The rumor mill was vicious the next morning. Not only because Dustin had been seen in the company of the prismatic mare all day, but also because Rarity had taken out a bet on Dustin and Dash getting together by the end of the year.

Not that Dustin played the talk any mind. Not only was he not really in control of everything his fox ears picked up, but he was more interested in hearing what had happened to a certain wolf and unicorn after last night.

Sadly it seemed like anyone who might have seen what happened was still asleep, or too hungover to recall the fine details. Still, he was patient. The fox headed to the gym after passing through the market and prepared to get involved in his normal workout routine.

Hmm...he might actually manage to get through it all without Geralt showing up.

“Yo, Foxy.” Rainbow Dash’s voice called from above. “Need somepony to spot you?”

Dustin looked up and smirked as he saw the mare in the sky. Ha, today he had his pants on. Suck it, fate. “Sure, but these things are not toys,” the fox warned as he started his set of reps.

She landed behind him. “Please, I train for the Running of the Leaves each year. I’m stronger than I look.” She puffed out her chest confidently and flapped her wings.

“So’m I,” Dustin noted out loud. The trick wasn’t to do it fast, that would just wear him out. He needed to do it nice and evenly, without his arms shaking. He could reasonably do about five sets, each one ten reps...with weight about equal to, as the packaging said, ‘make you able to lift up Princess Celestia.’

“You seem to be doing fine, what would happen if I sat on the bar?” She grinned mischievously.

“Save it for the last ten, that’s usually when Geralt makes it harder anyways,” the fox huffed as he put the weights down for a moment. Ten was easy. Fifty, spread out like they were, that was not that bad.

Having to do even ten with Geralt finding ways to throw off his concentration? Hell. On. Earth.

“You’re looking a little mad there, still pissed at Geralt?” Rainbow asked, cocking her head to the side inquisitively.

“Just his idea of training,” Dustin noted out loud. “Exercise is fine and all. Exercise while he presses an ice cube to the back of your neck to surprise you and break your concentration? Not so much.”

She grew an absolutely wicked grin. “Ice cubes?” She leaned in and whispered in his ear. “Kinky.”

...Dustin wasn’t going to ask. He just picked up his nearby water bottle and took a pull from it. It was important to hydrate during exercise. As Geralt had repeatedly drilled into him.

“Yes, hydrate.” Dash nodded. “Good, moving on to something else?” She asked. “Or are you not done yet?”

“Give me a minute,” Dustin panted. “I need like two minutes between reps or I risk overworking myself.” Which was also important to not do. “Though I am nearly done,” he put out there. “Next set is the last.”

“Oh I bet you need a minute.” She winked at him. “Want me to sit on your bar?”

“Pretty sure that would just be a distraction,” Dustin noted out loud. She was talking about the weights, right? And her sitting on it would mean…

Oh, so that’s what a blushing Renamon looked like.

She quietly hovered up and sat her flank on the bar and looked down at him. She occasionally swished her tail back and forth. “Well? Get to it.”

“Um, Dash, I can, uh, see…” Dustin’s blush was far more pronounced as he looked anywhere but at the bar. Didn’t mean it wasn’t in his field of view, and his eyes twitched every time her tail swished out of the way.

“What’s up?” She asked innocently. “Something catch your eye?” She raised a brow. “What would Geralt say if you couldn’t stay focused?”

Right. Right! Just treat it like any other complication. Stare at anything else.

The fox lifted the weights up and began pumping steadily. One, two, three.

...She smelled like rain.

“Huh. So that’s what it looks like.” Was all she said.

What what looked like?! He was wearing pants!

No, focus! Five, six, seven…

...his fox brain wanted him to lick the enticing scent of spice that mingled with the rain and dammit brain no!

“And Ten!” Rainbow announced hovering off the bar and landing on the ground next to him. “Nice focus.” She grinned. “Now. Question.”

Dustin carefully made sure the weights weren’t going anywhere before scooting back and sitting up, looking at the mare like she was a bomb about to go off. “What?” he asked her.

“Wanna get lunch?” She grinned. “I can buy this time.”

Oh. Well that was far more innocent than he’d been expecting. “Sure,” he agreed, picking up his bottle and pack and stowing his stuff on his back. “Where to?” And for the first time, Geralt hadn’t shown for a training session.

“Mmmmm Hayburger? They have non-hay food.” She thought for a moment. “Good? Good. Wanna race? Awesome! One. Two. Three. Go!”

Waitwut? Dustin blinked as she dashed off, leaving a dust cloud in her wake. “But I don’t even know where Hayburger is!” he whined, before dashing off after the mare. This was so unfair as well. She had wings! How was he supposed to compete with that? He was reduced to following her contrail through town and was she deliberately looping back? Did she know he was following her to find the place? After apologizing to the same mare for jumping over her three times, it seemed likely.

After leading him on a bit of a winding chase, Rainbow stopped. Just stopped. Like some cartoon character. Though there was a bit of backblast that followed her. “We’re here.”

And that was a fox tripping over her, rolling head over heels and crashing into the side of the building. Somewhere a cat yowled at the sudden sound as Dustin lay there, upside down against the building. “...I’m starting to dislike your idea of a date,” he noted idly, one of his footpaws twitching.

“You know it’s fun.” She laughed as she flapped over, grabbed a leg, and tugged. He wasn’t stuck to the building, but he did appreciate the extra help in getting himself standing upright again.

“Okay,” he admitted. “If I had known where we were going, maybe I could have gotten here before lap four of the town.” And it was a great way to work up an appetite.

“I had to make you burn enough calories so you’d be properly hungry.” Rainbow nodded sagely. “Now, follow.” She spun in the air with a flourish and flapped towards the Hayburger.

Inside, well…

It was a cross between quite a few fast few joints that Dustin was familiar with, though obviously geared towards ponies.

“Did you know,” he said as they joined the line and he scanned the menu hanging over the colt behind the register, “That red, yellow, and orange are colors that tell you ‘eat fast! Eat more!’ That’s why fast food places deck themselves out in them. To get you to order more food and eat it quickly so that they can serve the next person.”

“They do? Really?” She asked over the dull roar. “You’re not pulling my leg are you?”

“Nah, there was a study and everything,” Dustin said. “Green, blue, purple, those are calming colors. Get you to slow down and consider things, which is why so many fancy places have those as their predominant themes. But if you deck a whole place out in fire engine red with some french-fry yellow hanging around the place, they’ll order twice the food without thinking about how fattening it is.”

Rainbow blinked. “Huh. Well, I can say I learned something new today.”

“Just a regular font of wisdom, me,” Dustin quipped as the line kept moving. Slowly.

“Think we’re going to run out of seats?” Rainbow asked as the line moved.

“I mean, there’s a maximum occupancy limit,” Dustin pointed out. “Surely they wouldn’t let everyone get their orders for here if they knew they couldn’t seat everyone.”

“Eh true.” She shrugged. “Hey! We’re next in line! Score!”

“Perfect,” Dustin beamed. “Hey, um, are you sure you want to pay?” he asked Dash before their turn at the register. Maybe she hadn’t heard of Digimon appetites? “I mean, I’m the alpha of a mine, I can pay my own way…”

“It’s fine.” She waved away his concerns. “I eat a lot too.”

Okaaaay, she asked for it. Their turn came too soon and Dustin let Dash make the first move.

“Hey.” Rainbow greeted. “I’ll have two number nines, a number twelve, and a large soda, oh and an extra large hayfries.” She gestured at Dustin. “And I’m buying for him.” She said as she pulled her bit bag out.

Dustin made sure to look the menu over one last time before nodding. “Two triple-stacked impossible burgers, five orders of fries, and a large chocolate shake,” he said plainly. His stomach growled and he grimaced. “Make that three triples.”

Rainbow’s eyes popped out, then she actually blushed. “Okay. Okay.” She handed out the required bits from such a huge order. “You eat a lot?”

“I actually have to remind myself that yes, it’s okay to eat as much as I want,” Dustin grimaced. “I, uh...used to get fat. Couldn’t fit in my pants. Had to cut back and exercise. Now?” He gestured to his body with a paw. “Now it’s encouraged for me to eat, because apparently being a digimon means you’re a walking trash can for carbs.” He snorted once. “Don’t get me started on the lizard in the bakery. I swear he eats half the stuff he makes, which is why he was put on the registers.”

“I have seen Guilmon eat. He’s like a black hole.” She giggled as they waited for their orders. “No, I won’t ask to race while eating. That’d probably end with somepony choking.”

“Or vomiting, which would be a waste of food,” Dustin pointed out. “Also, good use of the word ‘somepony’ there, because in all my little eating episodes, that hasn’t happened to me yet. It’s like it goes past my throat and vanishes.”

“And I honestly can’t make an innuendo about that.” Rainbow rubbed the back of her head with a hoof. The worker got her attention and she blinked at the pile of food on the tray. Her mouth started to water.

“Hup,” Dustin picked his trays up with both hands, taking them over the cyan mare’s head. “Okay,” he said, trying to scope out the place. “Hmm...we might have to sit outside,” he eventually conceded.

“Wait! There’s a table!” She pointed a hoof at a table with a single chair. “There we go!”

“...You can’t be serious,” Dustin said as they drew near. “I mean there’s only one chair!”

“You sit and I can sit in your lap.” She was smiling “innocently.”

“And how is that going to work?” Dustin raised an eyebrow at the mare, deciding to humor her for a moment. “I mean the first half works, I can sit here,” he pointed out, and indeed he could. The chair was in fact big enough for him to sit on comfortably. “But how are you going to sit on my lap and eat?”

“Sit and I’ll show you.” She replied nodding at the chair. The fox rolled his eyes and made sure not to sit on his tail, getting comfy with the seat. In response, Rainbow hover-flapped down slowly and situated her flank onto his lap, shifting a little to get comfortable. She was sitting in the same way a cat would, only there was more flank.

“See?” She smirked as her wings puffed out and her wingtips started sifting through the food pile. Every so often she’d shift to get comfortable.

“Hey, don’t do that here! There are foals here!” A pegasus mare called out.

Rainbow glared in the direction of the lone, irritated voice. “And I’m trying to eat here!” SHe snorted and went back to eating. “Ignore her.”

It was easier done than said, ignoring the mare they didn’t know. What was harder was ignoring the fact that Dash wasn’t wearing any pants and was sitting on his lap. Especially as she’d given him more than an eyeful not thirty minutes ago.

One head was focusing on putting away as much food as possible before the other head woke up. Which was a losing battle the moment she sat on his lap.

“How is it?” She asked between mouthfuls as she glanced up at him.

Of course, Dustin had to swallow about a quarter of his burger before he could answer. “It’s pretty good,” he admitted. “Might have to come back on my own bit, wouldn’t be fair to bankrupt you trying to feed me.” He lowered his head to his other hand, which was holding up a container of fries, and all but started inhaling them.

Damn. She knew he ate fast but damn.

She actually slowed down to watch, only eating at a quarter of her normal intake. Which was still much faster than any sane pony would.

It was like watching a beautiful battle taking place. A beautiful, terrible battle. Each thing was attacked in rotation. One burger would disappear in the course of five bites, followed by a container of fries that she swore he was snorting directly into his body with how he inhaled them. A gulp of chocolate shake cleaned his mouth of any stragglers, and then he went at it again. In ten minutes, that pile of food he’d been handed was down to one order of fries and whatever was left in his shake, and that wouldn’t take longer than two to kill off.

In the time it’d taken him to devour his meal, Rainbow had gotten through roughly half. She noticed and blinked. “I was just distracted.” She said as if to explain why she stared. The fox merely shrugged in response, before picking up the last container of his fries and all but dumping them directly down his throat.
She frowned and started eating in earnest, finishing off her food in a matter of minutes. She crumpled up her last burger wrapper. “Hmmmm good.” She licked her lips. “What’s the plan.” She leaned back into his chest and looked up at him.

Dustin sucked the last of his shake out through the straw, smacking his lips afterwards. “Idunno,” he admitted. “Normally I’d go to the mine, but I’m avoiding it until I know the bitch brigade’s been disbanded. I don’t spend a lot of time in town, I was lucky to find the theatre yesterday.”

“Well wanna just wander around, I mean, if you don’t have anything to do today.” Rainbow asked, finally hopping out of his lap and hovering next to him.

“Sure thing I guess, let me just clean up and we can try to find something to do,” Dustin said, gathering up their trays and trash.

“I’ll meet you outside.” Rainbow nodded and flapped off outside. Dustin nodded in turn, finding the trash can and put the trays on top after dumping the trash, being the courteous guest he was.

Only...when he got outside?

No Dash.

“...Did she ditch me?” Dustin asked, before seeing a note pinned to one side of the restaurant. Seeing as how it had his name on it, he opened it and read it.

I.O.U. one Rainbow Dash

It was signed with a heart...in lavender crayon.

“...It’s Ponyland, don’t question it,” Dustin said, though he still resolved to drop this off with the local police department.

Rainbow blinked as a light was shined into her eyes. “What the-”

“What are you doing with my fox?” Came a voice beyond the light.

Rainbow squinted as she blinked. “What? Fox? Wait- Sweetie Belle? What are you doing?”

“I’m asking the questions here!” Came the high-pitched snap.

“Oooookay? What do you mean?” Rainbow still asked.

“I am asking the questions!”

“She seems ta need things repeated a few times.” The drawl of Apple Bloom spoke up.

“I didn’t hit her that hard. Theriouthly Thith ithn’t going to end well.” That had to be Scootaloo. “Thorry Dath.”

“It’s cool squirt.” Rainbow shook her head roughly. “Okay. I’m good. So. What’s this about?”

“What makes you think you’re good enough for MY fox?” Sweetie’s voice cracked. “You’re an anomaly in the shipping charts and you will explain yourself.”

“Uhhh… What? I like the guy? He’s nice, he works out, he eats a lot, he’s attractive, he’s fun to tease.” She rambled off a list. “And he can almost keep up with me. What’s not to like about the guy? Also…. His fur is soft….” Her voice quieted to a whisper at the end.

“I don’t see a problem.” Apple bloom said bluntly.

“Okay, I’ll give you that one. But still! What makes you think you’re better than the bitches and Ivy?” Rainbow could almost hear the pout behind the words.

“Ummmm I’m awesome?” She said nervously. This was striking a little too close to home for her liking. “But… seriously though….”

“Hey! Thtop that Thweetie! Dath ith a great mare and Duthtin ith a great thrallion…. Fox.” Scootaloo started to defend the mare.

“O-oh! Th-thanks squirt!” Rainbow managed to get her breathing under control.

“They would make awethome fox-foalth!” Scootaloo continued.

“Thanks Squirt.” She blushed furiously, growled through grit teeth.

“Fine…” Sweetie said somewhat softly. Something landed on the table. “You can have this. But on the condition that you talk to Ivy and let her know what you’re up to.”

Rainbow paled a bit, seeing that what hit the table was the digivice. She reached out a hoof and took it. It kind of felt… heavy. “Okay.” She took a breath. “Okay.” She nodded. “I’ll go talk to Ivy.”

“Good.” Sweetie said, as overhead lights came on.

“Oops! Sorry! How was the interrogation? You girls ready to help with the cupcakes?!” Pinkie cried out happily from the door.

Sugarcube corner. Of course.

Dash got up and trotted out the door, to see a busy Sugarcube Corner. She took a shakey breath and walked outside. She had a plant to find.

---(Ellipsis)---

It was...a nice, calm afternoon for Dustin. Just some practice trying to figure out how to teleport, (he failed miserably,) some basic strikes against some dummies, and then he went home for dinner and to relax. Nothing weird happening at all.

There was a thud. A Dash landed in front of him, entirely bound up in vines. She stared wide-eyed at the surprised fox.

“Hi. Dustin.” The normally shy and sweet voice of Ivy was icy.

The fox turned and...well for once she wasn’t blushing in his presence. That...was probably not an improvement in the circumstances. “Hi Ivy,” Dustin said calmly. “What’s this about?”

“This? THIS?!” A thorny finger-vine pointed at Dash. “Why didn’t you tell me about her?!”

“...Because it literally happened yesterday?” Dustin posed. “Also, she’s the one chasing me and making me feel weird.”

Dash visibly deflated in her bindings.

“S-so… this….” She looked a little unsure, then roughly shook her head. “But what about all the presents?”

“Ivy, I do appreciate and like you,” Dustin said evenly. “But I also know that I have way too much stuff and you would probably like something to remind you of Earth. And the fact that you’re a Pokemon fan is also great, it means I can share with you. When you get right down to it…” He knelt and put a paw on Ivy’s shoulder. “I do care about you, as friends do. And I will never turn you away, I will never not be generous with you. But...we’re friends, right? You’re the one that keeps telling everyone I’m not your boyfriend, so I figured you didn’t want one.”

“I- I…” She sniffled and burst into tears, leaning against him.

Ah. Something he was familiar with. Dustin hugged her close and pat her a few times with a hand, letting Ivy cry herself out. Anything else he would say would only make things worse.

Ivy sniffled. “S-sorry I-I overreacted… I guess I was l-looking into things too much.”

“No, that’s fine,” Dustin replied, patting the plant’s head a few times. “You good? Do you need me to get you something for the walk home?”

“No. No.” She shook her head. “I could use the walk home to think… Thanks though.”

“Anytime,” Dustin said, escorting the plant digimon to the door. Once Ivy was on her way, Dustin turned to the bound mare, picked Dash up, and walked up to his room. “We’re going to have a talk, you and I,” he vowed.

Dash simply looked down at the floor and nodded. Once they were in his room, Dustin sat on the bed and propped Dash in his lap.

“I meant what I said,” he started with. “You pursuing me makes me feel weird. Not bad. Just different. Where I come from it’s usually males going after females. Also, they were never as...direct as you. And the fact that I’m not used to my body for that purpose is another layer on top of it. But...you’re not trying to trick or trap or just use me. You’re refreshingly honest and direct. If crude, as Rarity would say. Still, you’re better for my mental health than constantly worrying about being jumped by ten bitches in a dark alleyway.”

Rainbow managed to spit the gag out of her mouth. “Well that’s good, I guess. I might need to put those bitches in their place. Though… Now I’m not sure if I’m worth it….”

“Hey!” Dustin made Dash look at him. “Look, I’m fine with us having a relationship,” he stated simply. “Just do me one favor?”

Her eyes brightened a bit. “Sure. What is it?”

“Do me the courtesy of at least asking for one?”

Rainbow took a breath. “Okay. Okay, okay, okay. Dustin, I like you. A lot. So…. Wanna be my coltfriend? No- Foxfriend? Wanna be my foxfriend?”

“Sure thing you silly pony,” Dustin chuckled, looking at the vines tying Dash up. “Now...how to get you out of these things…”

“Fuck that, keep me tied up. I bet you’re massively pent up, might as well put my situation to good use.” She winked and gave him a very lewd grin.

“...Please stop tempting me, I only have one set of pants,” Dustin whimpered.

“A) Maybe. And B) You can get more. Heck, I wanna see if you can actually break them with that thing.” She giggled devilishly, then calmed. “Though, if you want to wait. That’s perfectly fine. I reserve the right to tease the fuck out of you.”

“...What is wrong with you?” Dustin muttered. “I’m this close to just chucking you out the window.” No, he wasn’t. He’d at least cut the vines keeping her wings down.

“Honestly I’m just pent up and thirsty for fox.” She pouted with a blush. “Could you at least cut my bind before I leave?”

“I cut you free, you leave, without jumping me?” Dustin clarified as he put one very sharp claw to a vine, waiting for her to reply before cutting it.

“No, I won’t jump you. Pinkie Promise.” She nodded solemnly. Ah, well that settled it.

In a matter of a minute the mare was free and Dustin was lying on his bed, propped up against the headboard.

Dash roughly shook herself and fluffed her fur and flapped her wings. “Thanks.” She smiled weakly and hopped off the bed and onto the floor. “I should probably go.”

“But first,” she heard from the bed. Turning revealed that Dustin had sat up near the edge. And now he was standing up and woah-

And that was how Dash found herself swept off her hooves in a good-night kiss from the fox.

Author's Note

Three chapters in a day! Also saucy chapter is saucy!

Here's hoping for more tomorrow!