Necessary Recovery.

"Alright... you do that." He wrapped a wing around Thunder, deciding to talk to the other Pegasus tomorrow. "Make yourself comfortable..." He leaned against Thunderclap.

Thunderclap nodded. "I'm getting up early tomorrow." He said. "I've been sleeping to much. I'm going for a fly. Get some exercise. Clear my head, gather my thoughts. But don't worry, I'll be back later."

"Alright... I kinda have something I wanna talk to you about... I'd tell you now but it's late and I'm sure you need the rest..." He seemed a little nervous.

"Well if its important, you can tell me right now." Said Thunderclap, looking up at his friend. "Cmon, tell your pal Thunder." He said.

He seemed to get rather uncomfortable. "O-Okay... Thunder... there's something you should know about me... I-I'm..." He swallowed nervously. "I'm a f-fencebucker..."

Thunderclap looked up at his friend. "So? I'll be your friend even if you were a 50 foot tall dragon. I don't see why you are so nervous about that." He said. "Never be afraid to be yourself."

"T-That's not all... I'm also... _{k-kinda attracted to you...}" His face flushed, he looked away, really hoping he hadn't wrecked their friendship by making things awkward.

Thunderclap's eyes snapped open. He wasn't sleepy anymore. He jumped off the couch. "Well that's great and all, but, um, ah." Thunderclap looked around for a distraction. "Do you hear that?" He asked. A quick silent moment followed. "Well that is the open road and its calling my name. Bye!" He turned and ran towards the door.

Arpeggio closed his eyes, burying his face in his forelegs and starting to cry. "I-I knew it..." He began weeping. "I-I lost... my best friend... because of this... I-I knew this would happen. W-Why couldn't I have just kept it to myself?!" He burst into another fresh set of sobs.

Thunderclap stopped dead in his tracks. He heard his best friend crying. "How could I be so heartless?" He asked himself. He turned around and walked back. He sat on the couch next to Arpeggio. He placed an arm around his friend's shoulders. "Hey now. Didn't I tell you I would always be your friend?" He sat next to his friend in silence, trying to console him.

He looked at Thunder as he returned, tears still dripping from his eyes. When Thunder put his arm around his shoulders, Arpeggio hugged the other Pegasus. "I-I'm sorry... if my tears are getting your coat wet..." He sniffled. "A-And... I-I'd understand if you didn't want to stay here anymore..." He kept hugging Thunderclap, clinging to the other Pegasus for comfort.

"Hey I fly in storms. I don't mind getting wet." He said and smiled. He began to rub Arpeggio's back. "And of course I want to stay here. You are my best friend. I was just surprised is all." He said. "Sorry for running away like that. It wasn't very nice."

"I was... just worried that you'd hate me... you're my best friend..." The exhaustion of the ordeal coupled with Thunderclap rubbing his back brought Arpeggio to exhaustion, falling asleep on Thunder's lap.

Thunderclap shook his head. "No way I could hate you. No way, no how." He saw Arpeggio fall asleep on his lap. He patted his friend on the back, and embraced him. "Good night, my best friend." Then he fell asleep.

Arpeggio awoke in the early morning, Thunderclap still asleep. He got up quietly and began making breakfast, a fruit salad. He thought about what had happened the other night. "I'm glad he doesn't hate me... but I wish I knew what he thought..."

Thunderclap awoke. He yawned and stretched his arms. "Good morning." He said. He stood up. Thunderclap did not want to bring up last night. "Mmmm, breakfast! Looks good." He said.

"Thanks..." He set a bowl of the fruit salad for Thunder, eating his slowly. It was clear that last night was weighing heavily on his mind; he didn't want to make eye contact with Thunderclap.

Thunderclap thanked his friend. He began to eat his breakfast. "So much for my morning flight, eh?" He asked. Thunderclap then started to laugh, trying to loosen the tension.

"It's still pretty early... you can still go if you want..." The laughing didn't do much. Arpeggio still wouldn't look at Thunderclap.

Thunderclap was slightly bugged that Arpeggio would not look at him. He found it kind of rude. He reached and with his hoof, pushed Arpeggio's head to face him. "What is the matter, buddy?" He asked.

"I'm sorry, Thunder... it's just... last night's still weighing on my mind." He seemed a little uncomfortable. "I meant what I said... about finding you attractive... I just... I guess I just want closure with this."

Thunderclap sat back. He sighed. "Yes, I understand. But its just." He began. He tried to find the right words. "I think you are a really great guy, and I like you a lot. But it just came up suddenly, I didn't know how to react. Plus, the mare I went out with last night, well I like her a lot too. I just don't know what to think!" He said and brought one hoof down on the table. "I just don't know how to feel."

"I-I see... well, I'm not going to force you into anything, Thunderclap..." He nuzzled his friend's cheek. "Thanks for staying my friend, even after all that."

"Thanks for understanding how I feel." He said. It felt nice when his friend nuzzled his cheek. "I just need time to think about how I feel." He then looked at Arpeggio. "Of course I will be your friend." Thunderclap then recited an oath often used in his village. "May Celestia herself deal with me, be it ever so severly, if anything but death seperates you and me." He said, very seriously.

He smiled at the oath, happy tears welling in his eyes. He hugged Thunderclap tightly, wrapping his wings around his friend. "T-Thank you... I didn't tell you... but a lot of my 'friends' growing up... wouldn't want anything to do with me when I told them I was a fencebucker..."