> Damoiseau in Distress
>  by Some Leech
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Romantic Recovery
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“I swear by all the infernal forces of the abyss, I’m going to kick the next customer who asks me for a special order,” Sombra muttered to himself, storming through the front door. “Alex, would you be a dear and…”

Lifting his head and peering into the living room, half expecting to see his dainty little human trotting out to meet him, he fell silent when he saw the utter disarray of his home. The coffee table was overturned, as was one of the two recliners, and there were a number of dirty hoofmarks marring the ordinarily pristine floor. He’d hoped his shift at the Hayburger would be the worst thing he had to put up with that day, forcibly smiling and tending to the myriad of mouth-breathing, oftentimes corpulent consumers of the Crystal Empire, but he’d been wrong - very, very wrong.

“Alex?” he called out, trotting through the foyer.

He got no reply - worse still, he didn’t hear anything whatsoever. The house was as still and silent as a grave, turning the blood in his veins to ice. As he pressed onward, seeing that the kitchen was also in a state of disarray, his pace quickened. His home, the very home he shared with his chaperone-turned-lover, had been violated.

Stopping just outside his bedroom door, he set his jaw and steeled himself. Whoever or whatever had desecrated his home was going to pay, even if his magical abilities were effectively shackled, but gave himself a moment to collect himself. Emotions were a double-edged sword, as equally capable of imbuing one with strength as they were to cloud one’s judgment, and he needed was to have them drive him into an ambush.

He cracked the door and peeked into the bedchamber. If anypony was inside, they were doing a damn fine job at remaining silent and hiding themselves. Opening the door further, being cautious for any unwanted and likely nasty surprises, he thoroughly scanned the room. His bed was a mess, the drawers of Alex’s dresser were opened and rifled through, and a number of his mate’s effects lay scattered on the floor, evoking a feeling of creeping dread and righteous indignation within him.

With his lips curled over his fangs, he wheeled around and galloped down the hallway and to the entry. Alex would never leave the house in such a disheveled state, especially on a day he had off work, which meant only one thing - something terrible had befallen the boy. It was no secret that he had many enemies, with most of the public only tolerating him by order of Princess Cadance and Prince Shining, yet he wouldn’t have assumed that somepony would stoop so low as to invade his home and harm his human.

The ring around his horn grew hotter and hotter with his every hooffall, as its layered wards and enchantments struggled to contain his wrath. He truthfully wouldn’t have been upset if somepony had wished to challenge him in single combat - for Tartarus’ sake, he wouldn’t even have been upset if a group of ponies had attacked him en masse, yet that hadn’t been the case. While a great many things had changed since he’d ruled the frigid northlands, from the rise of the Princesses to the unification of the various species on the continent, he was disheartened and infuriated that his foes had dragged an innocent soul into something that could have been handled honorably.

Charging out and into the cool night air, he turned and peered over at the Crystal Empire’s castle. Given the dire circumstance and the fact that his affectionate attendant may be in danger, he simply didn’t have time to go sleuthing - that and his unbridled rage would make it nearly impossible to concentrate. There were only two ponies in the empire who could potentially help him, regardless of if they would be displeased with him barging in.

His flight to the keep took only a hoofful of minutes, with ponies scattering to the wind before him, yet he slowed as he approached the foot of the castle. The guards stationed at the palace were essentially a formality, considering all of Equestria’s most dangerous foes had been defeated in one way or another, yet they quickly scrambled to attention and shouted for support at the sight of him. A pair of centurions became a half dozen, then nearly an entire squad, as he stopped before them.

“Move,” he rumbled. 

One of the soldiers, an officer by the look of it, timidly stepped forward. “State your business, Sombra.”

He didn’t blink, stepping forward and sneering at the ranking praetorian. “I said, move.”

To his credit, the officer held his ground. “What are you…Where’s your tender?”

“That’s what I’m here for, you simpering idiot,” he seethed. “Be a good little soldier and move aside - if you don’t, I’ll move you personally…”

The centurions closed ranks, creating a phalanx with their spears leveled at him. Had he the full use of his sorcery, he would have taught them a very harsh lesson about crossing a King - alas, without his full power, he would be in for a pyrrhic victory at best or an inglorious defeat at worst. All the righteous indignation in the world could only carry him so far, so he spat and thrust a hoof at the less than intrepid leader of the troops.

“Fetch your beloved Princess and Prince immediately,” he demanded, slamming his hoof down and cracking the cobblestone beneath him. “Well,” he continued, none of the armored stallions or mares budge, “what are you waiting for?”

Only then, after he barked at them, did one of the soldiers break ranks and rush into the keep. Left to wait, having no other option but to bide his time, he turned his cat-like eyes to the ground and began to pace. He’d had his fair share of run-ins with ponies who weren’t happy with his return, including a few who’d made a spectacle of calling him out in public, yet he hadn’t encountered anypony who he thought would be foolish enough to break into his home and abscond with the human - his human.

With what little patience he had fraying by the second, he looked over as the sound of cantering hooves approached from within the keep. Both Cadance and Shining came barreling out of the castle, though the former was adorned in a nightgown. It was unfortunate that he’d had to disturb the royal couple at such an hour, understanding that the interruption would do nothing to help his infamous standing in their eyes, but it couldn’t be helped. 

“Sombra?” Cadance inquired, slowing as she approached while looking from side to side. “Where’s -”

“Alex? He’s gone,” Sombra grunted, approaching the Princess and ignoring the armed and armored soldiers which hastily closed in on him. “If you have a shred of concern for my human tender, you’ll help me locate him immediately.”

An officer, the very one he’d interacted with minutes prior, scowled over at him. “You’ll address the Princess as -”

“I’ll address the Princess however I please, cretin,” he growled, sneering over at the soldier. Feeling the ring around his horn struggling to contain his fury, he took a deep breath to calm himself and swung his attention back to the alicorn. “As I was saying, I need your assistance now…”

Scrunching his snout, Shining looked between his wife and the deposed King. “What exactly happened?”

“He’s gone,” Sombra repeated. “I came home from work, the very work you insisted I attend, and discovered my home ransacked. Alex has been kidnapped, my privacy has been defiled, and now you’re going to help me set things right.”

Cadance reared back and held a hoof to her chest as if stricken by his words. “That’s terrible! I…I have no idea who could…” she trailed off, glancing to her husband.

“Who could what?” Sombra pressed, leering over at the royal couple.

With a small sigh, Shining hung his head. “We might - might have some idea of what’s going on.”

Sombra’s lip curled, his hackles raised, and he tensed. “Out with it! So help you, if your dithering puts my little Alex in more peril than he’s already in, I’ll make you both pay for your incompetence.”

“Your Alex?” Cadance countered, shrugging off his threat.

Despite himself, Sombra felt his cheeks darken. “Were I you, I’d start explaining myself very, very quickly…”

“Ok, this is going to sound crazy, but we’ve had reports of a - uh - well, basically a cult,” Shining stated.

Cadance sidled over and wrapped a wing around her husband’s shoulders. “We honestly thought that you may have something to do with them, seeing as how they seem to hold you in some regard, but haven’t made any moves to stop them because they haven’t actually broken any laws or harmed anypony.”

“You’d have me believe that there’s some conclave of sycophants that venerate me?” Sombra asked.

“Pretty much, yeah - at least, that’s what our intel has led us to believe,” Shining replied. Turning to the ranking praetorian, he nodded. “Send a team to Alex and Sombra’s home to look for any clues. Sombra,” he continued, looking back to the King, “I’m so sorry this happened. Don’t worry, we’ll -”

“No, you and your inept guards have clearly shown you’re not capable of doing anything,” Sombra cut the Prince off. “Tell me where this cult is and I’ll handle the situation personally.”

“Sombra, please,” Cadance sighed, “if you just -”

“Tell me where they are,” Sombra fumed. “I won’t kill them, I give you my word, but if they’ve harmed Alex, death will be a mercy they’re denied.”

Rubbing the back of his neck, Shining knit his brow. “Aside from the issue of you putting several ponies in the hospital, there’s another problem - we’re not entirely sure where this cult, if that’s what they really are, operates from. All we have to go on are a number of reports from citizens who’ve overheard enthusiastic whispers about your return.”

“And that poster,” Cadance added. “Somepony, though we’re not sure whom, decorated the exterior of our castle with a poster of you.”

“That’s…odd,” Sombra grumbled, thoughtfully rubbing his chin. “Regardless, I need to find Alex.”

“I just told you,” Shining groaned frustratedly, “we’re not sure -”

“My ring is connected to Alex, is it not?” Sombra tutted, tapping the enchanted band affixed to his horn. “Even a simpleton could trace the flow of magic to my - the human.”

“That - huh…” Shining grunted. “You know, that actually might work.”

“Alex always does have that brooch on when he's walking around,” Cadance remarked. “Although from what I’ve heard, I'm surprised he can even walk at all,” she added, hastily clamping a forehoof over her muzzle.

Clamping his eyes shut and pinching the bridge of his snout, Sombra bit back a snarl. “Can we please concentrate?”

Stepping between her lover and the King, Cadance spread her wings and waved the pair back. As she dipped her head and closed her eyes, an arcane, transparent map of the Crystal Empire winked into existence before her. With the castle at its center, the holographic diagram of the city was a perfect, albeit miniaturized version of the capital.

“Shining,” she noted, keeping her eyes shut.

With his horn surging to life, Shining stepped forward. “Just gotta…”

Sombra’s eyes widened slightly and his cat-like pupils contracted as a glowing dot appeared at the base of the castle. Looking from place to place, scanning the map, his thoughts raced. Negation ring or not, when he was able to figure out who had wronged him, there was going to be Tartarus to pay.

The moment he noticed a second small beacon of light on the eastern fringe of the city, he wheeled around and bolted off without saying a word. It was bizarre to consider that there were ponies who may view his return favorably, much less ponies in the Crystal Empire, yet that wasn’t nearly as baffling as why his supposed fans wouldn’t approach him directly. Rushing off into the night, he brushed aside the myriad of questions floating about in his mind and steeled himself.

It didn’t take him long to reach his destination, less than ten minutes while galloping at full speed, yet he slowed when he reached the city block where his lover had been ferried to. As much as he would have liked to charge in and brutalize his lover’s captors, there was a problem - in fact, there were several problems. For starters, the makeshift tracking spell hadn’t been perfect, only bringing him to the approximate location of the human - secondly and more prudently, there was a distinct possibility he could be walking into a trap. 

He caught his breath and peeked around a corner to survey the street. This part of the city was old and largely disused, consisting of a number of abandoned buildings, which may make his task slightly easier. Scanning the structures, he held his breath and listened for any sign of life. His eyes darted from structure to structure, shooting to the various windows facing the empty boulevard, until movement from within one of the edifices caught his attention.

Considering that he was in what used to be the industrial district of the capital, a place that once processed mass amounts of minerals from the rich deposits within the nearby mountain range, he felt sure that whoever or whatever he’d seen was up to no good. Sticking to the shadows, he hugged crept along the side of one building and inched closer to where he’d seen something moving. There was no guarantee that he’d found what he was looking for, keenly aware that what he may have spotted could be a vagrant or vagabond, yet his intuition spurred him onward.

Coming to a halt beneath a window, the very window he’d seen somepony or something moving around through, he reared onto his hind legs and peeked inside. Though he couldn’t be completely certain, the structure seemed to be a derelict warehouse of some sort. A large, industrial door, cracked just enough for a pony to trot through with ease, rested a dozen feet away, the interior of the building appeared to consist of a single, cavernous chamber, and it was almost too dark to see anything - which made a number of flickering lights at the far back of the building all the more easy to spot. He squinted into the gloom and spied no fewer than four shadowy, cloaked figures moving around something - no, someone.

He’d hoped to use the element of surprise to his advantage, ideally dispatching the ne’er-do-wells one at a time, although the sight of the human, seated and with what looked to be a blindfold on, evoked his ire like few things ever had. Turning and charging to and through the doorway, blinded by rage, he set his jaw and bared his fangs. Ready or not, the fools who’d abducted Alex would soon learn the consequences of crossing him.

Ever since he’d returned, given a third chance by whatever cosmic power had deigned fit to have pity on him, he’d played nice - that time was at an end. There was a reason why ponies whispered his name and avoided eye contact with him, knowing the things he’d done and what he was capable of, yet it appeared as though it was time to remind the world of why he was feared. As swift and silent as a merciful death, he barreled headlong at the nearest figure, dipped low, spun around, and kicked the creature squarely in the chest.

Sailing through the air and impacting against a wall, hitting so hard that they splintered the crumbling gypsum, the shrouded pony fell to the floor. Sombra paid them little heed as he shifted his weight and rushed the second foe. While it was regrettable that he hadn’t been able to quietly deal with them, his berserker charge proved no less devastating. Over the span of no more than a minute, he’d downed two of his foes and was racing to the third.

“Sombra?!” Alex shouted.

He faltered, nearly misstepping and tripping over himself, but he wouldn’t - couldn’t relent. Until the threats to his little human had been laid low, he couldn’t afford to let his emotions get in the way. Sweeping the leg of the third pony, sending them toppling to the floor, he delivered a brutal kick to their midsection, drove the wind from them, and pounced atop them.

“Pitiful wretch,” he breathed, staring into the eyes of the gasping, awe-struck pony beneath him. “What did you do to my -”

“Sombra, stop!” Alex bleated.

Ignoring the plea, blinded by rage, Sombra only stopped when something grabbed his shoulders and pulled him back. He wheeled around on instinct, ready to rip the throat out of whomever had dared to lay a hoof on him, and froze. Standing just behind him, askance and with wide, terrified eyes, stood none other than Alex.

Seeing the scared look on the boy’s face caused him to lock up. How was Alex free? Hadn’t he been blindfolded minutes ago? Why was he trying to stop him? A thousand questions blazed through his mind, each more baffling than the last, and he wasn’t sure where to begin - fortunately for him, his mate wasn’t nearly as stricken as he’d first assumed.

Alex flung himself forward and embraced him, hugging his neck for what felt like a small eternity before pushing himself back. “What are you doing here?”

“I…” The word caught in Sombra’s throat, his heart swelled, and he took a tentative step back.

From what he could see, Alex was fine - a bit shaken, but physically fine. The boy’s shorts, shirt, those funny things called shoes, and his long, luscious locks of hair were untouched and pristine, giving him some relief but doing nothing to address his burning need to know what in Equestria was going on. He coughed into a forehoof, composed himself, and forced himself not to smile, as he affixed his lover with his crimson gaze.

“I could ask the same thing of you, Alex,” he groused, glancing over at the trio of groaning, writhing ponies he’d laid low.

“Oh - heh -” Alex weakly laughed, “that’s a long story. I promise I’ll explain everything, but first you have to swear you won’t hurt them.”

Peaking a brow, Sombra stood unmoving. “No, although you can pretend like I agreed to your terms. Do continue…”

“Ok, so,” Alex murmured, walking past the statuesque King and offering a hand to one of the fallen ponies. “These guys and gals - er - mares, haven’t done anything wrong - at least I don’t think they’ve done anything wrong.”

“You’d have me believe that carrying you off and trashing my house isn’t wrong?” Sombra scoffed. “Alex - dear, sweet Alex, you’re doing a pitiful job at convincing me that -”

“They’re admirers of yours ~ alright!” Alex snapped, glaring over his shoulder at the domineering stallion while he helped the injured pony up to his hooves. “Believe it or not, not everyone wanted you to stay banished forever.”

Sombra looked to each of the ponies he’d felled, no less angry but with his curiosity piqued. “If, and that’s a mighty big if, they’re supporters of mine, why in the world did they ransack my home - moreover, why did you not inform me that you’d be going on this little excursion with them?”

Fiddling with his hair, Alex kept his eyes on the floor. “So they might have gotten a bit excited when I invited them over. I didn’t expect them to be as thrilled as they were, and I was going to clean everything up when I got home, but the only way I was able to get them to leave was by promising them to tell them stories about you.”

Unconvinced, Sombra brought a forehoof to the boy’s chin and lifted his face. “And the blindfold?”

“They just got me here! I had to wear it so I didn’t figure out where their ‘secret lair’ was,” Alex exasperatedly explained, quoting the air with his hands. “Speaking of which, how’d you find me so fast?”

“Never mind that,” Sombra grumbled, neither willing nor eager to say he’d gone to Shining and Cadance for help. “Well then, now that your little soiree has concluded, let’s get you home. There’s a mess to tend to, this entire experience has been exhausting, and I fully expect you to - what? Why are you looking at me like that?”

Though Alex had been somewhat bashful moments prior, the boy looked over at him with a smug grin. The sudden shift in his lover’s expression was almost enough to make him avert his gaze - almost, yet he locked eyes with the human and scowled. After everything he’d gone through, the panic of coming home and finding his mate missing, he wasn’t about to deal with any silly games.

“You were worried about me ~ weren’t you?” Alex whispered, taking a step and closing the gap between them. “You thought that something bad had happened to me and you came rushing to -”

“Don’t be absurd,” Sombra scoffed, praying the redness creeping into his face wasn’t visible. “I simply came to retrieve my property and -”

Before he could finish, Alex shot forward and silenced him with a kiss. The sensation of the boy’s lips against him sent a thrilled jolt up his spine and made his heart skip a beat, in spite of the less than romantic circumstances he found himself in. It was only through an extreme exertion of will that he was able to pull away and glower at his mate.

“It’s ok,” Alex smoothly continued without skipping a beat, “you don’t have to say it.”

Remaining where he stood, ignoring the pair of fingers walking up his chest and to his neck, Sombra snorted indignantly. “I…I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“The way you came charging in here, how you took out those ponies…” Alex purred, bringing his face to his ear. “You came to rescue me ~ didn’t you…?”

The soft touch and lilting words wrought havoc upon Sombra, thrilling him in a way he hadn’t known was possible. While it was true that he had sought to rescue Alex from what he’d presumed was some terrible fate, he hadn’t considered his actions as chivalrous. Suppressing a shiver as the human blew hotly in his ear, he shied back.

“If you - Ahem -” he cleared his throat, coughing into a hoof. “As I was saying, once we get home, I fully expect you to repay me for my efforts.”

Alex doggedly pursued him and hugged his neck, ignoring or ignorant to how flustered he was getting. “And how would I do that, my King? Would you like your little Princess to give you a massage.”

Unable to help himself, Sombra gave a small nod. “That would be a fine start, yes.”

“And what would my King like me to wear for it?” the boy murmured, his words practically dripping with sinful intent.

“Since this would be my reward, as little as possible,” Sombra said softly as the corners of his lips turned up.

Walking past him, Alex ran a hand from his neck, down his shoulder, and to his lower back. “Well I’ll be sure to wear something sexy then.”

Sombra turned his head and looked back at the boy. Alex really was a stunning creature; tall, slender, and delightfully feminine, he’d initially thought the human was a female - a fact that he’d been pleasantly surprised wasn’t the case. Eyeing his mate’s succulent backside, he smirked. If he was right, and he had no reason to assume he wasn’t, he’d be shocked if he didn’t end up getting more than a rubdown.

Shaken from his thoughts by a pained groan, he shifted his focus back to the pony laying several feet away. “Should we make sure none of them are too badly injured?”

He would have loved nothing more than to get home, take a shower, and put the entire unfortunate afternoon behind him, although that would be less than ideal. He’d bet his bottom bit that Shining and Cadance would be following him - furthermore, a part of him did feel slightly bad for maiming his alleged devotees. Turning and halfheartedly offering a hoof to the nameless, cloaked pony, he started when the door was flung open and nearly a dozen praetorians rushed inside.

“Fan out and - Sombra?” Shining shouted, looking over at him.

“Shining,” he acknowledged, abandoning his efforts to help the injured pony and trotting over to the Prince. “I have matters under control, as you can surely see, though I appreciate your somewhat late response to the issue.”

Staring over at him, Shining cocked his head to the side. “Is…is that lipstick?”

Sombra reached up to his face, only then realizing that the kiss he’d received from Alex had left a mark. “After you burst in to thwart a kidnapping, that’s the first thing you’re going to ask?”

“The second squad has secured the perimeter,” Cadance exclaimed, cantering inside. “Have you found - Oh! I guess that answers that,” she chirped, seeing Alex walk up to the King’s side.

“Alex,” Sombra began, placidly glancing over to the boy, “be a dear and illuminate the Princess and Prince as to what has happened.”

“Fine,” Alex muttered, stepping toward the royal couple.

Staying right where he was, Sombra allowed his lover to recount the events and get the royals up to speed on what was going on. While he wasn’t pleased with everything that had transpired, still feeling the adrenaline coursing through his veins, he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t relieved. His house was still a mess, he felt certain that he’d end up meeting and speaking with the supposed cult who’d absconded with Alex, and he may have earned himself a stern talking-to from Shining and Cadance about his rough handling of the ponies, but everything had shaped up alright in the end.

“I - huh - well that’s not what I was expecting to hear,” Cadance grunted. “We’ll handle everything from here, now that we know you’re - is that lipstick?”

As his lip reflexively curled, Sombra rolled his eyes. “So what if it is?”

“You like it?” Alex chirped, making a kissy face at the Princess. “He says it looks good on me.”

Several of the guards within earshot snickered, trying and failing to contain their mirth, while Cadance grinned. “I think it looks lovely on you, Alex.”

Affixing the hulking stallion with a knowing smile, Shining waggled his eyebrows. “Now I see why you went racing off as quickly as you did.”

Sombra chuckled and shook his head. Any lesser stallion would have excused himself or possibly acknowledged the comment in a courteous fashion, but he wasn’t a lesser stallion. Fearlessly staring over at the Prince, he gave a small shrug.

“Not like it’s any of your business, but no,” he insisted. “This may be hard for you, but think about it. How would it look if my human went missing and fell into the clutches of a group of my followers?”

“It would look pretty bad,” Shining admitted, “but that’s -”

“Then you have your answer as to why I ran off to liberate him,” Sombra huffed, trotting past the pair of royals. “Now if this little inquisition is over with, I’ll bid you all adieu. Come now, Alex.”
Tracking the King with her eyes, Cadance lifted a hoof. “Just one more thing. My human - you called Alex my human.”

“And?” Sombra spat, leering back at her. “What of it?”

“Nothing!” the Princess merrily exclaimed. “I just thought it’s cute!”

“Wait, he called me his human?” Alex gasped, coming to a dead stop. “I knew he cared about me, but I didn’t - Eeep!”

Turning and dipping his head, Sombra all but flung Alex onto his shoulders. “Enough of this prattling. We’re going home this instant.”

Dealing with the consequences of his actions and eventually issuing apologies to the ponies he’d thoroughly trounced was one thing, though he wasn’t about to stand around just to be teased about his standing with Alex. He hadn’t broken any laws, he’d been working steadily at the job he’d been assigned, and he’d been behaving himself - well, outside of his home anyways. Shining and Cadance only had themselves to blame for him taking an interest in his human - for buck’s sake, they were the ones who’d insisted they live together!

As he trotted out, past the guards and the royal couple alike, he felt Alex shift atop him. “Making yourself comfortable up there?”

“Yeah,” Alex sighed, draping himself over the giant stallions back. “You know, you don’t have to hide it. As far as I’m concerned, I don’t care if folks know that we’re an item.”

Sombra considered his words carefully while he turned in the direction of their house. Though he was reluctant to admit it, Alex truly had grown on him since they’d been living with one another. The boy was attractive, kindhearted, and practically worshiped the ground he walked on - on top of that, he was absolutely incredible in bed. Unintentionally reminiscing on the first time they’d fucked, he couldn’t help but smile.

“Nor do I, but I digress,” he noted, glancing back at the young man. “In the future, should you wish to avoid a similar incident, I’d suggest you leave me a note at the very least…”

Patting the King’s shoulder, Alex ground his face against the stud’s neck. “Ok, Daddy.”

Sombra stumbled, unprepared to hear the taboo word. “I told you to stop calling me that…”

“Why?” Alex breathed, caressing the stallion’s hip with his foot. “You don’t want me to get you excited, Daddy?”

“You’re testing my patience,” Sombra intoned. “If you say that word one more time, there will be repercussions…”

“Promise,” Alex whispered, kissing his neck, “Daddy?”

Feeling the cool night air against his gradually hardening stallionhood, Sombra hastened his pace. Of all the commendable traits that Alex had, one of his favorites was the boy’s libido. Simply put, the human was insatiable and more than capable of taking everything he had to offer in the bedroom. It was shocking to think that the lithe, little biped was able to accommodate a stallion as well endowed as him, but the disparity of their sizes and the difference of their species only made amorous affairs all the more exhilarating.

The trip back to his house was perilously short and mercifully silent, yet Alex hadn’t been one to idly while away the time. The boy’s hands wandered over his body, gradually fanning the flames of his lust. He barely slowed after reaching the doorstep, seeing himself inside, and kicking the door behind himself, feeling something hard at his lover’s groin pressing against his back.

Only stopping when he trotted into the bedroom, he shrugged his shoulders and sent Alex toppling off and onto the bed. “About that repayment you mentioned…”

Alex scrambled to his knees and practically ripped his shirt up and over his head. Though he’d mentioned wearing something sexy, maybe some of the lingerie that was stored away in the closet, he had passed the point of caring about theatrics. Watching the boy strip, reveling in each inch of smooth, hairless flesh that was revealed, he flexed his groin and caused his stallionhood to slap against his belly.

In the short amount of time he’d known his mate, he’d learned all sorts of ways to get Alex excited. A half-lidded glance, a flash of his fangs, or an approving hum were oftentimes enough to get the lad a little hot and bothered, though it wasn’t uncommon that he was the one being seduced. The human was staggeringly hot, easily the most alluring biped he’d ever laid eyes upon, and he wasn’t afraid to flaunt what he had.

“Looks like - Mmmph - somepony’s happy to be home,” Alex giggled, lifting his legs and wriggling out of his shorts. 

The view of the boy’s backside set Sombra’s mouth watering, but Sombra didn’t budge. “Says the human sporting an adorable little stiffy…”

Shooting forward and tossing his shorts to the side, leaving himself completely nude, Alex shoved his foreleg. “Rude! It’s not that little!”

“It is compared to this,” Sombra mused, smacking his cock against himself a second time.

Alex gawked over at his loins, wide-eyed and grinning like an absolute fool. “Lemme just…”

Sombra lowered his head and watched the boy slip from the bed, get onto his hands and knees, and crawl beneath him. He was larger and more heavily built than most stallions, standing a full head and shoulders above the average pony, yet he was an absolute mountain compared to Alex. Feeling his lover’s slender, dexterous fingers caress his length, he smiled and contentedly sighed.

He’d bedded a number of mares and stallions in the past, happy to indulge with anypony who caught his eye, but Alex was by a wide margin the best he’d ever had. The human’s hands were nothing short of amazing, just as able to knead the stress from his shoulders as they were to stroke him off, but his mouth and ass - heavens be, his mouth and ass were positively sublime. His hips twitched as something warm and wet graced the head of his cock, while Alex situated himself beneath him.

Though he couldn’t see it, which was a bit of a shame, he savored the sensation and the sound of his lover sucking him off. The feeling of a warm, welcoming tongue along the underside of his length, the pouting lips around him, and the enthusiasm of his mate was accentuated by the pleased groans and hums beneath him. If he’d known that Alex was this eager to repay him for his rescue, he would have gotten on the bed and let the blow him - alas, hindsight was twenty-twenty.

He closed his eyes and basked in the affection of his little lover. Alex had told him that he was the first stallion he’d given himself to, which was a little hard to believe - not because of the boy’s impeccable taste in studs, but because of his mate’s skill. Irrespective of his relatively small size, slender frame, and lack of experience with ponies, the boy could handle his ruttings like a seasoned whore.

Hearing a stifled gag and feeling his length disappear down Alex’s gullet, he braced his hind legs and bucked his hips. Not only was the boy able to throat him, he actually enjoyed choking on his cock - something that never failed to work him up. There was nothing wrong with being venerated, taking a passive role while somepony tended to his amorous needs, although he much preferred to let his domineering side show through.

“Deep breath,” he rumbled.

He’d be the first to confess that he could be a bit rough when it came to amorous affairs, but he wasn’t a monster. Hearing the boy fill his lungs, he drove his length into his lover’s face. The snugness that was Alex’s throat was enough to make him shudder with delight, titillating him and chipping away at his self-composure, but it wasn’t enough to make him stop - quite the contrary, he rolled his hips back, freed a portion of his shaft, and gave a second, even stronger thrust.

As he took his time, only slowing to let Alex take the occasional breath, the fires of his passion grew white hot. He could have continued for some time, lasting several minutes before reaching the threshold of what he could endure, yet that would have been counterintuitive - after all, this was just the warm-up act. Eventually grinding to a halt, withdrawing all but the very tip of his cock, he lowered his head and peeked down between his forelegs at his mate.

“Unless you want to end up too full to have dinner with me, perhaps we should take things to the bed,” he chuckled.

Rearing back and clearing his mouth with a wet Pop, Alex smirked up at his face. “Get on the bed.”

He quirked a brow and held firm. “What do we say?”

“Get on the bed, please,” Alex hastily corrected.

“Good boy,” he softly replied, shifting his weight and stepping onto the mattress.

Walking up the bed, he eased himself down and rolled onto his back. He’d always held that sex was like a fine meal, served in courses and not to be rushed, and it involved all of the senses. Claiming Alex from behind was always a treat, especially because it afforded him total and complete control, yet there was an argument to be made about letting an eager, deliciously enticing lover do most of the work.

He pulled a pillow beneath his head, made himself comfortable, and spread his hind legs, knowing what was coming next. Sure enough, as soon as he’d gotten into position, he felt the foot of the mattress shift. This was a dance that he and Alex had done many times before, and they’d do so many times in the future - still, it was as thrilling as it had always been.

Alex hesitated as he crawled between Sombra’s legs, likely enticed to continue sucking the stallion off, but continued onward. Straddling his stud, having dragged his comparably dainty package over the King’s fat, cum-laden balls and endowment, he pushed himself into a kneeling position, reached back, and grabbed his lover’s cock. As he brought the thick cock-head to his winking backdoor, he looked down at his mate and smiled.

“Giddy-up,” Sombra chuckled.

With that small command, Alex sank down and gradually impaled himself. The boy’s hands were fantastic, his oral skills were beyond reproach, but his ass was like a taste of heaven itself. Tensing his stallionhood and causing it to swell ever so slightly, he was rewarded with a slight whimper from his mate. He may have given control to the little human, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t have all the fun.

Looking down his chest, he watched as the boy started to bounce on him. It was understandable that Alex would need a bit of a warmup, steadily acclimating to the immense intrusion, and he was perfectly content to enjoy the show throughout it. He peered past the human’s turgid dick and watched as the lad took more and more of his stallionhood with each plunge.

His attention didn’t go unnoticed, leading Alex to lean back and prop himself against his hind legs. On top of being an alluring creature, the boy was quite flexible. A mare or a stallion would have had a hard time reclining while screwing themselves on him, finding the position quite awkward, but that wasn’t a problem for his svelte little human. Getting his lover’s timing down, he gently bucked up to meet his mate’s descents.

He moved in perfect harmony with Alex, restraining himself and fighting the urge to increase the pace of his thrusts. The thrill of combat, the realization that the royal couple knew that he and Alex were more than friends, discovering that he had honest to goodness fans, being brazenly teased - each electrifying development worked to undermine his composure. Adjusting his positioning just a touch, he altered the angle of his thrusts to beat against the boy’s tender prostate.

“Mmmmmm -” Alex hummed above him, rolling his head back. “Right there…”

Sombra took the reins and hastened his pace. It was always like this - on the occasions when Alex kicked things off, tempting him with sins of the flesh, it was an inevitability that he seized control. Keeping his eyes on his lover’s adorable prick, he hammered the boy’s ass with increasing force. It wasn’t a matter of if he’d make his make cum but when.

Harder and harder, faster and faster, he plowed into Alex’s depths. He’d been living with and regularly rutting his comely little mate for long enough to know when the boy was getting close, and the boy was definitely getting close; all he needed was a little push. Cocking his hips back and readying himself, he gave an especially deep plunge.

Alex lurched forward and pawed at his chest, shaking from head to toe. “Oh god!”

He could feel warm, wet seed painting his belly as the boy mewled uncontrollably, causing his smile to broaden. There was something invigorating about being able to make a male, regardless of their species, climax purely from fucking their ass, and he basked in the power he had over his mate. Alex hadn’t so much as touched himself, cumming from anal alone, but that was the point; a good bottom didn’t need anything but their stud to get off.

Biding his time and letting his mate ride out his bliss, Sombra only eventually snorted. “Be a dear and lay down for me.”

Alex nodded and shudderingly pushed himself up to do as he’d been told. He could have helped the boy, realizing that moving so quickly after blowing a load was no easy task, but having him work for it was part of the fun. Waiting until his mate had unsheathed himself from his length and rolled onto his back beside him, he twisted around and got to his hooves.

Stepping off the bed, he grabbed Alex by one ankle and pulled him to the very foot of the mattress. Making love to a biped was a bit different than making love to a pony, although it afforded him a whole host of wondrous positions. Reflexively lifting his legs and grabbing his knees, leaving his ass hanging off the bed, Alex presented his gaped, quivering hole.

“Good boy,” Sombra growled, rearing onto his hind legs and stepping forward.

He placed his front hooves to either side of the boy’s torso, effectively locking his lover’s legs back, and smoothly hilted himself in a slow, steady thrust. The heat of Alex’s depths was as phenomenal as ever, made all the sweeter by the fleeting seconds his slickened stallionhood had been left to hang in the cool air, although that was only one element to his enjoyment. Now looming over the boy, he leaned forward and locked lips with his mate.

While he could be considered domineering by any measure, he wasn’t without a tender side. As unfathomable as it was, he’d actually grown quite fond of Alex. The lad was eager to please, fun to be around, and had a mystical way of brightening his days - things that nopony had ever done before. Sinking his tongue into his lover’s mouth, he grunted and began hammering away.

Alex, to his credit, did what he could to please him. The young man tightened with each of his backstrokes, milking his stallionhood while relaxing on his thrusts. He groaned into the boy’s mouth, reveling in the power he had over his mate, and freed himself of restraint. There weren’t many who could say they could weather the full, unbridled passion of a King, but Alex was assuredly one of them.

He didn’t have to imagine what he and Alex looked like, having situated mirrors in their room to watch them while they were going at it before. The enormity of his endowment bulged the human’s belly, he was so large that he could practically smother the lad under himself, and the difference in their builds made such exchanges a sight to behold. Sooner or later, once he’d saved up some bits, he had every intention of getting a camera to record some of their lecherous hijinks, but that could wait - for the time being, he had a boy to breed.

Even with his eyes closed, he could tell the boy was loving the harsh treatment. On and on he went, chasing his eventual release, until he crossed the point of no return. With his balls pulling up to his groin, readying themselves to fulfill their purpose and claim his mate, he was left with a question - a question he wasn’t fit to answer.

“Inside?” he snarled, breaking the kiss and resting his head on Alex’s shoulder.

Reaching up and hugging his neck, Alex kissed his cheek. “I…inside, please…”

He’d assumed the lad wanted it inside, yet hearing the plea was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Fully hilting himself, with his stallionhood flaring and throbbing in tune with his thundering heart, he unleashed the floodgates. A torrent of sweltering, virile seed flowed through his pulsing length, surging into his mate and making Alex howl out in rapture, while he set his jaw and snorted triumphantly.

Lost to a blissful haze, he fell still. His day may not have been what he’d expected, never having guessed he’d go on a rescue mission of sorts, yet he couldn’t have had a better way to cap things off. Several minutes passed until he wearily pushed himself up and looked down at his mate, content and euphoric.

Alex shot forward and gave him a fleeting kiss on the lips, beaming from ear to ear. “God, I love you…”

The admission caught him completely off guard and gave him a moment for pause. It was possible that the confession was borne from lust, although he was inclined to believe it was genuine. Alex truly did care for him, going so far as to stand up for him while they were out and about, and it was only then that he comprehended that the feeling was mutual.

“I…” he began, dipping his head and returning the kiss. “Say that again. I want to hear you say it with a clear mind…”

Reaching up and holding his cheeks, Alex looked deeply into his eyes. “I’ve meant it every time I’ve said it. Do…” he faltered, his expression wavering.

“Yes,” Sombra sighed, “I love you too…”

Locking eyes, each breathing heavily, before they drifted closer and started making out. There were situations in life when words couldn’t fully express one’s feelings, and this was one of those times. In defiance of all their differences, Alex meant more to him than anypony, himself included, fully realized. No matter what happened, irrespective of what hurdles life threw in his direction, there wasn’t a force in Equestria that could keep him from the demure little human who’d won his heart…