Blue Eyes and a Beat

by TheOriginalDash

A Rainy Revelation

We sprinted out of the park, not taking time to enjoy the scenery, as we had earlier. As it was, we weren't quite fast enough, and raindrops pelted us on our way to town. I held my jacket and wings over the two of us, trying to keep the rain off, but it didn't help much. We charged through the streets, desperate for any shelter, and dodging any pedestrians in our way. We almost knocked down an old lady or two, and I felt quite bad about that. Finally, I spotted my favorite restaurant, a little Chinese place by the name of Chop Suey Charlie's. It was little more than a hole in the wall, but served the most amazing soup. That's exactly what I needed after a thorough soaking. I veered to the left, dragging Vinyl after me. We stumbled through the plate-glass doors, and stood in the entryway for a minute, dripping and miserable. Finally, after a good shake, we had most of the excess water off. I held open the inside door for Vinyl, and we trudged in, tempted by the inviting aromas from within. We walked up to the counter, smiling at the lady behind it.

"Table for two, please." She sniffed disdainfully at us, as if we were drowned rats that soiled her air, instead of paying customers. She twitched out of the opening behind her, and led us stiffly through the restaurant. We sat down at the indicated table, and as soon as we ordered our drinks, she scurried away, glad to be rid of us. Before we got plates at the buffet, I motioned for Vinyl to follow me. I led her to the bathrooms in the back, and walked in with her. I gestured at one of the hand dryers, and then took a place at one of my own. It didn't take long for her to catch onto my mad genius, and she was soon drying off.

"Aren't I a genius?" I put my head under the dryer and shook it vigorously. I was smiling at how I imagined I must look. Like a wet, prismatic dog, shaking dry under the vent.

"It does feel good to be semi-dry again," Vinyl said dryly. She continued to dry her shoes out. That rain was something fierce.

A couple of seconds later, some old ladies walked in. At the sight of us drying off, their eyes went wide, and they hurried out. Our laughter could be heard even over the loud dryers, bouncing off the lemon yellow walls and snow white tiles. I was doubled over, gasping for air. My sides were aching, and I was busy wondering what those two ladies had thought, coming in here and seeing us. I knew at that time, Vinyl had her shirt off, running it under the dryers, because I'd had my eyes fixed on one particular tile between my feet. Whatever they saw must've been pretty darn funny, because they ran through that door as fast as Pinkie at a party.

I finally was almost dry, and so was Vinyl. We walked out of the bathroom, hand in hand, and immediately saw those old ladies sitting at a table, surrounded by other elderly women. The two of them blushed, while their companions wore various looks of surprise and disapproval. I smiled at one particularly venomous old bat (the tattered old Birdie wings didn't help the image), and she dropped her eyes to the floor. Satisfied, I pulled Vinyl up to the buffet, and proceeded to pile my plate with everything in reach.

We walked back to our table, footsteps padded by thick, red carpet. I sat my plate down, and held out Vinyl's chair for her. She blushed at the display, and quickly took her seat. I took my place at the opposite side of the polished wooden table, and started eating. And, oh, how amazing it was. The was hot, steamy WonTon Soup, spicy, sticky General Tso's chicken, and those amazing green beans I always forget the name of. I had Beef Teriyaki, Spicy Pork with Rice, and creamy Crab Rangoon. And don't let me forget the bacon-wrapped Crab Bites. It was all so good, and I was sad when I couldn't eat any more. I looked over at Vinyl, who was staring wide eyed at my tower of dishes, and then at her own two plates plus a bowl. I took a drink of iced tea, and settled back in my chair, crossing my long legs as I stretched them out to nudge her calf with my foot.

"Um, did you really just eat all that?" She began wildly gesturing at my stack of plates and bowls. It was a lot, I suppose.

"Yep, I've got a high metabolism. It's either eat loads, or sleep all the time. Even though I like sleeping, I like eating more." I patted my stomach, now slightly distended from all of the food I'd eaten. I hadn't eaten since breakfast, and it was dinner time now, so that really didn't help the issue.

"Uh, okay, I can believe that." She didn't seem entirely convinced, but accepted my explanation as fact. "Hey, so when are we gonna talk about, that thing, from earlier?"

Oh, crap. I had forgotten that. I glanced at the clock, then at the impatient waitress from earlier. "Hey, how about this. It's almost closing time, and the storm isn't going to let up any time soon, so I'll go pay, and we'll head over to my place. Then I'll tell you." She looked disappointed, then nodded her head, and stood up. "I'll be right back, and then we can go. It's only a block away, and I really don't want to talk about this in public." I pulled out a weak smile, and walked over to pay the austere, gray-haired witch. I couldn't tell whether she was Magi or Groundling, as the former didn't show any physical differences such as funny tinted skin or horns or anything, but I figured it would be in my best interest to not anger her. Made Twi angry once for crashing into her house, and that was an experience I'd rather not repeat. You can only get turned into a houseplant so many times.

As soon as that matter was over, I trotted over to Vinyl, who was standing at the window, watching the sheets of rain come tumbling down. "Hey, I'm back! Man, that woman was mean. Reminded me of my great-gram..." She turned around, a look of doubt in her eyes. I ran a hand over my face. "Look I wasn't avoiding the question. This just isn't something I want overheard. Now, are you coming, or not?"

She nodded, and we raced through the slick city streets, dodging bodies again, and trying to avoid as much rain as possible. We made it to my apartment finally, and ducked into the doorway. I fumbled my keys out with numb fingers, and let us both in. We were both shaking and cold, and I ran to the bathroom to get some towels. I came back to the hallway, and found Vinyl sitting on the wooden floor, scratching Tank in his favorite spot. The sight warmed my heart, and for a minute, I thought everything would be all right. Then, my heart was heavy again as I remembered the secrets I would be sharing. Even the girl I trusted most in all of the world never knew the whole story behind my dad and mom's separation.

I walked toward her, feet heavy as lead. I handed her a fluffy towel, and wrapped one around myself. I helped her up, and then dried off as best as I could. She did the same, rubbing her hair until it stuck up like porcupine quills. It was ridiculous, and it made me laugh, my spirits not quite so low. Her hair had a habit of standing out in deranged ways, but it was always good for a laugh.

She stuck her tongue out, and then walked toward the small living room. I cranked the heat up, and followed close behind, feet dragging on the carpet. Finally, I flopped down next to her on the dark purple sofa. I sighed, relaxing against both Vinyl, and the soft cushions. She leaned against me, tired and cold.

"So, now that we're all comfortable, how about that story you were gonna tell me?" She looked at me, no idea of what she was getting into.

I looked at her sympathetically, despite it being that most people would pity me, and began my tragic story. "Well, it was a long time ago, I was still just a kid, five or six. So, ten years ago, give or take a few months. It was about a couple of years after I met you. Life was about as good as it could be, I had loving parents, a brother, and two sisters. I was a middle child, about a year younger than my brother, Cloud. It was around my birthday when it happened."

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I was sitting in bed, crying. Mom and Dad were having another fight, I could tell. Their voices were raised, and Dad and Mom were both crying. I heard a door slam, and I heard Mom sit down, still softly weeping. The small war in our house was nothing new, but Mom sobbing loud enough that I could hear her down the hallway was unexpected.

"Whas' goin' on?" Little Moonrise had woken up. She was looking around, bleary-eyed, as her twin Sunset slept deeply beside her.

"Nothin' Moon, go back to sleep. You don' wanna wake up Sunny, do ya? She shook her white-blond head head vigorously, and lay back down. Within a minute, snoring resumed. Now that that was taken care of, I went to see Mom.

I got up very quietly, tiptoeing through the dark room. I got to the doorway, and, mindful of the squeaky first board, crept down the carpeted hallway to Mom's room. I reached my destination, and peered inside cautiously. After I was sure it was just her inside the purple room, I knocked on the door. She looked up, startled. Once she saw that it was me, she motioned for me to come inside. I held out my arms for a hug, and she scooped me up, fingers smoothing down my messy hair. I felt soothed, but that wasn't my purpose for coming here. I was here to make Mom feel better.

"Mommy, what's Daddy doing? Where is he?" I looked up into her beautiful, tear-stained face, framed by tumbling blonde locks. She was a great beauty, always had been. She swallowed, and stared at me for a long minute. She breathed in deeply, and smiled dazzlingly at me.

"It's okay, Dashie, Daddy's just out for a walk. He'll be back soon. Don't worry, he still loves us, he's just, having a hard time right now." She didn't look as if she entirely believed it herself, but I was convinced. She hugged me tightly once more, and then carried me back to the room I shared with the twins. I always loved being carried by my parents. It was like flying, but without all the effort, and a lot of added security.

"Goodnight, Dashie, sweet dreams." She closed the door, and walked back to her room. I heard her bedroom door shut, and I snuggled down tightly into my fluffy blue comforter, the color of the sky I was born to belong in.

I fell asleep, and thought nothing of that night, until a few days later. That was the day Daddy left for good.

He showed up at the door of my room to say goodbye. He picked me up, and hugged me tightly, the smell of his aftershave stinging my nose. I sneezed, and he smiled. He squeezed me tightly for a few moments, then set me down, and said goodbye to the twins. He smiled sadly at us, and said he'd be going away for a while. Cloud appeared behind him, wearing his favorite wolf shirt, blond hair ruffled, and blue eyes puzzled.

"Daddy, where are you going?" I was confused by how sudden it was. Cloud was too, thin nose scrunched in concentration. He smiled at me, and spoke as if every word was a knife in his heart. Some days, I wish that could have deterred him.

"It doesn't matter. But don't worry, I'll be back for your birthday." He turned to walk out the door, sorrow written clearly on his face. Cloud and I each hugged his legs, and let go. He reached down and tousled our hair, and then walked out the front door with another man, a stranger with dark hair and darker eyes.

The man smiled at us, and let Daddy out the door.

Daddy never did show up on my birthday, or on any after. He always sent a present and a card. Mom would always mail back pictures, and a letter about what we were like now. I missed him terribly, but I was so young, that it didn't really make much of an impression on me, as I got older and slowly forgot what it was like to have a father at all.

It wasn't until much later that I figured out the truth of why he left.

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I closed my eyes, tears threatening to leak out. I heard Vinyl gasp beside me. She reached out and put a hand on my shoulder.

"I'm so sorry, I never knew. I can't believe that he would do that, and not even explain." That did it, I was crying now, the tears flowing down my face and dripping off the end of my nose. Vinyl reached over and pulled me to her, burying her head in my shoulder. "Hey, it'll be okay. I'm here now. I'll always be here." I started laughing; it was so similar to what I had told her many times before. Usually I was her rock, not the other way around.

I pulled back, wiping my eyes with the back of my hand. "I guess what hurts the most, is that, all those years, the other kids would tease me, and call my dad a fag. And not once did I believe them, which started the whole rumor that I was gay, too. And he couldn't even tell me! He didn't ever once, explain himself, in all those years." I had started crying again, but I wasn't sad. I was kind of angry at my dad for that, and it was finally leaking out. "I guess it was true, after all. It does run in the family."

I looked over at Vinyl, who was covering her laughter with a hand. "What!? What's so funny?" She couldn't hold back any more, and shook with laughter. I was a little annoyed at this point, and nudged her with an elbow.

She looked up, and answered my question. "You can't honestly believe that homosexuality is hereditary?" She collapsed back on the couch, laughing some more. That stung, a little.

"Fine, I see how it is. I just won't share my thoughts with you anymore!" She turned around, and looked at me seriously. I felt childish for saying that, but she had hurt my feelings by dismissing my theory, far fetched as it was.

"And who will you share with, then? Rarity? Twilight?" She waggled her eyebrows a bit on that last one. I gave up, an exasperated sigh escaping my lips. "Look, I was just kidding, okay? I just thought that was kind of silly, that's all. And no matter what you are, I'll still love you. I mean, it's kind of a good thing that you are, well, the way you are. Otherwise, I would've looked the fool." I leaned over, and shut her up with a kiss. Usually I looked the fool, and it would take her a long time to catch up, but I didn't tell her that.

"Hey, I don't care if it's inherited or not, if I wasn't like this, I may not have ever fallen in love with the coolest person I know." She looked at me, wanting to speak. I kissed her softly again, and leaned against her, waiting for her to recover her breath. I'm a pretty good kisser, you know?

"I'm the coolest person you know? I thought that was you." She smiled at the praise, and poked me with a finger.

"Well, okay. You're the second coolest person I know." I smirked, and she poked me again. Then she had the bright idea to try to tickle me. While I was dodging the flurry of fingers, I caught sight of the window, and more importantly, what was outside. The moon. Luna's beautiful celestial body. Not that her physical body isn't stunning....

"Um, Vinyl? I think you're gonna have to stay here over night. It's kind of late." She stopped abruptly, turning towards the window, realizing the exact same thing I had noticed seconds before.

"Oh, I guess you're right. Crap. Well this is gonna be awkward." She turned back around, and smiled at me, a bit sheepish. Why so awkward? We had had dozens of sleepovers, even in this very apartment.

"Well, I guess it's official. We're having a slumber party!" I stood up, and grabbed my damp towel off of the couch. I looked back down at Vinyl, and realized that I had a problem. "Hey, how about I sleep on the couch tonight, and you take my bed. Sound good?" She looked up at me, startled. I ordinarily would just cuddle up in my bed with her, but seeing as we had just started this whole relationship thing, I felt there were rules of propriety that applied now, even if just for a little while.

"Won't you be uncomfortable? And besides, it is your house." She looked worried. But I couldn't let her make a sacrifice when she was the guest.

"Nah, I'll be fine. This couch is soft as a cloud. And you're my guest, anyway." I grinned at her, and helped her up off the couch. "I would suggest that we share the bed, but that might be a little awkward, it being only the first date and all." I looked sideways at her, and she blushed as she punched me lightly.

"No thanks, Cassanova. I'll be just fine sleeping by myself." I faked a disappointed look, and she hit me again. I'm going to end up with permanent bruises by the time all is said and done.

"I'll be right back, you wait here." I took her damp towel, and disappeared around the corner. I walked quickly down the narrow hallway, and soon reached the small bedroom. I dumped the towels in the basket in the bathroom, and proceeded to straighten up the room a little. Luckily, I had just cleaned it a few day ago, so there were only a few shirts to pick up. I tossed those into the dirty hamper, and set off in search of clean pajamas for Vinyl and myself.

It was a good thing she was only about five or six inches shorter than me, because her curves luckily keep the clothes she borrows from being too big. I found a pair of my old Spongebob pants, which were a little short on me, and a blue stonewashed tee for her. I had found my Star Wars pants, and a plain black tee for myself. I grabbed a spare blanket, and traipsed back out of the room. I got back to the hallway and handed her the clothing.

"Bathroom's down the hall, second on the left. The bedroom's on the opposite side. You'll find some extra blankets under the bed." She took the clothes, and walked off down the dark hallway. I stared after her for a minute, swept up in my adoration for her, and, you know, watching her hips sway, until Tank nudged my leg. "I know buddy, it's bedtime." I turned and went back to the living room, laying down on the couch. I waited a few minutes, and called out, "Goodnight, Vinyl."

" G'night, Dash! See you in the morning," came the quiet reply, and I settled down on the couch for a good night's sleep.

Author's Note:

The song that was part of my inspiration for writing this chapter, and really, there's nothing better than musical inspiration, is there?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-J7J_IWUhls&feature=kp

Comments

[Luna Ravenwolf]

you stoped with the pony talk