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Swinging Both Ways

Soaring Skies
by Gallifrey

Chapter Six
Swinging Both Ways

All in all, Spitfire considered as hot water cascaded over her form, it had been a rather good show. Everyone had performed well, nobody cocked up, the crowd loved it: yes, all was well.
The Wonderbolts had taken refuge at a small but homely wooden hotel near the centre of town. The proprietors welcomed them graciously, ensuring that they would leave Appleloosa with the same thought every other pony did: convinced that it was a very hospitable town.

The captain herself was washing up in the shower, steam curling up around her. This was one of her favourite parts of performing, the relaxing shower afterwards. Not only was it a relief to be rid of all the sweat that had accumulated in her suit, but it was just a nice wind down after over two hours non stop aerobatics. The mare shivered slightly as she ran a sponge over her wings... it was no secret that pegasus wings were incredibly sensitive; it aided them in monitoring air currents as they flew. However, it was a secret that Spitfire's were more sensitive than most, though it made sense, being a world class flier would certainly be hindered if her wings couldn't pick out eddies in the air around them.
The golden mare hummed serenely, thinking of all the things she'd let Soarin' do to her wings, when she heard a knocking at her door.

"Just a minute!" she yelled over the sound of rushing water.

She shut the water off, and quickly dried herself off. Taking the towel with her, she walked to the door of her room and opened it, revealing Rapidfire, standing in the corridor.

"Hey Spitfire, Soarin' isn't in there with you is he?"

"Nope," said Spitfire, rubbing the towel through her fiery mane. "Why? Should he be?"

"No, but I thought he might be down here 'cause he's not in his room again."

"Have you asked the others?"

"Yup, nowhere to be seen."

"Maybe he's gone out?" Spitfire suggested.

"He must've done, that or he's playing hide and seek with himself. Wouldn't put it past him."

"Aw, be nice! Would you like to come in?"

"Sure, I wanna talk to you anyways."

"What about?" asked the yellow mare, standing aside to allow him entry.

"Isn't it obvious?" he said, raising his eyebrows.

"Oh, you mean Soarin'?"

"Yuhuh," he said, sitting on a chair while Spitfire took a seat on the bed. "Just so I know I'm not barking up the wrong tree here, you do like Soarin' right?"

Spitfire drew breath, then hesitated, trying to say 'yes' was suddenly a difficult task.

"That's a yes if ever I saw one," said Rapid with a faint grin. "Just wanted to be sure, I mean, the signs are as plain as day, but still, a pony can be mistaken."

"They're that obvious?" she asked uncertainly.

"Oh Spitfire, you have no idea! Though, hmmm, obvious to all except the pony that matters. He's as thick as a brick sometimes you know. I've seen the way you look at him, the way you talk to him. I've seen you flirt with him only to have it go straight over his head. Stuff like this only has one solution you know."

"What?" asked Spitfire, curiosity piqued.

"You have to be upfront, direct, and blunt about your intentions! That's the only way the goofball will realise your feelings."

"But I can't just do that! That's not how I roll, I flirt with guys first!"

"And has it got you anywhere with him?" Rapid pressed.

"Well, no..." she admitted.

"There you are then."

"But I like flirting," she pouted.

"Surely you like him more though? And if he says yes, you can flirt all you like and he might even pick up on it!"

Spitfire had to admit, he was putting up a strong argument.

"Okay," she said, a plan taking shape in her mind. "I'll tell him in Cloudsdale; there's a few places I want to visit with him anyway. Sentimental places ya know? For the nostalgia."

"I get'cha," said Rapid, with a smile on his face. "Glad to be of help!"

"No worries, and thanks. Seriously, thanks. I don't know why I never thought of this before, to be honest."

Rapidfire gave her a small smile.

"Love will often cloud your vision and make you do the stupidest of things. Trust me, I know."

-----------

Soarin', meanwhile, was slumped in a chair in a bar named The Salt Lick. He wasn't doing all that much, on account of having fallen asleep after his second pint of cider. The regulars kept glancing over in his direction: they knew full well who he was, but were too nervous to try and wake him up- all except one.
A butterscotch stallion sat at the bar was looking across the room at the Wonderbolt with great interest. He, like many others that night, had been to the show and watched in awe. He would not have expected one of their number to visit a humble little bar like this- not in a million years and was still adjusting to the fact that a world famous celebrity was right there in front of him, even if he was fast asleep.
He turned to the bar and tapped the wooden top twice with a hoof.

"Aye, I'll be with ya in a minute Braeburn!" called the bartender, serving another pony.

Braeburn waited patiently and when his turn came he bought two foaming mugs of cider. He approached Soarin's table and sat next to him, deliberately scraping the chair to wake him up; it had no effect. Braeburn prodded him and the pegasus' eyes fluttered open slowly.

"Wassat?" he said, confused. "Where am I? Who are you?"

"Gee friend, jus' how hard were you out of it? Name's Braeburn," he said, proffering a hoof.

"Soarin'" he replied, bumping Braeburn's hoof genially.

Braeburn looked surprised at the gesture, he expected a hoofshake, not this peculiar 'hoof bump' business.

"And yer in The Salt Lick pardner, surely you remember comin' in here? Unless you're more drunk than yer letting on."

Soarin' stretched, cracking the bones in his back one by one, memories returning to his head as he woke up more.

"I do now," he chuckled, yawning. "I'm gonna have to ask Spits if we can have compulsory naps after a show, this is ridiculous. Did you see it?"

"As a matter of fact, ah did! You were all incredible! In all my days I've never seen anythin' like it!"

Braeburn sat beaming at Soarin', and the pegasus smiled as his ego was massaged.

"Thanks dude. That's our job after all, to give everypony a good show: it's nice to know we're good at it."

Soarin' looked up, fully awake now, and took in the earth pony's appearance for the first time. He was... gorgeous. Braeburn took a drink from his mug, unaware that Soarin's eyes were eating up the eye candy set before them.

His eyes are just like mine, thought the blue pegasus. That mane, girly yet not girly at the same time.

His coat was a shiny and healthy golden colour, under which ran many cords of strong muscle, Soarin' guessed that he had an active job and saw plenty of sunshine, and to top it all off, quite literally, was a cowboy hat that Soarin' found endearing.

"This is yours, by the way," said Braeburn, pushing the frosted mug of cider to the pegasus.

"It is?"

"Sure, great way to be neighbourly round these parts, buying drinks," he grinned.

"Sweet! Thanks." Soarin' took a deep draught of the golden liquid, leaving him with a frothy moustache. "So what do ya do Brae?"

"I manage the Appleloosa orchard!" said Braeburn enthusiastically. "We'll be collecting our third harvest in soon, ready to sell them all over Equestria. Ya must have seen some of the trees on the way in?"

Soarin' nodded.

"Cool, what sort of apples do you grow?" asked Soarin' taking another gulp.

"Braeburn mostly," said the earth pony with a faint grin. Soarin' snorted.

"Ironic huh?"

"Sure is," said Braeburn, chuckling, "soil's great for 'em to grow round here ya see."

"Ah right, is that why you're all the way out here in the wilderness?"

"Nope."

Soarin's eyes furrowed slightly.

"Then why are you here?"

Braeburn drew himself up proudly.

"We're here as pioneers, to further Equestria's borders. Beyond this land, it's uninhabited for miles and miles and no-one has laid claim to it. We Appleloosans are leading the way into new lands, full of opportunity! Just a few weeks ago, we found gold in Cinderblock Mountain; gold is so rare in the rest of Equestria, but there's loads out here. But that's not the main reason ah'm here. Ah'm here for the thrill of adventure, of discovering new lands and the secrets they hold... that's what I live for, that's what keeps me going."

Soarin' was stunned into silence at the stallion's impassioned monologue.

"Wow," he said quietly, "that sounds like quite a life."

It didn't happen often, but Soarin' sometimes wished he didn't have to keep travelling all over Equestria and could just settle down, though he always wondered whether it'd get boring. But now a hybrid of the two had presented itself in the form of the humble earth pony in front of him: living the slow life, but in an exciting and pioneering town.

"Mister Soarin'?" said Braeburn, snapping the stallion out of his reverie.

"Sorry, was just thinking."

"About what?"

"N-nothing important." He drained the rest of his mug and set it down. "Now let me buy you a drink."

-----------

Braeburn roared with laughter as Soarin' finished telling his joke about the pegasus, the unicorn and the earth pony who walked into a barn.

"Hooo'eee, ain't heard that one before!" he cried, banging the table.

"Really? Everyone else I tell it to tells me to get some *hic* new jokes."

The bar was almost empty, the night was getting on, and Soarin's and Braeburn's table had an impressive array of mugs and glasses. Soarin' looked into his mug, it was empty, a horrifying sight.

"Nah, they just got no sense o' humour is all."

A bell chimed from behind the bar.

"What's *hic* wassat mean?" asked Soarin drunkenly.

"Means last orders, this joint'll be shutting up soon, you wanna get going pardner?"

"Sure *hic*."

Braeburn giggled at Soarin's hiccoughs as they both stood up. Soarin' had thought he was drunk before, now he was standing up, he realised he was- for lack of a better phrase- completely hammered.

"You might- might have'ta lead the way, Brae," stammered the stallion. "The floor's gone all wibbly."

This was in part true, Soarin' was struggling to remain balanced even when stationary, but the main reason he insisted the earth pony go first was so the stallion could have a sneaky look at Braeburn's plot on the way out, and he wasn't disappointed; it might have been his drunken haze: but he swore the earth pony was swaying it on purpose as they left.

"Where you stayin' pardner?" asked Braeburn as they half plodded, half stumbled down the high street.

Soarin' looked around, and was dismayed to realise that he actually had no idea.

"I-I don't know," he said lamely, his breath misting up in the cold desert air before him.

"How in the hay can you not know?!" exclaimed Braeburn.

"I've never been here before," he groaned, hanging his head, "and everywhere looks the same!"

A small spark of an idea floated up in Braeburn's hazy mind.

"Ya could... always stay round mine?" he suggested.

Soarin's head rose slowly as he met the earth pony's eyes.

"You sure you don't mind?"

"Absolutely! There's no way ah'm leaving ya out here in the cold!"

Soarin' shivered. Whether because of the cold or the possible implications this offer entailed, he couldn't tell.

"If it's okay, I'd love to," he said, flashing a flawless smile.

"In that case, follow me pardner."

-----------

A long zig zaggy walk later, the two ponies finally reached Braeburn's home.

"Why did you have to live so far from the town centre?" Soarin' grumbled, accidentally bumping into one of Braeburn's flower pots in his garden.

"Ah manage the orchard remember."

"Yeah?"

"Look behind ya, numbskull," he said, fumbling for his keys.

Soarin' turned. And indeed, the silhouettes of the apple trees were shaded against the deepest blue of the night sky. A creaking came from behind him.

"You comin' in?" asked Braeburn.

Soarin' nodded and entered the house.
It was a simple affair, Braeburn didn't like clutter he didn't need. Fancier ponies might have called it minimalist, he called it practical, no faffing around, homely.

"Water?" he offered.

"Please," said Soarin', suddenly realising how dry his mouth was.

Soarin' managed the impressive feat of falling up the stairs while Braeburn fetched two glasses of water.
The blue pegasus looked around on the dark landing to identify which door was to the earth pony's bedroom. To his left there was a door with a plaque on it. He got up to try and read it when something bumped into his rear.

"Whoa nelly, didn' see ya there," said Braeburn apologetically.

The earth pony flicked a light switch and Soarin' could easily read the plaque. 'Brae.'

"You do live alone, right?" asked Soarin'.

"Yeah, why?"

"So why does your room need to have your name on it?"

Braeburn's smile faltered.

"It... reminds me of mah foalhood, that door used to be my bedroom door when ah lived with my parents... memories of when they were still here."

"Oh, um... sorry dude. I didn't mean to bring up unpleasant memories or anything."

"That's the thing," said Braeburn, "there were no unpleasant memories, which if anything, just makes it more painful- funny that, isn't it?"

Soarin' nodded thoughtfully, the sobering thought quite literally sobering him up at that moment.

"Can I ask..." he said hesitantly, "what-"

"Died." said Braeburn sadly, "last year, scouting expedition: we never knew what happened to them or where they were... some kind of feral animal attacked them we imagine." He gazed forlornly at Soarin', then perked back up. "So yeah, that's why the door's there. They wouldn't want me moping about all the time, so I just get on with it ya know. Here's your water by the way."

"Thanks," said Soarin' gratefully, sitting on Braeburn's soft bed and gulping it down.

Braeburn meanwhile knelt down and reached under his bed for his inflatable mattress, accepting the inevitable tedium of blowing it up via a hoof pump.
Some time later, the spare bed was at last ready to sleep in. The tired earth pony sat next to Soarin', rubbing one of his exhausted hind legs.

"All done, y'all can kip on that, should be pretty cosy."

"Not as cosy as your bed though," said Soarin in a low and what was intended to be enticing voice.

"Naw, probably not, but ya can't never expect an inflatable mattress to be as nice as a proper bed..." A frown appeared on Braeburn's countenance. "Hang on, if ah'm the host, you should really be sleeping in my bed."

"Why not both sleep in the bed?" asked Soarin.

"Wouldn't it be a little cramped?" The implication flew straight over Braeburn's head.

"I prefer the word intimate," said the pegasus smoothly, putting one hoof around the eath pony's shoulders.

"What do you mean?" asked the poor oblivious stallion, at a loss for what Soarin' was getting at. Soarin' realised that he would have to just dive in and see what happened.

"I mean," he began, and then his kissed Braeburn full on the lips. His eyes flew open widely at the sudden contact.

Of all the things Braeburn expected to happen today when he woke up, making out with a Wonderbolt was pretty low on the list. In total shock, the earth pony simply succumbed to Soarin's motions. The pegasus stallion ran a hoof up his mane, knocking his hat off, then he pulled back; something was off, but he couldn't tell what.

"You alright?" asked Soarin'.

"Fine," squeaked Braeburn, about an octave higher than normal, he coughed. "Ah'm fine," he repeated, voice back to normal. "Ah'm jus' surprised I guess, and um, sorry an' all, but ah don't swing that way Soarin'."

"You don't?" asked Soarin' levelly, despite feeling like an idiot.

"Nuhuh. I mean, ah don't mind that you do an' all... which is better than you can hope for round here if ah'm honest," he added sheepishly. "Us earth ponies tend to be set in our ways."

"Yeah, I've had a few, shall we say... encounters with earth ponies who aren't cool with who I am before," said the pegasus, leaning down in embarrassment to pick up Braeburn's hat and put it back on his head.

"Ah'm mighty sorry to hear that," said the butterscotch stallion, adjusting it slightly, "still, let's forget that happened. We're both still drunk so somethin' like this was bound ta happen anyways.

"O-okay," said Soarin', scratching the back of his neck, "so I'll just... sleep down here."

"Nope, get in mah bed pardner," insisted Braeburn. "And lighten up! I really don' mind. Flattered if anything."

Soarin sniffed and straightened up.

"Okie doke," he said brightly, the gleam back in his eye. "Thanks Brae."

"Any time," said the earth pony, ruffling Soarin's mane. "Now let's get some shut eye, no doubt you're out early tomorrow?"

"Nine."

"Alrighty, night Soarin."

"Night... Braeburn," the blue stallion mumbled as he drifted off to sleep.

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