Her Generosity

Chapters

1 - One Rainy Day
2 - Settling In
3 - Heading Out
4 - Inhibition Down
5 - Hopes Up [M]
Epilogue

1 - One Rainy Day

Author's Note

My inspiration while writing this story is the Save Theme from Resident Evil 7. You can check it out here, if you want to hear it for yourself. I'd highly recommend listening to it while reading the story for the full immersion.

1 - One Rainy Day

I barely noticed the chime that rang aloud as a walked inside the small, dingy café. Though I suppose calling it dingy was a bit harsh, considering it was the most presentable looking building on the block, the rest either riddled with graffiti or completely abandoned. That being said, there was a lot left to be desired.

The paint on the walls had aged and the paintings that hung around said walls were crooked and cracked, depicting scenes that you'd never see in this slum hole of a city, ranging from scenes of Canterlot Palace to the rural countryside.

That'd be a nice change of pace, wouldn't it?

I ignored the nagging thought in the back of my mind and took a deep breath, surprised at how much cleaner the air was inside. It smelled of freshly-brewed coffee rather than the abhorrent combination of asphalt, nicotine and formaldehyde. I slowly trotted over to a booth near a window overlooking the city block and sat down, trying my best not to pick a seat completely littered with garbage.

Everypony in this city is a Celestia-damned animal.

Recalling the events of the past week brought up nothing but frustration and anxiety. I was laid off from my job about halfway through the week because of "budgeting issues" and my former landlord decided he was fed up with me not being able to keep up with my rent. Of course I couldn't, renting a box in this city would cost more than I'd earn in a year.

I sighed and glanced down at the droplets of water hitting a window pane, it had started raining.

How cliché.

The sound of the chime ringing out once more hadn't registered in my mind as I continued my act of self-loathing. I knew that this wouldn't get me anywhere, slobbering over my situation and feeling sorry for myself, but I wasn't inclined to be very ambitious at the moment. I barely had enough money saved up to last two days in this city without working to make it up.

My train of thought was interrupted by a creme-colored mare approaching my booth, her expression sheepish and uncertain. "H-hello, would it be too much t-trouble if I sat here? It's rather crowded."

I raised an eyebrow at her and gave a quick glance around the room, there were more than enough seats to spare and the place wasn't even half full, but I indulged her. She was quite pretty, after all.

"Sure."

The mare gave a quick sigh of relief as she sat down. Her eyes shifted towards mine, and it seemed like she had something to say, but she couldn't quite muster the courage to say it. Luckily the awkward silence didn't last very long as a waitress had soon approached our table, I didn't wait for her to ask us what we wanted.

"Coffee please. Black, no sugar."

The waitress nodded and scribbled it in her little notepad, then gestured towards the mare in front of me.

"Oh! Uh, coffee as well please, cream and sugar."

The waitress soon departed and left us in that same awkward silence. To my surprise, the mare in front of me actually decided to try breaking the ice.

"I don't think I really know anypony that takes their coffee black," she said hesitantly, not sure if saying such a thing would somehow offend me.

"I don't," I say, "Or at least I didn't used to, not until living here. I figured out I liked the stronger taste, and it made me appreciate the flavor of the coffee itself, not the extra shit they add in it."

I watched her visibly flinch as I swore, "D-do you like it here? Living in the city?"

I gave her a huff of annoyance, slouching back and breaking eye contact, "Do I look like I like living here?"

"N-No, I guess not," she mumbled.

The waitress arrived with our coffee a few moments later. I drank mine slowly, savoring its bitter taste, trying my best to ignore the mare in front of me.

I knew that I was being unreasonably rude to her, and that my tone was uncalled for, but my judgement wasn't exactly as clear as it could have been. I almost loathed her, she was attractive, vibrant and ambitious. I assumed she had a stable career and loving coltfriend at home, why was she wasting her time with the likes of me?

She attempted to start talking again, "I saw you through the café window."

I gave her a deadpan look as I sipped my coffee, "That's not something a pony says unless they want to sound like a stalker," I responded.

She blushed profusely and attempted to backtrack, "N-no t-that's not what I meant!"

She's adorable when she's blushing, albeit clumsy with her words.

"Then what did you mean, miss?" I inquired. She had my attention now, despite her near self-induced anxiety attack.

She cleared her throat as her embarrassment began to dissipate, shuffling the red ascot around her neck, "Please, call me Coco. And to explain your question, I saw how lonely you looked through the window and thought you might appreciate the company."

I felt my expression sour, "Ponies with no one to talk to tend to look rather lonely, Coco."

She smiled a bit to my chagrin, "You can talk to me, if you want."

I sighed again for what was probably the hundredth time that week, "I'd hate to be rude Coco, but I hardly know you that well. Don't you have better things to be doing anyway? Or other ponies to be talking to, like a coltfriend maybe?"

It was true that I was never that good with mares, but that didn't mean I never tried, I was just always shot down. It wasn't really my intention to woo Coco or anything like that, I just wanted to see if my suspicions were correct.

To my surprise, they weren't.

She fake-fanned herself as the blush re-ignited on her face, "W-who m-me? Nonsense! I don't have a coltfriend."

"Could've fooled me," I said with a small smirk on my face.

When did I become so damn smooth? Maybe that's just the byproduct of sheer apathy.

The blush didn't leave her face as she mumbled something incoherent. I laughed audibly, unable to help myself.

I can't even remember the last time I laughed, how sad is that?

"Listen," I continued, this time with a smile on my face, "I appreciate that you care about me, not many ponies do, but you can't really help me with my situation. It's a bit more complicated than you think."

"What do you mean? How is it complicated?" Coco responded, finally regaining her composure.

I bit my lip, I was the one who felt uncomfortable this time, "I lost my job and my apartment in the span of a week. I barely have enough bits to last me a couple of days here in Manehattan. I'd take a train out of here to try someplace different, but I don't know where I'd start, not to mention the reaction I'd get from my parents. They don't even know my situation yet."

She winced at the detail of my response, "That bad?"

I nodded, "I'm not sure where I could find work in that time span, but I guess I'll have to put my nose to the grindstone. It won't be that bad I guess, I've stayed in shady motels before."

Her mouth parted slightly, as if she was unsure about what she was going to say, before making a very surprising offer, "W-would you like to stay with me in my apartment u-until you get back on your hooves?"

I shook my head, "That's, I don't know what to say Coco, you hardly know me at all. Tartarus, you don't even know my name for Celestia's sake!"

She smiled at me and raised her hoof in front of me, beckoning me to shake it, "My name's Coco Pommel, what's yours?"

I smiled back at her, and shook her hoof, "Prime Value, it's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Pommel."

2 - Settling In

Coco's neighborhood was considerably nicer than what I was used to, and it turned out that she only lived a block or two away from where I used to live. Sure, it was nothing you'd see in a painting, but at least the smell of cigarette smoke was significantly less noticeable around here. The red brick that surrounded the building didn't look like it had fallen into disrepair, and it seemed like the place was cleaned on at least a weekly basis, it was a good start.

She had kept the conversation going throughout our trip to her apartment, which would be my home until I could obtain a stable career. I told her about how my job as an accountant barely paid above minimum wage, and she told me that I would have to look for something significantly more substantial before moving out.

I could agree to that.

She tried to touch upon other subjects as well, such as my family life and childhood, but I wasn't quite willing to divulge that information just yet, it was a bit too personal. She apologized for being nosy, I told her she had nothing to apologize for. The elevator ride up to her room included more awkward silence.

I just hoped we'd be able to warm up to each other and could have regular conversations without running out of things to talk about, but at the moment she still seemed particularly timid around me.

She shuffled her hooves nervously as I glanced around her living room.

"So? What do you think?" She asked, trying to hide her anxiety.

It was homely, it reminded me of my parent's house, the one I grew up in, though significantly more ornate. The windows were lined with curtains, and tapestry hung from various places, she certainly wasn't expecting guests. Was she a designer?

"Sorry for not cleaning up, I wasn't expecting to have a roommate any time soon."

I chuckled, "The apartment looks nicer than mine did cleaned up, don't worry, this is an upgrade for me."

This caused her to stifle a giggle as she walked over to her couch and sat down, "It's getting to be around lunchtime, what do you say we head out to get something to eat and then see if we can find you something appropriate to wear for any interviews you might have soon?"

I nodded, "I hadn't thought about that, though I don't have much on me. I'll have to do a few odd jobs first to save up a decent sum of money before I'll be able to afford a suit."

She waved her hoof nonchalantly as she began to undo the her ascot and bow, "Nonsense! I'll pay for the suit, you shouldn't be spending your bits on anything when you're trying to become financially stable."

I bit my lip, I didn't like having to be financially dependent on somepony else. It made me feel weak, I didn't like feeling weak.

"Fine," I said, "But once I have a career, I'm paying you back double what you spent on me."

"Oh you don't need to do th-" She began to say, before I interrupted her by putting a hoof to her mouth, causing her to blush at the contact.

"I insist," I start off, staring her in the eyes, "I know you're being generous, but you're going too far. I need to become independent eventually, and I hate having to rely on somepony else. Please."

"Alright, if you insist," Coco replied uneasily, glancing over at the front door. "We should head out for lunch, let's take the stairs this time."

I didn't understand why she wanted to take the stairs at first, until I recalled how awkward it was the first time. It was probably a good call. I didn't mind the exercise, I used to play a lot of sports when I was younger.

Plus she went down the stairs first, so the view was a nice bonus.

Shameless.

I did my best to redirect my eyes and act subtle, but part of me felt like what she was doing was intentional. Not that I minded, of course.

The diner that we finally settled on had food that still retained a recognizable taste and were priced at a reasonable amount. Coco insisted that I order whatever sounded the most appetizing, but I wasn't about to break bank just because I was picky about my food. I just ordered a simple hayburger whereas Coco ordered a garden salad, saying something about 'watching her figure'.

I'd watch her figure any day of the week.

We had already gone over most of what today and tomorrow entailed. Later on today we were to go out and look for something presentable for me to wear, and she would order some take out for dinner. Tomorrow, she would go to work while I searched for potential job opportunities, and this would likely become routine until I managed to find something.

There was only one more thing that was nagging at me from the back of my mind.

"Why'd you do it?" I asked her, cursing myself internally for saying my thoughts out loud.

"Pardon?" She replied as she wiped the corners of her muzzle with a table cloth.

"Why did you decide to take me in, of all ponies? You have so much going for you, you shouldn't be concerned with ponies like me. You're successful, you're ambitious, you're beautiful-" I cut myself off and put a hoof over my mouth.

Fuck.

Heat had immediately risen across her face as she began to stutter out an explanation, "I-it's b-because my f-friend Rarity-"

"Do me a favor and forget I asked," I said with a sigh, making the situation awkward again and saving her from having to speak.

The two of us didn't talk to each other for the rest of lunch.

"How about this one?" I asked her as I held up a brown suit over my chest.

She shook her head for the fourth time, "Your coat is gray, the brown will clash against the color of your coat."

I huffed in annoyance, "What was wrong with the other one then? The black one?"

She stuck out her tongue, "You're the one that said the black suit was too expensive, and the rest are too flashy to wear to an interview."

I remembered the pieces of cloth hanging around her apartment, and a thought came to me, "Hey, aren't you a designer? Would it be too much trouble to make a suit yourself?"

She giggled and a small blush rose to her cheeks, "I don't really have experience making suits, I mostly tailor dresses and costumes, I doubt it would look very good anyways."

I waved my hoof and dismissed that excuse, "Nonsense! You have a knack for it! I'm sure you could do it if you really wanted to."

She started to paw at the ground, looking at everything but me, "You're just saying that."

I smiled at her and looked over another row of suits that I glossed over previously, "I am saying it, and it's the truth."

Only a few seconds had passed before I pulled out another suit from the rack. This suit in particular was gray, lined with a black interior, it was almost parallel to the color of my mane and coat.

I gingerly looped my hooves through it and trotted back towards Coco, "What do you think about this one, Coco?"

I received a reaction that I hadn't anticipated from her, rendering her blushing and stuttering similar to earlier today, "W-wow, I, uh, that looks r-really good on you."

Damn, was it a bad look? I doubt she'd lie, she didn't about the other options. Why was I getting this kind of reaction out of her? Did I look, handsome?

I don't see how I could have, I hadn't slept well at all the last couple of days and my face had become unkempt due to lack of shaving. Maybe she saw something I didn't, I certainly didn't think I looked decent.

I glanced down at the price tag and sighed, it was still a bit pricey for my taste. "I don't know Coco, it's still a bit pricey for m-"

"I'll pay!" Coco nearly shouted, causing nearby costumers to glance over at her in confusion.

She sheepishly corrected herself, "I mean, I'll pay for it. You need to look your best after all, and we're not going to find much cheaper options."

Have it your way.

I smirked at her, "If you say so."

I wasn't sure why she decided to order pizza out of everything possible. I'm fairly certain that it completely contradicted her earlier comment about wanting to maintain her figure. I didn't argue though, as I absolutely loved pizza, it was one of the few things that Manehattan did right. It brought back old memories of my childhood, the pleasant memories, of sharing a deep dish pizza with my brothers on the weekend.

I can't think about them right now.

I sighed in relaxation as I felt the water sink into my coat. I had been awhile since I felt hot water, not to mention I never had the time to sit back and relax until now. I'd make sure I wouldn't get complacent though, the last thing I want to do is be a parasite.

I stepped out of the shower and started to shave my face, a full shave was in order, I reckoned. I wanted to look my best for an interview, so all the stubble needed to come off, I knew I'd look like a fourteen-year-old colt again, but it would be worth it.

When I finally left the bathroom, the pizza was already on the counter and Coco was patiently sitting at the table in the kitchen. When she finally got a closer look at me, she didn't illicit any extreme reaction, but she still blushed a bit, muttering something about looking nice.

Looks like my suspicions have been confirmed.

Dinner was mostly peaceful, and surprisingly, we kept the small talk constant throughout. We still dodged around topics like my family life and where I went wrong, but we each got to learn a little bit about each other. She found out my whole family had pursued careers in banking, and she took particular interest in my cutie mark, which wasn't very notable in my opinion. She explained how she became friends with Rarity, and found it surprising that I knew who Rarity was, even though she had saved the world once or twice in the past and had gained quite the reputation.

How do ponies not know who the Elements of Harmony are?

Before we knew it, night had settled upon us and the moonlight had begun to seep in through the windows, giving off an eerie tranquility.

I yawned and began to walk towards the living room couch, eager to start my new life, "It was fun chatting, Coco, but I think I'm about ready to turn it in for the night."

She gave me a confused look, "Where are you going? My bedroom is over here," she gestured with a hoof.

What.

"I, uh, excuse me?" I said incredulously, finding myself unable to formulate a coherent response.

She gave me a stubborn look, "You're my guest, and even though I don't have a guest bedroom, I insist that you sleep in a proper bed. I'll sleep on the couch."

I scoffed at her, realizing that her generosity was going a bit too far, "Come on Coco, don't be ridiculous. This is your apartment, and I'm your guest. You should have the bed, not me."

She bit her lip, "Well if neither of us can agree, then I guess we'll have to share."

Pray for me Celestia, the temptation to sin is present within me.

"I don't know if that's a good id-" I began to say, before Coco promptly ignored me and waltzed into her room. She wasn't giving me many options, and it felt like she was goading me into making this decision, so I joined her in the bedroom.

She had already nestled under the covers and the lights were off, so I carefully slid under the covers on the opposite side of the bed, making sure not to make contact with her in any way.

A few minutes of silence later, and I heard her whisper something to me.

"Do you really think I'm cute?" I heard her timidly ask.

My heart began to race as I spent the next few seconds thinking of an appropriate response, before finally telling her exactly what she wanted to hear.

"No, I don't think you're cute Coco. The word 'cute' belongs to fillies in grade school. You're a mare, and mares are beautiful. Believe me when I say it, you're beautiful, Coco."

After several minutes of awkward silence, I felt her hooves wrap around my midsection, her muzzle nuzzling into the back of my neck.

"Thank you."

3 - Heading Out

Author's Note

This chapter contains feels, read with caution. :raritywink:

3 - Heading Out

The sunlight that peeked in through Coco's bedroom curtains woke me up unceremoniously. Grumbling, I shifted over to look at Coco, and panic quickly rose.

It was now me that was embracing her, unlike the night before, apparently having switched places while we slept. She grinded her back against my chest, eliciting a small groan from me as I felt my loins begin to heat up.

To Tartarus and damnation with this!

I yanked myself away from her gently, attempting to prevent her from waking up while at the same time preserving my sense of dignity, not for my sake, but for hers. I could only assume that she'd die of embarrassment if she found us in that position. Unfortunately for me though, she seemingly woke up regardless, giving a cute yawn as her bright blue eyes slowly opened to meet my emerald green ones.

I had just then realized how close our faces were to one another, and we blushed simultaneously.

"I-I b-better get ready f-for work. I have a big show that I n-need to start working on," Coco stuttered as she quickly pulled herself out of bed, trying to distance herself from me as much as possible.

She glanced back at me as she trotted towards the door frame, "Aren't you going to get up too? You have a big day ahead of you."

I gave a sigh of relief internally, thankful that she didn't notice my little 'incident' from early. "I'll get up in a bit," I replied, "It's not like I'm going to start working today."

She gave me a sly smile, "Not with that attitude you won't," she said, trotting away towards the bathroom, giving me a nice view as she walked out of the room.

Does she even realize what does sometimes? I thought to myself, before remembering how last night turned out.

Yes, she definitely does.

I could hear the hot water running from inside the bathroom and decided to stand up and stretch. I hadn't rested like that in quite some time, and never with a mare before.

It's not like we did anything anyways, it was strictly platonic.

Coco had said earlier that she often skipped over breakfast, and rarely kept any breakfast foods, so I'd have to scrounge up whatever I could if I wanted to have something this morning. I settled for some non-name brand cereal that I could only assume was stale, alongside some milk. I'd need to convince her to buy some actual breakfast items, and to eat breakfast more often.

I know she said she was watching her figure, but a little extra weight on her hips would do her wonders.

I shook the thought out of my head. I realized that I had been having a lot of invasive thoughts lately, and that it probably wasn't going to do our relationship much good, seeing as I was essentially living off of her as of right now. I stood up from my chair and put my bowl in the dishwasher. I figured I should head out soon, even though Coco was spending quite a long time in the shower.

Maybe I'll pay my brothers a visit.

A faint sound from the bathroom interrupted my thoughts. It sounded like Coco was enjoying herself.

Certainly she wouldn't be doing anything that I might hear while I'm still in an adjacent room, right?

Another small moan emanated from behind the door, just barely distinguishable from the sounds of pouring water, disregarding my previous suspicions. I hastily scribbled a note down, explaining that I would be leaving early, and set it on the kitchen counter.

I need to leave before my judgement becomes too impaired, this mare is going to kill me.

I suppose this city isn't the worst. I'd still stand by the statement that most this city is comprised of rats and cockroaches, but Coco showed me that there were some good ponies out there, even in a slum hole like Manehattan.

Unsurprisingly, work for accounting and banking in general was fairly sparse, and the places that did offer a position paid about the same to what my old job equated to, neither me nor Coco would be satisfied with that. The sun was beginning to hang low on the horizon by the time I finally felt like I had gone through most of my options, it was beyond frustrating.

I never really understood it though, my entire family had a knack for managing money. My mother and father made quite the sum of money off of investing, why was I struggling so much even though I was cut out for this?

I need to visit them again.

I sighed, and trotted towards my destination.

Most of this city suffered effects of dilapidation. There was just so much of it that it was hard to keep up sometimes, at least it kept construction workers employed I suppose. Among the rubble you'd find the entire spectrum though, ranging from con artists to thieves to prostitutes, none of which said anything good about this city. However there was one place that always looked beautiful to me, one place that always felt peaceful.

The graveyard.

It was both eerie and calming despite the overgrowth. It was charming to me, and I knew the path by heart anyways. I walked for a few minutes, basking in the silence and feeling the heat from the sun shining upon me. Despite there being a stigma towards graveyards, it felt like a solemn place, a haven.

I knelt down in front of the graves of my two brothers, both of which died several years ago due to gang violence, poor bastards were caught in a crossfire. I felt my eyes water as I placed flowers that I bought with what little bits I had next to each of their graves, they were buried next to each other.

We may have shared our differences, but I'd give an eye and a limb just to see you two again. Mint, Sterling, I love you both.

I stood up once more, and walked away.

I had arrived back at Coco's apartment around dusk, I promptly ignored the mare at the front desk attempting to have small talk about being 'Coco's coltfriend' and headed towards the elevator. I wasn't really in the mood to chat. Using my spare key that Coco gave me, I walked into the living room expecting her to ask me how the day went. Surprisingly, she wasn't home yet.

I guess she works fairly late, but how much could she possibly have to do?

There was no telling when she'd be back at this rate, so I'd have to find something else to occupy my time. I cracked open the fridge and pulled out the pizza we had last night. I figured if she wasn't going to be home in a while, she probably wouldn't have time to order or make food, so I placed one of the remaining slices in the oven to eat for dinner. I only had to find something to do until then.

The only thing that I could find that was of any particular interest to me was a small, golden locket that hung on a lamp near Coco's desk. As I held the locket, I noticed began to pick out a few key details that I might've otherwise missed. For one, the locket wasn't actually made of real gold, it was lined with real gold, but the majority of it was some other metal alloy I couldn't quite put a hoof on. Second, the clasp to the locket was broken, the inside of it containing a picture of what I could only assume was Coco's mother.

There were several instruments around Coco's desk that looked like they were used to fix delicate parts such as jewelry, which led me to believe that she must have tried fixing it herself, but couldn't quite get the job done. I decided that I would spend some time trying to fix it myself until she got home. I was most likely not going to be able to fix it, seeing as Coco couldn't, but I may as well have tried given my lack of success today.

As it turns out, it was much easier than I anticipated. I fixed it in a matter of minutes when I thought it would take at least an hour of fiddling around with it. The tools sped up the process significantly, and the clasp easily screwed firmly back into place. I was enjoying a nice pizza out of they oven, when Coco finally came through the door.

"S-sorry I'm home late, it got pretty busy a-at work," Coco said in an almost whisper, trotting slowly towards the couch.

Call it intuition, but I could tell immediately that something wasn't right. The areas around her eyes were dry, almost like she may have been crying at some point today. Even though she worked pretty late, she was still much more exhausted than I would've thought given how much she slept.

"Are you alright, Coco?" I asked tentatively, trying not to sound too accusing.

She blinked slowly and yawned, "I-I'll be fine. did you manage to find any openings today?"

I winced internally, this would be the difficult part of the day, luckily I still had something to make up for it.

I cleared my throat, "Uh, no. I didn't find anything that I felt would be acceptable."

Her ears lowered in response, slugging her shoulders and leaning back into the couch, "Oh, I see."

"However, since I arrived home before you, I noticed your locket that you have on your desk is broken. I took the liberty of fixing it."

Coco was at my side almost instantaneously, knocking me over to the side and staring down the locket in my hoof, "You did?!"

I shrugged in response, "It was only a minor fix, it didn't take long," I replied nonchalantly. I decided to leave out the part about the locket not being made out of real gold, considering it seemed like it meant a lot to her.

I was tackled by Coco with surprising force, hugging me and causing both of us to land on the floor.

"Thank you so much! I don't know why, but I couldn't figure out how to fix it, and the jeweler that I went to charged an outrageous amount of money to fix it," Coco said earnestly, burying her face into my chest as she all but crushed my rib cage.

I shifted her forehooves down a little, giving myself some breathing room, "It was nothing Coco, I promise."

We had decided it would be alright to sleep in the same bed again, considering she apparently had no problem with personal space and I didn't disclose what had happened the morning after.

"Hey Prime, do you know what your cutie mark means?" Coco whispered, turning over to face me.

I chuckled at the absurdity of her question, of course I knew what my cutie mark was, it was practically hereditary after all.

Did I, though?

"It is a modern Equestrian bit under a magnifying glass, the coin itself has very specific details. The production date of the coin actually matches my birthday if you look close enough," I replied.

She giggled, "I didn't ask what it looked like, I asked what it meant."

I found myself struggling to answer that question, actually hesitating a moment before answering, "I, I'm a business pony, Coco. I am well-versed in regards to economics."

That was a half-assed response, really.

There was a short pause before Coco responded, "If I were you, I'd look into how well you can appraise things. You said that you weren't particularly good with fashion at one point, but I'd like to know how well you'd do with jewelry."

I decided to change the topic, one to something that had me particularly concerned once Coco had arrived home.

"Coco," I began slowly, "Why did you seem so upset when you arrived home tonight, there's something you're not telling me."

Coco breathed a sad and heavy sight, "I think I might be correct, you're better at reading into things than you think."

"Answer me, please."

There was a long pause. It was almost as if Coco was contemplating whether or not she wanted to divulge any personal information. Finally the dam broke loose, and I was inundated with the stress that Coco was piling on.

"I have just been working on this project for so long and losing so much sleep over it, and the director doesn't a-appreciate a-anything I do. T-then y-you came a-along a-and I s-started to f-feel happy again b-but I can't-" Coco couldn't finish her rambling as it soon became incoherent, her venting turned into sobs as she cried out her stress into my chest.

It looked like she and I were much more alike than I thought. I knew at that moment that I couldn't let her be as sad as she was anymore, that I would take it upon myself to make sure she was happy.

Regardless of whether she reciprocated the feelings that I now had for her, I was going to make her as joyful as I could, even when I knew I wasn't.

4 - Inhibition Down

The rest of the remaining week became fairly monotonous, but that was the least of my complaints at this point. Both Coco and I had become accustom to sleeping next to each other, however it never lead to anything promiscuous. Coco didn't have to vent like she had before, but she did have a tendency to complain after a long day at work. She thought that I'd be annoyed after listening to her for extended periods of time, the truth was that I loved to listen to her voice.

I'd become more skilled with my newfound talent of fixing jewelry, I could easily identify when an object of supposed value was actually counterfeit, which was unfortunately useful in a city like this. Despite Coco's protests, I decided to perform some freelance work to supply my own income, in order to lessen the guilt I felt for living under Coco's roof without giving her compensation.

She seemed happier too, which was my main concern at this point, given the little panic attack I witnessed earlier this week. She wasn't nearly as tired as she used to be and she almost strut around with her new sense of optimism.

It was a Friday, and I had told Coco that she should go out with her friends before the weekend, she reluctantly agreed, but only because she didn't want to leave me alone with nothing to do. It didn't bother me though, even if my evening was going to be dull, I still had several projects I was working on, involving small contraptions that needed repair.

I had something to look forward to as well though. Coco had written a letter to Rarity about me, while I don't know the details of the letter, I knew that Coco had personally asked if Rarity had any job openings available. I was hoping I'd get to see that letter today, but I suppose I wasn't exactly in any hurry, given the circumstances.

Looking around for job opportunities yielded the exact same results as it had the previous few days. I did my best not to get discouraged, but it was difficult when it felt like the world was pitted against you. It was true that I didn't have wings or a horn, but I had the strength and ambition of an Earth Pony, and while some would consider this debilitating, I knew I could overcome this challenge one way or another.

The doorbell rung sometime in the afternoon, a letter dropping on the carpet near the front door through the letter box. I quickly became excited again, jumping up from the living room couch, where I was reading a sappy romance novel that Coco had on one of her shelves. I needed to recommend some better books for her to read, considering it was a big source of comedy for me while I was reading it.

I trotted over towards the foyer and glanced at the letter. Seeing that it was addressed from Rarity in Ponyville, I immediately ripped it open to read over it, not even considering the fact that it wasn't me that wrote to her.

Dear Coco,

It certainly sounds like you've had quite the busy week! He certainly sounds dashing, the way you described him at least, but I won't go into detail, in the event that he gets a hold of this. That being said, he doesn't seem like the type to intrude on your privacy, even though I know I am guilty of being nosy from time to time!

To answer your question, I do have a position open in Ponyville and I have been so busy trying to expand that I could actually use the help here at my boutique. I've decided that I'd visit you personally so that the two of us could catch up, and so that I could meet Prime Value myself. I'll be arriving around noon, but I'll only be there for the day. Ta-ta!

Your friend, Rarity.

A sense of guilt washed over me as realized that I may have overstepped my boundaries when I opened this letter in my frenzy. Hopefully Coco would be willing to forgive me for this one. Rarity would be visiting tomorrow in the morning as well, but I was less concerned about that particular notion. I carefully placed the letter back into its envelope and set it on the counter. She'd most likely want to read it as well, even though I already read through it myself.

I worked late into the evening before Coco finally shambled into the living room. I said 'shambled', given that she couldn't stand up properly.

"O-Oh hi Prime, me and m-my friends had a great time!" Coco said giddily, slumping herself over the couch in a very undesirable looking position.

I raised an eyebrow at her, "I wasn't aware you could handle alcohol."

She burst into giggles as she waved her legs in the air spontaneously, "I can't!"

I rolled my eyes and glanced back down at the pocket watch I was fixing. It was given to me by a jeweler that promised that he'd pay me if I could find what was wrong with it. He also threatened to break my legs if I decided I wanted it for myself, not like I did anyways, it was much too gaudy for my tastes. I wasn't even sure he'd actually pay me given the reputation of this city, but I needed the practice one way or another.

"P-prime! Pay attention to me!" Coco said in a playful harsh whisper as she slumped her forehooves over me, making it very hard to work.

"I had no idea you were this talkative when you're inebriated, or clingy for that matter," I said to her, amused at her antics.

"All the other mares wanted to know more about you, but I mostly kept everything to myself," Coco said absentmindedly, not letting go of my midsection.

"Is that so?" I said, trying to keep the curiosity out of my voice. I didn't know if I was going to find out something I wasn't supposed to, but I'd be damned if I said I wasn't interested in hearing what she thought about me.

She nodded, looking up at me, "I told them how far you've come, and how much you helped me in turn. You listened to me even when I thought I was being annoying-"

"Which you weren't," I added in.

She continued, unfazed by the interruption, "I told them about how much you care about me, and how much I care about you in turn."

My heart began to beat a little bit faster as I couldn't help but feel a little excited by that statement, it sounded genuine, despite her condition.

"Prime," she said, looking deep into my emerald eyes, "Promise me that you'll still be with me, even if you get a job and can finally live independent of me."

I breathed a heavy sigh and answered with utmost sincerity, "I promise, Coco Pommel."

That was all it took for Coco to rush towards me and press her mouth against mine, our lips locking in a passionate kiss, the breath escaping from me as I greedily returned the favor.

So soft.

We held this position for several seconds before eventually breaking off, a small strand of saliva connecting the two of us together.

She panted heavily and stared deeply into my eyes before uttering a single sentence, "Prime, please. T-take me."

My instincts screamed at me to sweep her off her hooves and bring her into the bedroom, but I knew deep down that I couldn't do that to her. All of the cards were in my favor, but this was a hand I just couldn't deal. Coco was obviously drunk beyond comprehension, so much so that the kiss may not have even been of her own volition. It would be shameful of me to act upon this situation while she was so vulnerable. I internally cursed myself for dismissing this opportunity, for I let the guilt get to me.

"No, Coco," I said flatly.

She whimpered and pressed her hooves into me, beckoning me to join her in the bedroom, "W-why not? A-am I n-not good enough for you?"

I sighed internally, more like too good.

"It's not that Coco. I just don't want to take advantage of something that might not be real," I replied uneasily.

"What do you mean not real?" Coco said, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Listen," I held her firmly in place, "If this is something you really want to do, we'll do it in the morning. Is that fair?"

"O-okay," she whispered as she took her place on the side of her bed, "Can we still sleep together like we have been?"

I bit my lip, this might not end well if I decided to go through with this, but I didn't want to see her cry either.

"Alright," I said, "Just don't do anything I don't agree to, alright?"

I slowly took my place in the bed as Coco pressed her hooves into me and nuzzled my chest, cutting off my air supply and almost instantly going to sleep.

Sweet Celestia save me, this mare is going to be the death of me.

Author's Note

Going with the "Coco gets drunk and admits things she probably shouldn't cliche," which is probably against my best interests but I felt like it went well with the situation and it's something I wanted to add in since the beginning of the story.

Sorry if that bugs anyone. :fluttershysad:

Almost at the final chapter!

5 - Hopes Up [M]

I woke up groggily the next morning, being graciously reminded that there were consequences for getting too much sleep, despite the contrary being a more prevalent problem. It was the weekend though, so neither of us had any particularly demanding responsibilities. The majority of our day would include conversing with Coco's friend Rarity, if everything went according to plan, I could have potential job opportunities.

My thoughts drifted back to the previous night.

"Promise me that you'll still be with me, even if you get a job and can finally live independent of me."

Coco had shown me just how much I meant to her, and despite how tempted I was, I didn't give in to her advances while her inhibitions were down. The thought of which made my heart race, and pumped blood through unsavory places.

Celestia damn it! Not again!

I wasn't as lucky as I was last time, Coco's hind legs were wrapped around mine, preventing me from pulling away from her. To my chagrin, Coco elicited a cute yawn as she woke up, not yet aware of the situation. Instinctively, I placed my head back down on my pillow and closed my eyes in an attempt to feign sleep.

She can't get angry if it happened in our sleep, right?

"Oh my," Coco sputtered, finally realizing the predicament she was in. I heard her shuffle the covers around for a few moment before finally laying still.

She's not going to break away? Does she like the situation she's in?

After a few seconds, I felt her gently push a hoof against my shoulder, "I-I, uh, wake up P-Prime."

I pretended to wake up and break away from her, acting oblivious to the intruding organ that was pressing against her leg.

"Good morning Coco," I began to say, "Sleep well?"

She started to stutter out something about having a headache to match her uncomfortable hangover. I wasn't listening intently though, I just smiled and watched her lips move, which seemed to only frazzle her more.

"W-we should probably get u-up," Coco said as she stood up, "I-I think I'm going to go take a shower."

I considered making a remark about offering to join her, but I bit my tongue, knowing that I may have already overstepped my boundaries.

"All right, I'll take one right after you," I replied, not quite willing to get out of bed yet.

After what happened earlier this week, it wouldn't be a shock if she started 'enjoying' herself in the shower again.

I pushed the thought from my mind and glanced inside the closet in Coco's bedroom, my suit hung on one of the hangers. It would do me well to look my best for Lady Rarity, she was practically royalty after all, with her connections to Princess Twilight.

I made myself a quick breakfast consisting of oats and hay bacon, thankful that Coco and I actually stopped by to pick up some decent breakfast foods this past week. As I chowed down on the breakfast I'd prepared, my mind drifted back to last night.

She's in love with you, you know. She has to be, you can see it plastered on her face.

I groaned and let my head thud against the table, I wanted to reciprocate her feelings, but I didn't want to ruin what we already had, and I didn't know how to convey my feelings without making it awkward for the two of us.

Just go through with the interview with Rarity, and then you can think this over some more. Like you promised her, you're not going anywhere once you get the job.

"If I get the job," I muttered to myself, my head still resting on the table as I heard the bathroom door open.

"Prime, are you okay? Why is your head against the table?" Coco asked me as she walked into the kitchen, a towel still draped over her shoulders, her mane still damp from her shower.

I gave a low chuckle, "I'm just nervous, Rarity sent a letter to us. It's on the table."

That caused her to freeze in place as she stared at the counter that the letter was on, "W-What did it say? Nothing... personal right?"

I smirked, "Nothing I didn't already know. She'll be arriving some time around noon, so I was thinking I should dress up and wait for her there. I figured it would make a good first impression if I met her personally."

Coco looked rather lost in thought, contemplating whether or not she wanted to actually read the letter, "I suppose you should shower too then, we still have all morning though, so take your time," she said absentmindedly.

I wasn't sure if she was angry or embarrassed, but it seemed like I was in the clear for now. I stepped in the shower and savored the warmth the water brought me.

Time to make a good impression.

The Manehattan train station was actually quite clean, at least compared to the rest of the city. It was almost as if mayor of Manehattan didn't want tourists to have to see all the grime and dirt that accompanied the untidy and often ignored side-winding streets and avenues in the heart of Manehattan.

Coco and I had sat on one of the benches outside of the train station for about ten minutes before the train traveling to and from Ponyville had finally arrived, and as it turned out, Miss Rarity was everything Coco described her as.

Absolutely breathtaking, in a literal sense in which my mouth was agape for a solid ten seconds. Funny enough, this caused Coco to adopt a rather annoyed expression. If I hadn't known any better, I'd say she was jealous.

Coco waved Rarity over as she stepped of the train, and I gave a small bow as soon as she reached us.

"Miss Rarity, a pleasure to meet you," I said as I kissed her hoof. I don't know how I managed to keep the trembling out of my voice or my posture straight, but I managed.

She gave a small giggle as she sheepishly pulled her hoof away, "My, he certainly is something, Coco. Such a gentlestallion! I wasn't expecting this kind of attention."

"Yes, me neither," Coco said in an annoyed tone, before her expression turned into a smile. "Sorry, I didn't read your letter until this morning. I was out an about last night and didn't have time to read it."

"Oh it's no problem at all dear, I'm just glad you came out all this way to see me," Rarity replied nonchalantly as I called a taxi over toward us.

"Well the two of us decided it would be best if you met you here instead, wouldn't want to make you trot through these dingy streets alone, right?" Coco replied.

"Please, I live in Ponyville sweetheart. I know what dirt and grime looks like, Manehattan is just as charming as the last time I saw it."

I chuckled, "You should try living here for a while. You'd probably fare better than me, but I'd like to get the smell of nicotine out of my nose for once."

Rarity responded with a look of disgust, "Yes, I suppose the smell of this city is one thing that could be improved upon."

Despite the nonchalant vibe I was giving Coco earlier, I was actually still a little nervous about the interview, and even intimidated by Miss Rarity herself. She absolutely radiated exuberance that I couldn't dare to match, so elegantly graceful and proud of what she'd done. I could only feign her level of confidence, which she showed in each step she took.

I had only heard the best things about her from Coco, but a mare of such prestigious class certainly must have high standards. I'd have to choose my words carefully, or else I'd likely be back to square one.

"I see your abode is much more neat than the last time I visited, I hope this wasn't purely on my behalf," Rarity said coyly as she sat on the living room sofa.

Coco spoke before I had the chance, "Actually, Prime has been the one doing most of the cleaning since he started living here, this place has looked a lot nicer since he arrived."

I shrugged in response, "I have to repay you somehow, right? Even if it means a little manual labor on my part."

Rarity gave me a soft smile as she pulled out a small notepad, "You certainly live up to Coco's word, Mister Prime. I hope you don't mind, but I brought a list of questions I'll need to ask you."

"Of course."

She cleared her throat as she began to read off the list, "While I am well aware that you only just discovered the true meaning of your cutie mark, I understand that you are quickly improving. What do you feel that you can bring to the table as an employee?"

I sat down across from her and gave a collected smile, "I've had ambition and heart all my life, and living in Manehattan makes the competition that much worse. I've studied economic principles, so I know how to make a profit, or how to mitigate damage if worst comes to worst. I believe that my willingness to be the best that I can be will only lead to your business growing exponentially."

Coco gave me a small smile from across the kitchen as Rarity beamed at my response.

She continued, "I understand you were an accountant before, correct? Can you name some of your past work experience for me?"

"Yes, I was an accountant for about five years before I was laid off. Before that, I went to school here in Manehattan for a degree in business, it hasn't been easy, despite it being a lucrative field of study."

Coco walked over to us and served the both of us coffee, black, of course.

Rarity proceeded to jot down more notes, "Good gracious, I feel like Twilight right about now," she muttered under her breath.

I'd nearly forgotten that she was best friends with Princess Twilight herself, Rarity was one of the most influential mares in Equestria, fashion or otherwise. I felt the temperature in the room spike as I shifted uncomfortably in my seat.

"Speaking of history, I'd like to know about your family. What did you mother and father do? Any siblings perhaps?"

I felt an emptiness in my stomach, I really wanted to avoid this discussion if at all possible.

"My parents are both entrepreneurs and run their own business, but I was never really... interested in inheriting their business," I answered cryptically as I felt my voice become softer.

She wasn't satisfied with my answer, judging from the look she was giving me, "That sounds like it would be an easy way to get yourself out of financial trouble though, are you sure you never considered it?"

I gulped, "I, uh, thought about it of course. Though I didn't really feel like it was... mine to inherit," I replied shakily.

Rarity continued to press for details, "Who's was it then? Your sibling maybe? What do they do?"

It took all the willpower I had not to lose control and start crying right then and there, with one shaky breath with my eyes tearing up, I answered her.

"My brothers were murdered several years ago, improvised explosives made by a gang, caught in the crossfire."

There was a pregnant pause as Coco covered her mouth in shock, Rarity looked like a fish out of water. It was a full minute and a half before she attempted to console me.

"Prime, I had no idea. I-I don't know what to say," Rarity sputtered, analyzing my hollow expression, "If you really want, you can work for me in Ponyville for the time being. I'll pay you well, and you can finally get away from Manehattan."

My heart raced at her offer, this was my chance at a new life, in the rural countryside with a fulfilling career. Though I knew, deep down, I had a promise to keep.

"That is awfully generous, even for you Miss Rarity, but I can't accept that offer. Coco had showed me the bright side of life again, and I need her as much as she needs me. I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to turn you down."

Rarity gave me a small smile while sitting up from the couch and trotting over to the foyer, "You're a good stallion, Prime. I hope I can find something for you, and that you continue to live a good life."

"As long as Coco is here, I will."

Rarity nodded to me, and the door to Coco's apartment swung shut, leaving the two of us alone.

...

After several seconds of staring at the door, I turned around to face Coco, who was now much closer to me.

"D-did you mean w-what you said?" Coco said as her eyes began to water.

There were no words that could be thought, nor language that could be spoken that could convey my feelings for her. So I chose the next best thing.

I pulled her against me as I craned my neck, encompassing her in a deep, passionate kiss. She let out a squeak as I felt her shudder against me. To my surprise, I felt the intrusion of her tongue enter my mouth as I felt an immeasurable sense of an almost sickeningly sweet mania that resonated between us. She fought against me, gently pushing me into her bedroom, her tongue an aggressive and welcome invasion, the two of us landing on her bed with a soft thud.

The two of us broke away, if only for a moment in order to catch our collective breaths, her panting in sync with mine as our eyes locked.

"I thought last night was only a dream, and it turned out that I was wrong. Believe me when I say it Prime, I want you to fuck me."

She had become nearly feral with the amount of lust that had intoxicated her, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it.

"With pleasure."

We embraced each other. With reignited passion and increasing intimacy, I left a trail of kisses down her body. Once I was low enough, I heard her give a weak sigh of excitement and anxiety. I pressed myself against her, quickly becoming addicted to her taste and causing her to cry out in pure ecstasy.

Everything I did was uncoordinated and sloppy, I was relying on pure instinct, and instinct alone. From the response I was getting, I was doing rather well as I continued to explore inside of her, causing her to writhe and convulse at my actions.

"I-I c-can't, ah!" Coco managed to fumble out before clenching her thighs against me and digging her forehooves into my scalp. I satiated her as much as possible, while consciously remembering to breathe through my nose to prevent myself from being asphyxiated.

What a way to go that would be.

Coco let out a shaky breath as her hooves slackened, allowing me the reprieve of air I desperately needed. She had a dopey, embarrassed grin plastered across her face, "I, uh, think I-I may have gotten carried away."

I coughed a bit, trying to free the remaining fluid from my trachea, "What could've possibly given you that idea?"

She gave me a devious smile as she pushed me unto my back, "W-want me t-to make it up to you?"

What.

Before I could even respond, I was gently pushed against the bed frame as Coco locked eyes with me, "I-I've never r-really gone this far with somepony b-before, so it might be a little... u-underwhelming."

"You don't have to do this if you don't want to, you don't need to reciprocate."

And with that, she brought her mouth down upon me, engulfing me entirely all the way down to the base.

"F-fuck," I hissed as Coco pulled back for air, coughing slightly.

"I think I bit off more than I could chew," Coco said cheekily, as she tried again, slower than last time.

I grunted slightly as I felt her teeth graze against me, "I sure hope you don't bite, that would be horrifying."

I felt her chuckle, eliciting a groan from me as her teeth continued skim across me, filling me with both excitement and anxiety.

This continued for some time; her going down upon me as my reactions fueled her desire to please me. Her tongue gently lapped against me as I listened to the audible sounds of her coating me with her saliva. As much as I craved release, I didn't want to have to wait to regain my virility.

I gently pushed her head off of me, causing her to pout a little in the process, "I'd hate to kill the mood Coco, but I don't really want to end it here. I'd rather save it for something better, if you catch my drift."

This caused her to blush in response, "O-Oh, I see."

I brought her close to me, resisting the urge to kiss her after what she'd recently done, and stared into her eyes. "Coco, do you want to take this next step?"

I felt her breath against me as she replied, "Yes."

There was no hesitation in her voice, or any hint of anxiety for that matter. I gently pushed her against the bed, undoing her collar and mane clip as she hummed in content.

"P-please," Coco said as I pressed myself against her thigh, "Be gentle, I-I've n-never done this before."

I gave her a small smile, "I wouldn't have it any other way, Coco."

She wrapped her hind legs around me as I felt her slacken a bit. She began panting as I slowly slid into her, giving out a low lengthy sigh as she shuddered from the feeling.

"O-Oh, Celestia," Coco moaned aloud, gripping the sheets as she closed her eyes, a fiery blush ignited across her face.

"You're the only princess here, Coco," I said smoothly as I thrust into her, rocking the bed in the process.

The wet slapping and the response I was receiving from Coco was going to push me to the edge very fast. I felt her hind legs shudder underneath me as she muffled her screams of bliss into one of her pillows.

"C-hah, C-Coco, I'm not going to last much longer at this rate," I managed to sputter out, watching her as her tongue lolled out of her mouth.

"Kiss me, please."

I pressed my lips against hers for the final time that night as I met my release, causing Coco to moan into my mouth as a embraced her.

We sat there for a few long moments, remaining inside of her for the longest time, before she groggily turned to look at me.

"I love you."

I stared at her as she passed out in my hooves before I could reply, watching her eyes flutter before she burrowed her head in my chest.

"I love you too, Coco."

Author's Note

And a month later, here's the second to last chapter.

God, I procrastinated so hard, I apologize. :fluttershysad:

Epilogue

The next morning was the most alive I had ever felt. Waking up and staring into the eyes of somepony I loved gave me a feeling of indescribable happiness.

Coco was a changed mare too. Gone was her stuttering and bashfulness, though her timid and shy nature that I found so endearing had still been preserved. She walked with utmost grace and confidence as she helped me prepare our breakfast, actively participating in the conversation, without me having to coax the words out of her.

"What's on the agenda today, Prime?" Coco asked me, taking some time to chew the hash-browns I had made her.

I paused for a few seconds before answering, I'd said several things that had slipped out by accident last night. Everything I had said was genuine, but when it came to talking about my family life, I had really gone off the deep end. I didn't know if she wasn't addressing it out of politeness or otherwise, but she knew my situation regardless.

I bit my lip before speaking, "I think I'm going to visit the graveyard today... I haven't talked to them in a while."

Coco hesitated a moment, "You're talking about your brothers, right? I'd like to come with you, if you don't mind, that is."

It was a Sunday, so it wasn't as if there was anywhere in particular that she needed to be. That being said, I had never really opened up to anypony about this before, hardly anyone knew that I grew up with brothers in the first place.

I swallowed, "I, uh, alright. It's not a long walk, and it is rather beautiful despite the surrounding area."

She gave me a soft, comforting smile, "Let's stop for flowers along the way."

"I'd like that."

The sun was shining directly above the graveyard, which illuminated the area quite nicely, at the cost of an annoying glare being cast directly into my eyes.

Coco delicately carried a bundle of Gerbera daisies in her mouth as I held the gate open for her. It was quiet and barely anypony was around, maybe that was because it was a Sunday morning, but I'd like to think it was a form of respect.

It didn't take us long to reach their graves, as I'd had the path memorized at this point. I'd lost count of the number of times I had visited them, and every time, it always gave me the same melancholic feeling. It was uncomfortable, but it was something I could handle for their sake.

Coco hadn't said anything since we began nearing the gates of the graveyard, I wasn't sure if she thought I'd be offended if she started talking openly, but it was still a notion I appreciated.

The color of the vibrant red daisies were juxtaposed by the color of the slate gray tombstones that stood next to one another. They were buried next to each other, but the daisies rested on top of the left grave, I was sure Sterling wouldn't mind if they shared.

"What were their names, Prime?" Coco asked me softly, shifting her gaze between the two graves, unsure of what to make of the situation.

"Mint Coin and Sterling Silver," I replied curtly, "My two older brothers, they were always more ambitious and driven than I was, that's for sure. They were caught in a crossfire between two rival gangs, they were at the wrong place at the wrong time, and they were murdered for it."

There was a long stretch of silence, neither of us felt comfortable speaking at that point. The words that I had spoken left an acrid taste in my mouth, I didn't do a particularly good job of hiding my disdain of the situation.

Coco let out a small sigh, "I think if they could see you as you are today, they'd be proud."

I smirked at her, "They also wouldn't poke fun at me for not having a marefriend anymore."

She giggled, "You're a better smooth-talker than you gave yourself credit for."

I smiled and glanced at each of their graves. They weren't around anymore, but I was sure they'd be smiling too, right about now.

"Everything's thanks to you, Coco."

...

Several months of inactivity had gone by since I had first spoken with Miss Rarity. I had since become a little more well-known with some of Manehattan's locals, my reputation of doing freelance work had grown quite significantly. The guilt of not holding down a full-time job still lingered, but I was generating bits, and that eased the burden to some degree.

I wasn't stressed about the future anymore, I was happy again for the first time in a long time. Not to mention Coco had become a lot more open with me recently... especially in the bedroom. I was ready to take on whatever happened next.

With a content sigh, I set the small tools down that I was using to fix a watch I was currently working on. I glanced over at the doorway as I saw a small envelope slip underneath.

Curious, who would be willing to send us mail?

I trotted over to the foyer and searched for who the letter was addressed to. I was glad to see that it came from Ponyville, and that it was addressed to Coco.

Rarity must have sent her a letter, though I've learned my lesson from last time, and now I have a chance to redeem myself. I'll wait for her to open it.

I set the letter on the counter and sat back down at my desk, looking out of the window to see an overcast forming above the city block.

Looks like it's going to rain today.

Coco arrived in the afternoon, as the sun was starting to dip in the sky. Our schedules had become that of clockwork throughout these months of being together. She had always seemed stressed whenever she had to help design costumes for a show, but I couldn't recall the smile on her face ever leaving her for more than a few minutes at a time.

That was, of course, assuming that it wasn't being replaced by an even better expression.

That being said, I saw the smile on her face grow as she read over the contents of the letter.

"Prime, take a look at this!"

What I saw in that letter... was something I'd wanted for a long time.

Dear Prime Value, I apologize that I didn't address the letter to you, personally. My reasoning is that I wanted the two of you to read this at the same time, and I'm assuming you're past your days of snooping.

As it turns out, I've worked my flank off, pardon my Prench, in the effort to help my business grow into what I've always dreamed it would be. That being said, I think that within the next few months, I'll be able to open a new store in Manehattan, and I'll need a materials appraiser that will know exactly what I ask for.

If you are still interested, I am giving you the opportunity to work for me full time when I finally decided to branch out into Manehattan, please reply back soon dear!

Your new employer, Rarity.

A small smirk spread across my face. She was incredibly cheeky, the way she ended that letter implied that she knew what my answer was already, and she was Celestia-damned right. Not to mention that she knew that I wouldn't read the letter in the first place until Coco came home, she was more clever than I gave her credit for.

I felt my breath leave my body as I felt Coco tackle me into a side-hug.

"Isn't this wonderful news, Prime?!"

I stared down at the beautiful mare in front of me, then at the letter that was still in my hoof. I took the time to embrace her as I listened to the rain hitting the window pane behind me.

"This is the best I've felt in my entire life. I love you, Coco."

"I love you, too."

Author's Note

Finally... it all comes to a close.

Let me know what you think, and be prepared to see more from me in the future. :twilightsmile: