> A hint of Coconut
>  by lilinuyasha
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> A hint of Coconut
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


A Hint of Coconut


lilinuyasha


“And here you are! One vanilla spice mocha, easy ice.” said the young fashion assistant, smiling at her employer who clearly didn’t have the same level of enthusiasm.
“Coco, it was supposed to be pumpkin spice.” she snapped, casting Coco an angry look. Coco swallowed in fear, her eyes dropping to the floor.
“But...you said-”
“I know what I said, Coco. Give that one to Savoir and go get me a new one. Might want to hurry, seeing as your shift begins in 15 minutes. You know what happens to ponies that show up late.” she huffed, rolling her eyes, starting to sort through order requests.
“Oh...Yes ma’am!” she said, hurriedly trotting out of the office. “Oh, here!” she said as she spotted Savoir, placing the cup on her desk.
“What’s this?”
“Coffee.” she blurted, already halfway out the door. Savoir looked at it curiously, shrugging, taking a small sip.
Coco galloped along the brick sidewalk, her short blue hair waving behind her as other ponies gawked at her. without bothering to look both ways, she darted across the street, causing a taxi horse to hurriedly stop. Coco weaved through the Manehattan traffic as the taxi driver spewed profanities behind her, as his customers spewed profanity behind him. She galloped for another block before slowing down in front of the coffee shop. However, she didn’t slow down in time and bumped into a mare exiting the shop. Coffee flew everywhere, drenching Coco’s mane in what was luckily iced frappaccino. 
“What the hell?” the mare angrily exclaimed, shooting Coco another glare to start her morning.
“Oh, no! I’m so sorry! It was an accident!” she started, untying her scarf to wipe off the mare’s chest.
“Looks like you’ll be buying me a new one.”
“Of course.” she started, her eyes once again on the ground. She slowly strolled into the cafe, where there was luckily a short line. She placed her order-A pumpkin spice Mocha, easy ice, an iced Frappaccino, and, her own personal favorite, a standard cup of coffee, two lumps sugar, one part cream, and just a hint of coconut.
“Mkay.” said the cashier, whose nametag read ‘Sprinkles’, “the stallion ahead of you just placed a huge order, so you might have to wait a bit.”
“Oh. I guess that’s fine. How long?”
“Probably about 20 minutes.”
“20 MINUTES? But my work starts in 10! Is there any way you can put my order in first?”
“All of our machines are actually currently being used for his order. Sorry, Ma’am, but you’ll have to wait.”
“Oh, horsefeathers. Alright.” she sighed, defeated. She took a seat on one of the lounge couches, her hooves in her lap, as she sat patiently for her order to be completed. She nervously watched the clock on the wall as the seconds ticked by faster than ever. 5 minutes until she was late. 5 minutes until it could possibly be her last day at work.
“Balloon Burst.” boomed the speakers. A large stallion, the man in front of Coco, grabbed his order, a tray filled with what seemed like 20 cups of coffee. How he could manage to carry it all remained a mystery, but she had better matters to attend to. She checked the clock. 8:01. She was officially late. Tears welled in her eyes as thoughts raced in her head about the inevitable speech her boss was about to give her, her inevitable loss of jobs, the inevitable downfall to which she would become a cat mare. The inevitable-
“Coco.” said the intercom, as Sprinkles pushed three coffee cups across the barista, giving the employee’s mandatory smile to her, muttering a small “Thank you.” as he took the next order. Coco hurriedly grabbed her tray, dashing out the door. She put the Frappaccino down on the table where the mare she bumped into was sitting, yelled a quick “Sorry!” over her shoulder as she took off galloping down the street.
Coco burst into her boss’ office, nearly taking the door off its hinge. Her boss jumped a bit, staring at her as she panted like a dog on a hot summer day.
“Here...you...go...sorry...” she managed to choke between huge gasps of air.
“Wow. Threatening tardiness really worked. I hope you got it right this time.” she started, taking a small sip. She swallowed, nodding a bit, shooing Coco away to start her daily duties. Upon walking out of the office, she noticed two paramedics carrying Savoir out on a stretcher. She panicked and talked to the nearest coworker, Sequin Sparkles.
“What’s wrong with Savoir?”
“Oh. She drank some coffee with vanilla in it.”
“Is that bad?”
“She has a huge vanilla allergy. Poor thing. She’s going to be swollen for weeks.” she started. Coco broke into cold sweats, her heart heavy. She quivered where she stood, the guilt of her unintentional poisoning of her favorite coworker overtaking her.
“Are you alright, Coco?” asked Sequin.
“Y...yes.” she started, turning around, heading back to her boss’ office.
“Um...Miss Fashionista?”
“What do you want, Coco?”
“Savoir just got carried out on a stretcher...”
“Yeah. Shame.”
“Did you know she had a vanilla allergy?”
“I think she mentioned it earlier this week. Why?”
“Well...you told me to give her that vanilla coffee...”
“I told you to give it to Sequin.”
“But...you said-”
“I know what I said, Coco.Get back to work before I get angry.”
“Y...yes ma’am.” she started, slowly trotting towards her desk.
The morning was rather uneventful. Coco followed her regular fashion routine, stitching repair orders and answering the phone for new ones. She had recently gotten demoted from her previous creative designer position for getting Fashionista’s coffee order wrong too many times. As such, her talents were being put to waste mindlessly sewing miniscule rips and tears that could easily have been fixed at home for hundreds of bits cheaper. It was perhaps a little too mindless as she felt a sharp pain in her hoof. She yelped a bit, seeing that she pricked it while spacing out. A small drop of blood fell from her injured hoof onto the dress below...an all-white wedding gown to be picked up later that day. Coco stared at the bloodstain, too shocked to have any emotion. Blood has difficult to get out, especially from fabric like that dress. All of the sudden, she realized what had happened and panicked, knocking both sides of her head with her hooves, her eyes wide open in fear. She hurriedly grabbed her scissors, carefully cutting out the small piece of fabric, sewing it back together, completely forgetting that her hoof was still bleeding. This resulted in a larger blood smear, causing her to panic even more. she quickly wrapped a bandage around her hoof, cut the remaining blood stains out, sewed them together, and wrapped it all in plastic, hanging it up on a rack nearby. she panted heavily, reaching for her coffee cup, completely forgetting that she hadn’t had a drink since she bought it. She carefully took a sip, testing the temperature. Lukewarm, as she had expected. She took a swig, setting the cup back down on her desk. She reached for her next dress order, spreading it across her workspace. A sleeve unfurled and, much to Coco’s dismay, knocked her coffee off the desk, spilling all over the linoleum of her office.
“Oh, no!” she yelled, dashing towards the nearby broom closet for a mop. She clenched it in her teeth, galloping back over, tripping, skidding face-first into her coffee. Tears welled up in her eyes as the frustration of the day got to her. she slowly pulled herself up, taking a seat, slumping over, resting her head on the desk in a disconcerted manner.
“Is this a bad time?” asked a voice. She looked over towards the door to her office, seeing a walk in customer, a dark blue stallion with a black mane, highlighted with streaks of grey.
“Oh...of course not.” She started, trying to mop up the mess again, completely forgetting that her face and chest were drenched. “I’m just trying to clean up a bit. What can I do for you?”
“Well...” he started, giving her a gentle smile. “There are lots of things I’d like you to do for me. But first, I’d like to say, it smells really nice in here.”
“Oh. Thank you. I just spilled some coffee....that may be it.”
“Could be. Anyways, my name’s Chocolate Pop. You can just call me Choc. And who are you?”
“Oh, me? My name is Coconut Pommel. Other ponies just call me Coco.”
“Well, Coco...” he started, taking a step inside. “I was wondering if you could repair this jacket of mine? I was told you were the best pony for the job.”
“Oh. Well I suppose so.”
“I’m sure you are.” he smiled, handing her what appeared to be a tuxedo jacket. “I’ve got to be the best stallion at my best friend’s wedding in a week or two.”
“Sounds fun. This will only take a maximum of a day or two. I just have a lot of other orders.”
“Oh, don’t worry about it.” he smiled. “I understand. How many bits will that be?”
“Oh. Um...I can let you know when the order is complete. I don’t like charging ponies before work is done.”
“That’s actually a very smart policy.”
“You think so? My boss doesn’t like it...”
“Oh, so your boss doesn’t know you do this?”
“She does, but she doesn’t approve.”
“How do you get around it?” he asked, tilting his head a little.
“I just pay the standard fee out of pocket most of the time and get reimbursed when the customer comes in.”
“That sounds horrible, Coco.”
“It’s really not all that bad.” she said, looking toward the floor again, knowing that she was lying.
“Oh, I don’t buy that for a minute. Here.” he said, tossing a small bag of bits on her desk. “At least take that. That should be more than enough to pay until it’s ready.”
“Oh, I couldn’t ask you to do that, sir.” she said, grabbing the bag and holding it in her outstretched hooves.
“Please, call me Choc. I insist, keep it.” he smiled. She looked into his eyes, seeing his smile, sensing nothing other than a truly nice stallion. No ulterior motives, nothing to give any indication that he was setting her up.
“I...thank you, Choc. I’ll try to have it ready as soon as possible. We can give you call, if you like.”
“Actually, I live just a block away. I can easily come check in later.”
“Oh, I don’t want you to have to do that.”
“I honestly don’t mind. I need to get a little fresh air and exercise every now and then.” he chuckled. “Gotta make sure all three of my legs still work, you know?”
“Three?”
“Yeah. You probably noticed, but my back left leg’s prosthetic.”
“Oh you poor thing! What happened?”
“That’s a story for another time, perhaps. I have other chores and errands to run. I’ll check in some time tomorrow.”
“That sounds good, sir...Choc.”
“As do you, Coco.”
“Huh?” she asked, confused.
“Nevermind. I have to run, but I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Oh. Sure!” she said, turning her head towards his jacket, hanging it up on her “To do” rack. A single red rose, seemingly fresh, fell from one of the jacket pockets, landing on the floor. “Oh, Choc!” she started, clutching it in her teeth, turning towards the door. “You had a-” she tried to finish, but he was already out the door. She sighed, placing the rose on her desk. It layed flat. Coco resumed her mopping, picking up the cup, when an idea hit her. She rinsed it out, filled it up with water, and placed the rose in it on her desk. It gave her a small amount of comfort, for some reason. Amidst the horrible day she was having, the kindness of the stranger, Choc, gave her something happy to reflect on. She cheerfully finished mopping, setting off to finish the rest of the day’s orders.

***

Coco, always the last one to leave the office, jiggled the lock on the door, finding that it was, indeed, secured. She sighed heavily, realizing that due to it being such a long day, she had completely neglected to eat. Her stomach made sure to point that fact out too, as it growled loudly, nearly making her jump. Despite being weak and tired, and only 8 hours away from the beginning of the next day, she trotted around the corner, down the bricked sidewalk to her favorite corner deli, Manehattan Mary’s. She gently pushed the door open, apologetic that it was 5 minutes until closing time.
“Well hey, there, Coco!” said the owner, Manehattan Mary. “Is it going to be the usual this time?”
“Yes please.” she said, taking a seat at the deli bar. She rested her head on her arms, her ears drooping as she gently closed her eyes.
“Long day?” the owner asked again.
“Yeah...just not a good day overall.”
“Bless your heart, sweetpea. I’ll have it right out for you.”
“Thank you, Mary.” she said, closing her eyes again. She heard the small jingle of the bell at the door.
“Hey there. The usual for you, too?”
“Yes, Ma’am!” said a familiar voice.
“Coming right up, Choc.” said the owner, to which Coco’s ears perked up. She opened her eyes and turned towards the door, seeing Choc casually strut his way towards her, a smile on his face. He took a seat next to her, looking over her way.
“You come here a lot, too?” he asked.
“Oh, all the time.” she started, sitting up straight, brushing her hair back. “It’s my favorite."
“Mine too, actually. It’s just downstairs from where I live, so it’s so convenient.”
“Oh? You live nearby, too?”
“Yeah, I’m in the high rises just above the deli, actually.”
“Oh.” said Coco, suddenly embarrassed about where she actually lived. “That’s nice. I’m...nearby as well.” she finished, trying to make herself sound vague.
“Oh? Where at?”
“Um...” she started, shortly before Mary set a plate down in front of her. “Oh, thank you! It looks delicious as always!”
“Of course it is. I make it close to every day!” she said, chuckling a bit. “Yours will be right out, hun.” she motioned towards Choc.
“No worries.” he said, winking at her.
“So...” started Coco, trying to change the subject. “I’m sorry, but I didn’t manage to get to your jacket today. I should be able to have it done by tomorrow.”
“Oh, I still have a few weeks, so don’t rush yourself.” he said, giving her a smile. “By the way...were you having a bad day today?”
“Oh...could you tell?”
“I consider anyone drenched in coffee to be having a bad day.”
“You saw that?” she asked, looking away, pretending to be absorbed in her meal as she stuffed bits in her mouth.
“Yeah. It looked like you were just having one of those days.”
“How long were you standing there?”
“I walked up just as you slipped. I figured it would have been rude to say something, so I hung back a little.”
“Oh. I’m so sorry you had to see that.” she started, as Mary placed Choc’s food in front of him, silently trotting away, smiling. She flipped the “Open” sign on the door to “Closed”.
“There’s nothing to apologize for. Accidents happen. That’s kind of how my jacket got ripped.”
“I suppose. It’s just that my boss is so overbearing. She never treats me with any respect. She told me to go get vanilla mocha this morning, then told me it was pumpkin, so I had to gallop all the way back to the coffee shop, then back to work, found out that the vanilla coffee I gave the worker gave her an allergic reaction, sending her to the hospital, I slipped in coffee, pricked my hoof, got blood all over a dress, didn’t get to eat all day, and never got around to finishing your jacket!”
“Woah there.” he said, trying to process her sudden emotional dump. “Don’t view my jacket as an issue. Why not leave your job?”
“It’s the only job in town. The only one that pays enough to support me, anyway.”
“Just enough? You’re not rolling around in moolah?”
“Oh, heavens, no.” she giggled. “Designing never pays well, but it’s a life choice and passion. As such, I have to make it work.”
“They say if you love your job, you never work a day in your life. Do you feel like you work?”
Coco blinked in the sudden realization that she might not actually love her job. “Yes...but...I don’t mind.”
“Seems like you do.” he said, finishing off his meal with one last hearty bite. Coco looked down at the ground again, embarrassed, unsure of what to say. “Cheer up. Things will get better. Now, it’s getting rather late.” he said, checking his watch. “I bet you have to be at work in 7 hours.” Had an hour passed by already?
“Oh...yes. I’m sorry for seeming so glum.”
“No worries, dear. Mary?” he called to her, ready to pay. Coco excused herself to go to the washroom. She stared at her face in the mirror, seeing a large brown spot on the side of her face where some coffee had managed to stain. She sighed heavily, washing it off with the washrag by the sink. She felt tears well in her eyes, knowing that she looked absolutely horrid in front of Choc. Or anypony, really. She sniffed back some snot, and headed out, ready to pay her tab. Choc had already left, and Mary was counting money in the front.
“Oh, I’m sorry about that. Here.” she said, tossing 3 bits on the counter.
“Oh, honey, keep it. Choc paid for you tonight.”
“He did?” she asked, surprised, and, honestly, a little flattered.
“Yeah. That was really nice of him.”
“Yes. Yes it was.” said Coco, smiling a bit. “Have a nice evening, Mary.”
“You too, sweetheart. See you tomorrow.”
“Sure thing.” said Coco, walking out the door to the fresh Manehattan air. She took a deep inhale, smiling to herself, and slowly trotted across the street from the highrises to her small apartment across the way.

***

Coco quietly hummed to herself as she fed the sewing machine the current order. Every so often, she would glance over at the rose at the edge of her desk and smile, for some reason she didn’t yet understand. She continued lalaing, shaking her head side to side as the steady hum of the sewing machine lulled her into a rhythm that made her feel secure, happy, like she knew her purpose. As she finished up her current order, she turned the machine off, the hum replaced by the growling of her stomach. She looked down at it, sighing.
“Looks like I’m just in time.” said a voice behind her. She turned around, seeing Choc.
“In time for what? I haven’t quite gotten to your order yet, I’m sorry...”
“No, I meant for lunch.” he said, handing her a to-go box from Mary’s. She took it as he smiled at her. 
“Oh, I can’t take this! You already bought dinner last night and I haven’t repaid you! I can’t possibly ask you to do this!” she exclaimed, shoving it towards him. He backed away, the same gentle, reassuring smile on his face.
“Well, I’m not going to eat it. I don’t like tomatoes, but your favorite seems to have a lot of them.”
“I...” she started, running out of options to refuse. Just then, her stomach let out another loud growl, and she blushed, embarrassed, looking down at the floor.
“Your stomach seems to want it. Seriously, go ahead.” he reassured her, pushing the box back in her direction. She looked up at him, a smile of her own coming across her face as she took a bite. “I just happened to stop by Mary’s on my way here, so I thought I’d pick something up for you.”
“Well...thank you.” she said, reaching for her saddlebags. She threw some bits at him, to which he backed away, like it was some kind of poisonous spider. “Here. That’s for last night, also.”
“No, Ma’am.” he said, smiling at her. “It was my pleasure. Really. Now, I have other errands to run, so I might pop back in later. If not, I’ll check in with you tomorrow.” he said, giving her that same gentle smile. “Adieu.”
“Oh, wait!” Coco yelled. “You had a rose in your jacket pocket...I meant to give it to you yesterday.”
“Oh, you can keep it. It’s not like it was being used for anything or anypony, anyway.” he winked.
“Then why did you have it?”
“Bah, don’t worry about it. I’ll see you later.” he said, stepping outside her office. Coco stared at the doorway for a long time, eventually resuming her hoof-delivered meal. It tasted the exact same as it did in the deli, but for some reason, it was the most delicious sandwich she’d ever had.

***

Coco put her last order on the rack, turning the sewing machine off. It was 10 minutes to closing time, and her next order, Choc’s, would go well past that. She sighed heavily, glad to be done with the day. She looked over at the rose on her desk, smiled a little bit, then took a small sniff, smelling the standardly delightful smell of roses.
“Well, at least somepony’s getting some use out of it.” said Choc from behind her. She whipped around quick, scared of his sudden appearance. 
“Oh, it’s just you.” she said, sighing, giggling a bit. “You scared me.”
“I’m sorry about that.”
“It happens. I didn’t get to your jacket today, but it’s actually the first thing on my list tomorrow, so it’ll definitely be done then.”
“Oh, don’t worry so much about it. Say...have you eaten yet?”
“Oh, no. I always eat after work. Why?”
“Want to get dinner together?” he asked, seemingly a little nervous. Coco, taken aback by his sudden question or interest of feelings, opened her mouth, struggling to find the words to say. “I mean...Can I accompany you?”
“I...sure!” said Coco, secretly scared. She had already prepared dinner to eat at home, and was afraid to let other ponies know where she lived. For all the fame, fortune, and financial abundance in Manehattan, she certainly didn’t fit the description. “I was...I had already made dinner, actually...”
“Oh. Well then, i wouldn’t want to intrude.”
“Oh, it’s fine. It’s going to be more than I can eat, really. You may just have to pick off some tomatoes.”
“Oh, that’s no problem. Are you sure it’s alright?”
“Oh, yes. I have to find some way to repay you for dinner, anyway. It’s just...”
“Just what?”
“I...live in a bit of a hole in the wall. It’s nothing like a highrise.”
“Ok.” he said, unfazed. Coco smiled a bit, got her keys ready, then walked them both out the door, locking her office behind her. They trotted along the brick sidewalk towards Mary’s. Coco, getting more and more nervous with each step, crossed the street over towards her small little community. Her head bowed lower and lower in embarrassment, but Choc paid his surroundings no mind. Eventually, Coco stopped in front of a small, one story house, a chipped white picket fence in front. The blinds, those cheap plastic kind, were bent beyond repair. Two dead sets of flowers rotted on her front porch. She had never bothered to pay attention to just what kind of state her house was in until now, and to be honest, she was ashamed. She gingerly twisted the lock to her house, pushing the door open, a silent creak reverberating across the dark house, like an unlit hallway not yet explored. She stepped inside, flipping the lights on, revealing a much more well-maintained home. Choc stepped inside, looking about, as Coco set her saddlebags by the door, trotting over to the kitchen. She pulled a salad, a rather large one at that, out, setting it on the small dinner table, where there were only two seats. She pulled some paper plates out of a cabinet, and plasticware, gently making the table.
“Can I help with something?” asked Choc, afraid to walk somewhere in fear of trespassing.
“Oh, no, I got it.” she said, turning her head over towards him. “FLUFFY, NO!’ she shouted, galloping over to him. Choc looked down to see a white, fluffy cat using his prosthetic leg as a scratching post. He chuckled a bit. 
“She’s not going to hurt anything. Not the first time it’s happened. She’s fine.”
“I...well, I still meant to put her up.” she said, shooing her away. “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s fine. Really!” he said, giving her a smile. She looked down at the floor, walking back to the kitchen.
“I hope you’re hungry.” she said, motioning towards the empty seat. “There’s quite a bit here.”
“I’m sure it’s more than enough.” he said, sitting down. After scooping salad onto their plates (After Choc had systematically removed all of the tomatoes, of course.) Coco spoke softly.
“I’m sorry it’s such a mess.”
“Hm? Oh, I didn’t even notice.” he said, trying to give her the reassuring smile once again.
“I know it’s not exactly a highrise...” she said, slinking into herself.
“Coco, I don’t care. Really. No matter where you live, it could never be as nice as you.” he said, suddenly jerking an arm to his mouth in a strange attempt to take back what he said.
“Choc...” started Coco, her face beet red.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that quite the way it sounded.”
“It’s fine. Actually...” she started, smiling a little bit, looking back up to him across the table. “That’s the first compliment I’ve gotten in a long time.”
“...really? How?”
“I just work, eat, sleep, repeat. I never get to go out and do anything, go anywhere, see anypony. My boss just orders me around and never interacts with any of the coworkers. She practically had me poison one the other day. I never see my other coworkers after the demotion.”
“Demotion?”
“Yeah. I used to be a designer, but after being late with her coffee one day, she demoted me to repair worker, what i do now. She let the poor mare working there before go.”
“That...wow. That just doesn’t seem fair.”
“”It’s not. I felt so bad for her.”
“But what about you?”
“I’m living. I’m making enough to support myself, and my cat. That’s enough, right?”
“Are you happy?” he asked. She looked away from him.
“Yes...” she stuttered.
“You don’t sound happy. Coco, if you’re not happy, it’s ok to admit it.”
“I just...I love what I do. it’s my cutie mark, for crying out loud. I just don’t like WHERE I’m working. I don’t know. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t even be saying anything.”
“I don’t mind, dear.” he said, once again jerking his arm towards his mouth. Coco smiled a little bit, looking back up towards him, letting out a small giggle. He scratched the back of his head, feeling his forehead shoot up in temperature.
“Are you done?” asked Coco, pointing to his plate.
“Oh. Yes. Thank you! It was quite good! Maybe next time I can cook a meal for you.” he said, instantly regretting his choice of words.
“I’d like that.” said Coco, smiling at him, as she took his plate and threw it away.
“R...really? I mean...yes. Sure thing. I’ll get back with you on a date.”
“A date?”
“A time and day. Not like a...date date. I mean, I wouldn’t mind a date date but I meant a date.” he said, flustered. Coco started giggling uncontrollably at him, making him blush and hang his own head low.
“Well...I’m sure we can work something out.” she smiled, as his ears perked up. He exhaled and smiled.
“Say...why not stay for a bit?” she asked.
“I...I’d like that.” he smiled. Coco smiled back and walked over to her couch, where Choc took a seat next to her.
“So...what is it you do, Choc?”
“Oh, I’m not much. I just work with frozen chocolate pops. Mainly distribution. Production, distribution, etc.”
“Oh. Are those any good?”
“Well, they seem to sell well, so I hope so. I’ll see if I can snag you some.”
“Oh, you don’t have to do that. I don’t want you to steal from the company.”
“Don’t worry, I don’t have to worry about that. Now, can I ask you question?”
“Sure!” said Coco, staring deeper into his eyes.
“How did you get into fashion?”
“Well, when I was younger, my mother took me to a parade. There were all sorts of flashy costumes there. All the bright lights, colors, shapes...it fascinated me. One of the parade participants threw their hat in the crowd, and I happened to catch it. It was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen, and I knew from then on that i wanted to create things like that. I wanted to make things. Create things ponies would like. I went to fashion college here in Manehattan, stayed here ever since. It’s been a fun ride, that’s for sure.”
“Huh. That’s interesting.”
“I guess. I’m not all that interesting. I’m just sort of average.”
“I think you’re interesting.” he said, giving her that gentle smile. She blushed a bit, smiling right back
“Well thank you. Say...what happened to your leg?”
“Oh, this thing?” he said, tapping on his prosthetic leg. “Manufacturing accident. It’s a pretty boring story, actually. Got my leg ripped off after it got caught in the machine. Hurt quite a bit as you can imagine, but that was over three years ago, so I’m better now.”
“Oh, you poor thing!” said Coco, covering her mouth in amazement. “That seems awful!”
“At the time, yeah, but I’ve gotten used to it. I can walk around fine. I’m good!”
“I know, but I still feel so sorry for you.”
“Coco, please don’t.”
“I can’t help it.”
“I know, but...I can’t tell you how many ponies treat me differently just because I have a fake leg. They always want to do things for me, even though I’m perfectly capable. I just don’t want to be viewed as different. I’m just like everypony else.” he said, his voice showing slight tones of annoyance.
“I...I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it.” she said, turning away from him. He sighed, venting whatever slight frustrations he had.
“I know, dear. I’m sorry if I seemed stern.”
“No, no, it’s fine. I just...” she started, brushing her hair back.
“Just what?”
“I just don’t see how you could have deserved it.”
“Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t. That matters little. It happened, and I just have to make the best of it.”
“I guess that makes sense.” she said, trying to give him a smile. “I wish I could be as positive as you.”
“Well...it’s kind of a force of habit. You just kind of have to teach yourself. Usually, there’s some underlying stressor that takes all the fun away. Right now, it seems to be your job that’s stressing you out so much.”
“It does. But it’s fun stress.”
“I don’t buy that for a minute. Isn’t there anything you do to destress?”
“I play with Fluffy, but that’s about it.”
“Why not watch a movie?”
“I never have time.”
“Well...You could force yourself to make time.”
“But then I’d be so tired for work! It’s just a very frustrating situation to be in.”
“I understand. So I’m guessing you haven’t touched any of those movies under your TV there, then?” he asked, pointing to some old classics that had what seemed like inches of dust on them.
“Those were mainly birthday and Christmas gifts. I hear they’re good, but I’ve never had the time.”
“Well...why not make time tonight?”
“Tonight?”
“Yeah. Why not?”
“I’ll be tired! And miss my bedtime!”
“It’ll be worth it, I promise you. Now...” he started, hopping off the couch, going immediately to his favorite movie, The Buckingham Job. “This one’s really good.” he said, blowing dust off the top. “I promise you’ll like it.”
“I...guess. Just don’t be offended if I fall asleep.”
“Oh, I won’t. Mind if I turn out the lights?”
“Um...go ahead.” she said, giving him a smile, a strange mix of happy anxiety and confusion. He gave her a smile of his own, flipped her lights off, started the movie, and took a seat on the couch beside her, just a little closer than before. He sighed, getting ready to be absorbed in the movie that practically led him to do what he did now.
“I’m sort of cold.” said Coco. “Would you like any?” she asked, motioning towards the blanket she had just wrapped around herself.
“Oh. Sure!” he said, pulling a little bit towards him. It wound up being too short, however, happily giving him an excuse to scoot even closer to her. He avoided making eye contact, however, afraid he was too conspicuous. Coco yawned heavily as the opening cinematic played.
“Sorry.” she said, sighing.
“No worries, dear.”
It didn’t take long for Coco to fall asleep. 37 minutes and 26 seconds, he noted, according to the time frames between the dialogues. For all he knew, she could have been asleep earlier, but he only noticed because she slumped over, leaning heavily against his side, laying peacefully against him as his breaths seemed to lull her into an even deeper sleep. Her own breaths, slow and shallow, made him smile a bit, knowing that she felt comfortable with him. She had no reason to be, for he was simply a stranger with a ripped jacket. Yet, ever since he first saw her, he knew that there was something about her that made her stand out. Something about her that caught his eye. He couldn’t quite place his hoof on it, and simply being able to run into her at Mary’s that night confirmed whatever fancies he had been feeling. He continued giving that small smile of security as he turned his attention back to the movie.
It seemed like merely 30 minutes to him, but his 3 hour movie was over shortly. The credits rolled, his favorite theme song played, and the TV screen went black as it had nothing to read. Choc looked at his watch, seeing that it was well after midnight. He sighed, turning his head to look at the sleeping Coco. it was hard to see because of the darkness, but he reached his free hoof out and nudged her a little bit.
“Coco...the movie’s over. You can go to bed now.” he said. Coco’s breathing changed rapidly, signaling that she had woken up. Still groggy, however, she gave him the “5 more minutes” line.
“Coco, this is your house. You just need to lock the door behind me.”
“Don’t leave. You’re comfy.” she said, snuggling up against him. “And warm.”
Choc smiled. Even though she was half asleep, hearing a compliment like that, paired with her getting even closer to him, was the best compliment he’d received in years.
“I know, Coco, but you need to get to bed.” he said, slowly removing the blanket. She leaned even closer into him to retain her warmth as she curled into a ball.
“No, please!” she moaned.
“Coco...I need to go. You need to sleep.”
Coco inhaled deeply again, seemingly finally actually awake this time.
“Huh? What?” she asked, blinking in confusion. She yawned, rubbing her eyes. “Is it over?”
“Yes. You should probably be getting to bed now.”
“Where’s the blanket?”
“I removed it to wake you up.”
“Oh.” she started. “Oh, I’m so sorry! Did I fall asleep on you?” she asked, suddenly realizing just how close she was to him.
“Yeah. But I don’t mind. It’s fine.” he said, giving her a gentle smile. She looked away, checking the clock on her wall.
“Oh my gosh! It’s so late! I didn’t mean to keep you here so long!’ she started, turning back towards him. Then, whether it was her leaning too far or him leaning closer, her nose met his, creating an unintentional nuzzle that left both of them blushing, staring into the other’s eyes. They only hung there for a second, though, as Choc pulled away first.
“I’m sorry. I don’t know how that happened.” said Coco, embarrassed.
“I don’t know either...” said Choc, equally ashamed. Coco didn’t want to admit, but she had actually enjoyed that moment. That was the most intimate she’d ever been with somepony. in Manehattan, she had no time to meet other ponies. Yet, she had kept running into Choc. He had been so nice to her, something she had also not been too accustomed to at her job. “I should probably go.” said Choc, rising from the couch. Coco, on a sheer, strange impulse, grabbed his arm with hers, refusing to let him stand up. He looked back at her, his face still clearly red. She gave him a gentle smile, pulling him back down to the couch. He looked at her, confused, yet, strangely happy. Coco wanted to say something. Something to make it all better, to take away the embarrassment and tension that hung in the air, but she knew there was nothing. In a bold, albeit terrifying moment, she gently threw herself upon him, sliding her hooves behind his back in a warm hug. Choc, taken aback by this sudden display of affection, stood there seemingly stoically, trying to process all of it.  Unsure of what to do, he rested his neck on top of her head, as she hugged even tighter. She buried the side of her face into his chest, a seemingly gentle nuzzle, as she felt his temperature spike. She smiled to herself, happy with the warmth, closeness, and comfort she felt, something she hadn’t in a long time. She pulled away, looking deep into his eyes. Eyes that seemed nervous, almost afraid. Coco felt her own cheeks blush as she, too, froze there, mesmerized by his eyes, this magical moment they were sharing together. Choc felt his head flash with heat, as sweat started rolling down the side of his face. The moment they were having now was nerve-wracking. This was the kind of thing he’d only seen in movies. Unsure of what to do, he swallowed his fear and followed exactly what the movies did.
He took one of his arms and stroked her cheek, lightly going through her hair. She blushed slightly and continued the eye contact. Choc felt his hooves quivering as he followed the steps...and gently leaned in closer. Coco, not entirely sure what was happening, stayed put until slowly, but surely, her lips touched his. Her cheeks flared as she suddenly understood what he was doing, inhaling deeply in the sudden shock. It didn’t take long before she closed her eyes and melted into him, putting her arms behind his back as she returned his kiss with one of her own in a fervor and zealousy she’d never experienced before. She didn’t understand why she was kissing this stallion who she’d only met a day or two ago. But at that moment, she didn’t care. Choc felt his own cheeks flare when she pushed back into him, their lips locked, their noses gently touching the other’s. Both of their minds raced, thinking about what could possibly be on the other’s mind. after what seemed like mere seconds, Choc gently pulled away. Coco opened her eyes to see him staring at her, a sheepish smile on his face. She looked away, blushing, the same smile on her face. She stroked her hair behind her ear, searching for the words to say.
“I...” started Choc, suddenly overcome with guilt. “I should go home now.”
“Alright. I’ll be heading to bed soon. I’ll have your jacket ready tomorrow.”
“Thank you. Sorry. Bye.” he said, hurriedly dashing out the door, leaving Coco staring at him galloping away, confused. She blinked twice, shaking her head. Why did he kiss her? Why did he run away? And furthermore...why did she like him so much? She closed and locked the door, trotting off to her bedroom in hopes that she would feel well-rested for work. Choc was right about one thing, though...it certainly was worth it.

***

Coco, unfortunately groggy from the lack of sleep the night before, fired up her sewing machine, pulling Choc’s jacket off the rack. She didn’t have a lot of orders to complete that day, thankfully, and, with it being close to the weekend, was, contrary to popular belief, unlikely to get any orders for repairs. A small knock at her door made her turn around. She saw Choc hanging in the doorway, his head low.
“Come on in, Choc! I was just about to get started on your jacket. I should have it done in 15 minutes.”
“Oh, that’s fine. Listen...” he said, stepping inside the office. “I’m sorry about last night. I got carried away and feel like I took it a little too fast.”
“Oh, I don’t know what’s fast or slow.”
“I...can we just start over? How about we just get some coffee and make it a casual date?”
“You mean, a date date?” asked Coco, giggling.
“I guess so, yes.”
“Sure. Why not?” she said, turning her machine off. She gave him a smile as she checked outside her door for her boss. Seeing that she wasn’t paying attention, the two of them left the store, trotting down the bricked sidewalks to the Cafe she had grown so accustomed to visiting. 
“You just go ahead and get us a table. I’ll be right back.” he said, taking off towards the counter, before Coco could even tell him how she liked it. She sighed a little bit as she watched him place his order. However he ordered it, she would put up with it. She liked coffee too much to complain. She gave a smile as he trotted back over to the seat, looking at her face.
“Hopefully these guys are a little quicker today.”
“They’re usually not too bad.”
“Eh. I don’t really drink coffee, so I wouldn’t know. Anyways, I’m sorry about last night. I don’t know what came over me.”
“Choc, it’s fine. Really.” she said, giving him a reassuring smile.
“I just...I felt like it was too soon. I feel like we didn’t take enough time to really get to know each other.”
“Well, that’s probably true.”
“So...let’s start.” he said, shortly before his name came over the intercom. “After i get our coffee, of course.” Coco giggled as he went away, returning with their two cups. “Hot chocolate for me, and a little surprise for you.” he said, smiling. They started chatting away, talking about everything from fashion to hayshakes. Coco sipped a little bit of her coffee. It seemed impossible, but she smiled, for it appeared that both Coco and Choc were both getting coffee exactly how they liked it...with just a hint of Coconut.