Procrastination

Procrastination

Chapter 2—You Can’t Handle the Truth

The inside of The Colt Club was painted a light purple, and the dim lights cast faint shadows on the walls, flickering like an old-style movie. On the left were tables with green leather cushions, the kind that squeaked when somepony sat on them. Scattered here and there, mares were sitting at those tables, chatting while sharing hay fries with fruity drinks. On the right was a bar with a working bartender with an obviously dyed mane. At the bar sat many stallions, also with fruity drinks. To the back was a dance floor, bathed in darkness save for the hundreds of multicolored lights on the floor, on the ceiling, and rotating and flashing with different patterns on the walls. Ponies—mostly colts—danced on the floor, most by themselves, others with a partner (or for the more promiscuous ones, three). Even from outside, the heavy bass of the music could be heard. It might have been the fruity drinks, or perhaps the perfume worn by the mares and some of the stallions, but there was an unmistakable scent of coconut in the air—the kind that was overpowering if one stood too close to its source.

Sitting on one of the blue barstools was a red stallion with a green apple for a cutie mark. The bartender mixed him a hard apple cider. Next to him, a gray pegasus with a thundercloud cutie mark ordered the same.

“So what did you want to know?” the gray one asked.

“This is kinda embarrassin’…”

“It’s okay. We’re friends, right? I mean c’mon…I told you like…everything back in service…”

“Alright. Do y’all know anythin’ about…?” the red stallion leaned in close, “love-makin’?”

“Er…you mean sex? Yeah…I think so…” He raised an eyebrow.

“Can ya teach me?”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Mac…I got a fillyfriend…and she would probably turn me into an orange if I did anything like that…”

“Ah meant…like…just explain it…”

“Can’t you look it up…?”

“Ah uh…Ah’d like to stay away from the library as much as Ah can.”

“Still awkward?”

“Eeyup.”

“Okay…well…I guess I could teach you.”

“Really? You’re the first one to say yes. Everypony else says Ah should figure it out myself. Thank ya, Thunderlane.”

He shrugged. “I’m special like that. So, the first thing is—wait…Do you want the nice colt version or the dirty colt version?”

“Uh…” Mac stared blankly.

“Well, Caramel’s more sensitive than a filly in estrus, so probably the nice colt version…”

“He ain’t that sensitive.”

“Sure…” Thunderlane winked. He shook out gray hooves and cricked his neck. “So basically, start with the mood. Make sure it’s…romantic? He’s uh…he’s more of the lovey-dovey type, ain’t he? Gotta have the mood before you get the goods.”

“Thunderlane.”

“Oh…sorry…”

“Ah just need the details on the actual…ya know…how do ya do it? Ah just wanna make sure he’s not hurt.”

“Okay…” He took a sip from his apple cider. “Start by…exploring each other. Get…passionate? I guess? That’s probably a good word with it. I should probably start paying attention to Twilight’s vocabulary lessons on our dates…”

“How do Ah do that?”

“Oh Celestia…” Thunderlane face-hoofed. “I really gotta teach you everything, huh?” The gray pegasus put his hooves on the red stallion’s shoulders and slowly slid them down. “Like that. Just…do things with your hooves until he moans. That works.”

“Okay…”

“Then, as things really start getting heated, you go for the cock. Like…just go for it…do what you want…”

“Er…” Mac blushed, turning his cheeks a deeper red.

“This thing here, buddy,” Thunderlane said with a smirk, poking his hoof at the special area between Macintosh’s haunches.

Macintosh closed his hind-legs. “Ah get it.”

“Then, you…Well, I’m guessing you’re dominant, so I guess then you penetrate him.”

“Penetrate?”

“Yeah…stick your love rod into his love tunnel. He’ll love that and scream for it. And you, too…” he added hastily.

“Anythin’ else Ah need to know?”

“Oh definitely, yes. For the love of Luna, use lube. If you don’t, he’ll scream so loud, he’ll wake up Fillydelphia.”

“Ah thought you said screamin’ was good?”

“Uh…other type…”

“Er…could ya explain to me more on that stuff about…everythin’?”

“Oh Celestia, I’m sorry, Mac. This stuff…you just can’t teach. I’m sorry, but you just have to learn it for yourself, okay? You gotta have experience. That’s just it.”

“Where do Ah get experience?”

“With your coltfriend! Go and…mate with him until he can’t move. That’s what I’d do with him if I were you.”

Macintosh glared at him. “Can Ah…practice with you? Like the stuff before pentation?”

Thunderlane groaned. “Fine. But no touchy the special areas. This is all reserved for Twily.” He made circular motions with his hoof in front of those areas.

The red stallion rolled his eyes. “Ah know. Just for practice.”

Thunderlane got up from his stool and stood in front of the stallion. He began sashaying his hips like a filly, swinging them from side to side so that his tail whipped around. He batted his eyelashes and held his hoof close to his chest. “Hey there, Mac…Wanna make me yours tonight?”

“Er…sure…Caramel…” Macintosh put his right hoof on Thunderlane’s shoulder. Closing his eyes tightly, he slid it down slowly until it hit the pegasus’ abdomen.

Thunderlane jerked away. “Okay, I’m sorry. This is just so awkward.”

“You’re right. Ah feel…dirty…” He looked at his hoof with disdain.

“Yeah. Do it with your coltfriend. Do what feels…right…Just go and have fun with him, okay? You’ll figure it out. It’s not hard.”

“Okay. Thanks, Thunderlane.”

Macintosh turned to leave.

“Hey Mac?” the pegasus called out.

He turned around.

Thunderlane saluted firmly, bringing his right hoof up to his forehead.

Macintosh smiled and returned the gesture before stepping through the open door into the night. He sniffed the cool air, glad to be in an environment without the sickly stench of coconut. He heard some mares chatting as they walked down the street next to him. They giggled when they spotted him. A cat mewed in the alleyway behind, probably looking for its own dinner. The slight breeze made him shiver, but looking into Luna’s moon, he found warmth—enough to journey back to Caramel’s home to apologize.

Celestia’s sun was slowly setting, and only part of the golden orb glowed half-heartedly above the horizon. Caramel waited thirty seconds until the red stallion was far enough away before silently following. Once on the main road outside Sweet Apple Acres, he kept a safe distance, always walking on the other side of the street to maintain a minimum length between them.

Thoughts of disloyalty and unfaithfulness simmered his mind. I should trust him. He’s my coltfriend. I need to trust him…But…those horrible mares said that he was going there! I don’t want him to go there! Ohh…what if he’s doing…other things with other stallions? Doesn’t he love me? Psh. Of course he does. He…does, right? He’s not going there; he just can’t be. Ha, he isn’t…

No matter what he told himself, he couldn’t shake off the thoughts that convinced him bit by bit that Macintosh had left him. His imagination carried him from reality to the crumbly realm of drastic speculation.

The sinking feeling inside him increased with every step—every step that brought him closer to the Colt Club. When the purple and blue building appeared in his vision, his chest felt as though it were exploding. When he saw Macintosh going inside—even after silently begging him not to—it became the opposite. Caramel’s heart began to squeeze tighter and tighter.

I KNEW IT! HA! YOU CAN’T TRICK ME. HAHA!
But…why… Why…? Why here…? Why are you here, Mac? Please tell me you’re not here for some colt…I’m your colt…You said that you love me! Are you here to meet with a mare, Mac? Please talk to mares, Mac…I know you’re not interested in them…Are you here to get a drink? Get a drink and go!

He watched through the large window. In order to keep himself semi-hidden, he stood off to one side, only letting the side of his muzzle poke out from the edge of the window. He knew other ponies on the street saw him staring inside, but he tried to ignore them.

Bit by bit, Caramel collapsed inside. When he saw the gray stallion, he gasped in horror. When he recognized him, his knees became weak. You! Stay away from him! He almost screamed out loud. At first, he rationalized. Maybe they just met randomly… He found more and more possibilities. He gave Macintosh every chance to explain, to escape. He gave his heart every chance to stay whole, to be safe. Maybe they’re just here for…friend reasons… As the sun set, however, so did Caramel’s hope. He began running out of chances to give, and the truth dawned upon him. It was like he were falling off the edge of a building, trying to save himself, but only seeing the pavement that would eventually meet his lifeless body with a deep thud.
The sight of Thunderlane touching his coltfriend made him sink down onto the hard cement sidewalk. The little pebbles imbedded themselves into his tan fur, and his cheeks tickled when the first tears rolled down. He didn’t care who saw him now.

When Mac touched him back, Caramel smiled. Of course…This is why you’re here. You love him. With that realization, his mind finally broke. The last few strands of sanity snapped, and he began sobbing. I thought you loved me. You said that you loved me. You lied. Why did you lie to me, Mac? He suddenly laughed. Of course. You would never truly love somepony like me. Nopony would. He let out a few more heavy, almost forced, laughs. The universe hates me. Nothing good ever comes to me. Even the one good thing I thought I had was actually fake. Outside the window lay Caramel with tears running down his face, whimpering softly. Eventually, the sounds died down, and he was only mouthing the words, “How could you?”

Through the peripherals of his blurred vision, he caught sight of Macintosh getting up to leave. Don’t come near me. Please don’t hurt me anymore…Please… He stood up with difficulty, for his legs were still shaking from shock. He almost fell onto a cat that was eloping every which way. Every time he blinked, more tears escaped, and the world became darker. He took a few steps, breathing frequently and shallowly. The air rasped in his throat, and he was very aware of the air flow rushing through his windpipe. His head swung side to side, liberating more tears, and for a moment, he thought he would throw up. His head pounded, and sensation dwindled in his hooves. He broke into a canter, a quick trot, and then he did the only thing he could think of doing. He ran.