Getting Shy

Work passed in a kind of haze for Patrick. He was aware of answering calls and filling out paperwork, but couldn't remember the actual content of either. The silver lining was that his coworkers seemed to have sensed his mood and didn't bother him. An added bonus was that they didn't even invite him to have lunch with them. It was just as well, Pat wasn't hungry anyway. He took a cola from the vending machine for the sugar and sat in the tiny kitchen in the empty office.

'Shy had still not called and he was starting to worry about her. She had promised she would let him know when she got Mason's papers. That shouldn't take this long, should it? She said she knew the combination to his safe, so it was just a matter of walking over there and taking them. Maybe Mason didn't allow her to leave the room, but Patrick was sure 'Shy would have called him and said something. The silence was unnerving. His will broke and he dialled her a few minutes before his lunch break was over, but there was no answer. It just made him worry more.

Had Mason found Fluttershy's phone? Was he watching it ring? The caller ID would tell him it was Patrick calling and undoubtedly piss him off. The thought was thoroughly unpleasant and Pat dropped the call and hurried back to his desk. Paul and Alex were already there, but they fell silent when he entered the office. Pat had the feeling they had been talking about him, especially by the way they avoided looking in his direction. He didn't care about their gossip and he had bigger problems. He just had to get through the second half of his shift and then-

Then he'd go home. Nothing much could change, but at least he wouldn't have to act normal. Maybe he would see 'Shy through the window or something. If she didn't call by midnight, Pat decided, he would go to the house just like that morning and try to talk with her.

Unless - the idea chilled his spine - Mason had already gotten rid of her.

Surely he wouldn't act that quickly, would he? It'd take him a few days to find the buyer and get the paperwork in order. Pat had to rush back to the kitchen and grab a glass of water. The thought that she was gone and he'd never see or hear 'Shy again was turning his stomach.

He ran into Harris on his way back. "Jeez, you look like crap, Patrick."

"Yeah- uh. Sorry. It's..."

The boss took a preemptive step back and held up his hand for Pat to keep his distance. "If you got the flu or something you should've stayed home. Don't need you spreading it to everyone."

Pat blinked a few times in confusion. Flu? Did he look bad enough for people to assume he was sick? It was a good excuse and he latched onto it. "Yeah, flu. I'm not feeling too well."

Harris looked annoyed, but there was a glimmer of sympathy there. "You know the rules, Patrick. Take a sick day or two. You shouldn't have even come in."

"You're right. Sorry. I didn't think it was this bad..." He was only half-paying-attention to his boss, but the thought of being able to go home and maybe see 'Shy before Mason returned from work was suddenly very attractive. "I think I'll head home. Um, I'll call tomorrow."

"Don't forget to get a doctor's note. Now git!"

Patrick hurried back to his desk. Having something concrete to do was helping his stomach, but his hands still shook with fear for 'Shy.

Paul finally looked his way and raised an eyebrow when Pat started packing his things.

"Flu," Pat explained. "I don't feel good." He wasn't sure if his coworker bought the excuse, but it looked like he wasn't going to challenge it.

Paul gave him a single nod. "Hope you feel better, Pat. Take care."

"Yeah. Thanks."

He hurried out of the building, practically ran to his car in the parking lot, and headed home.

The afternoon wasn't much better, but at least he didn't have to work. For a while he had stared at Mason's living room, hoping to see 'Shy until his eyes watered, and he'd walked down the sidewalk past the house several times when he couldn't sit still anymore.

It looked deserted.

Patrick kept telling himself the pony was just confined to her bedroom, despite the other, less pleasant theories which kept creeping back in. He wanted to go and look through her window, but there was a lot of traffic in the street, both cars and pedestrians and he couldn't risk it. Any one of his conscientious neighbors might tell Mason that Pat had been sneaking around his house. It'd have to wait for the night again. Of course, by the time that rolled around Patrick might lose what little sanity he had left, he thought.

He was standing on his balcony and nervously smoking his fourth cigarette when he saw his neighbor's car pull up. He ducked behind the fence, unwilling to let Mason see him, and looked through the crack between two of the planks in the railing. The vehicle parked in front of the house and after a moment his bastard of a neighbor climbed out. Pat was expecting him to go into the house, but the man headed the other way. Probably needed to fetch his suitcase from the trunk or something.

Strangely, Mason continued going until he was on the opposite side, where he pulled open the back door and leaned inside. He straightened back a moment later with a rope, or a strip of something in his hand. Patrick's stomach dropped and, sure enough, when Mason gave it a tug 'Shy jumped out of the back seat. She was being led around like an animal on a leash! Pat's fists bunched up but of course he could do absolutely nothing about it.

The little mare looked around, stretched, then smoothly followed Mason back to the house. Pat didn't dare straighten up until they'd gone from sight and closed the door behind them. Well, that explained why the house was deserted and why 'Shy hadn't called. Of course she wouldn't risk bringing her phone if Mason took her away. The problem was that it raised further questions. Where did the man take her and why? Surely it wasn't- Pat's throat seized up at the thought- Surely Mason wasn't taking her to see potential buyers?!

He was still trying to put that idea out of his mind a few minutes later. The cigarette was slowly burning down, unheeded between his fingers, forgotten. A noise from his pocket woke him up. His phone was ringing and he took it out with a trembling hand. It was Fluttershy.

Patrick dropped the cigarette butt and hurried inside even while he pressed the button to answer. "Yes? 'Shy?"

"I couldn't get it," she said, straight to the point. "Um, Mr. Mason took me to work with him. H-He said it was to keep- keep me out of trouble."

He wasn't trying to sell her, or at least not yet! Pat practically sagged with relief and caught himself on the hallway wall with a hand.

"I'm sorry... I'll try tomorrow."

Another day of waiting and worrying without any news sounded like absolute hell and Pat was already shaking his head even before 'Shy had stopped speaking. "Can you do it tonight? Please?"

There was silence, or nearly so. Patrick imagined he could hear the mare's soft breathing. He vividly imagined her uncertain, ears-splayed, muzzle-scrunched expression so clearly in his mind that she might have been standing right in front of him.

"I'm not allowed to leave my room at night anymore, Pat."

"What if you tell him you need to use the bathroom? If you do it a few times he'll get tired of getting up and maybe he'll set your collar to..." He didn't have to finish, they both understood.

More nothing from his phone.

"Please. Buttershy? We really don't have a lot of time!"

This time, when she exhaled, Patrick clearly heard her sigh. "Fine, I'll- I'll try."

He nearly sagged with relief. He suddenly realized that basically the whole of his plan of getting out of this predicament hinged on Fluttershy. He hadn't even thought about getting a lawyer to defend him in court if it came to that. He hadn't even considered the costs, nor where he would get the money if, or rather when, he was found guilty. Everything depended solely on 'Shy.

"Look, I know I'm asking for a lot, but it's about you as well, right?" Pat explained. "Things will be better when it's just us, and- and..." This next bit was still hard to say, but he forced himself to continue. "-and I'll let you go if... when your friends come for you. I promised, remember? You won't be my slave, okay?" Making it seem more possible than it actually was couldn't hurt.

"I know all that," 'Shy replied, but there was a note of longing in her voice. "I don't want to talk about it right now. Can we talk about something else?"

Patrick wanted more assurances that she would get him those critical papers on which everything depended, but he didn't want to push her. "Um, s-sure! What do you want to talk about?"

She hummed a little as she considered. "Umm, I don't know how long I have. Mr. Mason is in the shower, so I might have to leave suddenly when he comes out. Um, how is work? Are you coming home soon?"

For a moment Pat wondered if he should tell her that he'd been sent home on account of looking ill, but decided against it. Fluttershy sounded like she desperately needed at least a semblance of normalcy. "It's fine so far, but I'm not looking forward to the commute. Sometimes I think the night shift is better, because there's no traffic to and from work, you know?"

"Oh yes, traffic on Earth is just awful," 'Shy agreed, her voice lighter and a definite smile behind her words, he could imagine it clearly. "Traffic was never a problem in Equestria, you know? I guess unicorns who could teleport and pegasi, and our flying carriages, kinda helped."

"Oh, you bet it helps. We have aircraft too, but they're like- organized transport. You can't just get a small airplane or chopper for yourself, although they've been promising something like that for ages. I wonder if it will ever happen..."

Ever since Fluttershy had opened up to Patrick about her past life, as one of what sounded almost like superheroes of Equestria, he'd been quite skeptical of her claims. It sounded far-fetched, even for a magical talking pony. He had never told her that, though, unwilling to offend her by accusing her of making stuff up. He was glad he hadn't, now that he saw 'Shy in action. Once she'd agreed to help him, she simply took charge. The uncertain, timid pegasus was gone and a sort of 'in-charge-persona' replaced it, one which was confident and bossy, and knew how to plan and act. In a way it was a relief, although Pat felt slightly guilty that he was letting 'Shy take charge of what was mostly his problem. She'd all but ordered him to report to her window once again and the tone she used meant she didn't have to say it twice.

It was dark and overcast, which was perfect for concealment and this time Patrick didn't rip his clothes and dirty himself on the way to Fluttershy's room. The last time he checked it was well past midnight, so Mason was fast asleep. 'Shy had assured him of that and told him she could hear the man snoring. It still felt incredibly sketchy sneaking into her bedroom at night, but Pat pushed that thought aside and focused on the positive. He'd get to hug and kiss her for a while.

"There. Step on the towel and then take your shoes off," 'Shy commanded.

Patrick did as instructed and lowered himself from the window sill carefully onto the brighter patch on the floor.

"Good, close the window so it doesn't get too cold."

He obeyed that as well. By the time he turned back, 'Shy basically lunged at him and wrapped her forelegs around his waist. He still had to bend down a little, but he gladly obliged so they could kiss. It went on for a while and Fluttershy shoved her tongue into his mouth with a lot more force than he was used to. His hands strayed down her sides and under her incredibly warm wings, which were folded against her. She couldn't hold back a quiet moan as he dug his fingers into her fur and her hind hooves danced on the carpet as she tried to push herself higher. She stepped on Pat's foot but he ignored it, welcoming yet another physical reminder that she was there.

He lowered himself down on the carpet until he was sitting and 'Shy was in his lap. She still hadn't opened her eyes and was continuing her assault on the inside of his mouth. Eventually she broke it off and had to focus on her breathing. Her nostrils flared wide to get as much air as possible with as little noise as she could make and her ears folded down when she caught Pat's gaze.

"I ju-just missed you, okay?" she whispered.

"I missed you too."

"I should get those papers..."

"He let you leave the room?"

"I said I need to pee sometimes in the night. Well, it's true." She was slipping out of his grasp and Pat was sorry to let her gentle warmth go, but he remembered the reason for his midnight visit and released the mare.

Fluttershy hesitated for a while longer, then motioned to her bed. "Hide behind that, just in case. Oh, and put your shoes out of sight."

Pat quickly obeyed. The shoes, wrapped up in the towel, went under her writing desk and then he slid himself across the floor until he was behind the bed. She was right. His hiding spot wouldn't offer any real protection, but at least Mason wouldn't spot him immediately if he happened to be standing in the hallway and peeked inside.

'Shy paused in the door to make sure he was hidden as best he could, then nodded to herself and turned around. She took her steps slowly and carefully, obviously from long practice. Her bedroom had a thick carpet, but the hall was hardwood and her hoofsteps would ring loudly if she didn't take care. As it was, each clop sounded entirely too loud in the still house and Patrick winced to himself, hoping like hell Mason wouldn't wake up and come check on her. He kept listening to Fluttershy's progress and frowned a little to himself. She was heading in the wrong direction! She should have turned right, toward Mason's study, but she went left instead! Patrick was about to crawl to the door and try to call her back when a sudden fear gripped him. Surely she wouldn't go fetch Mason on him, would she? If she told the man he had broken into her bedroom and was forcing himself on her-

Maybe she'd told him something like that already to make him go easier on her?

She wouldn't!

Patrick trusted her. She'd said she loved him and he fully believed her. He breathed a sigh of relief when he hear the distinctive click of the bathroom light. The next few clops sounded on tiles and then the door shut. He imagined he could hear a tinkle of water. It made sense - 'Shy would want to have an actual alibi in case Mason heard her walking around and came to check. Patrick waited patiently until she finished, flushed, washed her hooves and came back out. This time her hoofsteps passed her room and she headed in the correct direction. She slowed down and even Pat had to strain to hear her careful steps.

It felt like forever, with very little audible clues of what she was doing, but eventually Pat recognized that she was coming back. Her face poking into her room was the most welcome sight in years and when he saw she was holding a sheaf of papers in her mouth Pat couldn't stop himself from smiling. This was it. With luck, one of those documents would have something incriminating which he could use to make Mason relent.

"Thank you! Thank you 'Shy!"

She let the papers drop on the floor beside him and nuzzled her way back into his lap. "I'm afraid we might get caught. You should go." Before he could move, though, she grasped him around the chest. "Except... I don't want you to go yet. Can you sit with me for a while?"

Patrick put his arms around her as well and returned her nuzzle. The fluff on her muzzle was as soft as he remembered and the scent of her shampoo made him feel at home. "For as long as you want me."

"He'll probably beat me when finds out, you know?"

"What?" Pat tensed up.

"The papers I s-stole," 'Shy explained. "He'll figure out it was me and he'll try to make me give them back. I think he might beat me."

"Fluttershy, I-"

She silenced him with a kiss. "I don't mind. I decided-" she began and swallowed. "I decided you were right. Slavery is wrong, so it's not like it's really stealing, okay? I don't mind if he beats me, as long as it all works out in the end!"

The little pony was braver than himself, Patrick thought. He hadn't thought about this until now, but 'Shy was right. Mason would go crazy once he discovered the papers missing, especially if it really was something incriminating. He swallowed and considered having 'Shy take them back. Would the man go far enough to beat her to death? Did Patrick dare risk it?

Fluttershy seemed to have noticed his dilemma and she lifted his face with a careful hoof so he was forced to look at her. "I said I don't mind. Just- just call him tomorrow morning. He probably won't notice they are gone in the morning before we leave for work."

"I will, I promise." Patrick decided he would build upon Harris' incorrect impression about him being ill and call in sick the next day. That'd give him the morning free to examine the documents and decide if they were useful to him. Maybe there wouldn't be anything incriminating on them, but they were still financial documents for a large, multinational company which Mason was keeping in a safe. Maybe he could threaten him that he'd release his company's finances or something.

He shouldn't tell 'Shy, though. She had her doubts about the whole thing as it was and thinking that Mason was doing something illegal helped.

"You think he'll make you go to work with him again?"

"Yes," she replied. "I don't mind, really. The lady at the desk gave me one of her books to read and I just sat in the lobby the whole day. It wasn't that bad."

Obviously the man didn't trust leaving her home alone, even with the alarm he'd put in place.

"Okay."

"Um, Pat?"

"Yes?"

The mare nuzzled against him and tightened her grip. "Tell me what it's going to be like when we're... um, together. You know, living together. Are we gonna move away from here?"

It was further than he had thought, but now that 'Shy had mentioned it, he really didn't like the idea of staying Mason's neighbor after all of this. "I guess, yeah. We'll find a place somewhere else."

"That's good," 'Shy said as she closed her eyes and leaned against Pat's chest. "I'd like to move away. I don't like this place. I don't want to stay near it."

"We'll figure something out, I promise."

"Tell me what it will be like," she repeated.

"Okay, okay. I guess we'll have an apartment. It'll probably be smaller than I have now, but that's okay. We just need one room and a kitchen, really. Oh, and a bathroom."