Smolder and Ocellus sat adjacent to each other on the soft, fluffy pillows provided by their professor, a light pink, bouncy, fun mare titled Pinkie Pie. She bounced around the room, giving the students cupcakes with glee. Smolder looked at her's in perplexity, and a small smile took shape on Ocellus' face when she was given her's. She looked at her friend and soon carried the same frown she did.
"What's wrong, Smolder? You like cupcakes, don't you?" Smolder looked at her in surprise, and then proceeded to eye the two cupcakes in each of her palms. She looked back at her friend before slowly nodding her head.
"Yeah, I like 'em. It's just that I can't figure out what I'm supposed to do with two cupcakes. Every time I try and eat one, Pinkie keeps eyeing me." Her ears rang for a moment when she felt a surge of blood rushing through her body. The movement in her joints ceased, and her blood ran cold. She looked up at her professor with shock. It was like as soon as the words left her mouth, she was immediately there.
"Well, it's simple, Smoldy!" She chirped, smiling with her usual trademark grin. Smolder looked up at her in agitation, and then replied.
"Don't call me that." She spoke in a low growl. The words fell on deaf ears as Pinkie just continued on as if she hadn't heard anything.
"One cupcake is for you, and the other's for Ocellus. Tell her what you like about her, and then hand her a cupcake!" Pinkie stared down at her scaly student, and she at the light turquoise-frosted cupcake in her claw. It reminded her of the chitin-y coat of the friend sitting next to her. She stared at the frosting and marveled it's beauty, thinking of the first thing she'd say about the buggy bookworm. She looked up into the intruding eyes of the pink professor standing tall over her, and then at Ocellus.
The changedling stared at her with a welcoming smile, her eyes sparkling in the lighting that adorned the classroom. She found her cheeks burning at the sight of such a wondrous creature. She was so warm and comforting to look at. Her eyes always sparkled and shone in the pale golden daylight, and her chitin was flawless, as if every time she appeared she had emerged straight out of a sauna, or a five hour beauty treatment. Smolder shook her head when she saw her friend's cheeks glow red. "Aren't you gonna say something?" Pinkie questioned, causing the dragon below her to quiver slightly.
Smolder was startled in the moment. She looked at Ocellus, and then back to Pinkie Pie. "Uhm..." Her tongue shook and pounded against her clenched teeth, demanding for Smolder to finally say something. All the student's eyes were on her, and her heart was palpitating. "Ocellus...?" She turned back to Ocellus, whose face was completely red. Her hooves shifted, and her eyes blinked rapidly. Smolder had no idea what to say next, as whatever came out of her mouth at that moment was bound to be shoved back down her dried throat. She gulped in nervousness, and blinked a few times before taking a breath.
Ocellus almost didn't even breathe as she was covering her mouth with a hoof. Behind the blocking appendage, she was gently flicking her tongue observantly and examining her situation. Everything near her draconic friend was filled with spice and sugar, and that she assumed was what most draconic love really tasted like. Love, huh? Such a funny word. It carried so many flavors and hints of spice and zests. Each and every creature in the room was doused in it themselves, and it was flowing especially from the prominent pink pony. Whether it was directed directly to each of the students in the room, or she just had someone else in mind, it made Ocellus giggle under her breath.
Looking to Smolder, she quickly quieted down. The dragon in question cleared her throat in attempt to pick up where she left off. "Ocellus, you look... pretty." The room was still silent for a moment, and Ocellus' wings buzzed at the compliment. Smolder pressed the flawless looking cupcake to Ocellus' chest gently, urging her to take it in her usual prickly manner. The changeling in reply chuckled softly and prepared to offer a remark in exchange.
"You're very brave, Smolder." She replied, giving Smolder a saffron orange-frosted cupcake in return. The two looked at Pinkie Pie, who was sitting down at her desk and pressing two similarly colored cupcakes together as she watched the two speak.
"Now kiss.." She muttered to the orange and blue cakes, which the frostings quickly exchanged blots of color. She pulled them apart as she looked up slowly. All the students were looking up at her, and Smolder and Ocellus especially. Her face turned a dark red as if the pelt on it were permanently dyed. "Whaaat?" She gave each of them a too-wide grin, sliding the cupcakes apart and off her desk. "It's cupcake love! Don't look at me!" She hissed, rushing out of the room through the window and taking a plate of cupcakes with her.
"Aaand, there goes all our cupcakes. Uhm..." Smolder looked down at her two cupcakes. One green frosted, and one orange. She looked at her green cupcake, and then up at Ocellus. The student that sat on the other side of her, however, was sitting with his head high and a smile on his face as if he was expecting something. She turned her head to look at him, her eyes narrowed. He still smiled at her despite her flared nostrils and the smoke puffing out of them.
The stallion's coat was sea foam green like the cupcake's frosting, and his mane was jade green with mint colored highlights.
"Hey, you've said it yourself. No more cupcakes."
"I don't like anything about you right now. Move on." She looked over her shoulder to Ocellus, and then back to the colt. "You're the worst wing man ever."
"Hey, don't look at me. Look at Ocellus." He pointed a gentle hoof toward the space behind Smolder. Ocellus was there, and looking past the dragon.
"Smolder? Aren't you gonna give Sandbar your cupcake?" Smolder's mouth opened and just hung there, as if her jaw had just lost movement. Sandbar offered a smug grin, and then continued for her.
"Nope!" He answered for her. Smolder, for that one moment, was scared out of her mind. The green colt continued still. "We were actually just talking about the amazing flavor of the green ones, because green has the best flavor. She actually wanted to give it to you, but was trying to figure out how it would compliment your taste buds." He spoke in a teasingly elegant tone, and winking at Smolder.
"You're my best friend right now." She whispered.
"I know," He replied, looking back up and at Ocellus. The changedling's face was bright red, and her eyes were wide at Smolder. "Anyway, I didn't really want any cupcakes. Planned on giving all mine to someone special, and it was all Smolder's idea."
"Smolder...?" She whispered. Smolder turned to her and quickly pressed the cupcake to Ocellus' nose. It, like the other one she gave her, was in perfect condition. With the other students, the cupcakes they were trading around would lose a couple chunks of frosting, or even be mushed a little in the hoofing process, but the one Smolder gave her was almost like it came fresh out of the bakery. "A-Are you sure? About the cupcake, I mean."
"Yeah. Sandbar's being annoying right now, so he doesn't get a cupcake."
"But... he's not someone special to you, is he?" She hummed in reply, leaning on her friend's shoulder. Smolder was silent for a time, and then took a slow breath. Sandbar took the liberty to wink at her one more time, to which Smolder retaliated by snapping her fingers and forming a playful finger gun. He smiled in reply, and then turned to the pony sitting next to him, or rather, the griffin sitting next to him.
Gallus and Sandbar were trading cupcakes, and when Gallus traded a cupcake with Sandbar, he said something. "Hey, Sandbar?" The colt looked up at him and smiled warmly. "You're the best boyfriend ever. Have a cupcake, you doof." And with those words, Gallus shoved a cupcake in Sandbar's muzzle, to which he replied by smooching his boyfriend on the cheek and proceeded to hug him tightly.
"So are you, Gally. Oh, what's this? You seem to have some icing on your cheek... from when I... kissed you." He mused in an obviously fake tone. Gallus smirked at this.
"Oh yeah. It seems that I have managed to acquire some.. icing, Sandbar. Won't you help me clean it up?"
"Actually, I have a better idea." Sandbar turned away from Gallus, and the griffin frowned in disappointment.
"Aww, what's better than--" Gallus was interrupted by a cupcake being shoved in his face.
"Have a cupcake, you doof." The two smiled and laughed, kissing and hugging while everyone else chatted with each other. Smolder smiled at this, and then opened her mouth to speak.
"No, I think he's got someone else in mind. How about you--? Augh!" Smolder grunted at a certain body weight that clung to her like no tomorrow.
"I think I've got you in mind." Ocellus had wrapped her in a tight hug that managed to double over Smolder's own body weight. She smiled down at the changedling below her and chuckled nervously. "You still haven't given me a compliment with that last cupcake." Smolder tensed up for a moment, and her eyes grew wide.
The scales on her cheeks were near scalding. That one thing she'd tell her before would surely get stuck in her throat, and she'd never be able to gulp it down, nor force it out. The bug she claimed to be 'pretty'(and she sure was) was sitting right there, clutching to her body in a warm, tight embrace. Ocellus wasn't just 'pretty'. She was beautiful, gorgeous, even. Wait, what was Smolder thinking? Ocellus was her friend, and possibly more, but, how could she pay her such a forward compliment without being so... forward? She was obviously more than just pretty, and Smolder would have to act like it.
Ocellus now wore a small frown, looking up at her friend in concern. "Smolder, you're sweating." The dragon jolted in surprise.
"No, no I'm not. I'm just... dehydrated."
"Dragon's don't normally need water, do they? I've read a book on--"
"Wow. You read everything, huh? I've gotta learn to lie to you less often." Smolder wrapped her arms around Ocellus and thought deeply about what she'd say next. "And... you really want me to say something else about you?"
"Mm-hm." Ocellus nodded, and so Smolder continued.
"I, uh... I think you're... more than pretty."
"Oh?" Ocellus smiled and spoke in a playful tone. "Please elaborate more on that, o' great and poetic dragon."
Smolder groaned and rolled her eyes. She smirked and looked down at Ocellus with her eyes half closed. Gently stroking her friend's fin, she cleared her throat and remembered what she was going to say in an instant. The fact that the girl sitting under her was the one she probably had feelings for shook her up more than anything. Dragons normally didn't do love, or cupcake circles for that matter. Complimenting each other was definitely was another no-no in the Dragonlands, and falling in love was like a mortal sin unless you were completely forward about it. Physically claiming your mates out in the open was something that wasn't out of the ordinary, and Smolder soon thought that was something she'd be doing, but ever since she came to the School of Friendship, things changed in her, and so did her feelings.
Ocellus was still expecting an answer, and if she ever chickened out of saying those few words she was thinking of, she'd never be able to live it down in her life. With great pain and a heavy heart, Smolder thought it was time to finally come out and admit her feelings. taking a deep breath, she continued in a mutter.
"O-Ocellus... I think you're beautiful." She muttered, and Ocellus tilted her head.
"I-I'm sorry, what was that? It's kind of loud in here with all the chatter."
"I think you're... beautiful- I guess..."
Ocellus looked up at Smolder with wide eyes and reddened cheeks. "Y-You do..? That's... the nicest thing you've ever said to me. Thank you so much, Smolder." The bug snuggled into her friend's shoulder, and Smolder tensed up again.
"Is it? I've said plenty of nice things to you?" She looked down at Ocellus with a brow arched, but she just giggled and smiled.
"Things like 'You suck the least' and 'I tolerate you more' aren't usually made up to be compliments in Equestria. Or... anywhere else for that matter."
"Yeah, I guess you're right." She patted Ocellus' head, but she wasn't finished.
"So... does this mean we're... You know?"
"Like Gallus and Sandbar?" She looked over to the mentioned duo, who were sharing half kisses and exchanging the last few cupcakes they still had. "Of course. Maybe then, we can hang out a little more often and I can give you better compliments."
"Do they come with cupcakes? The green ones?" Ocellus held up her blue cupcake and gesture to the green cupcake she left on the side.
"You know it." Smolder bit into her saffron-frosted cupcake, and Ocellus planted a gentle kiss on her cheek.
"Oh, hey, you've got some frosting on your lip." Ocellus raised a hoof and softly caressed her new girlfriend's chin, eliciting a soft hum from Smolder.
"Oh, really? Would you mind taking care of it for me?" She leaned in slowly toward Ocellus, and Ocellus leaned in also.
"Mm-hmm. I think you've got some right... here." Ocellus trailed off in a whisper, finally giving in to the soft, orange frosted lips of the dragon in front of her. They kept in contact for a while as they lost themselves in the moment. Smolder wrapped her arms around the bug, and chills were sent up her spine as she pulled back. Ocellus looked up at her with her face completely red. Smolder looked behind her and found that all the students had been staring at them.
"You all just saw that, didn't you?" Smolder asked. Ocellus was gently licking some of the leftover frosting from her lips when the sudden sour taste of a certain emotion came up. She stared and examined the whole class and read their expressions. No one was looking directly at them, but above them. As if something were behind them, even. Ocellus' blood ran cold. She turned around immediately, and what she saw had her completely and utterly mortified.
She let out a gasp that had startled Smolder, causing her to whip around as well. Much to her dismay, she found a thoroughly displeased Pinkie Pie towering over her. "Were you two just making out in my class!?"
"Hey! Gallus and Sandbar did it!" Smolder spat, pointing at the two boyfriends. Gallus just looked at her with his displeasure clear in his expression. She was expecting a clear argument from Pinkie, but instead, she just squealed. Smolder arched a brow as the teacher didn't seem as upset as she was before. Or as she looked before.
"I know! I love it! Ah!" Before they knew it, all four students were scooped up and into the biggest embrace they've ever been in. "I'm gonna have to plan weddings for you guys! And then, if we get Twilight to use her magic, you can have kids! Oh! Magic kids!!!!"
"Someone kill me." Smolder whispered in the middle of her rambling. Her blood boiled with embarrassment, and so did the other three's. Gallus answered immediately after her, the red on his face immeasurable.
"Only if you take me with you."
Even though the class's eyes were all on them at that moment, it would be alright in the end. They each had each other, and each had their own to love, cherish, and look after in the long run. Besides, magic kids didn't sound like too much of a bad idea.
