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// Fireplace - bats 
// Story: TwiDash Prompt Collab 
// by TwiDashCollabs 
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The pegasus had not moved an inch in four hours.  That wasn’t entirely true; the rhythmic rise and fall of her sky blue, trim and muscled chest offered its own breed of hypnosis.  The slow bellowing of breaths a metronome keeping time for a musician that wasn’t present.  She would also occasionally dip her head down to the mighty tome propped up in front of her, catching a creamy page of paper on the end of her snout.  A sharp flick of her neck and it would finish turning just as her head resumed its original position.  And calling her still would have been a terrible lie if you caught her eyes.  Glimmering pools of magenta reflected merry yellows from the fireplace and danced across the page in a race Twilight knew all too well.

A soft pulse of magic fluttered the unicorn’s own text to the next page, but her attention remained drawn to the statuesque Rainbow Dash laying carelessly on the pillows next to her, legs tucked underneath and colorful tail circling halfway around her body.  Twilight’s mouth didn’t know if it was smiling with glowing affection or frowning with concern.  She cleared her throat.  “Hey, Rainbow Dash?”

The blue mare started, her gaze flicking rapidly from printed words to purple face.  “Hmn?”

“You okay?”  Violet eyes drew together under knit brow.  “I know that book’s interesting; it’s one of my favorites, but wouldn’t you rather be…I don’t know…doing something else?”

Rainbow’s eyes returned to the book, her expression far away, lost in the story unfolding in front of her mind’s eye.  She spoke distantly, her tone distracted, but carrying no hint of annoyance.  “I’m curled up with an’ adventure next to the best pony in Equestria.  What else would I wanna be doing?”  A downy wing unfurled from her barrel, crossing over Twilight’s back.  With unexpected strength and sudden speed, the feathery limb gripped and pulled the unicorn forcefully into Rainbow Dash’s side.  The coat to coat contact brought immediate heat to Twilight’s frame far beyond the crackling blaze of the fire.

Twilight expelled a lingering sigh of comfort and leaned into the pegasus, resting her head into a soft, warm shoulder.  Her eyes returned to her book and began scanning the page.  “What else indeed,” she murmured.