> Causes/Effects
>  by Meteor_Mirage
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Pipsqueak's breath caught in his throat. His eyes snapped open as he tried to regain control of his breathing. He should have been used to waking up like this by then, but it never does get easier. 

Just like that, he was awake. Not fully, but enough to make sure he didn't go back to sleep for a good while. This was his favorite part of waking up. His least, of course, being the small stallion he had his hooves wrapped around. He hated every part of this. The warmth radiating from the lightweight colt's whitish-grey coat, the soft sounds that he let out with the slightest shift from Pipsqueak, and, most of all, the way the smaller stallion buried his muzzle into Pip's chest, right on his dappled spot, usually giving Pip a mouth full of his black mane. 

But Pip knew he had to leave. He had to do work, or to go somewhere, or to go smoke something, or to go drink something. Anything to keep his mind off of the stallion he fell in 'love' with. And today more than ever, he had to get out of there. There was no telling what Rumble would do if he saw Pip.

Pipsqueak very carefully pulled his hoof out from under his boyfriend, trying his hardest not to wake him up. An angry Rumble was one thing, but a cranky, angry Rumble was to be avoided at all costs. Once free, he began work on freeing himself from the prison that was Rumble's grip. For such a tiny stallion, he had a vice-like hold when he was asleep. Too tight to slip out from, too strong to break from. Pipsqueak could only see one way of getting out. Asking.

After a moment of preparation, Pip gently prodded Rumble with a hoof. "Rumble," he whispered quietly in an effort not to wake him up too much. Rumble's eyelids lifted slightly, giving Pip a small glimpse of his beloved trophy housewaifu's purple eyes. He felt a smile grow on his face. "Hey hon," he said as he rubbed a hoof down Rumble's back in an effort to win him over, "Do you think you could let me go? I have a thing I need to do."

Rumble shook his head and wrapped his hooves tighter around Pipsqueak's waist. "Stay," He said softly, his voice muffled by Pip's white and brown coat. "Y'always work."

This brought a frown to Pip's face. "I know I do, hon," He said as he wrapped his hoof around Rumble, "I have to though. Bills aren't going to pay for themselves."

Rumble tilted his head up to look at his “One day?"

Pip hesitated. He could easily stay in bed with Rumble to make up for the previous day, but he had promises to keep and work to do. He frowned and wrapped his hoof tighter around Rumble. "Tomorrow, I promise. All day."

"You said that yesterday." Rumble said softly, a twinge of anger coming to his voice. And yet he let go and rolled over. "Have fun at “work”, Pipsqueak." 

"I..." Pip trailed off. He was torn between apologizing and expressing his love, but he knew he couldn't do either. He settled for crawling out of bed without saying another work. Before he left, he took one last look at Rumble. He was shivering in his sleep.

Pip made sure to close the door behind him.

The warm, musky scent of wood filled his snoot as he walked through the hallway leading into the living room. This brought a slight smile to his face, but it faded after he exited the hallway and saw the kitchen straight ahead. Rumble's kitchen. Pipsqueak's stomach growled, but he didn't feel like eating. Instead he turned left from the hallway and entered into his study. 

Maps littered the room covering every single surface in the room and most of the walls in some discordant form of what Pipsqueak called order. Ignoring any forms of anxiety over relationships, he sat down at his desk and quickly got to work.

His quill hovered above the paper, not even inked, as he tried to remember what he was supposed to do. He grimaced. It wasn't like him to forget something so simple. With a sigh he scratched the back of his head and looked high and low for some sort of note or reminder, spinning in his chair all the while. Normally he would have stopped to enjoy the wonders of his spinning chair, but this was not one of those times. This was serious working time. And serious working time needed serious working tea. 

Pipsqueak stood up from his spinny chair, grumbling something about maps, and left his study. He walked across the living room, briefly glancing down the hallway to his bedroom and noting that the door was open, and made his way to the kitchen where he expected to see Rumble. 

Instead he was greeted by a hollow silence punctuated by the lack of serious working tea, something that Rumble would have ready by then on any other day. This, of course, wasn't any other day. Pip thought as much when he pulled out the teakettle and stared at it for a few seconds, waiting for it to do its thing. Of course the usually trusty teakettle was stubborn this day and refused to work until Pip tapped into his Trottingham heritage. 

So, grasping the misbehaving appliance in his two front hooves, he deftly half-filled his beloved teakettle with cool, fresh water, and placed it carefully on a warm stove. In case it did anything else wrong, he stood there and stared at it for a while until the water inside boiled; then came the part where he took a pinch of tea leaves from a little glass jar on the windowsill, with his teeth of course, lifted the teakettle lid, and dropped them in.

Then, more waiting. Continuing to guard the kettle, Pip watched as the steam that crept out of the spout and from the edges of the lid began to smell more and more fragrant. He’d usually give it at least a couple of minutes, but today, he was desperate. He was not wasting a second.

Pip seized the simmering teakettle, and put it carefully down on the table, atop a little cork mat so that it wouldn’t leave a nasty mark on his grandfather’s mahogany table. Having no time for a petite little teacup, he whipped out a hefty mug, and stuck a sieve on the top of it; this was a sort of tiny metal net thing, which caught the tea leaves so that you didn’t have to drink them, because they’re icky.

Then at last, the final step. He picked up the pot, and eyes wide, Pip slowly poured the steaming, amber-coloured liquid into the mug with birds painted on the side. He didn’t bother with milk, and he didn’t bother waiting until it cooled; he just put the teakettle down, lifted the mug to his puckered horse lips, and took a long, noisy, blissful sip.

It was moments like these that Pip realized how tea was more than just the fancy horse’s drink of choice when they didn’t want to get tipsy. It was liquid class.  

As Pip was entranced by his tea he noticed a blur out of the corner of his eye and, a moment later, heard the slam of a door. He clenched his jaw and nodded, setting his cup down onto the counter. Somehow the cup ended up shattering against the door of his study, staining it with leaf water. No clue how that happened.

"Damn it all," Pipsqueak shouted as he stomped a hoof. He rushed over to the door in hopes of maybe catching Rumble, but, upon opening it, he saw nothing but a few ponies, none of them Rumble.

He slammed the door seconds later and sat down in front of it, sighing and cursing himself. "One day," he grumbled, "Why couldn't I just give him one day?" He grit his teeth and hit the closest thing he saw, a coat rack, and punctuated it with another 'damn it'. The coat rack fell with a dull thud in front of Pip. He stared at it for a moment before groaning. "I need help."

He stood up, shaking the dust off and deciding to actually do something. He grabbed one of the scarves that lay over the toppled coat rack and brought it up to his snoot. It was white and brown, and it smelled like rain and flowers. Pipsqueak smiled as he wrapped the scarf around his neck. He braced himself for the cold, Autumn air outside and, after a moment of hesitation, left his comfy log cabin for the cruel outside world.

Pipsqueak was out of options. He'd tried to ask all of his friends and even tried resorting to his enemies, but everyone in his life seemed to be busy whether it be with inventing, dating, magic practice or what have you. Everyone, every single horse in Ponyville, was busy when Pipsqueak needed them the most.

Except for, hopefully, one.

There was certainly no moment of hesitation before Pipsqueak knocked on the door of the small, purple house he stood in front of and he most definitely didn't consider running seconds later, only to be stopped by the door in front of him opening. 

The mare on the other side of the door looked as shocked as he felt, but only for a moment before she composed herself. "Well hello Pipsqueak," the light purple mare smiled at him, "What brings you here?"

Pipsqueak stumbled over his words for a good few seconds. "H-hey Ms. Cheerilee. I was, uh, wondering if, maybe, you could, sort of-"

"Do you think you could get to the point before Monday?" Cheerilee cut in with a warm smile. "I still have tests I need to grade and all that."

"Of course," Pip nodded, "I just kind of sort of maybe-" Cheerilee interrupted by clearing her throat, causing Pip to blush with a sigh. "I need help."

Cheerilee paused, looking thoughtful. 'Help?' she asked. 'What kind, sweetheart?'

"Advice." Pipsqueak found himself muttering before quickly adding, "About Rumble, I mean." 

Cheerilee nodded, holding her door open wider and wordlessly allowing Pip into her lovely abode. 

And he just stood there staring at her, waiting for her to say something.

“Come in, hon,” she said kindly with no judgement at all. This caused Pip to freeze for a moment and believe she was judging everything about him.

But it only lasted a moment before he responded. “Sorry,” he said as he quickly walked past her and into the living room of her home. 

“It’s fine, sweetheart,” she said as she closed the door. She moved across the room with great swiftness, skillfully weaving around her furniture as she went. “Make yourself at home. I will be right back.” Then she left the living room and entered the kitchen.

This left Pipsqueak confused and alone, something he was very experienced with. Instead of fixing these problems, he decided to just sigh and sit on the grey, well-worn sofa in front of him. He looked around the room and decided that it looked nothing like what he thought it would when he was a foal. First, it wasn’t the schoolhouse, where he thought she lived for the majority of his life, and second, it looked like a normal pony lived there. It wasn’t just a grey room with nothing but papers to grade, and saltines and water to sustain her. There was something in the room that Pip couldn’t quite get his hoof on; something warm, something alive. There were pictures of loved ones, books waiting to be read, colors that weren’t grey, and what looked to be a bong in the corner, slightly hidden by plants. Pipsqueak felt a small bit of respect for his ex-teacher in that moment. 

“Juicebox?” 

And all respect was lost as she held out a fruit punch juicebox after having returned from the kitchen without him noticing. Of all the disrespecting things she could have chosen to do to him, she chose the worst. She was treating him like a child when he came to her with a definite unchildlike problem.

But it was still fruit punch, the best of all of the juices, so Pip accepted it with a smile. “Thank you,” he said as Cheerilee sat to his right holding a pear juicebox. The worst of all.

Cheerilee masterfully jabbed the straw into the tiny hole of the juicebox, something Pipsqueak was still fiddling around with. She was a teacher for tiny childrens, so of course she’d done it before. “I’m glad that you’re fine with this,” she said as she took a sip, momentarily sticking her tongue out in disgust. She set the juicebox down on the table in front of them, never to be touched again, “I’ve been trying to get rid of these for weeks now.”

“Have you tried giving them to your class?” Pipsqueak asked, still fiddling with his straw and juicebox. With a sigh he looked up at Cheerilee and offered over his juicebox. “Do you think you could…?”

She took the juicebox with a nod, skewering it with the straw and handing it back within seconds. “I tried, but they don’t seem to want them. They’re 'too old’ and it 'isn’t cool’, or so they say.”

“And yet here I am,” Pip smiled, “Twice their age and doing this.”

“Well you aren’t quite their model of cool.” Cheerilee quipped, causing them both to laugh.

Then the laughter faded and both of them noticed as an awkward silence took its place.

After a few moments, Pipsqueak let out a sigh. “We’re going to have to get serious now, aren’t we?”He leaned towards the table and set his juicebox next to Cheerilee’s discarded one, anticipating her answer before she had the chance to speak.

“We don’t have to if you don’t want to,” she said, placing a hoof over one of Pipsqueak’s, “We can just sit and make small talk until you’re ready.”

“If we just do that then I’ll never be ready,” he sighed again.

“Well what sort of problems are you having with Rumble?” Cheerilee asked, trying to get him on the topic at least.

“We’ve been fighting a lot lately,” he said, letting his guard down for a moment, “I’ve…” Only for a moment. He shut his mouth and shook his head.

“Sweetheart,” Cheerilee said softly, drawing Pipsqueak’s full attention. “I’m going to need you to be completely honest and tell me everything so that I can help. Is that alright?” She waited for a sign of confirmation. Once she got it, a nod from Pipsqueak, she continued on. “Now what exactly is the subject of these fights you two have been having?”

He wants me to take a day off,” he rubbed his forehead with a free hoof in frustration. It came back drenched in sweat. He frowned, rubbing it off on his hindleg. “I keep telling him that I don’t have the time, but he starts yelling, then I start yelling. Next thing you know, we need a window repaired.”

Cheerilee nodded, trying her best to assess the information she’d been given. “Well you seem to have enough time to ask me for help.” Pipsqueak visibly tensed, letting her know she was in the right area. “Is there something else?”

“No,” Pip lied very plainly, “I have work to do, but I pushed it aside for this.”

“Then what’s stopping you from dropping everything and taking a day off?” She looked up at the clock behind Pipsqueak’s head. “It’s only ten. You still have time.”

And there it was, the question he didn’t want to answer. He didn’t know the answer, but he knew he wouldn’t like it either. “I don’t know,” he said softly, “I don’t think this was a good idea.” He moved to stand up from the couch, but was stopped by Cheerilee.

“I want to help you, Pipsqueak,” she said as she blocked him with a hoof, “I don’t want to see the two of you end up hating each other because of some miscommunication.” She hesitated, internally debating with herself. “I’ve experienced enough of that on my own.” She added with a frown.

Pip, despite everything, sat back down. “Are you sure you can help?”

Cheerilee smiled confidently. “Only if you tell me everything I need to know.” She extended a hoof to him. “Do you promise?”

He shook her hoof, attempting a smile of his own. “I promise.”

“Good,” she said, “Now let’s try this again. What’s stopping you from dropping everything for just one day?”

“Rumble.” He admitted with some hesitation. “Rumble is my biggest problem.”

“And how is he a problem?” Cheerilee asked, fearing any answer he could give.

Pipsqueak clenched his jaw to the point that it hurt. He looked toward the door to his right, debating on making another attempt at escaping. He ended up staying still, mumbling something that even he couldn’t hear.

Cheerilee set a hoof on Pip’s again. This was calming in a way and managed to unset his jaw. “Pip-”

“Yeah,” he interrupted, “I know.” He let out a sigh, rubbing his eyes with a free hoof. He felt like he could nod off at any moment. “I need to be honest, but honesty is so hard.” He dug his hoof into the plush exterior of the couch, still being held by Cheerilee’s hoof. He tried to focus on the warmth. 

There was another long silence, only filled with the ticking of the clock behind Pipsqueak. In this moment Pip looked desperately around the room for anything that could save him, but nothing, not even the bong, could. Cheerilee, on the other hand, waited patiently for him to continue. 

“I don’t think…” he trailed off with a whimper as both words and courage failed him. Still, he clenched his hoof and focused. “I don’t think I… I don’t think I love him. At all.”

“Oh,” Now it was Cheerilee’s turn to have words fail her. Of anything he could have said, that was one of the only things she didn’t expect. “Well I can see how that would be a problem.” She took a moment to clear her throat. “Any, uh, any reasons why you’ve come to that conclusion?”

“We’ve tried, you know, doing things,” A blush developed on his face as he took a noticeable pause. “Bedroom things.” He looked away from his ex-teacher. She may have been the first to teach him about these sorts of things, but he never expected to talk with her about it one on one. “We both found out the hard way that I’m just not attracted to him.”

Cheerilee nodded. “And, other than with these 'bedroom things’,” she raised her hooves to do the quotes herself, “How do you feel about Rumble?”

“I like him. He’s nice, sweet,” he shrugged,” Cute, I guess.”

“You guess?” She asked.

Pip nodded. “Yeah, I guess.” He waited for her to speak, for the banter to continue, but Cheerilee just motioned for him to continue. “There isn’t really any more. I just think he’s cute.” He looked away with a blush and a slight smile. “Kind of adorable, actually.”

Cheerilee shrugged, looking indifferent. “I don’t see it.”

Pip’s head snapped back to look at her. “You’re joking.” 

She shook her head, shrugging again. “I just don’t see the appeal, hon. I guess we’re in the same boat.”

“But at least I have a healthy appreciation of him.” He sighed dramatically. “I mean, have you seen his eyes?”

Cheerilee feigned a yawn at that. “I suppose I have, but what is so special about them?”

“They’re just so purple and they’re…” he sighed, running a hoof through his brown mane as his smile grew wider. “Dear Celestia they’re just so perfect. And the way they light up when he gets excited about something.” He put a hoof to his chest, right over his heart. “Gets me right here, I suppose. And don’t get me started on his smell.”

“His smell?” Cheerilee couldn’t help but smile a bit while asking.

“Yeah,” he grinned, “Sorta smells like flowers and rain, I guess.” 

Cheerilee nodded and made a noise of confirmation. “Anything else you like about him?”

“There’s a lot of things, really.” Pipsqueak admitted.”

“But you don’t love him?”

Pipsqueak shook his head. “Nope.” 

Cheerilee stared at him blankly. She couldn’t tell if he was joking or if he was just that dense. Then an idea happened and also an opportunity to help with learning. And Cheerilee was all about learning.

She stood up from the couch and quickly walked to the bookcase behind the couch. She scanned the books, rubbing a hoof across the titles until, at last, she found the book she was looking for. She pulled this book from the bookcase and took it with her as she sat back down next to Pip. After sitting, she handed the book over to Pipsqueak.

Pip tilted his head in confusion, but still took the book from her. He turned the dark-grey book over in his hooves a few times before deciding to look at the title. 'Sexuality 101: Everything You Wanted To Know About Sex, But Were Too Afraid To Ask,’ it stated in bold, white letters. Pip frowned. “What’s this?”

“Something that might help you.” She stated plainly before motioning to the book. “Page 134, to be specific.” 

Not being one to argue, but sort of wanting to, Pip opened the book to the recommended page. On it he saw the usual black text on white page, but that was mixed with notes in a purple pen, written in that hoofwriting that he’d gotten used to reading on tests in his youth. 

The first thing he actually read on the page was the heading, 'Asexuality and You’, to which he scoffed. 

“Something wrong?” Cheerilee asked, offended that he was scoffing at her gift.

Pipsqueak shook his head. “No, sorry. I just wasn’t expecting something like this.” He closed the book and held it up. “Where’d you get it?”

“I picked it up for a course I was working on in college. Back when I was studying to be a marriage counselor.” She sighed. “Then that ended up not being my thing, and now I’m a teacher.”

Pip nodded again, opening the book back to page 134. :And how is it supposed to help me?”

“Well, from what I’ve heard,” she took a dramatic pause, something she learned from her brief stint as a drama major, “I think you could be Asexual.”

“Isn’t that a cell thing?” He asked, being about as dense as a brick.

Cheerilee sighed. She should have expected that question. It’s usually the first one anyone asks. “Yes and no. Asexual reproduction is a thing, but that thing doesn’t matter here. Asexuality in ponies is characterized by a lack of interest in other ponies sexually.”

“Sounds like me with Rumble.” He nodded. “So that means I can’t have a relationship with him?

Cheerilee cringed. “No honey, it doesn’t mean that at all.” She took a deep breath before continuing. “You’ve said that you think Rumble is cute, but do you enjoy being around him?”

Pip made a noise of confirmation as he nodded. “Anytime we spend together is really fun.”

“Pipsqueak you’re in love.” She put it bluntly. “Pure, old-fashioned, young love.” 

“But what about-”

“Not every relationship needs to be sexual.” She said. “I’ve learned from experience that the sexual ones are sometimes the worst.” 

Pip gagged. “I really didn’t need to know that about my teacher.”

“Ex-teacher.” Cheerilee corrected. “And it’s just a fact of life, hon. Your parents did it, your grandparents did it, and your teachers may or may not have.”

Pip shuddered as he thought of his grandparents, easily in their 70’s, doing the do. “Can we move on?”

“Of course,” She nodded, “But do you understand what I’m saying?”

“Ponies screw and that’s fine, but not screwing is fine too.” Pipsqueak looked up at his ex-teacher. “Am I close?”

Cheerilee shrugged. “Close enough.” She pointed at the book that Pip still had open, but wasn’t reading. “So will you be reading that?”

“I’ll try.” Pip decided. “Maybe me and Rumble can read it together and figure something out.”

Cheerilee decided that now wasn’t the time to be correcting grammar, so she just bit her tongue and moved on. “Yes, I’m sure that would help some. Is there anything else you’re confused about?”

“How do I win him back?” Pip asked, completely desperate.

“Talk to him.” She answered. “Maybe take him on a small date tomorrow. Take a few days off for him. I’m sure he would love any of that.”

Pipsqueak nodded, making a note to do all of that and more. He needed to do more than plan a date and say he’s sorry. He needed to show Rumble how much he loved him. Even at that moment, the perfect plan was forming. “Got it,” he said with a smile, looking at his former teacher. “Thank you so much.”

“I’m happy to help.” She responded, taking up a smile of her own. “Now go get him. You still have a few hours left in the day.” 

“Yeah, yeah.” Pipsqueak sighed, “I just need to pick up some things before that.” 

“Chocolate?” She asked with a smile.

Pip nodded. “Chocolate, flowers, maybe a necklace.”

“Good boy.” She nodded in approval.

----------------

Pipsqueak bit his lip as he walked up to the small log cabin that he and Rumble did, and hopefully would continue to, share. He walked slowly and with an uneven gait in order to keep his gifts from falling off his back. In the back of his mind he could only see three things that could happen when they had their talk. First, they could live together happily ever after, kissing and hugging and whatever else Asexual ponies do. That was the second best case. The third best  would be if Rumble decided to call it of there, but they stayed friends. It was okay, but not great. The worst case, and Pipsqueak shuddered as he thought of it, was if Rumble stormed out without listening and called it off then. 

Sadly, to Pipsqueak, that was the most possible scenario. 

And that was why his hoof hovered above the doorknob, not yet ready to touch it. He considered running back to Trottingham to live with his family. He could have been 
out of Ponyville before anyone knew what was wrong. Maybe he could marry that mare his parents tried to force on him, before they met Rumble, and living out the rest of his life in silent agony. Just like his dad. 

But that wouldn’t have solved anything. He would just be running away from his problems once again. So, with that in mind, he turned the doorknob and pulled.

The door didn’t budge. Pip tried again. And again. And again. The door wouldn’t open.

“Must be locked.” He sighed to himself. He didn’t remember locking the door, but he must have as Rumble wasn’t expected to be back until later. 

Pip looked everywhere for his keys. In his scarf, in the coin pouch around his neck, under the welcome mat, in the lock, behind his ear, in his mane - all places he’d found his keys before - but he soon came up with nothing. “Must’ve left ‘em at Cheerilee’s.” He groaned. HE glanced back to the street, in the general direction of where Cheerilee’s house currently was. If he was right, he was going to have to bother her once again with his problems. 

So instead he decided to knock. Just in case.

He was still surprised when he heard signs of life coming from the other side of the door. He heard a soft grunt, a loud thud on the ground, then grumbling mixed with hoofsteps coming towards the front door.

Then the door opened slightly, not even enough to push a box of chocolates through, revealing the purple eye of Rumble, though now it was marred by red surrounding it. He looked at Pipsqueak for a good three seconds before rushing to shut the door. Thankfully for their relationship, Pip both caught the door before it closed, and was strong enough to force it back to its previous position.

“Can we at least talk before you shut the door in my face?” Pipsqueak asked.

Rumble shook his head. “Not when you’re such a ,” he hesitated, trying to remember the correct word. “Bad influence? No, that’s not it.”

Pip sighed. “Listen, I agree with anything that you could call me, “ he opened the door wider, getting Rumble’s entire face into view this time, “But just hear me out, alright?” He made a point to look Rumble in the eyes, trying his best to smile. “I think I’ve figured something out. Might help us out a bit.”

“What kind of help?” Rumble tilted his head, confusion filling his voice. 

“That’s all up for us to decide, now isn’t it?” His smile slowly grew on his face, becoming warmer, and more sincere. “I, for one, would be happiest if we talk through our problems like normal ponies.”

Rumble took a second to look over Pipsqueak warily. Then he decided that he had no real reason to keep Pipsqueak out of his own house. He moved to the side, looking down at the ground as his hopefully-not-ex-boyfriend passed, so as not to forgive him instantly.

“Thanks.” Pipsqueak smiled at Rumble as he passed. “Sit down. I’ll be right back.” He turned left once he reached the hallway leading to their hopefully still shared room. 

Once in the small bedroom he set the four objects he was carrying onto the single bed that the two shared. He sighed, looking over everything. A box of caramel filled chocolates, a large bouquet of red chrysanthemums, a small giftwrapped box, and the book Cheerilee had given him. After buying the first three items, and Pipsqueak confirmed his fears by shaking the coin pouch around his neck, he had absolutely no money left in his personal funds. 

But that didn’t matter, Pip decided. All that mattered at that point was Rumble. 

Pipsqueak grabbed the bouquet with his teeth and rushed back into the living room. There he saw Rumble sitting on the loveseat that sat in front of the hallway, opposite their bookcase. He sat slightly slumped, his back turned to Pip and not responding to the sound of Pip’s hoofsteps. Pip got within smelling distance of Rumble before he even so much as lifted his head. He wore the look of someone deep in thought. 

So it was up to Pip to destroy those thoughts. He tapped Rumble on the shoulder, smiling past the flowers. Rumble jolted back from his half-asleep state and looked up at Pip. It took him a moment to take in the reality that this was not a dream he was having. There would be more cuddling and less clothes if it was. He pointed to himself, tilting his head in confusion. 

Pipsqueak stifled a chuckle and set the flowers down next to Rumble. “They’re all yours, love.”

Rumble took the flowers the minute they hit the loveseat, cradling them in his front legs. He smelled the flowers. They smelled familiar, but he couldn’t put his hoof on it.

Pipsqueak took this moment of distraction to slide in next to Rumble. He said nothing as he watched the small stallion enjoy his flowers.

“I’m still not forgiving you,” Rumble said, still muzzle deep in flowers, “But thank you.”

Pip smirked. “Good, I didn’t expect you to forgive me just yet.” He shook his head with a sigh, leaning forward just a bit. “No, I expect you to still be very angry at me,especially for what I’ve done, or rather what I haven’t been doing, but I’m sure you’ll forgive me at some point.”

Rumble nodded in agreement. “But you’ll have to work at it.”

“Yep,” Pip’s smile grew wider, “I’ll probably have to buy you flowers, and chocolates, and maybe necklaces.” He nodded towards the hallway behind them. “All of them probably being able to fit on the bed that we hopefully still share. Probably next to a book from one of our old teachers, but that isn’t important just yet.”

“Yep.” Rumble nodded, not at all catching Pipsqueak’s subtlety.

“Maybe,” Pip tried again, “Maybe I should buy you those caramel chocolates you like,” He motioned heavily to their shared room, “I’d probably leave them on our bed for you. You’d never miss them that way.”

“Probably,” Rumble shrugged, “But they could melt before I find them. Especially if they’re on your side. It’s not like you use it that much.”

“What about this morning?” Pip protested.

“After I told you to sleep on the couch.” Rumble replied.

“You said ‘loveseat’,” Pip argued, “And I figured that ‘love’s seat’ could mean the bed too.” He crossed his arms and smiled, like he was proud of his bullshit.

Rumble stared at him blankly, then a small smile appeared on his face. “You’re such a dork.” He said as he tried to hold in his laughter. T’was a valiant effort, but he failed almost instantly despite still trying to hold it in after. This caused that lovely laughter that only happens when someone tries to hold it in. It started with the soundless squirming and clenched teeth, but quickly evolved into the uproar of laughter that Pipsqueak learned to love. 

And Pip watched, highly amused, as Rumble rolled on the couch with laughter. After moving the flowers away from Rumble, lest he crush them, he decided that this was exactly what he wanted in the relationship. He wanted to make Rumble the happiest colt in Equestria.

But that would have to wait until he could afford a ring that wasn’t candy. Until then he just had to settle for free cuddles. The best kind.

“Darling,” Pip said, trying to get Rumble’s attention. “Love of my life. Only thing keeping me sane.” He continued. 

Rumble, laying on his back and still giggling, looked up at Pip. “What?”

Pipsqueak sighed with a smile. “Come here,” He quickly motioned towards himself with a hoof, then used the other to tap the side of his hindleg. “I got something to tell you.”

Rumble groaned, but still rolled over without falling off somehow. He crawled over to and up Pipsqueak until they were face to face, quite a feat for Rumble who always stood at least two hands, whatever hands were, shorter than Pipsqueak through no fault of his own.

“What do you want?” He asked as he lay his chin on Pip’s shoulder.

Pipsqueak wasted no time wrapping his hooves around Rumble’s waist, pulling the two slightly closer together, then he nuzzled his boyfriend. “I just wanted to tell you that I love you,” He hesitated for a single moment, “And I know I don’t say that enough for you to believe me.”

“It’s fine, Pip.” Rumble lied. “I don’t mind.”

“You care. We both do. If we didn’t, we’d still have a clock and an unbroken window.” Pip pulled Rumble closer to him. He sighed. “And that’s why I’m taking a vacation. A full week at the least.” 

Rumble pulled back, at least as far as he could with Pip’s hooves around him, and stared at him in confusion. “You’re kidding.”

Pip just smiled and shook his head. “All for you.”

This, of course, got Rumble smiling like the little school girl that he dressed like on occasion. He squeaked, not Pipsqueak’s favorite sound, and buried his muzzle into Pip’s chest, hugging him tighter than he was hugging Rumble.

“Does this mean you forgive me?” Pip asked with a weak chuckle. 

“No,” Rumble answered, his voice muffled by Pip’s vanilla and chocolate colored coat, “But you’re doing one heck of a good job on the being sorry part.” He glanced over at the flowers that were now laying on the floor. He pressed his nose harder against Pip’s chest until all he could smell was old paper and tea.

Pipsqueak grinned down at his boyfriend. “Sorta expected as much, I guess.” He rubbed one of the hooves he had wrapped around Rumble up and down his back, garnering a muffled sigh from the tiny stallion. “Am I at least close?”

Rumble let out a happy groan. Pipsqueak was trying to make him drop his guard, what little of a guard he had at this point, and he didn’t care. “Too close.” He closed his eyes, deciding to just go with the flow for this. “All you need to do is aim a bit higher...and be more forceful.”

Pip nodded. “Yes sir.” He moved his hoof higher up Rumble’s back, right in between his wings, and started to massage that area.

And just like that Rumble was practically putty in Pipsqueak’s hooves. Doing this he could make Rumble say or do anything he wanted, just as long as he kept it up for a while. And instead of asking him to rob a bank or for something to blackmail him with, he just had one question to ask.

“Do you still love me, Rumble?” He asked.

Rumble was only slightly out of it. His eyes were screwed tightly shut and his hooves periodically dug into Pip’s back, but he still managed a response, as drunk with pleasure as he was. :I love you so much, Pip.”

Pip nodded with a frown. “And if I stopped the massage?”

“Stop and we’ll see.” Rumble sighed into Pip’s chest.

And so he did. He moved his hoof back down around Rumble’s waist. Rumble bit back the frustrated groan that usually accompanied Pip stopping early. He pulled back a little, enough to see Pipsqueak’s beautiful face, and then scrunched his face in thought. He looked over Pip’s lovely visage, trying to figure out what he did and didn’t like about Pipsqueak as a whole. It wasn’t long before he was able to tally both categories and come to somewhat of a conclusion.

Then he threw out the conclusion with a smile and made a decision of his own. “Yeah I love you, ya big lug.” He leaned up and kissed Pip on the tip of his snoot.

Pip returned that kiss tenfold as he brought his lips down to Rumble’s, taking the tiny stallion from confident to blushing mess in a good five seconds. Pipsqueak sighed through his nose, content to stay like that for a while. 

Rumble, on the other hand, was anxious to continue. After less than a minute he was pressing forward and prodding Pip’s lips with his tongue, urging him to open them.

Pip broke the kiss then, letting Rumble fall back onto his chest. “No kissing like that until the third date, love,” Pip said teasingly, “I have a reputation to keep up, you know.”

“And when,” Rumble panted, “Will that be?”

“Lets figure that out when we wake up.” He said before letting out a loud yawn. “I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty tired. I think I need a nap.”

“I could sleep.” Rumble mumbled. “Does that mean we have to move?”

Pip shook his head, wrapping his hooves around Rumble. “You’re not going anywhere, my dear.”

“Just make sure you let me get to sleep before you go snoring all over the place.”

“Yes dear.”