“Tavi.”
“…”
“Taaaaaaaavi.”
“…”
“Taaaaaaaaaaaavi.”
Still no response. Vinyl Scratch clung to her fillyfriend, batting a loose strand of Octavia’s mane from side to side.
“Tavi, don’t ignore me,” pleaded Vinyl. “I hate being ignored. I think I’m allergic to it!” The DJ reared back in mock horror, putting a hoof to her chest. “Tavi, I’m going into Analeptic shock. And then I’ll die! Do you really want my death on your hooves?”
Octavia glanced at Vinyl, regarding her for a bit before turning back to her work. “Vinyl, I’m doing some rather serious work at the moment.”
“Work?” groaned Vinyl.
“Yes, work. You know, that thing that keeps a roof over our head?”
“Yeah, but it doesn’t put any food on the table!”
Octavia stared at Vinyl, a single eyebrow raised.
Vinyl stared back, a cheesy grin plastered across her face.
The cellist, realizing that she was fighting a losing battle, turned back to her sheet music. Octavia was able to write about two notes before a certain bored DJ wrapped her hooves around the grey mare.
“Tavi, let’s do something else!”
“No, Vinyl.”
“Please?” Vinyl leaned in towards Octavia’s ear. “I swear I’ll make it worth your while,” she whispered.
Octavia sharply rapped Vinyl’s forehead, just below the horn. The DJ didn’t even blink. “Foolish Tavi, I’ve grown immune to your Striking Hoof of Justice! Now nothing can get me off of you!”
The cellist rolled her eyes.
In order to prove her point, Vinyl nibbled Octavia’s ear, eliciting a yelp and another quick smack.
Okay, thought Vinyl, that kind of hurt. But she held on, playing with Octavia’s mane and bowtie as the cellist kept up a steady stream of blows.
Octavia was growing redder by the minute, trying desperately to get the unicorn off of her. But it seemed like Vinyl really had built a defense. Why do I try to work at home? It never plays out well.
The grey mare brought her hoof back for one last attempt to dislodge Vinyl, making weak contact with the DJ’s abdomen. Vinyl gave a small squeak and jumped off of Octavia.
The cellist turned, a slightly confused look in her eyes. “Vinyl, are you okay?”
Vinyl was clutching her stomach. “Yeah, just fine. I just… yawned, yeah, it was a yawn.” She gave a dramatic stretch to prove her point.
Octavia was not fooled. “Vinyl, you’re ticklish, aren’t you?” A dangerous gleam shone in her eyes as she slowly got to her hooves.
“No, not ticklish!” Vinyl said with a nervous laugh. “I’m sleepy, and I think I’ll go take a nap! I mean, you have all of that work to do.”
The DJ backed away from the cellist, trying to escape to the sanctuary of her bedroom. But Octavia was faster. The grey mare poked at Vinyl, causing the DJ to twitch. A grin spread across the cellist’s face.
Vinyl’s mind was screaming at her. Abort mission! Abort mission! Tavi’s gonna kill us with belly-rubs! Vinyl's body obeyed, jumping back just as Octavia landed a slightly harder poke. The DJ fell and Octavia followed her to the floor.
The cellist mercilessly rubbed at Vinyl’s stomach, and the DJ dissolved into a mix of laughter and pain. “Stop! Stop!” Vinyl pleaded through bursts of laughter. “Please, Tavi for—BAHAHA—for the love of Celestia, stop!”
But Octavia didn’t stop and Vinyl soon lost the energy to protest. She could only laugh, her entire body twitching weakly.
Only a few minutes had passed before Octavia let up, though it felt like hours to the giggling mess that vaguely resembled a DJ. Vinyl lay panting on the floor, small aftershocks of giggles randomly coursing through her. “T-Tavi. You’re… you’re scary.”
Octavia smiled, walking back to her sheet music. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
Vinyl nodded weakly, and her head thumped back to the floor. A few moments passed in silence, only the sound of Octavia’s quill sounded through the room.
“Hey, Tavi?”
“Yes, Vinyl?”
“I don’t say it enough, but I love you.”
A smile and a blush spread across Octavia’s face. “I love you too, Vinyl.”