Snuggles and Cuddles

Chapters

The Proposition
The Simple Snuggle
The Lap Snuggle
Spooning
With Love in my Heart

The Proposition

“So... got any plans for tomorrow?” Rainbow asked as she watched Twilight’s eyes run all over the many bookshelves in the library. Her friend was pacing back and forth, finding out of place books to sort later. Rainbow was laying on the couch in the middle of the room, her head resting on the armrest. Her tail flicked from side to side from boredom.

“Well, I’d love to rearrange the library, but that’s an all-day thing. Ponies keep looking at books here then don’t return them to their rightful place!” Twilight said with an annoyed huff. “To be honest, I’ve been busy with my research to keep track of stuff like this, and at this point, a full reshelving is gonna have to happen soon or I’m gonna go crazy!”

“What about Spike? Isn’t he supposed to help you with stuff like this?”

“Yeah, but there’s only so much my assistant can do, you know? I can’t keep him cooped up here all day, after all.”

Rainbow scratched her head on the couch. “I guess. I know I wouldn’t like being stuck in here all week.” Twilight glared at her, making Rainbow’s ears flick back for a moment. She stifled a giggle and covered her mouth with a hoof to hide her growing smile. “You should see the look on your face right now! If looks could kill...”

Twilight rolled her eyes and yanked an entire shelf worth of books onto the floor. “Ugh! All of these are out of order! Why would anyone do this?”

Rainbow slid from the couch and moved to sit next to Twilight. “Hey, chill out.” She placed a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “Tell you what... Why don’t I schedule a big storm tomorrow so that you can get all of this done? With what I have in mind, nopony’s gonna want to come here, giving you the time you need to reorganize this mess.”

Twilight glanced up at Rainbow with a hopeful glint in her eyes. “You... you’d do that for me? Wouldn’t you be breaking some rules?”

Rainbow chuckled at that. “Nah. We’ve been due for a big storm for a while now and I’ve been kinda putting it off. But! I’ll only do it on one condition.” She glanced away, biting her bottom lip as her rump wiggled in nervous excitement. She felt her heartbeat speed up, so she took a couple of deep breaths to hopefully calm her nerves.

“And what would that be?”

“Well... if I make this storm, my house isn’t really gonna be a fun place to be at. It doesn’t really muffle the sounds of thunder, and I don’t wanna listen to that all night.” Rainbow looked back up at Twilight and rubbed her leg with a hoof. “So... can I maybe sleep over here tomorrow night? Just us two?”

Just the two of us... alone? Am I really this lucky? Twilight thought, replaying Rainbow’s words over and over in her head. Her lips became dry, and her throat felt like it was growing ever tighter. Careful, Twilight! Gotta play this cool! “Uh... sure! I can give Spike the day off tomorrow, giving me the peace and quiet I’ll need to really get through all of these books. Was there anything that you wanted to do tomorrow night?”

I’d love to just spend more time with you... Those words danced on the tip of Rainbow’s tongue, simply begging to be let loose. She had grown to admire Twilight, looking past her flaws to find somepony that she could just let go around. She loved the fact that she didn’t have to keep up her awesome reputation when she was around Twilight, and it helped that her closest friend was pretty darn cute, too. Rainbow had never believed the phrase that opposites could attract each other, but the way her heart melted whenever Twilight smiled proved that phrase right in so many ways. “Um... I dunno. Maybe finish reading that book we’ve been putting off?”

Twilight’s eyes lit up at that. “Sounds great!” This would be the perfect time for me to set things in motion!

“Awesome. I’m gonna go get some rest now. It’s getting pretty late, and I gotta get up early if I’m gonna do this storm right!” Rainbow nudged Twilight’s shoulder with her own as she stood up. “See you tomorrow night, cutie!” She froze for a split-second, then turned and galloped out of the library, taking flight the moment she stepped outside. Did I really just call her that?! I really have to be more careful!

“Yay, just one more bookshelf to go!” Twilight said to herself as she skipped around the library, the last remaining books floating in the air above her.

Humming to herself, she started organizing the books in alphabetical order. As she slid each book into its new and proper place, Twilight let her mind drift to that of her friend, Rainbow Dash. Ever since they had started reading together a few months back, she’d noticed that Rainbow had become increasingly comfortable around her. Before, she had always kept her tough front up, afraid of looking or saying something that would make ponies think that she was weak. Unbeknownst to most ponies, Twilight knew that Rainbow had a softer side to her, and she couldn’t have been happier when Rainbow had started letting her guard down around her more and more. Because of that, Twilight had been able to see who Rainbow truly was on the inside, and she liked what she saw. In fact, she was ecstatic that Rainbow was spending more time with her.

Her thoughts drifted to last week, to their last reading session to be exact. She closed her eyes as images of them laying next to each other flowed into her mind, one after the other. Twilight remembered every little detail there was to remember. The warmth from Rainbow’s coat, the sensation of feeling her breathe, and above all, the sense of companionship was the thing she enjoyed most from the time they spent together. Letting a smile slip onto her face, she focused in on one memory in particular; the moment that Rainbow had lay down beside her.

Twilight closed her eyes as the memory ran through her mind. As soon as their coats had touched, Twilight had tensed up ever so slightly, although she had played it off like she was getting into a more comfortable position. She had gingerly settled back down until they were touching again, and it had taken all of her willpower to stop herself from trembling in nervousness. She had never been able to fully relax around her, all due to one simple reason.

To her, Rainbow was simply intoxicating.

Everything about her was perfect. The way her hair flowed down her neck, the cute look she made when she was confused about a word she didn’t understand, and to top it all off, her confident smile rounded her out perfectly. Her crush on Rainbow had deepened with every minute they spent together. She had never voiced her feelings to anypony, for this was the first time that she’d actually developed a romantic interest, and she didn’t really have a clue on how to proceed. All of the research she had done had told her to tread slowly and carefully, all while dropping little hints showing that you care for them. Twilight had tried doing exactly that, dropping little hints here and there when Rainbow was around her, but it seemed the rainbow-maned pegasus was oblivious to her true feelings. Either that, or she didn’t care for her in a romantic sense, a possibility that Twilight refused to acknowledge or even consider for the briefest of moments.

Putting the last book up on the bookshelf, Twilight sat back, satisfied with a job well done. As she stood up to tidy up the kitchen, the front door of the library slammed open right as a lightning bolt flashed behind the newcomer, a quick thunderclap following it milliseconds later. Twilight jumped a little, adrenaline flooding her body as she started hyperventilating.

“Heya Twilight!” she heard Rainbow say as she closed the door. Twilight didn’t respond, choosing to let her breathing return to normal, or as normal as one can get when your crush was in the same room as you were. Rainbow was dripping wet, no doubt from the storm raging away outside. Twilight couldn’t help but stare at her, her mouth hanging open in a small ‘O’ as she stared at her friend. As she watched, unable to tear her gaze away, Rainbow flicked her mane, making it fall around her shoulders. To any random passerby, Rainbow was just getting her mane out of her face, but to Twilight, it was an act of beauty. She watched as Rainbow looked up at her, everything going in slow motion until her friend’s voice ripped her from her fantasy.

Rainbow shook herself like a dog as she tried to get most of the water off of her. “Hey, you have a spare towel I can use? I’m kinda wet.”

“Y-yes, Dash! One second!” Twilight stammered, her heart rate returning to a more normal pace. She felt it throbbing in her chest as she went to go fetch a towel, most likely due to the fact that her crush was here, in her library, wanting nothing more than to just hang out with her. Struggling to keep herself calm and collected, she opened the closet door and grabbed her favorite towel, a dark purple one that had her cutie mark sewn in along the bottom and top.

Without wasting another moment, Twilight grabbed it with her hooves and slung it over her back. She trotted back over to where Rainbow was forming a puddle in her foyer. “Want me to dry you off for you?” Twilight nervously asked, pulling the towel from her back. “It’d be no trouble, really.”

“Nah, I’m good,” Rainbow said as she started to shiver. “I can do it myself.” She tried to grab the towel but Twilight held it out of reach.

“B-but... are you sure? I mean it would probably be easier if… you know,” Twilight said meekly, thinking that this would be a good way to show her affection, just like the book had told her. She thought to use her magic but decided against it, figuring that using her hooves would be a lot more personal. Rainbow shot her a weird look, making her feel uneasy and unsure of herself. In an effort to try and keep some of her false confidence, she cleared her throat and stammered, “Because we’re really good friends! Yeah, that’s it!” she fibbed, trying desperately to cover up her true intentions.

“Uh… everything alright, Twi?” Rainbow asked as she snatched the towel out of Twilight’s hooves. “Thanks for the towel, by the way.” She started drying herself, starting with her tail.

“Yeah, everything’s perfect! You’re here now, you’re drying yourself off, which is awesome by the way; you won’t get me wet when we read together!” Gah! Twilight! Think before you say the first thing that comes to your mind!

“Um… yeah, that’s right…” Rainbow slowly said, cocking her head to the side. “You want to go find the book? I think we’re on book eleven with only a few chapters left, right?”

“Yep! Gimme a few minutes to find it, alright? I literally just finished reshelving the entire library!”

“Sure thing, Twilight…” Rainbow said as she watched Twilight trot away, going into a different room. She squeezed the water out of her mane and wiped her face with the towel, drying herself off as well as she could.

Oh my gosh she’s already here what do I do? Twilight thought quickly as she walked up to the small table where their book lay. She hadn’t put it away the last time Rainbow had come over, instead choosing to keep it out in case Rainbow decided to stop by wanting to read it. It mattered not if she had been busy, for Twilight knew that she would have dropped whatever she was doing in a heartbeat if she was given the chance of spending more time with Rainbow.

Twilight took a slow, deep breath to help herself chill out for a moment. She took another breath to calm herself and picked up their book. Holding it to her breast in a brief hug, Twilight smiled as she silently thanked the author for writing such a captivating series, for without it, she wasn’t sure how else she could spend more time with Rainbow without coming off as needy. After another few seconds, she lit her horn and lifted the book, then walked back around the corner. Ohhh, the books didn’t say anything about bringing up the subject of dating… Her tail twitched in nervousness and her grasp on the floating book faltered for the briefest of seconds. She hoped that Rainbow hadn’t noticed. Don’t blow this, Twilight…

“Found i–” Twilight stopped, frozen in place from what she saw. Rainbow was already at the place they usually read together, a pile of plushy cushions and thick blankets. While that in itself was normal, what had her rooted in place was the fact that Rainbow was looking at her with a soft smile on her face. A blanket was already covering her back, and as she stared on, the blanket rose a little bit on the side, the tips of Rainbow’s blue feathers peeking out from under it. Even though she thought it was not possible, her eyes widened even more. Oh my gosh! She wants to hold me with her wing! She’s never done that before!

“Um, everything okay, Twi?” Rainbow asked with a nervous giggle.

“Y–yeah! Everything’s perfect!” Twilight said, her tone even more nervous. She bit her tongue, hard, hoping the pain would make it so that her voice wouldn’t sound so nervous the next time she spoke.

“Well come on, then! My side’s getting cold, and I don’t like being cold,” Rainbow said, shaking her open wing a bit.

Twilight nodded silently and stepped forward. Hm… if she wants to read like this, then maybe my plan might work after all! She smiled gently as she closed the gap between them, then gingerly lay down next to her. Laying the book down in front of them, propped up on another cushion, Twilight scooted up against Rainbow’s side. She tensed up when Rainbow lay her wing over her back, but the ensuing warmth from both the blanket and the wing forced her to relax. If she wasn’t being so careful, she would have laid her head against Rainbow’s neck and fallen asleep. “You comfy?”

“Totally,” Rainbow said as she stretched, letting out a small yawn. She pulled Twilight a little closer to her, making her blush a little. “Page two hundred and sixty-something, right?”

“Yeah, something like that…” Twilight said. She flipped to where the bookmark was and took it out of the book. Even though she still felt a little tense, it wasn’t because of Rainbow holding her close with her wing. No, it was because she was afraid of how Rainbow would react when she brought up her little idea.

As the minutes stretched on, Twilight tried to read but found herself too distracted with the fact that Rainbow was going to spend the night with her, so instead she just faked it, choosing to just enjoy the time that they spent together. If she had it her way, she’d want to stay like this for the rest of the night, simply enjoying the closeness she was feeling with her friend.

It didn’t take Rainbow long to finish the book. Well, here goes nothing! Twilight thought to herself as she watched Rainbow close the book laying before them. “Say, Rainbow…”

“Yeah?”

“I was wondering if you could help me with something, something kinda personal,” Twilight said, looking anywhere but her crush.

“Oh, um… sure? What is it?” Rainbow asked, cocking her head to the side. “We’re here all night, so it’s not like I have anything to do. What’s up?” She smiled warmly.

Twilight stood up, instantly missing the warmth from Rainbow’s wing. As the library’s cool air sapped the warmth from her body, she stuttered, “Well, you see, um… Princess Celestia sent me a book to study that requires two ponies, myself and somepony else. The book’s about, um… hehe…”

“About what, Twilight?”

“…Snuggling,” Twilight said softly, using her magic to grab the book from her desk across the room. She held it up for Rainbow to see, then levitated it before her. Laying back down beside her, Twilight pulled the blanket back over her and smiled when Rainbow laid her wing back over her, although she noted that Rainbow had faltered for a couple of seconds. “So, like I was saying, Princess Celestia said that Cadence sent her this to send to me or something like that, saying I had to find a really close friend to do this with.”

“Not that I’m complaining or anything, but how come you didn’t ask Spike?” Rainbow asked with a giggle, using a hoof to cover her growing smile.

“The funny thing is that I did ask him, and even before I asked him, I kinda already knew his answer…”

“He said no, didn’t he?” Rainbow asked.

“Yep, saying that it was too girly or something like that. Besides, he’s not a pony, and since this book is all about cuddling and stuff for ponies, I figured that, well…” Twilight blushed as she trailed off. “I just figured I’d ask if you wanted to, um… you know…”

“You figured that you’d ask me if I wanted to snuggle with you?” Rainbow asked with a laugh.

Twilight winced. To her, it sounded like Rainbow’s laugh was a scoff. “I’m sorry, I knew I shouldn’t have asked.” She started to stand up, but Rainbow had too firm a grasp on her barrel with her wing. Before she could stand up all the way, she found herself yanked back down beside her friend.

“Hey, I didn’t say no, egghead,” Rainbow said softly. “I think it’d be a great way to pass the time, ya know?”

“R… really?” Twilight hopefully asked, looking into Rainbow’s eyes. “Are… are you sure? It's alright if you don't want to.”

“Yeah, I’m sure! I mean, what else is there to do in an empty library?”

The Simple Snuggle

“Well, other than reading, I suppose there isn’t that much else to do here,” Twilight said, her voice trembling with unbridled excitement. Step one: get Rainbow to agree to run some trials? Complete! She felt her cheeks warm in a soft blush, and she prayed that Rainbow didn’t see it.

Her ears flicking back, Twilight used her magic to place the finished novel back up in its proper place. She didn’t like how Rainbow was oblivious to her hints of romantic interest, but agreeing to snuggle with her was definitely a step in the right direction.

Opening up the book, Twilight flipped through the first few pages until she got to the first chapter. After taking a deep breath, she let it out slowly to calm her racing heart. She waited several seconds, and when the beating in her chest didn’t slow down in the slightest, she tried again, but nothing changed.

“Uh... Twi? You alright?” Dash asked, nudging her flank with her own.

“Huh? Oh, sorry, my t-throat’s a little dry.” Twilight coughed and cleared her throat, then smiled sheepishly. She didn’t like lying to Rainbow, but if she had tried reading the book out loud to her, she would have done so terribly that Rainbow would have known something was wrong with her. “Can you start reading? I think it’s the cold air.”

“Oh, uh... sure! I can do that!” Rainbow grinned and slid the book from Twilight’s hooves. “Let’s see... chapter one: how to initiate snuggling.” She paused and glanced at Twilight. Rainbow chuckled and pulled Twilight closer with her wing. “Well, since we’re already snuggling, I think we can skip past this chapter, huh?”

Twilight blushed even harder at Rainbow’s words. She was never one to simply skip entire chapters in a book, especially for one such as this. “Wh-why don’t we just skim through the chapter and see what it has to say? If it’s really all about how to start snuggling with, uh... somepony you’re interested in, I suppose we can move on to the actual snuggling chapters.”

“Yeah, sounds good...” Rainbow flipped a few pages and licked her lips.

Oh, come on! That one was so obvious! Twilight bit her cheek and rolled her eyes. She stared at Rainbow’s face for any signs of her realizing what she just said, but all she saw was Rainbow’s eyes reading the page.

“Section four: snuggling on the couch. If you aren’t already on the couch, make your way over to it now.” She glanced at Twilight and folded her wing back to her side. “As comfy as I am right now, you wanna...”

“Okay.” Though she missed the warmth from Rainbow’s wing, Twilight knew she’d get it back soon enough. “Does the book mention anything about blankets and pillows?”

Rainbow scanned through the open page, her eyes darting all over the place. “Nah, I don’t see anything. Might as well bring the blanket, right?” she asked with a smile. “I mean, it is kinda chilly in here.”

“Yeah, sure. Let’s go snuggle, Dash.” Twilight lit her horn and tossed the blanket on the couch. With a nod, she stepped forward, wondering why she felt so nervous about this. They technically were just snuggling with each other, but actually saying it out loud made butterflies flit about in her stomach. Avoiding Rainbow’s gaze, Twilight settled down on the couch, laying on her stomach. She watched Rainbow sit next to her out of the corner of her eye, too nervous to actually look at her properly.

Rainbow mimicked her pose and let her forelegs dangle off the edge of the couch. Twilight felt her cheeks warm in a blush and her ears flicked back. Her tail started to twitch and she forced herself to look at the book between Rainbow’s hooves. She felt something soft graze her rear, making her tense up. A quick look over her shoulder found Rainbow’s tail wrapped snugly around her rear. Twilight opened her mouth to ask her to move it, but she paused. While she felt that it was slightly inappropriate, it still gave her a bit of a rush.

They lay side by side, their wings and flanks touching. Twilight bit her lip as a strong urge to lay her head against Rainbow’s neck consumed her mind, rendering all other thought inconsequential. As much as she hated to, she held herself back. So instead of doing what her heart so craved, she hesitantly flicked her own tail around Rainbow’s rump, figuring that since Rainbow did it to her, she could do the same back. When Rainbow didn’t mention anything about it, she relaxed with a soft smile.

Rainbow opened the book again and cleared her throat. “Once on the couch, get as close to the other pony as possible. Since snuggling requires an actual physical touch, do not be shy when the time comes to initiate the act.” Rainbow giggled then rolled her eyes. “Gee, Twi, this book really does explain everything, doesn’t it?”

Twilight nodded back. “Well, when somepony writes a guide to something, one would assume that they’d go over everything. So... what does the book say to do next, Dash?”

Rainbow licked her lips and looked back down at the book. “Well... this one actually looks kinda fun!” She read the next several lines in silence then slammed the book shut. Rainbow pushed it past her hind legs and said, “So here’s what it said. It wants us to sit down normally, but sit with our backs pressed up against the back of the couch like this.” Rainbow sat up and leaned back, letting her hind legs dangle off the edge of the couch. “See? Nothin’ to it!”

“O-okay.” Twilight sat up and mimicked what Rainbow did. It felt a little strange to be sitting like this, so to hide her nervousness, she started playing with the tips of her tail.

“I think you’re forgetting one simple thing for this to work, Twilight...” Rainbow said with a snicker.

“Huh?” Twilight’s eyebrows furrowed downwards as she turned to look at Rainbow.

“Well, if we were going to snuggle, you would kinda want to, oh... I don’t know... actually be touching?” Rainbow asked with a giggle.

“Oh!” Twilight blushed and grinned. “I suppose you’re right, Rainbow...” Once again feeling butterflies flit around in her stomach, Twilight scootched over until they were touching again. “B-better?” she hazarded. They were so close that if she turned to look at Rainbow, their lips would have met in a kiss. While she would love nothing more than to feel Rainbow’s lips upon her own, and even though she knew she could easily brush it off as an accident, she didn’t want to spook her.

A sudden flash of lightning and thunder outside yanked her from her thoughts. The loud thunderclap made her jump, and she instinctively latched onto Rainbow, wrapping her forelegs around her, holding on tightly. She clenched her eyes shut for a few moments, and then slowly realized what she did.

“Oops, uh... sorry, Rainbow,” Twilight said with a nervous giggle. “I wasn’t expecting to hear thunder that loud, and... I don’t know.” She bit her lip, wondering if she should utter what she had on her mind. Well... nothing ventured, nothing gained... “It just felt like the right thing to do at the moment.” She felt herself blush so hard she was certain Rainbow could see it.

Rainbow giggled and laid a foreleg across Twilight’s shoulders. “It’s all good, Twilight.”

Twilight tensed up as she felt Rainbow tug her closer. She looked down at the hoof holding her, and the way that she was leaning towards Rainbow gave her an idea. Twilight sighed gently and laid her head against Rainbow’s shoulder. She closed her eyes as Rainbow’s scent filled her nostrils. To any other pony, Rainbow smelled of early-morning dew with a faint hint of lemons, but it smelled like pure bliss to Twilight. She would never admit it to anypony, but she was jealous of how soft Rainbow’s fur was; she could never get her own that soft.

Twilight’s smile widened when she felt Rainbow lay her head on top of hers. “Is this what the book wanted us to do?” she asked, her voice soft. “Because it sure feels nice.” She made herself relax, letting herself go slack in Rainbow’s embrace.

“Yeah, Twi... it does, doesn’t it?” Rainbow whispered back. “Here I have an idea... don’t move, alright?” Rainbow pulled the two of them from the back of the couch and unfolded her right wing. She opened it as far as she could then let them lay back. Rainbow adjusted her position so that the top of her wing lay across Twilight’s shoulders, then she pulled her foreleg back.

Twilight shifted closer to Rainbow, smiling when she felt the tips of Rainbow’s wing curl around to cover her belly. She took a deep breath, Rainbow’s familiar scent comforting her. “So Rainbow... what’s this one called?”

“Uh... lemme check.” Rainbow started to lift her head to look for the book, but Twilight stopped her.

“Wait! Here, lemme get it... This feels too good to stop so soon,” Twilight murmured with a blush. She lit her horn and levitated the book into Rainbow’s waiting hooves.

“Heh, thanks, Twilight. Now... let’s see...”

As Rainbow flipped through the pages, Twilight closed her eyes again, simply enjoying the sensation of Rainbow’s shoulders rise and fall ever so slightly with each breath.

“This one’s called... the simple snuggle.” Rainbow chuckled to herself. “Wow, the author couldn’t think of a better name for this?”

“I guess not...” Twilight said with a little giggle, her eyes still closed. “Maybe they’re saving the better names for the special ones?” She felt Rainbow shrug, making her head bounce on her shoulder. Twilight shot her a sour look, then relented a couple moments later. She simply couldn’t feel annoyed at Rainbow, especially after she had agreed to do all of this with her.

“Oops, sorry. Gotta remember to not do that,” Rainbow smiled at her. “You good?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just surprised, really.” Twilight laid her head back on Rainbow’s shoulder. “So while this one’s nice and all, we should probably move on to the next one. Speaking of which, what’s it called?”

Rainbow snickered. “Heh, you’re gonna like the sound of this one, Twi.”

“Yeah? What is it? It’s not nice to keep a mare waiting, Dash!” she teased.

“Yeah, you’re right.” She laid her head on Twilight’s again and tugged her closer with her wing. She nuzzled Twilight right behind the ear, then whispered, “It’s called snuggling on the lower extremities.”

The Lap Snuggle

“Snuggling on what?” Twilight squeaked. Her eyes went wide and her ears flicked back as she lifted her head from Rainbow’s shoulder. She felt herself tremble, but she didn’t want to show it, especially since she was still snuggling with Rainbow.

“It says the lower extremities, so...” Rainbow cocked her head as she peered at the book. “It says that snuggling on or below the belly lets ponies feel closer to each other... somehow,” she added with a giggle. “Well, I guess we won’t know until we try, right?”

Twilight nodded, biting her lip to quell the excited squeak that lay on the tip of her tongue. Her heart was racing fast and even though she tried as hard as she could, she could not stop her tail from swishing from side to side. “Tell me about the position, Dash...” she murmured, relishing the last few moments of the position they still held.

“Let’s see...” Rainbow muttered. She lifted the book up so that the both of them could read, and said, “One pony must stay in the same position from the previous one while the other one lays their head in the first pony’s lap. Depending on the level of friendship and how close you are to the other pony, it is optional for the first one to brush the lower one’s mane. Doing so in the correct environment and in the correct manner is meant to help ponies bond on a more emotional level.”

Twilight’s eyes widened at that. Oh my freaking gosh, this sounds amaaaaaazing... Blushing furiously, she sat up and stuck out her lower lip, giving Rainbow Dash her best puppy-dog look. “Say Dash... mind if I be the lower one? My head feels kinda cold, and I don’t like it cold...” Oh come the heck on, Twilight! You have to think before you say the first darn thing that comes to your mind! This is the second time you’ve slipped up! Think, Twilight, think!

Rainbow cocked an eyebrow and peered at her, a strange, inquisitive look upon her face. “Uh... sure?” she asked with a nervous giggle. “You alright? You’re acting a little strange.”

“I, uh... yeah, I-I’m fine!” Twilight said, a hint of nervousness creeping into her tone. She shook her head and ran a hoof through her mane before looking up at Rainbow, an apologetic smile on her face. “I, er... I didn’t get enough sleep last night, and I woke up early to work in the library,” she lied.

“Oh, that makes sense,” Rainbow said. She relaxed and folded her wing back to her side. “You know, if you just want to go to bed now, we can do that. I’ll sleep on the couch, and—”

“No!” Twilight paused and took herself a couple of notches down. She took a couple of slow breaths and said, “You are—I mean, uh... this is really important to me, Rainbow. I can’t say I’ve had so much fun studying, too.”

Rainbow let off a soft giggle, then she smiled at her. “Yeah? Glad I could help ya.”

Me too... “So... shall we get to it?” she asked, biting her lip and smiling.

“Sure. Now, did the book say anything about which direction you should face? I don’t remember.”

Twilight shrugged. “I’ll look away from you, I guess. That makes sense, right?” She lifted her head from Rainbow’s shoulder and sat back for a moment, trying to figure out the best way to do this. After a few moments, Twilight stretched herself out and glanced up at Rainbow. She smiled at her and nodded, letting her know it was okay to go ahead.

Twilight’s eyes shifted downwards to Rainbow’s haunches. “So you want me to lay my head between your legs, right?” Twilight pressed her back up against the back of the couch and laid her head right in Rainbow’s lap. She angled herself so that the back of her head lay against Rainbow’s left leg and the back of her neck lay against her right leg. All things considered, it was rather comfortable.

Remembering that they had a blanket, Twilight lit her horn and levitated it to her. She draped it across Rainbow’s shoulders and laid the rest over her, then let out a soft sigh of content. The blanket was just big enough to cover half of her hind legs, so she curled up and laid on her side. Tucking the edge of the blanket under the tips of her hooves, she snuggled closer to Rainbow and folded her forelegs up against her chest. She flicked her tail to cover her flank, and she took a deep breath.

She closed her eyes and slid her head back until she felt Rainbow’s belly against it. Twilight wiggled her head into a more comfortable position and made herself relax. There was no point to snuggle with someone if you were tense all the time, after all.

Twilight giggled softly as she felt Rainbow’s belly grow and then shrink with each breath. It didn’t feel like a disturbance to her, instead, it felt rather comforting. As the minutes dragged on, she started to wonder if Rainbow was going to run a hoof through her mane. She’s probably not gonna do it, she thought with a tinge of disappointment.

As she let off a soft sigh, she felt Rainbow shift beneath her, and before she could ask what she was doing, she felt a soft and gentle hoof tentatively brush against her mane. Her breath caught in her throat and she tensed up, but the tension melted away as the Rainbow’s hoof trailed down her neck. Her smile widened, and she felt a pair of butterflies fly around her stomach. Her heart started beating faster and her cheeks warmed in a soft blush.

Twilight took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Thanks, Dash...” she whispered so softly that she wasn’t sure if Rainbow heard her or not. The warmth of the blanket coupled with Rainbow’s pets made her feel drowsy. Sleep tugged at her eyelids, and everything was simply perfect. Letting her mind wander, Twilight toyed with the idea of how things could be different if they were together. Waking up in Rainbow’s embrace just like this, or in any position for that matter, would make her the happiest mare in all of Equestria.

She wiggled in Rainbow’s embrace, unable to fully contain her excitement. Cracking open an eye, Twilight murmured, “You’re really comfy, Dash...”

Rainbow chuckled softly. “Yeah, I know... You aren’t too bad yourself.”

Twilight smiled and tugged the blanket in a bit closer. She felt so warm, though it wasn’t warm enough to make her start sweating. Dash’s legs weren’t as comfortable as the pillows on her bed, but it didn’t matter. The feeling of being this close to somepony she’d had a crush on meant the world to her, and she wouldn’t trade it for all the bits in Equestria. On top of all this, feeling Rainbow slowly brush her hair with a hoof sent light tingles down her spine.

After another couple of minutes, Twilight felt Rainbow’s hoof stop near the base of her neck. She lifted a hoof and grasped Rainbow’s. Twilight held it close to her, held it against her beating heart to try and show Rainbow just how much she cared. After several moments, she let go of Rainbow’s hoof, but Rainbow didn’t move it. Instead, she felt Rainbow grab her hoof again. She had half a mind to ask what she was doing, but she decided against it. This moment was too great to end, and she didn’t want to make things awkward. Besides, they were only on the second position.

Twilight let herself go limp in Rainbow’s grasp. Her breathing slowed, and sleep threatened to take her at any moment. She heard a rustle beneath her, so she cracked open an eye and saw Rainbow’s tail flick up every few seconds. It was mesmerizing to watch, and it purged all higher brain functions from her mind. The warmth from the blanket coupled with Rainbow’s warmth, plus the feelings of being loved all came together and made her drift off to sleep.

Rainbow smiled down at Twilight and started brushing her mane again. “How’s it feel, Twi?” she asked softly. “Must feel pretty good if you haven’t asked to move onto the next position, eh?” Rainbow waited many moments for Twilight to respond, but when she never did, she cocked her head to the side and peered down.

Twilight’s chest rose and fell steadily on a near perfect rhythm, her breaths coming in softly. “You sleeping?” Rainbow asked. She poked Twilight’s shoulders and said, “Hey, I see one of your super old books sitting in a puddle outside.” When Twilight didn’t respond to that, Rainbow knew for certain that Twilight was fast asleep.

“Heh, silly mare... must have worn herself out...” Rainbow resumed stroking Twilight’s mane. Her warm breath tickled the inside of her thigh, but she didn’t want to move, for Twilight looked far too serene simply laying there with her. Rainbow was thankful that out of all of their friends, Twilight trusted her enough to do this. She knew from personal experience that you really had to trust somepony without reserve if you thought you could fall asleep near them.

And here she had Twilight fast asleep in her lap.

She let a warm smile slip on her face as she resumed stroking Twilight’s mane. After another couple of minutes, she let her hoof come to rest on Twilight’s shoulders. Rainbow shook Twilight gently. “Hey, sleepyhead...” she said with a giggle. As Twilight started to stir, she asked, “Have a nice nap?”

“Huh?” Twilight pushed herself up off of Rainbow and rubbed her eyes. “How long was I out?”

“I don’t know, maybe ten minutes? It wasn’t long, really.” Rainbow chuckled and pushed a few stray hairs out of Twilight’s face. “You looked adorable all snuggled up on my lap.”

Twilight blushed furiously and she glanced away, unable to meet Rainbow’s gaze. “Th-thanks,” she stammered, rubbing her foreleg with her other hoof. “Uh... you were, er... really comfy...” she squeaked out, her voice about as soft as Fluttershy’s whenever she got scared. “And like I said, I’m just kinda tired. I’ve really driven myself into the ground this past week, and well... you know...”

“Yeah, I know how it is. Work’s been kinda rough. Some ponies haven’t been showing up on time for work, some of the others are starting to get lazy...” Rainbow sighed, then looked at her with a smile. “It’s just great to let loose with a friend and just relax.”

Twilight nodded and returned Rainbow’s smile, though she did it somewhat hesitantly. “So... shall we move onto the next chapter?” she asked, her voice trembling slightly with excitement. “What’s next? Surely the positions are going to get better the deeper we get into the book!” Twilight sat up and rubbed her eyes, trying her hardest to wake back up. As awesome as sleeping in Rainbow’s lap was, she was far too excited to see what the book had in store for them.

Twilight grabbed the book with her magic and opened it up to the correct page. “Let’s see now... chapter two is all about snuggling in...” Twilight’s eyes shot open wide, her breath caught in her throat. Her eyes shot between the next word and Rainbow.

“What is it, Twi?” Rainbow grabbed the book from Twilight and read the title out loud. “Chapter two: snuggling in bed.” She closed the book and leapt from the couch, hovering in mid-air. “Now this sounds like a lot of fun!” Rainbow held the book to her breast and landed near the base of the stairs. She walked up the first few steps and looked back over her shoulder. Rainbow flicked her tail once, fluffed her wings, and shot Twilight a sly smile. “You gonna join me, or am I gonna be the only pony in your bed tonight?”

“Oh, uh... I-I’m coming, Dash!” Twilight stammered out, her stomach feeling like fifty butterflies just suddenly appeared inside of her, struggling to escape.. As she watched Rainbow trot upstairs to her bedroom, she smiled and started jumping around in circles. How could I have gotten so lucky?

Spooning

Twilight watched as Rainbow made it to the top step. Leaving the blanket behind on the couch, she turned off the lights with a flash from her horn and followed in Rainbow’s hoofsteps. She rounded the corner and found Rainbow already on her bed, making herself comfortable. The sheets were already thrown back, just barely covering Rainbow’s cutie mark. Twilight’s jaw dropped, hanging loosely as she stared at Rainbow.

Never before had she thought she would be able to get Rainbow Dash in her bed so easily.

Rainbow shook her mane out of her face and fluffed her wings. “So... you gonna stare at me all night or are we gonna keep going? I’m getting kinda cold without you,” she said with a small giggle. “I’ve got the book right here.” She patted the book and laid on her stomach, lifting her wing up for Twilight to lay next to her.

Throwing a hesitant smile on her face, Twilight stepped forward. With a flap of her wings, she landed on top of her bed and settled down, pressing her side up against Rainbow. What coldness she had felt moments ago slipped away as Rainbow’s warmth seeped back into her. She watched in silence as Rainbow placed the book between them, using her magic to flip it open to the right page.

Once again, the urge to lay her head against Rainbow’s neck slid into her mind. Twilight wiggled her hips, flicked her tail to lay around Rainbow’s flank, and bit her lip. Her ears lay flat on her head and she snuck a look at Rainbow’s neck out of the corner of her eye. Other than being in a relationship with Rainbow, there was nothing more that she wanted in the world right now than to lay her head on Rainbow’s neck.

Twilight closed her eyes, imagining what it would be like. In her mind’s eye, she saw herself doing what she so craved. She had a content smile on her face, humming softly in content as Rainbow nuzzled her. Twilight sighed deeply and opened her eyes, letting her fantasy slip away, for she had made up her mind.

She was going to make her fantasy a reality.

Her breath caught in her throat, Twilight slowly laid her head against Rainbow’s neck. She unintentionally nuzzled Rainbow as she tried to find the most comfortable place. Twilight felt Rainbow’s neck tense up ever so slightly, but when she finally found the perfect position, she felt Rainbow’s tension slip away.

Twilight took another deep breath and relaxed, letting herself go slack. She closed her eyes moments before Rainbow laid a wing over her back, pulling her closer. I... I think she likes this... Twilight thought, her heart beating just a bit faster at her realization.

“Huh... looks like this chapter’s all about spooning, Twilight!” Rainbow said with a chuckle.

Twilight’s heart stopped for a moment. Her eyes shot open wide and she looked down at the page. The words ‘Spooning: The Basics’ lay centered in bold text at the top of the page, followed shortly after with several pictures of different positions. She gulped as her eyes lingered on some of the more intimate ones.

“You want to read it or you want me to?” Rainbow asked softly.

“I’ll read this time.” Twilight blushed as she leaned down, trying to get a better view of the book. As she opened her mouth to read, she felt Rainbow lay her head on top of hers, laying the side of her cheek right up against her horn. Twilight’s blush deepened, and she fought to not simply give in and enjoy herself.

“A-alright, let’s see what we have here...” Twilight felt Rainbow ever so gently nuzzle her head. Her ears flicked against Rainbow’s cheek over and over and her right hind leg started to tremble. She had to force herself to remain calm if she wanted to keep doing this, though, so she concentrated on the matter at hoof. “Unlike the previous positions, spooning is a position that can be very relaxing if done right. In addition to the sensation of feeling close both physically and emotionally, this position is great to show intimate...” She paused and cleared her throat, staring at the words.

“Affection,” Rainbow finished her sentence for her. “Pillows are needed for this position, but blankets aren’t. Typically, the little spoon feels safe and loved, while the big spoon feels protective of their, eh... hehe...” Rainbow blushed furiously at the next word, but forced it out as calmly as she could. “l-lover...” She lifted her head from Twilight’s and after analyzing the included photos, she closed the book and placed it on the nightstand. “So... you wanna be the big spoon or the little spoon, Twi?”

“Um... is it okay if I be the little spoon? I know I’ve been asking to do all of the fun parts, and I, well...”

“Pfft, don’t worry about it! I’m having a ton of fun just hangin’ out with ya!” Rainbow booped Twilight’s snout with her own. She rolled over and folded her wing back to her side, then laid her head on the closest pillow. “C’mere, you...” With a comforting smile, Rainbow lifted her right legs and unfurled a wing for her.

With bated breath, Twilight turned away from Rainbow and laid on her side, then scooted into Rainbow’s waiting embrace. She tucked her rump against Rainbow’s lower belly, and she was just about to lay the rest of the way down when Rainbow laid her hind leg over her flank. Twilight tensed up and froze yet again, her breath coming in short and soft pants. She felt Rainbow rub her side with a hoof, silently telling her to relax and enjoy the moment.

Twilight took a deep breath and let it out slowly. After fluffing her wings once, she laid her head on Rainbow’s pillow and scooted backwards, pushing herself the rest of the way into Rainbow’s grasp. Twilight couldn’t help but smile when Rainbow laid her foreleg around her shoulders, gently pinning her folded forelegs to her chest. For added measure, Twilight tucked her head into the crook of Rainbow’s neck, taking care to not poke her with her horn. After several moments of silence, she heard a faint rustle a second before Rainbow wrapped a wing around her belly, just under her forelegs.

Rainbow smiled and relaxed, momentarily tightening her hold on Twilight. She thought it felt a little strange to feel somepony’s tail flick between the inner part of her upper thighs, but everything else felt truly wonderful. “Wow... this sure does feel great,” Rainbow murmured. She felt Twilight’s warmth seep into her, her soft wings caressing her belly in ways that nothing else could ever come close to replicating.

Twilight giggled softly. “You have no idea, Dash...” If you could see inside my heart, you would understand just how much this means to me... how much you mean to me... “You know, we can stay like this for a while if you want to. It’s only just a little after ten.”

“Ain’t gonna argue with that, Twi... Ain’t gonna argue with that...” Rainbow murmured.

Twilight smiled and snuggled in closer. She felt sleep tug at her once more, but she was enjoying herself way too much to simply fall into the world of dreams. Twilight toyed with the idea, but she wanted to try at least one or two more positions before she called it a night. Wondering if Rainbow would actually want to snuggle and fall asleep together, she felt a small tendril of worry worm its way into her mind.

“Hey...” she started, her heart rate increasing with each passing second.

“Yeah?”

“Is there, um...” Twilight bit her lip. She couldn’t believe she was about to ask this, but her heart demanded that she do so. “Any chance of us snuggling together as we fall asleep?”

Rainbow giggled and nuzzled her right below her right ear. “You’ve already done that, silly...”

Twilight blushed. “Oh... right.”

Rainbow thought that Twilight was going to keep going, but when she didn’t, she decided to speak up. “So... you wanna sleep together, huh?” She felt Twilight tense up in her grasp. “Hey, it’s alright, Twi... What’s got you so worked up?” Rainbow chuckled softly and rubbed Twilight’s wing with a hoof, gently running it up and down her biggest feathers. “Don’t worry, Twilight... if you want to snuggle and fall asleep with me, I... I think I’d like that...”

Rainbow had never felt herself blush harder in her life.

“Re-really?” Twilight asked. She felt Rainbow nod against her head. “That means a lot to me, Rainbow...”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah...” A warm blush tinted her cheeks a soft pink. Twilight let their conversation die out at that. Several minutes passed, then another half hour passed before she knew it. Wondering if Rainbow would let her switch positions, she cleared her throat and stirred. “Um, you mind if I try being the big spoon? Pretty please?” Twilight slipped from Rainbow’s grasp and rolled onto her stomach, a hopeful look on her face.

Rainbow shrugged. “Sure, I don’t see why not. I think it'd be a good change of pace.” She rolled over onto her other side, then shot a glance over her shoulder. “Just... can you hold me the same way that I did with you? I... I think that would be, er... you know, really awesome,” she trailed off, her voice growing softer with each word. Feeling herself blush again, Rainbow looked away and laid her head back on the pillow, silently praying that Twilight didn’t see it.

Twilight couldn’t believe her eyes. Did she just... blush? She smiled warmly as she felt the ever so familiar butterflies start to flit about in her stomach for what felt like the hundredth time this night. Her hips wiggling out of sheer excitement, Twilight slid forward and tried to remember exactly how Rainbow held her. Her memory was rather hazy, but the one thing that she remembered clearly was that her hind leg was supposed to go over Rainbow’s flank, right over her cutie mark.

With that thought in mind, Twilight lifted her left hind leg and pushed her rump forward until she felt Rainbow’s lower back snugly press up against her belly. She let her leg fall around Rainbow’s flank, coming to rest between her two hooves. Instead of waiting for Rainbow to push herself into her grasp, Twilight took the initiative and used her magic to gently tuck her into her grasp. She’d simply waited too long for this to waste any more time. Just like Rainbow had done with her, Twilight pinned Rainbow’s legs to her chest, then to switch things up, she wrapped a wing around them instead of around Rainbow’s belly.

Knowing there was only a little bit left, Twilight couldn’t help but let an excited smile slip onto her face as Dash tucked her head into the crook of her neck, just like she had done with her. Once she had a pretty good grasp on her, Twilight smiled in content and this time, she didn’t have to force herself to relax. If there was one thing she knew, it was that snuggling with Rainbow felt natural, like this was her place, next to her best friend. Twilight nuzzled Rainbow right between the ears and breathed in through her nose, taking in her wondrous scent. She nuzzled the base of her left ear, then without thinking, she whispered, “Oh... you smell so good, Dash...”

Twilight’s heart stopped and her eyes shot open wide. Oh no no no no no... I did not just say that! She tensed up as she felt Rainbow do the same, biting her lip so hard it felt like it was going to bleed.

“Uh... what?”

With Love in my Heart

“A-are you trying a new shampoo or s-something?” Twilight’s body was rigid, every muscle as tense as could be. Her breaths came in short pants and her heart was beating so fast that she was sure that Rainbow felt it against her back. “You, er... it smells great!” she added for good measure, silently praying that Rainbow wouldn’t press the issue too much.

Rainbow’s left ear flicked back and forth a few times, then lay flat on her head. “Uh... nah? I’ve always used the same shampoo.”

Rainbow’s voice held an air of uncertainty that unsettled Twilight. “Oh, uh... hehe, okay. What brand is it? I’d like to get it, because... because... I need to get some more shampoo!” Twilight clenched eyes shut and grit her teeth. Okay, that’s it! You’re done talking for the night, Twilight... she chastised herself. Opening her eyes, she took a deep breath and slowly let it out through her nose.

“Um...” Rainbow shrugged. “I don’t really remember what the name was. I know it is in a slim yellow bottle, though.”

“Oh... okay.” Twilight held her breath, waiting for Rainbow to press the issue further. After several seconds of the tensest silence Twilight had ever experienced, Rainbow did not speak up. Twilight hesitantly relaxed a little bit, though her neck still felt rather tense. Come on, Twilight... This entire night was supposed to be about relaxing, but you’ve worked yourself up so much that it’s anything but that!

“So...” Rainbow pulled her forelegs out from under Twilight’s and rolled onto her stomach. She stretched her neck, then waited for Twilight to sit up. “Want to move onto the next chapter? Or do you want to go to bed?”

“It’s up to you, Dash. I wouldn’t mind falling asleep like this, um... you know...” She felt her cheeks warm up again. “With you,” Twilight whispered, her voice so soft she doubted Rainbow heard her. She glanced away and rubbed the back of her neck with a hoof, giggling like a nervous schoolfilly about to ask somepony out on their first date.

Rainbow grabbed the book and opened it with a flick from her wing. “Let’s just see what’s next, and then we can go from there. That sound good to you, Twi?”

Twilight smiled and nodded. “Sure!” She lay down next to Rainbow, her tail flicking back and forth incessantly. She couldn’t have stopped it if she had wanted to, for she was simply too excited. She waited, feeling a tinge of impatience as Rainbow fumbled with the book, trying to find where they had left off. Twilight thought about using her magic to get them to the right page, but decided against it for fear of turning a great night bad. Thankfully, Rainbow got them to the right page a few moments later.

“Here we go!” Rainbow pointed at the page on the right near the top. “This is where we stopped.” She playfully nudged Twilight with her shoulder. “You wanna read this one, egghead, or you want me to read it?”

Twilight yawned. She sheepishly smiled at Rainbow and blinked a couple of times. “Can you read it please? I’m feeling pretty worn out, but I’d still love to try one more position with you before we call it a night.” I love when you read to me... Twilight felt herself blush again.

“Yeah, that’s fine with me.”

“And Rainbow?” Twilight laid her hoof over Rainbow’s. Rainbow glanced down at it and flicked her tail once, then ruffled her feathers before looking back up at her. “Is it, um... Is it alright if we snuggle and fall asleep together tonight? I know it’s not something that friends usually do, but...” she trailed off, her throat feeling unusually dry. Twilight felt a glimmer of hope from the fact that Rainbow hadn’t pulled her hoof away. “I’d really love that...” she managed to squeak out, drawing random shapes in the sheets with her free hoof.

Rainbow tightened her grasp on Twilight’s hoof. “I was afraid you’d never ask,” she said softly, a small smile slipping onto her face. “So let’s see what we have here...” She looked down at the book and cleared her throat. “The back to back snuggle is a rather unort... unor...”

“Unorthodox,” Twilight said.

Rainbow chuckled. “Thanks, egghead. Anyways, like I was saying... the back to back snuggle is a rather unorthodox form of snuggling, but it does have a certain allure.” She paused when she felt Twilight lay her head on her neck. She smiled and laid a wing over Twilight’s back, then continued. “Many couples enjoy this particular position on the warmer nights, because spooning, or any other method of close and intimate snuggling can get too hot and uncomfortable for both ponies involved. Even on colder nights, when the other’s warmth is welcome, the back to back snuggle can still be very enjoyable. Many couples have noted that simply feeling their lover next to them, pressed up against their back, gives feelings of safety, love, and security, all without smothering them.”

“Sounds wonderful...” Twilight murmured as she lifted her head from Rainbow’s neck. She lay on her side, facing away from Rainbow, all the while waiting breathlessly for Rainbow to do the same. A moment later, she felt Rainbow’s back press up against her own, then she pushed her rear end against Rainbow’s. Twilight relaxed and lifted her head, fluffed her pillow, then lay her head back down with a content sigh.

The first minute passed in absolute silence. They simply lay there, unmoving as they listened to the storm roar just outside the bedroom window. Even though Twilight tried to enjoy this particular snuggling position, she found that she simply couldn’t come to like it. It was nowhere near as intimate as the previous positions, and on top of that she yearned to have Rainbow hold her tight. Snuggling like this was a poor excuse for snuggling, and it sure didn’t feel like they were really connecting like they had been earlier.

“Hey, Dash?” Twilight spoke up, her voice soft and riddled with uncertainty.

“Mmyeah?”

Twilight felt Rainbow stir against her back, but she didn’t get up. “I don’t know about you, but... I don’t really like this one.” Twilight bit her lip as worry gnawed at her mind.

“Oh, thank Celestia, me neither!” Rainbow rolled away from Twilight and settled on her other side. “It felt like something a couple would do after an argument or something. I mean, come on! That sure didn’t feel like anything special, right?” She fluffed her wing and lifted up the wing she had just lain on. Rainbow quickly preened herself, moving a couple crooked feathers back into place.

“Hehe, yeah.” Twilight relaxed, letting her shoulders slump in relief. She yawned rather loudly, then giggled when she saw that she had made Rainbow do the same. “So... it’s getting pretty late now. You feel like calling it a night?” She felt those familiar butterflies flit about in her stomach again.

Rainbow yawned again and nodded. “Sounds good to me.” She stretched her legs and wings, then relaxed with a content sigh. “You wanna go back to the last position? Spooning, right? I really liked that one.”

“Yeah... me too,” Twilight squeaked out. “You want to be the big spoon?” Because I sure would love to be held by you again, your warmth gently lulling me to sleep... Oh please oh please say yes, Dash...

“Yeah, I’d love to be the big spoon. I was actually about to ask if you wanted to be the little spoon.” Rainbow giggled and unsuccessfully tried to stifle it with a hoof. “Pretty cool how we’re thinking on the same wavelength, huh?”

Twilight blushed. “Y-yeah, it kind of is... So, do you want to share a pillow, or should we each have our own?”

“Let’s share one. Your pillows are big enough, so I don’t think we’ll have a problem.” Rainbow fluffed hers with a hoof, then pushed it towards Twilight. She then rolled over onto her side and lifted a wing for Twilight.

Twilight couldn’t believe her luck. With a grateful smile, she faced away from Rainbow and slid into her waiting embrace. As Rainbow pulled her in close, Twilight took a deep breath and relaxed, letting herself go limp. She felt Rainbow scoot upwards just a few inches, then felt Rainbow’s neck against the back of her head. Twilight looked up just enough to nuzzle Rainbow’s chin, silently thanking her for all that she’d done for her that night. If only she knew how much she means to me...

Rainbow wrapped her wing around Twilight’s midsection, just under where her forelegs met her body. She tugged her as close as possible and flicked her tail over Twilight’s hind legs. “This good?”

“It’s great, Dash...” Twilight mumbled sleepily. She closed her eyes and breathed in through her nose. Rainbow’s familiar and comforting scent, combined with her body’s warmth, started to lull her to sleep.

“Hey, you want me to grab the blanket?” Dash asked softly. “I don’t need it, but we can use it if you want to.”

Twilight sighed contentedly. “No, I think I’ll be fine, Rainbow. You’re all I’ll ever need.” Twilight bit her tongue so hard she thought she tasted blood. Oh... I sure hope I just didn’t make things super awkward...

“Glad to hear it,” Rainbow mumbled back. She laid her foreleg between Twilight’s forelegs and smiled when Twilight latched onto it. “Goodnight, Twilight...”

Phew... “Night, Rainbow...”

A particularly loud thunderclap woke Twilight up a few hours later. The storm was still raging away outside, and Twilight was glad that she had Rainbow here to comfort her. The pegasus slept away like an undisturbed rock in the middle of a barren wasteland.

Twilight heard Rainbow shift in her sleep, gently tugging her closer. They had an inch or two of space between them, but it didn’t really matter. What did matter was the fact that Rainbow still had her in her grasp, something that Twilight absolutely loved and couldn’t get enough of. On top of that, Rainbow was still here, all snuggled up against her back.

Twilight felt like she was on cloud nine.

Wondering what Rainbow looked like asleep, Twilight carefully pried herself from Rainbow’s grasp and rolled over. She scooted in as close as she dared, Rainbow’s muzzle mere inches from her own.

Twilight ran a hoof through Rainbow’s mane, taking in her beauty. She eyed Rainbow’s lips, wondering what it would feel like to have them pressed up against hers. Twilight leaned in, pressed her forehead against Rainbow’s, then sighed. Her tail twitched on its own again as Twilight felt a shiver of excitement run down her back.

She smelled Rainbow’s alluring scent and saw the way her mane adorably lay across her shoulders, plus the adorable way her ears twitched in her sleep... it was simply too much for Twilight to bear. A whimper escaped her as she eyed Rainbow’s soft, plump lips again, wondering how it would feel like if she stole a kiss from her. Her mind screamed at her to not do that, but her heart screamed equally as loud to go for it.

Her breath catching in her throat, Twilight licked her lips and closed her eyes, then leaned in. She planted her lips on Rainbow’s and heard a surprised squeak. Twilight knew that it didn’t come from her, so that only meant one thing.

Rainbow was awake.

Twilight pulled back, her eyes shooting open wide. Her eyes ran all over Rainbow’s face, praying that she wasn’t really awake. Twilight couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw Rainbow open her eyes, blearily blinking at her.

“Did you... did you just kiss me?” Rainbow asked softly. She sat up and looked at Twilight with furrowed eyebrows.

Twilight had never felt her heart beat so fast before. Her ears flicking back, she licked her dry lips and swallowed. Her throat was so dry it felt like she had swallowed a bunch of sand. “I... I...” Tears welled up in her eyes. Why did I have to be so foolish? Why couldn’t I have just gone back to sleep?! she thought as she blankly stared at Rainbow’s breast, unable to meet her steely gaze. Why did I have to just ruin our friendship?

As she felt the first of many tears run down her face, she slipped out of bed and stood on shaky legs. How could a pony so awesome, caring, and loving like Rainbow ever fall for a pony like me? I never should have asked Rainbow to do all of this with me... “I’... I’m sorry, Rainbow... I’ll g-go sleep on the co-couch.”

Twilight turned away, her head held low. She trudged away from the bed, her tears freely flowing down her cheeks. Twilight heard a familiar feathery rustle, but she paid it no mind as she neared her bedroom door. Just as she was about to light her horn to open the door, she walked right into Rainbow’s hoof. She looked up with tear-filled eyes to find Rainbow with a comforting smile on her face. Her eyebrows furrowing in confusion, Twilight opened her mouth to ask what she was doing, but Rainbow pulled her into a tight hug before she could say anything.

Thoroughly shocked, Twilight pushed Rainbow away from her and held her at hoof’s length. “Aren’t you... m-mad at me?” she asked hesitantly.

“Yeah, but only because you woke me up from an awesome dream!” Rainbow giggled and gently pushed Twilight’s hoof down, holding it with her hooves. “But the way you did it? I...” She glanced to the side for a moment, then looked back into Twilight’s eyes. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Twilight couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Wha...?” she asked dumbly, cocking her head to the side.

Rainbow giggled again and let Twilight’s hoof go. She scooted a little closer to her and blushed. “I... I noticed all of the hints you’ve been dropping lately, Twilight, but I wasn’t completely sure if you were into me. I was nervous that I was reading too much into it all, but after you asked me to snuggle with you, I really started to think that you were into me.” She rubbed her foreleg with a hoof and looked away for just a moment. “I wasn’t totally sure how to express my feelings for you, and I thought that snuggling with you all night would be a great way to show my affection... about how much I want us to be more than just friends.”

“R-really?” Twilight asked with a hopeful smile, rubbing the tears away from her eyes with a hoof. “You m-mean it?”

Rainbow nodded and smiled back at Twilight, her cheeks blushing furiously. She closed the small gap between them and nuzzled her cheek. “Of course I mean it, Twi... Besides, would I spend an entire evening snuggling with you in some of the most intimate positions ever if I didn’t have feelings for you? Didn’t you pick up on any of my hints?”

“Uh, no?” Twilight scratched the back of her head. “What hints?”

Rainbow smiled and looked away. “Well... I do spend a lot of time with just you.” She poked Twilight with a hoof. “We’d snuggle and read a good book together for hours, and I really enjoy that. I like hanging out with all of our friends, Twilight, but I love spending time with you. Simply being around you makes me feel...” She bit her lip and looked away.

Twilight lifted a hoof and guided Rainbow’s head to look back up at her. She smiled and scooted closer to Rainbow. “What, Rainbow?” she asked softly.

“You make me feel... complete, Twilight,” Rainbow replied, her voice equally as soft.

“Hearing you say that makes me so happy, Rainbow,” Twilight said, smiling so hard it hurt. “So you’re not mad that I stole a kiss from you?” She bit her lip and rubbed her foreleg, staring into Rainbow’s eyes.

“Huh? Oh, that? Nah, but that’s only because I’m gonna steal it back!” Before Twilight could ask what she meant, Rainbow closed her eyes, leaned forward, and softly planted her lips on Twilight’s. She heard Twilight make a soft squeak of surprise, but she felt her relax, melting into the kiss. Feeling especially daring, Rainbow flicked her tongue against Twilight’s parted lips and sat back, a string of saliva connecting their lips for a brief moment.

Oh... my... gosh... Twilight panted softly. “Wow... you’re a good kisser,” she said with a giggle. Now blushing furiously, Twilight licked her lips. “So I feel like I have to do this all formally, so... Rainbow?”

“Yes, Twilight?”

“Would you like to go out on a date sometime? I’m sure we could find a time that would fit in both of our sche—” She was abruptly cut off by a quick peck from Rainbow, though this one didn’t last as long as the first.

“Does that answer your question, Twi?” Rainbow asked with a sly grin. Twilight nodded back, a happy glazed look upon her face. “And tomorrow. We’ll go on our first date tomorrow night,” she said, an excited smile on her face.

Twilight nodded back at her with a wide smile. “Ah, I see. Why prolong the inevitable, right?”

“Right!”

Twilight flicked her tail around her flank and grabbed it with a hoof. “So, now that we have that over with...” Her gaze drifted back towards the bed.

“Lemme guess. You want to get back in bed and snuggle some more?”

Twilight blushed furiously. She smiled coyly and looked to the side. “Oh, I don’t know... My mind still feels a little hazy. You know... I think another kiss would help clear it.”

“Oh really?” Dash leaned back with a smile, licked her lips, and kissed Twilight again. “That any better?”

“Actually, I think my mind got hazier...” Twilight said with a giggle. She nuzzled Rainbow’s neck, then laid a wing around her back. “I’m pretty sure snuggling back in bed would make me feel better.”

“Yeah, I’m sure it will.” Rainbow giggled and let Twilight lead her back to the bed. Rainbow lay on her side and waited for Twilight to snuggle back on in. Much to her surprise, instead of pressing her back against her chest, Twilight did the opposite.

Twilight tucked her forelegs up to her chest and slid her head into the crook of Rainbow’s neck, sighing happily when she felt Rainbow lay a wing over her back. Several moments passed in silence before she asked, “Rainbow, when we wake up tomorrow, can you... can you read to me?”

“Of course, Twi... for as long as you want...”