A Quiet Cabin On The Edge Of The Everfree

I leaned against the shower wall, letting the water rush over me. "Oh thank go--" I was cut off as the curtain slid open, Rouge and Saint standing in the bathroom, watching me shower. "...Hi...can I help you?!"

Rouge stared off to the side, Saint just giggled and tapped her hoof on the floor. "That's cute," She covered her mouth with her hoof and laughed softly, "Your mare needed to shower."

I coughed softly, turning and covering myself with my thigh. "Okay...then why are you in here?"

Saint flicked a key that hung around her neck. "You locked the door!" She chirped, with such genuine glee I had to wonder what she was huffing.

"I wonder why...." I mumbled to myself, watching as Rouge snuck into the bath behind me, hiding in my rain shadow and fluttering her wings. Saint laughed softly and stepped out, pulling the door closed and causing a cold rush of air to slam against me and cause my arm to shoot out. "Fu-buh--" I grabbed my arm, dousing it in hot water before I could shiver more.

Rouge reached out of the shower, pulling a bucket and a sponge into it and pulling the curtain to the wall. "Don't mind me...it's just nice to be in here...after...what we did." She blushed softly, rubbing the back of my calf, "...Thank you Henry."

I coughed softly, lowering my head and letting water trail down my chin. "Yeah...." I looked behind me, watching Rouge push the bucket past me and into a stream of clean water. "Did you want me to move?"

Rouge shook her head, shaking her mane out and letting out a small huff. "No, shower water is hard on my wings, you acting like a big humidifier is enough for me."

I turned around, letting the water slam against my back. Rouge's wings were fluttering and buzzing about, the fluff around her neck starting to get damp as she relaxed. "Henry...you're looking at me."

I smiled softly, "You look nice."

Rouge coughed into her hoof. "Thank you...."

I frowned softly, "Are you alright?"

Rouge slowly snaked her head around, swooning left and right before laying her head across her hoof. "Henry...I need to clean up. You...finished...in my tail."

I felt my cheeks flush hot. "Uh...sorry." I turned around, clenching my cheeks. "I didn't--"

"It's fine Henry, I also...a little- I came...and it wasn't like...an explosion, but I'd still like to clean up." Rouge's hoof tapped against the ceramic basin. "Did you...want to help?"

I cleared my throat. "Wash you? I uh...sure...I guess if you're asking."

"Just...don't turn around for a second...I have to, something."

"Wait..wha--" Before I could fully turn around I spotted Rouge's scrunched up muzzle, her posture strange, hunched over and blushing as I spotted her. "Are you--"

She turned her head, a soft tinkle ringing out over the sound of the water. "I can't help it...running water and me don't get along." She squeaked, her tail bumped up as she peed. "Don't look at me while I'm peeing!"

I snickered softly, moving my head and letting a shoot of water pelt Rouge. "Its fine...just, wasn't expecting it." I rubbed my hair with girly shampoo as she went. "Seems like a very...human, thing to do."

Rouge let out a pleased coo, "What do you mean, human? Are you saying ponies don't pee?"

"I've just never known a pony to pee in the shower." I stated, turning around and watching as she shook her legs out. "Then again--"

"Henry...how many ponies have you showered with?" She asked with a laugh, pushing against my toes with her hoof. "Oh...those are weird." She poked my big toe with the point of her hoof, "Is that why you always wear socks?"

I clenched my toes, "Uh...no, and I've never showered with ponies. Just...seems like, I mean you always--"

"I know...I try to act, proper." Rogue poked my ankle. "Your leg is so strange...how are you even upright?"

I shrugged, "Humans walking is a miracle in and of itself. But I meant you try not to- I know the other moth ponies used to pee on my porch...they drank from my hose and were just generally--"

"Rude, I know." Rogue buzzed her wings, causing steam to whirl around her. "Can I just add, I love this humidity. It's very cozy." She smiled up at me, misty air between us. "I've never really been able to shower, it's nice."

I stared down at my red speckled mate. "Yeah...it is."

Rouge scratched my foot with her hoof. "It's nice to see you so...well, more energetic." She tucked her wings to the side, running a hoof along her neck fluff. "I'm glad--"

"I'm going to kiss you." I stated, ducking down, making sure to shield her wings from the water, but letting a stream slam against her flank. She took a step back, holding a hoof just off the ground. "Uh...you--"

She laughed softly, "I'm fine Henry...that was just, unexpected." She slowly leaned against my knees, lifting herself up and planting a soft kiss against my lips. It was warm, tender, with just enough pressure to make it intimate. "There...better?"

"For now." I joked, reaching back and turning the water off. "Now...I think I get why you have the bucket." I grabbed it, bringing it between us and sitting down across from her. "So...how did you--"

Rouge turned around, pulling her tail to the side. "Before I moved into Ponyville I used to bathe in a lake, after that it was always bathtubs." She stood there, waiting for me to take her tail in my hand and dampen her hair with the sponge. "And no...most of them don't bathe.... Savages." She grumbled, her wings fluttering in the mist. "I do love them-" she clarified, a sticky knot in her tail coming undone as I slid my fingers into her thick tail, "- but you can only get so many, ha ha rouge doesn't like mud, before you snap and say screw you."

I ran my fingers through her tail, cleaning her off and gripping her actual flesh tail, the thick tail warm and shapely under my grip. "But you always said you wanted to help them."

Rouge sighed loudly, hiccuping slightly as I sponged down her crotch. "Careful Henry-"

"You too."

Things went silent as I cleaned off the nooks of her plot. "Henry...what--"

"I meant, I will be.... I have no idea why I said, you too." I mumbled, cleaning off her legs and scratching her soft coat. "My brain and I don't see eye to eye all the time."

rouge sighed softly, "It's fine Henry, and yes, I do want to help them. They're missing out on so much, just running around the woods and pretending to be happy!" Her wings snapped against her side, beads of water refusing to cling to her neck fluff. "Savages...."

I rubbed her flank, letting the muscles squeeze around my fingers. "They're not that bad. I mean, you're a moth pony."

"But I'm not a spastic would be wood nymph!" She shouted, pulling free and turning towards me. "Now touch my hooves!" She held her foreleg up, turning away and letting her wet coat drip. "Please...."

I took the sponge to her fetlocks, cleaning the well shorn hair and rubbing the hard of her hoof. "I'm just saying, you always talked about them. And...not to be mean, but you're the odd one."

"What!?"

"Compared to the other moth ponies I mean...." I dipped her hoof in the water, starting to drip dry and grow cold. Steam continued to bellow up from the bucket, Rouge starting to shiver as I finished scrubbing her down. "I mean, they seem fine about it all."

Rouge looked up at me with a heavy grimace, "Henry, they--"

"I'm just saying. They seem happy." I dropped the sponge on the floor and slowly poured the bucket over Rouge's head.

She let out a pleased mumbled as her mane grew soaked, her neck fluff finally absorbing water. "I just wish they could be more, but what--"

"You left, you said you wanted to help them here in Prance." I left the bucket upside down and stood up. "I mean, you just act like a normal pony...the fact that you've got...this, "I carefully brushed my hand against her feelers, causing her to flinch and push my hand away. "seems incidental."

Rouge pulled her mane back, "Well good! I am normal, I'm just a pony...nothing more--"

"You're my mare, that's pretty special." I stated, rubbing my forearms.

Rouge took a deep breath, her wings fluttering and spraying me in a thin mist. She huffed softly, looking off to the side and tapping water off her legs. "Um...thank you." She leaned forward and kissed my knee. "...Ew."

I laughed gently, "Why'd you kiss my knee?"

She leaned back, stretching her jaw and scraping her tongue with her teeth. "I don't know! I thought it would be cute!" She sputtered loudly. "You taste like soap!"

I reached up, grabbing a towel I'd hung up for later. "What did you expect?!" I wrapped her up, tucking her into my arms and kissing her nose. "We'll talk about this later...but I think it's about time to settle in." I stepped out into the cold tile room, spotting Saint peeking into the door. "...Saint, really?"

She flung the door open, sucking the warmth from the room and letting in freezing cold to surround me. "You were in there a while, our water bill will be your burden if you keep it up."

Rouge looked over at her, antenna dripping slowly. "Saint, we were just talking--"

"Then take it to the dinner table, or pillow. I don't want my house coated in semen just because I set you off!" She jeered, smiling wide and laughing. "You look cold--"

"Saint-" Rouge and I said in unison.

"Please stop." I begged, lowering Rouge and covering my penis. "It's so cold...can we just get some rest?"

Saint rolled her eyes. "You have one night together and you fuck the energy out of eachother."

"Saint!" Rouge yelled, causing me to jump. "Me and Henry have a party to attend tomorrow, I have to wear a new dress, and if I'm too tired to stand up straight I'm going to blame you! Now please...can we get some privacy?"

Saint looked at me, eyes wide, "You're going to a party?"

I felt my heart jump. "Uh...I guess I am."

Saint curled her lower lip over her upper. "Hmm, good for you! The agoraphobe and the fluffy mare, an awkward if cute couple." Saint mumbled, walking out.

I bit my lower lip. "Wow...so...are they both--"

"They're both very Prance, yes." Rouge added, snuggling against my arms and stretching her hooves. "Also, am I not heavy? Saint threw me like--"

"Moth pony light, moth pony cute." I mumbled, reaching into the towel and rubbing her fluff filled neck. "I love you Rouge...but a party is going to be rough."

Rouge looked up at me, bright hazel eyes strong in the misty cold. "I'll be there, and you could always ask Jan for help--"

"No!" I shouted, storming out of the room. "That man is crazy...he's right...but right doesn't make...not crazy."

"How, astute."