also made him realize how much he did enjoy the more intense moments he's shared with Starlight and Cream Heart. He’d have to deal with that later, though.

Then again, maybe Derpy just needed a little more time to warm up to him.

"Maybe I can swing by, and we could even do lunch over the week?"

Derpy escorted him to the door, excited to hear how much time he wanted to spend with her. He had to like her if he wanted more time with her, but what else could she do to entice him further?

"I usually take my lunch around eleven. If you're in the area, just stop into the post office and let me know."

She went to open the door but stopped to make one request as quietly as she could. Her fears and confidence issues could only garner so much power over her aspirations and desires.

"I can't thank you enough for how..."

She was getting nervous and timid the more she pushed herself to ask this question. It was only one small request. She just had to gather the courage to say it.

"You make me feel like a normal pony, but also special, and I know you said you like taking things slow, but—" She lowered her voice to a whisper. "—could I have one little kiss?"

First date, a cute pony who wasn't trying to pin him down and dry hump him after having a calm and relaxing outing? Chris could grant her that much.

With warning, he leaned down and surprised her with a soft kiss to her lips.

Derpy was momentarily stunned, not expecting it to happen so suddenly or bring about such a powerful warm sensation over her. She didn't have the time to close her eyes like in all the romances she imagined ponies experienced. But this was her and Chris, and they weren't like the others. She would be the one to close her eyes during the kiss, not before.

And so, just as requested, Chris let it be only a little kiss. He didn't press hard into her lips or engage in something more intense as he had with his other two pony encounters. This was the kind of kiss he imagined his first would have been, and he was happy to leave it at that… sort of.

He couldn’t help but realize how excited he felt that she had asked for this before he pulled back from the kiss. It wasn’t much different than Starlight asking for her first kiss or Cream Heart pushing herself on him. He liked them knowing what they wanted from him.

"Only if you ask nicely," Chris jokingly said after the fact.

Derpy looked up at Chris; all dreamy-eyed with images of hearts floating up in her eyes.

"I... I'll have to ask more often,” she claimed, still in a daze as she opened the door. "I hope to see you soon, Chris."

"You will," Chris said as he stepped out the door. "Have a good night."

"You too," Derpy softly replied as she let the door close.

She pressed her rump to the door, stood up with her back pressed against it, and raised her hooves to her chest.

"Oooh, that was nice."

It took her a moment to collect herself, but she did her best to look calm and composed as she made her way into Dinky's room.

The light was still on in the foal’s room. Bright wallpaper with silhouettes of all different types of ponies and ornamental shapes decorating the walls. Stuffed animals of all kinds were piled up in a corner next to an open closet of dresses and other accessories a filly might wear.

Dinky herself was tucked away under a large comforter, decorated with all the princesses' artistic designs bowing or flying around their cutie marks. Said comforter was laid out over a bed big enough for two ponies. The foal could barely be seen, tucked away in a mountain of pillows.

Yes, this might be the most spoiled little pony in all of Equestria, and nopony else even knew.

"Did you have fun tonight with Chris and me, sweetie?" Derpy asked in a cheerful voice.

"Uh-huh," Dinky answered with all the joy you would think her toys would have brought her. "Is Chris going to be your special somepony? I think he really likes you."

Derpy sat on the side of Dinky's bed and started to tuck her in like any loving mother would.

"Chris and I are just friends right now, sweetie. But I would like that very much.”

Thinking about it, even as hard as it was to hope for, considering the competition, having a chance still required it to be a secret. Now she had to keep her daughter's expectations lowered and her lips silent.

“Hmm… can you keep this a secret between just us for right now, hunny?"

Dinky smiled innocently and the ridiculous question.

"Why?"

Derpy leaned her head down and kissed Dinky on her forehead.

"It's really complicated, sweetie. Maybe after a while, it won't have to be a secret, but for now, can you do that for Mommy?"

"Okay," Dinky answered, thinking she was doing her mother a favor. "But you should have kissed him. That's how special someponies fall in love. Then you can be married, and I could have a daddy, and then we can have a baby brother or sister for me to play with."

It was all Derpy could do to hold back her tears from all of Dinky’s wishes left ungranted. As a mother, how could she not want all of those to come true?

"All that from a kiss?" Derpy playfully asked. "I think some little filly has been listening to too many stories."

She gave her daughter another Eskimo kiss.

"Now, be a good girl and go to sleep, and maybe we can all go out again like we did tonight next week."

That was the wrong thing to say to a child so young and excitable.

"Really!?" Dinky asked, all but shouting in excitement.

Derpy chuckled and closed her eyes to better fake a smile.

"Only if you're a good girl. Now close your eyes so you can go to sleep."

Thankfully, as Derpy opened her eyes, she was gifted with her daughter blissfully lying with her eyes closed and unable to see the waterworks starting to flow down her mother's cheeks.

With any visible heartbreak removed from her daughter's eyes, Derpy stood up and turned off the lights as she left the room.

"Good night, sweetie."

Keeping her eyes closed and letting a long yawn escape, Dinky sleepily replied.

"Gud night, Mommy."

Keeping it together just long enough to make it down to her room, Derpy couldn't hold back what she was feeling anymore.

Who cares if Chris was a little fat or not even the same species. For Celestia's sake, who could ask for a more perfect stallion? He was too good to be true, whereas she was... She knew what she was. A laughing stock at best and a walking hazard at her worst.

She crawled under her covers and buried her face in her pillow, and forced her cries to be quiet enough not to reach beyond her door.

Her room was much like the living room, barren and simple. A single-sized bed with old sheets and an old blanket, topped by a single small pillow. There was one dresser, missing most of its handles, with a cracked vase and a wilting flower resting on top. Her closet had her working uniforms and one lovely dress that she wore to formal events, but not much else filled up the space.

"Cadance, Celestia, Luna, Twilight... anypony... please let Chris love me... If not for me, let Dinky have a daddy for once."

She continued to sob into her pillow with one final plea.

"I know I must have done something wrong in Canterlot to have Dinky's daddy taken away from me... I'll be the best pony ever if you can let Chris be my special somepony... please?"

Another round of giggles broke out as Prim Posy did another reenactment of Applejack flailing in Lumberman's arms and being tickled.

"No, girls, come on," Starlight tried to tone down the teasing. "Applejack could really use a lot more of what Lumberman has been doing for her. She actually helped put me back on the right track with Chris. I owe her a lot, actually."

Thoroughly entertained, Nurse Redheart quietly sipped her cocktail.

"I don't know, I think they look kind of cute together. You don't see many stallions who will take care of a mare that they’re not special someponies with. At least not like that."

Nurse Redheart sighed, wondering how everything was supposed to fit together with the closeness these ponies had with the humans and her growing impulses. Even outside of that, there was so much she wanted to learn from them.

"And I still need to see Lumberman in my clinic. Not that I'll be able to when I'm stuck at home like this."

Miss Cheerilee offered her sympathies.

"We're so sorry that happened to you, but we're also so glad to know you were willing to stand up for him. Chris is such a sweet young stallion, I can't believe those other nurses and doctors could be so rude to him."

Nurse Redheart frumped and sat further into the couch. After seeing how kind Chris could be and how amazing his hands were, she was growing more sympathetic towards him. Although, now she could see many of these girls had more than just a curiosity for him. Maybe just like Fluttershy, they wanted a human as their special somepony as well.

"It was so unprofessional of them, but it's not entirely their fault. Chris and the other humans are so incredibly complex and interesting. From their knowledge on everything non-magical, to their own biology and physiology, and especially their gifted hands."

She took a deep breath and groaned in a manner that was almost unfitting for someone of her profession, especially given the current setting.

"But even outside of that, there is something more to them. It's like a magic all its own, the way they can make a pony feel..."

She knew she was revealing too much of herself and drew back. All these new feelings were compromising her judgment.

"Sorry... I suppose after such a horrible day, I can't help but dwell on how much better Chris made me feel when he came over to help me." She looked over at Starlight. "And you too, of course. All of you, really. This would have been such a boring recovery if not for all of you."

Sadly, depending on how you look at it, Cream Heart was a bit too involved and wasn't thinking about filtering herself.

"Don't mention it, hun. I'm still jealous of that massage you talked about earlier. Makes a mare want to break a hoof to get that kind of attention."

Prim Pose extended her wing and tapped Cream Heart up the side of her head.

"You're one to talk."

The sound of a glass hitting the floor and its contents spilling out interrupted the moment. Everyone turned to see Nurse Redheart wincing in pain and holding her injured foreleg.

"Sorry, girls," Nurse Redheart apologized. "I would love to stay up later with you all, but my pain medication is wearing off. I need to take another dose, and that will put me under for the night."

She cracked a weary grin, tired, sore, a little flustered, and curious as to why these mares were so invested in Chris.

"Where's a helpful human stallion to carry an injured mare off to bed when you need one?"

Starlight immediately ran into the kitchen and came back with a towel to clean up the mess.

"Sorry that Chris couldn't make it. He already had plans for the night, but I'm sure he'll be able to make it over tomorrow. I'll remind him tonight."

"Thank you," Nurse Redheart said, still cradling her hoof. "Don't make me sound too desperate, though."

Prim Posy felt obligated to offer some form of assistance and extended a helping hoof.

"I don't work until later in the day. Would you mind if I stop over in the morning? Maybe help you with some breakfast?"

It was astonishing how quickly these mares were willing to offer their hospitality to Nurse Redheart. All because of her devotion to her job, forcing her to protect Chris.

Well, that and her own interests, but they didn't need to know what she was wanting.

"That would be great. You can grab one of my spare keys hanging by the fridge in the kitchen. I'll probably be sleeping in later than usual from my meds, so just let yourself in."

Cream Heart trotted over to the couch, "Let me give you a hoof and help you to bed. Miss Cheerilee, can you grab the pain meds from the bathroom for her?"

Like a good friend, Cream Heart let Nurse Redheart lay her good foreleg over her back and started to escort the nurse to her bedroom.

"As soon as we get the mess cleaned up, we can see ourselves out, and Prim can lock up behind us. Would that be okay?"

Nurse Redheart chuckled as she limped her way to the bedroom.

"Look at you, acting like a mom, and taking care of me like I was a foal. You girls are great. And yes, that sounds like it would be for the best."

Midnight Flash sat anxiously across from Kelly.

"Lady Bardwell, while I appreciate the offer. I don't believe Princess Luna would approve of—"

"Stop stalling," Kelly ordered, eyeing him dangerously. "Just because you keep losing isn't any reason to back away from your royal duties."

Spike laid his cards face down on the table and gave Kelly a confused look.

"How exactly is drinking and playing euchre part of his royal duties?"

Becky looked at the cards already laid out on the table. She hoped that Midnight Flash couldn't beat her king of clubs over the queen that Kelly led with or that Spike would take this trick with the ace or another trump card like Kelly did the last hand.

"It's the royal duty of the Night Guard to take care of us while on their watch. And right now, that's what he's doing."

Midnight Flash looked to Becky flatly at her attempted logic.

"Lady Landon, keeping you safe and standing guard for the castle, as well as doing regular checks on your well-being, are parts of my duties. Playing a card game and drinking more of your alcohol at your request because you're bored certainly can't be—"

"Partner," Kelly called out to Midnight. "Play the ace of clubs if you got it or any other club to follow suit. If you're out of clubs, throw a trump if you got it."

"Table talk," Spike declared.

"Yeah," Becky protested mockingly. "Why ya gotta be cheating?"

Midnight Flash rolled his eyes and laid down a ten of hearts.

"Trump."

"Damnit," Becky slammed her fist on the table and locked her eyes on her partner. "Spike, for the love of God, please tell me you ran out of clubs and can beat his ten."

Sadly, the look in Spike's eyes made clear he had a terrible poker face, and he laid down the ten of clubs.

Becky restrained herself from throwing her cards across the table.

"Damnit, Spike."

Spike threw his little arms up in defense, "Don't get mad at me. You dealt me these cards."

Becky reached into a pouch and threw two more bits into a pile.

"Yeah, but it's my money we're losing."

Midnight Flash was starting to understand this game a lot better now.

"You know, if you could convince Princess Luna to provide two additional Lunar Guards, Ralph could join us instead of standing watch alone."

Becky gave a disappointed look at Spike, "How fast can they get here?"

Spike took a slight offense to the rather pointed jab.

"Hey!"

Kelly leaned over and poured a little more Disaronno liqueur into Spike's glass of soda.

"Don't mind Becky, Spike. She's just a sore loser."

Granny Smith leaned back in her chair.

"Applejack, yer dumplings were as fit as a fiddle and seasoned better than a twelve-year-old cider."

Sweetie Belle flopped her head down on the table and let her distended stomach roll off the chair.

"Ooh, it might have been too good. I think I ate too much."

Apple Bloom rolled her eyes at her friend’s response.

"That's cuz you ate about as much as Lumberman."

The aforementioned human shook his head and grinned.

"Y'all are too much, but yeah. Applejack, you outdid yerself tonight. And AB, you gonna clean up the table?"

Apple Bloom jerked back, looking utterly stunned.

"Why me?"

Time for another big brother moment from Lumberman.

"Because your sister made dinner, Sweetie Belle ate herself sick, I'm a guest, and there ain't no reason to make Granny clean the table when she’s the one foot'n the bill."

Apple Bloom turned to her sister, looking for support.

"AJ?"

Applejack snorted and had a cocky grin as she pushed her plate toward her younger sister.

"Ya think I didn't hear what he said? I've been sitting right here the whole time. If he would 'uh said something outta line, I'd set 'em straight. But don't you worry none. If you have any trouble remembering how to clean the table or wash the dishes, we'll be right here to talk ya through it."

For some reason, Apple Bloom thought it was unfair to have her do all the work and whined.

"Granny?"

Granny Smith gave a tired smile and offered some assistance.

"Don't you worry. I'll help ya clean off the table." She slid her empty plate over to Apple Bloom. "There, now ya ain't gotta walk so far. I'm sure you can manage the rest from here. Unless ya need me tuh grab the stepping stool so ya can wash them new dishes we got?"

Outnumbered, Apple Bloom surrendered and went to task cleaning off the table, starting on the dishes.

While those were being taken care of, post-dinner talk primarily revolved around the progress made on the house and the new prospects of Lumberman starting his own construction company.

"I still don't know how it all happened," Lumberman told Granny. "I thought it'd take me weeks of doing odd jobs before I even got any recognition. Now I’ve got a whole crew with their own list of clients."

Granny rocked back in her chair with a semi-concerned look on her face.

"Hmm, Hard Hat is certainly one of them stubborn fellers. About as hard-headed as that hat he wears. Never heard of 'em putting his hooves on no pony, though. Ya must 'uh really gone and insulted his pride for him tuh take things that far. Much obliged to ya stepping in like ya did, though."

Lumberman nodded with a grin, though it didn’t mask the lingering anger the conflict had caused.

"He's lucky I didn't beat 'em with a four-by-four."

Granny Smith crossed her forelegs and scowled harshly.

"Not that he didn't deserve it, but that wouldn't 'uh fixed yer situation none. And fer as kindly as the folks here been talking 'bout ya, I'm sure you putting the jerk in the hospital would ‘uh gone over like a lead balloon. It was one thing what ole Macintosh did. That was a matter of life and death. This was nothing more than inflated ego and his insecurities."

She cocked a sly grin.

“Besides, now ya done walked off with nearly his whole construction crew. Ahh, hee-hee-hee!”

By this time, Apple Bloom had finished drying off the last dish and joined everyone else at the table.

“Mr. Lumberman? Were you really gonna try an’ fight Hard Hat if he was gonna hurt big sis?”

The look on Lumberman’s face was like he had just been slapped with a fish.

“What kind of question is that? Of course, I would’ve fought ‘em.“ He balled up both fists and started to mock shadow-box. “I’d be throwing so many rights he’d be begging for a left.”

Apple Bloom’s eyes light up like they were filled with Christmas decorations.

“Can I call you big brother, Lumberman? Or Apple Lumberman? Or my non-Apple brother?”

God, this kid was cute, and Lumberman couldn’t overlook it.

“You can call me whatever you like, kido.”

Apple Bloom jumped up and hugged around Lumberman's waist as best she could.

“With Big Mac gone, yer the only big brother we got tuh keep us safe.”

Lumberman laid his hand on Apple Bloom’s head and scruffed up her mane, along with her bow.

“What you thinking yer gonna need protecting from?”

Apple Bloom pushed off Lumbermand and stood before him with her front hooves planted above his knees to hold her upright.

“What if any of them nasty guards from before come back? We’re in town and probably don’t know that’s where we’re staying. But if Big Mac is gone and Big Sis stays behind—“ She turned to look over her shoulder at Applejack. “—you’d keep her safe.“

She turned back to look Lumberman in the eyes. It wasn’t just a simple question; she was honestly worried.

“Right?”

Lumberman was the center of attention in the room, and he knew all eyes were on him, waiting for his response.

“You know—“ He picked up Apple Bloom and let her sit on his lap. “—a long time ago, I walked away from my family. It was just my mom and my sister, but they were terrible people. Then, my friends became my family, and my new brother Cerberus, he was the bulldog of the group.“

He barked like a bulldog, earning him a giggle from both foals, while Applejack just chuckled at the rather poor imitation.

“He was usually the one to do the fighting if any of us were in trouble. Not saying I didn’t jump in every now and then to help, but it was mostly him. But then, one day, Cerb went away, kind like he just did for Becky, just like your big brother did. Then somebody thought that since Cerb was gone, they could try to hurt one of my friends again.”

Apple Bloom was suddenly excited to the point she had to push the story along faster.

“And you beat him up?!”

Lumberman grinned the way the devil would when making a deal.

"And he never bothered Kelly again."

Bless Apple Bloom's heart; she found that endearing. Not only that, she finally had the relief she was looking for.

"I'm sorry I didn't listen when you said to clear the table, Big Bro. But now that you're part of the Apple family, I'll listen from here on out. And thanks for taking care of mah big sis.”

Lumberman gave her back a few good pats.

“Okay-Okay. No harm, no foul, but how are you enjoying having your own hotel room?” He asked, trying to change the topic.

Apple Bloom broke away from the hug and sat upright in his lap.

“It’s great… except for when Sweetie Belle starts hogging on the pillows.”

Sweetie Belle sat up, a little sluggishly, thanks to her bloated belly, ready to defend herself.

“I have to take the extra pillows. You keep hogging all the blankets.”

Lumberman huffed out a deep breath, finding some humor in their mellow drama.

“You ever think to ask room service for extra pillows and blankets?”

Apple Bloom turned her head with a curious expression.

“You can do that?”

With that, Granny Smith stood up from the table, having accomplished more than what she had come for.

“Speaking of beds, it’s about time you two got into ‘em. So come on, let’s head back.”

Apple Bloom looked back to Lumberman, ready to beg to stay for longer, but could see in his eyes he was telling her not to backtalk again.

“Arg… sorry, I can’t stay longer, Big Bro.“ She gave him a quick, tight hug before sliding down off his lap. “And thanks again.”

Meanwhile, Sweetie Belle struggled to bring herself down from the chair.

“You make for a pretty good big brother, Mr. Lumberman. Do you think you can convince Mr. Cerberus to be my big brother, too?”

Now that was cute, and Lumberman would reward her by humoring her.

“Heh, yeah, sure thing. I’ll talk to him when he gets back.”

As Sweetie returned the gesture with a hug, Granny motioned toward her eldest granddaughter.

"Applejack, ya mind helping Apple Bloom get any of her school supplies from upstairs for tomorrow?"

There was just enough subtlety in Granny's request that Applejack knew what she really meant.

"No problem, Granny," she answered with a soft smile before making her way out to the stairs. "Come Ab, Sweetie Belle. I don't know what's all yer gonna be needing."

Without question or protest, the two fillies followed Applejack out of the room for Granny to have her alone time with Lumberman.

Some serious matters needed to be discussed.

"Yer doing mighty fine work here, Woody," she chuckled comically, using the nickname. "But I wanted to ask ya…“

Her tone grew more serious.

“Are ya comfortable with all this? Staying here alone with Applejack? Watching over the house and her?“

She leaned back in her chair like this was a police interrogation. Her change in posture instantly changed the vibe of their interaction, whether that was her intention or not.

“Ain’t none of ya done us wrong, and you and that Cerberus fella have seen fit to taken care ‘uh my grandkids like ya do yer own. So, what I’m really saying is, if yer fix’n tuh be a part of the Apple family, I’d like to know yer serious about it.”

Lumberman looked as if he was still trying to figure out what was really being asked of him.

Granny Smith leaned forward again and softened her expression.

“I’m asking because I’m hoping yu’ll say yes.“ She grew a smile that was equally proud as it was almost sad in appearance. “We don’t have many honorary Apples. Not even Twilight ‘en her friends got that honor, as much as we love’em.”

This was uniquely odd for Lumberman. His friends were his family, true, and he'd already been told he was considered part of the Apple family by association. But this was being offered as something formal, maybe even official. It was like he was being adopted by a new family.

“Misses Smith,” Lumberman spoke up with a voice that sounded unsure. “Do I have to do a legal name change to Apple, or do I just say yes?”

The delivery struck Granny with a bout of laughter that rivaled Applejack being tickled, and it took her a moment to collect herself.

“Oh, Woody. Ya done got me good there wit’ that one. But no, no need to change yer name or nuthing.”

Lumberman snickered to himself, feeling a little goofy for even asking that, but already knew his answer.

“Granny…”

[Not much later, after a giddy celebration from the others hearing of Lumberman’s acceptance.]

Applejack and Lumberman lay in bed together. Tonight he had his back against the headboard, and Applejack was lying with her back against his chest while she utilized her thirty minutes.

“Woody?” Applejack started to ask a question as Lumberman’s hands worked up and down her shoulders. “Do you have any idea just how lucky you are? Not just anypony can be made an honorary Apple. For Pete’s sake, after all the times Twilight or Rainbow Dash and any of the other girls have saved my life, they don’t even get a discount on our apple cider.”

Lumberman didn’t let his feelings show themselves to the full extent that he felt them and acted as naturally as he could.

“I’m honestly just happy to be part of a family again. Even if only an honorary member. It’s been years since I had another family take me in.”

Applejack’s ear turned and opened up to Lumberman's lips.

“Come again?”

Lumberman switched up his motions to working his fingers in over Applejack’s chest, which ended her ability to speak momentarily.

“In my junior year of high school, I walked out on my mom and sister and moved in with Cerb. Back then, we all just called him Justin. But anyway, his parents at first were cautious about letting me live with them. I’d stayed over a lot of times, but living with them… that was different.”

Applejack managed to muster the strength to speak again and asked, “Why’s that?”

With great pride in his voice, he answered, “Because I used to be a really bad kid growing up, and I wouldn’t have changed for the better had I not met Justin and all them. Especially his parents.”

This was the most positive conversation Lumberman had shared with her, and it left her hanging off of every word.

“What’d they do?”

Lumberman smiled at the memory and slowed down his work on Applejack as he started to explain.

“They showed me what good parents were like. I remember, it was like, probably my fourth time spending the night at their place. We were about to have dinner, and I asked where my plate was. I asked, because every other time I was there, they made a full plate for me. This time, though, his mom smiled and pointed to the cupboard and said, ‘The fuck you think this is? A restaurant? You’re family now, you can make your damn plate.’ And then, just like that, I was family.”

Emotional strife returned and made itself known on Lumberman’s face and the lack of effort in his hands.

“...which really made it hard when Jay’s dad just up and walked out… that dude was like a second father to us.”

Somewhere in Lumberman’s explanation, he had stopped the massage. Applejack was too caught up in the story to correct his inaction, and she wasn’t going to.

“Do ya miss ‘em?”

For whatever reason, that question put him back into massage mode, but he still answered, even he did so reluctantly.

“I still go back and forth on that. When he was there, he was a good man… but he still abandoned us. Good men don’t do that, so part of me wants to see him again, to have him back. Another part of me wants to beat the shit out of him for how much he fucked over Cerb.“

There was a spiteful sorrow that grew in his voice, and it was clear his hand motions were being forced.

“There’s another country song called Grown Men Don’t Cry. It’s actually about the things in life men see that make them cry… First time I heard it was when Cerb's dad was singing it when we were working together. It’s a damn good song and never used to bother me, but now I can't stand to listen to it because of him."

He drew a deep breath, and his hands went weak. Painful memories were taking their toll on him.

"I can’t describe how soul-crushingly painful it was to watch the biggest, baddest, strongest motha fucker I ever knew cry as hard as he did the day I found him after his dad walked out… So, I guess I miss the man he was, but I hate the man he became.”

Applejack raised her hooves and pulled his hand around her barrel.

“You can stop, for now, Woody. I don’t need the full thirty minutes tonight.”

Perhaps that backstory was too much for her to handle, Lumberman thought and went to apologize.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say anything to dig up bad memories.”

Applejack softly stroked a hoof up Lumberman’s right forearm.

“No, it’s not that. Well, yeah, hearing about that makes me think of losing my ma and pa, but… you lost two families. And you were old enough to really get tuh know ‘em. Me? I barely remember the voices of my parents. And if not for the pictures they left behind, I’d probably forgotten what they looked like. But you… You have lasting memories with all of ‘em. And now Granny made you an honorary Apple…"

She gripped his hand a little tighter, a lot of terrible thoughts coming to tear her down.

“What’s gonna happen if Twilight finds a way to send you back home, and you can’t come back?”

That was a good question, but it also overlooked something important that he was about to explain.

“Apples—“ He squeezed a little tighter around her barrel and pulled her up higher against his chest so he could rest his chin over her shoulder. “—it’s okay. I lost my first dad because he was murdered for living a life he knew could get him killed. I don’t really look back and see me walking away from my mom and sister as losing them because they were always bad people. I lost my second mom, who was more of my real mom to me because it was her time to go. I lost my second dad because he was a coward who ran away from his problems. If I get sent away from you and the rest of the Apples, it’s because you all cared enough to help me get home... Losing someone out of love isn’t something I’d never hold against you or look back on and resent. Because even if you’re ponies, yer still good people to me.”

Applejack leaned her head against his with a level of relief that only made her love him more.

“Woody… why you always gotta be saying the right things at the right time?”

Lumberman sorted out a laugh, “Anything to keep you from making me a piece of toast with dog shit on it and calling it breakfast.”

Chris walked into the dining hall during the middle of an intense card game on a small table.

Becky and Kelly sat with bottles next to them and faced their partners sitting across from each other. Becky sat across from Spike, while Midnight, who was not standing at the door, now became clear, he was Kelly’s partner.

"Should I even ask how drunk you all are?" Chris asked the table of players.

Spike led the hand by playing the ace of hearts.

"Me? Not yet. They won't share much with me even when we win."

Kelly had to follow suit and dropped a ten of diamonds.

"Barely even tipsy."

Becky played a jack of diamonds.

"Just drunk enough to keep Midnight here with us."

Midnight played his nine of diamonds and turned to Chris.

"Sir, Cake—"

"Gawd dammit," Chris grumbled at the name used to address him.

"—as a member of the elite inner circle of her majesty's private Lunar Guard, I assure you that my performance and capabilities have not been diminished in the slightest.”

Chris took a quick glance at Midnight’s cards that he dealt this round from behind.

“Not in the slightest, huh? How many fives did you deal yourself?”

Midnight looked back at his cards, confident he hadn’t let his scoring card fall into those he dealt.

“I didn’t—“ He finally took notice of the five of hearts among his cards. “Fuck me… redeal."

Somehow, Chris hardly moved an inch, yet nearly about jumped out of his skin.

"And you're teaching him how to swear?"

Kelly threw in her cards and laughed, possibly drunker than she originally claimed to be.

"Oh, come on, it's funny." She elbowed the young drake next to her. "Right, Spike?"

Spike threw back his cards that would have picked up all the tricks that round.

“Damn straight.”

Kelly giggled but thought she should take this opportunity to mend some damage she did by insulting him the night before. She should be happy for Chris going out and living a little. Maybe even get his dick sucked if he was into these ponies, as she was most certainly convinced he was.

“They’re gonna learn these words sooner or later by just being around us. Better to teach them how and when to use them instead of them swearing at the wrong time for the wrong situations. But on a lighter note, how was hanging out with Derpy and Dinky?”

Chris was following along fine with her reasoning for teaching Spike and Midnight curse words. Still, the last question came unexpectedly for how genuine it sounded.

“It was good. I bought them dessert at Sugarcube Corner and then took Dinky to go play on the swing for a while.”

Becky was the most pleased to hear this.

“Aw, Dinky is so damn cute. And that was so nice of you to treat her out like that.”

Again, Chris was surprised to hear their support for what he was doing, but he got the feeling they weren’t picking up on the fact that he was on a date with her.

“She works all week and won’t be free until next weekend. I might be able to have lunch with her during the week, but I don’t know what my plans are going to be for the rest of the week.”

As Midnight dealt the next hand, free of the fives he was supposed to use to keep track of their score, Becky had a suggestion to make.

“Let’s surprise her tomorrow, bring a nice lunch and hang out for a bit. Nothing better than good food with friends.”

That was something Chris would like to do but was worried about what Derpy might end up saying when he showed up to expose him.

“Yeah, I should be free for that.”

The front double doors opened, and a clip-clop of the resident unicorn made herself known.

“Hey? What’s up with only one of the night guards standing out front.“ Starlight rounded the corner to see the card game in play. “Oh, never mind. Hello everyone, are you all playing Kings?”

Spike looked over the new hand he was dealt and didn’t appear to be pleased.

“No, Euchre. It’s a human card game that needs four players… and these new cards are ass.”

Starlight trotted up the group but honestly had very little interest in the game. She had other interests to attend to.

“Oh, well then, if you’re all busy, I’m going to steal Chris away for a while. I’m working on something for all of you and need his help.”

Kelly was still examining her hand and observed the queen of spades that Midnight's hand flipped up for trump.

“Yeah, sure thing. We’ll be playing this for a while longer if you need us for anything. And Midnight, pick that mop squeezer up. We got this round."

Of all things, that caught Starlight’s attention.

“A mop squeezer?”

Kelly answered as she sorted her cards with a straight face.

“Queens are mop squeezers. Kings are mop squeezer beaters.”

Spike grumbled as he threw down his first of three nines in his hand, none of which were trump. The ten of hearts and queen of spades were all just as useless to him at this point.

“That’s just what she calls them. It’s not part of the game, but why are they called mop squeezer beaters?”

Kelly followed suit and laid down an ace of hearts over the nine.

“He’s the mop squeezer beater because if he didn’t beat her, she wouldn’t wash the floors.”

Not giving anyone time to process the terrible joke, she looked up to Chris, having remembered something.

"Oh, yeah. Stop breaking shit. We're guests here."

Before Chris could defend himself or question what she was going off about, Starlight placed an aura around Chris's watch and tugged him along with her.

"Don't worry about that. You didn't do anything. Right now, I need your help with figuring out this other stuff first."

Benny pinched the bridge of his nose and looked to be grossly disappointed.

“If you’re not gonna tap in the next five seconds, I’m just gonna call it for you, Pinkie.”

Pinkie had been wrapped up in Big Mac’s forelegs, stuck in a headlock she couldn’t escape from no matter how hard she struggled.

“No! He’s not gonna beat me again! I just need to—“

She grunted and delivered two quick elbows to Big Mac's ribs but stopped her attack and started to freak out as Big Mac responded by tightening his grip.

“Tap! Ack! Tap!”

Big Mac released his grip on Pinkie and let her fall to the courtyard floor, but also shared signs of disappointment.

“Benny, can we go back to training with you again? I’m not getting anything out of this.”

Pinkie jumped back up on all fours, and with an angry scowl, glared at Big Mac.

“You didn’t sound so tough in our first match.”

Big Mac grunted in a huff.

“That’s because—“ He turned to Pinkie and pointed to the back of his neck. “—you bit me!”

Pinkie fired back with just as much anger.

“You bucked me across the courtyard!”

Big Mac took another step forward and literally butted heads with the pink pony.

“Because you tried to bite me after I bucked you off the first time! What part of no biting did you not understand when Benny explained the rules?!”

Pinkie tried to push back against Big Mac, but her efforts only made her back hooves slide across the stone floor as she yelled back.

“He said no biting below the belt!”

Benny had to separate these two and stepped in between them.

“Okay! Knock it off, both of you. And Pinkie, for Christ’s sake. I said no biting or hitting below the belt. I said that as two completely separate things. I didn’t mean it as no biting below the belt. There’s no biting at all...especially below the belt.”

All of Pinkie’s anger fell away, and the embarrassment of her mistake was written all over her face.

“Oh… Biting does work, though.”

Big Mac rolled his eyes and stepped away, “Of course it does. Benny’s not trying to teach us things we already know.”

It was apparent that tempers were flaring too high, and they were going to need a break. So, being that Benny was second in command here and he was conducting this training, it fell upon him to settle their squabbling.

“Thirty-minute break, Mac. Rest up, and we’ll go back to stick fighting for a while after we get back.”

As Big Mac stomped away to cool off and get a drink, Benny went over to console Pinkie.

“Pinks? What happened out there? We went over these moves yesterday, and you had it down pat. You were doing good until all of thirty seconds into your first round with Mac. Then you just let him throw you around.”

Pinkie squirted a torrent of water into her mouth from a sports bottle, gargled, spat it out, then turned back to Benny, looking more confused than angry.

“I did what you told me, BenBen. It was working at first, but the more I hit him, the less he felt it. After a while, it was hurting me to hit him.”

That seemed to match up to what Benny had watched, but he had thought she was pulling her punches.

“So then you tried to choke him out—”

“Yeah!” Pinkie shouted. “But no matter how hard I squeezed, he only got stronger!“

She suddenly looked embarrassed and started to tap her hooves together.

“So, I thought I would just bite him instead.”

Benny facepalmed while Pinkie sat and frumped on the floor, now questioning her previous misconceptions.

“I always thought Applejack was strong, and I could take her down no problem. But Big Mac is sooooo much stronger than Applejack.”

Starlight had led Chris up into the study. After a long day of working on her two projects, then stepping out to give her mind a rest, she was ready to show off and levitated a crystal towards them.

“So, first for the good news, I got this to show you.”

She dropped the crystal she had been working on into Chris’s hands.

Christ looked at the crystal that held the faintest traces of a flickering light.

“Cool, it glows… a little.”

“What?” Starlight took back the crystal in her aura, making it light up brightly. “Why did it—“

She suddenly realized a gross oversight on her part. Something that should have been obvious.

“Goddammit, sorry. I got the transfer spell to work, but you need a pony’s touch to work it, which you not only don’t have..." She eyed the crystal, then Chris again. "Your anti-magic fingers are going to stop it from working."

Chris grinned and shrugged, "Sorry?"

Starlight placed the crystal back on the desk and giggled. It wouldn’t matter so long as he kept her around to work it for him.

"It's fine, and I still need to work out some of the bugs in it. As far as I can tell, all the information is on there, but since there's so much information, I don't think my translation spell can keep up with all the processing you said the smartphone can do. But..."

She brought the CD player off the floor and set it on the desk. With a few soft strokes over it, she proudly showed off her results.

"It’s still some progress."

Chris noticed the small red LED light was dimly lit.

"Is it on?"

Starlight grinned, still embarrassed, this being the last bit of not-so-good news.

"A little?"

At least Chris could take solace in knowing that at least it wasn't a smoldering pile of regret and failure.

"Well, that’s still progress from what we saw with the vacuum cleaner."

Starlight brought up a small box with gems sticking out of it, and two wires clipped onto the prongs of the power cord.

"For some reason, your electronics need only a very small amount of electricity to work. The way I have these power gems set up is to cut the power down... which is only enough to turn the little light on. I'm getting closer to figuring out what ratio to go with, so it will work the right way. Once I get that figured out, we can up the scale to power your house."

Chris didn't understand what kind of magic was being used here, so he just smiled and nodded.

"Awesome. I can't wait for another movie night."

With that out of the way, Starlight quickly powered down the device and put everything away in a hurry.

Even faster, she returned to the desk to place her elbows down. She brought her chin down on her forehooves she folded over each other.

By God, did she ever look adorable posing that way. She was really trying to look as sexy as possible for Chris, which she was, but was still cute as hell.

"Soooo," she started with a cute voice that was begging for his attention. "How did it go tonight with Derpy?"

Chris rolled his eyes, still in disbelief about her approach and excitement about turning him into a player.

"You're killing me, Glimmy... but it was nice. I learned a lot about the postal system here."

She leaned closer with a smile that grew with the closing distance and started to wiggle her ass in anticipation.

"Are you gonna kiss and tell?"

She batted her eyes and pressed her lips to make a kissy face at him.

Chris, in turn, bopped her on the nose and grinned.

"You are going to get me in a world of trouble if you keep this up, ya know."

Starlight giggled and rounded the desk to nuzzle up to Chris.

"I don't think so. We're just having fun getting to know you better right now. So, come on, if you don't tell me, I'm just going to hear from the girls tomorrow."

Chris was still on a high from the night and gave in. That, and he just couldn’t say no to her, not when she was giving him that look.

"It was one small kiss. Short and sweet. That's all she wanted."

Starlight made a pouty face, still trying to be cute.

"Emmmm. What if I want a kissy?"

This was bait that Chris was more than willing to take, and leaned in close over the desk to Starlight's face, "Then, you need only ask."

Starlight grinned, loving how easy this was.

"Well, in that case, there’s something I need to say."

She started to move in for the kiss but moved at the last second and whispered in his ear.

"Somehow, a pipe in your bathroom mysteriously broke while you were away today. I moved your stuff upstairs next to mine. You should go check it out."

Chris pulled back to see if Starlight was pranking him and could see the 'Come and get me' look she was giving him. Then, he remembered the last comment Kelly made downstairs.

"Are you messing with—" He watched her wink and teleport out of sight. "—me?"

There's no way Starlight would have gone through all the trouble to manufacture a reason to move him closer to her room for the night.

Right?

Sure enough, upon leaving the study and walking back to where he remembered his room was, the door had a sign tacked on:

Chris read the sign a second time and then noticed the small pool of water he was standing in.

"Well, son of a bitch. Would ya look at that?"

Chris stopped at the door he remembered Starlight stayed in. He stopped to knock but remembered he was told to check out his new room, not hers.

Then, as if she was leading him closer, the next door down the hall cracked open. A dim light started to shine through, further drawing him in.

Thankfully, as expected, Chris took that as his hint to proceed and waltzed in like he knew he belonged there.

"Starlight?" Chris called out for her in the vacant room. "This is my room, right?"

The faint sound of Starlight's giggle rose up behind him with something extra in her voice that sounded mischievous.

"Oh, Chris?"

Chris turned around, curious to see what kind of game she was playing with him, but was greeted with two hooves thumping into his chest.

The force was just strong enough to knock him off balance and make him step back. However, only half a step back behind him was his bed.

With more than enough momentum pushing him back, he lost his balance and fell onto the mattress.

Not wanting to give him enough time to recover, Starlight pounced on her prey and held him down under her body weight. The look on Chris's face told her that she had rightfully frightened him, but behind the fear was anticipation and desire.

Thankfully, she was hoping this was something he would enjoy because she wasn't about to stop unless he demanded it.

As it turned out, after hearing of how much farther Cream Heart had gone with Chris, she had been daydreaming of having him alone again. Then, with the opportunity Derpy wasted, she was going to use his lack of action tonight as her excuse to play catch up.

Still on top of him and looking longingly in his eyes, Starlight ran a hoof down the side of Chris's face. She didn’t care about who was downstairs; they were busy. There were also no concerns about Twilight intruding on the moment. The only one on her mind was Chris and everything he could do to her... all the things he wanted him to do to her. Heck, just touching his skin felt like the sun's warmth on a summer's day had been turned into the richest of creams you could drink but fashioned into silk that was draped over him. If every inch of him felt this amazing, she wanted to be the first to find out what more there was to experience.

There was so much building up inside, and she hummed happily before breathing deep. His scent was rich and fragrant, like the champagne they had drank together. It was just as intoxicating but still bold, with a heavy musk and a hint of sea salt.

There was still more to him than that, though. Even his figure was something she loved to see. His bulky frame and all the softness that shrouded something much stronger than he led himself on to be.

She wanted more of him.

Finally, after a few seconds of admiring everything she could about him while holding him captive, she asked him in her most enticing voice, "Can I have a kiss?"

She lowered her lips closer to his, with no intention of avoiding him this time.

"I really want you to kiss me."

Her lips were so close to his that she could practically feel the static charge between them.

"Kiss me and hold me against you. I want to feel your hands all over me again."

There was no point in answering her question or any way of telling who moved to close the distance first. Neither could hold themselves back, nor would they try to restrain themselves from each other. Not after they had another taste of their passions were exchanged.

For Starlight, though, it was safe to say that she had grown a little jealous, if not envious. Some other mare had become more adventurous with her human stallion.

And while Chris was not her human stallion, per se, she saw him first, she loved him first, she kissed him first, and tonight she wanted to be the first to experience whatever the next step with him was going to be.

When they were together, she couldn’t help but treat him like he was her stallion.

Now to coax him into taking things further to whatever he wanted to show her they could do together.

First things first, though. It was time to try this new tongue trick Cream Heart was gushing over.

Remembering how it started, she opened her mouth wider and invited Chris in. When their tongues finally met, the sensation sent a warm tingle down from her head, fluttered in her chest, and then settled as a burning fire between her legs.

That final sensation reminded her of the last time they were like this and inspired her to recreate the scene on his new bed. She started to pull back and lead him up with her right fetlock behind his neck and broke off the kiss just long enough to tell him what she wanted.

“Sit up like you did on the couch. I want to do more of that thing we did last time again.”

“Hold on,” Chris requested in hushed anticipation. “Let me—“ He laid his back down on the mattress and lifted his hips. “—get these pants off. It’s not as good when they’re in the way.”

Chris got as far as unbuttoning his pants and working the zipper before Starlight's impatience took matters into her own hands… hooves… horn? Regardless, there was barely enough time for Chris to see the khaki fabric glow before they were off his legs and lost somewhere across the room.

All he wanted was a little less separating him from her grinding hips. But as she pulled him to her hungry lips and took her place on his lap, his cravings were breaking his will.

Only a thin layer of cotton separated her warm moist folds from his rigid member. Her desire to have him like this caused her dampness to seep through against his manhood.

His virtuous ideals were replaced with carnal instincts. Even for Starlight, the warmth from Chris's body, the feeling of the solid limb between his legs, robbed her of her moral guidance.

Sliding his cock up and down her slit and dragging it over her pubic mound was leaving her drunk in ecstasy.

It was as if the closer she was to him, and the fewer clothes that kept them apart, the greater the intensity she could experience. On top of his hands sliding across her back and sides or sliding against and gripping her ass and flanks, she didn't know how things could get much better. Nothing, save the taste of his longing for her as she forced her tongue to invade his mouth. It gave her such a thrill to feel him fight against hers for supremacy.

In their wild entanglement, the questions of what she knew about what they were doing were becoming obsolete. The small steps he had planned to take had become longer strides in his mind for what he wanted to do with her. She was supposed to tell him more about what she wanted. Just ask him where to touch her, how deep to go, or was she to forego the request and just make it happen?

That was what she was doing, wasn't it? She had been so shy and cautious with her words. Maybe her words only got in the way, and the way she was continuously escalating things was her way of seeing how much he wanted to do? Was she silently asking for him to take things further?

All of this mentality playing out in his head quickly devolved his mind over matter into the grind over his member. Then the silent debate ended with one final thrust of her hips against him that ended with a slow grind of her wet slit down his thinly covered shaft.

This could only end so many different ways, and Chris could wait no longer for her overcautious approach.

He parted from their deep kiss with a look of urgency.

"Starlight," he quickly gasped.

With sudden gasps, he could taste something new in the air. It was rich yet somewhat airy, not pungent, but still strong. It came in first like an over-ripened medley of fruit but held notes of something sour or tart. It was the kind of scent that pleased the soul and excited the mind. More so, it was the scent that told him what she wanted and drew him further from his sensibilities and closer to his primal urges.

The scent of Starlight's lust grew stronger; she wanted no interruptions and pleaded, "Please don't tell me to stop, Chris. "

She pressed the bridge of her muzzle against his lips and repeated the same trust, and slid against him while she whispered, "Please don't stop."

Chris sat farther upright and pulled her against him while thrusting against her and let his perversion and desperation direct his words.

"I don't want to stop, but—" He gripped her excessively stronger than needed, too aroused to control his strength. "But—"

He moved his hands under her forelegs and pushed them apart so they could see each other eye-to-eye.

"I'm so scared to do more." He looked deep into her eyes, frightened and begging for her acceptance. "I know you want more, and I want it to. Do you trust me?"

Was this necessary? Starlight wondered what he wanted. What could he ask for that she wouldn't give him at this point or have him offer that she wouldn't accept? Was this what he was talking about for how their relationship was supposed to work?

She couldn't think past wanting more of this and hoped if she just agreed, that's exactly what she would be given.

"This feels so good. I don't care how strange it is. I trust you. Just please don't stop."

She forced her way back into kissing him, soft at first, but quickly returned to her parting his lips open to allow her tongue to grind against his. There was no resistance from him, and so she started to rub her slick pussy against the saturated fabric of his boxers again.

She wanted to continue on this journey with him, but she had to satiate her impulsive instincts for at least a for more seconds.

Such a shame, though, she contemplated. It took Cream Heart to give him the courage to try more. How much better could this be if only Derpy hadn't limited her request to only a simple kiss?

This was it. There was no going back for Chris. The temptation was too strong. Her persistence had convinced him that she wanted this just as much as he did. Her pleading for him not to stop proved it.

With all the mental and physical strength he could muster, Chris forced his hands under Starlight's thighs and lifted her up.

He pulled her away from both his aching groin and their warring tongues. When she stared at him, confused, there was only a straightforward explanation to give.

"My boxers do need to come off. "

He removed his hands, dug his thumbs under his waistband, and pulled his boxers down as far as he could reach. His cock, slick with her fluids and glistened in the cool, open air. The cold sensation gave him a passing thought to stop and reconsider, but the radiant heat from her body robbed him of any sensibility and drove him forward.

Finally, with his convictions subdued, he reached under Starlight to spread her open and guided her down.

There was a moment of hesitation at the feeling of being so horrendously violated that she gasped. However, the sensation of his hands sliding against her most private parts left her a willing puppet in his control.

Then… it happened.

"Awwwweooooh," Starlight's voice arched sharply up into a soundless scream as the inner parts of her she never knew existed fell upon what Chris had kept hidden from her.

So many thoughts raced for answers in her mind, "This was… he… how? What? Why? Chris had just… Am I under a spell? Perhaps a potion? Why do I want this so bad?”

"Oh, fuck," Chirs's voice mirrored the myriad of unvoiced questions Starlight had left unsaid.

Starlight looked down between them. She could see his penis between her legs, parting the folds from under her tail.

It felt unreal and so unlike when she had been embarrassed by it happening against his clothes. Yet, she had enjoyed it enough that she was content being told it was natural. It had become remarkably better with his pants removed. So much more that she ignored the mess she made, but now flesh to flesh… it was—

"Chris," she could barely speak his name between the shuttering her body couldn't control and her faltered breathing. "This is—"

"We can stop if you want to," Chris told her, though everything about him begged that she wouldn't.

Starlight was so far in over her head. She was more than attached to Chris; with the feelings like these new ones he was showing her, she was addicted. More than that, she loved him, everything about him, and this only added to it. So much that even this unnatural act, something so embarrassingly horrid as rubbing their nether regions directly against each other, was something beautiful. It defied logic and all her understandings of magic, but with him, she wanted it.

Chris held her against him, his cock throbbing with the anticipation of further stimulation. He was standing on a dangerous line that demanded not to be crossed. He had to stop, but no… he was by all rights passed that point. There was no recourse for taking things this far. They would be forever tarnished.

"No," Starlight demanded, though it took all her willpower to speak and not simply let her body thrash upon him. "Don't... stop... please..."

For years, ever since Chris had discovered the fandom, he'd wanted this, or at least anything close to this. A fantastical, depraved dream come true. Now, all he had to do was make it work with second-hand knowledge of pleasing a woman based mainly on fan-written smut.

"Just hold on," He quietly instructed.

Bracing herself for what was about to happen, she felt Chris's left hand gently press against between her shoulders, pushing her chest to his. Then firmly, his right hand slid down to the base of her tail. His fingers parted and spread around both sides of her tail.

He gripped tightly around her butt and pulled her closer into him.

She did her best to follow his lead, but what she felt took her breath away, and her head fell limply over his shoulder.

Every moment of the motion she felt of the length of his cock sliding against her was beyond description. And yet, somehow, she felt as if she knew what to do. Some hidden knowledge was telling her body how to move with him and made her grind her hips against him even harder.

She continued to follow these silent demands until the progressively extenuating motions pushed the head of his cock into the peak of her mound. The end of his member engaged something in her. It felt like every high point she had felt with him before was being activated at once.

She gasped, and her knees locked tight with the jolt that overtook her. With every jolt that followed, her hips would rock forward and mash their bodies together. The feeling would peak, and her taut muscles relaxed, only for her to fall back against him. Every time she fell, it would trigger another burst of that wonderful sensation in a heavenly cycle of forbidden wonders.

As the motions continued, she became detached from her body moving on its own. She had no conscious control over them but felt the connection in her mind to limit or encourage their intensity.

The struggle to stop the air from dancing in her throat as she panted with every bounce urged her to pull back. This was not to be, as Chris's hand on her had fallen in rhythm, and knowing he was there to bring this on kept her willfully trapped in the blissful repetition.

Struggling in his own way, Chris was laboring with the bulk of Starlight's weight collapsed over his shoulder, with the remainder in his right hand. Not that he would have allowed his fatigue to allow this to end.

The carnal pleasures surging through him, feeling the hot, slick inner folds of her sex grinding against him, masked all the strain in his arms. Even the subtle huffs and airy gasps she drew in and out as her body bobbed in short gyrations were such a turn-on that hearing her was driving him closer.

The new sensations still left Starlight in a heavily altered state of mind. Throughout the autonomous responses she gave herself to, she noticed that her peaks of pleasure were starting to flare up in her with greater intensity. They had been since they started, but now there was an internal glow about them that was lasting longer. Even on the downward motion, the valleys didn't fall so shallow, and the return to the peaks came much faster.

Actually, it was her that was getting faster. She tried to slow herself, thinking she was accidentally falling out of sync with Chris. Yet, her body punished her with a decline in those beautiful sensations.

That wouldn't do, and she relaxed her control and willed her body back into a higher tempo. At least this time, Chris's hand noticed and was struggling with keeping pace.

Deep inside, there was a build-up that was radiating out. It made her heart race, and her short pants of breath drew in deeper, and her labored huffs came out stronger. This build-up was growing more intense with every bump and grind, making her hold tighter around Chris.

She started to flex her chin against his shoulder to relieve the stress on her legs for better control. The muscles in her started to flex, and she tightened her core so she could force herself against his ever-increasing gusto. Feeling over his back as she hugged him with the rising desire to show how much she loved and appreciated him.

Shortly thereafter, they reached the point her soft motions supported by him were no longer enough to maintain her growing enthusiasm.

She wrenched her legs around his, so her thrust would hit even harder as she overpowered her own instincts and forced her hips to work even harder. The illusion that she might lose all control was gone. She wanted more and now held the reigns.

"Emmn," She moaned as a particularly strong surge burst in her loins and ran up her back. "Thank you for this."

Chris held strong as she tightened her grip around him, attentive to her every adjustment and working her slit up and over his shaft.

He could feel how badly she wanted it, as she was so very wet. The cold sensation running down between his legs as it flowed ever-increasingly in their fervid embrace.

Then another moan enchanted him as the intensity of her motions started to grow into more of an act of her smashing her hips against him. It was like she was trying to force the entire length of his cock over the length of her demanding opening.

Chris knew enough to tell she was getting close and whispered to her, "Does that feel good?"

Despite her lack of any stable breathing, she softly crooked out, "Yes... yes... Chris... I feel like—"

"It's going to get—" Chris flinched as her motions worked him closer to climax. "—even better soon. You'll know it when you feel it. Just try to not be too loud, and do what you think feels best. It might—"

Starlight suddenly started to go limp, only to cling to him for dear life as she returned to work the most demanding point of her strides.

She whined a high-pitched squeak as she clenched her legs as tight as she could against his and violently mashed her pussy against his cock.

With renewed vigor, she continued crashing her hips against him in small trust, stroking his length against her convulsing sex until the head of his cock again found her clit, and she found herself lost in motions, willfully encouraging these mindless acts.

This was the strongest feeling yet. The build-up exploded and permeated through her body in an eruption of unworldly delights. Indescribable sensations flooded her body as profusely as the fluids flowing from it. She didn't care, though. This was natural, it was beautiful, and with Chris there, she lovingly embraced everything it was.

The sudden orgasm had caught Chris by surprise, and he was in a near panic to try and keep up with her chaotic motions. But all too quickly, his calls for making her first orgasm something romantic and beautiful were vanishing. She had been working his shaft so efficiently that he was teetering on the edge himself.

Again and again, she would grind her way up and thrust herself down in uncontrollable gyrations. Each time dragging her clit over the tip of his cock, catching it under its hood with electric results. Without pause, she was riding him out for all this was worth with little grunts and whines until the world around her faded, and her pleasure became the only thing she comprehended.

"I can't hold back," he warned her as he started to thrust against her in strides that fell out of sync to feed his own desires.

Just as she thought she had gotten into a rhythm, Chris whispered something into her ear. He was pressing himself against her as she had been doing against him, only more intensely. As he worked his shaft against her, it seemed to bring about another peak, and she wanted to scream madly as no words could express what she felt inside.

She repressed the need to proclaim these heavenly wonders. Still, her whines and subtle grunts became moans that could soon draw unwanted attention.

In a desperate attempt to subdue her voice from escaping, she made a move she could only hope wouldn't ruin this for her stallion.

As Chris worked himself ever closer to climax, Starlight pushed away from his chest just enough to return face-to-face and started to aggressively kiss him. One passionate whine erupted into a reverberating moan as soon as she worked her tongue past his lips. She could taste his desires as sweaty as she could feel her own.

The shot of extra stimulation ran through his core and sent him over the edge. He hugged her body tight against him with crushing force. His orgasm forced him to thrust without caution or regard against her, coating her breast and belly with his seed.

It was magic, a divine gift from the beautiful creature who had lured him into this embrace. In the raw, ecstasy was what he felt as he moaned with her invading tongue as it lapped along the width of his.

They slowly fell back into rhythm, his cock pulsing against her slit, her outter lips quivering and clenching around him. Their gyrations slowed, the rough and drawn-out strides eased, and the last bit of his spunk squeezed out of him by her quivering snatch.

As Starlight's climax started to fade, Chris pulled back one final time. He dragged the tip down into her lower lips coarsely and ground up under her clitoral hood. He forced one last whimpering whine and reflexive trust against him.

They had continued to kiss as the afterglow set in, their passion and desperation to stop the intensity from leaving them.

Sadly, with the adrenalin burning out and their exhausted breaths interrupting the kisses they were fumbling through, Starlight parted away with a curiously sad look in her eyes. His body had relaxed, and his stiffness softened between them, leaving her to wonder what had changed.

"Do we have to stop?"

Welp, it finally happened... 680,000 plus words, 58 chapters, 10 days in-story passing, constant hints and flirts... and Cerb finally realized that Rarity and Fluttershy have a thing for him-I mean someone got laid. Jesus Christ...

Okay, okay. So! A proper recap. Cerb, Flutters, and Diamond Thighs aren't out of the woods, yet. Though there is are some questions as to what will happen when they leave the woods and return to the many comforts of Ponyville or the seclusion being offered in the Crystal Empire? Then again, who isn't getting close and comfortable these days?

Then of course... Derpy... I apologize for those who may feel some kind of way about how things ended of her date. We will come back to her, don't you worry.

Then again, how many other girls are there waiting for their turn with Chris? However, Starlight technically didn't even have a date yet. Does that make her lucky or greedy?

What else was there? Oh, yes. Becky and Kelly chilling with the guards and Spike. That was fun. Anyone else ever play euchre? I love that game.

Oh, of course, can't forget all the fun and shenanigans with Lumberman and ole Apple Hat. He's really getting accustomed to the apples.

Lastly, what is Benny doing training Pinkie?

... okay, the last thing is certainly Chris finally crossing that line with Starlight. I know who you are. Don't lie.

So, stick around to find out what happens in the aftermath in chapter 60. The Fear of What Follows After.