Lily squirmed on the couch for what felt like the umpteenth time. A thunderstorm had appeared out of nowhere a few hours ago, and even though she would hate to admit it to anypony, she was deathly afraid of thunder and lightning. She pulled the blanket over her head as she buried her muzzle in between the couch cushions, trying her hardest to block out the terrifying sounds. A whimper escaped past her lips as a particularly loud thunderclap rang out from above, making the tips of her wings tremble.
About a minute later, she heard a door further down the hall click open, making her ears cock towards the sound. Jason? she thought as she lifted her head up, the blanket falling from her head to rest on her back. Soft hoofsteps came from further down the hallway, a brief flash of lightning illuminating the pony walking towards her. “Oh, it’s you,” she said, a sheepish smile sliding onto her face. She hoped that he hadn’t seen her squirming in fear, for such a thing was unbecoming of a guard, after all.
“Yeah. I heard someone whimper and I thought it was Nightshine.” Jason stopped in front of Nightshine’s door and pressed an ear against it. When he heard her snoring, he grinned and shook his head as he walked forward, stopping when he reached the living room. He leaned against the wall as he yawned. “She’s still getting used to living here, after all. I don’t think she likes storms that much.” He pushed himself off of the wall and rubbed the back of his neck. “So, uh... was it you I heard? Were you having a nightmare or something?”
“Yeah, it was me,” Lily admitted with a blush. Her ears flicked back as she glanced away, unable to hold his gaze. “I don’t like storms either.”
“Oh, I see...” Jason turned back around towards his bedroom. “It should be gone in a little bit, and then we can all get some shut-eye.” He took a couple of steps back towards his room before he heard Lily cough. Glancing over his shoulder, he waited for her to speak.
“Um... any chance we could stay up and talk for a little bit?” Lily asked hopefully, a light smile pulling the sides of her lips upwards.
“Heh, sure. I don’t see why not.” Jason turned around again and walked over to the couch, treading as lightly as he could so as to not wake Nightshine up. He jumped up on the couch and settled down next to Lily, letting his forelegs drape over the edge. “So you don’t really like thunderstorms all that much, huh?”
Lily shook her head as she squirmed on the couch, her wings fluttering at her sides. “Nuh-uh, and you better not tell anypony about that, either.”
“Your secret is safe with me,” Jason said with a chuckle. “So... what’s on your mind?”
“I don’t know, I just wanted some company. I don’t really like being alone; that’s why I live in the barracks instead of my own place. Living in Canterlot is way too expensive, even on a royal guard’s salary, so it kinda just works out.”
“I’m sure. That’s why I chose to live down here. The food is good, the house was relatively cheap compared to what was offered up in Canterlot, and everypony down here is pretty nice. It did take a while for them to get used to me, though. I only became a pony like, a few days ago.”
“Yeah, Luna said something about that. What were you before you were a pony?” Lily curiously asked. "I forget."
“A human,” Jason said. "Think of a hairless monkey that's a lot taller that wears clothes all the time."
"Oh, okay... that sounds weir- uh, sorry," Lily said with a sheepish smile. "I'm sure you look nice."
"Eh, I'm just average, really. Nothing too special about me."
Lily crossed her right foreleg over the other. "So... what made you want to become a thestral? For Nightshine?"
“Yeah. I also thought it'd be fun to see what living like a pony would be like. I know Nightshine is living her dream come true with me like this, but man... while she acts like a normal filly, I can’t help but treat her like she’s the most fragile thing in the universe. She’s been my daughter for a little while now, and while it already feels like it’s been forever, we’re still learning how to mesh as a family. Maybe living as a pony would help that process move along faster.”
Lily grinned. “It sounds like you’re doing a splendid job so far. Luna sure seems to think so.”
“Yeah? Was Twilight sending her letters or something?”
Lily nodded. “Mmm... maybe. And maybe she had me read them aloud to her.” She shifted back and forth on the couch. "So... you said you like to snuggle? Nightshine said that you're the best snuggler, after all."
“Yeah... I can show you if you want.” Another loud thunderclap sounded out from right above his house, making him jump a little bit. Lily let loose a loud ‘eep’ as she jerked forward, pressing up against his side. Jason’s breath caught in his throat as he felt her tremble against him. “You okay?” he asked, placing his left hoof on her back.
“Y-Yeah,” Lily said. Feeling his body’s warmth seep into her right wing and coat, her eyes went wide. With an awkward giggle, she scooted back a little bit, unable to look up at him for fear of him seeing how hard she was blushing. “Sorry about that.”
“Nothing to be sorry about. You were just scared. Hehe, it even scared me, and I like loud thunderstorms!” Jason stretched his forelegs then relaxed, listening to the sound of raindrops hitting the roof.
“Ugh! I hate them!” Lily’s muzzle scrunched up as she shook her head to and fro, like she’d just eaten a piece of sour candy. “I don’t know why anypony would like them.”
Jason shrugged. “I just think they make cool sounds,” he said.
“They make scary sounds,” Lily said, correcting him. Feeling her blush subside, she nudged his leg with a hoof and glanced back up at him. “So... you were saying something about snuggling?” she asked with a long yawn.
"Yeah. You wanna snuggle here or go to my bed?"
"Here is fine. I'm already pretty warm right here, after all," she said. "So... do you like being the little spoon or the big spoon?"
"I suppose either would be fine. What do you like?"
"...I like being the little spoon," Lily squeaked out. "But I think we should get to know each other better before doing something so intimate." She propped her head up on a pillow then held open the blanket enough for Jason to scoot in beside her. "Thanks for the company, though. I really do appreciate it..." she whispered, letting the blanket fall upon his back.
Jason grabbed a pillow to lay his head on, then let loose a long sigh, enjoying the warmth from the blanket and from Lily. A few minutes passed in silence as he listened to the storm fade away into the distance. Wondering if she was still up, he listened hard and noticed that she was breathing steadily. “Lily, you still up?” he asked softly. When she didn’t budge an inch, he chuckled. “You didn’t fall asleep already, did you?” Warmth from Lily’s body seeped into his legs. He wanted to get up and go back to his bed, but he figured that if she was scared of thunderstorms, she probably hadn’t got any sleep yet. Wanting to let her get some rest, he made himself comfortable on the couch then let sleep take him away to the wonderful world of dreams.
After several minutes, Lily cracked an eye open, glancing at his face. Perfect... she thought, feeling butterflies flit about in her stomach when her eyes confirmed that he was already fast asleep. I wonder if he'd look as cute as a human? Her ears flicked down as she grinned, happy with her good luck. I wonder if he’s going to invite me to the Grand Galloping Gala... Dear Celestia... please... I’ve never been. She heard another loud thunderclap a little ways off in the distance, and instead of it making her shiver in fright, she simply snuggled closer and closed her eyes, feeling secure and content laying next to him. At least thunderstorms have one thing going for them!