The way Buck Withers leered at Cadance from afar made Shining Armor's blood boil. This new found rage was unlike anything the young alabaster stallion had ever experienced. The closest thing he could compare it to were the occasional pangs of jealousy he would get whenever Twilight mastered a spell before he did. While his cool blue eyes conveyed cool, calm, and collected at the surface, beneath said surface the young stallion was practically green with envy whenever Buck looked at his best friend for far longer than was considered polite. Shining absolutely despised Buck for staring at Cadance with that gaze that had won him many mares in the past.
Shining didn't need to be a princess of love to tell that Buck wanted Cadance. He wanted to snuggling with her. He wanted to kiss her. He wanted to marry her. He wanted to have little foals with her. Shining could also tell that Buck's feelings for the princess of love were genuine even if his actions said otherwise. Still, Shining supposed that he could not fault Buck -- or any stallion, really -- for developing some manner of attraction to Cadance. She was warm, funny, smart, sweet and always ready to help someone when they needed it. Sure, she became fully invested in everything she did and could come off as obsessive but Shining knew that this was a manifestation for her love for what she did and not out of a desire for power. It certainly hadn't hurt that the years since Shining Armor and Cadance became close friends had been quite kind to the mare. He'd had the pleasure of meeting that awkward filly he'd played with at the park become a beautiful mare. It was something Shining had noticed early on.
Unfortunately for Buck, for all his lavish attempts to woo Cadance, they would all ultimately be in vain. No matter how hard or how many times he tried, his feelings would be rebuffed. Shining could see that Cadance felt some modicum of an attraction toward the muscular stallion. It was well within the realm of possibility that this seed attraction of attraction could grow with time. However, that seed would never get that time to blossom into what it could truly be. Shining's presence alone made certain of that, much like Ponyville's Golden Oak's Library, leeching the seed of its strength. That attraction would not have the chance to flourish so long as he was around.
Cadance was and always would be his. it was just that simple.
All Shining needed to do was bide his time until the right moment. He needed wait for Buck to make a fool of himself yet again. Ironically, it would be the muscular stallion's most desirable trait to be able to smooth talk anypony he so desired that would lead Shining to Cadance's heart. Granted, he could have avoided all of this needless planning if he shown some level of interest earlier but he'd been young and naive then; oblivious to the presence of the fairer sex and had taken Cadance's friendship for granted.
However, Shining didn't have to wait long for his desired opportunity to emerge. The day had quickly come when Buck had the misfortune of simply being himself. Shining wondered what he was trying to accomplish by seducing another mare. Was he trying to make Cadance jealous? Or was he giving up his affections for the beautiful pink-coated mare? If it was the former, then Shining considered him a bigger fool than he already was for going such an extent to win Cadance's attention. If it wasn't then winning Cadance'a heart would be even easier than expected.
Whatever the reason, that decision would cost Buck the greatest mare he could ever have spent the rest of his life with. Shining had been given the golden opportunity to slither into forefront Cadance's heart. He would gladly take it from under the other stallion's nose with Buck being none the wiser.
Shining followed Cadance, escaping the field as their peers cheered for their sports hero. Her gait was long and swift, making it difficult for Shining to catch up. Fortunately, he had grown since the summer began and he was easily able to watch her enter a conveniently unlocked classroom nearby. He paused, a hoof planted on the door. Was now really the best time when Cadance was licking her emotional wounds? Shining knew that his friend felt something for Buck Withers however miniscule it may have been. Still, Shining knew that it was his responsibility to be there for his best friend when she was at her most delicate state and finally lay claim to what had always been his, whether anybody realized it or not. No one could begrudge him this one chance to be selfish. With a resolute nod of his head, Shining pushed the door open.
The creaking door pulled Cadance's attention. Shining had to throw up a shield shell to protect himself from the burst of magic that Cadance had let loose. Her eyes widened as she realized just who she'd nearly attacked. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes as she stepped closer to the stallion who'd since disabled his shield. "What are you doing here, Shining?"
"I followed you." Shining replied honestly. "I was worried."
"Oh. I'm... I'm fine." Cadance lied, cancelling the spell primed on the tip of her horn. "I just needed some time alone."
He smiled at her affectionately, edging closer before cautiously pulling her to his side with a foreleg. The fact that Cadance hadn't resisted was all the encouragement Shining needed to keep going as she reciprocated by way of wrapping a large pink wing around his back while resting her head on his shoulder.
It was far better real estate than the cold hard desk had been.
Cadance was content to nestle into Shining's shoulder as the silence permeated in that empty classroom for several seconds.
"Everything's going to be okay," Shining whispered to Cadance as she buried her face deeper into his side. He, in turn, tightened his grip on her while patting her back gently. "I'm here for you."
"Even after you got caught up in that shipping web incident?" he could hear Cadance's muffled voice from his side. He couldn't help the laugh that burst through his lips at the aforementioned incident while Cadance shot him a cross look. He vividly recalled the moment in question: Cadance, having learned a spell to accelerate love growth between pony partners, decided that it was time to put that spell to good use.
Needless to say, it didn't quite work the way she'd intended.
Instead of cute proposals for a date or a witty pickup line, everybody had just started making out with the first pony they'd laid eyes on. At the time, it had been a horrifying experience for Shining who'd had misfortune of attempting to dodge one of his aged professors who'd insisted on a peck on cheek as she chased after him. Now that he looked back on it, it made a funny story to tell his family and he strongly suspected that Princess Celestia had been more than a little amused when Cadance described the mortifying experience in detail.
Shaking his head, Shining pried Cadance off: a feat in and of itself given her earth pony strength as she looked up at him with big deep violet eyes afresh with tears. He lowered his gaze to meet her eyes. "Of course. You're my best friend."
Cadance sniffled, pushing his hooves aside as she buried her face in his deep blue mane while wrapping her forelegs around his neck. "You're so good to me, Shiny."
He smiled at her, their eyes never leaving each others'. That look gave Shining the sensation of being drawn in like a moth to a flame: too tantalized by the curious and loving look she had for him.
How long had she looked at him with such eyes and he'd failed to notice? Days? Weeks? Months? Years? He couldn't be certain but now... it didn't really matter. After all, he could tell that just by looking at her that a powerful affection for him simmered just below the surface and it wouldn't have been a stretch to say that it would only require a moment of intimacy to bring those feelings to the surface and release the maelstrom of feelings that lay within Cadance's heart.
And now Shining held the key to unlock that door.
"Shining?" She called his name inquisitively, her head tilted in that particular way that Shining couldn't help but think made her look more adorable than she already was.
Armed with little more than a smoldering glint in his eyes, Shining slowly leaned forward. Cadance felt her breath catch in her throat as she felt Shining's lips connect with her own in a gentle, chaste kiss. She'd only been shocked by Shining's forwardness before she reciprocated with even more force, causing Shining to smile through the kiss.
Shining would have loved nothing more than keep his lips attached to Cadance's for the rest of his life and he could tell that Cadance felt similarly if the moan of pleasure she let out was any indication. He could feel Cadance's tongue battling with his own as they attempted to outdo each other. Shining was intoxicated by the very essence of the young mare clashing tongues with him. Any conscious mind that he possessed had long since died and their place were his long suppressed hormonal instincts. What was originally intended to be a chaste kiss turned aggressive as their forelegs tightened around each other.
Not only was Shining fighting the battle that was Cadance's tongue with his own, but his hooves had started to rub along the sides of her body. He grinned through the kiss as she let out a yelp of surprise as her wings shot out in surprise at his boldness. Her breathing turned shallow as his hooves wandered over to her flanks and gently massaged the spot where the crystal heart shaped cutie marks resided. It was not long that Shining himself gasped as he felt Cadance retaliate in a similar manner.
All in all, Shining found that he happened to enjoy the way Cadance touched him.
Unfortunately or perhaps fortunately, all good things come to an end, not by oxygen deprivation, but when the door of the classroom flew open. The sound of giggling could be heard from the threshold and Cadance and Shining quickly pulled away from each other. Shining soon realized that in his ecstasy, he had lifted Cadance onto the teacher's desk with her hind legs having been wrapped around him. He'd also idly noticed that her face flushed a deep red equal parts embarrassed and annoyed as she realized what was happening.
Shining, annoyed from being interrupted, turned to glare at the unfortunate pair who'd dared interrupted them.
"Oops," the mare giggled. "Looks like this one isn't empty."
Behind the pegasus mare emerged the sports hero himself: Buck Withers, grinning ear to ear. However, as his eyes took in the scene before him, that smile faded and his face turned irate and turned a deep red and his eyes burned with indignation. He didn't need to think as he cleared the distance between himself and Shining before rearing a hoof back to punch him.
In turn, Shining simply smiled, teleporting both himself and Cadance behind the muscular earth pony. Amidst the mayhem, their eyes met and that single glance, Buck was told everything that had happened and from the indignant look on his face, he was not okay with it.
Cadance would never be Buck's no matter how hard he tried. Even if he had succeeded in producing a relationship with Cadance, Shining knew that his own friendship with her would always be an obstacle in the way. It would never be Buck that Cadance would turn to for comfort. It would never be Buck that Cadance would rely on for anything. It would never be Buck that Cadance would become intimately close to. There was never anything for Buck to take but the illusion of of the beautiful young mare loving him and him alone. Shining Armor would always have Princess Cadance. He already had her mind and soul via their longstanding friendship. It was only natural that he would win her heart.
After all, Cadance was a princess in her own right and whatever path Buck took would simply not allow their relationship to survive beyond the academy.
Looking over his shoulder at the fuming Buck armed with a smug smirk, Shining mouthed the words that Buck loathed to hear.
She's Mine.
