New day, new thoughts to sort through. She tried not to add the possibility that this would be a regular thing to the list, but it was a good thing first period didn't really demand that much attention. Today: Bringing candy bars was not a good idea, Adagio was apparently the cutest kind of ticklish, and, Fluttershy had to seek refuge behind her book before thinking about the last one...
She's seen my underwear!!
When did that happen?! She couldn't think of an instance in which she'd undressed in front of Adagio, she even made sure to stand around the corner in an area with no windows where nobody would see her when changing in the locker room, when could she have been seen that way?! Did it mean Adagio really did know where she lived and had peeked through her window one night? She wouldn't put it past her, but...
No. I don't know if she'd never act like a peeping tom, but, wouldn't she at least tap on the windows or something to let me know she saw me?
That was how Adagio operated, right? Find weak spot, poke it mercilessly? Well, maybe she wasn't that either, she'd backed off once or twice before. Still, she couldn't believe Adagio would peek at her and only offhandedly mention it when her own underwear was exposed in a way she didn't plan. So when was-
Monday. She fell off the bench, her feet comically in the air and her legs apart. Adagio had been standing over her... And didn't say anything? Fluttershy was lost, underwear showing was the definitive reason to mock someone in school, and with Adagio's sense of humor, ignoring... that thing that happened... was like a starving wolf turning up its nose at a bacon sandwich. (That poor piggy.) Was she holding back again? She'd already teased Fluttershy viciously by that point, so it wasn't unthinkable, buy why did she keep stopping herself?
No.
I have to.
No, you don't!
I have to know why.
NO, YOU DON'T!!
Yes, I do!
Please, think about what you're doing, you have friends and family that love you!
You're being ridiculous.
She won't hold back if you ask why, she'll take it as a challenge!
Or maybe she'll just answer the question?
You don't know that!
I don't know that she'll tease me for it, either.
Even if she did, Fluttershy wasn't sure she could just forget about this one. Was Adagio showing mercy sometimes because she cared? Could there even be another reason? She couldn't wait much longer. Friday morning, she wanted some kind of answer, no matter how humiliating Adagio made it for her.
...
Well, that was settled. By comparison, the rest felt pretty easy. Adagio was ticklish. Cute, but not a lot to do with that information right now. Bringing anything vaguely shaped... like... one of those... was just asking for trouble, she'd have to remember not to do it again. The faces Adagio made when she was being tickled, and even that pouty expression before that, were adorable! She wanted to see more. That high-pitched giggling was unexpected, but she smiled just thinking about it.
And... That was all! With her stray thoughts all returned to their kennels before first period had even ended, Fluttershy swelled with confidence and triumph! Then her brain spoke up.
So, about that kiss yesterday?
Her head smacked on the desk, startling half the room. For once, she didn't even notice the stares.
---
Walking through the gym in an absent-minded daze, Fluttershy caught herself doing the swingy walk without even thinking about it! She couldn't decide right away whether that was really good or really bad, whether it meant she was at risk of unconsciously doing it any time she walked through the gym now, but couldn't help being a little proud of herself just the same.
---
The next day, Fluttershy waited alone for a little longer than usual. It brought her back to all the mornings she used to spend that way before Adagio came along, just her and the quiet almost every weekday. It was so much slower than she remembered, so much lonelier. Maybe because now she was actively waiting on something, instead of just waiting? That was the better part of impatience, she thought, the frustration of being stuck waiting until something else made it's way to you, be it a bus, (not that Fluttershy would know) or an inconsiderate friend who said they'd be here twenty minutes ago, or even for a class to end. Waiting was fine, expecting could be a little trickier. Maybe that was what Adagio was getting at the other day, how other people typically-
"-said GOOD MORNING, SWEETIE!"
"EEEEK!!" Fluttershy seized up like a fainting goat, falling over on the bench before realizing what had happened. Again. She sat up quickly, straightening her hair as best she could as she met Adagio's equally annoyed and inquisitive gaze.
"What is it like, getting so lost in thought that you can actually check out of reality, up to a point?"
Lowering her head a little, Fluttershy twiddled her fingers and blushed. "A little embarrassing, when someone catches you doing it?"
Adagio blinked once in surprise and laughed, bringing a smile to Fluttershy's face. "Alright, then. You know, I don't think I'd be startling you as often if I wore a bell around my neck." And then came the smirk and the suggestive eyebrow waggle. "With a collar, I mean..."
Taking a few seconds to piece together what she meant, Fluttershy squeaked and turned much redder.
"No? Very well, you can wear the collar."
"W-what?!"
"For keeping you on a leash, of course." Casually inspecting her nails, Adagio grinned wider. "Don't worry, I'd keep you fed, cleaned, take you on walks, you still do that sometimes, right?"
Fluttershy's jaw dropped as she recalled that morning by the statue a few weeks ago, the one Adagio had very deliberately taken out of context after sneaking up on her again. "I-I-I wasn't, I don't-!"
Coyly averting her eyes, Adagio chuckled fiendishly. "Whatever you say, Sweetie."
She might be a little mad about what happened yesterday, thought Fluttershy, most of her face still giving the science lab's hot plates a run for their money, or, even about the Battle. Or anything else she might feel like taking out on me. The old Sunset Shimmer hadn't always needed a reason to torment anyone in particular (though in her defense, she usually did), maybe Adagio was just feeling a little vindictive this morning? Then again, she and her friends had lost something precious to them partly because of Fluttershy, maybe more-so than even Twilight, depending on how you looked at it. That in mind, she couldn't even stay frustrated with Adagio, who had at least stopped laughing at her.
"Really though, I'm not sure how to approach you when you get like that, and I've tried all the polite avenues. I think." She counted off on her fingers. "Gently call your name, do it again a little louder, tap you on the shoulder, scream in your ear. Are there more?"
"W-well," muttered Fluttershy, using the change of topic to speed her recovery, "the last one isn't exactly polite, but please, don't worry about it." She managed an earnest smile. "It's my own fault for not paying attention, so doing what you've been doing is fine."
"Your funeral," replied Adagio with a noncommittal shrug.
Worrying a little about the chances she would seriously get an Adagio-induced heart attack, Fluttershy tried to set those thoughts aside in favor of the usual routine. "S-so, anyway," she said while retrieving today's little bag from her backpack, "have you ever seen a candy necklace?"
Blink. "A what now?"
The confused face swiftly becoming one of her favorites, Fluttershy giggled, holding the sugary tablets on a ring of string where Adagio could see. "It's just ordinary candy, but you can wear it around your neck, if you like."
Adagio tilted her head. "That sounds a little unsanitary."
"Y-you've eaten something straight out of my mouth..."
"Yes, but that wasn't resting against your skin for a while. Food as clothing is an interesting kink and all, but unless you've showered very recently, I think things like edible underwear -fascinating what you people do with your global information network, by the way- would probably-"
Again, Fluttershy turned scarlet. "I-it's not a k-k-kink!!"
There was a short pause, the two looking at one another in silence before Adagio shrugged. "So, do you floss with the string afterwards?"
A little blindsided by the question, Fluttershy took a second to think about it. "Um... sometimes. They make the string out of actual dental floss in some brands, but since the candy mostly melts and doesn't get stuck in your teeth, it never really caught on."
"Huh." She gently prodded the necklace with a finger. "How exactly does one eat from these without chewing on the thread, as well?"
"Uh, well," holding the necklace out in front of her, Fluttershy lifted it in front of her mouth, "you basically just hold two ends by the string and-" she bit down in the middle, crushing the pieces beneath her teeth to a sweet-tasting powder that dissolved on her tongue. Though she was now technically being rude by talking with her mouth full. "lahk tis."
Leaning forward, Adagio gripped two ends of the necklace and mimicked Fluttershy's action. "Just, hold in two places and bite down?"
There was another flush of warmth to her cheeks as she nodded, trying not to think too much about how close their faces were now. That became impossible when Adagio bit into the other side of the necklace, meaning they were now both chewing on the same object! Separated by several inches, but still! Then, to her horror, Adagio reached out with one hand to hold it under Fluttershy's chin, keeping her from opening her mouth to break away.
It probably took practice to form a devious smirk while chewing on something, but that was what Adagio did as she slowly worked her way around to Fluttershy's end of the necklace, locking eyes as she cleaned the string piece by piece.
Effectively motionless, Fluttershy's heart beat faster and faster. She isn't.
Crunch, crunch...
She wouldn't.
Crunch, crunch...
She can't!
Crunch, crunch...
Their faces were almost touching now, Fluttershy fidgeting in Adagio's grip as she drew closer and closer, their lips barely an inch apart...
And then Adagio let go and pulled back, snickering as Fluttershy fell over again. "There, I left half the necklace for you. It isn't sharing if I take everything myself, right?" A coy wink was completely unnecessary to fluster her any further, but she did it anyway, looking at Fluttershy's shocked, wide-eyed expression with evil delight. "Oh? Did you want me to go further? You only have to ask..."
Still lying on the bench, but at least fairly certain Adagio couldn't see up her skirt from that angle, Fluttershy whimpered. "Y-you're mean."
The vicious vixen only smiled wider. "Aren't I, though?" Her grin and tone were prideful as she again rested the fingertips of one hand on her chest. "I just cause all kinds of trouble around here, you know? Would it be such a shock if someone got irritated with me now and then? They might even try to take revenge, if they were really pressed." She held a finger to her chin while making a contemplative face. "I wonder what they'd do? Throwing rocks or burning alive are a little extreme, I couldn't care less if they tried to strip me naked and force me to run through town that way, if they shaved my head, it would grow back to this-" she gave her whole head a quick shake to bob her massive, bouncy hair for emphasis, "within a week or two, -don't ask, I have no idea- and nobody in town can outdo me in verbal jousting." She blinked. "Well, not that a lot have actually tried."
The few that had, though... Good times! The one that dared mention her group's crippled singing ability, in front of Aria and Sonata, no less, received no mercy, but she was sure moving to a different state afterward was just their way of saying 'I fully understand my mistake.'
"Come to think of it, my understanding is that most of the people around here are cowards, doing nothing to combat threats themselves without a lot of back-up or a sufficient proxy." Looking out over the soccer field again, Adagio shrugged, but her tone carried a note of bitterness. "The students of CHS did nothing during the reign of Sunset Shimmer until someone else did it for them, and she was just one human girl. I wouldn't be surprised if such people were to get creative in venting their frustrations against me. Maybe by, say, training an animal to do it for them or-"
"I WOULD NEVER DO THAT!!"
Not for the first time, Adagio was the one startled as she took a step back from Fluttershy, who had sat up very quickly, standing on the bench on her knees to face Adagio. Her face wasn't angry, but her eyes seemed to glow with a kind of energy the siren couldn't place, hurt and sadness the most prominent feelings she could discern.
"I know it happens all the time, but that doesn't make it right! Dogs have big claws and sharp teeth, but that doesn't mean they're just attack drones to throw into danger! I hate seeing them used that way, no matter the cause! Maybe it's easier or less expensive than some other security measures, but those poor creatures deserve better! The same goes for any other animal! If you can't get human beings to volunteer for the benefit of science, maybe doing that research on lab rats is too cruel to be doing at all! Killer whales are NOT happy in those tanks, that's why their dorsal fins flop over and sometimes they kill trainers! It's bad enough people kill so many animals every day for food, and don't get me wrong, I won't pretend it's only okay when non-sapient life ends other lives to save its own, but all of these things are just-"
Mercifully, she stopped, her eyes slowly widening as she made a heartbreaking realization. "You think... The squirrel yesterday. Y-you think it was me, don't you?"
Adagio frowned. "S-Sweetie, I-"
"Animals like me, it's t-true, but, to sic them on anyone, for any reason, I-I could never-"
"Wait, I just-"
"-but, to you, it must have looked exactly like-"
"I didn't say-"
Tears started to gather in her eyes. "I just wasn't thinking, it never even occurred to me that a squirrel might come along and-"
The two were almost talking over each other.
"Please, listen to-"
"I knew squirrels foraged for food on school grounds sometimes-"
"Sweetie-"
"-never even thought about something like that happening and-"
"Sweetie!"
"-so sorry, I never meant to-"
Adagio stepped closer and bent over the bench to wrap Fluttershy in a hug, silencing her immediately. "I'm sorry." She didn't wait for a reply or an insistence that it shouldn't be her apologizing, even if it was what she'd initially hoped to drag out of her usual victim for yesterday's humiliation. "I believe you when you say you'd never tell an animal to do something like that, and I'm sorry I ever even suspected otherwise. The squirrel situation was a complete accident, I see that now. Part of me knew it was preposterous to even think you were capable of such a thing, but, I, I-I don't even have an excuse!" Her tone was very gentle as she hugged Fluttershy a little tighter. "I'm sorry, I won't do it again."
Fluttershy, for her part, melted. The tenderness of the embrace and the sentiment, the sincerity in Adagio's voice, the smell of her hair- Stay focused! -and that, even with Fluttershy not being the one that permanently lost something near and dear to her because of the other, Adagio still felt like she had something to apologize for!
She chose to ignore the little Rainbow Dash in the back of her head that said she was being a total doormat again.
Her heart thudded in a pleasant rhythm as her whole body started to feel warm. And fuzzy! "It's okay."
"It really isn't."
"It is if I forgive you." She tried to hug Adagio back, but her arms were trapped at her sides.
"But-"
"Will you let me?"
Adagio's mouth hung open for several seconds. "...Do you?"
The reply came without hesitation. "Yes."
There was a faint shaking in Adagio's arms, but she quickly steadied herself. "I... Alright. I'll respect your decision."
Fluttershy giggled, enjoying the warmth between them for as long as it lasted.
Then Adagio spoke. "By the way, am I doing this right? Hugging is actually a little new for us and the others don't give me a lot of helpful feedback."
"Uhm... W-well... You don't really have to hold me in a way that I can't move."
Pulling back a little, adorable confusion was again clear in Adagio's face. "I thought that was the point of these things, for people to show they trust one another enough to practice light bondage?"
Fluttershy lit up like a neon sign, her jaw dropping. Once more, she couldn't tell if Adagio was messing with her head or not, but going by the sound of her voice and an inquisitively-raised eyebrow, this time really hadn't been intentional.
"So... that's a 'no,' or...?"
"That... th-that's a 'no,' Adagio." Maybe that's why Aria doesn't like her hugs?
"Oh. Well." Adagio sheepishly pulled away, the clearly-abashed grin on her face making Fluttershy forgive her all over again. "I'll, just... go, figure out how all that works, then? See you around, Sweetie." And then she sauntered off, possibly toward the library to research proper hugging technique.
Letting out a blissful sigh, Fluttershy could hardly wait to see how that turned out. Maybe she could even help her practice? That was something you might do, when you had a crush on someone.
Oh, by the way, brain? I have a crush on Adagio Dazzle, I don't mind thinking it now. Please remember that for the diary later today.
Sure, I'll hang it next to You-Were-Supposed-To-Ask-Her-About-Seeing-Your-Underwear-You-Dummy on the wall.
Remembering that unspoken detail, Fluttershy facepalmed. Chances were good she wouldn't be able to talk to Adagio again until Monday, so this promised to be a long, dreadful weekend of... Or, maybe it didn't matter? They'd both seen a little of each other, after all. It felt like she'd gotten something like an answer for why Adagio held back, too; she cared. She wouldn't have hugged her and earnestly apologized if she didn't. Things were fine. Reinforced by the thought, Fluttershy smiled, taking in a deep breath through her nose.
Mango. Who'd have thought?
Final chapter?
6139937
No time soon, don't worry.
Such a nice balance you strike. Adagio iis queen of verbal combat but hugging? That's gonna take a little work haha.
You kept them both iin character and I'm super curious as to what adagio was thinking during the conversation.
Nice chap!
AW YOU FUCKING TEASE!!!
In all seriousness, though, GREAT chapter. That tender moment with the light bondage... My heart fluttered.
Also, what the hell was Flutters thinking would happen with candy necklaces?! She shoud offer Adagio some gum drops (or spice drops). See how she deals with THAT mess in her mouth.
6139942 Oh thank Celestia! I was just gonna ask about that and lament.
please don't be like so many others and save the romance/ them finally getting together till the final chapter ,causing disappointment,due to not being able to see the development of their relationship and etc
6140231 Gotta agree with you on this, but I prefer long stories myself. Most romance stories end with the confession, so we can't see the relationship development at all. While I would like to see that myself, I would also be happy with them changing format just a little bit, maybe FS seeing Adagio during the weekend and following her and getting caught, or just them hanging out outside of the school setting.
So far, this is one of the more believable ships on this site, which is a good thing. I like how things were taken slow and that the two didn't start dating on day one or two.
Keep up the good work; I'm looking forward to when one of them finally comes out to the other. I hope it's Fluttershy by initiating the first real kiss on a surprised Adagio. All her confidence walk training has to be for something, right?
So damn cute!
I can hardly wait for Fluttershy to introduce Pop Rocks to Adagio... If it does show up, I give it an 83% likeliness to be a First (unambiguous) Kiss candy.
6141923
True.
Come again?
She does do that.
Who knows?
You OK?
Good thing.
This is hilarious!
There's probably a fic out there exploring that. Probably a clopfic.
Troll.
She's got you there.
I see.
Guess so.
*starts playing Bella Notte"
Just kiss.
Oh you little...
I, see.
Adagio, you crossed a line there.
Fluttershy, you may be right, but calm down.
Apparently.
...
You OK Adagio?
I can tell.
Definitely fun to see more of Adagio's side of things. I've enjoyed this story being told from Fluttershy's perspective, but it's always cool to get some insight into Adagio's mind for what's going on; of course, I suspect part of the reason we don't see things from her perspective as much is because she's still very much a mystery to Fluttershy despite their growing relationship.
I also find it rather interesting that Adagio seems to know so much about sex in general, but is still working out the whole affection side of things. It's pretty fitting for how she's portrayed in canon, and I quite enjoy the idea that what may trip her up in the end about all of this is that she's genuinely caring about Fluttershy. Fun times ahead either way.
Looking forward to the next chapter!
6142099
That's been the line of thought up to this point, yes.
Soon...
You sir have just got a new follower!
Also, I know this is teen rated but you ever think of doing a side story— not a sequel, in which Fluttershy and Adagio do lewd and perverse things to each other?
Anyway I'm curious is this a shipfic? Because I totally support it.
Keep up the awesome work.
6142304
It is a Flutterdagio shipfic, yes, but despite what Adagio might say, there will not be any clop of this. Nothing against the genre (I don't know if clop is a genre, but the dictionary in my head is doing the worm right now), I just have no interest in writing it. Same goes for grimdark and war stories.
This is an oddly adorable fic. You capture Fluttershy well and while Adagio doesn't have much established character to work with, you make her feel believable. Certainly a lack of respect for personal space is canon for her.
6141009
THIS. There's nothing quite like making out with someone while Pop Rocks are involved,
I can't be the only one who wants to see an entire chapter seen from Adagio's perspective, right?
6143609
...
Idea.
This is a pairing I wasn't sure if I would like… turns out I do.
Also, great to see a fic that is slowly building things up, rather than just plonking us in part way through a story and saying "Hey, for the sake of this story, just accept that these two are going out." It's great seeing it from the ground up, and also keeping mostly true to the characters (what little we've seen of Dagi.)
Also, her hair is amazing.
It's horrible. I read the first chapter...I don't know how long ago...and then I come back and it turns out, more got added to it! I'm an idiot!
The story itself is hilarious and cute and kinda d'aww worthy, though, so yay for seeing that continue.
6148580
I first wrote chapter 1 as a one-shot and marked it 'complete,' so some confusion is understandable.
Glad you're enjoying!
WHEN THEY GONNA FUCKING KISS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
6146866
I was a little iffy myself, but after sticking with it, I really enjoy this story so far.
And there we go! Sweet release! It's about time what we all knew was true was said by Fluttershy herself. Now, how will things develop from here? I was hoping for physical contact or closeness besides Adagio's normal antics, and here we are.
I hope we start with Adagio sitting with Fluttershy from now on. I feel that's symbolic of how far they've come.
Wow... that chapter had a lot more feels than I was expecting
ugh, she's one of THOSE fucktards...I'm sorry, but animal testing is totally fine in my book. If we don't have test subjects then how are we expected to further the advancement of knowledge? I wonder if Flutters knows how many extremely important and helpful medicines have been developed due to them first being tested on animals. "IT MIGHT HURT THE ANIMALS!!!!! BLAAAAARG!!!!!" Would you rather have a dead dog or dead human? XD Science (especially medical science wherin most animal testing occurs) is far too dangerous to simply NOT see the effects beforehand. Imagine this, animal testing becomes ill legal right? So let's say a scientist developed a cure for idk HIV? Now since testing on animals and humans is illegal....this medicine is released to the public in droves but with only predictions and theory,statistics and probability backing up the fact that its safe. Now HIV is a seriouslyseriously nasty disease, if we could get a cure for it that would be brilliant! But, without testing on something first to guarantee its safety, the results could be disastrous! Catastrophic even! Imagine all the human lives lost because one monkey didn't take the medicine and die to prove it was lethal to humans? Animal testing is horrible, and yes it sucks a lot. But....what's worse is the world without it, all the greatest things require sacrifice. And the advancement of science and knowledge in general is well worth the sacrifice. I bid you all good day...
That’s a reference to a certain other fic, isn’t it?
6410444
HIV only affects humans, so testing the cure on a monkey would be useless.
Have I mentioned how much I love the way you write Adagio?
Because I freaking love the way you write her.
6410444 http://www.peta.org/blog/top-five-reasons-stop-animal-testing/
Educate yourself, fucktard.
6653450
Lot of animals have different kinds of HIV. We got ours from monkeys.
6410444 Holy shit you're getting fucking lynched for this. :/
I don't understand how people can get so upset about animal testing.
6761638
Animals can be assholes too, you know.
6802874
Peta has been caught with mobile euthanasia kit, as well as dumpin dead animals in grocery store dumpster, they don't give a fuck about animals, don't let them fool you.
While animal testing may or may not be a prevalent issue, it's not the time or place for it. I came here to read uplifting pony fiction not to argue ethics, and chances are everyone else did too.
Dogs have big claws and sharp teeth, but that doesn't mean they're just attack drones to throw into danger!
I'm guessing Fluttershy would hate Far Cry Primal then...?
7610973
I know I'm a bit late to the party, but here's the thing.
The character in question would care, and had consistently been portrayed as the type who'd harbor those thoughts until something triggered her into releasing them in a torrent
Jeez, some people in the comments being salty because Fluttershy is daring to act like...well...Fluttershy!
Bonus confusion points that a bunch of them have Flutters as an avatar, so you'd think they'd know this is pretty true to the characters personality and not necessarily an author tract...
“Wobble it, gobble it. Nibble it, chew it, bite right through it. Wrap it around a couple chickens, and am I ravenous!”
Wolf really was my favorite character from that miniseries. One more great line from him:
“Rare implies dangerously overcooked. Just let it look at the oven in terror, and bring it out.”