//------------------------------//
// Chapter VII: Starlight Glimmer 
// Story: A Secret Admirer 2: How to Cuddle Your Dragon 
// by 1jckuhn 
//------------------------------//

THE NEXT MORNING, 9:08 A.M.

Spike let out a yawn as he felt two hooves gently stroking both his cheeks. His eyes opened to find both Applejack and Starlight looking down at him with warm smiles. One hoof from each pony was caressing each cheek

"Good morning, Sugarcube," Applejack whispered. "I take it you slept well?"

Yeah," Spike said as he stretched and rubbed his eyes.

"Rarity was right," Starlight smirked. "You do have the cutest, chubby cheeks."

The pink Unicorn couldn't help but rub them a little more as Spike blushed a slight tone of pink. He didn't know why, but when Starlight rubbed his cheeks, he felt relaxed to the point where he wanted to fall back asleep. He closed his eyes and sighed happily. He was pulled away from his thoughts when Starlight suddenly stopped rubbing his cheeks and backed away from him. Spike was confused until Applejack walked up to him and began to kiss his face all over for half a minute. Spike blushed as red as her cutie mark as the Apple Farmer continued her affectionate actions on his face. Once she was finished, Applejack turned to Starlight.

"He's all yours, Starlight," she said. "Oh, and a word to the wise. When you cuddle him, he likes it a tight grip."

"Noted," Starlight replied. "Thanks, Applejack."

"Bye, Jackie," Spike said waving at Applejack. "I love you."

"See ya, Spikey," Applejack replied, wrapping Spike in another hug. "I love you too."

After hugging Spike one last time, Applejack turned and walked out the door, leaving Spike and Starlight alone to enjoy the company of each other.

LATER THAT NIGHT, 9:14 P.M.

Starlight was eager when Twilight's anti-fatigue spell to expire and it was time for Spike to go to bed. Spike and she had a great day together. Starlight had given him his favorite breakfast, pancakes with gems in it,  she had taken him for a little stroll around Ponyville. and she treated him to a movie. Spike was beyond touched by all the things Starlight did for him. When they got back, Starlight offered him a half-hour cuddle sesson in her bed. Spike accepted it without a second thought, but they ended up cuddling for almost two hours simply because they enjoyed it too much to stop so soon. The only reason they did stop was because it was time for dinner.

Now, however, the day was over. Like Applejack, Starlight had picked up when Spike was beginning to tire and she took him upstairs to freshen up for bed immediately when she saw the signs. Spike grinned widely as Stalight carried him from place to place. He was enjoying Starlight's scent in her back. She smelled like cotton candy. Although it probably wasn't as strong a smell if he was resting on her front and not her back.

At last, Spike had finished brushing his teeth and Starlight and he were on their way to his bedroom. Starlight opened the door to Spike's bedroom to find it was pitch black. The curtains were closed and the lights were out. Starlight uttered a spell that would make her horn glow with magic, but not shoot it at anything and it could be deactivated at anytime. It would act as a flashlight for the two drowsy lovers and they were looking foreward to the main snugglefest that was less than two minutes away from them.

Starlight was quick to trot to Spike's bed. She pulled back the covers and set Spike on top of the mattress. She climbed into bed with him. Unlike previious nights, however, Spike didn't have the strength to meet his marefriend in the bed. He just lay on his back and could only direct his tired, half-open eyes toward his beautiful, Unicorn girlfriend. Starlight noticed this and immediatly sped up her efforts to get to her Spike. It took only a few seconds for the two lovers to finally be together in bed. Starlight had pulled the covers back on top them both and she had postioned herself on top of Spike. Her super soft, upper body rested on top of almost all of the front of his body. Starlight hadn't turned off her horn yet and Spike looked up at her face. She smirked at him mischievously.

"Remember how you liked it when I rubbed your cheeks so gently?" she asked soothingly.

"Yeah," Spike yawned.

"Well, it's time for part two," Starlight whispered right into his ear.

Starlight's hooves slowly crept up to Spike's face before coming in contact with his squishy, tender, scaley cheeks. She began to rub them gently, making Spike feel more relaxed than the first time she did it. He let out a pleased hum as Starlight continued to caress his cheeks. After five minutes of cheek rubbing, Starlight stopped, turned off her horn, and pulled Spike against her body. She flipped onto her side and draped her mane and tail over her body and covered as much of his back as she could with it.  She then gripped little Spike as tight as she could. She didn't know if Spike had fallen asleep of not at this point, but she was given her answer when Spike weakly nuzzled against her chest fluff and took in a whiff of her scent.

Spike smiled weakly as he snuggled against Starlight's very soft chest fluff. Her scent of cotton candy was, indeed, much stronger on her front then on her back.

"Thanks, Starlight," Spike mumbled.

"You're welcome, honey," Starlight cooed into his ear.

The Pink Unicorn then began to sing, not hum, Spike a lullaby. Spike, meanwhile, only felt like he was about to fall asleep just from Starlight's new position for cuddling him and the sound of her heartbeat, but the sound of her voice singing its angelic, smooth tune to him made the little, drowsy Dragon feel like he was about to pass out at any second.

"Goodnight, Starlight. I love you," Spike mumbled.

"Goodnight, Spike. I love you too." Starlight had managed to work that sentence into her lullaby. It seemed to only push Spike fully into Luna's dream relm.

Starlight smiled warmly down at her now sleeping boyfriend. He looked beyond peaceful as he began his 12-hour beauty sleep from the fatigue his painkillers granted him. After singing Spike to sleep for a few minutes, his soft snores seemed to return the favor for the tired Unicorn, providing her with her own, personal lullaby. She closed her eyes and felt sleep overtake her. Spike's snores seemed to turbocharge her efforts and made the route to dreamland very, very easy. It took her only three more minutes to join Spike in Luna's dream relm. The two lovers were more than happy to sleep the night away in each other's tight, warm grip.