Wonderful Lies, Fruitful Truths

Zephyr sighed lovingly, running a comb through his hair. He stared at his reflection, unable to stop himself from smiling. His heart happily swelled in his chest.

Today, Zephyr had a date. Just thinking about it made him giddy. It was his first proper date in months. Big Mac had been a big inspiration for him, a real turning point.
The pair had been texting nonstop for the past week and a half. Every text Zephyr got filled him with an unexplainable feeling. It felt like a mix of things, actually. It felt like love with a hint of fear swirling about. Zephyr liked it, though. It made him feel like he was alive.

He had been eating, going out more, and getting better sleep. He had even had the energy to redye the pink streak in his hair. He even noticed that Fluttershy’s mood had improved. Probably because he was so awesome.

The man spun, admiring his yellow dress. It was littered with little blue flowers. It fit his figure wonderfully. He happily clicked his black heels on the wooden floor. Zephyr looked stunning.

“Woah…” Fluttershy marveled, catching Zephyr’s attention. Fluttershy stared at Zephyr in awe, admiring the flowers on his dress. The look of admiration quickly turned into a look of confusion.

“Is that my dress?” Flutershy asked. Zephyr defensively crossed his arms against his chest.

“It looks way better on me. The yellow clashes with your skin.” Zephyr quickly retorted. Fluttershy rolled her eyes, clearly not wanting to start a petty argument.

The doorbell rang, nearly snatching Zephyr’s heart from his chest. He was here! Zephyr grabbed his sunhat from the counter, placing it on his head.

Zephyr opened his wings, gliding down the stairs. He didn’t want to break a heel sprinting. He swung the front door open, seeing his knight in shining armor. In his hand, he held a rather large picnic basket. There was probably enough food in there to feed a family of six!

Big Mac stood with an awkward smile on his face. He wore a simple white tank top with a yellow neckerchief tied across his neck. He looked absolutely stunning.

Zephyr leaned onto the doorframe, giving a sly wink. “Well, don’t you look handsome?” He complimented. Big Mac’s cheeks turned red, and he bashfully looked away.

He skipped up to Big Mac, grasping onto his bicep. It felt smooth under his hand. If he rubbed enough, he could feel a bit of vein.

“Should we get going?” Zephyr asked.

“Eeyup.”

The men walked down the path mere inches from each other. The gravel crunched under their shoes. Zephyr gazed at Big Mac, his heart speeding in his chest. Big Mac was so handsome.

Despite texting nonstop, Zephyr longed to know more about Big Mac. Maybe a fun little conversation while they walked would fill his desire.

“Have you ever dated anyone weird? Anyone interesting?” Zephyr asked, playfully wiggling his fingers. Big Mac chuckled, shaking his head.

“Nope.” He sighed. “Have you?” Big Mac asked. Zephyr’s grip tightened on Big Mac’s bicep, and his breath hitched. Why did he think that question was a good idea?

“Well…I did date someone fairly recently. He was…” Zephyr trailed off, his sentence turning into a grumble. Big Mac rubbed his thumb against Zephyr’s knuckles.

“You don’t have to talk about it.” Big Mac reassured. Zephyr pursed his lips and furrowed his brows.

“No, it’s fine. I think I need to.” He brushed it off. He exhaled shakily. “Let me tell you how me and Soarin broke up.”

Zephyr walked down the streets of Cloudsdale, skipping with a mild pep in his step. It was an absolutely gorgeous day. The sun was beaming on his skin, warming him to his core. The clouds under his feet were turned grey. An obvious sign that it was going to rain for the people below.

In his hand, he held a bag of food. He could still feel the heat radiating from it. What an awesome boyfriend Zephyr was! Bringing his delightful boyfriend his favorite food was simply outstanding behavior.

The man looked up, staring at his partner's workplace. It towered over him, nearly intimidating him. Zephyr brushed his hair from his eyes, entering the building. The cool AC hit him, causing him to shudder.

Zephyr looked around the pristine building, staring in awe. This building never ceased to amaze him. It was gorgeous. Everything was so clean as if it was hit with a giant bar of soap.

Now, where was Soarin? This place was so damn big that navigating would be like a maze. Despite dating for a few years, Zephyr had never been to Soarin’s place of work. But today was as good as any to show up.

Zephyr began to wander the halls, peaking into empty rooms. Where was Soarin? This place was so big that Zephyr could meander here for days.

His ears perked up as he heard chattering from a set of doors. Hm, the cafeteria.

Zephyr pushed the door open, his face getting blasted with scents of various foods. It made his mouth water. Luckily, he brought his own food.

Soarin sat at a table, loudly chatting to his co-workers. He was making wild gestures as if he was telling a story. Zephyr’s eyes lit up, and he threw his arms across Soarin’s shoulders.

“Soarin!” Zephyr shouted, kissing him on the cheek.

“Zephyr!” He practically shrieked. Soarin looked between his co-workers and Zephyr, a panicked look in his eyes.

“Who’s your friend?” A lady with a fiery hairstyle asked.

“Oh, I’m his boy-” Zephyr started, only for Soarin to clasp his hand over his mouth.

“No one, he’s no one! Just some fan that follows me around.” Soarin shouted over Zephyr. He leaned over the lady. “Real nutjob, if you ask me.” He mumbled.

Zephyr’s breath hitched. He always forgot how uncaring Soarin could be in public. He glanced down at the food, pushing Soarin’s hand from his mouth.

“I brought us lunch.” Zephyr held out the bag of lunch. Soarin snatched it from his hands before shoving Zephyr back.

“I don’t want you to be here. Go home.” Soarin scolded through gritted teeth. Zephyr furrowed his brows. He hated how Soarin acted around other people. He was so full of himself.

Zephyr wanted to argue back but didn’t want to cause a scene. He looked at Soarin’s co-workers. They stared at Zephyr as if he wasn’t meant to be there. They believed Soarin's every lie. Zephyr slowly inhaled, bringing his hands up to his face.

“Ok, bye.” Zephyr turned on his heels. Anger filled his chest. He was done.

Zephyr yanked his clothes from his closet, haphazardly shoving them into his suitcase. His head ached from the anger welling up in his chest. He sniffled angrily.

He couldn’t do this anymore! Soarin treated him like an object! Zephyr grumbled, slamming his suitcase shut. He wiped the tears from his cheeks.

The door behind him creaked open, catching his attention.

“Zephyr, I told you not to come to my job. People are going to think things.” Soarin scolded.

“Well, that doesn’t matter anymore because I’m leaving,” Zephyr stated, picking up his suitcase. Soarin rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.

“You can’t leave. You have nowhere to go. Besides, you love me. I’m a charming guy.” He boasted.

Zephyr’s face scrunched up in disgust. He jammed his finger into Soarin’s chest.

“You are nothing but an empty shell of a cowardly man. I don’t ever want to see you again. I hate how you treat me, and I’m over it!” Zephyr shrieked.

Soarin paused, and his brows furrowed as if he was contemplating something. Zephyr’s gaze remained firm, never faltering. Soarin's gaze softened, and he reached out for a hug.

“N-now, hold on, honey. We can talk this out.” He attempted to compromise.

“Goodbye, Soarin.” He grumbled, attempting to shove past his ex. Soarin grabbed Zephyr’s wrists, stopping him in his tracks. His grip was tight. Tight enough to bruise Zephyr’s frail wrists. Soarin dropped to his knees, mumbling apologies.

“Please don’t leave,” Soarin muttered, tightening his grip. Zephyr yelped in a mix of surprise and pain.

“Soarin, let go!” Zephyr demanded, trying to pull from Soarin’s grasp. But to no avail; Soarin was far stronger than him.

Zephyr’s mind raced, and his breath quickened. Soarin buried his face into Zephyr’s sweater, continuing his apologetic mumbles. Zephyr could feel tears seeping through his clothes.

He flapped his wings, propelling himself back. Zephyr yanked his hands from Soarin’s grasp. He grabbed his suitcase, making a mad dash towards the door.

Zephyr slammed the door open, slinging himself off of a cloud. He heard Soarin rush after him.

“You’re making a mistake!I-if you leave I…I won’t take you back!” Soarin threatened, his voice becoming distant.

Zephyr plunged himself under the clouds, cold rain assaulting his body. It was a terrible day.

“And that’s it.” Zephyr sighed, leaning on Big Mac's arm. Big Mac gave Zephyr a concerned look.

“You alright?” Big Mac hummed, furrowing his brows. Zephyr chuckled, removing his head from his date's bicep.

“Yeah, it was messed up. But I’m over it now.” He shrugged. Zephyr stepped away from Big Mac, gazing at the park.

The park was beautiful at this hour. Many couples surrounded them, enjoying their own picnics. From what Zephyr remembered, today was some type of picnic event. It seemed nice.

He turned around, seeing that Big Mac had set up the picnic. He had set up under a large oak tree, blocking them from the harsh afternoon sun. The blanket looked like it was hand-sewn. It was covered in little apples. All of the food laid out looked delicious.

Zephyr plopped next to Big Mac, once again leaning on his arm. He reached for a fritter, taking a small bite.

“Mm! This is really good!” Zephyr complimented. Big Mac blushed.

“I made it myself. Granny’s recipe.”

Zephyr sighed lovingly, staring at the park. It was such a peaceful day. He had a nice date and a delicious meal. Today couldn’t get any better.

His eyes landed on someone several feet away. The person was looking around curiously. Usually, this wouldn’t bother him, but this person looked…familiar. Zephyr squinted, staring at the stranger. Was that…

“Soarin?” Zephyr asked in disbelief, shooting up from his seat. Soarin spun around, his face lighting up.

“Zephyr, there you are!” Soarin greeted, rushing over to Zephyr. He wrapped his arms around him, pulling him into a tight hug. Zephyr pushed Soarin off, bringing his hands to his chest.

“What are you doing here?” He asked, shuffling away from his ex. Soarin grinned, fiddling with his hands.

“I’ve come to bring you home! But we should hurry up. I don’t want any fans seeing me.” Soarin cheered a little too happily. Zephyr couldn’t believe this. After all he’s been through, Soarin is still trying. A migraine began to form at his temple.

“Soarin, we’re done. I’m on a date.” Zephyr tried to brush it off. Soarin’s face dropped, and his shoulders drooped. He quickly stood up straight, crossing his arms. Soarin scowled, eyeing Big Mac with disgust.

“I heard. Honestly, I think it’s a downgrade.” He insulted. Big Mac stood up, glowering at Soarin.

“You best be getting along now.” Big Mac growled, glaring at Soarin. Soarin scowled at him, puffing his wings defensively.

“This doesn’t concern you, country bumpkin.” Soarin threatened.
Zephyr’s chest felt tight, and his head spun. His hands began to tremble. This couldn’t be happening. This shouldn’t be happening. No one should be fighting. Soarin wasn’t meant to be here, and he and Big Mac were meant to be on a date. That’s what today was supposed to be.

He wrapped his arms around Big Mac’s torso, burying his face into his back. If he let go, he was sure to collapse into a sobbing mess.

“Please make him go,” Zephyr whimpered. Big Mac huffed, jabbing his finger into Soarin’s chest. It was hard enough to knock the wind from his lungs.

Soarin peeked behind Big Mac, looking at Zephyr. If Zephyr didn’t know any better, he could’ve sworn that Soarin’s expression softened. Soarin glared at Big Mac one more time before opening his wings.

“You won’t find anyone better than me, Zephyr!” Soarin shouted, flying off. Big Mac sat Zephyr down, delicately holding him. Zephyr still felt dizzy, and his breath was far too shallow for his liking.

“You alright?” Big Mac asked, running his hand through Zephyr’s hair. Zephyr shook his head, burying his head into Big Mac’s chest. He wanted this feeling to end.