“He’s not dumb. Just - let me open with that, okay? He’s not. He’s smart! Just … in his own way, you know? Like if you sat him down in front of a math sheet, he’d do fine. I’m sure his grades were fine in school, like a Red Apple average or something, you know? Sure, maybe he didn’t get a lot of Gold Stars in his courses, but who does really? … Okay, excepting Twilight Sparkle? I rest my case.
And he’s so kind. He’s always there on Monday morning shifts with that big smile of his, and a warm hello for everypony! And donuts! Did I mention he’s a champion at bringing donuts? He’s always checking in on everypony, making sure everypony’s okay, that no one needs extra leg wraps or armor polish or anything. He remembers everypony’s birthdays, and he’s always there to offer a shoulder to lean on if somepony’s having a hard time. Everypony wants him on their shifts! I mean … most ponies do. Okay, some ponies don’t like to be partnered with him - but that’s their loss! And it’s not because he’s not kind, or helpful, or strong!
He’s just … Ugh. I hate even explaining it, because it feels mean. He’s not dumb, he just - sometimes does dumb things. Like, he keeps getting himself into trouble! He’ll go on patrol - okay, example! Last week, we got a simple call. Ambassador’s cat up a tree! No big deal, right? The next thing I hear, he’s up the tree with the cat! And I had to go down there, in person, and remind him that he has wings!! And he just looked at me, grabbed the cat, and fluttered down as easy as can be!
And then! Last year, do you remember this fiasco? Last year, we got that call about the ice-monster ravaging Ponyville. We head out there, all geared up for war - I have to stay behind the battle lines and wrap him in a blanket, because he somehow got himself directly in front of some kind of ice blast! Everyone else was fine - not him! It was hot cocoa and fresh blankets all night, and he still ended up with a cold!
And despite it all - despite it all - he’s so wonderful! I can’t even stay mad at him, because he just looks at me, and flashes me that wide grin of his, and says ‘Sorry, Shining; I’ll get it next time for sure.’ And I melt!”
Cadance nodded slowly over her tea, her brows high, and took a slow sip. “Sounds like you got it bad, bud.”
Shining Armor groaned and flopped back on Cadance’s bed, scrubbing his face with his hooves.
It was a strange relationship; but then, most royal relationships were. Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, also known as Princess Cadance, had been friends with Shining Armor ever since they were tweens. When she reached the age of majority, she was expected to choose a husband; the only problem was, she preferred the company of mares, and it was hard to find a mare both willing to shoulder the burden of royalty as well as someone who Princess Cadance could love. And so she had proposed her plan to Shining Armor, her closest friend and confidant; they would marry, but carry on as friends, as they had been. They would rule side by side for as long as necessary until Cadance found someone to wed, and then Shining Armor would be allowed to quietly drift off to his own plans. Return to the guard without a title, perhaps. Of course he would be compensated handsomely, perhaps a dukedom if it suited him!
Shining Armor had been nervous, but Princess Cadance assured him that, despite what most of the common folk knew, most royals had some kind of outside relationships, historically. Many of the ‘olden times’ royals had been married for social connections, to abate war, to grow the economy; it was only recently that there simply weren’t many royals to see as examples. (Banishing one’s sister to the moon did tend to do that, ahem.) It was very common that a king or queen would have their own love match, and keep their husband or wife as more of a business partner.
In the end, Shining Armor didn’t need to be bribed with a dukedom, or encouraged by Celestia; he loved his friend, and he wanted to help her. And so the pair were wed, there was a grand affair which the evil Chrysalis almost thwarted, and everything ended up happily ever after. Shining Armor got to continue in the Canterlot guard as he had for several years now; the only real difference was that he got a major upgrade from his scruffy guard digs. His and Cadance’s rooms were as royal and opulent as you’d expect a Princess and Prince to have, and they came with an equally exciting little royal bonus - a secret passage.
This was what Shining Armor had come through that night, and why he laid on Cadance’s bed at that very moment, bemoaning his life.
“Here, have a chocolate. Very fancy, from the Saddle Arabians, they always help me when I’m in distress,” Princess Cadance soothed him gently, tossing one of the truffles into his mouth.
Shining Armor chewed, swallowed, then moaned, tossing his foreleg over his eyes. “Why did he have to join? Everything was going so well before he got here! And now it’s just - he’s like - ugh!”
“Why is it bad to have feelings for him, again?” Cadance asked evenly, and stood up to grab something from her dresser, and returned to begin brushing Shining Armor’s tail.
“All of the guards are straight. Painfully straight. They have all of these - pictures of mares on the walls! Tasteful pictures,” Shining Armor clarified quickly when he felt the air grow chilly, “but it’s like - they just casually throw out, ‘Gee, I’d like to take her on the town! Look at the mane on her!’ And stuff like that. They’re always hoping we’ll get sent to a call where we can rescue cute mares. And Flash Sentry always laughs along, so -” Shining Armor trailed off into an agonized whimper, dropping his foreleg to frown sadly up at Cadance’s pink silken canopy.
Princess Cadance’s brushing slowed, and she considered her next words carefully; when she spoke again, it wasn’t with the same light, playful voice she usually used with her best friend. “Have I trapped you in the same solitude I reside in, Shining Armor?”
“What?” Shining Armor sat up rapidly, realizing that Cadance was looking at him through glassy eyes. “No! I mean - I was already in the guard, wasn’t I? Before you even - before we got married. Don’t cry, Cadance, it’s not your fault.”
“But I want you to be happy. I want you to have somepony special. But - but if you’re the prince, if they think you’re unavailable -”
“It wouldn’t matter, would it? I’m not a cute mare.” Shining Armor offered her a crooked grin, and reached out to gently brush at her cheek. “Don’t cry, Cady. It’ll work itself out. Just - not with Flash.” Shining Armor held his breath for a beat, closing his eyes, and released it in a sigh. “See? I’m getting over it already. There will be another cute stallion - and another cute mare for you.”
Princess Cadance offered him a smile in return, although the sorrow didn’t fully leave her eyes. “I hope so. I hope so, so very deeply. For both of us.” She covered his hoof in hers, and squeezed his hoof tenderly. “I wish for your happiness more than anything else.”
“Would it help to get you one of those sexy mare posters from the guard room?”
“Shining!”
[***]
Shining Armor bid Cadance adieu shortly thereafter (not kicked out, certainly not!), and returned to his own quarters. He tossed and turned for what felt like ages, and finally managed to fall asleep. He awoke suddenly, in pitch darkness; why was he awake?
The pounding on the door repeated, and Shining Armor practically flew out of bed.
“Captain!”
“What is it?” Shining Armor was already pulling on his armor. He didn’t get pounding hooves like this on his door in the middle of the night unless something was seriously wrong, and if it was his second in command Sable Wing doing the pounding, things had to be serious, indeed.
“It’s Flash Sentry, sir.”
Shining Armor’s buckling slowed.
“He’s - well, he’s not on his patrol. And somepony’s reported -” Sable Wing swallowed heavily before he continued. “Some ponies have reported hearing siren song, on the coast.”
“He wouldn’t,” Shining Armor whispered.
“One of the guards was joking that - that a siren would be easy to defeat if you just gave them some sticky taffy. So they couldn’t sing.” Sable Wing considered Shining Armor’s rapidly darkening expression nervously. “Captain?”
“Gather the forces. Prepare to rendezvous at the lighthouse outside Moondream Bay - they’re attracted to the spotlight.” Shining Armor buckled his helm with a final, businesslike snap. “I’ll save Flash Sentry.”
“Yes, Captain!” Sable Wing barked, and the pair took off at a gallop. Sable Wing, to the guard quarters; Shining Armor, to his wife’s room. He needed a pair of wings if he was going to find Flash Sentry in time.
[***]
Princess Cadance brought Shining Armor down just behind the lighthouse with an easy grace, and folded her broad wings. “I can help you!”
“No! Please, I - for now, just stay here, okay?” Shining Armor whispered, darting behind the lighthouse. Even now he could hear the melodious songs of the sirens, wailing alluringly through the night.
“Because I can’t do anything?” Cadance’s eyes narrowed sharply. “I’m an alicorn princess! I could literally zap those scaled little tramps into -”
“I know you could! But if something went wrong, then all three of us would be captured!” Shining Armor retorted, and placed one armored hoof on her shoulder. “Stay here, and watch for us. If I don’t come back, try to see what’s happening; then you can report to the rest of the guard, and they can launch a surprise attack. And you can help them zap,” he added a little firmly.
Cadance rolled her eyes, but nodded, and gave Shining Armor a quick hug. “Save your boyfriend.”
“He’s not my -! Fine. Thank you,” Shining Armor hissed, his face now red as he turned to begin making his cautious way down to the beach.
There were long, sloping steps built into the cliff which Shining Armor made his cautious way down, taking great care not to make a sound, nor to fall in the darkness. The alluring song had faded, and as he came closer to the beach, he almost heard something like … talking?
“... and he just looked at me like I was the biggest idiot, and told me to get down with my wings.”
“But did you tilt your head, and bat your eyelashes like this?”
“Yes, I did!”
That was Flash Sentry’s voice!
“The frost giant was a good idea, wasn’t it Adagio?”
“Yes, Aria, but how many frost giants can we send to one town before they start to get suspicious?”
“I told you not to send the frost giant!” Flash protested, and he sounded upset - more upset than Shining Armor had ever heard him before, he thought. He was usually so easygoing. “Somepony might have gotten hurt!”
“Yes, but you got to spend the night wrapped in your lover’s arms, did you not?” sang one of the sirens, her voice so alluring it made Shining Armor almost fall off his hooves.
“Warmed by his luscious body~”
“Attended to by your captain, fiercely protective of his brave, favorite guard~”
“Oh, Shining Armor, my heart freezes without your touch, let me melt in your arms~”
“Stop that!” Flash shouted, but it wasn’t an angry shout; it was the kind of shout Cadance had used against him just before she kicked him out with her face all red. “You’re not allowed to send anything else, okay? I’ll figure something else out.”
As the sirens giggled and their song faded, Shining Armor rapidly came to his senses - about halfway down the cliff face as he fell, landing in the soft sand dune ten feet below.
“INTRUDER!” roared one of the sirens, rearing to her full, massive height.
“Wait, is that-” the blue one asked, considering Shining Armor as he lifted his head, shaking the sand out of his mane.
“Oh!! Uh! YOU! How dare you intrude - upon our - our -”
“Blood sacrifice!!” the pink siren cried, and grabbed Flash Sentry tightly in her forelegs. “Ahh, yes! I vish to dreeenk heees bluuuhd!”
“Yes! We will - eat him! For, uh, a spell! A dark spell, to take over Equestria!” the gold one cried, with a dark glance to the pink siren. “Unless you can save him!”
“Yes, you must save him!” the blue one agreed, and pawed at the air in a moderately threatening manner. “Oooooh! Or he will diiiieeeee!”
“And maybe he will fall unconscious, even if you save him! And he will need to be - resuscitated! A couple times, I bet!”
The golden siren glared even harder at the pink one as Flash Sentry flushed darkly in her grip.
“Weren’t you guys just having a conversation before I got here?” Shining Armor asked accusingly.
“Uh, no, I don’t think so!” the blue one said brightly.
“Definitely not,” growled the golden siren.
“Nope!” Agreed pink.
“A conversation about rescuing the ambassador’s cat last week?” Shining Armor continued, fixing his glare on Flash Sentry this time, who didn’t look very frightened at all. “And about the frost giant?”
“Oh, girls, just give it up,” Flash sighed, and he looked so sad that Shining Armor wondered if he could change his mind and battle the sirens instead. “C’mon, put me down. The jig is up.”
The sirens glanced between one another, then the pink one carefully lowered Flash Sentry to the sand, a little ways from where Shining Armor stood. She tried to give his back end a little push towards Shining Armor, but Flash angled a kick at her and she backed off rapidly.
“What are you doing out here, Shining Armor?” Flash Sentry asked, and the gaze that landed on Shining Armor - however briefly - was dark with shame. “I made sure no one saw me go.”
“Somepony came in with a report of siren song, and they realized you weren’t there, and then Sable Wing said something about somepony joking about taffy silencing a siren, and they assumed -”
“Oh, that would have been the perfect gambit!” the pink siren gasped, clapping her fins together. “Saving Flash from us!”
“Yeah, except for the getting blasted by the entire guard bit,” the golden one sighed.
“Gambit - isn’t that a sandwich?” the blue one mused.
“I wouldn't let you three put yourselves in harm’s way like that, anyway!” Flash Sentry protested sharply, flashing the trio a small frown. To Shining Armor’s great astonishment, the three sirens looked abashed.
“You’re - friends?”
Flash Sentry sighed. “I know this is going to be hard to believe,” Flash began slowly, “but apparently we went to high school together in another dimension. They didn’t have any friends since coming back to this dimension, so … we started hanging out.”
Shining Armor could only stare.
“They like my guitar. We - we play music together, sometimes,” Flash Sentry mumbled a little, and scuffed his hoof in the sand. “So - where’s the rest of the guard? Shouldn’t they be - attacking?”
The sirens tensed, and began scanning the cliff.
“Well, I - I came alone.” It was Shining Armor’s turn to feel awkward, and he mimicked Flash’s hoof scuffing, digging a little trench. “I mean, ahead of the - the rest of the guard. They’re coming, so you guys oughta… scoot.”
“Why would the Captain come alone?” the golden siren observed, squinting at him.
“I didn’t want to wait for everypony else to get their armor on to come rescue Flash, of course,” Shining Armor snapped, but then he caught Flash’s eye by accident, and quickly looked away, his cheeks warming. “Anyway, I - I just got here first.”
“I see.” Flash Sentry replied, quietly. For a moment, the pair dug in silence.
“So, your uh - your friends,”
“Yeah?”
“- the sirens -”
“Yes.”
“- they were causing trouble? On - purpose?” Shining Armor cleared his throat uncomfortably. “Can I ask, to what end?”
Flash Sentry’s orange cheeks warmed, and his wings gave a mighty flap, sending the sand kicking up around them. “Well, um, I -” Flash Sentry looked back at the siren trio, then stared up into the night sky, his jaw tight. He was quiet for a few moments, trying to find the words, and when he finally spoke, it wasn’t what Shining Armor expected. “Could you guys just, like, squash me or something? I feel like it would be less painful.”
“Certainly not, Flash,” the golden siren hummed, her voice warm and melodious. “Come, my Dazzlings. Flash can handle this one by himself.” And she fluttered away, soaring out over the ocean until she dove beneath the waves.
“You got this, Flash!” the pink one whispered, which wasn’t very quiet when it came from a massive siren, and turned to follow her leader. The blue one offered a quiet ‘eeeee!’ as she clapped her fins together, and the pair vanished after their leader beneath the waves.
Flash Sentry watched them go; killing time, it seemed, because he was still avoiding Shining’s gaze when he turned to face him again.
“I won’t hold you responsible for their actions,” Shining Armor said suddenly, and his voice was softer. “Being friends with - excessively powerful beings is something I’m all too familiar with. There’s certain risks inherent.”
Flash Sentry stared at him for a beat, and then laughed, and something loosened in his frame. “No, it’s not … it’s not their fault, this time. I mean, the frost giant, that was their idea. Not the best one.” Flash Sentry cleared his throat softly, and squinted at the horizon for a moment before he finally turned back to face Shining Armor, and closed his eyes tightly, steeling himself. “I had a crush on you.”
Time seemed to slow. “A … crush?”
“You didn’t notice when I brought donuts from your favorite shop to every shift I was on. For six months! I kept asking you what your favorite flavors were, and I made sure to get those for you, every time.”
“Had?”
“Silverswirl’s Hat, you didn’t - you didn’t even notice that I was always getting caught on something, or stuck somewhere, or in need of rescue? All the time! I kept hoping you’d get the hint, sometimes I’d trip on nothing right in front of you just so you’d have to help me up off the floor, and I could hold onto your hoof for a moment.”
“Had?”
“I thought the ambassador’s cat rescue was stupid enough that you’d surely have to notice, or maybe carry me down, but you just lectured me.” Flash Sentry chuckled and shook his head. His blue mane was dazzling in the moonlight, Shining Armor noted. “And I even loved the lecture.”
“Had?”
“You keep saying that,” Flash Sentry said slowly, cautiously. He’d gotten a little carried away with his feelings; now he was looking at Shining Armor with a new fear. “Are you angry? It’s okay to be angry. I - I know you’re married. I would never want to disrespect the princess - or you! You’ve been so kind to me, ever since I joined the guard, and - I couldn’t help the way I felt. You’re - you’re so brave, Shining Armor. And so smart. And kind! You help all of the other guards with their duties, even after you married the princess, even if you didn’t have to do those things. You didn’t change. That meant a lot to me, that you were somepony who didn’t - care about being a prince, so much. Some of the ponies in Canterlot are so snooty, but you’re just - you. You’re truly a noble soul, title or no.” Flash sighed, then stiffened when he realized how dreamy the sound came out, and snapped a hoof over his mouth.
“You had a crush?”
“I’m so sorry, Shining Armor. I never meant - I never meant to hurt you.” Flash Sentry spoke behind his hoof as his brows furrowed, and Shining Armor could see a familiar glassiness in his eyes. “I don’t know how I saw this ending, I just got carried away. You? Giving up your wife? And for me, just a bumbling guard? It makes no sense. No sense at all. I just … It was just such a beautiful dream.” His mouth quirked into a grin for a split-second, quivering, then Flash Sentry dropped his hoof, and his gaze, to look down at the sand. “I couldn’t let it go.”
“You’re - straight.”
Flash Sentry lifted his head sharply, startling a few tears off of his lashes. “You - Y-ou have no right to mock me,” Flash Sentry whispered, his voice trembling.
“No! I’m not - I’m not mocking!” Shining Armor gasped, and suddenly it felt like his brain was catching up with all of the developments in the past ten minutes, but at triple speed. It was all he could do to keep up. “But - but you! The guards! You’re all - you’re all straight!”
Flash Sentry gave Shining Armor a funny look. “You’re straight.”
“I’m not!”
“You’re married to the princess! The princess of love!”
“The princess of love is a raging fillyfooler!!!”
It was Flash Sentry’s turn to be stunned into silence. Shining Armor went silent for a moment as well, realizing what he had shouted, and gulped.
“She’s - she’s my best friend. But she couldn’t - find a princess. Not in time. So we - got married. For - I don’t know, stability, royal rules, something. I can’t remember right now.”
Flash Sentry chuckled, and rubbed one eye with the back of his hoof.
“But I never thought - you - all this time - all of the posters?” Shining Armor’s sentences were jagged, just fragments, snatched out of the air by a desperately racing brain.
Flash Sentry stared at Shining Armor for a moment, then laughed, despite his tears. “They all thought you were straight. We started putting up the posters after you got married.”
“What?”
“They thought - we all thought, if you realized we were all gay, you might feel weird. At first they assumed you had to be, to join the guard; but then you got married, and they realized it might be a problem.”
“They all - all? All gay?”
“Is it a problem?” Flash’s little worried frown was back.
“There’s mares!”
“Mares can be gay! Is it a problem?” Flash repeated himself.
“No! Not a problem!” Shining Armor couldn’t remember a single problem he’d ever had, actually; the elation he felt at that moment was so potent, he wished he could bottle it and save it for later. He opened his mouth, and only a jubilant laugh came out, and it felt as if a thousand years of worry was suddenly shuffled away in the sand.
“Shining?” Flash Sentry asked tentatively, moving a little closer to him, reaching out a worried hoof.
“You’re gay! And - and I’m gay!” Shining Armor shouted, despite himself, despite everything, and kicked up his hind legs in the sand. “I’m gay, I’m gay, I’m gay!”
Shining Armor danced in place, and as he turned, he caught sight of the entire guard and Princess Cadance standing on the cliff stairs, watching them.
“Way to go, Shining Armor!” Princess Cadance called, and the guard took up a cheer, whooping and hollering.
Shining Armor wished he had some of that bottled elation.
“H-Hey!” Flash Sentry shouted, and when Shining Armor turned to look at him, his face was beet red. “That’s not cool, dudes!”
“Does this mean you’re gonna stop bringing donuts in?” one lone voice shouted, and the group shared a mighty laugh.
“Alright, that’s it, that’s enough! You don’t need to be a love princess to see that these two need a little time alone!” Princess Cadance huffed, and began pushing and shoving the musclebound guards up the cliff stairs.
“Cadance! CADANCE!” Shining Armor hissed, and galloped to the base of the stairs, waiting for her to get close enough so he could whisper to her. “What do I do now?!”
“Just follow your heart. That’s what I always say,” Cadance winked.
“You never say that!” Shining Armor snarled under his breath, but the wind was soon knocked out of his whispering as Cadance magicked up a thick blanket and a picnic basket and shoved them into his midsection.
“Oh, shut up and go romance your stallion!” Cadance huffed, and turned to trot away, spreading her wings to fly the rest of the way.
“Cadance!”
Cadance rolled her eyes, and fluttered back down to her husband’s side. “What is it now!”
“Thank you.” Shining Armor whispered, sincerely that time. “I'm terrified.”
“It’s going to be fine. He’s scared too, just look at him. Go be scared together.” Cadance’s smile was tender, and she gave Shining Armor’s forehead a little nuzzle. “Just speak from your heart.”
“Okay,” Shining Armor released a little sigh, trying to gather himself. As Cadance bent her knees to take off, he added, “Cadance?”
“WHAT.”
“Flash Sentry said all of the guards are gay.” A beat. “Even the mares.”
Cadance blinked, and her horn glowed in realization.
“Maybe somepony should escort you safely home?” Shining Armor whispered, and it was Cadance’s turn to blush. “You know, since the Captain is busy?”
“Good idea, husband. See you at home.” And off went Cadance, galloping up the cliff stairs after the guards instead of flying.
Shining Armor turned back to look at Flash Sentry, and slowly, lugging the bulky blanket and picnic basket, made his way back to his side. He could have carried them in his magic, but … well, this way was slower, and it gave him more time to think. Flash did look scared; Shining Armor probably looked closer to abjectly terrified.
“Hi,” Shining Armor greeted him softly.
“Hi,” Flash Sentry repeated back to him.
They stood in silence for a moment.
“Do you want to -”
“Oh, right, I should - yeah.” Shining Armor hastily set the picnic basket onto the sand, and was left holding the massive blanket. Too big for just him; too big even for Cadance’s massive royal bed, he suspected.
“Should we -”
“I’ve liked you for a long time, Flash Sentry.”
Flash’s brows shot into his hairline. “What?”
“I’ve liked you ever since I met you.” Shining Armor was staring at him, and this time he didn’t feel like he had to catch the words as they fluttered past him. Maybe this was the speaking from his heart that Cadance talked about. “I could tell from your very first day that you were earnest, and sincere. It took a little while longer for me to realize how kind you were, but every day that I knew you was a day that I felt more and more certain of my feelings for you.”
Flash Sentry’s mouth hung open a little bit, and he gaped at Shining Armor.
“I never stopped to think that my marriage would be a barrier. Every time you laughed at the posters, at the jokes, I told myself that you would never look at me that way.” Shining Armor swallowed tightly. “Even if I wanted you to so badly I thought it had to be screaming out of my every pore.”
Flash Sentry swallowed. “I never knew.”
“I don’t know how I missed it for so long.” Shining Armor smiled, and suddenly his legs felt shaky. “I thought you could never -”
“Me, too,” Flash Sentry whispered, and caught the stumbling Shining Armor in his arms, capturing his mouth in a kiss. “Me, too.”
Flash’s mouth was so warm, Shining Armor thought he might as well give the blanket to the sirens; he wouldn’t need it anymore. He wasn’t sure when he lifted a hoof, but he became aware of it when it smoothed over Flash’s mane, guiding some of it behind his ear. Flash smiled into the kiss, and Shining Armor returned it. He drew away, just long enough to catch a breath, and then Flash Sentry caught his mouth again. He startled a quiet noise out of Shining Armor when he slipped his tongue between his lips, and a gasp turned into a low moan as Flash began exploring his mouth.
Shining Armor only pulled away when he had to, panting softly, and the pair considered each other in the darkness, the sound of the crashing waves their only accompaniment. Wordlessly, so as not to break the spell between them, Shining Armor unfolded the blanket, and wrapped Flash Sentry in half of it; once he was settled in the sand, Shining Armor sat down beside him, and folded himself in the rest of it. The pair pressed together snugly in the darkness, and Shining Armor took Flash Sentry’s hoof in his own. It was warm, and maybe a little sweaty; Shining Armor wanted to hold his hoof forever.
“I’ve wanted to do that for so long,” Flash Sentry admitted at last, only breaking the silence after a long time. “It feels like I’m dreaming.”
“If you’re dreaming,” Shining Armor murmured back to him, giving his hoof a squeeze, “then I’m dreaming, too. And I don’t ever want to wake up.”
Flash Sentry’s smile was quick, and he pressed against Shining Armor’s broad shoulder. Shining Armor unbuckled his armor, letting it slip off, when gathered Flash Sentry against his chest.
“I’m sorry I made you cry,” Shining Armor whispered against his mane, nestling his chin between his ears. “I never wanted to do that.”
“It’s okay,” Flash Sentry whispered back to him. “I’ll let you make it up to me.”
Shining Armor began to pepper Flash Sentry’s mane and ears with kisses, making him giggle. He kissed him in the comfortable silence for a long time, catching his lips occasionally; mostly, he just wanted to memorize how every inch of Flash Sentry’s face and neck felt beneath his mouth. Eventually he ran out of neck, and he was left with the love-dazed Flash Sentry nestled against his chest once more.
“I don’t know how much longer I can stay awake,” Flash Sentry admitted at last, watching the horizon. The sun would be coming up soon; the dark navy blue of the night sky was beginning to soften to a rich violet velvet, and soon Celestia would raise the sun.
“Then go to sleep,” Shining Armor whispered, and smoothed his hoof over Flash’s mane. “I’ll wake you up for the sunrise.”
“Promise?” Flash yawned.
“Promise, dude.”
Flash laughed, and hid his face against his chest. “I barely say that at all anymore!” he protested.
“I know,” Shining Armor replied, stroking his mane steadily until Flash began to drift off, “but I always loved it.”
“Really,” Flash asked, then added experimentally, “dude?”
“Really, dude.”
“Sha, dude,” Flash Sentry giggled, and closed his eyes. Soon, he was limp against Shining Armor, a sleepy little grin curling his lips.
“When you wake up, can we kiss some more?”
Flash Sentry’s voice was thick with sleep, and his sleepy laughter made Shining Armor want to kiss him all over again. “Yes, Captain.”
Something warm swelled in Shining Armor’s chest, and he lowered his mouth to Flash Sentry’s forehead one last time, brushing aside his forelock to press a kiss there. “Sweet dreams, Flash Sentry.”
The sun rose on the two lovers some time later, their bodies nestled together beneath the blanket, fast asleep.
