The Way to a Stallion's Heart...
It was a beautiful sunny day at the Wonderbolt Academy, a piece of land which magically floated so high in the sky that little clouds floated in its airspace. The sun's warmth was a warning that winter was nearing its end, and spring was just around the corner.
Thunderlane found himself already missing the cold as he wiped sweat from his brow. The pegasus was a member of the Wonderbolts, Equestria's most elite team of stunt flyers, and for weeks they had been practicing a new routine to perform at Ponyville's Winter Wrap-up. Normally they wouldn't go to the trouble for such a small scale event, but Rainbow Dash had managed to pull some strings and convince Captain Spitfire to agree to it. She might have been the newest member, but she was also an Element of Harmony which was a pretty big deal, all things considered.
Celestia isn't wasting time getting winter outta here, thought Thunderlane, frowning from the heat building under his suit. It seemed his fellow Wonderbolts were feeling the heat; High Winds was fanning herself with her wing, Fleetfoot was wiping the steam from her goggles, and Rainbow Dash was trying her best to make sure nopony could see her panting. Even she was having trouble keeping her cool in this heat.
But Thunderlane's gaze lingered on Soarin'. The other stallion on the team was taking a drink of water from his bottle. He shook his head, allowing his dark mane to flow back behind his head. Thunderlane's tail flicked, and he felt a familiar flush on his face.
"Good hustle, 'Bolts!" yelled Captain Spitfire. "Hit the showers!"
Finally! The pegasi sighed their relief as they flew toward the changing rooms. After a long day of sharp turns, rolls and corkscrews, they were more than happy to retire for the evening.
Thunderlane took off his suit and shook himself before entering the showers and turning a nozzle. He let out a moan of delight as the chilled water hit his face and ran through his mane. That was more like it.
His heart skipped a beat when Soarin' pushed through the door and sauntered in. "Phew, got hot all of a sudden, huh?" he asked, taking the free spot next to the stallion and turning the water on.
"O-oh, yeah," said Thunderlane, turning his head and running a hoof through his mane to hide his blush. "Spring's coming fast."
"You're tellin' me. Sucks that I can't be in the Wrap-up show."
Thunderlane frowned. "Your wing's still bad?"
"I can fly normally, but trying out tricks makes it act up a bit. Spitfire still hasn't cleared me for routines."
Disappointment filled Thunderlane's chest. Soarin' had injured his wing during a rough landing a few weeks ago, thanks to a rogue gust of wind throwing him off. It was a shame, considering he was the best flyer on the team second only to Spitfire herself, but Thunderlane couldn't help but admire how well he had taken being out of action. He kept up his workouts with a smile, and always showed up to see how the rest of us were coming along.
That kind of dedication and camaraderie was partly what drew Thunderlane's attention. That and he looked fine in spandex. He nearly swooned when Soarin' shook his head, whipping his dark mane majestically under the downpour.
"A-are you gonna come watch?" he asked, trying to hide the shake in his voice.
"Course I am," said Soarin' with that grin. "Just because I'm not in a show doesn't mean I'm gonna miss it." He turned around and arched his back like a cat, wriggling and moaning as the water flowed down his white coat and across his cutie marks.
Thunderlane's breath went funny for a moment as he stared. He swallowed and looked away. Well, he tried to, but he kept sneaking glances.
Rainbow Dash and Fleetfoot were in the locker room when the stallions exited the showers. The colourful newbie was admiring her mane-do in her locker's mirror. Fleetfoot was stretching out her front left leg.
Soarin' made his leave when he'd dried off, making Thunderlane stare once again.
Did Celestia herself chisel those flanks?!
As soon as he was out the door, Rainbow Dash let out a snort. "You really got a thing for him, huh?"
Thunderlane's head snapped around to see her smirk aimed at him. Fleetfoot was giving him one of her own too.
"W-wha'?" he mumbled.
"C'mon," Fleetfoot said, "you've been giving Soarin' looks for months now. What's up with that?"
"Oh, well," Thunderlane stammered, darting his eyes and flushing red, "y'know, he... he's got a really admirable figure. Yeah, he's second-in-command for a reason!"
"That reason being he's got a nice butt?" giggled Fleetfoot, causing the stallion to bite his lip.
"Ooooohhhh!" Dash's smirk somehow got even bigger. "Somepony's crushin' on Clippeeerrr~!"
Poor Thunderlane stuffed his face into his locker. "Sh-shut up, Crash!"
Dash snickered. "Oh Celestia, you are!"
"C'mon Rainbow," Fleetfoot said, her voice softer but still peppered with amusement, "don't tease him for that. I think it's cute!"
"I'm only kiddin' around," said Dash, and Thunderlane felt a hoof clap him on the shoulder. "Why don't you just tell him, Thunder? That's what I'd do."
"You would," Thunderlane sighed, lifting his head from the locker to look at the mares, "but I can't just go up to him and say 'Hey Soarin', you have a sweet plot. Wanna get drinks sometime?'"
Dash blinked. "Why not?"
The stallion fumbled syllables for a moment. "It's just not that easy for me, okay? Besides, there's a rule about dating teammates."
"Only if it obstructs work," Fleetfoot pointed out. "Maybe that'd be a problem for Crash here, but you two are professionals."
"Yeah." Dash blinked, and shot Fleetfoot a glare. "Shuddup, Flatfoot!"
Thunderlane moved the corners of his mouth around, as if chewing the idea and wondering if he liked the taste. "I guess you're right, but what could I do?"
"Give him a signed photo of the best Wonderbolt?" Dash suggested, puffing out her chest. "I'll even give it my hoofprint in person!"
"Or," Fleetfoot interrupted pointedly, "you could do something he'd like? You know him well."
Thunderlane blinked, and his mind started racing with Soarin' facts.
He's a great flyer, he's really handsome, his mane shampoo is nice, he likes pie...
His eyelids widened. He had an idea.
"Just don't buck on the first date," Dash added, and broke into a fit of laughter at the faces Thunderlane and Fleetfoot made in reaction.
A little later, Thunderlane walked outside, smiling from the pleasant warmth of the afternoon sun. Though he only felt hotter when he saw Soarin' standing near the landing strip, gently flapping his recovering wing.
Deep breaths, Thunder. He's your teammate, you talk to him all the time. Nothing weird about asking him on a date, right? Just don't call it a date. You're just two workmates, hanging out after work. Everypony does it.
"Hey, Thunder," Soarin' said, and Thunderlane snapped out of it to see the white stallion right in front of him, grinning. "You okay there? You look kinda spooked."
Thunderlane's pupils dilated. Oh Celestia help me.
"I-I'm fine," he half-lied, shaking his head. "Just spaced out for a sec."
"Oh, fair enough. Well, catch you tomorrow then?"
He started trotting away, and Thunderlane raised his hoof. "Soarin', wait!"
Soarin' halted and turned around. "Yeah?"
Thunderlane approached his teammate and took a deep breath. "I, um...do you, uh..."
"Do I...?"
"Do you...are you busy later?"
"Not really, why?"
"I was just wondering, we don't...don't really hang out apart from Wonderbolt stuff, so I...I just thought..."
"You wanna hang out or something?" Soarin' finished, and Thunderlane nodded. "Sure. Just doing workouts at home was getting kinda boring anyway, I could use a change in scenery."
"C-cool!" Thunderlane's grin was a little bigger than he'd planned to make it. "H-how about my place at six-thirty?"
"Works for me," said Soarin' with a nod, and went back to trotting off. "See you tonight then!"
Thunderlane waved and turned around, taking another deep breath. He'd done it!
Rainbow Dash swooped out from hiding and approached Thunderlane, smirking. Her hoof was clenched. "Nice one, ya nailed it."
"Yeah, well," Thunderlane sighed, "it was harder than it looked. Did you get it?"
Dash nodded and opened her hoof, revealing a small vial of clear liquid. "Check it out."
The stallion looked at it, head tilted. "You're sure this'll work?"
"Guaranteed. Pinkie uses it all the time when Rarity tries to bake. 'Just a teeny tiny itty-bitty drop and they'll want a dozen more!'" Dash added in a high pitched singsong voice, followed by a roll of the eyes.
Thunderlane nodded and took the vial in his hoof. "Thanks, Dash. I owe you one."
"Ahh, no biggie," Dash said with a grin, and gave her teammate a little nudge. "Go get 'im, loverboy!"
The rainbow-maned mare swooped off toward Cloudsdale, and Thunderlane felt his heart flutter when he stared at the vial.
Now he only had one more hurdle to leap.
Thunderlane trotted around his Ponyville home, eyes darting. The place was cleaned, the kitchen was ready, he got the cider, everything was set...oh, but what if Soarin' didn't like it? What if this all failed and Soarin' wanted nothing to do with him anymore?
No, he used that stuff Rainbow Dash got him. She said it was guaranteed to work. He trusted his teammate, she wouldn't lie to him.
"What're you mumbling about?" Thunderlane's train of thought was halted, and he looked down to see his little brother, Rumble, looking at him with a raised eyebrow.
"I-I wasn't mumbling," he lied. He'd been thinking aloud the whole time.
"Yeah you were. What's so special about Soarin' anyway? He your coltfriend or something?"
Thunderlane's face burned bright red. "Wha--?! No, course he isn't!"
"Could've fooled me, the way you talk about him. 'Soarin' really works out. I wonder how much he benches. His flanks look good in spandex.'" Rumble went on in a bad impression of Thunderlane's voice, and snickered into his hoof at the face his big brother pulled.
Thunderlane didn't have time for this. It was already six-fifteen, and he wanted this night to go absolutely buttery-smooth. Which meant he had to get his brother out of the house before Soarin' got there.
"Look, Rumble," he pleaded, "I really need the place to myself when Soarin' gets here. Important Wonderbolt stuff."
"What kinda Wonderbolt stuff involves pie?" Rumble asked, nose twitching at the smell of baking in the air.
"Nothing!" he lied again. "Please, just do me this solid."
The colt hummed, tapping his chin with a smirk. "Weeeeeell...Button Mash just got Glorious Shatter Sisters Supreme, and I really wanna take him on. So I'll go hang out with him."
"Oh, thanks a lot-"
"But only if I get to stay over."
"That...actually works out for me, so sure."
The colt's smirk grew. "And if you let me take one of those pies, I won't tease you about your date that's so totally not a date."
"It's not a date. And why do you want one of the pies?"
"Duh, they smell great. I dunno why you wanna bake all of a sudden lately, but it smells like you're good at it."
Thunderlane shook his head and looked at the clock. Six-twenty. "No, you can't-"
Rumble bobbed his head and sang, "Thunderlane and Soarin', flying in a tree~"
"Alright, fine!" groaned Thunderlane, hanging his head in defeat. He really didn't have time for this. "Just, not the one in the oven. Please."
Rumble shrugged. "Sure."
Thunderlane watched as Rumble entered the kitchen, and soon reemerged with the blueberry pie he'd prepared earlier. Just one less wouldn't hurt, right?
"Thanks, bro," the colt said. "Have fun on your totally-not-date."
"You said you wouldn't tease me!"
"And you said it's not a date."
Thunderlane only heard the front door open and close, as his face was buried into his hoof. Siblings were such a hoofful.
But, at least now everything was all set. All that was left to do was wait.
Thunderlane's ears pricked up and his heart skipped a beat when he heard a knock at the front door. He'd spent the remaining five minutes meticulously arranging the pies in the kitchen, but it felt more like seconds.
He swooped over and took a deep breath, and fixed a smile on his face before opening. His heart skipped again when he saw Soarin' standing there, grinning. He always loved that grin.
"Heya, Thunder," he greeted. "Am I early?"
"Y-you're right on time," Thunderlane said, and moved aside. "C'mon in, dude."
"Don't mind if I do," he said, trotting past his teammate. "Might be getting hotter, but it still gets chilly when the sun's down. Is it just us here?"
"Yeah, Rumble went to sleepover at his friend's place."
"Oh cool. I always liked the little dude."
Thunderlane's pupils dilated. He'd given Rumble one of the pies!
He shook his head. He'd worry about that later. He had to focus on tonight.
Soarin's nose twitched as he sniffed the air, and his wings ruffled with delight. "What is that smell?"
"Oh, I just did a little baking while I was waiting," Thunderlane said with a shrug.
"I didn't know you baked!" Soarin' grinned ear to ear and followed the smell. "It smells great!"
Thunderlane blushed and followed Soarin' into the kitchen. The entire counter was lined with pies of all sizes and flavours, the combination of warm smells hanging in the air. Soarin's legs nearly gave way as his senses were overwhelmed. Thunderlane's smile grew.
"Just a little hobby I picked up," he said. "Help yourself."
Soarin' looked at his teammate, hunger and lust clouding his eyes. "Y-you sure?"
"Absolutely! Food's meant to be eaten, after all."
"Well, don't mind if I do!" Soarin' trotted up to the counter, his tail swishing with delight.
Thunderlane was glad he'd already cut each pie into neat even slices, since his friend had picked up a piece of the blackberry one and chomped right into it.
"O-oh...!" Soarin' gasped, almost dropping the slice. His eyes went wide as dinner plates and his jaw slacked a little. "Th-Thunder, this is...this is...!"
Thunderlane blinked. "Yeah...?"
But he never got an answer; Soarin' crammed the rest of the slice in his mouth, gulping it down, and grabbing another. And another. Before Thunderlane could register what had gotten into his friend, he was licking the empty tin clean of crumbs and berry sauce.
The stuff Dash gave me!
Soarin' set the tin down and went right for the cherry pie next. This time he grabbed a slice in both hooves, alternating bites with each one.
"Mmmm, ooohhh~!" he moaned, sounding more like he was enjoying a good night with a mare of the evening than eating pies. Though from the look on his face, Thunderlane couldn't help but think the sensations were one in the same for him.
Another tin emptied and more aggressively shoved onto the counter, and Soarin' went for the strawberry pie next. To Thunderlane's minor surprise, he pulled the grape pie closer to him and crammed slices of both into his face at the same time!
"Um, you okay there, Soarin'?" Thunderlane asked. He flinched when his friend snapped his head around, his muzzle stained with berry juice and crumbs and his cheeks bulging with pastry. His eyes were almost manic and he had a wide smile on his dirty face.
"I'm amazing~!" he chirped, wings fluttering with glee before shoving his face right into the strawberry pie.
Thunderlane gulped, starting to doubt that putting that additive into the pies was a good idea. Especially when he noticed that Soarin's stomach had started to distend. His normally svelte middle had grown a roundness that was starting to stick out between his legs. Thunderlane opened his mouth to point it out, but no sound left him. He just felt a warmth in his cheeks as he stared at the snowball of an abdomen.
A loud, wet belch knocked him out of his staring, and he looked up to see Soarin' leaning against the counter, a hoof rubbing the side of his stomach.
"Just gotta get my second wind," he grunted, shaking his head. "Oh, I could eat this stuff every day!"
Something about how he said that sounded really nice to Thunderlane. He almost wanted to entertain that notion, if he hadn't run out of ingredients already.
A groan and a hiccup, and Soarin's strained frown started to soften. Thunderlane watched as his teammate's belly began to slowly deflate...
Wait, he thought, did his cutie marks just get bigger?
His eyes widened when he spotted a fold form beneath Soarin's flank, on top of his thicker legs. His cheeks puffed up despite being empty, and his back arched a little.
"Phew, I'm all good now," Soarin' sighed with relief, cutting Thunderlane off from going to speak, and he lifted his front hooves onto the counter to reach a raspberry pie. Thunderlane felt a bead of sweat when he saw Soarin's wagging tail brush against a slowly expanding backside.
Thunderlane couldn't believe his eyes. Thanks to that 'special ingredient', Soarin' was fattening up right there and then!
An hour later, Soarin' was sitting amongst a pile of empty pie tins, back against the counter. His tongue lapped across his muzzle, mopping up the crumbs and juice stuck to it. His hooves rested on his belly, sinking into it as it stuck out a foot or two like a white water balloon of pure blubber.
Thunderlane couldn't help but stare, but it wasn't just in shock for how much that additive had affected his friend.
With that dome of a belly, those thick flabby legs, and that squishy plot spread on the ground, Soarin' looked so fat. So soft. So...
So HOT!
Thunderlane bit his lip. Where did that come from?! Did he really think Soarin' looked attractive like this? Like a ball of pie-filled flab? No, no way! That was ridiculous. They were Wonderbolts! And the last thing a Wonderbolt could be was a big fat pile of soft, round, cuddly, adorable, sexy blubber.
He shook his head. Stop it, Thunder!
"Hey, Thunder?" Soarin' grunted, getting the darker stallion's attention.
"Yeah?" he asked. He wasn't sure what to think of Soarin's eyes still being glazed over from the additive's effects.
"Got anything to drink? Gotta wash down this pie."
"Drink?" he repeated, then his ears perked up as he remembered. "Oh, I've got some cider in the fridge."
"Mmmm, nah," Soarin' muttered, waving his hoof. "In the mood for some...milk~"
Thunderlane blinked and opened the fridge. The milk carton was full that morning and he'd used some of it to bake the pie crust, but there was plenty left. He took it out and poured out a glass to give Soarin'.
"Thanks." Soarin' took the glass and chugged the milk down in one swig, licking his muzzle. "Leave the carton?"
Thunderlane hesitated for a moment, but gave over the whole carton. His tail flicked when he watched Soarin' tip the whole thing into his mouth, chugging. With each loud gulp, his huge snowball belly sloshed and wobbled a little bigger.
BWUUOOOOOOOAAAAAARRRRRRRRP!!
Soarin tossed the carton aside and sighed, smiling as he rubbed his sloshing gut. "Whew, that hit the spot!"
The darker stallion twitched his hind legs. Sweet Celestia almighty, where is he putting it all?!
Soarin's nose twitched, and he looked toward the oven. His tongue greedily slid across his muzzle.
Thunderlane followed his gaze and blinked.
That's right! The big one!
"Don't suppose you got another cooking...?" Soarin' asked, giving Thunderlane some very obvious puppy-dog eyes.
Thunderlane smiled and approached the oven, his better judgement being silenced by the screaming from his loins. He opened the door, glad the inside had cooled down quite a bit so he could lift out the surprise with his wings.
Soarin's jaw dropped. In front of him was the biggest pie he'd ever seen, with the circumference of a wagon wheel and the top of it nearly reaching his knees if he were stood up. A heavenly combination of pastry and apples wafted up his nose.
"I-is that apple pie?!" he gasped, starting to pant like a dog.
"Uh-huh," Thunderlane said with a smile as he set the pie on the floor. "I thought you might like some, since I know it's your favourite."
Soarin' could only answer by smacking his lips and flexing his hooves toward the pie. Thunderlane rolled his eyes and nudged it toward him.
Soarin' grunted as he tried to readjust himself into a better position, He pushed himself forward in an attempt to stand upright, but the effort didn't seem to be in him right then. All he'd managed to do is flop onto his gut, making him burp with surprise, and roll himself forward. His face slammed into the apple pie with a wet splat.
Thunderlane's wings spread in panic, but he was stopped in his going to help him by the sound of chewing, slurping and chuckling and the sight of Soarin's thick hind legs wiggling with glee.
Thunderlane wasn't sure what he was more shocked about; what he was flyng up to, or the fact he had to fly up at all.
Taking up the entire space in his kitchen was an enormous white ball of what once was a trim, athletic stallion, blown up into a gigantic, doughy mound of malleable white-furred blubber. His hooves were reduced to stumps, each wiggling uselessly inside a saggy mound of leg blubber. His face had cheeks that once looked like white yoga balls, but now it was like someone had popped them and they had deflated over his shoulders and shortened the length of his mouth, and given his eyes an adorable squint.
Any semblance of the pony he was just hours ago were the comically tiny, messy mane on one end, and traversing the slopes of back rolls and ballooned wings would bring one to the tiny tail that occasionally flicked on top of a cavernous crack between wagon-sized fla"Thnks. His cutie marks had stretched out so badly they were practically illegible, thanks to the plethora of rolls, folds and dimples distorting them.
Thunderlane had flown up to the blob's face, holding a massive pie tin to his face as he licked it clean. The mountain of dough bounced and wobbled like a waterbed as he chuckled greedily.
The trim stallion couldn't believe how much Soarin' had ballooned in a matter of hours...or how much he liked the look of him. He had a crush on Soarin', sure, but not once in his life did he ever suspect he'd ever love obese stallions. And yet here he was, fantasizing about making out with this enormous snowblob.
"Nnnhhh..." the blob grunted, and Thunderlane lowered the tin. Soarin's eyes had life returning to them. The additive was finally wearing off!
"Soarin'...?" he murmured.
"Th-Thunduh...?" Soarin' rumbled, the sheer amount of fat pressed against his vocal chords and mouth giving him a husky lisp. "Wh...wha' happen'...?"
Thunderlane bit his lip. He had to choose his words carefully. "You, um...kinda went into a pie frenzy, and...nowyou'rekindathesizeofmykitchen." He added quickly.
"Whuh...?" Soarin' mumbled, and he seemed to notice enough of his predicament to let out a huff of a sigh. "Ugh, not again...Shpitfire'sh gonna kill me..."
"Um, if you don't mind me saying," Thunderlane went on, "you, um...you kinda..."
"Uh...?"
"Y-you..." He took a deep breath and let out in rapid-fire once again, "IkindadiscoveredIlovefatstallionsandyoulookreallybuckinghot!"
He flinched and closed his eyes, awaiting the worst. Expecting Soarin' to fix him and then never speak to him agian.
A few moments of agonising silence passed, before Soarin' grunted, "Y-you...you do...?"
Thunderlane opened his eyes. Soarin' didn't sound too upset. "Y-yeah? I-I mean, I've always kinda liked you, but you look...really nice like this."
Soarin' wobbled in place from chuckling. "I kinda knew...you were crushin' on me...but I never...thought you were...into all thish..."
"Neither did I..."
"I-ish it...permanent...?"
"Nah, I'm gonna talk to Crash about a cure. She's bound to know somepony who can whip one up for you."
At least, she'd better, he thought grumpily.
"Th-then...c'mere..."
Thunderlane leaned closer and closer to Soarin's face, and his coat almost went completely red when he felt the blob's lips press against his in a loving smooch.
"B-been...crushin' on you...too..." he gasped, a smirk causing his eyes to squint a little more. "J-jusht...better at...hidin' it...~"
Thunderlane spluttered and stammered, unable to form proper syllables. He shook his head and took a deep breath. "D-does that mean we're...we're together now...?"
Soarin' kept his smirk up. "Dependsh..."
"Depends on what...?"
The kitchen shook as a loud, deep rumble thundered like an earthquake was hitting nearby.
Thunderlane looked at Soarin'.
Soarin' licked his lips.
"Got anymore pie...~?"
