At first from a cloud's view, nothing seemed out of the ordinary for this town. The general area looked simple yet chaotic when divided up into muddy farms and shining crystal buildings. Within each section contains different needs and wants, thus have very different relations with each other. In the end however it doesn't matter as all are seemingly united. That's what the average onlooker from above may conclude on the outside but looking closer at the buildings and more contain parts that help create, breathe and maintain reputations. Ponies are the building blocks of the town but in a way, each individual is a town of their own. They themselves are divided up into certain sections, groups or occupations. Thus, all having different needs and wants. Like the inanimate places, they have complicated relationships with each other, which in theory shouldn't matter either as they are all still ponies one way or another, the citizens of Ponyville currently united under a straight face and a calm aura, if it wasn't a façade.
Inside each of them, thoughts crater in their head full of anger, resentment and concern towards others while they praise and take pride in themselves. Their emotions rise the tension in the environment yet with no one to address it. All are slaves to this very mindset but the problem isn't the premise, it's the versions to which they are content with. Several moons ago would begin the end for Mayor Mare's reign, and for the first time in many, a successor would take their place. This was no surprise to its citizens as the concept of inevitably is driven by time, what was were the candidates that could succeed the position. Now two frontrunners stand alone with only having each other left between them and the rest of history.
The first was a humble yet assertive type of pony that came from the slightly-small town of Appaloosa. A self described southern hero by supporters, he helped build up the town from the start, retaining his role as sheriff before launching an era of prosperity after becoming its executive. From his hard working manner to the never-ending charisma, he has gained a reputation among many as one of the most trustworthy ponies in the kingdom. As a traditionalist, he has always stuck to what has worked with the mindset that shutting up and moving forward will get everything done in the end. A sweet spot remains visible however as believing in family values, will engage in southern hospitality yet a hoof will be laid down whenever something falls out of line. To many he comes off as the superior candidate but for the other half of the population, they look for their answers in a pegasi idol.
From the mobile world of Cloudsdale, Soarin has always been a regular to the spotlight since his days of being a Wonderbolt. With his influence in show business, he holds the experience of showing what true courage and bravery looks like, one that appeals to inspire generations of all kinds. Throughout his time he has put all the benefits of being a Wonderbolt back into the community, spent time with a variety of creatures and overall did anything he could to please the audience. While maintaining some of his stubborn values of requiring strength and needing to prove yourself to get anywhere, the belief that everyone deserves a fair and equal chance to achieve their dreams is the centerpiece of their campaign. These are what his supporters latch onto when explaining why Soarin is the better candidate for the job which obviously has sparked clashes with these two groups.
As for the two ponies, they appear to not only see each other as a vicious enemy, but also personally in disgust. While few and far between, they have often debated each other when necessary where most of the times it gets heated, some leading to incidents between groups of supporters. Any underhanded tactic to demonize the other they'll gladly use which explains why neither candidate comes in unprepared to back down from battle. Besides these instances, most of their campaigning time is spent lifting themselves up and the thought of conceding the election has yet to cross either of their minds. For the citizens of Ponyville, this political environment has now simply become the norm in the land of Equestria, but at the very least it is believed that both candidates are truly honest, no open secrets nor strings attached.
Soarin rises awake to the sound of running water which stops just moments later. As he struggles to get off the uncomfy couch, he turns his head around over to the source of the noise where Braeburn is standing. He turns around to the source of Soarin's groaning, remaining expressionless.
"Slept alright buddy?"
"I guess so," letting out a yawn in the process.
"Well Ahm glad you're alright but we have a problem."
Before Soarin could respond, Braeburn walks over to the couch, his face now showing more concern. Reaching out a hoof, Soarin latches onto it pulling himself off the couch.
"Get ready please, we gotta be at our secret spot now."
Soarin rushes over to the bathroom sink, attempting to make himself look as presentable as possible.
"What's exactly the problem this time?"
"Well my agent texted me that a whistleblower has something dirty on us. By that they mean us." Soarin spits out some toothpaste.
"What do you mean by 'us?'"
"Us as in you and Ah. As in they know we're living together and all that."
Soarin's eyes widened. "How do they know about us-"
"Who cares if they actually do? You know if this comes out, we 'come out' along with it?"
"Heh, serves you right for calling me a coltcuddler in front of everybody last time"
"Soarin, this is serious. What will everybody think when these completely true rumors spread?"
"Hilarious but I can't disagree with you, this isn't good in the slightest."
"The last thing we need right now is for the general public to access critical thinking skills."
"No kidding, but where do they want us meeting this time?"
"They said to meet behind those two jagged buildings at the end of the market place then find their secret entrance behind a weird wall."
"Fine by me."
After some prepping to disguise themselves, they began to head over to their secret base just a ways from their home. By the time they reached the outskirts of Ponyville they could tell the atmosphere got dense the more ponies that appeared. It consisted of mostly political talk interrupted by other brief topics that the two have tuned out by now. Usually, these two would love to be receiving attention when out actively campaigning, much different to how they're feeling now attempting to sneak around. Marching forward without a single word spoken, they finally arrive at their spot. They're suddenly greeted by a lean tall stallion, covered fully in white fur with a pastel blue mane, somepony more recognizable from Soarin's party.
"Soarin I see, and I assume this is your 'friend.'"
"Sure thing," it immediately became obvious to Soarin that this member was new off the basis of not knowing or being suspicious of their relationship. He just hoped it was him simply misinterpreting that though.
"Follow me," he replied before turning away with the duo following.
The meeting room was brightly lit and carried the same vibe whenever either of the two had to give a press conference with large amounts of empty space and the lack of decor. Their agent who is obscuring in a corner waves them over to which both briskly walk over to.
"So cut to the chase please, you said yourself this was pretty serious."
A hum is produced before they continue. "Apparently there's a pony that has been attending many of the press speeches and debates by the both of you. One of our security eventually eyed the pony at one of Braeburn's press conferences and we decided to follow them afterwards without anyone noticing. We were eventually led to a secluded area where they were talking with another pony, handing over colored notes and how this will 'flip Equestrian politics upside down.' Both of them had their identities hidden via hoods and masks but we were able to identify the former."
"So what exactly is this expose that is coming out soon about," Braeburn questioned.
"We don't really know. However, this pony in possession of the colored notes has a history of blogging and secretly writing to the press about certain issues. There's partly a reason your biggest third part rival magically disappeared. Anyways from an earlier press conference on Soarin's side, your agents found these same colored notes with confidential information, assumingly thrown away accidentally. According to our database, we confirmed the handwriting and DNA to match."
"So what's left for us to do?"
"From what we have in our database and words from followers of this somepony along with our that we know exactly where they reside, but this report should be going out really soon. I'll send you the approximate location, I'll leave you two to the rest."
Soarin and Braeburn turn their backs around to give themselves time to discuss. 'Leave you two to the rest' is absolute code word for something dire and while neither felt comfortable with this step, for both their sakes it is one worthy to take.
"We have to kill them," Soarin whispered.
"What?" Braeburn replied, noticing the volume of the surrounding ponies now noticeably silent.
"I know it's crazy and I usually would love to go down a more peaceful route but we don't have any other option."
"Listen Ahm not a fan of this either but there are probably many more ways we can sabotage this without drawing blood: sudden repossession, banishment, living with Prince Blueblood for a day-"
"Braeburn," Soarin grabbed him with his front hooves. "Outside our home, I absolutely despise you and all your rabid supporters but thousands of ponies know who we are and many more within Equestria acknowledge us. If this goes out in any way, who knows what could happen to us."
"Ah fully understand believe me but imagine the backlash if it's found out we're in this sting operation. You know there's a motive behind these reports, Ah blame it on you for promising to raise their taxes."
Hey," Soarin said sternly. "Anyway, how exactly are we going to take care of this little problem?"
"Ah got some weaponry back at home and we'll simply use it when we travel over there, sneakily of course and you know the rest."
Soarin pondered, "Well it's not the stupidest idea you've had so deal."
After trenching the long way back home, Braeburn unlocked his secured vault to a pair of optimal sniper rifles. Did you know ponies can actually operate guns, and that he himself is an actual marksman at it?
"This big apple should do the trick. Quick, painless and totally cool to wield."
"Really heavy too," Soarin grunted, attempting to lift its full weight.
"Ahll carry it, but get a bag to conceal this real quick so Ah don't scare wussies like you."
"You know I don't care if you have that but fine, enough with the teasing."
After locating the bag, the two went on their way early in the morning. It was unknown how long the journey would be as the distance to their suspect seemed a long way off. While nearing Ponyville, the best route for Soarin and Braeburn would have to be around the outskirts near different areas of Equestria in order to not be spotted. Even with this important mission, they didn't even bother to fully put on a costume, Braeburn keeping the signature hat but without the vest and Soarin only taking the time to cover up his cutie mark. They silently agreed they look out of place either way but the lack of effort is reasonable considering they are politicians. Throughout the start of the journey the two subjected together to big talk as they marched forward.
"You know it's kinda like instilling fear into people by threatening to repossess their loved one's business isn't exactly good publicity."
"Don't try to act like you haven't done the same yourself, Soarin. Why else would you try to blame me for slip-ups you made regarding a majority of ponies's rights. Hard to think anyone would vote for you when you keep backtracking."
"Because I actually do my best to give back to my community, don't act like you have no clue where I came from. Even as a Wonderbolt, I put so much effort into trying to actually help people, can't say the same for you. It's not my fault you make yourself such an easy scapegoat."
"You look after only groups of ponies that can only benefit you, charitable when lights and cameras are shined directly at you. Ah actively work behind the scenes everywhere to improve the quality of life here and if somepony doesn't want to agree with me, they'll know it's all for the better eventually."
Soarin chuckled quietly. While fierce political rivals, they love teasing each other about their very real mistakes they've made while campaigning. Are their beliefs certain and they wholeheartedly disagree with the other? Absolutely but with the same goal of any successful pony politician is benefitting the people second after yourself, they acknowledge to have some form of common ground there, even if neither would say that out loud. They commit very hard to not let their personal politics get in the way of their relationship but most of the time they're able to keep each other in balance.
"It's not some, it's most you fool. Most of these improvements were only for your town, kinda hard for residents there to vote anyone else but you and then you preach that everyone else is insignificant. And Ah definitely work behind the scenes but you're just too stubborn to see it."
"Just admit we're all looking out for ourselves, it would be delusional to work just for the good of everyone and leave yourself out. You can't win elections by being selfless and you certainly can't hold promises you can't make afterwards, not like you ever would."
"Oh shut it, you just admitted you don't care about your supporters, you fully want power to screw everything up."
"Ah didn't say that, Ahm just stating the truth that applies to the both of us. We want to win of course but only one of us can so you need to think critically about conce-"
Of course, there are some times when their bantering can get out of hand. When having to endure your opponent defacing any move you make twenty-four seven takes a toll mentally, especially when that somepony is one you care about deeply. A sense of paranoia can develop inside and prevents the mouth from speaking the words waiting to be released. It's unknown how many arguments have exactly broke out over the smallest of things but the frequency in which these are occurring has increased over the past months. It was hard to admit it, even if they wanted to so the problem manifested into a detriment. Of course these arguments can't last forever and eventually will exhaust all their energy before they cool off. It's very silly to be heated over something agreed on to not be discussed but it naturally can slip out. No matter the perpetrator, it can be laughed off later with no bad blood.
"Oh, I would love for you to think critically when you have to tell the press about all this spewing from your mouth. You know I absolutely can and will do this if it means you don't get the seat."
"There it is, full admission you're guilty of doing everything including these dirty tricks to pull ahead. You're both a horrible politician and a pony and you know it.
"Speak for yourself bigot, you've done nothing good while you were at Appaloosa and you will do nothing good for Ponyville. You just hate that you'll never be a universally beloved somepony like me."
"Why would anyone wanna support let alone be like you, you've attempted to ruin my life multiple times with all these false accusations and slanderous comments. Learn to actually speak with your mind for once."
"I have never done that you massive hypocrite, why do I even share the same house as you horrific maggot!"
"You disgusting imbecile!"
"I hate you!"
"Fine you colt-" Braeburn was about to finish his sentence when he realized that the breaking point has finally been reached. They both should've known that by the times the insults became personal, they had to give it up but neither were willing to. The duration of this must have also drawn some unwanted attention from who knows where so shutting up is all they can do. The two stared at each other eternally, obviously shaken up and disgruntled with how this situation escalated. Moments later, Braeburn turned his head away with Soarin following. No words were exchanged and their journey stopped progressing forward. Despite the falling tension, time was still needed in order for both to heal the wounds and re-discuss. Nature took the reins of being the most dominant sounds as the constant winds and insects started tuning out memories from minutes before. The sun now is set past its peak and with the day still moving forward, one had to build the courage to acknowledge the other. Looking over at Soarin, the expression on their face reeked of hurt and anger which shifted when he noticed Braeburn's attention. Neither wanted the position to speak first.
"I'm- I'm sorry Brae, you know that I didn't mean any of that really. That wasn't me back there." Braeburn sighed.
"Ah fully believe you, Ahm sorry too," The heaviness in his body slowly disappeared after stating this.
"Still need another minute Soar? Ah can wait."
"No it's alright, we gotta still keep moving anyway." It was easy to read the pegasus's body language but Braeburn couldn't make himself confront them right now.
"Was that the first time we really got that angry over this?"
"I think so," Soarin sniffed.
"Ah guess it really has been getting to us hasn't it?"
"You have no idea." As soon as that was said, Braeburn walked over to Soarin to pull him up by the hooves and embrace for a long hug. The physical contact felt bittersweet but the adrenaline still being felt had yet to uncloud them. It came to mind for one that the two haven't done something like this in a long while but the secret longing for it was finally satisfied. Neither were willingly ready to admit it.
"We can talk everything over Brae when we're done with this, we should probably go before somepony questions us," a frown was still visible on the tan pony's face.
"Not a bad idea, let's go buddy."
Their hooves slowly adjusted to the hard ground once again. The two now continued the journey side-by-side albeit now a bit further apart, only a jungle of scenery awaiting them.
Since the beginnings of the glaring sun set well below the horizon long ago, the two have taken the journey a lot more cautiously than previously. The occasional chatter remained healthy, only sinking into nonsensical teasing at worst. Still, the mission remained unfulfilled and before their vision would plunge into darkness come across a drop in the hills. They both stop at the top where a home sat on a valley resided at the bottom. Some rooms had their lights on including a second story bedroom where a mare sat next to some notes and a computer. Braeburn opened the map given to them and checked their destination, this was exactly the place.
"Well this is it, wanna get my baby out of my bag, Soarin? Remember we're aiming for her head, not mine."
"I wasn't planning on doing that, but thanks for giving me a good birthday present idea."
As Brae's eyes roll, Soarin retrieves the special rifle and nervously starts setting it up for the headshot. They both lie down on the ground spreading their hooves out in an effort to not get spotted. The mare in question has yet to notice the two silhouettes chilling at the top of the tall hill. Soarin points the gun in the direction of the mare and freezes.
"Brae..." the pegasus says slowly, "I don't know how to work this thing..."
"Are you actually serious?"
"Yea..."
Braeburn right there had to restrain himself from bashing his or Soarin's skull upon this discovery. Giving some time to breathe in slowly, he stands up and repositions himself to the opposite side of the rifle where Soarin is located.
"Ok listen very closely, Ah'll give you props for loading the magazine, most snails can't do that! Now all you have to do is look into this scope and line up your target."
As he continued explaining, Soarin noticed Braeburn had laid one of his hooves on his back, slowly pulling his body towards him. All he could do in his flustered state is to subtly blush hoping the other doesn't take notice.
"...and when you're ready to take the shot, put your hoof on the trigger and squeeze. Be aware of the recoil though and the noise, even that still catches me off guard."
"Oh thanks," Soarin responded looking into the scope.
Now all lined up and ready to go, Soarin squeezed as hard as they could on the trigger. A single deafening bang was heard immediately, echoing into the vast valleys and hills surrounding the two. When the two caught their breath and were able to readjust, it was obvious by now that the whistleblowing mare had met their fate. The gruesome site where a citizen, like the hardworking sheriff from small town Appaloosa, like the show stopping pegasus from Cloudsville all remained as a limped over body leaking pigmented fluids. Neither pony was able to move from the shock of what actions they have just committed, their eyes adjusting to the scene some length away from them is all they have to stare at.
Soarin was the first to move, grabbing the rifle and shuffling backwards while still laying down, starting their motion to flee the scene. Braeburn followed suit, signaling to put the weapon in question back in the bag before they took off. They didn't even question the destruction they're leaving behind, let alone if their attempt even fulfilled its purpose. Nonetheless, they quickly packed their belongings and galloped into the dead of night with only the moon providing their way home.
"Looks like we're gonna need some therapists."
"On top of couple's therapy no less."
The winding trip back home in near pitch black remained physically and mentally ruthless. The fear lay dormant in the back of their minds that they would be found out and be questioned for the incident. This would remain a fantasy however as both are relieved to reach the front door of their home. Soarin looks like at the sky to the moon directly above them, knowing the sleep deprivation that awaits them both the next morning. Unlocking the door Braeburn shoved his way inside to the dimly lit room, laying down his bag. Soarin followed, immediately diving towards the couch to hopefully pass out on. Minor shuffles were heard in the background but slowly became tuned out by the thoughts going on inside Soarin's head. As traumatizing as the whole day has been, the good moments sprinkled in throughout it got him thinking on how much Brae means to him. Whether the other knows it, the unintentional subtle signs shown by the both of them confirms that the genuine appreciation for each other still remains even in their current situation.
"You know you can really tick me off sometimes, but somewhat in a good way."
"Thanks?" was all Braeburn could muster in his state.
"I mean- remember what I said earlier? I am your sworn enemy the second we step out that door but when we're here, alone, heck even just walking around today I felt comfortable being around you. Deep down you really do mean a lot to me, I hope you know that."
Soarin didn't even bother to look up when mentioning any of this, almost as to simply get his thoughts just off his chest.
"Aww shucks," Soarin waited for a few moments to see if any more would be added to that statement only to be treated with silence. The door closing was the next sound to be heard and that was the signal for Soarin to finally hit the hay. As drowsiness overcame his consciousness, a faint whisper followed the sound of a door reopening.
Braeburn woke up to an early morning sunrise with the minimal ambient noises outside leaving him just stimulated enough to stay awake. He trogged over to the bedroom door separating his from the living room and turned the knob. Soarin was actually wide awake to his surprise, looking somewhat in a rush to get ready.
"What has you up so early?"
"I could say the same about you."
"Did you get a text from your agent?"
"Did you?"
This reminded Braeburn to probably check his phone to see where that notification is from. His agent definitely texted him and he definitely wants them to be here as soon as possible.
"Looks like we gotta get going huh?"
"I hope it isn't anything too serious, we did everything right."
"You're the one that took a nightmare moon to actually shoot so maybe you got spotted."
"Why me? You're the one that kept shifting all over the place, you're lucky she didn't look out the window."
"Whatever you say coltcuddler."
The two finish getting ready and start heading down to their secret location. Passing the crowds during rush hour in Ponyville involuntarily allowed the two to eavesdrop more. Today however there was plenty more whispering, gossiping like everyone had a secret they all knew but no one dared to say. Anxiety raised in the both of them justifying the thought in the back of their minds that the worst had come true, they have failed to do enough. Some reassurance is theoretically meant to exist however: they're both connected with the biggest attorneys, agents, and public relations teams in all of Equestria. They aren't just any team, they're ones that follow the bits which both can fulfill to their hearts content with, they should exactly know how to handle this situation.
The two quietly announce their arrival with a knock and before too long another tall agent pony opens the door, ushering both of them in quickly before turning the lock. Neither were given time to question what was going on as they were quickly redirected to their usual meeting room. Entering meant being greeted with almost everypony in the room staring at most, some giving blank yet concerning looks. One pony in the back, the agent that initially called the two to this incident signaled to the corner of the room. Soarin follows Braeburn's lead, taking in the small talk happening around them, barely picking up the words being said. Braeburn held his breath fearing for the worst when he and the agent made eye contact.
"So I have both good and bad news. Which one do you want to hear first?"
"I guess the good news first," Soarin spoke up.
"Well the good news is that you 'completed' the mission just like what was needed."
"And the bad," Braeburn responded.
"Remember that other pony we allegedly thought was working with them? They seemed to have finished where she left off."
"What?!"
"Even after everything we did, they had to have known their partner in crime was dead and it was still completed?"
"I'm afraid so."
"I guess you needed a second of one of your fancy shots huh Brae-" a playful punch was received in return.
"Shut it."
"Don't worry, we did everything we could to make sure any viewership of this is repressed, and that all signs pointing to this article are there to discredit it."
"Can we see what it exactly says?" Braeburn asked.
The white stallion stares blankly for a few moments.
"Sure," as he shuffles out of the way revealing a screen with the work on full display.
To say that the article in question was butchered would be an understatement. As the two stallions leaned in closer, they noticed two completely different styles of written text with one obviously more grammatically incorrect than the other. The quality of the writing overall resonated with an outdated rumor magazine trying to start the latest gossip trend. Soarin personally cringed at the totally legitimate quotes of things he actually said about his stallion mixed in with stuff like, "if you should keep your enemies closer, then you already know who is my biggest one, I have to comb his mane everyday."
Braeburn on the other hand was more or less the same, except he was getting a slight kick out of it. He allegedly said if he had a favorite mare to kiss it would be Soarin? If it wasn't for the poor grammatical choices and the completely unreadable format, all of Ponyville would be eating this stuff up. Quietly he was also reading the stuff the other pony had maybe said, assuming none if not some of it but actually true. While embarrassing to have some of your slip-ups posted as a flirtatious narrative for all of Equestria to see, the fact that Soarin might also take the kind words mentioned to heart only lit a flame of comfort inside of him.
"Well isn't this a beauty to read eh?"
"Ah do not comb your mane every day you smug dog."
"What's stopping you from doing it then, eh?"
"If you wanna kiss me so bad then just do it!"
"Hey you know Ah never said that... and that fact there's too many people around-"
"Well I assume you both had enough time to have a good look at it," the agent interrupted. All the two could do was slightly nod in agreement.
"Thank you for warning us about this, even though it still got out in some capacity at least no eyes will be peeled too deeply at it now."
"No, thank you for getting rid of that journalist scum. As for me I can at least attest this to the actions of a third party as a scapegoat, them and their dirty third party tactics."
Soarin chuckled, "not a problem."
"Now as for the both of you, big debates are coming up for mayor, gonna be really busy for now on. Don't let something like this happen again."
"We understand, no worries about us- I mean me."
"Good, you both are free to go whenever you like."
Neither pony was waiting another second as they attempt their second stealth mission of the day to get back to the house through crowded Ponyville.
Returning home, the reality of getting up early was starting to take a toll on them. From the look on their faces, a word didn't need to be said to agree on a lazy day. Soarin returned back to his favorite spot this time with Braeburn joining right next to him. The pegasus could feel his body temperature rise when he sat next to him. At first they tried to avoid making eye contact, letting the dense air occupy space where sound should reflect. Time slowed down, allowing the two of them to reflect on the previous couple of days.
Braeburn feeling this exhaustion quite heavily is the reason why he chose to sit right now but the mild discomfort only sparked a new train of thought. Soarin had rarely been coming into their shared bedroom to sleep as of recent but as for the past week or so he's been exclusively sleeping on the couch. The worst thing about all of this is the lack of communication from him, only sometimes reminding him where he'll exactly be while looking uncomfortable. A sense of regret rushed across the earth pony's face, he always wanted to address what was wrong but never had the courage to do it. Deep down he knows what the true problem was that caused this rift and its fully malleable, yet still remains to be stubborn to change it. No matter what the response would be to this dilemma, one thing stands certain:
He wants to know how Soarin feels.
Soarin lays about for what might as well be the tenth time now, it still providing some comfort yet it becomes less rewarding each time. He's so familiar with this singular spot that he almost has some attachment to it. He would be satisfied with this outcome if it wasn't for the tradeoff that was isolation. The very person he lives in this house with has slowly become a stranger to him. Despite the sparks and beats that vibrated him when he's around, it now feels like forever ago. The worst, he has yet built up the courage to speak out about it and their blank faces speak for themselves. It could be for a multitude of reasons but in the end only one cause of origin caused their separation yet he is immovable to modify it, despite the possibility to. No matter what actions he takes to confront this, one thought clears all:
He wants to know how Braeburn feels.
The two remained still as the clock kept ticking, not even bothering to waste energy making eye contact. It was inevitable a moment like this would arrive, it was all about who was willing to be the first. While portrayed as lifelong enemies, they have known each other for much longer and they are currently at their lowest point. As horrific as the whole controversy was, a silver lining remained that it was certainly the most they've interacted in a long while. While they are far from perfect, they know that throwing all the negative aspects from this adventure may have been the solution they weren't expecting. In a way, they are their own system, having different needs and wants, their most polar extremes balanced out by the other. Yet despite all their differences, they still remained united under a common ground that glues them together. They knew the commitment that was made when they signed up to be arch political rivals and it ultimately has made each other succumb to the worst and maybe the best of each other.
"Hey."
"Hey."
"We had fun today didn't we?"
"Wouldn't exactly say that but sure."
"Want to watch anything while we're here?"
"Guess so, got any ideas?"
"Nope."
"How about anything to eat then?"
"Why not."
One stood up to prepare the meal, the other remained on the couch attempting to keep themselves busy. However it wasn't without notice for the one cooking to catch the other staring from time to time, no questions were asked. As the meal was enjoyed, the two slowly began to open up, ensuing small talk until they eventually couldn't shut up. Now within the comforts from their own home they did everything available to them as long as they were able to interact with each other. Granted, the sleep deprivation may have played a part in their shenanigans but considering what would be coming up for them, it should be a day for them to enjoy together. Eventually the day became night and the two retreated back to the spot they sat at hours ago, this time much closer. Knowing neither had the energy to stay up for another few minutes, Soarin was already getting ready to settle in when Braeburn suddenly puts a hoof on his shoulder. He was initially caught off guard by this but started speaking in order to avoid awkwardness.
"You know, I had a lot of fun today just being with you."
"Me too buddy," Braeburn responded before shifting his eyes towards the direction of the bedroom. He remembered the first times on how they were always forced to share a single bedroom but the two of them over time got more comfortable with it. It would be hard to believe now there was a point where neither might not have figuratively survived without the other.
Maybe it's time to break it.
"Brae," Soarin responds putting his own hoof on the other, "Can I ask you something?
"Of course," it was time for Soarin's face to transform into the color of roses.
"Do you wanna head to our room so we can cuddle?"
Now it was Braeburn's turn to be surprised. Was this what he wanted to hear? Maybe. Was it something expected to be said? Absolutely not. Maybe much earlier when this was a frequent occurrence it was almost expected, nowadays not so much. It was very easy to accept an offer like this back then, in fact he would do it in a heartbeat every time. There's right and wrong times for moments like this but as of now being comfortable with either answer is completely absent. It wouldn't be easy to say the truth, to continue living like they were would be the easy way out. Maybe what happened in the past and was already laid out. The point where now either can figuratively thrive without the other has arrived and now is been welcomed into the both of them.
Maybe it's time to break it.
"Sure we can sugarcube."
That moment made Soarin's eyes glow twice as bright and made a smile twice as big.
They shared a long embracing hug letting the warmth of the two balance each other out like everything held with neither keeping track of how long they remained like this. It came to an end when one of them let out a yawn and slowly the two holding each other stumbled over to their room. They immediately crashed on the soft bed, Braeburn moving to his side of the bed to allow Soarin some room. They tucked under the soft covers and eventually snuggled in looking at the other. To pay back for the confession, the earth pony made sure to give a surprise smooch to the other without a word. Soarin could've sworn Braeburn's eyes reacted the same way when he did that. His lips were still as soft and gentle as ever. As the both of them were ready to finally shut their eyes and spend their first night in many together, one of them decided to speak up for the last time.
"Love you hun."
"Love you too."
