Falling Debris

by Storm butt

Spiral

Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. It belongs to The Hub, Hasbro, Studio B, and Lauren Faust. I do not own any of these characters in any way or how, nor do I claim ownership to the pony franchise. These characters are simply my toys.
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"It’s hard to get a good fit on your own skin.”
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Falling Debris
Chapter 2: Spiral

“It’s a pretty sweet view, don’t ya think dude?”

Soarin let himself look to the gray stallion, his face pressed up against the window like a small foal near Hearths Warming Eve looking into gift shops. His large white mane was puffed up as usual, though not as thin and neatly managed as Soarin kept his own. He looked back to Soarin before hopping over a small coffee table with the help of his wings next to the blue pegasus.

“Yes Rapidfire, it is a nice view.” Soarin rolled his eyes briefly before he began looking around the room, the large king sized bed with pure white sheets looking much better than the thin scratchy hospital bed. The golden walls gave life, maybe not the kind he would have hoped for, but it was a small freedom from the pure white he had been trapped in. He glanced to the rather large patio outside the window, as it held a patio that wasn’t going to be much use very soon, as the skies were clouding up once more.

“It rains a lot around here.” Soarin voiced as he placed his pair of goggles carefully on the pillow of his temporary bed. “Wish I could at least take a damn shower without gift wrapping my stupid wing… I bet it feels nice to fly out there right now.”

“Nopony has your stupid rain fascination but you.” Rapidfire laughed as he stretched his legs, smiling as he walked around the room. “But, man, your hotel is a lot nicer than the ones Spitty has us in; what gives?”

“This one is closest to the hospital,” Soarin sighed, knowing that Spitfire hadn’t wanted to say that outright, fearing that it would only make him feel worse having to travel by carriage every time he needed to return. “Guess this is my halfway house.”

“Probation, on the road to recovery,” the grey pegasus chimed in when he walked back to the window, staring at the large garden from the second floor. The fountain in the center of the building streamed high, water reaching at least the second floor. “Dunno why they put you on the second floor though; ain’t they got a special place for injured ponies?”

“Spitfire told me that this was the lowest room they had that looked this nice.” Soarin told his friend as he looked around the spacious room, strolling past the bathroom with the luxurious looking tub and offering many varieties of fancy soap. “Oh look, I have “Divine Beauty” products in here.”

“Oh goodie, just the perfect thing for my mane to look luscious and fashionable.” Rapidfire spoke as he glanced to the side, bouncing his mane with his hoof as he put on a sly grin in jest. He couldn’t keep the look for long before he started giggling, and Soarin smirked in his direction. “Hey, let’s unload your crap so I can get all the heavy stuff for you.”

Rapidfire lifted Soarin’s heavy looking suitcase to his bed and unzipped it as Soarin came over as well, watching him pull out a personal belongings ranging from blue sweaters to small books he never got around to reading. He lifted up a rather trashy looking novel, holding back laughter as he showed it to Soarin. Soarin grabbed it back, trying to ignore the oddly posed stallions on the cover.

“Some of us like to get our kicks from books instead of magazines.” He snapped at grey pegasus, only being half serious with his irritation before he stuffed his book under the pillow.

“So it’s stallions now?” Rapidfire wiggled his eyebrows when he spoke, knowing that if he kept going he would eventually get a rise out of Soarin. Soarin looked to the stallion, raising his own brow in response as he pulled aside several books.

“What do you mean, ‘stallions now’?” Soarin asked the other as he took a small notebook which he kept his flying strategies, frowning when he looked upon it before stuffing it into the drawer with the rest. “It’s always been stallions,
mares, for that matter.”

“Yeah,” Rapidfire shrugged when he spoke again, folding a rather balled up and crumbled sweater neatly. “I mean, yeah I get you like both, but it seems like you stick to one for a while and I never really knew why. You talked about how cute one of the mare nurses were, last time I saw you.”

“I do that?” Soarin questioned, looking down blankly at the items he was holding. “Never really thought about it that way.”

“Also, the book’s new - I saw the sticker.” Rapidfire teased, this time making Soarin feel red in the face, if only a little. “Did you, like, buy the book when you waited for me to pick you up near that little plaza?”

“Yeah, I figured I might as well pick up a trashy novel because I can’t exactly do… it… in the hospital.” Soarin found himself actually growing annoyed at this point, though he couldn’t tell if it was from the invasion of privacy or Rapidfire’s prodding. He raised his hoof and pressed it to the grey stallion’s mouth regardless. “Shut up.”

“Dude, I really don’t care what trashy novels you’re buying.” Rapidfire pushed his friend’s hoof away from his mouth. “Hell, if you’re getting any kind of sexual energy back maybe it means you aren’t drugged up as much, or getting better, or whatever. It’d be good for you to get a date or two.”

“Who the heck would I ask on a date? I don’t even live around here.” Soarin rolled his eyes again at his friend. Rapidfire shrugged at him, letting out a whinny to break the silence as he glanced to the door.

“You’d get anypony you want, if you tried hard enough.” Rapidfire looked into the empty suitcase, a small smirk on his face. “You’re the famous Wonderbolt who's on every poster, you tell me.”

“Wonder if I’ll be on them next tour…” Soarin glanced down when he spoke, seeing Rapidfire’s eyes grow big with a brief moment of panic before he lifted both of his hooves, shaking them furiously in front of Soarin’s face.

“Dude of course you’re gonna get better by then!” Rapidfire spoke in quick succession when the blue pegasus raised his brow at the one in question. “You’ve broken your wings five times and bounced back every time. This time’s just taking a little longer!”

“They want me to start physical therapy tomorrow.” Soarin found his hoof traveling back to his wing, feeling the large scar that took up most of his back. He breathed slowly as he shook his head, giving a shrug with his good half. He looked in the direction of the window, not wanting to look Rapidfire in the eye. “I never knew I wasn’t as strong as I thought I was… Did you know I can barely move my wing?”

“N-No, I didn’t.” Rapidfire scratched his ear, feeling awkward the longer the two kept speaking. He closed his eyes briefly before he swallowed hard, looking Soarin in the eye. “I...I know you told me to shut the hell up, but I’m sorry.”

Soarin gave one brief laugh that he himself wasn’t able to tell if it was sincere or not. “You saved my life, Rapidfire. You caught me because you practiced all those suicidal dives, and were the only one who was quick enough to catch me. You saved my life, and all I did was fall. It’s not your fault the only thing to grab onto was…y’know.”

The pegasus pressed his hoof to his forehead as he shook his head he let out a growl of frustration at himself as he took a step away from the bed.

“I don’t wanna go back there.”

He expected Rapidfire to argue with his statement, to tell him that the only way he would get better is if he forced himself to go. However he didn’t say anything, and when Soarin looked to the grey stallion he simply got a nod of understanding. Soarin’s stomach felt like it had an icy hand on it, scratching and clawing him from the inside.

“I always bounce back from stuff like this, don’t I?” Soarin questioned Rapidfire, turning away from him. “I mean… I’ve gotten hurt plenty of times and by now I’m always… business as usual.”

“Spitfire wanted to come today,” Rapidfire’s voice spoke up as he walked over to the other stallion, looking down on him. “She had to look at a lot of the new candidates. Camp starts up pretty soon and she needs to know who’s cut out for it.”

“Yeah, she mentioned that.” Soarin sighed as he trotted over the few steps back to the large bed, carefully managing to lift himself up on top of it. “She’s probably still upset at me anyway.”

“You bitched her out, right?” Rapidfire asked as if it were perfectly normal. He must have seen Soarin roll his eyes because his goofy grin returned. “She actually looked pretty guilty when I asked about you our last show.”

“Yeah…” Soarin grabbed his arm as he hunched over with a groan of annoyance before speaking again. “This whole thing just… really sucks, dude… I yelled at one of my best friends over nothing.”

“So,” Rapidfire walked over to the bed and picked up the empty suitcase, trotting over to the closet before he put it in neatly, keeping one eye on the frowning pegasus the entire time. “Are you going tomorrow?”

“Huh?” Soarin’s eyes ran to his friend, confusion on his face. “Going to what?”

“Your physical therapy, idiot.” Rapidfire lifted his hoof to hit gently against Soarin’s arm, as if to snap him out of whatever daze he was in. “I mean, I know you hate it and all but… everypony wants you to get better, even the guys jealous of ya.”

“I’m not really sure about that.” Soarin rested his head on his hoof when he rubbed his temple. “I mean, about physical therapy… I don’t really know how I feel to have doctors watching me sweat and struggle and taking notes. I have a checkup tomorrow... Really not looking forward to it."

“Maybe one of the doctors is cute.” Rapidfire laughed loudly when he spoke, his words were always a little louder than usual. “That’d give you plenty of motivation to show off how strong you are.”

“Your words are
so encouraging.” Soarin said sarcastically, raising his hoof to put it against his chest. “Hell, maybe you’re right, a date could be good for me.”

“Tell you what.” Rapidfire’s eyes held a sort of fire when his voice broke, an excitement buried within as he bounced his upper half on the bed. “Let’s just forget about tomorrow for a while. I can go get us some food from the restaurant downstairs while you take all your gross pills. We can talk more about your trashy novel or whatever; let’s just stop talking about your wing, it’s bumming both of us out.”

Soarin took a moment to stare at that obnoxiously happy face, though somehow couldn’t find it in him to be annoyed at it. He simply nodded, while Rapidfire jumped off the bed with a firm nod.

“All right, Soarin...I leave you to your work.” Rapidfire spoke, reaching out his hoof before putting a bottle of pills in Soarin’s own, the pegasus looking down to it with his face forming a small frown. He watched Rapidfire begin to trot away, as he read the label without really paying close attention to it.

Soarin tried to move his wing, for only a brief second. But the pegasus was only able to get a small twitch before he let out an involuntary hiss from the sudden ache.

“Out of the frying pan, into the fire.” He grumbled, putting two pills into his mouth.

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“Ah… excuse me, Sheriff?” Braeburn found himself uncertain as he looked into the blue eyes of the brown stallion before him. He could tell the large stallions passing by were staring at him, and he felt himself shrink, feeling like he was being silently scolded. The dirt road under his hooves began to taint his fur as he kicked it gently, biting the inside of his cheek.

“Braeburn, listen ta me.” Sheriff Silverstar spoke as Braeburn lifted his head to look to the large apple orchard. He heard the stamp hooves as a dozen ponies went in and out of the barn, carrying large empty baskets to start their day. “Ya need a break! Take the day off. Heck, take the
off.”

“But Ah’m fine!” Braeburn insisted, trying to keep his voice quiet to keep from drawing unwanted attention. He felt his stomach turn. He watched Silverstar sigh and shake his head. The sheriff reached out a hoof to place on Braeburn’s shoulder, the yellow stallion resisting the urge to shrug it off. “Ah ain’t got nothin’ wrong with me! Ah can work just as well as the other ponies here...”

“That’s the problem,” the Sheriff sat on his hindquarters as he crossed his front legs, keeping his eyes firmly shut as his mustache shook when he spoke. Braeburn trotted slowly next to the other, his words like fire begging to be released. “Ya’ve worked harder than half the folk in this town since we got here, ya never complain ‘bout the work we get ya ta do even when yer exhausted, and ya worked overtime every day this past week!”

“But Ah…” Braeburn flinched as Sheriff Silverstar’s voice grew louder. He bit his lip, glad the stallions seemed to be heading to the apple field where they wouldn’t stare at the conversation the two were having any longer. “Daddy just…”

Braeburn knew his eyes were close to watering as they began to sting. He forced himself to look at the sighing, brown-coated stallion, almost flinching again.

“Braeburn, yer daddy wouldn’t want ya workin yerself ta death. How much does yer body hurt from this week alone?” Braeburn tried his best to push away the thought of his burning legs. His emerald eyes went to the direction of the rising sun, the sky still orange with morning flare.

Sheriff Silverstar began to fumble around in his blue vest as Braeburn glanced back to him, pulling out a rather plump looking bag that jingled when it moved. He held it out to Braeburn, nearly pressing it against his chest as the yellow stallion hesitantly picked it up. His eyes widened briefly as he opened the bag with both hooves, finding a large number of golden bits.

“S-Sheriff, Ah can’t take all this money.” Braeburn stated firmly as he stared into the Sheriff’s eyes, turning on a dime as he tried to hand it back, shaking his head before he felt it be pushed back against his body. “Ah can work on my own ta earn it, Ah ain’t done nothin’ worth all of that!”

“Ya’ve done more than enough these past few years, Braeburn.” The brown coated stallion chuckled, however Braeburn felt his throat go dry when he tried to respond. He clutched the bag with both hooves, suddenly very aware that the sheriff was taller than him as he felt a hoof planted on top of his hat. “That’s only a week’s pay in advance plus a little outta my own pocket, and if Ah see ya come ‘gain before week’s end Ah’ll make ya earn every last bit and extra, till ya pass out.”

“Ah’m fine, Ah’m telling ya.” Braeburn tried his best to ignore how the other was looking to him, his eyes so kind, yet they treated him like he needed this, like he was doing him a favor. He slowly put the money into his vest pocket with a sigh, feeling only slightly defeated.

“Use some of that money on yerself,” the Sheriff spoke as he lifted a hoof to twirl his mustache. He looked to the apple trees, making sure the stallions were hard at work, not slacking off because he wasn’t close by. “Ah know ya love yer daddy, but ya’ve been workin’ so hard ya should spend some of that on yerself. Ah can’t remember the last time those darn gossipin’ mares near the Salt Lick talked ‘bout seein’ ya with a stallion by yer side.”

“Ah ain’t really thought ‘bout datin’ much lately… A-And there ain’t exactly a lot of ponies around here willin’ ta give me the time of day ‘bout that.” Braeburn felt himself blush at that, scratching his cheek thoughtlessly in a shy wince. The chuckle that came from the other’s throat made it clear he had already seen it. The yellow stallion looked to his hooves once more, running one across the dirt to form a small line.

“Well there’s somethin’ ya could do, mister moneybags.” The brown coated stallion teased before lifting his hoof to give a tip of his hat. “Now ya run ‘long now. Ah have ta go make sure Sunny ain’t lookin’ ta only
buck those trees again.”

Braeburn found himself nodding out of habit, feeling the urge to argue further die out within him as the sheriff trotted away spryly.

He was left alone when he looked to the sky, seeing rainclouds in the distance threatening to come and give the town a much needed shower. He took his first few steps away from the orchard, not exactly looking forward to his long walk back to his home. He felt the bag of bits with his hoof as he slowly came back into town, the beginnings of civilization making way through the small mountains that contained the orchard.

He thought about it briefly as his eyes came to the train station, and in a split second his hooves began trotting in the direction of it, not many ponies coming in or out of it quite yet. It probably wouldn’t be long before he could get a ticket.

“Might as well see how Daddy’s doin…”

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Soarin found himself staring at his own reflection in the lenses of his goggles, as he squeezed the frames. He swallowed hard as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat, finding it difficult to sit still as his eyes glanced to the drizzling rain covering the small city. He felt himself push out a heavy breath from his lungs, feelings his hooves begin to tremble before he pressed the goggles firmly against his chest.

Even if he was physically as far away as he could possibly be from where he had spent the past several weeks while still remaining in the facility, he couldn’t help but find himself become nervous as his eyes looked around, seeing many ponies in casts or still getting used to their freedom from them. He saw a few mares in wheelchairs, causing his stomach to turn before he continued staring into his lap.

The white walls were back. He had to close his eyes if he looked at them too long, just for a change of scenery. The area itself connected to the rest of the hospital he had just escaped the day before, the feeling of an invisible leash tightening around his neck as he thought about how easy it would be to walk to his old room from his current position. He found it best to wrap his upper legs around himself as he hunched over. It at least made the cold air around him feel a bit warmer.

Soarin tried his best to ignore the looks he knew his wing was getting as he kept scraping and clawing at the bandages uncomfortably. He tried to pick a spot close to the door, someplace where he would be able to listen to the rain as it splattered on the pavement outside. He brought a hoof up to his teeth, gnawing the edge as he curled up slightly in his seat, feeling his mind wander. The sound of ponies’ hooves tapping began to blur when he managed to keep his breathing calm; the voices muddled as if they were under water.

“Mister Soarin?” The pegasus’s own noise that escaped his throat broke the otherwise fairly quiet room, earning him several awkward stares as he looked to the nurse before him. He sat up as straight as he could when he saw the white unicorn, her eyes looking to him with mild concern at his surprised outburst.

“Y-Yes,” the blue pegasus felt his cheeks warm a bit as he pulled on his ear, looking to the white wall beside him instead of at the mare. “Sorry, I dozed off for a second.”

“I’m gonna need you to fill out this form,” she spoke, lowering a clipboard and pencil with her silver glow of magic to the pegasi’s hooves. He blinked as he tried to focus on the words before him. “Just the basics of your condition, and what not.”

“S-Shouldn’t they already know all of that?” The pegasus asked as he put the pencil in his mouth, pressing the tip against the paper as he eyed the nurse through his muffled words.

“This is just the usual stuff.” The white coated nurse looked down on him when she spoke, her blue eyes boring into him. “The first session is mostly about learning to manage and care for yourself despite your condition. Determining the treatment you need is one thing. If all goes well you’ll be better in...a few months to years.”

“Years.” Soarin found himself gripping the clipboard tightly. He closed his eyes briefly, trying to calm his breathing. The word was drilling into his heart as he felt his breath be ripped from his mouth. He felt the pencil grow loose in his mouth before he let it drop to the clipboard. He stood up slowly as he tried his best to hand the clipboard back to the mare, the pencil slipping and falling to the floor. His hooves trembled before he pressed one to his forehead for support.

“I’m sorry, I just… I can’t do this.” Soarin wasn’t able to finish his sentence properly, his voice shaking.

“This is a perfectly normal reaction.” The mare tried her best to assure him as she took the clipboard back, trying to reach out a comforting hoof that he shrugged off.

“I didn’t even want to be here.” He snapped in a hiss under his breath, glaring at the ground. “I… I’m never gonna… The doctors told me this might not even help me go back to my job. That it might just be a waste of time.”

“Yes, that’s always a possibility, but it’s very unlikely that…”

“Screw this, I don’t need your pity. I’m not weak.” Soarin wanted to spit on the ground, but somehow he only managed to stomp off with his eyes stinging, finding the doorway before the nurse was able to call out to him. He bursted out the glass door, damp air filling his lungs. He felt it finally happen; his eyes watered as he pressed himself against a pole that held up the small canopy above him. He angrily pressed a hoof to his eyes, wiping away a tear as he bit into his lip.

The pegasus sniffled, closing his eyes to prevent the tears from spilling out the best he could as he fell against the ground. He found himself planting both hooves over his ears, trying to block out any kind of noise coming from ponies walking past him, though few there were. He wasn’t prepared to cry in public as he held his breath; every time he let it loose he found it was shaking just as much as the rest of him.

It took several minutes, but the pegasus slowly looked in front of him, staring at several pony drawn taxis passing by the buildings and shops in the street before him. It was the same site he had seen every day for the past three weeks, the same one he would see if he came back as much as they wanted him too.

“Soarin?”

The pegasus found himself jumping. He growled under his breath, angry that he had gotten so lost in thought for the second time in such a short time period. He sniffled as he turned to the figure. “Look, I told you I don’t want…”

Braeburn was staring back at him. He was so busy being frustrated at the idea of a nurse following him that he barely registered the idea they likely didn’t have such a thick accent. The yellow stallion acted nervous, as his eyes kept darting away from the pegasi’s face when he looked down to his hooves.

“Ya uh…got a little somethin’.” The stallion spoke, pressing a hoof to his own cheek. “Ah know Ah don’t like ponies talkin’ ta me when Ah cry, A-Ah’m sorry, but Ah saw ya and thought Ah’d say howdy and didn’t realize ya were cryin’ like that… S-Should Ah go away now?”

Soarin wiped his eyes with a single leg as he shook his head slowly. “No, it’s fine, I’m just… being stupid.”

“Oh, okay.” Braeburn still looked a tad uncertain, as his bubbly personality wasn’t exactly shining through as it had the last time they spoke. Though sitting in one spot so neatly for so long seemed to be taking its toll, as he kept squirming every few moments. “Do ya remember who Ah am? Ah mean we only talked once fer a good ten minutes, Ah wouldn’t be hurt if ya forgot.”

“Braeburn,” Soarin said, his voice still shaky, though it calmed him a bit to see Braeburn’s warm smile when he said his name. “What are you… doing here?”

“Oh, uh,” Braeburn grabbed the end of his mane and pulled on it, looking a tad embarrassed. “Ah was sort of forced into a vacation, and Ah thought’d Ah’d see Daddy… Visitin’ hours ain’t till noon.”

“Thats a heck of a thing to forget coming out all this way.” Soarin stated, chuckling a little through his shaky breath.

“Shut up!” Braeburn whined, though his voice wasn’t as upset as he led Soarin onto believe, he simply lowered his hat a little past his eyes by looking down and dragged his hoof lightly across the pavement. “Ah didn’t think it through, alright, don’t tease me.”

Braeburn and Soarin remained silent before the yellow earth pony finally looked back to him. “A-Are you alright? Ah thought ya got out of the hospital days ago.”

Soarin looked away. He felt that icy claw return in his chest, tightening around his insides. Spitfire was going to scream at him when she found out how he panicked and stormed out. He pressed a hoof against his bandaged wing, feeling the knotted muscles as he let the dull pain subside.

“I… I kind of…” His words trailed off, he knew Braeburn was staring at him with those wide eyes of his. He knew he must look horrible, his eyes still had heavy bags under them, his cheeks still wet with tears and eyes red from the same. He began to regret ever coming here today… his mind flooding with thoughts of his damaged wing.

“Let’s go out for lunch.”

“Uh, excuse me?” Braeburn asked him, looking mildly puzzled at the Pegasi’s sudden suggestion. “It ain’t even noon.”

“Then breakfast, whatever.” Soarin knew his voice has a bit of panic in it, but the more he thought of going anywhere alone to let his thoughts consume him, the more he felt the claw tighten on his heart. “I’ll pay, it’ll be like a date or something.”

“D-Date?” Braeburn began to stutter the word, taking a step back in mild shock. Soarin watched his cheeks blush as a nervous chuckle rose from the yellow stallion’s throat. “Ah mean… Ah’m flattered, yer cute and… n-no, that ain’t what Ah wanted ta say.”

“Does that mean no?” Soarin questioned him, fearing for a moment he had judged the yellow stallion wrong. “I mean, you do like stallions, right?”

“No… Ah mean yes…Ah mean.” Braeburn shook his head as he pulled his hat past his eyes forcefully with his hoof to hide the top half of his face. “A-Ah uh… are ponies from where yer from this sudden ‘bout askin ponies they barely know out? H-How did ya know Ah liked stallions?”

“I dunno, I just figured.” Soarin responded, finding the cowpony’s response to his words rather intriguing. “It isn’t that hard to tell when a stallion blushes every time a guy talks to him.”

“O-Oh…it’s that obvious…” Braeburn began pulling on the end of his mane, proving Soarin’s words further as his face grew pink, to which he groaned in annoyance when he realized it.

Soarin tried his best to show a smile, even if it was work to pull it off convincingly with his eyes still burning from his tears. “I don’t know anypony around here. All my friends are working for the next few days. It doesn’t have to be a date...I just thought you’re easy to talk to about stuff that isn’t…y’know, stressful.”

“Ah didn’t really mean ta take all of Sheriff Silverstar’s advice.” Braeburn looked at the pegasus briefly by raising his hat. His face was still pink, but Soarin’s smile turned just a bit more true when he saw him like that. The earth pony swallowed hard, fixing his hat briefly as he straightened his back, putting a nervous smile on his face. “What the hay, Ah ain’t got nothin’ better ta do.”

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Braeburn found himself staring at the table before him. He briefly squirmed on the pillow he was seated on before his eyes looked to the side of him, seeing the red walls and small short stools behind the countertop. The place was busy, but not exactly loud or over crowded to the point where the yellow stallion felt he was being suffocated.

“You’re not hungry?” The voice of the blue pegasus questioned him, bringing him back to the reality before him.

Braeburn looked to the other briefly, seeing him stuff his face with strips of grilled hay as if he was famished. Braeburn looked down to his own dish of hay and and eggs, shaking his head at Soarin’s question before he picked up a strip of hay to put in his mouth.

“You’ve been quiet for a while.” Soarin stated, leaning into his seat to look at Braeburn’s face. “I didn’t think you of all ponies would be shy being out with a guy.”

“What makes ya say that?” Braeburn found himself bringing up a defense. He couldn’t help but feel embarrassed when he realized he really hadn’t said much this entire time the two had been together. He looked down to the strip of hay he was holding in his hoof before he put it to his mouth.

“You just blabber a lot,” Soarin said as he took a sip from a glass of apple juice he had next to his dish. “Didn’t seem very shy when you felt me up after my bandages slipped is all.”

“Ah didn’t feel ya up.” Braeburn’s voice was somewhere between a grumble and a snicker at the other’s description, but he did end up smiling as he covered his face with his hoof in an attempt to hide it. “It’s just… I-Is this really a date?”

The yellow stallion knew he was blushing when Soarin laughed at him about that comment. He wanted to snap at the other to tell him to stop laughing, but he knew that would only give him more reason to continue if he got a good look at his face.

“That’s a weird thing to ask.” Soarin gave him a smirk when the yellow stallion finally uncovered his face. It was hard to believe less than an hour ago he had found the pegasus crying to himself in the rain.

“Well Ah don’t know if ya meant it or was just teasin’ me or were just throwin’ out words for whatever reason.” Braeburn’s works picked up pace when he spoke, the stallion knowing he was babbling once more. “Ah ain’t good with this kinda stuff.”

“Well that’s obvious.” Soarin began resting his face on his hoof by propping it up against the table. He chuckled when he watched Braeburn began pulling on the end of his long golden mane. “I guess it’s whatever you want it to be, you’re cute so I wouldn’t mind if being a date if you want that.”

“C-Cute. Right.” Braeburn mumbled as he fiddled with his mane. Truth be told he still wasn’t able to tell if Soarin was teasing him or not, that thought hanging over his head making it difficult to determine if the feeling in his chest was from anxiety or simply warmth. He took a sip of his water as he looked to the table once more. “Sorry, Ah ain’t really that great at this kinda stuff.”

“I can tell you aren’t uncomfortable being seen with another stallion in a restaurant.” Soarin spoke, his eyes looking up and down the other’s body. He was holding his drink with both hooves, leaning to the opposite side of his bandaged wing. “I’m guessing a lot of ponies know?”

“Yeah, whole family and friends and whatnot.” Braeburn laughed quietly when he took a bite of his eggs. “Ain’t really that scary when ya have a cousin who got a boyfriend they brings ta every reunion ta smooth out the waters. They hooked up last winter, boyfriend's a real cutie pie. He doesn’t like ta talk ‘bout it much, or at all actually. But they love each other a whole heapin' lot. Ah only really realized it a few years ago, he made it easier ta feel like nopony would be upset or nothin’.”

“Guess it’s a lot easier to figure it out for yourself if it’s normal.” Soarin gave the other a smirk, though Braeburn noticed his eyes were mostly focused on fiddling with his straw, his hoof constantly grabbing back to his wing.

“Yeah, a lot of ponies teased me sayin’ they knew.” Braeburn scratched his cheek with his hoof, giving off a nervous chuckle when he thought about the memory. “Ah was always the baby growin’ up. A lot of ponies were born real close together in my family an’ Ah was the last fer a good five or six years. My cousin’s used ta all tell me which aunt woulda give ya sweets and which would smack ya with their cane an’ call ya chubby if ya asked.”

“Big Braeby?” Soarin asked him.

“Yer jokes stink.” Braeburn commented.

“Sounds like fun though, regardless.” Soarin spoke with a small smile directed at the other. “Me and my buddies are real close knit like that too, cept’ a lot of them hit on each other. Causes weird work problems, I like to try and stick to ponies outside of all that.”

“Mmm, usually easier,” Braeburn agreed, biting off a piece of hay as he continued speaking. “Daddy met my Ma workin’, least that’s what he told me.”

“Well you happened.” Soarin commented. “Loudmouth or not, you’re a pretty decent pony so far.”

“Yeah, he says that was the only good thing ta come outta that.” Braeburn blushed, feeling a little embarrassed by Soarin’s comment. “Ah never knew my Ma, Ah mean she didn’t die or nothin’, just left right after Ah was born. Ah ain’t ever missed her or nothin’, Daddy’s always been there fer me.”

“Mmm.”

“Sorry,” Braeburn looked down to his hooves briefly. “Ah talk a lot ‘bout myself… a lot of ponies tell me Ah don’t know when ta shut up.”

“It’s no big deal.” Soarin shrugged.

There was a brief moment of silence between the two where Braeburn nodded, taking a moment to look at Soarin as he chewed on the inside of his cheek. He put his hooves on the table as he looked into the other’s emerald eyes.

“So uh… Soarin.” The yellow stallion spoke up. “Ah’ve been thinkin’ fer a while, an Ah might be wrong and just look real dumb when Ah spill it. Ah mean after Ah first saw ya Ah thought ya looked familiar and thought it was somepony Ah knew but…”

“Braeburn.” Soarin spoke, bringing the stallion back to earth as he chuckled nervously.

“Sorry, babblin’. Ya aren’t exactly a nopony, are ya? Yer one of those Wonderwhatzits.”

Soarin’s eyes looked up to his, raising a brow before chuckling quietly, perhaps at the serious expression which quickly regressed from Braeburn’s face when he realized he held it. “I was wondering when you’d finally realize it, you dope.”

“Ah don’t like sports all that much, Ah told ya.” Braeburn pulled on his mane when Soarin kept staring into his eyes, his belly feeling strange when he realized the other looked a bit more enthused by the conversation now that he was a part of it. “Ah didn’t wanna feel like an idiot by findin’ out later, and Ah’ve seen a bunch of posters lately but Ah just…Ah ain’t a dope.”

“Calm down, I was just teasing you.” Soarin gave a little laugh, though it wasn’t exactly mocking. Something in his laugh managed to make Braeburn feel a little better. “It just…ugh this sounds weird…”

“What is it?” Braeburn leaned in, earning him another smile at his attention.

“I just feel weirdly glad that somebody noticed.” Soarin put a hoof behind his head as he looked away. “It’s been a while since anypony really just asked me who I was. I mean, I was on top of the world a few weeks ago.”

Braeburn looked to Soarin’s hooves, watching him grip his cup a little more roughly than before as he used both hooves. The yellow stallion glanced back to the pegasi’s wing.

“A lot of ponies stopped talking to me when I passed them in the hallways. For the first few days the place was crowded with fans.” Soarin gave a dry laugh at the memory. “I don’t think the hospital was really ready for that kind of crowd, it was really loud for the first few days… made me angry cause I was so doped up on all those drugs they gave me after my surgery.”

“How did… ya hurt yer wing?” Braeburn asked the other, his voice a tad hesitant.

“I… did something stupid my last show,” Soarin admitted, leaning his head down so he could grab his mane with his hoof. “I dunno, I wasn’t thinking. I just… tried to give the crowd what they wanted, even though I was dead tired and the show was technically over. I think my friend caught me before I fell. ‘Cept he had to grab onto something to stop me, you can kinda guess what it was.”

“Your wing.” Braeburn stated, noticing the crowd of the restaurant was slowly depleting as the breakfast hours drew to a close.

“Yeah, the idiot sobbed in my room for a week before I told him to shut up.” Soarin shook his head slowly, Braeburn beginning to shift uncomfortably in his seat. “They printed this dumb article in one of those awful magazines that make up drama for dramas sake about it. The thing said that he sabotaged me, I didn’t even know the damn thing existed till I asked him what he was so upset about.”

The blue pegasus let out a whinny. “Around the time I told him to go and focus on his work the fans started leaving. I read some article a few days ago about how the Wonderbolts had their best show yet. I swear all of them say that, but this one just pushed my buttons. I mean, I don’t know why but I just felt so…”

Braeburn found himself reaching out his hoof, grasping it around Soarin’s as he heard the pegasi’s words cut short. He didn’t look up at Braeburn’s eyes, but he did stare at his hoof as he loosened the grip on his mane, sitting up straight.

“Ah saw one of yer shows.” Braeburn spoke, squeezing his hoof around the other’s. “It was just somethin’ my Daddy wanted ta see few years back when ya’ll passed by town. Ah don’t remember much, but Ah know ya flew amazin’. Ah remember bein’ really impressed, Ah didn’t see many professional fliers, it was weird thinkin’ ponies did it fer sport instead of just weather duties and stuff. But… the crowd was excited an’ ah was gettin’ excited too, Daddy said Ah cheered like an idiot.”

Soarin looked up to Braeburn’s eyes, the yellow stallion realizing there was a blush on the pegasi’s blue face. He didn’t expect that kind of reaction as he watched him pull his hoof away, grabbing it with the other as the pink remained on his face. Braeburn decided not to bring it up, even if he couldn’t help but stare at it.

“Sorry… I didn’t really think I was gonna get carried away with that and all…” Soarin mumbled, still feeling his hoof. “Um… thanks for trying to cheer me up.”

Braeburn gave the other a smile alone with a giggle, the pegasus finding it hard to look him in the eye after that.

“So why’d ya ask a nopony like me out ta breakfast with ya?” Braeburn took another sip of his water as he watched Soarin shrug. “Ya know nopony will believe me if Ah tell em a Wonderbolt asked me out. It really ain’t fair on my part.”

“You’re just easy to talk to.” Soarin stated, little hesitation. “It’s nice to have somepony friendly around to talk to.”

Braeburn found his eyes drifting to the waitress who began trotting in their direction. She wore a bright red apron that matched her yellow fur and mane well. “Anything else I can do for you two?”

“No, we’re good.” The pegasus stated, beginning to stand up from his seat when he issued for Braeburn to wait for a minute with a raise of his hoof. The pegasus trotted off as Braeburn ate the last few pieces of his meal, finding it a tad sad how quickly it had gone by.

He watched as Soarin paid the mare, though he also saw him scribble something down with a pencil in his mouth, giving the waitress a handsome tip before he walked away by the looks of it.

“So, that’s that.” Soarin came back with a strange smile on his face. “I think I should probably get back to my hotel before it starts coming down again. My buddies will kill me if my bandages get screwy in the rain.”

“Oh… uh, right.” Braeburn tried to hide the disappointment in his tone, however it still came off. He stood up slowly, when he lifted his hat he saw that Soarin was holding out a slip of paper, the yellow stallion hesitantly taking it before he unfolded it.

“Maringtin’ Inn, 210.” The stallion mumbled the words.

“Just in case nopony believes you when you tell them a celebrity asked you out on a date.” Soarin joked, though Braeburn couldn’t help but notice the pink tint from before was still on his blue face. “And uh… if you get bored and want to see me.”

“So this was a date?” Braeburn raised his brow at the other, making sure to carefully fold the address and place it in his vest pocket.

“Sure, I mean why not?” Soarin asked with a chuckle. “Beating around the bush is boring, isn’t it?”

“Ah’ll keep that in mind.” Braeburn nodded, a small warmth that was similar to a candle growing in his chest as the two trotted to the door, opening up into the damp air of midday.

“See you later, Braeby.” Soarin spoke, the yellow stallion strangely not annoyed as much this time when he was called by that name, though he still managed to roll his eyes before he watched Soarin walk off, pausing at the curb to wave to the other.

Braeburn waved back before checked his pocket once more to assure the slip was still there, mumbling the words under his breath so he wouldn’t forget.

“Maringtin’ Inn, 210…”

Author's Note:

So I learned it isn't normal to add two spaces after a period. Huh. That is going to be really awkward to get used to.

Anyway I finished a chapter in under a month, yay!

Comments

[SageBrony07]

Nice chapter. I like the romance and how Soarin and Rapidfire had a bit of a conversation. I guess we now know what is going to happen to Soarin.

[Skrive Flip]

Ground forces repport that this, is in fact, Cute.
Many a forward scouts have been lost to the dawwws.
We are planning on sending in a second squard for further reconisance.

[Timishi]

I'm enjoying this so far and I'm extremely excited to see where it goes.

[Llyander]

The two spaces after a full stop thing has fallen out of favour in the days of the internet.

It's how I was taught as a kid and fuck it, I still do it in all my writing because otherwise it looks weirdly cramped to me.

[-Brutus]

OO Im excited of what will happen next :D

[Wireframe]

Winding roads was once one of the first fanfics I've read and was the introduction to Soarburn for me. To date it still remains one of my favorite stories which has been read several times over by now. You mentioned back then that you didn't like the direction crossroads was heading into and were looking for a new course to take the Soarburn ship. It looks like it's finally here ^^

It's nice to see some recognisable elements in the characters returning. Soarin still seems more certain of himself, when it doesn't evolve physical therapy or a fear of being forgotten, and Braeburn is innocent and adorable as ever. I like Braeburn's overly talkative nature in this new story as well as the shift of focus from accepting sexualities within a darker setting, and a slight hero/damsel in distress aspect of the relationship, to a developing relatonship on more equal grounds. The tension this time being on Soarin's side with Braeburn helping out is a fun change too.

I like the interactions between your characters and the descriptions of their behavior, setting and feelings within dialogues. A strong example is the part where Soar is asked to sign the forms. I also enjoyed both the conversations between Soarin and Rapidfire, as well as Breaburn and Soarin, which remains rather touching and cute. I also like how flawed Soarin at times appears, but seems rather genuine because of it.

I look forward to seeing your take on these characters develop further and the direction you'll be taking the story into, should you find your motivation to write once more that is ^^