Come Soar with Me

"Ms. Rainbow Dash?" Soarin asked, a little nervously.

Rainbow Dash whipped around, out of her discussion with herself. She prepared to scold who ever had just distracted from her panic attack, but paused when she saw it was the very pony the chat had been about.

"Soarin?" Rainbow Dash asked, her eyes growing wide with awe.

"Hey." Soarin' smirked coolly. He was trying hard to have the "cool guy" demeanor. He knew down in his heart that if he messed up that he'd never forgive himself.

"Whoa, a Wonderbolt, is talking...to me?" Dash raised a hoof and pointed at Soarin, then brought it back and laided it on her chest.

Finally, it registered in her mind.

"Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh! Not just a Wonderbolt, but the one!

She continued to look at him in awe.

"Do NOT blush, whatever you do, Dash. A voice in her head instructed very sternly.

"Hey Soarin! What are you doing around here?"

"Oh well, you know, practice ended early..and I was just wondering around, looking for a bite to eat. That's when I saw you! I know you're the ultimate Wonderbolt fan, so I thought I'd say hello."

Soarin' grinned at Rainbow again, but also at his excuse. That's perfect. She'll think he was just stopped by for a chat, not to flirt.

Rainbow Dash felt her wings twitch. Wings if you move again so help me I'll..

"Well, you know me! I'm the biggest fan there is! Dash replied enthusiastically.

Soarin laughed. She was so beautiful, and such a charmer. Even when she was nervous she could look good.  He gazed in to her eyes for a moment before a crack of lightning interrupted the peaceful air around them.

"Woah. That doesn't sound good. Soarin, um, not to sound creepy, but why don't you come back to my place until the storm passes over?" Rainbow inquired, trying to sound calm and collected.

"Rainbow, I'd be honored."

The very short walk back to Rainbow's place had turned into a sprint, and then a race as the two ran through the puddles and got soaked by the cold, yet refreshing rain. Soarin' and Rainbow Dash laughed loudly as they ran side-by-side, each trying to take the lead.

Now, the two stood, still sopping wet, on Dash's doorstep as she got her key out from her hiding place beneath her wings. The apple pies still sat, untouched and perfect on her back. Soarin waited patiently, and stared at the pies. Dash fumbled with her house key nervously. All of a sudden, the key slipped out of her soaking hooves.

"Woops. Heh Heh." Dash smiled a very embarrased smile at Soarin before leaning down to grab the key out of a puddle on the cloud.

Soarin caught himself look at Dash's behind for a minute.

Wow, she's so toned and athletic... He stopped, and looked away, blushing. That wasn't like him. But, what if she did that on purpose?

"Soarin?" Rainbow said, standing in the house's doorway already.

"Oh, sorry." Soarin apologized awkwardly, a reddish tint still on his face.

Rainbow just smiled.

Soarin stepped into the house, and stood on the rug, still dripping water.

"I'm gonna go grab us some towels. Stay right there!" Dash slid the pies off her back and onto a small table near the door. Soarin watched as she trotted up the stairs, turned a corner and came back again, two towels stacked precariously exactly where the pies had been on her back.

"Catch!" she shouted suddenly as she tossed one of the towels over the railing and right onto Soarin's face.

"Dude! You were supposed to catch!" Soarin heard Dash stifle a laugh, and then finally burst out.

"Oh come on! Even I'm not that fast!" He replied playfully, grabbing the towel and beginning to dry off. Dash watched him as he dried off his vibrant blue mane, admiring how it sprung back up to its regular windswept look almost immediately. She moved over to the steps and trotted down, drying herself off as well.

"I don't know about you but I'm starved. Let's crack open these apple pies! I know they're your favorite.." she trailed off, starting to sound a little like a fangirl.

"That sounds awesome." Soarin smiled warmly.

Two empty pie trays sat on the kitchen table, cleaned of all possible remnants of pie.

Soarin and Rainbow Dash weren't at the table, though. They had relocated to a cozy couch in Dash's living room.

The two had sat with very full bellies, talking long into the night, as the storm raged on and on. Both had fallen asleep together as well, without even realizing it.

Celestia's sun sat low in the sky, rays covering Equestria, slowly coaxing all of the ponies out of their cozy beds, and up to work, study, or just get on with the day. Applejack would be up, loading the cart with the freshest apples, and readying it make the journey to the Ponyville marketplace.  Spike would be re-shelving books, and Fluttershy would be out feeding the chickens in her backyard. No one really knew what Pinkie was doing, most likely baking.

A single ray found its way through the window of Rainbow Dash's cloud home, stretching through the kitchen, down the hallway, and into the living room, where the two Pegasi snoozed peacefully. Rainbow opened her eyes and yawned. What a peaceful snooze. She shifted and looked down in suprise to see two sky blue forelegs wrapped around her, just under her own.  Rainbow soon heard a calmed sigh above her. She glanced up and saw Soarin, with a happy smile on his face and his eyes closed.

Dash blushed. She closed her eyes again and took in the warmth from Soarin next to her, before snuggling deeper in his chest. His coat smelled sweetly and felt nice against hers. For once, Dash felt no worry, no nagging feeling, just...happy. Nothing, not even Nightmare Moon returning and trying to enslave Equestria again could remove her from Soarin's tight embrace. Seconds later, she was asleep again.

An hour went by as the day went on. It was brighter out now. The house brimmed with the sun's light.

Soarin's eyes opened slowly. He looked around. This wasn't his apartment. Where was he? Soarin began to panic. Had he been kidnapped? His eyes darted around, and finally fell on the cyan and rainbow shape on his chest.  His panic faded as he remembered exactly where he was, why he was here, and who was casually sleeping in his arms. He basked in the warmth of the sun, as it filled the room with its brilliance.

He felt Rainbow shift underneath him. She yawned loudly and sat up next to him, facing the opposite direction. Soarin heard her smack her lips and watched as she shook her mane. Dash turned around and blushed when she saw Soarin looking back at her.

"OH! Soarin! I, uhhh..." Dash said awkwardly, as her eyes shifted around nervously. Her mind worked a million miles a minute as she tried to come up with a reason as to why she had been sleeping in his arms.

"Dash.." Soarin said, calming her nerves. "It's okay."

They gazed into each others eyes again.

Rainbow dash broke the silence. "Are ya hungry? I can whip us up some breakfast in five seconds flat!"

Rainbow Dash and Soarin sat across from each other at the table, munching toast.

"You know Dash," Soarin talked through a mouthful of toast. "I really enjoyed my time over here."

"I'm pumped to hear that, Soarin. You're really awesome. Too bad we can't do this again sometime." Dash frowned and looked down at the rest of toast laying on her plate.

"Hey now, don't say that." Soarin replied, reassuringly. "I can make time for someone like you."

Dash felt another blush creep across her cheeks. The Wonderbolt across from her blushed as well.

A moment passed.

"I hate to do this, but I've gotta get going. Practice is in a few hours, and if I'm late Spitfire will be peeved." Soarin got up, picking up his empty plate in his mouth.

"I'll walk you out." Rainbow was sad to bid him farewell, but she knew a Wonderbolt's life certainly wasn't easy. Soarin nodded at her after setting his plate on the counter, and moved around the corner to the front door. Rainbow followed, feeling her wings flutter a bit. Her sides were hurting from holding her wings down. She couldn't even imagine how embarrassed she'd be if he saw her wings shoot up. She hoped to Celestia he couldn't see through her cover and know that her wings were trying to move.

Soarin slid his saddlebags back to their normal spot, sitting comfortably on his back. He turned and saw the door was already open, with Dash standing beside it. Slowly he trotted out, but halted in the doorway and turned to Rainbow. "I'll catch you later, Dash."

Rainbow's wings at her sides twitched, yet again. "We can chill again, for sure, right Soarin?"

He laughed. "Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!" He brought a hoof to his eye to emphasis the point.

Rainbow burst out laughing. "Alright, then for sure, see ya later!" She watched him trot out and closed the door slowly behind him. She peeked out the window by the door and watched him casually trot down the path back to Cloudsdale. Finally, her strength gave out, and her wings snapped to her sides, erect and at-attention. She fell back on her haunches and stared out in to space.

"Awesome."

Soarin trotted from the house slowly and coolly, then turned his head to look back at the cloud structure. As soon as he was sure she wasn't watching, he broke in to a gallop, and ran as fast as he could through Cloudsdale, back to his tiny apartment. He fumbled just like she had last night with the key, and pushed open the door. It slammed behind him, and he slid his saddlebags off. Seconds later, his sky blue wings were pointing upward stiffly. He plopped on to his backside as all the blood rushed to his cheeks. Soarin could only bring himself to say one single word.

"Woah."