I Owe You One

by Closer-To-The-Sun

Rating: everyone
Tags: Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Gallus, Romance, Ocellus, Comedy
Length: 5582

Gallus asks Ocellus for a favor, but the changeling also has a favor to ask in return.

"For everything under the sun,/I owe you one." -Lights, 'I Owe You One'

Sequel 1: “Softly”
Sequel 2: "When You Know You Know"

An upcoming math exam has Gallus worried, so he asks a favor from Ocellus to help him study. However, the changeling also has a favor to ask of her friend. What could Ocellus want?

Cover art commissioned from Amy New.

Published 2020-05-05 21:30:01 UTC
Last updated 2020-05-05 21:30:01 UTC

I Owe You One

“Hey, Ocellus, you got a sec?” Gallus called out as the rest of the class was packing up and leaving to their next subject.

As Ocellus was putting her books away in her bag, she turned to see her griffon friend coming up to her desk. “Hmm? What is it, Gallus?”

He had a slightly guilty look on his face, “Can I ask a favor of you?”

“If it’s about giving you the answers to today’s biology test, I didn’t give them to Silverstream and I’m not giving them to you,” Ocellus said as she closed her saddlebag and draped it across her back.

“No, it’s not that. I’ll be fine with that test, I think,” Gallus said, “This is about mathematics.”

“Oh, okay! I’m still not giving you the answers,” the changeling said as she started to make her way out towards the hallway.

“I’m not asking for the answers to anything!” Gallus started to explain as he followed her out into the school’s halls, “Look, I know this sounds weird, but I need help with the upcoming exam I have in my math class. I know you’re in a more advanced class than mine, but I was still hoping that you could help tutor me.

“Why don’t you ask Smolder, she’s in the same class as you, right?”

Gallus gave a look to Ocellus that fully explained how he felt about the statement.

“Fair enough.”

The griffon pleaded, “Please? I don’t want to fail any of my classes!”

Ocellus thought aloud, “How would failing a class at the School of Friendship go? Like, is there Summer School of Friendship? Would you get held back?”

“Let’s not find out,” Gallus interrupted Ocellus’ thoughts.

After mulling it over as the two walked the hallways, Ocellus nodded, “Alright, I’ll help you study. But I want you to take this seriously, Gallus.”

Gallus was overjoyed, “Oh, thank you so much! Thank you, Ocellus!”

“Meet me in the library after dinner and we will go over your homework, okay?”

“Thank you, Ocellus, I owe ya one!” Gallus said as he quickly hugged the changeling before hurrying off in the opposite direction to his next class, “See ya!”

Ocellus was a bit shaken up by the sudden hug, causing her almost trip over her own hooves. She watched as Gallus rushed away through the crowded hallway. As much as she wanted to think more about what she just agreed to, she did have a class to get to.

Later that evening, Gallus sat at a table in the library. He had brought his books, papers, and just about anything else he would need for studying the subject he despised. He had seated himself and was killing time as he waited for Ocellus to arrive.

The changeling arrived and saw Gallus waiting for her, boredly balancing a pencil on his talon. “You’re actually here?”

“Of course, I am. Why wouldn’t I be?” The griffon asked back as he stopped fiddling with his pencil.

Ocellus thought for a moment, not sure how to respond, “I don’t know. I just felt that maybe you weren’t serious about me tutoring you.”

“I am,” Gallus answered, “I seriously want to not fail my exam so I don’t have to repeat the class.”

“Well, I’m glad you are taking your education earnestly,” Ocellus smiled at her friend, taking the seat next to him. “In that case, let’s look at your homework tonight and see what you’ve already done.” Gallus passed the worksheet over to Ocellus who looked it over. Her expression dropped to disbelief. “Gallus, this is just a shaded-in triangle, a poorly drawn cartoon of Professor Rainbow Dash, and the word ‘algebra’....and it’s not even spelt correctly.”

With a nervous chuckle, Gallus started, “Heh, you see, I was going to start working on it, but….”

“But what?” Ocellus led on.

“Yeah, I was going to lie, but I got nothing.”

Ocellus sighed, “I have an uphill battle, don’t I?”

A couple hours passed as the two continued working through the problems. Despite some struggling on understanding some of the concepts from Gallus and a little frustration from Ocellus, the two got through the assignment. With the last problem finished, Gallus dropped his pencil on the table, leaned back to stretch and breath a sigh of relief.

“See, you actually know more than you thought, Gallus. You just need to be walked through it all,” Ocellus praised her friend’s work.

“Easy for you to say, smarty. You basically had to walk me through the process each time,” Gallus commented as he seated himself back to normal.

Ocellus shook her head with a smile, “No, I just had to remind you of which process works for which problem. By the second half of the assignment, you were doing all of the work yourself.”

A small smirk appeared on Gallus’ face, “Still, I couldn’t have done it without your help. You’re a pretty good teacher.”

“Heh, I’m not that great,” Ocellus was a bit bashful at the compliment.

“Nonsense, you’re awesome at it. Mind helping me out with tomorrow’s assignment as well?” the griffon asked as he started to pack his items back up.

“I don’t know,” Ocellus thought, “I do have some of my own work to finish as well.”

“Please? The exam is next Friday and I want to be as prepared as I possibly can for it!” Gallus begged, “You can still do your work, and I’ll work on mine. If I get stuck on something, you’ll be right there to help me out!”

The changeling raised an eyebrow, “So, like a study date?

“Not the term I’d use, but yeah!” Gallus said.

With a hint of pink in her face, Ocellus agreed, “Okay, it’s a study date then.”

“Again, you don’t have to use that term, Ocellus,” Gallus couldn’t help but smile. “Anyway, thank you so much, I owe ya one!”

Gallus quickly gathered his saddlebag and placed it on his bag as he started to make his way out of the library.

“R-Remember, same time tomorrow,” Ocellus called to Gallus as he left the table and eventually the library. Left alone at the table, Ocellus started to gather what few items she had brought to the tutoring session. However, a thought crossed her mind as she did so: did she just agree to a date with Gallus?

Over the week, Gallus had been meeting up with Ocellus after dinner for extra lessons concerning his mathematics class. As the tutoring lessons went on, Gallus began to grasp the topic much better and the two of them began to chat and joke amongst each other more.

“Just one more problem left,” Gallus said as he stretched his front limbs forward before returning to the paper.

“Good work, if you get it done soon, we might be able to still make it to Sugarcube Corner for a post-homework treat,” Ocellus mused as she looked up from her book.

Gallus turned his head to look at Ocellus, “You’re hoping to get a slice of red velvet cake again?”

“What’s wrong with red velvet?”

“Oh come on, it’s gross. Cream cheese should not be a part of any dessert,” the griffon made a disgusted face at the thought of red velvet cake.

“It’s not gross, Gallus,” Ocellus insisted, “the mixture of cocoa and cream cheese is a wonderful mixture.”

Turning his attention back to his worksheet, Gallus shook his head, “Whatever you say, Ocellus, whatever you say.”

“At least it’s more than just Black Forest gâteau when it comes to sweets,” Ocellus struck back with a hint of sass.

This caused Gallus to smirk as he continued working on his problem, “Wow, you’ve gotten pretty snarky, haven’t you?”

“I’ve learned from the best, bird-brain.”

Gallus’ smile disappeared as he hit a roadblock on his assignment. “Guh, I’m stuck on this last problem….” He quickly erased his recent scribblings and tried again.

“Hold on a moment, let me see,” Ocellus said as she moved closer to Gallus. Leaning in on the griffon and looking at the equation, she quickly figured out the issue, “Oh, here, let me show you what the problem is.”

Ocellus placed her hoof on top of Gallus’ talon and guided it through the problem. She gave instructions as she moved the talon and wrote out the mathematical process. She continued through the entire problem and solved it, “....and that solves both x and y.” Ocellus looked at Gallus for his reaction to the solved equation. However, she saw that her face was a few mere centimeters from his, which had a slight pink tint to it. With her entire face turning red and a small ‘eep!’, Ocellus jumped back and almost tripped over her seat.

“Whoa, you alright?” Gallus asked, getting up to offer a talon to assist.

“Y-Yeah, I’m fine,” Ocellus was also almost tripping over her own words, “Sorry about that….”

Gallus’ face was still a bit flushed, though it was very minor compared to the changeling, “It’s alright, just don’t kill yourself there.”

Ocellus grasped the table to get her balance back. Looking at Gallus, she still felt her face blushing fiercely, “R-Right….”

The griffon gathered and packed his items together. “Thanks to your help, it seems we can still get to Sugarcube Corner before it closes. Wanna go get something?”

“That sounds nice.”

The two left the library and made their way into Ponyville. The night had just begun, with most of the town seeming to take advantage of the night. The stars dotted the clear sky and seemingly welcomed all to enjoy the night air. Gallus and Ocellus arrived at the bakery. After getting their sweets, they took a seat and continued chatting amongst themselves.

“Gotta say, you keep helping me out with this math, I really owe ya, Ocellus,” Gallus praised his friend, “I feel like I actually understand the subject for a change.” He added a laugh at the end of his statement before taking a bite of his cake.

“I’m happy you’re understanding your homework, Gallus,” Ocellus smiled as she paused for a moment to think. She then spoke again, “Speaking of how you said that you ‘owed me one’, I would actually like to cash that favor in, if you don’t mind.” Her words were shaky, just like her hooves were as it held her fork.

This surprised Gallus a little, “Wow, never thought any of those things got cashed in.” With a chuckle, he continued, “But I’m a griffon of my word. What’s the favor?”

“I need….help with something….” the changeling meekly spoke as she poked her half-eaten red velvet cake with her fork.

“Is it Yona’s snoring?”

“No, it’s not that.”

“Is Yona insisting on sleeping on the top bunk and you want the top bunk?”

“No, Gallus.”

“Is Yona burping? I know it’s pretty loud sometimes.”

“It’s not about Yona!” Ocellus asserted with a bit of volume. She cleared her throat and continued, “Look, I’m not sure how to really explain it, but….ever since coming to the school, I haven’t be able to sleep all that good, and….I know this sounds weird, but with your permission, I would like to sleep with you….in the same bed….and not in a weird way!” She quickly added the last part.

Gallus was silent for a moment as he gave an expressionless stare to his changeling friend. After what seemed like an eternity for Ocellus, Gallus spoke, “Maybe I should just take the bad grade and flunk out….”

“Gallus!” Ocellus cried out in shock.

“Kidding, I’m kidding!” he quickly repeated, “I’m just kidding. You can’t deny it’s an odd request.”

“I know, and I feel weird just even asking it,” Ocellus admitted as she looked down at her red velvet cake, “….but it’s due to how changeling biology works, and it’s hardwired in our instincts. You see, back in the hive, changelings would huddle together for warmth when we sleep. But since I’m the only changeling at the School of Friendship, I can’t adhere to what my own body is insisting I try to do.”

“I see,” Gallus nodded as he took another bite, “and may I ask why you choose me for this?”

Ocellus’ face turned red at the question. She took a bite of her red velvet cake and swallowed before she answered, “Because….I trust you. We’ve been spending each night for the past week just working on helping you with your studies, and I feel we’ve gotten closer, you know?”

“I’ll say, you’re not afraid to make insulting jokes at me anymore,” Gallus joked.

“Yes, and that’s on you,” the changeling gave a quick smirk. Her disposition returned the awkward one she had just moments before, “It’s because I trust you that I ask this. I understand if you don’t want to do this favor. It is a bit outlandish.”

“As I said, I’m a griffon of my word, I’ll be happy to help you out,” Gallus said with a comforting smile.

“Really?”

“Yeah, just promise me it won’t be all that weird.”

After finishing their desserts and with Sugarcube Corner closing, Gallus and Ocellus headed back to the school. Both of them were not expecting to stay as late as they did, however, it might have been because the two subconsciously were hoping to put off the awkwardness that awaited them.

“Alright, so how would this work?” Gallus asked as he opened the door to his dorm. There was only a little light coming from the window in the otherwise darkened room. The two were able to navigate the room easily and to Gallus’ bed.

“I suppose we just lie in the same bed and let the body heat do it’s thing?” Ocellus followed, closing the door quietly behind her.

“How do you not know how this works?”

“Hey, I don’t know about everything my body does!”

“It’s your own body!”

Ocellus was getting frustrated, “Look, look. Let’s just get in the bed, and I’ll lie down next to you. That might be all that’s needed for this to work.”

Gallus agreed and pulled the quilt off his bed and laid down. His face was burning as he blushed, looking at Ocellus. The small amount of light was enough to allow Gallus to make out some of the changeling’s features. Ocellus was also able to see Gallus’ features as well in the soft light. Her face was also flushed as she looked at her friend. With a deep breath, she laid her body next to her friend on the mattress. To finish, she pulled the quilt over both of their bodies.

For what felt like several endless moments of awkward silence between the two, they laid next to each other, both of them looking upwards at the ceiling.

“Is….Is it working?” Gallus asked, unsure of what else to say.

Ocellus didn’t say anything. She turned her body to face Gallus and wrapped her limbs around his body. It was soft to the touch, softer than she might have thought. Immediately, she felt warmth from both Gallus’ body and his fur running through her. Ocellus seemed to huddle up to Gallus’ chest, right where his feathers and fur seemed to meet and create a soft spot for a makeshift pillow for the changeling.

With a bit of a surprise at what happened, Gallus looked down at Ocellus and spoke, “Must you hug me?”

Ocellus got a bit defensive, “Yes, I do! It’s for warmth. I’m cold-blooded.”

“That can’t be right.”

“It is!”

“Fine! I’m still going to check in my textbook in the morning about it.”

“What, do you not believe me?”

“CAN YOU TWO PLEASE SHUT UP? Some of us are trying to sleep!” a voice called out. Both Gallus and Ocellus knew exactly who it was, as a cold shiver drove down their spines. It was Gallus’ dormmate Sandbar, who had already been in his bed when they arrived. “I’m not going to try to understand what’s going on between you two, I have my own problems, but can you please just be quiet so I can sleep?”

Both Ocellus and Gallus exchanged guilty smiles as they did their best to stifle their laughter in their embarrassment.

“Sorry, Sandbar,” Gallus said aloud, trying his hardest not to laugh.

“Yeah, sorry,” Ocellus added with a giggle in her tone.

Gallus looked down in silence at the changeling that was hugging him. It might have been the light, or the lack thereof, but for a brief moment, he thought he saw Ocellus’ blue coat turned into a shade of pink. He quickly convinced himself that he imagined it, as that moment seemed to pass and the changeling was her normal shade of blue.

The next morning, Gallus was the first to awake. His head was a little hazy as he tried to piece together what happened the night before. It came to him though: he remembered that he and Ocellus agreed for her to sleep in his bed to assist with her sleep issue. It did explain the feeling of being hugged around his torso. What felt wrong, however, was that it didn’t feel like Ocellus.

Gallus pulled the blanket off of his bed to reveal something he was not expecting. In the place of his changeling friend was a pale blue griffon who was making a soft purring noise. It took Gallus a moment to recognize that the unknown griffon in question was actually Ocellus.

“O-Ocellus?” Gallus quietly spoke, hoping to gently wake the sleeping changeling.

With a yawn from her new beak, Ocellus released her hold on Gallus and stretched out her talons and paws. “Oh, good morning Gallus,” Ocellus said with a smile.

“Um….” Gallus wasn’t sure how to proceed with pointing out the obvious, “How did you sleep?”

“Very well, thank you!” Ocellus answered, sitting up in the bed, “I haven’t been able to sleep that well since I arrived to the school.”

As the changed-changeling sat up, Gallus got a better look at the different Ocellus. Her body was the same color as her carapace normally was in her changeling form. On top of her head was a short pink mane that seemed to be designed to styled backwards. Her wings were barely visible behind her body, but they seemed to be a darker blue, and possibly rivaled Gallus’ own wings in comparison.

Ocellus took note of Gallus’ silence as he looked at her, “What’s the matter, cat got your tongue?”

“Have….um….have you seen yourself this morning?” he asked.

The changeling raised her talon up to her eye, “What are you talking abo-” she stopped herself as she noticed that what was once a hoof was now a talon. Ocellus put both of her talons in front of her face to take a closer look, moving them forwards and backwards. She quickly then looked at her entire body. From head to tail, talon to paw, she was a griffon. She let out a shriek of surprise, “Ahhhhhh!”

“There it is,” Gallus gave commentary.

Losing her balance and falling onto the floor, Ocellus rushed over the nearby vanity in the dormroom. She looked at her new griffon body in a panic. After the shock had left her body, Ocellus calmed herself and turned herself back into her normal, changeling body.

“You alright?” Gallus asked, making his way over to Ocellus.

“Wh-What happened?” Ocellus asked looking directly at Gallus, “Tell me everything that happened!”

Gallus shrugged, “What? I just woke up and felt you purring, pulled the blankets, and saw you as a griffon.”

“I was purring?!”

“Yeah, kinda.”

The revelation didn’t help Ocellus’ worrying. She started mumbling under her breath, “Oh, this is weird. I changed….I changed subconsciously….I haven’t had this happen before. I knew it was possible, but why….why did I change? Why did I change into a griffon?”

“Hey, Ocellus?” Gallus tried to interrupt his friend.

She quickly fired back, “It’s not my fault! I-I don’t know why it happened! Stop freaking out, Gallus!” Her words were panicked, almost hysterical.

“I’m not,” he calmly replied, “I was just going to ask if you were ready to go down to breakfast together, or if you needed to stop by your dorm first.”

Ocellus looked at the griffon. His demeanor was relaxed and collected. “You’re….not frightened about what happened?”

Gallus raised an eyebrow. “What? No, why would I be? Sure, I’m a bit confused about what just happened with your new appearance, but I figured it was a changeling thing,” he explained, “You’re still you, and you’re still my friend.”

The changeling’s cheeks tinted a light pink for a brief moment as she heard Gallus’ words, “R-Right….”

“So, wanna go get breakfast? We still have some time before class starts,” the griffon asked.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure the others are wondering where we are.”

Gallus nodded as he made his way to the door.

“Also, just throwing it out there, you looked pretty adorable as a griffon.”

The day unfolded fairly uneventfully for both of them. Even their evening study session together in the library proceeded with no issues or mention of what occurred earlier that morning. It was most likely the two of them wanting to be both polite about the situation and ignoring the awkwardness of that morning.

Later than night, Gallus and Ocellus returned to his dorm.

“Where’s Sandbar?” Ocellus asked when they arrived.

“Most Friday nights, he goes back home to his family. I like it because it gives me time to focus on studying,” the griffon explained, “....or read his comics.”

“I’m not sure if that last part was a joke or not,” Ocellus smirked at Gallus’ comment.

The two laughed and chatted about a number of different things for a bit. It was mostly for them to try and avoid the eventual awkward event that they would have to talk about.

“So….” Gallus carefully spoke, his face a little flushed, “I guess we should try to get some sleep?”

Ocellus nodded, “Y-Yeah. Do you want me to lie down first?”

“Sure, I’ll get the light.”

Gallus turned the dorm’s light off. Just like the night before, the only remaining light came from the window. It was enough to allow him to make his way back to the bed. Ocellus was already lying down, looking a bit stiff, unsure about what position to place her body. With the utmost care, Gallus climbed into the bed next to the changeling. He finished by pulling the quilt over both of their bodies. Again, they both were lying down next to each other, looking directly at the ceiling above.

“May….uh….may I hold onto you again?” Ocellus meekly asked.

Gallus couldn’t help but crack a joke, “If this is going to be a regular thing, I don’t think you need to ask anymore.”

Ocellus stuck her tongue out at Gallus, though she wasn’t sure if he saw, “You don’t have to be rude, you know.”

“I’m just messing with ya. Go for it.”

Without hesitation, the changeling wrapped her limbs around the griffon. He might have agreed to it and was expecting it, but Gallus was still surprised about how fast and eager Ocellus was. A small smile still appeared on Gallus’ face as he looked down at the changeling as she warmed her body up.

“Warming up?” Gallus asked.

“Yeah,” Ocellus said as she started to bury her head up against Gallus’ chest, “but you could also put your limbs around me too.”

“Huh?”

It wasn’t visible to Gallus, but Ocellus’ face was blushing pink as she spoke, “It’ll help warm me up.”

Gallus moved his limbs around Ocellus’ body. He might have imagined it, but he thought he felt the changeling’s body shiver he wrapped around her torso.

“Better?”

“Yes,” she replied with content in her voice. Then a soft chuckle came from her.

“What’s so funny?” Gallus asked.

“It’s nothing,” Ocelles responded, “it’s just that I thought you would be a little more….I don’t know, less timid when it came to the opposite gender.”

Gallus flushed red in surprise, “What?!”

Ocellus quickly spoke up with laughter in her voice, “Kidding! I’m kidding, Gallus!”

“Geez, maybe it was a bad thing that you started taking after me.”

“Oh, so now you’re having second thoughts about all of this?” joked Ocellus.

The two shared a laugh together.

“You are comfortable though, right?” Gallus asked, a bit of concern in his voice.

“Yes, I am, thank you,” Ocellus answered.

Gallus smiled, “Good, I just hope this is working for you.”

Ocellus nodded with her head against Gallus, causing him to feel it, “Yes, it really is. I already had the most restful sleep I’ve had in quite some time. Better than the other attempts I’ve had.”

“Other attempts?”

“Yeah, I tried some….other ways of trying to trick my body into a restful sleep,” Ocellus sounded embarrassed to even think about them, “They were just….unfortunate….”

Gallus had a sly smirk on his face, “What were they?”

Ocellus got defensive, “I’m not telling you!”

“Come on, you can’t build it up like that only to not tell me! Spill it!”

The changeling seemed reluctant but still answered, “The first thing I tried was sleeping on a bed filled with plushies. And when I say filled, there was not an empty spot on that bed. But the worst idea I had was the heated rock. I thought if I held a warmed rock, it would help.” Gallus tried his hardest not to laugh, but Ocellus felt his body’s laughter. “Gallus, stop laughing!”

“I can’t help it! That’s just so stupid!”

Ocellus didn’t like his laughter, her expression becoming more sour. “Gallus, stop!”

“Sorry, I’m sorry, but picturing you hugging a rock is just so funny!” Gallus’ laughter died down and he apologized, “Sorry, I’m done now.”

“You better be, or I’m going to tell Sandbar you read his comics without permission,” Ocellus warned.

“Alright, alright!”

The two continued to talk until they both grew more drowsy until they fell asleep wrapped in one another’s embrace. Shortly after the changeling drifted off to sleep, her body changed into that of a griffon again.

The next week followed a pattern for Gallus and Ocellus: the two would awake in his bed, surprised to find that Ocellus subconscious transformed into a griffon again (often causing Ocellus to express a bit of worry), proceed with the rest of their day until their study sessions after dinner, and then finally return to Gallus’ room where Ocellus would share a bed with the griffon. The explanation to the rest of their friends did cause a little confusion, but they understood that they were both assisting each other with a problem (however, they were sure to omit Ocellus’ transformation into a griffon).

Friday came, the day of Gallus’ exam. The two had been preparing the past two weeks for this moment. To say Gallus was nervous would be an understatement.

“Are you ready for this, Gallus?” Ocellus asked, trotting with him toward his class.

“Can you ask me about that later? You know, after I fail this test?” Gallus quipped as his mind was running over the notes in his talon.

Ocellus smirked, “Come on, Gallus, you got this. We studied over this every night. Quick, what’s the Pythagaitean’s theorem?”

“That’s a squared plus b squared equals c squared, right?” Gallus closed his eyes, as to not look at his notes so he can recall it from memory.

“Correct!” Ocellus cheered, “And you know the equations and the process like the back of your talon, you have nothing to worry about!”

Gallus was still unsure, “I hope so.”

“I know so! You’ve worked so hard on this, I just know you’ll do well.”

The first bell rang as the two arrived at Gallus’ class.

“I have to get to my class, tell me how you do!” Ocellus quickly gave a hug to Gallus, which caught him off guard, “A quick hug for luck!”

Gallus called back as Ocellus galloped off to her class, “Thanks, I’m gonna need it.”

Both Gallus and Ocellus agreed to look over his graded exam later that evening during the time that would have been their study session. Ocellus arrived early, eager to see the fruits of Gallus’ hard work and studying. However, to her surprise, he didn’t arrive at their scheduled time.

Ocellus looked at the clock and grew a little worried. Her mind raced to find any excuse of why he might be late, such as helping some other creature that needed some assistance or perhaps something might have happened to him? Unfortunately, her thoughts drifted to something worse, such as Gallus standing her up now that the exam was done.

“Stop it, brain….I don’t want to even think about that….” she mumbled to herself as she placed her head on the table. She stayed in this position for a few minutes until something startled her up.

A small box was placed next to her head. She turned to look at the item; it was a small takeout box from Sugarcube Corner. Ocellus then turned her head to see Gallus was the one who placed the box down.

“Gallus!” she called out before quickly covering her mouth, remembering she was in a library. She continued with her library voice, “Where were you? I was worried.”

“Sorry I’m late, it was far more busier at the bakery than I was expecting,” Gallus explained as he sat down.

Ocellus looked at the box, “What did you get, a celebration treat?”

“Sort of,” Gallus pushed the box closer to Ocellus, motioning for her to open it.

The changeling opened the small box, revealing a slice of red velvet cake. The aroma hit the changeling, causing her to smile for a moment before turning back to the griffon. “Wait, is this for me?”

“Of course, it is. I don’t like red velvet cake,” Gallus smiled. “Think of it as a thank you for helping me study for that exam. I might think it’s gross and weird, but it’s something I know you like.”

Ocellus was speechless for a moment. She looked at the cake and then back to the griffon, “You didn’t have to do this, Gallus.”

“Please, it’s the absolute least I can do for you after you helped me study so much for that exam.”

It dawned on Ocellus to ask, “Oh, speaking of the exam, how did you do? Where is it?”

Gallus pulled a paper out from his saddlebag and placed it on the table. With pride in his voice, he spoke, “How does 97% sound?”

Ocellus looked at the paper. There were only a couple of red marks on the paper, but most visible was a smiling face and a written note praising Gallus’ improvement and work. “That’s amazing! Congratulations~!” Ocellus quickly wrapped her limbs around Gallus, “I knew you could do it!”

“Well, I did have a good tutor,” Gallus insisted.

The changeling let go of her hug on Gallus and sat back normally. She was a bit bashful as she blushed slightly, “Please, a tutor can only be as good as the student’s eagerness to learn.”

Gallus also blushed a little as he spoke, “Hey, can I be honest about something? I sorta planned to have these tutor lessons to help us hang out more. I mean, you’re my friend and I was hoping for us to be….I don’t know….get closer….”

“I see,” Ocellus commented before adding, “Wait, you weren’t failing in your math grade?”

“Oh, no, that was true. It was sort of a happy accident of how that worked out.”

“Not sure if a failing math grade should be considered a ‘happy accident’,” Ocellus paused for a moment as her face became flushed, “And….you knew I was going to ask to….share a bed with you?”

Gallus’ eyes widened, “Oh no. No. Goodness no. Had no freaking clue. That seriously surprised me.”

Ocellus gave a nervous laugh, “Heh, sorry about that….”

The griffon looked down at the table, not really wanting to look at Ocellus as he finished, “I’m not going to lie, Ocellus, what I’m trying to say is that I’ve been scared about asking you out for a while….and about being in love with you….” Gallus’ face was burning red as he blushed, “because more than anything, I don’t want to lose you as a friend….”

“Gallus….I didn’t know you felt that way….” Ocellus said, her cheeks tinted pink, “but you don’t have to ever worry about losing me as a friend.” There was a warm smile on Ocellus’ face as Gallus turned to look at her. “In fact, I….” her words weakly trailed off in her words as she slowly leaned in closer to the griffon.

Ocellus’ lips made contact with Gallus’ beak, softly kissing him. While both the griffon and the changeling were surprised that it was happening, neither seemed to be against the act. Finally pulling away, both Gallus and Ocellus looked into each other’s eyes. Both were sheepishly smiling.

“So….I guess this means we’re….” Gallus managed to say.

“I’d like that….” Ocellus knew what he was trying to say.

“Heh, me too….”

Ocellus still had the smile on her face, as he looked down at Gallus’ exam paper, “I’m so proud of you, Gallus. You made such progress with your studies.”

“It’s thanks to you, Ocellus,” Gallus smiled back towards the changeling, “I owe you one.”

END