"Hey, slowpoke!"

Soarin' chuffed as he heard that familiar, lighthearted derision from behind him, turning to face the cyan-and-rainbow mare who had spoken it. As she got within range, Rainbow Dash quickly planted a deep kiss on his muzzle, with him eagerly meeting her kiss and feeling the electric of her touch surge through him as it did every time they'd kissed.

"Hey Cadet," Soarin' responded simply after the too-brief greeting kiss ended, a smirk of his being met with chuff from Rainbow.

"Yeah? Well, we'll see what you're saying when I become a full-fledged member in a few years, or sooner!" Rainbow responded, once more meeting his muzzle and sending her own brand of electricity down his spine. As she broke it again, Soarin' re-instigated it again, this time pushing his chest against hers and pushing her back a bit as his muzzle pressed hard against hers – just how she liked it.

It was a good thing they were alone, otherwise Spitfire would probably tell them to knock it off and hit the showers to 'cool off' again, as she often did. She was such a wet blanket sometimes. As it was, with them alone in the room, their make-out session ignited a few degrees hotter, with Rainbow forcing her tongue into Soarin's mouth as she tried to tackle and get on top of Soarin' to gain control, but to no avail. Soarin' simply stood unmoving as he prevented his mare-friend from toppling him, holding strong into her kiss, hearing her moaning in delight as his tongue rolled and pinned hers down as she still tried to fell her unassailable, steadfast stallion; a bulwark to her, in more than one way.

With a smirk, Soarin' finally gave in and let Rainbow push into him as he rolled onto his back, getting a surprised 'whoop' from her into his mouth as he did, with her ending up laying with her chest to his now. He'd always let her be on top, but on his terms, not hers.

"So, how you been?" Rainbow asked after a while, satisfied with Soarin' finally having given in to her after the kiss, with her now laying down on his chest as he let her be on top after they'd parted their locked muzzles. He enjoyed the cool tile upon his tired back, and the smoking-hot mare atop him even more.

"I've been kicking your flank in practice every day." Soarin' countered with a smirk, Rainbow giving a 'pfft' in reply, followed by a smack on his right stifle with the tip of her tail.

"You think! I've beat your sorry butt every lap today and for the last week!" Rainbow taunted back, both knowing it to be true, "I think you're getting slower, Cloud-Butt!" Rainbow said with her trademark sneer, getting a roll of the eyes from Soarin'.

"You're never going to let me live that down, are you?" Soarin' asked with a grumble, only to get that continued sneer from Rainbow in return.

"Nope!" Rainbow replied gleefully, then let out a stifled chuckle as she remembered where he'd gotten that nickname from, with the barely-restrained mirth being bitten back by him also showing he quite remembered as well.

Finally after a while of holding back, Rainbow cracked first, busting out laughing, with Soarin' soon joining her. They laughed as that day that Soarin' had gotten his rump stuck in a cloud on their first date replayed through their memories, the fact that he'd dragged it around with him for a while until Rainbow had dissipated it with a single kick and left his whole butt and tail soaked only fueling the fire. Finally, a while later, they'd settled into a cuddle as the laughs died into chuckles, then giggles, before ending in only smiles as she once more looked down at him, a soft smile on her face as she gazed into his eyes.

They were quiet for a while, both bathing in the others' presence until Rainbow cleared her throat. "So, May 10th is coming really soon..." Rainbow cooed out, playing with Soarin's wings gently. Soarin's heart skipped a beat at the mention of that date

"...did you consider what I asked?"

Soarin' felt a pang of nervousness as he was so suddenly confronted by this in the locker room right after drills, his muscles lightly aching from the extended training session, and was sure Rainbow was pretty tired too; in no real mood to be making life-changing decisions, but none-the-less faced by one. He knew he could ask for more time to decide, but he also knew it wasn't needed. He'd made up his mind.

Last week, Rainbow Dash had invited him to over to her house on that date after telling him she'd 'need his help', then after dropping the act and flat-out telling him that was the day her estrus usually started, she was sick of dealing with them alone, and asking him to rut her when her heat came and cum in her until the burn was a memory.

Obviously, Soarin' was very surprised at that the sudden request and knew the implications of going through with it, in every aspect and for both of them, but found after some thought that he was perfectly alright with that result if Rainbow knew what she'd be going through and giving up as well. He'd asked for some time to think it over, and she'd wholeheartedly agreed. They'd been dating for well over a year now, ever since she'd asked him after her amazing display at the Wonderbolts Acadamy; stepping up to Lightning Dust like that and showing her true colors and loyalty to the Wonderbolts. Soarin' realized that that was the type of mare he wanted to be his special somepony. Rainbow seemed to agree he was the right stallion for her too.

Now, the time had come to answer.

"I wouldn't miss that date for the world, my love...as long as you're sure about this." Soarin' cooed out in return, and as he nuzzled into her chest, he felt her nod. He then felt himself cracking a bit as he buried his nose into the tuft of fur on her chest, showing his true self to her through the facade of always teasing her and lightheartedly putting her down; breaking his 'tough, athletic jock-stallion' act he always had to put on for everypony else and just being himself around her. His hooves gently gripped her in a hug and softly squeezed her to himself, showing his true feelings for her despite play-fighting and lightheartedly teasing her all the time.

Rainbow Dash remained quiet as her stallion-friend nuzzled into her chest and hugged her, her hoof softly petting his crest as he did, the contended nicker from him in response to it making her heart swell. She loved it when he was like this, as rare as it was, and would never do anything to interrupt it; with him just a calm little colt accepting her love, and her as his mare simply giving it.

"Oh yeah, I'm more than sure that I want you there on that date...and everything that will probably follow it." Rainbow said, softly petting her stallionfriend's wing, feeling it starting to unfurl at her touch.

Rainbow had been a bit surprised the first time Soarin' had revealed this side of himself after their third date, but that time and each after, she'd loved it every time he let himself fully relax for her like this. Adoring and cherishing every time he'd let himself break down all of the walls he'd built up for others and just be her little colt for a few minutes.

"C'mon Cloudbutt..." Rainbow softly whispered as she nudged him with a hoof some time later, only feeling his hooves grip a little tighter when she did, continuing to pull her down tight onto himself. "C'mon we gotta go shower. No offense, but you smell like a ten-year-old moldy feedbag that's never been washed!" Rainbow said with a chuckle, getting an exasperated groan from him in response as she absolutely shattered the mood with her comment.

"Really?" Soarin' asked as he finally released her, with her quickly getting up so he could as well, "'A ten-year-old moldy feedbag?' Is that really the best you've got?" Rainbow simply laughed again in response, stifling herself so only a chain of giggles followed, distractedly following him to the showers.

Rainbow continued her chuckling at Soarin's reaction to her comment on his musky stallion scent until she felt a sudden, cold shower of water wash over her body, making her yelp and tense up as she glared up at Soarin'. Sure enough, he'd turned the cold tap on when she'd walked under the shower-head and had stood to the side himself, letting her get the full glory of the cold shower water all to herself.

After he'd turned the water off after the first spray soaked her and left her lightly shivering, he heard Rainbow only continue her laughter after the initial shock of the cold wore off, and he joined her in it. Within seconds, however, Rainbow had him pinned against the shower wall and their muzzles were locked again, sending that special brand of lightning down each of their spines. Her warm, wet body was soaking him as well, but he didn't care less. He was going to get wet soon himself anyhow, and even if he wasn't, getting a little wet was totally worth feeling Rainbow pressed to him like this, her lips on his.

As Rainbow finally relented and pulled away panting for air, Soarin' only smirked at her. "Who's the Cloud-Butt now?" He teased back, only for his head to once more be moderately slammed against the wall, the slight pain and possible future headache well worth it as he once more felt her tongue dance on his.

Soon, their kissing evolved to Soarin's hoof roaming down her body, tracing her curves down to her lightning-bolt-marked rump and giving it a squeeze, earning him a cute, quiet squeak from the spectrum-maned mare he was proud to call his marefriend. "Getting a little grabby, are we?" Rainbow asked, her tone snarky and clearly not serious; "You didn't ask...but I guess I'll let you off this time..."

Soarin' continued to rub her rump as she pushed it up into his hoof, getting quiet little moans of pleasure from her as he started to softly kiss down her neck, the occasional nibble getting another squeak from her; the squeaks he so loved to make her give. He soon used his other hoof to turn the water on and turned it to warm, watching as Rainbow's usually-unstyled mane went flat under the water's weight, looking like a multi-hued veil for him to part and view the beauty underneath.

Soarin quickly took his unoccupied hoof and combed Rainbow's hair behind her ears, soon feeling Rainbow's lips meeting his own again as they held each other close, Soarin's hoof moving from her rump to her back, pressing her tighter into himself as the warm water kept running over them.

By Celestia I love this mare...

~

Finally, after a rather steamy shower, and with more rubbing and groping than was strictly needed to get each other clean, Rainbow and Soarin' stepped out of the showers, both feeling quite relaxed and pleased. Soon after, they started to part ways with a final, soft kiss and hug, Rainbow snuggling into his neck the same way she did every time they had to leave each other. He in kind let her pet his mane for a short while, being her little colt as both so loved him to be, before finally having her depart at last, with Rainbow heading off to her cloud home and Soarin' heading to his bunk in the barracks.

"Hey Rainbow!" Soarin' suddenly called out just after she'd taken off but before she'd gotten any speed, making her stop and hover, looking expectantly at him. "It's a long flight home and it's starting to get dark out. I know how hard it is to fly in the dark, and...well...did you maybe...wanna bunk with me tonight?"

The response from Rainbow was immediate, and Soarin quickly found himself driven into the cloud as Rainbow buried him in soft fluff, grinning at him mischievously before jumping off, leaving him to fix the small crater she'd caused.

"Sure thing Cloud-Butt. I'll meet you there!" she called out as she was gone in a flash, only her multi-hued trail left behind her leading to the barracks building.

As she departed and Soarin' got to patching up the hole Rainbow had just made, he started thinking more about what he'd earlier agreed to. Meeting with Rainbow Dash during her heat and breeding her until it stopped...

...getting her pregnant...

"Dear Celestia, am I really ready to become a husband and father?" he asked himself quietly, thinking hard as he grabbed another piece of cloud and pressed it back into place, letting his mind once more consider such a massive step in his life that was being asked of him.

~

As they lay together in the cloud-bed after more joking and lightheartedly fooling around while they readied for bed, Rainbow's warmth beside him, and his hoof draped over her side as he held her tight against his underbarrel, Soarin' felt at peace as his muzzle was buried into the multi-hued mane of his love and lover. As he breathed in the gentle combination of ozone, shampoo, and the unique scent of his mare, he felt more calm and relaxed than when he was anywhere else, and was more excited at the same time than he was the second before the race buzzer sounded.

He felt perfect with Rainbow, and, just before he fell asleep, he thought he'd made the right decision about accepting Rainbow's proposal earlier....but he couldn't help but feel that nagging doubt in the back of his mind.

Am I REALLY ready for this?

Author's Note

And so it begins...the first story in what feels like forever that I wasn't commissioned for! I should be uploading the next chapter, the first sex chapter, by tomorrow, then have two more planned for after that.

Written as per a request made forever ago by one Nealend86 on my other story, here is '...what Rainbow Dash was doing during all of this'. I hope it's a sufficient explanation. The listed story does not have to be read in order to read this one, as this is not a direct continuation in any way, merely a side story with no relation.

I decided to add just a little something else as a bonus to said story after re-reading some of the comments and picking up on that neglected request, and decided to rectify that...and may have ended up making it into a short story. Oops.

Anyhow, as always, comments and constructive criticisms are appreciated and loved, and I'll do my best to reply to everypony's. With that, hope you enjoyed, and thank you for reading.

PS: I love this ship!