Chapter 1

We are terribly sorry for your loss and hope nothing but the best for you and your family.

-Sincerely, Nurse Sweetheart

A sigh escaped the mare's lips as she signed her name at the bottom of the letter. There have been plenty of hard times in this hospital; long nights, medical mishaps, loss of life. A lot can go wrong with the simplest mistake. However, the thing she found to be the hardest was this: having to tell a family that their loved one had passed. It was always heart wrenching to see them fall apart, the loss eating away at their souls and wearing them down into nothing. She counted her blessings that this particular family lived far enough away that they couldn't visit regularly, so the staff kept them informed through written letters.

Sweetheart's white hooves lifted the letter, going over it one last time before digging an envelope out of the large desk she shared with the other nurses and slipping the paper inside. Still holding the pen in her mouth, she wrote down the address and the name of the pony it was supposed to be delivered to before setting the envelope into a bin to be picked up later. With that done, she spit out pen and leaned back in her seat, rubbing her eyes with her hooves.

"Still taking Fly Easy's passing pretty hard, huh?"

Sweetheart removed her hooves from her eyes, craning her neck back a little further to see one of the few friends she had: Doctor Amethyst Star, a unicorn with a light purple coat, a lavender mane and wearing her long white coat that covered most of her form. She stood just inches away, staring at the nurse.

Nodding, Sweetheart leaned forward and hunched over the desk. "I know I shouldn't be, but yeah," she began, her heart feeling heavy as she thought back on Fly Easy's last moments alive. "He was such a sweet, old stallion. I wish there was more we could’ve done."

"More we could’ve done?" Amethyst chimed in, peeking around the nurse’s side to look her in the face. "The pony was one hundred and three years old. We did all we could."

Sweetheart continued to face forward, only her eyes moving to look back at the doctor standing beside her. "I know that, but still. It's our job to keep ponies in good health so they can live comfortably."

"And we did that by making his passing as painless as possible." Amethyst confirmed, taking a step back and removing her coat with her magic. "It's getting late. Everypony else has already packed up and left. You should do the same."

Looking over the papers decorating her small section on the desk, she graciously declined. "I will in a bit. There's a few things I want to go over before I head out."

Amethyst rolled her eyes at this, knowing that Sweetheart was the most organized pony in the entire hospital. There was no work to be done on the nurse's part, but she couldn't force her to leave, so she saw no point in arguing. "Whatever floats your boat. I, for one, have a herd that will fall apart without me."

Sweetheart bit her lip at that last part, feeling a pang in her chest as the doctor waved and left her alone. It was a known fact that the nurse was single, and mares would throw that in her face at times, especially Amethyst. She couldn't even be mad at the doctor for being a little annoyed with her. She was kind enough to set up dates with potential stallions on her behalf, but the nurse could never bring herself to see them through.

Amethyst went through a lot of hurdles to try and find Sweetheart a nice herd. Even the occasional–and very rare–single stallion. However, Sweetheart just couldn't find it in her to go out with any of them. Most of them, she declined before anything could happen, and the few she did agree to, she would get cold hooves and take off at the last second. So the doctor's frustration was justified in her eyes and many others.

They were still friends, but there was always a hint of hostility in moments like this. Ones where most would be off to see their families while she stayed in the background, looking for something to keep her preoccupied. Having grown up in a rather average herd, one stallion and two mares, it became something of a pain when she finally got a job and her own place. Leaving work to go into an empty home just made her feel hollow.

Removing her nurse’s cap, Sweetheart pushed those thoughts to the back of her head, as they only proved to make her feel empty inside. She looked over the papers in front of her in a poor attempt to distract herself, running a hoof through her dark blue mane and teasing the single pink streak that hung in front of her face. This would be the seventh time she's gone over them, having finished everything earlier that day and not really needing to make any changes. She thought she could do a quick walk through of the hospital and check on some of the overnight patients. If she was lucky, one of them would be up and willing to ramble the night away.

Something moved hurriedly across her peripheral vision. It was fast, its heavy, uneven steps echoing down the hallway. Lifting her head from the documents spread out in front of her, she began to scan the room for any changes. Nothing seemed out of place and no other sounds were made. She shrugged it off, assuming her mind was just playing tricks on her. Just as she was about to return to her final inspection of her work, Sweetheart's ear flicked as she heard something fall over in the distance.

Jumping out of her seat, the nurse stood up on her hooves and looked around once more before cautiously leaving the confines of the desk and moving into the hallway. She was careful to take in every little detail. The only thing that appeared to be out of place was an overturned heart monitor next to the room where Fly Easy was being held earlier. This was all she needed to investigate further as her previous thoughts vanished into thin air, quickly being replaced with concern for the safety of her patients.

As the nurse moved toward the now broken monitor, laying in pieces on the floor, she noticed that the door beside it was open. She came to a stop, listening carefully for anything that could tell her if somepony was in there. Her suspicions were confirmed as she listened in. It sounded like somepony was not only in there, but digging around. Cabinets and drawers were being opened and closed, items being shuffled around, heavy breathing filling in the few short moments of silence that would follow.

Sweetheart took a quiet breath and peeked around the corner, her eyes going over the dark room. It was difficult to make out anything in the darkness. The only source of light came from the street lights outside, which offered minimal rays through the window. She could still hear something moving around within though. Glancing to the side, she spotted the switch that would put an end to this little mystery.

Swallowing her nerves, Sweetheart reached up, and her hoof was immediately grabbed by something hiding in the darkness. She was pulled with a yelp into a large, warm body. A strange appendage wrapped around her mouth, silencing her as she struggled against its hold.

Grunts of pain were let out by whatever was holding her, but its only response was to tighten its hold on her and grab one of her hooves in one of its claw-like appendages. It then pushed against door with another strangely long appendage. "Shush! Stop it!" it whispered-yelled at her. "For the love of god, calm down!"

Sweetheart was hesitant to comply, but had no other choice. This thing, whatever it was, was bigger and stronger than her. She stopped struggling against its hold, not really relaxing, but no longer putting up a fight. "Look, I'm not gonna hurt you. I just need some supplies and I'll be out of here. I promise." The nurse had no reason to believe this creature, but she wasn't in any position to argue. "I'm gonna let you go now..." It slowly released her hoof, soon repeating this gesture with whatever it was that was silencing her. "Just walk out of this room and don't scream. I'll be gone before you know it and you'll never see me again."

True to its word, Sweetheart was completely released. Once freed, her fight or flight instinct started to kick back in and she quickly left the room, stopping only when she was halfway down the hall to look back and make sure it wasn't following her. The nurse’s heart was racing as she thought of what this thing might do to her if it sees her again. Everything in her screamed to sound the alarm and get the guard here to deal with it.

Then again...

It had her right where it needed her. If it really wanted to hurt her, it would have by now. That didn't explain what it was doing lurking around in a hospital, but it did help to settle her nerves a bit, proving that it didn't come here with ill intent. In fact, it claimed to need supplies. What for though?

Sweetheart lifted a hoof as she pondered this thought, just noticing a strange wet feeling on her back as her adrenaline started to pass. She craned her neck to glance at her behind, spotting the pink heart on her flank with a prominent red stain right above it. Panic started to set in once more as she reached back to inspect herself for any wounds, only to spot another red stain on her hoof. She froze, pulling her hoof to her face to look it over. The stain had a shape to it, one she couldn't really identify.

Something clicked in her brain. The thing had her pulled against it. It grabbed this very hoof she was looking at. It claimed it needed supplies...

It was hurt...

All fear vanished from Sweetheart's mind as her natural, loving, nurturing instincts came back to her in full force. The nurse all but ran back to the room. She stopped at the doorway, not daring to provoke it. It didn't hurt her the first time, but Celestia only knows how it would deal with a repeat offense.

Clearing her throat so it would know she was there, Nurse Sweetheart began to speak. "Excuse me… I don't mean to interrupt, but are you hurt?" The answer was obvious, but she was still on the fence about how it would react if she tried to force medical treatment on it. "My name is Sweetheart. I'm a nurse and I would be..." Her words trailed off as she spotted the same red print on the floor that she saw on her hoof. "-I insist that you let me aid you!"

There was a short period of silence, which was broken by the creature's surprisingly calm voice. "Considering...the circumstances...I suppose I could use the help." It said, as if trying to convince itself of all things. "I mean, you are the expert here."

With a nod, Nurse Sweetheart reached up and flipped the switch to her side. The ceiling lights flickered to life, illuminating the room and revealing the creature that she just offered to help. Her heart skipped a beat as she spotted it at the other end of the room. Blood-covered bandages and random bottles littered the floor around it as it sat against the wall, its long, clothed legs stretched out in front of it as its arms hung lazily by its sides. There was a hole on the lower left side of the grey shirt hugging its torso, completely soaked with its blood, revealing the location of its wound.

With a shake of her head, Sweetheart forced her bearings back into their rightful place and quickly approached the dazed looking human. Once she was close enough, she lifted the shirt and inspected the wound. It looked pretty fresh, like it was inflicted just moments ago. She had to act fast, not knowing how long it's been bleeding like this. There was already a puddle forming on the floor.

The nurse rushed around the room, slipping on a pair of gloves before collecting a few of the essentials she would need. "Please remove your shirt," she requested, grabbing a box of gauze and setting it on the floor. "Once you do that, I'll need you to put some pressure on the wound to slow down the bleeding." She tossed it a clean rag as she said this.

The human caught the rag and looked it over for a second before obeying the mare's orders. He grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled it up over his head, tossing the article aside. He then placed the rag to the hole in his side, holding it in place as he waited for her.

Sweetheart sat on her haunches by the human's side, grabbing the rag from him and carefully wiping the area down to get a better look at the damage. "How in Equestria did this happen?" She asked herself aloud, feeling the area around it. From what she could tell, his ribs were right above the afflicted area and were unharmed, minus some minor bruising.

Not knowing any better, the human responded, "A cavalcade of bullshit." He winced occasionally as the mare wiped down the source of his pain. "I got chased out of a place not too far from here. Two mountains, two towns. Ended up falling in a patch of trees. I don't know what got me, but it got me good."

"Sounds like you were in the Southern Mountains," Sweetheart commented, knowing of the area and the two families that lived there.

"Bunch of backwoods hicks," the human commented as well.

Sweetheart wasn't sure how to respond to that, so she went back to cleaning the creature's wound. She soaked the rag with a small bottle of fluid before reapplying it. "This might sting a little."

The human hissed as his hands tightened into fists. "You lying little- That stings a lot!"

"I'm sorry!" Sweetheart said genuinely, being careful with how she applied the rest of the substance to his skin. When he began to relax, she inquired further about what had happened to him. "Why were you run out town?" She glanced up at his face in time to see the look he was giving her. "Right… Stupid question. Sorry..." The two fell into an awkward silence as the nurse continued cleaning and disinfecting his wound before applying several bandages.

The human glanced down at the mare, watching her patch him up. She was precise, focused, but also strangely at ease. He was genuinely surprised how well she was taking his presence. The ponies just a few miles south of there didn't seem to like him much at all. Yet, here was this nurse, eager to help him even though he man-handled her like a total dick.

"H-hey..." The nurse looked up at him curiously, her hooves still working on him as efficiently as ever even without her eyes on them. "I, uh...I really owe you one for this."

Sweetheart smiled up at him before turning her attention back to her work. "It's no problem at all," she said, grabbing a roll of surgical tape and applying it to hold the bandages in place. "It's my job, after all, and I'm happy to do it." After placing down one last strip of tape, she set the roll aside and leaned back to admire her work. "That's about all I can do for now." This got the human to look down and do an inspection of his own. "You’ve lost a lot of blood though. You'll have to stay overnight so the night staff can keep an eye on you."

The human's eyes went wide and he started to get up, only for pain to knock him back down, clenching his right knee. "Th-thanks, but no thanks!" he growled, this time pulling himself up at a much slower pace. "Nothing against you in particular, but the last group of ponies to see me wanted my head on a mount." Grabbing his shirt from the floor, albeit with some difficulty, he was ready to leave and began limping toward the exit. "If you'll excuse me, I have a whole lot of anywhere else to be."

Sweetheart's nursing alarms went off in her head as she charged in front of the door to block him. "Wait!" she shouted, standing right in front of his only exit. "You can't go! You're in no condition to be out on your own!"

"I'm also in no condition to be running for my life again!" the human argued, wincing from the pain it caused him to raise his voice. "I need to get out of here before anyone else can see me." He tried to step over the nurse, but she wasn't having it.

Sweetheart stood up on her hind legs, holding herself steady by pressing her forehooves on either side of the door frame. "I know that you had a bad run-in with the ponies in the mountains, but they're just not up to speed with everypony else," she explained, determined to keep him here and under observation. "You're in Vanhoover now. The ponies here are much more accepting of other species and-"

"Sweetheart, right?" The nurse stopped and nodded in approval. "Look, I'm about to have a complete meltdown as is; I don't know where I am, I don't know how I got here, and I really don't want to start dealing with ponies that might just kill me!" His raised tone caused her to flinch, her posture weakened as a result. "You've been nothing but nice to me and I'd really hate to force my way through you, but I will if I have to. I am NOT staying here!"

This left Sweetheart in a bind. On one hoof, she could let him go and likely hurt himself or cause further damage to his already sever puncture wound. Not to mention that he was walking in a way that, she knew for a fact, wasn't natural. On the other, she could deny his departure, resulting in him forcing his way out and leading to the same issue as the former option. He had her beat just with his size alone. Even standing like this, her shoulder only came up to his chest and getting out wouldn't be a problem since it's just her keeping him from leaving. Regardless, he would get out. He had the advantage. But she couldn't just let him go. His injury could get worse without proper treatment! There had to be some way to keep him here, or at the very least with a-

Sweetheart's eyes sparked as an idea came to mind. It was a little out there, but it was something he might just agree to. "Then stay with me!"

The human raised a brow at her, taking an unsteady step back. "Excuse me?"

Sweetheart let herself fall back to her hooves and took a few steps toward him. "You don't want to stay here and I don't want you dragging yourself out of here with a bum leg and that hole in your side. If you agitate it, or it gets infected, then you could be in serious trouble." The nurse explained, hoping it would help her get through to him. "My apartment is only two blocks from here. If we're careful, we can get you there without anypony seeing and you can leave as soon as you're all healed up." The human nodded, still feeling a little on edge with being so close to ponies. This nurse seemed nice enough, but after his last run-in with her kind, he was reluctant to test her sudden burst of hospitality. "I'm not letting you leave here otherwise."

A sigh escaped the human’s throat as he weighed his options. This was just one pony; He could leave if he really needed to. However, he had nowhere to go. As far as he knew, this was the only other town for miles and–if he's being honest with himself–he wouldn't make it more than a mile or two with his knee hurting like it was. There was also a good chance that the other towns might not be as accepting as she was. He was stubborn, but he wasn't stupid. At least this way, he had a chance of not endangering himself or starving to death.

It took a bit of pride swallowing, but he finally announced his answer. "Fine… I'll stay with you. But only until I can start getting around on my own again."

Sweetheart let out a relieved breath, thankful that he was willing to come to a sensible compromise. "Thank you," she said with a soft smile. "Do me a favor and sit down on the bed over there. I'm gonna clean this room up really quick and then we can be on our way."

Sweetheart stuck her head through the half-open door, looking around for anypony that might be roaming the halls. This was more for her new friend's sake, given his rather distrusting nature. Seeing that no pony was around, she walked in and held the door for her guest, letting him limp into the building.

"It's over there on the right," she said, staying vigilant as she closed the door behind her.

"Thank God I don't have to climb the stairs," the human mumbled as he all but hopped down the hall to the first door on his right side.

Sweetheart ran up to his side, looking up at him. "Will you please let me help you?" she practically pleaded. "You can barely stand straight. You shouldn't be walking on your own like this."

"No point now," he reasoned stubbornly. "We're already here."

Sweetheart let out a groan as they stopped in front of the door with gold painted, plastic numbers reading 002. Reaching a hoof into her saddlebag, she pulled out a key and unlocked the door, allowing the human to enter first while she placed the key back in her bag.

"Sweetheart!" a shocked voice called out from behind her, earning the mare's attention. This was temporary, as the door to her apartment slammed shut just out of her view. She glanced back and forth between her door and the stallion standing behind her. "Sweetheart, are you okay? There's blood on your coat!"

Sweetheart sighed and put on a smile, turning to face the neon green, earth pony. "I'm perfectly fine, Mister Bolt. Just a long day at work is all."

The stallion placed a hoof to his chest, a look of worry taking over his features. "Oh, those poor things. I hope they're okay."

Sweetheart nodded as she offered a warm smile in his direction. "He's perfectly fine, Mister Bolt. A little worse for wear, but he should make a full recovery."

"As long as he is in your care, I've not a doubt in my mind," the stallion commented as he smiled back at her. "And I've told you before, you can call me Emerald. My lead mare runs this place, not me."

"Sorry, force of habit," she replied with a giggle. "How is she, by the way?"

"Oh, she's doing much better," Emerald responded happily. "Her temperature is gone and she's back to her old, grouchy self."

"That's good to hear!" Sweetheart added, having always enjoyed the mare's company, despite her temper. "It's not the same around here without her bickering."

Emerald nodded in agreement. "Though I must admit, it was nice to get some sleep without hearing her complain that the mattress is too firm." The stallion giggled at his own comment before he focused his attention back to the stain on the mare's coat. "So, you say that the stallion will recover fully?"

Sweetheart was confused at first, but followed his gaze and realized what he was referring to. "Oh! Yes, he should be perfectly fine in a couple of weeks."

Emerald puffed out his chest proudly after hearing this. "I told you we stallions can be a hearty bunch."

"After meeting this particular stallion, I can't help but to agree with you."

Emerald relaxed his posture, motioning to her door with his head. "So who do you have over that was so reluctant to join us in this conversation?" he asked curiously. "Is it a stallion?"

A lump formed in Sweetheart's throat as he asked her this. She wasn't one for lying–she was a terrible liar–but that didn't mean that she had to tell him all of the details. "Yes, actually. It's the stallion who left this mess on me."

Emerald's gossip face–as she calls it–sank to one of concern. "Um… Are you sure he should be out and about?"

"He really shouldn't be, but he left me no choice," Sweetheart explained. "He's not really the social type, so he was more than a little hesitant to stay in the hospital, despite my protests."

"So you convinced him to stay with you?"

Sweetheart hummed in approval, but realized how weird this was starting to look. "I've known him a little while now, so he was willing to make an exception and I'm always happy to help a friend."

Emerald could only smile enviously at her. "You really are the sweetest, you know that?"

Sweetheart rubbed the back back of her neck as a small blush formed on her face. "I try..."

"Well then, I'll let you get back to your friend," Emerald said. "I'm sure he needs your company more than I do."

Sweetheart lowered her hoof back to the floor and nodded. "It's been a pleasure, as always."

Emerald turned around and made his way to the staircase leading upward. "Goodnight, Sweetheart!"

"Goodnight, Emerald!" Sweetheart let out a long breath as the stallion left her view. Her breathing was heavy as she unlocked the door and entered her apartment, quickly closing the door behind her. "Oh, sweet Celestia!" She stood there for what felt like minutes, trying to regain control over her lungs. Once she had calmed down a bit, she looked over her small apartment.

Her living room was to the left and was arguably the largest room there. To her right was a rather spacious kitchen. Neither of these rooms were in possession of the one she was hoping to find. The sound of running water caught her attention, drawing her gaze to one of the two rooms up ahead. There was a short hallway with two doors. The one on the right led to the bathroom, the one at the end was her bedroom.

Dropping her saddlebag on the floor, she trotted over to the bathroom, placing an ear to the door. The sink was clearly running, but that was all she could really hear. Pulling her head back, she knocked on the door. "Are you alright in there?"

The water stopped running. Soon after, a response came. "I'm fine. Just trying to get all this blood off me. I'll be out in a minute."

"Okay, I'll be in the kitchen." Sweetheart left on that note and went into her fridge. She grabbed an apple for a snack and hummed as she bit into it, savoring its sweet flavor while she chewed. Closing the fridge, she moved to the table and sat down, slowly eating her apple while she waited.

Sweetheart was nearly done with her snack by the time the human exited her bathroom and hobbled his way to the table. He stood still after placing his hands to the wooden structure to take some of the weight off of his leg. An uncomfortable silence followed his arrival and the nurse wasn't sure what to say as he settled on just staring at the floor. Anything just felt like it would make the situation more awkward. Luckily, he did it for her.

"Why are you doing this?" the human asked, sounding oddly troubled.

Sweetheart set the apple core she was holding on the table as she offered him a curious look. "Doing what?"

The human looked up and stared her dead in the eye. "Helping me...duh," he clarified.

Sweetheart could only come up with one answer and shrugged as she said, "I like helping ponies."

"I'm not a pony though," he pointed out. "I'm not even from here!"

Something about the way he said that last part caught Sweetheart's attention. "What do you mean, 'Not from here'?"

Letting out a sigh, the human nodded and tapped out. "Never mind. We can talk about it later." Standing up as straight as he could, he turned his head and looked at the couch in the living room. "I'm gonna go ahead and call it a night. I'm exhausted." He turned to face her one last time, glancing down at the apple core on the table. Reaching over, he grabbed the core and snapped it in half, tossing one of the pieces into his mouth before limping toward the couch.

Sweetheart was, once again, at a loss for words. There were so many questions with so few answers. But, at the very least, he could answer this one without it bothering him. "Excuse me..." The human stopped, looking back at the nurse as he bit into the last half of the apple core in his hand. "I...I never got your name."

The human stared at her for a few seconds, his tired eyes lingering on her small form for a minute before answering. "Maverick."

Sweetheart nodded to him, content to finally put a name to that face. "It's a pleasure, Maverick."

Maverick bobbed his head a bit in random directions, looking as though he was contemplating something. "Give it some time. I'm sure you'll change your mind." This was the last thing he said to her for the remainder of the night, having chose to give in to his natural desires to plop onto the couch after finishing the snack he stole and let sleep claim him after such an eventful day.

Chapter 2

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Something about her seemed off. She looked the same, she sounded the same, but something was different. It was almost like she was eager to leave. Normally, the nurse did everything she could to stay busy. Today was very different. Nurse Sweetheart glanced at the clock almost every time she looked at her to see what she was doing. Her hoof was tapping against the floor as she sat in her chair and merely skimmed through whatever was laid before her. It was very unusual for her.

Amethyst hummed curiously as she watched the nurse, wondering what could be bothering the mare. It couldn't be an illness. She would know; she has an eye for this sort of thing, hence why she became a doctor. No. The nurse looked right as rain. Nothing she could see pointed to any kind of stress or anxiety and she looked rested. And if she wasn't sick, then there wasn't much else to go on. The doctor narrowed her eyes at the nurse, trying to make sense of it all. It was actually bothering her more than it should. What's going through that mare's head? Why does she look ready to leap out of her seat? More importantly, what has her ready to just pack up and go at a moment's notice?

Amethyst felt her heart skip a beat as a thought occurred. Could it be true, though? Has this loner nurse finally found a herd? It seemed far-fetched, given how little progress Sweetheart had in the past when it came to relationships, but she was hopeful. With most of her work taken care of, it wouldn't be life-threatening to pry for a little bit of information. It would be nice to know if her friend had actually managed to get started on building a family for herself.

Sweetheart didn't know how much more of this she could take. Her mind was racing so much that she could barely focus on the work in front of her. It was taking so much out of her to actually buckle down and fill out the forms at her desk. Even more so to keep her eyes off of the clock. Her shift wouldn't be over for another ten minutes and it was driving her completely crazy. Everything that happened last night kept flashing before her eyes. She could see it all happening clear as day over and over again.

The noises she heard, the creature she found, the blood on the floor and the hole in his side. All of it came rushing back to her as soon as she got to her desk. She couldn't help but worry about him. After everything he'd been through, she could deduce that he was in a rather fragile state. He was hurt and couldn't move well, and while it was true that he wanted to leave, would he actually do it? Now would be the best time, since she couldn't just skip work to watch over him. Part of her thought that he may already be gone, but with how anxious he is around ponies, she didn't think him capable of doing so. Especially with all of the ponies that were usually out at this time of day. Then again, she knew virtually nothing about him. For all she knew, he left as soon as she walked out of the apartment complex.

Still, though, it never hurts to be prepared.

Sweetheart glanced down at the small saddlebag she brought from home, pushing it against the desk with her hind hoof. Hopefully she would have everything she'll need to- "Nurse!"

The nurse yelped at the voice, spinning around in her swivel chair to see the culprit. However, she could feel the stares coming from everypony in the room, which caused her ears to go flat as she blushed with embarrassment. "Yes, Amethyst?" she replied weakly to the doctor standing in front of her.

Amethyst wore a look of shock and confusion as she looked back at the nurse, not expecting that severe of a reaction. "Just...coming to check on you," she said plainly as she relaxed her posture. "You seem a little out of it today."

Sweetheart panicked a little at the doctor's observation. Was it really that obvious. She took a small breath and held herself together. If she lost it now, then Amethyst would know something was up. "Sorry, I've just...got a lot on my mind right now."

"So I see..." Amethyst stared straight into the nurse's eyes, trying to get a read on her. It was starting to seem less like she was eager and more like she was hiding something. She should have known. To think, Sweetheart had somepony waiting for her back home. It was too good to be true. "That's actually why I came over here. What exactly is on your mind?"

Sweetheart had to remind herself to breathe as she found the air getting trapped in her throat. She couldn't lie; she despised lying. But if she told her the truth, the doctor might think she's crazy. The last thing she needed was to have her sanity in question while there was a stallion in her home who needed her. "Just a few issues at home is all."

"What kind of issues?" Amethyst pressed, leaning toward the nurse.

Sweetheart's heart was racing and her lungs felt like they were being crushed. "It's personal stuff, okay." Forget trying to keep secrets, she had to get out of here before she slipped up and spilled the beans. Turning around to face her desk, the nurse quickly organized her paperwork into a neat stack and placed it in a folder. "I'm sorry, Amethyst. I need to cut out early today."

Now Amethyst was sure that she was hiding something. For as long as she's worked here, the nurse always stayed late. "Must be pretty important if you're actually leaving early," she said almost condescendingly as the nurse climbed out of her seat and grabbed a saddlebag hidden beneath the desk. "What's with the bag?"

"Just...taking some work home with me." It wasn't a lie, per se, but she couldn't tell her what it was either. "I really have to go. I'll see you Monday. Have a good weekend!" she called out the last part, having already fastened her bag and began making her way down the hall at suspiciously quick pace.

"You too!" Amethyst didn't take her eyes off of the nurse until she was well out of her view. There was no denying it. That mare was definitely up to something. But what?

"Doctor Star!"

Amethyst craned her neck to look at the pony behind her. It was a younger stallion and he was holding a clipboard. One of the newly instated nurses. Last time she checked, he was supposed to be doing inventory. "Is there a problem?"

"I'm not sure?" he answered nervously, looking through the list in his hoof. "I-I went through our supplies and...I could be wrong, but I think we're missing a few items?" He held out the clipboard, which Amethyst grabbed with her magic and pulled to her face so she could look it over. "I think one of the nurses forgot to fill out the sheet before they left."

Amethyst read through the list, noting the items that went missing. The pieces began to fall into place. All of the items missing were small in number and small in general. Small enough to fit into a bag even. She looked up from the list, now glaring down the hallway Sweetheart had left through. "Perhaps..."

Maverick let out a soft groan, turning a bit. He subconsciously began to roll onto his side, only for something to gently push him onto his back. His eyes opened slowly, this minor disturbance being enough to stir him from his sleep. "Wha-?" He looked to his side, seeing the nurse from last night at the edge of the couch. "What are you doing?"

Sweetheart looked up at the human, her magenta eyes staring into his with some concern. "I'm sorry." She apologized softly, "I didn't mean to wake you. I'm just changing your bandages."

Maverick glanced down to the floor and spotted the stained gauze laying beside her. Looking to his wound, he could see a fresh one now taped onto his torso. It hurt. A lot. He could only assume she put more of that stuff from last night on again. That, or the adrenaline wore off and now he's all too aware of how messed up his body is. Regardless, the idea of leaving any time soon was gonna have to be pushed to the side for now.

Sweetheart placed the unused materials into the saddlebag beside her. "How are you feeling?"

"Cold..." Maverick responded softly, moving his body a bit to get a feel of things. "Side hurts...Leg hurts...Why is so fuckin' cold in here?"

"It's not..." Sweetheart replied, now even more concerned. "You lost a lot of blood yesterday. You should be hooked to an IV."

"Eat a dick!" Maverick growled. He didn't let her keep him in that hospital before and he wasn't backing down now. "I'll be fine without it."

Sweetheart sighed, her ears dropping as she sifted through the bag. This guy was pretty stubborn, even by mares’ standards. She grabbed a small alcohol wipe from her bag and rubbed it against his wrist, filling the needle with the fluid from the bottle. "This should help with the pain." Much to her surprise, the human didn't even flinch when he looked over and saw the needle. A lot of mares she sees hate them, stallions even more so. "I've never seen anything like you before, so I'm keeping the dosage low."

The mare's surprise only grew as she pressed the needle into his wrist, piercing the skin with ease. He watched her do this and didn't make a move. She couldn't even see an ounce of panic or discomfort in his eyes. Focusing back onto her work, she pushed the fluid into his veins, then removed the needle before placing a small bandage on his wrist. With that out of the way, she packed up the rest of the items and pushed her bag to the side.

"Have you gotten up at all today?" Sweetheart asked after closing up the bag.

Maverick nodded at that, "I tried. Hurts too much to move..."

"Wait here a second." Sweetheart got up and walked over to the kitchen, returning shortly with a glass of water. "Do you think you can sit up?"

Placing both of his hands to the couch, Maverick slowly pushed himself up. He winced from the pain in both his leg and his side, the change in position irritating them both. "Slowly, Maverick!" The mare's worried voice went in one ear and out of the other. When he managed to finally sit up, he was out of breath. It disgusted him how much effort it took just to do that. "Here you go."

Maverick took a few seconds to get his breathing straight before accepting the glass. He wasted no time trying to chug it down, only to be stopped by a white hoof pulling on his arm. "Slowly!" He growled at her, but the look in her eyes made it clear that she wasn't backing down from this. Stubborn pony. To avoid further issues with her, he drank from the glass at a normal pace until it was empty. "Very good. We can't afford to have you getting dehydrated when you're like this."

Maverick rolled his eyes and set to the glass on the floor as Sweetheart placed her forehooves to the couch and got up on her hind legs, pressing her cheek to his head. He did feel cold, but not dangerously so. "I'll grab you some blankets."

Maverick laid there in silence as the mare walked around the couch, leaving his sight. He wasn't sure what she had given him, but it did help a little. At the very least, lifting his leg wasn't much of a trial. Didn't feel pleasant, but it was better than nothing. When Sweetheart returned, she had two blankets stacked up on her back. It was mesmerizing how easily she placed them onto his feet.

Sweetheart laid out the blankets, tucking him in. She was careful the whole way, not wanting to agitate his leg. Just as she was about to get to his waist, she stopped. Her eyes rested on the hole in shirt and the large stain surrounding it. Glancing down a bit further, his pants were stained as well. It felt wrong...so wrong… But she was nothing if not hospitable.

"Um...Maverick?" she began, sounding much more nervous than she intended.

"Hmm?" Maverick noticed her odd tone and the sudden red tint in her cheeks. He quickly looked down to his waist and relief washed over him as he realized that he didn't have a boner. That would have been awkward. Being in the clear, he was ready to hear her, "What's up?"

Sweethearts face reddened further. "Please know that I'm not asking this for anything except to be a good host! I'm not the kind of mare to take advantage of a stallion for any reason!" she reasoned rather loudly, earning a confused look from the human. "Would you mind removing clothes?" His brow raised at this. "It's nothing unprofessional, I swear! I just thought that you might like them washed!" The following silence was near cancerous to the mare as she prayed to whomever would hear her that he wouldn't think that she was trying to make a move on him.

Maverick couldn't help but to find every second of that very weird, but it wouldn't hurt to have clean clothes. "Uhh...sure," he said with a shrug. "Just give me a second."

"Of course!" Sweetheart quickly spun around on her hooves, keeping her back to the human as he stripped out of his garments. She grew worried after a a bit, hearing him struggling. Even so, she remained facing away from him. "Is everything alright?"

"Yep..." Maverick groaned out, clearly in pain. "Pants are fighting me… Hurts to move this much..." A few more grunts and some shuffling later, "Done." The nurse turned around to find the human laying down once again, the blankets she laid out covering him from the waist down. "That was way harder than it needed to be." His arm dropped to the floor, setting his now-folded clothing on the floor with the stains facing up.

Sweetheart approached casually and grabbed the clothes, placing them on her back. "I'll be gone for a little while while I these get cleaned. Will you be alright on your own?"

Maverick waved her off with a hand. "I'm a grown ass man. I'll be fine."

Sweetheart giggled a bit at that before heading for the door. "If you say so." She opened the door and looked out into the hallway, pausing for a moment. "I'll get dinner started when I get back, so try to rest while I'm gone."

"Go away!"

This actually got a small laugh out of Sweetheart. She's had patients with far worse attitudes than him, so this was nothing to her. She could also hear the playfulness in his tone, which was pleasant in its own way. Especially since it was the most reaction she's gotten out of him that wasn't out of pain or pure stubbornness.

Sweetheart exited into the hallway, closing the door behind her. Being on the bottom floor had a few noteworthy perks. One being that the laundry room was pretty much right around the corner. Less than a minute of trotting and she was in a long room. On her left was a small line of washers that went all the way to the wall on the other end. Same could be said for the dryers on her right.

Another nice perk was that the soap here was complimentary. She grabbed a small plastic cup from a tube on the wall by the door. Next to that was a nozzle which dispensed the soap. Once she had filled the cup, she went to the nearest washer, opened it, and poured the soap in, then tossed in the clothes after. It was a small load, so it wouldn't take too long to wash. She chose to sit and wait once she started it, leaning her back against the machine as she sat down in front of it. The motions felt nice enough and helped ease her mind a bit.

Sweetheart never could have imagined this happening to her. Not in her entire life. How in Equestria did this even happen? What was he? Where he come from? Are there more like him out there? She's never seen anything like him and she would be lying if she said she wasn't curious. As a nurse, he was simply fascinating on his own. She can't even imagine what kind of life he lived. He was acting much more like a mare than a stallion. She wondered if that was normal for his species or if he was just an anomaly. There are a few stallions out there that act more marely than others, but they're few and far between. She would have to make it a point to ask him about himself. When he's feeling better, that is.

While she was lost in thought, she failed to notice the life standing at the entrance to the laundry room. "You're late..."

Sweetheart was pulled out of her thoughts and turned to face the familiar, beet red, older pegasus mare. Her golden hair hung down just to her shoulders and her face held a scowl that never seemed to leave. "What's the deal? You've never been late."

All of the blood drained from Sweetheart's face as she realized that it was the first of the month and she forgot to pay her rent. "Oh my gosh! I am so sorry, Mrs. Blaze!" she said in a panic, "I've been so busy! It just slipped my mind! It will never happen again, I-"

"Shut up!" Blaze announced, causing Sweetheart to flinch. The pegasus sounded more annoyed than mad, which might be a good sign. "Look, Sweetheart. You're a good kid and you haven't steered me wrong so far. But I am running a business here."

Sweetheart looked like she was one the verge of tears. She's never screwed up like this and it was tearing her apart. "I know, I'm so sorry! I've just been so caught up trying to help my friend. I swear, this will never happen again."

"I'm sure it won't." From what Sweetheart could tell, Blaze said this genuinely. "Just have it in my mailbox by tomorrow morning and we'll forget this ever happened. Sound fair?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Sweetheart was relieved to have sorted this out. It was nice to know that she wasn't going to be in a any trouble. "I'll have it to you by then. I promise."

"Good..." Blaze stood there for a moment, not really moving as she stared down her tenant. "I am curious though… What's this I'm hearing about you having a guest?" This caught her way off guard and she didn't even have a chance to respond. "And from what I've heard, it's a stallion. I didn't think you had it in you. I was starting to think you were a fillyfooler."

Sweetheart turned red from embarrassment, but remained calm. "N-no! I'm not a fillyfooler!" she corrected, continuing to correct her further, "And yes, I have a stallion staying with me. But it's not what you think! He's unwell right now and I'm just helping take care of him."

"Mhmm..." Blaze hummed with a perverse grin on her face. "You know, stallions are the most vulnerable when they're not feeling well. Play your cards right and you might get to have a little fun with him."

Sweetheart could feel the blood rushing to her face in full force. "W-while I appreciate the advice, he's just a friend. A-and my top priority is to help him get better. That's all."

Blazes smile fell as she rolled her eyes. "Filly, you are too nice for your own good!" she said with a groan before turning her attention back onto her. "Well, I'm looking to expand my herd. So if you're not going for it then send him my way...When he's better..." On that note, she turned to leave. "Anyway, I'm off for the night. Remember: mailbox, tomorrow morning. No later."

"I will!" Sweetheart replied in a raised tone. "Goodnight, Mrs. Blaze! Glad you're feeling better!"

"Yeah, yeah..." Blaze called back, her voice fading as she ventured further and further away.

Sweetheart's neck gave out, causing the back of her head to smack against the washer behind her. She felt like an idiot for forgetting something like this. For Celelstia's sake, it was the same thing every month. It'd never slipped her mind before. Then again, there was a lot more going on these past few days. Hopefully she ccould keep herself from forgetting again. Blaze could only keep this good mood going for so long and the last thing she needed was to be the pony to set her off.

An odd thought surfaced as she thought back on what Blaze said. Sweetheart couldn't see why that mare would want to expand her herd. It already consisted of four mares, including her, and two stallions. It seemed almost too big as it was. At least, that's how she saw it. Her herd wasn't very big, but it was considered average. Furthermore, would Maverick even join her herd? Not that there was anything wrong with Blaze, Emerald, or any of the others. But does his species herd? She didn't know about the other species openly living among them as it were, so she couldn't even form a guess if his did. If she were being honest, Blaze can be a bit hot-headed at time. Would she be his type? Would he even be interested in dating a pony?

That would have to be a thought for another time as the machine behind her halted, ruining her makeshift massage, then dinged, signalling that the laundry was done and ready to be moved.

Chapter 3

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"Are you sure you can do it on your own?" Sweetheart asked as she watched Maverick struggle to stand up, holding a hoof out to catch him if he should fall. She could almost feel the nausea radiating off of the human as he desperately tried to hold his own, one hand propping him up against the arm of the couch, the other holding a towel that covered the lower half of his naked body.

Maverick's breathing was slow and pressured. His body ached as the events from the incident started to catch up with him. Aside from the hole above his waist, he had several pulled muscles, a good few that turned out to be torn upon further examination, and his knee was severely bruised. Although he was broken, his pride remained in tact and he simply refused to let the nurse help bathe him. If he would ever get to the point where he can't even clean himself, he would rather he be shot in the head and put out of his misery.

"I'll be fine..." He managed to say between breaths, pulling himself upright. This lasted all of two milliseconds before the broken knee came back to haunt him. Holding back his natural instinct to wince at the pain, Maverick limped his way over to the bathroom.

Sweetheart, of course, did not let him leave unattended. She followed close behind the man, ready to brace him if the need arose. She had already tried to reason with him about letting her help while he was still recovering. However, getting through to him is like politely asking a brick wall to do push-ups. Once her guest had made it to the bathroom, he immediately closed the door behind him. This not deter the nurse, as she was adamant about making sure he would reach the tub successfully. There's a brief period of near dead-silence as she listens in from the outside. The following grunts that followed just seconds later filled her with a sense of guilt and worry. Luckily, they ended as quickly as they came and the sound of running water helped to ease her troubled mind.

Not by much, but it was something.

Letting out a sigh, Sweetheart steps away from the door and goes into her kitchen. It hasn't even been an hour since she got home from work and already she was dreading going back. She loved her job more than anything, but the thought of leaving this poor stallion- man- alone filled her with dread. She went into her fridge to find a quick snack as she reminded herself that she has the weekend off, so she can try to work with him more frequently in the coming days. It wouldn't be easy, nothing with him has been thus far, but she was determined...and had a bit of a sweet tooth right now.

Sweetheart went into the bottom drawer of her fridge and pulled out a chocolate pudding cup, locking it between her teeth as she gently closed the refrigerator door. After grabbing a spoon from one of the nearby drawers, the mare settled herself next to the dining room table. The next few minutes were spent mostly in silence; The only noise being made coming from the shower in the bathroom and her metal spoon meeting the edge of the plastic cup as she scooped the sweet treat int her mouth.

Her mind was still running amok on how things would change around here for the time being. And, how she would have to disguise her behavior more efficiently. Knowing how she acted in the hospital earlier today, it wouldn't surprise her if some of her co-workers caught on to the fact that she was eager to leave. Of all of them, Amethyst was the only one to confront her. That mare is as bright as they come. There's no way she didn't suspect something was up.

As much as Sweetheart hated lying, and those that did it, she would have to come up with an explanation for the way she acted at work. There would no doubt be questions, especially from the doctor. It would serve her well to get her story straight sooner rather than later.

The spoon met the bottom of the plastic cup with a light tap, earning the mare's full attention. She had been so lost in thought that she didn't even get to enjoy her pudding, nor notice that she had pretty much cleaned in out much faster than she intended. Letting out a soft hum, she collected the cup and the spoon to dispose of both of them properly. Her timing couldn't have been more perfect, it would seem. Her ear flicked at the sudden lack of sound coming from the bathroom just as she placed her spoon in the sink.

With little more than that, Sweetheart trotted back to the bathroom, waiting patiently beside the door for her guest to return. Not surprisingly, he did not return immediately. She could hear him clear as day struggling to move. It goes against her own personal morals, but she would have to force him to accept her help. The more he neglects her assistance, the more he'll end up hurting himself as a result and she simply cannot allow that to happen.

Sweetheart took a breath to steel herself before knocking on the door to announce herself. "Maverick, I'm coming in!" She didn't wait for a response as she turned the knob and swung the door open, only to slam it shut immediately. "Ahhh! I'm so sorry!" The fur on her face had somehow changed from white to a near blood red color, her eyes wide from shock and her breaths deep and paced.

"You know, my pa always told me that it's the nicest ones that are up to no good." Maverick's voice strains from the other side of the door, a few grunts following as he shifted around uncomfortably. "I never expected you to be so straightforward though. Diddle me in my sleep, maybe. But, not barging in on me while my dangley bits are out and about."

Sweetheart's face felt like it was on fire. Her eyes clenched shut as she tried to force the image out of her head and defend herself. "No! It isn't like that, I swear!" She defended, fearing that she may have actually offended the creature. "I thought you were having trouble getting out! I was just trying to help! Please, don't be mad! I'm not that kind of mare, I-"

"Loud noises!" Maverick shouted in response, primarily just to shut her up. It seemed to work as her voice had become as silent as the grave. After wrapping a towel around his lower body, the human opened the bathroom door and moved past a stoic and frozen Sweetheart; Who was much redder than he recalled. He hobbled back to the couch, easing himself into the cushions he had come to be almost too acquainted with.

While Maverick went about getting himself comfortable, Sweetheart managed to snap herself out of the confines of her own mind and eagerly trotted over to the couch to help the human. Her embarrassment showed, but her guest was either ignoring it or just didn't care. It's hard to tell for sure. She's only known him for a couple of days now and what little she had picked up on only seemed to make him more of an enigma in her eyes.

Most of the stallions she had encountered over the years, with similar injuries, could barely stand the thought of moving around as much as Maverick demanded to. Nearly every little thing she did to help him became a battle of sorts. Nothing concerning, or physical for that matter, but he would still fight her. Even now, as she tried to assist him in laying down, he continued to fight.

Maverick gave the mare a light shove, determined to settle himself; by himself. Seeing no point in trying to force herself on him at the moment, Sweetheart backed off and allowed the man to sort himself out. It hurt her to watch. The tough exterior hid a lot of how he was feeling, but identifying when others were in pain was a big part of her job.

As the man got comfortable, Sweetheart took it upon herself to prepare for bandaging. In hindsight, she probably should have done that earlier. To make up for her mistake, she moved quickly to grab the bag she used to snag a few things from her workplace and brought it over to the couch. After slipping on a pair of gloves to cover her front hooves, she got to work. She kept her movements slow and predictable, not wanting to agitate or hurt the already wounded human. In just a little over a minute, he was patched up as best as he could be. Now, all that remained was giving him a little something for the pain.

Sweetheart fished out a packaged syringe and came to a dead stop as four solid knocks echoed from her door. She looked to the front door for a second before glancing back at Maverick, placing the needle back into the bag. "Hold tight, I'll be right back."

"Like I'm in any condition to leave..." Maverick groaned out, still more than a little annoyed about this whole situation. It's not that he didn't appreciate the help, he just wasn't happy about needing it to begin with. "Don't worry, I'll hold down the fort."

This got a small smile from Sweetheart. She removed her gloves and gloves and trotted to the front door. Once she was close enough, she stood up on the tips of her hooves and looked out into the hallway through the peephole. What she saw caused her stomach to knot, her breath catching in her throat and her ears falling flat against her head as dread quickly started to fill her.

Sweetheart lowered herself to the floor proper, only to dance on hooves as panic started to set in and she began mumbling to herself. Maverick noticed this, of course, but he was in too much pain to care. When someone breaks down the door, then he'll worry.

Sweat dripped down Sweetheart's face as she tried to look for a sign, or anything really, that would keep her from having to open that door. If she was lucky, the mare on the other side would leave without causing a fuss. "Sweetheart!" A firm, feminine tone all but shouted from the other side. "I know you're in there! I can hear you doing your panic dance!"

"Oh buck.." Sweetheart muttered to herself, stopping her panic-induced movements as she came to terms with the fact that she was royally screwed. She took a breath, trying and failing to relax herself as she reached out a hoof to open the door. She twisted the knob and her heart sank as she opened the door just enough for her to peak her head out and make the most unconvincing casual greeting ever. "Hey, Amethyst! It's been a while! How's the family?"

Amethyst's eyes narrowed at the nurse, showing that she was not having any of this. Sweetheart should have known better. Miss. Star is a real no-nonsense mare and she did not like to play games. "You and I need to have a talk."

Sweetheart gulped as her eyes glanced back at the human laying on her couch. From here, it looked like he was asleep. That hardly mattered though. She couldn't let Amethyst come in and risk her seeing him. Celestia only knows how she would react; or worse, how he would react. Not looking to take chances, the nurse quickly opened the door just enough to slip her body through and closed it behind her.

This only made Amethyst that much more suspicious. What could this simple little nurse possible be hiding. She had a feeling that she knew and she didn't like it one bit. "Sweetheart, you're acting really strange. I need you to tell me what is going on."

Sweetheart bit her lip in thought, her eyes darting around as she tried to come up with something to say. She couldn't just lie to the mare. It would be way to obvious. Her only option was to be as cryptic as possible. "It's...complicated..."

This got a small growl out of Amethyst, causing Sweetheart to take a step back, only to bump into the door behind her. "I am in no mood for this. You are going to start talking and you're gonna do it now!" Her demanding tone only pushed the nurse further into her shell, making it clear that she would just have to come out and say it. "Somepony took supplies from the hospital and you're the only one acting really out of character."

Amethyst let out a sigh, doing everything in her power not to scream her lungs out. "Sweetheart, I need you to be honest with me..." Her eyes bore into the nurse's, only unsettling her further. "Are you doing drugs?"

Sweetheart's eyes widened at the accusation. She assumed that the doctor came here after figuring out she was the pony that took the medication, but didn't think this would be the train of thought it would lead to. "No! Of course not!"

"Then why are you acting so weird!?" Amethyst pressed, sure that she was right about her assumption. "You were fidgety at work, you made off with an entire bottle of morphine and you're clearly hiding something in your apartment!" That last part sent a visible shiver down Sweetheart's spine. "Look, I care about you. I really do. But, I cannot have you around if you're stealing medication for personal use."

Now that made the nurse's heart skip a beat. "Y-you don't mean-"

"I do!" Amethyst said firmly, "I'm sorry, Sweetheart. It's become painfully clear that you're hiding something and I can't trust you." The mare turned to face the hallway, glancing back at the nurse one last time before trotting away. "Don't bother coming back into work. I'll have your things sent to you."

Sweetheart could feel her heart pounding against her chest. She was being fired and all because she wanted to help someone. Her mind was shouting at her to call out, to run over to her friend and beg for her forgiveness and explain everything, but she was frozen in place. She could hardly breathe. She didn't even move until her door swung open, slapping her in the flank so hard that it shoved her forward.

"Wait!" Maverick yelled out, falling to the floor with a pained grunt. Amethyst's head jerked back at the voice, her eyes widening in shock and even slight horror at the thing that had just launched itself out of her friend's apartment. He rolled onto his back, placing a hand to his bandaged side. "Fuck, that hurt!"

"Maverick!" Sweetheart practically screamed, ignoring the pain in her backside as she ran to aid the collapsed human. "It's okay! I've got you!" She said as she slipped her front hooves under the man's shoulders, lifting against his weight to sit him up. "How many times have I told you not to move around when I'm not there to help?"

"Blow it out your ass!" Maverick countered, groaning as he was lifted, his hand never leaving side, his leg shaking from the pain. Even though it felt like his body was working against him, the man pushed forward. He grabbed onto the door frame with his free hand, pulling himself up until he was able to stand. However, he was forced to lean against the frame to stay upright.

It would appear that it was Amethyst's turn to be frozen in place as she watched on in shock. It all happened so fast that she couldn't process it all. So many questions were buzzing around in her head that she could barely register what was going on right in front of her face.

Sweetheart trotted in front of the human, offering herself to him. "Here! Lean on me! I'll get you back to-wAHH!"

"Inside!" Maverick demanded as he let go of his side and grabbed onto the back of Sweetheart's head, pulling her into the complex before turning his attention to the mare standing in the hall. "That means you to!" He called out, leveling one of his fingers in her direction. "Don't make me have to come over there..."

Amethyst didn't know whether to obey or take off and call someone. Whatever this thing was, it was clearly far too injured to chase her if she did run for it. However, it's deep, commanding tone lured her in. She felt obliged to do as it said and her hooves would seem to agree as they began to move on their own, taking her body along for the ride. Her head dipped down like a scolded dog as she trotted past the human and into the apartment.

Maverick took a second to look down the hall. How no one came to investigate the noise was mind-blowing to him, but he wasn't about to complain. He limped in after the mares, closing the door as he entered. Much to his own surprise, Sweetheart was quick to come back to his aid, despite him shoving her just seconds prior to this moment. And, despite his own internal protests, he accepted her help. That landing really did a number on his already broken body and walking was the last thing he wanted to do right now.

Putting some of his weight on the mare, Maverick was able to make it back to the couch without hurting himself too much more. Sweetheart helped ease him back into the welcoming cushions, where he all but melted into them, his teeth bared as they clenched shut from the motion.

Amethyst stood on the sidelines as Sweetheart helped the creature settle in before diving into a small bag on the floor, the very same bag she had at work earlier today. She watched with curious eyes as the nurse pulled out a syringe and a small bottle of clear fluid. The pieces started coming together in her head as her friend filled the syringe and carefully pressed it into the creature's arm.

This took a turn that Amethyst never would have expected. It was hard to believe that Sweetheart was doing drugs, but this was so far out of left field that made her head spin. She wasn't even mad even more. A little upset, but not mad. She should have known that, if Sweetheart was taking things from the hospital, and it's obvious she did, it was for a good cause.

Sweetheart carefully removed the needle from Maverick's arm, placing it back into the bag and pulling out a small bandage to place over the injection sight. "There. Hopefully that will help." She gives the man a concerned look, but he was too busy staring at the ceiling to notice her. "You need to be more careful. I don't want you getting hurt."

"A little late for that..." Maverick pointed out.

Sweetheart could only roll her eyes at the statement. How he could be in so much pain and still manage to be a pain is beyond her. She lowered her head to pick up the bag, grabbing it in her teeth before looking up to see Amethyst standing just a few feet from her. She felt her ears go flat again as she looked up at her boss, barely lifting her head and walking toward her friend with a look of shame on her face.

Stopping a few inches short of the mare she once called her friend, Sweetheart set the bag down and stood up proper, but her eyes remained to the floor. "I'm sorry, Amethyst. I didn't mean for all for all of this to happen." She began, her emotions starting to show as she slowly came to terms with the consequences of her actions. "He just came in, out of nowhere, and he was hurt, and I wanted to h-help him and-"

It was killing Amethyst to see her friend so choked up like this. She couldn't let her go down, not after seeing all of this. One of her hooves quickly found a place on Sweetheart's chin, earning her the nurse's full attention. "It's alright; really." She said genuinely, hoping to help her friend relax. "I'm not mad at you. I just wish you would have told me."

Sweetheart looked back at Maverick, letting her friend's hoof fall from er face. He was still staring at the ceiling, but was noticeably in less pain. She leaned in close as she angled her neck to face Amethyst again. "Believe me, I wanted to." She said in a hushed tone, not wanting the human to overhear her. "I wanted to so bad, but he...he's very wary of ponies. He's scared that, if more of us find out about him, something bad will happen."

This got Amethyst to raise a brow. Sure, the creature was a bit daunting at first glance. But, it hadn't really done anything to provoke her per se. "Why would he think that?" She asked in an equally hushed tone.

"The ponies in the Southern Mountains." Sweetheart answered, glancing back at the human every so often to make sure he wasn't getting suspicious. "He said that they attacked him on sight. I tried to tell him they're not as culturally advanced, but he wouldn't listen. He doesn't even want to be here. He can hardly walk and he was trying to leave town just to avoid running into other ponies."

"Sweet Celestia..." Amethyst whispered, looking back at the human once more. "I can't say I blame him for being a little on edge. I would be to if I went through something like that." Turning her attention back to the nurse, she decided to pry for a bit more information. She wanted to know exactly why her friend went as far as she did for this thing. "So what's the damage?"

Sweetheart as been asked this question many times in the past, so her response was pretty much instinct. "Puncture wound, about two inches in diameter in his lower left quadrant; A few torn muscles in all four limbs and a possible fractured knee. I don't know enough about his biology to point out anything else."

That would explain it.

Amethyst let out a breath, conflicted, but knowing very well what had to be done. "You're a good pony, Sweetheart. You have a good heart. So...I'll overlook the fact that you stole supplies from the hospital." She said, her tone being just a tad condescending near the end. "But, as I'm sure you already know, I will have to confiscate the morphine."

Sweetheart's head lowered just a bit. It would make Maverick’s recovery less tolerable, on his end at least, but she would like to keep her job. "I understand." Reaching a hoof into the bag, she pulled out the small bottle and held it out to the doctor. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it." Amethyst said with a smile, her horn glowing as the bottle was levitated from the extended hoof in front of her. "Like, at all. Seriously, we will both lose our jobs."

"I won't say anything if you don't." Sweetheart motioned to the human on her couch with her head, offering a rather nervous smile in return.

This got a light giggle out of Amethyst. "Not a word. But, if there ends up being a next time, please just tell me what's going on."

"I will." Sweethearts said with a nod. "I promise."

Amethyst nodded as well, sealing their little verbal agreement. She glanced back at the human one last time, considering his involvement in all of this. "I don't exactly have an open schedule, but I'd be glad to help out any time I can."

"Really?" It suddenly felt as though a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. However, she didn't know how Maverick would take having her around. "I don't know. Like I said, he doesn't really trust ponies...I wouldn't mind the help. Actually, I'd like it a lot. But...we'll have to take things slowly."

"That's perfectly fine." As much as she would like to hang around and possibly try to study this creature, she only had so much time. "I need to get back to the hospital. I have a long night ahead of me now that you left early." Sweetheart's features fell as she heard this. She was about to offer to go back with her, but Amethyst was quick to shoot it down. "Don't worry about it. I'll be alright. Besides, you look like you've got something pretty big keeping you busy here."

Sweetheart reminded herself that her friend was right. She went home early to watch over Maverick and she would do just that. She felt so lucky to have a friend as understanding as Amethyst. This mare had put with with a lot from her and she didn't know how to begin to go about thanking her.

Amethyst could see in her friend's eyes just how much this meant to her and decided that she should probably get moving. "I'll be on my way now." The unicorn said as she tucked the bottle into her coat pocket. "Good luck, hun."

"Thank you, Amethyst." Sweetheart said as her friend made her way to the door. "For everything..." Amethyst didn't bother looking back at her friend. She simply smiled to herself and left the complex.

The door closed with a soft click and Sweetheart fell to the floor like a brick. She felt so relieved. Not just because she would still be employed at the end of the week, but also because she finally got to get some of what was going on off of her chest. And it would feel so much better when she could actually start sharing the details now that somepony else knew the situation and wasn’t going to jeopardize it.

Sweetheart just laid there and let it all wash over her.

This was short lived, thanks to a particular voice coming from the couch. "That worked out a lot better than I expected." Maverick said, his eyes closed as his head rested on the cushion behind him. "For a minute there I thought I was gonna have to get up and intervene."

Sweetheart looked up at him from her spot on the floor. For some reason, it didn't click until just now. The mare got back to her hooves and slowly trotted over to the couch. "Thank you, Maverick." She said sincerely, sitting on her haunches as her gaze remained glued to the human. "If you hadn't come when you did, I wo-"

Maverick doesn't even move his head, shushing her as he reached an arm out. It took him a couple of tries, but he managed to set his hand on top of the mare's head. "You took some pretty stupid risks to help me..." He fingers began to dig through her mane, scratching lightly at her scalp. "Least I can do is have your back."

Sweetheart's body went stiff at first, but when he started scratching at her she practically melted. The feeling sent a pleasant tingle down her spine. She cooed in delight, leaning her head down so his fingers would brush across her neck. She let out a high-pitched noise as they did and her face became hot as pulled away from his hand.

Whatever deity was watching over her, Sweetheart thanked them internally that Maverick didn't seem to notice the noise she made, or look down to see her blushing face as she reached up and grabbed onto his hand to keep it from going near that area again. "S-still though! I-I r-really appreciate it!" She took a few slow, quiet breaths to relax herself. "If there's anything I can do, anything at all, just ask."

Maverick craned his neck to the side, opening his eyes a bit so he could see his desired destination. There was no fighting it this time around, he needed help. "Think you can help me lay back down. This position is killing my neck."

A warm smile spread across Sweetheart's face as she released the human's hand and stood up to help him. "I would be glad to."

Chapter 4

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Journal Entry 142

It's been a while since my last entry, but now that I have some free time, I'm happy to jot down some of my thoughts. It's been just over a month since Maverick came into my life and honestly...I'm feeling rather conflicted right now. As the weeks have gone by, Maverick is showing significant improvement in his physical well-being. Not only that, but he's less hostile. Not to say that he ever was hostile, but there always seemed to be some anger behind his words, even while joking around.

That anger seems to have regressed as his body began to heal. His humor is still questionable at times, but no longer comes from a place of aggression. I do feel that some of the things he does though, he does purely to spite me.

I can't say that I'm upset about it. In fact, I find myself rather welcoming of this new dynamic in my life. And thus, that's where the issue lies. I fear that I'm becoming too attached to Maverick...

Having him around has been stressful, at times. However, since regaining his ability to move around more freely, at least more than he was able to prior, he's become less of a...I don't want to say burden...hindrance? No, I think that's worse...

Regardless, it's made things around my home much easier. Thanks to Amethyst's occasional visits as well, there are days where a significant amount of work is removed from my shoulders. It was touch and go for a while there, but I think Maverick is warming up nicely to her...Kind of...

He and I have gotten pretty close as well. He's shared stories about his world and his people. I find quite a lot of it to be unbelievable, but then again, I never would have expected to meet a one-of-a-kind creature with sentience either. In turn, I've shared as much about pony-kind to him as I could. He finds a lot of our customs odd, but appears to be rather open about adapting to it.

I find this both exciting and terrifying...

For whatever reason, I'm scared of Maverick's recovery. I'm happy he's doing better, really. But, I'm afraid that once he is fully recovered that he'll leave and for some reason that terrifies me. I don't want him to leave. The very thought fills me with dread. I can't stop thinking about how much I would miss him if he decided to go off on his own, or how he could get hurt again. How am I supposed to to help him if I don't know where he is?

I feel as though this is no longer just a desire to help him recover. There's more to it now and that therein is where the problem lies.

Sweet Celestia,

"Sweetheart!" The mare in question turned her head at the call of her name, looking back at the door beside her bed. Before she could even respond, the feminine voice called out once more. "Would you get in here before I strangle this stallion!"

Sweetheart rolled her eyes as she pushed against the desk, her chair rolling back slightly from the force. With her path now clear, the mare hopped down from her seat and trotted into the living room to find Amethyst standing in front of Maverick. The doctor was holding a tongue press in one of her forehooves while the other tapped impatiently on the ground as she stared up at the human sitting on the couch.

"What's going on in here?" Sweetheart asked in a tone that could only be compared to a mother subtly scorning her children after having caught them in the middle of a fight.

Amethyst turned her gaze to Sweetheart, frustration evident from her expression. "I'm trying to-"

"Your friend here is trying to get inside of me." Maverick interrupted flatly, earning a shocked look from both mares.

Despite the man's words, and just how off-putting they were, Amethyst was quick to defend herself. "It's not like that and you know it! Stop being a pain and open your mouth!"

"I refuse to let you in my body in way, shape or form." Maverick replied, his tone unchanged.

Amethyst would continue to argue, unsure if he was acting this way because it was strange for his species, or if he's doing it simply just to spite her. "It's a standard procedure! We do this all the time for routine check-ups!"

"I stopped going in for check-up after the six-week prostate exam."

This earned him a look from both Amethyst and Sweetheart. However, it didn't deter the doctor from her goal. "I'm not going to ask nicely anymore."

"I'm not letting you do it either waACH!" Maverick's words quite literally became caught in his throat as Amethyst dove in, shoving the small slab of wood into his open maw and pressing down so she could get a look inside. It only took a few seconds for her to be satisfied with the results before pulling the press out and levitating a notebook up to write down a few notes.

Maverick moved his tongue around, trying to become reacquainted with the abused appendage. "Balsa wood?" He asked rhetorically as he glared at the doctor. "You could have at least used mahogany."

The human's remark got a giggle out of Sweetheart, the nurse raising a hoof to cover her muzzle in an attempt to stifle the noise before turning her attention to the mare beside her. "So, what did we learn today?"

"Aside from him reinforcing how much of a pain in the flank he is, not much." Amethyst replied, not taking her eyes away from her notes. "Temperature is normal, for him at least. His sense of smell is not as acute as a pony, his hearing is close, and his penis doesn't have a sheath."

Sweetheart's face went red at that last speculation.

"You know, you could have just asked..." Maverick added, only furthering how uncomfortable Sweetheart felt at that moment. Not to mention that there was a moral issue that had quickly reared its head as a result.

"Amethyst!?!" Sweetheart all but yelled into the doctor's ear.

Amethyst winced at the nurse's suddenly raised tone, but was once again quick to defend her actions. "I'm a doctor! He's an alien! It's not like I tried to suck him off!"

The red on Sweetheart's face only deepened. However, the inappropriate mental imagery did little to deter her. "Still! There's no reason to force him into doing something he's uncomfortable with!"

"It's for science!"

At this point, Maverick had officially taken it upon himself to tune out the bickering mares. He personally found it easier on his own mental state to simply fade out of reality for a while and let the two battle it out without him having to sit through the whole thing. It's not like they're addressing him anyway.

There was a brief stare down between the two before Amethyst finally broke. "Okay! I'm sorry!" The doctor said with a huff, breaking away from their visual onslaught as she submitted. "I still think you're taking it too seriously, but I'll try to refrain from doing things without his permission. Happy?"

As did Amethyst, so did Sweetheart. "It's fine, Amethyst. I just...I don't want him feeling uncomfortable is all." The nurse explained, her gaze softening as she looked on at her friend. "I know you didn't mean any harm and you're just trying to help. I'm sorry for snapping like that."

After taking a few second to pull together her own thoughts, Amethyst truly submitted. "No. Don't apologize." The mare's ears sank a bit, showing the nurse just how genuine her following statement was. "Honestly, if you weren't around to keep me in check, I'd probably be a bit too invasive." The mare glanced over at the human, her gaze soon resting there as a result of his blank stare. "Is he alright?"

"Hmm?" Sweetheart followed her friend's gaze, looking over at Maverick to see his rather empty appearance. This is nothing new to Sweetheart so she easily shrugged it off and turned her attention back to Amethyst. "He's fine. He does that whenever he gets bored."

"Uh-huh..." Amethyst would be lying if she said it wasn't weird, but she doesn't have the proper training to handle matters of the mind of Maverick; nor the patience. "Anyway, I should be going. It's my day off to and I think my herd is starting to suspect that I'm having an affair."

Sweetheart flinched at her words, feeling guilty for keeping Amethyst from her family. "Yeah. Maybe you should head home." She said, not wanting to make her friend's life any harder than it needed to be. "I think I can handle Maverick; especially since he's moving on his own now."

"With all do respect," Amethyst glanced over at Maverick to make sure he was still off in his own little world before continuing. "Your alien friend there seems pretty dense. I'm not trying to be a bitch or anything; I just hope he knows how lucky he is to have you looking out for him."

Sweetheart's blush made a subtle return at her friend's words. "Come on now; I'm nothing special."

Amethyst rolled her eyes at Sweetheart's comment. "You really don't give yourself enough credit." She began, placing a hoof to her friend's shoulder. "You are literally the nicest pony I know. Any herd would be lucky to have you. Honestly, if you weren't like a sister to me, I would have asked you to join mine years ago."

This caused a few thoughts to form in Sweetheart's brain, only serving to further her confusion about her own thoughts and feelings. She lowered her head as her mind began to torment her, glancing over at the zoned-out human on her couch. Aside from his blank, empty stare, something about him just clicked with her. His soft, smooth skin felt like velvet against her hooves. His confidence and determination was stunning. His attitude, though questionable, has brought a strange sense of joy and excitement into her life. And then there's that look he has almost all of the time. A certain ambition, or determination. There's something that drives him to do everything to the very best of his ability. There's no hesitation, nothing there to stop him. If he wants something, he'll fight for it to his last breath and something about that just makes her head swim.

Amethyst lowered her hoof back to the floor. She noticed something strange in Sweetheart's eyes as the mare stared at the human. She followed her friend's gaze for a moment, looking back and forth between the two, watching as something quickly made itself known through the look alone that she was giving the creature. The pieces all started falling into place and the doctor's jaw dropped as the realization dawned on her.

"You like him, don't you?"

Sweetheart's head snapped back to Amethyst, a look of panic now taking over her features. "W-what!? What are you talking about?" The knowing look that spread across Amethyst's face only made her terror grow. "No! No, it's not like that! I swear!"

Maverick stirred from his self-induced descent into the void, the sound of Sweetheart's rising tone being enough to pull him back into reality. He lifted his hands and placed them to his head before dragging his palms down his face as if he had just woken up from a nap. "What are we yelling about now?"

Much to Sweetheart's relief, Amethyst was the one to handle the situation, and not in a way that would cause her even more embarrassment. "No one is yelling. Even if we were, you're too stupid to tell the difference in tones."

Maverick's hands dropped to his knees, as did the metaphorical microphone as he formed a reply. "Coming from the one who got her degree from the back of a cereal box."

Amethyst took a sharp breath through her nose, biting her lip to keep herself from turning this into a full-blown fight. "Anyway, I need to be heading home. Good luck, Sweetheart." The mare reaches out a forehoof, pulling the nurse into a hug, which was happily returned. The doctor pulled her close, leaning in until her muzzle was less than an inch from her friend's ear. "You can't hide from the truth forever, hon."

On that note, Amethyst pulled back from the embrace and headed for the door, leaving her friend to mull over that last statement before departing. "Goodnight, Sweetheart!"

The door clicked shut as the doctor withdrew herself, Sweetheart now being left on her own with the human that caused her such a confusing stream of thoughts and emotions. Feeling mentally exhausted, the mare sat back on her haunches, letting her head drop a bit as she tried to process it all.

Maverick, picking up on her distress, leaned forward to try and get a clear view of her face as he addressed her. "You alright over there?"

Sweetheart didn't look at him, choosing to simply nod in response. "Yes, I'm fine. I just..." She couldn't tell him. Celestia only knows how he'll react. "I've got a lot on my mind right now." If she had been paying attention, she would have heard the human shifting around. It wasn't until she felt the unmistakable touch from his hands that he earned her attention. "What are you-"

The mare's words turned into a single, soft moan as Maverick's fingers began to kneed into her back. It was unlike anything she had ever felt before. The feeling on its own was enough to make her thoughts melt away. Her previous stresses drifted off, becoming lost to the void, not much unlike the one Maverick frequents. A series of hums escaped her maw as she welcomed the sudden wave of relaxation pressing into her from behind.

Even with her body becoming loose and her mind finally clear, she couldn't help but feel like she should be doing something in return. Or, at the very least, let him know that the gesture is unnecessary. "Not that I don't appreciate what you're doing, but you don't have to do this for me."

"No one ever said that I had to." Maverick replied, moving his hands up to work on her shoulders. "If they did, I probably wouldn't have bothered."

"Well-" Another moan escaped the mare as he hit a particularly sensitive area just below her neck. "like I said, you really don't have to."

"I'm trying to be nice! Now shut up before I kick you in the head."

Sweetheart felt inclined to not argue with him any more on the matter. So far, he's kept true to most of his threats and she didn't feel like pushing the boundaries would do her any good. So, like a good pony, she simply sat and let him do his thing. And that was another thought she would have to push down...

Sweetheart held her ground as Maverick diligently worked the knots out of her back, literally massaging away years of stress in a matter of minutes. Despite how relaxed she felt, there was still one thought that simply refused to leave her be. "Maverick..."

Maverick's only response was to give her a questioning hum, keeping his focus on the massage as to not end up hurting her.

"W-what uh...Do y-you have any plans?" She began, finding it much harder to speak than she anticipated. "You know, when you're better..."

This time, Maverick had to respond, but did not avert his gaze. "I've actually been trying to figure that out for the last two weeks."

"...and?"

"And shit." Maverick replied, stopping momentarily to look her in the one eye he could see from his current position. "I don't have a goddamn clue what I'm gonna do. I can't just up and go home. I don't even know where home is! It clearly ain't here!" The human let out a breath before continuing to massage the pony. "I don't know what I'm gonna do, Sweetheart. If I don't figure something out soon then I'm fucked."

'This is it.' Sweetheart thought to herself. 'Moment of truth.' She takes a moment to steel herself as much as possible; for herself at least. "Y-you know...you could always...stay here..."

Maverick's motions came to a halt as those words left her mouth, showing that she had earned his full attention. He had no room to argue, no way to counteract her offer. And, if he did find a way, it wouldn't do him any good. He's an alien in a world he knows virtually nothing about, aside from what little he's learned from Sweetheart. It's not like he could go out tomorrow and find a job. Not to mention, the very last thing he wanted was to be around ponies.

As Sweetheart has proven, both by allowing him to recover in her home and introducing him to Amethyst, not all ponies are as twisted and inbred as the ones he ran into in the Northern Mountains. However, the thought still fills him with dread and he can already feel his fight instinct kicking in just from the thought alone.

Maverick huffed a bit. Not out of anger, or even out of spite. He simply just huffed. "Are you really sure about that?" He asked, knowing himself better than anyone. "I'm not blind to my own imperfections; I know how much of a complete ass I am. So, before you go offering something of this caliber to someone like me, I want you to make sure you know exactly what you're getting yourself into."

"Can I be honest with you, Maverick?" Sweetheart asked innocently enough, receiving another confirming hum in response from the human. "I've lived alone for a while now. I don't have a lot of friends, per se, and I've never been good with things like relationships and such. But, with you..." Sweetheart had to swallow a lump in her throat before continuing. "I feel oddly comfortable around you. More-so, I admire you in a lot of ways. I don't see you as an...ass...so much as someone who is strong in both body and mind. Having you here has given me a reason to come home without fear of having to be alone. I genuinely enjoy your company and I would consider it a personal favor if you stayed here with me..."

The following silence was nearly cancerous to Sweetheart. She had just spilled out most of her guts and his response to her would either make or break her in this state. She kept her head straight, her teeth biting down on her lower lip as she waited in agony for his reply.

Maverick leaned back in his seat a bit, considering everything she had told him. It was kind and he could understand her point of view all too well. That, however, is a story for another time. With his hands still locked on her shoulders, he adjusted himself to his previous position and resumed the massage. "If you're sure you can tolerate me, then yes; I'll stay with you until you decide to throw me out."

It took a lot from Sweetheart to contain herself. Maverick wouldn't be able to see it from where he was sitting, but a single, happy tear ran down her cheek at his answer. She closed her eyes, basking in the warmth in her chest and the sweet caresses of his hands. "I could never do that, Maverick~"

For a while, this moment was something Sweetheart considered to be perfect in every way. That ended when his fingers happened to find a spot on the back of her neck that was exceptionally more sensitive than most anything else on her body. As his thumbs pressed down on the base of her skull, where the flesh connected with her neck, the mare let out a loud cry of pleasure, her face becoming hot as her body reacted to the stimulation in ways she didn't even know existed. In an instant, Sweetheart lurched forward, pulling away from the human's grip with her tail pressed flush against her body.

"I'll be back in a minute!" Sweetheart quickly stated before practically sprinting into her room, slamming the door behind her as she tucked herself away in her own, private domicile.

Maverick watched her take off, his eyes wide in shock and confusion. He looked down at his hands, wondering if he was just that good or if he did something that made her uncomfortable. After a few seconds of pondering he came to the conclusion that he didn't care enough to spend any extended amount of time thinking about it.

Meanwhile, Sweetheart was having a small panic attack. Her flank was to the floor and her back to the door, forehooves spread out like the wings of a bird as she breathed deeply in an attempt to relax her body and her mind. It took several minutes before she could even begin to regain her composure, longer just for her to take her back from the door and stand upright. With her breathing returning to normal and her mind no longer swelling with impure thoughts, the mare was able to act like her old self again.

This experience was something entirely new to Sweetheart, having never been touched in that manner. Sure she had been on dates in the past, but never had she managed to do more than give, or receive, a quick peck on the cheek. Not to mention that Maverick isn't even from this world. When she boiled it down, she was really the only pony he's had an actual interaction with, yet he so effortlessly had her on the verge of pinning him to the floor and-

"No!" Sweetheart whisper-yelled to herself, shaking her head. "Just...just relax...Take a breath..." Following her own instructions, the mare took a deep, calming breath, exhaling slowly once her lungs had been filled to their full capacity. "It's okay now. You're alright. Just take it easy for a bit, try to relax, and everything will be fine."

Sweetheart's attention was soon drawn to her desk, where her journal still remained open and with an unfinished entry just waiting for her. She trotted over to the desk, hopping into her chair and pulling herself close to the wooden structure holding, what could technically be considered, an autobiography what with how much of her life she's documented into it. Without saying a word, the mare looked over her own words, the thoughts that had been plaguing her earlier that day beginning to resurface as she read on to the very end.

As if out of instinct, he hoof slid across the desk and grasped the pen that lay on the far right side. Just then, as she pulled her hoof back, resting it proper in front of her. there was a knock on her door and a very familiar voice calling out from the other side. "Hey!" Maverick yelled, being respectful enough of her privacy not to open the door. "I'm making pasta! Be out here in like three minutes!"

Sweetheart had to admit, it's been rather pleasant having him up and moving. He helped out as much as he could and sometimes, like right now for instance, is even kind enough to cook for her. However, her appetite was the last thing on her mind right now. "Thank you, Maverick. But, I'm not really hungry right now."

"Well I'm not asking you! I'm telling you!" Maverick clarified, "Out here! Three minutes! No less!"

This got a short giggle out of Sweetheart. She knows too many mares that would rant about how much of a nag he is, but she didn't think that at all. In fact, in her eyes, this is just how he shows he cares. A lot of the time, the way he speaks can come off as demanding. But, she knows he would never force her to do anything she didn't want to. He'll keep true to his threats, but would never force anything upon her.

It actually reminded her a lot of her parents. They'll argue and bicker all day and all night. But, at the end of the day, they still love each other and are only looking out for the others best interest. And that's what this felt like to her. He's not trying to make her do anything, he's just looking out for her. And, for some reason, it felt so good she didn't even know how to describe it.

"Alright, you win. I'll be out in a minute." Sweetheart replied to the man outside of her bedroom door.

"You better!"

A smile spread across Sweetheart's face as she looked back down at her journal, moving her pen back to the paper to complete her thought before closing the notebook and tucking it away in the desk drawer.

I think I'm falling for him...

Chapter 5

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Maverick examined his body, looking over the new piece of attire. His pants were the same as always, due to the circumstances, but the shirt was new. The black button up was both snug and comfortable, hugging him in all the right places while being a bit loose around the more broad parts of his structure. He had the sleeves rolled up past his elbows, flexing his arms to make sure they wouldn’t be squeezing him too tight. Satisfied with the results, he patted down the shirt to work out the folding lines and turned his attention to Sweetheart. He eyed the mare for a moment before undoing the top two buttons of his new shirt. He didn't like the constricting feeling around his neck.

Once he adjusted the collar to work with the two undone buttons, Maverick gave the mare sitting in front of him his complete and undivided attention. "Color me surprised. It fits," he simply said, rolling his shoulders as one final test to make sure nothing would pull enough to cause tearing. "How'd you manage pull this off?"

Sweetheart gave a sheepish smile, blushing lightly as she suddenly became fascinated with everything that wasn't in front of her. "You know...just...a friend of a friend..." she said coyly, doing her best to appear as calm and collected as possible despite herself. "All I really had to do was give her your measurements and she took care of the rest. I told her that it was for one of my patients and she assumed we had a small Minotaur in our care."

Maverick shrugged at that, thinking about how convenient it was for this friend to make such an assumption. Better they think there's a mythical creature lying in a hospital bed than him, the one of a kind alien, living with the nurse. Who knows what kind of crowd that would draw in? "Well, it seems to fit fine. No tugging, no strain. I like it."

"You do?" Sweetheart asked in a shy tone, softly looking at the man standing in front of her. Her eyes lit up and she grew an almost obnoxious smile as he nodded to her. She lifted her front hooves and clapped them together excitedly. "I'm so glad to hear that! I didn't know if you would like it, so you have no idea how much of a relief this is."

Maverick couldn't help but to roll his eyes at her, finding her antics to be odd. It was cute in a way, but still strange and rather foreign to him. There's quite a few things about the mares he's seen so far that make him question their behaviors. He can't put his finger on it yet, but something about them just seems off to him. Not in a bad way, just different somehow, which occasionally leads him to question some of the things they do. "Why the new shirt anyway? My other one was working just fine."

This caused Sweetheart to raise her brow at the man. "Are you kidding? There's a hole almost the size of my hoof in it," she answered plainly. "Not to mention the stain. No matter how many times I've washed it for you, it just won't come out!" Her expression softened as she looked him over yet again, taking in his whole form; his tall lean body, his strong-looking arms, the broadness of his chest, those soft supple lips just begging to-

Sweetheart shook her head to clear out that thought before it could have a chance to finish. This has been a problem for her lately. She would have to get away from Maverick for a bit before it starts to overwhelm her. "Other than that, I just thought it would look nice on you." Rising up on all fours, the mare began to casually make her way to her room, her tail pressing against her rear as she sauntered past her large, handsome guest. "If you'll excuse me for a moment..."

Maverick didn't bother to question her motive as she trotted into her room and closed the door. This wouldn't be the first time she'd run off to hide in her room with her tail tucked between her legs. He did ask about it once before, but barely got a comprehensible answer from the mare. Something has been bothering her these last few days, he can tell that much. This string of odd behavior started up less than a week ago and has only gotten worse as time went by. During this time, she had yet to leave the apartment even once for work, not to mention the mare had become distant and had developed a habit of zoning out, usually while looking directly at him. Despite all of this, he stopped bothering to try and figure it out. If she wanted to tell him what was wrong, she would have done it by now.

If today would be shaping out to be like the last few, and it looked like it so far, Maverick would be spending some time in the living room alone. He sighed, already feeling the cold embrace of boredom. If he at least had something to drink, he could probably tolerate sitting down and reading, but Sweetheart had made it clear on more than once occasion that drinking before he was fully healed was very bad and she couldn't allow it. Having nothing else to do, the man walked over to the couch and plopped himself down.

Meanwhile, Sweetheart was pacing around her room. She could feel sweat beginning to form on her forehead as she struggled to keep her body and the recent, very powerful, arousal in check. The mare's nether's were responding to this season's heat much more aggressively than she was used to. She could only assume that it was due to the man now bunking with her. His scent was everywhere and it was driving her wild. Taking deep breaths, the mare steels herself, wanting to get back to him as soon as possible.

Sweetheart had left Maverick in the dark throughout the duration of her heat and she felt guilty for having done so, as she had given him no explanation for why she was being so distant. It's not that she didn't want to tell him, but rather she didn't know how without it sounding bad. She didn't want him to think that she was just a pervert looking for an excuse to mount him. Having virtually no knowledge on pony anatomy, who knows what sort of conclusion he would come to if she tried to explain the complex, biological sex system that is the mare's heat cycle.

Letting out a grunt of annoyance, a feeling that only seems to hit her during these periods, Sweetheart reserved herself to simply letting it lie for now. However, she also made a promise to herself. Once this heat passes, she would explain everything to him. That way, he would know what to expect when it happened again in the future. For now, she would just have to be careful around him. Figuring a cold shower might help calm things down, the mare made her way out of the room. Not wanting to be rude, she does offer Maverick a glance, as he looked over at her from his spot on the couch.

Sweetheart smiled at him at she went over to the bathroom, stopping after she opened the door. "I'm gonna take a quick shower. You try to behave yourself until I'm out, alright?"

"I promise nothing," Maverick replied, not showing much of a reaction to her presence.

It didn't take a rocket scientist to tell Sweetheart that her behavior was bothering him. It hurt her, but this was only temporary. Just a few more days and this will all be over. Then she could tell him everything and only hope that he would understand why she was doing this. Her smile fell as she went into the bathroom and closed the door behind her. She told herself that she would have to find a way to make this up to him.

Maverick took a breath, feeling more than a little aggravated by how she was acting. Not that he would openly admit it. It wasn't the fact that she was clearly hiding something from him that caused him such stress. Moreover, it was that she was all he had in this weird, technicolored world, and without her, he had nothing to do. Aside from the occasional visits from Amethyst, Sweetheart was all he had. He felt his ears shift as the sound of running water kicked in from the bathroom. Once again, all that was left for him to do was-

...Answer the door...

There was a knocking coming from the front door. The tapping was light and delicate, unlike Amethyst's. The way she knocked sounded like a grown man, making his presence known to all that dwell within. That could only mean that it was someone else. The man rose from the couch and quietly walked over to the source, closing in on the door with slow, cautious steps. As he drew closer, the knocking came again, this time accompanied by a voice.

"Sweetheart! Are you in there?" Maverick heard from the other side, the voice being both deep yet strangely feminine. He lowered himself once he was less than an inch away, leaning toward the peephole and peeking through to see who was out there. He could see a stallion standing in front of the door with a basket hanging around his neck; his coat was starch white, his mane a glowing yellow and almost shining green eyes. "Sweetheart, it's daddy! Open up! I brought muffins."

Maverick found himself at an impasse. He could try to get Sweetheart out of the shower to answer the door, but given how she's been acting she'd probably just snub him. There's always the option of walking away and pretending he didn't notice anyone at the door. Then again, that wouldn't make him any better than the mare hiding in the bathroom. Not to mention, he is unfathomably bored. Even with his discomfort with ponies, this one did claim to be Sweetheart's dad. And from the looks of it, he definitely isn't the fighting type. If need be, he could probably just pick the pony up and throw them out of the room, no problem.

"Fuck it..." Maverick said to himself as he took a deep breath in and opened the door.

The cold water pouring from the shower head had worked well with "cooling her off". It started off as a shock, for obvious reasons, but Sweetheart's body managed to acclimate to the temperature. She was initially very sensitive when the water first hit her, the pitter-patter on her already stimulated form was almost enough to elicit some provocative sounds from her. However, she managed to avoid making such noises as she steadily became more stable. Her arousal dropped significantly and she started to feel like her old self again. With any luck, she'd be able to return to Maverick without the threat of estrus immediately hovering over her.

Not wanting to risk it though, Sweetheart made sure to spend as much time in the shower as possible without it seeming too suspicious. She washed her fur and her mane, then allowed herself to soak for a while before finally turning off the water. Now feeling clean, cold and much less likely to catch on fire from the waist down, she reached out and grabbed a towel to dry herself off. As she began rubbing the cloth over her mane, she paused. There was something odd going on. She could hear voices out in the living room. One she immediately recognized as Maverick, but the other one, however, was throwing her off.

Pulling the towel from her head, she listened intently to the voices. Even with her pony hearing, she couldn't quite pick up on what was being said or who was saying it. For a moment, she thought it could be Amethyst making a surprise visit, but that couldn't be it. The tone was a few octaves too low to be the doctor. And if it wasn't her, then she wondered who could it possibly be.

Making quick work of drying herself off, Sweetheart rested the now-used towel on her back and opened the door. She made no attempt to be subtle as she exited the bathroom and looked around for the source. It didn't take her long to find out it was coming from the kitchen. She felt her heart sink as she followed the voices, stopping just outside of her kitchen as she spotted a rather unusual scene. Her eyes went dead as she stared at Maverick and her father, sitting at opposite ends of the table, laughing together.

The pony, who had previously introduced himself as Harmony to Maverick, was the first to settle from their giggle-fit. Catching his breath, the stallion turned his attention back to the human and picked up where he left off. "Honestly, you should have seen the look on her face," he managed to say between a few short bursts of laughter that still threatened to wear him down. "I swear to you, she didn't speak to anypony for almost two weeks."

Maverick was all but wheezing at the tale, barely able to control his breathing at this point. Once he was able to get control of himself again, he looked back at the pony with a great big grin on his face. "Oh, god. I'm never letting her live that down." The man took a breath, now having full control over his body. "To answer your question, though, no, her estrus hasn't caused too much trouble."

Sweetheart felt a lump suddenly form in her throat. And much to her own dismay, Maverick continued speaking. "In fact," as if to make matters worse, the biped swiveled his head around and was now looking straight down at her now-shaking form, that smile having not left his face, "we haven't exactly addressed that issue yet."

Harmony was visibly confused by the human's sudden change in direction. It wasn't until he followed the man's gaze did the stallion spot his daughter all but hidden behind the human's frame. "There you are, hon!" he said in excitement, hopping out of his seat and walking around the table to get to Sweetheart. The stallion wasted no time wrapping a hoof around his child, pulling her into his loving embrace. "Oh, it's so good to see you again!"

Sweetheart was too shocked to return the gesture, but her father didn't seem to notice as he broke the hug and looked into his daughter's eyes. "I'm sorry to drop in unexpectedly, but I thought now would be the perfect time to visit! What with you being on estrus leave and all."

Maverick's ears shifted at the stallions words. Having him over has been a rather enlightening experience. A few questions that he hadn't bothered to ask were suddenly being answered, and without him even initiating the conversation. This pony just started talking and hasn't stopped since. It reminded him a lot of visiting his grandmother. That woman could ramble for hours, and this stallion wasn't much different.

Sweetheart's eyes never left the human, who suddenly had a knowing look on his face. This served both to unsettle and discomfort her. She couldn't find it in her to speak no matter how hard she tried. She wanted to apologize, to say that she was sorry for keeping this from him, but she just couldn't. The mare was frozen with something not too far off from fear.

Harmony followed his daughter's gaze before looking back at her. "Is something wrong, dear?"

Sweetheart looked back at her father, occasionally glancing back at Maverick. She could see him regarding her with curiosity, as if wondering what she would say. Even she didn't know what to say. She didn't want to lie. "I uh...I'm just...surprised. You know, at how well you two are getting along," she said, which wasn't dishonest in the slightest. "Maverick is usually a bit shy around new ponies."

Harmony couldn't help but smile at this. "Oh, you have nothing to worry about. Maverick here has been an absolute delight!" The stallion stepped away from his child, working his way to his side of the table. He hopped back into his seat and opened the basket he brought over, setting out a small arrangement of muffins. "I'll admit, I was pretty shocked when I first saw him. For a moment, I thought I had wandered to the wrong apartment."

Holding a blueberry muffin out to the human, which he happily accepted from the stallion, Harmony turned his attention back to Sweetheart. "It's honestly a relief to see him here. I don't mean to be rude, but I was starting to think you were a fillyfooler." Hearing this caused the one mare in the room to blush deeply, confused and embarrassed by this whole situation. "But after meeting your um...What was it again, hon?"

"Boyfriend," Maverick finished for him.

"Yes! That!" Harmony said, clapping his hooves together happily. "After meeting your boyfriend here, I now understand that you simply have a more...exotic taste." Barely noticing his daughter's near-catatonic state, he looked back at the human while wearing an almost mischievous grin. "And he is quite the catch, if I might say."

"Coming from a stallion as wonderful as you," Maverick began, placing his free hand over his heart to play out this role he had given to himself in the stallions presence, "you flatter me, Harmony. You really do."

Harmony waved a dismissive hoof in response. "Oh, don't be such a flank kisser."

"Hey, you're the one throwing the compliments around all willy-nilly," Maverick shot back with just as much enthusiasm.

Giggling at his retort, Harmony accepted defeat. "Alright, I suppose you do have me there." The stallion let out a long breath, seeming fairly relaxed and at ease. "This has been so refreshing. It's nice to have another stallion in the family. I've missed having talks like this. I don't get to have them anymore."

"Well, I'll be around if you ever need some of that playful banter," Maverick assured him.

Harmony bounced slightly in his seat with excitement. "You are just perfect." Glancing at the clock, the stallion's eyes went wide and he quickly hopped down with his basket in tow. "Goodness me! I need to get back home. Your mothers will be back any minute now and I haven't started dinner yet."

Making his way back to Sweetheart, Harmony pulled her into a quick hug. "I approve!" he whispered into her ear before looking back at Maverick. "It's been a pleasure, dear. The muffins are all yours. Make sure to take care of my little girl here."

"For you, Harmony, consider it done." Maverick replied with that award-winning smile.

On that note, Harmony left with the largest smile on his face that Sweetheart had ever seen. However, her father's smile was the last thing on her mind as her attention quickly returned to Maverick, who's smile was completely gone, replaced by his usual, almost featureless expression. She swallowed the lump in her throat, but still could not bring herself to say anything.

Maverick eyed the mare up and down, reading her posture to get an idea of what was going through her mind. All signs pointed to stress and panic. Not looking to start an actual conflict with the only friend he had in this world, he leaned back into his seat and let his body relax. "So your dad's nice. A bit of a talker, though." He lifted his hand, still holding the muffin between his fingers. He brought the treat to his mouth and took a bite, pausing for a second as he chewed. "Not bad… Not bad at all."

Finally working up the courage to function, Sweetheart gingerly made her way over to the chair that her father had been sitting in just moments ago. She hopped up and sat down, facing the table while only occasionally glancing at Maverick, who continued to enjoy his muffin as he waited for her to get things started. It took her just under a minute to bring herself to speak, to ask the question that she was dreading to ask. "Are you mad at me?"

Maverick didn't look at her as he nodded his head in a few different directions, as if he was looking for an answer. He did this mockingly, however. "A little. Yeah."

Hearing this stung more than Sweetheart thought it would, especially coming from his cold tone. "I-I...I'm so sorry, Maverick," she said as her eyes clenched shut, her lids threatening to release tears as she hoped and prayed that he wouldn't get angry and leave her. "I just...I didn't know how to tell you." Those threats held true as a few drops leaked out of her eyelids and fell onto the table. "I didn't want you to think that I was some kind of...of pervert...I just-"

"Stop," Maverick simply said, earning the mare's full attention. She looked up at his stoic face, her eyes red and puffy. "Why are you getting so worked up over this? You're biologically programmed to have this. It's not like you're out there drugging and fucking strangers like some Jeffery Dahmer wannabe."

Obviously, the analogy was lost to Sweetheart. However, she could kind of understand his point. Although this Dahmer mare sounded awful. "I just felt like...like if...Oh Celestia, how do I explain this?"

"You don't have to explain it," Maverick answered, despite her question being entirely rhetorical. Her eyes widened slightly, caught off guard by the fact that he genuinely didn't seem bothered by her estrus. "I'm not mad that you didn't tell, Sweetheart. I'm mad because you let it get between us."

Taking another bite of his muffin, Maverick decided to do one of the many things he swore never to do. Swallowing both his muffin and his pride, he started to explain himself. "You're all I've got here, Sweetheart," he confessed, feeling disgusted for having said those words out loud. "If not for you, I would still be out there; lost and..."

Maverick's eyes began to wander before frustration started to set in. He hated this. Feeling vulnerable and exposing himself to others. It was like a small slice of Hell. He had already told her more than he dared even to hint at with others. "Look: you know what I'm trying to say. Don't make me fucking spell it out."

Sweetheart was taken aback by his sudden change in tone, but couldn't help but focus on his words prior to the change. The way he spoke was unlike anything she'd ever expect to hear from his mouth. Those were more than just words of comfort, those were the words of someone who was opening their heart, if only for a moment. This helped to warm her heart as this told her that he truly did care for her and that brought her more comfort than she could have imagined.

Feeling slightly overwhelmed by her guest, Sweetheart all but leaped out of her chair and charged at Maverick, nearly tackling him out of his chair as she dove upon his form and gave him a hug that almost made it hard to breathe. Unsure of how else to respond, the man steadies his breathing and nervously wraps his arm around her.

They remained like this for a while, in silence; one intent on fully embracing this moment, the other unsure of himself in this moment. During this rather tender time, Sweetheart found her mind beginning to wander again. Unlike the last few times, though, she wasn't being attacked by perverse thoughts. Instead, her attention was caught by a simple word. One that she wasn't very familiar with.

Sweetheart leaned her head back, looking up at the man in her grasp. Having felt the sudden motion, he responded in kind, looking back down at her. "Maverick… What was that word you said to my dad?"

"I said a lot of words to your dad," Maverick pointed out. "You're gonna have to be more specific."

Even Sweetheart of all ponies could not stop herself from rolling her eyes at him. "The one that he asked you about."

"What? Boyfriend?"

"Yeah," Sweetheart said, recognizing the word for its obscurity. "What does that mean?"

Maverick looked away from the mare, thinking of what would be the best way to break the news to her. He settled on his usual method. After all, you can never go wrong with blunt and to the point. "To keep a long story short, in your dad's eyes, you and I are an item."

For the second time that day, Sweetheart felt herself become paralyzed. Her body seized and she felt as though she had ice in her veins. At the same time though, there was an odd fluttering in her chest. For a few brief seconds, she was unable to move her jaw. This was mended rather quickly this time as she stammered out the following question. "W-what...What do you m-mean....An item?"

Without missing a beat, Maverick responded. "He thinks we're dating."

Sweetheart's face went beet-red and she pulled herself away from the human. Her mind was swimming as a mixture of confusion and some arousal began to take hold of her. "W-what? Why?"

Maverick shrugged at that. "He asked what I was doing staying here. I said 'I'm her boyfriend'. Figured it would be easier than telling him 'I'm an alien that your daughter took in after I manhandled her in the hospital because I had a hole in my side'. Not exactly what I would consider a 'good narrative' for our little meet-up. Definitely a lot less explaining to do with the former too."

"I-I...Uh..." Sweetheart had basically lost her ability to speak coherently as she became lost in thought. On one hoof, she was panicking at the prospect of being in a fake relationship and her parents being deceived. On the other, she was kind of excited at the idea of being in a relationship with Maverick. Even if it was fake. Maybe, if all worked out, he would actually consider being in a real relationship with her. Then they could do all the stuff that couples do like hugging, snuggling, kissing each other all over, touching each other in so many different places, licking at-

"Sweetheart!"

"AH!" Sweetheart yelped as he called out her name, startling her out of her drifting train of thought. "What happened? Is something-"

Maverick shushed the mare, looking directly into her eyes as he spoke. "Sweetheart, go to your room."

Sweetheart shot him a confused look. It wasn't until she felt something strange happening to her body. A certain involuntary physical reaction that is often referred to as 'winking', followed by the sound of water hitting the floor. Her face went red once more as she looked down and noticed a small puddle beginning to form between her hind legs.

Embarrassment didn't even begin to describe how Sweetheart was feeling now as she backpedaled away from her mess and bumped into a cabinet. She yelped as her rear made contact with the wooden surface before she started to cautiously move out of the kitchen. "Yeah! I'm just gonna...do as you said and...go to my room! You know, to uh...Just to...You know, I have some...I need to-"

Maverick has never been known for his patience, especially when it came to dealing with the mare's rambling. It's cute at times, but this was just painful to watch. Even for him. "Go!"

"Yes, sir!" On that note, Sweetheart was gone in the blink of an eye. The mare had charged straight into her room and slammed the door shut behind her.

"Fuckin' spaz..." Maverick muttered to himself as he nodded his head from side to side. Looking down at the muffin still in his hand, he peeled the wrapper off of the bottom before shoving the treat's lower half into his mouth to finish it off.

Chapter 6 (Clop)

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Another night of suffering; Squirming and suffering.

Sweetheart had been struggling like this for the last two hours. Having locked herself away to deal with her heat in the safety of her own room, after Maverick had demanded that she do so earlier, she spent the majority of that time tossing a turning on her bed. Her bedspread and blankets were soaked with her mare juices while she writhed in their confines. She was so tired, but so ridiculously turned on that it was starting to play tricks on her mind. As the last week and a half has proven, her mind would drift off to these fantastical fantasies; Ones filled with love, passion and lust. More than a little frustrated, the mare kicks her covers off of her body. The cool air helps her regain some of her senses, but the clouds in her brain hardly settled at all. Normally, other mares would have the means to combat heat with the use of toys and fake sperm. However, the nurse had never felt the need to use one before. Her heats were mostly spent alone and she had adjusted in kind. Now that she has such a large, attractive guest leaving his wonderful and musky scent all over the place though, it's really starting to take a toll on her.

Without even noticing, Sweetheart runs one of her forehooves along her barrel, slowly drifting it lower down her body while she falls into another one of her fantasies about the human living on her couch. She could picture him so clearly; His large frame hovering over her, so tall and menacing, but so beautiful and elegant. Her body is filled with little tinges as she imagines what it would feel like to have his fingers running down her body, in place of her hoof. His nails would drag down her belly before reaching- "Eeep!"

The involuntary squeak comes as a result of her hoof finally hitting its mark. The firm edge of her hoof is wedged slightly in her slit, lightly parting her lips from the sheer girth alone. Her breath hitched as her marehood winked in response to her own touch. She begins rubbing at her clit as it peeks out from her folds, her back arching as she lets out a soft, breathy moan, not wanting to be too loud. It's no dick, but it does help keep her mind somewhat at ease to clop a bit. The mare's body shuddered at the sensation, her moans growing in volume as she massaged the sensitive button with the frog of her hoof. With her face now red hot and her insides burning she gets a little more into it, rubbing faster as she squeaked and moaned out loud. The nurse closed her mouth and hummed a bit to herself as her mind began to wander once more. "Mmmm. M-Ma-Maa...MMMav-"

The door to her room suddenly opened and Sweetheart's heart sank. In the blink of an eye, she rolled onto her belly, pulling her hoof out from her crotch and shoving it under her pillow. The scent alone in the room made it clear what she was doing, but she hoped and prayed that this would just be shoved off as her heat acted up. The mare's eyes shoot over to the door once she's 'covered up'. "Maverick!" She called out in a tone very similar to fear as she spotted the biped's form standing in her doorway. The nervousness in her tone was only matched by the redness of her face and the width of her forced smile. "W-what brings you here all of a s-sudden?"

The tired look human regarded her with heavy lids, feeling ready to collapse at a moment's notice. Maverick's eyes locked onto the mare as he stepped forward and pulled off his shirt, earning more than a fair amount of Sweetheart’s attention. “For starters, you’re making a lot more noise than I would like when I’m trying to sleep.” His words were almost lost to the mare as she watched him like a predator ready to lunge at its prey, eyeing his toned midsection with her tongue beginning to fall out of her mouth. “Let’s just get this whole heat thing taken care of. I’m tired of hearing you whine all night.”

At the mention of ‘taking care of’ her heat, Sweetheart’s eyes shot up to Marverick’s face. She could see the sheer intensity of his gaze in the dimly lit room, but something about this just seemed off to her. It doesn’t feel right for him to come and mount her like this. If it was going to happen, she wanted it to be special. Though, her desire for something more romantic quickly came to a close as the human wasted virtually no time pulling off his belt and shoving his pants to the floor. Her sights became glued to the package set before her. With her mind all abuzz with lustful thoughts that have been tormenting her during this hard time and the near constant burning sensation in her nethers, maybe she could let her reserves slide for just one night. It might not be romantic, but with all her hard work, didn't she deserve a prize? Her train of thought was cut short, however, as Maverick kicked off his pants from around his ankles and scooped her into his arms.

“Oh! Oh my!” she exclaimed as he placed her down into her bed once more, laying her on her back. A moment of clarity passed over her, giving a rather abrupt reminder as to what was about to happen between them. “Maverick! We- we really shouldn't be doing this!” The blush on her face deepened as his naked form, hovering over her own, caused her mind to go blank. This is happening, oh by Celestia’s beard, this is actually happening!

“I said I was going to take care of it,” Maverick grumbled as he looked down at her, “so let me take care of it.”

Sweetheart stared at Maverick’s member in both excitement and fascination. She had caught just a glimpse of it before, but now she could actually study it. It was smaller than a stallion, but not by much, no it was more the shape that fascinated her. Unlike a stallion, with its uneven shape, flat head and medial ring, Mavericks was even, smooth, and with a softly pointed head that wasn't unlike a mushroom. She’d giggle at the thought if she wasn't so turned on.

Maverick grunted as he climbed into the bed and leaned over her. “I'm going to assume that this works for you guys the same way it does for humans, so let me know if I fuck this up.” He muttered into her ear before lightly nibbling the tip.

Sweetheart squeaked, closing her eyes and trying to hide behind her hooves as she felt him press up against her entrance. His length pressed into her, eliciting an audible moan from the pony beneath him. With his equipment being rounded like a dull spear, unlike the large flat head of a stallion, he was able to delve into her depths with relative ease and cram the entirety of himself into her. While Sweetheart wasn't particularly known to get around, she had a few experiences and, while this may just be the heat talking, she could easily say that this by far the best thing she's felt in a long time. The mare's walls were almost disturbingly hot, the sopping wetness of her marehood being the only reprieve his cock would have in defense against the excessive amount of warmth. Her obvious arousal aside, her walls were gripping the human's rod like a vice almost as if her body was afraid it would leave and never come back.

Even as he began to pull out, her walls held and tugged on his length, beckoning it to return to her depths with promises of warmth and comfort. All the while, Sweetheart was letting out cute little whines as he slowly removed himself from her before plunging back in. Her whine nearly turned into a scream as he rammed forward, spearing the mare beneath him with his rod. The nurses legs shook and quivered with pleasure and anticipation, kicking outward as the man began a rhythm of humping in and out of her.

Each push forward created an audible smack as his waist met with her legs, every thrust carrying enough force to make her whole body bounce lightly on the bed. She could even feel her teats jiggling lightly as the human, her human, shoved himself into her. Her breaths became hot and heavy, breathing deeply as she could do naught but look up at this beautiful creature that had claimed her as his own this very night. The warmth of his manhood buried within her sex was oddly surreal and the sound of his breathing was almost heavenly. As he continued to move, she started motioning her hips, hoping to please him as well as the sounds in the air were taken over by the soft smacks of flesh on furred hide, heavy breathing and her own pitched moans into the heavens.

A throaty groan escaped Sweetheart as Maverick leaned down and began thrusting into her with greater force, causing her whole body to spasm a bit. Her forehooves reached out clamped down around his neck, intent on pulling him as close to her as possible as he plumbed the depths of her marehood. His hands found their way to her shoulders, pulling down on them to move her body against his thrusts, making them feel that much more forceful. While his thrusts increased in speed, Sweetheart could already feel a large amount of pressure building up in her belly. The mare knew that she wouldn’t be able to last long, at this rate. At that thought, Maverick began to relentlessly jackhammer into her. The nurse's eyes nearly rolled into the back of her head as each hilted thrust sent wave after wave of pleasure rocketing through her.

“Yes, gods yes,” Sweetheart screamed, teetering on the brink. The increasing tension just below her stomach caused Maverick's speed to quicken, and the power of his thrusts to intensify. She lost her ability to form coherent words, nothing but jumbled noises and cries of pleasure escaped her maw while she was fucked absolutely raw for the first time in her entire life.

With one final plunge, Maverick hilted himself inside of the mare or the last time. Stars erupted across Sweetheart's vision, causing the whole world around her to turn white. She couldn't help but seal her eyes shut to block out the blinding light that had claimed her vision. The release was so intense that she could feel her whole body lock up and hear pounding. Her eyes snapped back open and everything seemed oddly different, but not. The first thing she noticed was the extreme lack of human filling, or rather, human in general. Her breathing was still rapid and heavy. As she glanced around, she found herself still where she was supposed to be. She was laying in bed, her covers pulled up over her waist, with a pillow locked in a death grip in her hooves. The pounding continued, it was coming from her door. Not long after, a voice followed. One she recognized all too well and caused her face to turn red as the reality of it all hit her.

“Hey! Would you keep it down!” Maverick's voice tore through from the other side of the closed door, filled to the brim with obvious anger and annoyance. “I don’t give a fuck what you do in the privacy of your own room, but SOME of us are trying to sleep!” The familiar sound of his bipedal legs carrying him across the floor echoed lightly as he walked away from the door, leaving her with two final parting words. “Fucking spaz…”

Taking a few deep breaths, Sweetheart struggled to calm her suddenly agitated nerves. Her attention moved down to the pillow trapped in her hooves, her body still clinging to it as if her very life depended on keeping it close to her. Frustration followed soon after as she shoved the pillow to the side. The motion of her legs moving about give way to yet another problem. There’s an uncomfortable amount of wetness all down her hind legs. With a fair amount of dread in her gut, as well as part of her already knowing what to expect, Sweetheart grabbed onto her blankets and tossed them aside. To say that one would need to assess the damage would be something of an insult. She could assess it from across the room if she wanted to. Her bedspread was most definitely ruined by the obscenely large amount of marecum decorating her sheets. The nurse fell back into her bed, a loud groan escaping her throat as she silently prayed for this nightmare to finally come to an end.

It all became too much, causing Sweetheart to finally come a tad unglued. Lifting her hooves to her face, she all but growls and yell at the entire world. “Dammit all!”

“I said; Shut up, woman!”

Chapter 7

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At long lost, the end game had come into play.

"I'm free!' Sweetheart exclaimed with glee, the burning in her loins having finally passed.

The torment was over and she could finally think clearly. This newfound clearheadedness took form quickly as she started to prance about her room with determined energy. During her self-induced isolation, she spent many hours planning her next move. Granted, these plans would delve into some of the stranger places, which weren't entirely unwelcomed, but far too distracting and off track from her main goal. Today was the day. She had been plotting this days before estrus hit her like a train. It wouldn't be easy, it was far from being fun, but it must be done. After spending far too much time in front of the mirror to make sure she was presentable to her guest - Sweetheart shuddered as she remembered all the dirty dreams that had plagued her mind for the last couple weeks. These thoughts and perversions had been bad enough on their own, but their new title as 'Unofficial Lovers' or, as far as her father is concerned, 'Definitely a couple' had only added an unneccessary amount of fuel to the fire. With her heat gone, this thought did less to get her all hot and bothered. Rather, it gave her a certain fluttering feeling in the barrel of her chest, one that was triumphantly overshadowed by the tsunami of anxiety that would come crashing over it like a third-world country (or Florida) during hurricane season.

Shaking off those thoughts, Sweetheart pulled herself out of - what would likely become - a stress induced panic attack before it could officially take hold. She took several deep breaths and steered her mind back to her original goal. This was far too important to be mucking up with what-if's and trivial nothingness. All the signs were pointing toward progress and she needed to crank this machine into full throttle before it could start to sputter and fail. She would have prefered to start this process sooner, but her heat left her all but incapacitated and unable to push the matter futher. After glancing back at herself in the mirror, the mare took a deep breath and puffed out her chest, her tuft going on full display as she mentally prepped herself to be a full and confident mare for this important moment. "Let's do this, Sweetheart..."

The mare marched out of her room feeling brave, confident, powerful even. The voice of Maverick could be heard only a short distance away. Judging by the clarity, he wasn't too far off; In the kitchen, if she had to hinder a guess. Following the source of the...singing? Sweetheart deflated just a bit, not for lack of confidence, moreover she was a touch confused. This was the first time she had caught him singing. His voice was soft and low, deeply going against the rather energetic sounding tune changes she was picking up on.

"-cause frankly there is nothing I can say." Pushing off her confusion, Sweetheart made her way to the kitchen to find Maverick standing, with a light hunch in his posture, over the sink. Reinflating herself to look as big as possible, the mare made her approach, closing the distance between the two of them. Upon reaching her destination, she cleared her throat to get his attention. However, he seemed to be lost in his own little world. "I've always had a thing for pushing the extremes-"

"and I just got a thing you won't find in the magazines~" Sweetheart let out a sigh. If there was one thing she would change about this human stallion, it was tied between his ability to comepletely tune out the world and his mare-like bullheadedness. Not wanting to lose her bravodo before the confrontation, the earth pony reached out a hoof and lightly tugged on his pant leg to get his attention. Amist his singing, Macerick's words came to a stop long enough to look down and see her standing behind him. "This molded silico- Huh?"

Maverick's eyes met Sweetheart's and he could clearly see that there was something going on. She didn't look ready to jump his bones at a moments notice, which was the first thing to catch his attention. The next came immeditely after; there was something on her mind, something she wanted to tell him, something that he already knew he wasn't going to like. The man let out a sigh and set down the wet plate in his hand before lowering his arms to his sides and drying off the appendages on his legs. "Should I kick you in the head now or later?"

Sweetheart would not let herself fall to his threats so easily, not this time. This was too important to let slide any further. "Maverick, would you please join me at the table?"

The sound of the mare's voice was enough to send a chill up Maverick's spine. Whatever this was, it was serious. Letting out a sigh, the human made his way to the kitchen table with his little nurse in tow. After taking a seat, he began nearly glaring daggers at the pony who now sat directly across from him. Clearly, having learned her lesson over their time together, she made sure she was just out of his reach. Given how well his recovery had been going over the last several weeks, he had created a habit of manhandling the small pony whenever she got on his nerves. More than once, he had simply stopped talking during their short conversations while she was in heat to throw the mare over his shoulder and carry her into her room, only to toss her onto the bed and leave, closing the door behind him.

The two stared at each other in silence for nearly a minute, their silent battle for dominance on full display. Their eyes stayed locked, as if trying to reduce the other to ashes. Maverick raised his tense hands, placing them onto the table in front of him. Sweetheart responded by straightening her posture, her eyes narrowing at the human. The man closed his hands into fists, his knuckles cracking in the process. The mare took in a breath and puffed out her chest, making her small form look as big as she possibly could without looking goofy. Moving his hands back, Maverick gripped the edge of the table and leaned forward to stare at her with more intensity. Raising her hooves, Sweetheart hits them against the table and stands on her seat, leaning in as well. Their faces lingered mere inches from each other, neither party willing to back down; Not even as the door to the apartment opened.

"Sorry, I'm late." Amethyst said plainly as she enetered the humble abode, donning a large saddle bag on her back. Not having noticed the intense battle going on right in front of her, she went on to close the door behind her quickly before leviatating a stack of folders out of her saddle bag. "I found a number of potential candidates that work with different species and-"

The purple mare's words became caught in her throat as she caught sight of the pair glaring, what could be mistaken as, literal death at one another. "Am I interupting something?" She asked, recieving no answer from either of them. Her face deadpanned at the situation, finding little amusement from their ridiculous behavior. Choosing to push passed the strangeness of it all, Amethyst trotted over to the table. She climbed into the seat beside Sweetheart, holding the folders just above the table. After cleaing her thoat, the mare slams the stack of folders onto the wooden surface in front of her with a loud bang. This seemed to get their attention as both Sweetheart and Maverick nearly jumped out of their skins before falling back into their seats with wide eyes. "If you two are done acting like foals, then maybe - just maybe - we can actually get some work done here."

Sweetheart shook her head to get her brain working again, craning her neck to the side to look at her friend with an apologetic expression. "Sorry, Amethyst. We were just-uh..." The mare pasued, unable to find a word for what exactly they were doing. She chanced a look at Maverick in hopes that he could provide an explaination, his response being to raise his middle finger at her. While she didn't particularly understand the gesture, he had done it enough times, under very particular circumstances, that gave her the impression that it was some kind of insult. Her face quickly mirrored her friend's, becoming blank and almost annoyed. "Nevermind. Let's go ahead and get this ball rolling."

"About time..." Amethyst opened up the top folder with her magic while lifting it from the stack. Settting down the document in between both herself and Sweetheart, the two began to look over its contents with the unicorn pointing out certain areas with a hoof for the earth pony to look over. "Bright here has extended experience with exoctic races; Griffons, hippogrifs, a few diamond dogs and even a dragon at one point. He doesn't exactly have a perfect record, but when you're looking for help to work with races outside of ponies, you really can't ask for much more."

Sweetheart carefully examined the details hidden within, going over Doctor Bright's track record. There were plenty of great results in here and even the 'failed' patients couldn't help but comment on his hospitality, proffesionalism and overall willingness to go the extra mile to help in any way he possibly could. She found herself extremely impressed, especially since he was actually able to help the unnamed dragon with their severe gambling addiction. "This is...actually really good. I can only hope the others are as good."

"More importantly," Amethyst added matter-of-factly, "if they have an opening."

"Okay, I'll bite." Maverick finally chimed in, crossing his arms as he glanced back and forth between the two ponies. "What the hell are you guys going on about?"

While Sweetheart's intial demanor had all but vanished, she remained firm as she slid the folder back over to Amethyst, who watched on in professional fascination. "Amethyst and I have been talking during my heat and we think-" The human's rising brow caused her to stutter a bit, the confidence she had thrusted onto herself earlier quickly crumbling down right in front of her. "w-well...Now that you are feely more- Feeling! Now that you are feeling better and recovering so well, that maybe we should curb our focus from your...physical health to...your..mental health."

Maverick blinked a few times before his gaze found its way over to Amethyst. "In normal speak, please."

"We're looking for a therepist to help you deal with your fear of ponies." Amethyst said plainly, not even looking up from the folder as she continued to scan through its contents.

"Much oblidged." Nodding to the mare, Maverick returned his attention to the nervous looking mare directly across from him. "No."

"Come on, Maverick!" Sweetheart pleaded.

"No."

"Please?"

"Not happening." Maverick said while shaking his head.

"For me?" Sweeheart practically begged, pulling her front hooves into her chest.

"How many ways can I say 'no' before you get a clue?" Maverick asked, keeping his arms crossed defiantly.

"But, you've already interacted with three ponies!" Sweetheart argued, "My father being one of them! What's one more, if only to help you open up to others?"

"Those times were different." Maverick shot back calmly.

"How were they different?"

"Amethyst was gonna fire you because of me. I didn't have a choice there." Amethyst silently grimaced at the mention of their altercation. She still held some resentment toward herself for doubting Sweetheart.

"Fair..." Sweetheart couldn't find a proper counter for that particular incident. "But, what about when you spoke to my dad? You did that all on your own without any kind of-"

"I can beat him." Maverick stated in a tone that the mares couldn't quite pinpoint for him.

Sweetheart tilted her head in confusion. "What do you mean, you coul-"

"He is small, thin and he was alone." Maverick clarified in a much more recognizable tone of dominance and aggression. "I assessed the situation, made note of all of his weak points and took into consideration his ability to fly and how slow his reaction time is in relation to mine."

Amethyst and Sweetheart took a moment of silence to look at each other before coming to a realization. From what they were hearing, he only allowed Harmony into the house because Maverick didn't consider him a threat. This made the nurse's head swim through a torrent of thoughts; what would have happened to her father if Maverick deemed him a threat? Would he have even answered the door or would he have simply attacked her sire? Why did he need to feel like he needed to be stronger than her father just to meet him face to face and have a conversation? Is this just a human thing?

Sweetheart's mind flashed back to his condition when they first came into contact; The weak, bloodied and beaten human rummaging through hospital supplies. Thinking on it, his fear of ponies should have been enough to cause him to flee at the sight of her. Instead, he waited in the cover of darkness before taking the inititive and running a grapple on her only to send her away not even minutes later. She wondered if he only did that because he didn't percieve her as a threat, if he saw her as weak. Was that the only reason he was comfortable around her? It would make sense, moreso after his intial meeting with the ponies in the Southern Mountains that nearly caused him to bleed out both in hospital and on her couch.

While she found these thoughts a bit imaresculating, it did help explain a few things and even opened up a doorway of sorts toward finding help for him. "Amethyst, keep an eye out for physical descriptions. We need somepony who doesn't seem like a threat."

"Already on it." Having come to a similar conclusion, albiet with less details, Amethyst had already eliminated nearly half the stack of files she had brought along with her.

With her attention returned to Maverick, Sweethear offered a small smile. "Is that better?"

"Twelve point five out of ten; Would rather stick my dick in an anthill." Maverick stated in his usual neutral tone, the statement being enough to cause the two mares to cringe slightly.

"B-but how can-" Sweetheart fell into silence as a deep purple hoof reached out and covered her mouth.

"I got this." Amethyst interupted, removing her hoof from the nurse's muzzle as she turned her attention to the human. "Listen, Maverick; I know you think things are going fine right now, but I - and quite frankly, whatever higher beings that be, I'm sure - are tired of hearing your bitching about how bored you are being cooped up in here."

Maverick remained silent and neutral as he listened to the mare speak. "If you have any intention of not becoming a full-blown hermit, you're gonna need to work through your reluctance to meet other ponies. If you're not willing to do that on your own, then we're gonna have to bring in a professional and that's that."

"And I-" Maverick began, only to be forced back into silence.

"This is not up for debate." Amethyst declares firmly, her hoof slamming into the table showing that she was clearly unwilling to let this slide. "Let me put this in terms that you will understand; Either sack up and see the shrink, or I tell the science committee that an alien has taken over my best nurse's mind and is forcing her to bunk him."

Maverick glared at Amethyst, but knew all too well that she had him by the scrotum here. While it may be considered wise to know when you only have one option, that didn't make it any less infuritaing. He growled to himself as he lifted his hands to run them through his hair as he ran through everything in his head. Letting out a sigh, the man dropped his arms onto the table in submission. "Have I ever mentioned that I hate you?"

"Several times." Amethyst replied, turning her attention back to the stack of folders in front of her before pulling down a new file and opening it up.

Sweetheart had been stunned by the majority of this exchange, but managed to work up the courage to try and comfort the human. "We're only trying to do what's best for you, Maverick." She said with genuine concern, reaching out a hoof and placing it atop of his left hand. "And don't worry, I would never let her tell anypony that you are mind controling me."

"Sweetheart," Amethyst began, her eyes still glued to the recently opened folder levitating in front of her face. "you are colty as hell and I am a unicorn. You couldn't stop me if you tried." She wouldn't admit this aloud, but her words here were meant more as a benefit for hers and Sweetheart's plan. The mare figured that, the more of a threat she presented herself as, the more cooperative their alien patient would be.

Sweetheart's ears fell flat against her head at this. However, her attention remained primarily on the disgruntled looking human in front of her. He was clearly upset about this whole situation. His neutral expression would be enough to fool most ponies, but she had been around him long enough to see just how much this was bothering him. It was written deeply in his eyes, the slight twitching of his upper lip and his near-vacant expression. He was dreading this to his core and seeing him so shaken was eating her alive.

Unable to fight her natural instincts, Sweetheart removed her hoof from the human's hand and nearly jumped out of her chair. Quickly and carefully, the mare maneuvered her way under the table and climbed up on the other side, pulling herself into Maverick's lap and wrapping her hooves tightly around his midsection. The man would regard her curiously, but with little investment as his mind ran rampant with thoughts of doubt. With their distance being reduced to practically nothing, the side of her head being pressed to his chest, the light coated mare could hear everything going on inside of his body. His breathing was shallow and his heart was racing at a rate that only made her worry more. There was a slight trembling that rolled through his whole body she couldn't visibly see, but being pressed against him like this allowed her to feel it rocking the entirety of his torso. Seeing his face and eyes had already told her enough for her know that he wasn't okay with any of this, but hearing and experiencing how it was effecting him physically told her so much more.

This wasn't just reluctance and dread, this was fear. Pure and angry fear that he simply would not express for whatever reason. As much as she would like all of this to stop, if only to help him relax, this reaction - along with her little revelation earlier - only reinforced her belief that he desperately needed a professional to evaluate and help him through this. No creature, no matter their race or size, should have to feel like they need to be stronger or more powerful than another being just to be in their presence. It seemed like such a sad and lonely way to live and she could not bear the thought of him living with that kind of venom in his heart every day for the rest of his life.

"Sweet Celestia..." Amethyst said to herself aloud, not even noticing that she had earned both Maverick's and Sweetheart's attention with her reaction. "This mare has a hell of a track record, but how the buck do you sleep with five of your clients and still keep you license?"

"What!?"

"The fuck!?"

The Sweetheart & The Maverick

by Twisted Brew

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6 (Clop)

Chapter 7