Most ponies would spend a rainy Sunday night catching up on their homework, but not Bright Eyes. She was the type of pony to do everything the afternoon it was assigned, leaving the rest of her weekend free to do as she wished. Tonight happened to be a dark and stormy night, and what better way to spend it than curled up in bed with her favorite book?
Bright Eyes sighed contentedly as she turned the page. The smell of hot peppermint tea drifted up through the small house she shared with her father, the rain beat against the windows and the story was drawing her in more and more by the minute. Soon she would be lost to the world around her, transported back centuries ago to the days of dragons and mythical creatures and-
Ding-dong.
"Darn," she muttered. That had thrown her out of the story a bit. Luckily, she heard her father getting up to answer the door; smiling, she turned another page and closed her eyes, imagining herself in a dark and dreary land of-
"Bright Eyes?" Her father's voice pulled her back to reality; immediately she knew something wasn't right by the tone of it. She slid her bookmark in place and headed downstairs.
"What's wrong, Da-"
There at the door, dripping wet and mumbling several apologies to her father. Immediately she forgot all about her book and ran to him, ushering him inside. He looked miserable, and she could tell it wasn't just from the rain.
"If you needed to talk to my daughter so badly, you could have called her," her father said sternly. "Do your parents know you're here, young man?"
"His parents went on a trip to Europe two days ago," Bright Eyes said. Lancer nodded, shivering as he leaned against her shoulder. Bright Eyes's father eyed him critically for a moment, then his face became sympathetic.
"I'll go get you a towel," he said. "Bright Eyes, the tea is just about ready, why don't you pour us each a cup and then we'll sit down and talk?" Bright Eyes nodded, holding her boyfriend close as rainwater dripped from his mane and his coat.
"Thank you, sir," Lancer mumbled, pressing his face into her neck. Bright Eyes frowned, but chose not to say anything until her father returned with the towel, which he draped over the boy before leading them both into the kitchen.
-x-
"Now, Lancer," her father said once they were all seated and Bright Eyes had poured the tea, "why don't you tell us exactly why you're here?"
"Well, my parents left for Europe two days ago, as you know," Lancer said. "So it's just me and the servants." He sighed. "It's not like I'm not iused/i to being alone, and at first it wasn't even that bad. Friday I had the guys over to watch movies all night and the whole gang went to the roller rink Saturday. But that night I came home and only the maid and butler were there to greet me...and today was just so boring and lonely! I couldn't take it!" he cried, his voice breaking on the last word. "I know I shouldn't have come over like this on a school night, but I..."
Bright Eyes and her father exchanged a glance. The offer was on the tip of her tongue, but she hesitated; her father seemed to go over several options in his head before finally speaking up.
"Lancer," he said, "this might seem like a strange offer coming from the girl's father, but would you like to stay with us?" Both ponies blinked, Lancer nearly dropping his teacup in surprise.
"Really?" he gasped. "I...are you sure? I mean, it's not that I don't appreciate the offer, but..."
"I think he's afraid you might regret it, Daddy," Bright Eyes teased, then became serious again. "But we'll make sure you won't!"
"Y-yeah! I'll be a perfect gentleman to your daughter, just like I always am, and I'll help out around the house and everything," Lancer said. Bright Eyes's father smiled.
"I know you will," he said. "When we're finished our tea I'll go set up a bed for you on the couch in the den."
"Thank you, sir!" Lancer said, giving them both the first real smile that evening.
-x-
He hadn't planned on this. He'd only wanted to spend a few hours with Bright Eyes...maybe the idea of spending the night had crossed his mind, but he hadn't been counting on it. Now he was going to be a member of their household for the next three weeks.
Lancer was happy about being able to see his girlfriend more often, of course. They could study together, go on nature hikes, watch movies. And her dad seemed to like him well enough. But every time he thought about why he was here a lump formed in his throat.
They probably wouldn't even notice I was gone if I stayed forever.
Putting his empty cup in the sink, he headed for the den. Bright Eyes and her father were putting clean sheets, blankets and pillows on the couch that would be his bed for the next few weeks. When they were finished, she turned around and hugged him tightly.
"You're the best, Dad!"
"You're welcome, honey. You're the closest family I have and whatever makes you happy makes me happy."
Just like a parent and child should be.
Blinking back tears, he headed upstairs to the bathroom to run a comb through his stiff, drying hair. When he was done, he went to knock on Bright Eyes's door. It felt strange going in there to do anything other than homework, but it was a feeling he could get used to.
-x-
"Can I come in?" Bright Eyes put her comb down and opened the door; Lancer stepped in and sat down on her bed, nuzzling her cheek.
"Just wanted a goodnight kiss, did you?" she laughed. He laughed as well, though it was weak and sounded a little forced.
"And to thank you for letting me stay here," he said.
"It's no problem." Bright Eyes smiled. "Are you sure you don't want to take my room? I really don't mind sleeping on the couch."
"I couldn't! And besides, it's not such a bad couch...it's kind of nice." But even as he smiled his eyes closed and his shoulders gave a slight hitch. "I...knew you'd understand, if I came to you."
Bright Eyes toyed with the sash of her robe for a moment, looking down at him.
"Lancer?"
"Hm?"
"Was I really the first person you thought of? Or is there some other reason you didn't ask Ace or Teddy?" He blinked, then suddenly he fell against her, trembling. "Lancer?"
"I did think of them first," he said, his voice shaking. "That's why I came to you, because if they knew how lonely I was, they'd just laugh! They think I'm the luckiest kid in school, having that big house all to myself, no parents telling me what to do. The servants kept bringing us popcorn and ice cream and they thought it was the best thing ever!"
"Well..." She paused. She couldn't lie, she had been impressed by his family's big house and all the fancy things they could afford. Watching concerts on his big TV set and having the servants bring them their dinner, she'd felt like a princess. And his parents were such nice people, not the judgmental snobs she'd feared they'd be.
"Well," she said again, "it is a nice house, Lancer. Of course they'd think that, being guests."
"Exactly. Guests!" He squeezd his eyes shut, obviously fighting back tears. "They don't know what it's like to come home to a big empty house, never knowing whether or not your parents are going to be home that night. In the last six months I've eaten dinner with them a total of nine times, Bright Eyes!" And suddenly the tears were spilling down his cheeks as he clung to her, burying his face in her mane. "Just about every Parents' Day at school I've been let down having to sit and watch all the other ponies with their families. And the guys would still just laugh because who needs parents when you've got all the money in the world, right?"
He was sobbing now, and Bright Eyes's heart ached for him. She knew he had to be lonely with his parents away so much, but she'd never imagined it was hurting him this badly. Lancer was the most sensitive of all the boys, but he iwas/i still a boy after all if he'd been working so hard to hide his feelings. Maybe he just hadn't wanted everyone to feel sorry for him.
"It's okay," she whispered, wrapping her forelegs around him. "You're not alone anymore, I promise. I'm here, and so's my Dad. We'll be your family until your parents get home." He nodded against her shoulder; eventually his sobs wore off and he nestled against her with a soft sigh.
"I-I'm not mad at my parents," he said. "Really, I love them, and I know a lot of their travel is because of work. I just..."
"Miss them," Bright Eyes finished. "I know. Sometimes when my dad gets a big job at the paper he'll be at work till really late at night. I've eaten my share of lonely dinners," she laughed, then became serious again. "He feels awful about it, though, and I'm sure your parents feel the same way."
"I should...talk to them, shouldn't I?" he sighed. "I don't want to upset them, but..."
"You have time to think about it," she said. "But no matter what happens I'll be here for you, Lancer. Always." Lancer smiled, blinking away the last of his tears.
"I love you." He kissed her goodnight and left for the den. Maybe someday his parents would come around, and all of them would be one big happy family. Someday...
She slipped her robe off crawled under the covers, letting the sound of the rain lull her to sleep.