Being Shy Together

“Screw this entire day.”

The declaration was odd to hear from Spike’s lips, a statement filled with frustration that matched the growl in his tone as he plodded through Ponyville’s road to the outside of town. His demeanor, a scowl on his lips and shoulders hunched with his hands in the pockets of his shorts, stood in complete contrary to the bright and sunny day shining over the countryside. It was a day to go out and visit the park, to play games and be happy. But all the chirping birds and warm weather was for naught in the case of the disgruntled drake. His irritation seemed to defy the good vibes trying to shine down on him, a brief thought crossing his mind to shake his fist at the sun and object of power belonging to somepony he considered his family.

She probably wouldn’t be offended, but best not to further tempt the troublesome day.

“You’re just a kid, Spike. Move along, shorty!”

“Spike, you’re not big enough to do this.”

“Shouldn’t you be helping your mommy?”

“I’m eighteen years old for crying out loud!” he shouted to the heavens, startling some birds to fly off from their roost. Spike didn’t stop to apologize to them, too driven on exiting Ponyville and making for a familiar house on the outskirts. His day had begun alright, but persistent frustrations with various civilians as he did some morning errands wound up souring the good mood he’d begun with. It didn’t matter how helpful he actually could be, since he was fairly experienced in many different avenues of life, since apparently nopony could move past him being still...small, despite his legal age in the eyes of pony law.

Kicking a loose rock along the route until he finally punted the pebble into a nearby stream, Spike sighed and ran a hand through his spines atop his head before looking ahead to his destination. Despite his irritation with Ponyville, there was at least one pony he could count on to hear him out. The homely cottage was peaceful and quiet compared to the busy air around Ponyville. The birdhouses that dotted the trees surrounding the cottage were empty that day, no doubt their residents out flying about this sunny day. With the cottage resting on an elevated mound of earth, several holes had been dug in the sides along the path for other animals to reside in.

“No gophers or other rabbits here, huh?” he remarked to no one, but in a way, he was grateful. As put off as he was by the day’s experiences thus far, he didn’t desire to take it out on any of the little critters his friend took care of.

Fluttershy had always been the one mare he could go to when troubled. The Element of Kindness was many things he valued, but her willingness to listen was, to him, her prominent trait. It rang in tune with her element to be the type of pony to do so, whether you were a common friend or as extreme as a formerly villainous god of chaos. It was with Fluttershy where he felt like his age despite his size not matching.

The mental circle back around had renewed the scowl on Spike’s face, and he knocked on Fluttershy’s door three times before waiting. He didn’t need to wait for too long; a few steps past the door, he heard her approaching and looked up as she opened the upper half of her front door to look outside. Seeing Spike, the pegasus smiled at the drake, earning a brief one in kind from him.

“Good afternoon, Spike. What brings you by here?” Fluttershy asked. “Did Twilight need something from me?”

“No. It’s just me being...uh. Well.” The yellow mare’s smile disarmed a fair deal of his aggression, like a fire being snuffed out under a blanket. Irritation bled out into self-consciousness, and he turned his gaze down at the stone and grass steps that led to the house. “...I need a friend to listen to me.”

“Oh dear.” Fluttershy opened the rest of the door, better revealing herself to him. Looking up, Spike was greeted with the sight of the pegasus’ beauty. Unlike Rarity or other mares Spike knew, Fluttershy was one whose looks were best shown naturally. She didn’t need artificial things or the top-of-the-line dresses to look great. The pegasus was blessed in her figure, with a healthy set of curves that went from the swell of her hips to her bountiful chest. Spike once joked to himself that the real reason Fluttershy flew so slow wasn’t a lack of wing strength; it was the weight of the mounds on her chest.

The drake had never been pervy enough to try and learn the particular size she fit into for her bras, but Spike knew that with the way they were about the size of his head, she had very little competition in terms of size. Couple all of this with long, straight pink hair and bright blue eyes, and an adorable pair of small yellow wings, and it was no surprise that Fluttershy was considered one of the biggest sweethearts of Ponyville. The simple green dress she had on only accentuated her figure, hugging her bosom and trailing down her hips to her long legs.

Like he’d said: her beauty was all-natural.

“Is everything alright? Did somepony hurt you?” She asked, kneeling down to look him over. Delicate hands held his cheeks, her eyes searching his for any sort of tell-tale signs.

“No, no. Nothing like that.” Spike reassured the mare before bringing one of his hands up to hold hers for a moment, giving it a squeeze before sighing. “I’m just...frustrated with a lot of people . Can I come in?”

“Of course you can.” She replied before standing and ushering him into her home. With the door closed behind him, Spike felt as if the outer world was truly, finally, cut off from him. His shoulders sagged, and a sigh left his lips before feeling Fluttershy’s hand at his back. “The sofa’s open for you, Spike. Would you like something to drink? Or eat? I still have some of those crumbled jewels we made a couple of weeks ago.”

The corners of Spike’s lips twitched up at this; the candied jewels had been an idea of Pinkie’s as a treat for Spike to enjoy beyond just pure gemstones. Of course, the main fixture was still jeweled stones, but they had the addition of various culinary flavors baked together in cookie dough. It was a genius idea, the drake nearly devouring the first batch and approving of their creation.

“Sure. If you don’t mind, Shy.”

She nodded and moved to the kitchen, pink tail swaying behind her as he watched her go before turning to the sofa. He took two steps toward it before abandoning reason and throwing himself onto it. It was a sturdy piece of furniture, not even shifting as he collapsed onto it and buried his head into the cushioned pillows at the far end he’d landed upon. It was oddly cathartic: just flinging himself like that. The smoldering feelings still persisted but remained in the pit of his stomach as he nuzzled the pillows and sighed. An intake of breath gave him the faint smell of lilac, but a distinct smell as well of other animals who frequented Fluttershy’s residence such as Angel Bunny. None of it unpleasant, least of all the fragrance he recognized as belonging to the pegasus mare.

He wasn’t sure how long Fluttershy was gone, but he could tell she was back when he felt two more pillows press into the back of his head. Of course, Spike knew they weren’t really pillows, but two impressive swells of softness that were far more impressive than what the furniture could provide. He turned his head to the side, pushing his cheek into Fluttershy’s chest, and saw her looking down at him. There was a light, playful air about her, but the concern was still within her blue eyes.

“You seem pretty worn out, Spike. Do you want to talk about it?” she asked him. One hand of hers ran along his spines, the other holding him just below the shoulder from behind.

She was enormous when next to him, either standing or like this. Sometimes when put in such a comparison with others, Spike found himself irritated at his lacking growth. But Fluttershy never made it a point of fact or used it in a way that invoked such a feeling. In fact, he secretly liked her being bigger like this. It endeared her more to him, in ways he’d yet to brave telling her, but throughout it all was an assurance this mare was here to support him. For now, he gave a short nod of his head as his friend smiled in understanding.

“Okay, Spike. Tell me everything that happened.”

And he went through all of it with her.

Starting the day with assisting Twilight had gone alright enough. Just a few little bits around the castle as she prepared to go to the school and help teach more friendship lessons. This had left Spike with a few tasks to see to himself: personal little errands like hitting up the grocery, stopping by the mayor’s office to drop off some documents. Easy enough things, he reasoned. They weren’t an issue to do.

After getting his chores finished, he decided to go around and wander about Ponyville some, to see how the rest of the town was doing. It was the neighborly thing to do, and he could do even more now since he has his wings. He was still working on getting more shirts made with slits for his wings from Rarity, having to make do for now with them tucked away by his shirt. The ability to fly meant he could maneuver around and actually do more! Right? That made sense to him.

...only it didn’t seem to click with everypony else.

“...and then, just as I’m trying to just get out of the way of the movers, one of them - some hefty-looking earth pony with a red coat and green hair,” Spike told Fluttershy, pacing as he spoke, “just says to me ‘you’re just a kid’!”

Fluttershy nodded, her hands folded in her lap as she listened to the drake vent. To his credit, at least, he had kept from spitting any flames inside the cottage. The pegasus mare’s house was flammable in many regards since the entire thing was built from wood. He’d once had an accident in catching one of the birdhouses on fire, but had apologized by rebuilding it from scratch.

“I mean, c’mon! I’ve been on so many adventures with you girls! The Crystal Empire! The Dragon Lands!” He pointed out. “I was Dragon Lord! For like...fifteen minutes, but still!”

“You have been through a lot with all of us,” agreed Fluttershy, “It’s not fair to label you the way they did.”

“I’m not a kid. Yes, I still read comics, but I do adult things! I work for a job! I pay taxes!” he listed off before running his hand over his spines and sighing. “I can’t believe I have to use that to be considered an adult, even though I’m of age and everything.”

Fluttershy stood up and approached him, leaving Spike to look up at her. The pegasus mare rested a hand on his shoulder, but he turned to the side as self-consciousness nipped at his mind. So instead, he felt her embrace him from behind. His cheeks darkened as her mounds pressed against the back of his head again.

“You know what you need?” Fluttershy asked.

“A beard and mustache just to show my age?” said Spike with dejected snark.

Her giggle made his head shift against her. “No, silly. A day away from people. Like how I do. I was doing that today, in fact.”

“Really?” Spike asked.

It was one of the few hidden things he’d learned about Fluttershy over the years, that even for being the Element of Kindness, she embraced the idea of taking time for herself. No matter how much good she does for others, Fluttershy had confessed to Spike in private once that there were times even her capacity for kindness ran low. And so, she needed to direct that kindness upon herself, taking time away from everypony and everything to take care of herself. Spike respected it, and would even help at times to let her have her peace, much to her appreciation.

“Really. Why don’t you take some time here, with me?” Fluttershy offered. “Just two good friends and nopony else to bother us. We could watch some shows, go for a walk, anything really.”

“You know most guys would kill for that kind of offer from you?” he asked, a knowing smile on his face. To his credit, Fluttershy’s face colored before she tapped his head, making him chuckle. “They would!”

“Well, you’re not most guys. And you sound like you need a breather for your own sake,” Fluttershy reasoned, “So what do you say?”

Spike turned around and looked to the waiting pegasus before chuckling at her hopeful expression. She was adorable when she got that way. It was a face he liked seeing on her, a joyfulness that made his worries fade off. Fluttershy often had that effect on him.

“Well, if you’re offering it, why not? I could use the downtime.”

A little while later found the pair of them digging into a huge shared bowl of popcorn while Fluttershy’s tv glowed in front of them, the choice of the show falling to Fluttershy since it was her house. Of course, since both of them had their geeky tendencies, it was an easy decision to watch one of Fluttershy’s shows. She’d chosen something they could both dig into, one of the soap operas that aired on daytime television. Spike was hesitant at first but could admit that “The Tender and Troubled” did its best to entertain.

“So if I follow you right: Skylight wants to marry Berry Glow. But Berry’s father Mango, who everypony thought was dead, came back and objected to them. Meanwhile, you’ve got Night Glider and Dr. Hoofley hitting it off but Glider’s ex Sunshine wants to derail them both for some revenge from three seasons ago.” Spike listed off without looking away from the screen. “Did I get all that right?”

“Don’t forget the mafia-run by Don Sour is trying to muscle in on Hoofley’s practice because one of his henchmen died on the operating table.” She added.

Spike glanced over at the watchful pegasus and chuckled. “Right, right. How could I forget.”

Fluttershy made a playful pout at him. “Hey, mister. Just because the story gets a little tricky at times doesn’t make it bad.”

Spike waved a hand. “Didn’t say it was bad. Just that I need to remember to bring a notebook with me next time around so I don’t lose track.”

“You should see Rarity’s notes. She claims she’s already solved the entire plot of the show.”

“Has she now?” Spike’s hand dove in for a fresh batch of popcorn, bumping Fluttershy’s hand that dove in at the same time. He paused, as did she before he smiled and fished out a handful to hold for himself. “All the plot twists already solved?”

“She’s even named the hypothetical kids they could all have,” Fluttershy replied before giggling, “She doesn’t like it when I tell her she’s a little obsessed.”

Spike responded by flicking a popcorn kernel at Fluttershy, making her flinch as the kernel fell against her bosom before vanishing into the depths of her cleavage. “Oh! Spike!”

“You can’t say that hasn’t happened before.”

Fluttershy put on her best protesting pout before Spike laughed, making her join in. This was another quiet aspect of the pair’s friendship that flew under the radar of their other friends. Spike had a tendency to be blunt, when asked for his opinion or when his humor shows itself. Some laughed at it, while others would give him a light scolding and talk about tact or nuance. Funny to consider when one of the very Elements his friends bear is Honesty, and his bluntness came from that very concept.

But in the pegasus mare beside him, Spike found somepony who appreciated his directness with her. She had confided that many times growing up, she found herself burdened with the awareness that ponies are often keen in trying to manipulate things their way through disguised words and praises. Some of her worst dates were ponies who wanted to only flatter her into agreeing with them, while outright ignoring her thoughts. Spike, however, put her on equal standing with himself and showed it in his behavior. Sure, he might joke and tease her, but she and he both knew there was never ill will between them.

“Dr. Hoofley, we can’t do this here! The staff will see us!”

The TV’s exclamation drew Fluttershy’s attention back to it, her hand quickly diving into her cleavage and fishing out the invading kernel of popcorn before popping it into her muzzle to chew on. Spike couldn’t help a quick glance at the mare’s motion before forcing himself to look at the screen. On the display now was one of the soap opera couples up against the wall of presumably Dr. Hoofley’s office with said doctor pressing himself up against the shapely unicorn mare.

“Oh, come on. There’s no way they can pull that off!” Spike muttered. Hearing no reaction from Fluttershy made him look to the pegasus, whose eyes were glued to the screen. He looked back; the dark furred mare was now having her objections muffled by Hoofley’s lips, a deep kiss being shared between them. The doctor’s hands were a little overzealous, Spike critiqued, since the guy looked like he was about to squeeze her head too hard with his grip. He looked to Fluttershy again.

The mare’s cheeks were pink as she fiddled with her hands, her popcorn gone as she’d already gulped it all down. Rolling his eyes, Spike couldn’t help a smirk on his lips.

“Jealous much, Shy?”

“Huh? What?” This snapped the mare from her trance and brought her attention back to Spike, who wiggled his eyebrows. Her blush darkened. “No! That’s just silly! There’s no way I’d envy Night Glider in her situation!”

“See, I’d believe you. But you look more keen on letting Hoofley play Doctor with you than anything.”

“I do not!”

“Your wings are showing.”

“What?!” Fluttershy looked over her shoulder, only seeing that her wings were relaxed against her back. Spike snickered, earning a thrown sofa pillow for his efforts. “You little stinker!”

“Aww, c’mon, Fluttershy. They just milk these scenes out to draw in viewers for the ‘hot’ scenes.”

“Of course they do!” She agreed. “And besides, like you’re Mr. Innocent. I saw those eyes get big on that close-up of Berry Glow in her nightgown!”

Spike held up a finger. “A male can appreciate a mare’s form without getting perverted. The real pervert is the cameraman fixating on her chest for so long.”

Fluttershy rolled her eyes but smiled at him. “If you say so.” She replied before folding her arms and relaxing as the show continued. “There’s something for everypony. And every-drake.”

The pair kept quiet as the scene continued. Spike could admit he felt a little color rise in his face as the scene didn’t break away from the suggested raunchy behavior like he expected most soap operas did. In fact, the next bit showed Hoofley clearing his desk to throw Night Glider onto it, earning a squeal from the mare...and a squeak from Fluttershy.

“Lucky mare.”

Spike’s ears flicked at this. “Say what?”

“Nothing!”

Spike snorted and looked to the mare beside him again. “Nothing is nothing. You’re jealous of the actress?”

“Well...maybe a little.” She admitted to him. “It’s...been a while.”

“Been a while since…?”

Fluttershy’s reply was to gesture at the heated makeout session between the two actors on screen. Spike gave a slow nod and sat there. It didn’t seem to satisfy Fluttershy entirely, however.

“It’s been months even. Since my last date.”

“I remember him. Smooth Diamond, wasn’t it? It didn’t go well?”

“It went ok. But...he didn’t feel right. Too quick. Too pushy.”

“Went from Smooth to Rough, huh?”

“It didn’t help I caught him leering at the waitress serving us despite me being right there.”

“You dodged a bullet then.” Spike critiqued, making Fluttershy nod. There was quiet for a few moments before something slipped from Spike, unintended but too quick to stop himself. “I’d have paid proper attention.”

“Oh? Would you have?”

Fluttershy took it as another light remark between friends. Spike thought it was too, but his instinct was running faster than his mind could slow it down.

“You’d have had my full focus the whole day and night.”

It was a simple admission, one you could take as a compliment meant to be endearing. One that was just meant to cheer one up, as respect between two friendly spirits. To Spike, however, he felt he’d let something slip a little too close to the heart. The air felt curious between them now, as he could feel Fluttershy’s stare on him.

“Do you think I’m pretty, Spike?”

The obvious answer was “yes”. It’d be easy to say, and he could just leave it at that. He wouldn’t need to explain things to her. The drake could make it be easy on them both, and they’d go back to the show, and he could ignore the apprehension in him.

...but he couldn’t.

“Yes, I do.” He told her, looking up at the pink-maned mare. “Really. Like...I mean, c’mon, some of the mares on this show couldn’t hold a candle to you.”

Fluttershy grinned. It was a smile that suited her features, and Spike’s eyes had to dive down to escape his impending embarrassment. Then he moved his stare to her shoulder since straight down just pointed him to her bosom.

“I’m sure Rarity and the other girls hear that a lot from you. Always there to pick us up.”

“...” Spike hesitated, the words hitching in his throat.

“Spike?”

“There’s a different kind of pretty for each of you. But...yours is the most prominent I think.”

“How so?”

“Well…”

“I’ll make it easy on you. How about comparing me to Rarity?”

“Oof,” Spike grunted out, making the pegasus snicker. It was no secret about the weak spot he had for the unicorn. “Ok, well. If you’re gonna put it like that.” He glanced at the TV, only to see it click off. “...really?”

“Can’t have you looking at Berry Glow for an escape.”

Spike huffed through his nose and folded his arms. “Cheap move,” he said before continuing, “Rarity is a beauty in her own way. I mean, you gotta have some of that to be a fashion designer like she is. She knows the fashions, the trends, the right way to look. She’s even done diets and workouts just to better improve herself. A real drive, you know?”

Fluttershy nodded, and Spike continued. The honest appraisal continued despite his heartbeat picking up in his chest.

“But Rarity’s way, a lot of the time, is artificial. She has to have the right eyeliner, the right lipstick, the right accessories and fabric, and everything. She makes it seem effortless despite knowing how much work she puts into it all. And it works for her, no doubt.” Spike explained. “But you...you’re a natural beauty, Fluttershy. You don’t need any of that to really shine. It’s like...you just bear a radiance that everypony else wishes they had. Whether you dress up or just wear anything you want, it works for you. And I really do admire that. And a lot of other ponies do too.”

Fluttershy stayed quiet, and Spike didn’t look up to see her face, being in the proverbial spotlight as he was.

“Smooth Diamond messed up looking away. A smart guy, a guy who pays attention, wouldn’t be looking anywhere but you. That’s...what I’d think. If I was in his spot.” He finished and could feel the quiet surrounding Fluttershy’s cottage. Clearing his throat, Spike tried to diffuse the tension that had bubbled up in him. “B-but that’s not me. I’m just Spike. Y’know, everypony’s assistant and the little guy in the back. Just my two bits there. There’s plenty of fish in the sea, Flutters-”

Fluttershy’s hand gently grasped his own on the sofa, cutting him off and making him finally look at the mare. Her cheeks were mimicking her mane now in color, but her eyes stared into his with an emotional weight that rendered him quiet.

“...what else do you think about me?”

A part of him wished - if even maybe through Discord - for something or anything to intervene right then. The hold Fluttershy had on his hand was gentle but felt in his heart like an iron chain to keep him in place. He wasn’t afraid of Fluttershy, nor of her question; the fear gnawing at Spike’s mind was more aligned with a fear he’d held in him ever since he gazed into Sombra’s mirror all those years ago.

Rejection. Desertion.

“I-I...um.” he swallowed, feeling dry as if he’d been mailing scrolls for Twilight all day, “I think you’re very kind. Which is kinda an obvious thing to say, isn’t it.” The rhetorical remark made her smile but prompted him to tip-toe further. “You’re giving. You laugh like somepony who’s really happy, and care when others don’t, even if someone doesn’t deserve it. You teach a lot of ponies about being good to others, just by being you. There’s...a lot of good in you that I wish others would learn from.”

He chanced a look up at the mare before him, and let himself stare back into the wide blue eyes peering at him. With a tilt of her head, Fluttershy smiled wider, and Spike could see a tinge of wetness in the corner of her eye.

“There’s a lot of good in you too, Spike. You know that, right?”

“Me? Ahh, c’mon. I’m just...Twilight’s helper. Well, everypony’s helper.” He reasoned, only for Fluttershy to shake her head quickly to the negative, pink locks swaying with her movements.

“Everypony’s helper, yes. But more than that. And it’s not even to do with your heroism,” she explained, making Spike raise an eyebrow in confusion. “You’re a sincere young man with a true heart of gold. You give it your all when you’re asked for, and you’re willing to take on tasks that many ponies wouldn’t dare try. You helped save Thorax, even if it meant standing up to Cadance and Shining Armor. There’s a lot more to you under those scales than some can see. At least...that’s what I see.”

By the time Fluttershy was finished, Spike was left with wide eyes and red cheeks that shined against the color of his scales. He used his free hand to rub the back of his head before looking up at her again, seeing her still smiling.

“..heh. You know. I didn’t expect today to turn out like this. But you’ve helped me feel a lot better about things.” He admitted.

“Good. A handsome drake like you deserves to feel happy.”

“Same to you, uh...miss beautiful?”

They shared a soft laugh together at that, the air much less heavy between them. It was only when Spike’s left hand twitched that he realized Fluttershy was still holding it. Her fingers had moved to slide between his own, still gentle but now much warmer than before. The dragon felt something stir in his heart and looked to the pegasus mare. The sheepish look on her face made him see she too saw what she was doing.

“S-sorry. I um...y-your hands are warm, and-”

“Fluttershy?”

The pink-maned mare gave a small “eep” at being interrupted, ducking her head and making her hair fall over one eye. But Spike waited, and sure enough, she peeked up at him again with her still exposed eye.

“I...well. What if…”

“Y-yes?”

“...you said you’ve been...wanting company. The...locked door kind of company. Right?”

“Uh-huh.”

“And I’ve...well. I’m not exactly a Shining Armor here. But. What if...we…”

“...if we?”

“...helped each other out?”

It took a moment before Fluttershy’s whole face turned almost maroon, making Spike worry he’d tread too far. His heart was pounding, the beat hammering in his chest. He waited for a moment, but no rejection came from the astonished mare. Spike took that as a window to continue.

“I’m not...saying we force anything. Nopony does anything they don’t want. Nopony feels obligated.” He stated clear first, keeping his eyes on hers and his hand, now turned over, holding hers. “But...I feel safe with you. Trusted. Like I’m worth something to somepony more than just an object. And...I don’t like seeing you feel lonely. Or left out.”

The offer hovered in the air, wrapped in hints and soothed by their previous affectionate statements. It was Fluttershy who broke the quiet, her voice soft but audible in his ears. It kept him seated instead of mustering a hasty apology and scrambling out the door, possibly to burrow himself into the Diamond Dog caves for at least a month.

“...do you think I’m...I’m pretty that way? Like...s-sexy?”

He came close to a guffaw, but Spike withheld it to give a slow nod instead. “Fluttershy...let’s be real here. No tricks.” Her nod bid him to continue, “I know that everypony thinks I’m just...dead set on Rarity. But if we’re gonna compare you to her? There’s...a lot of ways you win out over her. In the looks department.”

“How so?”

Spike gulped. “Uh. W-well. Gee, how do I not come off like a perv here.” He muttered. The brief titter from Fluttershy didn’t alleviate his nerves, but he persisted for her sake. “I mean...like I said, you have a natural beauty to you. Your mane and tail look so silky and pretty when brushed. You have a bright, genuine smile when you’re happy. Your wings look nice when they’re extended out. Um…” He trailed off, his eyes hovering under her chest region to look at her middle.

“...my figure?”

“Yes.” It came out more strained than Spike intended, but looking up to Fluttershy’s expression - shy but appreciating his sincerity - eased him off the worry of being smacked for the answer. “You’re...Fluttershy, you’re just genuinely a beauty. Guys have literally dropped what they’re doing to see you go by. Even some mares too. And I’d be blind as a bat to not see the same thing. You’re a very beautiful woman and, frankly, very appealing. N-not that I’ve...you know. Done stuff about it.”

Fluttershy considered all of this for a few moments, leaving Spike to wait in what he felt was a potential judgment of his revealed thoughts to the busty mare before him. He took it as some kind of good sign that she still hadn’t let go of his hand, nor had he tried to pull away. In truth, with everything put into perspective as it had been just then, there was a lot more good in Fluttershy’s prospects than Rarity’s at that moment. When the pink-maned mare moved closer, Spike refocused on the present to hear her speak.

“...I want to try something first.”

“Ok. What is it?” Fluttershy seemed to hesitate, but Spike waited.

“...can you...close your eyes?”

“What for?”

“Can you do it for me, Spike?”

In all fairness, the request was simple enough. Shrugging a shoulder, Spike closed his eyes and waited for whatever might come to pass. His self-conscious side was preparing for an easy rejection, thinking he’d gone too far with things. Fluttershy wasn’t the violent type, so she’d probably give him a hug and thank him, but turn him away because, once again, he was still just a kid even to her eyes. It shouldn’t have been a surprise at all, really-

Spike’s thoughts stopped as something touched his lips. Soft, full, and warm. His eyes shot open to find Fluttershy had moved up close and was now kissing him, her free hand coming to rest on his shoulder. Her cheeks were red like tomatoes, but she pressed into the surprise liplock long enough that Spike kissed back, giving what he could in the few seconds he had before she withdrew to breathe. Even then, she was slow to move, cautious yet sensual in the way her lips grazed against his own.

“F-fluttershy?” His tongue flicked out on instinct over his lips. There was a curious taste there, one that could only belong to her. The pegasus gave a small smile. “Was that…?”

“Y-you’re not the only one who can appreciate somepony from afar, you know.” She told him. “You’ve always been such a pillar of support for me and the girls. Kind. Caring. Willing to put yourself on the line even when you’d be overwhelmed. A mare can appreciate a stallion - or maybe instead a dragon - who can be straightforward with them. Especially when asked for their honest opinions on their feelings.”

Spike just nodded, still dumbfounded from the surprise kiss.

“I-I think what I’m trying to get at, Spike, is that...maybe your idea has some merit after all.” Her hand gave his a squeeze before she continued, “and maybe what we both really could use is upstairs. Away from everypony else. And we just...see where it takes us?”

Spike’s ears could pick up on the hopeful tone in Fluttershy’s voice. There really was something here, for them both; it wasn’t just a one-sided attraction driving things. With this settled in his mind, Spike gently lifted her hand up, turning it so her knuckles faced him, before he gave them a gentle kiss much like how she’d done for him. He looked up into her bright blue eyes and nodded.

“Lead the way, my fair lady.”