> Velvet
>  by CrimsonWolf360
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Liam sighed as he watched the last of his wardrobe sail out of the window of his third floor apartment room. The clothing fluttered to the ground, while the shouts and screams of his now ex-girlfriend echoed out to the street below.

"Take your shit and fucking stay out!" She screamed, before slamming the window shut.

Multiple onlookers watched, part in awe, and part in amusement, as Liam slowly leaned down and picked up his belongings. Several people passed him by, barely even stopping to acknowledge the man as they were engrossed in their holo-displays, or simply not willing to pause to offer their assistance. Biting his tongue as he looked up to the window of his former apartment room, Liam gathered the last of his belongings and stood back up to his full height. He surveyed the scene for any other personal items he may have missed, before turning and making his way down the street. 

Just as he took his first step, the sound of the window opening once more caught his attention, and he paused. Liam slowly turned around and looked back up to his former window, only to watch as his bed was shoved out and came crashing to the ground below. A deafening explosion of wood, metal, and plastic erupted from the bed as it smashed into the concrete, leaving only splinters and broken bits of metal lying on the street beside the now filthy mattress.

"That... was handmade..." Liam whispered to himself, before looking up to see his ex with his lips parted in exasperation.

Liam's ex only graced him with her middle finger before slamming the window shut once more and storming off back into the room. With a final, resigned sigh, Liam sluggishly turned around and walked away from the scene, leaving several curious eyes and whispers from passerby's behind. 

After half an hour of aimless walking, Liam arrived at his destination of choice; a starport. Upon entering the store, he was met by a tall man with a neatly combed beard and a tailored vest over his broad chest. A badge on his chest easily identified him as the port officer, and as Liam approached, a wide smile appeared on the man's face.

"How can I help you, sir?" The man's booming voice rang out, each syllable reverberating through Liam's entire body.

"Uh, I was looking for transport off world. I don't have a ton of credits right now... so I was kinda hoping for something one-way." Liam explained, his own voice sounding meek and small compared to the port officer. 

"Well, of course. Anywhere in particular you'd like to go? I hear Horizon V is lovely this time of year." The officer replied, tapping his holo-display on his wrist. 

"Eh, Horizon V is kinda... expensive to live on. I was thinking something a bit more in my budget range." Liam replied, sheepishly.

"Well what's your budget, sir? I can check to see if we have any discounts running." The officer offered.

Liam set his belongings down and tapped at his own holo-display. After a few moments of searching, he bit his lip and sighed through his nose.

"Well... can I get anywhere with five hundred credits?" He asked, wincing just from having to say the words.

The port officer's eyes widened ever so slightly, "Uh... well, for five hundred credits, you could go to... uh, no, not there... maybe... nope. That one's five thousand... uhh..."

As the port officer continued, Liam felt a sad feeling well up in his chest. His eyes slowly drifted to the ground while his shoulders slumped. The officer continued to scratch his head over Liam's poor financial status, before the smaller man shook his head and turned.

"Look, I get it, I can't afford it. Don't worry about it." Liam begrudgingly replied, turning around to head out, only for the officer to stop him.

"Wait! I found something!" He happily exclaimed, making Liam spin around to face him once more.

"You did!?" Liam excitedly inquired.

"Yep! Equestria." The officer proudly proclaimed, showing off the registry and the name 'Equestria' at the absolute last spot on the bottom of the page.

"Equestri-what now?" Liam tilted his head to the side.

"It's a newly discovered world. Apparently the locals are incredibly kind and the food's great. Nice atmosphere, too." The officer responded, reading over the description of the planet and its attractions.

"It says... four hundred credits. Wouldn't a newly discovered world come at a premium with all the people crowding over each other to go there and see it? Why is it so cheap?" Liam asked, looking to the officer with confusion plastered all over his face.

The officer gave a slightly nervous chuckle, "W-well, it is a bit... behind in the technology department... plus most people are more interested in the vacation spots on Horizon V if I'm being honest." He offered with a shrug.

"How far behind are we talking?" Liam pressed.

"Well let's just say that you're gonna get used to walking if you go there." 

Liam gave the officer a deadpan look for a few seconds before shrugging to himself and tapping his holo-pad once more.

"You know what? Fuck it. I could use the time away from all this tech. Who knows, maybe it'll be a nice vacation." Liam announced, transferring the credits from his account to the officer.

"Fantastic, sir! The shuttle leaves in an hour, so if you head down the hall to your right, you should be able to find it easily enough. You're the only one, so you'll have the entire shuttle to yourself." The officer cheerily replied, swiping his holo-pad to receive the credits, "Here's your ticket." He said, swiping the display from his holo-pad to Liam's.

Liam gave a thankful nod, before picking up all of his belongings once more and making his way past the officer. 

"Have a good trip, sir!" The officer called after him as Liam rounded the corner.

Liam gave a quick nod over his shoulder and continued toward his destination. Within a few minutes, he arrived at the shuttle bay in question, finding his ticket off world in the process of fueling for the journey. With nothing else to do, he walked over to the nearest seat and sat down, finding no one else even in the same bay as him, save for the flight attendant typing away on their monitor.

With nothing else to do, Liam twiddled his thumbs as he sat in the hanger. He chewed his tongue in thought for several minutes, his eyes idly watching the ships taking off through the window and heading into the blood orange skyline. Eventually, he found himself staring up at the ceiling, a bored sigh escaping his lips while he simply continued to wait with nothing else to keep him occupied.

Just as Liam felt himself dozing off, the speaker system blared to life, startling him upright and nearly out of his seat.

"Flight One-Thirty-Seven to Equestria, boarding in five minutes. Would all first class passengers please come up first." The flight attendant announced, her eyes surveying the room.

Liam slowly turned left and then right, finding that he was indeed still the only passenger taking the flight to Equestria. He gazed back at the flight attendant, a deadpan expression on his face as he tapped at his holo-pad. The screen quickly appeared before him, displaying the ticket and his boarding pass that read 'Group C'.

"Now boarding all first class passengers. We'll board Group A, then B, and lastly, Group C." The flight attendant announced, a cheery smile on her face.

Liam once more gave the room a deadpan stare, before shaking his head and gathering up his belongings. He got to his feet and made his way over to the front desk, finding the attendant looking at him curiously.

"Boarding pass, sir?" She asked.

Liam tapped his holo-pad and showed his pass.

"I'm sorry sir, but you're in group C. You'll have to wait until the other groups are done boarding." She replied.

"You're kidding, right?" Liam responded.

"I'm afraid not, sir. I have to board each group in the correct order." She shook her head.

Liam let out a long suffering sigh, before stepping away from the desk. He stood in the aisle leading to the boarding dock, while he maintained a stare down with the flight attendant for several minutes. Eventually, she looked down and swiped on her kiosk.

"Group A may now begin boarding." She announced, prompting a groan from Liam.


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The shuttle landed with a heavy *thump*, jolting Liam awake from his nap. He awoke with a start, and quickly looked out the window to see the brilliant blue skies and lush greenery of the Equestrian landscape. Off in the distance, a castle jutted out from the side of a mountain, just above a large flowing river that gently careened off into the horizon where mountains reached up to touch the clouds. 

Liam felt his jaw drop at the sight, before the pilot's voice chimed in on the intercom.

"We have officially reached our destination. Welcome to Equestria! Thank you for flying Milky Way Spacelines. We hope to see you again on your next flight." The pilot announced.

Liam quickly grabbed his belongings and got out of his seat. He made his way to the exit on the side of the shuttle and stepped out through the open doorway. Instantly, the fresh, crisp air filled his lungs, and he breathed deeply through his nose to savor the scent of such a clean world. A small smile formed on his face while he made his way away from the shuttle and over to the gate. 

Upon arriving at the gate, he was greeted by a tall man with long sideburns, and a badge that identified him as the deck officer on his chest.

"Welcome to Equestria, sir." He greeted.

"Hi, thank you," Liam happily replied, "Are you the only one here?" He asked.

"The only human. The rest of the staff are ponies, but they don't really like the sound of the engines so they stay inside for the most part until the shuttle is completely powered down," The officer replied, before looking at his watch, or maybe they're on lunch. I dunno."

"I see," Liam slowly nodded, "Do you think I could speak with any of them about finding a place to stay, or employment?" He questioned.

"They've got job postings downtown in the center of the city. As for housing, you'd have to speak with Sky about that." The officer shrugged.

"Sky? Where can I find him?" 

"Right now? In the castle up in Canterlot. He should be back any time though, if you wanna wait." The officer responded.

"Canterlot? Is that the big castle over there on the cliff?" Liam questioned, pointing to the structure hanging onto the side of a mountain.

"Sure is. Chances are Sky'll be back soon enough. Why don't you head inside and get yourself a luggage bag to carry that stuff in. Looks like you moved here with your last credits." The officer noted, nodding toward the building beside himself.

Liam nodded, "I will. Thank you for the help." He politely replied, before heading inside.

Once Liam stepped inside of the store, he found several small shops littered about its interior. Everything from a gift shop, to a coffee shop, and even a hot pretzel vendor were set up and filled with merchandise or other goods. Yet, there wasn't a single face in the building. Liam looked back and forth for any signs of life, but found simply nothing and no one. He stepped further into the store, quickly finding himself in the center of the building.

He looked back and forth at the empty stores for another minute before letting out a sigh. Just as quickly as he could open his mouth, the front door of the establishment creaked open, and the sound of hooves on cobblestone reached his ears, prompting Liam looked over to the door, just as it opened completely.

A red pegasus, with a lightning bolt cutting through a black circle on each flank, stepped into the room. Liam immediately noticed that the pony only stood at  waist height, and wore a calm expression on his face as he bobbed his head to some inaudible tune that only he could hear. As the stallion stepped into the room, he quickly noticed Liam standing in the center of the lobby, his belongings still haphazardly hanging off of his arms, and a curious look in his eyes.

"Oh! Hi there! What's up?" The stallion cheerily greeted, a welcoming smile adorning his face in a matter of milliseconds.

"Uh, not too much. Are you Sky?" Liam asked.

"I sure am. How can I help you?" Sky replied, stepping toward Liam.

Liam looked at the deserted stores around him before looking back to Sky, "Well, I just got here from Earth and, well... I'm a bit confused at the moment." He admitted.

"You're from Earth!? No way, me too!" Sky exclaimed, a wide smile forming on his face.

Liam did a double take, "Wait, what? You're from Earth?" 

Sky nodded, his wings ruffling in excitement, "Sure am. I was born human and after coming here, I got turned into a pony. It's a long story, about two to six stories long, depending on how you wanna splice it." He explained.

Liam gave the pegasus a confused look for several seconds, before shaking his head and clearing his throat, "R-right, well, uh... where is everyone? I just got here and the only other person was the officer outside. You're the first pony I've ever seen." 

Sky looked up at the clock mounted on the wall across from them.

"Well lunch is ending so they should all be coming back in a few minutes." Sky replied.

"Wait, they all left for lunch? Doesn't that mean that anyone could just... you know, steal whatever in here?" Liam questioned, looking around at the stores and vendors once more.

Sky chuckled, "First time to Equestria, huh?"

Liam nodded, "Yeah... I bought a one way ticket."

"A one way ticket? Well that's flattering. We haven't had anyone deciding to move here permanently in months." Sky beamed.

"Really? Why not?" Liam asked.

"Eh, it's not techy enough for Earth born people these days. Fresh air, beautiful, natural skylines with no pollution and a population that doesn't have automation for pretty much anything is a pretty big deterrent for people who grew up with a hologram display glued to their face their whole lives." Sky replied, shrugging his wings.

Liam pursed his lips, "Huh... well when you put it like that, I guess it kinda does make sense. You know, if I'm going to be staying here for a bit, I did want to look for work. The officer outside said that you were the one to talk to about housing, but I figure you probably know of any jobs that I could work too." He asked, looking hopefully to the little red pegasus.

"Oh, absolutely! I can help you get situated no problem, and I think I can pull a string or two to get you a job that you'll actually really like, depending on your interests. What were you hoping to work in?" Sky responded, an eager smile on his face.

"Well, I was a physicist back on Earth, but I ended up losing my job a few months ago due to budget cuts. I missed tenure by about... fifteen years." Liam let out a mirthless chuckle.

"I'm sorry to hear that. That sucks... but you said physicist, right? Like, physics and all that sciencey stuff?" Sky pressed.

Liam nodded.

"Oh man, Twilight is gonna love you. If I can get you an audience with her today, then you'll have a job guaranteed in no time!" Sky happily explained.

"Twilight? Who's that?" Liam asked.

"She's the princess of Equestria." Sky replied, as if it were the most normal thing in the world while Liam paled.

"I have to talk with... the princess of the entire planet?" He quietly questioned, his mouth feeling dry.

Sky chuckled at Liam's nerves, "Ah, don't worry about it. Twilight is one of the nicest and friendliest ponies on the planet. Also, that's a common misconception. Equestria is just the country, the planet is called Eques." He explained.

"That's not what the port officer's holo-pad showed." Liam muttered.

"Really? They still haven't fixed that? Looks like I gotta send another email to those guys," Sky rolled his eyes, "But anyways, yeah, Twilight is super nice and easygoing. Don't even worry about it."

Liam felt his nerves relax slightly, "Do you know her personally?" 

Sky nodded, "Oh yeah, Twilight and I go way back. She's one of my oldest friends here. You've got nothing to worry about." 

Liam nodded, before the crimson stallion looked down at his clothes and other belongings still held in his arms.

"You, uh... got a suitcase or anything?" Sky inquired.

"I... don't," Liam sighed, "I pretty much had to pack my things and leave in a few minutes, so I didn't have time to grab much of anything... least of all a suitcase." He admitted.

"Why'd you have to pack so suddenly?" Sky tilted his head to the side, curiously.

"Long story. Ex kinda went crazy." Liam shrugged.

Sky nodded once more, "Ah, I get that. Well, we should probably get you something to carry all that in, don't you think?" He asked.

Before Liam could answer, the door behind Sky opened, revealing over a dozen more ponies that spanned every color of the rainbow. Pegasi, unicorns, earth ponies, and even a bat pony all strolled into the lobby, only to freeze once they caught sight of Liam and Sky.

"Oh! A tourist from Earth!" One stallion cheered.

"Sir, you have to try my popcorn! It's made fresh from Equestrian corn." Another mare exclaimed.

"You look like you need some help carrying your things, can I help?" A third pony questioned.

Liam struggled to respond as he was quickly surrounded by the mares and stallions trying to help or sell things to him. He looked over the crowd to find Sky standing just a few feet away, a smirk on his face.

"They should be able to help you get a bag for your things and maybe some food if you're feeling hungry. I'll be in my office right over there," Sky announced over the crowd, while pointing to a small office over by the doorway Liam entered from, "Just swing by my office when you're ready to leave." 

Liam nodded as he was partially escorted, and partially dragged to the first of many vendors in the lobby.


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Liam exited the lobby door and stepped out into the sunlight once more, although this time he had a suitcase filled with all of his belongings, in his grasp. Beside him, Sky looked up to see a happy smile on the man's face.

"You tried all of the food, didn't you?" Sky chuckled.

Liam let out a satisfied sigh, "Well, I've never tried authentic popcorn before... ponies sure do know how to cook. Everything tasted... great." He replied.

Sky laughed, "Well ponies do tend to pride themselves on their work. Special talents and all that." He shrugged.

"I guess so. Well, do you think I can still meet Princess Twilight today?" Liam inquired, looking to Sky hopefully.

Sky nodded, "Oh yeah. I had a letter sent over while you were getting acquainted with the vendors. We should have a chariot here any second."

"A chariot? Isn't that a bit... extravagant?" Liam asked, tilting his head to the side.

Sky shook his head, "Don't even worry about it. She's very interested in your background, so she's making sure you get there asap. Speaking of which, I see the chariot now." He replied, pointing to a dark blob quickly approaching from the direction of the castle.

Liam watched as the chariot approached, and his jaw quickly dropped upon seeing the two pegasi pulling the vehicle, their wings beating in sync. Within a few minutes, the pegasi brought the chariot down to the ground and broke into a gentle trot up the street, until arriving just in front of the star-port.

"We have orders to pick up Sky and a human named Liam." The nearest pegasus announced, looking over Sky and Liam curiously.

"That's us," Sky replied, "Come on, Liam. Let's get you to Twilight." He said as he hopped into one of two seats in the carriage.

Liam hesitated as all three pegasi gave him expectant looks.

"Uh... are you sure this thing is... safe?" Liam asked, with a nervous gulp.

Sky laughed, "Don't even worry about it, man. These things are safe. Besides, even if something did go wrong and you fell, you've got three pegasi that could catch you." He replied with a dismissive wave of his hoof.

Liam slowly nodded and climbed aboard, taking his seat right beside Sky. Once he was situated, the two guardsponies in front gave a nod to each other and broke into a trot, their wings flapping to life as they gained speed. Within a hundred feet, they took to the sky, pulling the chariot along with them, and making Liam grab the seat tightly as he felt weightless for several seconds.

Beside him, Sky suppressed a chuckle at the man's obvious fears, while the crimson pegasus simply enjoyed the ride. Within a few moments, they were at their cruising altitude and quickly approaching the castle. Still, the undulating motions of the chariot made Liam grab the nearest thing that he could hold on to, which happened to be the pony sitting beside him. Sky opened his mouth to protest, but after seeing Liam's fearful expression, decided to let the human hold onto him like a stuffed animal for the duration of the flight.

A few minutes later, the chariot made its descent into the castle courtyard. Liam only tightened his grip as the chariot made contact with the ground, and vibrated as the wheels caught traction with the ground below. Within a few dozen feet, the vehicle came to a complete stop, and the two pegasus guards fought to hide their own laughter at Sky's disposition, while Liam still held him tightly.

"Liam, we're here. You can let go now." Sky deadpanned as the guards chuckled at him.

A moment later, Liam released his death grip on the smaller pegasus stallion and let out a sigh of relief, "Oh... oh, okay. Thank god. That is so much scarier than flying in a shuttle." 

Sky chuckled, "More fun too, though. At least, for me it is." 

Liam gave a nod, "Yeah... sorry about squeezing you the whole flight. I didn't really have anything else to hang on to... you're really soft, by the way." 

Sky snickered, "Thank you. I try to keep myself as soft and fluffy as possible." 

"Still, sorry for the squeezing." Liam offered.

Sky dismissively waved a hoof, "Eh, don't worry about it. I'm kinda used to being squeezed." 

Liam laughed, "Do I wanna know?" 

Sky chuckled and shook his head, "It's another long story. Regardless, let's get you to Twilight. I'm sure she's dying to meet you right now." He replied, hopping out of his seat to the ground below.

Liam followed suit, ensuring to grab his suitcase and follow the small pegasus as he was led toward the throne room. They passed several rooms that piqued the lone human's interest, but before he had a chance to even ask about any of them, they arrived at the throne room doors. A pair of guards, one pony and one griffon, opened the door, revealing the throne room itself, and the princess sitting atop the throne in the center.

Liam's jaw dropped as he gazed at the majesty that was Princess Twilight. She stood easily twice Sky's height, and her dark blue mane and tail flowed in some unseen wind that made her look even more majestic. Little white dots sparkled in her hair, as if entire galaxies were present in her mane and tail. Two hot pink streaks gave shape to her hair and nicely highlighted her lavender coat as the sun framed her in perfect bliss. Finally, her deep purple eyes looked back at Liam with the kind of interest and kindness of a long time friend, and before he could even speak, she rose from her throne, a wide smile on her kind face.

"Good afternoon. You must be Liam. I'm Princess Twilight Sparkle, but you can just call me Twilight. I've been told that you're a physicist. I think we have a lot to talk about." She greeted, her friendly tone and demeaner already making Liam smile.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Twilight. I'd love to talk with you."
> Chapter 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Months later


As the sun reached its highest point in the sky, Liam sat in the castle laboratory, his eyes slowly scanning over the equations and calculations written on the chalkboard directly across from him. He scratched his chin in thought while doing mental calculations to ensure his writing was correct, before letting out a satisfied hum and turning to his desk. He quickly scribbled several notes in the notebook sitting in front of him. 

"Hey Midnight, could you pass me those lab reports?" Liam asked, looking over his shoulder to the charcoal coated mare sitting at the desk across from him.

"Sure thing." Midnight cheerily responded, her horn igniting in a sapphire hue and levitating the paperwork over to Liam.

Liam grabbed the papers out of Midnight's magic and gave a thankful nod, "Thanks." He smiled.

Midnight returned the smile, "No problem." She said, before returning to her own paperwork.

A few minutes passed in silence, before Midnight spoke once more, "Did you see the wonderbolts show last weekend? I heard it was their best one yet." She asked.

"The wonderbolts? Nah, I didn't see it. What about you? Too busy?" Liam replied, as he looked over the lab reports.

"I didn't. Sky and I were out with Jason and Tempest that night. Why didn't you go see it?" Midnight questioned, looking up from her work.

Liam kicked his feet up onto his desk as he paused his reading on the first page of the reports, "I was finishing up those quantum theories and equations." 

"I thought that you said that those were impossible to figure out?" Midnight pressed.

"I did, and they are. I confirmed that, myself." Liam replied, a resigned tone in his voice.

"Liam," Midnight deadpanned, "Why do you keep doing that? Are you allergic to free time?" She asked, a hint of disapproval in her voice.

Liam rubbed the bridge of his nose, "I know, I know. I just needed to figure out for sure. Next time I won't spend so much of my free time on it, but it was just bugging me that we didn't finish it last week." 

Midnight sighed, "Liam, as your boss, I am asking you to please, for the love of all that is good in this world, just loosen up a bit. You've been wound up tight as Tartarus ever since I met you. You put in twelve hour days pretty much seven days a week. That's not good for your health." She pleaded.

Liam rolled his tongue in his mouth for a few moments, before eventually nodding his head and letting out a quiet huff, "Alright, alright. I will try to work less. Excuse me for trying to make progress." He held his hands up in surrender.

"We've made unparalleled progress since you arrived. I'm not asking you to stop, just to slow down a touch. You're working yourself to death." Midnight replied.

"Alright, you've made your point. I will try to dial it back a bit." Liam replied.

"That's all I'm asking." Midnight smiled, prompting a half smile to form on Liam's face as well.

With the conversation concluded, both man and pony resumed their work, allowing time to pass in a pleasant silence. As Liam looked over the lab reports, a knock sounded out from the door, directing both his and Midnight's attention to the tall lavender alicorn standing in the doorway, a pleasant smile on her face. Just behind her, and standing guard outside the room, were two royal guards, each clad in their golden armor as they stoically stood guard in the hallway.

"Mind if I come in?" Twilight inquired, a hint of excitement in her voice.

"Not at all, Twilight. Come on in." Midnight smiled.

"I was actually about to make my way over to you to show you these reports after I looked them over." Liam added, turning around in his seat to face her fully.

Twilight smiled, "Well I am always eager to see any new discoveries, and the amount of information you've been able to share with us has been astounding. I've already learned so much from you and it's only been a few months." She beamed.

A tiny blush tinted Liam's face as he bashfully looked away, "Oh, it's nothing special, Twilight. I'm not the brightest person in the universe when it comes to physics, but I have shared just about everything I know." 

"Oh don't be so humble!" Midnight jumped in, "You've shown us equations and theories that could have ponies launching rockets off world in a matter of a couple years. We were decades away from that just a few months ago. You've been a massive help and your knowledge has been invaluable." She added.

Liam sheepishly scratched the back of his neck while the two mares in the room looked at him approvingly.

"You should be proud of your accomplishments, Liam. You've done more here in just a few months than some ponies have accomplished in a lifetime." Twilight offered, taking a step into the room and looking over the chalkboard covered in equations and math.

"Thank you, both of you. I really do appreciate that." Liam relented, allowing a small smile to grace his features.

"You deserve it, bro." A familiar voice spoke up, directing all three pairs of eyes to him.

Sky trotted into the lab with a bag held under one of his wings and a smile on his face. He quickly made his way over to Midnight and placed the bag in front of her on her desk. The dark unicorn mare turned to her stallion and smiled wide as her bright blue eyes fell upon him.

"Thanks, big guy." Midnight said, planting a kiss on Sky's muzzle.

"Anytime." Sky replied, returning the kiss.

"Aw, get a room, you two." Liam joked, prompting a chuckle from every pony in the room.

"I can't help it, he's just too cute." Midnight shrugged, before kissing Sky again.

"Now if that isn't the pot calling the kettle black." Sky teased.

Liam fake gagged before looking over at Twilight and finding her giggling behind her wing.

"These two have always been quite an item. I can't recall a time when they weren't inseparable." Twilight laughed.  

"You know, that actually reminds me. Have you met anypony you'd be interested in dating yet, Liam?" Midnight inquired, as she opened her lunch bag.

Liam blanched as all eyes quickly darted back over to him.

"You know, I was also wondering that. Only if you're comfortable discussing it, of course, but at this point I'm just starting to assume you humans are destined to fall in love with a pony within a year if you're actually interested in our species at all." Twilight shrugged.

"Yeah, me Jason and Rebecca all ended up with a pony within a year, didn't we?" Sky chuckled, as Midnight gave him a playful nuzzle.

Liam looked away as he awkwardly cleared his throat, "W-well, I haven't really, uh.. been looking all that much. You know how it's been, Midnight. Work and all that has been really busy, so... uh, well I haven't really had time to look." He responded.

Twilight gave an understanding nod, while Midnight rubbed her chin in thought.

"We have been pretty busy, but we just went over this too. You can't keep working yourself to the bone like you have been. You need to start relaxing on the weekends. Maybe even take a week off or something. You've certainly logged more than enough hours to do so already." She suggested. 

Liam nervously chuckled, "Uh... I'm fine, really. I don't need time off. If anything, I'll take the weekends off, but I like the work. It keeps me busy." 

Even Twilight gave him a look of concern.

"Liam, you can't work yourself to death like that. I know first-hoof how the quest for knowledge can become a detriment to your health if you don't stop every once in a while to take time for yourself." Twilight admonished, her tone laced with genuine concern.

Liam sighed, "I just... I dunno, I haven't really felt up to it. After what life was like on Earth... these last few months of peace and quiet have just been amazing. Sure it gets a little boring here and there, but I've got good friends here, and I'm not trying to rush into anything." He replied, twiddling his thumbs.

Sky, Midnight, and Twilight all gave understanding nods.

"Well that's certainly reasonable. Still though, I think you should consider giving it a shot. Ponies are generally super kind and understanding about those kinds of feelings. They're like, natural empaths, or something." Sky offered, prompting Midnight to kiss his cheek once more.

Liam rolled his eyes at the public display of affection before letting out a sigh, "It's not that I don't want that in my life. That sounds amazing... it's just that my last relationship ended... well, it ended pretty badly."

"How badly are we talking, here?" Twilight asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Let's just say that she made it clear I wasn't welcome back to the apartment any time soon." Liam replied.

"Yeah, that's guy code for 'she tried to kill me' or something." Sky added, prompting a chuckle from Liam.

"It wasn't that bad, but it was pretty close." Liam responded.

Midnight tilted her head to the side, "Still though, you shouldn't give up on a relationship completely just because of that bad experience." She offered.

Liam shook his head, "It's not like I'm against it. I'm just... not sure. I guess I haven't really met a pony that's made me want to jump into a relationship again, yet. The last girl I was with was... crazy, to say the least. I just want to be sure I'm not going to be rushing into crazy again." He explained.

Midnight tapped her chin in thought for a few moments as Sky and Twilight both gave more nods of agreement with Liam's sentiment.

"Well, have you talked to Morning Star?" Midnight inquired.

"Oh, Morning Star is a very nice mare." Twilight nodded in agreement.

Liam shook his head, "No, I can't say that I've ever met her. Does she work in the castle?" He asked.

"I think you'd like her. She's a very diligent mare and from what I've heard through the grapevine, quite a 'go-getter' as well." Twilight offered.

"Yeah, Morning Star is one of my better friends on the day guard schedule. I think you should meet her. You two might hit it off really quick." Midnight suggested.

Liam opened his mouth to say no, but was cut off by a new voice speaking up from the doorway.

"Well I can already say I'm interested. What do you say we meet up at the 'Vineyard'?" The guardsmare asked, a confident smirk on her face.

Liam tilted his head to the side in confusion as Twilight and Midnight both fixed the mare with a look of surprise. She was a pegasus, but the illusion of her golden guard armor made her coat appear as white as snow, and her mane as a deep cobalt blue. Her eyes were much the same as her hair, and appeared as two deep pools of blue looking into the room with a steady calmness.

"Oh, Star. I didn't even know you were on this shift." Midnight said, a stark amount of surprise on her face.

"Lieutenant, what are you doing here? I thought your post was in the East corridor." Twilight asked, squinting in confusion.

"I was just relieved, Princess. I was passing by to get lunch and overheard the conversation in here. I figured I'd introduce myself to the cute colt Mid was talking me up to and ask him out myself." Star replied, no slight amount of cool confidence in her voice.

All eyes quickly darted back to Liam, as he struggled to comprehend what was even happening. After a moment of silence, he quickly realized that everyone was waiting on him, and he struggled to force any words out of his mouth.

"Uh, I... well-" Liam stuttered, only for Star to cut him off.

"Well I understand if you're a bit tongue-tied, sweetie. Why don't you meet me down at the 'Vineyard' at six tomorrow night?" Star said, with a wink.

Liam felt a hot blush cover his face as he struggled to find his words.

Star giggled at the flustered man before turning to make her leave, "Alright, cutie. See you then." She announced, before departing and heading out the hallway.

As the guardsmare left, all eyes in the room quickly darted back to Liam while he finally managed to control the blush that covered his face.

"Hehe, she got you good." Sky chuckled.

"Wh-what just happened?" Liam questioned.

"It seems as if you've been propositioned on a date." Twilight mused, still slightly impressed by the brazen display of confidence.

"Hehe, I didn't get a chance to say that she's a little too cocky sometimes. She means well, but she can come off a little strong." Midnight sheepishly rubbed the back of her head.

"You could say that again." Liam shook his head.

"She reminds of of Rainbow way back when I first met her. A little arrogant, but her track record in the guard is nothing short of exemplary. I'm sure she'll mellow out on your date. She was probably just showboating a bit. You know how mares get when they want to woo a stallion." Twilight shrugged.

"When I go on the date? Twilight, I didn't even get a chance to agree to it. Besides, didn't we just finish talking about how I'm not really looking to dive into a relationship again right now?" Liam asked, looking back and forth at the ponies in the room.

"I know we were just talking about that, but I think you should give her a chance," Midnight offered, "Twilight's right, she's a really nice mare. She's probably just trying to assert herself as a strong suiter for you. It's a pretty typical behavior when a mare is interested." She explained.

Liam raised an eyebrow.

"Mid's right, dude. I know you don't want to just dive in, so just explain that to her. I don't know Star as well as Mid does, but from what I do know, she's a really cool mare." Sky added.

"I mean... I'm not sure." Liam quietly responded.

After a few seconds of silence, Twilight walked over to Liam and placed her hoof on his shoulder. At his questioning gaze, she gave him a friendly smile.

"If you're not comfortable, then don't push yourself, Liam. Remember, she only asked you out on a date. It's not a commitment to anything more than that if you don't want it to be. Hay, you don't even have to go. Morning Star is the kind of mare that isn't going to be completely heartbroken if she gets stood up on a date where she didn't exactly wait around long enough for you to even give her an answer." Twilight chuckled.

Liam let out a quiet sigh, "I-I know, you're right. I mean... I guess it couldn't hurt to try one date. Like you said, it's not like its's a commitment to an entire relationship yet." He nodded.

"There ya go, buddy," Sky smiled, "You're gonna have a great time, don't even worry about it. The 'Vineyard' is awesome. Mid and I went there a few months ago. They have awesome salads and you get to watch a live comedy show every hour. It's a really nice place for a date." He said, flapping over to Liam and patting him on the shoulder.

"You know, I still haven't heard pony comedy. It's not gonna have like... a million horse puns, is it?" Liam asked, raising an eyebrow.

Sky laughed while Midnight and Twilight pouted.

"For the last time, they aren't puns! We still have no idea why your language and ours is so similar." Twilight defensively rebutted.

"Exactly. We can't help that you humans names everything in your planet off-brand versions of our names for things." Midnight pouted.

"Hey, hey, hey. We came up with the names first. We've been over this, ponies copied humans. The timeline just adds up perfectly that way." Sky replied, shrugging unapologetically.

Twilight and Midnight both crossed their forelegs and pouted, prompting even more laughter from Sky and Liam.

"Well, now that that's settled... should I wear something particular? I don't know how this works, you ponies are naked everywhere you go so are dates exceptions to that or something?" Liam inquired.

"Nah, you shouldn't have to wear anything crazy. I think I just wore a pair of jeans and a t-shirt when Mid and I went on our first date." Sky replied.

Satisfied at the answer, Liam got up out of his seat and walked over to the chalkboard on the opposite side of the room. He squinted as he read over the schedule scribbled on the far right corner of the wall.

"Well... even if everything else lines up, I still have work to do tomorrow and Wednesday, so I'm not sure about this.." Liam started, only to trail off as he turned around to see all three equines giving him the hardest deadpan they possibly could.

"Liam... I'm just going to pretend you didn't just say that." Sky facehoofed.

"You have Wednesday off. Congrats, go enjoy your date." Midnight added.

Liam let out a sheepish chuckle, "Ah, well... had to try it, I guess." He admitted.

"Let's just say that wasn't your best work." Twilight teased.

Liam chuckled, "Alright, alright. I'll go on this date. I'm still not sure about this mare. I still know almost nothing about her, but I guess ponies don't exactly have a reputation for kidnapping and selling organs... do they?" He asked.

Midnight shook her head, "No, that seems to be a human thing. You know if you need extra organs, we do have a lab that specializes in regenerative tissue." She offered.

"I... wait, seriously? You ponies have that. How the..." Liam replied, his brow furrowed in confusion.

Midnight and Twilight shared a look, before both breaking out into giggles. 

"Ah, I see that you're just messing with me. Very mature." Liam sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Oh, Liam, you need to lighten up a little. You always take yourself so seriously at work. Hay, I think this date might actually be a great idea to help you loosen up a bit." Midnight replied, stifling her giggling.

Liam rolled his eyes, "I take work as seriously as I should, thank you very much." He pouted.

"Suuuuuuuuuure." Midnight teased.

Liam resisted the urge to roll his eyes yet again, "Alright, alright. You've all made your point. I'll go on the date. I can't promise anything though. We'll just have to see how it goes." He relented.

"That's all we're suggesting. If you have no desire to pursue a relationship with Morning Star, then I'm more than confident that she'll understand. No pressure." Twilight smiled.

"Yeah, bro. It'll be fun. Even if you don't want to date her, you'll still have a fun time. That place is awesome." Sky added, offering a supportive smile.

Liam nodded slowly, "I hope you guys are right."
> Chapter 3
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Liam nervously paced back and forth on the sidewalk just outside of the 'Vineyard'. He glanced back and forth across the street for any sign of Morning Star, but could not identify her among the sparse groups of ponies out and about on the city. He looked down to his watch, finding that it was only five minutes until his scheduled date, and a frown quickly overtook his features.

"Is... is she gonna stand me up?" He asked to himself, a hint of hurt in his voice.

"Of course not!" Star happily replied, starting Liam out of his musing.

"Gah!" Liam shrieked as he jumped back, away from the mare now standing just in front of him.

Liam clutched his chest as he gasped for air and looked over the guardsmare. Now naked, and lacking the magical effects of her magic, her coat and mane color were actually visible. Surprisingly, she didn't look too much different from when she was wearing her armor, save a few noticeable differences. Her coat was much the same color, although maybe a shade darker than before, and her eyes were the exact same deep cobalt. Instead of a pure white, her wings were orange, almost matching her mane perfectly. Lastly, her mane and tail, were a fiery orange and swept back, as if she just finished a long, fast flight. Liam instantly thought of the Wonderbolts upon seeing her mane outside of a helmet.

Liam also quickly noticed how much taller she stood than the average mare. Much like Sky, she stood all the way up to his stomach, not counting her ears. With his breath finally caught, Liam picked up on the sound of giggling, and quickly noticed that Star was the source of the harmonic noise.

"Didn't think I'd take your breath away that quickly." Star teased.

"I-uh, sorry. You just startled me, is all." Liam replied, replied, looking slightly down and away from her.

"You know I'm not going to bite, right? Unless you're into that, of course." Star pressed, quickly picking up on the flustered look forming on Liam's face.

"Uh, I-I'm good. Thanks..." Liam responded, his face flushed.

Star fluttered her wings, "Well then I guess I'll just have to try again for dessert. You look incredibly cute, you know that?" She complimented.

Liam scratched the back of his neck, "Well, thanks, but... I didn't really do anything. Just threw on some jeans and a t-shirt." He replied, his face still noticeably blushing.

"I think you look like a snack," Star replied, before her voice dropped low, and husky, "And momma's hungry." She purred.

Liam's eyes widened and he awkwardly coughed into his fist as he turned to look to the entrance.

"Oh look! We should probably get in there and sit down before the dinner rush come in." He announced. 

Star looked over to the doorway and shrugged with her wings, "Whatever you say, hot stuff. I've been looking forward to tonight all day." She replied with a wink, before turning tail and heading into the front door.

Liam rushed after her, fully intent to grab the front door for the pegasus mare, but she easily beat him to it, and pulled the door open for him. She gave him a kind smile as she held the door open, motioning for him to go in first. 

With his face flushed red once more, and a sting to his pride, Liam quietly sighed and accepted the gesture. He walked inside with Star quickly coming in behind him, her eyes lingering on his rear while they both walked up to the front desk. The hostess quickly looked up from her papers and put a wide smile on her face as Liam and Star approached.

"Well hi there! Welcome to the 'Vineyard'. How can I help you both?" The mare happily inquired.

"Ta-" Liam started, only for Star to speak at almost the exact same time.

"Can we get a table for two?" She politely, yet firmly asked.

Liam chewed his tongue and placed his hands in his pockets as the waitress gave a happy nod.

"You certainly can. Just follow me. Right this way." The hostess replied, before grabbing two menus in her magic and turning tail to lead the duo to their table.

Liam and Star followed behind, and quickly entered the main foyer of the restaurant. The central dining area was outside, and split into five different levels, much like an opera theatre.  Every booth and table beheld a magnificent view of the Smoky mountains off in the distance, as well as the Canterlot river leading away from the city toward said mountain range. Stars sparkled in the sky over the entire view of Equestria, casting pale white light that illuminated the center stage all tables were situated around. Little glass lanterns added warm atmospheric light that made the entire space feel homely and inviting.

Liam felt his jaw drop as the hostess quickly ushered them both to an open booth on the third level. The wooden table and straw patch filled cushions of the booth added to the homely aesthetic, and just before Liam took his seat, he saw, rather than heard, a volley of laughter run through the building. He looked over to the center stage to see a lone pony talking into a microphone just before another wave of laughter ran through the ponies sitting around him.

"Would you two like to listen to the show, or just dine without any distractions?" The hostess asked, looking back and forth between Liam and Star. 

"Up to you, stud. I can occupy myself with a nice view if you don't wanna listen to a comedian." Star waggled her eyebrows at Liam.

Liam looked over to the hostess, "I think I'd like to listen to the show. Can you just make it relatively quiet?" He inquired.

"Absolutely. Just take your seats and I'll connect your booth." The hostess smiled.

Liam sat down on his side of the booth with Star taking her seat a moment after he was seated. The hostess quickly cast a spell and formed a bubble around them. Once the spell was complete, Liam heard the sound of a pony's voice reach his ears. It was faint enough to not be distracting, but loud enough to still understand what she was saying.

"So then I said, 'A slinky?! That doesn't go in there!" The comedian's voice began, only for Liam to turn his attention to the hostess as she entered the bubble.

"Alright, you two have a great time. Your waiter will be with you in just a minute." She smiled, before turning tail and heading back for the entrance.

With the hostess gone, Liam quickly returned his attention to the mare sitting across from him, and the downright salacious look in her eyes. With a nervous gulp, he adjusted his collar and mentally prepared himself.

"So..." Star began, a smirk forming on her muzzle.

"So... how's your day been?" Liam replied, noticeably twiddling his thumbs.

"My day was easy. I spent most of it looking forward to seeing your cute flank tonight." Star replied with a wink.

A blush instantly blossomed on Liam's face and he awkwardly cleared his throat before responding.

"Uh, hehe... thank you?" Liam said, his eyes averted.

"No need to be so coy. You have cute flanks. Especially for an alien. I'll be honest, when I found out legit aliens landed in Equestria, I did not think some of you would be so cute, but mare, you've got assets in all the right places." Star complimented, leaning forward on one elbow.

Liam bashfully looked away and rubbed the back of his neck, "Uh, t-thanks. Listen, I-" He begun, only for the waiter to enter their bubble.

"Excuse me, my name is Summer Breeze, and I'll be your waiter for the night." Summer greeted, before looking over to Liam specifically.

"Can I get you started with something to drink, sir?" She politely asked.

"Uh, just water is fine for me. Thanks." Liam replied, a thankful smile on his face for the interruption.

"Staying hydrated I see. Wouldn't want you getting too thirsty now, would we? At least, not until later." Star teased, a playful grin on her face.

Liam felt his entire face and neck heat up as his blush returned in full force. Even the waiter did a double take before awkwardly looking down at her notepad and writing down Liam's order.

"A-and for you, ma'am?" She asked, slightly flustered.

"I'll have strawberry daiquiri." Star replied, a confident smile on her face as she observed Liam's reaction.

"R-right, I'll get those for you two right away." Summer replied, before scribbling down Star's order and heading off back toward the kitchen.

Star watched their waiter retreat for a moment, before returning her gaze back to Liam. The blush was finally gone from his face, but he wore a noticeable frown. The confident smirk on Star's face cracked slightly, and she cleared her throat before addressing Liam once more.

"So, Mid tells me that you and her have made a lot of progress with all the quantum physics mumbo jumbo stuff. How's that been?" Star asked, her confidence returning with every word.

Liam let out a quiet sigh before replying, "It's been going very well. We've made more progress than either of us expected to make in a very short amount of time. Before the end of the year, we'll have pretty much everything figured out to start doing some serious experiments." He answered.

"That sounds cool! What kind of experiments are you gonna be doing? Are they gonna involve socks?" Star wiggled her eyebrows.

Liam opened his mouth to respond, before slowly closing it and shaking his head, "What is it with you ponies and socks?" 

"They're sexy as Tartarus! You humans wear them all the time too! It's so hot... oh my gosh, you're wearing them right now, aren't you!?" Star exclaimed, planting both hooves on the table.

Liam leaned back from her outburst, "Uh... yeah I'm wearing socks right now. Why is that a big deal? How is that hot?" He asked.

Star's tail excitedly wagged back and forth, "Oh buck yeah, you dirty colt. Wearing socks to our first date? I hit the jackpot with you." She predatorily grinned.

Liam furrowed his brow once more, before letting out a long, suffering sigh, "Jesus. I knew this was a mistake." He shook his head, before moving to get up.

Any visage of Stars confidence and composure immediately shattered. She did a double take as Liam got to his feet.

"W-wait!" She exclaimed, her hooves flailing frantically.

Liam paused mid step and fixed her with a deadpan look, "Look, Star, I appreciate the forwardness, but I'm not really looking to move this fast." 

Just as Liam turned to leave, Star jumped out of her seat and grabbed his hand with her hooves. 

"I'm sorry!" She exclaimed, prompting a raised eyebrow from the man as she held his hand, "Look, I just... I really like you, and when I overheard Mid saying that you might be interested in me, I got... a bit carried away, I guess." She explained, her ears splayed flat against her skull.

Liam slowly turned to face the mare as she looked up to him like a dog just caught digging through the trash.

"Listen, I appreciate that, but this kind of relationship is exactly why I left Earth. I don't really want to go through the same thing again." He responded.

"Wait, you left your home because of a relationship?" Star asked, genuine concern in her voice.

"It's a long story." Liam replied, looking away.

"Liam, I'm so sorry for acting the way I was. I just... could we please start over? I know I've bucked this all up, but please, let me try again. I didn't know." Star pleaded, a deep frown on her face.

Liam slowly looked down to the pegasus mare and the point of contact between them. The soft frogs of her hooves felt gentle, and comforting, even despite the previous twenty minutes of their date. Despite himself, Liam let out a huff and a small nod.

"If you can promise to drop the borderline sexual harassment, we can continue this like a normal date." He relented.

Star beamed, "I will, I promise. Thank you for giving me another chance." She replied, gratefully.

Liam nodded, before sitting back down in his seat and fixing the alabaster white pegasus with a curious look.

"So what made you take an interest in me anyways?" Liam inquired, "I'm not exactly anything special." 

Star vigorously shook her head, "What are you talking about? You're amazing. I've seen the way you come to work, bang out like, six hundred equations, solve something our scholars have been working on for centuries, and then fix a little filly's math homework all before lunch!" She countered.

"That only happened once." Liam corrected, holding up a finger.

"And it was amazing. I can see that, Mid and Sky can see that... why can't you?" Star questioned, a puzzled and slightly concerned look crossing her features.

Liam sighed, "It's... just part of the problems I carried over from Earth, I guess. Mostly my Ex, but it is what it is." 

"What did your Ex do to you to make you feel like you aren't as amazing as the rest of us can plainly see?" Star pressed, placing her hoof on Liam's hand.

Liam looked down at the point of contact between the two of them, a slight frown forming on his brow as his mind registered the distinct warmth and softness of the frog of her hoof. Stray hairs from her fetlocks brushed against his knuckles, causing a tickling sensation that almost made him squirm free from her gentle grasp. 

"It's... like I said, a long story." Liam admitted.

"I've got time," Star immediately replied, "And I'm willing to listen." She smiled encouragingly.

Liam chewed his tongue in thought for a few moments before giving a single nod and clearing his throat.

"Well, it started the way pretty much any issues in a normal relationship start. Just little things, like her wanting to check my holopad when I wasn't looking to see if I was cheating on her, or hitting me just a bit too hard when we were 'screwing around'." Liam explained, his eyes glued to Star's hoof on his hand.

"She would hit you?" Star asked, concern bleeding into her voice.

"It wasn't like she was punching me in the face or anything, but you know, when couples play fight or whatever and sometimes one of them takes it a bit too far. She was like that a lot. Anyways, after that, it started escalating into just more and more abusive things that she'd say; telling me that I was worthless or that no other girl would want to be with me because I didn't have a job at the time and I was depending on her for a place to stay." Liam elaborated.

"That's horrible. She never should have said those kinds of things to you." Star responded, her tone conveying clear resentment.

Liam nodded, "From there, it just got worse and worse since I depended on her for a place to live, and I couldn't afford to put food on the table because Earth is so overpopulated and I couldn't find a job. Eventually she started being really abusive, saying that she wished I would just die or something so she wouldn't have to deal with a burden like me anymore... yeah, stuff like that." Liam admitted, before a white blur leapt over the table and pulled him into a hug.

Liam gasped at the speed with which Star moved from one side of the table to the other and wrapped her forelegs around him, but the squeezing sensation around his midsection felt oddly comforting, making him look down at the source of the tentatively welcome contact.

"I'm so sorry that she did those things to you... nopony deserves that kind of abuse, and I wish it never happened to you." Star mumbled, her muzzled buried into Liam's chest.

Liam stared down at the mare squeezing him like her life depended on it for a few moments before slowly wrapping his arms around her in turn. 

"It's alright. I got over all of that." Liam said, brushing his fingers along Star's back, between her wings.

"It's not alright. I can't believe somepony would be so mean and hurtful to you like that. It's not right. You don't deserve that kind of abuse. Nopony does." Star rebutted, squeezing him slightly tighter in the process.

"Star, it's okay. I got over it. Besides, if it wasn't for that, I wouldn't have moved here in the first place, so it's not really that big of a bother to me anymore. I made one of the best decisions I've ever made because of it." Liam responded, dragging his fingers through Star's silky mane.

"It is not okay. I'm so sorry some mare said those horrible things to you. You deserve better than that." Star asserted, looking up to Liam with a furrowed brow.

Liam allowed a smile to grace his face, "Well thank you. I appreciate that, but it's all in the past. I've learned to move on from it."  He explained.

"Well you shouldn't have had to!" Star exclaimed, startling Liam slightly as she intensely looked up at him.

Liam looked down at the adorable pony looking up to him with a pout on her face and fire in her eyes. After a few moments of looking into those deep blue eyes, he let out a small sigh.

"Alright, alright. You're right. I'm just saying that I've moved on from it by now. No need to get all fired up about something that happened almost half a year ago." He replied, bringing his hand up to her ear and scratching gently. 

Star sighed softly into the contact as she nuzzled her cheek into Liam's chest just a tad more firmly.

"I promise that you won't ever have to deal with that kind of abuse again." Star mumbled, her voice muffled slightly by Liam's shirt.

Liam smiled.

Maybe dating a pony might not be so bad after all? 
> Chapter 4
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Next Day


Liam took a long swig from his beer as he sat at the bar beside Sky. The crimson red pegasus took a drink from his own beer, before setting it down on the bar and fixing Liam with an expectant look.

"Well?" Sky asked.

"It went... pretty good." Liam replied, setting his beer down as well.

"Just pretty good? That doesn't sound very convincing." Sky replied, tilting his head to the side.

Liam shook his head, "I mean, it started out bad, but then she stopped being so overly aggressive with the flirting and it was actually pretty nice." He explained.

Sky gave a knowing nod, "Ah, Star came onto you a bit too hard, did she?" 

"She was way too strong, man. I felt like a piece of meat. Hell, she basically told me she wanted to fuck me right then and there." Liam shrugged.

Sky winced, "Yikes. Yeah, mares can tend to do stuff like that sometimes if they're really into you. I got lucky with Mid not being like that, but from what I've seen, a lot of mares are pretty much one breath away from ripping your pants off and jumping your bones." 

"Why are they like that?" Liam questioned, before taking another sip of his beer.

"Well it's mostly because of the gender ratio. At least, that's what Mid and Twilight will say." Sky replied.

"Gender ratio? What do you mean?" 

"Well I'm sure you noticed, but the majority of ponies are mares. I think the ratio is like, six to one? Hell, it might even be seven to one now." Sky responded.

"That... sounds like a problem. Are ponies dying out or something? I mean, with numbers like that, how is it not open season on any stallion they can find? I imagine it'd just be a rape nightmare here." Liam said, his eyes widening some.

"It's nothing that severe. I mean, there's a few ways ponies deal with it. For starters, they can be pretty aggressive with their dating, as you've already seen. Secondly, Twilight has a spell that will temporarily put every mare in a massive radius in estrus. Basically, every mare would become super easy to impregnate, and then whatever stallions are left would be required to put as many babies in them as physically possible." Sky explained.

Liam gave Sky a horrified look.

"Oh relax," Sky laughed, "There hasn't even been anything close to a need for that in over a thousand years. Besides, Twilight would only use it as an absolute last resort if there were so few ponies left that extinction was actually on the table. At the moment, the pony population is very healthy, and even growing." Sky clarified.

Liam slowly nodded, "I... see... well I guess I'll just have to hope to God that Twilight never has to use that spell in my lifetime,"  He shuddered, "I can't even get a pony pregnant and I'd be scared of that situation." 

"It's not like they'd just rape the stallions to death," Sky chuckled, "They'd be well taken care of. They'd just have to have sex with a lot of mares before the spell wore off." 

Liam shook his head, "Alright man. Whatever you say. Anyways, so the gender ratio is why Star came onto me so hard last night?" 

Sky nodded, "Like I said, gender ratios make it pretty hard for mares to find a stallion that's available. Since she's already attracted to you, she sees you as a potential mate, and since you're single, there's a chance that another mare could swing by and scoop you up." 

Liam looked around the bar to see the dozens of mares all playing pool, dancing to music, or drinking their own drinks around them. A couple of them noticed his gaze, and batted their eyelashes at him, or gave a friendly wave, to which he quickly returned before turning back around to look at Sky.

"I mean, Star asked me out first. I wouldn't just dump her for another mare without even having gone on the date with her." Liam protested.

Sky laughed, "Dude, you know that mares share most of the time, right? Another part of having such a high gender ratio difference is that mares have to form herds with their stallions. Usually it's four or five mares to a stallion, and Star does not like to share. From what I gather, she's just like Mid. Kinda possessive of you, but in a good, protective kind of way. Star probably wanted to make sure she got to you before any other mare even had the chance to attract your attention." He explained.

Liam slowly nodded, "I mean... I guess that makes sense." 

"How'd the date go after that, though? Did you leave?" Sky asked.

"No, I was about to, but then she practically begged me not to go. She apologized a bunch and promised to stop, and then... well things went great. She was really kind and genuine, and we listened to the comedian for a while before leaving and going our separate ways." Liam replied.

"So..." Sky began.

"So, we're having another date tomorrow." Liam chuckled.

"Hey! That's awesome! Where are you two going now?" Sky asked, a wide smile on his face.

"She wanted to take me on a picnic, so we're going to the park in the middle district." 

"Oh, I know the one. That park is really nice. You'll have a great time, trust me." Sky replied, patting Liam on the back.

"Hehe, thanks. I was meaning to ask you something else though, real quick." Liam replied, looking over his shoulder in case anyone was listening in.

"What's that?" Sky asked, leaning in closer, his brow furrowed in confusion at Liam's behavior

"Does Midnight... hold doors open for you and ask you out on dates and stuff? Cause Star does and it really throws me off." Liam questioned.

Sky chuckled, "Oh yeah, she does. Don't worry though. You get used to it." 

"I hope you're right. Cause right now, it just feels wrong." Liam shook his head.

Sky only laughed harder.


.

.

.

.

.



At the park


Liam walked through the sparsely populated streets of the Canterlot middle district, quickly approaching his destination. The sun shown high in the sky, and birds chirped happily off in the nearing trees as Liam made his approach. He glanced back and forth to gleam any sign of the bright white pegasus he was meeting, but saw neither wing nor tail of her as he arrived at the park entrance. He chewed his tongue while turning around to survey the street behind him to see if he was just a few minutes early.

"Hey there!" Star cheerily announced, starting Liam out of his searching.

"Gah!" He shrieked as he turned around, finding Star hovering just a few feet behind him with a picnic basket held in her hooves, "How do you keep doing that!?" He questioned, catching his breath.

Star giggled into her hoof, "Easy, silly. I'm a pegasus. We're really good as flying quietly. Not quite as good as Thestrals, but then again, who is?" She shrugged.

Liam shook his head as Star landed on the ground in front of him and placed the basket down on the ground. Before he could say another word, she reared up on her hind legs and wrapped her forelegs around his waist, pulling him into a firm hug.

"Heh, good to see you too, Star." Liam softly sighed, returning the hug as he brushed a finger through her mane.

Star smiled into Liam's chest, "Thanks for giving me another shot. I was actually really worried you were gonna stand me up today." She admitted, squeezing him just a tad tighter in the process.

Liam shook his head, "I wouldn't do that. It's happened to me before and I was not a fan, believe me." He chuckled.

Star pouted before releasing the hug enough to look up to Liam's face, "That will never happen again, I promise."

Liam allowed a small smile to form on his face, "Well, thanks. What do you have in the basket?" He asked, looking down to the aforementioned basket.

"Oh, just some simple stuff. I'm still not sure what exactly you humans eat yet, but I do remember Sky saying that you eat meat, so I went to a gryphon butcher in town and got some fish. He cooked it fresh about ten minutes ago, so it should still be nice and hot." Star beamed. 

"Wow, Star, that's... actually really thoughtful of you... thank you." Liam replied, a genuine smile forcing its way onto his face.

Star beamed, "Well come on, then. Let's go find somewhere nice to eat. I think I know a nice secluded area where we won't have to worry about other ponies bugging us too much." She suggested, with a little flutter of her wings.

"Lead the way." Liam nodded.

Star leaned over and bit down on the handle of the basket with her teeth. Once she had it held in her mouth, she trotted on ahead, prompting Liam to walk after her. She led him through the entrance of the park. They passed dozens of other mares and stallions that gave friendly waves, or said their greetings, to which Liam returned. Star also returned the gestures, although with a hint of suspicion toward any mares that looked Liam's way. 

Soon enough, she led him toward the center of the park where the large fountain depicting Luna and Celestia resided, and eventually to the outside edge where the tree coverage was thinner. A small creek ran along the path, almost as if to point ahead to a baby redwood tree near the edge of the park. A small stone boulder provided cover from the eyes of the ponies outside the park, and some larger bushes provided cover from the ponies still in the park.

A relatively large patch of grass just in front of the tree beckoned them closer, and with a proud nod, Star set the basket down just outside the soft greenery. She opened the lid and quickly pulled out a blanket for them both to lay on, and laid it out on the ground. Liam leaned down and pulled out the salmon, wrapped in tin foil, a paper bag with a sandwich in it, and two bottles of apple cider. He handed them all to Star, gaining a thankful nod in return, before she sat down on the blanket and patted the spot next to her, an inviting smile on her face.

Liam sat down beside her and was swiftly offered his salmon. With a grateful nod, he accepted the food and unwrapped the tin foil. The warm, seafood scent of fresh salmon instantly reached his nose, and Liam softly sighed through his nostrils as he took a bite out of the piece of fish. 

Star took a bite out of her sandwich and swallowed it down while she watched his reaction with bated breath. After Liam took the first bite, and swallowed down the salmon, he looked over to her, finding an apprehensive look on her muzzle.

"So? Do you like it?" Star asked, sounding a little unsure of herself.

Liam smiled, "I love it. This was really thoughtful of you. Thank you." He said.

Star let out a sigh of relief, "Oh thank Faust. I wasn't sure if you were going to like it." She admitted.

Liam shook his head, "It's great. Thank you for this." He replied, reaching over and scratching at one of Star's fuzzy ears.

The pegasus melted into the contact, and let out a shuddering sigh as Liam's fingers dug into her soft coat, just behind her ear. She tilted her head to the side, giving him better access to scratch, and for a few moments, they both simply enjoyed the gentle contact. Star's eyes drifted shut as she let out a little hum of satisfaction, while Liam found that the dopey look on her face infected him with a smile that made his cheeks hurt. 

Eventually, Liam pulled his hand away, earing a squeak of protest from Star, before she opened her eyes and gave him a smile.

"Mare, you humans have the nicest fingers... that was absolutely heavenly." She acknowledged. 

Liam let out a chuckle, "Well, they are good for a few things, I'll give them that. You look adorable when you're leaning into it like that, by the way."

Star blushed, "Well it just feels so nice... before I knew it, it felt like I was drifting off to sleep." 

Liam chuckled, "You know, a nap under the tree right here does sound really nice." He said, before finishing off his salmon.

Star quickly scarfed down the rest of her sandwich and patted the spot just beside her, "Well I think we can both agree on that then. Wanna take a nap and just enjoy the sunshine?" She asked, a smile on her face.

Liam smiled and nodded, "Yeah, that actually sounds really nice." 

Star smiled as Liam moved a little closer to her and laid down onto his back, his fingers interlocked behind his head as he gazed up at the soft clouds slowly trailing across the sky. With a small shake of excitement, Star laid down beside him, her muzzle coming to a rest just below his collar. She wrapped her foreleg around his midsection and nuzzled her cheek into his chest while her tail wrapped around his leg. 

Liam looked down at the sight with surprise, but quickly found that Star was simply too adorable to protest, and he brought one arm down to wrap around her back. Her wings twitched at the contact, and a small gasp escaped her lips, but once his hand found its place between her shoulder blades, she squeezed him even tighter. A muffled coo of approval sounded from Liam's chest, making him snicker.

"You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you're trying to get me to fall for you by sheer adorableness alone." Liam said, brushing his fingers through her fur. The velveteen texture felt so soft against his fingers that he almost did a double take at the sheer softness of the pegasus' coat.

"That depends," Star replied, opening one eye to look up at him, "Is it working?" 

"Maybe." Liam responded, a smile on his face.

Star squeed in happiness as she nuzzled her muzzle against Liam's chest once more. Liam responded by running his fingers up and down her back, just between her wings and along her spine. Beneath her fur, there was an undeniable layer of toned muscle, and Liam could feel how powerful her wings were with every stroke of his hand down her furry back. 

Eventually, Liam drifted off and softly snoozed away as Star protectively added her hind leg to the cuddle session. She glanced back and forth for any sign of other ponies before slowly inching her way up Liam's side until her muzzle was just below his chin. Now happy with her position, she nestled her muzzle under his chin and let out a soft sigh of contentment. She gave him one more squeeze for good measure before closing her eyes and drifting off as well, her date securely wrapped in her embrace.

For a while they snoozed the day away, both sleeping soundly in each other's warmth. Eventually, the sun moved in the sky, and clouds covered the blazing orb of light. They both stirred, and sleepily opened their eyes to find the sun heading toward its descent on the horizon. Liam looked down at Star, surprise on his face at just how welcome the contact between them was. 

"H-hey, you awake?' He asked.

"Yeah. I'm awake. Sleep well?" Star asked, looking up to Liam with a smile.

"Yeah. That was really nice. I wasn't expecting that to be as nice as it was." He softly laughed.

Star smiled broadly at the sound of Liam's laughter, and booped his chin with her muzzle before laying back down against him.

"You know what, this has been a great day... even if we didn't really do much." Liam smirked.

"I would call snuggling in the afternoon sun and having a great picnic, more than enough." Star replied.

"I guess that's fair. We should probably get up though." Liam acknowledged. 

Star gave a nod, "Yeah, we've been here for a few hours now and I don't want the bugs to start crawling on us." She giggled.

"That would make for a less than pleasant end to this picnic, wouldn't it?" Liam joked.

Star pried herself off of Liam and got to her hooves. Just as he was sitting upright, she leaned down and stretched, her back arching much like a cats. Her wings flared out and trembled as she stretched. Liam spared a glance at her very shapely flanks, gaining a split second glance at her plush lips beneath her tail. A blush quickly spreading onto his face as he noticed just how perfect and enticing the view was.

Just as quickly as she started, Star finished stretching and stood back up to her full height. She quickly turned on her hooves, finding Liam looking up at the redwood tree as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. She raised an eyebrow at the sight and playfully slugged him in the shoulder.

"You good?" She joked.

"Me? Oh, yeah! I'm good. Great, even." Liam hastily responded, pushing himself to his feet.

Star giggled again, "Whatever you say, silly. You seem like you got nervous all of a sudden." 

Liam dismissively waved his hand, "Me? Nah, I was just fascinated by the... tree." He said, placing his hands on his hips.

"Hmm... are you sure you weren't checking me out?" Star asked, unfurling her wings and flapping up to Liam's height.

"What!? O-of course not! I-I, wouldn't do something like that unless you wanted me to." Liam stuttered.

"You sure? That tree is what had your attention? Not me?" Star purred, hovering ever closer.

"Yeah! For sure!" Liam smiled a little too hard.

Star looked over to the tree, "What's so interesting about it?" She asked.

Liam turned to face the tree as well, "Well, it's a redwood, so it must be young since it's so small-" He said, before turning back to Star, only for her to intercept his lips with hers.

Liam froze as the pegasus kissed him, his entire frame going rigid for a few seconds, before melting into the kiss. Her lips felt like the softest silk in the world, and he couldn't stop himself from closing his eyes and leaning into the gesture.

After a few more seconds, Star pulled away, a hot blush on her face and her wings noticeably stiffer.

"Uh..." Liam mumbled.

"No offense, Liam, but you're not a very good liar." Star winked.

"Uh, hehe... I guess not." Liam admitted, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck.

"So..." Star began, hopefully.

Liam pursed his lips for a moment, "I... guess I was checking you out. You're really pretty." 

Star beamed, "Aww, thank you!" She rushed over and hugged him.

Liam smiled into the hug, "I... guess I'm willing to give this a shot if you are. You're really soft." He mumbled, burying his face into her mane.

Star's tail wagged back and forth in happiness as Liam held her up in his arms.

"Best date ever." She whispered.
> Chapter 5
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


A few days later


Liam walked through the emptying streets of Canterlot as the sun set on the horizon. He gazed out at the blazing ball of fire as it sank down its last dredges to make room for the moon and stars of the night sky with a reserved smile. Ponies around him similarly gazed at the fading of the light, many of them taking the moment to nuzzle or hug their partners in the street, before heading home for the evening.

Liam's eyes drifted over to the ponies around him for just a few moments, taking in the many couples enjoying the moment together, while he stood alone. He pursed his lips as he thought over the scene, before smirking and shaking his head. With a pep in his step, he turned and headed toward his destination. 

Within a matter of minutes, Liam arrived at the 'Horseshoe Hangout' restaurant in the middle district. Just before reaching the doorway, he felt the faintest hint of a breeze at his back, and chuckled softly to himself.

"You know what, you almost managed to sneak up on me again." He said, turning around to see Star, her hooves just a few inches off the ground.

"Aww, you heard me? I knew I was going a bit too fast." She muttered in defeat. 

Liam laughed, "I did feel a bit of a breeze... it's good to see you." He said, leaning down for a hug.

Star brightened up immediately as she returned the hug, inhaling Liam's scent as she did.

"Mmm, you smell nice today." Star mumbled into Liam's shoulder.

"Uh, I didn't do anything really different though. Just been walking around a bit more today than usual." Liam explained, shrugging.

Star inhaled deeply once more, before letting out a satisfied sigh, "It's your scent, not cologne or shampoo... that's why its nice." 

Liam chuckled, "Thank... you? I think... are you saying I shouldn't shower anymore?" He asked, lightheartedly.

"To a point. Don't want you to stink, just smell more natural." Star replied, nuzzling her cheek against Liam's neck.

"Fair enough." Liam responded, before pulling away, "Let's head inside."

Star gave a happy nod before trotting over to the door and pulling it open for Liam. With a barely repressed sigh of acceptance, Liam entered through the door and into the front foyer of the restaurant. The layout of the entire building was that of a horseshoe, with tables and chairs arranged all along the curves of the structure. Meanwhile, the inside walls were noticeably missing, and gave a clear view of the outside cooking area in the center. Several patrons watched in excitement as the chefs cooked their food over the blazing fire, most of them being sure to show off some tricks to the awed foals staring at them.

Liam let out a low whistle at the rustic aesthetic of the interior and gave a small nod of approval as Star reached his side.

"So, what do you think? I figured a barbecue place would be something you'd like to try." Star acknowledged. 

Liam looked down to her, "This place looks awesome... not too sure what ponies barbecue though..." He sheepishly scratched the back of his neck.

"We barbecue haydogs and hayburgers, silly," Star dismissively replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "besides, there's a few griffon chefs here too that I just know you'll love." She added.

"Griffons? Why would I love them?" Liam tilted his head to the side.

"Well, duh? Because they cook meat for creatures like you." Star beamed.

Liam resisted the urge to let his jaw drop, "Really? Oh hell yeah!" He cheered.

Star giggled, "I figured you'd like that. Come on, let's go grab a table."

Liam followed behind as Star leaded him to the front desk where the hostess watched them approach with a smile. 

"Hello there! Are you two looking for a table?" The hostess politely inquired.

"We sure are." Star smiled.

"Alrighty! Well, you can sit where ever you like. A waiter will be with you shorty." The hostess replied with a cheery smile.

"Awesome. Thanks." Star replied, before turning and heading over to a nearby table with Liam coming up behind her.

As they arrived at the table, Liam reached out to grab his chair, only for Star to grab it before he could reach it, and pull the chair out for him. Liam paused for a moment, hand still outstretched and his lips pursed as Star invitingly patted the seat cushion with a smile. After a few moments of silence, Liam let out a sigh and sat down in the chair, prompting a head tilt from Star as she walked over to her own chair.

"Everything alright?" She asked.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine, it's just me being weird. Anyways, how was your day?" He asked.

Star perked up immediately, "It was great! For PT this morning we did aerial sprints, and those happen to be my favorite, so I absolutely crushed the rest of my platoon. After that, I was assigned to roving patrol on the East wing, which as you know, has the best view. Plus I was on shift with Brisk Breeze, and talking with her always make the shift go by way faster. Before I even knew it, the day was over and I was rushing to get over here to meet up with you." She explained, excitedly.

Liam nodded, a small smile on his face, "That sounds like a pretty great day. Do you get to be on shift with her often?" He asked.

"Not too often, but when I do, it makes my day. She's great. I should introduce you to her one day." Star replied, scratching her chin in thought.

"That sounds like it'd be cool. I have been meaning to meet more friends." Liam shrugged.

"But anyways, that's enough about me," Star leaned forward onto her elbows, "How was your day? Do anything exciting?" 

Liam shook his head, "Eh, I wish. I really just ended up doing a lot of calculous and guessing today. Midnight and I haven't solved anything world changing in about a week. I do think that we're getting close, but it's a slow process." He recalled.

"Still though, at least it was a productive day, right?" Star offered, with a half smile.

"Yeah, I guess it was." Liam responded with a half smile of his own.

Before either of them could say anything else, the waiter approached their table, a notepad held in his magic.

"Good evening! How are you both?" He inquired, a happy smile on his face.

"We're doing really well, thank you." Star replied.

"Excellent. Can I get you both started with something to drink?"

"Sure, can I get some lemonade?" Star replied.

"And can I get the same?" Liam added.

"Sure thing, two lemonades, coming right up." The waiter replied as he scribbled the orders down on his notepad, "Did you both know what you wanted to eat as well, or did you need more time?" 

"I know what I want. Do you need to look at the menu, Liam?" Star asked, looking over to her date.

Liam quickly looked down at his menu. He recognized some of the dishes, but one in particular immediately stood out to him, making his eyes widen and his mouth suddenly water.

"Uh... could... could I get the sirloin steak?" He asked, slowly looking up to the waiter.

"Sure thing, sir." The waiter nodded, before turning to Star once more.

"Double hayburger for me, all the toppings." Star replied, hoofing her menu over to the waiter.

"Alrighty, I'll get these orders to the chefs right away. Sir, just so you know, your steak is going to take a little bit longer than the hayburger just because meat takes a bit longer to cook than hay." The waiter replied, turning to Liam and taking his menu as well.

"Eh, that's fine. I'll just wait for a few." Liam replied, dismissively waving a hand.

"Can you just hold off on brining mine until his is ready?" Star asked.

"Certainly. I'll go tell the chefs right now." The waiter cheerily answered, before turning tail and heading to the kitchen.

Star and Liam watched him go, before turning back to each other.

"Well, we might be waiting the better part of an hour if I remember right. Not sure about on your world, but meat tends to take quite a while to cook here." Star offered.

"Well, it usually only takes a few seconds these days, but I understand. The technology difference between our worlds is something else." Liam shrugged.

"So tell me about it. I've known Sky for a little while, but you literally just came from there. What was it like?" Star questioned, interest in her eyes.

"Well there's a lot to explain. Depends on what you'd like to know about exactly. I don't even really know where to start." Liam chuckled.

"How about when you were growing up? What was that like?" Star asked.

"Oh, so you wanna go waaaaaaaay back." 

"Well, we've got some time before our food gets here." Star winked.

Liam chuckled, "Well I guess we have some time." 




.

.

.

.

.


"-So then I met Sky at the spaceport, and the rest is pretty much history." Liam concluded, before taking the last bite of his steak.

Star, clearly enthralled by the tale, nodded enthusiastically as she finished her drink. 

"Wow, that's one heck of a story. I still can't believe all those things your ex did to you... that was beyond cruel." Star replied, her brow furrowed in disdain.

Liam shrugged, "It was pretty bad when I was going through it, but yeah. To be honest, college kind of prepared me for mental abuse like that, but it still sucked all the same." 

Star shook her head, "Well you don't have to worry about that anymore. I promise." She asserted, giving a winning smile.

Liam returned the smile, before the waiter returned with the bill. He reached into his pocket to pull out his wallet, only for Star to once again beat him to the punch and hoof the waiter a bag filled with bits. He let out a quiet sigh before placing his wallet back into his pocket and watching patiently as the waiter counted out the bits.

"Twenty two... twenty three... and twenty four. All here. Alrightly folks, thank you so much for dining with us. I hope you come back sometime soon." The waiter announced, with a genuine smile.

"Oh I wouldn't worry too much about that. We'll probably be back." Star replied, a grin on her face.

"Alright, well you guys have a great evening." The waiter replied before turning tail and heading off to another table.

Star gave a pleasant smile to the waiter as he departed, before turning to Liam and finding a small furrow in his brow. Sensing something amiss, Star tapped on his hand with her hoof.

"Hey, Liam, you alright?" She playfully asked.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. Just... still not used to that, is all." Liam admitted with a small shrug.

"Used to what? Me paying?" Star tilted her head to the side.

"Yeah. I already talked to Sky about this, but it's just so different from what I'm used to back home. Usually I'm the one who pays, opens doors, and pulls out chairs for the girl I'm dating." Liam explained.

Star tilted her head even further to the side, "But... that's so backwards... I mean, mares always pay for their stallions. It's like, the most basic part of dating." She replied, her voice filled with confusion.

"See, that's what's so weird to me. It's the exact opposite of how it works where I'm from." Liam responded.

Star's brow furrowed deeply in confusion, "But... that... what? That doesn't compute." She shook her head.

Liam chuckled, "Well now you see how I've felt the last couple of dates with you. I keep reaching for the doors, chairs, and my wallet but you keep beating me to it." 

Star thoughtfully tapped her chin, "Huh... well, I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were adamant about those things. It's just natural for me to do them for you so I just assumed." She admitted.

Liam felt a warmth in his chest as he smiled at the mare sitting across from him, "I appreciate that. It's alright though. If you want, we could split it every now and again?" He offered.

Star chuckled, "Well, I'm sure I'll get some weird looks from the other mares, but if it feels right to you, then I guess I can save the extra bits every now and again." 

Liam rolled his eyes at the pegasus before pushing his chair out and getting to his feet, "I guess I'll take what I can get. You ready to leave?" 

Star nodded and hopped out of her chair, "Sure am. Let's get going, hot stuff." She said with a playful wink.

Liam shook his head and snorted before turning to the door and making his way over with Star quickly coming up behind him. They passed the hostess with a quick wave, and soon arrived at the front door once more. Upon reaching the door, they both reached out for the handle, only to pause mid way and look at each other.

Star chuckled sheepishly, "Uh... can we start doing that next time? I'm already about to open it..." She asked, giving puppy dog eyes.

Liam gave her a deadpan expression before sighing heavily and pulling his hand away from the door. Star let out a small cheer at her little victory before pulling the door open and ushering Liam outside. A gentle breeze blew over the both of them as she stepped outside with him, sending a small shiver through Liam's entire body. Despite her fur keeping the chill down, Star still felt the breeze as it washed over her as well.

"Got a little chilly, didn't it?" Liam asked, suppressing another shiver.

Star chuckled, "I suppose so, since you don't have any fur or anything to keep you warm," She said, before batting her eyelashes at him, "I can help you stay warm if you'd like. Pegasi wings are really insulative." 

Liam nodded, "I think that would be pretty nice... how are you going to do that, though? I'm a bit taller than you, in case you didn't notice." 

Star unfurled her wings and leapt onto Liam's back, nearly knocking him over in the process. He let out a startled yelp as she wrapped her hooves around his chest and waist. Lastly, she unfurled her wings and wrapped them around Liam's torso like a blanket. 

Soothing warm exploded all over Liam's body as the pegasus's body heat seeped into him. A shuddering sigh escaped his lips as Star nuzzled her cheek against the back of his neck. 

"Okay... this is acceptable." Liam whispered, subconsciously returning the nuzzle by gently scratching at Star's ear.

"Mmm... this is nice." Star murmured. 

Liam nodded, "It is, but I should probably head home before too many ponies see us and get weirded out by me wearing you like a backpack." 

"Whenever you're ready, dude. I'm just hanging out here." Star teased.

Liam rolled his eyes before heading off up the street toward his residence. As he walked with Star on his back, the two fell into a pleasant silence, both content to simply enjoy each other's warmth in the chilly breeze. They passed street light after street light, the orange light casting hazy shadows from them that stretched out into the night. The city was quiet, with only a few ponies out and about or at a few of the bars that were still open for a few hours more.

Liam easily made his way up to the upper district, where the streetlights turned from a warm orange to a noticeably brighter white light. Within a few more minutes, he arrived back at his apartment and stepped up to his front door.

"Alright, we're here." Liam announced, scratching Star's ear once more.

"We sure are. You live in the nice part of town. My apartment is on the other side of the castle. It's a lot darker over there." Star replied, lifting her head from Liam's shoulder to fully take in the apartment building.

Liam shrugged, "Well, the pay is good. Besides, you can come over sometime if you want." He offered.

Star's eyes widened in surprise, "Inviting me over already? 'Cause I am totally down..." She whispered, before letting out a small purr and moving her hindleg down Liam's stomach. Her hoof just reached his groin before Liam went rigid in her arms.

Star licked her lips before her eyes darted back up to Liam's face to see that his lips were pursed, and there was a slightly visible frown on his face. She instantly stopped her advances and pulled her hoof away.

"Too much?" She asked, sheepishly.

"A little... I'm not... opposed to being intimate or anything. I'm just... not tonight. Next time, we can fool around a bit, promise." Liam offered, a slightly apologetic tone in his voice.

Star squeezed him tighter in her hooves, "Hey, don't sweat it. No pressure. Sorry if I just pushed that onto you before you were ready." She apologized.

Liam shook his head, "It's fine, really. Thanks for being my personal heater all the way over here. You're really warm." He chuckled.

Star beamed, "Well a mare has to be able to keep her stallion comfortable." She said, before hopping off of Liam's back and hovering just beside him.

Liam unlocked the door to his house and opened the door. For a few moments, he stood there, unsure of what to do, but eventually, he turned to Star, a nervous blush on his face.

"I had a really good time tonight. Thanks for that." Liam said.

"Me too. I'm glad you had fun. We'll have to do it again soon." Star winked, before leaning in for a kiss.

Their lips met, and unlike before, there was a hint of desperation in both of them, as the contact swiftly escalated. Star gently pressed her tongue against Liam's lips, gently parting them to find his tongue reaching out to greet her. A soft moan escaped her maw as the velvety point of contact between them rolled back and forth. She traced the edges of his teeth, finding that the lingering taste of meat on his sharp canines excited her more than words ever could. 

Liam's tongue brushed over her flat molars, finding the smooth texture to softly caress and welcome him as if he belonged there. Over and over again they kissed, soft moans and groans of pleasure escaping both of them as the dance of power played back and forth, again and again. Their lips brushed against each other over and over, making both of them pant through their nostrils as the flames of passion ignited in their chests. 

However, as soon as it started, the flame burned out, and Liam pulled away, a strand of saliva connecting him to Star for just a moment longer before disappearing into the wind. They panted for breath for a minute as they both struggled to comprehend the pleasure of the last several seconds. Star wore a noticeable blush on her face, and distinctly stiffer wings than before, while Liam was blushing profusely as well.

A few more seconds passed in silence, before Liam spoke, "Well... that was... amazing." 

Star giggled, "You could say that again. Not fair of you to do that to me after what we just agreed." She teased.

Liam laughed, "Couldn't help myself, I guess." 

"Well you'd better be planning on letting me get the full experience next time then." Star winked.

Liam laughed, "Fair enough. Talk tomorrow?" 

"For sure. See you then, stud." Star replied, kissing him once more.
> Chapter 6
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Some time later


Liam and Star walked through the park with a bounce in both of their steps. The sun shined high in the sky, and a pleasant breeze gently caressed the park, making the air feel cool and refreshing. They passed several other ponies out on a similar venture of enjoyment and relaxation, receiving several waves and greetings as the duo slowly reached the more secluded portion of the park. 

Liam looked down to Star as she trotted alongside him, the picnic basket held in her mouth as she bobbed her head along to some invisible tune. With the birds chirping happily in the trees, Liam entertained the idea of Star enjoying the friendly birdsongs while they headed to their private little portion of the park. 

After a few moments of walking in silence, and being the object of Liam's gaze, Star looked over to him and raised an eyebrow.

"Whaphf?" She curiously asked, her voice muffled by the basket handle.

Liam let out a chuckle, "You know, I can hold that for you so you can talk." He offered.

Star shook her head, "Is pine." She responded.

Liam rolled his eyes but relented in his attempts to take the basket. For a few more minutes, they simply walked in a pleasant silence, opting to listen to the relaxing sounds of nature all around them. 

Soon enough, the distant chatter of the other ponies visiting the park faded off into the distance, leaving Liam and Star with only the gentle breeze and birdsong to accompany them as they finally reached their own little secluded part of the park. 

Star trotted over to the tree and set the basket down beside it. With a swift motion of her wing, she opened the basket and pulled out the blanket to give to Liam. He quickly set about laying the blanket out on the grass as Star pulled out a few snacks and drinks for them both to enjoy. 

Once Liam was ready, Star walked over to his side and sat down beside him, hoofing over a bottle of flavored water before unwrapping her sandwich and taking a bite. For a short while, they simply ate and drank by each other's sides. Star leaned onto Liam's larger frame as she lazily took bite after bite from her sandwich. With one hand free, Liam took to scratching Star's chest fluff, a gesture that did not go unappreciated, as the snow white pegasus let out small coos and hums of satisfaction. 

"Right... there... that's the spot." Star murmured. 

Liam chuckled, "I wonder what would happen if I rubbed your belly. Would you kick your leg like a dog?" He teased.

Star shook her head, "Nah, you gotta go a bit lower for that." She winked.

Liam rolled his eyes but continued to scratch and rub Star's chest fluff. She closed her eyes and leaned even further into the contact, a soft smile on her face as she accepted the treatment from her human stallion.

"So, how was your week?" Liam asked, placing his bottle down and using his now free hand to rub at Star's ear.

Star blissfully sighed, sinking all the way down until her head was resting on Liam's lap, "It's been a pretty good week, all things considered. We had a bit of a scare with the dragon lands but it was nothing Princess Twilight's assistant couldn't handle. Otherwise it's been a pretty mundane few days." She recollected.

Liam nodded as he set down his bottle. He supported Star's head with both hands as he rotated himself on the blanket, effectively placing the smaller pegasus in-between his legs and letting her head come to a rest on his abdomen. Star continued to relax with her eyes closed through the entire process, only opting to open one eye once Liam stopped moving once more.

"Comfortable?" She asked, with a smirk.

Liam chuckled, "Yeah. It's a bit easier to scratch and pet you at this angle." He replied.

Star gave a noncommittal nod before Liam resumed his ministrations. 

"What about you?" She asked, "How was your week?" 

Liam's fingers slowed in their movements, prompting Star to curiously open one eye to look up at her human. She instantly found a small furrow in his brow as he thought over the question.

"It was... stressful, to say the least." Liam replied.

"Stressful? How so?" Star tilted her head to the side, now opening both eyes to look up at Liam with interest.

"Well, it was just a lot of work that I'm not too well versed in, so I wasn't really getting the answers I wanted and that was frustrating. I ended up spending three days just trying to figure out one equation and then I ended up finding out that it was unsolvable by its very nature from the beginning. Ended up wasting all that time for nothing." Liam admitted with a sigh.

Star frowned, "I know how that feels. I'm sorry you had to deal with that." She offered, reaching up and patting his thigh with her hoof.

Liam removed his hand from Star's chest fluff and softly grabbed her hoof. He held the appendage and gave a thankful squeeze, before quickly receiving one in return. 

"Thanks." He replied.

"Don't mention it," Star smiled, "So tell me about the rest of your week. Was it as stressful as the first half?" 

Liam shook his head, "Honestly, it was even worse," He said, receiving a small grimace from the snow white pegasus in his lap, "You remember Jet Stream, right?" He asked.

"I do. He's kinda like Mid's boss, right?" Star replied.

"Yeah, and mine by extension. Well, he basically came down on me and Midnight for being so friendly and casual when we're working in the office. He said that we were both being unprofessional and then proceeded to lay into me for my desk not being in perfect shape like Mid's was. Hell, Midnight even tried to defend me the whole time but he just wouldn't let her. Anything she had to say was just ignored and he continued to tell me that I need to get my shit together 'or else'. That happened both Thursday and Friday, too." Liam explained.

When he looked back down at his mare again, Liam found that the pegasus looked noticeably angry, and her tail whipped back and forth with each passing second as she looked up to him with a scowl on her face.

"Are you serious?" She asked, her question more of a demand, then anything else.

"Uh... yeah?" Liam somewhat hesitantly replied.

"That motherbucker..." Star muttered, her brow furrowing even deeper.

"Hey, Star, relax. It's alright. I barely ever even see that guy anyways." Liam offered, running his hand up and down her foreleg.

For a few seconds, the two of them simply sat in a tense silence. Star's eyes bore into Liam's chest as she contemplated over the news, while Liam continued to gently rub her foreleg with his hand. Eventually, he added his other hand into the mix, and scratched behind her left ear, where he knew she loved to be scratched. A few more seconds passed, before Star gave a confident nod and looked back up to Liam's eyes once more.

"I know where he lives. Don't worry, I'll take care of it." Star declared.

Liam blanched and immediately stopped his petting, "What? Star, you can't go hurt the guy." He replied, some panic in his voice.

"Don't worry about it. I just wanna talk to him." Star replied, giving a small shrug.

"Star." Liam deadpanned.

"I just wanna talk to him." Star repeated.

"Star I know what that means, and you most definitely do not want to just talk to him." Liam shook his head.

"I just wanna beat his snout in." Star responded, without missing a beat.

"Star!" Liam exasperatedly sighed.

"Maybe break his legs... tie his mane to his tail and force him to kiss his own balls." Star added with another shrug.

Liam let out a long sigh, "Star, you know you can't do that... entertaining as it would be." 

Star grinned, "Maybe I'll just take him on a niiiiiiiiiiice one way flight off Canterlot Mountain." She offered.

"Star that's called murder, and it's illegal. Besides, what would Twilight think if one of her guards was caught murdering one of her science cabinet members?" Liam raised an eyebrow, although there was an undeniable amount of amusement in his voice.

"Well after what that bucking flankhole said to you, I think she'd probably help me." Star pouted, crossing her forelegs as she sat on Liam's lap.

Liam chuckled, "I like to think that she would try to find the least violent solution possible. She's kinda nice like that." He replied.

"She wasn't always like that. You shoulda seen her when she had to fight Tirek the first time. Blew up an entire mountain when she fought him." Star shot back.

Liam bit his lip, "Well... she... wait, really?" 

Star nodded, "Yep. You shoulda seen it. I was just a little filly at the time, but I remember it like it was yesterday. That rainbow mushroom cloud was so cool that I decided that day that I was gonna be a royal guard. I've been chasing that high ever since." She dreamily explained.

Liam let out a chuckle as he shook his head, "Ah, well I guess that does explain quite a bit with you, now doesn't it. Still though, I can't even imagine Twilight lifting a hoof to hurt anyone. She just seems too nice and gentle." 

As if to agree with him, a ladybug silently landed on Liam's hand for just a moment, earning a quick glance from both Liam and Star, before buzzing away with the gentle breeze softly passing over them.

"It's like I said, she used to do things like that. Having to be the image of peace and calmness for pretty much the entire world will change how you act around everypony. Her friends will even tell you all about their adventures from way back in the day. Hay, Rainbow loves to tell the Tirek story, and usually all she wants to talk about is herself." Star elaborated.

Liam shrugged, "I guess it's just hard for me to imagine. I'm sure you're telling the truth, but it just feels like it shouldn't be true, you know? Twilight is such a softy." Liam smirked.

"You should meet her friend, Fluttershy then. Talk about a softy. She wouldn't, no, couldn't hurt that ladybug that just flew off even if she tried. Mare needs to toughen up juuuuust a smidge in my opinion." Star laughed.

"Or maybe she could teach you to soften up a smidge." Liam teased, earning a deadpan look from Star.

"You listen here, mister. I am the perfect amount of soft. You're the one who doesn't want me to smash that flankhole Jet's mouth in after what he said to you." She replied.

Liam chuckled, "You really are the perfect amount of soft," He said, rubbing his fingers through Star's chest fluff, "but Jet is my boss's boss, which means that if my girlfriend goes and beats the crap out of him, she'll go to jail, and I don't want that to happen... also I would lose my job and I really don't want that either." He explained.

"Aww, you gonna miss me if I go to jail?" Star teased, leaning her chest into Liam's hands as he continued to grope her fluff.

"Of course. Who else am I gonna complain to after I have a long week?" Liam laughed, and then sighed.

"Still a bit stressed about it?" Star inquired.

"A bit, I guess. I really do appreciate you being willing to go kick his ass for me though. I'm just a little miffed that you can't, if I'm being honest with myself." Liam nodded.

"Well, as much as I would love to do that for you, you do have a point. Me getting thrown in jail would make it hard for us to do anything in the future." Star relented, nuzzling her cheek against Liam's neck.

Liam cupped the back of her head with his free hand and squeezed her just a tad closer, burying his face into her mane. Star smiled through the embrace until Liam pulled away and gave her a tired, yet thankful smile.

"You still look a little tired." Star noted, a half smile on her face.

"Just still unloading all my stress. I'm about... eighty percent done." He chuckled.

Star rolled her tongue in her mouth as she discreetly looked around for any signs of anyone else. When she was sure the coast was clear, she looked at Liam again, a salacious look in her eyes.

"You know, I could help you with the rest of that stress..." She purred.

Liam stiffened slightly as his eyes widened at Star's sudden change in tone and demeanor. The gentle motions of his hand paused in her chest tuft as he took a moment to process what exactly Star was implying.

"Are... are you sure? Here?" Liam nervously gulped.

"We're alone, we're secluded, and you look like you could definitely relax a little. I'm only offering. No pressure." Star replied as she gingerly placed her hoof on Liam's chest, before slowly stroking down to his abdomen.

Liam squirmed ever so slightly as Star's hoof came to a rest just above his beltline. She not-so-subtly licked her lips as he eyes drifted down to Liam's zipper, and the parts of him hiding just behind it.

"Uh, well... a-are you sure?" Liam asked, slowly setting his hands down on the ground on either side of him.

"You have no idea how sure I am." Star declared, slowly migrating her hoof down to Liam's zipper.

"Well... what... what exactly do you want to do?" Liam questioned as he felt the familiar yet still foreign feeling of Star grabbing his zipper with his hoof.

"I was thinking of having a taste..." Star trailed off, as she unbuttoned Liam's jeans. 

With no belt to get in the way, Star grabbed Liam's pants with her teeth and gently pulled down to slide them down his legs. Liam pushed his hips off of the ground to help her, and quickly found his pants down to his ankles, and Star staring at his boxers with a frown.

"Why do you have to put so many layers in the way?" Star pouted.

Liam let out a chuckled, "It's just more comfortable this way. Here, let me-" He started, only for Star to cut him off.

"No, no. I want to unwrap my present, myself." Star said, before leaning down and biting the seam of Liam's boxers with her teeth.  

With her face no so close to his groin, Star hungrily eyed the bulge just a few centimeters away from her muzzle as the scent of Liam's package filled her nostrils. She slowly and sensually pulled Liam's boxers down until the tip of his length peaked out and nearly poked her eye. A downright villainous look appeared in her eyes as the snow white pegasus beheld the object of Liam's maleness. 

With her muzzle just a fraction of an inch away from her prize, Star looked up to Liam's face, finding a noticeable blush present on his cheeks as he held his breath, waiting for her to make her move. She didn't keep him waiting long, and slowly leaned down until her lips collided with the tip of Liam's member. While continuing to make eye contact, Star kissed Liam's head, and slowly made her way further down, ensuring to plant more and more kisses along his length until she arrived at the base.

Star pressed her tongue against Liam's length and drew a long, heavy lick back up to the tip, making him grunt in satisfaction, before diving back down to his pelvis and repeating the motion. For nearly a minute, she continued like this, earning more and more grunts and soft moans from the man as he closed his eyes in bliss and enjoyed her treatment. 

Now panting softly, Liam migrated his hand to the back of Star's head, subtly encouraging her to proceed further with the act. She needed no second invitation, and positioned her head directly above Liam's cock. She slowly lowered herself down until the tip sank into the warm, moist confides of her muzzle, and then she went lower. She easily took Liam's length, all the way until she arrived at the base of his shaft, where is just touched the back of her throat. Struggling not to gag, Star, closed her eyes and slowly drew back until just the tip was held in her lips once more.

Now that she knew her limits, Star opened her eyes once more, quickly blinking back the tears from her uvula being tickled by Liam's cock, and fixed him with a sultry look as she hollowed her cheeks and licked the underside of his length with her tongue. The results were immediate, and extremely effective, as Liam gasped out in pleasure and tightly gripped a fistfull of Star's mane while he looked back into her eyes, now panting openly.

Star gave a wink before diving back down onto Liam's shaft, hungrily swallowing almost all of it and making him thrust his hips out of pure reflex to his manhood plunging into something warm and soft. Star placed her hooves on his hips, effectively pinning him in place while she continued to work, her technique quickly overwhelming Liam's defenses and pushing him to the edge.

Over and over, the pegasus mare slurped up and down on Liam's shaft, her tongue and cheeks adding to the assault on his senses while she happily drank down every drip of pre that spurted out of his throbbing cockhead. Liam fell back onto the blanket and writhed in pleasure as he groaned and moaned out her name. 

"S-Star... I'm gonna... gonna cum." Liam breathlessly warned.

Star only increased her efforts, going so far as to add her wings and tail to brush against Liam's balls, adding the soft touch to his stimulation. The combined assault on his senses quickly proved to be too much for him, and Liam quickly found himself tipping over the edge.

Just as star dove all the way down to his base one last time, Liam's first spurt of cum shot right into the back of her throat, stunning the mare in place. Another shot quickly followed suite, and hit the back of her tongue, painting it white as she struggled to swallow down the first load. 

Before Liam could fire another shot of his seed off, Star retreated back up his length until just the tip was inside her maw once more. The last several spurts of cum landed right on her tongue, allowing the salty and musky flavor of her mate to register on her palette, and sending a shiver of pleasure down her spine as she sucked the last of Liam's seed from his cock.

Star pulled herself off of Liam's manhood with a pop, and gave him a salacious look as he slowly sat back up. Once he was looking at her again, albeit with a dazed and slightly woozy look, she opened her mouth, showing him the impressive amount of cum still filling her maw. She played with the cum with her tongue and swished it over her teeth for a few seconds before closing her mouth and swallowing. 

Liam watched in awe, as the load travelled down her throat in one big gulp. Once she was done, Star opened her mouth wide, and gave Liam a wide grin at his slack jawed expression.

"What? Never had a muzzlejob that good before?" Star teased.

Liam dumbly shook his head, making Star giggle.

"Well don't worry, I'm happy to give you as many as you can handle." She purred.
> Chapter 7
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Next Week


Liam finished scribbling in his notebook before closing it and turning toward Midnight as she used her magic to drip some green fluid into a beaker. A small poof of green gas exploded out of the beaker, quickly forming a mushroom cloud and startling the graphite mare, making her jump slightly. Liam suppressed a chuckle as the unicorn quickly jotted down some hasty notes while muttering something about 'too much salt'.

With his things gathered, Liam cleared his throat to get Midnight's attention, earning a look over her wither.

"Hey, Midnight. I'm gonna head out a little early today. I'll see you next week, yeah?" He announced.

"Oh, sure thing, Liam. Out of curiosity, where are you heading?" Midnight asked, tilting her head to the side in genuine interest.

"Star and I are meeting up and she's gonna show me her place. We're just gonna hang out for the day and I figured since it's Friday..." Liam trailed off, placing his hands in his pockets as he awaited Midnight's response.

With a knowing smirk, Midnight nodded toward Liam, "Go get her, tiger." She said, giving a friendly wink.

With a small blush, Liam returned the nod, "T-thanks, Mid. I'll catch up with you on Monday." He replied.

Midnight smiled, "Sure thing, Liam. Go have some fun with your mare." She ordered, shooing him out with her magic.

Liam chuckled as he was lightly pushed to the doorway, before waving his goodbye and heading off down the hall. Within a matter of minutes of walking through the hallways of the castle, he found himself in front of the guard headquarters. A pegasus mare sat at the front desk, idly flipping through a few pages of some military paperwork, before looking up as he approached, and sitting upright.

"Good afternoon, sir. How can I help you?" She asked, politely.

"Hello, I'm looking for Morning Star. She's supposed to be getting off her shift any second now." Liam replied.

"She should be out of the armory shortly then. If you'd like, you can wait for her here. All guards pass through on their way out for the day." The mare offered.

Liam nodded, "Sure thing. Thank you." 

"Of course, sir." 

Liam walked away from the desk, leaving the mare to resume her skimming, and quickly found a seat near the doorway. He took to twiddling his thumbs as he patiently waited for his marefriend to arrive. Not even five minutes passed before the first of the guards walked out through the door behind the front desk, and spilled out into the waiting area, all chatting about the days events or their plans for the weekend.

Liam sat upright as he saw the rainbow wave of ponies stepping past him and eventually his eyes picked up on the fiery orange mane of the mare he was looking for. With a smile on his face, he waved to her, and instantly caught her attention.

"Liam!" Star cheered, spreading her wings and leaping over the crowd into Liam's open arms.

The two embraced as several of the other guards complained over Star's use of her wings indoors, but the duo paid them no mind as they held each other close. 

"Long day?" Liam asked, noting how tightly Star held onto him.

"Very. I need a drink, and at least an hour of ear scritches, stat." Star mumbled into Liam's chest. 

Liam chuckled and nodded, "Alright, come on then. Let's get you home." 

With that, Liam turned around and headed out the door with Star still held in his arms. She nuzzled her cheek against his as  he walked them through the rest of the castle and out to the front gate. They both received some mixed looks from the ponies around the castle as well as the guards now on duty, but Liam opted to simply ignore the looks and just continue onward until he reached the streets of the upper district.

"So, what street is your place on?" Liam asked, prompting Star's ear to flick back, almost as if to confirm she heard him.

"It's on fifth and mane street. Just turn right when you see the café and it's just a little down the road." Star mumbled back. 

Liam snickered as he continued toward the instructed destination, "Getting a bit sleepy there?" 

"I need a nap... and your chest is so warm and you smell nice." Star replied, closing her eyes and nuzzling her cheek against Liam's collarbone.

Liam playfully rolled his eyes as he continued along the walk. Soon enough, he arrived at the described destination and nudged Star with his chin.

"Which one of these is it?" He asked.

Star looked up from his chest and nodded toward the first building to their right, "It's that one right there." 

Liam headed up the steps to the front door and leaned down to deposit Star on the front porch, only for her to squeeze herself tighter to his chest and shake her head.

"Noooooooooooooo, you gotta carry me in." She whined.

"Star... you're a big girl. You can walk into your own house." Liam deadpanned.

"I don't wanna." Star immaturely responded.

Liam let out a long suffering sigh before standing back upright and walking up to the door, much to Star's joy. As she clung to him, he reached down and opened the door. As he reached, Star quickly darted forward and drew a long lick up his neck, ending just at his jawline. Liam froze as Star giggled to herself.

"A little salty. Just the way I like it." Star murmured, going for a second lick.

This time, she started just below Liam's throat, and slowly drew her tongue up until she reached his ear. A small shiver shot down Liam's spine as the soft, wet sensation of her tongue played with his earlobe for just a second, before she gave a playful nibble.

With a tent quickly sprouting in his pants, Liam rushed to open the door and make his way inside, Star giggling to herself all the while. Upon entering the house, he was struck with the remarkably simple layout of the structure. The living room and kitchen were connected, both sporting modern appliances and furniture, and a short hallway leading to the master bedroom just to the right. 

"It's not much, but it's enough for us guards." Star spoke up, drawing Liam's attention down to her once more.

"This is nice. Simple, but nice." Liam smiled, just before Star released her hold on him and dropped down to her hooves.

She landed with a resounding *clop*, and quickly trotted over toward the bedroom.

"Where are you going?" Liam asked.

"To continue taste testing," Star called over her wither, "It'd be a lot easier if you'd follow me and lose the clothes." She winked.

Liam felt his breath catch in his lungs as Star sauntered over to the bedroom, her tail quickly flagging to show him a clear look at her sex. Her soft, supple mound of white surrounded the perfect petals of her labia, almost like a rose in a field of snow. Before a word could be said between then, Star's clit quickly winked out as if to say hello, before retracting into her folds. The sight alone made Liam's manhood throb in his pants, and he quickly rushed after her.

Star saw Liam hurrying after her, and decided to tease him just a little more. She broke into a quick trot, almost forcing Liam to run in the short distance of the hallway until arriving at her bedroom. With a small flutter from her wings, Star jumped onto her bed and turned around as Liam dove onto the bed beside her. The force of him hitting the mattress launched her into the air nearly a foot, and she flailed wildly with her hooves and wings before landing back on the mattress.

"Oh shit, Star are you okay?" Liam hurriedly asked, pressing himself up to look at her.

The only response he received was a fit of giggles and laughter from the pegasus mare as she rolled over on the bed. The melodic tune of her voice was infectious, and Liam soon found himself laughing along with her. For a few minutes, they laughed together at the absurdity of their little game of chase, before both settling down and looking over at each other once more.

"That was fun. You're fun." Star said, sticking her tongue out and blowing a raspberry.

"You're the one giving me something to chase after." Liam replied, returning the raspberry.

Star shot another raspberry back at Liam, only for him to return the gesture once more. She slowly got to her hooves while her and Liam continued their childish fun, and made her way over to him. They both quickly ran out of breath, and while Liam quickly took a breath to return fire again, Star darted down just as he stuck his tongue out. Her lips parted just enough and she easily took Liam's tongue into her mouth, and applied light sucking pressure on his appendage.

Liam's eyes shot wide open and he froze in shock at the forwardness of the mare as she continued to suck on his tongue, her own tongue gently brushing the underside of his. Liam's hands quickly migrated to either side of Star's head and he gently encouraged her closer as she leaned even further into the kiss. Their tongues brushed up and down, back and forth over each other as they battled for dominance over each other.

Star's much broader and longer tongue almost instantly won out over Liam's, and she climbed over his stomach to lay down on top of him while she continued to dominate him in the sloppy kiss. As she supported herself with one foreleg, her other hoof slowly migrated down Liam's abdomen, tracing over each bump and curve of abs, and down to his beltline. Liam inhaled through his nose at the touch, but made absolutely no effort to voice any kind of complaint.

With his permission all but assured, Star quickly undid Liam's belt buckle and opened his pants. Liam responded by lifting his hips off of the bed slightly, and used one hand to help her shimmy his pants down his legs until he could kick them off. With that taken care of, Star finally broke the kiss, a long strand of saliva keeping her connected to Liam as she licked her lips, a sultry look in her eyes and a hot blush on her face.

With some admittedly heated breathing room between them, Liam and Star both looked down to the single garment still attempting to conceal his painfully obvious erection. Liam moved to pull the underwear down, only for Star to stop him with her hooves and give him a wink.

"Let me." She ordered, her voice dripping with lust.

Liam dumbly nodded as Star sunk down his chest, slowly and sensually drawing her tongue over his skin the whole way. She stopped at one of his nipples, making sure to place a kiss on the more sensitive flesh and earning a soft sigh for her efforts, before tracing under his slim pecs, and down to his abs. She traced along the inside edges of Liam's abs, ensuring to place a kiss on each bump of muscle as she passed it, and eventually arrived at her prize.

Star bit on the seam of Liam's underwear and pulled it down, revealing his throbbing erection and freeing it from the confines of the fabric. The meaty shaft of Liam's pride sprung upwards, lightly booping Stars muzzle and leaving a deposit of precum directly between her nostrils. Her eyes crossed as she looked at Liam's manhood, drool already leaking from her slightly open mouth. A shiver shot down her entire body as Star breathed in the scent of Liam's maleness, and she quickly lapped up the pre already on her muzzle, before eagerly latching onto his tip to suckle down any more of the slightly sweet fluid.

Without a word of warning, Star plunged her muzzle onto Liam's length, easily swallowing the entire shaft in one fluid motion, and making him audibly gasp and groan in pleasure. She played with his balls with her tongue, ensuring to lap the underside of one orb, before darting over to the other one. With his musk flooding her senses, Star shamelessly rubbed at her folds with her hoof. Drops of her natural lubrication seeped down her hindlegs as she rubbed her clit. A groan barely escaped her throat past the mouthful of Liam's tool and precum.

Finally, after nearly a minute of swabbing the back of her throat with Liam's prick, she pulled off of him, and gasped for air. Her chest heaved as she panted, several strings of drool dripping from her muzzle as a hot blush raged over her entire face.  

"Celestia, I need you inside of me right bucking now." Star panted.

Liam only had time to slightly spread his legs before Star lunged forward, pushing him back down into the bed and arranging herself on top of him once more. She hastily lined herself up with his member and slunk down onto him. The mushroom head of Liam's shaft easily split the outer lips of her vulva and pushed through the downy folds of her labia. Star's saliva and own wetness made penetration easy, and within a few seconds, Liam was fully hilted inside of her.

Both Star and Liam gasped at the sensation of being truly connected, and for a few moments, they simply caught their breaths as they held each other. Star was the first to move and slowly rock her hips forward, essentially pushing Liam's shaft right up against her g spot. She bit her lip as a low groan emanated from deep in her throat. Meanwhile, Liam tightly gripped at both of Star's thighs with his hands as he closed his eyes in euphoric bliss.

"Good God, you're so soft." Liam whispered, his voice coming out strained.

"Mmphh, your cock feels so good." Star moaned, rocking her hips back and forth once more.

Liam suppressed a groan as Star finally lifted herself up away from his groin, leaving just the tip of his shaft inside her velveteen folds, before sinking back down once more. She started slowly, but quickly found a steady rhythm bouncing up and down on Liam's throbbing cock. She felt his fingers digging into the taught flesh of her thighs, her muscles straining in the unnatural position, while her wings quickly unfurled and flapped to assist with the movement. 

Immediately, the tension nearly evaporated from her thighs, and the pegasus found herself steadily riding Liam's cock with almost no effort. Down below her, she watched as Liam's eyes screwed shut in pleasure from the constant undulating motion of her sex around his. Star let her long tongue loll out of her mouth as felt the warm tingles from Liam's efforts jolting up her spine. 

As they continued, Liam felt the cool draft from Star's constant wing beats blowing down on him, helping to cool him down as he struggled to hold himself back under the constant onslaught from the cocky pegasus' sublime folds. Over and over, she took him all the way to the hilt, and then back up until just the tip kissed her folds, only to dive back down again. The scent of honey filled his nose, and after a few moments of confusion, he realized that the scent was emanating from Star, herself. 

Liam quickly released his hold on her hips and wrapped his arms around her barrel, pulling his chest against hers and effectively burying his face into her chest fluff. Star happily returned the hug while continuing to use her wings to ride him into the mattress. Her tongue snaked out and around Liam's ear. After a moment, she gingerly bit down on the top of the appendage, making Liam whimper into her fur as the bedsprings creaked underneath them.

With Star now flooding his nostrils with her sweet scent, Liam let out a shaky sigh as the athletic pegasus continued to pummel his cock with her pussy. Finally, after an indescribable amount of time, Star paused in her bouncing, and pulled her muzzle off of Liam's ear. She panted for breath as her wings paused in their movements. As they held each other and forced air back into their lungs, Liam quickly became aware of a distinct new feeling on his shaft. A strange, pulsing sensation rapidly shot up and down the top side of his shaft. The feeling was strange, but not at all unpleasant, in fact, it made it difficult to keep himself from being pushed over the edge.

"Fuck... that feels amazing... how are you doing that?" Liam muttered, through grit teeth.

"Oh that? That's called winking," Star replied, winking her clit once more, "And if you think that feels good, just feel this." She said, leaning down and licking Liam's ear again.

Immediately, Liam felt the walls of Star's sex constrict on his shaft like a vice, and he nearly came on the spot. Liam loudly groaned as his toes curled and his fingers dug into Star's coat. 

"You close?" Star asked, well aware of the answer.

"So... fuckin... close." Liam whimpered.

Star cupped his cheek with her hoof and pulled up until he was looking into her eyes. Their lips were just a few centimeters apart as Star hungrily licked her lips.

"Then cum for me." She whispered, before pressing her lips against his.

Her tongue instantly pushed into Liam's willing mouth, nearly to the back of his throat, and she contracted her walls on his shaft once more as her wings flapped to life again. The combined assault on Liam's senses quickly pushed him past the breaking point, and with a low groan, against Star's thick tongue, he came. 

Liquid fire shot into Star's womb, while she continued to milk his member, and with a heavy shiver, she came as well. Together they rode the lighting, both locked in an embrace as their orgasms rocked them both to their core. They held onto each other, lips connected and tongues intertwined, until the last dredges of their copulation finally petered out and they could were able to separate from each other, just a bit.

Star and Liam panted for air, just an inch of space between them and intermixing their breaths. Small shivers ran up and both of their spines while they slowly came down from their mutual high. Liam tiredly looked up into Star's eyes, finding nothing but warmth and care in those bright blue eyes.

"Wow..." He breathed.

"Wow, yourself, stud." Star whispered, booping his nose with her muzzle.

"That thing you did with your... just... wow." Liam shook his head.

"Mares have a lot of control down there... figured I'd save that for the finalé." Star giggled.

"Don't I feel special." Liam snickered.

"It's cause you are." Star replied, tiredly nuzzling her cheek against his.

Liam held onto Star as he slowly leaned back into the bed, her body coming to a pleasant rest on his chest. Within a few minutes, she was soundly snoring away, lost into a dream. Liam chuckled at her soft snoozing, before placing a gentle kiss on her cheek.

"And so are you." He whispered, before drifting off, himself.
> Chapter 8
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Months Later


Liam and Star laid side by side in Star's bed, both content to simply relax and enjoy the early morning sunshine as it filtered in through the open windows and between the gently billowing curtains. Cool air blew in through the slightly ajar windows, filling the room with a crisp and welcoming scent that complimented the songs of the chirping birds in the nearby trees. A soft breeze gently caressed both of their bodies as it moved through the house, sending a small chill down Liam's spine and giving him more than enough incentive to scooch closer to his furry girlfriend.

Liam wrapped his arm around Star's barrel as he rested his head on her chest, the warm fur instantly sending away any chill he felt just moments prior. He quickly felt a foreleg wrap around his back, as well as a hindleg hooking around his waist. Just a fraction of a second later, he felt a pair of soft, supple lips press against his forehead, before Star nuzzled the top of his head and sighed.

"Sleep well?" She asked, her voice just a fraction of its normal strength in the early morning.

"When I'm in bed with you? Always." Liam murmured, planting a kiss on Star's chest.

Star sighed softly from the gentle act of affection, and as Liam rested his head atop her fluff, he heard the distinct thumping of her heart as it softly beat under him. Her wings ruffled slightly before her free wing unfurled and stretched to its full span. She lazily wrapped the appendage over Liam's back like a blanket, making him sigh softly from the welcome contact. 

"I love your wings." Liam mumbled.

"I love how soft your skin is." Star cooed, slowly stroked a feather down Liam's back.

She received a muffled response as Liam drifted back off to sleep, and soft silence quickly overtook the room once more. Star suppressed a chuckle as she continued to stroke her wing down Liam's back, and a loving smile soon formed on her face.

"Such a cutie." Star whispered, before kissing the top of Liam's head once more. 

She laid her head back down on her pillow and drifted back to sleep as well. Together they napped for just a couple more hours while the sun steadily rose over the horizon. Eventually, they both stirred once more, and opened their eyes to find much more light flooding the bedroom, and warming the bedsheets under them.

Star yawned as Liam stretched his legs, and with mutual sighs of satisfaction, they finally separated and got out of the bed.

"Lazy Saturdays are the best." Liam smiled.

"I'll admit, there is something appealing about you burying your face into my fluff for an extra few hours of the day." Star chuckled, good naturedly.

"Well how could I not? Your fluff is some of the softest stuff I've ever felt." Liam laughed.

Star beamed, "Well I do take some pride in how well kept I keep my coat." She replied, holding a hoof to her fluff.

Liam chuckled, "Well you do a damn good job." 

Star blushed just a tad from the praise, before a knock at the front door caught both her and Liam's attention. After a moment, Star's eyes widened and she gasped.

"That must be it!" She exclaimed, rushing to the door.

"Already? You just ordered it a few days ago." Liam called after her, quickly rushing to keep up.

"I got express shipping!" Star replied, as she reached the door and pulled it open to reveal a mailpony with a cardboard box balanced on his back.

"Hello. Package delivery for Morning Star?" The mailpony asked.

"That's me! Thank you." Star cheerily responded, before accepting the package from the stallion with her wings and waving him goodbye.

She closed the door with a click, and turned around to see Liam standing in the hallway, a nervous yet still excited look on his face as well.

"So... this is it?" He asked.

"Yep! Come on, let's open up this bad boy!" Star exclaimed, trotting over to the living room.

Liam followed behind as Star made her way into the room and deposited the box on the coffee table in front of the couch. She hastily bit down on the outside edge, before tearing the box open and diving into its contents. Liam found his place standing behind the couch, watching over Star's shoulder while she extracted the order from its box.

Black silicone and leather straps quickly came into view as Star pulled the object out of the box, and Liam nervously gulped as Star held it up for both of them to see clearly. The phallic shaped length sat at a reasonable six inches,  with another inch or so of the base attached to the harness that dangled between Star's hooves.

"Perfect." Star smiled, before turning to Liam.

"Hehe, yep... sure is." Liam replied, giving a nervous smile.

Star's happy mood instantly shifted to concern, and she quickly set the strap on down on the coffee table before turning to face Liam completely.

"Liam, what's wrong?" She asked, gently.

"Nothing, nothing. Just... a little apprehensive, I guess." Liam admitted, scratching the back of his neck.

Star stood up to her hind legs on the couch and leaned over to nuzzle Liam's cheek. He quietly sighed as her soft fur brushed against his face, and albeit with a moment of hesitation, he wrapped his arms around her.

"You know if you're not comfortable with this, we don't have to do it. I would never try to force you to do something that you don't want to do." Star comforted, wrapping her foreleg around Liam's waist to pull him just a bit closer.

Liam quietly sighed through his nostrils, his fingers digging into and playing with Star's fur, "I'm not... uncomfortable with the idea... I just... well it's just something that was always a fantasy, but I never really thought I'd try it for real." He explained.

Star nodded, "I understand. Honey, if you aren't ready for this, then there is no pressure. I want you to be happy, and I'd never place my desires ahead of your well-being. If this is too much for you, too soon, then we won't do it. Promise." She replied.

Liam hastily shook his head, "No, no, it's okay. I'm fine... it's just a bit different talking about it versus actually seeing it here and preparing to actually do it." He elaborated.

Star softly kissed his cheek, "There's nothing to be worried about. I promise that I'll make sure you really enjoy this... and if not, then we can throw it away, burn it, and never speak of it again." She replied, with a giggle.

That got a small chuckle out of Liam, and his noticeably tense shoulders loosened up slightly at sincerity of Star's tone.

"That would be a waste of bits, though." Liam added, with a small snort of amusement.

Star shrugged, "Eh, it was only a hundred bits. I make that in a day. I spent more on our first few dates, anyway." 

Liam laughed, "Yeah, you just wouldn't let me pay, would you?" 

Star shook her head, "And let you take away my maresculinity? Perish the thought." She teased.

Both of them laughed for a few moments before quieting back down and refocusing their attention on the black silicone sitting on the coffee table just behind them.

"Are you sure you're ready for this? I have absolutely no problem canceling this if you have any doubts at all." Star offered.

Liam nodded his head, "I'm ready for this. A little nervous, yeah... but also a little excited. I've only ever tried toys on myself a few times... never had a girl who was into the idea like you are so... I guess it would be just a huge waste to not give it a shot at least once, right?" He reasoned.

Star nodded her head along with Liam's voice, and once he finished, she give him a quick peck on the lips, "Okay. You only ate liquids yesterday, right?" She asked.

Liam nodded once more.

"Alright. Well, if you want to just wash up... I can get this harness all figured out and we can try this bad boy out." Star said, giving a wink.

"Okay. I'll see you in the bedroom in a bit." Liam replied, before releasing his hug on the athletic mare and heading for the bathroom.

As he walked away, Star turned to the coffee table once more, and the strap on sitting on top. She hopped off of the couch and grabbed the harness with her wings, before heading to the bedroom to adorn the toy. The leather straps dangled loosely in her grip as she trotted through the hallway, and soon enough she arrived at her bed with her cargo.

Star hopped onto the bed and sat down on her haunches as she held the harness out in front of her face. She instantly noticed that the backside of the silicone dildo was shaped like a hook, with a bulbous head that was clearly meant to stimulate her own g spot while she pleasured her partner. A grin formed on her face as she loosened the straps to slide over her thighs. 

The leather slid up her legs easily enough, and soon reached her haunches. Standing upright, Star reached back with one foreleg to tighten the straps down and secure the flopping silicone between her legs. She felt the soft material brush against her marehood, and a jolt of pleasure shot up her spine. With a barely contained giggle of excitement, Star pushed the bulbous head into her folds, seating her end of the strap on nicely, and gave a test jump. 

The dildo flopped up and slapped her belly, making her bite her lip at the sensation, before flopping back down and holding at the approximate height an aroused Stallion's shaft would sit. Now immensely proud of her new hardware, Star turned to face the door just as she heard footsteps approaching. 

Liam paused as he entered the room, finding Star standing on the bed with a black phallus hanging between her hindlegs, and a wide smile on her face.

"Hey, honey. You ready?" She asked, her voice coming out as more of a lustful growl.

Liam gulped and nodded, before licking his lips and making his way into the room, "Ready as I'll ever be, I think. How do you want to do this?" 

Star chewed her cheek in thought for a few moments, "I think... it would probably work best if you got on all fours like a mare and I mounted you from behind. I at least know what to do from past experiences that way. We can try the more kinky stuff in the future, if you want to, that is." She replied, thoughtfully.

"That makes sense... doggy style, huh? Never thought I'd be on the receiving end of that." Liam chuckled, as he took off his shirt.

"It's pony style, not doggy, silly. It sounds so much dirtier when you say it like that." Star giggled.

"You know what, that's a fair point. I'll have to start calling it pony style from now on." Liam said, slipping his pants and boxers off, respectively.

Now standing stark nude before Star, Liam slowly made his way over to the bed. As he reached the mattress, Star moved to the nightstand and opened the drawer. She fished around for a few moments before procuring a bottle of lube in her hooves. With an excited smile on her face, she made her way over to Liam's side as he sat down.

"Remember, if you want me to stop at any point, just say so." Star comforted, before planting a kiss on Liam's neck, just under his ear. 

Liam softly sighed as he nodded his affirmation to the pegasus mare. Taking this as a sign to continue, Star kissed the base of Liam's neck, just below his jugular, and trailed her tongue all the way up to his ear. Once there, she nibbled on his earlobe for a moment, making him squirm as he tongue flicked back and forth against the captured lobe between her teeth. A shiver made its way down Liam's spine as Star released his ear and kissed his neck again.

Star slowly planted kisses down Liam's back while rubbing her hooves over his chest and stomach. Her soft attention quickly brought him up to full mast, and with a nod of affirmation, Liam moved away from Star to get on his hands and knees. As he got into position, Star quickly set about lubing the strap-on. She poured a healthy amount of the viscous liquid over the black length, and then moved over to Liam's backside.

She gently pried his cheeks apart to reveal his pucker, and applied a liberal amount of lube to his backdoor before setting the bottle down beside the bed.

"Alrighty. We're all set. You ready, honey?" Star asked, barely containing her excitement.

"Y-yeah. Yeah, I'm ready. Let's go." Liam replied, giving a nod of affirmation.

Star grinned as she quickly mounted Liam's back. She wrapped her forelegs around his waist, ensuring that she was in the optimum position, before gingerly prodding his rear with the strap on. The tool pressed against his cheeks, then brushed against his balls, and then finally pressed against Liam's anus. 

Liam sucked in a breath at the sensation of something moist and phallic shaped pressing against his backdoor, but a gentle coo and nuzzle from Star helped him relax enough to not clench. Slowly, almost painfully slowly, the pressure on his hole increased, until the silicone pushed through his resistance, and the tip of the dildo entered his rear. 

Liam grit his teeth as a stinging sensation emanated from his asshole, prompting Star to immediately pause in her actions. For a few seconds, she simply held him in place, allowing him time to acclimate to the newfound sensations touching him where he'd never been touched before. Eventually, the pain subsided, and he gave her a thankful nod of approval to continue.

Star happily increased the pressure of her hips, pushing the toy further into Liam's rear. She slowly but surely made progress into his depths, making inch after inch of the strap-on disappear into her boyfriend's backside.

For Liam, the sensation felt incredibly strange, but there was an undeniable feeling of pleasure welling up in his stomach and emanating to his cock as a string of precum dribbled from his tip. The pressure was slightly uncomfortable, but the second Star his his prostate, he felt a jolt of ecstasy shoot from his rear to his shaft, and another dollop of pre dribbled from his tip as he gasped in pleasure.

Star smiled at the sight of her length buried all the way to the hilt inside of Liam's rear. His soft vocalizations of approval were all she needed to really ramp up her efforts, and draw her hips back until just the tip of her silicone shaft remained inside. She thrust forward faster than before, but still very slowly, to ensure she didn't overwhelm Liam with either pleasure or pain. 

As the black length pressed into his prostate once more, Liam hissed in pleasure, his knees growing weak as Star rocked his body forward and their hips connected with a soft *plap*. 

"Just relax and let go, honey. Let me do all the work." Star cooed into his ear, her wings wrapping around Liam's chest to help keep him in place as well.

Liam could only nod his agreement, as his mind was too busy swimming in the strange mix of pleasure and pain to think of a coherent response. Star happily increased her thrusts in kind, earning more gasps and sighs of pleasure from her human as she attacked his prostate again and again. Bolts of pleasure shot from Liam's rear, to his shaft, and then up to his stomach, over and over again as Star steadily rocked him back and forth against the bedsheets.

Precum flowed freely from his untouched cockhead, forming a sticky puddle under him as Star increased her pace once more, now forcefully rocking the human back and forth from the force of her strong hips. Liam's gasps and sighs turned to moans and groans of approval, and his breathing increased to panting as the ricochets of pleasure danced all around his waist, making his cock throb.

"F-faster..." Liam managed to say, his breath just a breathless whisper against his and Star's combined breaths.

Star's reply was simply to grant his wish. She quickly accelerated her movements into pure animalistic humping, and drove the length of black silicone directly into Liam's prostate with each powerful thrust. She bit down on his neck, her hooves wrapped tightly around his waist as she rocked him over and over again, her own pussy quivering in an fast approaching orgasm.

Under the white pegasus, Liam saw stars as his prostate was mercilessly pounded again and again. He felt wave after wave of pure ecstasy shoot up his length, forcing moans out of his mouth with each thrust and driving him quickly to his end. With a low groan, Liam came hard. White hot cum fired from his cock at high speed straight into the bedsheets below, as his entire body seized and quivered from the enormous release. 

Star came just a moment later, and her wings shuddered as marecum dribbled out of her winking pussy and onto the toy connecting them both. The moment took both of their breath away, and they stayed locked in bliss for several seconds before finally coming down from their mutual high and collapsing onto the bed. 

As Liam panted for breath under her, Star quickly craned her neck forward to kiss his neck and cheek, while rubbing his back and shoulders with her hooves. 

"You... okay... honey?" She asked, between licks and breaths.

"Never... better... Holy shit." Liam managed to reply, a small chuckle escaping his lips as he turned his head to look at Star.

"Was I that good?" Star smugly asked.

"Fuck yeah, you were." Liam grinned.

"I'm glad. You want to clean up this mess?" Star asked, slowly stroking her hoof down Liam's back.

"Maybe in a minute... Can we just cuddle for a bit?" Liam tiredly asked.

Star snickered, "Of course, honey." 

With that, the pegasus slowly pried the strap on out of Liam's tush, and hastily undid the straps, ensuring there was nothing to get in the way of their snuggling. Once it was removed, she crawled over behind him, and wrapped her hooves around his back, before nuzzling her cheek against his and letting out a sigh of satisfaction.

"I love you, honey." Star murmured, kissing Liam's cheek.

"I love you too." Liam sleepily responded, planting a loving kiss on Star's muzzle, before laying his head back down and quickly drifting back off to sleep.

Star smiled warmly, "You're the best part of my life." She whispered, before drifting off with him.