The sun glanced tentatively through the clouds to rest on Ponyville, as if asking its permission to show its face. It shined down on my desk, brighter than any of the light I’d seen all week. Circle Limit sat in the frontmost desk, helping me grade the math assignments. His pencil made small scratches on the paper as he went along, humming to himself. The saddlebag I had lent him sat against the desk, full of his books and what looked like a notebook or journal. He glanced up at me, a bit of his mane in front of his eyes as he gave a smile. I couldn’t help but smile back at the gesture. He tucked his mane out of his face, then went back to what he was doing. I could spot a bit of a blush on his face even as he looked back down at the papers in front of him.

With a sigh, I shook my head and looked back at my desk, my smile fading. I knew this just couldn’t continue. It was Friday, and he was now officially a part of the class. Keeping him after to grade things with me would only give him answers to questions, making it unfair to the others. My time after school with him was at an end, even if he was doing his best to make himself useful. It pained me to think of never seeing him outside of class. To see him staring up at me from his desk, smiling and trying to act happy even though I had shut the door of our friendship right in his face. I’d grown fond of his help, but more than that I had gotten too attached to him as a pony.

I cleared my head and continued to grade. I couldn’t continue my work with the thought of exiling him from my side looming in the distance. The papers before me needed to be graded even if I had to break his heart. My red pen marked each spelling mistake and grammar error with a lethargic slowness, my mind actively trying to keep thoughts of Circle Limit contained. He was so sweet… I didn’t want to stop seeing him. He just wanted to help me with my work and see me smile. His occassional blush or him brushing his mane out of his eyes was the best part of my day, and I tried as hard as I dared to make it seem accidental when I coaxed a laugh from him, or brushed against him for a moment longer than an accidental touch would last. It made him flustered and I loved to see him apologize for it, looking everywhere but directly at me so I wouldn’t notice. Being so young, it was easy to see that he wasn’t the best at keeping his emotions hidden.

As the last paper passed through my hooves, I dropped my pencil, bowing my head. The game I kept playing with myself was only getting more tiresome as time waxed on. Denying myself of something that I clearly enjoyed wasn’t going to make the never-ending grind of being a teacher any easier. When I looked up, I saw him holding the papers with his magic, concern written across his face. I probably looked nothing short of depressed to him, and I took the papers, trying to force a smile across my face. He didn’t seem to buy it, but still set the papers down in the pile for the assignments I had graded.

“Miss Cheerilee are you feeling alright…?” The colt asked, his eyes wide as he looked up at me.

I couldn’t stand to see him worrying, so I stole back my resolve and replied. “I’m fine Circle. Are all the assignments graded for the day…?”

He gave me a nod and turned, walking back to his bag and retrieving something from it. I couldn’t see what it was from my angle, and looked at him curiously as he returned with whatever he had. He’d tucked whatever he had gotten behind him with magic, so that I couldn’t see it. He wore a wide smile, his expression radiating suspense and a bit of muffled joy as he spoke.

“I got you a suprise… can you close your eyes Miss Cheerilee?” He asked, his hooves tapping on the floor lightly.

This time when I smiled, I gave a very legitimate one. I loved to see him like this; standing on the tips of his hooves, barely able to contain himself. His own happiness was contagious, not that I minded that. I shut my eyes, knowing he wouldn’t have done this for something he believed was not a big deal. I heard something being set on my desk, and I swore I heard him adjust his stance a bit on the wooden floor.

“O-okay, you can open your eyes now.” He stuttered.

A box of chocolates sat squarely in the center of my desk with a flower on it. It was a tulip, the bell shaped petals being a light pink tint as it rested atop the box. The container for the sweets was in the shape of a heart, and the colt in front of my desk wore an expression of pure anxiety as he looked up at me. He looked torn between being hopeful and just falling over from his nerves. I couldn’t help but feel my heart melt at the gesture, my hooves growing heavy. It was the most genuine face I had ever seen on a pony. I couldn’t resist the feeling that he actually setting his heart on my desk, giving it over to the one pony he trusted the most. Before I could say anything he relaxed, his face a bit red beneath his pale white coat.

“You’ve been really nice to me since I got here, and you help a lot with school and everything… I just thought that… you would like it if I got you something. The tulip… u-um… reminded me of you, Miss Cheerilee… it’s really beautiful and pink, like your mane.”

I felt my heart loosen even more. He was so honest that I couldn’t even think of trying to stop our friendship anymore. His eyes showed a trusting adoration in them, the young colt looking up at me like I was the start and end of his whole world. With a long sigh, I got up and walked around the desk to stand in front of him. I had done my best to keep things as normal and consistent between us as I could manage, but I couldn’t find the heart to push this colt away. Circle deserved my affection and attention, if he was so willing to work for it. He was pouring his heart out to me, and to crush it would break my heart at the same time. I took a breath, leaning down so that my face was on relatively the same level as his.

“Circle Limit… from now on, instead of staying after class, would it be alright if you walked home with me?”

The unicorn colt blinked, his face lighting up like I had handed him his diploma. With no hesitation he nodded, his legs quivering as he struggled not to just jump in the air and shout his happiness to the world. I did my best to stifle my own happiness, both with myself and the fact that he had agreed. Still, the subtle hook of my professionalism tugged at the back of my mind. I mentally banished it to the farthest, deepest corner of my head. I wanted this… for the first time in a long time, I had a pony that made me want to come to work, and made me feel wanted. The other students saw me as the mare that assigned them work and used up their weekdays in the classroom. He saw me as a friend and a pony he trusted. I stood up straight, turning to start cleaning up my desk. I purposefully brushed my tail over his face with the movement, secretly wanting to know his reaction.

He watched me with a blush forming on his face as I put the papers away, locking everything up. I returned to stand in front of him after a minute, nodding at his saddlebag and asking.

“Go ahead and get your things… also, can you carry that flower and chocolates? I don’t have a saddlebag on me.”

The colt snapped to attention and quickly levitated the box of chocolates and tulip to his saddlebag, tucking them away and throwing it over his back. He was eager and ready to get going, bouncing slightly from hoof to hoof energetically. I wondered what he saw in me, whether it was a teacher, a mentor, maybe a mother figure, or perhaps a romantic colthood crush? I could easily see it being some combination of all of them. He didn’t even seem to know exactly how he wanted to act around me. He craved my attention like I was his own parent, but he also acted flustered when he received any of it from me. I turned and walked towards the door of the schoolhouse, satisfied with the fact that I wouldn’t see the place again until the following Monday. Circle followed swiftly, trotting after me with joy written across his face.

Once we were both outside I locked the schoolhouse door and began to walk off towards my home. The sun seemed to finally be showing itself as I walked, the colt stepping around puddles that had built up over the long week of rain. I stepped over them as I trotted, my hooves leaving deep prints in the wet soil. As we made our way back into Ponyville I could feel the eyes of the unicorn looking up at me. To say that Circle was a bit tactless was an unfair assumption to go with. He simply didn’t hide his feelings well. Just looking down at him, being an adult, I could read him like a book. His slightly bowed stance, his eyes looking right up at my face, his pace being slightly behind mine even though I was walking slowly; all of it told me that he wanted very much to talk, or at least pay some kind of attention to the situation. While I was content to walk home in the quiet, I knew he had questions for me.

“Circle Limit, when do you have to be home…?” I asked, curious as to whether his brother had set a curfew for him or not.

He brightened at the sound of my voice. “The latest I can be out is eight, Miss Cheerilee.”

I nodded and looked back at him, wishing he’d drop the formal tone with me. If I was going to keep him around outside of school I didn’t need to constantly be reminded of my status over him.

“You can just call me Cheerilee sweetie.” I requested with a soft smile.

He nodded, looking away for a moment, as if he was processing my words. Just looking at him, I could tell what he was probably going through in his mind. He was trying to mull over my last sentence in every possible context, trying to think of what to say back that was best. Circle was trying so hard to be perfect around me, and it was enough to make me sigh. We turned the corner on the street my home was on, and as we approached my home I looked back at him and made a humble request.

“Circle, outside of school I’m just Cheerilee, alright? I’m not your teacher, and you don’t have to worry about bothering me. Relax… you don’t have to worry about speaking your mind. If you need anything or want to ask a question, just speak your mind.”

He looked up at me like I had just performed some sort of grand optical illusion or similar trickery, eyes wide in amazement. The unicorn seemed in awe of the idea, and gave a smile and a nod in response. For a moment he looked like he was thinking over how to treat me, if not as his teacher. After some deliberation, he looked up at me and spoke.

“Mi- I mean, Cheerilee, am I allowed to come by your house sometime that’s not after school? Like the weekends or during vacations?”

I honestly hadn’t seen the question coming as I unlocked the door, pushing it open. I thought about what it would mean, to give him that kind of permission. He would surely come over almost all the time if I let him. He was a foal that had bonded with me more than any other pony his age, and even if I tried to send him away, it only made me feel worse about myself. The colt was putting a lot of faith in me, and I didn’t want to turn it down. He stepped inside after me, and I shut the door. The cool interior of my home was so much less humid than the outside, which was starting to become muggier by the second thanks to the sun coming out. I wiped my hooves clean on the mat, then walked towards the kitchen to fetch something to eat. He seemed in awe of my home, blinking at my teacher’s certification and inspecting himself in the mirror. When he thought I wasn’t looking, he fixed his messy
mane with the help of his reflection.

I chuckled at his self-awareness, starting to make a salad as I replied to him. “You’re welcome here any time Circle… just get permission to be here first from your older brother. Otherwise, the key is behind the loose brick underneath the first step leading up to the door.”

Circle Limit made a face and walked into the kitchen, looking at the tiles at his hooves before he diverted his attention to the mood lights that ran along the floor. The lighting in there was calm, and everything being cast in a warm relief. Two-layered curtains and blinds covered the windows, which let the dim kitchen be seperate from the outside even if it was the middle of the day. I noticed his expression and paused, looking at my student to see why he looked displeased.

“My brother is barely around… he works all the time.” He grumbled, scuffing a hoof.

I immediately saw that bringing up his older sibling wasn’t going to help matters, and decided to change topic swiftly. I began to cut up a head of lettuce while I spoke, trying to take his mind off my previous comment.

“Well that’s all the more reason to stop by. Is there anything you’d like with your salad, Circle? I have plenty to work with.”

My idea seemed to work for the most part, since it diverted his attention back to me. He gave a smile and shrugged his shoulders, indicating he had no real preferences. I took the sign and ran with it, seizing the oppurtunity to make something of my own and seeing if he liked it. I did my best with the salad, putting the lettuce in a bowl and adding some ranch, croutons and some thin cuts of cauliflower. After that I pushed the bowl to him, watching the colt look at it with some curiosity. After a moment he took it with his magic and sat down at the table, starting to eat while I got out more ingredients to us in my own bowl. After a few bites he looked back at me, grateful for the meal.

“This is… really good. Thanks, Cheerilee.” He said, then went back to his dinner, picking up each part and eating it with his magic.

I nodded and sat down beside him, eating my own while I watched the colt. His manners were remarkable, as he was quite neat with himself. He didn’t spill ranch anywhere, or chew with his mouth open. It seemed that his parents, whomever they were, had been strict with table manners. I silently thanked them and then directed my attention back to my food. While I ate he seemed to do just the same thing to me, glancing at me out of the corner of his eye. They shone like beautiful red circles in the half-light. I couldn’t help myself but to offer a smile; we were taking turns staring at each other eating at that point. I let him watch me, figuring there was no harm to be done. After a few bites a few strands of my mane hung in front of my face, and I brushed them behind my ear to continue my meal.

After a few more minutes, we were both done. I got up and took his bowl, stacking it into mine and going to the sink to rinse it out. I leaned on the countertop a bit as I took the rag and began to wash them. As I did I snuck a glance at him from the corner of my eye. Circle’s wide eyes looked from my mane, then down my back, tracing over my hips before looking away, probably out of guilt at looking at me like that. Or perhaps he simply didn’t want to get caught looking at his teacher in such a manner. Either way, I noticed the attention… and I would be a liar to say that I didn’t enjoy it. My assumption of him seeing me as a little bit more than just a friend and a mentor was correct. I decided to do nothing about it for now, though I would see how deep the attraction was later. For the time being I finished washing the bowls, and turned back to him, clearing my throat.

“Do you have a favorite dessert sweetie?” I asked in the softest tone I could offer, wanting him to feel welcome to the extra snack.

“Well… back at my old house we couldn’t really have snacks… and my brother eats out all the time, so… I don’t really have any favorites. Do you have ice cream?” He asked, his ears perking up and facing forwards.

I nodded and got out a scoop, pointing towards the freezer with it as I instructed him. “Well then, could you get out your favorite flavor?”

With a joyous hop he got down from his seat, a small bounce in his step as he trotted over to the freezer. He opened it with magic and leaned over the side, looking down into the chest for his preferred type. I leaned against the counter, feeling a sense of guilt stab at the back of my mind as my eyes traced over the colt’s thin hips. My heart and body won out over whatever morals were trying to worm their way in, because the feeling faded to be replaced by a warm satisfaction. His hips were thinly set and had a nice layer of lean muscle, not used to anything but walking to and from school, but naturally being defined as they were by genetics. His long legs helped a lot to bring out how nicely shaped his flanks were. I made it a point to not look away from him even as he retrieved his ice cream and looked back at me. I only looked up at his face once he had very clearly seen my eyes summing up his haunches.

His immediate reaction was a vivid red blush beneath his white coat. I gave him a warm, inviting smile, then motioned him over, glancing at the spot on the counter where I wanted him to put the ice cream. After locking up for nearly ten whole seconds, be went over, setting the ice cream there with his magic and looking away, sneaking small glances up at me every so often. His eyes were wide with disbelief, while his face looked flustered more than I’d ever seen him before. I let him sit with the idea that maybe… I liked the idea of him looking at me in a romantic, or at least sexual, light. I made him a bowl of ice cream while the colt watched, trying not to say anything for fear of tripping over his words. I offered him his dessert, watching the young unicorn take it and turn to walk back to the table. He made sure to sneak a glance back at me, as if he was checking to see if I was looking.

I turned and began to make my own bowl, chuckling to myself. His reaction to me looking over his body made me think that he was insecure for some reason. If I ever got the oppurtunity I would be sure to help him think better of it… he was a handsome, healthy colt. He had no reason to be afraid of his body being seen in a sexual light, especially at his age. He was right at the cusp of when he would really develop, and thoughts of mares would start to really click in his mind. To possibly be his first actual romantic interest was flattering to say the least, especially for a unicorn as beautiful as him. From his ruby red eyes to his soft, snowy coat, I would’ve never thought myself lucky enough to find a stallion like him, let alone seduce him. To think that he was just naturally interested in an older mare like me made me feel nothing short of blessed. Of course, I was getting ahead of myself. He might not be ready for this sort of thing yet. I repeated that to myself as I went to go sit down, mulling over the thought in my mind. I should try to hint it out to him… give him small clues that he had all the ability in the world to love me the way he wanted, if he just let the right moment fall into place.

As I sat down Circle looked away, his face still a bit red as he ate his ice cream. I did my best to ignore it and ate my snack, looking at him when I thought he wouldn’t mind it too much, or his mane had fallen into his eyes. Eventually he finished, leaving me to sit there and eat at my own, leisurely pace. I took the time to let him relax, clear the tension a bit before I ate the last scoop of ice cream from the bowl. He looked up at me with perplexed, shimmering red eyes, his ears folded back a bit as he spoke.

“Cheerilee… I was… w-wondering… do you think that I could….” He trailed off towards the end into such a small mumble I couldn’t even hear him.

“What was that sweetheart? I couldn’t hear.” I asked, blinking at him with a hopeful smile.

“Could I come over tomorrow?” He asked, his hooves digging a bit at the seat he was in.

I let out a sigh, putting a hoof over my heart. “Of course you can Circle, you’re welcome here any time. I’ll be here all day tomorrow anyways.”

He smiled, his blush returning to the tone of my voice. I had been as warm and understanding as I could, wanting to make him feel welcome in my house no matter what the situation was. I stood, getting the bowls and setting them in the sink. I heard him get down from the table and walk out into the living room. Instead of washing the dishes, I turned around and followed him. He was fussing over his mane again, then his horn, then his tail. I felt an involuntary smile spread over my face, unable to supress a certain happiness at how adorable he was when he fussed over his appearance. I knew the only reason that he did it was because I was there, otherwise he wouldn’t care at all about how he looked in front of others. I walked out to him and leaned down, whispering into his ear.

“Circle… you look amazing already… no need to fret.”

He turned red, and I walked in front to him, brushing my tail beneath his chin before I walked over to the door. Looking at the clock, it was nearly time for him to get going. The unicorn knew it too, trotting over to me with his eyes averted, trying not to let me see him in his embarrassed state. I got the chocolates from eariler and the tulip from his saddlebag, then helped him put it on as he stood on the doormat. His hooves scratched along the rough fabric while I observed him, watching him tighten the straps on the bag before looking up at me. I opened the door and stepped out into the cool evening air, taking a deep breath. It smelled like humidity and freshly cut grass, while the sound of frogs and crickets thrummed through the town of Ponyville. He walked out beside me, waving his hoof.

“G-goodbye Cheerilee… I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” He stuttered, smiling up at me.

I leaned down and placed a kiss on his lips, shutting my eyes so that I could enjoy the moment. He recoiled from me for a moment, letting out a small gasp through his nose, but after a moment he relaxed, then leaned into the kiss, his soft lips pushing against mine. I held it a bit longer before I pulled back, keeping my face right in front of his.

“I’m looking forwards to it… sleep well tonight, Circle. Have a good walk home.”

He stood there for a few seconds, eyes wide as they stared deep into mine. They swam with confusion and exhileration, the need for affection and the relief of having his feelings returned all painted across his face. I stood up straight and turned, walking back inside and waving a hoof to him. He waved back, then turned to walk down the steps and set out on his long walk home. I shut the door and sighed, sitting down on the doormat and shaking my head. What I’d just done was so wrong… so taboo. The part of my mind that had been suppressed earlier returned with vengeance, clamoring to remind me of what a horrible teacher I was, to be having such a relationship with my student. The thing my guilt failed to account for was my current level of exhaustion. I was too tired to care, and with the thoughts being but a dull thrum unable to pierce the veil of my tiredness, I made my was upstairs to slip into bed. I hoped that I woke to the knock of Circle Limit’s hoof on my front door.

Author's Note

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