Rainbow Dash was a marvel to watch from the ground.
The way she could swoop through the sky and around clouds, zipping to and fro in a blur unless she wanted you to see her body move. She was a show off, but she could sell it too. And today she was showing off to all of Ponyville, which included the resident, and only, human in Equestria.
You are Anonymous (yes, that poor sod), or just Anon to your friends, who are mostly ponies that make up the small town of Ponyville. Today, like most days, you haven’t got much to do other than a few small jobs before relaxing at home. You were taking a small break from cleaning the gutters on Sugarcube Corner when you noticed Rainbow flying through the sky.
As if she knew you had looked up to see her, she instantly started doing all manner of tricks and stunts, causing not only you, but several bystanders, to stop and admire her aerobatics.
This had been going on for a few weeks now; you’d begun to take notice that she just so happened to be flying when you were taking a break, and lo and behold, she’d start her performance. It was amazing to watch each and every time, yet you couldn’t get over the fact it was a constant.
There was no way she’d just so happen to be flying overhead when you were out working, or even remember your work schedule – you could barely remember it half the time. And sure, you two hung out a lot, but there was just no way you’d brought it up often enough for things to sink in..
“She sure is something, huh?” you asked no one in particular.
“Yuperoonie, she sure is!” answered Pinkie Pie beside you.
Honestly, you didn’t even flinch at her sudden appearance; it was a routine that seemed to only bother Twilight, and even then she simply bit her tongue. Hard. Sometimes you’d see blood coming out from between her strained lips.
“She sure is trying to impress somepony, eh?” Pinkie continued, nudging your thigh with her shoulder.
You chuckled. “Yeah, sure, Pinks, I know. You’re not the only one who’s been trying to nudge me in the right direction, or whatever. Squiggle Tail, Twiggles, hell even ‘Shy have been saying similar things.”
“So why don’t you do anything about it?”
“Because…”
And that’s where you always drew a blank. Really, what was stopping you from talking to Rainbow about it? Or for that matter, was there even anything to actually talk about? If so, what? That she probably has feelings for you? That you might have feelings for her?
Well, sure, she’s probably your best friend between the six mares. She holds… something special compared to them.
But, does she?
I mean, she’s been showing off a lot lately, puffing her chest out, wings flapping in my direction, something to do with “splashing the scent” according to Flutters.
Are you afraid because you’re a weird freaky alien, and she’s a miniature technicolored horse that can fly?
I mean, if you wanted to get down to it, the internet kinda already—
Okay okay, Jesus we don’t need the whole story, fuck. You sicko.
You asked.
No, you asked.
“Oh, right,” you said aloud.
“Dur, even I understood that.” Pinkie rolled her eyes at you.
“So then, what, should I make the first move? I thought you ponies were some weird reversed gender norm crock of shit or something, so she needed to?”
“Silly, she’s been making the first move! Lots of them, even right now!” She pointed a hoof upward, where your gaze had never left the blue pegasus, only watching Pinkie at the edge of your vision.
“I guess so. Man, why does it always gotta get weird?”
Pinkie shrugged. “I dunno. It’s gotta be one of us. Or all of us!”
You clamped the mare’s muzzle closed with a hand. “No. Thank you, Pank, but just… no.”
She shrugged once again, this time walking away from you. You couldn’t help but look down to your hand still held in the air as if you were holding her muzzle.
“I hate when she does that.”
“Yeah, she tends to give Twilight a headache.”
You nodded in agreement, not even surprised by Rainbow’s sudden appearance. One mare was glancing from Dash, to the sky, and back, confused as to how she’d moved so fast.
Rainbow hovered beside you, wings flapping that impossibly slow beat. You’d have thought they’d flap like a hummingbird or something, super fast, but no. Again, magic at play.
And then you were lost in her magenta eyes, watching as they peered at you with a smug bravado that slowly shifted to a wide curious glare.
“Uh, Anon, you alright buddy?”
With a smile, you gave a single nod of your head, then removed your ladder from the side of the building.
“Yeah, and you know, Rainbow, I’ve been meaning to ask you something.”
“Oh?” she asked, grinning.
“Yeah. I’ve been struggling to read those Daring Do books you lent me, and I got thinking, maybe I just needed a reading buddy.”
“Reading buddy?”
“Yeah. Someone to just… hang out with all day, laze about, enjoy the company.”
At this, you could see the beginning tint of red on her cheeks. “Oh, well, yeah, I guess I could do that.”
Yeah, shit, for a mare as boastful as Dash to start going all tsundere like that, this can’t be coincidental.
Deciding you preferred the real Dash attitude over… whatever this was, you decided to give her a bit of a challenge.
“Oh, I was actually going to ask somepony else, maybe Twilight or Applejack.”
She blinked, expression frozen as your words processed. Then, as if she’d been struck, she jerked backwards before whooshing up to your face, nearly touching her muzzle to your nose, glaring at you as though you’d gone behind her back. “Why wouldn’t you ask me?!”
“I just figured you were too busy, or would find reading together on the sofa with a warm blanket, hot cocoa, and some books to be… uncool.”
The mare backpedaled in the air, foreleg rubbing over the other as she averted her gaze. That small tinge of blush was back. “Well… when you put it like that…”
“But,” you continued, “I suppose if you’re really offering, sure, you can join me. Tonight?”
“Tonight!?”
You shrugged. “No time like the present. Unless you’re busy.”
“No!” she quickly shouted. Then, quieter, “I’m not, it’s just kinda… sudden.”
“Sudden?” Your raised a brow. “I’m asking if you wanna come read a book, not get ready for a gala.”
Huffing, she crossed her forelegs. “Yeah? Well, you can’t just spring these sorts of things on a mare, even me.”
Your brow creeped up another inch, but without any further response, you let out a sigh and folded your arms as well, matching her stance. “Fine, then when would it work for you?”
She shrugged. “Tonight works, I guess.”
You swore you could feel a vein in your neck about to burst. “You son of a—”
With a flash and puff of dust from the road, Rainbow rocketed up into the sky, cackling with mirth as she flew off. You grumbled to yourself incoherently, and moved the ladder to the other side of Sugarcube Corner. That pony sometimes…
----------
As was typical with Speedy Snooze, you were in the kitchen when your door just opened and closed without a knock.
“Come in,” you shouted anyway.
“I already am,” Rainbow’s voice called from the front room.
“Yeah, I know, but none of you ever knock.”
You heard the clipity-clopity of hooves walking on the wooden floor, until they stopped just shy of the entrance to your kitchen. “Yeah, and you’re like, the only pony— er, creature, whatever, in town with a lock on their door.”
“Because sometimes I like my privacy.”
“You never lock it.”
You shrugged. “I like having the ability to do so, just in case.”
“Yeah, okay, whatever.” You could practically hear her eyes roll. “ Is that actual cocoa?”
Nodding, you remove the spoon from the small pot, having successfully added the marshmallows. Sure, some people wanted to add their own, or worse yet, none at all. But this was your house, so people had to play by your rules, and this was how you made hot cocoa.
Before you could move to grab them, Rainbow was already in your high cupboard, grabbing two mugs. “Why would anypony put cupboards up so high?”
“Because I’m tall.”
“Weird.”
“Yes, I am.”
With her mouth, she set one mug down on the counter, and then a second one. Neither one a matching set. None of your stuff really matched since it was all free, or rummage sale specials.
That was fine, it was usually just you by yourself anyway. Usually when you hung out with others, it was outside of your home.
Except for Rainbow and Twilight. Twilight never cared for the trivial things, instead focused on their sessions of trading human and pony lore, history, or traditions.
And Rainbow? Well…
You smiled to yourself, taking a ladle and pouring some of the steaming cocoa into each mug, then with one in either hand you walked out of the kitchen.
Blue Fast was right behind you, her wing tips fluttering as her hooves barely contacted the floor, the rich smell of your drink making even your mouth water.
Placing both mugs on the coffee table (on coasters, you weren’t a savage), you took a seat on the old, worn, but reliable red couch, kicking a leg up on the cushions, the other still over the edge.
Swiftly, Rainbow swooped in, landing on the couch and sitting down, her backside resting against your leg. She leaned forward and took her mug in her hooves, the keratin part not phased by the steaming hot cup as she brought it in close and blew on it.
You decided to give yours another few moments to cool, instead reaching low for the shelf on the table, and grabbing a book.
The mare snickered. “Really? The first one?”
You shrugged. “What can I say? Reading is hard.”
She rolled her eyes, then took a quick sip, and – satisfied – began taking generous gulps. Crazy how she could tolerate such hot things, but she was the Rainbow Dash. Hot and fast, you figured.
You slapped the cover of the book and held it up to her. “So, you wanna start? Or should I?”
----------
Grogginess was always one of those things you hated when waking up. Not remembering everything exactly leading up to it, what had happened before you fell asleep. A mental fog that tried to keep you lost and confused, but the more you woke up, the more things began to clear.
You were looking to the side, and staring back at you was your coffee table. So, living room again? Your bed was going to get a divorce attorney before too long with how many times you’d slept on the couch.
There were two mugs on the table, each on a coaster, and an empty cooking pot resting on a towel on the floor, the residue of what looked like chocolate stuck to the sides.
The remnants of a night filled with drinking fresh hot cocoa. Okay, that could explain why you were sleeping on the couch. But two mugs?
Suddenly you noticed a weight upon your chest, which you hadn’t felt until it took a deep breath, and exhaled towards your face.
Trying to not gag at the stink of morning breath, you looked up, seeing your ceiling in all its dusty, spider web glory. You then began to look down.
Resting along the back of your couch, open, was the Daring Do book you’d started reading at some point. It was within arm reach, so you must have hung it there so you wouldn’t lose your place.
How thoughtful, past self. Bravo.
That did, however, bring up the important question of what exactly your hand was currently holding onto, if it wasn’t the book.
You gave it a quick squeeze, and heard a feminine moan.
Now your eyes were open, and you started to look towards your chest, and you nearly choked on your own saliva at what you saw.
There, snoozing away, was the one, the only, Speedy Snooze herself. Rainbro Dash, and she was fast asleep upon your chest, muzzle resting between your pecs, a small pool of drool staining your shirt. As she breathed, you could feel it tickle the bit of stubble on your chin.
Wasn’t that one of those things Flutters warned you about? Sharing breath?
You also quickly realized that the hand with which you squeezed was pressed against her side, just below her wing. Instinctively, and perchance alarmingly, you scratched there, and you could feel her wing pull up and away briefly, and the mare let out a content sigh.
It lowered back down, partly draped along your side, matching the other wing as it did the same.
It was like she was a living blanket of warmth, although only covering your upper torso.
Your feet were kinda cold.
Moving them around, you realized to your horror you’d left your socks on. The horror. They’d be grumpy with you all day for not giving them some fresh air. Oh well, too late now, they’ll just have to deal with another evening/morning of smotheredness.
Was that even a word? Was now, Twilight Spergle be damned.
Using your feet, you began to gently kick about, finding the opposite arm rest, until you felt something soft. Eureka! The blanket! You successfully got both sets of toes under it, and began to shimmy it towards your legs. Just before your toes hit the other end of it, you gave it a gentle kick, to try and not disturb the sleeping mare on you.
However, you hadn’t realized her tail was resting between your legs, and the end of it wrapped around your right leg. Kicking that leg up had caused her to shift slightly, and you froze, holding your breath to see what happened.
She seemed to turn her muzzle so it was facing the coffee table, and gave your chest a couple of nuzzles before shimmying her body forward several inches.
Her head was nearly to your neck, resting at the base of your collar bone.
Wew lawdy.
Once you were sure she was still fast asleep, you gave yourself a wiggle here and there, testing what was free, and what was occupied.
Legs seemed fine still, although the grip of her tail around your right leg felt tighter, somehow. Your right hand was still grasping, what felt like, just under her left wing. You gave it a quick scratch, which caused her to hum again and nuzzle your collar bone.
A-Fucking-Dorable. This mare, seriously.
Your left hand was mostly free, although the arm was a bit restrained by one of her forelegs.
Both of her rear legs were kinda pressed against your hips.
You tried, no, forced yourself, to not think about that for too long-
MUCH. For too much.
Jesus this was harder than—
DIFFICULT. THIS WAS MORE DIFFICULT THAN YOU’D ORIGINALLY ANTICIPATED EVEN THOUGH NONE OF THIS HAD BEEN PLANNED.
The folks at NASA would be proud of you, were you up in space. The same couldn’t be said about those poor sods on that old Apollo mission. 19 was it? Whatever, didn’t matter. Back to more important things, like getting that blasted blanket over you both.
You weren’t cold, but damn it you wanted to feel all snuggly wuggly in your blankie wankie.
You visibly cringed, and you were pretty sure even Dash’s dream felt that one. Oh God where did that even come from? Too many 90’s cartoons, probably.
Hopefully.
Okay, recap brain. You got this so far, as the ever napping Blue Fast was still napping, and you had a blanket half way draped across your lap and probably her tail.
Next was to lift one leg, while the other bent at an angle, making the number 4 with your legs, and with your left foot you struggled to grip the blanket through your socks between your big toe and the little piggy who stayed home.
The phantom giggles of Panka Pone aside, you managed to get it part way draped over Rainbow, to the point your left hand, lacking much mobility, was able to grip an edge, and began to pull it up further.
By now the blanket was becoming unraveled, which was a miracle in itself, as most blankets followed two rules: They bundled up when you wanted full coverage and took far too long to lengthen out before the popcorn was cold or the movie had already started, or they were just too short to go up to your neck, and cover your feet, so you had to pick one or the other.
It was a conspiracy, for sure, one in which you knew Luna also shared equal hatred for.
Slowly, methodically, you began to move the blanket up and over Rainbow. Both hands, while restricted, managed to not move the mare too much as they gently pulled, tugged, and snuck a few scritches along her barrel, to the point she was basically totally covered, except for her head.
Which, somehow, had found itself during all of this, just below your chin.
Huh.
Her muzzle was nuzzled (hah!) right into the nape of your neck, and she wasn’t breathing as shallow as before. Her tail was also twitching occasionally, and you swore her wings had reflexively hugged your sides tighter.
With a defeated sigh, you forced your arms out, which they encountered no resistance from her forelegs or wings, and then placed them, while still under the blanket, over her back, near the top where her wing joints were.
“How long have you been up?” you asked.
You heard her grumble, then nuzzled your collar again.
“‘Bout when you kicked the blanket the second time.”
“How did you know that was the second time?”
Silence, then, “Drats.”
Honestly, as heavy of a sleeper she could be most of the time, she was also fairly attentive, even given her lack of attention to things she didn’t care about.
Glad to know you weren’t one of those things she didn’t care about, at least.
“You gonna just lay there, or cover me up more?”
Her words brought you back to reality, and you smiled, resting your head back against the arm rest and bringing both arms up and over to her neck, which also brought the blanket up further.
Your feet were now exposed, but those bastards had socks on still, so they’d survive this conflict.
There. The blanket was successfully up against her neck, which also included most of your upper body save for above the collar bone, but that was fine as she’d rested her head against it, right under your chin.
Thank horse Buddha she wasn’t a unicorn.
The two of you laid there for several minutes, just breathing at a slow pace, sharing each other’s warmth. She’d occasionally rub a wing along your side, so you’d run your fingers through a part of her fur near her wing roots.
Both of you would let out contented sighs at these actions.
“So, Anon, I’ve been—”
“Yes.”
She froze, but you could feel her jaw working itself along your upper chest.
“I didn’t even ask—”
“I know. I said yes,” you then took your hands, overlapping them and interlocking fingers, and pulled her into a hug.
It was glorious. Warmth spread all about your body.
And hers, if you saw her rose tinted ears clear enough.
You quickly cleared your throat. “I said yes, because I’ve known for a while what you want. What you feel. The rest of the girls kinda made it clear to me, but I was hesitant. Tonight was kind of a test for me.”
She snorted a laugh. “Did you pass?”
“You tell me.”
Your fingers untwined, and began to scratch the center of her back.
She let out a coo, her muzzle actually leveling out to the point her nose was pressed against your chin.
“I take that as a yes.”
She licked- actually licked- your chin, then rubbed her nose against it and returned her face to your collarbone. “Yeah. I guess so.”
Ponies were weird. Then again, so were women.
Wait, so what were pony women? Double the weird?
Weird.
“Weird,” Rainbow said quietly, then let out a held breath.
Not wishing to comment on it, you simply hummed, then hugged her all the tighter as your hands continued to run slow laps along her spine.
“So that’s it then? We’re a couple?” she asked.
“I guess,” you said, smiling.
You swore you could feel her smile, too.
“Good. When we wake up, my first command for my coltfriend is more hot cocoa.”
You chuckled at that, closing your eyes as you relished in the warmth under the blanket. “Yeah, and my first decree of my girlfriend is more of this.”
There were no arguments from either side of the peanut gallery as the both of you drifted off to sleep once more.