Spike lay on his back, staring into the ceiling. A ray of light had escaped the top of the curtains in his room, and splayed across the ceiling much like his lover beside him lay across the bed.
He'd been unable to return to sleep with Fluttershy, and had spent some of the morning looking over her sleeping face. He'd resisted almost every urge to touch her, but the one time he'd touched her cheek has caused a sigh so warm he'd felt as though he was dreaming, regardless of how little fatigue his eyes and head felt.
Slowly, he shifted out of the bed, having long ago tossed away the blankets. Taking a last look over his shoulder, he stared at her for just long enough to feel like a creep before he left the room.
Walking into the living area, he moved to a desk with paper and ink on it. Dipping a quill, he penned a letter, practice keeping his swift words clear and the ink from spattering. Holding up the paper, he breathed deeply over the ink to help it dry before setting it aside and writing another letter.
Looking them over, he nodded before using his flames to send them to two separate princesses.
Task complete, he walked into the kitchen and glanced at the clock. An hour and a half since they'd gone back to bed. He'd need to make sure Fluttershy woke up soon, her animals likely needed her after she didn't show up for most of yesterday.
Walking to the icebox, he pulled the chilled coffee out and poured a cup, downing the bitter concoction and shivering before he put the rest on the oven and poured a little sugar into his mug.
Feeling a tickle in his throat, he coughed up a reply from Twilight, stating that she would, “Of course make you some more of that potion Spike, I can't believe I didn't think of it. I'll have the batch ready tonight, so come over before you go to sleep. And you could have slept here, you know!”
Chuckling, he set her letter aside and looked over at the coffee pot, which was gentling bubbling from the heat. Pulling it off the stove, he poured the steaming liquid over the small mound of sugar in his cup and took a long, slow sip. The almost boiling liquid made Spike shiver, the dark coffee going down as smooth as buttered emeralds.
Smirking at his own thoughts, Spike leaned back in his chair and thought of the other letter he'd sent, and it's recipient.
This feels like a surprisingly good start. Hope today stays well.
Watching the clock, he walked into his room after another ten minutes or so, and woke Fluttershy with a series of gentle kisses.
“Mmmm…?”
“Wake up 'Shy, it's morning time.”
She rolled over to face him, squinting in the early morning light.
“You're really cute, you know that?”
She lifted her head, looking at him closer.
Stifling a chuckle, Spike kissed her nose. “We've got chores to do over at your house, 'Shy.”
She blinked at him, rubbing an eye with a hoof. Suddenly, her legs and wings snapped out, throwing the blanket and everything else around her onto Spike. Pulling the blanket off his face, he chuckled as he heard his front door shut.
“Yeah,” he said to himself, tossing the sheet out over the bed and smoothing it. “Real damned cute.” Finishing the bed, he went into the kitchen and drained the rest of the coffee pot before following her to her cottage.
§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§
By the time he got to the cottage, Fluttershy was locking up the shed where she kept the food for the outside animals and heading towards her little garden patch. Diverting her path, she made her way to him and exchanged a long, almost chaste kiss.
“Thanks for waking me up,” she said, blush fading as she spoke. “A couple of the animals were pretty hungry when I got here, and Angel said they picked over the garden. Want to check it with me?”
Grinning, Spike nodded and pressed himself against her side, walking to the garden and looking it over from the outside while she walked the lanes inside.
“Tomatoes and cucumbers look picked over,” he said, pointing to a couple plants. “Otherwise, I don't see much. Looks like they took enough for a couple meals, but that's fair I suppose.”
“I'm glad they ate, honestly. I'd rather be without the food than have them going hungry,” she said, raising the leaves on a plant to look underneath them. “A few of the birds must have been through here as well, those bugs I was having a problem with are gone too.”
“Awesome,” Spike said, scratching at his throat. After a moment, he started coughing. “Oh, uhm, excuse me,” he said, turning and hacking up a scroll. “Must be from Cadance, she's still a little rough with that particular spell,” he said, waving away an extra puff of dark smoke as he got his coughing under control.
“Oh, I wonder what she's writing about,” Fluttershy said, walking over and watching Spike's face as he read over the scroll.
“Oh, I wrote her and Twilight both this morning,” he muttered as he read, keeping his eyes on the letter. “Twilight is working on some anti nightmare potions, with Luna's help she should have them done pretty quickly. Cadance...”
He sighed, holding out the letter.
“I wrote her about the possibility of me still having… something, for Rarity.”
Fluttershy nodded, looking over the letter. Once she got to a certain point, she stopped and looked up at him. “Polyamory?”
He flinched, looking away from her. “That's one thing she suggested might work.” He shook his head, looking back at her. “But I don't think that's something I want to even think about, honestly. I just-” he sighed, flapping a hand at the letter. “I just want to be friends again. She was my best friend besides Twilight, and now we can barely look at each other.”
Fluttershy looked over the letter again. “Cadance has invited us up to the Crystal Empire, all three of us.”
Spike shook his head slowly. “I couldn't ask that of you two, I know you're busy enough with the animals. And I can't even imagine how backed up on dress orders Rarity must be…”
Fluttershy lifted a hoof and gently rested it on Spike's snout, stopping the drake before he could truly start a monologue.
“Dr. Fauna has looked after the animals before, I'm sure I could talk her into doing it again,” she said calmly. “I can even afford to pay her, if she asks for it. And I'm sure Rarity can continue delegating her orders to her other stores, at least for another week. Especially,” she said, pressing a hoof to his chest, “if it's to help you.”
He took her hoof in his claw, stroking the fur with a thumb.
“What if something happens between us?” he asked, quietly. “What would I say if Rarity says that she wants me back?”
Fluttershy looked down at the ground for a moment, before looking back into his eyes and smiling. “You should say what it is you want, Spike, even if that means…”
He lifted a claw, gently shushing her before laying a gentle peck on her lips.
“I won't leave you, 'Shy.”
She trembled, before shaking her head. “I want you to be happy, Spike, and if-”
“No,” he cut her off, shaking his head. “Leaving you could never make me happy, Fluttershy. I just…” He looked around, then shook himself. “I think I'd like to just go up there with you, and talk to Cadance. Get out of town for a little, clear my head of Rarity and focus on you and me.” He smiled at her. “Sound fun?”
Frowning, she fidgeted in place a little. “I don't know Spike, what if you-”
Spike shook his head, then leaned in and gave her a swiftly deepening kiss, moving his claws over her withers and down her back as he pulled her close. He gently pulled away, even as she leaned into him.
“I love you, Fluttershy. I want to be with you, no baggage. It's the reason I spoke to Cadance in the first place.”
“Okay Spike,” she sighed, nuzzling into him. “Just you and me.”
“Thank you,” he whispered into the top of her mane, kissing the top of her head. “In that case, I think you need to find a pet-sitter, and I should let Twilight know I'm going to be gone for a week or so.”
“I'm sure she'll miss you.” Fluttershy frowned. “You should probably pick up your potions, though. Last night seemed really tough on you.”
Thinking about it for a moment, he nodded slowly.
“Yeah, that's fair,” he muttered. “I never really went back to sleep last night.”
Pulling a frown, Fluttershy pulled him in for a hug, before gently pushing him towards town.
“Go ahead and let her know then, and maybe see if you can help her with the potions. We can take an overnight train if we hurry, and be in the Empire by morning.”
Spike nodded, kissing Fluttershy goodbye before facing town and starting his walk.
As he walked he stretched a few of the muscles on his back, experimenting with what used to be attached to his wings. The most he seemed to be able to do right now was twitch his spine spikes to either side, and scrunch up his shoulders.
He sighed, passing into town limits as he moved towards Twilight's castle. There couldn't be any way of knowing when he'd get his wings back, or if he ever would.
I'll ask Twilight to study up on dragon wing growth, if she has time. Maybe mine will reform when I gather enough of my own magic back.
These thoughts continued on until he reached the castle. Opening the doors, he looked into the hall before slamming them shut again, blush overtaking his face.
“In the main hall!?” he called through the crystal edifice, thankful once again that they were not transparent.
“The Great and Powerful Trixie has no need for barriers!”
Starlight opened the doors, face redder than an Apple's as a foreleg pushed her hair into something Rarity would merely mention, instead of being compelled to fix immediately.
“In the main hall?” he asked her, shaking his head. “Is Twilight out, then?”
Trixie walked up and leaned against Glimmer, pink-cheeked but not nearly as red as the other two. “Twiggles is busy in her lab. She's not leaving it anytime soon.”
“Unless I would like to get something to drink, Trixie.”
The two mares froze, both paling. Turning around, the couple grinned at the blushing princess walking down the hall. They looked at each other, then both pointed a hoof at the other.
“She-!”
“Nope!” Twilight called over them. “I can not. Just, go to your room or whatever, and we can talk about it later. I'm too tired for this right now.”
The two hung their heads and walked down the hall. After turning the corner, Spike and Twilight both heard a muted growl and a giggle.
Shaking her head, Twilight looked up at Spike. “I know I'm a prude, Spike, but in the hallway?”
“Don't look at me, Twi,” he said. “I'm smart enough to at least lock the front door. Trixie was probably hoping for someone to walk in, honestly.”
“I don't think it's her, though!” Twilight whispered. “I'm pretty sure I saw Starlight initiate this one!”
“Oh.”
They both stared down the hallway for a moment, collectively at a loss.
“Uhm, so,” Spike said, “I'm here to see if I can help with those Nightmare Potions.” He shook his head at her stricken look. “No, they're not that bad. Not as bad as the first time at least. I sent a letter to Cadance about a separate issue, and she's invited me and Fluttershy up for a weekend retreat of sorts.”
“Ah,” Twilight said, confusion playing across her face. “Sure. Let's go see if Luna's ready to start stewing everything together.”
It was Spike's turn to look stricken. “They were doing that, with Luna here!?”
“I know, right?” Twilight sighed. “Whatever, I'm done talking about that. Let's go see Luna.”
It was a short walk down the hallway to the stairs leading downwards, into the basement that Twilight had sectioned off into a storage area and a laboratory. Walking through the door, she reached the steel wall that had been set into the crystal of the room, knocking on the thick wood before opening the door.
Luna turned around, lifting the heavy goggles from her eyes with her magic even as her heavily gloved hooves kept stirring the potion currently bubbling in an iron cauldron. Her lustrous blue fur was covered with a mostly white lab coat, stained over one breast pocket with a mysterious green streak, and her hair was tied back with a silver ribbon.
“Hail, Spike!” she called excitedly, before yawning and levitating over a mug. “The concoction is nearly ready. Soon, my bed's calling will be fulfilled,” she said, wistfully looking to the north.
Spike chuckled, walking over to the cauldron and peering cautiously into it.
“Didn't this used to be green?” he asked, narrowing his eyes at the red liquid.
“You can handle a stronger dosage now then you could then,” Luna explained, reaching over to the nearby table and passing Spike a pair of goggles. “Careful though, this one likes to bubble and splash sometimes.”
Spike nodded, placing the band around the back of his head and sliding down the smoked glass.
The conversation in the room quickly escalated into extreme alchemical jargon, and Spike had to tune it out or fall asleep. Pulling away from the two mares, he poked idly around the room until Luna called him away from a large, black and silver bag she'd apparently brought along. The strong herbal smell from the bag tickled his nose, anyway.
Twilight cleared her throat after the second time he circled the room.
“You know, I still have your bookshelf down here; the one with copies of all of your favorite books.”
Blushing a bit, Spike walked over to the shelf and lost himself in nostalgia for a while.