The Regular

by Milo_Chalks

Demitasse

“THAT IS SO ADORABLE!”

“S-Starlight! Keep it down would you! The walls of this house aren’t exactly sound resistant.” Sunburst cried as the ringing in his ears from Starlight Glimmer’s outburst subsided.

“Sorry Sunburst but you have to admit, you getting a love letter from a cute barista stallion, that is so sweet! I didn’t even know you trotted that way!” Starlight continued, vaguely listening to Sunburst telling her to be quiet. The flustered orange stallion went a tinge of red in his orange cheeks. He took a sip from his coffee cup to hide the blush before continuing.

“I don’t even know if I do, I still don’t understand this whole thing or where I stand. I told Ristretto we could hang out as friends and well... I don’t know! This whole thing is just confusing for me.” Sunburst nervously replied to his friend as he adjusted his position on the couch.

“Sunburst, how have you never realised who you are? Have you never been with someone in all this time? How old are you again?” Starlight Glimmer asked in rapid succession throwing Sunburst off as he still tried to find the perfect position in his lumpy furniture.

Once he figured out what to say, Sunburst began to answer. “I never really thought about this stuff Starlight! I was too saturated in my theory to worry about that stuff. That and well, I never really thought somepony would, you know? Be interested in somepony like me.” Sunburst confessed, shuffling his feet as he sat next to his friend on the couch. “Oh I don’t know how to do this, I don’t know what to think, I have never really thought about stallions, I have never really thought about mares either, but when thinking about Ristretto, I don’t know. He is my friend, oh I am so confused on what to do!” He moped as Starlight Glimmer quickly lifted both of their coffee cups with her magic to stop spillage as Sunburst latched onto her like a sick puppy.

“It’s okay Sunburst” Starlight replied hugging him back as the cups slowly sunk onto the coffee table. “Just stop overthinking it, hang out with him like you said. If you feel something more, well that is fantastic. Even if you realise you don’t want that kind of a relationship with him, you can just be friends, he will understand, from what I know he seems like he cares about you.” Starlight explained reassuringly.

“Yeah, I suppose you’re right Glimmer. It helps to have a friend like you in these situations.” Sunburst sighed picking up his coffee cup again returning to his somewhat comfortable position on the lumpy couch.

Starlight's eyes lit up at the word friend as she spun around to face Sunburst. “Yes! Another friendship lesson complete Oh Twilight will be so impressed and-” She cut off as Sunburst gave her a hard look. “And always good to help a friend in need” Starlight finished before chuckling awkwardly, a nervous smile spreading across her face.

The two friends put their cups in the kitchen, gathered their scarves and skates as they got ready to head out to the frozen lake in the park to kick off Starlight’s bi-monthly visit.

“Oh, and Sunburst, I have a crucial question for you.” The mare quickly added as they stepped out of the house into the cold late morning, seriousness spreading over her face.

“Yeah? What is it?” Sunburst replied

“If you do fall for this stallion, can I totally be your wing-mare?”

---

“Retto! Retto! Look what I made at school today!” Shouted Hazell Quill as his older brother walked into the house. The little colt ran to his brother and hugged him tightly, a piece of paper clutched in his hoof as Ristretto dropped the shopping bags he had been holding and hugged Hazel back.

“Hello to you too Hazell, now let’s see what you have here.” Hazell Quill let go of Ristretto and stuck his hoof out to show his brother the piece of paper he had been holding. Ristretto picked up the paper and began to read the short story his little brother had written.

“Wow, this is good Hazell! There is no doubt why you got your cutie mark in writing. We gotta put this one on the fridge!” Ristretto responded as he finished reading his brother’s story. He walked over to the refrigerator and stuck it on using a magnet. Giving the short story one last look he turned back and picked up his shopping, walking into the kitchen he began unpacking his bags leaving the things he was using for the night's dinner on the bench.

“Stir-Fry tonight, go do your chores, and dinner will be ready when you finish alright? Now, what are your duties tonight commander Quill?” Ristretto said as he started gathering the ingredients for his stir fry using a military-like voice.

Hazell Quill swiftly stood to attention raising his hoof in a salute. “To exterminate all mess in my room and relocate the bins Sir yes sir!” He shouted as he marched off with less than military precision. Ristretto chuckled to himself as his little brother stumbled up the stairs engrossed in their game of army men.

---

With the stir-fry cooked, and the chores completed. Both ponies sat on the small table and began to eat their dinners.

“Thanks, Retto, this is so yum!” Hazell exclaimed through a full mouth managing to send some of his food back to the bowl which it came from.

Ristretto halfway through his mouthful swallowed and began to speak. “No problem Hazell, once you’re finished we can clean up and head up to bed.” He replied scooping another mouthful of noodle and vegetable onto his fork.

The little stallion was disheartened by the early bedtime but knew better than to argue with Ristretto on this issue. “Hey Retto, can I ask you something?” Hazell asked.

“Sure thing, what’s on your mind?” Ristretto replied as he finished off his bowl and began to get up to start on the dishes. Hazell Quill shuffled in his seat deciding whether or not to ask the question before making up his mind, curiosity winning the battle.

“So you are a grown stallion, my big brother and all.”

“Yeah?” Ristretto replied, not quite sure where this was going as the water began to flow from the tap as he grabbed the detergent ready to squirt into the filling sink.

“Well umm, why is it then that you have never, you know, found a marefriend before?” Hazel finished as he looked at his brother with an expectant answer. Ristretto’s pupils shrunk as he squeezed the detergent bottle hard enough to send a blob shooting into the window behind the sink, the blob slowly sliding down the dark window. Ristretto shut off the water, quickly cleaning the detergent off the window and managing to get it in the water on his second attempt. He put the bottle down and looked ahead, thinking about his answer carefully before treading into the delicate topic.

“Well, you see, some stallions are a little different, not in a bad way, though, so they are special, they don’t get a marefriend, look, I will tell you more about it when you are a little older okay?” Ristretto grabbed the empty bowl of stir-fry off of the yellow coloured colt and placed it in the sink. Disappointed by the answer Hazell grabbed a tea towel off of the oven handle and began wiping the dishes as his older brother put them on the drying rack.

“Aww come on Retto, I wanna know! Why are these ponies different?” The colt complained as he placed the freshly wiped bowls in the crockery draw.

“That is enough Hazell, I said to you I will explain it more when you are a little older; It will be hard for you to understand right now okay?” Ristretto replied sternly, wanting to kill the topic as the utensils and fry pan dropped into the sink. The little colt didn’t want to take no for an answer and as soon as the forks and spoons came onto the rack he continued.

“I will understand! I promise I wanna know!” He begged.

“Drop it, Hazel, I am not going to tell you until you are a bit older, stop being foalish you silly little pony,” Ristretto replied sternly looking down at his little brother with a hard stare, the guilt for pushing his brother was evident on the little colts face. Ristretto gave him a hug to show he wasn’t mad before quickly finishing off the last of the dishes as Hazel pushed in the chairs to the dining room. “Alright, brush your teeth, and we can read another bedtime story tonight alright?” Ristretto called out to his brother.

“Alright, don’t be too long” Hazell called out as he made a dash for the bathroom. Ristretto finished cleaning up the kitchen and turned off the lights, an uneasy look on his face as he begun to realise that sooner or later, he would have to explain himself to his little brother.

Author's Note:

Once again, the cart went before the horse and I totally just uploaded a fic way before I even told MYSELF that I would finish. I just hate holding stuff back and not being able to share it. Who knows when my next burst of writing energy will come this is so exciting!

As for now, I won't be able to get behind the keyboard for a couple of days so the next gap might be a bit larger this time, who knows what the future has in store for me.

P.S, this story was edited by me, myself and Grammarly premium, please bear with the mistakes and any obvious ones don't hesitate to point out to me! Thanks!

Comments

[Shadow_Quill]

Yay, update! (Also sickness )

[Milo_Chalks]

7780091

Awww hope you enjoy! (and get better soon )

[An Alternate Universe]

The little Colt ran

Colt is not a proper noun, stop capitalizing it!!! :)

Hazell Quill lets go of Ristretto and stuck his hoof out

Tense change.

“that is enough

Should be capitalized (and you like to overcapitalize).

[Milo_Chalks]

7792835
Thanks once again! All fixed!

[Texus]

Oh Starlight that is a bit unfair, not everyone is lucky enough to find someone right away.

[Beau_Dodson]

Once he figured out what to say, Sunburst began to answer. “I never really thought about this stuff Starlight! I was too saturated in my theory to worry about that stuff. That and well, I never really thought somepony would, you know? Be interested in somepony like me.” Sunburst confessed, shuffling his feet as he sat next to his friend on the couch. “Oh I don’t know how to do this, I don’t know what to think, I have never really thought about stallions, I have never really thought about mares either, but when thinking about Ristretto, I don’t know. He is my friend, oh I am so confused on what to do!” He moped as Starlight Glimmer quickly lifted both of their coffee cups with her magic to stop spillage as Sunburst latched onto her like a sick puppy.

You put a question mark where the context dictates it shouldn't be. Here's what the passage should say:

Once he figured out what to say, Sunburst began to answer. “I never really thought about this stuff Starlight! I was too saturated in my theory to worry about that stuff. That and well, I never really thought somepony would, you know, be interested in somepony like me.” Sunburst confessed, shuffling his feet as he sat next to his friend on the couch. “Oh I don’t know how to do this, I don’t know what to think, I have never really thought about stallions, I have never really thought about mares either, but when thinking about Ristretto, I don’t know. He is my friend, oh I am so confused on what to do!” He moped as Starlight Glimmer quickly lifted both of their coffee cups with her magic to stop spillage as Sunburst latched onto her like a sick puppy.

[Beau_Dodson]

7780091
*boop*

[Milo_Chalks]

9719379
He says it in a questioning inflection, almost like an uptone, you know?

But hey, Thanks for the feedback! I make tons of mistakes and really appreciate that fine pick comb.