ruffle these feathers
There's a head on her chest.
One minute, everything's fine. Everything's perfect. The scenery is beautiful out here at the fringe of the forest - it's really not such a scary place in the daytime. The weather is warm and gorgeous. The sandwiches are delicious. The conversation's gradually tapering off, but not in an awkward way; it feels like it's easing off naturally, like the day is just winding down, giving them time to lie back and soak it all up - to notice every softly shaking frond above them, feel every ripple of wind in the air, smell each and every flower around them.
It's just the two of them and all that perfection.
And then, suddenly, there's a head resting on her chest.
Her breath catches. This is…
Well. Starting with the basics. Surprisingly light. Soft. Warm. Kinda nice, really. Her heart starts beating faster. She tries to slow it back down with a long, drawn-out exhale, but when her body moves as she breathes out, a purple mane brushes gently across her wings. It tickles a little, and the fluttering inside only intensifies.
The other mare smiles, eyes closed, looking the very definition of content.
This is…
This is just what friends do. Right? Totally right. Y'know, like how Pinkie's giving everypony hugs all the time. This is just like that. A nice, friendly gesture, between friends, which is what they are, of course. Friends. That's all we are. That's all we could possibly be. Juuuust--
Twilight yawns, and rolls over slightly, resting her cheek on Dash's chest and pointing her angelic face straight at Dash's own.
A tiny choking sound escapes Rainbow's lips.
How did it come to this? How did they get here? Her eyes dart around, scanning the glade for-- for what, exactly? Somepony else, just happening to wander by, to come and defuse the situation? Some wild beast of the forest to come rampaging out of the trees and eat them both alive, and spare her the torture of that soft silken hair and those incredible--
Gahhhh! What the hell is this?! her mind screams - rhetorically, of course, because she knows what this is. She just hasn't admitted it to herself yet.
"Rainbow?" The voice comes softly, a mix of concern and… something. She snaps back to the present moment, and realises just how quickly she's breathing. "What's the matter?"
"N-nothing!" she replies, way too quickly. She twists her head away, breaking eye contact, focusing instead on a - ah! - a small fruit hanging from a nearby tree, staring it down with determination and willing any other thoughts to come. It's not long before she realises how absolutely ridiculous she's being, and she turns back to her companion. That entrancing mouth is ever so slightly turned down. Those sparkling eyes repeat the question. "Well, I-- I mean. It's just. You're…" What? Too close? Not close enough?
Twilight sits up then. "I'm sorry… should I not…?"
"No! I don't-- didn't mean-- gahhhh!" She groans in sheer exasperation, and it transforms itself into a laugh, a catharsis of frustration. She throws her forelegs up in mock exasperation and tilts her head back. The Everfree canopy usurps her view of her clear blue sky. "This is just insane! I'm sorry, Twi. I don't know what's wrong with me… All of a sudden, I'm all nervous and jittery, and I keep thinking these--"
She cuts herself off, blinks a few times. Her legs drop back to her sides, careful not to hit a certain mare on their way down. When she continues, her voice is quieter, more measured. "I mean, what am I nervous about? We aren't…. we're not even doing anything."
She turns her head to look back at Twilight, who's sitting closer to her than she thought. She's looking right at Dash, with this expression on her face… It's intense, her eyes firmly locked on to Dash's, eyebrows arched ever so slightly; her mouth pursed at its edges in hesitation, or deliberation, with maybe just a hint of a smile showing beneath that. She doesn't respond for a while, but she doesn't divert her gaze once in that time, keeping the moment in place, just taking in everything there is about that brilliant blue mare to take in…
… before finally, she says - softly, sincerely -
"Would you like to… do something?"