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// Well...Time To Pray 
// Story: Panda Skies The Mechanical Mechanicist... or an Engineer for short. 
// by PandaVoltz 
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That has got to be the most fulfilling, amazingly great night of sleep that I’ve ever had, and this really warm body pillow is the cause of this wonderful sleep. Thank you body pillow, I…wait a minute. I don’t own a body pillow. Then what am I holding onto? I open my eyes to see a sleeping Barb facing me, a small smile gracing her lips as she lied there in blissful sleep. Wow, even my mind has poetic moments, but back to the fact that Barb is in my bed, still, at least. She’s usually up before I am, and that’s saying something because the clock says seven and barb is usually up at around six. I don’t mind that she’s still here, though I do wonder when she is going to get up, but until then I’m just going to lie here contently and snuggle up to my crush. 

Speaking of my crush, how am I going to tell her that I like her without sounding like a creep. I say creep because Barb and I have only really known each other for a few days, and say what you will about love at first sight, I don’t believe in it. I do, however, believe that one can begin to like some one enough to ask them out to get to know them better within a short amount of time. And here lies my problems, she may not believe in the same thing, I’m a technically a criminal of the nation, and her sister and mother are very protective if last night was anything to go by. Just thinking about Twilight's little warnings making me hold Barb just a little closer because Twilight now, in my opinion, is terrifying, and that’s all I have to say on that particular topic.

Now, how to tell her? I could do the old trusty method of a small dinner at a nice place and ask then, but I don’t want to be too cliche. I could first ask permission from her mother and sister, but they both terrify me so that’s out. Even though if we do start dating they would find out eventually, Twilight most likely would be the first to know, and the first to act. Now that I think about it, definitely Twilight, Twilight is guarantied to know first no matter what. I guess that leaves me with just asking, that’s going to be fun, but it’s the best plan I got. But now the dilemma is when to ask, and how to say it. You know what, before I start self doubting I’ll ask her the first chance I get, but until then I’m just going to enjoy the feeling of holding Barb close. And it’s a nice feeling indeed, makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. 




I wonder when she’ll actually get up, it’s almost eight already, and as much as I love the snuggles, I have to wake her up or it’ll take forever for her to go to sleep tonight. I start to pull away a small bit only to be pulled closer with a small, purr, maybe, from Barb. I start to pull away again and…I cant move. I may have forgotten about how dragons, even young ones, are extremely strong, and now since Barb is a dragoness and using me as an over sized living teddy bear, I’m stuck.Great.

Well, now I have to wake her up just by talking. Good for me. “Barb. Hey Barb. It’s time to get up, we slept in, it’s eight in the morning and I don’t know about you but I’d like some coffee before the mornings over.” Well that was easier than expected because she just opened her eyes and looked at me, almost like she was already awake…huh, I’ll ponder that thought later, I want some coffee. “It’s already eight? Wow I slept better than I thought I would, thank you Panda.” And now she’s hugging me even though she’s been cuddling me most of the night. “It was nothing Barb, but here’s just one little thing.” She just gives me a curios look with a small tilt of her head. That is adorable, but what I’m going to say is really going to kill what little ego I have. “I’m, uh, I’m stuck. Your stronger than me so I cant move. Heh.” 

She just looks at me before she seems to realize that she’s holding me in place and lets go. She sits up with a small bush on her face, so I sit up as well, but on the way up I stretch to start getting feeling back into my arms. I sit up fully after stretching and see Barb just staring at me, and not at my face but rather at my chest. Oh yea, I don’t sleep with a shirt, only with a pair of sweat pants. Great, now I’m self conscious of how my body looks. I’m by no means fat, buff, or extremely thin. I’m toned but I’m more on the skinny side, in all I’m just slightly above average, which I am absolutely fine with. But my question is why is she still staring at my chest, so I just give her a questioning look when she looked up for a second. She gives me an awkward laugh, “I didn’t, uh no offence, but I didn’t expect you to be toned or have abs.” Oh, okay then, that’s actually a pretty common thing that I hear from people who see without a shirt on, which is not often but still. “Ah. Yea, you’d be surprised at the amount of physical labor that goes into research, building, and testing. That, and I randomly exercise once in a while, nothing too crazy, just some push up’s and sit up’s.” 

Am I bragging a little bit, yes I am. Why? Because I can, and because Barb is still looking at my chest. This isn’t helping my ego much, so before anything else is said I’m going to get out of bed, “Well, how about you go get ready while I go start some coffee? There’s been something I’ve been wanting to ask. Alright?” She nods with a small smile, says a quick thank you again, and out of the room she goes, and downstairs I go for some much needed coffee. That, and so I can come up with a game plan of how to confess to Barb. Wow, even in my mind I sound like a cheesy romance story.

I think for the coffee today I’ll put two full cups of coffee grounds into the filter, I’m going to need this as my version of liquid pride, and because I still need to wake up fully. The idea of a morning without coffee is a tragedy that I pray will never come to pass again, it has happened once and I shall never speak of the terrors of that day. Wow, okay then, my mind went all archaic prophesy mode right there, yet another thing to ponder later. At least the coffee is already starting to brew, but it’ll still be a minute until it has enough for one cup, so I guess now is a good time as any to plan.

Okay, all I have to do is tell her how I feel, that still sounds cheesy to me but back on track, I guess I’ll tell her right after we sit down with our coffee in the living room. It’s a fool proof plan! I think…hope…whatever, it’ll work!But by the sounds of the shower turning on, I’ll have to put my plan on hold for a little while longer, and try not to think about the shower incident and Barbs body… well that didn’t work. I know that when I tell myself to not think about something I immediately start thinking about that thing specifically. It’s not a bad mental image…memory, but I just feel wrong looking at her that way without her consent. Even if it is in my head. Nothing can be easy can it? You know what, I’m going to answer my own question and say no, it’s almost always never going to be easy or simple. Because life is chaos and chaos is life, and…why do I hear laughing after saying that? Whatever, not going to question it. The coffee’s almost done anyway. 




And done, finally got done making mine and Barbs coffee. While I like mine just plain black, Barb likes hers with some creamer and a hint of sugar for some reason. I just don’t understand why, she has creamer but she wants sugar with it too? Wouldn’t that make it overly sweet? She boggles my mind I tell you, in good and confusing ways. And I think I hear Barb coming down the stairs, so here goes nothing. I take the coffee mugs into the living room and set them down just as Barb walks into the room, and did she look good. Even though she’s only wearing a white tank top and a pair of sweat pants, they just seem to fit her and her personality. Or it might be because I’m a hopeless romantic looking for anyway to put her on a pedestal, but I digress; she dose look great as always. That and I like minimalist styles. 

Now, all I have to do is tell her. Just tell her. I am really not ready for this, maybe Barb will forget I said anything and I can do this later with a better plan than one that was thought up in my coffee deprived mind. “So, Panda…what did you want to ask me, or talk to me about? I'm just a little bit confused.” Of course she would remember, why did I even think for a moment I could get out of this easy? Well, I guess I got to go for broke. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, as they say. “Well, I-I’ve been meaning to ask you if you’d like to go out with me because your amazing and totally not because you’re a cute dragoness and I kind of have a thing for female dragons, but then I kept thinking why would someone good like you want to go out with me, a criminal that you’ve only known for a couple of days, an enemy of the country, and I’m going stop rambling before I embarrass myself any more than I already have…heh.” 

Now Barb is just standing there with a blank expression and…Is that…is she…she is! That’s a smile! Why is she smiling? I don’t know if that’s a good thing. And faster than I could comprehend I was pulled into a hug that, if it weren’t for me being an earth pony, my spine would have been shattered in half. Luckily, somehow, I could still breath, albeit with some difficulty. Then she dropped me, I don’t know for sure or not but I think it’s because she could hear me struggling for air. I look up to see her still smiling face, and her hand outstretched to help me up.  “Yes, Panda, I’ll go out with you, but now what?” 

I looked up with a smile, and grabbed her hand. “How’s about we go get some breakfast?” She pulls me up with ease, yet again cementing the idea to never get on her bad side. “I’m in the mood for some chocolate chip pancakes, how about you?” Barb nods, but looks like she’s debating something, and looks absolutely adorable with how her muzzle is scrunched up and her furrowed eyebrows, but before I could say anything she looks at me with a sheepish expression while rubbing the back of her head. “Um, Panda, do you mind if my mom and sister come with us? To, you know, tell them about what just happened….” 

Well, her family was bound to find out sooner or later, and even though I was betting on the later not sooner, may as well get it over with. I sigh and nod yes, and Barb just says a quick thank you and, almost literally, drags me out of the door past some now very confused guards. This feels like a really bad case of déjà vu, and now I have to just pray to any deity, that isn’t a head of state, to let me live through whatever madness is about to happen.

And where is that laughter coming from!?