Rumble flew to the Wonderbolts training field in Cloudsdale, the Spring weather calm and warm. A gentle breeze provided an upcurrent and lift for him, making his flight easier and rather pleasant and relaxing.

As he landed at the cloud-field's gates, he saw the ‘Bolts doing their routine exercises and laps in their private training course, smiling a bit at just how lucky he was to be allowed in such an exclusive area at all.

"That was one hay of a scream yesterday," Soarin quipped when Rumble landed, starting in on him almost immediately, “Maybe you should be in a filly's choir instead of on the 'Bolts?" He walked up to Rumble, flanked by High Winds, both smirking. Rumble had tried to prepare himself for this all morning, but Soarin still made him feel like a colt being teased back in school.

"Yeah, I’m surprised none of the windows or mirrors shattered as high-pitched as it was," High Winds added, stopping beside Soarin, making Rumble's tail dip even lower between his legs.

"HEY!"

Before they could get any further onto their teasing, Rumble was relieved to hear an authoritative voice yell out, seeing a streak of yellow and orange land on the cloud-ground in front of him, between him and his hecklers.

"HEY, leave the new blood alone! You're acting like bucking raw recruits, not disciplined veterans of this corps! We've got training to do, and you're here teasing a colt, A COLT FOR CELESTIA'S SAKE! Get your bucking flanks OUT THERE AND TRAIN! NOW, BEFORE I PUT YOU BOTH ON UNPAID LEAVE!" Spitfire growled out, the other members snapping to attention at her commanding tone, "For that manure, you owe me twenty extra laps Winds. MOVE OUT! NOOOOOW!" She did so, saluting, leaving Soarin still standing there petrified. Spitfire glared at him, "...and don't you think just because we're dating means you can act like a bucking foal in MY Wonderbolts. You owe me twenty extra laps too. Get out there now!"

As Rumble looked up at Spitfire gratefully, the targets of her rage bolting into the air as though the hounds of Tartarus were nipping at their tails, Spitfire simply gave him a little smile before turning to the others on the training field. "Alright 'Bolts, I want another ten laps from you all, except Soarin and High Winds who owe me thirty for unsportsponylike behavior, then I have an important announcement to make!" Spitfire called out, before turning to Rumble, and continuing much quieter, "You can join them, if you want. Gotta train if you wanna get a better position than a towel-boy, after all." She gave Rumble a wink, making his wings spring up in excitement, a huge, beaming smile spreading on his muzzle.

Just going backstage with the team every show and the handsome pay of Bits already made this job well worth his time. This, however, training with his idols, was something he'd only thought he'd experience in his dreams. "R-really? I can fly with the Wonderbolts?!" Rumble asked in a star-struck tone rivaling a caffeinated Pinkie Pie's, making the team captain laugh.

"Yeah-yeah, show me what ya got, kid!" Spitfire said, giving him a playful pat on the croup with her wing as a send-off. Rumble took off as if those same hounds that were after Soarin and High Winds earlier were on his tail now, but for an entirely different reason. He flew rapid laps around the track, even outpacing a few of the others.

"Ah, the enthusiasm of youth..." Spitfire said with a grin, watching as Rumble actually started surpassing some of the others, "...well, he is pretty fast. Thunderlane may be right. He might just be Wonderbolts material after all..."

~ ~ ~

"Alright everypony, huddle up!" Spitfire called out, and the Wonderbolts quickly landed and lined up according to seniority, Soarin in first and Rumble taking the very last place. "Alright, as you should all already know, this Friday at fifteen hundred hours we're going to be performing right here at our home stadium. There will be a stunt show and a series of one-on-one races, then an air-derby race, followed by aftershow fan time and signing autographs. Any questions?"

When the team was quiet, Spitfire nodded. "Ok, good. See you all there. All enlisted Wonderbolts, give me five more laps each then hit the showers. Diiiiis-missed."

As everypony but Rumble took flight again, he smiled in awe, watching them flying like well-oiled machines. Suddenly, Fleetfoot jerked in the air, her wing bending at an awkward angle as she flapped it hard to gain altitude, then she began to nosedive.

"FLEETFOOT!" Rumble called out in panic, his own wings spreading, but he knew he wouldn't reach her in time given how fast she was plummeting.

Rumble's heart dropped with her as he watched Fleetfoot heading straight for the cloud-ground before she gave one last hard flap of her wings, a cry of pain coming from her as she did before she then crashed muzzle-first into one of the super-soft safety clouds that were always put on the sidelines of the training fields in case somepony lost control. The cloud blew apart from the force, Fleetfoot falling the last meter or so to the ground and landing in a heap.

Almost immediately the whole team was there, panicked questions going through the crowd. "Back off, give her some air! Move, let Healing Rain through Celestia-damn it!" Spitfire commanded, ponies making way as a cyan-coated, blonde-maned pegasus mare with a cutie mark of a smiling pink heart with a cloud behind it – whom Rumble figured was the division's medical officer Healing Rain – pushed her way through the crowd, a medical bag's handle in her mouth.

The tension of the next few minutes could be cut with a knife as the doctor looked Fleetfoot over, Rumble unable to hear the questions Fleet was being asked or her responses over the team's murmuring. He could, however, see Fleetfoot mostly nodding, then shaking her head when the doctor started gently touching her wing, Fleet wincing each time. The medic nodded one final time, then stood up and went to Spitfire. The crowd went silent.

"So, is she gonna be able to perform at the show Friday, or is she going to need to go on medical leave?" Spitfire asked, her usually stern expression traded for one of genuine concern.

"Well, ma'am, as far as I can tell, there are no broken bones or other severe injuries, but I should probably take her in for a proper exam to make sure. It's probably nothing too serious given that she's just feeling an ache and not a more serious pain; likely just a strained muscle," Nurse Healing Rain said, "I'll report the results of her tests when I get them done, ma'am."

"Alright, thank you, doctor. Fleetfoot, you are dismissed to go get checked out. The rest of you, show’s over. You still owe me laps! Move out, and for Celestia’s sake, be careful! Last thing I need is more injuries," Spitfire said, the pegasi quickly taking flight again. "Rumble, you’re free to fly more too." She added, giving the colt a smile.

Rumble nodded, taking flight, but his thoughts were no longer on how awesome flying with the Wonderbolts was.

I hope Fleetfoot is OK...

~ ~ ~

Rumble was almost ecstatic as he saw Fleetfoot walk into the locker room about a half an hour later, looking up from his usual hamper of dirty towels and jumpsuits to see all of the other 'Bolts focused on her too.

"So, what'd the doc say?" Spitfire asked, approaching Fleet, "Nothing too serious I'm guessing, given I don't see a cast on your wing?"

"Ma'am, as I thought, it's just a strained muscle in my wing wrist and hypertension in my back muscle at the base of my wing. I flapped too hard gaining altitude, but doc said it should be healed within a few days tops. She said that I shouldn’t strain it more, so I shouldn’t do any flight training for a few days while it heals, and that I should have it massaged to help it relax and heal quicker. I should be fit to fly by Friday easily." Fleetfoot said, to a silent sigh of relief from the team.

"Alright, at ease. Go ahead and hit the showers; make it warm so your muscles relax. I wish you the best.”

“Thank you, ma’am.” Fleet replied, giving a salute before leaving.

~

It was a few minutes later, the locker room empty as the other ‘Bolts were then showering, Rumble still gathering the towels and now-discarded jumpsuits from the training. Rumble looked up as he heard a throat clear, watching Fleetfoot walk out of the showers completely nude, fur still damp and a towel over her neck. To his surprise, she headed right to him, a small sway in her hips with each step. He watched as she slowly extended and folded her hurt wing, wincing each time she stretched or flapped it.

“Hey Ruuuumble,” Fleetfoot purred as she got closer to him, at an arm's reach from him. Rumble picked up on the very obvious scent of her estrus, the adrenaline from earlier having blocked out its effects on him. He wasn’t so lucky now, already feeling his heart rate rising, his sheath swelling.

Why is she so close to me? Why is her tone so sensual? Isn’t she hurt?

“Hi, uh, Fleetfoot, ma’am?” Rumble said unsurely, “How’s the wing?”

“You’re not enlisted Rumble, you don’t have to call me ‘ma’am,” Fleetfoot said, giving him a small smile, “Just Fleetfoot or Fleet, please. About my wing, it’s still tender, but the warm shower helped immensely. It could use a massage though.” She looked straight at him as she said that. After a few seconds later, she cleared her throat again, narrowing her eyes at the colt expectantly.

“O-oh? You mean...you want me to do it?”

“Well, the doc said I needed to have my back massaged to help with the cramp and encourage good bloodflow. Think you could do that for me, kid?”

Wait, what?

“Me? But...shouldn’t the doctor do that?” Rumble asked, not sure why she’d chosen him of all ponies to do this for her.

“Well, I’d hate to bother Rain again given how much of her time I already took up today, and the last time I asked for a massage from one of the others it ended up in me practically having a hole in my back by the end of it. Besides, you look like a nice, gentle colt. Right?” Fleet asked, still maintaining that borderline-sultry tone.

“I...uh...well…” Rumble stammered, knowing how intimate it felt, and how intimate it was generally considered, to have your wings, or near them, touched; a pegasus would usually only allow lovers, family, or close friends near their wings.

“Well...isn’t touching another’s wings...kinda…”

“Mmm, kinda, but you’ll really be helping me out,” Fleetfoot said, giving Rumble a small smile, “please?”

Rumble was unsure about all of this, but he still felt guilty for leaving Fleet high and dry the previous night when she came onto him in her needing state.

Well, pegasi only let ponies they really trust touch their wings. Maybe...does she really trust me that much, even with this being only my second day on the job? Maybe this is her way of giving me a second chance of having sex with her? Don’t blow it!

If she did offer, would I take her up on it? She’s hurt!

Even if she doesn’t, she still needs a massage to help her wing.

“I, um, I guess I could?” Rumble asked more than said, getting a comforting smile from Fleet.

“Hey, I can see you’re kind of skittish around me after yesterday. I won’t act like I did then, I promise. Sorry I came onto you so hard, didn’t know you’d react like that. Plus my heat doesn't exactly make it easy to be idle around such an attractive young stallion,” Fleet said as she sank down onto the bench next to them, her legs straddled over it and her torso resting on it.

She thinks I'm attractive? Me?

“Yeah, heh, neither did I. Wasn’t your fault though, I should have just said ‘no thanks’ instead of panicking,” Rumble replied with a little laugh, ignoring her earlier comment on him, moving up beside Fleet and sitting on his haunches. As he got closer to her, her fertile musk increasing in strength, Rumble felt his member unsheathing and his sensitive flare pressing against the soft material of his flight suit once more, making him wince at the sensation.

“Remember, it’s my right wing at the base, and my right upper back. Though, you wouldn’t hear me complaining if you gave my full back and both wings a massage,” Fleet said with a little chuckle, letting her wings slowly unfurl with a wince. As she did, Rumble looked over her wings, seeing they were a good four feet in wingspan, a fairly impressive length for a mare.

Holy Celestia...she has beautiful wings, doesn’t she? I’d love to take one of those pinion feathers into my mouth and...

“So, uh…is it OK to start now?” Rumble asked, making Fleet look up at him.

“Mmmmhm…”

Rumble hesitated, feeling himself fully erect just from her pheromones, the unintentionally erotic situation he found himself in surely not helping. He knew full well what touching this sexy mare’s wings more would do to him.

You’re only doing this to help her, you’re only doing this to help her...

Rumble nodded and placed his hoof on her wing where she'd said – then roughly pushed the tip into it out of nervousness and inexperience, causing Fleetfoot to clench her teeth and pull her wing away with a yelp as a sharp pain shot through it. “Owwww, too rough!” she yelped through her clenched teeth, feeling her wing throb painfully from him jamming his hoof into her hurt muscle.

"Sorry, sorry!" Rumble yelped himself as he jerked his hoof away as though a snake had bit him, practically jumping out of his fur, and feeling terrible for hurting her already injured wing worse.

"Ah...I'm OK, it's just...push into the muscle gently this time, then increase the pressure sloooowly!” Fleetfoot instructed in a much softer tone, feeling some regret for having used such a harsh tone with the already-skittish colt when he was only trying to help her.

Instead of using the tip again, this time Rumble used the flat of his hoof to softly rub at the muscle. “Just a little harder please?” Fleet asked, shifting impatiently. He was barely touching her at all now, though she kind of expected it.

Rumble nodded, taking an emboldening breath, before pressing just a little harder into her wing as she'd requested. This time as his hoof perfectly pressed into her aching flesh, Fleetfoot groaned softly as she felt her muscles start to relax, the rub on her sensitive wing muscle feeling incredibly good as well. “Mmmph, just like that…” Fleetfoot said groggily, her voice trailing off as spikes of relief surged through her, the soft pleasure traveling along her spine as she felt her overly tensed flight muscles starting to loosen further with each following rub.

Rumble obliged, keeping the pace and pressure, feeling Fleetfoot relaxing under his touch.

Gotta say, this is pretty awesome though, making her feel good like this...and her fur is so soft…

He could smell just how aroused this was making Fleetfoot, her scent twice as strong as before, but he didn’t want to stop. Rumble could see Fleet’s hips squirming, seemingly looking for something to grind her now-leaking pussy on, and he almost pushed his free hoof down there for her.

Does...does she want me to ‘help her’ like that too though? I shouldn't...

Ignoring that train of thought, Rumble pressed down a bit, getting deeper into the much more relaxed muscles as Fleetfoot’s eyes fluttered closed. The erotic sensations from somepony's hoof on her wing while she was in heat was just too much for her to handle, and before she knew it a passionate moan had escaped her throat.

You hear that? She's enjoying it! Wow, the colts in school were right. She’s so relaxed...this must be why stallions give pegasus mares wing massages before...sex...

“Mmmm, yeah…” Fleet mumbled in a throaty voice, her other wing fully erect and twitching occasionally now too, even her hurt wing making feeble little flaps.

Rumble looked up and noticed the other ponies were watching what he was doing, apparently having come in from the showers. Before, doing this for Fleet felt intimate, but now, with the others watching him doing something that felt so...personal, it was just making him feel self-conscious.

You’re just helping a friend, you’re just helping a friend…you’re just making a mare in heat moan in pleasure and relief and have a boner from rubbing her wings...

At that realization, Rumble stopped rubbing. “I, uh, I think it’s more relaxed. Should be good, if you can flap it now…” Rumble suggested, making Fleet look up at him.

“Yeah, I guess it is, huh? Thanks kid,” Fleet said, a hint of disappointment in her tone as she stood from the bench, Rumble seeing Rainbow Dash approaching them at the same time.

“Don’t think I didn’t see you rubbing Fleet’s wings, or missed those moans she was belting out. Hope you’re planning on cleaning that bench, as wet as you made her get it!” Rainbow said, her usual cocky grin on her face, “Trying to steal my marefriend or somethin’, sexy? ”

Rumble could tell from her playful tone that Rainbow was just giving him a rough time, but the implications still made him pretty uneasy. With a glance down, he did notice a small puddle on both the bench and floor beneath where Fleetfoot’s crotch was, leaving its source obvious.

Wow Rumble, how must this look to Rainbow? You've got a full-on boner after having just massaged her marefriend’s wings and made her dripping wet! Buck, and wing rubs are usually foreplay...just digging yourself a nice grave, aren’t you?

“Oh, um, sorry?” Rumble asked, looking ready to bolt at any provocation.

“Nah, it’s cool. I just kind of wish she would have let me massage her instead. I don’t get to play with those beautiful wings nearly enough…” Rainbow said, giving Fleet a quick flash of bedroom eyes.

“Oh you flirt…” Fleet said, gently bopping Rainbow in the back of the head with her good wing, “...and you do too! You play with my wings practically any time I let you!”

Rainbow grinned, holding her hooves up in surrender. “Hey, not my fault they’re so sexy...just like the mare they’re attached to,” she said, Rumble seeing Fleet grinning sensually, before the mares’ lips suddenly met.

Rumble, feeling really awkward between the two as they flirted and made out, decided now would probably be a good time to leave. “So, um, I should probably go clean up...in the shower...then clean up...the laundry...stuff…” he stammered out, distracted by the two really hot mares making out in front of him, hearing the quiet, wet clicks of their lips as they parted momentarily, only to meet again a second later.

Real smooth, featherbrain! Get outta here before you make yourself look even more like a dork...and quit staring!

“What? Don’t wanna stay and...watch?” Rainbow asked, her tail flicking suggestively.

“Nope, sorry! I gotta...do stuff! ’Bye!” Rumble said, turning tail, but not before Rainbow noticed how much the crotch of his suit bulged as he walked away with an awkward gait.

As Rumble left, Rainbow stopped kissing Fleet, simply gazing into her eyes lovingly for a moment before speaking. “So you still want him, huh?” Rainbow asked bluntly, subtlety never her strongest suit.

“Well he is pretty cute. Yeah, I wouldn’t mind letting him mount me and cool my heat,” Fleet said, seeing Rainbow grin.

“Yeah, hitting on him yesterday and having him rub your wings today, you must want him real bad. Gotta say, I wouldn’t mind taking second dibs. He is pretty sexy.” Rainbow said, hearing a chuff from Fleet.

“Yeah, all that coming the mare flagging her tail to him between the lockers!” Fleet teased, “ and when...‘oops, I dropped my towel! Better bend over in front of this hunky colt and get it, tail flagged, then do some sexy, revealing stretches in front of him! Oh, and you wanna watch me and my marefriend make out?’”

“Yeah, yeah, so I kind of teased him too...but what if he’s just not interested in doing that kind of stuff with us? Also, should we ask him about...that other thing we were talking about? I mean, I think he's a good choice, and if...” Rainbow asked, feeling Fleetfoot’s hoof land on her cheek, placing her own hoof atop her marefriend’s and looking up into Fleet’s eyes again.

“We’ll worry about that, and the ‘if’ and ‘how’ and ‘when’, later. For now...c’mere…” Fleet said, once more meeting lips with her marefriend.

~

Another day, another cold shower, another aching erection throbbing for attention. Rumble once more ignored it, staying in the icy shower until his untended arousal once more wilted under the cold water.

Why? Why are you such a coward?

Rainbow Dash is Fleetfoot’s marefriend! She’s already taken!

Rainbow seemed totally cool with it when I rubbed Fleet's wings!

Well a wing rub and actual sex aren’t the same thing, are they?

Rumble sighed. “Why is this so hard…?” he asked himself, hearing a familiar chuckle from behind him and tensing up.

“Well, it’s probably hard because you rubbed a fertile mare's wings, then had two sexy mares coming onto you, and one was in heat,” Thunderlane quipped, hanging up his towel on a hook and stepping in the next stall over from Rumble’s.

Rumble jumped a bit at the sudden voice of his brother, feeling a wave of embarrassment at what he’d just mentioned. “Not my…my willy’s not hard! It's just...well, Fleetfoot’s hitting on me, but she’s already dating Rainbow Dash! Wouldn’t that be…Fleetfoot cheating on her with me?”

“Well, not really. Rainbow’s coming onto you too, right? And Fleetfoot is with her as she does it? So clearly she knows and is OK with it.”

Rumble’s muzzle scrunched in thought. “But...if they’re dating, why would they be flirting with me?” Rumble asked, hearing Thunderlane’s water turning on.

“Well, a lot of ponies have open relationships and share their partners. Just look at Soarin and Spitfire, or Misty and I. Maybe those two have one too, and wanna bring a young stallion into it for the mating season to cool their heats or something. It’s not like that’s too uncommon or anything, ponies do it all the time.” Thunderlane said, lathering up his mane as Rumble stood there, thinking.

“But...I mean...is that…? If I were to...have sex with them, and they were OK with it, that’s...OK?” Rumble asked, confused about how all this worked.

“Yeah, I’d imagine so, if you’re on board with it too,” Thunder said, then rinsing his mane, “Misty’s cool with me having sex with the other mares in our team, and I’m cool with her having sex with all the other ponies too. If everyone is consenting, what’s the harm in it?”

"Why do they do it, y'know, after shows, in the locker room?" Rumble asked, getting a smile again from his older brother.

"Well, with all the adrenaline coursing through us out there in the races, performing in front of that huge crowd, it can get pretty stressful. Good stress, but still stress. That stress carries over after the show, and the aftershow sex….well, it's basically stress relief sessions with each other. Not to mention it helps the 'Bolts get closer knit as a group too."

Thunderlane quickly cleaned his coat and wings while Rumble mulled over what had just been discussed, the quiet squeak of the other shower’s handle turning off minutes later bringing his attention back to reality. “Like I said yesterday, it’s your choice. Remember, just ask them to stop flirting if you’re uncomfortable with it and they will. You’ll still be my awesome little bro either way, if you've had sex or not.” Thunderlane said with a smile and a quick noogie to Rumble over the separating wall. With that he left the shower room, leaving Rumble to his thoughts.

Maybe...maybe…

Author's Note

Did Rumble finally find the courage to join in? Only time will tell.