>it's a fine autumn day
>sun, light breeze, and a hint of crispness
>perfect for lounging underneath a tree
>our tree
>the tree where we first shared a kiss...
>the tree where I first had the privilege of telling Soarin' I loved him
>the breeze blows and the leaves whisper
>"I love you, Thunderlane"
>hmmm, the leaves sure whispered that louder than I expected...
>I open my eyes
>a blurry figure stands over me, but its emerald eyes soon come into focus
>with the seeming assistance of an invisible boot to the flank, I spring up
>without bothering to look, I throw my hooves around him
>I can feel the grit and smell the efforts of the day
>I draw in a large breath...intoxicating
>his embracing hoof snaps me back to the present
>his cheek rubbing against mine spurs me to conversation
"So, how'd it go?"
>and then that wonderful voice told me about his day
>but when he got to the part about being worn out from practice...
"Well, I've been waiting for the perfect moment, and this is it! Follow me!"
>the invisible boot is replaced with an invisible hand, snatching me off the ground and into the sky
>I hear Soarin' calling for me to wait up
>"Oops, sorry 'bout that"
>I sheepishly slow down and wait for my tuckered-out Wonderbolt
>he's been working so hard for their upcoming tour
>shows all over Equestria for a solid month
>sure to be the worst month of my life
>a whole month without...
>no--I'll leave that bridge for when it's time to cross it...
>my thoughts occupy me so much, I overfly our destination
"Damn, we went too far! It's down there, back thataway!"
>I point to a small clearing in the forest below
>Soarin' looks at the clearing, stops on a dime, and zips down
>I can't help but admire him for just a moment
>those graceful wings, that ethereal mane, his tail flapping exuberantly behind him
>a beautiful body, tailored for flight, but best held in close proximity
>he guides me down with his eyes, cheerful as ever in spite of his fatigue
>he asks what I've got planned
"You leave that to me, flyboy!"
>I resist the urge to add a hint of seductiveness to get his mind going
>not that I had anything like that planned, but it would be a bonus to see those cheeks redden
>I take to the skies again, looking intently for the last piece to the puzzle
>the sun has nearly set by this point, the fire nearly gone from the sky
>makes the search a bit more tricky, but soon enough...
>I dart to the cloud and snag it
>I drag it back down to the clearing and hover next to it
>a tiny bit of nervousness dots my opening words, but they become more sure as they leave my mouth
"Well...wanted to know what I had planned, did you?"
>he nods; I instinctively admire his mane as it follows his head
"Ah, so...I figured that this would be a great way to relax together, especially since you've been working so hard for your tour."
>I give the cloud a couple of kicks
>it yields the desired result: a healthy rain
>neither gentle nor overpowering, the drops provide a constant drumbeat as they patter on the ground
>I land and trot under the falling water
"Care to join me?"
>he smiles and takes off his uniform, revealing the rest of his majestic form
>my heart skips a beat or three as he joins me in the decidedly rustic shower
>there's a bit of a chill, but I'm sure neither of us care; besides, there's a quick fix for that
>he walks toward me, hooves quietly splashing in the pooling water
>the splashes strangely trigger a brief moment of tactical failure
"Sorry for the mud, Soarin'..."
>he grins and assures me that it's no problem
>I grin back, feeling my mane get ever more soaked and plastered against my head
>we share a few moments gazing at each other between the raindrops
>almost simultaneously, we embrace
>the chill is gone
>the rain, forest, moon and stars, all gone
>just him
>just me
>I draw him in tight; he responds in kind
>we lock lips and share a kiss
>the feeling of his mouth and mine, the rain firmly tapping us on the head
>the faint glow of the moon, this time, no match for Soarin's radiance
>suddenly, another whisper
"Thanks, Thunderlane."
>followed by a nuzzle
>surely he can feel the rising heat in my face and the grin crossing it, but I care not
>I nuzzle back
"You're welcome, Soarin'. Anything for you."
>don't really know how long that experience under the cloud lasted
>just wasn't long enough
>they never are
>too soon, it was time to go
>I kicked the cloud and it ceased its rainfall, as if I turned a faucet handle
>snagged it again, took it back up, and sent it on its way
>Soarin' immediately joined me
"Hey, what about your uniform?"
>I grin again as he says it'll be fine there until the morning
>as we fly ourselves dry, he surprises me again
"Hey, how about we sleep under the stars tonight? Out here. Seems like a good night for it, huh?"
>I agree
>we look for a nice soft spot to crash for the night
>it's found; we claim it
>we both cut to the chase and snuggle under some random tree
>our second tree
>I take in his body against mine
>I can feel him doing the same
>I feel all of him, all of his warmth, and it is good
>he tightens his grip on me
>we snuggle such that I can't see his face, but I can feel his breath warming my neck
>his hoof caresses my head, and my leg twitches in approval
>he leans in
"Hey. I love you, Thunderlane."
>I turn to him as best as I can
"I love you, too, Soar--"
>my voice trails off as I blink and open my eyes
>daylight again
>laying on my side, I see only grass
>I look up, and see only the leaves of the tree
>our tree
>I don't even try to hold back the first tear
>it traces its way down my cheek as I lie there in surrender
>worst month of my life, and I'm only 2 days through it
>the tears trace faster
>and the crisp breeze whispers...
 
end