Pleather-bound Heart

Enigma hummed happily as he trotted down the hall to his apartment. It had been another wonderful day, filled with talking to the mares, working on the outfit, getting everything done. It had been a little over a month since he'd started and he was almost ready for Jadewing to try it on. His mind was full of possibilities.

Then he froze at the end of his hall. A pony was standing outside his door. He took a step back, his eyes going wide. She was just as beautiful as he remembered. A light pink unicorn with a red, straight mane. He couldn't move, no matter how hard he tried.

Then her eyes turned on him and he swore his heart stopped. He could only cringe, awaiting the screams, the yells. All the horrible things she wanted to tell him. She took a step forward and he could only cower. Step by step she came nearer as his body longed to both run away and run to her at the same time. She had no such qualms. Soon she was running and finally, she leaped into the air and wrapped her hooves around him.

“Oh Enigma! I was so, so worried about you!” she said, tears in her eyes. Everything faded from his mind aside from guilt. She pulled back and looked up at him. “H-how could you? Why didn't you just tell me how you felt? Why did you have to run away, abandon me? We could have talked about this. We could have talked about everything!”

“I-I...” he said softly, looking down at her. “I just... I...”

“I-I'm so sorry,” she said, hugging him again. “I never... I never thought it upset you so much. Why didn't you tell me? If you'd just told me I would have changed, I wouldn't have done it again. I swear, I will never slap you again. I'm so sorry.”

He nodded slowly, gulping nervously. Everything he'd thought before crumbled away. His fears, his worries. She wasn't yelling at him. She wasn't mad. Why had he been so weak? He should have just told her. She was right, he just fled. He should have said something. “I-I'm sorry,” he managed to say softly.

“Of course. Come, let's go inside. We can talk it all out, okay?”

He nodded and led her to the apartment. He took out his key and opened the door, staring at it for a few moments. He'd escaped her, hadn't he? But she was here. She wasn't yelling or screaming, she was being comfortable. She was still holding him as if she was scared he'd run off. He stepped inside and she closed the door behind them, locking it. He cringed, waiting for the yelling. Instead, she looked around the room.

“You've been living here all this time?” she asked, shaking her head. “Oh Enigma, what have you been doing to yourself?” She reached out and gently stroked his mane. “Why did you run off? You know you need me. I take good care of you, don't I? Is it because I'm not into those sexual things? Is it just because I don't like the ropes? Is that why you ran off?”

He shook his head slowly, staring at her. Why had he run off? He was scared? She was scared. He could see it in her eyes. She was almost as big as him, but she looked so frightened. So sad. “I... I was just... I... I don't know.”

“How can you 'not know'?” she asked harshly, a frown forming on her face. “You abandon me in the middle of the night, leave a small note and refuse to talk to me, but you don't know?”

“I-I was scared! I-I didn't feel safe!” he said quickly, taking a step back. The frown disappeared to be replaced by a small smile.

“R-really? You didn't feel safe? I'm a tiny little mare, did you really think I could hurt you?” she asked with a chuckle. “Enigma, a normal pony doesn't do things like that. They don't just run off in the middle of the night, they talk. Come on, sit down. Let's talk this out.”

He nodded and moved to sit on his futon. He felt miserable. She was right, of course. A normal pony would have talked things out. How did he ever feel unsafe with her? She was small, a little mare. He was a stallion. He was just being foalish. “I'm sorry... when you slapped me I just... I... I panicked,” he said weakly.

She stood over him and nodded. “You should have told me. I wouldn't have... I had no idea it upset you so much. Why didn't you just say something?”

“It... it wasn't just that,” he said weakly. He could feel his body shaking as he looked up at her. I'm wrong. Just like always, I'm wrong. She's right, I did the wrong thing. A normal pony wouldn't have done this.

“What else was it?”

“It... it was things. Everything. You... you get r-really mad and... y-yell at me a lot.”

“I only yell when you do stupid things. When you leave messes, break things, go places without telling me. I'm not your mother, I shouldn't have to yell about them at all. But I only do it because I care. I'm trying to help you.”

He nodded. “Y-you're right. I just... after that. I was so... so scared. I... I didn't want...”

“You should have told me,” she said before moving down to lay by him. “Listen, honey. You can always tell me anything, right? I'll listen. If something upsets you, just tell me. Please?”

He gulped and looked at her. “My... my job. It's... you never... like telling anypony and... tell me to... lie...”

She blinked. “What? I never told you to lie.”

He stared. “B-but you told me...”

“I told you that not all ponies would understand. That you might want to hide it. I never meant you had to hide it from everypony. If you want us to tell ponies, we can. I just wanted to keep your feelings safe so other ponies wouldn't make fun of you. I know how sensitive you can be.” She reached out and gently stroked his mane.

She's right. Just like always. I over reacted and everything. “I'm sorry.”

She nodded. “Will you come home now? Please? We're adults, right? Don't you still love me, Enigma?”

He stared at her and gave a little nod. “Y-yeah. Yes. Yes I do. T-thank you, Tap. I-I was so wrong.”

She nodded and stepped forward, giving him a kiss. “Good, good. Come on honey, let's go home.” She stood up and started to the door.

“O-okay. I still have this place for the month, though,” he said softly.

“It's fine. We can move it all back tomorrow.”

He nodded and followed after her. She was right. She was always right.

“I was so scared I'd never see you again,” Tap said before she unlocked the door to their home. Their home, he could almost feel it. “When you left that note and wouldn't answer your phone, I thought you were gone forever.”

“I-I'm sorry. I was so... stupid,” he said softly. “I just wanted to... I wanted to... I felt...”

“It's silly you felt unsafe. You know I'd never hurt you. What were you scared of?” she asked as she stepped inside. “You like all that weird BDSM stuff. Shouldn't you like it if I hit you? How can you like being spanked, but getting slapped is too much for you?”

He shook his head. “No, that's not... that's not what it was. It's different when... I...” He had no idea how to put it into words. He knew what he felt, but it all locked in his throat. No wonder she was so confused, even he didn't know what he wanted.

“It's fine. It's... just please, promise you'll never do that again,” she said before wiping her eyes. “You... have any idea h-how scared I was? I thought you'd... I thought I'd never see you again. Why couldn't you just tell me how you felt? Did I really mean so little to you? That you could just toss me aside as if I was nothing? Just... just some trophy mare?”

He shook his head. “N-no. You meant... you meant a lot to me. You mean a lot to me. I was just... I just... I-I was scared and I...” He quivered and lowered his eyes. “I-I don't know what to say. I just...”

“Promise you'll never do it again. Please.” She moved forward and put a hoof over his and looked into his eyes. Her tears made him want to tremble. “From now on, we can talk about these things. Okay?”

He nodded. “O-okay.”

“Good. Come on, let's get you something to eat,” she said before motioning to the kitchen. “I know you haven't been eating very well. I bet you've just been microwaving your meals, right? Or getting take out?”

He cringed and gave a little nod. He could feel the judgment in her voice. “I was never a good cook.”

“I know, I know. That's why you need me to take care of you,” she said before giving him a little kiss on the forehead. “I wish you'd be more careful.”

He nodded and sat at the table. She put a small bowl of spaghetti in front of him. He wasn't hungry and it wasn't that good, but he'd already put her through so much he couldn't decline it. He gently nibbled at it. “Thank you.”

She nodded and sat across from him. “You love me, don't you?”

He froze and looked up at her. Her eyes were wet again, as if she might cry at any moment. I don't know. Please, stop looking at me. I don't know what I feel. Please. “Y-yes,” he said weakly.

“Then how could you do this to me? Is it the sex? Was I just not active enough for you? You could have told me.”

“It wasn't that,” he whispered. “I just... didn't feel safe. I didn't... I didn't feel I could talk to you. I didn't think you'd listen...”

“So you thought it was better to just run away? To abandon me? After all we've been through together, all these years, that's all I was worth to you?”

“N-no,” he said softly. “I... I thought I... I...”

She reached out and touched his hoof, before moving closer and kissing his cheek. “I still love you. I'm so sorry I scared you like that. Can we keep trying, though? Fix this? Make it the way it should have been?”

He nodded slowly. “I... think I'd like that. Fixing things.”

She nodded. “Good. See? If we have problems, all we have to do is talk. That's all, just talk. Isn't that nicer than hiding and running?”

He nodded. “Y-yes.” He smiled as she gave him a light kiss on the lips. It was nicer. Better. She wasn't even mad, she seemed okay with this. Things will be better. She'll listen. All I have to do is tell her from now on.