Lost Muse

by David Silver

41 - Busy Days

Libel sat on her couch. On the tastefully arranged table pulled up beside it were two meals on two plates with cutlery provided. She wielded a fork attached to one of her wings. "Ugh, today..." she sighed out as she went for another bite. "Tell me yours wasn't as terrible."

Color lifted an ear at his... girlfriend? She was at least that, right? "I had a pretty good day." He lifted his shoulders as a spoon of his own food drifted into his mouth with his magic. "I'm sorry to hear yours wasn't as good. Do you want to tell me about it?"

"No!" She crossed her arms and grabbed some more food. "Ugh, this... I got yelled at by my boss. That is a disgrace saved for other ponies, Splashy. I did make a mistake, sure... But... I fixed it. It's fixed, and we can put it all behind us." She took a soft breath, trying to calm herself and doing a poor job. "And her! Arg!" She flopped against Color.

"Her?" He gently prompted, wondering what the full story was. "I mean, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but I am here. That's what dating ponies do, right?"

She suddenly smiled. "That's right. I have you, Splashy." She nipped at his closest ear gently. "None of what happened threatened that." She put one arm around him, drawing him closer. "So let's forget it, and you tell me what amazing things you were doing while I was suffering. Regale me with your victories. Did you sell another piece to a gallery?"

"I wasn't even looking," he admitted. "Celestia's commission has my full attention. I did visit the castle, to get more information." He did not dare to ask about what Libel was supposed to get. She seemed stressed enough at the moment.

"The castle?! Did you wear your best?"

He pointed, though there were no suits in front of them. "I wore 'I am a professional'."

"Good choice." She nodded with approval. "I gather it went well?"

"Yeah, I got an appointment to meet with the subject and see if I can't get some information straight from the pony's mouth. I'll also try to show him a nice time. He deserves that." He put a hoof behind his head. "From what I hear, he works a little too hard. Celestia is basically his everything in life. I'm not even sure how he managed to get a wife and kids."

"Work is life, eh?" She shrugged softly. "I know people like that... I... sorta drifted in that direction. That is not where I care to be." She nipped his ear again, squeezing him with the arm already around him. "Life is... too short for that."

"Yeah." He spent a good amount of time painting, but not all of it, clearly, or he wouldn't have ended up in Canterlot... Or with Color. "Say, we've been suiting a while..."

Her face took on a predatory caste as she glanced aside at him. "Oh, is my suitor chomping at the bit to move on to the next step? How indecent! Proper courtship lasts anywhere from six months to a year, though there are things that could... hasten it."

"Such as?" He perked an ear at her curiously.

"Well, if the mare were to start becoming round, then her parents are very likely to force the matter quite quickly while the matter can be concealed. Dates can be fudged after the fact, but no noble wants to have a child outside of a proper wedding, so that would end the courtship fairly instantly." She rolled a hoof softly. "Is that something you're hoping for?"

He went rigid. "While it would be an honor, um... No? You said you didn't want to have a foal. Is that the only way?"

"I'm glad you remember." She snorted softly. "Flying is one of my pleasures, and flying while fat is no fun at all. I've talked to other pegasi that have gone through it. You have to slow down, just the way it is." She leaned over and kissed his closer cheek. "Now, less tawdry... If the couple knew each other for a long period of time before the suiting began, then a short courtship can be forgiven. In fact... some were best friends before they started courting, and basically skipped the courtship period. They went from besties to engaged without much in the middle. Lacking glamor, but possible."

"Well, we have that?"

"Wrong." She booped him on the nose before smooching it, suddenly in his lap facing him. "We knew each other as foals. We're still learning how the other ticks as adults. Now, I happen to like what I see so far, but we have to see how we do sharing space for a little longer than we have so far."

He willed his spoon to rest on the table. The mare in his lap was far more pressing than dinner. "Well, I happen to like sharing space with you, Libel." He set his hooves on her midsection, smiling up at her. "We should share space more often."

She laughed at that, smirking down at him. "You'd love that, wouldn't you, randy little stallion. Save that for later... You can help me work off some stress before bed." She leaned in and touched noses gently. "For now, I just want to be close. You alright with that?"

"Perfectly." He let his hoof stray towards her back, drawing her closer. Snuggling with her sounded almost as lovely. That was part of the 'have a girlfriend' package, right? "Say, where's Day?"

"Hmm?" She glanced away. "I thought you had sent him away to make room for just us two. Hmm... Either out in the lawn, or visiting Bottom I should think."

He shrugged. "Either of those is alright. I thought you were the one that chased him away for the evening. It's not like him to miss dinner call."

She licked his lips suddenly. "Well he's not here, so how about we just enjoy being able to do girlfriend and boyfriend things without his placid but lecherous gaze?"

"He's not that bad," Color laughed out, snuggling closer to Libel, feeling where her muscles were still tense. Trying his best, he gently kneaded at them. He was no professional of massage, but he gently pressed and rolled with his hooves, paying attention to how she reacted to his touch. "Today really was bad, huh?" She felt far more tense than he remembered.

"The worst," she groaned. "That reminds me. Your parents. I used to see them once in a while when we were just little things. How are they doing?"

"O-oh, well... dad's timer ran out, but Mom's doing alright."

Libel suddenly sat up. "He's gone?! He was such a sweet thing."

Color turned his ears back. "Being nice doesn't get you a ticket out of that. He... went surrounded by family, so it was a bitter-sweet thing. He went with a smile, so I... I'm alright." He almost asked where Libel's father was, but he remembered just in the nick of time. "It's not the kind of thing that ever... totally goes away? But it's like an old ache, not a new wound."

Libel stuck out her tongue. "Is that why old ponies are so slow? Covered with old aches from a thousand sad things built up over a lifetime?" She shook her head. "I'm getting philosophic and I'm too stressed for that. Snuggle me and shut up."

"Yes, Ma'am." He squeezed her close, nuzzling gently into her neck. She smelled nice... "So..."

"You never were good at shutting up." She nuzzled gently, melting against him. "Guess I should learn to deal with that. What's on your mind?"

"There's more good news, if you want to hear it?" He nipped her neck on the left side, sniffing gently at her.

"More? It's like your day was the perfect opposite of mine." She huffed as she sat up, drawing her neck away. "Tell me how destiny itself has blessed you. I could use more good news."

"I met Princess Luna." He smiled a little. "Formal, sure, but also pretty nice."

She swiveled her ears on him sharply. "You're not in jail, and you don't appear to be cursed, so I'm assuming you learned your lessons well."

"Does she do that?" he squeaked, imagining what horrors the proper princess could have inflicted.

"Unconfirmed," she admitted. "But I will not be the one testing it. Now, what happened?"

"She saw the piece I did and I think she was a little jealous."

"Jealousy is good for business," agreed Libel with a sly smirk. "How did you take advantage of it?"

"She wants me to come back after I finish Celestia's piece."

"She did not!" She lightly bopped Color with a wing. "You got them both?! Splashy! I'm glowing green with envy." She burst into a fit of laughter. "It's too much! Color... I swear, fantastic! What sort of piece does she want? Something looking regal and stoic?"

"Warrior maiden, ready to fight," he corrected with a smile. "I sent her off to select what armor and weapons would be involved."

"How... antiquated." She leaned in a little. "Sounds perfect for her. I'm sure it'll look great. Color, I'm so sorry!"

He blinked at the sudden pivot. "What are you sorry about?"

"I have not a damn thing to offer for research." She put a hoof on either of his shoulders, pinning him to the couch beneath her. "I spent all day dealing with.... rrg... I'm sorry! I'll work twice as hard tomorrow to make up for it. I did not bring you this far to become the anchor."

"No no, shhh, stop that." He worked up a hoof to set it on her snout over her lips. "Stop... You'll work on it tomorrow, but don't break yourself. You're a busy professional, I know that... If it has to wait for your days off, so be it."

"You're too nice." She leaned in, nuzzling the flat of his hoof gently. "Is it because I happen to be your mare?"

He colored swiftly. "Are you?!"

She tilted her head at that, drawing back. "I didn't... Oh, I suppose we are still courting... but there are gradients." She tapped her chin softly. "Yes, I'm alright with that. You are now my boyfriend, deal with it."

"Oh no!" he cried melodramatically. "Someone, save me. She's foalnapping me!"

"Call all you want, nopony will save you." She went for the throat, licking it gently as her teeth nipped carefully. "You're mine."

"Only if I get to have you back," he sighed out, gently working a hoof around her. "Libel... I think I may love you."

She paused, coloring and going stiff. "I... Splashy... let me work up to that." She coughed softly. "I like you a lot. Like... a lot lot... I'm sounding stupid. I'm sure any other pony would be happy calling this love and shutting up." She huffed. "More snuggles, less talk?"

He gently ran his hooves across her sides. "If I'm not quite at that level, then I'll have to try harder."

She smiled at that. "To think, you weren't even going to come here. Your friend had to act first, but now you're ready to go?"

"That happens a lot." He gently brushed her chest, mussing her fur. "You took that first step for me, showed me the path, and now I'm trotting along it on my own. Day took that first step, pointed it out, and I'll trot along this one too, with my own hooves."

"You have great friends, that's all I'm saying."

"And you're one of them." He smooched her on the nose gently. "One I want to keep close. One I'll protect."

"Oh, destiny, Splashy... Will you protect me?" She curled against him, slipping the top of her head against the bottom of his chin. "I could use some protection. Just hold me and keep me safe for a little bit."

The snuggling became less intense, but more intimate. He held her, close and dear, and they just sat like that.

Author's Note:

After a stressful day, you know what you need? Snuggles, that's what.

He will protect her from wild typos!

Comments

[No one is home]

Dawww! Dem feels... blood sugar spiking... darkness closing in...

[David Silver]

9359871
This story seems to strike close to home for you.

[Dashie04]

Suddenly, a wild tyypo appears....

Jk, this chapter was strange, but still awesome.

[David Silver]

9360277
Strange in what way?

[Dashie04]

9360373
Odd, in the fact with all the snuggles, it was kind of weird, but I still liked it.