//------------------------------//
// Just in Case 
// Story: Hearts Beat 
// by mushroompone 
//------------------------------//

"I have your, uh…" Fluttershy held up the paper bag. It looked like the saddest burger ever made. "Your food."

"Thanks, Fluttershy," I said, holding my hoof out for the bag. "I really appreciate it."

"Sure," Fluttershy smiled and dropped the bag into my outstretched hoof. "I got you one with extra fries. Nothing fixes a broken heart like junk food!"

I opened the bag. The hayburger smelled amazing… greasy and salty and chock-full of carbs. I pulled the burger out of the bag and sat back in my chair, eyes still trained on my front walk. "Not a broken heart, Fluttershy."

"Right…"

"Just a friend trying to make things right."

"Twilight…" Fluttershy came to my side and sat down. "I thought we'd talked about this."

I scoffed and took a bite of the burger. "We talked about how insensitive it is of me to be trying to steal Vinyl away for myself."

"But that's not--"

"And we talked about how my feelings don't exactly factor into the equation."

"I agree that Vinyl shouldn't--"

"And we definitely talked at length about what a bad idea it is for me to reach out to Vinyl again, after these repeated…" I stopped to swallow. "The repeated… I can't think of the word."

"Um… incidents?"

I growled. "I can't keep calling things that happen to me 'incidents', it makes me sound like some sort of science experiment on the loose."

"Well, I think that--" Fluttershy stopped.

I turned to look at her. "Yeah?"

"Sorry, I thought… I thought you would interrupt," Fluttershy said.

I sighed. "I'm sorry, Fluttershy. I just-- well, lately I've been telling every one of you girls the same thing, and I'm just getting sick of it," I explained. "Vinyl thinks I like her--"

"You do like her."

"--and that makes her uncomfortable, so she's staying away from me for now."

Fluttershy shuffled her hooves. "And… I'm sorry, why are you staying inside?"

"Because eventually she might come over, and I don't want to miss it if she does!" I explained. I popped a French fry into my mouth. 

Fluttershy was silent for a moment. She took a step closer, her hooves rustling through discarded wrappers and paper cups. "I'm confused."

"It's--" I sighed. "It's a very delicate plan. Lot of moving parts."

"Seems like… no moving parts." Fluttershy's eyes ran up and down my body, which was slumped against the wall under the window.

"Ha, ha. Hilarious."

"Twilight, this is getting a little…" Fluttershy shuffled her hooves. The wrappers and bags rustled like leaves. "Well, you can't just stay inside all day."

"But…" I held up my burger. "I've got food."

Fluttershy nodded. "Yes, but… wouldn't it be nice to go get your own food?"

I shrugged. "This is kinda like when I was a student at Celestia's school. I'm really, really good at it."

"Weren't you…" Fluttershy cleared her throat. "Do you really want to be good at it?"

I turned to face Fluttershy, setting the burger back down on the bag. She looked worried about me, I had to admit that. "I'm okay, Fluttershy! This is all… it's all a 'just in case' kinda thing."

"Just in case?"

"Yeah!" I smiled a bit. "Y'know, like I'm gonna stay by the window just in case Vinyl comes… I've got Spike waiting by the pool just in case Vinyl calls--"

"I was wondering where Spike went…" Fluttershy looked over her shoulder towards the crystal pool room.

"It's nothing to worry about! It's-- it's nothing to worry about, I promise."

Fluttershy whimpered.

I sighed. "What is it, Fluttershy?"

"It's nothing…"

"Fluttershy…"

"I'm worried about you, Twilight!" She said. "It's just my nature…"

I sighed deeply, barely managing to tear my gaze away from the window. 

If I was honest with myself, I had no idea what I was doing. I had gotten really good at fixing other ponies' problems, but I still felt behind when it came to me. These past few days had been filled with constant justification. Maybe not an actual fight… but it felt like one. And I hated fighting with my friends.

"Hypothetically."

"Yes?" Fluttershy's ears pricked up.

"What could I do that would make you… less worried?" I mumbled, almost hoping she wouldn't hear.

"Oh!" Fluttershy flapped her wings excitedly. "Oh, we could go for a walk together! This is the perfect time of year to watch for goldfinches and woodpeckers!"

"Um…" I looked back out the window. "That sounds… nice."

"We could also go down to the river. There's a beaver lodge there with a very active family of five!" Fluttershy was edging into my peripheral vision. "You wouldn't believe how cute they are."

"Hm, that sounds… good…" I murmured.

There was a pony in the distance with a light coat. They were wearing a hoodie with the hood up, their man totally obscured. Was it Vinyl? If it was, was she dressed like that to avoid me? Did she really feel like she had to be in disguise just to go out?

Fluttershy was still talking. I think. But I couldn't hear her, not really. Distant and muffled.

The way they moved their head-- was that how Vinyl moved hers? They way they walked… was that the was she walked?

They removed their hood, revealing a grey mane.

I let out a breath.

"Twilight?"

I jumped. "Y-yeah?"

"Did you hear what I said? About the fox burrows?" Fluttershy asked.

"Yeah! Sounds cute," I said quickly.

"But you'd rather stay by the window?" Fluttershy guessed.

I looked over my shoulder at her. I'm sure I looked very pathetic. "Just in case…"

Fluttershy took a deep breath in and closed her eyes. She looked very at peace as she stood there, considering the stress I was probably putting her through. Although, at the time, I wasn't thinking any of that; I was thinking something more like 'please leave me alone so I don't have to confront this.'

"How about this:" Fluttershy said, her eyes still closed. "I will stay here and look out the window. You go down the street to the bookstore and buy a new book."

I turned to look at Fluttershy. "Wait… you'd really do that? For me?"

Fluttershy opened her eyes. "Of course, Twilight," she said. "I don't think I've ever seen you so nervous. You need a break."

"And if you see Vinyl, you'll--"

"I'll call Spike down and we'll go talk to her. I promise."

I stood up and rushed to my friend, embracing her tightly. "Thank you, Fluttershy. I'm gonna be so quick you won't even know I'm gone!"

"That's not--"

But I was already out the door.

I was off at a trot down the street, the cold air clinging to my sides. I shuddered and fluffed up my wings to trap some heat. 

The bookstore really was just down the street, which had been terrible for my self-control. It was new, run by a very old mare who often fell asleep while knitting at the front desk. I always wondered how she knew where she'd left off when she fell asleep… although, judging by the overall quality of her finished scarves, knitting wasn't exactly her special talent. So maybe she didn't know how, either.

We had enough distance from Hearth's Warming that the streets were coming back to life. Some ponies flashed me little smiles, and I tried to return them. 

The bell above the bookstore door tinkled lightly, and I grabbed at it with my magic to silence it. Feather Quill snorted in her sleep behind the desk.

I let the door drop gently. No sense waking her up. I liked to browse alone.

This bookstore was the type that nearly made you feel claustrophobic. The stacks of books scraped the sagging ceiling tiles, leaning precariously inward, threatening to fall at the slightest breath. What little shelving there was seemed to blend so seamlessly into the papery edges of the books that it was hardly there; just books. Unsorted, gloriously adventurous, and extensively annotated by mysterious previous owners. It was the kind of place that an incredible romance spanning all of time and space might begin…

I ran my hoof gingerly along the protruding bindings. Books of every shape and size. The smell was so… intoxicating. Old books, new books… even the dusty, mildewed tomes had their place in the aromatic atmosphere.

It was safe here. I'd spent so many hours of my childhood in places that looked and smelled just like this, be they bookstores or libraries. I could feel my stress dissolving just standing here.

My eye caught and lingered on a small, blue book with a fraying fabric cover. It was, tragically, stuck at the bottom of one of the more massive stacks.

I steadied myself, lit my horn, and began the dance of removing the book from the stack to examine more closely.

Little to the left, little to the right… more. More!

I shrieked as the stack came crashing down over my head. I tried to divert their path, but doing so without causing more damage in this cramped space was nearly impossible. Most of the books bounced off my head on the way down, it seemed.

"Oh, jeez…" I murmured, examining the mess I'd made.

Feather Quill snored again.

I crouched down and began to pick up books, stacking them more stably this time, and putting them back up in the shelf.

"Twilight?"

I stood bolt upright, dropped everything at once.

There she was. Standing at the end of the aisle. Her eyes were wide, as if she'd been caught doing something she shouldn't have been.

My breath hitched. "Vinyl?" I whispered.

"Are you okay? What happened?" She trotted towards me.

I instinctively room a step away from her. "Oh, n-nothing, I just-- what are you doing here?"

"Uh…" Vinyl cleared her throat. Then she laughed, a bit awkwardly. "I'm… I'm shopping for you."

I blinked. "For me?"

Vinyl took a deep breath, let it out. "Yeah, well, funny story-- Octavia and I both went home for Hearth's Warming."

When she said it, it seemed obvious. Of course you'd go home for Hearth's Warming. I'd gone home, after all-- visited my family for the day.

"Octavia's family still lives in Great Bittain, and mine's--"

"From Chicoltgo," I finished for her.

A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "You remembered."

I blushed.

"Well, I hadn't heard from you for a while. I figured you didn't want…" She looked down at the floor. Cleared her throat. "Anyway, I got back yesterday. Got your present. But I didn't have anything for you."

"Did… did you like it?"

Vinyl blinked. "Like what?"

I chuckled. "Your present. I know it was--"

"Oh, my gosh. Twilight--" She looked at me, focused and intense. "I loved it. I listened to it so many times."

"Really?"

"Yeah, really!" Vinyl was beaming now. "I've never had anypony write a song for me before. It was really… special."

I didn't know what to say. I think I just stared at here. The anger and confusion that had built up in me after so many weeks was melting away, and I was trying so hard to replace it with images of Vinyl and her family, of messy morning meals, of cozy movie nights and mugs of cocoa…

"I'm getting you a book. Hope that isn't too on-the-nose," Vinyl said, with a little chuckle.

I shook my head. "Never."

"Well, good. Just hope you don't have it already."

I giggled. "If I do, I'll pretend I don't. Deal?"

Vinyl smiled. "Deal."

We stood there a moment longer, still staring into each other's eyes, nearly unblinking. It was as if we were afraid to miss a moment of the other's presence.

"No offense, Twi, but I'd appreciate if you could leave. Let me shop for your present where you can't see me, huh?" Vinyl said. Her old tone had returned. Casual. Relaxed. As if talking was the easiest thing in the world.

Talking to me, that is.

"Sure," I said.

I walked down the aisle, out of my mess, and towards Vinyl. The door was right behind her.

I lifted one wing to squeeze around her. My primaries brushed against Vinyl's head, and she ducked under them.

"Bye, Vinyl," I said.

"Bye."

I put my hoof on the door, began to push--

"Twilight, wait!"

She grabbed my foreleg with hers.

I turned to meet her, ready to ask what she needed of me.

But this exchange was wordless.

She kissed me.

I didn't know what to do, hardly knew how to react. I think I may have kissed her back.

She pulled away, a little breathless.

"I…" She stepped back. "I… I'm sorry, I…"

She took off running. Out the door, not looking back. She had not bought a book. She had not woken Feather Quill.

"Don't be…" I whispered.