Waking up was more pleasant than usual. Sure, the throbbing in Winter’s nethers told him quite clearly he wouldn’t be doing anything crazy for the next, well, forever, but it was worth it. Not only because of the crazy, wet, sloppy orgams, but…

The stallion looked down between his hooves. His muzzle was mere inches from a gray-coated head of the colt that suddenly happened upon his life, fast asleep with a small smile on his face. Wing Dancer fit quite snugly against the larger frame of the sergeant, almost like a body-sized teddy bear. His hooves were tucked tight against his body, as were his wings, twitching slightly in Winter’s grasp. He hugged the batpony closer to himself, feeling the fuzzy warmth melt away the remnants of sleep.

As much as he wanted to stay that way a bit longer, he had to get back to his place to freshen up before work. How could he untangle himself without rousing his sleepy… partner?

A small shudder went down Snow’s spine as, once again, he realised the predicament he was in. Why does it bother you so much, Winter? he asked himself, slowly but surely scooting away from Wing Dancer. You’re a grown stallion. You decide for yourself what feels right and what doesn’t. Mare, stallion, who cares? As long as you’re… happy? This is what happy feels like, right? To test his theory, he leaned in towards the stallion’s muzzle, deeply inhaling the subtle lavender scent. He felt his face go flush as the smell carried with it the undercurrent of yesterday’s exertions, the sweat, musk and… other, more pungent odors.

Whoa there cowboy, he chastised himself, his groin giving a warning throb that roughly translated to “I’m not doing any more overtime, ever”. He sure is cute like this, Winter sighed, hesitating over the prone form of his lover. His lips lowered little by little until they planted themselves on the side of Wing’s muzzle in a gentle kiss. Still feels really weird.

The sleeping batpony stirred, his hooves grasping and searching. Despite his best effort to remain stealthy, Snow’s hoof got discovered and immediately seized. The white stallion couldn’t help but coo as the colt brushed his cheek against the appendage and resumed his peaceful sleep.

“I’m sorry Wingie, but I gooottaa goooooo,” gingerly hissed out Winter, this time more decisively brushing his lips against Wing’s tufted ear, causing it to flick slightly.

“Mghhe?” mumbled out Dancer, nuzzling the only part of Snow he could get his hooves on. “You up already?” he yawned widely, tightening his grip on the leg that was starting to shake him away more and more. “Five more min’ts, pleassss...”

“Wing, I have guard duty to perform. Sorry I have to go like this,” apologized Winter, dragging his leg, batpony and all, away from the sofa they were resting on.

“Alreadyyy? But what about breakfaaast,” whined Dancer, holding on for dear life as the stronger stallion literally dragged him off the sofa and across the room with little to no effort. “I’ll make something quick, just give me like 5 minutes!”

Winter smiled and sealed Wing’s lips with his own, eliciting a deep purr and cutting any further attempts at stalling. The batpony’s grip faltered slightly, but not enough for Winter to recover his appendage.

“Sorry, I really, really can’t. But how about dinner? We can go somewhere casual, without waiters or nosy servers,” giggled Snow, his forehead pressed against Wing’s

“That sounds… Oh, wait!” perked up the batpony. “Actually, would you mind if I took you someplace? I know this cozy little thing downtown. It’s one of my favorites!”

“Uh, sure. As long as I can get my leg back,” chuckled Snow, lightly shaking the appendage for emphasis. “Pick you up after work?”

“Yuss!” chirped Wing, his tail swishing happily. With a cheeky grin, he added, “and can’t I keep the leg? It’s so warm and cozy...”

* * *

“And that concludes today’s briefing. Please approach one by one for your new assignments and begin your rounds. Dismissed!” said Captain Armor, sharply stomping his leg against the parade ground’s lush grass. The rest of the day guard stomped in return, causing a small earthquake, before an orderly line was formed and ponies were being handed out new orders.

“Well, would you look at that,” mused Rising Star, looking back at Winter with a mixture of amusement and distaste. “Who would have thought that our Captain and a Princess marrying would become such a big affair?”

“It is big by definition,” replied Snow, rolling his eyes and moving along. “Royal wedding? All the princesses in attendance? Not impressive enough?”

“Dammit, you know what I mean. Sir,“ snarked Star, bumping his hind leg against Winter’s chest. “I mean, organising a terrorist attack on someone’s wedding? Scratch that - organising a terrorist attack and warning ponies a week in advance about it?”

“Some like the attention,” retorted Snow, looking around the the steadily moving queue. More and more ponies were clumping together into groups of threes and fives, the sounds of hushed conversations following in their wake.
“Huh. Who do you think it could be, then? The aristocrats? They think our Captain ain’t good ‘nuff for a Princess?” asked Rising Star, biting down on the single sheet of his new orders handed out by a lieutenant.

“They wouldn’t dare. Not as openly as that,” replied Winter, getting his own orders and hurrying to the side to let others get their assignments.

“Yeah, but what else is there? What kind of terrorist group thinks they can take the entirety of the Guard, the Princesses and Elements of Harmony all at once?” Rising Star quickly skimmed over the sheet, whinnying in annoyance. “So now we have more ground to cover, and a reserve pony to babysit. For at least the nearest week!”

“Shame you weren’t sent to bolster the nighters,” snorted Winter, tucking his sheet into the saddles of his armor. “They are fortunate you can’t whine their ears off just because you have to actually do your job for once.”

“What gives?! I’m always doing my job, top notch! You’re the one having… things going on,” lamely finished Star, looking around a bit worriedly. “Speaking of… how did it go yesterday?”

The sudden change of topic caught Snow unprepared, a blush blooming on his cheeks as he also looked around. “I guess… it was good. I… w-we...”

“It’s alright, I get it,” smiled Rising, winking at his superior with a knowing grin. “Happy to see you in a good mood, for once.” His face slipped into a deadpan as he added, “but Celestia forbid I’m ever getting involved again in your love life. I’d rather be assigned to the nighters without goggles than give you guidance on… stuff,” he said, thickly accenting the last word, making Winter cringe with a sheepish grin.

“Excuse me?” asked a melodic voice, startling the stallions. “Private Cuddlebug of the Reserves, sirs. Sergeant White Snow?”

The mare that seemed to appear out of thin air was a teal-colored unicorn, with long bangs of orange hair escaping her helmet and a tail resembling a river dragging behind her. Her yellow eyes looked uneasily at the pair, her too large helmet threatening to slip and rob her of vision with every head movement.

“Yes, indeed,” replied Winter Snow, his stance stiffening and critical eyes sweeping over the mare. She could have been cute if his professional pride didn’t feel appalled at the mismatched reserve armor she was wearing. All the straps were too loose or too tight, making her look pretty unpresentable. “A pleasure to meet you, private. I gather you read your assignment?”

“Yes, sir!” barked Cuddlebug, trying for a salute and falling short due to her armor’s joint restricting her movement. She gave an apologetic grin, her magic tugging at her straps here and there. “Sincere apologies for my… state. We were called not a few hours ago and, well, I didn’t have time to get this fitted. I mean, sir, I-”

Winter threw a hoof up to stop the stammering mare, giving her an easy smile and nod. “It is understandable. We can work on that during our route. Speaking of which, we should get going. We’ll fall behind if we tarry any more.”

“Yes, sir!” replied the private with a smile.

“Smooth,” snickered Rising Star under his breath, falling into step with Winter.

* * *

Even with the elevated threat of a (relatively) imminent attack, the corridors weren’t any busier, nor the afternoon sun any less scorching on the trio’s backs. Apart from a short stop to adjust the reservist’s armor and the group watching a giant pink shield envelop all of Canterlot, the day was as uneventful as any other.

“So, what got you put into the reserves, Cuddles?” asked Rising, looking down from the fortifications at the Canterlot streets. The pinkish tint of the light coming through the shield made everything look a bit sillier than usual, as if the entire city was webbed in a thin layer of bubblegum.

“Oh, it was mostly just something I did on impulse,” bashfully admitted Cuddlebug, pawing at the stone. “Thought to myself, it would be nice to help the guard, once in a while. You ponies work so hard to keep the country safe, so why couldn’t I spare a few hours a month to train?” She paused, blushed and looked away before mumbling, “and it sounded cool to be in the Guard.”

“Hah! There we go,” laughed Rising. “All them ‘Equestria needs you’ campaigns sure paid off, eh?” As he settled down, he looked more critically at the mare, sparing a glance at the impassive Winter as well. “So, what do you do when you’re not ‘helping the guard once in a while’?”

The mare bit her lip, looking even more redder in the face than before. “I… kind of… well… I work at a spa. As a masseuse,” she admitted.

Winter cocked an eyebrow and looked at Cuddle, who by now was ready to sink into the hard stone in embarrassment. Rising Star was having too much fun at the expense of the poor mare, so the sergeant decided to finally cut in. “If you ask me, no job degrades a pony. I was always a guard, and some ponies don’t hold that position in high regard. Joining with the intention of help is a noble thing to do, especially if you follow through when we really need you.”

The warm words seemed to have a positive effect on Cuddlebug, her tension giving way to a small smile and thankful nod.

“Well, aren’t we being poetic today, sir?” asked the surprised Star, hopping down from the battlements and continuing on their rounds. “Alright, I’ll give you that. Ponies who are all talk and no show are the plague. Especially the aristocrats. Knight this, Dutchess that, but when push comes to shove, they are all in court banging their hooves about someone having to do something.”

“They’ve grown complacent. I think,” remarked Cuddlebug, her ears flickering a bit with uncertainty. “I mean, we have the Elements of Harmony and the Princesses to protect us, right? And recent Equestrian history shows us that… well… what can a pony do against a God of Chaos, really?”

“Well, they can bloody try?” suggested Rising Star, rolling his eyes. “I mean, sure, we were all furniture and silverware for most of the day that time-”

“Don’t remind me,” sighed Winter, shuddering at the memory. Being a three-door wardrobe and keeping other scared house appliances in himself for protection was the weirdest experience ever. Well, maybe with the recent events, a solid number two.

“But at least we did what we could to keep folk from hurting each other,” finished Rising in a huff. “Some of those candleholders or knives were a real threat to themselves and others!”

Cuddlebug smiled widely and looked at the two guards, ears perked confidently. “To be honest, that’s a big part of why I joined the reserves. That Discorded day, I mean. There were so many confused ponies running around, so many scared fillies and colts. The guards did everything they could to protect us, even if they looked half-scared to death themselves. It… it inspires ponies, you know? To want to do better.”

Winter felt a pang of pride well up in him, making his stride a bit brisker and chest more puffed out. Even if most ponies thought the job was boring and symbolic, there were still ponies like Cuddlebug and Wing that believed in the guard. That was enough to keep going. For now.

* * *

“And basically, that’s it. You’ve survived a day in the life of a guardspony. Does your life feel complete now?” asked Rising with a cheeky grin.

Despite her initial bashfulness and timid nature, Cuddlebug eventually opened up to the two. Between Rising’s banter and Snow’s level attitude, the mare felt right at home by the end of it, nudging Rising on the side of the helmet with a giggle. “Yes, sir! I can now honestly tell my grandfoals I served with the guard during a crisis!”

“Grandfoals, eh? Does Mr. Cuddlebug know you’re plannin’ that far ahead?” quipped Star, unstrapping his crooked helmet and starting to work on the bindings of his chest piece.

“Oh, heh. I meant, eventually,” replied Cuddlebug, her magic swiftly unbuckling the plates and straps and arranging them in a neat stack next to her. She rubbed the end of her muzzle with a soft smile and added, “there isn’t a Mr. Cuddlebug yet. Or a Mrs. Still kinda, you know… waiting for it to happen, heh.”

“Aww, such a shame!” exclaimed Rising, shoving his armor pile into his locker, still careful not to bend it too much. “Such a nice mare like you out there for the taking? Why, if I weren’t married already, I’d-”

“Do well to not say anything that can be used in divorce court,” mumbled Snow with a smirk of his own, avoiding a lazy swipe at his head from his friend. He was the last to take off his armor, the neat stack fitting without any trouble in his locker.

“It’s not like you could tell her anything,” added Star, heading for the showers. With a swift kick he turned the dial and sunk his muzzle into a stream of steaming water. “I got so much dirt on ya I could probably make you sing ballads about my virtue,” he grinned with a wink. At the sound of Cuddlebug’s snickering, he turned to her and waved a hoof at her. “Don’t worry, a week is a lot of time to get some good stuff on you too, missy.”

Cuddlebug’s laugh fizzled out as she looked back at Winter, who shrugged. “He’s kinda right. Remember to give yourself plausible deniability around Star. Especially when cider is involved.”

“Speaking of which - you up for a mug?” Rising Star gave a toothy grin, wiggling his eyebrows, his wet mane plastered each side of his face.

“Uh, sure! Why not!” chirped Cuddlebug, enjoying a shower of her own.

“Sorry, got a… thing, going on. I’ll just take a shower and go,” apologised Snow, much to the displeasure of Rising Star.

“Aww, c’mon, sir! I mean, this is our first day as a new team! Integration and all that!” protested Rising, dragging both his guardsmates into sidelong hugs. “What can possibly be so important that you’d want to skip out on spending time with your best buds?”

Winter blushed slightly and looked away, tapping his hooves together. He gave Rising Star a meaningful look, raising his eyebrows.

“Oooohhh, okay. Okay, sure. I get it.” Rising Star sighed, reluctantly letting his sergeant go back to his jet of hot water. “So, I guess it’s just you and me, rookie! Gonna introduce ya to the boys, it’s gonna be great!”

“Yay?” said Cuddlebug with a bit of hesitation, finally being let go to tend to her long mane.

* * *

Not being late for once? Check!

Having a bunch of nice flowers for your date? Check!

Smelling like something more than cologne and not having your own cum in your hair? Double check!

In front of the arcade, Winter was debating whether to enter or not. On the one hoof, he was supposed to pick his date up after work, so would it be bad if he just showed up and hung around until the time came? From his limited dating experience, he never really got to the point where he’d go after a mare to her place of work. Most of the time, his odd hours meant he was the one being waited for. Not that it happened all that often.

Having smelled himself for the umpteenth time and having made sure the flowers weren’t dead yet, the stallion finally made a decision. With a deep breath, he strolled through the door, the cool and noisy air sweeping over him. The interior was dimly lit, most of the lighting coming from the machines playing chiptune sounds and flashing epileptic lights. How were these colts and fillies not blind after a whole day of this?

Winter carefully scanned the room, finally noticing his date at the bar, busy with a queue of clients. Due to the shield and no-fly zone over Canterlot, the day was mostly hot and dry, and the chilled soda cans swapped hooves at an express rate.

On reflex, Wing Dancer glanced at the entrance, registering a new customer at the door. As he was hoofing out change for another customer, he fumbled, making a double-take at the newcomer. The handsome, tall stallion stood out head and withers over most of the clientele, his white coat illuminated with distorted visuals from the machines. He carried a slightly wilted bouquet of delicious looking tulips in in his muzzle, a goofy grin and blush creeping on his face. Wing Dancer beamed back, nodding at him and returning to the queue, a bit more eager to serve the lot and trot over to his date.

Now that he thought about it, Winter wasn’t sure if showing up like that in the arcade was a good idea. The flowers he was carrying made it obvious they were for somepony... but how would these kids react to him and Wing?

Almost as if sensing his distress, a few foals from the nearby machines started gawking at the large stallion, whispering to one another and pointing him out. One by one colts and fillies stopped playing and gave the stallion more attention, causing him to fidget and dart his eyes around nervously.

Finally, one of the onlookers approached carefully, his muzzle scrunched up.

“Hey, mister?” asked the colt, a beige pegasus with thick glasses. “Are you GWS?”

Winter furrowed his brows in confusion, the flowers around his muzzle not helping in the slightest. He had no idea what the foal was talking about, so he simply shook his head, glancing towards the thinning queue at Wing’s bar. Maybe he should still try and wait outside, to not make it awkward for the batpony?

“I’m preeeetty sure I saw you around here when GWS was around… wait here!” the colt declared. Abruptly, the kid turned around and ran for the bar, with practiced ease squeezing past the other patrons and propping himself against the top. ”Hey, Wing! That guy, up there”, he pointed at Snow excitedly, “doesn’t he totally look like GWS?”

Wing gave a beaming smile, eyeing Winter once again. “Yup, sure does. Mostly because it is him,” he replied politely, looking back at the stallion apologetically and shaking his head. “Please, don’t smother him too much.” But the child was already gone.

Funny, how one declaration can change a stallion’s life forever. Or, at least, for the forseeable future that could, in certain ways, make a longer time of existence questionable.

“Hey guys, it is GWS!”

Like a swarm of locusts, the patrons dropped what they were doing and lay siege to Winter. The stallion stood frozen in the sea of hooves and muzzles, all trying to touch or tug at him, babbling about crossbows and assassins. A small spark lit in his mind, remembering that one time he played a game and… Yeah. GWS. Guard Winter Snow. Of course.

With the unexpected celebrity arriving on premise, the rest of the children abandoned their places in the queue, not wanting to be left out on trying to get noticed by the pony who achieved the highest score on “Midnight Assassin” in Canterlot. Wing Dancer’s grin couldn’t get wider as he observed Winter trying to back out of the crowd while not trampling any of the more eager children latching onto his limbs. The stallion was fighting a lost battle and was actually starting to sink like a majestic freighter into the swarm of multicolored coats.

Just as Winter was starting to lose patience, the mob parted in front of him, the ash coat of Wing Dancer blocking out his view. The smaller pony propped him up, helping him dislodge some passengers before they could tumble and hurt themselves.

“Okay guys, give GWS some space. You all know very well assassins don’t enjoy the spotlight,” he said in a tutoring voice, gently nudging some of the more persistent children away. Despite the grumbling and general disappointment, the excitement quickly died down and only a few die-hard fans kept staring and bouncing on their hooves.

“Thanks,” mumbled Winter around the bouquet. “Uh… I brought… I mean...” He wanted to give him the flowers, but would that be okay? Did these patrons even know they were…

“They’re lovely. Let me hold them for you,” said Dancer, taking the flowers and tucking them under his wing. “Thank you.”

“Sorry,” whispered out Snow, rubbing his neck. The more he thought about it, the more it felt like Winter was putting Wing on the spot. “Is this okay? I mean, do they know? A-Are you okay with- I mean, should I have staye-”

His rambling was cut short with a fast kiss on the lips from Wing Dancer. The batpony smiled cheekily at Winter’s stunned expression, mirrored by a few other onlookers. “I don’t mind. And if they do, they can take it up with me.”

Some of the children scrunched up their muzzles and made retching noises. A filly or two cooed. Still, the gesture was mostly ignored, as the children's’ attention was glued back to the various games.

* * *

Another hour passed quite pleasantly up until closing time. Winter only sporadically got bothered by some of his fans, having to give out an autograph or two. He got a grape juice out of it, and one filly even possessively grabbed his leg, staring Wing Dancer down and proclaiming Snow as her own. It lasted all of five minutes before she was hauled away by her parents who profusely apologized for their daughter’s behaviour.

“It’s all them vidya games,” drawled the stallion in a business suit, ushering his wife and squirming filly out. “Keeps the kids busy, but ya gotta keep a hoof on them so they don’t go weird.”

As soon as the family left, Wing snarked, leaning in to Winter and whispering, “She spends all day here, and it seems only other ‘vidya games’ kids are her company. Sometimes complains about home being empty and boring.”

Snow shrugged to that. He never thought about parenthood - it always seemed such a faraway thing that happened to others. He still sometimes forgot his best friend had a kid and family to take care of. That under that snarky, often assholish shell there was a loved husband and adored father, if his stories were anything to go by.

“And thanks again for the flowers. Tulips are my favorite,” purred out Dancer, discreetly nuzzling the stallion behind the ear. Even though he didn’t feel particularly threatened here, it wasn’t in good taste to be too open about his relationship habits around such young patrons.

“I’m glad,” replied Winter, a smile plastered to his face. It was hard for him not to smile, seeing Wing Dancer all happy like that. Even though he felt Dancer’s energy before, it seemed amplified in this place. It was his zone, and it showed - ponies were very polite with him, and a few looked to be very chummy. A pang of guilt surfaced in Winter’s mind, reminding him that he basically attacked Wing not a week ago in his own safe-zone. “Really glad,” he said in a softer voice, observing his probably-but-not-officially coltfriend.

He spent most of his time just staring over the place, his habits picking out and categorising the ponies into troublemakers and potential miscreants. Children were harder to peg, as most of them were “malicious little assholes anyway”, according to Star. Of course, the statement never applied to his own, and “he’d buck the face of anyone who’d say otherwise”.

Stealing glances of Wing Dancer here and there, he let himself appreciate the batpony more. It was always a bit hectic and emotional whenever they met - it was either sex, drama or both. He always looked so nicely groomed and full of energy. Right now, the stallion had a slightly slumped posture, a typical sign of an ending shift he often saw in the mirror, and Wing’s mane was slightly disheveled, brow moist with sweat. He looked… like a pony. Any pony, really. Still, there were these small details that Snow couldn’t help but notice. The way Wing’s smile reached all the way to his electric blue eyes. The deftness and practiced ease with which he swapped coins or retrieved beverages. The wings on his back, tucked in neatly. They looked so fragile compared to the downy ones he saw of his fellow guards. As he kept looking, he started wondering how those leathery, thin appendages would feel-

“Well, just gotta clean up now and we can go!” chirped Wing Dancer, shaking Snow out of his daydreaming. Luckily, the batpony didn’t notice the fierce blush on his partner’s face.

“Need help?” offered Snow, looking around at the empty room. It was still buzzing with sounds and beeps, but compared to the gaggle of ponies being there not ten minutes ago, one could consider it almost silent.

“Oh, don’t worry about that,” smiled Wing, nuzzling Winter’s neck. “I couldn’t possibly ask you to do my job when I’m asking you out on a date.”

“It’s fine, I can help,” offered Snow, returning the gesture with a bit more reserve. Even though there was no one there, it still felt awkward in a public place. “What can I do?”

“Uh… Well, shoot. If you really want, you can go look between the machines and pick up the trash. But really, I can do it lickety split, don’t bother!”

Wing was speaking to Winter’s back as the stallion quickly trotted around the place, kicking the discarded cans and paper cups into a pile. He even found a few silver coins which he dutifully returned to Dancer.

“You can keep them. Anything you find after closing is yours,” explained Dancer. After a short pause, he trotted over to Winter, going past him slowly with exaggerated movement. As his tail brushed against the stallion’s chin, he purred out “And I do mean anything.”

Winter gulped. It was one thing to be a bit raunchy in an ice-cream place. Being so openly saucy in a public establishment just wasn’t right, and Snow couldn’t help but blush and stutter. His eyes glued to the pile of rubbish, he started vigorously crushing the cans as Wing brought a bag from the nearby utility closet.

“Something the matter?” worriedly asked Wing, his ears drawing back a bit. “T-Too much?”

“No! No, no,” yelped Snow, almost tripping as the can he was working on escaped his hoof. “It’s just that… Well, out here...”

“Oh. You’re… uh, a-ashamed?”

“No! It’s not… I mean… eh,” sighed Snow, plopping on his rump and shaking his head. With a deep breath, he straightened out and looked into his lover’s eyes. The two pools of blue around a sea of black looked as magical as ever to him. “I’m just, you know… adjusting. I don’t know when… what is okay. And where.”

“I think I… see? Question mark?” said Wing, cocking his head a bit. “Or maybe I don’t… I mean… if it’s so different to you...”

“Well, isn’t it? I mean, I’ve never been g… g...” Winter stopped. The word ‘gay’ didn’t want to come out. It was like an epiphany, the realisation that the term would have to apply to him now. Another quick breath and a shove of the thoughts for later, he resumed. “Sorry. I’m new to this. I’m just stupid. But you already know that. Big dumb idiot.”

“Shh, shh shh,” hushed Wing, trotting over to Snow and leaning into his side. “No you’re not. I know it’s… kinda hard. Different. I mean, I wasn’t always like this, either. I sorta understand what you’re going through, but… if I can be honest… I’m really sorry you’re feeling that way. Wish there was something I could do-”

“No, now you stop,” chastised Snow, putting his head over the smaller stallion’s. He was rewarded with a barely audible purr as he continued, “It’s not important, okay? I’m… like I said, I want to try this. To make this work. To have this… this chance,” he blushed and smacked his lips a bit, shakily reaching out a hoof to lift Wing’s head. “To have it w-with you. Because it’s you.” The stallion would have burned from shame for using such a cheesy line straight from a Neighponese cartoon, but the effect was an immediate and passionate kiss from Wing Dancer.

Their tongues wrestled and explored one another for what felt for far too short before they were politely interrupted by somepony clearing their throat. Snow broke the kiss with a startled yelp, his ears shooting to the back of his head with an audible snap and face going red.

“Wing, mind finishing out here?” asked a burly earth pony, slowly making his way towards the exit. “You can do whatever after work, but as long as there’s shit on the floor you’re still on the clock. And getting comfy with your friend there doesn’t count as overtime.”

“Yes, sir, sorry, sir!” chirped back Wing, a crimson blush on his muzzle to match Snow’s. As soon as the owner closed the door behind him, the batpony breathed with relief. Rubbing his hooves together and looking bashful for once, he said to Winter, “Well, if it’s any consolation, this isn’t the worst he’s seen.”

Winter didn’t know if he should have been curious, outraged or worried.

* * *

The tiny restaurant on the edge of the city was indeed very cozy. The interior was decorated in warm colors with multi-hued pillows stacked around big round tables, allowing patrons to lounge about with their drinks while looking out at the spectacular view outside. The establishment had large glass panes on its circumference instead of walls, and while the street view wasn’t all that interesting, the panorama of the Equestrian countryside on the south side was breathtaking.

Winter was absolutely terrified at the sight - the place was at the very edge of the city, and the only thing keeping him from bolting was his faith in the architect’s ability. He wouldn’t even dream of approaching the distressingly thin glass pane to look at what was down below. He liked the ground as much as the next earth pony, but from this high up, he had no desire to embrace it.

“C’mon, it’s safe Winter!” said Wing, propping himself against the glass and mushing his face against it to look down. “The view here is fantastic! Makes you really appreciate the clean, mountain air we have over here!”

“No, thanks,” weakly murmured out Winter, stubbornly avoiding looking down at the majestic landscape. “Of course you feel safe about it. Even if it cracked, you’d just spring those batty wings of yours and fly away.”

“Awww, c’mooon,” whined the batpony, shaking Winter enough to make his drink wobble dangerously in his hooves. “You’re really missing out.”

“Thanks. Maybe later.”

The batpony sighed in exasperation and looked back at the land below. “The pink bubble spoils it a bit anyway, I guess. Like your smoothie?” he asked, changing the subject and sipping down on his own minty water with ice.

“Yeah,” said Snow, a bit of surprise slipping into his tone as he gulped down another mouthful. “I’m not big on tomatoes, but this is actually the best I’ve ever had. This whole place is great, really. I can see why you like it so much.”

Wing stifled a happy gasp, lying alongside Winter. It was obvious by his slight squirming he’d rather be cuddled up to the bigger pony, but he decided to be a bit more considerate to Winter’s pace. It seemed that public displays of affection were a big deal to him, and it was important to Dancer that Snow grew to feel comfortable with that over time. With a small spark of envy he observed another couple cuddled up to one another, their tails intertwined, engaged in a hushed conversation over sweet nothings. He looked back at his probably-but-they-didn’t-talk-about-it-yet buckfriend and, after working his jaw for a bit, asked, “So… can you tell me what’s it about? The whole bubble thing and the rumors of a terrorist thing happening soon?”

“Not sure I can tell you much,” shrugged Winter, an apologetic smile on his lips. He looked back out on the street, almost absent-mindedly running a hoof through Wing’s mane, much to the latter’s pleasant surprise. “It’s all rumors for now, really. Nopony knows anything, really. For all we know, this might be some kind of elaborate prank.”

“Well, these sure are some heavy measures for a prank,” pointed out Dancer, trying to move his head as little as possible and savoring the attention. “I mean, even during the event with Nightmare Moon, Canterlot wasn’t so… tense.”

Snow sighed, looking down at his they-should-probably-talk-soon-about-it buckfriend. He realised what he’d been doing and hesitated for a second, looking around. It didn’t seem anypony was paying them any attention and, frankly, there was at least one other couple that got comfortable with one another. A small nudge from Wing’s head made the stallion’s mind up and he continued stroking the back of Dancer’s head. “Yeah… you’re right. All this feels… weird.” He paused again, blinking. “Canterlot, I mean. There is something in the air that spells trouble. We even had a new pony from the reserves join us. You know it’s bad when they gather civilians and put them into armor.”

“A new pony?” asked Wing with a purr, looking up at Winter. “Oh, do tell~”

Snow shrugged, looking back out at the bustle of the streets outside. “Her name’s Cuddlebug. Seems decent enough. Joined the guard because ‘it sounded cool’,” snorted Winter. “Rising seems to fancy her a lot, although it might just be his inner demons letting lose on a poor soul again.”

“Is she pretty?” asked the batpony, propping himself a bit more comfortably against Snow. He let his hooves loosely lie around the bigger frame of his partner; while not technically a hug, it was close enough to snuggle territory he’d be satisfied for now.

Winter shrugged again, adjusting his hold on Dancer himself, fighting a rising blush as they inevitably got closer. If he tried, he could probably put his cute muzzle under his chin and just cuddle the life out of him… if they were alone, that is. “I’m not a good pony to ask. Long hair, pretty but impractical. Her colors were okay, I guess. Dunno.”

“Well, that explains one mystery,” chuckled Dancer, lightly nuzzling the tantalizing chest in front of him. It was all he could do to not start rubbing himself all over the stupidly handsome stallion just inches away. Inside, he felt relief at not having to worry much about another potential bump in their already ‘exciting’ ride.

Winter shot the smaller stallion a dirty look, opening his mouth, closing it and looking away with a harrumph. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said dismissively. This close together, he was far too focused on trying not to think about others staring. Why was he so bothered all of a sudden? Was it the spacious interior of the restaurant that made him feel like everypony was looking at the obviously gay thing going on at their table? Why was it okay in the small ice-cream shop and not out here, in a place made for intimacy and coziness?

A quick glance around confirmed that, in fact, no one cared about their closeness. The couple at the far side, near the window, were still whispering to one another, as close together as they could be. A small family of three were enjoying dinner, the little colt squealing excitedly each time a spoonful of some mashed potatoes flew to his mouth. There was one other pony by the entrance, looking over some papers while sipping a coffee suspended in magic. And then there was them - Snow, trying as hard as he could to look composed, with Wing draped over him loosely, his head close-but-not-really-touching his chest.

“Wing?” shakily asked Snow, nuzzling the bridge of Dancer’s muzzle. “Can we, uh… talk?” he whispered out, chewing on his lip.

The playful smile on the batpony’s face dialed down a notch, his eyes betraying slight worry. “About what, Snow?”

“Well… you know. A-About… us. Where w-we...”

“Where we stand?” finished Dancer, looking down for a moment before his soft eyes locked onto the brown ones of Snow. “I… Where would you like us to be, Snowy?”

The question startled Winter, more than it should perhaps. On the one hoof, it was quite obvious they were going for a relationship. Was it? Snow searched his feelings and yes, there were definitely some hot embers burning in his heart for the batpony. Even just looking back down at the large, round eyes (why was it that they were always so huge and tantalizing in the dim light?) and soft, kissable muzzle, his heart couldn’t help but pound against his chest.

At the same time, the stallion kept falling back on the same insecurities that caused his near-fatal outburst a few days back. If only Wing was a mare, it would have been a clean-cut case. No penis, no trouble. Granted, he did try the penis and he didn’t hate it. Deep down, he even felt a bit of shameful excitement over the prospect of revisiting that experience again. But as it was now, he acted as if that part of Wing’s body made him a totally different pony than who he actually was. Why, in his mind, did it matter so much if the pronoun was a ‘he’ instead of a ‘she’?

“I w-would,” stammered out Winter, his mouth dry, “I’d l-like… to be able to… you know… buckfriend?” he said in an almost inaudible whisper. His eyes darted about madly, almost certain he’d catch somepony’s appalled expression or disapproving glare.

“I’d like that too, Snowy… but it doesn’t sound like… you’re okay with it,” mumbled out Wing, touching the scruffy chest coat of Snow. He traced a small, expanding circle on the stallion’s chest, continuing to himself, “It’s okay, Winter. I get it you need… time. I can see you’re really trying. And please, don’t feel bad about needing that time. I’ll wait. Promise. As long as… you know… you’ll still be-”

With much less hesitation, Winter kissed Wing on the lips. The batpony murred into the kiss, breaking away first and nuzzling Snow’s nose. “As long as you do that, I’ll be fine. You don’t have to force yourself to do it in public to prove a point, Snowy.”

Winter huffed in embarrassment, straining to keep his eyes on the big blue eyes instead of searching for onlookers. “But… eh, it just feels… Unfair,” he finally spat out, his hoof moving towards Wing’s cheek. “I don’t want to treat you different because you’re… you. I’m, I mean, we already… eh.” He felt his face steadily burning up as he kept trying to think up what to say in order to say it properly. We already had sex, so it should be fine now? We touched each other’s penises, so it shouldn’t be that hard to cuddle or kiss like this? Look, I’m just an idiot who probably has masculinity issues and doesn’t want others to see the big guard and think he takes it in the ass from a pony half his size?

“I have issues,” blurted out Snow, his face color putting his abandoned smoothie to shame. “I don’t know why, but I do. But I’ll work on it, I promise. Sorry I-I’m l-like this, but that’s how… how I d-deal with problems. Head on.”

Wing Dancer had to bite down on his lip to stifle the big smile and chuckle building up at the back of his throat. At Winter’s hurt expression, he nuzzled the guard’s ear and whispered out in a sultry voice, “Oh yes, ‘head on’ indeed. I like that too.”

Winter’s face went up in flames at that and the most adorable squeak concluded their cozy little date at the restaurant.

Author's Note

Special thanks to Shadeol for helping with the editing

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