In Sickness and Health: Another Story in All of Us
Note: This story is a sequel to my previous work "A Story in All of Us", and while I don't reveal the major twist here, I do recommend reading that fic first if you haven't done so already.
"...That was some party, wasn't it?"
After a few minutes of walking, you finally decide to break the silence to your friend and traveling companion Fluttershy. True to your word, the two of you had just come from another one of Pinkie's Pie signature parties, this one celebrating...well, you don't even remember the occasion, but you also couldn't care less after all the fun you had.
"Oh yes," Fluttershy speaks up, her happiness still obvious in her whispery voice, "Pinkie Pie always throws the most wonderful parties...even if they get a little rowdy sometimes."
"Yeah, I suppose." You say back, chuckling a little bit as you recall a particularly crazy event involving string cheese, a bundt cake pan, and Twilight Sparkle's abacus for some reason. You take the opportunity to turn and look at her. Fluttershy carries a soft smile on her face complete with slightly-lidded contented eyes, and her flowing pink mane looks as soft and straight as ever. In other words, it is Fluttershy as you love her most: Happy and at peace with the world.
You still can't quite believe neither the circumstances that led you from being a distant friend and admirer of Fluttershy to her lover, nor can you come to terms with how long it's been since then. Had it really been a couple months since you visited her to give her her misplaced mail? Was it really that short while ago that you stumbled onto her secret hobby and discovered that you shared more with her than you ever believed you could? And was that moment where she confessed her feelings for you before you could do the same real, or did you dream that up, along with the rather intimate scene that followed shortly afterwards?
Whether that day and the few months afterwards were real or one of the biggest cases of delusion in Equestrian medical history, all you know for sure is from that moment on, your life has been pure bliss. You had both agreed to slow things down a little after your first romantic encounter (Why rush through a good thing?). While it meant that you couldn't get to know her physically, you soon found out that Fluttershy had more than enough stories and personality to make up for it. Now that she had opened up to you, you learned plenty of crazy stories involving her and her friends.
Strangely enough, she was reluctant to share any details about her secret profession, not even explaining what drove her to the hobby in the first place. You couldn't deny that you were curious, but you figured that she would explain when she was ready to, so you decided not to press the matter for the time being.
"Well, here we are."
Jerking yourself back to the here and now, you find that you are now once again back at Fluttershy's cottage on the outskirts of Ponyville. The party had lasted well into the late hours, so you agreed to walk her home, both as a way to make sure she stayed safe and as an excuse to spend more time with her. You are a little disappointed that the walk ended so quickly, but you reassure yourself that there will be more opportunities to be with her.
"Um, thank you for coming to the party with me," Fluttershy continues, the two of you now reaching her doorstep, "I had a really fun time. It's always nice to get together and have fun with all my friends." You feel a need to say "d'aww" out loud at her words, but you choose to respond in a little more dignified manner instead.
"No problem, Fluttershy. I'm glad to hear you had fun, and I had a good time-ugh!" Your response is cut short when you feel your stomach throb in displeasure, forcing you to tense your face and body up a little bit. It had felt a bit heavy on the walk home, but you hadn't paid attention to it until now.
Noticing your wincing, Fluttershy changes her expression from one of quiet happiness to genuine concern. "Oh my," she starts, "Are you okay?"
"...Yeah, I'm fine," you manage to speak up once the pain in your abdomen subsided enough, "I just had too much to eat at the party." It was the truth; between Pinkie Pie's crazy cake concoctions and the delightful recipes cooked up by that new chef at the Ponyville cafe, to say you went a little overboard with the food would be an understatement. "I'll be okay, Fluttershy. It's just a little indigestion, is all." You try to give her a comforting smile in order to further reassure her of your well-being.
Fluttershy says nothing in response, her expression unwavering. It seems that she isn't fully convinced by your words. Her gaze is starting to make you more uncomfortable than your stomach did. You never liked it when others needlessly worried for you, whether it was a complete stranger or your mother. There was just something about knowing that you were causing unnecessary grief for others that put an uncomfortable feeling in your gut, one that you always tried in varying degrees to get rid of.
"I'll be fine, I promise," you repeat to her, "It's nothing a little sleep won't take care of." You raise your hoof up to her shoulder and double your efforts at making a relaxing smile. Her expression softens a little at your words, but she doesn't take her eyes off you.
"...um, okay," she finally speaks up, "If you say so." Her voice carries a twinge of uneasiness to it, betraying the words she just spoke. Part of you wanted to do whatever you could to put her worried mind at rest, but you had a feeling that it would be better not to further press the issue. You had made your point twice, after all.
"Speaking of sleep," you start up in an attempt to change the subject, "I think it's about time we both retired for the night. I mean, it's pretty late, and that party wore me out." Again, you spoke the truth. The idea of climbing into your warm, cozy bed and letting sleep overtake you was sounding very pleasant to you, a notion that your heavy eyelids agreed to. Not only that, but you were a pretty hard-working pony, and thus had other engagements to take care of in the morning, and it wouldn't do you any good to tackle those while half-asleep. Perhaps staying at the party for so long wasn't such a good idea, after all....
In one last attempt to calm down Fluttershy, you move your head forward and lightly touch your lips to her cheek. Not too long ago you would have never dared to make a move so bold, but by now it had become a common exchange between the two of you when going your separate ways. Moving your head back, you notice that Fluttershy's expression softened a little more and her cheeks took on a tint of red that never failed at making your heart melt. "You take care of yourself, okay, Fluttershy?" you say to her while looking right into her kindness-filled eyes.
"Okay...um, you too." Fluttershy responds. She mirrors your gesture of affection and plants a light kiss on the side of your face, leaving a warm feeling on your cheek that you could probably write entire books about describing every last detail. You feel blood moving to your head and surmise that you now have the same red tint on your cheeks as she did. You want more, but your memory reminds you of the tasks set before you once the sun rises, so you reluctantly turn and begin the long walk back to your home. "Good night, Fluttershy."
"Good night."
The minutes drag by slowly as you continue back to your house, your only source of illumination coming from the stars and Luna's moon. As part of your mutual agreement to keep your relationship steady, you both retired to your separate homes at the end of every night. According to The Scarlet Mare's Ultimate Guide to Romance, a book Fluttershy borrowed from her friend Twilight out of "curiosity", it was a good idea for new couples to spend some time separated from each other so that each party could have time to process their thoughts and feelings. You weren't about to argue with something written down in a book, much less one emblazoned with award stickers and whatnot, but there were plenty of times where you were intentionally separated from her only to spend that time wanting to be with her again.
Tonight is no different. Although you had made up your mind to sleep in your own bed out of courtesy for her, you can't help but long to be with her still. Your brain is tantalizing you with the thought of being in the pegasus' bed with her, bodies locked together, her eyes shut in peaceful slumber, chest rising and falling with each light breath, the warmth and softness emanating from her more comforting than any blanket could hope to emulate...why must your imagination torture you so?
Urgh!
Your lovely mental image dissipates almost immediately when you feel another throb from your stomach. Why did I eat so much again, you wonder as you wince from the intense pressure on your gut. If you didn't know any better, you could swear that this throb felt worse than the last one.
...that is, if you could focus on remembering what the last throb felt like, or anything else with this headache that seems to have snuck up on you. Not only are the painful pulsations impairing your concentration, but they also seem to be giving your sense of balance some trouble. You had only felt this way before once, when you were a young colt still in school and had to stay home a couple days because-
....oh no....
Your eyes widen as you finally force two and two together. You can't really be...can you? No, you have so much to worry about tomorrow, there's no way this can be happening now. Your mind still in heavy denial, you force yourself to continue walking home, the prospect of a good night's sleep sounding better and better with each step. Unfortunately, you also feel your strength fading rapidly with every new step. You walk up to a lone lamppost, the first one you had reached since leaving Fluttershy's house, and lean against it to rest a little bit. You still had a ways to go to reach your house, and now that your body was feeling so weak and clumsy, you wonder if you even have the ability to make it home.
You don't have to wonder for very long. Another sharp throb pierces your stomach, worse than before. You try to stop yourself, but it's no use. In one swift motion, your head jerks itself downwards and your entire body spasms as the contents of your stomach force their way up and out your mouth. After what feels like a long and painful eternity, you find yourself gasping for breath and almost completely out of energy. Your brain no longer working properly, you try to force yourself to walk again. You manage to stumble a couple steps away from the lamppost, but your headache has intensified in the short period. The road swirls and spins before you, and your field of vision grows small as dark spots form around the corners of your eyes.
By the time you realize what is about to happen, it's too late. You feel your balance completely give out, and everything falls into black.
****************
Rotten
It is the perfect word to describe what you feel right now. Your stomach feels a good twenty pounds heavier, making you wary to even think about moving too quickly, lest you wish to know what your meal looks like partially-digested. Your skull feels like it could burst open at any moment, and with a burning hotness to match. Worst of all, your entire body aches all over, with each energy-less joint crying out in a dull pain. There is no avoiding it; for the first time since you were still in school, you are sick, and it is as miserable as you remember. As you lay in bed moaning in discomfort, you can only imagine how long you have to endure this torture until your body can fight off whatever has invaded your system-
Wait a minute. As your memory returns, you recall that you were only halfway home when the illness reared its ugly head and you blacked out. You are sure you didn't make it home last night, and yet you find yourself in a rather comfortable bed. Not only that, but you finally acknowledge the existence of something cool resting on your forehead, most likely put there to counter out the fever. Someone other than you had to put this cool thing on your head, but who? Just where in Equestria are you?
With more effort than you expect, you slowly force your eyelids apart. The sun is shining through a closed window on your side, giving you a clear view of everything. Despite your mind being weak with illness, you recognize the wall patterns and furniture all too well. Even if another house shared the same properties, there is one object within your vision that confirms beyond the shadow of a doubt where you are. Perched on a nightstand next to the bed is a pretty glass ball with a couple scuff marks and a beautifully-crafted butterfly suspended inside. The ball instantly conjures an image of the house's resident in your mind, and you can't help but mouth the name out loud:
"Fluttershy..."
"mmm-huh?"
You dare not move your head to see, but the voice that responded to yours was directly behind you and surprisingly close. Judging from the half-sleepy way she spoke, you have a feeling that your caretaker had not left your side ever since you somehow ended up in her bed.
"Oh, thank goodness you're awake!" Fluttershy exclaims when her senses finally come together. You have never been more thankful her voice rarely rose above a whisper than you are now. "I was so afraid you weren't going to get better all night!"
Her words make a pang of guilt worse than any stomach cramp shoot through you. As you had guessed, she had stayed up all night watching over you and fretting. You have no idea of what to say to undo her worry, but that doesn't stop you from trying.
"Fluttershy, I-"
"I shouldn't have let you walk home last night! I thought I saw your face grow pale and I should have said something, but you told me you were okay, and I didn't want to force you to stay..."
"Fluttershy-"
"I'm an awful friend. I almost let one of my very best friends get seriously hurt when I could have helped you. I...I d-don't deserve to have you for...for a friend-"
"FLUTTERSHY!"
Immediately after your outburst, Fluttershy stops her wallowing and you let out a moan as your head and stomach cry in disapproval. It had hurt for you to even speak up, but you couldn't take it anymore once her voice started to break up. You want to reach out and hug her with all your might, but the only thing you have the strength to do is keep talking, stopping every so often to rest your head and vocal cords.
"...Please, Fluttershy...don't...blame yourself. It's...not your fault...I'm the one...who should apologize... for making you worry...so much..."
"...No, please don't," She speaks up before you can continue. "I know you would do the same thing for me if I was the one who got sick." Truthfully, you had a feeling you would strive to do even more than the same thing if you found out Fluttershy was ever this sick. This isn't just an illness, it is pure misery, something you hope she never has to feel for as long as she lives.
As she finishes, you hear the sound of hooves touching the floor and moving around you. Eventually, she walks up to your side of the bed, entering your field of vision and tilting her head down to your eye-level. You notice her lovely pink mane is unkempt and her green eyes, eternally filled with kindness, have a dark line underneath them.
"I promise," she begins, her voice even quieter than normal out of awareness of your pounding skull, "I will help you get better as much as I can." She stares into your eyes, undoubtedly foggy and unfocused, while speaking to you, and you force yourself to return the gaze. "...you know...if that's okay with you."
You find the energy to give her a small smile. "Of course...but, can you do...me a favor first?"
"Of course. What do you want me to do?" She responds with a caring and quizzical look.
"Get some sleep...you look exhausted, and I...think I'll do the same."
At first, Fluttershy looks like she is going to protest, but instead she simply smiles at you before heading to the windows and drawing the curtains, blocking out the sunlight and darkening the room. She returns to your side and pulls the blankets snugly over your body, and then, in a move you wouldn't have advised if you knew it was coming, lightly kisses you on the cheek before walking out of your vision. You hear her hooves quietly step away from the bed and down the stairs to her living room, and your eyelids soon shut of their own accord, granting you sleep almost instantly.
****************
The days pass by slowly, and true to her word, Fluttershy - occasionally assisted by her bunny friend Angel - attended to you as best as she possibly could. She was almost by your side all the time whenever you were conscious, and never stopped asking you if there was anything else you needed. She replaced the wet rag on your head almost hourly, eventually switching it out with an ice pack when she finally left the house long enough to venture into Ponyville. She didn't even hesitate to assist you when your stomach suddenly decided to void its contents again, quickly fetching her best bucket and encouraging you to take as much time as you needed. Her caring didn't stop at just making your illness less painful, either. When you awoke from one of your naps, she told you that she had explained your unfortunate condition to your friends and colleagues, and soon you were receiving all sorts of get-well-soon cards and notices of rescheduled appointments.
Her sheer kindness alone could have been enough to heal you, but thanks to her tender care, you were now well on your way to getting over this illness. The debilitating migraine you once endured had weakened into a mild headache, and your fever was almost entirely gone. Your stomach had also stopped giving you unpleasant surprises and could even tolerate the mouth-watering vegetable soup Fluttershy cooked up and personally fed you on one occasion. You had also recovered more than enough energy to make it to the bathroom and back, although you still remained in bed most of the time at Fluttershy's insistence. Unfortunately, your limbs still ached a good amount, perhaps more so now that your attention wasn't so divided between your head and gut. Nonetheless, you are certain that you will finally have this dreadful disease licked in a day or two.
...and yet, you don't feel as happy as you should. Of course, you felt downright terrible when your sickness was at its worst and are glad to be finally getting rid of it. On the other hand, this disease was almost a blessing in disguise; it had given you the perfect excuse to spend more time with the pony of your dreams. You felt bad that she exhausted herself taking care of you, but it showed you yet another side to the pegasus, one filled with unyielding kindness and caring for others. It is a side that melts your heart, but it also one you may not see for a while once you fully recover and leave her home. You feel your heart beginning to ache at this realization...
"Um, may I come up there?"
...but her voice snaps you out of your sad cloud of thoughts for the moment. You do your best to regain your composure before calling out to her:
"Of course, come right up!"
You hear her climbing the stairs and slowly see her rise from the staircase. Now that your nausea was almost a thing of the past, you could sit up on her bed and take in the sight of the entire room. Your focus, however, is currently set on the yellow mare now approaching your bed, carrying not only a shy smile on her face, happy to see you smoothly progressing back to full health, but also a bright pink envelope on her back. "I, um, have another letter for you." She says when she finally reaches the bed. Craning her head back, she grabs the envelope with her mouth and turns back to you. You pull the envelope out from her mouth and open it up. You pull out a bright pink letter smelling of bubblegum and cake and begin to read aloud:
To All Who It May Concern
We are so, so, so, so, so sorry! We wanted to cook up some new dishes for everypony to enjoy at our super-fun party, but we were so focused on making them taste super-duper terrific that we didn't notice some of the ingredients were waaaay past their expiration date! Both of us even got a little pukey-wukey ourselves! We know we can't do a whole lot about making you feel better, but we want you all to know how sorry we are for making your last few days super not-fun, so we put some gift certificates for free food at the Sugarcube Corner and...*The cafe's name is smudged out*...in the envelope! Hope we'll see you again (without a court order)!
Signed
Pinkie Pie and...*The chef's name is also illegible*
"Wow, imagine that," you say out loud upon finishing the letter, "I must have gotten it the worst out of everyone." You chuckle softly as you turn your gaze back to Fluttershy, her smile making you not even want to consider being angry at the party-planners. You find yourself staring eye-to-eye with her for a few seconds in quiet bliss, but your brain soon cooks up a question you had no choice but to ask: "Wait a minute...why didn't you get sick?"
For a second, she doesn't move or say anything, apparently lost in the same trance you were just a second ago. Finally becoming self-aware, she lets out a quick gasp and averts her gaze. "Oh! I, um, I didn't eat anything at the party...I was really hungry after taking care of animals all day, so I had a big dinner right before..." As she speaks, you notice a faint blush growing on her cheeks, making her look all the more adorable. "...um, may I see those gift certificates...if that's okay with you?" She speaks up again, possibly an attempt to change the subject, you muse.
"Of course," you reply as you put the letter down. You reach out to the edge of the bed where you had put the envelope, but when your hoof keeps finding nothing, you turn your head to find that the envelope isn't there anymore. Glancing over the edge, you find that the envelope has slipped onto the floor between the bed and the nightstand. Before Fluttershy can offer to grab it for you, you reach your forehoof between the cr-
“ack!”
You grit your teeth and stop halfway when the aching in your limb sharply intensifies from the sudden stretch and odd angle. Out of reflex, you pull your foreleg up and begin rubbing it to dull the pain.
Watching you the entire time, Fluttershy lets out another audible gasp. "Oh my!" she starts up again, the concern clear in her voice, "Are you okay?"
"...yeah, I'm fine," you manage to say once the pain in your limb had subsided enough. You look up from your arm and see Fluttershy giving you a look of concern and skepticism, one that caused you to remember the last time you said you were fine when the two of you soon found out that you were anything but. Somehow, you had the feeling that Fluttershy was going to be much harder to convince this time around.
"...actually, there is one thing," you speak up, your words preceded by a sigh of defeat. "I have been feeling much better thanks to you, but my body is still pretty sore. I...uh, don't suppose you know of any way to help that?"
"hmm..." Fluttershy looks off to the side, her head lost in thought, before her eyes widen in a quiet Eureka! moment. "Oh!" she exclaims, turning back towards you, "I think I may have just the thing! I need just a teensy moment to go get it." With that, she flashes a quick smile at you before running off towards the bathroom. You hear drawers opening and bottles and other objects clanking together for a few seconds before you see her step out and trot towards your bed, her blush from before returning.
What gets your attention this time, however, is the bottle lying on her back. It's not a bottle made for holding medicine but rather shampoo or lotion, the logical part of your brain assuming the latter. "This is something I, um, picked up while visiting my friend Rarity at the spa," she explains with her voice growing more bashful, "The ponies there told me it helps soothe muscles after a long day, and...well, I think it feels...really nice."
"Sounds good to me," you respond. Even if it wasn't proper medication, you couldn't wait to have something, anything, to help relieve your aches. You reach towards her back to grab the lotion, but she suddenly backs up, the bottle shifting somewhat but staying on top of her.
"Wait!" She calls out in a burst of confidence, "You can't put this on you by yourself! You'll just hurt yourself again!" The tone she used was the same one when she invited you into her house that fateful day, but you still don't understand what's going on. At least, not until her next line:
"...I...um, that is, er, you should l-let me p-put it on you..."
For a second, you are unable to process what she just said, but you feel your face grow hot when your mind finally pieces things together. You wonder if she is joking at first, but then you realize two things: 1.) Fluttershy isn't the kind of pony to make jokes, especially if it means hurting another living thing in the process, and 2.) Her confidence dwindled with each word, her face slowly turning away from yours while her blush from before grew stronger. There was no doubting her sincerity.
" ...y-you know...if that's okay with you..."
Her shyness seems to be contagious, as you are genuinely bashful at her suggestion. You want to say "That's okay, I can do it myself", but you also want to feel that soothing lotion on your sore spots as soon as possible, and your time with Fluttershy has shown that she can be pretty adamant when she wants to be. Slowly and nervously, you raise your forehoof into the air towards her in a way as to avoid exerting any of the aching joints.
"...go ahead," is all you can manage to say to her.
Mimicking the same level of trepidation as you, Fluttershy cautiously grabs the bottle of lotion off her back and pulls the lid open. Raising both her forelegs into the air, she bites down the bottle, squeezing out a little of the light-blue liquid onto the base of her hoof. Lathering up the lotion with her hooves, she sets the bottle down and reaches out towards your extended limb.
ooooooohh...
Right from the start, the sensation you feel on your leg can best be summed up as "wunderbar". The lotion is gently cool, with a texture that is both creamy and pleasantly prickly. As Fluttershy moves from spot to spot, the cool cream grows into a relaxing warmth, soothing away sore parts you didn't even realize you had. You make a note to pay a visit to this spa one day, but you have a feeling that the masseuse for your session can't possibly make you feel as good as Fluttershy does. Her hooves are so delicate and soft, working your leg with such tender care that you can't help but sigh and moan in content as ache after ache melt away under her caring touch. It's as if she knows exactly where your leg hurts the most and how to best make the pain go away.
Once she had worked that lovely lotion onto every part of your leg, Fluttershy gently sets it back down on the bed. Out of reflex, you lift your other forelimb up towards her, seeing that she is already pouring more of the light-blue aloe onto her hooves. Properly lathered once again, she takes your leg into her hooves and restarts her oh-so-heavenly massage. You close your eyes out of pleasure and find that your sense of touch is now amplified, making you feel the ebbing pain and waxing pleasure even greater than before. You also notice the lotion's aroma, a pleasant blueberry scent, one that relaxes you further with each new sniff.
It's not until you feel something warm and damp press into the base of your hoof that you break out of your pleasurable trance. You open your eyes to find Fluttershy capping off her healing massage by giving your hoof a light kiss. The kiss doesn't last long, as she immediately withdraws her head and hides it behind her thick pink mane upon spotting your gaze. "...I'm sorry," she speaks with her head still turned away from you, "I guess I got a little carried away..."
You chuckle a little at the coyness you had grown to love, but she speaks up again before you can tell her not to worry. "Um, I should get your...other legs, too..." With that, she grabs the edge of the blanket that had kept you warm and toasty for the last few days and gingerly pulls it away, revealing your entire body. Before you can turn over out of modesty, Fluttershy lifts your rear leg into the air and begins working at it, once again putting you into a far-off state of bliss. You shut your eyes in pleasure like before, your last unattended leg giving a light kick as every last sore spot on your limb finally fades into a distant memory....
*gasp!*
You open your eyes for a moment, only to slowly close them again when you feel those pillow-soft hooves of hers trail off your leg and onto your flank. Truth be told, that part of you didn't really have any aching spots on it. You have no plans of telling this to Fluttershy, however, as to have her stop would be doing a great disservice to your body. You open one of your eyes to sneak a peek at your masseuse, and feel your cheeks grow warm at the sight. She carries another one of her trademark peaceful smiles, happy to be helping a friend in need, punctuated by a bright pink blush that could instantly make anypony's stress disappear on sight.
What really gets your attention is the scene slightly past her face; her wings were partially unfurled, spreading further outwards as she goes to work on the area that houses your cutie mark. You had read somewhere that this phenomenon occasionally happens to pegasi as a means of showing their partners that they were....
....oh dear....
You don't say anything to her on the off-chance that she would flee in embarrassment if you pointed anything out. Instead, you let her finish her massage on both of your rear legs while you laid there lost in both pleasure and thought. You had now come up with the best way to show Fluttershy your thanks for taking such good care of you in your time of need.
"...are there a-any more spots on you that hurt?" she says with an almost eager tone as she gently lays your last limb back onto the bed.
You shake your head at her question. "No, I feel fantastic thanks to you," you start, trying to choose your words carefully, "...but there is one more thing you can do for me." You motion her to come closer to you and she complies, setting the lotion down on the nightstand. You reach out and grab her leg to keep her from going anywhere as you give her your most important request:
"Please allow me to repay you for all of your kindness."
"....um, no, that's okay, I was just looking after a fri-ah!" Fluttershy's attempt at denying her reward is cut short when you start rubbing your hooves up and down the upper part of her leg. As you massage her just like you did on that fateful day, her gasps slowly turn from ones of shock to ones of pleasure. You have a feeling this is something the pegasus wants very deeply but didn't want to ask out of her disposition to always put her friend's needs before her own. You always admired that selflessness, but for the moment fulfilling her needs is all you want.
You finish your massage the same way as before, with a gentle lift of her limb and a light kiss on the base of her hoof. You set her leg back down and to your surprise see Fluttershy not only not backing away out of embarrassment but also raising her other forelimb up for you. You comply with her silent request, taking the leg into your hooves and working it with the same tender care as before. You know in the back of your mind that you can't hope to make your massaging feel as good to her as hers did to you, but a quick glance at her softly shut eyes and the upward curve on her mouth as she sighs in happiness shows that you must be doing something right.
Releasing her other leg with a kiss, you grab the massage lotion off the nightstand and pour some of the aloe onto your hooves. Her eyes are still closed in the same serene trance she put you into not too long ago; she doesn't realize your next move until it's too late. Repositioning yourself on the bed, you reach out and place your lathered hooves on the tip of her wing.
Ah!
At your touch, the mare's eyes snap open as she lets out a sharp gasp, and you cannot tell if it is out of pain or pleasure. You expect her to jerk away and run out of the room leaving you to feel immeasurably guilty for hurting one of nature's greatest creations, but instead she firmly stays in place and closes her eyes again. Maybe I just surprised her, you think to yourself. There is only one way to find out for sure.
As carefully as you can, you move your hooves around the firm part of her wing as if it would break at the slightest touch. Fluttershy lets out another gasp as you begin, but this one isn't as sudden, and even contains hints of relief to it. You keep rubbing the firm portion, slowly moving down while getting every part covered in the soothing aloe. The closer you get to the base of the wing, the heavier and quicker Fluttershy's sighs get until they turn into outright panting. You steal a quick glance at her face and find her eyes shut tight and a couple small droplets of sweat forming on her forehead. You knew what you were doing to her - something that you only considered ever doing in your wildest dreams not too long ago - but you wanted to return the favor for how much she exhausted herself for your sake, and this is best way you knew how to do so given the current circumstances.
Finishing up your work on her wing, you let go for a moment, only to reach out and start on her other wing. Her gasping grows stronger as you spread the lotion over the firm part, getting closer and closer to her back, putting as much tenderness as you can into each stroke-
"STOP!"
Fluttershy's command stops you cold, jerking your hooves back to your sides. You had gone too far, you just know it. You crossed a boundary too soon, and now you've hurt her. As she turned to face you, her own face flushed, panting heavily, a fierce look in her eyes, you braced yourself for the inevitable breakup...
Wait, why is she kissing you?
Before you could process anything, Fluttershy firmly plants her lips on yours, forcing her tongue inside your mouth. She explores every nook and cranny of your mouth with gusto, as if she was starved and your mouth held a grand meal inside. You're both scared and excited by her aggressiveness. Did you really cause this kind and gentle pegasus to turn into this? Who was this mare, and how did she take over Fluttershy's body? More importantly, why does this kiss feel so wonderful?
The kiss is over before you can answer any of these questions. Fluttershy breaks away as quickly as she moved in, still breathing heavily and blushing wildly. "....I...I..." she says, desperately trying to regain her control of the Equestrian language between pants. "I...can't...I shouldn't....you're still unwell, and...and...."
You don't let her say anything else. In an instant, you move in and begin another fierce kiss, this time catching her off-guard. Her shock doesn't last long, as she soon reaches her tongue out to yours, beginning another battle for dominance. You no longer care that you were still recovering from an illness or that you had no choice but to have your marefriend take care of you like you were a child for the last few days. All you can even think about now is how good it feels to be doing what you are doing now.
Without warning, Fluttershy steps up her aggression, placing her hooves on your chest and forcing you onto your back. By now, your mind has gone completely blank, your body operating solely on instinct, its only goal to please both yourself and the mare on top of you....
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And you thought the massage felt amazing.
Some time later (you weren't really keeping track), you find yourself lying on the bed in a happy exhaustion. Fluttershy is curled up next to you, breathing softly, her wings back at her side, finally back in her own bed after spending the last few nights on her couch downstairs. You glance down at her face and find her staring back with that heart-meltingly soft smile adorning her face again.
"I hope you had fun," you say to her, knowing full well the answer you were going to get.
"Oh yes, very much so," she replies, her voice much wearier than it was not too long ago. She tilts her head downwards and begins speaking again in a quieter voice. "Um...I'm really happy that...you're here for me...."
You don't quite follow, but you try to keep her spirits up. "And I'm really happy that you were there for me these past few days, too. Who knows what would've happened to me if you hadn't found me that night...wait."
You stopped your pillow-talking as the one question you had forgotten to ask her after first finding yourself in her bed finally returned to your memory:
"...Fluttershy, how did you find me that night? I was a good distance from your house when I collapsed."
"Oh, um, I...well, uh....I..." she stammers at first. She is still looking away from you, and the blush that had finally faded from her face is now coming back. "I...tried to follow you...you...looked a l-little pale and...I was going to, um, ask you if...if..."
"Yes?" you say to her as her voice trails off, trying to coax her answer along.
"Um, if you...w-wanted to...stay at my place for the night...eep!"
As she finished her confession, she shut her eyes and turned her head further away from yours. You gently reach a hoof out and touch her chin, bringing her face back up to yours. Slowly, she opens her eyes while still keeping that adorable look of embarrassment on her face. You don't need any help forming a reassuring smile as you give her your confession in return:
"Fluttershy, I thought you would never ask."
In one last attempt to comfort her, you move your head forward and lightly touch your lips to her cheek. As you withdraw your face, you see her soft smile once again forming, showing that she is at peace with the world, and that you no longer need to worry. Closing her eyes again, she leans forward and returns the favor, leaving another warm mark on your face that speaks more than all the books in the Ponyville library. Moving down from your head, Fluttershy starts nuzzling lightly into your neck, her face still softer and warmer than any pillow or blanket could hope to emulate.
You close your eyes in pleasure and fall into a happy sleep, the two of you wrapped tightly in each other's loving and caring embrace. A new chapter in your story had now begun.
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Author’s Note: I certainly hope you don’t have a thing for getting sick, because that’s just weird...well, maybe not as weird as a thing for Fluttershy, which you undoubtedly have by now.
With thanks to Eights9 for proofreading.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own the rights to My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic or its characters, and I make no money from this story. All Rights Reserved by Hasbro.
