Prince Blueblood tried his best to keep his eyes focused on Fancy Pants. The carriage he rested in bumped along down the streets of Canterlot as he stared at his friend’s ruffled blue mane. The unicorn leaned himself onto the prince, his cheek warm as it pressed up against Blueblood’s shoulder. He didn’t seem to be in the mood to speak much anymore, yet he still giggled every few minutes, as if he’d heard a funny joke.
Blueblood knew the other two looked at him from across the seat he was planted into. They seemed to be gaping at him more than their drunken friend, the mare a bit more cautious with her glances, while the earth pony prefered to stare head-on with no sense of sheepishness about it.
Fleur De Liss was difficult to look at for extended periods of time. She was constantly reaching out her hoof to touch Fancy Pants, either to stroke his mane or grab his hoof or simply to touch his face. A small ember burned in the prince’s chest the more she did it, one that he felt near ashamed for possessing.
Fancy Pants hugged the prince’s leg, perhaps a bit too happy about it. He began to nuzzle his cheek up against his fur. Blueblood lifted his free hoof to cough into it, his face heated when Fancy briefly kissed his leg.
The prince pulled at the collar of his dress shirt, feeling the four eyes from those across him boring into his skin.
“I thaught…. I thaught the datewen well…” Fancy at least seemed to tire fast, preferring to remain quiet the more he talked about stuff like that. “Everythin is spinnin… oh dear....”
“I know,” Blueblood spoke softly, a twist in the pit of his belly seizing hold of his breath. “I’m… I’m sorry I couldn’t get there sooner, Fancy. You embarrassed yourself in front of your friends, though.”
“Oh, we’ve both seen each other worse.” Hoity Toity spoke up. He wasn’t as eccentric as he had been earlier. He appeared a bit more comforting as a smile slipped onto his face as he leaned over in his seat to rest his head in his hooves. “Fancy used to be quite the party pony growing up. In fact, I’m fairly certain he met me because I tried to hit on him in some night club back before either of our names were household in everypony’s closet. He used to be a lot more rough and tough.”
“Hoity.” Fleur snapped, as she tapped her hoof on the grey stallion’s chest.
“I’m just trying to make him feel better.” Hoity grumbled with a roll of his eyes before he looked back to his drunken friend. “Fancy’s always just been a bit flirty if he goes off the deep end. It doesn’t really take much to do it though. Most ponies in Canterlot get rude and truthful when they’re drunk. It’s a bit hard to have fun without worrying you might get yelled at halfway through the night.”
“Does Fancy Pants get drunk often?” Blueblood asked the two, though he was a bit hesitant. He swallowed hard after he asked the question. “Or… is it just because I…”
“Fancy Pants doesn’t usually let himself go like this,” Fleur answered as she reached out her hoof to grab the drunken unicorn’s. Blueblood stared at it. The way she held it in between her hooves forced him bite into his cheek. “He used to have quite a bad problem going out because of it. He usually drinks just one or two. I suppose he wanted this evening to be special and got a bit nervous, darling.”
“You did shomethin withyer mane, Fleur.” Fancy raised a tired looking hoof, barely enough energy to hold it up. “It looks gorgeous.”
“He is a bit flattering when he gets this way though.” Fleur giggled, through her eyes still stayed the same as she stared at Fancy Pants.
“O-Oh.” Blueblood began to clench the fabric that covered his chest, the outfit quickly wrinkling until he smoothed it out with his hoof.
“I’ve never seen this old bat get drunk over a crush.” Hoity laughed as he removed his sunglasses to wipe at them.
“Over a w-what?”
There was a sudden jolt in the cart when it finally stopped. When Blueblood looked out the window he saw a gate that led up to a moderately sized home with darkened windows. There was a single fountain in the front surrounded by a rainbow of flowers, though it wasn’t very large.
The carriage driver, an old royal guard, had opened the door for them. He bowed his head when Blueblood had stepped out, soon followed by Fleur and then Hoity. When Blueblood began his climb back into the cart for Fancy, a hoof was put on his shoulder to hold him back.
“He stumbles a bit when he’s like this. Let me take care of it.” Fleur spoke. Blueblood watched her put the front part of her slender body into the cart. She grabbed Fancy Pants firmly with both hooves before she led him step by step out of the cart. He nearly stumbled on the final stair, though she managed to hold him tightly.
“Celestia, woman, how do you keep that tub of cake afloat?” Hoity commented. He let a whistle out of his lips.
“He isn’t that fat,” Fleur laughed as she let Fancy Pants lean on her. He seemed quieter, though his eyes stared right at her when she spoke. “He’s put on a few pounds, but nothing I haven’t managed before.”
“I’ll get his keys,” Hoity spoke up, quick to hop to the unicorn’s pockets to rifle around a bit. “I helped him pick out this house. I know which one is for what.”
“We’re okay from here.” Blueblood turned his attention to the royal guard. “You can just stay here for a bit. I’ll come out in a little while to let you know what we are going to need.”
The royal guard bowed his head, soon trotting away just in time as Blueblood heard the sound of a lock clicking on the front gate to Fancy Pants’ home. The lights in the house were dimmed, likely any help that might be inside was well asleep, as unlikely as it was that there were.
“Fancy hasn’t been here for a while. He usually sleeps at his shop.” Blueblood spoke to the other two as he went up to Fancy Pants, resting his hoof on the unicorn’s side. “Do you think any of his butlers or maids are here?”
“He only had two maids.” Hoity Toity took the first steps past the gate and onto the pathway to the front door. “I don’t think they work tonight though, usually only really come in to tidy up once or twice a week. He always went on and on about preferring to live a simple yet privileged life and bla bla bla...”
The grey stallion ran ahead with keys jingling in his mouth to open the front door. Blueblood stepped up quickly to take a good deal of Fancy Pants’ weight for himself, the older unicorn appearing to become a bit tired as he slouched his head. He put Fancy’s leg around him, feeling the breath of his friend on the back of his neck. He supposed it was odd that the two had never hugged, for the pounding in his chest told him the two had never been so close.
“Home shweet home…” Fancy mumbled.
“I wanted to come earlier,” Blueblood looked to the taller mare when he talked to her. Her eyes glanced to him as they trotted slowly. “I truly did.”
“What kept you so long?” Fleur questioned, though little anger or frustration was in her tone. She simply seemed a bit curious.
“I… I wanted to look perfect.” Blueblood could feel the blush on his cheeks when he said that. He couldn’t stand to look at her when the mare gave him a devilish smile. “I kept trying on different outfits. I wasn’t sure if he was teasing me the other day when he said I needed to look flashy or not. I was just about to head out the door in a bright blue suit when I got nervous and turned right back around… I’m quite foolish.”
Fleur giggled at that. It made Blueblood’s flush reach the tips of his ears. He felt a sudden urge to snap at the mare, though he kept his mouth shut.
“You and Fancy Pants are a lot alike.” Her words were soft, as if understanding.
“No… I’m nothing like him,” Blueblood chuckled, Fancy beginning to lean more on him. It forced him to use the strength in his legs a bit more. “Fancy’s a lot more patient than I am, he puts up with my problems more than I do sometimes…”
“I’m not getting any younger!” Hoity Toity called irritably from the doorway, beginning to swing on the knob like a child at a lamppost.
“Patience, Hoity!” Fleur called back.
Blueblood and Fleur both stepped up their pace as they drug Fancy Pants up the few stairs and through the doorway. The inside of the doorway led directly into a hallway painted in scarlet red, several doorways on either side until it ended in a stairway heading up that split into two halves. When Blueblood looked up he could see the second floor, a chandelier above their heads that sparkled with white sapphire.
“Please tell me his bedroom is on the first floor.” Blueblood tried his best not to whine, though he knew it was breaking through as he stared at all the stairs. Fancy Pants was near asleep, his weight seemed to become heavier by the second.
“Thankfully.” Fleur answered, promoting a sigh of relief to escape the prince’s throat. They traveled on the wooden panel beneath their hooves down to the third doorway on their right, one that opened up to a room with light blue walls.
The room was messier than Blueblood had expected, though it was contained, a simple ponyquin in the corner with Fabric strewn about in a proper mess. Oddly enough nothing more than a comb or two felt out of place in the rest of the room, just the one area for his work.
“Doesn’t he have a work room here?” Blueblood asked when he spotted the statue.
“Yes, but he likes to put up some dresses he believes needs a touch of work on. He says he doesn’t want to wake up and lose the idea before he gets across the house.”
“It’s a real mess.” Blueblood grumbled, the sight making him feel a slight sense of disgust at how unshelved the room looked.
Fleur led the prince over to the bed, beginning to put Fancy Pants down gently. He looked awkwardly strewn about, though he did roll over onto his back to stare up at the ceiling, only to cover his face in his hooves to giggle.
“If anypony needs me, I’ll be making us some tea.” Hoity Toity sung as he fixed his tie. “Celestia knows that Fancy buys the good stuff. I’d say he owes us a bit.”
“That sounds lovely.” Fleur replied with a polite smile.
Blueblood looked at Fancy some more, his eyes already shut despite slowly scratching at his ear. The prince took a few steps forward before he gingerly reached out his hooves as he removed Fancy Pants’ monocle from his eye, careful that the chain didn’t snag on anything as he pulled it free.
“He’s already nearly out.” The prince chuckled, though his own voice sounded a touch exhausted.
“He falls asleep like that a bit more often than you’d think.” Fleur told the prince, a smile on her lips. “Sometimes he gets so exhausted that he just passes out wrapped up in his suit because he worked so hard finishing a dress.”
“H-How do you…” Blueblood began, though he stopped himself by biting into his lip. He decided he didn’t want to know the answer to that. He tried to not think about it, shaking the thought off physically as he moved his head back and forth. “Nevermind.”
“You two honestly are alike.” Fleur talked to Blueblood, taking a few steps forward as she grabbed a pillow. She slid it under Fancy’s head, the stallion cracking his eyes open slightly before he put a bit of a goofy smile on his face. “Fancy likes to fuss and mess with dresses before we head out to parties. It’s always one more thing, and before I know it I have a pin or two in my cutie mark with him trying to fix the dress. We’re rarely on time, mostly an hour or two late.”
Blueblood didn’t respond to what Fleur said, simply allowing the words to sink in. He looked down at Fancy Pants, how Fleur stroked her hoof over his mane.
Fancy rolled over his body to the side before he took in a deep breath of air. He soon took the pillow Fleur had given him, putting it over his head in an attempt to block out the light. “The room ish spinning…” The older unicorn whined.
“Do you like the castle?” Fleur asked the prince. Her brow raised to him as she flipped back her mane. Blueblood couldn’t help but look at her perfectly slender body. He suddenly felt large and clunky, taking up too much space that no amount of sucking in his gut could fix it.
“It’s my home.” Blueblood answered, though he wasn’t positive himself if that was a positive or negative comment. “Fancy always says it’s nice… it feels like that when he’s there with me. I like the garden. Fancy always gets worried we’re going the wrong way... it’s one of the few times I feel like I have the upper hand over him. He’s better at many things like social events and conversations.”
“You enjoy his company a lot?” Fleur questioned the prince. “I always have. He’s been there for me my whole life. Well, most of it that was important anyway. He told me when we first met that I would be a star… all eyes on me sounded wonderful back then.”
“Back then?” Blueblood questioned, watching Fancy moan quietly under his pillow.
“He hasn’t done much recently. We used to ride together on the scene with a million ponies on our backs,” Fleur put a hoof to her lips, a giggle escaping her throat before she brushed her mane from her eyes. “Oh what a spark it was.”
Blueblood let his eyes look at Fancy Pants. When Fancy finally uncovered his face, it was blush all the way to the tips of his ears. He was rolling again, though his body seemed to shiver a bit when he settled once more.
“He talks about you a lot.” Fleur told the prince, staring at Fancy as she spoke. “He seems very excited that you let him kiss you, is that right?”
“K-Kiss?” Blueblood’s voice stuttered when he spoke, his face feeling warm. “It w-was just on the cheek. I was being silly, it didn’t mean anything… I mean, it was nice but...”
“Is that so?” Fleur giggled.
Blueblood held his breath, his mind racing for a brief moment about that giggle, wondering what it could mean.
“Fancy Pants looks cold.” Fleur mumbled under her breath, the stallion shivering once more as he curled up in an attempt to keep warmth.
“Here, I’ll just…” Blueblood took a step forward, his hooves reaching for the covers before Fleur held up her hoof.
“No, I’m a bit more gentle with this,” Fleur told him with a polite smile. “It’ll be easier if we don’t disturb him.”
Blueblood felt a frown come onto his face. Fleur was gentle as she slid the covers from under Fancy Pants, able to not disturb the stallion as she laid the sheets over his body. While he still whined, his body had stopped shivering.
“Y’know… when Fancy Pants met me for the first time he felt like a hero,” Blue sheepishly began to speak. His eyes stared down at his hooves, and he suddenly understood what a puzzle piece out of place felt like. “He saved me when I was crying over something so stupid. I couldn’t even… I can’t believe he talked to me after we met like that.’
Fleur was silent, though her smile turned from genuine to polite as Blueblood bit at his lip. The prince was quiet for but a moment before he took one final look at Fancy Pants.
“I don’t… think I’m very useful right here.” Blueblood mumbled, shaking his head. “When he wakes up, could you tell him that I’m sorry I was late for dinner? I’m just glad he’s back home and safe. My aunt is going to wonder where I am. I wouldn’t want a search party sent after me and causing trouble for him… you two know him well enough, and he’ll be fine tonight.”
Blueblood swallowed hard, turning his body quickly as he went up to the doorway. Fleur seemed to lift her hoof briefly, perhaps to call him back, though no words met his ears. He ran into Hoity Toity with a tea set on his back, the shorter pony looked to him with mild confusion on his face.
“Leaving already? I just made the tea, stay for a bit!”
“I’m sorry.” Blueblood opened his mouth briefly, but realized he had nothing more useful to say. He closed his eyes before he trotted past Hoity Toity. When his hoof reached the doorknob, he felt a twist in his belly once more.
At that moment, Prince Blueblood just wanted to be back at home.