The Prince's Predicament

"Well, you have to admit, it's a really nice arse," chuckled Pyre, closing the door to his apartment. "You know, when I said I'd like to bring you back to my place to finish what we started, I didn't expect you to take me up on it right away."

Shining shrugged. "I guess I just... wanted some clarification on some things."

"Oh? Like what?"

Shining blushed. "Oh, more on that later. Would you show me around?"

Pyre shrugged. "Sure, I guess. This here's the living room," he unfolded a small table, "dining room," he added a hot plate, "kitchen," he put the hot plate and table back, "conservatory, library," he folded out the mattress from inside the couch, "and bedroom. The bathroom's on the other side of that door."

"Seriously?" asked Shining. "I sign your receipts. I know how much you make. Is this really all you can afford?"

"This is all I choose to afford," answered Pyre. "I'm saving up; gonna buy a health club. Gym, spa, juice bar, health food restaurant, the whole shebang. For eight years, I've been doing that, and once I have my startup funds, it's happening. That is, after I finish my tour of duty."

"Is that so?"

"Well, I spend some at the bar and grills I frequent, but that's for food, drink and companionship. Impress a mare with your wit and charm, and you don't have to pay them to come home with you. Keep their eyes on you until you're inside of them. If you do it right, they won't notice it's a studio apartment until they wake up the following morning. That way, if they judge you for where you live, you'll know they're really shallow, and you already have what you wanted. I have encountered only one exception."

"What's that?"

"She wanted to make breakfast, and there's no fridge in here."

Shining nodded. "That does put a damper on things."

"Does it?" asked Pyre, knocking a pear out of the fruit basket with his wing and catching it. "I have no trouble finding my breakfast."

"I suppose not..."

Pyre flopped down on his bed and scooted back so that he was sitting on it like a couch that reclined, reaching over with his hoof to wrap it around the phantom shoulders of whoever was sitting next to him. As if beckoned, Shining took that place. "Now, you came here in search of something other than to see where I lived and in what condition it was. Now that you know it's clean and humble, What's the real reason you came down here?"

After a deep breath, Shining told Pyre about the dream. Not every iteration, only the last one.

"Is that why you've been wanting to experiment? I thought it was because Cadance wanted to try some new things in bed?"

"A stallion can have two reasons to want to do something," argued Shining. "Yeah, it was originally for Cadance, but the more I do these things, the better I feel. A part of me is afraid to go forward with it because I feel like I'm being pushed into it, like it's not my choice, but... part of me wants this. There's some piece of me that is driving me forward with every fibre of my being, because there's clearly something good, but my life was already good. I don't want to lose the good things I had, but I feel that I'm moving into the new stuff too fast."

Pyre placed a firm hoof on his shoulder. It made Shining feel as if he were protected, as if Pyre wouldn't let anything bad happen to him. "I'm sorry about what I said," he sighed. "If I'd known how you felt, I'd have acted with more caution. I thought you were doing this on your own, but to have something forcing you into it, even if it's your own dreams... I want to help you fight it."

"Well, that's why I came here today." Shining looked into Pyre's eyes. "I spoke to Luna, and she seems to think that if I engage in the dream's activities, I can find out who's enforcing it. After we find out, I can be free of the dream."

Pyre nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

"Only..." Shining placed a hoof on Pyre's chest. "There's more to this than that. While I wanted to end the dream at first, it's felt better of late. It's not a nightmare anymore; Luna said so herself. It's pleasant now, so even if we don't end up finding our assailant, we're already winning. Even so," he leaned up and kissed Pyre, "I still have enjoyed every moment of what's happened, and I want to thank you for your help."

Pyre furrowed his brow. "Is this you, or is this whatever's trying to push you this way?"

Shining lowered his head. "A little of both, I suppose. I really have enjoyed it, and I do want to go forward, but with somepony I trust. I believe that, even if it ends up a bad experience for me, it'll be because I don't like it, not because of anything you do." Shining took a deep breath. "It's less of "I want you to do it," and more of "I want you to do it." Does that make sense?"

"It makes perfect sense," nodded Pyre. "You're not sure if it's a good idea, so you want me to guide the way because this is a road I've walked before and can keep you from being injured by way of a false step."

Shining smiled. "Thank you."

Pyre shook his head. "I didn't agree to it."

"Thanks for understanding, anyway."

As Shining made to stand up, Pyre wrapped his hoof around Shining's chest and pulled him back down. "I didn't say no, either." He leaned forward and planted a kiss on Shining's mouth, digging his tongue around. He was pretty aggressive about it, but Shining didn't put up any kind of fight. He lay back and enjoyed it, even reaching down to put his hooves on Pyre's member.

"I want you," he huffed as soon as his mouth was free. "You're the first stallion to make me realize these feelings. I never knew I wanted one until this hit, but now that I've experienced it, I can't go back to ignorance. I have to know. I need to know what I've been missing. Please," begged Shining. "Fuck me..."