Gentle headed with the foals back into the kitchen and closed the window, before they would hear the arguing outside. He even casted a dumping spell, as he heard Shining's yelling, so they were able to eat in peace. Scootaloo as well as Slight stared at him quite shocked, but Lilly took her spoon and started to eat. As the other two ponies heard her smacking, they realised with a growling inside, how hungry they were and grabbed the spoon hastily.
The silence in the kitchen was only disturbed by Gentle's low magic sound, the sighing and smacking of silenced hunger. The stallion used the foals distraction and eating to calm himself down. He looked to the foals from time to time, but Slight was way too distracted by his task at hoof, namely to smear as much tomato sauce around his face as possible. He didn't stopped halfway down the road, but continued to gobble every little bit of noodles up and licked his lips his hunger contended finally. So he couldn't catch the glances from his daddy. Lilly didn't too, she was also distracted by her meal.
Scootaloo on the other hoof looked back to Gentle, every time he looked to her. She sensed it almost immediately, when he eyed her up and was strangely nervous about it too. He continued to look at her every now and than, so she stopped halfway through her meal, pushed the half emptied bowl away and tried to clean her face from the sauce with one hoof. After she did it, she looked down to her red spotted hoof, frowned and tried to look out for something.
She sighed finally and looked down her side, obviously she wanted to brush it simply away on her side. Gentle shook his head, returned to the table and levitated a towel onto the height of her face. Scootaloo sighed again and opened her mouth.
“Thanks...uhm D...Gentle...”
She just whispered the D and spoke out the Gentle very raspy. Scootaloo brushed quickly over her face and hid the blushing cheeks in them. She slouched her shoulders, muffled something through the towel. She sighed again and opened her mouth.
“I...uhm...I'm sorry!”
Gentle sighed gently and shook his head.
“You can call me just Gentle, if you want to.”
Scootaloo pressed her face deeper into the towel and nodded finally. The smiling stallion levitated more towels to Slight and Lilly, who had different states of spilled sauce on their faces and were whispering to each other.
Lily just had a few drips of sauce on her cheeks and lips and Slight looked quite the opposite of it. His mouth was thickly covered with sauce like usual, when he ate tomato sauce. Luckily he managed to just cover his face instead of the whole tablecloth.
“I don't know, do you think, Scootaloo wouldn't mind?”
He sounded very insecure and wiped over his mouth, but just smeared more over his face. Lilly twisted her pigtails again, sighed and smiled hesitantly. She tried t put the hooves down, but they stayed on the table. She whispered her answer even lower, than Slight.
“I think she would like it.”
Gentle didn't know, what that fuss was all about, but he smiled anyway.
Slight answered Lilly with a grin, raised his head and spotted Daddy Gentle's smile quickly. He looked away, smeared more sauce deeper into his fur and looked down to his dirty hooves finally. He saw the stain of sauce everywhere on his coat, squealed low, blushed heavily and buried his face deeply into the towel. Gentle's smile wandered to Lilly, who blushed too and started to brush away the spilled sauce with her own towel. She mumbled a thank you and began to twist her pigtails again.
Scootaloo put down the towel finally and laid it aside her bowl. Gentle lifted it with his magic and levitated it with the other two into the sink, before she was able to pick it up herself. He looked into Scootaloo's bowl and glanced over the rest of noodles and cocked his head.
“Was it too much for you, Scootaloo?”
He spoke low and in a non accusingly tone, but Scootaloo sighed anyway and looked away. The filly bit her lips and shook her head quickly. She rethought it and nodded in contrary.
“I...I'm sorry.”
A hoof pushed the door open and the loud bang let the three foals turning their heads in shock. They looked to the door and Scootaloo jumped up quickly. She flinched a few steps closer to Gentle, but stopped and eased a little bit up, as she saw who entered. Shining walked slowly in, took a deep breath and forced a smile back on his face.
“Hello there.”
He nodded to Lilly, nuzzled Slight with his tickling nose and the colt answered with a giggle. Finally he looked to Scootaloo, she answered with an unsecure look and drew lines on the ground hesitantly. First the stallion just waved at her, but she jumped closer and stood shivering directly in front of him. She ducked down and shut her eyes, tried to raise her hooves and hug him, but Shining stopped her.
“It's okay. You don't have to hug me, when you feel uncomfortable about it.
Don't force yourself so quickly, when you're afraid of me.”
The voice sounded surprisingly gentle for Scootaloo and her slapping ears stopped. She sighed relieved, as the stallion took a few steps back and gave her space. The filly raised her head a little bit and looked into his face, with a insecure grin on her face. Shining smiled half-way honest, but he was distracted somehow. The filly licked her lips, sighed and snivelled once, but Gentle laid a hoof around her shoulder and hugged her gently. She leaned against his chest and calmed down with a long breathing out.
“Alright, you should go to Slight's room and...”
Scootaloo cocked her head, looked from the stallion's chest to his face and drew circles on the ground. She glanced to Lily and back to Gentle. The stallion looked into her eyes, saw her hesitant expression, noticed quickly what she wanted and smiled gently.
“We will talk with her, when we take Lily back home, okay?”
Scootaloo sighed once more and nodded finally. Gentle hugged her once and let her go. The filly looked to Slight, who slid down his seat slowly and carefully. He smiled to Lily and pulled Scootaloo with him out of the room. The filly didn't fight him, but rather leaned gentle against him. Slight nuzzled her cheek gently and whispered into her ear.
“Do you like the Little Lord Sorrel?”
Gentle could hear this question, before Slight and Scootaloo left the room. He smiled as he saw the expression of Scootaloo's face, a little bit worried, but genuine and relaxed. His look felt on Lilly, who had stood up, but just stopped and twisted her pigtails and avoided his look. The filly found finally the courage to speak and smiled hesitantly.
“I'd talked with Mummy.
She wouldn't mind, when I'll eat lunch here. She wants...”
Lily stopped and sighed. She glanced over both stallions, blushed and twisted her pigtails again.
She looked to Shining, who cleared his throat, approached her and kneeled down in front of her. He cocked his head and smiled. Lily grinned back and nodded slowly.
“Well she wants to get to know you and invites you...”
She stopped again, twisted her pigtails for a while. Shining smiled and waited patiently for her to continue, but she didn't. Instead she bit her lips and wiped over her mane with both hooves. She turned her head completely away, drew circles on the ground and searched for words.
Both stallions exchanged a glimpse and Gentle sighed. Something was bothering her and he just wanted to help, but he saw, that she didn't know how to start.
He stayed silent a little bit longer, to prevent Lily just became more nervously.
She opened his mouth finally, but Slight came back into the kitchen, bounced closer to Lilly and nudged her with his nose.
“Come on, Lily. We're waiting for you.
We can ask Scootaloo and...”
Lily responded with a sigh and cuddled closer to him. Slight froze on place first and blushed, as she snuggled her face against his. He nuzzled her back and smiled finally. Lily closed her eyes and breathed out heavily. Both stand in the room silently and nuzzled slowly and inexperienced. Gentle smiled, even cooed and winked to Shining. The other stallion smiled too, stood up and cuddled against Gentle's side. Slight opened his eyes finally, saw the smiles from his daddies and blushed heavily. He shied away from them and bounced away from Lily too. The filly cocked her head, followed him and nuzzled his cheek shortly. He blushed even more, stopped and started to strike the ground with his hooves. His eyes stayed locked on the ground and even bit his lips. Shining sighed again and shook his head. He cocked his head, approached the colt, laid a hoof around his shoulder and pushed him back on Lily's side. He nudged him encouraging and whispered.
“Come on, Slight.”
The colt squeaked loudly, looked to Lilly and nodded. He ran out of the room, deeply blushing and Lilly followed him slightly lesser blushing.
Gentle looked after the foals and smiled. He focused back to Shining and snuggled closer to the bigger stallion. He nuzzled his face and whispered.
“They're really cute, aren't they?”
Shining sighed and nuzzled Gentle's cheek. He closed the door with a little glimmer of his horn and casted another dumbling spell. The smile on Shining's face faded away and made way far a more serious or even worried expression. The stallion took a deep breath and started in a very low and gentle tone.
“They are. Very much.”
He didn't remain in this tone, but frowned and his voice hardened, He snapped his tail once and snorted.
“I've talked with Miss Rich.
Well, that's one way to put it.
This mare is...”
He couldn't continue and clenched his teeth. Gentle hugged him quickly with one hoof, nuzzled his face and tried to calm him down that way.
But Shining was way too upset to settle down and yelled even louder.
“Like those stuck ups in Canterlot.
By Celestia, they're a pain in the flank. These snobs and their dumb opinions.”
The anger in his voice was like a dam breaker for Gentle and brought him easily back to his own feelings as he had to face the mare. Her words echoed in his head again and he tried to shake them off, but couldn't. He simply couldn't. So he shut his eyes and sobbed.
“I wanted...”
His face faded away and he just shivered. Shining turned his head, hugged him and pulled the sobbing stallion closer onto his chest. He petted over his mane and tried to calm himself down. But he couldn't and frowned in anger, as he heard the low blabbering from his coltfriend.
“I didn't want, that Slight had to hear all of this.
I didn't want, that she was here in the first place.
I didn't like her saying those...”
The stallion paused in the middle of the sentence and just sobbed. Shining snorted and pressed the shivering stallion closer in his embrace. He laid his head on his friend's one and nuzzled him.
“Everything is going to be fine, Gentle.”
Scootaloo entered Slight's room and looked around. The huge bed, the closets and everything in between was getting familiar very quickly and she smiled gently. She walked deeper into the room and sniffed air through her nostrils. Her smile softened even more, as a little bit of Gentle's taste floated her nose. It was mixed up with wood and lilac, but it was there and she liked it. That was strange. Scootaloo blushed a little and frowned. It was so stupid. She spotted something, it stood aside the huge bed and caught her look. She could just stand in the middle of the room. She gaped wildly and her eyes widened. They had bought a bed for her, already?
This was so...Scootaloo took another deep breath and grinned.
She cocked her head and looked over the bed. A few hooves pawed into the room behind her and Slight followed her in the room finally. He looked to the bed too and cocked his head to the other side.
“So you'll sleep here, too?”
Scootaloo nodded absent minded and stared simply to the bed. She licked her lips and wanted to ask a question, but the colt had left the room already.
He called out, before he left.
“Lilly is still missing.
I'll go and get her...”
This distraction gave Scootaloo the much needed time to clear her mind. First of all this was really sweet and nice of them. Scootaloo approached the bed slowly and stroke the blanket, her new blanket, very carefully. She leaned down and pressed her face into the pillow. She sniffed and smelled again Gentle's taste. This time it's blended into a nice odour of fresh hay. She smiled and raised her head away from the pillow, after a few moments. She looked to the bigger bed on the other side of the room and the smile faded away quickly. She realised just now, what she had to do to stay here. She had to sleep in the same room with a another foal, a colt actually, hadn't she?
Scootaloo frowned in disgust and sighed. She considered her options and passed back and forth meanwhile. Well Slight was a very nice colt and she had already slept in his bed. Scootaloo blushed and looked away from the bed quickly. She glanced over the living closets, the books on the tops and to a few toys on the floor. Well it was a bit messier, than she was used to, but at the same time much better. It was cosier and nicer. Her smile widened and she snivelled to get Gentle's taste again. Finally she looked back to the bed and sighed. It could work, even if it made the whole room smaller. Her smile faded away, as she realised, that she had to bring in her other stuff and needed a living closet on her own. This would change everything and would make the room unbearable tinier and...
Slight and Lilly returned right now and Scootaloo shook her thoughts away. She looked to them, but they looked strangely different than before. Both were blushing, the colt way more, than the filly and he avoided her smiling glance completely. He looked into one corner of the room, missed the whole change of scenery and drew circles on the ground. Scootaloo cocked her head and approached both friends slowly. As he noticed her look, the colt blushed even more and ducked down.
Lilly looked don to Scootaloo's hooves and avoided her look in that way.
Scootaloo glanced to both of them for a long time and opened her mouth finally.
“Say, are you two in...”
Both foals squeaked in unison and turned away even deeper blushing. Scootaloo sighed and rolled her eyes. She knew, what the fuzz was all about. This was so...
“So you like each other very much, right?”
She sounded almost bugged and both foals squeaked even louder. Lily covered her face with her pigtails and pranced on the spot. Slight on the other hoof stumbled closer to one closet and turned his shivering flank to Scootaloo. He brushed his mane over his eyes, so that the filly couldn't look directly into them. He couldn't answer, he simply couldn't.
“Alright, I understand.
Slight you wanted to ask me something?”
The colt could simply yelped again and Scootaloo rolled her eyes. Lilly was really shy, but Slight was even shier. It was cute of course, Scootaloo had to agree with that, but it was really annoying right now too. She rolled her eyes once more and pointed with a hoof at him, but Slight was way faster.
“I...I do like you, Lily. A lot!”
Scootaloo cocked her head surprised, as the colt whispered. He was deeply blushing, drew lines on the ground and avoided any glance, but he spoke freely, louder and didn't squeak at all.
“You're a really nice filly and...and...I like you and...and...”
He didn't know, how to continue and felt silent. Scootaloo wiped over her mane and sighed very long. The colt got so close, but now he didn't know what to say? To be honest, Scootaloo didn't know it either, but something else should be said and eventually Lily would know what. Scootaloo looked to her, but realised, that she wasn't helpful right about now. She just blushed and twisted her pigtails. Scootaloo rolled her eyes and opened her mouth again.
“I do like you too Slight.”
Now everything felt off from Scootaloo's face. Lily sounded calm and clearly like Slight, approached him and nuzzled gently over his cheek. Slight squeaked, covered his mouth with both hooves and blushed even more. Scootaloo shook her head and turned her flank to the foals.
“You two are really a pain in the flank, you know?
What's so difficult for you?
Just tell what you're feeling already.”
She passed through the room and tried to understand, what was so difficult.
But she had to admit, she was never in such a situation and didn't know how to handle it properly. She turned her her head around and frowned in disgust, as she imagined to tell a friend, that she liked him. Not just like, but actually love him. This would be strange. Her expression became more disgusting, as she imagined, that the other colt would like to nuzzle her, or to hold her hooves. She grimaced, stuck her tongue out and shivered. Slight laid a shivering hoof on her side and mumbled and answer.
“N...nothing...but...but I...”
Scootaloo turned to them again, cocked her head and smiled gently. She drew lines on the ground, smiled apologetic and tried to sound honest.
“I like it.
I think you are cute and.
Really I...”
She paused and turned her blushing face away. She heard a bugged undertone in her voice and didn't like it. She didn't want to upset Slight, or Lily. She cleared her throat, shook her head and sped up.
“Ugh okay, do you want to play, or do you want to do anything else?”
Slight startled and looked from Scootaloo to Lily and back. He didn't know, how to feel confused or happy and changed her expression quickly. Also he didn't know what he wanted to do first, playing or the other thing.
“Uhm...I thought.”
Lily came to his aid and nuzzled his blushing face. She smiled and whispered barely audible.
“Alright, let's play first.
But after that, you'll read one chapter, okay?”
Slight screamed with joy and the foals turned to the closets.