“A-are you trying a new shampoo or s-something?” Twilight’s body was rigid, every muscle as tense as could be. Her breaths came in short pants and her heart was beating so fast that she was sure that Rainbow felt it against her back. “You, er... it smells great!” she added for good measure, silently praying that Rainbow wouldn’t press the issue too much.
Rainbow’s left ear flicked back and forth a few times, then lay flat on her head. “Uh... nah? I’ve always used the same shampoo.”
Rainbow’s voice held an air of uncertainty that unsettled Twilight. “Oh, uh... hehe, okay. What brand is it? I’d like to get it, because... because... I need to get some more shampoo!” Twilight clenched eyes shut and grit her teeth. Okay, that’s it! You’re done talking for the night, Twilight... she chastised herself. Opening her eyes, she took a deep breath and slowly let it out through her nose.
“Um...” Rainbow shrugged. “I don’t really remember what the name was. I know it is in a slim yellow bottle, though.”
“Oh... okay.” Twilight held her breath, waiting for Rainbow to press the issue further. After several seconds of the tensest silence Twilight had ever experienced, Rainbow did not speak up. Twilight hesitantly relaxed a little bit, though her neck still felt rather tense. Come on, Twilight... This entire night was supposed to be about relaxing, but you’ve worked yourself up so much that it’s anything but that!
“So...” Rainbow pulled her forelegs out from under Twilight’s and rolled onto her stomach. She stretched her neck, then waited for Twilight to sit up. “Want to move onto the next chapter? Or do you want to go to bed?”
“It’s up to you, Dash. I wouldn’t mind falling asleep like this, um... you know...” She felt her cheeks warm up again. “With you,” Twilight whispered, her voice so soft she doubted Rainbow heard her. She glanced away and rubbed the back of her neck with a hoof, giggling like a nervous schoolfilly about to ask somepony out on their first date.
Rainbow grabbed the book and opened it with a flick from her wing. “Let’s just see what’s next, and then we can go from there. That sound good to you, Twi?”
Twilight smiled and nodded. “Sure!” She lay down next to Rainbow, her tail flicking back and forth incessantly. She couldn’t have stopped it if she had wanted to, for she was simply too excited. She waited, feeling a tinge of impatience as Rainbow fumbled with the book, trying to find where they had left off. Twilight thought about using her magic to get them to the right page, but decided against it for fear of turning a great night bad. Thankfully, Rainbow got them to the right page a few moments later.
“Here we go!” Rainbow pointed at the page on the right near the top. “This is where we stopped.” She playfully nudged Twilight with her shoulder. “You wanna read this one, egghead, or you want me to read it?”
Twilight yawned. She sheepishly smiled at Rainbow and blinked a couple of times. “Can you read it please? I’m feeling pretty worn out, but I’d still love to try one more position with you before we call it a night.” I love when you read to me... Twilight felt herself blush again.
“Yeah, that’s fine with me.”
“And Rainbow?” Twilight laid her hoof over Rainbow’s. Rainbow glanced down at it and flicked her tail once, then ruffled her feathers before looking back up at her. “Is it, um... Is it alright if we snuggle and fall asleep together tonight? I know it’s not something that friends usually do, but...” she trailed off, her throat feeling unusually dry. Twilight felt a glimmer of hope from the fact that Rainbow hadn’t pulled her hoof away. “I’d really love that...” she managed to squeak out, drawing random shapes in the sheets with her free hoof.
Rainbow tightened her grasp on Twilight’s hoof. “I was afraid you’d never ask,” she said softly, a small smile slipping onto her face. “So let’s see what we have here...” She looked down at the book and cleared her throat. “The back to back snuggle is a rather unort... unor...”
“Unorthodox,” Twilight said.
Rainbow chuckled. “Thanks, egghead. Anyways, like I was saying... the back to back snuggle is a rather unorthodox form of snuggling, but it does have a certain allure.” She paused when she felt Twilight lay her head on her neck. She smiled and laid a wing over Twilight’s back, then continued. “Many couples enjoy this particular position on the warmer nights, because spooning, or any other method of close and intimate snuggling can get too hot and uncomfortable for both ponies involved. Even on colder nights, when the other’s warmth is welcome, the back to back snuggle can still be very enjoyable. Many couples have noted that simply feeling their lover next to them, pressed up against their back, gives feelings of safety, love, and security, all without smothering them.”
“Sounds wonderful...” Twilight murmured as she lifted her head from Rainbow’s neck. She lay on her side, facing away from Rainbow, all the while waiting breathlessly for Rainbow to do the same. A moment later, she felt Rainbow’s back press up against her own, then she pushed her rear end against Rainbow’s. Twilight relaxed and lifted her head, fluffed her pillow, then lay her head back down with a content sigh.
The first minute passed in absolute silence. They simply lay there, unmoving as they listened to the storm roar just outside the bedroom window. Even though Twilight tried to enjoy this particular snuggling position, she found that she simply couldn’t come to like it. It was nowhere near as intimate as the previous positions, and on top of that she yearned to have Rainbow hold her tight. Snuggling like this was a poor excuse for snuggling, and it sure didn’t feel like they were really connecting like they had been earlier.
“Hey, Dash?” Twilight spoke up, her voice soft and riddled with uncertainty.
“Mmyeah?”
Twilight felt Rainbow stir against her back, but she didn’t get up. “I don’t know about you, but... I don’t really like this one.” Twilight bit her lip as worry gnawed at her mind.
“Oh, thank Celestia, me neither!” Rainbow rolled away from Twilight and settled on her other side. “It felt like something a couple would do after an argument or something. I mean, come on! That sure didn’t feel like anything special, right?” She fluffed her wing and lifted up the wing she had just lain on. Rainbow quickly preened herself, moving a couple crooked feathers back into place.
“Hehe, yeah.” Twilight relaxed, letting her shoulders slump in relief. She yawned rather loudly, then giggled when she saw that she had made Rainbow do the same. “So... it’s getting pretty late now. You feel like calling it a night?” She felt those familiar butterflies flit about in her stomach again.
Rainbow yawned again and nodded. “Sounds good to me.” She stretched her legs and wings, then relaxed with a content sigh. “You wanna go back to the last position? Spooning, right? I really liked that one.”
“Yeah... me too,” Twilight squeaked out. “You want to be the big spoon?” Because I sure would love to be held by you again, your warmth gently lulling me to sleep... Oh please oh please say yes, Dash...
“Yeah, I’d love to be the big spoon. I was actually about to ask if you wanted to be the little spoon.” Rainbow giggled and unsuccessfully tried to stifle it with a hoof. “Pretty cool how we’re thinking on the same wavelength, huh?”
Twilight blushed. “Y-yeah, it kind of is... So, do you want to share a pillow, or should we each have our own?”
“Let’s share one. Your pillows are big enough, so I don’t think we’ll have a problem.” Rainbow fluffed hers with a hoof, then pushed it towards Twilight. She then rolled over onto her side and lifted a wing for Twilight.
Twilight couldn’t believe her luck. With a grateful smile, she faced away from Rainbow and slid into her waiting embrace. As Rainbow pulled her in close, Twilight took a deep breath and relaxed, letting herself go limp. She felt Rainbow scoot upwards just a few inches, then felt Rainbow’s neck against the back of her head. Twilight looked up just enough to nuzzle Rainbow’s chin, silently thanking her for all that she’d done for her that night. If only she knew how much she means to me...
Rainbow wrapped her wing around Twilight’s midsection, just under where her forelegs met her body. She tugged her as close as possible and flicked her tail over Twilight’s hind legs. “This good?”
“It’s great, Dash...” Twilight mumbled sleepily. She closed her eyes and breathed in through her nose. Rainbow’s familiar and comforting scent, combined with her body’s warmth, started to lull her to sleep.
“Hey, you want me to grab the blanket?” Dash asked softly. “I don’t need it, but we can use it if you want to.”
Twilight sighed contentedly. “No, I think I’ll be fine, Rainbow. You’re all I’ll ever need.” Twilight bit her tongue so hard she thought she tasted blood. Oh... I sure hope I just didn’t make things super awkward...
“Glad to hear it,” Rainbow mumbled back. She laid her foreleg between Twilight’s forelegs and smiled when Twilight latched onto it. “Goodnight, Twilight...”
Phew... “Night, Rainbow...”
A particularly loud thunderclap woke Twilight up a few hours later. The storm was still raging away outside, and Twilight was glad that she had Rainbow here to comfort her. The pegasus slept away like an undisturbed rock in the middle of a barren wasteland.
Twilight heard Rainbow shift in her sleep, gently tugging her closer. They had an inch or two of space between them, but it didn’t really matter. What did matter was the fact that Rainbow still had her in her grasp, something that Twilight absolutely loved and couldn’t get enough of. On top of that, Rainbow was still here, all snuggled up against her back.
Twilight felt like she was on cloud nine.
Wondering what Rainbow looked like asleep, Twilight carefully pried herself from Rainbow’s grasp and rolled over. She scooted in as close as she dared, Rainbow’s muzzle mere inches from her own.
Twilight ran a hoof through Rainbow’s mane, taking in her beauty. She eyed Rainbow’s lips, wondering what it would feel like to have them pressed up against hers. Twilight leaned in, pressed her forehead against Rainbow’s, then sighed. Her tail twitched on its own again as Twilight felt a shiver of excitement run down her back.
She smelled Rainbow’s alluring scent and saw the way her mane adorably lay across her shoulders, plus the adorable way her ears twitched in her sleep... it was simply too much for Twilight to bear. A whimper escaped her as she eyed Rainbow’s soft, plump lips again, wondering how it would feel like if she stole a kiss from her. Her mind screamed at her to not do that, but her heart screamed equally as loud to go for it.
Her breath catching in her throat, Twilight licked her lips and closed her eyes, then leaned in. She planted her lips on Rainbow’s and heard a surprised squeak. Twilight knew that it didn’t come from her, so that only meant one thing.
Rainbow was awake.
Twilight pulled back, her eyes shooting open wide. Her eyes ran all over Rainbow’s face, praying that she wasn’t really awake. Twilight couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw Rainbow open her eyes, blearily blinking at her.
“Did you... did you just kiss me?” Rainbow asked softly. She sat up and looked at Twilight with furrowed eyebrows.
Twilight had never felt her heart beat so fast before. Her ears flicking back, she licked her dry lips and swallowed. Her throat was so dry it felt like she had swallowed a bunch of sand. “I... I...” Tears welled up in her eyes. Why did I have to be so foolish? Why couldn’t I have just gone back to sleep?! she thought as she blankly stared at Rainbow’s breast, unable to meet her steely gaze. Why did I have to just ruin our friendship?
As she felt the first of many tears run down her face, she slipped out of bed and stood on shaky legs. How could a pony so awesome, caring, and loving like Rainbow ever fall for a pony like me? I never should have asked Rainbow to do all of this with me... “I’... I’m sorry, Rainbow... I’ll g-go sleep on the co-couch.”
Twilight turned away, her head held low. She trudged away from the bed, her tears freely flowing down her cheeks. Twilight heard a familiar feathery rustle, but she paid it no mind as she neared her bedroom door. Just as she was about to light her horn to open the door, she walked right into Rainbow’s hoof. She looked up with tear-filled eyes to find Rainbow with a comforting smile on her face. Her eyebrows furrowing in confusion, Twilight opened her mouth to ask what she was doing, but Rainbow pulled her into a tight hug before she could say anything.
Thoroughly shocked, Twilight pushed Rainbow away from her and held her at hoof’s length. “Aren’t you... m-mad at me?” she asked hesitantly.
“Yeah, but only because you woke me up from an awesome dream!” Rainbow giggled and gently pushed Twilight’s hoof down, holding it with her hooves. “But the way you did it? I...” She glanced to the side for a moment, then looked back into Twilight’s eyes. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Twilight couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Wha...?” she asked dumbly, cocking her head to the side.
Rainbow giggled again and let Twilight’s hoof go. She scooted a little closer to her and blushed. “I... I noticed all of the hints you’ve been dropping lately, Twilight, but I wasn’t completely sure if you were into me. I was nervous that I was reading too much into it all, but after you asked me to snuggle with you, I really started to think that you were into me.” She rubbed her foreleg with a hoof and looked away for just a moment. “I wasn’t totally sure how to express my feelings for you, and I thought that snuggling with you all night would be a great way to show my affection... about how much I want us to be more than just friends.”
“R-really?” Twilight asked with a hopeful smile, rubbing the tears away from her eyes with a hoof. “You m-mean it?”
Rainbow nodded and smiled back at Twilight, her cheeks blushing furiously. She closed the small gap between them and nuzzled her cheek. “Of course I mean it, Twi... Besides, would I spend an entire evening snuggling with you in some of the most intimate positions ever if I didn’t have feelings for you? Didn’t you pick up on any of my hints?”
“Uh, no?” Twilight scratched the back of her head. “What hints?”
Rainbow smiled and looked away. “Well... I do spend a lot of time with just you.” She poked Twilight with a hoof. “We’d snuggle and read a good book together for hours, and I really enjoy that. I like hanging out with all of our friends, Twilight, but I love spending time with you. Simply being around you makes me feel...” She bit her lip and looked away.
Twilight lifted a hoof and guided Rainbow’s head to look back up at her. She smiled and scooted closer to Rainbow. “What, Rainbow?” she asked softly.
“You make me feel... complete, Twilight,” Rainbow replied, her voice equally as soft.
“Hearing you say that makes me so happy, Rainbow,” Twilight said, smiling so hard it hurt. “So you’re not mad that I stole a kiss from you?” She bit her lip and rubbed her foreleg, staring into Rainbow’s eyes.
“Huh? Oh, that? Nah, but that’s only because I’m gonna steal it back!” Before Twilight could ask what she meant, Rainbow closed her eyes, leaned forward, and softly planted her lips on Twilight’s. She heard Twilight make a soft squeak of surprise, but she felt her relax, melting into the kiss. Feeling especially daring, Rainbow flicked her tongue against Twilight’s parted lips and sat back, a string of saliva connecting their lips for a brief moment.
Oh... my... gosh... Twilight panted softly. “Wow... you’re a good kisser,” she said with a giggle. Now blushing furiously, Twilight licked her lips. “So I feel like I have to do this all formally, so... Rainbow?”
“Yes, Twilight?”
“Would you like to go out on a date sometime? I’m sure we could find a time that would fit in both of our sche—” She was abruptly cut off by a quick peck from Rainbow, though this one didn’t last as long as the first.
“Does that answer your question, Twi?” Rainbow asked with a sly grin. Twilight nodded back, a happy glazed look upon her face. “And tomorrow. We’ll go on our first date tomorrow night,” she said, an excited smile on her face.
Twilight nodded back at her with a wide smile. “Ah, I see. Why prolong the inevitable, right?”
“Right!”
Twilight flicked her tail around her flank and grabbed it with a hoof. “So, now that we have that over with...” Her gaze drifted back towards the bed.
“Lemme guess. You want to get back in bed and snuggle some more?”
Twilight blushed furiously. She smiled coyly and looked to the side. “Oh, I don’t know... My mind still feels a little hazy. You know... I think another kiss would help clear it.”
“Oh really?” Dash leaned back with a smile, licked her lips, and kissed Twilight again. “That any better?”
“Actually, I think my mind got hazier...” Twilight said with a giggle. She nuzzled Rainbow’s neck, then laid a wing around her back. “I’m pretty sure snuggling back in bed would make me feel better.”
“Yeah, I’m sure it will.” Rainbow giggled and let Twilight lead her back to the bed. Rainbow lay on her side and waited for Twilight to snuggle back on in. Much to her surprise, instead of pressing her back against her chest, Twilight did the opposite.
Twilight tucked her forelegs up to her chest and slid her head into the crook of Rainbow’s neck, sighing happily when she felt Rainbow lay a wing over her back. Several moments passed in silence before she asked, “Rainbow, when we wake up tomorrow, can you... can you read to me?”
“Of course, Twi... for as long as you want...”