“Hey Vinyl...” Octavia had finally awoken from her the troubled slumber she slipped into the previous night. She did not dream, nothing good, nothing bad, just a neutral sleep. The room was quiet and the blinds drawn to give the two mares laying in the bed some privacy. The bed still showed signs of dampness from the previous days crying session. The room was left with a melancholy vibe that had a bumming feeling. The warmth Octavia felt around her waist reassured her the mare who had cried herself to sleep in her arms the previous day was indeed still located in her bed. She began to wonder who had closed the curtain in there room? Vinyl had been in the same spot all night. Octavia stared at the white mare wrapped in her embrace. Thoughts began to stream wildly into her head.
‘Why was I the one comforting Vinyl when i was just stabbed but a few days ago? I almost died and yet here i am, embracing this DJ. This DJ that has proven herself to be so magnanimous, so kindhearted and loyal. I just feel warmer around her that i should… this… this isn’t right. It can’t be right. Do i… do i like her? Like… like her?!?! I cannot be a fillyfooler can i? I mean i have never had a coltfriend. I do seem to only unwind around other mares… but that is just purely coincidental! No, i can’t lie to myself. I want Vinyl as more than a friend. I want to hold her and… what am i saying? These pain meds must be getting to me head. I feel like-’
“Psst, you awake!” A feminine voice called from around the curtain that separated Octavia and Vinyl from the outside world. Lost in her thoughts and unprepared Octavia gave a faint squeak and shot upright, pushing vinyl onto the floor with an astounding thud.
“Celestia damnit! You scared the hay out of me! What’s your problem?” Octavia pointed accusingly at the nurse standing in the traditional provocative scrubs with the bow tie wrapped around her waist. The bubblegum pink nurse had a light blue mane and a matching light blue heart cutie mark placed on her flank.
“Hey, I’m not the one getting all cuddly with my marefriend in public. You’re just lucky I was the first one here this morning or you would have a lot more than a blade wound to worry about!”
“Hey me and Vinyl are not… i mean we haven’t… you know what? Thank you! This may have been just a bit detrimental to my career…” Octavia averted her gaze from the nurse to her lap where her hoofs were dancing around each other, creating an interesting distraction from the conversation at hand.
“Speaking of your marefriend,” The nurse gestured to the White unicorn who was sprawled across the floor, eyes still closed.
“OHMYGOSHVINYL! Octavia tried to get out of bed but was restricted from any further movement by the IV chord hanging from her wrist. “OWWWWW!”
“Alright calm down I’ll check on her.” The nurse trotted over to Vinyl and nudged her on the shoulder. “Time to get up!”
Vinyl muttered out a barely audible phrase. After another nudge from the nurse Vinyl tensed and shot up. “Where am I?”
“You’re making sure your friend mare over there is ok.” The nurse raised her hoof and pointed it at the wounded cellist lying in the bed.
“Oh yea… howya holdin up tavi?” Vinyl stood up. Amazingly her glasses had stayed in place perfectly throughout the whole night. It was just then that Octavia realized she had never actually seen the DJ’s eyes. Octavia began to ponder what was hidden under those glasses. Vinyl had been beaten once because of her fillyfooler-y, something could have happened to her eyes. Or she could just really like glasses. Probably the latter.
“I am fine Vinyl, how are you?”
“Nononono we have focused on me way too much recently. I am not laying in a hospital bed right now, I didn’t almost die a few days ago, and i sure as hell will trot again!” A shocked looks of aw appeared on the Cellists face.
“I… Will never trot again?”
“No, I’m just bucking with you.” Vinyl swiftly dodged the punch sent her way from Octavia.
“Whoa Tavi chill out will ya? I was just kidding.” Octavia kept a stern look on her face as she began
“That’s not funny Vinyl! You know that some ponies are handicapped and cannot help it” Vinyl’s expression changed from a mocking smile to a neutral expression.
“Your right, been a while since-” Vinyl was interrupted by the sound of her stomach grumbling. At that point the nurse decided to cut back in.
“The cafeteria should just have opened for Breakfast. You can go get your marefriend some breakfast and snag a bit for yourself as well.”
“She is not my marefriend!” Octavia expressed her non-feelings for Vinyl by turning away from the DJ and holding her nose high in the air.
“Don’t be that way Tavi… Who’s my little cuddle-buddy? Who’s my little-” She was interrupted by a very firm elbow to the the face. “Ow, ok fine, no pet names until after we bang!”
“Vinyl if you do not get out of my sight right now i swear i will… UGHBCSBIBCB” Vinyl galloped out of the room snickering. “And you,” Octavia pointed her hoof at the nurse “please refrain from encouraging her. What is your name by the way?”
“Oh why thank you for asking, my name is Daisy Noob!” What a strange name…
“What a... pretty name? Anyway thank you for being so polite to us. You reacted very rationally and allowed us to explain why we were cuddled up instead of immediately jumping to conclusions. It was very nice of you.” Octavia smiled warmly at the nurse standing in the doorway. The nurse looked slightly puzzled before realizing what Octavia’s intent was.
“Oh you think I’m against fillyfooling?” Octavia perked up a bit at the tone of Daisy’s voice. It was harsh but at the same time light-hearted. “Sweetie I’m in love. I used to be like you. I was naive. You have never had a coltfriend have you?” Octavia froze for a minute before shaking her head in a firm no. “Exactly honey, you don’t know what you like. But what i know is the way you look at your friend is the same way i look at my mare.”
Octavia turned to face the nurse before staring at her lap once again. After an awkward few seconds of silence she finally spoke up. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying don’t let other ponies opinions get in the way of love. You know damn well that you feel something for that mare. No matter what anypony tells you, don’t give up. Not on that mare and not on your feelings. Please.” The nurse glowered at Octavia for a moment. Her firm voice hid a bit of determination mixed with what sounded to be regret. The bottom line was she knew what she was talking about, and that was obvious. She had some wisdom on the subject. But should Octavia follow her advice? Should she change everything she has come to know for this one mare?
“I… i need to think. Do you think you could leave me alone for a while?” Octavia voiced her question then met eyes with the nurse.
“Sure thing honey, tell me if you need anything.”
“Thank you… For everything.” Octavia stared at her lap once again. She had to make a decision. She knew she liked Vinyl but right now it wasn’t a matter of whether she wanted Vinyl or not. Now it was an internal debate. It was mind vs. Heart.
<(‘.’)>
Vinyl ascended the stairs back to the floor Octavia’s room was on. She held two trays of food in her magical aura. One held a crisp apple salad garnished with cucumber bits and carrot shavings. The other had a plate full of pancakes. The stack of delectable flapjacks was easily the height the average mare. It had a huge slab butter melting along the top and sweet apple butter syrup dripping off of the top of it. She grabbed such polar foods so Octavia could choose what she wanted. Vinyl didn’t really care what she ate as long as Octavia was happy.
‘She shouldn’t be in here. She would never have gotten stabbed if i just went with her. I don’t deserve to be friends with her. I… I have to tell her.’
Vinyl reached Octavia’s room and stood at the door for a brief second before opening it up and trotting inside. She pulled aside the curtain and received a very adorable squeak from the grey mare lying in bed.
“Holy Luna Vinyl! Why so many pancakes?” Vinyl set the two trays down onto a table and exhaled. It felt good using magic again but it did take a lot out of a pony.
“I figured you may be hungry! I mean you haven’t eaten solid food in like… three days! And i haven’t eaten at all in three days!” Octavia immediately looked worried.
“Vinyl why not? i could have survived on my own for a few minutes.” She looked at Vinyl obviously expecting an answer.
“Well, I couldn't have.” Vinyl flashed Octavia a quick smile before something clicked in Octavia’s mind. A huge smile came across her face. It was so simple, the solution to her problem was right in front of her this whole time.
“Vinyl, i need you to come over here really quick.”
“Are you going to hurt me?” ‘Damnit Vinyl! Just come over here!”
“No just… do it!” ‘Vinyl hurry before i lose my nerve!’
“Fine…” Vinyl trotted beside Octavia before coming to an abrupt stop next to the Cellist. “What did you want?”
“Close your eyes Vinyl.”
“Bu-”
“Close your eyes!”
Vinyl shut her eyes. The cellist couldn’t tell through Vinyl’s glasses so she had to ask. “Are they closed?”
“Yea but i don’t see wha- mmmmmmfmfmfmmm” Octavia’s muzzle met Vinyl’s. It was a quick, abrupt kiss, but the meaning it held was momentous. Octavia lingered beside Vinyl’s lips for a few seconds afterwards. Hot breath tickled the DJ’s lips who had not yet processed what just happened.
“Tavi?” Vinyl said still inches away from Octavia’s lips.
“Yes?”
“Does this mean were…” Vinyl waved her hoof back and forth, switching off pointing at the cellist than herself.
“Yes.”
“Yay!” Vinyl jumped up in the air and began bouncing around the room. She began singing some strange show tune about smiles.
Octavia giggling at the display spoke up. “But…” Vinyl stopped midair and turned her attention back to the Cellist. “You have to take of your glasses. I can’t date someone if I don’t even know what their eyes look like!”
Vinyl felt sick. This was it. She finally got a marefriend, finally opened up to someone after Rose, and she was going to lose them.
“But Tavi…”
“Nope! No buts Vinyl! I want to see your eyes, and that’s finally.” Octavia flashed a reassuring smile at Vinyl.
“Umm, I… I… can’t.” Vinyl averted her gaze from the cellist and began to study the floor. There are so many tiles, all uniform, all white. Even floors didn't accept individualism. If there was one tile that was a different color it would stand out like a sore thumb. This was the DJ’s problem. Not many people know this but when Vinyl was younger her hair was white. It was only after she had decided to become a DJ in high school that she decided to get a permanent dye through magic. The process involves switching the pigment of our eumelanin and pheomelanin or something like that. Who knows, I’m not a scientist.
People used to be drawn to Vinyl because of her eyes. Her look was so uniform. White coat, white straightened hair. The only thing that ever stood out on her were her eyes. Here magenta eyes that provided a contrast from the rest of her bland appearance. People were drawn to her. But from a very young age Vinyl learned that when she began to care about something, it would get taken away from her. That’s why she decided to dye her hair. Originally it was only supposed to be one tone of blue and still straight but a little magical fluctuation caused a two-toned mane with a spiky appearance. Looking back on it that was probably a good thing. It made her what she was today. Not the mask she wears in society but the mare she really is. The sarcastic, energetic DJ she hid. The hardcore partier that seems to be coming out of her shell recently. The caffeine-addict jockey that was finding herself again finally. The unicorn musician that has one mare to thank.
It’s only been a few days, but no one has ever put a timestamp on love, now have they?