Rule One of Dating The Princess of Friendship; Do Not Poke The Bear

SFW CHAPTER

Poking the bear is a term in reference to provoking someone intentionally (and sometimes unintentionally) often with the intention of gaining some kind of reaction or result. This... isn't something you want to try with Twilight Sparkle. Twilight spent many a night studying within her library, illuminated only by her horn in the dead of the eve. She'd often regret these late-night sessions, awakening the next morning (if she slept at all) and finding herself utterly exhausted. Despite these sessions being her own choice, she always seemed sour regardless, and if you were unlucky enough to get on her bad side, you'd have hell to pay. Anon, was well aware of this.

He'd taken the brunt of many of these unfortunate mornings, unknowingly taking the last pancake, or hogging the blanket in his sleep. It didn't matter the intention of his transgressions, she would be angered nonetheless. This morning was no different. She'd remained up far into the night, and by the time she'd turned in, the sun may as well have already risen. Needless to say, rising from bed together was tense enough, and the breakfast table? Well, what was there to say? It was... uncomfortable, and unfortunately, he accidentally did the one thing he always made a point not to do. He poked the bear.

"Nonny... where's my mug?" Twilight asks, her tone quiet but with an air of irritability.

Anon's body froze. He'd done something awful. He'd done something dreadful. And with the question ringing in his ears, it was all that he could focus on. His frozen form grew even more rigid when Twilight noticed his tense silence, and her quiet tone turned to audible annoyance.

"Anon. Where is my mug?" She'd ask once more, this time staring daggers into Anon's back, as he stood frozen by the kitchen counter.

"Uhhh..." He gulped audibly as the realization hit him, his eyes slowly drifting down towards his hands, a specific mug clenched tightly in his grasp, with a piping hot cup of coffee poured within.

Anon felt a certain force upon the mug, and his body seemed to unwillingly twist around slow and steady, magical energy flickering around his form as his fillyfriend forced him to face her. The fury in her eyes was blazing, as she scanned him for the item of her desire. The item in question, while seeming of little consequence, was endlessly valuable to her. It was a ceramic mug that at first, appeared unremarkable. However, there was a specific thing about it that she cherished. It just so happened to have a particular print upon it, that shined with color and sparkled like magic. This print, was an image of Celestia herself. That's right. One of the most powerful creatures within Equestria, a royal through and through with magical talent at the level of a prodigy among prodigies, was full of rage and heat so intense it could blow away a million Windigos because of one thing; A cup. She was a certified fangirl. Or, fanfilly.

For as long as the two had been together, you'd think Anon would remember to keep his mitts off the mug, and yet today his judgement falters. Twilight's eyes narrowed, the bags under them from lack of sleep emphasized by her new stress. For the next few minutes, Anon would find himself being brought right back to his school days, feeling as though he was being lectured by a teacher for misbehaving. He found himself sitting on his knees on the kitchen floor, simply needing to take it as his lover stormed back and forth in front of him, venting out her frustrations like a four-course meal of grumpiness.

"I get one thing; ONE thing in this palace that I don't let ANYONE touch, and what do you do? You TOUCH it. You always do this, every morning I swear it is ALWAYS something with you, I just can't catch a BREAK!"

Twilight of course, didn't really mean any of these things. Exaggeration was an understatement of draconic proportions, but in the sleepy state she was in, he could hardly blame her. It happened pretty often, and more often than not, she'd be apologizing profusely to him within minutes. But this time... it didn't happen.

The first hour passed, and so far, she'd said nothing further to him. An hour turned to two, then three, then they'd reached past noon, and she was still yet to utter a single word. This was... weird, not just because of her usual, somewhat enthusiastic chattiness being absent, but because for the first time in a long time, she seemed genuinely upset with him. And it was all over a cup? Anon's worry grew throughout the day, each cold shoulder or pouty huff spiking his anxiety just a tiny bit.

Eventually, he felt that he'd left it long enough, and it was time to address the issue, lest it go unresolved. Searching the castle top to bottom, he'd undoubtedly find her in the least surprising place imaginable; the library. She seemed to have droned her way in, and slumped down over a book, her eyes lazily scanning the page. Left, to right. Left, to right. She seemed to droop quite a bit as she did so, occasionally dipping her head down in sleepiness, only to have it quickly shoot back up again, as she gazed back to her book. It was... sort of adorable, watching her try so hard no to fall asleep. But at the same time, it did little to ease his worries. The moment he made his presence known, Twilight did her best to improve her disposition, and put on a tough facade. Pretending she wasn't tired at all, she gazed up at him, and pouted, her ears pinning back as she did her best "I'm grumpy" face. Yet again, it would have been cute if it didn't come from genuine hurt. Anon's eyebrows raised in her direction, crossing his arms and leaning against the doorway of the library.

"You still upset with me, Twi'?"

Twilight refused to give him a direct response, instead choosing make turn her head away from him, making an audible "hmph" as she did so. She clearly wanted him to hear that, and it emphasized just how annoyed she really was with him. Was this really all over a mug? He doubted that.

"C'mon, talk to me. What's bothering you? Is it the mug still?"

Twilight still refused to answer him, keeping her grumpy expression firm upon her little face. A sudden rumble from her stomach ruined her tough exterior however, and after it earned a playful smirk from Anon, she promptly removed him from the room. Using her magic, Anon felt his feet lift off the ground, as he was forcibly spun around much like he was earlier, and pushed outside the room, the door slamming shut behind him. However, now he knew how to get to her. She hadn't eaten today, and perhaps, he could use this to his advantage. Snacks would be the saving grace of today, he was certain of it. And if not, well... he had no idea. He'd have to wing it, he supposed.

He'd disappear for a few moments, returning to the door with due haste with various goodies wrapped up in his arms, ready to be used for this masterful coercion. Sitting down outside the door, with his legs crossed and the assorted snacks placed between his legs, Anon tapped his knuckles against the wooden surface, and called out to Twilight.

"Twiiiii, you uh... you hungry?"

Twilight did not respond immediately, remaining silent presumably for the sake of retaining her tough, grumpy appearance. Anon would not be discouraged however, and continued on with his master plan.

"I'm only asking cos', I've got some snacks here. You know... chips... cookies... strawberry swirl ice cream..."

Twilight did not respond to the first two snacks, clearly not convinced. However... at the mention of ice cream... the door slowly creaked open just a tad, as the various snacks stuck between his legs floated into the air, and into the room, coated in a purple aura. He chuckled softly to himself as the snacks disappeared into the library, and the quiet sounds of nibbling and slurping could be heard, likely the ice cream being devoured immediately. He'd come to learn that when it came to her favorite foods, she went absolutely rabid. Then again, most ponies seemed to. For as small as they were, their appetites came to surprise him every day. Hell Twilight regularly outclassed him at dinner, not that he minded. As far as he was concerned, it just meant nothing went to waste. He waited a few moments more, giving Twilight a minute or two to enjoy her food, before finally speaking up once more.

"Sooo... can I come back in?"

The silence continued for a few moments more, before the door once again, opened. Peaking around the door and into the library, Anon spotted his purple-coated lover sat in the same place as she was before, however with a blanket thrown over her form, keeping her actual body hidden. A chuckle escaped him, as he witnessed her quickly swipe a hoof out from the blanket, grabbing onto the bag of chips she'd been yet to nibble on, and pulling it in with her. The snacks had brokered a temporary ceasefire, and he'd use it to his advantage as best he could.

"So, care to tell me your troubles, oh grumpy, wise-one?"

He'd prod, sitting himself down beside her, his legs crossed tightly together. She lifted the blanket up for a moment, revealing only her eye to her human companion, and grumbling out a vague non-response.

"Mm... things..."

"My, how descriptive."

Twilight mumbled to herself unintelligibly at his reaction, and stuck her head back out from under the blanket, looking up at him with that same, pouty little face.

"I just... I'm tired, I'm annoyed... lots of stuff all at once, you know...?"

A small huff escaped her, as she crossed her front legs and rested her head upon them, thinking deep about what she had to say next.

"Between saving Equestria every other week, meeting with the Princesses, the Elements, and Celestia-knows what else, I'm just... overwhelmed. I guess that... damn mug pushed me over the edge, sorry about that..."

Twilight buried her face into her legs, whining and whimpering to herself somewhat, clearly feeling that twinge of guilt he suspected she was waiting on. A sigh escaped Anon's lips, as he brought his hand up to her head, and planted it there gently, scratching behind her ears in reassurance.

"It's all good Twi. I get you've been all kinds of stressed lately. But, we really gotta talk about your sleeping habits. You're barely getting enough sleep these days, and it's clearly taking it's toll. You gotta find a consistent schedule."

Twilight's ears twitched and flicked at the feeling of Anon's fingers scratching against them, and she looked up at him with a much less pouty, more somber look. Once again, if the feelings weren't so negative, he'd say she looked adorable.

"I know I know... I just get immersed sometimes, you know? It always feels so productive."

"Hmm, well it isn't after the fact, is it? If you don't get enough sleep, you won't be able to focus as well, or make big, important decisions. Not super productive, is it?"

A brief sigh escaped her lips, as she shuffled a little closer to Anon, and rested her head upon his lap.

"I guess not."

"Exactly. Now, think you're about ready to get back to bed? My schedule is pretty clear for the day so, I don't mind spending it napping with you. If... you want me to join you, of course."

Twilight nuzzled slightly into Anon at that, chuckling to herself just a small bit. She leaned up from her spot on his lap, and placed a soft peck upon his cheek, nodding in affirmation.

"I'd love it if you joined me, Nonny."

Anon smirked just a bit, and pulled his Pony love closer to his form. Once satisfied with her proximity, he swept her up from the ground, and into the air, earning a yelp from her as he carried her in his arms.

"Well, shall we be off then, Princess?"

Twilight's face reddened softly, and nestled into his arms further. She looked up to him with a timid smile, and simply nodded.

"We shall."

Anon's smirk widened, and with her affirmation, he began to wander from the library, still holding her tightly in his arms. He wandered through the halls of the palace, venturing past each corridor and room with a single destination in mind; Their bedroom. It'd taken some time for the two to officially share a room, after all it was quite an... intimate thing. Sharing a room... a bed... it showed how close they're truly become over time. And in times like this, it was awfully convenient. Pushing the door open with his foot as best he could, Anon trudged into the room, being careful not to accidentally bump her head against the doorway. Once inside, Anon practically threw himself at the bed, flopping upon the mattress with his lover atop him, an audible squeak escaping her in response to the fall. Twilight adjusted herself atop him, resting her head upon his chest, as her legs splayed out somewhat and wrapped around him. His own hands found themselves gently planted upon her hips and back, the two engaging in a passionate cuddle. Their blanket glowed for a moment with a purple hue, pulling over their forms and wrapping it around them.

"Ahhh... That's... better..."

Anon chuckled at her clear satisfaction, and leaned up to her face, planting a soft kiss upon her forehead. Twilight giggled just a little at the kiss, and placed her hooves upon the sides of his head, leaning in oh so close, but not quite kissing him.

"You're not gonna kiss me properly, Nonny?"

As confident as she tried to seem, Twilight's blushy cheeks and shy expression made her timid nature clear. Now, for the first time all day, he could finally say without hesitation that she was utterly adorable. Just so, impossibly cute. Anon's hands moved from her hips up to her face, and much like how she held his face, he held her, smooshing her little cheeks and pulling her in close, their lips planting firmly onto one another. They were soft, and just like he'd done a million times now since their relationship began, he ensured that it came with the upmost passion. He adored her, and in times like this, he wanted her to know that he would never leave her. He would be here with her until his end, no matter what happens. He loved her, and that wouldn't change. Eventually, their lips pulled away from each other, and before Anon could verbalize his thoughts, Twilight did so for him.

"I um... I love you, Nonny."

Anon's usual smirk turned to a genuine smile, as he wrapped his arms around her, and felt his heart flutter.

"I love you too, Twi. Now get some sleep."

The two adjusted their position, Twilight sliding off of his chest, and flopping beside him. Wrapped in their blanket as comfortable as can be, and with a plentiful serving of affection for the two of them, bedtime seemed to have arrived for the two of them. Twilight's eyes closed as she fell into the land of unconsciousness, and soon after, Anon would follow suit, as they drifted into loving, and deep sleep.

Author's Note

First chapter, woooop! This is just a simple little one to start us off. I don't really have a lot more to say than that, but I hope this was ok! I know I'm not the best writer, haha. Feel free to give me some ideas and thoughts!