You get your work done for the day. It helped that nobody was rushed in half-dying. But you didn't go straight home, instead asking about your pay. Not to quibble over the amount, but to get the information on the person a good chunk of it was going towards.

"God damnit," casually swore the bookkeeper, Toley, holder of the purse strings. "You really need to know?"

"I want to visit them, and, assuming things worked out." You wobble a hand in the air. "I doubt the 'usual' spot will have him, baking in the Florida sun."

"Bloody hell, maybe he likes the damned Florida sun. Ever think of that?" Despite his complaints, he's pulling up papers and getting that information. "Here." he shoves a hastily scrawled paper your way. "Don't get hurt."

Aw, that felt uncharacteristically nice. "He should be harmless."

"Yeah, we checked that." Toley cocks a brow at you. "But that don't mean everythin's fixed. Cheeky bastard, go see what you did. Maybe it worked out. Maybe it didn't. Just don't get tore up either way."

"I won't." You tuck away the paper with a quick wave of a hoof. "Thanks." Off-duty, you rush for the exit and hit the ground in the candy ship on your shoes. "Heading out."

Nick waves, though it's a muted gesture. He's helping a customer. Work was work. You leave him to his job and hurry off on your own goal. The man doesn't live far. Did the changelings do that? Possible.

You stride towards it like you mean it, and you do! Having the vigor of youth in your legs is helping the process along as you power walk along to find a one story house. It looks reasonable. Not fancy, not rundown. A workable house. "Nice." You head up to the door and press the bell button sitting there.

The answer comes a minute or three later. "Yeah?" He opens the door, a screendoor seperating you from him. "Who... Oh." He recognizes you. "Been a while... How did you even find me?"

"I heard you got a nice place." You wave over the building in general. "Thought I'd come and say hi."

"Yeah." He opened the screen door. "Seriously, how? Um... Nice to see you again, but how?"

What had he been told? Nothing, from the sound of it. Was it right to just say it? "That's my question," you turn it around. "Not complaining, but how did you get this?"

"My sister." He waves you inside. "It's hot out there." You head inside and he closes up, letting the air conditioned environment do its job. "I had one of those."

Had? "Did... Sorry, not trying to dig things up."

"You're nosey." But he goes off and returns with a glass of lemonade. "She died, left me an inheritance... Bloody hell, she was always looking out for me, did it to the end." He took a sip of his drink. "Fucked up... But I don't want to waste it. She died for this."

You certainly didn't plan any of that! Was she already dead? Did your request kill her? What happened?!

He notices you looking a bit out of sorts. "You are too damn nice. You don't even know her."

Right! "Sorry. That's a really good attitude you have there." You look around the home. It's clean, well-ordered, and even has some pictures posted. Is that his sister? "Seriously, that is a good way to honor her."

"I thought so." But your words do seem to reach him, smiling. "But forget that. You didn't visit for that. What did you visit for? We're hardly friends."

"Is... How are you handling this?"

"Huh?" He looks at you odd a moment before it seems to click. "Are you asking if I have a job? I'm asking around still. It's a lot easier when you have a damned address, let me start with that. " He takes a fresh sip. "But not yet. The inheritance is enough to float on while I look, but I won't mess up twice. I'd be letting her down... again..."

"You have this. Just don't panic. One step at a time." You consider a hot moment. "Just one."

"You remind me of her."

You hitch up. "What?"

"Sorry." He waves it away. "She was... She was nice, a bright spot in my day. Wasn't her fault I messed up the first time."

About that... "Sorry to ask, but weren't you working alone, last time. You said you didn't have any siblings."

"Shit." He puts his glass down. "You were paying attention? Look." He holds his hands up. "I already messed it up. I wasn't going to lean on her, and she was tired of trying. Me, mom... It was messed... Whatever. She watched out for herself. Can't even blame her."

That was a change in perspective. "Not everyone is... that."

"You're better?"

Well, you're working to keep his house, but also you didn't mention that. "I try, it's all we can do. You have this. All you needed was one step, one little rock in the right place to stand on. Your sister gave you that step, now you can walk again."

"Yeah... Yeah." He waves at the pictures. "I can't forget them. There she is." You had guessed correctly. "And mom." An older woman, about your age, minus the pony youth factor. "Where were you a few years ago?"

"Looking for you." You chuckle a bit at the question. "We can't be everywhere, or do everything, any of us. Just do what we can, where we are. Anyone that asks more than that is a jerk."

"Yeah. S'pose not." He grabbed his glass for a fresh draw. "Got a point... It's... I feel bad even thinking it, damn... But it's like a sort of revenge. She didn't protect me until she was dead, so good?"

"It's not like that." You can hear his thoughts taking a dark turn. "She wanted to help. If it... works, this is a sort of penance, but don't begrudge her. She's dead, not much more you can do about that." He snorted at the macabre humor. "But you're not. You can do her and yourself and favor by taking control of that."

"Yeah..." He swatted at your side. "Damn, lady. You are something else." He grabs your hand in a firm hold, just to give you a push towards the door. "Look, I'm going to do that, alright? I'll put things in order, so you get the hell out of here."

You're being kicked out, but you don't feel bad about it. Something about what he's saying feels right. He's on a better track. "I can't wait to hear the good news."

"You won't leave me alone." He takes the only half-consumed glass from you. "Get outta here."

So you're booted out, but... feel good. That went well, you decide. He's on a good path to getting even better. Still, that was kinda creepy. Did the changelings kill her to get the money to him somehow? Beware the gifts of fae, age old saying. Was it true?

You aren't going to get answers there, so you swing back by the parking lot to find Nick waiting by his car. He spots you at about the same time, waving you closer. "There you are. Where'd you wander off to?"

"Checking in on someone close by." You slip into the car and he's in a moment later, drawing out onto the freeway towards home. "Have a good day at work?"

"As good as it tends to get." He shrugs. "But tell me what you were doing. You shouldn't be wandering off. I know you enough to know you're a trouble magnet."

"No trouble there." Things grow quiet a moment, so your thoughts slip. "But I felt like I did a triple little."

"Triple little?"

"Three little goods." You put up three fingers to match. "None of them earth bending, but three goods. Defused an awkward moment, cared, and protected. I feel good."

"You are a god damned overachiever." The quiet resumes for a moment.

But your mind is still whirling. "I've been thinking."

"About?"

"You." You put a hand on his knee. "To start, jerk. You pulled me into this without even a little warning. That wasn't very nice."

"Sorry. You don't sound that upset about it."

"It's... hard. Your little stunt also was a gift of another fifty to seventy years of kicking around on this miserable dustball, and I plan on riding that out!"

"Good." He pulls off towards your shared street. "I don't want you to be mad. Sorry."

"I'm not." You squeeze gently. "Actually, I was thinking we should stop tiptoeing around. This is very very odd. Part of me thinks this is less of a big deal because I was a guy for most of my life. You have a lady you like? Considering putting a ring on it isn't out of the question."

Nick draws the car to a stop in the driveway. "Am I being proposed to?"

"One step at a time." You draw your hand back. "Nick, wanna go steady?"

"We weren't already?" He climbs out of the car and waits for you to come out.

"I mean acting it." You close the door behind you with the slap of metal. "Doing things couples do."

"Kisses?" He was standing by the car, as if afraid to move.

"Hugs," you continue. "Hand holding... All of that. I don't know, stupid pet names? I..." That brings up memories... "Shit... I had some fun pet names with her."

"Do not force yourself," he barks out firmly. "Don't. If you're doing this for me, don't. We can wait. I can wait. Forever, if we have--"

He doesn't get to finish, you holding your hand up over his face, not covering his mouth, but the point is delivered. "That's not fair to you. Look, this may be a bit macabre, but she's gone. She said for me to live, so I'm living. I'm sure 110% she didn't imagine me becoming a... this... but I'm taking it."

Nick nods, quiet at first, but his voice returns with a clearing of his throat. "Alright... Alright, sure... I just want to be extra sure you know I don't want to force this. I didn't give you that boop to lead to this. "

"But you did, and it did." You nudge him towards the house. "Thanks. Now you have a friend that graduated to your plus one."

"Don't put it that way." He closes the door to the house with you both inside. "You..." He trails off, picking up the hints you were dropping. "You want to?"

"Yes." Being subtle wasn't helping anyone involved. "I still have the same wiring, and pretty sure ladies have needs anyway. We're a thing, so let's do what things do."

"O-okay..." He held up a finger. "One thing. Am I moving into your room?"

"Yes." Your brows lower. "You don't snore, thank god."

"You don't either, I think?" He goes with you towards the bedroom you'll be sharing together. "To be 100% clear, I would be here even if you had no interest. To be honest, I thought you didn't."

"You weren't paying attention, and that's alright." You shrug it off, along with some clothes. "I was an old man and you're a young middle-aged man, so we didn't have a lot to chat on those lines." But that has since changed, a fact that both of you are aware of.

"This will sound odd... But do you want to... human or pony?"

"That's a legit question." You have both options! "For once... I want to try it as the human I am right now. If you're alright with that."

"It'll be new." But he was moving, divesting himself of his garments. "You're a little older, right now, than most I ever considered. I swear that's not an insult. You're amazing is what you are."

"Up to me if that's insulting." But you don't kick him out of the room. You have more interesting means of revenge.

Author's Note

It's time to see what our actions have caused, and maybe lend a hoof.

Three down, sorta? Practice is needed... She seems open to the idea of maybe hiring on Moon, but that sure isn't a sealed deal.

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