“Hey, there you are! Good to see you two!” Sunset Shimmer said as she waved at the approaching pair. Beside her was Twilight Sparkle, who gave a small wave and a smile as well. Both of them were dressed in winter jackets, gloves, and wool caps, which might have been unusual for Spring if they weren’t standing in front of a skating rink.
“It’s been way too long,” replied Flash, one arm intertwined with Timber’s and another carrying a duffle bag as they neared the two girls. “It feels like it's been forever since we last hung out.”
“Well most people would consider dating each other’s exes more than a little weird,” said Twilight as she locked eyes with Timber, “But I’m still glad you two agreed to come out today. Watching me flounder on the ice will hopefully distract from how awkward this double-date is probably going to be.”
In response, Timber shrugged with a sheepish smile. “Well, make that the two of us, because I’ve never skated before in my life. Flash says he’s gonna teach me.”
Sunset chuckled as she traded a welcoming fist-bump with Flash. “Well then you’re in good hands, because he was the one to teach me how to skate years ago. It’s pretty fun, once you get the hang of it.” Turning towards the entrance of the ice rink, Sunset gestured for everyone to follow, “Come on, let’s get signed in.”
Twilight stuck close behind her girlfriend, but Flash stopped at the door with Timber, leaning in close to give a comforting kiss to his boyfriend before asking, “Hey, how are you feeling? Are you going to be alright today?”
Timber tenderly slapped Flash on the cheek, blushing slightly. “Yeah, man. I’ll be alright. Twi and I broke up like what, three months ago? Don’t worry about it, ok? Just worry about catching me when I inevitably fall over today.”
Flash just gave Timber another small peck on the cheek before the two entered the building together, with the air dropping several degrees on the way in. Flash was happy that he brought some extra layers along in the bag, because spring wear was definitely unsuitable for an ice rink.
By the time they came to the front desk, they found that Sunset had already paid for everyone, much to Flash’s chagrin. Apparently he had agreed to this outing on the condition that he pay for the trip, but the fiery woman took the initiative and paid for it against his wishes. In the end, all Flash could do was shrug and shake his head, realizing that Sunset hadn’t changed much at all since he last saw her.
With the help of the woman behind the counter, the four of them were supplied with rental skates, and began to make their way to the rink. However, when Flash caught Timber shivering slightly, he told the girls to go ahead of them while he and Timber pulled on their extra clothes.
“You should have said something if you were feeling cold, dude,” scolded Flash as he unpacked their extra layers from his duffle bag, tossing a jacket to Timber. “Don’t tell me you’re trying to look tough in front of Twi.”
“Of course not,” he replied, pulling on the warm layer with a pout, “I don’t have anything to prove to her. I just didn’t want to stop the conversation, that’s all.”
Flash gave his boyfriend a sideways glance, feeling somewhat unconvinced. Pushing that aside for the time being, he donned his own clothes and re-shouldered their bag, before taking Timber’s now-gloved hand in his own with a smile.
“Just let me know if anything’s wrong, alright dude? You know I love you, and I just want to make sure you’re having fun today.”
Blushing hard enough to heat the air by a few degrees, Timber squeezed Flash’s hand as he muttered a “I love you too,” back, just loud enough to hear. Flash laughed a little, before pressing on towards the bench where the other half of their double-date was waiting.
Already wearing their skates, Sunset and Twilight were sitting and chatting together, giggling over some unheard joke until they saw Flash and Timber on the approach. With a warm smile, Sunset passed the boys their skates, and then helped Twilight to her feet so she could get used to standing on the skates.
As Twilight fumbled and struggled to keep her balance, Sunset remained patient and encouraging, slowly leading her towards the ice. Likewise, when Timber had his skates securely fastened, Flash got him up on his feet and guided him to the rink. Sunset and Flash shared a chortle at the expense of their flailing partners, but were quick to remind the two beginners that everyone has to start somewhere.
When they finally hit the ice, it wasn’t much better. Timber and Twilight both repeatedly slipped and fell, but managed to avoid any real physical injury thanks to the careful and coordinated efforts of Sunset and Flash, who remained vigilant and persistent in their instruction. Eventually, these efforts bore fruit, with Timber and Twilight being able to stand and skate on their own for short distances, even if it meant that they would inevitably fall soon after. Despite the pain and effort on their part, they couldn’t help but have fun experiencing something new with their partners.
Ultimately though, the two had to stop after a relatively short time, leaving the rink to give their sore bodies a rest. Twilight and Timber decided it would be best to take a break from the rink, using the excuse of snack procurement as a means to escape any further harm to their bottoms, as well as their pride. Sunset and Flash tentatively agreed, deciding to stay on the ice and skate for a while longer.
Leaning on the wall of the rink, they watched their partners walk away towards the snack bar, and Sunset nudged Flash with her elbow. “So, how’s things with Timber, big guy?”
He gave her a curious glance for a moment, unsure of how much to say about his relationship. After a second of deliberation, he grinned and said, “It’s going pretty great. We’re probably going to get married by Summer. It’s totally true love.”
Catching onto his sarcasm, Sunset rolled her eyes and pushed away from the wall, drifting away gracefully along the ice. He followed after her as she continued the conversation with a pleased smile.
“Well, I’m happy to hear things are going well for you two. I was pretty surprised when you texted me about it, and it didn’t feel real until I saw you two walk up holding hands today. Still feels odd to see my ex dating Twi’s ex, no offense or anything.”
“None taken,” said Flash as he skated along beside her, “And besides… How do you think we felt when you two hooked up? I think the feeling goes both ways.”
“Touche,” replied Sunset with a thoughtful nod. “Though, I’ll be honest, I never thought you’d wind up dating Timber. Don’t get me wrong, I pegged him as swinging both ways from the start, but I thought you were straight as a nail.”
Flash shrugged with a smile as he thought back on just how “straight” he’d been over the past few weeks with his new boyfriend. “To be honest, I thought I was too, until he asked me out. What can I say, Timber is special. Something for me just clicks with him.”
“Hey, I know that feeling. I can’t say I’ve ever felt how I do for Twi for anyone else. I’m just lucky that Twi felt the same about me.”
Flash felt a little burned by that statement, but chose not to say it. When he didn’t respond though, she quickly realized her faux pas, and dropped the subject. Neither of them said anything for a moment, as they simply skated around the rink together. Finally, it was Flash who broke the silence.
“So Susnet, I was wondering why you invited me and Timber out like this in the first place. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the effort, but isn’t a double-date between exes a little… Weird?”
Sunset pouted slightly as she cocked her head to the side. “Are you implying I have ulterior motives or something, Flash Sentry? I’m hurt.”
“Wounded, even?” asked Flash with a smirk.
Sunset rolled her eyes at him, returning his smirk. “I guess you’re not entirely off the mark though. I did want to see how you two were doing together. That… and one other thing.”
“You’re killing me with the suspense here, Sunset,” bemoaned Flashed as he feigned exasperation. “Sure, we’re exes, but we’re friends first. You can ask me anything, you know that.”
“I know that, Flash, and I really appreciate it. It’s just that it’s… how about this? I’ll ask you later. It looks like our nerds bought some lunch.” She pointed back over to the bench where Twilight and Timber were returning with food in hand, and smiles on their faces. It looked like they were having a good time catching up too.
Begrudgingly, Flash followed Sunset back to the edge of the rink, and stepped off the ice back onto the rubbery mats and solid floor. He and Sunset were quick to doff their skates and sit down beside their respective mates, who offered up servings of cheap, greasy, and most importantly hot pizza.
“Did you two have fun skating?” asked Twilight, “You both certainly make it look easy, the way you skated laps around the rink.”
“I can’t believe you can carry a conversation at those speeds,” continued Timber, shaking his head in awe, “I can barely focus on standing out there, let alone running my mouth at the same time.”
Sunset shrugged, speaking around a mouthful of cheesy pizza. “Yeah, well, we have a lot of practice. Don’t think you’re done for the day either, because I’m getting my money’s worth outta you two.”
“That’s right,” confirmed Flash, “Once we’re done eating, we’re getting back on that ice. We’re going to make you two into pro skaters in no time at all.”
“Please, no,” whined Timber as he laid his head on his boyfriend’s shoulder, “I really don’t feel like falling on my ass any more today. It already hurts to sit down.”
“Oh is that so?” Twilight said as she raised an eyebrow at Timber, “Haven’t you and Flash been together for about a month? I would have thought that you’d be used to the feeling by now.”
Sunset and Flash both made huge “O”s with their mouths, the pair stunned into silence by Twilight’s boldness. Timber on the other hand, practically deflated with embarrassment as he slumped over, his hands on his face which was most assuredly now bright red.
“Oh, wow. I suppose I hit the nail on the head, huh?” Unable to stop herself, Twilight started to giggle at the expense of her ex, who appeared to be still completely catatonic from her scalding burn. Sunset was next to laugh, and despite his best efforts, Flash joined in too shortly after.
As the three shared in their joviality, Timber seethed for a short time in his humiliation, but eventually came around to the playful prodding from his friends. The four of them went back and forth, making humorous jabs at each other managing to diffuse whatever awkwardness may have remained between them. It was soon clear that despite how the past had played out, the four of them were still good friends, and nothing would change that anytime soon. Even something as absurd as dating each other’s exes.
After that, the quartet found themselves back in the rink together, even against the protests of Twilight and Timber. They were both pleased to find that although they were still unsteady and uncertain on the ice, their second time skating was already going much better. Each of them only fell down twice more, and managed to skate with a level of reliability, albeit rather slowly. Flash and Sunset continued to support and help their partners when needed, but the afternoon was otherwise without any further issue.
The four spent the next few hours enjoying each other’s company both on and off the ice, taking breaks when needed, and wearing their throats coarse with enthused chatter between them. They discussed their home lives, their work, and their aspirations. They talked about their relationships, comparing and competing to see who had the better romance, even if neither couple could agree on a clear winner.
Inevitably however, the fun and excitement took its toll, and the pair of couples decided to call it quits and go home for the evening. They returned their rental skates and cleaned up after themselves, before gathering at the entrance for one last goodbye for the day.
“It was really great seeing you both,” said Flash as he gave each of the girls a big hug. Timber did the same, albeit with a bit less vigor. He couldn't hope to match his boyfriend's impressive hugs.
Sunset nodded with a cheerful smile. “Yeah, we should definitely hang out again soon. Twi and I see the girls now and again, maybe we could have a group meetup, like the old days.”
“Man, it’s been forever since I saw the others,” mused Timber. “That’d be awesome. I bet Pinkie Pie would totally love to throw a ‘the gang’s all here’ party.”
“Or,” interjected Twilight, as she put a thoughtful hand to her chin, “We could have another double date sometime soon. Maybe somewhere else without tripping hazards, perhaps?”
Flash glanced at Timber, who nodded happily. Sharing the motion, Flash asked, “Sure, that sounds fun. Where do you think we could meet up?”
“We could always have dinner at our apartment,” offered Sunset. “It’s pretty roomy, and Twilight’s a great cook. We could have a few drinks, share a few laughs…”
“And who knows,” continued Twilight with a wink and a coy smirk, “Maybe we could make it a sleepover, wouldn’t that be fun?”
Timber and Flash were both blinked at Twilight a few times before glancing at each other, sharing a moment of surprise. When they looked at Sunset, she only offered an innocent shrug and a smile.
“Well anyway, we can plan that another time,” said Sunset as she changed the subject, “It’s going to get dark soon, so you two should head home. You’ve got my number, Flash, so hit me up if you want. See you later, guys!” And with that last farewell and a wave, the two girls began their walk back to their home.
Flash and Timber stared at each other for a moment, exchanging confused expressions with each other, trying to make sense of the last minute or so.
Finally, Flash asked aloud "Did Twilight just imply that she wanted to-"
"I think so."
"Do we want to?"
"Maybe?"
"Should we sleep on this?"
"Definitely. My place?"
"Your place."
After agreeing that it was a discussion better left for another time when they weren’t so tired, and they walked to Flash’s car in silence for a very pensive drive home.