Vinyl sighed and stretched as the soft sunlight invaded her eyelids. She looked over at the other side of the bed and saw the sleeping, messy form of Octavia. Her heart instantly swelled with the sight of her mane down and all around her face in beautiful grey waves. She looked stuning when her mane was in dissarra, even more so than she did normally. She smiled as she stroked a hoof across her lover's face, what a way to start any day, to wake up next to the love of her life after their make up... session.
A blush kissed Vinyl's white cheeks as she stroked a piece of hair out of Octavia's eyes. After all this tme she still couldn't believe how cute Tavi was while she slept, her eyes fluttered gently, and her mouth was always ever so slightly parted and always tempted Vinyl to kiss her. This time she did not resist the temptation. She gently leant forward and pressed her lips against Octavia's, who let out a deep sigh and a moan as she woke up.
The kiss seemed to freeze time, it never ceased to amaze either of them how their emotions, how their love for each other could be shown and sealed with a simple kiss, but there it was. Octavia woke properly as her brain processed what was happening.
They finally broke the embrace of their lips to find each other's eyes staring deeply into their own, crimso red t soft hued purple.
"Best way to wake up. Ever" Octavia declared,wrapping her hooves around Vinyl and bringing her close in a hug. Vinyl laughed at her as Octavia's eyes closed again ad she tried to get back to sleep.
"You know, I hate to break it to you but I have to get up soon" Vinyl said, and Octavia groaned, tightening her grip on the alabaster unicorn. Vinyl giggled again and kissed her cheek as she returned the hug. The ever-so-soft and warm bedsheets beckoned her back to sleep
"Well, I guess 5 more minutes couldn't hurt" she said sleepily as her eyes fluttered. Octavia moaned in agreement as she tightened her old on her lover yet agin and sighed in appreciation of their shared warmth, their hearts in tandem with each other. Vinyl's eyes closed once again to the sothing, regular thump of her lover's heart, drifting off into Morpheus' realm and into her dreams, filled with purple eyes and a soft, grey mane.
As the light once again invaded the soft world of dreams, Vinyl found herself disheartened by the absence of warmth by her side, she opened her eyes and looked, to find the bedsheets pulled back and Octavia gone. Then she smelt it, breakfast, what was it though? It wasn't the usual things they would cook, this was nt the rich full smell of pancakes or scones, nor was it even muffins or cupcakes, this smelt like something that made Vinyl's mouth water at the thought of it; Banana Bread Loaf.
She trotted down the stairs briskly, but not too quickly that she almost fell, she did not want hers and Tavi's first day back together to be a trip to the hospital. A smile parted her lips as she shook her head at the thought. She walked across the living room and towards the kitchen, where Octavia ws humming slghtly and grabbing something from the oven. She seemed unaware of Vinyl's presence, so she snuck closer. Octavia placed the tray on the counter and took off the oven-gloves.
A floorboard creaked and Octavia turned, pounced on Vinyl and kissed her deeply, and passionately. Vinyl was stunned, her eyes going wide, the kiss awakened a fire in her heart and she moaned in bliss as Octavia's hooves stroked around her face lovingly. Octvia's tongue snked forth and began a sensual dance with Vinyl's, who was now so lost that nothing could awaken her, she was awash in a sea of pleasures, moaned again s her own hooves started to respond, wrapping around Octavia's face and into her rich mane.
Then, as soon as it began, it was over, Octavia broke away and left Vinyl standing there, eyes closed and mouth slightly open. Octavia stroked once more through her mane and whispered into her ear "Happy Birthday"
The breath washed overher neck and Vinyl felt a flush rush to her cheeks as they stood there for a while. Vinyl pulled Octavia closer and held her tightly, wanting nothing moe thanto stay that way forever, tears of happiness pricked her eyes as she stood there, and Octavia pulled away.
"V? V, what's wrong?" she askd, wiping aay a tear, and Vinyl smiled and wiped her eyes.
"Nothing, just, I love you Tavi. So, so much" she said, and Octavia smiled kissing her on the cheek.
"I love you too V. Not a day goes by when I don't want to tell you" she said, an Vinyl smiled at her again.
"Did you forget it was your birthday?" Octavia asked, and Vinyl chuckled.
"Only a little" she admitted sheepishly, and Octavia laughed.
"Well, I'm glad I reminded you" Octavia said as they continued to stand together, so close to one another as the day slipped them by. They finally seperated and Octavia pulled out a chair for Vinyl who took a seat and kissed her on the cheek before she trotted away to her own seat. She picked up the knife and cut some of the loaf off and placed it on a plate, putting it in front of Vinyl and doing the same for her.
Vinyl cut some off and put it to her lips, taking a tentative nibble, there weren't manyponies that could have remade the banana loaf exactly how she remembered, but Octavia had, and with the flurry of taste came an onslaught of memories, her mother smiling at her warmly, compassinate pink eyes of her father, hooves through her mane comforting her as she cried after a long day at school. Tears pricked her eyes and fell down her cheeks, landing on the glass table with an ever so soft tinkering sound, for one minute, one fleeting minute punctuated by taste she had not experienced for 18 years, she was home. She let out a half strangled half sob half gasp. Octavia looked up with a smile, but her smile soon turned to concern.
"Vinyl? What's wrong?" she asked, and Vinyl snapped out of her trance and smiled, sniffing slightly as she wiped away tear.
"My mom used to bake this, every weekend, or whenever I felt sad... It... It just brings back memories is all" she said with a far off smile, and Octavia smiled back.
"Thanks Tavi, this is the best birthday I could have ever hoped for" she said, and Octavia chuckled.
"All I did was bake you someting because I couldn't physically give you anything" she said, an Vinyl regarded her with a curious gaze.
"What did you get me?" she asked, a hint of childlike anticipation in hr voice, and Octavia cleared her throat.
"Well, today is your day, so I arranged a spa treatment for you, and a makeover at Rarity's. I know you don't like the girly stuff, but, give it a try. I want you to be pampered today and... MMPH!" she was cut off mid sentence by a lavish kiss by her lover. She pulled away too quickly for Octavia's liking.
"I would love a spa treatment Tavi, but only if you get one too" she said and Octavia smiled at her.
"Of course V" she acuiesced to Vinyl's whim. It was her birthday after all, how could she say no with those beautiful eyes and flashing smile? They may have only been away from each other for 3 or 4 hours, but it felt like an eternity to each of them, and was an experience neither wanted to repeat.
"Just one question, how did you arrange this seemingly overnight?" she asked and Octavia smiled.
"Last night at 9, you were asleep and I was... recovering..." she said with a blush, which made Vinyl smile and blush too, Octavia cleared her throat and continued.
"Anyway, I've been wanting to et you something for your birthday for months, but I wasn't sure what to get you, you already have a piano, and you brought a new set of mixing equipment recently, so oneday in the shower I thought of a spa treatment at Rarity's. I decied to go the whole hog and get you a day with Lotus and Aloe, then a makeove at Rarity's boutique, I went to the spa before it closed andbooked the day, then I went to the boutique and booked you in for 3pm" she explained and Vinyl smied at her.
"You're too good to me Tavi" she said, looking away. Octavia couldn't resist the urge to get up out of her seat and sit in front of Vinyl, picking up her chin and gazing into her eyes.
"I give you exactly what you deserve, V. You deserve nothing but the best" she said, and kissed her deeply, making her slightly sligh and moan in appreciation.
"C'mon V, we need to get to the spa soon" she said and Vinyl smiled.
"Remember when I said I had to get up, but then you lured me back to sleep? Well that was for good reason, I was going to visit Rarity's myself and get some new sunglasses..." she said and Octavia raised and eyebrow and scoffed.
"New glasses... Really? That's the limit of your ambition? That's the limit of the great DJ PON-3?" she asked with a smirk, and Vinyl fixed her with a glare as Octavia wore a smug smirk.
"Okay Tavi, I'll forgive you that one just because of what you've done, but if you let me finis, I was going to say I was going to get myself new glasses, AND buy something for you. Your birthday is only a month away" she said casually, and Octavia's eyebrows shot up.
"You would buy me something from Rarity's Boutique? Wouln't that waste all your bits?" she asked and Vinyl shrugged.
"I never said I would get someting expensive" she said with a coy grin and a twinkle in her eyes, telling Octavia otherwise. Octavia smiled at her as she picked up hr empty plate and placed it next to the sink that washalf full. Vinyl watched her as she sat back down and let out a simple sigh.
"So what were you going to buy?" she asked and Vinyl shrugged.
"I don't want you to know, it's a suprise, I'll ask Rarity about it today when you're not paying attention" she said and Octavia narrowed her eyes with a playfull grin.
"You know I'm not letting you out of my sight or earshot now right?" she asked and Vinyl nodded.
"That's what's going to make today fun" she said and Octavia smiled widely.
"It's on then" she said and Vinyl smirked.
"I bet you 20 bits you won't hear hide nor hair of my plans" she said and Octavia's eyes went wide and her eyebrows rose uncharacteristically.
"Deal" she said nearly instantly, and extended a hoof, Vinyl gripped it within her own and shook it before she let it fall unceremoniously to the table.
They held gazes for a few more minutes before Octavia got up and motioned for her to do the same.
"C'mon birthday mare, we need to get you to the spa" she said and Vinyl smiled as she got up and grabbed her coat from the racks as Octavia grabbed her own from where it had been thrown carelessly on the stairs a few nights ago. Vinyl wrapped her coat around hersel an went to grab hershades, Octavia saw what she was doing and grabbed her hoof, snaking unerneath it so it rested on her shoulders as she stood up on her hind legs, forcing the unicorn to mimic her.
"What are you doing?" she asked, and Vinyl wrapped her other hoof around her lover's other shoulder.
"I'm getting my glasses. If last night showed me anyhing it's that ponies around here are quick to judge by eye colour. I shan't go into details, but from now on I'm wearing these in public" she said, reaching behind Otavia's head to grab the glasses and going to put them on her face. Octavia's hoof gently came up and rested on the top of them and gently pushed them down.
"I don't like you wearing them. I don't like you hiding your beautiful eyes V" she said and stard into the ruby red irises for as long as she coul wthot blinking. Vinyl smiled at her gently before moving her hoof to cup Vinyl's face. She mimicked the action with her own hoof as the glasses finally made their way to cover up her eyes.
"I'll take them off once we get to the spa if you want" she said and Octavia smiled at her.
"You'd better. I can't go more than a few minutes without knowing there's life in your eyes V" she said and Vinyl edged closer, the coats suddenly becoming a stifling excessiveness rather than a necessity, they rubbed against each other, annoyingly restricting their contact with the other's form.
"Maybe you need reminding" she said in a whisper, and gently pressed her lips to Octavia's in a tender declaration. No words or sounds were made save for the beating of their hearts loud in their ears and the gentle in an out whisper of each other's breath. Vinyl would never admit it, but whenever she would kiss Octavia with her glasses on she would leave her eyes open if only a fraction of an inch just to guage Tavi's reaction, and this one was no different han the others. A singe strand of hair dropped from her well kept mane to her face, her eyes fluttered gently and she could feel Octavia's hooves grow tighter around her neck, pushing them closer as she gently opened her mouth and let in Vinyl's tongue to capture her own and begin a sensual dance.
A simple noise, halfway between a sigh and a moan escaped her lover, and Vinyl felt her knees barely hold her up. She wanted to melt right then, remove their coats and make Octavia feel like she was the only thing that mattered in the whole wide world. THAT would be a birthday present, to know she could grant Octavia the pleasure they both so hungrily desired.
Unfortunately Octavia had booked a spa treatment for them both that they had to keep, because Octavia had already paid for it. Vinyl broke the kiss.
"We should get going" she said as their foreheads touched, Octavia nodded and finally let her go, falling to her hooves as she gazed back up into Vinyl's glasses. Vinyl could see the smoky haze in her eyes that was slowly returning to normal and shivered, whenever Octavia would get that look Vinyl had not been able to walk straight. Enough said.
Octavia opened the door and waited for Vinyl to o hrough first. Vinyl smiled at her and said thanks before Octavia herself stepped out into the not to warm not too clold air. It was stil cold enoughfor them to wear their coats though. They started off at a slow pace, talking about nothing in particular, the latest usic by Frederic Horseshoepin, the latest styles i Canterlot Weekly, or even the lest news in EquestriaDaily.
Now and then one o hem would throw in a weak joke or a sarcastic comment that would get the other laughing, and that's how the morning went.
Until they got to the spa.
It was a reletively small building, but it held so much within, a sauna room, mudbaths, and even large bathtub and massage parlours. They stepped through the dor an a high pitched tikling of a bell alered the two ponies behind the counter, Lotus, with blue, pristine coat and pink flowing mane, an Aloe, with pink coat and blue mane. Boh of them looked up with shining blue eyes as their first customers of the day came in through the doors.
"Hello! And welcome to ze ponyville spa!" one said cheerily with a slight accent.
"I am Lotus, zis is my sister Aloe! We will take care of you today, and take you down a road of relaxation!" she said, as though rehearsed, but with startling bouyancy and genuine happiness.
"Hello Lotus, I' Octavia, I spoke with you last night about a spa treatment for me and Vinyl er" she said, rabbing Vinyl's hoof and bringing her closer. Vinyl blushed slightly as she cae under the scrutinizing, yet cheerful gaze of the spa twins.
"Ah, oui! Miss Octavia, we were wonderin when exactly you would come in today, Aloe, effacer appointmets pour aujourd'hui, nous avons des clients particuliers" she insructed her sister, who nodded and produced a book from the counter, flipping through it and striking out a few names.
"If you'll excuse me I must make some calls" she said as she sht the book. Lotus turned back to them with a smile.
"If you'll follow me s'il vous plais, we shall begin your treatment, just one more thing, due to healt and safety we cannot allow sunglasses in our spa rooms, zey will have to be left here with your coats" she said with a smile and Vinyl turned to Octavia, slightly alarmed, Octavia gave her a kss.
"Don't worry, they see all sorts in here, eye colour won't be a problem" she said reassuredly, and Vinyl nodded.
"If you say so, Tavi" she said, before removing her glasss and turning around. Lotus watched curiously as she removed hr coat and set the on the hook, the glasseshanging around it loosely. Vinyl turned back around with er eyes open, ready for any insults that might coe her way. Lotus gasped and stepped closer.
"Oh my, your eye colour, it is so exotic, I've never seen eyes like zese before, is zis a natural colour or do you use contacts?" she asked, and Vinyl lookd taken aback
Octavia cleared her throat.
"*Ahem*, Lotus, could we please get started?" she asked, snapping Lotus out of her trance.
"Oh, yes, of course, but still, zese eyes are the most beautiful I've ever seen, positively sparkling!" she said, before turnng and trotting off. Vinyl blushed deeply at the compliment and felt a smile light her face.
"There, you see? Somepony else who thinks your eyes are beautiful V!" she said happily and Vinyl smiled.
"Yeah, I guess they're not so bad..."
Vinyl and Octavia were led into the massage room first, where they were told to lay on the two seperate beds face down. Vinyl did so first and placed her head into the hole in the bed where the pillow would be. Octavia did the same on her side of the room, and Lotus trotted up to Octavia while Aloe walked into the room to take car of Vinyl.
"Now, because of the package you booked for yourselves, you get ze full treatment, massage, mane wash, 30 minutes in ze sauna room followed by a luxurious bubble bath, but first we must make sure your muscles are loose and prepared for he hours of relaxation and euphoric treatments ahead" Lotus said, before motonig for Aloe to get the massage oils. They both squeezed the necessary amounts onto their hooves.
"Now, zis may seem a bi coldto ze touch" Aloe warned, before applying pressure to Vinyl's back. She seethed at first as the cool liquid was worked into hr coat, but it soom warmed up, and the hooves on her back began to expertly knead and work the tense muscles beneath them Vinyl started to enjoy herself and relaxed onto the bed, letting out an ever so slight moan as her back muscles were worked on.
The hooves slowly moved up and destroyed the knots and tension in Vinyl's back, and soon they were working at her neck, moving slowly in circles as they mved slowly back down, the circular motion being repeated. Vinyl lookedover at Octavia who was watching her with a smile as her own back was being kneaded. Octavia's eyes closed as the spa pony found a particularly troubling knot in her back. Octavia let out a moan of her own.
All too soo the massage was over, and the pair found temselves to be relaxed more than they ever had. Vinyl could have easily falle asleep, but now she was beig led into the sauna room.
Lotus and Aoe lit the fire beneath the rocks and poured some water over them when they got hot enough. Vinyl and Octavia sat on opposite sides of the room as the spa ponies explained what to do if they wanted to turn up the step or turn it down. They soon left the pir in peace and the door was shut. Vinyl looked over at Octavia with a goofy smile.
"Thanks fo this Tavi, I really needed it" se said and Octavia scooted closer.
"Well it was the least I could do, both as a gift, and to say sorry" she said, and Vinyl scooted closer to her in turn.
"What do you mean?" She asked, and Octavia looked at her with the ghost of a tear in her eyes.
"For yesterday, what I said, I'm sorr-"she was cut off by Vinyl's hoof over her lips.
"Shhhh, don't. I should be apologizingf first, I didn't listen. I didn't listen to you, and I'm sorry too" she said, and removed her hoof, oly to replace it with her own lips. The steam in the room intensified as the water was automatically poured onto the hot rocks., obscuring the silhouette of two ponies kissing furiously in the sauna room.
"You know, earlier at the house, you teased me something bad" Octavia said when the kiss broke, pouting dramatically, Vinyl let out a smirk when she figured out where Octavia was going, she had that look she always got when she was feeling hot and bothered. Octavia leant in close and plafully licked her lover's er, sending shivers up the mare's spine, an jolts of elecricity to other places.
"I think it's time you paid for that" she whispered huskily, and pushed Vinyl down onto the wooden seats,kissing her as she gently lowered herself down to the wood, Octavia kissed her fully, slipping her tongue between her lips to egin a sensual dance, Vinyl giving out a low hearty moan from within her...
Aloe pushed open the door to the sauna room and found her two customers, blushign profusely as their heads were laid back on the back of the wooden seats. Aloe took a look at them before noticing the hazy looks in both of their eyes as they acknowledged her intrusion. Aloe smiled at them knowingly.
"How was your sauna experience?" she asked and they smiled at her.
"Very hot indeed" Vinyl aid and shared a giggle with Octavia. Lotus chuckled slightly.
"Well if your fires have been put out, you can follow me to the mane was and relaxing bubble bath" she said with a smile and the two ponies got up and walke dout of the sauna room, leaving Aloe to extinguish the physical fire underneath the rocks.
When Aloe joined them outside she walked past them towards the bathing room.
"If you'll follow me to the bathing room we can move onto the final parts of your spa treatment" she said with a smile, and Vinyl ad Octavia smiled back before leisurely trotting behind her into a large room with a jaccuzzi, Lotus was already there, pouring in some exotic bubblebath.
"Hey there Aloe, how are our guests?" she asked, and Aloe shot them a look before turning back towards her sister.
"They've finished unwinding in the sauna room and are looking forward to a nice relaxing bath, aren't you ladies?" she asked and the two nodded while trying to hide the blushes that kissed their cheeks. Aloe led them to the ende of the water and beckoned them in. Octavia took the first tenative step and was shocked at how cool yet warm the water seemed, she sunk down into it with a luxurious sigh and motioned for Vinyl to do the same, so she did.
After a while they got out and thanked he spa twins for a lovely day before bidding them farewell. Vinyl picked up Octavia's coat and put it on for her.
"It's the least I could do" she said and Octavia smiled, giving her a kiss on the cheek. Vinyl picked up her glasses and Octavia watched her intently. Vinyl looked at her and smiled before turning away andwalking towars the wastebin that waskept in the corner of the shop. She deposited the glasses into t with a *thump* and turned back to Octavia with a smile.
"I don't need them anymore" she said and Octavia squealed before rushing over and throwing her hooves around Vinyl.
"Oof, what was that for?" she asked and Octavia shrugged, her hooves still wrapped around Vinyl's body.
"You've finally gotten rid of your glasses! I'm so proud Vinyl!" she said and Vinyl laughed, wrappin her own hooves tightly around Octavia.
"Like I said, I don't need them. You like my eyes, other ponies will like my eyes, and with you ready to give a Death Glare to anypony who says otherwise, I think I'm good" she sad, and Octavia pulled back, kissing her full on the lips before pulling away and gazing at the clock.
"Oh! We need to go! We're gonna be late for our appointment with Rarity!" Se yelled, grasping Vinyl's hoof with hers and running out the door.
Lotus ad Aloe watched them leave with a smile. Aloe turned to Lotus and motioned at the couple running across the town.
"Young love"
Noteworthy tested the weight of the violin as he walked back towards Daisy's house, his original intent was to find a job so that he could buy something for Daisy, now he had a job, and a violin, he could do the next best thing, if not something better, he would give her the gift of music, a song for her, a melody or serenade. He wa spractically skipping as he was when he left, things were finally looking up for him, he had found a job, made a few sales, and he had a violn with which he would give a gift to Daisy. He could only imagine that she had found the note and would question him about it upon his return. He smiled to himself as he walked past a coule of ponies, even going as far as to whistle a merry tune as he walked.
All of a sudden he saw something that made his smile wider; walking down the road, smiling happily, where two ponies that were waking extremely close, one was an alabaster unicorn with double toned blue hair and nearly opaque sunglasses, Vinyl Scratch, the other a simple earth pony with grey mane and lighter grey coat, sporting a stylish pink bow-tie. Octavia. He smiled at Octavia and Vinyl as he walked past, even going as far as to wave at them as they passed.
He was shocked when their smiles vanished and their faces turned hostile. They all but stopped dead in their tracks.
Vinyl whispered to Octavia and made to walk towards him, but Octavia held her back, whispering in her ear and casting him an odd look. He was now slightly worried, and more than curious. What had he done now? If he had actually done something.
He gulped as he saw them casting him more deathly glares, those purple eyes now made him want to just slink into the shadows and run away, but he steeled his courage and walked towards them, eager to find out what he had done to provoke their ire this time.
He walked towards them with a confused look on his face as they whispered more heatedly.
"Hey" he said rather happily, and they both stopped their whispering, deciding to put on fake pleasantries, probably so they could get out of there quicker.
"Hello Noteworthy" Vinyl said, unintentionally (or so Noteworthy thought) put venom into his name.
"What have I done now?" he asked, and Vinyl turned to Octavia, for permission to say something. Octavia smiled regretfully at Noteworthy, and nodded to Vinyl.
"Well, when I left the hospital and went home, I told Octavia I visited you, we had a fight, because of you, and we both said things we regretted later, and Octavia sad some hurtfull things that made me run off and try and drown myself in liquour, because of you" she went onto explain everything that had happened, and Noteworthy's face fell more with each passing second. After such a long time of elation, he suddenly felt like the lowly pony he had been when he had first gotten here, he felt as bad as he had over the past year. He came to Ponyville looking for forgiveness and penance, but he only caused more damage.
"Now if you'll excuse us, we have an appointment at Rarity's boutique" she said before turning to Octavia and walking away, Octavia following, then quickly turning back.
"Listen Notes, Vinyl does't like you, and I'm no fan of you either, think it would be better if you did leave town" she stated, and Noteworthy fixed his eyes on the ground before she walked off to join Vinyl, leaving Noteworthy feeling low and dejected. He felt adark cloud pass over him. As much as he liked Daisy, he couldn't stay in Ponyville if he was going to tear people apart.
He felt a dark cloud settle over his heart, and knew that he had no bits to pay for a train ticket out of there, he would have to wait for at least a day before he could leave. That would give him time to... say his goodbyes. He sighed to himself as he walked back towards Daisy's house, soon comng face to face with the bright flowers hanging b the door and windows, and the thatched roof beconing him and creating a sense of familiarity. His heart momentarily quickened pace as he allowed a small smile. A single tear was squeezed out from his eyes as he knocked on the door. He quickly wiped it away before the door was opened.