Moments of Calm

by The Iguana Man

A Blissful Moment

“I just never really thought about it.” Spitfire finished, careful that her shrug didn't bother the mare she was holding. “I mean, it's not like I was totally miserable or anything...” She paused for a moment before amending, “I mean, not constantly. And, well... to be honest, I don't think I ever really stopped long enough to just... consider how I was feeling at any one moment. I was always so focused on what came next – the next move, the next routine, the next show. Even back when I was just starting out, it was always about the next test and the next promotion, and once I was captain, it was the next task and the next responsibility and the next pony who'd make me tear my mane out.” She let out a gentle, if slightly macabre, chuckle. “Never stopped to ask what things were like now. I guess what I'm saying is... I was kind of an idiot.”

“No you weren't,” Fluttershy admonished her gently, uncomfortable even with Spitfire's joking self-reproach. “That's something a lot of ponies get caught up in and, well, when you do what you do in the air, you have to think about what's going to come next. And, um...” She swallowed nervously as she began to gently play with the feathers of the wing around her, “I know this is a bit selfish... okay, really selfish, but, well, if you getting therapy would have meant we wouldn't get to know each other like this... well, I'm really glad you didn't.”

Spitfire smiled and laid a gentle kiss onto Fluttershy's forehead. “Me too. No psych session in the world could compare to spending an evening with you. When I'm with you, nothing in the world could make me think of any time but now.” She let out a small laugh as Fluttershy continued to stroke her wing. “Especially when you do that. If I didn't know better, I'd say you were as eager to get into the bedroom as I am.”

Fluttershy looked up at her, a look on her face that broadcast how hard she was trying to be teasing and, paradoxically, succeeded brilliantly because the effort was so obvious. “What makes you think you know better?” After a moment, she slid off the couch and made her way towards the stairs. “I'll just get things set up.”

Spitfire raised herself to her hooves, having to put all her focus into keeping her tail from wagging like a flail. “Okay, I'll just wash up these mugs then I'll be up.”

“Oh, thank you,” she heard Fluttershy say behind her as she picked up the empty teacups and carried them into the kitchen. As she rinsed them and cleaned them out, doing her best not to rush things in her haste to get upstairs, she idly wondered what ponies would think if they knew the famous Captain of the Wonderbolts was busy washing dishes. She quickly dismissed the thought, though – she wouldn't be much of a marefriend if she left more work for Fluttershy and that was the only thing that mattered.

Soon enough, she was making her way upstairs, her hooves barely even touching the staircase as she hopped and flapped her way to the upper floor. As she got there, she just caught the tail end of Fluttershy preparing the bed – pushing the blankets down to the footboard and folding them carefully, making sure they wouldn't bunch up or crease. This might not have taken as long if not for the size of the bed – apparently, Fluttershy had needed to get a big one during an incident she needed to provide bedrest to a bear and, afterwards, had found that she rather liked having the space to sleep. Plus, it made things far easier for certain purposes after she and Spitfire had gotten close.

The demure mare turned as she heard Spitfire enter the room and gestured silently to the bed. Nodding, Spitfire made her way over before carefully climbing onto the mattress, shifting herself into the centre and, finally, lying down on her belly and spreading her wings out to either side of her, almost completely covering the width of the bed. Humming her thanks, Fluttershy gently climbed up behind her, lowered her head to Spitfire's wing... and began preening her.

It didn't take long for Spitfire to feel herself melting into the mattress and into Fluttershy's delicate mouth. A long, languid series of purrs, without pattern, rhythm or embarrassment, fell from her throat as her muscles relaxed, the feeling of her feathers being softly shifted, smoothed and straightened dissolving any sense of self-consciousness. Even the occasional moments where Fluttershy had to pull out a broken feather didn't break the feeling, instead only enhancing it. Spitfire had no idea how that was even possible – somehow, she did it gently enough that it didn't hurt and only provided a stronger, more solid sensation to underscore the more soothing, tingly feeling of the main preening. Sometimes, as she moved back and forth across Spitfire's prone form, Fluttershy would place a hoof on her back or legs, both giving herself a place to balance and massaging the muscles so delicately it was questionable if she even knew she was doing it, though Spitfire wouldn't risk asking her in case she stopped.

Somewhere within the pleasantly murky soup of Spitfire's thoughts, she wondered if it might seem silly to be this enthralled with a simple preening. However, she knew it was more than that. It wasn't just that Fluttershy was skilled, though she could certainly hold her own compared to any masseuse Spitfire had ever encountered, nor just that the burden of all responsibility was being lifted from her for a moment and that she was allowing herself to be taken care of.

Because she didn't just feel good or cared for or even calm. She simply felt.... loved. It was as if she could feel how Fluttershy adored and cherished her directly through her skin. It may have been her imagination that made it feel like her marefriend's love had a tangible effect, but Spitfire wasn't about to question it.

“Thanks, Fluttershy,” she said after a while, barely noticing herself speak. “I really needed this.”

She felt Fluttershy smile against her feathers before she took her mouth away for a second. “I'm glad.”

Nothing else was spoken for the longest time, as neither felt the need to say anything, nor did either want Fluttershy to stop, even for a moment.

Eventually, though, Spitfire felt Fluttershy pull away, the warm, relaxed pleasure in her wings having covered the whole area. However, Spitfire didn't whimper or whine as much as she felt she might otherwise, as she knew what was coming next.

Reaching over to the bedside table, Fluttershy picked up a soft brush in her hoof and, gently taking Spitfire's dock in her other hoof, began brushing her tail.

Spitfire felt a gooey smile spread across her face as the brush floated across her tail hair and the flesh beneath. It didn't provide the direct nerve stimulation that the preening provided, but it somehow managed to achieve just as much pleasure and a great deal more serenity. It was, perhaps, no surprise that somepony so dedicated to taking care of animals knew how to take care of fur and hair, but that didn't make Spitfire any less thankful to be in the care of someone so adept and tender.

However, that thought did bring a question to mind and a mild, thoughtful frown to her face. “Hey, Fluttershy?”

“Hm?” Fluttershy glanced up, more curious than concerned, as she moved on to brushing Spitfire's coat, working her way up towards her head.

“I'm just wondering... when you do this for me... does it feel like it does when you do this for one of your animals?”

Fluttershy smiled, a little relieved at hearing the question. “No. No, it's a lot more. I mean, it kind of did when I first did it, but that was because you were, well...” A slight blush took her face, mirrored by the one on Spitfire's as they both thought back to that time.

Comments

[Bicyclette]

“I know this is a bit selfish... okay, really selfish, but, well, if you getting therapy would have meant we wouldn't get to know each other like this... well, I'm really glad you didn't.”

it is funny to think about, just how circumstantial and conditional any of the people in our lives' presence in it are

Because she didn't just feel good or cared for or even calm. She simply felt.... loved. It was as if she could feel how Fluttershy adored and cherished her directly through her skin. It may have been her imagination that made it feel like her marefriend's love had a tangible effect, but Spitfire wasn't about to question it.

augh, pegasus preening is so adorable!