The last vestiges of the dream faded away and I groggily returned to consciousness. I blinked my eyes a few times, letting them acclimate to the light of morning. I didn’t want to get up. I was comfortable, underneath the comforter and tucked up against Cloudy, her foreleg wrapped around my barrel. If only we could spend the whole day cuddling, it would make waking up worth it. It’s a Saturday and we both have off work. Maybe… maybe we can. I felt Cloudy’s hot breath tickle my ear.
“Finally awake, sleepyhead?” Cloudy kissed my cheek. “Love you, sis.”
“Love you too, Cloudy.”
Cloudchaser had probably woken at first light, as she did on the days she was scheduled with the Wonderbolts. Old habits die hard, especially those drilled into you by Spitfire. She’d stayed in bed, snuggling me anyway. She’s the best sister ever!
I made no move to get up, and neither did Cloudy. I could feel the soft hairs of her coat against my back. Part of me wanted to get out of bed and make new memories with Cloudy. But deep in my heart I realized that staying in bed being cuddled by Cloudy was the best memory we could make.
She rubbed a hoof on my barrel and nibbled my ear, playfully. Oh Cloudy. The bond between us is unbreakable. You’re my sister, my twin, my protector, my best friend, my lover, my soulmate, my other half, my everything. You don’t know how much I love you. Nopony in Equestria could feel as strongly about another pony as I feel for you. It just isn’t possible. There aren’t words that can describe a feeling so strong.
I untucked my tail from between us, and wrapped it around her flank, pulling her tighter against me. I caught a whiff of her scent, and it made my heart beat faster. She was partial to lavender body wash that never quite masked her natural scent, a heady aroma of soggy clouds and perspiration born of days training in the wild blue yonder.
I heard Cloudy’s belly gurgling behind me, but she made no move to break our embrace, and I certainly wasn’t about to. Sooner or later we’re going to have to get up, and I’ll make her waffles. I bet she didn’t even notice the blueberries I picked up on my home from work yesterday. There should still be enough whipped cream left for breakfast. Though perhaps that would best be saved for dessert later. I grinned mischievously. It’s a good thing you can’t see my face right now, Cloudy.
I was so comfortable in Cloudy’s embrace that I started nodding off. Ever since I was a filly, I’d enjoyed being cuddled. It had started one day after I’d had a nightmare. Cloudy let me slip into her bed, and she cuddled me close under the covers. It had continued, at first only when I had bad dreams, but eventually we realized we both liked snuggling up with one another. I always slept better with her holding me, and even though I knew she’d never admit it, she always slept better holding me. That led to some awkward moments with our parents, but that was why we’d moved out on our own. Our love only blossomed from there.
I shifted ever so slowly, gradually rolling onto my other side so I could face Cloudy. I nuzzled her and peppered her with kisses, then I traced a hoof along the familiar shooting star cutie mark adorning her flank. I only had Cloudy for the weekend, and I wanted to savor every last second I could. Love is when you desire nothing more than hold your soulmate close and just gaze into her eyes, because there’s nothing on Equus more important or more beautiful.
Oh Cloudy, you’re my whole world. But that’s too cheesy to say out loud. Cloudy’s always been a tomboy to my girly girl, so I turned down the sappiness for her. I wrapped my hind leg around her thigh, entwining us. She wrapped a wing around me, trying to press our bodies together as one. Her lithe, muscular frame melted into the soft curve of my flank as she held me as tightly as possible, big spoon to my little spoon.
But all good things must eventually come to an end, and I felt Cloudy stir behind me. She kissed me and said, “You stay here all snuggly, and I’ll go grab us some breakfast.”
Not on my watch, you won’t!
I zipped out of the bed and slipped on the Kiss the Cook apron that accentuated my flank in just the right way. Cloudy set the table while I made us breakfast… I looked at the clock. Make that a mid-afternoon brunch. Danishes, waffles, some blueberries, and orange juice: it was a simple meal, but it was also Cloudy’s favorite. Nothing’s too good for my Cloudy! Preparation was easy – I’d already picked up the pastries and fruit from the market, so all I needed to make was the waffles.
It was a hearty meal, and with a little luck it would sate our appetites for the rest of the day. At least until much later. Hunched over the stove, with my back to my sister, I grinned again. No whipped cream with the waffles, Cloudy. I’m saving that for later.
After we ate, we cuddled together on the loveseat. Tucked under a thick wool blanket, we kept each other warm on the cold January afternoon. I’d picked up a romance novel at the bookstore, and I turned the pages so we could both read it together. I didn’t know we’d be reading this together, or I would’ve picked a book more suited to Cloudy’s tastes. Something with more action and adventure…
She didn’t complain about it. She never complains. That’s because she’s the best sister, ever.
The book was dull in comparison to the amazing mare cuddled next to me. Maybe if I’d read it by myself I might’ve enjoyed it more, but I couldn’t care less about the love interest’s ‘bulging muscles’. Give me a lithe, nicely toned mare like Cloudy any day. No, check that. Give me Cloudy any day, and only Cloudy. I accept no substitutes!
I read the book absentmindedly. My mind was on Cloudy, and not the words on the page. I read them, but didn’t register them. They were mere background noise in my brain, clutter to be ignored in favor of focusing on my sister. What does the author know about love? Could he possibly have experienced a love like ours? Of course not! There’s no love in Equestria as deep as my love for Cloudy, and her love for me. Feeling my sister inhale and exhale, and adjusting my own breathing to match hers, was way more important than reading about some silly prefabricated love between fictional characters.
When we reached the end of the book, we cuddled for a while, nuzzling one another and trading kisses like silly fillies on Hearts and Hooves Day. I laid there with my head resting on Cloudy’s barrel as she stroked my mane. Life is good. Only one thing could make it better… But it would require getting up. Maybe later.
Much later I finally broke our embrace to make the dessert I’d been eagerly anticipating all day. Cloudy’s gonna love it! Vanilla and raspberry ice cream, topped with lots of whipped cream, then drizzled with chocolate syrup and caramel both. Rainbow sprinkles and a fresh raspberry completed the edible masterpieces.
There was just one last thing to take care of before she started digging into it. I squirted the remaining whipped cream on Cloudy’s muzzle and my own, and we took turns licking it off each other’s faces. Whipped cream always tastes better when it’s been flavored with the faintest trace of Cloudy.
Once we’d finished dessert I tossed the dirty dishes in the sink and led my sister to my bedroom. I’ll deal with that distraction on Monday. Right now, I’ve got more important things to do. She laid down on the bed and I crawled on top of her, nuzzling her briefly and kissing her. Then I sat up and rolled her onto her stomach. “Relax, Cloudy. Let your head go limp.” I took her head in my hooves, moving it around, left and right, up and down. Then, once I could tell she’d fully relaxed, I gave her head a quick jerk to the left and heard a satisfying crack as the tension in her neck released. I jerked her head to the right to relieve as much of the remaining stress as possible. Just like Aloe and Lotus taught me. Cloudy trains so hard. The Wonderbolts should really get a massage therapist on staff. Next time we have a weekend out, I’m dragging her to the spa with me. I know the twins can accommodate us, together. The masseuses understand us better than anypony.
I sat on her rump as I moved my hooves further down, massaging her shoulders and withers. When I reached her wings, Cloudy unfurled them. I quivered at the sight of her magnificent wingspan. Oh Cloudy, I’ll never get tired of seeing your wings in all their glory! I nuzzled her and gently rubbed the knots out of her flight muscles. My efforts were rewarded when she melted into the mattress. Once I’d massaged away her tension to the best of my abilities I snuggled in next to her. She rolled on her side and pulled me close. It must have taken all her strength to do so, because her gentle snores filled the room only seconds later.
Lying in my sister’s embrace, I didn’t have a care in the world. Stress faded away, and I felt content. It wouldn’t be long before the warmth of her body and the rhythm of her breathing lulled me to sleep. I love you, Cloudy. Always, with all my heart, forever.
0600. My internal clock let me know it was time to get up. I mentally groaned. I’m off duty. The perk of living close enough to Cloudsdale was I could easily commute back and forth when I was on leave, and I always came home when I had the weekend off.
My eyes refused to open and let the light of a new day brighten the room, but hints of raspberry and vanilla tickled my nostrils. I greedily inhaled the intoxicating aroma of my sister’s favorite shampoo as my brain finally conceded defeat and started waking up. My left forehoof was over her barrel, and I could feel her heat beating against my fetlock. Her breathing was slow and steady, and I could feel her twitch periodically as she dreamed. I wonder if she’s dreaming about me? I couldn’t remember what I’d been dreaming of when force of habit jarred me from my blissful slumber. I hope I dreamed of Flitter. Any dream without her might as well be a nightmare.
Do I get up and have breakfast ready for the love of my life, or do I stay here in our comfortable cloud bed snuggling her instead? What a stupid question. The course of action that let me stay closest to Flit obviously won. Maybe her soft little snores will lull me back to sleep. I sighed, internally, so as not to wake my sister. Wishful thinking. Once I’m up, I’m up.
I resisted the temptation to nibble her ear or tickle the fluff of her chest. Flit’s beautiful, and she deserves her beauty rest. She’d never admit it, but I know she doesn’t sleep well when I'm not here with her.
We’ve been inseparable ever since that first time she climbed into my bed when we were fillies after having had a bad dream. At first, our parents found it cute, but as we grew older, it became a bone of contention between us all. Mom started sneaking poking her snout into our room at random during the night, just to make sure we weren’t sleeping together. Of course, at the time we had no idea why that was such a big deal, all we knew was that it made our parents angry. Eventually we’d moved into a bigger house, and they’d forced us into separate bedrooms on opposite sides of their own.
So I did what I had to do to protect Flit. Always. Forever. At first, I took a job delivering newspapers for the Ponyville Picayune first thing in the morning. It was an excuse to wake up early, and I could easily sneak into her room and kiss her on the cheek or forehead before leaving for work. When I was old enough, I took an afterschool job. Some of my classmates did the same, and they blew their wages on clothing, makeup, and jewelry, all in the hopes of impressing some stallion or mare. I didn’t need any of that; I’d already figured out who I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. Always. Forever.
Instead I’d stashed the bits in the bank, and the day we turned eighteen, I surprised Flit by taking her to a bare patch of clouds and informing her I’d purchased them. We spent a week building the coziest cloud home we could. We’d of course put in multiple bedrooms; we each needed our own personal space, after all. But we never slept alone when we were at home together. Sometimes it was my room, sometimes hers, but always together, and always my big spoon to her little spoon.
I watched the early morning light play across Flit’s face and her luxurious turquoise mane. She’s so peaceful, so radiant. I love you, Flit! Part of me wants her to wake up so I can tell her that. The rest of me is perfectly content to tell her later, when she wakes up.
Sleep like a filly, my sweet. You don’t know how much I miss these moments alone. Just holding you while you dream, there’s no sensation in the world better than this.
She stirred, and I knew she was waking up. Whatever dream she’d been having had triggered her cognitive processes, and her brain was firing up. There was nothing I could do to lull her back to sleep, so I just held her tightly. Always. Forever.
As clarity returned to her, I leaned my muzzle in close to her ear. “Finally awake, sleepyhead?” I kissed her cheek. “Love you, sis.”
“Love you too, Cloudy.”
I nuzzled her and she sighed in contentment, wrapping her tail around my barrel to pull me even closer against her. I ignored the hunger pangs; even the best breakfast in the world isn’t worth getting out of this embrace for. Wrapped around each other we lay there, snuggling. I love Flit, and Flit loves me.
Other ponies think my sister’s ‘clingy’ or ‘needy’. She probably is, but she can cling to me whenever she wants, and whatever she needs, I’ll provide. She’s worth it, and if other ponies can’t see that, that’s their own loss.
I don’t know what love is. That’s for philosophers, poets, and any other pony with a way with words to hammer out. They can describe these feelings in my heart that I just can’t express. Maybe the only word really needed is ‘love’. Can one word alone convey all the emotions I feel toward Flit? I don’t know, and I’ll probably never know. Until then, I’ll just call it love, because my vocabulary isn’t big enough to express everything I feel for Flit.
My stomach continued gurgling, and I willed it to shut up. Unfortunately, my body was used to being done with breakfast by 0645. Sometimes I wonder why I joined the Wonderbolts. Being on the team takes me away from the pony I love for days and even weeks at a time. But I love her so much, and I need to protect her. I can’t safeguard everything in Equestria, but I want to do what I can to help the most ponies possible. Yet Flit’s the only one I want to hold at night. I just hate that it means being apart from her so many nights of the year. It’s not fair. Maybe I should just go back to the weather team? The weather manager position Rainbow Dash left when she became a fulltime Wonderbolt is still open, and with my background I’d be a sure bet for the position. Meh, I can think about that the next time I go to work. Right now all I want to think about is Flitter. The sweetest, cutest, kindest, most huggable twin a pony could ask for.
I reached a hoof down and tickled her belly. She giggled, and her delicate laughs were the sweetest song in Equestria. Sadly, I could no longer ignore the growls from my stomach. Reluctantly, I broke our embrace. I kissed Flit’s forehead. “You stay here all snuggly, and I’ll go grab us some breakfast.”
She wouldn’t hear of it. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her move so fast. She made it out to the kitchen before me, and had already poured batter into the waffle iron before I could stop her. We have fruit and pastries in the fridge; we could’ve had breakfast in bed.
I couldn’t help but watch Flit as she prepared our food. She always wiggled her hindquarters back and forth while cooking, and it was as hypnotic as it was adorable. And it certainly doesn’t hurt that I’m enjoying the view.
Flit spoiled me, making my favorite breakfast. She really is the best. It tasted even better, because she made it with love.
We’d always loved snuggling up on the loveseat, and after brunch Flit wrapped us up in the homemade quilt our aunt had knitted years ago as a housewarming gift. It can’t be a coincidence that it’s big enough for both of us. At least some of our relatives support us.
Flit had a book for us to read, and it was one of those bitstore romances she enjoyed. I read along with her, eager to see if the author could put into words the feelings I so wished to express to my sister. Alas, he was more adept at describing his characters’ physical attributes, so his readers would know exactly how muscular the leading stallion was, or just how vibrant the main character’s eyes were. She has bright blue eyes, we get it. But she’ll never be as pretty as my Flit!
Flitter was turning the pages, and I moved a hoof along her body as we read. The book had failed to hold my attention, so I didn’t bother reading more than a few random sentences per page. My sister squeaked in surprise as my hoof tickled her cutie mark. Three beautiful little dragonflies on one beautiful mare. The prettiest pony in the world. She’d only try to deny it if I said the words out loud, arguing that she couldn’t be the prettiest, because I was. Sweet talker. I’ve seen my reflection, and even though we’re twins I can’t hold a candle to her.
I gave her a quick peck on the cheek. Even after all these years, a surprise kiss could still bring a blush to my sister’s cheeks. Heh, just makes her look even cuter.
The pages continued turning, and I barely acknowledged anything more than the fact that there were words on the pages. The words didn’t matter. What we did was inconsequential. The important part was that we did it together.
Flit flipped the page and I immediately caught sight of two words. The End was hard to miss, especially considering it was bolded and in a font three sizes bigger than the rest of the book’s text. Once I was sure I’d given her enough time to finish the page, I pressed my muzzle against her ear and whispered, “Sweet nothings.”
“Cloudy! That’s not what that saying means!” She laughed at my corny joke and playfully pushed me. I fell to the floor, dragging her along with me. I love making her laugh. We landed on the cloud floor of our home, Flit landing atop me. I pulled her tight against me and she brushed her nose against mine.
“I think it’s time you got your just desserts.” She kissed me and stood up. My eyes were drawn to her swishing tail and I followed her to the kitchen. She pulled a chair out for me and I took a seat.
I wonder what you’re cooking up. A bowl filled to capacity with ice cream and all the fixings appeared in front of me. Ice cream? Flit, you’re the best. You even got my favorite flavors: vanilla and raspberry. They remind me of your favorite shampoo. She squirted whipped cream on her muzzle and I blinked. Then she squirted the rest of the can on my own muzzle. Ice cream forgotten, my tongue greedily licked the sweet treat from my sister’s snout, while Flit’s tongue returned the favor. I kissed her, the hairs of our respective muzzles briefly sticking together from the whipped cream’s residue.
A spoon came towards me and I realized Flit was intent on feeding me. Prench vanilla and whipped cream melted on my tongue, and I swallowed as Flit removed the spoon from my mouth. I returned the favor, scooping up a mouthful of ice cream and gently sliding it into her mouth. Most couples would do that for a bite or two, then turn their attention to feeding themselves. Quitters.
After dessert, she led me to her bedroom. I laid down on the bed and felt her climb on top of me. “Relax, Cloudy. Let your head go limp.”
I followed her instructions, and she pivoted my head all around. What on Equus is she doing? With a snap, my head was quickly twisted in one direction, then the other. The tension I didn’t even realize I’d been carrying in my neck faded away. That feels absolutely wonderful. She started massaging my back and withers, and at some point my wings snapped open. I don’t even remember unfurling them…
I felt the tension release as she worked the last knot out, and it took all my will to roll onto my side. C’mere, you. I pulled my sister against me and closed my eyes. Maybe we can stay in again tomorrow. That would be nice…
