Chaos Brewery

by GeekCat

Rating: everyone
Tags: Discord, Slice of Life, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Comedy, Romance, Fluttershy
Length: 11095

Fluttershy and Discord open a small tea shop together. But working together might make some secrets come to light...

Fluttershy and Discord open a tea shop together. She hopes that this will help ponies see Discord as good and talented.

But working together might make some secrets come to light...

Day Four of #FluttercordWeek

Published 2021-01-22 12:50:01 UTC
Last updated 2021-01-22 12:50:01 UTC

Chaos Brewery

“Have a nice day!” Fluttershy said to the ponies leaving. They smiled and waved, and Fluttershy smiled back, going over to their table to clean up their cups. The weather today was quite lovely, and their window let in plenty of the warm sunlight. The shop was reasonably busy—several tables were filled, but they weren't overcrowded.

She took the cups to the back of the shop, where a rectangle had been cut out of the wall, forming a window and counter. She placed the dirty cups there…and almost jumped a little when a paw and claw snatched them up.

“You know, some creatures can read tea dregs the way they do palms,” a mismatched creature said, tilting the cup back and forth, peering inside with his yellow-and-red eyes. “Frankly, all I can see is whether or not they liked the tea enough to finish it.”

She smiled. “Well, I wouldn't know how to read it either,” she said. “Is there anything ready for me to deliver right now, Discord?”

“Well, no…oh wait, hold on!” Discord ducked behind the counter and reemerged a second later with a plate in his hands…one full of soft, squishy-looking white things.

“Rice cakes,” he explained. “Maybe drop a few off at each table, see if they like it? If enough do, then maybe we can put it on the menu.”

She carefully took the plate from him. “This won't be like the rice balls, will it?” she asked. “Where the ‘winning’ one had jalapenos in it?”

“Nnnnnnno,” he said, reaching back over the counter and taking away one of the rice cakes. “And it was prunes this time.”

“Prunes aren't as bad,” she said. “But I guess some ponies aren't fans of them.”

“Don't think so,” he said with his mouth full, snacking on the rice cake. “Oh well. I guess that means those are all for me—us.” He gave her a light shove on the withers. “Now, don't get too comfy! You've got an assignment…you can slack with me after it’s done,” he finished in a hushed voice.

She snorted and turned away, dropping off a few rice cakes at each table (and informing the guests that it was free). Once finished, she cleared a few tables and dropped off more tea and bills, then headed back to the counter. Discord was waiting for her, and offered her a rice cake.

She accepted it and took a bite, humming in appreciation. It was very soft, and the prunes didn't taste too bad as a ‘prize'. “Pretty good,” she told Discord, who grinned widely.

The doorbell chimed, and her ears pricked up. She turned to see who had arrived…and smiled at the sight of her friends. She quickly wolfed down the rice cake, then turned to Discord. “Is there anything on my face?”

He shook his head, his eyes flicking back to the other five Elements. He bit his lip, drumming his fingers on the counter. “I'll go greet them,” she said, gathering her notepad and tray. “You can take a minute before you talk to them…if you want to.”

Discord visibly relaxed, nudging her forward a bit. She turned and approached her friends, who seemed to be trying to decide where to sit. “Hi, girls,” she said with a smile. “Looking for a seat?”

“Yes, please,” Twilight said. Fluttershy nodded and guided them to a nice table near the wall—one with plenty of light, but not so close to the window that they would get gawkers from outside. The five mares thanked her and took their seats.

“So…welcome to Chaos Brewery,” Fluttershy said, passing out menus. “I…didn't expect that you all would come today.”

“Well, darling,” Rarity said. “After all the good things I've heard about your little shop, I simply had to come and see it for myself!”

“I'm surprised that you even opened a shop,” Rainbow Dash said as she frowned at the menu. “I mean…I know you both like tea, but opening a public shop doesn't seem like something you or Discord would be interested in doing.”

“I'm a little curious about that myself,” Twilight said. “What made you and Discord want to do this?”

Fluttershy bit her lip, her wings shifting a bit. “Well…I thought running this shop might help ponies see that Discord is good,” she said. “And very skilled…”

“Oh, and you're here to help him with the business side of things…and keep him in line?” Twilight guessed.

“Y-yes,” she said, shuffling her hooves and blushing as she thought of the other reason why she liked running the shop with him…

“Oooh, and I bet Discord agreed because he thought it would be fun!” Pinkie said. “And also because it means showing off to ponies and making things with his magic and spending time with you!”

Fluttershy blinked and slowly nodded. “Those are…all reasons he agreed,” she said slowly. She had long since decided not to question Pinkie's ability to be able to predict exactly the right things…

“So, what do you recommend for us, darling?” Rarity said as she looked over the menu. “I simply must try some of this tea, if he's as skilled as you say.”

Before Fluttershy could answer, Discord poked his head out of the window, any hint of nervousness erased from his expression. “Don't order!” he yelled over at them. “I already know the perfect drinks for you five. Just give me a moment!”

Applejack glanced up at Fluttershy. “Should we be worried that he has ‘perfect’ drinks for us?” she asked.

Fluttershy quickly shook her head. “I trust him, and so should you,” she said. “Just give him a few minutes, and you'll see.”

Since their small shop wasn't too busy, and everyone else had been served, she stayed at their table and answered some of their questions—explaining things such as how Discord had made a tiny building that was the perfect size for a two-creature-run shop, on a street that wasn't empty, but not terribly crowded.

“The hard part was getting a store license,” she said. “Discord complained about it the whole time…but he still helped fill out all the paperwork to make this shop official.” Her friends nodded, seeming impressed.

“I like to think of it as vanquishing the beast that is bureaucracy from the inside,” Discord said from behind her. She glanced up and saw him holding a tray with five teacups, each matching the color of one of their friend's coats. “I went inside the beast’s belly to create a passion project that draws on the powers of—chaos!”

He cackled maniacally, a crash of thunder sounding. Several customers turned to see what the commotion was. “Um, Discord,” Fluttershy said, tapping his side. “The tea?”

“Hmm? Oh, yes, I have it right here.” He held out the tray, spinning it around a bit. “Ladies, prepare to have a new favorite drink!”

“For Applejack, some apple blossom tea,” he said, setting the cup down in front of her. “For Pinkie, a chai mocha with sugar and double chocolate. For Rarity, a nice cup of Darjeeling. For Rainbow, a bit of Cumulus brew.”

He grinned. “And finally, for Twilight, some Earl Gray.” He set the cup down. “I hope you all enjoy!”

Everyone carefully picked up their cups, almost as though waiting for the other horseshoe to drop. They slowly raised the cups to their mouths and took a sip.

Their reactions were almost immediate.

Pinkie and Applejack began eagerly gulping down the rest of their tea. Rainbow looked at her cup in surprise, then continued to drink. Rarity and Twilight took a few more ships, then set their cups down to smile at Discord.

“Darling…when those ponies spoke of your tea, they weren't exaggerating,” Rarity said. “I think this is some of the finest tea I've had, bar ponies whose whole life was dedicated to the craft of brewing it.” Discord's grin widened.

“I might not know much about tea, but this is very good,” Twilight said. “If tea is like this…I might have to try it more often.” Discord's wings fluttered for a second in excitement.

Pinkie, Applejack, and Rainbow finished their cups and added their own compliments. By the end of it, Discord was grinning and preening, and Fluttershy could see him straining to keep his wings from flapping like a hummingbird's.

“I do pride myself on my tea,” he said smugly. “Here's the teapots, if you'd like to help yourself to more.” Buds sprouted on the table, and bloomed to reveal flowers with teapots inside. “Now, if you ladies don't mind, I'm going to go back to experimenting.” He floated lazily back to the kitchen, his head held high.

Fluttershy smiled as she watched him go. “So…things seem to be goin' well,” Applejack said.

“Oh, they are!”

“And I'm sure you two are gettin' a mite closer,” Applejack said, smiling and sipping at her tea. Fluttershy blushed a little, shifting her wings. It would be too embarrassing to answer, especially since she might accidentally let slip how much closer she wanted to be…

“I'm just a little shocked at how clean and…organized this all is,” Rainbow said. “Well…for a certain definition of organized.” She was staring at a few of the paintings on the wall, the ones whose colors shifted like lava lamps.

“What do you mean?” Fluttershy asked. Rainbow was being blunt, but she didn't seem ill-intentioned with her statement.

“I mean, it's Discord in the kitchen,” Rainbow said. “He's a great guy and he means well…but I'm just surprised that nothing has blown up in your face yet.”

Fluttershy shook her head. “Well, sometimes there's chaos here and there…but everything is going great!” she said cheerfully. Just as the words had left her lips, there was a loud explosion of thunder in the kitchen, and the sound of pots shattering.

Everyone jumped, but no one reacted as quickly as Fluttershy. She immediately dropped her pen and tray and rushed to the divider, leaning into the kitchen. “Discord!?”

“I'm fine!” he said, waving at her from the floor. He seemed unhurt, though he was lying in a puddle of tea, shards of a broken teapot around him…with a black cloud hovering over him. “I will make a note—storm cloud tea is an explosive idea. Not good for customers.” He floated back onto his feet, stroking his beard. “Unless the tea didn't have to be heated…”

She relaxed. “I'm just glad you're okay,” she said.

“So am I,” he said, ruffling her mane. “Why don't you go assure everyone that this fabulous chef has everything completely under control here?”

After a few moments of leaning up into his touch, she turned around and did so, visiting each table and telling them that everything was fine, that there was just a slight mishap. The last table she came to was her friends', who all looked relieved, if a bit shocked.

“Well, it wouldn't be chaotic without a few surprises, right?” Pinkie said with a grin. “I'm just glad Discord's okay—kitchen accidents are nothing to sneeze at!”

The others echoed the sentiment, and Fluttershy glanced back at the kitchen. Discord was already back to his frenzied actions, doing something at a quick but unpanicked pace with a wide grin on his face. “Yeah,” she said. “Sometimes surprising things happen, but as long as he’s fine…”

When she turned back, a few of them were giving her knowing looks, but they vanished before she could ask about them. “Now, Fluttershy, if you're not too busy,” Rarity said with a sip of tea, “Why don't you stay with us and chat for a bit? I've just heard some juicy gossip from Manehattan.”

Fluttershy agreed, and Rarity launched into details about some scandal between a famous couple. They all nodded along, interested even if they didn't know much about the ponies. Rainbow chipped in a story she heard from the Wonderbolts, and the group nursed their teas as they talked—even when Fluttershy had to leave and take care of other tables, they waited patiently for her to return before continuing the current story.

Eventually, all of their teapots were empty. “Hmm. Teapots don't have quite as much tea as you'd think,” Rarity said with a sigh. Fluttershy nodded in agreement. “How much do we all owe you?”

Fluttershy thought. “Well…a single cup is two bits, a pot is ten, snack platters are five,” she recited. She had Discord had agreed that even if confusing and changing prices were chaotic; simple, static ones would be easier for her to remember. “So that'll be ten bits each. But this is your first visit, so I'll cover—”

Before she could finish, Rarity had set her ten bits on the table. “Well, your prices sound very fair,” she said with a smile. “And I couldn't ask you to cover us. I know how hard running a shop for the first time can be, even if it is doing something you love.” She levitated two more bits out of her saddlebag and placed them on the table.

The others followed suit, paying up, with a little extra. “Oh no, you don't have to…” Fluttershy tried to protest.

“But we want to, silly!” Pinkie said. “Nothing like supporting a local business run by a local friend!” She beamed, and the others smiled with her.

Fluttershy blinked, then gave them a bright, shy smile. “Thank you. All of you.” She gathered their empty dishes and their bits onto her tray, bidding them all a good afternoon. They returned the sentiment and left.

She slid the bits and dishes onto the divider. Automatically, an enchantment designed by Discord carried them all away—the dishes were dropped into the sink with soapy splashes, while the bits snuck into a lockbox in the back and out of the customers' sight.

With a smile and a chuckle, she turned back to the dining area, scanning and making sure that no one needed anything.

The afternoon passed by quickly, if quietly. The only incident was someone accidentally knocking over their teacup, for which they were apologetic. Fluttershy had assured them it was fine, and Discord sent several animated sponges over to soak up the spill.

But now, the sun was creeping lower in the sky, and they were ushering out the last few customers. Fluttershy flipped the sign on their door to say they were closed, relaxing with a sigh as she locked the door with a click. Even on the best of days, it felt relaxing to just be done with work. Especially since that meant…

“Fluttershy!” Discord called from the back, holding the kitchen door open. “You haven't fallen asleep on your hooves, have you?”

She chuckled a bit, turning and trotting back towards the kitchen. He held the door open a little wider for her, gesturing towards the small table and two comfortable chairs now sitting next to one of the stoves in the corner.

She took a seat, while he went to another stove and grabbed a teapot. Discord poured them both cups of tea, while Fluttershy relaxed, letting the stove fire's heat sink into her. This was one of her favorite parts of running the shop—the moments when the two of them were all alone, where he would pour her one of his wonderful teas, and they would talk, sometimes leaning against each other…

She shook the thought away as soon as he approached with their tea. “Tonight, I thought we could try some green tea,” he said. “Shake things up a little. Not too explosive, though.”

“Sounds good,” she said with a smile, accepting the teacup from him. She sipped at it slowly, savoring the taste as Discord took a seat next to her. “Mmm. I really don't know how to do it, Discord. I don't think anyone can make a better cup of tea than you!”

“Oh, poppycock!” he said. “You know that you're as skilled at brewing tea as I am.” He smiled. “Besides, you're the one who taught me in the first place.” He tapped her nose with his claw for emphasis, making her giggle and playfully wave him away.

She told him about some of the customers, while he told her about the experimenting he had done in the kitchen. He paused and sipped his tea, then stared down at his teacup. “You know, Fluttershy,” he said. “I…I like…running this shop with you. I mean, being able to flex my chaotic muscles while spending all day with you? I'd call that a steal!”

She beamed. “I like it too,” she said. “It's…exciting, to see ponies so happy to be able to try something you made…” She considered saying how much she enjoyed moments like this, but quashed the thought.

“…yeah,” he said with a soft smile. “That part is nice…” He lifted his head to look up at her, giving her a soft look as he smiled. She smiled back…the moment seemed perfect, with just the two of them. Something bothered her at the back of her mind, a few words that she wanted to say but didn't know how…

But the moment was perfect to say them. Slowly, she opened her mouth and prepared to speak…

There was a small bang! from near the stove. Fluttershy yelped, jumping and dropping her teacup. Even Discord flinched a little, quickly standing up and heading towards the direction of the sound. Despite her better judgment, she slowly followed behind him.

He stopped at the stove, where there sat a teapot with a large hole in its side, tea spilling out of it and forming a puddle on the stove and floor. “Well,” he said, clicking his tongue, “A very slow boil isn't any better for storm cloud tea.” He flicked the stove off with his magic, then picked up the broken pot and frowned. “Perhaps…further experiments with this should be done in Chaosville and not in the shop.”

“That…might be best,” she said, moving towards the closet to grab a mop. Before she could get far, the door opened on its own, the mop flying over her head and into Discord's hand.

“Don’t worry about it,” he said as the broken pot levitated over into a box with the other teapot shards. “I made the mess—both messes—so I'll clean them up. Why don't you enjoy more of your tea?”

She glanced over to where she had been sitting…and saw the broken shards of her cup, sitting in a puddle of tea. “I…I made a mess, too,” she said, heading over to the closet again. As soon as she opened the door, several wash clothes flew out on their own and began to scrub at the floor.

“That's my fault, too,” he said. “Would you like me to brew another pot?”

She glanced at the nearest window and saw how much the sky was darkening. “No, thank you,” she said. “It's getting pretty late…”

“You should probably head home, then,” Discord said, now doing the tango with the mop as he cleaned. “I’ll take care of any other ‘closing up shop’ tasks, don't you worry.”

“Are you sure?” she said. “I can take care of a few…”

“I've got this, Flutters,” he said with a smile. “Why don't you head on home? I’ll call you if I need you, trust me.”

She slowly relented and headed towards the front door. “Good night, Discord!” she called back as she stepped out the door.

“Good night!” he shouted back. “Stay safe out there!”

She smiled and headed back home through the dim streets, feeling lighter thanks to the time she had spent with him.

The next morning, Fluttershy headed back on those same streets, now well-lit. There were a few ponies around, but not too many—and she knew that the street wouldn't fill up that much, anyway.

She finally made it to their shop, a small building with a purple and orange sign above that read Chaos Brewery, with a painting of a teapot next to it. The sign on the door announced that they were currently closed.

She reached out and placed her hoof on the door handle. It clicked and unlocked at her touch—a clever idea Discord had come up with, to reduce the chance of either of them losing any keys they would make for the door. She smiled, turned the handle, and opened the door.

“Good morning, Flutterbutter!” Discord said cheerfully as she stepped inside. Currently, he was polishing one of the tables with…wax and a stick of gum. “Did you sleep well last night?”

“Mhmm,” she said as she approached him. Though his method was…certainly unorthodox, the table shone and gleamed, and had a faint, pleasant scent of mint gum around it. “Did you?”

“Well…” He scuffed his foot a bit, not looking her in the eyes. “I did get some sleep, but probably not enough according to you…”

“How much?”

“Mm…four hours,” he mumbled.

“Discord!” she said. “Did chores last night really take that long? I could have stayed and helped…”

“No, it wasn't the chores,” he said. “I went home at a perfectly reasonable time. I just decided to take care of other things before going to bed.” He smirked. “You don't have to worry about me. I don't need nearly as much sleep as ponies or other creatures do.”

“If you say so…” she said, frowning a bit. “But what kept you up late, anyway?”

He grinned and snapped his fingers. With a flash of light, two teapots appeared on the polished table. “Just fixing these,” he said, stepping aside and presenting them to her. Her eyes widened, and she stepped forward for a closer look.

The pots looked like the ones that had broken yesterday…but instead of just being fixed and back to their original selves, it looked like they had been glued together with…gold. The pots looked almost the same, aside from the gold lines that portrayed where the cracks had been.

“You like?” he said, showing off the two pots. “It seemed a shame to waste good shards…so I decided to apply a little philosophy! And gold, of course.”

She blinked, taking one of the pots to get a better look. The lines of gold clearly marked where the pot was broken…and yet, it was beautiful. “I don't understand how it relates to philosophy,” she admitted. “But I think these both look wonderful.”

His wings fluttered, and a wide grin spread across his face. “So glad you approve,” he said. He snapped his fingers, and the pots vanished. “I'll just add them to my collection in the kitchen…perhaps I'll be able to use them today!”

He hummed and skated around the dining area, sponges attached to his feet. “How much longer until we open?” he asked, polishing random spots on random tables. “Though time is an arbitrary construct and we could open early or late if we wanted…”

“Ten minutes,” she said, heading back towards the kitchen. “But you know if we open late, that might…annoy some customers.”

“So?” he said. “Not like we’re desperate for the bits they'd bring…with my magic, it's nearly one hundred percent profit and zero expenses!” He leapt into the air, performing a triple axel over a table before landing on both feet.

She smiled and grabbed a broom from the cleaning closet. The kitchen floor was sparkling clean, as was the dining area, but it didn't hurt to clean a little more! She went back into the dining area and began to sweep, though there wasn't much dust or dirt to pick up.

“Yoink!” Discord skated by her and snatched the broom right out of her hooves. He began sweeping as he skated. “Relax and put your hooves up, Flutternutter! I'm almost finished.”

“Hey!” she said, chasing after him and grabbing the broom back. “You've done so much already…why don't you put your feet up?”

“Mm, very tempting…” he mumbled as she continued sweeping. “But nah. You're the one who deserves to relax.” He reached over her head and whisked the broom out of her hooves once again.

This continued for some time—the two of them bantering, snatching the broom from each other, and sweeping the dining area. All the while, Fluttershy could feel the huge grin on her face, and Discord himself was grinning widely and chuckling.

But eventually, the whole floor was swept and clean (though it was difficult to recall who had done more work). Discord snapped his fingers, and the broom hopped its way towards the kitchen. “Well, there's…five more minutes before we open,” he said, checking a gold watch suddenly strapped to his wrist. “What say we both relax and have a little tea before the first customers show up?”

“That does sound nice…” she said, still smiling. She followed him back into the kitchen, where he quickly began to prepare a pot of tea.

They only managed to enjoy one cup of tea each before the time had come to unlock the doors. Still, Fluttershy was grateful they had taken the time to enjoy that much—she felt calm, relaxed, and ready to speak with customers.

Discord snapped his fingers and unlocked the front door, flipping the sign to ‘Open' in the process. Then, they both stood on their respective sides of the kitchen divider, waiting for customers to arrive.

It took a few minutes, but ponies slowly filed in—most of them regulars, or being led in by regulars. She smiled and approached all of them as they sat down, taking their orders, and even convincing a few of them to try something a bit different than their usual, even if it was just a different snack.

Discord worked on all of their teas, but with their shop not even being a quarter full, seemed almost a little bored. She hung by the counter in between deliveries of tea and snacks, talking to him about everything and nothing as she scanned the dining room and he worked on whipping up foods and drinks.

The doorbell rang, catching both of their attention, and a customer she didn't recognize walked in. He was an earth pony stallion, with a caramel-colored coat, green eyes, and a chocolate mane. His cutie mark was of a teacup. “Good morning,” she greeted brightly. “And welcome to Chaos Brewery!”

“Hello,” he said, giving her a bright smile. “I believe I read that customers may take their own seats?” She smiled and nodded, and he headed over to a table in the corner—one a few feet from the window, but which would give anyone a good view of the rest of the restaurant.

He made himself comfortable, and she handed him a menu. “I'll be back in just a second,” she said. She quickly hurried away to deliver more teas and snacks to other tables, and to check up on Discord.

“How are you doing?” she asked.

He sighed and looked up at her. “I'm fine, Flutterbuddy. Sure, there might not be that many customers, but I'm keeping myself entertained without explosions!” He held up a slice of toast with peanut butter and jam smeared messily on it. “I'm just trying to invent some perfect jelly art while I wait for things to brew,” he said. “But thank you for thinking of me.”

He patted her head with his tail, then ushered her to go back to the customers. She blushed and did so, scanning the dining area. Out of the few customers they had today, everyone had been served their tea or had their orders taken, except…

She approached the newest customer, pen and notepad at the ready. “Good afternoon,” she greeted cheerfully. “What can I get for you today?”

“Hmm. I'll take a peppermint tea," the stallion said. “And…what would you recommend goes with it?”

She smiled, thinking of all the treats they had. “Well…I always think the cucumber sandwiches are good. Or the peanut butter and pickle ones.”

The stallion looked a bit green at the second choice, and glanced at his menu again. “Perhaps I'll…skip the snacks," he said as he skimmed the options. “Just the tea will be fine, thank you.”

She smiled and wrote down his order, heading back to the divider between the kitchen and dining room. Discord met her there, smiling.

“A new order?” he said as he filled a tray with a teacup and cookies. “Anything challenging, exciting, or special?”

“Just some peppermint tea,” she said, trading the tray for the order she had taken. “No snacks.”

“Humph. Well, it's nothing terribly exciting, but they should prepare to have the best, mintiest tea they've ever tried!” He busied himself with a new teapot, while she took the tray and served one table their tea and cookies.

Once that was done, she headed back over to the divider and scanned the room. Everypony had either been served or was waiting for their order, and there were no dishes to gather…so she glanced behind her and watched Discord work, seeping leaves in pots, putting them on and pulling them off flames with his magic…and just using small hints of chaos as he worked, as was in his nature. She couldn't help but smile.

“Miss?” she heard a voice call. She flinched and turned around, blushing a bit. The newest customer was waving her over. She took a deep breath to get rid of the heat in her face and approached him.

“Yes, sir?” she asked. “Would you like to order anything else? Maybe a snack?”

“Erm…no,” he said. “None of the snacks on the menu are…quite to my taste.” He smiled warmly. “I was just wondering how long it would be before my tea was ready…and if I could talk to you later.”

She blinked as he grinned and winked. Before she could process this, a bell was suddenly ringing. “Order up! Order up!” Discord called, madly ringing a bell on the counter.

“M-maybe, just give me a second!” she said. She hurried away and up to the counter, and Discord slowly stopped ringing the bell.

“Here's that…gentlecolt's tea,” he said, placing the steaming cup on her tray. “And here's the pot…it's hot, so warn him not to burn himself. Or don't.” He scowled.

“Is…everything okay?” she asked. He jumped a little.

“Yes, yes, but…” he sighed. “Can we…talk a bit after you drop off that tea?”

“Sure!” she said. She took the tray and brought over the tea, placing it in front of their newest customer. “Excuse me,” she said, turning back around and heading towards the counter. Discord was still standing there, his eyes focused on her.

He relaxed as she approached. “What's wrong?” she asked. “Do you want me to help you out in the kitchen?”

He chuckled and shook his head. “No, no. I'm so underworked that juggling brewing and making jelly art isn't even much of a fun challenge.” His expression fell, becoming more serious. “No…it's something else.”

“What is it?” she asked with a tilt of her head.

“That stallion over there keeps staring at you,” Discord said. “I don't trust him as far as I can throw him.” He scowled, and Fluttershy turned to see who he was talking about.

It was the newest customer, the one who had ordered the peppermint tea. He caught her eye and smiled warmly. She waved and turned back to Discord. “I don't know what you mean,” she said. “He seems perfectly friendly…”

“A little too friendly,” he growled. Before she could ask him what he meant, he was already busying himself with a new pot of tea and a piece of toast.

She blinked, a little confused by his reaction, but began to gather empty dishes and deliver orders. She kept glancing over at the stallion Discord had been annoyed by. He was calmly sipping his tea, and reading some sort of book about the history of tea…and every so often, he would glance over at her.

Each time, she looked away, not wanting to be caught staring. She suddenly remembered seeing him linger outside of their shop a few times, but had never seen him come inside the building before. She hadn't thought much of it before.

She noticed a few customers finishing up, so went over to clear their tables and drop off their bills. Everyone thanked her warmly and paid for the tea, several of them tipping her, much to her surprise and delight.

Eventually, she had cleared all the tables, and dropped all the dishes and bits off with Discord. She glanced around…and realized that besides her, Discord, and the newest customer that he seemed so suspicious of, the shop was now empty. He was currently nursing his tea and reading his book, while Discord worked at the kitchen divider, his eyes boring holes into his skull.

She glanced over at Discord and shook her head, gesturing for him to stop. He scowled and, when the customer wasn't looking, made an exasperated gesture with both hands towards him. She shook her head again, giving him a stern look. “Be nice to customers,” she mouthed.

He snorted and walked out of sight. She sighed, glancing back over at the customer, who hadn't noticed their pantomiming. It would have been awkward…to be caught doing that, when trying to keep quiet, she thought with a bit of a blush. With the whole reason being to not get caught…

She suddenly remembered that he had wanted to speak with her. She slowly approached, then coughed into her hoof. He glanced up. “You, um…wanted to speak with me?”

“Indeed I did,” he said, closing his book and setting it aside. He smiled brightly at her. “I'm Tea Leaf,” he said. “And you must be the wondrous Fluttershy I've heard so much about.”

She blushed. “I don't know about wondrous…”

“Don't be so modest,” he said. “You're quite beautiful, and if this tea is anything to go by, very skilled.” He blushed, tracing the rim of his teacup with a hoof. “In fact…I was hoping I could take you out on a date. Maybe this Saturday?”

She blushed bright red, scuffing her hoof against the ground. “I…I don't…I'm busy Saturday,” she said. “And besides, it's not me who brews the tea here…”

“Then who—” he froze, glancing over to where Discord was working, scrubbing cups as he stared unblinkingly at the two of them. Tea Leaf chuckled. “Oh, I get it. This is a joke, right?”

“What?” she said, feeling her insides grow cold.

“I mean—you're just doing this to be nice to that creature,” he said. “You brew all the tea guests get, right? Because there's no way an evil monster like that could be so skilled—”

Both he and Fluttershy were stunned when he was suddenly wearing his tea, the teacup and teapot from his table now lying on his shoulder and head. He stared at her with wide eyes as she breathed heavily, her hooves shaking as she dropped her tray on his lap.

“Don't you ever say that about him again!” she yelled. “Discord's not evil, he's not a monster, and…and he brews the best tea in the world!”

She angrily pointed to the door. “And if you can't see that, leave!” she snapped. “And don't ever talk to me again!”

Tea Leaf frowned, standing up and placing the teapot and cup on the table. “Fine,” he said. “But you'll regret this. You and your freak of a…a coltfriend.” With that, he stormed off, dripping tea as he went.

Discord cheered as soon as he was out the door, flying over the counter to envelop Fluttershy in a big hug. “That was amazing!” he said. “You were on fire, Flutterbuddy! That's one bad customer who won't be back anytime soon!”

“Y-yeah,” she said shakily. Her mind caught up with her actions, and she practically fell into the nearest chair. “Dear Celestia…I've made a mess of everything…”

“Don't fret,” he said. “This'll be a snap to clean up!” He chuckled a little, snapping his fingers and creating a group of animated mops that began to clean the floor.

“Thank you…” she said quietly. “But that's not what I'm worried about. What if…Tea Leaf reports us?” She frowned, her ears flattening against her skull. “I could get in trouble…or worse, the shop could be in trouble…”

“Pssh, who's going to get mad at you?” he asked. “The guy was a jerk, and if anyone asks, you could say you ‘accidentally’ spilled tea on him.”

“I…don't think anyone would believe that…” she said, casting her gaze down to the floor.

In her peripheral vision, she saw Discord frown and float over to the door. She heard the clicking of the lock and the flip of their paper sign, and saw him floating back over. To her surprise, he scooped her into his arms and carried her into the kitchen, the lights turning off behind him.

As soon as they were there, he laid her into a plush armchair that was not there before and went back to tending the teapot. “I've been working on something new,” he said. “And you know that I like you to be able to taste these before anyone else…”

She nodded weakly, remembering all of the times he insisted that she try his concoctions. Discord hummed as he worked, pouring golden brown liquid from the pot into the cup and adding a little cream on top.

“Ta-da!” he said, presenting the cup on a tray to her. The cream on top was shaped like something, with three large bumps on top.

“Thank you,” she said, accepting the tea. “Those are nice…mountains?”

“What?” he said. “Ugh, it's supposed to be a heart!”

She giggled. “But it has three bumps on top, see?” she said, pointing them out.

“Well…draconequui have strange hearts,” he said. “But whatever. Drink your mountains.”

She giggled again and took a sip. The first thing she noticed was that it tasted fairly similar to rose tea, one of her favorite kinds. But there was something else to it…a hint of ginseng, perhaps? And it had a bit of a cinnamony taste…

“It's good,” she said, smiling slightly as the tea warmed her up inside. Discord grinned, his ears wriggling and tail wagging, as they did whenever someone gave him a compliment. She smiled a little wider at that, and took another sip of tea.

She relaxed into her seat, and Discord floated behind her and began to rub at her shoulders. “Don't you worry about him, you anxious little bird horse,” he said. “Everything will work out fine, you'll see.” She took another sip, letting her eyes drift closed. Discord's touch made her feel as though she could forget all of her anxieties and fears…

“If he tries to cause trouble for us, he'll regret it!” Discord said. “How does turning him into a genie that lives in a teapot sound?”

She laughed at that, quickly covering her mouth to stifle it. “D-don’t!” she managed to say between laughs.

“Oooh, you're right. That’s just begging for him to use his new powers to get revenge in some forgotten sequel.” He nuzzled the top of her head. “Maybe I’ll just take a page out of your book and continue making tea the latest fashion…”

She laughed even more at that. Discord grinned and caressed her cheek. “There's the Fluttershy I know,” he said. “Now…should we call it a day for the shop, or reopen?”

“Well…can I finish this tea first?” she asked with a bashful smile. “Then we can open again...”

“You're the boss,” he said, topping off her tea and trying to redo his cream art. It ended up as a blob with five bumps this time. “Bah,” he said. “Who needs frou-frou fancy stuff like that, anyway? My tea tastes good with or without it!”

“Yes, it does,” she said, taking a very long sip. She could see the large grin on his face, his ears wriggling in delight.

They spent a long time relaxing—at a few points, she was worried about what the customers were thinking, but he told her to just try and relax. They finished off about half of the teapot before she stood up, setting down her cup.

“Thank you, Discord,” she said. “I think that was just what I needed.” She took a deep breath. “I think I'm ready to open up shop again.”

He slowly nodded, standing up and stretching. Several of his joints made sounds like squeaky toys, which made her smile a bit. “I'll unlock the door and clean up, if you want to watch for customers,” he said, already gathering the dishes from their impromptu tea party. She smiled and nodded, heading back into the dining room.

They didn't have many more customers that day—but they managed to keep themselves busy with serving and cleaning. After a few more hours, they took a late lunch (which Discord made for the both of them, much to her delight), then opened the shop again.

Even keeping herself busy, there was still a feeling of worry lingering in the back of the mind. Anytime she got too worried, Discord seemed to notice, and pressed a hot cup of tea into her hooves, insisting she stop and drink. She had to admit that it was a sweet gesture, and it did help relax her before she turned her attention to some other task.

Soon, they were closing up shop—and today, she insisted on helping with chores before leaving. It was quite dark outside by the time they had finished everything, so Discord had insisted on walking her home.

They strolled down the darkening streets...and just at the edge of town, Fluttershy paused to look up. “The stars are beautiful tonight…” she said. Indeed, they were shining brightly against the inky black sky.

“…yeah,” Discord said, placing his paw between her withers. She sighed, feeling some of the tension in her relax. For a being of chaos, somehow Discord could make her feel…at peace. More than any kind of tea he could possibly brew.

“…you must be tired,” he said, rubbing her back. “Let's get you nice and cozied up in your cottage, m'kay? I'll even give you some sleepythyme tea if you want.”

“…that does sound good,” she said, slowly turning her attention away from the stars and heading down the path towards her cottage.

It was only a few minutes’ walk, but she still felt a bit tired by the time they made it. Still, she couldn't turn down the cup of tea Discord offered. He handed it to her and waved goodbye as she slowly closed her front door.

As usual, she quickly checked all of her animals, taking slow sips of tea. Angel Bunny and Dr. Fauna had been doing a good job of taking care of them while she ran the shop…she felt her eyes droop closed, but quickly blinked awake and stared at her tea. Whatever he made it with, it was working.

She quickly headed upstairs and got settled in her bed before gulping down the rest of the tea. Already, she could feel her mind growing fuzzy, and she curled up under her blankets, making herself comfortable.

Right before she fell asleep, she thought to herself, Wait…why would Discord try to make a heart in my tea? Before she could dwell on it, she fell into the land of dreams.

The next morning, the sun was shining, and the birds were singing cheerfully. She couldn't help but hum along with them as she got ready for the day and headed into town.

She still felt a little worried about the incident with Tea Leaf—but the thought of seeing Discord overwrote that for the time being. That, and after today, they'd take a few days off from running the shop…she could spend time at the sanctuary, maybe even have a picnic with Discord and the girls.

She made it to their shop, but the handle moved out of her reach before she could unlock it. “Goooood morning, Flutterbuddy!” Discord said cheerfully as he opened the door for her. “How are you doing on this fine spring day?”

“Very well,” she said, stepping inside. “And you?”

“Good enough,” he said. “I felt bored, so I rearranged the tables and chairs, replaced some paintings and photos…oh, and I’ve scrubbed everything, since most ponies don't appreciate my dust bunnies…”

She glanced around, nodding. “I think it all looks nice,” she says. “Is there anything we should take care of before we open?”

“Hmm,” Discord said. He reached into his ear and pulled out a scroll of paper. He unraveled it, and she peeked around him. It was a list of chores, written in overdone cursive. “I think my magic takes care of these automatically,” he said. “But do you want to double-check?”

“Sure,” she said, accepting the list. She sat in a nearby chair to scan over it…glancing up for a second as a teacup was suddenly placed next to her. Discord smiled at her, then headed over to the windows and stared at the street.

“I feel like I should change the scenery a bit,” he said. “Alter the windows so they show something more interesting…like the bottom of the sea, or the inside of a volcano, or—" She heard him make an odd sound, like a mix between a gulp and sharp intake of breath.

She set down the list and cup and stood up. He was staring out the window, his mouth moving up and down as though he was trying to figure out what to say. Worried, she approached him.

“Uh oh,” Discord finally said, eyes widening and ears flattening. “Looks like we have some pretty unhappy customers…”

She stood by his side…and gasped. A crowd of ponies was storming towards them, looking very angry. She could already hear them yelling, and see signs claiming that their shop was the worst thing to grace Equestria…

“Oh no…” she said, her ears drooping. She saw that the crowd was being led by an angry-looking Tea Leaf, and they flattened against her skull. “Oh no…”

“I guess someone wants seconds,” Discord growled. His fangs were bared, and she heard him crack his knuckles. “Guess I should teach him where the ‘Chaos' in our name comes from…”

“No!” she said quickly, grabbing his paw before he could do anything. “I…if you do anything to him, they'll get even angrier.” She took a deep breath. “I'll…I'll go out and talk to them. To see if they'll…listen to me and leave us alone.”

“…you don't have to,” he said. “I can snap them all away to some deserted place…”

“But that won't fix the problem,” she said. “Someone will still be angry. Please…this is my fault, so let me try to fix this.”

Discord frowned, not looking at all pleased. He glanced between her and the crowd quickly forming just outside their door…then sighed and stepped aside. “But if any of them hurts you or throws something, they earn a one-way ticket to Yakyakistan!”

She couldn't find it in herself to argue with him. With another deep breath, she moved away from the window and towards the door…and after a few moments of hesitation, she opened the door and stepped outside.

The crowd wasn't that big, thankfully—maybe fifteen or twenty ponies made it up. But they were all quite loud, drawing attention from and scaring away other ponies walking down the street.

“No more Chaos Brewery!” “Go home!” “You don't belong in our town!”

She shivered, her ears flattening. She closed her eyes and tried to steel herself, then straightened up and looked at the crowd. “What do you want?” she said as loud as she could, trying to keep her voice stable.

“LEAVE!” a few ponies shouted.

“You think we should let that…that monster have any more reason to be in our town?” one pony at Tea Leaf's side said.

Tea Leaf grinned and stepped forward. “Everyone knows about this shop!” he said. “How a chaotic monster runs it…how when I, a tea connoisseur, visited it, I ended up walking out with the tea on my coat!”

Immediately, the angry crowd picked up his words and used them to hurl more vile things. “Chaotic beast…” “Throwing tea at somepony, he could have hurt them!” “He doesn't deserve to be around here!”

Fluttershy shook, but not completely in fright. Now…now she could feel her blood boiling. “Don't say that about Discord!” she said. “I was the one who talked to Tea Leaf! I was the one who…who spilled tea on him!” Some of the crowd gasped, and ponies began to murmur and whisper.

“Why do you keep trying to defend him?” Tea Leaf asked. “How many times has he put all of us in danger? Why do you still trust him at all!?”

“B-because—”

“And don't say ‘he's a good creature!’,” he said. “You've forgiven him way too much for it to just be that. Why. Do. You. Protect him!?”

She felt her face heating up. “It's because…because I…!”

“She doesn’t need to explain anything to you,” a deep voice said from behind her. She released a breath she didn’t realize she had been holding, casting her gaze above her. Discord stood behind her, frowning (but not yet glaring) at the gathered crowd.

“We want answers!” Tea Leaf shouted. Some of the crowd agreed with him, though a lot of them had gone silent, staring nervously at the annoyed draconequus.

“Ones that she doesn't have to give!” Discord snapped back. “All you need to know is that you got kicked out for insulting the co-owner…and that now you're bullying and putting pressure on a pegasus who's done ten times more with her life than you!”

A few members of the crowd looked at her and started to walk away. “That's right!” Discord said. “You're nothing but a bunch of cowardly bullies! You think it looks good, ganging up on the owners of a small business like this!?”

Discord kept shouting things that were partway between insulting and guilt-tripping. Members of the crowd slowly began to peel away, and Fluttershy relaxed (though she still stayed close to Discord).

Eventually, all that was left were Tea Leaf and a few of his friends. He stepped forward and growled. “This isn't over,” he said. “If you or your coltfriend so much as mane a tiny mistake…I'll be there. Watching and waiting—”

“Oh, cut the tough guy act,” Discord said. “You know you're as weak as the tea you brew.” Tea Leaf gasped, and he grinned. “Have I hit a nerve?”

“You…I'll get rid of your shop if it's the last thing I—!”

“Gonna be hard to do that if you can't come near!” Discord said cheerfully. He whipped a large rubber stamp out from behind his back and whacked Tea Leaf's forehead with it, leaving a large ‘X'. “Congratulations, you're our first banned customer!” Fluttershy gasped quietly, but couldn't find the heart to protest.

“Wha…” Tea Leaf shook his head. “You can't stop me from coming near your store, though!”

“My magic can do anything,” Discord said. “As for a reason you can't come near…” He pulled out a long scroll and placed a pair of spectacles on his nose. “First of all, don't think we didn't notice you peering in the windows weeks before you even entered. For the safety of our customers and our lovely waitress slash co-owner, you can't come close enough to look in.”

Fluttershy blushed a little at his comment, while Tea Leaf sputtered. “That's…!”

“Oh, and the second reason is beginning an unlicensed, illegal protest outside our shop!” Discord continued. Tea Leaf stared blankly as he grinned. “I've dealt with bureaucracy before. I know it takes an eternity to actually get the license…and how much trouble you'll be in if we report it.”

“That's…that's blackmail,” Tea Leaf hissed.

Discord laughed. “No, it's not!” he said, cackling. “It's, how you say…mutually ensured destruction. You try to mess with us again, and we'll report you.”

“I…think that counts as blackmail…” Fluttershy said. Discord just reached down and gently ruffled her mane, making her squeak a little.

“Oh, and your ban officially starts…five seconds ago,” Discord finished with a grin. Tea Leaf tilted his head a little…then gasped and started galloping in place. Fluttershy looked down and saw that despite his running, his hooves were still moving backward, pushed by some invisible force!

Though Tea Leaf fought against it, the invisible force pushed him back until he was halfway across the street. He tried to march back over to them, but the force kept pushing him back. “Hey! You can't do this!” he shouted.

“I can't hear you~,” Discord said in a singsong voice. He grinned at the few friends he had that were hanging around. “So, gentlecolts…want to join your friend in banned-land, or leave quietly and pretend that this didn't happen?”

The group looked at each other. One by one, they lowered their heads and walked away, taking Tea Leaf down the street with them. Discord chuckled and dusted off his hands. “Cross off the chore list, because I just finished taking out some trash!”

Fluttershy smiled…and tightly embraced him, pressing her cheek into his fur. “Thank you…” she said as she nuzzled him. “They were all so loud and angry, and I wasn't sure what to say…”

“You're welcome,” he said, boosting her up with his tail and holding her in his arms. “I wasn't just going to leave you to the timberwolves, you know.” He gently cradled her close and carried her back inside the shop.

“But…one question,” he said. “About Tea Leaf's ‘coltfriend’ comment…where did that come from?”

“I…don't know," she said. “He said that yesterday, too, after I kicked him out. Maybe he thought that that's the reason why I…reacted that way when he insulted you?” And he wouldn't be completely wrong…

“Ah, I see,” he said. “So…he's the type that doesn't think mares and stallions can just be friends? Pals? Chums?”

“I…guess,” she said. “I don't really know him, so…”

“Fair, fair,” he said as he carried her back towards the kitchen. “That protest likely scared away some good customers…why don't we relax with some nice tea? Might help after that bad experience.”

She slowly nodded. “Y-yes, please…” As soon as she spoke, he flicked his tail. The door’s lock clicked, and heavy curtains fell over the windows, blocking out the sun. He gently set her down in the kitchen, where plush chairs and roaring fires were waiting for them.

She took a seat in her usual chair, while Discord headed over to the stove and grabbed the boiling kettle. “Peppermint tea,” he said as he poured two cups. “A shame he never got the chance to enjoy more of it—I'm close to finding the perfect hybrid between peppermint and spearmint!”

She smiled and accepted the cup he handed to her. She took a small sip and closed her eyes, sighing and letting the sweet warmth travel through her body. Already, she could feel her worries melting away…

She allowed a few moments (or maybe minutes) to flow by before she slowly opened her eyes again. Discord was frowning at the teacup in his hooves…he looked deep in thought, and it didn't seem like he had drunk any tea. “Are…you okay?” she asked quietly.

He blinked and flinched, as though startled that she was there. “Oh! …yes. I'm perfectly fine.” He gave a half-hearted smile and took a long, slow sip of tea.

She rose an eyebrow, and his grin faltered. “…okay, maybe I'm not perfectly fine,” he said. “But you don't need to worry about me, really.”

She reached out and placed a hoof on his arm. “Discord…please,” she said. “You can tell me anything, and…I'll do my best to help you, like how you've always helped me.”

He blinked a few times, staring at her in awe. His paw reached up, cupping her hoof for a second…then falling back down as his gaze fell from hers. He traced a finger along the rim of his teacup. “…that comment from that dreg of a stallion still bothers me,” he admitted. “The one about me being your coltfriend…”

She felt her blood run cold, her heart and throat clenching up. He's going to reject me, he only wants to be friends, he hates that someone thought we could ever date— a panicked voice in the back of her mind said. “Why…did it bother you?” she forced herself to say, trying the steel herself for the answer.

“It's just…” he waved a claw in the air. “Did he notice something I was doing, to make that assumption? Or was he trying to justify us working together with the only way his tiny brain knew how?”

“I think that…he was just assuming,” she said. “I don't think he noticed—” She froze, memories coming back to her.

His cheerful greetings every morning.

The tea parties they had alone.

The heart in her tea…!

“Discord…” she said slowly, setting her teacup down. “You wouldn't…happen to…” She swallowed, her worry keeping her from finishing the sentence.

“…have some honey for that tea? Sure do!” he said, adding a dollop of honey to her cup and giving her a strained grin. She gave him a look that she tried to make stern, but knew that at least a little confusion and sadness had seeped into it. He flinched and sighed, looking away.

“Well…maybe I…want to be your ‘coltfriend'. Just a little bit. A teaspoon's worth of want.” He frowned. “And I never realized before how exclusive that term is! Too both non-ponies and nonbinary creatures.” He grabbed her shoulders. “Let's upheave society and change that term, make it our mission, and focus on no other knowledge brought to light here!”

He stood up, but froze when she placed both of her hooves on his hands. She stared at him, and he slowly lowered back into his seat, avoiding her gaze. “So…I guess you forgetting that is off the table?” he said.

She nodded. “Discord…can you tell me why you…you were scared to tell me this?”

He paused, not meeting her eyes. “…new ingredient,” he muttered.

“What?” she asked, tilting her head in confusion.

He sighed. “Our friendship, it's…it's tea parties. We have tea, and everything is nice, and light, and I—I'm happy. Everything seems perfect, from the brewed tea we happen to have, to the beautiful smile on your face.”

“But remember when I tried adding that new ingredient once? The storm cloud,” he asked. She slowly nodded. “Everything exploded, tea went everywhere, the peace was completely broken…”

He sighed and shook his head. “Long story short…telling you about it would be like adding a storm cloud to the tea in a tea party. Sure, I may have taken risks, and come close to saying it a few times, but—I never added the whole cloud."

He looked away. “But…I guess the cat's out of the bag, and it just knocked the whole cloud into the tea,” he said. He swallowed and covered his face with his hands. “If you want, I…I can just leave. We don't have to keep doing…this if it'll make you uncomfortable now.”

“No!” she said quickly, startling him and herself. “N-no, don't, please!” He lifted his hands slightly away from his face. Though he still couldn't meet her eyes, he kept looking over at her with curiosity and worry.

She took a deep breath, trying to arrange the words in her mind. “After…you added the storm cloud,” she said. “The day after, you showed me what you had done with the shards.”

“Oh, the gold paint?” he said. “Yes, we both liked those…why do you bring it up?”

“Because…maybe adding the storm cloud meant that the...teapots weren't the same anymore,” she said. “But they didn't stay broken. You made them into something new and beautiful.” She reached out and placed a hoof on his knee. “We…we can do that with our friendship, now.”

“…what are you saying?” he said in a hushed, awed voice.

She smiled at him. “That…that I want us to be marefriend and…draconequusfriend,” she said. “I care about you deeply, Discord. I want us to go farther.”

His tail wagged and his ears wiggled. “Draconequusfriend…” he said softly with a smile. “Well, when you can come up with perfect names like that, how can I resist?”

She giggled a little, shifting so that she could sit next to him and lean against his side. He slowly, almost tentatively, reached up and scratched behind her ear. She cooed, her feathers fluffing up. A small, warm chuckle came from his throat.

“Why don't we close shop for today?” he suggested. “We can use the protest as an excuse, and…I think there are more important things to do right now.” He gently, almost shyly, placed a soft kiss just between her cheek and neck, quickly pulling away.

She smiled, unfurling a wing and wrapping it around him. “Is this a date?”

“It can be, if you want,” he offered. “Maybe we could go on a nice picnic and…learn some things about each other.” He grinned and wiggled his eyebrows, and she couldn't help but snort a bit in laughter.

“T-that sounds perfect,” she said after quickly calming herself. She leaned up and lightly brushed her own lips against his cheek. “The sanctuary?”

“Of course,” he said. With a snap of his fingers, they disappeared, leaving behind a closed shop and abandoned tea set.

They had taken an extra day off, even after their planned closed days, but next week, they had opened again. A few customers who came in seemed a little annoyed, but were mostly worried that the protest had scared them into closing.

“No, no,” Fluttershy said to a worried couple. “We settled down the protesters, and took some time off for…other reasons.” She could hear Discord giggling in delight from the kitchen, and she couldn't help but smile, glancing in his direction.

After serving and assuring a few more customers, the doorbell rang. She turned and saw her friends, giving them a wide smile as they seated themselves. “Fluttershy, darling,” Rarity said. “I heard a rumor that you were closing for good! Not that I believed it, since you seemed to be enjoying running this shop so much…what happened?”

Fluttershy gave a quick explanation about Tea Leaf and the protest, leaving out what happened after it had all been settled. “We're going to keep running the shop,” she said. “Although now we might try to take more days off during the week.” She pulled out her quill and notepad. “What can I get for you?”

Rainbow sighed and said, “I don't get tea at all. Can I just get whatever Discord made last time?”

“I think I’ll do the same,” Applejack said. “But could I get some apple fritters with that? I know they won't be anything like Granny's, but Discord has a way of…making some happy surprises.”

The others asked for the teas from last time, too, Pinkie and Twilight both ordering snacks. Fluttershy wrote everything down and headed over to the kitchen divider.

Discord was already there, waiting. He looked a bit smug as he read over the order. “Told you they'd be their new favorite drinks,” he said as he began to prepare their snacks, five teapots already boiling on the stove.

With a quick glance at the dining area every so often, she lingered at the divider. She and Discord talked and joked—it wasn't a huge change from back when they were just friends. Though every so often he would say something cheesy, something flirty, something that would make her giggle and blush.

In a few minutes, the tea and snacks were ready, all of it enchanted to be extra-light when she carried it. She leaned over the divider and pecked his lips. “Thank you, Cordy,” she said as she gathered everything onto her tray. He just nodded dumbly, a lovestruck smile spreading across his face as hearts appeared in his eyes.

She couldn't help but giggle at his reaction…but froze when she turned around. She had forgotten in the heat of the moment that their friends were there—and now they were staring at her with wide eyes and open mouths.

Swallowing, she slowly approached them with their tea. “I…I can explain,” she said, the teacups rattling as she shook.

“No need,” Twilight said, frowning. “We saw everything.” Rainbow Dash scowled. Fluttershy gulped.

“I…you…” she tried to say.

“All owe me ten bits!” Pinkie crowed. The rest of them groaned and dug through their saddlebags, scowling. “Yeah, yeah. I warned you I could pinpoint the exact day this would happen!”

Rainbow grumbled and tossed the bits over. “Seriously, Fluttershy? You and Discord couldn't have waited another week so I could win?”

Fluttershy stared at them with wide eyes, watching the bits change hooves. “You…all were betting on if we would get together?” she asked weakly.

“Not ‘if’. ‘When',” Twilight corrected. “I was off by one week…”

“I, um…excuse me,” she said, setting the tray with their cups on the table. She shakily walked back into the kitchen, where Discord was stirring a large…cauldron of tea?

“Root of ginseng and eye of fruit," he said with a cackle as he tossed ingredients in. “Boil ten minutes, serve in a flute!” He placed tall, thin crystal glasses on the counter next to the cauldron and turned to face her. “Something wrong, Flutters?”

“Our friends,” she said slowly, flopping into her usual chair. Though he tried to hide it, she saw a flicker of worry in Discord's eyes. “They've…they've been placing bets on when we would get together.”

They both stared at each other for a few moments. Then, Discord snorted once. This made her burst into a small giggling fit. That encouraged him to bark out a short laugh…and the next thing they knew, they were leaning against each other, laughing their hearts out in relief.

“I was a little worried, you know?” he said. “That really…that does take a bit of weight off my chest.”

“Yes,” she said, nuzzling into his fur. “But we don't have to…worry about what anyone says. Only we get to decide what we are, right?”

“Wise words from a sweet pony,” he murmured, wrapping his arms around her.

Though they would both need to get back to work soon, they lingered like that—pressed flushed against each other, feeling each other's heartbeats as the smell of tea drifted in the air around them.