Sprinting through the sparse streets of Canterlot, a blue-furred mare cursed lightly to herself as she read the time on her phone.
Damn it, it’s eleven thirty. How could I have let time get away from me?
The mare continued to scold herself every time she would lay eyes upon the time. The cool night air of winter continued to nip at the mare’s body, but she paid it no heed. There was only one thing on her mind at the moment, and that was getting home and trying to salvage the situation, if she even could.
Arriving a few minutes later, the mare carefully pulled out her key ring before inserting the correct key into the lock. The temperature had dropped a few more degrees since she had checked her phone last, wracking the mare with a sudden jolt that sent shivers through her body. With a quick twist and click, the door was unlocked and the mare found herself inside her humble apartment.
The first thing to catch her attention was the lack of lighting when she had entered. She knew that such a sign meant that the situation was far from salvageable at this point. With a disappointed sigh, the mare flipped on the living room lights before her heart sank at the sight in front of her. A white, gold-embroidered tablecloth was set perfectly atop of the usual dining room table. A silver candlestick with a half burned candle nestled near its center. Two placemats had been set on opposite ends of the table, garnished with fine china and silverware. A single wine glass had been coupled with each set, adding to the effort and vibe of the atmosphere.
With another disappointed sigh, the mare slowly pulled her key from the lock before closing the door and relocking it. She knew she had messed up, but she didn’t truly know how badly until she stepped through the door.
Slowly pulling herself from her thoughts, the mare made her way over to the table, running a hand along the delicate fabric of the tablecloth until noticing a small-white note that blended in with the background. Lifting the hand-sized piece of paper into view, she read the few words it contained.
‘Leftovers in the fridge.’
That was all the note had said. Those few simple words that made the mare cringe with guilt, though that didn’t stop her stomach from letting out a raging growl of hunger. To say the mare was a little upset at her stomach’s antics would have been an understatement, though she understood its reasoning.
She had been out drinking with a few coworkers. Work had been nothing but stressful throughout the entire day. That’s just what happens when someone works in retail during the holiday season. So when her coworkers said they were headed to the bar for a few drinks, the mare couldn’t resist and tagged along. An hour quickly turned into several hours as everyone regaled each other with past retail experiences before catching up on any new gossip around the store. When the mare finally pulled out her phone, it was a little after eleven in the evening with three missed calls and a new voicemail. It was then that she remembered what day it was. It was Friday, or better yet, the second Friday of the month. And that meant that tonight was date night. After realizing this, the mare quickly paid for her drinks before rushing home as fast as she could, praying that she would be able to somehow salvage what was left of the night. Of course, she wasn’t able too, though as she stood peering into the open fridge, she couldn’t help but place a hand over her mouth in shock.
Littered throughout the fridge was everything needed to serve a four-course meal. The mare slowly reached in and grabbed the salad bowl, noticing it had far too many croutons compared to the salad, though that was just the way she liked it. Next had been the soup, minestrone accompanied with five-cheese lasagna for the main dish. This was followed by molten lava cake as the desert. Everything, from the salad to desert had been prepared and catered to exactly the way she preferred it. Even the selection of wine, Paddock Shiraz, which is well on the expensive side, had been chosen because at one time or another, she admitted to how amazing it tasted.
The realization of the time and effort it must have taken to prepare the meal and everything with it hit the mare like a train. She knew that she had messed up, though after everything she had seen, she could no longer be modest about the situation. She didn’t just mess up; she had fucked up, royally.
The mare’s appetite from before was soon replaced with guilt as she carefully placed everything back into the fridge before making her way to the bedroom. Peeking her head through the bedroom door, she noticed that her coltfriend was sound asleep. As fast and as silently as she could, the mare slipped through the door before stripping herself down to nothing but her underwear. Despite being indoors, the air in the bedroom was still rather chilly, especially without all of her clothing. So as gently as she could, the mare slipped into her side of the bed before pulling the warm covers over her body. A small sigh escaped her lips as the warmth of the covers began to warm her body.
Turning onto her side, the mare slowly let her eyes adjust to the darkness of the room. It didn’t take long, only a minute or so before she was able to make out the sleeping contour of her coltfriend. As his chest continued to slowly rise and fall the mare couldn’t help but smile. This was one of the things she loved about him; how peaceful he looked when he slept. The slow and rhythmic falling and rising of his chest, the way his wings would twitch from time to time, or just the silly but adorable look on his face. To some, he was just a yellow pegasus with an affinity for technology. Though right now, he was an angel, her angel. With one last smile, the mare inched her body closer to his before wrapping him in a soft, but loving embrace. She knew that she was going to have to own up to her mistake tomorrow, but right now, he was all hers. After gently kissing his cheek, the mare slowly closed her eyes, letting the calmness of sleep claim her for the night.
Author's Note
Just something I felt like writing. I don't know why, but I was just having one of those moods...