When a King Asks You Out

by CrackedInkWell

Rating: everyone
Tags: Romance, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Spike, Thorax, Twilight Sparkle, Pharynx, Slice of Life, Alternate Universe
Length: 9293

Thorax is going to ask Spike out for a first ever date. His brother will make sure he's good enough for him.

Warning: The following story you are about to read contains M/M shipping between two fictional characters that are consenting adults and a brother that is borderline psychotic. This story is currently unedited. If you don't like any of these, you know where the exit button is.

For the first time, Thorax is going to do something he didn't think he would ever be able to do - ask out Spike, his longtime friend, out on a date. He hopes everything would go right, that this might be the beginning of something great between them. When Spike agrees to go out with him, Phyranx will be there to make sure to let Spike know what to expect if it doesn't go well.

This one-shot is for the M/M Shipping Contest II.

Published 2022-12-10 04:30:01 UTC
Last updated 2022-12-10 04:30:01 UTC

His Brother Will Be Watching

Author's Note

Warning: The following story you are about to read contains M/M shipping between two fictional characters that are consenting adults and a brother that is borderline psychotic. This story is currently unedited. If you don't like any of these, you know where the exit button is.

His Brother Will Be Watching

The King of the Changelings was anxious.

Leaning back in his seat, Thorax felt butterflies in his stomach, which didn’t help at all given the chair he was in. An ornate guild chair that if he was honest was too small and uncomfortable to sit on. One of several chairs lined up against a wall leading up toward Canterlot’s throne room. There weren’t any ponies there say for the guards that stood before the massive twin doors. It was near evening and Day Court was ending. Thorax figured that for this to remotely work, he had to wait until nearly everyone else was finished in that room.

Before him was a small entourage of his Changelings. On his left holding his hoof and patting it was his advisor, Sage. So-called not only for his tender wisdom but because his chitin closely resembled the herb as well. To his right was Rosemary, a meticulous valet that was busy polishing one of his alters and giving a squirt of Cologne now and then. In front of him was the only tailor in his kingdom – trimming and adjusting a decorative piece of his suit at the last minute was Thyme.

“How do I know this isn’t a bad idea?” Thorax asked aloud. “What if I overstep a boundary, and he reacts badly to it?”

“Please settle down, your Highness,” Sage told him in a calming voice. “You’re starting to overthink again.”

“Can you blame me? This can change everything about who we are and how he sees me. What if he doesn’t want to… you know. What if he’s already dating someone? What if he turns me down?”

“Shouldn’t be possible.” Rosemary stepped back from his work, nodding at the mirror shine from the antlers, “Turn you down? Only a fool would say no to you, your Majesty. Any who has the tremendous privilege of capturing your heart should be grateful that you would even ask.”

“True, true.” Thyme agreed, adjusting his glasses before correcting a shoulder piece. “And besides, out of everyone, your friend would at least understand what he means to you. I don’t believe he would react too harshly when you ask him. Why, I’d bet he’ll be flattered.”

“I hope you’re right,” Thorax let out a shaky breath. Shooing away Rosemary from spraying more Cologne on him before it gets too overpowering, he wondered aloud. “But this won’t be just us hanging out. This would be me asking him on a date. Even if he is up for it, I don’t really know if I would come off as boring or if he would find it too weird.”

“Maybe so,” Sage squeezed his hoof, “but I say on behalf of the Kingdom that this a step in the right direction for you.”

“Quite so,” Thyme nodded, “even I was getting worried about your well-being.”

“You were?” Thorax blinked.

“It’s not hard to see why.” Rosemary flew over to polish the other antler. “While you coming out to all of us was an important step, we can sense that you couldn’t take that leap to have a mate of your own. Everyling within a hundred-mile radius could sense that you felt unworthy as of late.”

“But now,” Sage smiled, “you’ve finally gained the courage to take that leap of faith. We believe that your making the effort to come all the way out here in your finest has shown how much you’ve grown. Surely, he would see it that way too.”

“I hope so…” Thorax nodded, his eyes darting to the door when it started to open. “Looks like my turn is coming up.” Getting out of the chair, he told his little entourage, “I will take care from here, you can go back to the hotel now.”

“You can do it, Your Highness,” Sage told him.

“We believe in you!” Thyme chimed in.

“Go get ‘em!” Rosemary cheered on while Thorax scrambled to the door.

Now in place, the doors opened, and a herald called out, “Presenting King Thorax of the Changeling Kingdom!” Holding his head up high, trying to gain every drop of confidence he could muster and a shaky grin, he marched forward. Outside he tries to present himself with grace and confidence, but inside he feels like he’s walking toward an executioner’s block.

There on the other end of the magnificent throne room of stained glass, marble, and running fountains that had streams running both sides of the red carpet in the middle that led up to the dais. On top were two thrones that looked out. To the right was the tall, backed throne of gold and red velvet that sat Princess Twilight. In Thorax’s eyes, she had seemed to be undergoing a growth spurt since the last time they met. Not only was she taller, but her mane and tail had grown out as well. And to his left, sitting on a smaller throne that had a relaxed golden back was Spike. The dragon had gotten taller over the years as he had become an adult, even becoming muscular since the first time they met.

“Thorax,” Twilight got up from her throne to warmly greet him, “I didn’t know you were coming, welcome to Canterlot.”

“Hello Twilight,” Thorax gave a cordial bow, “I apologize for not giving a heads up, but I wanted this to be a surprise.”

“Hey Thorax,” Spike got up from his seat, swooping down with arms open to embrace him in a bear hug. “It’s good to see you again! How’ve you been, buddy?”

“Air…” Thorax squirmed in his arms. His chest constricted for a moment before he released him.

“Oh, sorry about that,” Spike gave an embarrassed laugh, a claw rubbing the back of his neck, “I keep forgetting about my strength sometimes.”

“So, what brings you to Canterlot?” Twilight asked. “Is there anything wrong in your Kingdom?”

“Oh no, no,” Thorax shook his head, “this isn’t an official visit or anything like that. I just hoped I didn’t come at a bad time.”

“Is something going on?” Spike asked, “You’re our ally, you’re always welcome to come and-”

“This is more uh… personal.” Thorax blushed. “I was hoping if I could… well, talk to you really.”

“Me?” Spike blinked. “Am I in trouble or something?”

“N-No!” Thorax blurted out, putting a hoof to his mouth when he realized he was being a little too loud. “I mean… far from it actually, I uh…” he gulped. “It’s just… do you mind if I…”

“You seem nervous,” Twilight pointed out, “Is everything okay?”

“Y-Yeah, everything’s f-fine I was just hoping that,” glancing over at Spike, he stepped over to Twilight and asked, “On second thought, could I talk to you real quick?”

Raising an eyebrow, Twilight tilted her head, “Of course, do you want Spike to step out or…?”

There was an awkward pause, Thorax seemed torn but neither of them figured out why. His brow was sweating, his eyes darted about. Whatever it was, he seemed unusually nervous. “Well…” after giving Spike a quick glance, he told her, “I-If that’s alright.”

Looking over to Twilight, she subtly waved a hoof towards the door before Spike walked out. He eyed Thorax weirdly, clearly, something was going on with his friend. Did he offend him somehow? No… No that wasn’t right. He visited the Changeling Kingdom not too long ago and everything seemed alright then. So… did something change that he didn’t know or noticed? It might have been possible that Thorax had something to get off his chest but… what?

As soon as Spike walked out of the throne room and closed the double doors, Thorax immediately asked, “Is Spike doing alright?”

Twilight blinked, “He is last time I’ve checked… Why? Has he done something he’s not supposed to?”

“No no… Maybe I should have phrased that better. Look, I know this is all last minute and confusing and all but… In general, how is he doing?”

Twilight shrugged, “Doing well, I suppose. He’s getting the hang of being both my advisor and a Friendship Ambassador. He is doing his best and trying to maintain good relationships throughout. So… why?”

“Okay,” Thorax nodded, “So… can I ask a very personal question?”

“…. How personal is personal?”

“Very.”

“You’re my friend, so of course, you can be-”

“Is Spike in a romantic relationship?”

Twilight blinked, “Not… really?” she put a hoof to her chin, “I mean I don’t think he is in one, since he and Gabby broke it off a year ago. Why do you ask?”

“And um… have you by chance heard about my uh… coming out?”

“I know you’re gay. What does that have to do with…” Realization hit Twilight like a fallen piano. “Wait, is that why you’re all dressed up like you’re going to get married?”

Thorax’s face turned neon red as he looked down. A white suit had golden buttons with embroidery that depicted blue roses on the front. Complete with a blue sash made from silk that his Changelings made for him. He thought that he would come across as kingly than getting married. “No… I just wanted to impress him is all… you don’t think I’m overdressed, do you?”

“But this is what all of this is about, isn’t it?” Twilight walked up in front of him, “You wanted to ask Spike out on a date.”

“…. Pretty much.” Thorax nodded. “Do you think he would? I mean in the past he’s gone out with mares but…”

“I don’t keep tabs on what sexuality Spike is. And I can’t guarantee anything about what he would or wouldn’t do. I’m afraid you’ll just have to ask him that yourself.” Putting a hoof on his shoulder, she added, “Knowing Spike, regardless of if he agrees or not, he is still the empathetic dragon.”

Stepping back, Thorax was silent for a moment. “I think I should talk to Spike now.”

“I’ll leave you two it,” Twilight told him as she walked by him, “Just remember that he does need to be back for Day Court tomorrow.” Going across the throne room, Twilight opened the double doors where Spike was waiting and told him that Thorax has something to tell him. She closed the doors behind her when Spike walked in.

“Okay, I have no idea why you’re here,” Spike confessed as he walked up to him. “I’ve been running through my head of every possible scenario, and I can’t figure out why you would suddenly come up all the way from the Changeling kingdom to see-”

“Do you want to go out?”

Spike blinked, “What? Like hanging out?”

“No, I…” Thorax took in a deep breath. “You know what? There’s no way I can think of to sugar-coat this. Can I take you out on a date?”

There was a tense pause between the two friends. Thorax both tried to read his face and sense his emotions. He didn’t feel any anger – which was good – but instead, he can feel a cocktail of emotions swirling around. Mostly surprise, but also confusion, and uncertainty, and judging his wide eyes and slack jaw, he was taking a moment to process.

“Uh…” Spike stick a claw in his ear to make sure it was stuffed with anything. Then clearing his throat, he asked, “…. Pardon?”

“Could you go out with me on a date, please?” Thorax smiled nervously. “I-It’s okay if you say no.”

Spike blinked, “Okay, wow… Uh…” Another long pause.

This time Thorax knew what his dragon friend was feeling – disbelief.

“You know I’m gay, right?” Thorax asked.

“Wha? Oh no, I knew that part, but just… why me? Out of everyone, why pick me?”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

Spike shook his head.

“It’s just… You were always there for me. Right from the start you saw past the mindless monster and saw… me. You stood up for me when no one else did. I could tell right away that you didn’t want to manipulate me or feared me. You trusted me enough to talk to me when things weren’t all that good. And during times when you were in danger, I wanted to make sure that you were okay. Oh… I know it’s not a good answer and there’s a lot I could say but… You’ve been so good to me. Willing to bend over backward and twist yourself into a pretzel for not just me but my Changelings, and I had you to thank for the much better hive that it is today. As you’ve grown older, you’ve matured into a wonderful dragon. It’s just you’ve been giving so much, that I think it’s time that I show, in my own way, giving back to you.”

Slumping on his hunches, Thorax also told him, “I guess what I’m trying to say is… I’ve grown to like you. Not just a friend but… I hope for something more than that. Even if you don’t feel the same towards me, at least let me treat you out for one night. Let me give you all the respect you deserve – from one King to someone just as worthy in my eyes. Even if it’s only for one night, I’ll be forever grateful. So please, can I take you out on a date?”

Spike scratched the back of his head. “Wow… I didn’t think that’s how you felt about me… I mean… do you want me to go now or-”

“You mean,” Thorax’s wings unfolded excitedly, “you’ll go?”

“As long as you don’t hurt me or anything, I’ll do it- WOAH!”

“Oh, thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!” Thorax rushed over to hug Spike as hard as he could. “Thank you so much, Spike!”

“Celestia on a stick I forgot how strong you are!” Spike wheezed, trying to pry himself out of that hug. Mercifully Thorax heard it, so he let go. It took Spike a moment to catch his breath before saying, “We really should stop hugging so hard until we break a ribcage… So do you want to go tonight or…?”

“I’m ready now if that’s okay.”

“I… well, let me go to my room for about fifteen minutes to get ready… by the way, where are we going?”

“I was going to take you to dinner first.”

“Fancy?”

He nodded.

“Make that twenty minutes. I’ll meet you out at the front gate.”

Joyfully, Thorax buzzed out of the throne room, letting out a high-pitched squee on the way.

Spike never foresaw that he would be going on a date. He thought that after Day Court, he was going to spend the rest of the evening listening to the radio after a nice meal. Just some quiet time to unwind to recharge for the pettiness of Day Court the next day. He never thought he would be going on a date with his best friend either, or find out that he has feelings for him.

Upon entering his bedroom and opening his closet to fetch his tuxedo, he went through his head to dust off the mental checklist for his surprise date. He knew this would be a first. Not just that it would be with a guy, but he’s the one that gets to be treated. Spike wondered what exactly Thorax planned on doing anyway. Knowing him, the King of the Changelings was a multi-colored teddy bear. Maybe that was why he agreed to go in the first place – because if it were any other stallion, he would say no flat-out. But Thorax was someone he knew and trusted enough that he wouldn’t do anything he wouldn’t be comfortable with.

“I take it you said yes?”

“Gah!” Spike jumped at the sudden voice behind him. There on the bed was Pharynx, sitting on the edge of his bed with his front hooves crossed and wearing a grim expression. “Where did you come from?”

“I climbed down the chimney,” he pointed at the cold hearth at one end of Spike’s room. “Did you say yes?”

“What?”

“Thorax asked you out, didn’t he?”

“Well yeah but-”

“And did you say yes?”

“I’m getting ready for it now.”

Pharynx closed his eyes and nodded, “Good… Good…”

After a pause, Spike asked. “So… why are you in my room?”

“I have an army here in Canterlot.”

Spike’s eyes widen. “I’m sorry, what!”

“In fact, if you could step forward a bit, and look to your left…” Spike did so, out of a window was a Changeling in a ninja outfit, dangling upside down on a rope. “That over there is who we call Nightshade. She is silent, flexible, and can poison you with a dart that is enough to wipe out half of this city’s population. Now on your right,” Spike looked at the other window where sitting on one of the castle’s roofs was a Changeling holding a bazooka, smiling, and waving at him. “That is Frank. He got a bazooka for his birthday and he’s itching to test it out to see what it could do to a dragon. Oh, and there is also Nocturne who is somewhere in this very room. Her specialty is that she can take out every bone in your body but keep you alive – fully aware of what’s going on the whole time.”

Spike stepped back, “Are you threatening me?”

Pharynx tapped the side of his cheek. “Hmm… I would consider this as insurance.”

“What for?”

“You’re going out on a date with my brother – our King. Between you and me, it’s about time he got enough courage to ask you out.”

“So… if you approve, then why the army of assassins?”

Leaning forward, Pharynx’s gaze hardened. “Two reasons: a practical and a personal. Him being King, there is always the risk that someone would dare try to take advantage of him. After all, there aren’t that many princes or kings or whatever that swing that way. So, I figured that he was desperate enough to get any kind of intimacy, regardless of if his chosen mate was worthy of him or not. There is a great risk he could be manipulated, perhaps enter a harmful relationship that could prove damaging to both him and the hive itself.”

“I… guess that makes sense. So, what was the other reason?”

“You are his best friend and now a potential date. However, as his brother, this is me trying to make it up to him for my past… mistakes.”

“Mistakes?”

“Believe it or not, I figured out quickly that Thorax was gay. It wasn’t hard to see how effeminate and overly sensitive he was. Yes, I… protected him from bullies in my own way. But I picked on him for being gay when we were growing up. Telling him things like he’s not a real male, he’s a sissy, that he’s this and that. You might say I was one of the reasons that I drove him away from the Hive.” He let out a heavy sigh, “The night before he ran away, shortly after the first time we invaded Canterlot, I got so mad at him, that I… I called him a faggot.”

Spike, though as intimidated as he was, let out a burst of fire through his nose, “You did what!?”

“I’m not proud of it, I wasn’t thinking straight after our defeat but…” Pharynx shook his head, “That night I pushed things way too far and he ran off crying. I had no idea where he went until Chrysalis was overthrown. For a while, I honestly thought he died out there in the wilderness. And I admit, it did take me a long while to get over the fact he’s gay. I mean, he would have come out sooner if it weren’t for me. But even though he has gained more confidence, I know there will be those who would take advantage of him. The danger, as I see it, is that he would be listening to his emotions more than his head. So really, all of this is just… a precaution.”

Spike narrowed his eyes, “Hey, you know I wouldn’t ever hurt Thorax.”

“Maybe not. But I want to send a clear message to you.” Pharynx got up to get close to Spike, face to face, his eyes sharpen. “Regardless of what you think of him – he has a crush on you. Understand that? He trusts you more than you think. If you ever betray that trust, I will know. If he comes back to the Hive with an expression that is less than joyful, less than just had the most magical night of his entire life… There is no place in this world where you can hide that we won’t find you. I am prepared to go to war – not on Equestria – just you if you ever, ever, upset Thorax. Are we clear?”

Spike nodded, “Clear as glass. So, I take it that you’re going to be following us for the rest of the night?”

Pharynx smirked, “What do you think? Oh, and one more thing. Thorax doesn’t know I’m here, nor the rest of the army. I want it to keep it that way. This conversation never happened.”

“…. And what’s preventing me from telling Thorax anyway?”

Instead of answering, Pharynx pointed at Spike to look down where he saw a glowing red dot on his chest. Then another. Then dozens more. Spike looked up at him with a deadpanned expression, “You’re a psychopath, you know that?”

“Oh, you’re such a sweetheart,” Pharynx said sarcastically. “No wonder why my brother likes you. Now hurry up, no need to keep the King waiting.”

“Fine, but could you get out of my room? I still need to get ready.”

“Very well, but remember, we’ll be watching.”

Spike heard something move in his closet, turning his head away for a moment to find nothing there but a swinging coat hanger. When he turned back, he saw Pharynx had vanished, along with the assassins in the windows. He checked the chimney, under the bed, and in the closet, only there was nothing there.

“Okay cool… coolcoolcoolcool…” Spike turned back to where his tuxedo was. “Just go out with your best friend, have a good time, and try not to get his psychotic brother to put you in a pinewood box – no pressure.”

Spike didn’t have to be a Changeling to sense how excitably nervous Thorax was. Flying next to him over the rooftops of Canterlot, Thorax was smiling like a madmare while having a worrisome look in his eye every time he glanced at him. Even though the Changeling King hadn’t said a word, Spike could tell that he wanted to say something but had no idea where to start.

“You okay?” Spike finally asked.

“Huh?”

“You’ve been a little… I don’t know… twitchy.”

“Y-Yeah! Yeah, I’m fine.”

Spike raised an eyebrow, “Are you?”

Thorax hesitated, “I guess… kinda… maybe? Sorry I just… really don’t want to mess this up.”

“But you didn’t do anything.”

“That’s because I’m worried that I would probably do something dumb, and you would be weirded out and-”

Spike flew underneath Thorax, flipped upside down so he was looking up at him, and said, “Thorax, you don’t need to impress me.”

Thorax slowed down. “I don’t?”

“Dude, I know you. I get that you’re taking me out and all, but you don’t have to worry yourself by keeping me constantly spellbound the entire time. Take it from a guy that has been on a couple of dates already, that stuff can really stress you out and make things awkward.”

“But… But I wanted to show…” Thorax took in a deep breath, “Maybe… I should apologize in advance if I do or say something that-”

“No no!” Spike interrupted, nervously glancing around to make sure none of the assassins were watching. “I mean, you don’t need to apologize to me. I’m a lot more forgiving than you think. This is your first time dating so I should give you some credit.”

Nodding, Thorax looked away for a moment, his cheeks turning pink in the moonlight, “Thank you… I think we’re here.”

“Huh?”

“The uh… dinner.”

“Oh! Right,” Spike flipped around to face the ground. He blinked, “Uh Thorax?”

“Yes?”

“Didn’t you say we were going somewhere fancy?”

“We are.” Thorax began to descend towards the street below. Spike knew immediately where in Canterlot they were and was surprised by it. He thought for sure they were heading towards Restaurant Row where the Changeling King had a reservation in the most expensive and exclusive place in the city. Not only that wasn’t the case, but the place he chose was a café. The Copper Pot Café to be exact. It wasn’t the most expensive place in town – just a place that sells coffee, along with a variety of soups, sandwiches, and pasta. Touching down on the cobblestone road, Thorax looked up at him smiling, “C’mon! I’ve saved a seat for us.”

Landing just behind him, Spike followed Thorax through the red door. Spike hadn’t been inside this establishment in years, but he could tell right away that it has been renovated since the last time he was there. There was more wood on the walls with a higher ceiling to where one could look up to see the beams. Hanging down were simple round shiny copper chandeliers with vintage lightbulbs to give the café a warm glow. In front of them were tables dressed in yellow that lined up on both sides of the wall with a few round tables in the middle. Spike thought that the restaurant would have more ponies but there were nopony there except for a couple and a waitress. Walking in, Spike can smell the scent of roasted coffee beans, vanilla, and cinnamon and know at an instant where it was coming from. In the back was a machine with a shiny copper body that was brewing and mixing gallons of finely dark coffee – all ready upon request of a customer.

“Hi, can I help you?” A waitress came up to them.

“I have a reservation,” Thorax told her, “For the seven o’clock.”

“What’s the name?”

“Thorax.”

Picking up a clipboard, the waitress flipped through the pages until – “Oh yep! Table five, right this way.” Snatching up a couple of menus, she led them over to a table near the back towards the coffee machine. Spike meanwhile glanced over at the window, for a moment he thought he saw something move from the corner of his eye but saw nothing.

After sitting them down and the waitress giving them time to look through the menu, Spike asked, “Question: why here?”

“Because this place is good. It’s cozy, the food is delicious and-”

“No, I… not to sound… what’s the word? Persnickety. But I thought we were going to someplace fancy, hence why we got all dressed up.”

“This is fancy for me. I have been down at that Restaurant Row before and… except for that Manedian place, I cannot allow my date to taste something so… offensive.”

“And us being dressed up?”

“Well, that’s what you do for a special occasion, right? And this is special for me, that’s why I’m in this. Besides, yours is quite sharp on you.”

Spike didn’t reply.

Thorax looked up from his menu and asked, “So…?”

“Hm?”

“You’re taking this a lot better than I thought.”

“What? The whole date thing?”

“Yeah,” Thorax nodded, “I was certain you would say no back there. Honestly, I thought you might have been weirded out by the very idea.”

“I mean… this is new for me. Given that I’m dating-”

“Me?”

“Well, besides that. This is my first… gay date I’ve ever been on, ya know? I’m used to taking mares out. Planning everything out, buying dinner, entertainment, getting gifts, stuff like that. So, it’s jarring for me to have the script be flipped around.”

Thorax tilted his head, “So why did you say yes to me then?”

Spike had to pause for a moment to think about his answer. “Because… Well, I trust you. I don’t know what else to say but… if it were any guy, I don’t think I would have said yes. But you’re always good to me, even when at times I seriously underestimated you or think I wasn’t a good friend. That, and you’re one of the few I could really talk to about anything. You don’t judge me, but you’re honest enough to let me know when I’m in the wrong and encourage me when I’m right. I said yes because you’re a good enough friend to let you express what you feel because you let me.”

This got a raised eyebrow from the Changeling King, “Spike, do you mind if I ask a personal question.”

“We’re on a date, I think you’re allowed to.”

“I see… Spike… what’s your sexual orientation?”

There was a long uncomfortable pause as Thorax sensed hesitation from his friend.

“It’s okay if you don’t answer,” Thorax told him.

“…. I don’t know.”

Thorax blinked. “But I thought you preferred mares.”

“I do, but… Ugh. The thing is this isn’t the first time I’ve questioned my sexuality. There have been many, many times that I wondered if I could be attracted to the same sex as I am to the opposite. Only I haven’t really explored it that deeply beyond just surface stuff. Maybe… selfishly, it’s to see if I am capable to… you know.”

“Okay,” Thorax nodded, “Thank you for being upfront. Though, if I may ask about… boundaries?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, this is your first date with a male, right?”

“Yeah…?”

“And this is the first time for me dating. While I’ve learned from others how dates are supposed to go, I want to know from you what exactly those boundaries are. For example, are you okay with say… hold your claw?”

The sound of someone clearing their throat interrupted their conversation and both turned to the waitress that was standing next to the table holding up a tray of their drinks in her aura. “I know both of you are having a very deep discussion, but would you like your drinks now or later?”

“What did you think?”

Spike licked his lips, “You’re right on one thing – that little café is a lot better than most of Restaurant Row could make. A pleasant surprise really. I didn’t know that turquoise and Alfredo would make a good combo. Maybe I should tell Twilight about it.”

Thorax’s wings buzzed happily. By now they had finished their meal and were headed out into the streets. The nightlife of Canterlot was lively from ponies going in and out of shops and restaurants to gathering in lines in Infront of a movie theater. As they did so, Spike felt there were eyes on them. It was something that Spike never noticed before on his previous dates, of how self-conscious to be out in the open in full view. Here and there as they passed by pedestrians, he could have sworn he had seen some raised eyebrows.

“So…” Spike cleared his throat, “Where are we going now?”

“Someplace fun,” said Thorax, “To be honest, it took a long time to figure that out what would be entertaining for you. I’ve asked my Changelings about it to see if they had any ideas, and they had a lot of suggestions like…”

As Thorax kept on talking, Spike noticed with alarm that there was a red dot on his chest. Frantically he tried to look around to see where it was coming from but couldn’t find anything. What was he doing wrong? He was having a good time as it is, and Thorax is… Then a thought came to him. Back at the café, Thorax wanted to know what Spike’s limits were, but he never gave him a straight answer. An idea came to him.

Stopping suddenly, Thorax turned his head back at him confused. Spike stretched out a claw out. “Remember about me not knowing where my boundaries are? Could I… hold your hoof?”

Thorax blushed, and yet he stretched out his hoof to be placed in Spike’s palm. His hoof was wrapped and held there in the dragon’s talons; he paid extra attention to Spike’s emotions. He felt from him like a heavy weight was being lifted as he was washed in relief.

“How is it?” Thorax asked.

In his claw, Spike held his hoof. Feeling not only the weight and the smooth feel of it. But holding it, he felt it was warm. A sense that it felt… right. Spike couldn’t explain it, but it was as if this was the most natural thing in the world. “This isn’t so bad,” Spike told him. “I didn’t expect it to be so… warm.”

“Still, should we get going?”

“Huh?”

“I was saying that it took a long, long time to figure out what would be fun. And Canterlot has a lot of options. Like a movie theater, an arcade, or an escape room. But then I thought, you know what? Maybe I should ask you where you want to go.”

Spike blinked, “I thought you had a place in mind.”

“Well, we are in the middle of where most exciting things are, so what do you want to do?”

Resuming their walk, Spike took a moment to look down at his chest. Mercifully the intimidating dot had disappeared. “I’m not entirely sure, to be honest. As far as I’m aware, there isn’t anything that good playing at the movies. However, I do know of an old fashion arcade the next street over.”

“Okay, why not go through there?” Thorax pointed over to an alley in between the movie theater and a shop. “No harm in taking a shortcut.”

Spike agreed. Anything to hopefully get out of range from Pharynx’s assassins.

Gripping Thorax’s hoof, he led the way down a dimly lit alleyway. Passing through the brick canyon of steep walls on either side, there wasn’t much there except for some garbage, graffiti that was painted over with more graffiti, and in the middle was a cardboard box with a homeless pony resting back on it. A ragged unicorn stallion with a beard, an ancient jacket, and a cap on his head. The homeless pony looked up at them, “Any spare change?” he asked.

“I don’t have any bits,” Spike said as he passed by, but he felt his grasp from Throax’s hoof slip. Turning around, he saw Thorax reaching into his pocket, “Uh Thorax? What are you doing?”

“Hold on, I got some change.” Pulling out his coin bag, he was about to open it when Spike noticed from the other end of the alley, somepony entered. Spike gripped his hoof, “Hey, what are you doing?”

“Suddenly I don’t feel safe here,” Spike was about to rush him out, but turning around, he saw two more ponies entering from the other end. Looking between both sides of the alley, Spike said aloud, “Hey what gives?”

“What do you think this is?” The homeless pony got up, pulling out a dagger, “This is a stick-up.”

Thorax put his bag back in his pocket, “Hey now, we’re just passing by. We don’t mean any harm.”

“Hey, isn’t that the King of the Bugs?” One of the muggers asked.

“And isn’t that Twilight’s pet dragon?” Said another.

Spike held out his claws, “That’s Advisor to the Princess,” he growled.

“Even better,” the homeless pony chuckled. “You know we just thought this was going to be a simple mugging. But now with a king here in our alley… How much would you boys think that Changeling kingdom would pay to have him back?”

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Thorax warned, his horns glowing, “I won’t be taken down without a fight.”

“Good thing we brought these then,” the homeless pony held up his dagger. In the dim light, it had a bottle green glassy shine. “You know what this is? Anubian Crystal. Said to be one of the few things in this world that could penetrate nearly anything – even dragon scales.”

“There’s no such thing.”

“Oh really? You want to put it to the test?”

Spike, as if by instinct, stepped in front of the would-be mugger, “Over my dead body!”

The homeless pony smirked, “We only needed the king.” Quickly he raised up his crystalized knife and took a stab. Spike pulled Thorax out of the way and tried to take flight. But on both ends of the alley, the two other muggers spread their wings and were already overhead.

“Get away from him!” Thorax screamed his whole body busting into a green fireball, taking on the form of a dragon. Flying towards one of the muggers with claws on full display, he let out a firry wail that lit up the whole alley. Spike could see that the other muggers were taken aback for a moment before gaining up the courage for their attack. Going after the other flying mugger, Spike rushed over quickly as lightning to punch him in the face, knocking him over into a pile of trash bags.

Thorax meanwhile was fighting for his life, swinging his claws around at the Pegasus mugger. His arms scrapped against the bricks, leaving claw marks every time he missed. The mugger was surprisingly fast as he dogged and backed away until he turned his tail and flew off.

Just when this was happening, Spike looked behind him where, to his horror, the homeless pony lit up his horn to levitate his knife and flung it at Thorax. Without thinking, and with his heart racing at top speed, Spike rushed as fast as his wings could take him over to him, screaming “THORAX!” Rushing to meet the distance where in a split second, he grabbed Thorax and turned him away from the path of the knife. He knew that he didn’t have time to get out of the way, so he turned his back to it and closed his eyes where…

Nothing.

He felt something press up against his back but there was no cut. No sizzling pain of a blade penetrating through his scales. There was nothing except for the sound of a straining spring. Opening his eyes, he saw Thorax’s face had changed from horror to confusion.

“Are you okay?” Thorax asked him.

Spike blinked. Turning his head around, he saw the dagger being levitated back to the homeless pony who had a smirk on his face. “Well, what do you know?” he said, “You’ve passed my test.”

“I’m sorry, WHAT!” Spike let go of Thorax to confront him, “What was all that for!? Who are you!?”

“Oh, haven’t you guessed?” a ring of green flames surrounded the homeless pony, with Pharynx taking his place.

“Pharynx!” Thorax was just as surprised as Spike. “What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to see if your potential coltfriend does care about you – and I can safely say he does.” He turned his head over to one end of the alley, “Are you alright?”

“Yeah. A little sore, but yeah.” Out from the pile of garbage bags, one of the muggers rolled out and onto his feet. A ring of green fire surrounded it.

Thorax’s jaw dropped, “Sage!”

“Hello, Your Majesty,” Sage rubbed the side of his face, “Ow… Spike, you really can throw a punch.”

“Are you alright, Your Highness?” Thorax looked over to the other side where he saw the two other muggers dropping their disguises.

Thorax did the same. “Rosemary? Thyme? You were involved in this too?”

“Please forgive us,” Thyme bowed. “But we did this for a good reason.”

“We had to be sure about Spike,” Rosemary explained. “Just to see if his heart was in the right place.”

Spike turned over to Pharynx, “Okay, what’s going on!?”

“Are you deaf? I already told you that I wanted to see if you’re good enough for my brother. And I can safely say you are.” He looked over to his brother, “Sorry for not telling you, Thorax, but for this to work, I had to keep this a secret.”

“What did you do?” Thorax asked.

“I’ll tell you what he did,” Spike told him, “He broke into my room while I was getting ready, threatened me with an army of assassins if I ever upset you, and then told me not to tell you about it!”

Thorax blinked, “Pharynx, what is he talking about? You didn’t bring the army into Canterlot, did you?”

“What do you think I am? An idiot?” Pharynx raised an eyebrow. “Of course, I didn’t! Though I made sure he thought I did.”

“Wait, I don’t understand,” Spike was rubbing his head, “Why would you lie to me about all this?”

“Because any weakhearted coward would have broken off with my brother right there and then when I intimidated you. But you didn’t. Any selfish monster would have left him behind when he was in danger. But you didn’t. Anyone who didn’t care enough to sacrifice themselves when he would have died probably wouldn’t leap out as you did. And yet, despite all my doubts about you… you prove me wrong.”

After a long pause, with Spike looking at the other three Changelings, he finally asked, “So… which one of you was the ninja and which one had the bazooka?”

“I was the ninja,” Rosemary raised a hoof.

“I had the bazooka,” Sage nodded, “and it’s not a prop either.”

“And I was under your bed,” Thyme chuckled.

“…. That’s concerning,” Spike rubbed the sides of his head. Returning to Pharynx, he said, “So… all of this was really you trying to look out for your brother.”

“Of course, I want to make sure that if he’s going to have a mate, I had to see that he wouldn’t buckle under pressure. And I can safely say you passed with flying colors.”

“I wish you didn’t do that.” Thorax stomped his hoof, “I thought I was in danger! I could have hurt someling! Any of you could have killed us with those crystals!”

Pharynx raised an eyebrow, “Firstly, these things are stage props,” to prove it he turned the crystal dagger onto his neck and started stabbing himself. But instead of going into his chitin, it instead retracted into the hilt, and the sound of a spring was heard. “Secondly, you really think I would ever put you in danger again? After all that happened? And thirdly, had it never occurred to you that your entourage can not only take a punch but are willing to fight to keep you safe?”

“…. I mean when you put it like that…”

“Besides, if you ever wondered if Spike here would ever return your feelings… he just saved your life just now. What does that tell you?” Pharynx spread his wings to take flight, “Food for thought.” And with that, he buzzed away into the night.

Turning to his entourage, Thorax told them, “I am going to have a very stern talk with you three after my date is over. You are going straight back to the hotel, and you will stay there until I get back.”

All three of them had their jaws slightly open, as though they were on the verge to say something in their defense. However, seeing their king clearly upset at them, they bowed with a collective, “Yes, Your Majesty,” and turned away.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Thorax went over to Spike, his head bowed in remorse, “I am so, so sorry for all this. I wasn’t told anything, and I didn’t-” his apology was interrupted when Spike hugged him.

“I’m happy you’re okay.” He said, holding the king in his arms for much longer than needed.

And Thorax didn’t mind.

“…. And then what did he say?” Thorax asked, popping a cinnamon and sugar doughnut hole into his mouth.

“Then Gallus looked at the queen and said, ‘Please, the only sense of virtue I know is that I make love to my wife every night.’” Spike laughed, “And that’s not even the worst one I’ve heard.”

Thorax put a hoof over his mouth while settling down his cup of doughnut holes on the table. By now they were inside Doughnut Joe’s where the only ones there were themselves and Joe behind the counter. Spike peeked at the clock on the wall that said it was almost midnight, and even if he hadn’t known the time, he still would have guessed it. The windows outside showed a mostly dark world with streetlamps here and there to illuminate the street. By now the nightlife has mostly slowed down with hardly anypony about. The only reason why they were there at all was partly that this shop is open twenty-four seven, and partly because they wanted something sweet.

“How is that not the worst one?” Thorax asked, his hooves holding both sides of the paper cup. “From what I’ve heard, I’m surprised Twilight still keeps him in the Royal Guard, much less its captain.”

“Well, he’s liked by the guard because he does make it tolerable. And when he needs to, he can either go dark or offensive and he’d still get a laugh out of them. For example, there's one came about when it was made clear that he’s bi, so one of the guards asked if it was allowed to make such jokes. And would you know it, he beat him to the punch.”

“Oh really?” Thorax lit his horn to levitate another doughnut hole, “And how does this one go?”

“The way he tells it went something like this: A stallion is arrested and goes to prison for the first time. The guy is of course scared, but a prisoner comes up to him and tells him, ‘Hey, prison isn’t so bad. Do you like buckball?’ The guy said he does. ‘That’s good. On Mondays, we have this buckball tournament in the yard after twelve. Do you like movies?’ The guy said he loves them. ‘Alright, you see on Tuesday nights the warden pulls up a projector and a screen in the gym where we’re invited to see what’s new. Do you like stand-ups?’ The guy said he sees them from time to time. ‘Well then on Wednesday we have this open-mic night where the guys can get on stage and tell jokes. We got a few comedians here in prison that I think you’re gonna love. Do you like reading?’ The guy said he loves to read. ‘Oh, that’s really good because on Thursdays we have this literature club where we can get new books to read and talk about them. Say, are you gay by chance?’ Taken aback, the guy said he's not. ‘Oooh,’ said the Prisoner, ‘Then you’re not gonna like Fridays.’”

Thorax let out a burst of laughter, letting out a guffaw so hard that Spike thought he was going to fall on the floor. It took about half a minute or so to get him to calm down enough to make a reply. But when he did, he was whipping tears from his eyes, “That one is so horrible, I love it.”

Spike smiled, glancing down at his cup of powdered sugar-covered doughnut holes when a thought came to him. “Hey, Thorax?”

“Hm?”

“So… what are you going to do after this?”

“Ah,” Thorax, after popping one of the mini doughnuts in his mouth and chewing it said. “I think that tomorrow morning, me and my entourage will return to the Hive.”

“Okay, but what about you dating then? Are you going to see anyone else or…?”

“Honestly…? I don’t know.” He picked up another one of the doughnuts, balancing it on the tip of his hoof. “There’s a cynical part of me that says it’s highly unlikely you would want to do this again with me. I mean after what Pharynx pulled; I can’t be certain if I would see anyone again without him repeating it. The thing is, I had my mind set on you that… I don’t think it would work with anyone else.”

“Why not?”

Letting the doughnut fall back into the cup, Thorax said, “I know what I’m like. I over-worry, I talk too much, I’m a push-over that doesn’t like telling others ‘No.’ Despite being a King, I don’t have much to show like how other kingdoms have. I’m boring, a bit too naïve, and I imagine if I dated any stallion for a good five minutes, they probably would make some excuse up just so they could leave. With any guy out there I’m undateable. But being with you… it’s like I could just drop those worries and just be weird because you like me being weird.”

Spike paused for a moment. Even if Thorax couldn’t read his emotions, he could see on his face that it gave his friend some thought. “What?”

“It’s funny,” Spike answered, “Because it reminded me of a line from a graphic novel, but I don’t think you’ve ever heard of it. Flight of Paradise.”

“No. I don’t think I know what it is.”

“To be fair, it just came out last year and I was able to get a copy of it. It’s about this pilot and his wife when the airplane was just invented. The couple is set to make this world record of being the first to circumnavigate the globe, but the two have a rocky relationship. They fight of course while they’re up in the air in a noisy plane when, while flying over the South Luna Sea, they run out of fuel, and they crash land on a tropical island. While they trying to survive and get rescued, the two of them begin to discuss their relationship like why they fell in love in the first place and such. Somewhere in all that, I remember how the husband tells his wife that he feels he cannot be intimate with her because he doesn’t want to come across as weird. She tells him, ‘Hun, do you know what intimacy is? It’s the capacity to be rather weird with somepony – and finding out that it’s okay with them.’”

Now it was Thorax’s turn to be quiet. In the silence, Spike gingerly picked up one doughnut hole at a time to eat while the Changeling King sat there. Thinking.

“Can I ask you another personal question?” Thorax asked, “Have you… ever been intimate with anyone?”

“…. Outside of anyone I’ve dated…? Not really.” Spike shrugged. “Because apart from the occasional kiss, that’s pretty much it. However, it’s only tonight that I’ve ever held anyone’s uh… hoof, in this case. And the hug I gave when I’m just glad that you weren’t in danger… yeah that’s a new one for me. I guess with the whole intimacy thing, I guess I’m still not used to getting it.”

Thorax had a look of pity, “Honestly, if I had more time, I wish I could have done more to prove myself. Because I still stand by what I said, anyone would be lucky to have you as their mate.”

“Hey, don’t be so hard on yourself.” Spike picked up a doughnut hole. “This is just a first date for you – you can’t expect it to go perfectly.” It was then that a yawn escaped his maw, “You know, I’m getting tired. I should probably start heading back to the palace.”

“Yeah, that’s… that’s fair.” Thorax gave a weak smile. “And I should head back to the hotel as well. I uh… I hope tonight was fun for you.”

“Well apart from getting a surprise mugging from your brother, it was… nice.” Spike nodded, “It’s nice to have someone treat me out for once. Welp…” Getting up from his seat, Spike downed the rest of the doughnuts and tossed the paper cup away. “I guess I’ll… see you around.”

Thorax weakly waved at him, watching him push through the double doors and started to walk out. For a few minutes, the Changeling King thought that tonight was a catastrophic failure. With all his intent, he didn’t get the dragon he… Then from a window, Thorax noticed something. Underneath a streetlamp, Spike suddenly stopped. At first, he wasn’t sure what he was doing. Just standing there, looking up at the castle up the street and back at the doughnut shop. It was like he was being torn about something. What made it more mysterious was the fact that Spike was a little too far away for him to get a sense of what his friend was feeling.

Suspecting something might be wrong, Thorax got up from the table and pushed his way out the door. Flying across the street over to where Spike was, he asked, “Are you okay?”

“I… yeah.” Spike nodded, his cheeks turning pink while scratching his head, “But I think I forgot something.”

“Really? And what would tha-” Before Thorax could react, he saw his friend close his eyes, grabbed his head, and kissed him. Wide-eyed, Thorax wanted to catch his breath, but Spike’s lips prevented it. Although it lasted for only a few seconds in the light of a streetlamp, Thorax would be contented to stay on that spot for centuries if he was in that kiss. And from that kiss, he tasted something new from Spike. Yes, it was love, but this here was one that started to bud out but knew one day it will bloom. This wasn’t full-out love – but an important first step towards it.

When Spike let him go, only then did Thorax catch his breath. Spike let out an embarrassed chuckle, “Well… that was different. Kissing a guy was actually…” He cleared his voice, “So uh… I don’t think I’ll be available for the next week or so but when I get back to Canterlot… Do you want to… go out for a cup of coffee sometime?”

“Coffee?” Thorax, still flabbergasted, whipped his lips.

“Well… I mean it doesn’t have to be coffee. Maybe like catch a show or, go find a place to eat… stuff like that.”

Thorax blinked… and blinked again. “Are you… asking me out?”

“Well, it’s… I mean it’s…” He nodded, “Okay yeah, I want to go out again if… if that’s okay.”

The wings from Thorax started to happily buzz.

“So, I’ll take that as a yes.” Spike stepped back. “Anyway, I’d better get going. Hopefully, I’ll see you around.”

“Y-Yeah…” Thorax mindlessly nodded.

“Okay, have a good night, Thorax.” Turning around, Spike spread open his wings and took flight toward the castle.

“You too… My King.” Thorax waved, a smile creeping across his face.

Of course, he would need to go back to the Hotel and reprimand his entourage for their enrolment with his brother. Of course, he and Pharynx are going to have a long, long talk about not intimidating anyone he’s considered dating. But, he thought, those can wait. Spreading his own wings, he was vibrating with happiness that he hadn’t known for a long, long time. Despite all the things that had gone wrong and could have improved – he felt he was over the moon.

Because despite everything, he made the impossible happen.