Learning The Ropes

“Do you think that I’m ready?” Gallus asked.

It was the first thing any creature had said in quite some time. It was late into the evening, and the air in the house had been calm and blissful. It was Gallus’ last night at the home of the herd.

“Ready?” Gilda asked. She had been sprawling on the fluffy rug on the floor and only now twisted her body around to look at Gallus. She looked impossibly twisted like that of a cat. “What, for bed? Uh, are you regressing to a hatchling or something?”

“I didn’t mean that!” Gallus snapped.

Lost Way and Crash had been silently cuddling on the far end of the couch, and only now raised their heads in curiosity upon realizing that Gallus was trying to speak in general.

“What’s going on?” Crash asked.

“Are you talking about those two?” Lost Way asked.

“Uh-Huh,” Gallus said.

“Those two?” Gilda asked, and fully turned over to look a bit more natural. “Huh?”

“Smolder and Sandbar,” Gallus said. “I just… I’m still worried about them.”

It felt silly to admit it out loud. So much of this weekend had been dedicated to making sure Gallus was no longer self-conscious, yet here he had been for the past hour sitting in silence just worrying about it. After he had been with both boys as well as Gilda he thought that the nerves would simply go away, yet they remained firmly inside of him when he so much as thought about the faces of the dragon and stallion.

“I think that’s normal,” Crash said, and then after a moment of silence he added a bit more gingerly. “Do you regret… having fun with us three? Do you think that’ll ruin it if they find out?”

“No,” Gallus said. He was quick and firm with his words. “They wouldn’t care. I KNOW they wouldn’t care. I’m worried that… that I’m…”

“That you aren’t ready for a relationship?” Lost Way asked with a tilt of his head.

Gallus grew quiet. It seemed Lost Way had managed to hit the nail right on the head.

“I don’t want to hurt them,” Gallus said. “What if I’m not good at being their boyfriend? What if I just… suck?”

The zebra frowned as he crawled off of the cuddling embrace of Crash and over toward Gallus. He lifted a hoof and touched it down to Gallus’ shoulder before giving a warm smile.

“That’s normal,” Lost Way said. “When you really care about somepony you obsess over if every little choice you make next with them will be right. You're not wanting to hurt them shows me you care about them a lot.”

“Just because I care doesn’t mean I’m perfect,” Gallus said.

“Who cares about perfect?” Gilda asked before pointing a thumb over toward Crash and Lost. “You think these two dorks are perfect? Or that I am? It was a mess when the three of us had our first date. Nothing is ever going to go right all the time in relationships, Gallus. What’s important is being there when it matters and showing the person all the love you can give them.”

“Wow,” Gallus said as he glanced over at Gilda. “When’d you grow up?”

“Rude,” Gilda said with a slight huff.

“She’s right,” Crash pressed. “Nobody’s perfect. What matters is that you care about the other creature and just… try. You be there for them.”

“That’s kind of scary,” Gallus admitted. “I… I just want to be with them forever. Even if this herd thing doesn’t work out I don’t want them out of that life and that scares me a lot. How did you two decide it was worth it to risk your friendship like that?”

“Us?” Lost Way asked. “That’s pretty easy.”

“We promised not to let us splitting up from this make us… well, split up,” Crash said. “If I fell out of love with Lost Way today I’d still want him in my life until the day I die. I don’t need to love him only like that to know that I love him.”

“Sappy,” Gilda said.

Crash blushed a little, but in response, Lost Way snuggled closer toward the big pegasus and giggled softly.

“I know it’s not the best answer since we’re still together, so we don’t know how well it’d go if we really did split,” Crash said sheepishly before wrapping his arms around Lost Way. “But me loving him didn’t make him any less of my best friend. Love and friendship can be in the same relationship but you don’t need both.”

“Heh, who’d’ve thought you never even got kissed till a little over a year ago,” Lost Way teased. “Look at you giving all that advice.”

“Qu-Quiet down,” Crash said sheepishly as he glanced away from the group.

“Is it supposed to still feel so scary?” Gallus asked as he put a hand over his belly and clenched gently. “Even though I think I really want this I feel like passing out when I think about telling those two.”

“It always feels scary,” Lost Way said. “That just means you care about them. It’s a big commitment but you gotta remember that you aren’t alone once they say yes. It’s up to all three of you to make it work, not just you.”

“Yeah,” Gallus said with a slight nod. “I think I get it.”

“Do you?” Gilda said. “Or are you just trying to sound smart?”

“D-Don’t tease me!” Gallus said. “A-As soon as the three of us get together I’m gonna freaking ask them, dammit! I’m gonna ask Sandbar and Smolder to be my boyfriend and girlfriend!”

It was a declaration from the gryphon who instantly realized he had been shouting and quieted down upon noticing all eyes had fallen on him.

“I will,” Gallus said again with a firm tone of voice. “I don’t wanna run from this anymore… I-I’ll do it!”

“Well in that case,” Lost Way said as he got up off of Crash’s body and began to slip around the couch toward the kitchen. “Let’s all have a drink.”

“Seriously?” Gilda asked.

“What?” Lost Way said. “It’s our boy’s last night as a single birdie!”

“L-Last?” Gallus asked as Lost Way began to walk away. “Wait, I was thinking like a week! M-Maybe two! You want me to tell them TOMORROW?”

“He’s just teasing, Gallus,” Crash said with a chuckle. “But now that you said that he’s gonna ask you EVERY day after work, I hope you know.”

“Oh you bet your ass I will,” Lost Way said as he returned with four beers for all of them. “I normally hate this crap but it’s all we got! Everybody toast to Gallus’ new herd.”

“Can you toast with beers?” Gilda asked. “I thought it needed to be a fancy glass.”

“I’m not in a herd yet,” Gallus said softly.

“Oh just shut up and lift your bottles!” Lost Way said. “C’mon, this is the last night with Gallus here stop trying to kill the mood!”

After a short laugh, everybody lifted their bottles into the air and clinked them all together.

“Cheers!”