"I want to know everything you know about the stallion who started the fight," repeated Perry. "I have no inkling as to why he would have singled you out as he did."
Ember's eyes sank to the ground and he nodded. "He's one of the more popular unicorns of discussion in school. Not by me, mind you, I just hear about him a lot. I don't know him personally, so I can't account for what stories are true and which are false. He's said to be the star hitter of the baseball team, which I would believe. He's also said to be a descendant of royalty, which I'm less sure of."
Perry flipped the steaks. "That would explain his weapon of choice."
"So, he's dating a cheerleader. Cliché, I know. That's a fact I know for certain. She's not an unintelligent mare, but she sucks at chemistry. Really good at math, but not so with chemicals."
"Not surprising. We all have our strengths and weaknesses."
"So she was partnered up with me for our chemistry class. Big project. We're talking multiple weeks of putting this project together. Each of our grades is dependent on our partner putting in the work. Granted, I could ask the teacher to separate us and grade our work individually, but I thought it might be nice to raise her grades up a little bit. Improve her D to a C, at least. Now, chemistry may not be my best subject, but a low A is still an A. So I asked her if she would like to study together, and also discuss how our project was going to go forward."
"Sounds like a fine idea."
"I thought so. That's why I asked her to meet me in the park. This would be taking place tomorrow, if she had accepted my offer."
"She didn't?"
"She did not. She told me she was already seeing somepony. I tried to explain that this wasn't a date, but she'd already made up her mind. She didn't speak to me again after that exchange."
The steaks had finished cooking by then, and Perry had transferred them to wooden plates. They preferred their steaks at a medium doneness, but they would still have to sit for a few minutes before the dug in. "Why not?"
"The next day, before she came to class, her boyfriend came to beat me up. That's the fight that caused all of the trouble."
"I see. That certainly explains why he was after you. He thought you were trying to steal his mare."
"But I wasn't."
"It doesn't matter. He thought you were. In his mind, that's enough of a reason. Or so I would think. I can't call for the operations of his mind, I can only guess."
The two sat in silence for awhile. They had their steaks to eat, and they didn't want to talk with their mouths full. While Perry wasn't the best cook, He was still fairly decent. The steaks were good either way, being freshly cut shortly before they were cooked. Even though she didn't partake in the consumption of meat, Perry's wife was better at cooking it.
Once they finished their meal, their conversation resumed. "Tell me about this mare," Perry inquired.
Ember shook his head. "Not much to tell, really. Not that I haven't already said."
"How do you feel about her?"
Ember shifted in his seat. "It's not a very positive feeling anymore, that's for certain. I was feeling better before all of this started."
"Did you like her?"
"Not particularly."
"Not your type, huh?"
Ember shook his head. "No. Definitely not my type."
"This might be an uncomfortable question," chuckled Perry, pushing his mane out of the way. "But it might elevate your mood. What is your type?"
Ember bolted upright and looked at Perry as if he had just revealed the secrets of an unknown tribe of ponies. He couldn't tell Perry the truth, he'd disown him. But he couldn't lie to him, either. Perry hated being lied to.
"My type..." Ember hunched over and stared into the fire. He thought for a moment about how he should answer. He decided that the best course of action was to tell the truth, but not the whole truth. "I'm interested in strong ponies who are also very kind."
"What do they look like?"
"It doesn't matter what they look like. Any body will do, so long as I can enjoy their presence, right?"
"That's true. But you must realize that the pony you're describing could be a stallion. Have you considered that?"
"I have," admitted Ember. "I know many ponies think that's wrong, but I've met some homosexuals, and I don't really think they're all that awful. In fact, I found them to be very pleasant."
"Well, it's good to know that you're okay with that."
Ember looked up at his father. "You're not mad?"
Perry chuckled. "Not at all. I wouldn't even be angry if you were only into stallions."
Ember felt as if a massive weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He breathed a sigh of relief, and gathered up his remaining courage. It was time to take a risk. "Mister Perry?"
"Yes, Ember?"
"I was wondering, have you ever had... intimate relations... with another stallion?"
Perry looked over to Ember. He wasn't keen on sharing the intimate details of his love life with his son. Despite that, he could see fear and uncertainty in Ember's eyes. He decided that he would forego all names, offering only guidance. "I have, yes."
"Does Mags know?"
"I'd be a pretty poor excuse for a husband if I didn't tell my wife who I was sleeping with."
Ember drew back, shocked. "You mean, you've done it recently?"
Perry nodded. "It's a result of my biological tampering. My libido is ridiculously powerful. If I restricted myself to just Mags, I'd be in constant pain from lack of release. Or worse, she'd be in constant pain because of how often we'd be together. Having a second partner for stress relief is crucial for my biology. She understands this, and is very accepting of it."
"What's it like?"
"What do you mean?"
"How does it feel to be with a stallion?"
Perry rubbed the back of his neck. "It's certainly different from being with a mare. Not that it has to be, mind you."
Ember shrank down. "Does it hurt?"
Perry stood up and sat down next to Ember, wrapping a hoof around his shoulders. "The first few times, if you don't know what you're doing."
It was all Ember could do to contain his excitement. Perry was holding him. He could feel the warmth radiating off of his father. It was the most comforting embrace he had ever felt. He began to weep. As Perry began to rock back and forth, Ember wrapped his hooves around Perry's chest.
"Mister Perry... I think I'm gay..."