continuation of last chapter, so takes place after S9 E6, (Common Ground.)

“So... basically you told her to stop mid sex?” Fleetfoot asked again.

Soarin gulped down some cider. “Yep.”

“Because it didn’t feel right,” Wave repeated.

The noise of the bar drowned out their conversation to any other ponies. “Yep,” Soarin confirmed, finishing his drink.

“Why are you with her again?” Spitfire questioned, downing her drink as well.

Soarin had flown all the way back to Cloudsdale after the awful incident with Midnight Star. Since they didn’t have practice the next day, he had flown straight to the bar where he knew his teammates would be and had taken a place right next to Wave Chill, ordering an apple cider.

Getting more frustrated as the night carried on, Soarin had started talking quietly to Wave, and eventually Fleetfoot and Spitfire too, while the other ‘Bolts had headed home or back to HQ. Dash had stayed with them, enjoying some non-alcoholic cider as she was the team’s watch out for the night, making sure everypony got home safely.

“Hmm? I don’t know...” Soarin sighed and cast a glance at Dash, who had brought Fluttershy along and was talking to her. “I liked her. I thought she was cute. After our... our first date, she kind of made me forget about Dash for couple minutes. And she’s my marefriend and I care about her.”

Wave patted his back. “Not like you care about Crash.”

“No,” he agreed sourly. “I still love her.”

“Obviously,” Fleet muttered and Spitfire elbowed her.

“Look, Soarin, maybe we should get out of here. Get some sleep,” Spitfire suggested.

He shook his head. “No, I wanna stay here.”

“I’m going, I’m exhausted,” Fleetfoot said. “I’ll see you later, Clipper.”

After blinking a few times, Soarin nodded and placed his chin on the counter. “Okay.”

“Guess we’ll stay here,” Spit muttered.

Wave shook his head and gave his girlfriend a squeeze. “Nah, I’ll watch him for a bit. You go with Fleetfoot.”

“You sure?” Spitfire tilted her headed. “I don’t mind.”

Wave smirked. “Me either. Go on, I’ll see you soon.”

She nodded her fiery head sleepily and headed to the door, without bidding Soarin a goodbye.
“I’m here Clipper,” Wave said and sat beside his friend.

Soarin, finished with the drinks but too lazy to move, just nodded solemnly and the two friend sat in silence, music playing around them.

It was two in the morning, and Wave had long left. So had Fluttershy. Dash had finally convinced Soarin to get out and now the two were sitting together on the side of a cloud road.

“What happened? Why aren’t you with Midnight Star?” Dash asked him eventually.

Rubbing his temples, Soarin let out another sigh. He seemed to sigh a lot these days. “You don’t want to know.”

“Yes I do,” Dash insisted. “That’s why I asked.”

Soarin looked over her slightly blurry figure. He could only make out her large, concerned eyes. “Seriously, Rainbow Dash, I don’t think you do,” he pressed back.

“Soarin, we’re friends. Work friends. We discuss the weather and help each other with our problems.” She nudged him a little. “You can tell me.”

Dash was a stubborn mare. Especially when it came to ponies she cared about, and Soarin knew that, despite his foggy mind. He had to get used to being work friends. “We were having a good time, I took her out to dinner and everything,” he started slowly.

“Alright,” she said patiently.

“And then we went back to her house and we were kissing. She gave me a blowjob.” He cringed when he heard Dash slowly exhale and bite her lip. “And then we were doing it and I told her to stop.”

Dash took another breath. “You told her to stop?”

“Yes.” He nodded.

“Why?” she murmured very quietly.

“I was tired and not feeling it,” he lied. This was necessary. He couldn’t tell his work friend it was because he had wanted to be doing her instead. That was inappropriate. “Anyway, she was convinced that it was because I was thinking of somepony else.”

“Were you?” Dash was never one to beat around the bush. Usually. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that right now.

“No,” he lied again with a dismissive tone. “But,” he added, “She thought I was thinking about you.”

Letting out a nervous chuckle, Dash coughed a few times. “You told her that wasn’t true, right?”

“Obviously, because it wasn’t,” he told her shakily. “But she wouldn’t believe me. Told me to leave.”

“Huh.”

“Yeah.”

Again, they sat in a silence, Dash tapping her hoof while Soarin got up and paced around.

Finally, she said, “I’ll talk to Midnight.”

He looked up. “What?”

She shrugged and smiled. “I’ll talk to her. Tell her that it was just a fling.”

“I already told her that,” he grumbled.

Dash’s lips parted. “You... told her?”

He shrugged. “Just that we used to like each other and we had a six month fling.” He tried to make it sound like it was no big deal.

She nodded slowly. “Right. Okay. Look, Applejack asked me to come along with her to Manehattan to see Coloratura and her aunt and uncle. If Midnight’s there, I’ll go talk to her.”

“Really Dash?” he asked hopefully. Truthfully, Soarin wasn’t sure about his relationship with Midnight.
But he figured he should not give up just yet.

“Yeah. You like her, don’t you?”

He bit his lip and then shook his head. “Yeah, I do.” He did. He genuinely did. Midnight was sweet and funny, a good kisser, and classy. Everything a stallion looked for usually. She treated him well and was very considerate, while usually managing to be confident. But how he liked her was just a crush— and usually once ponies saw the not so great side, their crushes faded. Maybe that’s why he would learn to be okay if things didn’t work out. “But you don’t have to. I should try myself.”
Things were confusing. He was talking to the one he loved about fixing a relationship with the one he didn’t love… Soarin thought that punching dummies and eating pie sounded like a good activity for tomorrow. Even if he had a hangover. Well, at least he had plans. Sad plans, but plans nonetheless. Spit was right, I am a loser.

“Soarin,” she said softly, coming closer to him. “You deserve to be happy. And she seems really nice. So I’m gonna talk to her, whether you like it or not,” Dash insisted.

Despite it all, he found himself smiling. No pony was like her. I adore you, he thought. “Why are you doing this, Dash?”

She chuckled and began to fly in the direction of HQ. “Because we’re friends.”