obvious continuation of the last chapter, so after S9 E5, (Uprooted.)

“Okay,” Midnight managed, eyes darting around. “What is it?”

Soarin sighed. “I don’t want to upset you,” he told her.

She sighed and made herself more comfortable. “My friend is a huge fan of yours. You don’t think she’s ever talked about what great friends you seemed of how you two would make a good couple?”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “I keep forgetting that.”

She didn’t say anything and a slightly awkward silence settled over them.

“Dash and I were really good friends for a while,” Soarin started. “And then one day, after we had been in a bit of an argument for a couple weeks, she came here and we apologized. We ended up hanging out and~”

“Soarin... I don’t want to be rude, but I don’t want to hear your whole story about you and her,” Midnight said quietly. “Please.”

He sighed, understanding where she was coming from. “Okay, so basically, we slept together. And then we finally confessed that we liked each other. I had liked her for a year and a bit.

Wincing as he heard Midnight’s sharp intake of breath, he continued, “So for about... six months we had a fling. No official relationship, but we really liked one another, and spent a lot of time together.”

“So you... slept together more than once?”

He bit his lip. “Yeah, we did.” And I still want to again.

“But... it’s over?” she asked, finally gathering the courage to look at him again.

Unfortunately. “Yes,” he confirmed and gave a hopefully convincing smile. “It’s over. It was over before I met you,” he lied. Technically, it was. But also technically, it was not. Because they had slept together again. But he would not say that.

Midnight hesitantly placed a hoof on his. “I don’t want to be pushy... but I saw the way she looked at you a couple times this evening... And the way you looked at her, Soarin. Like you were someone she would do anything to protect.”

He hoped the darkness hid the blush on his cheeks. Did Dash still care about him as he did her? He hated himself for hoping so, especially when a different mare was in his home.

“Dash and I took our time and we’ve agreed to be work friends,” he found himself saying. “She is somepony I care about, and we do have a history,” Soarin pointed out. “But we, or at least Idon’t feel that way about her anymore,” he lied once again. You liar. You awful, horrible liar. “She’s just a friend and my teammate.” He said this more for himself then for Midnight’s benefit.

After a couple more minutes of silence, her mouth appeared in front of his. “Soarin, thank you.”

“For what?” he whispered against her mouth, brushing their lips together. It didn’t feel right. He wanted somepony else, but it was still nice.

“I’m not always the most confident,” she admitted, hooves hooking around his neck. “I’m not like Rainbow Dash or Spitfire or Rarity~”

Soarin pressed a wingtip to her mouth. Even if what she was saying was true, he didn’t want her to talk bad about herself. “Shush. You’re you. And I like you, Midnight Star.” He smiled and kissed her again. “I like you just the way you are.”

She smiled back and let him press his lips to her shoulder. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” he said huskily. Would they go all the way tonight? Maybe sex would get his mind off a certain cocky pony.

They made out for a few more minutes, hooves slowly exploring while a couple quiet moans escaped their lips. This was nothing like kissing Dash— this was slow and repetitive. Nice, but amazing? No.

“I,” she panted and drew away. “Not yet,” she whispered. “Just... not yet, okay?”

He nodded, still a little disappointed. He wanted to forget everything and have a night of fun with the mare he liked. Soarin stroked her mane and placed a kiss on her cheek. “Okay. Come on, let’s go to sleep.”

She stood up and looked up his staircase. “You’re going to your room?”

He blinked. “You want to stay down here or in a spare room?” Truthfully, he wanted her in the same bed as him. Even if they just slept soundly next to one another, it would be comforting.

“Well, if you want me to...”

She was definitely shyer, but that made her cute in her own way. He realized he might have had to take more of the reigns. “Personally? I would like you to stay with me,” he confessed and joined her at the bottom of the staircase. “But if you aren’t comfortable with that, then~”

He paused when a grin lit up her green eyes. He missed magenta. No, no you don’t.

He did.

“I’d like to stay with you.”

A nice feeling washed over him. “Good. Come on.”

Midnight followed him up the stairs and into Soarin’s room, that was kept nicely organized partly due to the fact that he wasn’t there very often.

“There’s hardly anything in here,” she exclaimed.

He shrugged and walked over to the dark blue bed. “I’m here maybe one or two weeks at the most every month. So...”

“Workaholic, huh?”

He chuckled and got into bed. “Something like that.”

Midnight climbed in on the other side. “I can relate. Honestly, I’m so tired from work today, so many...”

Soarin smirked and turned to face her. “Stuck up ponies?”

She cringed slightly before nodding a little and laying her head on the pillow. “A little.”

“Ah don’t worry, you’re different.” He smiled. Soarin remembered all the times he did this with Dash. All the nights they’d stay up talking and laughing. They could discuss anything and voice their opinions and even if they had a different point of view, it would be alright.

And just for a moment, he let himself pretend that she was there, brushing her wings along his side as he made up some ridiculous story that she played along to. Celestia did he miss her. No, no you don’t. He just had to lie to himself. Because they were done and moving on and work friends who talked about the weather.

Midnight yawned and kissed him. She tasted strongly of grapes. “Goodnight, Soarin.”

“Night Soar,” she mumbled into his ear.

“Goodnight, Star.”

She fell asleep before him, and in his heart, Soarin knew this wasn’t right.