Rosa woke up from a dreamless slumber when Sky Light nuzzled her and whispered: "Rosa? You awake?"
"I am now," she managed to get out before yawning. "What is it?"
"Move over, I need to get out. Gotta pee," the pegasus explained.
Rosa obediently shuffled back while her friend simply rolled over her until she was nearer the edge. From there it was not a problem for her to climb down. Sky tried to open the door as quietly as possible, but then left it open, probably so it would be easier to come back. Rosa didn't mind and the breeze felt nice in the stuffy cabin.
On the lower bed she heard Pavo turn, but he didn't say anything and just resumed his snoring. It was not as bad as Rosa had feared and it had only woken her up once or twice thus far. She closed her eyes and tried to go back to sleep. Sky Light would be fine on her nighttime excursion, she was a grown mare.
Just on the point of drifting off again, Rosa felt the truck move slightly as the pegasus in question landed on the passenger seat. She opened one eye and shuffled further towards the back so Sky Light would have room, but the mare didn't climb up yet. Maybe she wanted to sit and watch the road a little, Rosa figured.
A few moments later Sky Light gently shut the door, which took Rosa out of her half-asleep state to near full wakefulness again. She realized she was still waiting for her friend to rejoin her in the bed. Instead, Sky could be heard shuffling around below and Rosa's eyes flared open. Had Sky Light just missed her bunk? Rosa was about to tell her, but the other mare's whispers made her clamp her mouth shut.
"Pavo? You awake?"
The man sighed and shifted with a rustle of cloth. "Am now. What's wrong?"
There was a longer silence, then Sky Light said so quietly Rosa really had to strain to catch the words. "Wanna quick muzzle-job?"
Instantly Rosa's face flushed red. What in the buckitty-buck was Sky doing?! Luckily it seemed Pavo was just as surprised. "What the fuck?! What's the matter with you? NO!"
The pegasus almost sounded embarrassed, but Rosa knew she was not really. "Sorry, just thought I'd offer. You know, since I'm up and Rosa is asleep."
Rosa scrunched up her muzzle at that presumption.
"I have a wife. Jeez!" the driver exclaimed. "What made you think I'd want- that. From you?"
A rustle of feathers accompanied Sky Light shrugging. "Who doesn't want a nice muzzle-job?"
Pavo let out a weary sigh. "Okay- first of all: No! Second of all: Why are you offering? Why now?!"
By this time Sky Light had shuffled her way back to the passenger seat so Rosa had an easier time hearing her whispering: "Just thought you might like some... extra payment for taking us."
"Sky..." Pavo said wearily, "I'm taking you two because I'm returning the favor, okay? And because I consider you a friend. That's all there is to it. You don't need to 'pay' me any more than that, got it? Now get back to sleep before I kick you both out!"
Finally it sounded like Sky was coming back up to the top bunk! She slipped between the sheets and stretched her legs a little. Rosa poked her with a hoof. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" she whispered, quietly enough so that Pavo shouldn't hear, with luck.
"Oh," Sky Light said in a defeated tone. "You heard?"
"Are you a total whore, or just incredibly stupid?" Belatedly Rosa covered her mouth with a hoof, but it was too late to stop the language.
Luckily Sky Light didn't take it the wrong way. "Just thought I'd make sure he doesn't- Forget about it, okay? It's not a big deal to me!"
Rosa shook her head in exasperation. This mare...
"Good night," she told Sky Light firmly.
"Yeah. Sorry. Good night."
Despite her idiocy, Rosa still put her legs around the pegasus and drew her closer. She was a scamp with the morals of a cat and the sex drive of- of a rabbit, but she was still a friend. Rosa didn't think she could ever fall back asleep after that, but in the quiet and the warmth she found herself drifting off in a matter of minutes.
For about a minute after waking up Rosa had real trouble remembering where she was, and why. There was some cloth above her which she could just barely reach with a hoof. It was soft, but firm. Beside her, Sky Light was curled up in a ball against Rosa's side, which made her so comfortable she didn't really want to move. She could also see the light from her left and it looked like the sun was rising. It was then that Rosa remembered. The truck, the stop, even Sky Light's indecent proposal the previous evening. Despite the absurdity of it all Rosa couldn't help but smile a little. Something about being on the road, going somewhere and pursuing Maribelle, made her feel truly refreshed. For the first time in weeks she felt like her old self again. Like the world was full of possibilities and she could achieve anything.
Sky Light shifted and pressed her muzzle further into Rosa's side. A moment later she felt her warm, wet tongue lick, which made Rosa giggle and jerk away. "Hee hee!"
That woke her friend up and Sky Light lifted her head to seek out Rosa's neck for a nuzzle. She still hadn't opened her eyes, though. "Mornin-" she began, but then she yawned, opening her muzzle wide and letting her tongue fall out. The little curl at the tip was kinda cute and Rosa couldn't help herself. She lightly kissed Sky on the nose.
"Morning, sleepy!"
Her eyes fluttered open and Rosa almost fell into their endless blue. Felicity would have called the color 'sapphire' or something. She had always been better at fashion than Rosa. The sight was all the more beautiful with that merry twinkle.
"Slept well?" Sky asked.
"Mhm!" Rosa confirmed.
Sky Light shifted a little so she could look at the windshield. "Still early," she decided. "Ten more minutes?"
Closing her eyes, Rosa focused briefly inward to try and gauge the pressure in her bladder. It wasn't too bad yet, at least until she started moving. She blinked and gave the pegasus a slow nod. "Ten minutes." It had gotten much cooler in the night and now Rosa was trying to snuggle closer to the warm body beside her.
"Aww, cold?" Sky Light guessed with mock pity in her voice. "C'mere, you poor, freezing thing," she invited and carefully snaked a wing around Rosa's barrel. The soft feathers were exceedingly comfortable. Rosa could just imagine Paolo doing that and the mental image gave her a nice, warm feeling in her belly. How long had it been since she'd even thought of the colt? Rosa had been so preoccupied with Lillian that she hardly remembered, but she did miss him.
Sky Light had obviously caught her wistful expression, because she smiled widely and poked Rosa's nose with hers. "Thinking of your little colt back at the school?" she asked.
"He isn't my- eep!" Rosa squeaked, then fixed the mare with a glare. "How do you know that!?"
"Heh heh heh!" Sky Light snorted. "Good guess. Your face gave it away. It's cute. What was his name again?"
"Paolo." Rosa couldn't keep the blush off her muzzle, but she shared Sky Light's soft smile.
"What is he like?" she asked.
That sounded like a difficult question and Rosa paused to think for a moment. "Well, he's a pegasus and he's training for the Post Office. His mane is yellow and his coat is blue - kinda like your eyes!" She gave it some more thought, then smiled inwardly as she remembered. "I really like his eyes. They're violet. Lighter than my coat. Oh, and so shiny!"
"Good, good," Sky Light commented, "sounds like a sweetheart. How long can he last? Good tongue?"
Her crude words broke the spell and Rosa giggled even while she blushed some more. "Sky!"
The mare slapped herself with her hoof. "Oh, that's right! You said you'd never done it. Shame, he sounds like a good lover."
Rosa refused to comment, but she prodded the other mare with a hoof and grinned while she laughed softly to herself.
"Jesus Christ, what time do you call this, you two?" came a gruff voice from below, making Rosa even more red in the muzzle. Pavo! She had nearly forgotten he was there! How long had he been listening? What had he heard?
"S-Sorry!" Rosa squeaked.
The whole cabin moved as Pavo turned around. They heard him slide across his bed and then Rosa saw his head poke up as he stood up. "Morning, ladies," he greeted them.
His smile made Rosa relax. Sky Light hadn't turned around, but her ears faced back toward the man. "Mornin'!" she said brightly. This time Rosa thought there was an actual blush on her muzzle! She looked like she was hoping Pavo wouldn't mention the previous night.
"Who's up for coffee and breakfast?" he asked, kindly avoiding the uncomfortable topic about Sky's night-time blunder.
"Ooh, yes please! We have money!"
Pavo waved it away with a grin. "Nah, my treat, Sky. What'll you have?"
Rosa's mouth watered at the memory as she imagined delicious things from the truck stop. "Can I get eggs? Fried?"
In front of her Sky Light licked her lips thoughtfully. "Mmm, with a slice of bacon," she said, almost drooling. Rosa did her best to ignore the unpleasant image.
"Yeah, but those paper plates suck. Tell you what, how about scrambled eggs in a sandwich? That's what I usually get at this place."
"Mine with a slice of bacon!" Sky Light repeated.
"Yeah, yeah, I heard it," Pavo said back with a grin. "Okay, two scrambled egg sandwiches, one with bacon, one without, anything else?"
Rosa opened her muzzle to say it, but Sky Light was faster: "Coke for me, please!"
"Okay, you Rosa?"
"Umm, orange juice, if they have it. Oh, and some extra salt!"
Scrambled eggs were so delicious with extra salt! Her hooves were still around Sky and Rosa squeezed the hapless mare against herself in excitement. Luckily she didn't mind and Sky just laughed at her friend's enthusiasm while Pavo left the cabin.
The movement made Rosa remember her immediate problem. "I have to pee."
Grass probably wouldn't do it when it was light out, so she would have to go to the truck stop's public toilets and pay.
"Sure thing, just scooch past."
Rosa slid over the pegasus, then gripped the edge of the bunk bed and lowered herself to the seat, ass first. Sky Light remained lying on her back and closed her eyes again. "Wake me up when food's here," she said.
Without answering, Rosa let go of the edge and dropped her forehooves lightly on the passenger seat. Her and Sky Light's bags were there and she rummaged for a few coins. She didn't want to take the whole backpack with her just to use the toilet. Going out among the humans at this new, unknown place was going to feel a bit weird and scary, but Rosa gathered her courage and hooked the handle with a hoof so she could open the door. She also didn't have a good way to hold the coins, so she gripped them in her mouth and jumped down from the truck. The fall was deep and the landing was a bit jarring, but Rosa was an earth pony and she could easily take it.
It was time to face this bright, new world she guessed, as she headed for the only building in sight.
Other than one or two humans looking at her funny when Rosa came out, nothing untoward happened in the toilets. She had been a bit nervous, but there weren't a lot of ladies at the truck stop so she had the place all to herself. The machine which had accepted her coin and let her in was a bit awkward to operate, since whoever designed it obviously had humans in mind and not ponies, but Rosa managed to use it anyway, even if she had to balance on her hind legs and slide the money in with her mouth. She was hurrying back to the truck, already salivating a bit at the thought of delicious breakfast. Hopefully by the time she got there Sky Light wouldn't have her muzzle on Pavo's...
Good thing the man didn't want any.
When Rosa got there, the passenger door was still open and she clambered up and inside. Her pegasus friend was stuffing her face with an egg sandwich. It would have smelled delicious, if it weren't for the bacon. Sky Light spotted her and pulled herself away from her food for long enough to point to the dashboard. There was a flat bit in front of the passenger seat and Rosa saw a paper bag on it. "Yours," Sky explained.
Rosa grabbed it and reveled in the delicious warmth on her hooves. The weather was getting warmer, but the ground was still a bit chilly, especially since she didn't wear shoes. Without further ado Rosa bit into the hot, eggy, bread. It was a tiny bit undercooked, but that just meant the eggs were slightly more runny, which was just the way she liked them. "Mmmmph!" she praised. A couple of chews revealed something missing and Rosa poked Sky Light on her shoulder. "Salt?"
"Oh," she exclaimed and passed over a paper plate with some of the delicious white powder on it. It took careful hoofwork to carefully tip it onto the sandwich, but then Rosa had another bite and it was all worth it. She only managed to chew twice before stopping and simply letting the salty eggs melt on her tongue. Over, beyond Sky Light, Pavo started chuckling at her expression. Rosa heard the snap of his phone camera, but she didn't care. Even the other mare was grinning at her in amusement, but Rosa didn't mind that either.
"It's sooooo goood," she whined when she could talk again.
"Yeah," Sky agreed.
While Rosa was putting the last few bites in her mouth, Pavo started the truck. "Last chance, ladies," he said. "I know you've been to the toilet Rosa - you wanna go as well, Sky?"
The mare leaned her head to the side in thought, then shook it confidently. "I'm good," she assured the man, but then thought again. "We're stopping at noon for lunch, right?"
"Yep," Pavo confirmed.
"I'll go then."
He shrugged a little to himself. "Suit yourself. Tell me if you have to go. Both of you. I'll stop, it's not a problem."
"Thanks!"
That was actually somewhat of a relief. Rosa had been avoiding drinking too much because she didn't want to have to control her bladder for hours and hours until Pavo stopped. She put the empty sandwich paper beside her and stepped over Sky Light to reach her bag. There was a plastic bottle of water that was still half full, which Rosa fished out and opened. It was a bit of a skill and Rosa stuck the thing between her thighs so she could use both her forehooves on the cap to twist it off. A few gulps refreshed her nicely. She offered the rest to Sky, who shook her head.
"So, what's the plan today?" the pegasus asked the driver, who was checking his instruments and fiddling with the paper circle.
This time Rosa was paying closer attention and saw that he used a small key on the dashboard to open a circular hole and put the paper in. "What's that?" she asked.
"Tachograph," the man said, but the word was meaningless to the mare. Luckily, he explained after closing the hatch: "It writes down how fast I'm going at all times, so the cops can check if I broke the speed limit."
That sounded quite clever, actually. That way they didn't have to sit on all the roads and measure all the time.
"Oh."
"Yeah, the new trucks have a digital one, but I kinda like these old things. I bring them home to my son when the office is done with them - you know, something to collect."
That sounded cute and thoughtful, which made Rosa smile. "How sweet!"
The man actually blushed! She felt proud of herself for achieving something like that without having to mention smut like Sky undoubtedly would have. In a moment of joy Rosa silently decided to have Pavo make more pictures around the truck for his boy. She wished she could meet him someday!
The preparations seemed to be done and the drive put his hands on the wheel. "Time to be off. Keep your eyes on the passenger side, we'll be passing some nice lakes today."
"Ooooh," Sky Light whimpered, "can we stop for a swim? Pleaseohpleaseohplease?!"
Rosa shook her head a little at her outright begging, but couldn't keep her own ears from going up in anticipation. She wouldn't mind a dip herself, especially since she'd never swam in her life and she wanted to know what it felt like. Despite that, Rosa was not going to pressure the man.
"Hmm," Pavo went all thoughtful for a moment. He glanced over at two expectant pony faces and his expression crumbled. "Okay, okay, jeez. You're like two kids!"
"Yep! That's us!" Sky Light, a thirty-something year old mare, said with a grin.
Pavo stayed silent for a few moments while he merged on the highway, then he reached over to pat the pegasus on her head. "Okay, how about this: instead of lunch we just take a short break at noon, and then we stop at three or four near a lake. You can swim for two hours while I take a nap and then I'll drive till midnight or so."
Rosa almost bounced on the seat from joy, but Sky Light beat her to it. She knew enough not to distract the man, so she grabbed her friend instead. "Yes!" she exclaimed in joy, "yes yes yes! We're going swimming! It's been ages since I went swimming!"
Both her travelling companions were staring at her as if she'd gone insane and the mare looked from one to the other in mock dismay. "What?" she asked, suddenly sounding self-conscious. "No lakes around the city and ponies aren't exactly welcome at public swimming pools."
"You really are like a kid sometimes..."
Instead of replying to Rosa, Sky just stuck her tongue out until they both burst out laughing.