8:25
8:26
Okay, that clock really needs fixing! You think to yourself as your eyes begin to blink away the blissful fuzziness that consumed your brain for what felt like forever. You know it couldn't have been too long, as the part of your brain that is awake and thinking analyses the rest of your brain, calculating which braincells were just heaps of lifeless mush in contrast to those fully charged and energised with a pre-caffeine buzz. You are not a particularly energetic person, however you always show determination to get through each challenging day of work whether its a day you are living or simply existing. As you lie there, eyes gradually opening wider, you conclude that you do not have sufficient energy to get you through the day un-reluctantly.
You decide quickly to get up before your brain succumbs to the warmth of the bed. As you do so, you realise something different about it. It is the same bed, but after you lift the covers off of you, you realise that the warmth still hasn't left you as the coldness of the outside world melts away as you stretch yourself out. You place your feet against the soft yet cold carpet and still the warmth inside refuses to let go. Its a crippling feeling yet you feel alive. You place your hand back against the bed and you swear you can feel your hand burn.
A groan is heard and a hoof suddenly slides into your vision as you move yourself back with a start. Something is in the bed. You go back to look and see a lovely shade of yellow, its softness unmatched as you lean down to feel it. A smile creeps onto your lips as your hand moves towards the covers. With a slow and tentative motion, you pull the covers further down the bed to reveal a sleeping Fluttershy, silently snoring, her bed head sending signals to your eyes to brim with tears and your heartbeat to increase. As you relax into the wholesome sight before you, a longing to climb back into bed washes over you.
Alas, the day ahead calls.
One dilemma remains however... what to do with Fluttershy? You know that she has her animal duty that she is busy with all day. After her unpleasant experience the previous night, she must be exhausted on top of the previous days of caring and not just for the animals. So much dedication almost certainly leads to exhaustion physically and mentally, and with the knowledge her sub-conscious entertains illusions of her failing, you cannot imagine the stress she puts herself under. She has such a commitment towards caring for others, so how long has it been since shes taken some time for herself?
As far as you are concerned, she waits no more. You will do all her animal duties for her and do it without complaint.
Until you hear the shuffling of bedsheets and sleepy groans of a sleeping beauty awaking from her deep slumber. You'd never known Fluttershy to sleep so deeply, especially considering your tendency to wiggle.
This segways into another conclusion that you reach. Fluttershy, just spent the night with you. Not in the sense she was just in the same building... but the same bed as well. An awkward yet relaxed feeling washes over you as memories of her soft hoof wrapped around you come to mind. It was... strange, there was certainly no denying that, but it was amazing at the same time. To hell with her being a horse, if you enjoyed it, you enjoyed it, you cant help it. Of course you couldn't do this with a horse from your world, but things are different here. If anything, the stereotypes are vice versa. What would ponies think of Fluttershy? What would her reputation be like? What would... you smartly decide you dont want to think about what Discord would think, for a large part of you preferred to remain in the world of the sane.
Your brain returns to focus as the sleeping beauty lifts her head, strands of her bed head dangle in front of her eyes as she sits herself up, to which she gently blows away. A high pitched squeak of a yawn is heard as you try to not let your eyes grow too wide at the adorable sight. You shift slightly uncomfortably, as her tired eyes start to focus on you.
She lifts her hoof to her mouth, before gently raising down to beside her.
"G-good morning" she says shyly. She removes the covers from over her waste with a dainty haste and supports herself as her hind legs tread the soft floor.
"My, you have a very soft carpet" she says trying to make conversation. You wonder briefly if she is trying to avoid conversing about the previous night. She then gasps as she stares downwards, blushing as she wraps her hoof around herself to hide her non-existent shame. She plods down onto all four hooves and trots daintily towards you, still shy as ever.
"I think you should know" she says with a slightly forced smile, trying to hide her obvious worry "I slept very well last night. In fact..."
Her eyes flutter as her cheeks pinken. She seemingly lets her guard down as she lets a long, satisfied sigh escape her
"I havent slept that well in... well... forever!" she speaks out slightly louder than she thought she should've. Her hind legs retreat further from you.
"I'm sorry."
Why?
"Boundaries. But I just didn't see a reason other than telling you how I feel." Confidence is added to her tone as she looks down further considering her words "You may not agree with what I'm saying, but that doesn't mean I wont say it."
You cock a brow in confusion.
"Look, its not like I was concussed or anything" she says, as you spot the faint sight of her chest vibrating with her heart beat "I remember everything about last night."
You feel sick! Did you say too much last night? Was it overwhelming for her to take in... wait a minute she literally said she slept well so you cant have done anything bad. Sweet Celestia, love does things to one's anxiety!
"I remember you sitting there listening to me and comforting me when I was..." she cuts off, thoughts of the dream still slightly plagued on her mind. But then she looks at your face, and the smile that had slyly crept onto your lips "I remember how sweet you were, how safe I felt around you and yet so vulnerable at the same time"
A giggle then escapes as your smile seemingly turns into what you felt was an idiotic gaze. Its not your fault shes so darn cute!
"You may not realise it hun" The unexpected pet name sends a jolt of happy adrenaline through your veins, similar to how a dog would wag it's tail when being told they are well behaved. "But I felt feelings last night that I've never felt with any other pony or being".
Initially, only one thought rises to the centre of your brain. No. You dont believe her. You cant believe that she feels like this towards you. Whilst your heart is saying one thing, one very powerful thing that you cant quite put into words, your brain is refusing to let you find out what it means.
Fluttershy sighs knowingly "You cant hide youre overthinking face from me." she pulls your head closer to her eye level as her teal pearls searches your face. They are looking for an entrance to your soul, when they have already found it.
"I get it. It is scary." she continues "If you asked me 10 years ago what I felt, I'd retreat into a shell and be too scared to process what I thought. But I'm not that pony anymore, and a big part of that is because of you."
You go to open your mouth to ask how, but she senses this and rushes to stand up on her hind legs and put a hoof in front of her face. Your mouth squirming to try and talk makes her giggle.
"Your gonna get saliva on my hoof" she laughs with a sternness "Look you don't even know what I'm gonna say"
But you could sure as Tartarus guess.
"Why can't you just accept the fact that I'm more at ease with who I am because of you? Ever since I met you, I've looked in the mirror every morning and saw somepony, beautiful and who didn't have to be afraid about every little thing. I may have had experiences that taught me how to best improve myself, but I could never believe it was helping."
You recall her telling you of her past experiences with her friends. All those life lessons she underwent, all the amazing, selfless things that shes done, and yet she has never noticed how much it has changed her for the better until now. How she has never truly been seeing just how incredible she is. All of a sudden you come along, now, shes confident enough to confess to someone who as far as you are concerned, barely made a difference.
"Stop! I know Mr Brain in there is thinking "How can that be true?" but let me tell you something mister"
Okay... it is official. Fluttershy is psychic!
"Nothing needs to be explained, you just do make me feel better about myself. I said this last night remember?"
Huh, maybe last night wasn't the sleep deprivation talking
"You are you. Of course not everybody is going to accept that and that does make you feel like you are worth. But I dont only accept you, I love every part of you even your flaws. I meant everything I said last night. It wasn't that last night changed my mind of you, it just reminded me of everything there is to love about you. How safe I feel around you, how I can only picture myself loving you, LOVING YOU! Okay? I love you!"
That... was a lot to process. Her eyes slightly welled with tears as all the emotion came seeping out. The passing of a soul to you, which you metaphorically wrap your fingers around. Its power yet fragility swarmed your brain with "what if" and "I can't". There was no doubt that you loved her too but there was still this nagging unsureness in your brain. This desire for her, barred entry because of something... small. Something, very very small that isn't worth worrying about. However, one thing worth worrying about is getting to work on time... oh dear!
You glance at the clock, you are already late. But you couldn't just leave her here with no answer. However, if she knew you well enough like she claims, she would give you the space to process everything. That was the first test of her love for you supposedly.
"I'll let you go to work so you can process it." she says calmly wiping away her tears "And listen, just know that if you dont feel the same way, we can still make a really really strong friendship out of it. Because nothing will ever break us down, it just means we cant do this"
You anticipate whats coming. You go to retreat. But the shackles of your own feelings for her draws you into her face getting closer and closer as her lips purse, connecting with yours softly. She pulls away quicker than you'd've liked her too, but the smirk she displays soon after suggests that was her intention.
"That should speed up your processing, either in a negative or a positive way. Now you go out there and be you."
She really doesn't want to put any pressure on you into making any kind of decision. If thats not a sign of her love for you, then what is?
But then there is the elephant in the room. An interspecies relationship isn't unheard of in this world but, in yours, its frowned upon. Its just absurd, way too absurd. But is that what you think or what the world thinks?
A trait you've always chastised yourself on having was caring too much about what others thought of you, so concerned on that first impression or what people say behind your back. The world can be so judgemental to the point where it clouds happiness. Of course if this happened in your world it would be genuinely illegal, but you aren't in that world, you are in a world with greater values on love and friendship. You are better off with her, no matter what she is. She makes you feel worth it, lifts you up with positive affirmations, and manages to make you happy in ways that are unfathomable.
These thoughts distract you all day as you go about it. As you wait for the moment where you go home and see what you have decided in your mind unanimously, is a one in a million creature.