takes place after S9 E6, (Common Ground.)

“Oh, hey Clipper,” Dash greeted, walking into the room they all shared. She set her things down and walked over to him.

He looked up from the newspaper he was reading and nodded. “Hey Crash. How’d the buckball game go?” he asked.

She grinned wildly. “Well, AJ couldn’t come this time, so she asked me to check out some museum dedicated to the sport. And, guess who I ran into!”

He inwardly did a ‘d’aww’ at her excitement. She was too adorable sometimes, not that he would ever tell her.

“Oh please, Soarin. I am not a cute pony.”

“You are, Dashie, like it or not,” he teased.

“Hmm... Wind Rider? Princess Celestia? Miss Harshwhinny? Discord?” he rattled off.

She chuckled. “Quibble Pants.”

The guy who she had bonded and gone on a crazy awesome adventure with? Why couldn’t it be somepony Dash didn’t like? Why did it have to be her guy friend who she enjoyed hanging out with?

“How’s he?” he asked instead.

“Well, he showed up because his marefriend’s daughter is totally into sports. He got me to try and help turn him into some kind of athlete.” She snickered and looked at him with those beautiful eyes. “Lemme tell ya, total lost cause. For pony’s sake, he’s be just as bad, if not worse than Rarity. And that’s saying something.”

He was lost in his thoughts as a small pinch of relief set in. Dash’s good friend who she had bonded with and liked to spend time with had a marefriend?
Yes! I mean, damn, they’d be cute. Oh shut up, you don’t mean that at all.
He never used to be the stallion who talked to himself.

A cyan hoof was in front of his eyes a second later. “Uh, Soarin? You good?” Dash’s raspy voice asked, snapping him back to reality.

Shaking his head and blinking rapidly, he nodded. “Yeah, yeah. Sorry. So uh, her daughter like him now or no?”

“Eventually, not at first though. His first attempt to bond with her was getting her a sport’s almanac.”

He finally cracked a smile. “I’m sure his daughter was so very impressed,” he told Dash, voice full of sarcasm.

She played right back and did a little sexy wink. “You bet. Every young filly’s dream to own one,” she joked. They both smiled contently at one another, a little sigh even escaping Soarin’s mouth as he looked at her.

Her mane actually brushed, her cyan coat was clean and bright, and oh lord, still, those eyes got him every darn time. Pretty, shimmering in the faint glow of the sun.
Rainbow Dash was gorgeous.

Realizing he’d been admiring her, he tore his gaze away and stood up. “So, uh, the weather’s great today, huh?”

“The weather? You know we weren’t— oh,” she gave a coy smile. “Yes, absolutely awesome.”

Checking the time and seeing it was 4, he gave a little squeak. “Horse feathers,” he muttered and grabbed his bag.

“Woah, what’s the rush?” she asked.

“Ah, gotta fly down and grab a train to Canterlot. I’m meeting Midnight since I haven’t seen her in a couple weeks.”

Dash’s smile unmistakably faltered and she gave a nod . “Okay, have fun.”

He nodded at her before flying out the door.

“Okay, okay, I know it isn’t Hoof’s Galore, but you’ll like it here, I promise,” Soarin said eagerly and uncovered Midnight’s eyes, revealing a Saddle Arabian themed restaurant.

Midnight tilted her head glanced back at him. “The Tasty Treat?”

Soarin began walking forward. “Yeah, has Rarity ever mentioned it to you? Her and Pinkie Pie apparently helped save them from going out of business by reuniting the father and daughter, Coriander and Saffron,” he explained and opened the door for her.

As soon as they stepped in, they were hit by the delicious aroma of food, specifically curry, soups, and other heavenly spiced dishes.

“No, actually, she hasn’t,” Midnight said. “I’ve heard of it though, but I guess I just never got around to it, even though Copper keeps begging me to go with her, I guess I don’t have the time these days,” she sighed. “But we’re here now.”

Dash would have made time for her friends, he thought. Her friends were the most important ponies in her life. Oh stop it, Star’s busy. She still cares. She cares. She’s very sweet. And sweet ponies care.

“Hello, welcome to The Tasty Treat! Table for two?” a pale tangerine coloured unicorn with a curly purple mane questioned. Suddenly, her eyes widened. “Soarin of The Wonderbolts? It’s great to have you here again. Are you here with Rainbow— oh, hi,” she said sheepishly and waved at Midnight. “Sorry. I’m Saffron.”

Midnight nodded. “Midnight Star. Nice to meet you.”

He chuckled awkwardly. “It’s nice to see you too, and as usual, can you... keep me being here on the down low?”

“Oh, of course,” she replied. “Follow me.” She lead them to a round table in a corner of the restaurant and placed two colourful menus in front of them. Once they were seated, she started speaking. “I’ll be back in ten minutes to take your order, but can I start you off with any drinks?”

Midnight shook her head and motioned to the water that was already there. “I’m okay with water, thank you.”

“Me as well,” Soarin agreed.

“I’ll be right back with that.”

After she was gone, the two looked at their menus while holding a conversation. “How’d you know about Pinkie Pie and Rarity helping this place out?” Midnight asked, taking a sip of the water.

“Hmm? Oh, Dash told me,” he explained. “Me and some of the team have all been here since she told us.”

“Including just you and Rainbow Dash, huh?” his marefriend noted, a harshness to her tone he had never heard before.

Biting his lip, Soarin set the menu down and stared daggers at Midnight until she looked at him as well. “Come on, Star, me taking you here has nothing to do with me and Rainbow Dash.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Really?”
He had never seen her become annoyed so quickly. Well, he’d never seen her annoyed before at all.

Kinda, yeah. “Yes,” he said seriously. “I’ve been here with Spitfire, Wave Chill, Surprise, everypony. I was even visiting Fire Streak here the last time I was in Canterlot. It’a not some special place where Dash and I spent all our time together while sharing a milkshake from the same glass.” Huffing, he reached for his menu and resumed reading. He was trying with Midnight and while he knew jealousy was normal and understandable, he felt a little annoyed with her doubting him. She has a right to be, his conscious pointed out.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I hate coming off as jealous.”

Deciding that he wanted the Dahl, Soarin placed his menu on the table and looked at her again. “It’s okay. I- I understand.”

Midnight bit her lip. “Really, I shouldn’t have. Rainbow’s your friend and I should trust you.”

“Yes, but I get it. I work with the girl I used to really like.”

“Yeah but you don’t anymore, which means I shouldn’t have said that,” she argued.

“Seriously, Midnight, it’s okay~”

“No it isn’t.”

“Yes it is.”

She narrowed her eyes. “No.”

“Yes,” he interjected, copying her action.

When she didn’t respond with a ‘no’, Soarin opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted with Saffron coming back. “Have you two decided yet?”

“Oh, I’ll have the lentil Dahl please,” Soarin told her, folding up the sheet up paper.

“Me too,” Midnight said, also giving back the menu.

Saffron nodded, jotting down the orders. “Okay, sounds good. Your food will be ready in about fifteen to twenty minutes.”

“Thank you,” Midnight told her kindly as she walked away.

Soarin faced Midnight and grinned. “So, how ‘bout we just forget that little spat?” he suggested.

“Absolutely,” she replied, grinning as well.

“You liked it, right?” Soarin questioned now back at Midnight’s classy home. It didn’t have much and was mainly made up of white, with a pink or golden colour poking out somewhere. He found himself reminiscing of Dash’s home, which was so her and filled up with memories and love.

“Obviously. I ate the whole thing,” she said, moving closer to him.

He chuckled. “True.”

The two just stared at one another for some time, before Star came close and whispered into his ear, “You know, it’s been a couple weeks and now that we’re official, maybe we could get to know one another more... intimately,” she breathed, sending a spark of pleasure up Soarin’s spine.

Letting out a breath, he gave her mischievous smile and sauntered over to her room, turning his head. “Let’s go.”

She was in there with him a moment later and she nudged Soarin onto the bed, and happily let him roll over on top of her while their mouths met, exchanging what should have been heart quickening hot kisses. But he only felt pleasure from the act of her soft lips pressed against his, and not of the emotional connection he was making. He had never really had an emotional connection when having sex with mares, and he was always okay with that, until a certain somepony came and changed his mind...

He remembered their conversation earlier and wished that he was back there, talking about the weather, no matter how boring that topic was. He just wanted to be in her presence. After all this, he still missed her with a jagged pain that had him gasp when Midnight used her magic to flip them over and began to kiss his neck and all the way down to his stomach.

Despite Soarin’s thoughts of somepony else, his body still reacted positively, and he did his best to focus on Midnight, who was coming closer and closer to his penis, waiting for it to go fully erect before she pressed her mouth onto it. Coming back to the present, Soarin felt a little tingle and tried to let himself relax, wrapping his hooves around Midnight’s neck as she quickly started to suck him off. Her warm mouth and tongue slid up his dick smoothly and she pumped him, while Soarin began to really feel the overwhelming sensations and laid his head back, hips thrusting.

“Midnight,” he moaned. At least he said the right name.

Dash was the best he would ever have, but that didn’t stop Soarin’s marefriend from being amazing at giving a hot blowjob.

“I‘ve wanted to do this for a while,” she admitted shyly, coming back up and smiling at him, bits of pre-cum dripping from her mouth.

“You’ve kept me waiting long enough,” he mused, staring at her.

She grinned and licked her lips. “Not anymore.” With that, she ducked her head down again and quickly took him into her mouth, pacing herself so she could readily take all of him.

She sucked slowly at first. Soarin knew it was Midnight Star giving him this amazing feeling, this pleasurable, tingling sensation that would soon have him gasping. It was Midnight Star whom he had met and once made him forget about Dash. Who owned a successful jewelry business and was fun and sweet and and shy relatively easy to get along with. The unicorn mare that liked him and he could happily go on dates with.
The mare that did not drive him crazy and fill him with adoration and a wanting to be around her all the time.

“You like that?” Midnight cooed and went right back to swishing her tongue around the backside of his penis.

“Mmhmm,” he ground out, jerking his hips to the movement.

Midnight Star was the mare who did not turn him on and bring out his lustful side.

And so for the last few moments of her hard work, Soarin did a slutty thing and let himself imagine that he was with Rainbow Dash.

“Oh, oh god...” he moaned. “Yes, yes... fuck yes!” he yelped, his hips jerking up as ejaculate a hot out and down the pink pony’s throat.

It was Rainbow, Rainbow who had just sucked him off and was gazing up at him with a sultry smirk, about to flirt with him and make him smile.

“You go into cardiac arrest or something, Soar?” she teased, crawling back up his body. “I get it if you did, but I’m not finished yet.”

“How was that?”

His brain paused. Right.
Not Dash.
Midnight.

Soarin managed a grin. After all, the feeling in his loins was great and she had created it. “Let me give you something in return,” he said cheekily.

Her green eyes narrowed as she pressed a hard kiss to his mouth. “Maybe later. Right now,” she whispered into his ear. “I want you inside.” She grinned as she gently placed him back laying down on the bed and expertly mounted him, pelvises touching.

“I... can’t complain about that now, can I?” Soarin grinned. “But you are letting me pay you back.”

“Can’t wait,” she quipped.

It was silent for a moment. And then her flank rose up and she adjusted her bottom so her wet marehood circled along his cock, making him bite his lip with anticipation. “I gotta warn you, Star, I’m not very patient in the bedroom.”

She giggled and with another breath, let herself drop and her warm walls slid over him in one quick motion.

“Oh,” she moaned as she expanded to allow all of him in.

He was lying down and looking at her, her pale pink coat flushed and her white curled mane tilted back, eyes fluttering. Not right, not right, not right. He ignored that sense and coyly smiled up at Star, trying to feel in his head what his muscles felt.

Then her hips began to move, and he sighed, the goodness washing over him like a wave. Sex was still great and Soarin lost himself, closing his eyes and sighing. “Oh!”

Her riding became harder as she increased her pace, bringing herself down and letting their crotches slap wetly in a nice rut hum, daring to go faster and faster. “Oh shit, shit, Soarin.”

Did she...have no hold? A part of him felt cocky for making her feel good so quickly as she pounded onto him harder and harder, showing no signs of slowing down.

He closed his eyes as part of his brain began to explode slowly, images of him and Dash coming to mind.

“Come on, Soar, harder,” she moaned, biting her lip.

He picked up his pace, thrusting deeper and smirked when he felt her walls began to clamp down. Dash. Dash whom he loved and adored.

Soarin opened his eyes wearily and glanced up to see the mare on top of him. She was not Dash. Not Dash, not Dash, not Dash. He sucked in some air. Not right, not right, not right. This was not right. He couldn’t do this.

“Midnight,” he panted.

“Yes?” she breathed.

He sighed and forced himself up, ignoring the splendid feeling. “Please stop.”

She didn’t but slowed a little and tilted her head. “What? Why?”

“I— Just, please stop and get off,” he repeated.

Her movements stopped and she climbed off, a confused and embarrassed expression on her muzzle. “I thought you were enjoying it... did I offend you?”

Standing up shakily, Soarin shook his head and smiled faintly. “No, not at all.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

His stomach filled with nerves as he thought of what to say. He was never the best liar, only capable of it convincingly on occasions. Like when he said he was over Dash. “It didn’t feel right.” He spoke clearly.

His heart lurched at the crestfallen look she gave him, hurt and frustrated tears coming to her eyes. “I- I don’t understand.”

“I’m sorry,” he said sympathetically. He didn’t want to hurt her, never wanted to. But he was.

A few tears fell. “Is it me?”

He shook his head. “I...”

“If it really isn’t me, then what is it? You? Just not in the mood? Or were you thinking of somepony else?”

His mouth was open to try to explain, but as she asked the last one, he shut it.

Her face changed to an angry one. “Somepony else. You were thinking of another pony.”

“What? No, I~”

“Don’t lie to me. It was Rainbow Dash, wasn’t it?” She glared and those green eyes didn’t seem so cute anymore.

Soarin sighed. He had to say no. He needed to be over Dash. “Seriously, Midnight, it wasn’t.”

“Every time you mention her... there’s some look in your eye or some smile that doesn’t appear when you talk about any other female,” she accused. “You still like her. Don’t you?” She took a step towards him, daring Soarin to answer.

Deny, deny, deny. “No.”

She scoffed. “Unbelievable,” she muttered.

“You have to trust me, I wasn’t thinking about her,” he protested. Don’t trust me, Star.

“Please leave.”

That was fast.

He blinked. “What?”

“Go. Stay somewhere else. Go be with your one true love,” she snapped.

He glowered. “I came all the way here to see you.”

“Oh don’t get angry with me,” she hissed. “Now please. Leave.”

Soarin stopped arguing and backed down. He had no right to be angry at her. She was right in every way. And it was upsetting him that no matter how many mares he dated or liked, he would never seem to get completely over Rainbow Dash.

“Alright,” he agreed. “But this isn’t over.” He walked towards the bedroom window and opened it up. “Because I really do care about you.”

Needing to blow off some steam, he started the long journey back to Headquarters.