//------------------------------//
// Is It Cool If I Hold Your Hand? 
// Story: Helios 
// by Mandroid 
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	The sound of boots on stone echoed across the walls. Ahead of you, Luna's moon slowly inched its way down to the horizon. If you looked behind you, you could see Celestia's sun rays peeking out.
You were on a run around the castle walls, something you did every morning to ensure that you could spend the entire day in your armor. Canterlot looked well underneath you, the week and a half since the invasion being used to repair most of the city. Only a few of the taller buildings remained. Citizens were a bit worried still, but that was the agenda for today.
You jumped down the stairs over the main gate, marking the halfway point of your journey. This had been your routine since before you even became Celestia's bodyguard, back when you were just another of the rank and file troops. Doing it constantly had more or less made this exercise an autopilot ordeal for you.
Leaving you plenty of time to think about your personal life.
Celestia had been keeping things mostly tame. The most that had happened was a bit of nuzzling, and it was always done out of sight of the public. You had reciprocated as best you could.
Basic training had never covered fraternization with royalty.
Celestia and you were close, always had been. The two of you had become fast friends after you had been appointed her bodyguard. Hell, that was probably what made her reach out to you the way she did. But for all the rapport the two of you had, you had still yet to talk about that night. The night the two of you made life a lot more complicated.
You reached the tower your room was in shortly after Celestia had brought the sun up above the Eastern horizon. Your body toned and exercised for the day, you went inside to don your armor.


-Celestia PoV-

Okay, it was morning. You had raised the sun,  bathed, and fed Philomena who now sat perched near the door.
Nothing left to do but wait for Anon...
...By the stars, you'd think you would have learned to wait in your life.
You pace back and forth in your room as the minutes ticked by. You had played this slow, taking your time and letting Anonymous and you grow closer naturally. Anonymous had always been a pleasure to be around and that had been your lifeline through the last ten days.
You really, REALLY, didn't want to screw this up.
Things had changed so much since the last time you did this...
There came a sudden knock on your door. "Celestia?"
Alright, deep breath...
"Come in, Anonymous."
The door opens and your somewhat-more-than-just-a-guard walks in, his armor reflecting a dull shine through the room. "Good morning, Celestia."
"Good morning, Anonymous."
As Anonymous closes the door, you lean forward a bit. Your lips brush up against his for just a second, just as you had worked out. At least, just how you worked out was best nine hundred years ago.
You pull away and smile but you don't think you should be.
Anonymous' face is one of awkward fear.
The room is silent for what feels like an eternity.
Ohnoyouscreweditup.
You bite your lower lip as you desperately try to get on another topic.	
"So! Anonymous! Did you sleep well!?" you ask in as friendly a tone as you can.
Your nerves are getting through.
"Uh...Yes Celestia, I slept pretty soundly." he says.
You reach out with your magic and grab your crown and raiment. As you adjust them on your head you magic open the door as well.
"Well then, shall we go!?"
You groan inwardly. Great save, Celestia. You haven't screw up this much since banishing Luna...


-Anon PoV-

The two of you skip breakfast and head straight out to the city, wanting to drown out what had happened in the room in work. Today's agenda was simple, simply walk around Canterlot with Celestia and let the citizens be calmed by her presence. The two of you were silent the entire time, condemning you to your thoughts.
She had kissed you. Why did she kiss you? Okay, that was stupid. You knew WHY she kissed you, but why did it have to be now? You were just getting used to the idea of being physically close to Celestia and now it all got changed up again and that left the question as to what the two of you were supposed to do now.
How long before things elevated again?
Would it even be acceptable to elevate things? Celestia still seemed intent on keeping things secret.
This silence between the two of you was driving you nuts.
"The city looks well."
"Yes, the engineers did a wonderful job in the repairs." Celestia says without turning to you.
"Some of the buildings needed repairs, if I remember."
Celestia nods but keeps her head forward. "Yes. Many of the destroyed structures were quite old indeed."
Yes. Drown the awkward in work. That was the best plan. You take a deep breath and kept pace with Celestia as she walked through the streets.

The day wore on and the two of you were starving. You had both grabbed some food from a nearby restaurant and hidden yourselves away near a fountain in a back street. Neither of you had spoken in depth since you had gotten out, simply small words between each other like before.
And it's driven you nuts.
You have to know, this wasn't something that could be just swept under the rug.
"Celestia, I have to ask."
The Princess looks up from her hay sandwich at you.
"Are we...going to talk? About that night?"
The Princess's eyes go wide as she swallows her food. "Well...Anon. I-. The thing is..." Celestia's eyes dart around as she trails off.
"Celestia, it's me. You can talk to me...right?"
You hope this whole thing hadn't ruined your friendship at least...
That was too magical to lose.
Celestia releases a deep sigh and finally meets your eyes again.  "The truth is Anon...I have no idea what I'm doing in regards to...the two of us."
She shifts on her hooves. "This is the first time in my life I haven't known what I was doing beforehand and that...scares me a bit. courting has changed so much since I last tried it."
"Was...that what this morning was about?"
Celestia nods her head in affirmation. "Ten or so days was the..."traditional" length of time one would wait to expand upon a relationship in the stage ours is in back when I was young."
You...had a relationship now?
She sounds like Twilight a little bit...Like teacher like pupil, you guess.
"I'm...really just going by what feels right Anonymous, I admit that that could be wrong in some regards." she says.
You crack a small smile. Celestia was ever humble as always.
Still, you could see that she was just as nervous as you were, simply for different reasons.
A thought popped into your head. A...natural thought.
You put down your sandwich and place a hand on Celestia's chin. A quick peck on the cheek, of about equal timing as the one you received this morning was gifted to the Princess. The heat could be felt emanating from Celestia's face as you pulled away, her shocked expression mirroring your own a few hours ago.
You swallow the frog in your throat "Celestia...you seem to be over thinking things a bit... Maybe try a more relaxed and leisurely approach?"
Celestia audibly gulps before she grows a small smile. "Y-yes Anonymous, that sounds like rather good advice. Thank you."
You scratch your chin with your finger. "You...can call me Anon if you want to."
It was only fair, you were allowed to call her Celestia.
Celestia's smile grows wider and less nervous. "I would like that Anon."
She levitates her meal up again. "Shall we finish here and continue with our day?"
You grab your own sandwich and throw off a smile "Of course, Celestia. I'd love to."
Guarding her as she walks the streets. Not the weirdest "first date" ever.