Fleur and I parted ways upon reaching the front gate of the Astral's grounds, intending to give ourselves sufficient time to get ready for the evening's triple-date, with birthday festivities to follow. From there, I wasted no time, stalled only by an ambushing thank-you hug from a very excited Evening Breeze. After ensuring her that it was no problem and a pleasure to thank her for her and the hotel's hospitality, I finally made it back to my room.

Only to realize that I had nothing to wear.

I hadn't even considered needing any sort of eveningwear, never mind something a little more formal and appropriate for celebrating one's (belated) birthday. As I wandered about the palatial room, I realized what I had to do and made my way over to the phone.

"Hi, is this the front desk?" I asked.

"Yes sir, this is the front desk," a familiar voice replied. I recognized it immediately.

"Hey Breeze, it's Shawn," I said, surprised she was still at work and not at home, changing and otherwise preparing for the evening. "I'm surprised you're still here. I thought you were off-shift already."

"I just got off, actually," she replied. "Is there something we can do for you?"

"There is, actually." I said with a nod. "I just realized that I don't have anything appropriate to wear this evening…or even on a date," I added in realization. How could I show up to a date with a model looking like a fashion parody? My clothes weren't bad but certainly not well-suited for any special occasions.

"Well, you called the right thestral! I'll be there in a minute, okay?"

"You sure? I mean, I know you're technically off-shift and I wouldn't want to impose…" I began.

"Believe me, after what you've done for Sven and I, it's no trouble." She assured me. "Hang tight; I'll be right there."

And so, hang tight I did…for the next thirty seconds or so. Upon answering the door, an excited Evening Breeze practically pulled me to the suite's master bedroom. She sat me down on my bed before pushing a button on the far wall I had somehow missed (gold-gilded and framed with shiny onyx, no less).

As if I were suddenly thrust into a Richie Rich sequel, a set of wall panels slid open opposite the bed, revealing a walk-in closet that I was fairly sure could house rocket components. Composed of three levels each divided into several sections containing every type of garment imaginable (and even a couple I couldn't imagine). Dumbfounded yet again, I slowly made my way into the 'closet' down a small flight of stairs leading to the lower level. Aware of my limited preparatory time-frame through the haze of another "Is this actually happening?" moment, I took a rather hasty tour through the clothing emporium.

"Okay," I said, taking a deep breath. "Breeze, I'm gonna need a hand here, if you don't mind."

"Of course, I'd be glad to help," Breeze said with a smile, joining me in the room. "What were you thinking for tonight?"

"Um…" I had to think about it; what would look the best for tonight's festivities? Something light and suitable for the warm weather, yet classy enough to disguise me as a classy representative of humanity.

Fortunately, Breeze seemed to know exactly what was on my mind and wasted no time selecting several samples for me to wear. The speed at which she was able to collect said samples made it clear that she had taken this tour before, an experience for which I was swiftly becoming very grateful. In fact, it wasn't long before we agreed on an outfit; a pair of light formal pants (that she promised wouldn't boil me alive in the warm night air) complimented by a white leather belt, a silver button-up short-sleeved T-shirt, and a pair of black penny loafers. All in all, I thought it worked; fancy enough to distinguish myself yet benign enough to blend in with the other socialites.

Heh, me a 'socialite'. Could you imagine?

"Well, how do I look?" I asked, emerging from the closet as the doors closed behind me.

"Like a man looking for trouble," Breeze replied with no hesitation, earning a chuckle from me.

"I'll take that as a compliment," I said, reaching for my comb, trying with limited success to calm my unruly black hair. After finally achieving some measure of success, I glanced at the time.

5:15.

"Oh crap!" I exclaimed, rushing to grab my phone and ID card. "Breeze, I'm so sorry I kept you! You should've said something!"

"Don't worry about it," she said with a nonchalant wave. "I'll whip something together. We might be a little late, though." It was either the guilt festering within me or a stroke of brilliance that prompted my next idea.

"Wait a minute…" I mused, catching her attention. "The closet…does it have women's clothes too?" It was a legitimate question; in my haste to find an outfit, I hadn't bothered checking.

"Of course," Breeze replied. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, I was thinking that since I took up your valuable time, why don't you pick something from the closet for yourself to wear?" I offered. To my surprise, she seemed taken aback. "What's the matter? I'm sure there's something in there you could wear."

"Really?" she asked.

"Of course! Is…is that a problem?"

"No! It's just that…those clothes are really, really expensive and I've…I've never had the chance to wear anything like that before…"

"That makes two of us," I said with a nod. "Fancy clothes weren't exactly a priority when I was growing up. We were more worried about keeping the lights on and having enough to eat."

"Sounds like us too," Breeze said as I pressed the button, revealing the closet once more.

"Really? Care to share?" I asked as Breeze disappeared into the closet.

"Well, I come from a big family," she began, muffled by the sounds of the thestral hurriedly rifling through article after article. "When you have five younger sisters, bits are pretty rare."

"Wow."

"Yeah. How about you? Any siblings?"

"Nope, only child."

"Yeah? How's that been for you?"

"It has its perks," I said as Breeze dressed herself using one of the closet's four fitting rooms. "No competition for affection, reasonable privacy, that kind of thing."

"Must be nice! I always felt so sorry for my mom. After my dad died, looking after five of us at once really stretched her thin."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Must've been tough."

"Yeah, you could say that," Breeze replied, emerging from the closet in a low-cut dark-green summer dress and matching sandals. "Well…how do I look?" she asked, throwing a little twirl for good measure. I smiled and gave her a thumbs-up.

"Sven won't know what hit him."

***

Needless to say, we were running a little late. While I knew that Breeze's outfit would compel Sven to not only forgive her but possible worship her, I wasn't so sure that my ensemble would have the same effect on Fleur (although I hoped it would). We arrived at the lobby of the glimmering Palacia Crystalia at 5:40 exactly; I then scanned the area for the others.

A flash of pink and white, and a soft smile complemented by a pair of kind, light-purple eyes.

Breeze smirked as I stared wide-eyed at the mare approaching me. Dressed in a form-fitting black dress and matching heels was Fleur de Lis, Equestrian supermodel, and (somehow) my date for the evening. While not especially revealing, the dress accentuated her body's every curve, while a white tropical flower in her hair was the piece de resistance. However, perhaps the most surprising component of her outfit was the inclusion of a pair of black thin-framed glasses.

In a word, stunning. Her every movement radiated femininity, from the gentle sway of her hips, beckoning and provocative, to her expression, warm and welcoming. A perfect combination of sophistication and titillation.

"Hi Shawn," she greeted, clearly trying not to giggle at my expression.

"I…I didn't know you wore glasses," I stammered in the perfect response. My brain face-palmed as Fleur smiled and giggled, prompting me to take her hand and plant a light kiss on it. "I'm sorry. It's just that…you look beautiful, Fleur. I guess I'm just a little nervous. It's been a while since my last da…er, night out." Oh you Casanova, you.

"Well, you have nothing to worry about," Fleur assured me, taking my hand. "You look pretty fantastic yourself." I blushed and let out a small chuckle.

"Uh thanks, although I couldn't have done it without Breeze here." Then remembering my head, I continued. "Fleur, I'd like you to meet Evening Breeze." Fleur smiled and shook the excited thestral's hand.

"Wow! I can't believe I'm actually meeting you in person!" Breeze exclaimed, animatedly shaking Fleur's hand before apparently catching herself. "I mean…a-hem…it's great to finally meet you. I'm a huge fan!"

"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Miss Breeze!" Fleur replied, enveloping Breeze in a friendly hug. "I'm so glad you and Sven could join us tonight!"

"The more the merrier, right?" I added, force-feeding the conversation a heaping helping of cliché. "Oh, and speaking of…hey Sven, over here!" Waving, I signaled the young man with the very blonde hair (and snappy suit) to come join us.

"Nice to see you again, Shawn, Miss Fleur," Sven greeted. I cleared my throat and gestured to his marefriend (thestralfriend?), who promptly sent a radiant smile his way while holding her hands behind her back and leaning forward slightly.
"You," Sven began, taking her into his arms. "Are as radiant as the fullest moon that pierces the deepest night, and as mysterious as the beckoning darkness." Fleur gasped and smiled, giving my arm a gentle pinch.

"Wow, no wonder she said 'yes'," I murmured as the enraptured couple shared a brief yet passionate kiss. "I should probably be writing this down. By the way," I added, looking towards Fleur. "Where are Gizmo and your cousin?"

"Oh, Gizmo was already here when we arrived," Fleur said as we began our short walk to the restaurant. "I asked them to watch our table while I waited out here for you guys."

"You sure you didn't just want to give them some quality alone time?" I asked with a slight smirk, which Fleur returned, albeit more slyly.

"You know, you're pretty fly for a human guy."

Meanwhile…

An awkward cough penetrated the silence that hung over the young Equestrians seated at the reserved table for six. Visibly red, Gizmo adjusted his glasses for the dozen or so time since Fleur had flounced off, promising that "She'd be back in a jiffy".

That was almost 20 minutes ago.

Which meant that for the past third of an hour, the two had marinated in shyness and adorable social anxiety. Trying to work up the courage to take her cousin's advice and speak words to the young stallion sitting across from her, Coco was visibly nervous, fidgeting slightly in her seat.

On the contrary, Gizmo was more difficult to read. In fact, the only sign that he was nervous was his silence and near-constant glasses adjustments. A trained eye of course would know after a few small observations that the root of Gizmo's trepidation was the same as his female compatriot's. However, to Coco, he seemed merely…disinterested.

"Ahem…" Coco 'exclaimed', clearing her throat in a socially-awkward segue. "I, um…never did thank you for helping me with, you know…"

"Oh! Um, it was no problem, no problem at all…" Gizmo quietly replied.

"Seriously, there's no way I could've passed it…without you."

"It…was no big deal."

"…Well, it was to me, so…thanks a lot. I really appreciated it." Before she knew what she was doing, Coco reached over and gently patted his hand with hers.

The sudden contact seemed to startle the young Equestrians as they pulled away shortly…but not before going red and savoring the unexpected contact for just a few precious moments. For Coco, it had been an uncharacteristically bold move for her; it was almost as if her hand had moved on its own accord.

As for Gizmo…

When she finally worked up the courage to look at him again, Coco's eyes beheld a very red and clearly embarrassed young stallion. She opened her mouth, readying an apology…and paused as she took a closer look at the small, shy grin that had wormed its way onto his face. It was subtle and soon retreated but there was no doubt that he had enjoyed it.

Which in turn made her smile a little too.

"Sorry to keep you two waiting!" The familiar bubbly tone of Coco's cousin shook them from their thoughts. Coco quickly retracted her hand, flushing as Coco, Shawn, and their guests took their seats at the large round table. "Coco, Gizmo, I'd like you to meet some new friends of ours, Sven and Evening Breeze. They're going to be joining us for tonight's fun and games."

***

Dinner went well. I mean, it's not like I was expecting it to go badly, it's more like I was hoping that the sudden coming together of strangers would result in beautiful new friendships. Imagine my relief when that's exactly what happened. True, Gizmo had to suffer through a lot of birthday wishes (including a simultaneous playful kiss on both cheeks from Fleur and Breeze, sending us into fits of laughter as his face turned into a tomato), while Coco seemed to hang on for dear life. By the time dessert arrived in the form of a complimentary birthday cake for our resident wunderkind, both actually seemed to be loosening up.

Well, a little, anyway. There was still hesitation and shyness but maybe once we got up and moving, they'd work off some of that nervous energy they were clearly stockpiling.

"But what about you?" I hear you asking. Okay, I realize I've spent a lot of time introspecting about the youngest members of our mixed clique. The simple truth is that…well, I wasn't really worried about anyone else, least of all myself. I was having a great time with Fleur and even though I didn't know where we'd end up, I was determined to enjoy the ride until I knew for sure. Sure, maybe I'd be a little disappointed but regrets were not welcome on this vacation, the first proper one I'd had in many years.

Speaking of firsts in many years…

Yeah, the thought had crossed my mind one, two…dozen times. The time I'd spent with Fleur had been the first such time I'd spent in a good while. It wasn't really for lack of trying, I had just chosen to focus more on finding a job after I graduated. The recession made it impossible to leap right into the field I'd studied, so I settled for a position at a local electronics store. Over the next three years, the economy slowly recovered but still, I was hesitant to leave a pretty good gig. I was paid pretty well, had a chance for advancement, and actually liked what I did. Hard to walk away from that.

Anyway…

I think I became so focused on making a living and working on myself that girls kinda…went by the wayside. There a couple dates here and there but nothing serious. Even my first time had been a brief (albeit fun and slightly tipsy) rendezvous on graduation night with an old friend. Luckily, we stayed friends and have since come to terms with our encounter but as far as real, lengthy relationships went…there was no other way to put it. I was a noob.

As much as I tried to avoid stereotypes involving Fleur (all of which she had blown out of the water anyway), I couldn't help but feel that the score was lopsided. I knew she wasn't likely a virginal maiden but I wondered how much experience she did have. And what kind of experience? Passionate nights with other models, male or otherwise? How does one measure up to those kinds of experiences?

I was probably just overthinking things. Surely she'd proven that she was down-to-Equis enough to spend time with someone who'd never graced a magazine cover. Besides, she'd been nothing but sweet and open with me since we'd met. Heck, she'd even kissed me…kind of. So far so good, right? Hopefully the evening could shed some light on what she was thinking.

I chuckled at the irony of my thought, prompting Fleur to place a hand on my shoulder.

"Hey, look, he's alive after all! We're ready to go!" she said, shaking me from my daydream.

"Sorry about that," I replied, shaking my head. "Got a little lost in thought."

"Well, I'm glad we found you," Fleur said with a smile, taking my hand. "'Cause the night is young and we still have a birthday to celebrate!"

"Speaking of," Breeze said, looking around the restaurant. "Where is the birthday boy?"

"Yeah, and our server," I added. "We should probably pay for dinner before we go." As if summoned by her question, he rejoined us, tucking his wallet into a pocket. "Ah, there's the man…colt…" They all looked at me expectantly. "…stallion of the hour!" I breathed a mental sigh of relief when they all nodded. "Ready to go?"

"Um yeah, if you guys are…"

"Perfect! We'll just hunt down our waiter and pay, then we'll be good to go."

"I, um…already took care of that…" Gizmo said, almost whispering.

"Really?" I asked, not sure if I'd heard right. "Not that we don't appreciate it but…why? It's your birthday. We should be treating you."

"Just…thought it would be a nice thing to do." Gizmo answered. I grinned as he shot a quick glance in Coco's direction.

"Well then, at least let me buy you a drink or something tonight, if that's what you wanna do." I offered.

"I just checked with our waiter," Sven said as we made our way out of the restaurant. "Apparently, everyone's bills have already been taken care of?"

"You can thank this generous guy right here," I exclaimed, giving Gizmo an affectionate slap on the back.

"I-it was no big deal, really…" he said, clearly embarrassed. A chorus of "Awe, you're sweet!" and "You sure?" made him blush as he nodded and assured us that it was no problem at all. It wasn't until we were gathered a short distance from the restaurant that he spoke up again.

"I…I'd like to thank everyone for coming out tonight," he began, quietly at first but sounding more confident as he found his courage. "To be honest…this is the first time I've celebrated my birthday with anyone…for a long time." We waited silently, amazed that he seemed to finally be opening up a bit. "I'll be honest; I don't have a lot of experience with this kind of thing but…I'm glad you guys are here to…y'know, do this with me."

"That's what friends are for," I said, lightly cuffing his shoulder. "Right guys?" Nods and murmurs of agreement came the reply. In a surprise move, it was Coco who took it one step further, slipping her hand into his, much to the quiet delight of her cousin. Blushing, Gizmo looked up from their intertwined hands and smiled at Coco, who smiled back.

"Well, it's still pretty early," Fleur commented, checking the time. "What do you feel like doing tonight?" she asked, directing her question at Gizmo.

"Um, whatever you guys wanna do is fine."

"Hey man, you already payed for dinner, you get to decide what we do." I said with a nod.

"Exactly! Just tell us what you'd like to do and that's what we'll do." Fleur assured him with a smile and nod of agreement. We waited as he thought about it. I could practically see the gears turning as he weighed his options; as he said, this was all new to him so I could hardly blame him for diligently thinking it over.

"Well, there is a human band from Earth performing at Club Lunaria tonight…maybe we could all go to that?" he suggested, much to everyone's delight (and surprise).

Hey, I'm sure I wasn't the only one who foresaw an evening of video games and D&D (not that those things aren't great in their own rights). I think we were just surprised that he would suggest something that we were all likely to enjoy.

"That's an awesome idea!" Fleur exclaimed. "I've heard some amazing music from Earth!"

"Wow, dinner and a concert!" Breeze said enthusiastically, clutching Sven's arm excitedly. "You sure you don't do this often?" she asked, making Gizmo blush yet again. I couldn't help but smile; they were really trying to make him feel good.

"What band is playing?" I asked.

"Um, let me check…" Gizmo replied, checking the Helios app on his phone. "It says here they're a pop rock band called Maroon 5."

"Maroon 5, huh?" I mused, stroking my chin. "I wonder what they would've done that I would know."

***

"So…where exactly is this club?" I asked as we were led to a seemingly dead end. After weaving our way back to the Astral Resort and down a series of paths, we came to a stop at a large circular obsidian pad. Strange runes ran along the edge of the circle, glowing faintly in the dusk. Inside the circle stood a small obsidian pillar about waist-height; hovering over the pillar were two holographic arrows, a blue one pointing up and an orange one pointing down.

"Just give it a minute," Gizmo replied, checking the time. "Should be any moment now…"

"Look! Up there!" Coco exclaimed, pointing above us. Following her lead, I looked up…and was rendered speechless.

Appearing from the cover of darkness was another floating island. We murmured in amazement at the crescent-shaped mass overhead, admiring the neon-like dark-blue glow that followed the island's edges, drawing a perfect horizontal crescent moon in the sky.

"Do you…like it?" Gizmo asked after a few moments.

"This is…so beautiful, Gizmo," Coco replied, squeezing his hand (which she hadn't let go of since leaving the restaurant). "It's really amazing."

"That's for sure," Sven murmured, clearly in awe of the spectacle of magical engineering. "Breeze, have you ever seen this?"

"Only a handful of times and even then, it was from a window or something. I've never actually seen it up close." Breeze answered.

"I think my cousin said it best," Fleur said, taking my hand (yes!). "It's amazingly beautiful."

"I'm glad you guys like it," said Gizmo, sounding a little relieved. "Took me almost six months to design." At that, all eyes turned to the young stallion. "What?"

"You mean…you designed it?" Breeze asked in disbelief. "Are you like, a genius or something?"

"I'm actually Helios' chief engineer," Gizmo explained, showing her his ID card. "I designed or helped design most of the technology on this island." Still shocked, both Breeze and Sven looked at me for confirmation.

"It's just like he says," I said with a shrug. "Guy's just that much of a genius. He explained how some of it works but I'm still not sure I completely understand."

"So he's basically Pony Stark?" Sven asked with a slight grin.

"Ha!" I exclaimed, offering him a high-five, which he quickly accepted.

"I still don't know what that means…" Gizmo whispered to Coco.

"That's okay, I don't either. Must be an Earth thing."

"So I take it that's our destination tonight?" I asked.

"Sure is," Gizmo confirmed with a nod. "If you could all, um, step within the circle, we can…get going." We did so without hesitation, staying close to the center.

"So what happens now?" Breeze asked. "Is this like, a mass teleporter or something?"

"Not exactly," Gizmo answered as he stood before the small pillar. "Allow to demonstrate." With that, he pressed his palm against the blue arrow.

With a collective gasp, we felt the platform rise at a rather rapid but velvety-smooth rate. Coco gave a squeak of surprise as she braved a glace around, finding nothing but open night air around us.

"Gizmo, what the…" I stammered as we ascended.

"You guys, um, like it?" he asked.

"Yeah but…is it…safe?" Coco asked nervously.

"I wouldn't design anything that wasn't," Gizmo replied quietly but confidently as we approached the edge of the platform. He reached out and was immediately stopped by a deep-purple barrier at his fingertips. "See? There's no way to fall off and there's a lot of safety features in the unlikely event of a malfunction."

"Oh…okay." Still clearly nervous, Coco seemed at the very least, a little reassured.

"This is incredible!" Breeze suddenly exclaimed. I wasn't too surprised; she had wings, she was used to this kind of thing. Us landlubbers, though… "It's so fast yet so smooth! Amazing!"

"I have to concur with Breezy here," Sven agreed with a smile. "You've done a truly fantastic job here. It's actually really cool once you get used to it."

"It's like when my grandfather took me up the Sears Tower," I added. "Not quite like this but that's the closest I could think of." At that moment, I realized that everyone had weighed in on the magical super-elevator except the mare to my right. In fact, I could've sworn her grip on my hand had tightened. "Hey, are you okay?" I asked quietly as everyone ooh'd and ahh'd at the night sky around us. She sighed and gave me a strained smile.

"I'm sorry," she said softly. "It's just that…I've never been a fan of…well, heights."

"Oh, I see," I said with a small nod.

"You must think I'm such a foal."

"No, not at all!" I assured her, squeezing her hand. "It's nothing to be ashamed of. Everyone has fears, right? Besides, it's not like you're afraid of chocolate cake, right?"

"You haven't seen some of the things I've had to squeeze into!" Fleur said with a giggle. "There's nothing wrong with a healthy fear of chocolate cake, especially if it's fresh and you haven't eaten anything except nutrition shakes for three days."

"Ha ha, okay, bad example," I said with a smile. "How about…at least you're not afraid of…kittens?"

"Actually, I'm deathly allergic to cats."

"You're not helping my case here."

"I know," Fleur said with another giggle. "Don't worry too much about me, I'm a strong, grown-up mare who can handle a little…open air."

"If you'd rather do something else, we can." I offered, not wanting her to be uncomfortable in any way. "I'm sure the others would understand." Fleur shook her head.

"You're sweet for offering but I'll be okay," she said with a confirming nod of her own. "Just…give me a little time to get used to this, okay?"

"Of course." I said with a smile. Then, in an uncharacteristically bold move, I gently maneuvered around and wrapped my arm around her middle. I heard her gasp lightly at the unexpected move but she offered no resistance or protest. The idea was to make her feel safer but I worried that she would misinterpret my intention. She looked up at me almost curiously. "I was…hoping to make you…feel safer?" I offered, stammering under the perceived pressure. "Just say the word and I'll let go, I don't want you to feel weird or anything."

"No, don't," she nearly whispered. "This feels nice." With that, I felt her rest the back of her head against my upper chest. Trying to keep a shit-eating grin off my face, I took a quick glance around. I smiled as Breeze and Sven seemed to be in a similar state, holding each other close as we neared the island of Lunaria. Even Gizmo and Coco were engaged in a quiet yet active conversation, Coco no doubt plying him with questions. I smiled; that was Gizmo's element and I began to see the wisdom of why he had selected Lunaria as our destination. Still, there had to be more to it than simply wanting to show his projects off, even of that was where he was most comfortable.

"You're heart's racing…" she murmured.

"Can't help it," I replied honestly, if not a little cheesi-ly. "I've got a stunning Equestrian in my arms." Fleur smirked up at me.

"Not bad."

"Thanks. I try."

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, including our cuddle-filled magical elevator ride. The platform came to a gentle stop within a wide obsidian ring, also. As he disembarked, I took in as much of the remarkable island as I immediately could.

How could I not? All around us, other platforms arrived on their own rings from what I guessed to be other locations on Helios. We were soon joined by other creatures of the night, in a literal and figurative sense (Lunaria appeared to be a particularly popular haunt for thestrals). Chattering excitedly amongst ourselves (even Fleur, having found her nerve after leaving the magic lift), we joined the growing crowd of other guests making their way to a large building that seemed to perfectly cover the entire island. Curious to see if my guess carried any weight, I took out my phone and typed "Lunaria" in the app's search bar.

"Apparently, the whole island is one big stadium divided into several different venues to provide the ultimate nightlife experience," I said, paraphrasing the app's description of the island. "Everything from smooth jazz halls to dance clubs are available and of course, all range of dining as well." I put my phone away and looked at Fleur and the others.

"Gizmo, when does the concert start?" Fleur asked, prompting Gizmo to check his phone.

"About 20 minutes. We should hurry if we want to get there and settled in before it starts…unless you guys want to do something else?"

"No! I mean…I'd really like to watch the concert with you…" Coco replied, smiling bashfully.

"Count us in too," Sven said with a grin.

"Yeah man, like we said before, this is your birthday and a concert sounds perfect." I assured him with a smile.

"Absolutely." Fleur added, along with a nod from Breeze.

There was a pause as Gizmo seemed to be coming to terms with the reality of the situation. I could only imagine what he must've been feeling; after all, it's not every day that you make five new friends who genuinely want to show you a good time on your birthday, possibly one of the only ones he'd ever truly celebrated.

"…Thanks, you guys." Gizmo said with a small but genuine smile. "I…I can't imagine what I'd be doing tonight without you."

"It's our pleasure," Fleur replied with a warm smile. "Personally, I can't imagine what we'd be doing tonight without you!"

"Hey what am I, chopped liver?" I asked with a faux look of dismay.

"Sorry but he's the birthday colt…pardon me, birthday stallion." Fleur answered without a hint of remorse...before shooting me a sly grin and a wink.

"Fair enough." I said with a shrug.

***

"So, remind me how exactly it is that we have reserved box seats for this concert?" I asked as we took our seats in (you guessed it) our very own private box overlooking the sizeable main concert venue. Even though we had personally witnessed Gizmo show his ID card to one of the fellows at the main doors, followed said individual to our present location, and stood nearly catatonic in shock as he explained the perks of being chief engineer, it still hadn't really registered for me yet.

"Gizmo's got, how do you say…the 'hook-up'," Sven answered from his seat to me left. Fleur had eagerly taken the one to my right, while Breeze situated herself on Sven's left. As fate would have it, Coco and Gizmo had taken the row ahead of us, sitting directly in the two middle seats, giving us the perfect vantage point from which to observe their adorkable-ness.

Or we could always watch the concert. That could be fun too. Having said that, I don't think anyone would disagree if I said that the dynamic between Gizmo and Coco was just as (if not more) interesting than that of Fleur and myself. But I digress…

Now, I had never even heard of Maroon 5 even back on Earth. Heck, I had never even been to a concert before. Having said that, I don't think I'll ever see more live special effects in my life as I did that night. In short, the concert rocked. While I wasn't about to become a Maroon 5 groupie, they did have one song that kind of hit close to home (seizure warning!). So much so that I actually got up and, as succinctly as I could given the noise, asked Fleur to dance with me.

Moments later, there we were, dancing like there neither of us had a single fuck to give, grateful that the box was more than large enough to accommodate. In fact, it wasn't long before Breeze and Sven joined the frivolity and we were soon dancing as a group, laughing and showing off our individual dance moves (most of which were terrible but like I said before, not a single fuck was given). To my sheer amazement, even Coco and Gizmo joined us…kind of. We smiled as they found a spot of their own and awkwardly joined hands, gently swaying back and forth to the beat, taking turns smiling at each other and occasionally even making eye contact.

It was perfect.

And we were barely getting started.

Author's Note

Am I rushing things? Does anyone wish I would've gone into more detail about certain actions or places? I've been trying not to turn this into War and Peace but there's so much that keeps coming up that needs to be included. The original version was supposed to be maybe half this length, so...yay?

Man, writing short stories and keeping them short is hard.