//------------------------------// // Chapter 7 // Story: Passio Patefecit Est // by Senorita-De-La-Nieve //------------------------------// The first thing Noteworthy saw as he woke up was the glistening silhouette of a pony standing by the windows as the sun slowly set. It was stunning to say the least. The golden rays of the sun washed over the mare's pink coat and wrapped her in a dress-like shape of grace. He silently gazed as the golden light seemed to wrap around her, her green hair, though seemingly out of place, was also very welcoming, reminiscent of the grass outside, and blending with the colours perfectly, yet contrasting beautifully. She looked over at him and smiled, and he was immediately lost for a moment in her golden eyes. She walked over to him as he attempted to sit up, but she laid a hoof on his chest and pushed him back down. "Don't," she said sternly, yet kindly. "The doctors say you need to rest," she said with a warm smile and he lay back down, smiling at her fondly, but still attempting to sit up. "I am quite capable of sitting up so I don't have to stare at the cieling all day," he stated coyly and her smile grew. She took the hoof off of his chest and sat down on a chair that was set up beside the bed. Noteworthy looked at her and she frowned, tilting her head. His smile disappeared and he furrowed his brow in confusion. "What?" he asked and she shook her head, getting out of the chair and dabbing a cloth in the bowl of water that had been set by his bed. She wiped along his cheek and drew back the cloth. It held a stain of red in the middle. "Your cut from where Octavia hit you was still bleeding," she explained, and Noteworthy held a hoof to the wound as the pain of it suddenly came back. Daisy sat on the chair and Noteworthy looked at her. "Forgive me, I didn't ask you your name," he said and she smiled again. She looked pretty when she smiled. "My name's Daisy. I run the flower shop in town. What about you? What's your name?" she asked and he held out a hoof. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance Miss Daisy, my name is Noteworthy," he said, and she held his hoof in a handshake, Noteworthy tried to ignore the sudden jolt of electricity that slowed time, jolting from his hoof all the way up his spine. "Noteworthy. That's a nice name," she said and he smiled at her again. "As is Daisy. It suits you," he muttered the last part, though she heard him. "In what way?" she asked and Noteworthy blushed slightly under his blue coat. "Well, uh, you, uh, you look quite colourful..." he said and she arched an eyebrow in mock annoyance. "Not that... Not that that's a bad thing... I, uh... I mean it's quite... endearing in fact, and, uh, oh Celestia," he rambled, and Daisy broke into fits of giggles. "You want a shovel for that hole you're digging there?" she asked and he blushed harder. She stopped laughing and smiled warmly. "Thanks Notes, I'm going to take that as a compliment" she said and he breathed a sigh of relief at that statement as that was what he had originally intended, but his words didn't precisely portray that. She giggled and he suddenly realised he was blushing, which only made him blush harder, which made Daisy giggle harder. Deciding a topic of discussion was more prudent than further embarrassment, he decided to thank her for her kindness. "Thank you, Daisy, for bringing me here. I don't know a lot of ponies where I come from who would've done the same," he said, losing some of his smile, and she cocked her head. His eyes became glazed and the age returned to them, as though he had seen too much in his life. "Really? Anypony around here would've done it for you," Daisy said, gesturing out the window. Noteworthy couldn't help but be disappointed as to how her act of kindness was just almost mandatory. "Well, where I come from if you don't conform to social standards, you're an outsider," he stated flatly, staring into her golden eyes, unblinking. "You sound like you've been through a lot," she said, gesturing again to the cut on his cheek, to which his hoof subconsciously rubbed, a bout of pain shooting through it like a hot iron through snow. "Perhaps too much," he said, again, flatly and stoic. "Why was Octavia so unkind to you?" she asked, and if it were possible, he withdrew further into himself, his eyes losing all their emotion and his smile disappearing completely. Daisy feared she had overstepped her bounds, and those fears were confirmed as he rolled over and pulled the covers close, half-turning his head. "It's getting late, I really should rest." She turned away, a tear threatening as she gazed out of the window. She rubbed it away, confused, what was going on? And then she felt it, she felt his pain as she reached out, his emotion, one of utter sadness, she felt her heart break as his had, oh so long ago, and she let out a silent sob... Vinyl and Octavia lay in bed that night facing each other, hooves wrapped around their lover's in a tender embrace, Octavia seeking warmth and comfort, Vinyl seeking only to make sure Octavia wasn't saddened. "Thank you, Vinyl," Octavia said, and Vinyl scooted closer, stroking her cheek comfortingly with her hoof. "For what, hon?" she asked and Octavia shrugged, scooting ever closer so their faces were mere millimetres apart. "For everything, for being so understanding and kind," she said, and Vinyl smiled, stroking her again and moving some of her steel grey mane out of her violet eyes as they lay there awake. "I never used to be kind you know," she said and Octavia smiled at that, chuckling lightly and scooting close enough that their noses now touched. "I know, before you used to be the 'cool, sexy outsider', now you're my little softy," Octavia said lowering her voice to a sultry whisper, and Vinyl laughed. "What, I'm not sexy anymore?" she asked, and Octavia smiled in her own seductive way, closing her eyes halfway and edging her hoof forward, gently taking off the one from her cheek and holding it. "Always," she confirmed, before kissing her on the lips, gently, not daring to ignite the fire she knew so well could blaze out of control. She remembered one night they had been particularly... overzealous, and she could have sworn the area where Vinyl had applied her ministrations was still a bit sore. She blushed at the memory and the fires that began to ignite with the kiss, so she broke the contact and rolled over, scooting closer to Vinyl. Vinyl draped her hoof over Octavia’s shoulder. It immediately abandoned its perch and travelled upwards to her mane, beginning a soft stroking motion and slowly massaging her scalp. Octavia sighed appreciatively. "You said you hit Noteworthy," Vinyl began, and Octavia's eyes fluttered open. "Yes, I did," she confirmed, albeit sullenly, and Vinyl continued to stroke her mane. It was a trick her own mother used on her as a little filly to coax secrets from her. She would never judge too harshly, but it also meant whenever her mother stoked her mane, she wanted answers, and she wasn't going to cease and desist until she got them. "Do you regret it?" Vinyl asked, and she heard and felt Octavia sigh against her. "I don't know, V. I... I think I do," she said, and Vinyl lowered her head. She spoke again. "Why?" "Why?" Octavia echoed, rolling around again and facing Vinyl. "Why?" she repeated, this time a bit more loudly, and Vinyl braced herself, they had had their fair share of arguments and debates, but they were small things, Vinyl didn't want to find out if this one was going to be their defining one that would break them. "Vinyl, I pride myself on the fact that I don't slap, I try not to cause any physical pain, not even the first time he..." she let the unfinished sentence hang in the air, a small bout of anger forming in Octavia's stomach. She sat up, squelching it before it could be directed at the compassionate unicorn beside her. "I was raised better than that, and even if it was Noteworthy, I didn't want to hit him, or break that mirror. He reduced me to nothing but anger, when I try to cast my mind back all I feel is rage, and that terrifies me, I don't want to become the one in the wrong here" Vinyl sat up as well and gently placed her two hooves on Octavia's shoulders, rubbing them gently as she tried to coax the tenseness out of the muscles. "So, you think he didn't deserve it?" she asked, and Octavia shrugged, nearly throwing off Vinyl's hooves. "Vinyl, nopony deserves to be threatened in a hospital, not even him," she explained, and Vinyl fought that jealousy. She still felt something for him, even if it was just instinctual compassion. She knew she shouldn't feel it, but it was there, the little green monster with the annoying voice to match. "But what he did..." "Is in the past," Octavia finshed for her, leaving Vinyl stunned for a moment, but she resumed the massage. "I should have come to this conclusion yesterday when I was seeking closure, but I was angry, and naive. I don't want him here, but I operate a 'forgive and forget' policy. If he wants to stay, then I won't stop him" she said, and Vinyl smiled. The jealousy vanished, it was just instinctual compassion and wisdom from a wise mare. She kissed her lovers shoulders and she moaned slightly, tilting her head back to accept the tender kisses. "Mm, you always know just the right spots..." she murmered, and Vinyl giggled to herself, continuing the kisses, moving up to Octavia's supple, toned neck. "He seemed to be attached to Daisy anyway," she said breathily, and then moaned again. "Oh, V, don't stop" Vinyl laughed, bringing her head up to just beside Octavia's cheek. "She doesn't know what she's getting into," she whispered seductively, every double entendre to the current situation intended, and Octavia let out a breathy, almost imperceptible moan before she turned her head, lips found hers and hooves pressed on her shoulders, pushing her down to the bed.