"I hope you all learned something from this." Fluttershy was smiling gently at the whole class, me included. "Thank you for your papers." We all had to turn one in about our experience as another person. "Would anycreature like to share some specific new thing they discovered?"

Quiet rippled through the room. I raised a hoof. Public speaking did not scare me. I also kinda like showing off? "Ma'am?" With Fluttershy nodded, I stood up. "It's easy to forget, that the people--creatures you deal with have a family behind them. They're trying to do their best, and they're great too."

Fluttershy applauded gently. "What a wonderful thought. Anycreature else?"

Having broken the ice, others raised, ready to give a few of their own thoughts to add to it.

After the class, Ocellus cut me off. "You talked to them?!"

I inclined my head at her. "You didn't?"

"No..." She shuffled in place. "I thought that'd be breaking the rules. I was you. You didn't know my family..."

"But Ocellus does, and I was her, so I told them what was going on and we talked. They were great." Ocellus seemed to pick up that I seemed legit happy about it and they perked up. "Seriously."

"Good." Ocellus glanced away and back. "One thing. Your room is kinda... bare."

I thought to that room. I hadn't... done anything. "Yeah... Kind of just a place I park myself at times..."

"You should express yourself." She lifted on buzzing wings. "Later."

I waved as she took off and went on with my own day.

Feeling satisfied, even accomplished, that I had finished that long assignment, I headed home with a soft whistle of an ancient videogame that didn't even exist in that world. I willed the door open to step into the treebrary for the first time in what felt like forever.

I strode into the treebrary, still whistling the odd tune from a game in my old world. It felt good to be back in my regular body after a week playing at being Ocellus.

Spike looked up from polishing a shelf, quirking a scaly brow. "Oh hey, you're you again! How'd being a bug go?"

"It was really interesting, actually." I set my saddlebag down, glancing around. The familiar shelves and stacks felt welcoming after my dorm stay. "It was interesting, really. A different view."

Spike chuckled, returning to his cleaning. "Yeah, I'll bet." He tilted his spiny head my way, green eyes glinting curiously. "Learn anything surprising shaking up perspectives like that?"

I nodded, sinking onto my favorite beanbag chair with a sigh. The plush fabric conforming around my body felt like coming home. "Biggest eye-opener was discovering Ocellus stays super connected with her family. They're tight, and, uh, now I know them?"

"Cool." Spike reached out a massive hand to pet down my back. That felt nice. "Welcome back."

"Good to be here." I didn't move. Being pet was nice. "What'd I miss here?"

"We never got to finish what we started." He drew a hand back as he came down to all fours, facing me. "About us. I mean, school, I get it. Not complaining... Just... Now we can finish, right?" He sounded hopeful.

Our unfinished conversation hung in the air - with school hijinks resolved, nothing stood between hashing things out now. Meeting his hopeful emerald gaze, I managed a shy smile. "Y-yeah, we should talk." I sat up straighter, heart suddenly pounding. "I mean, I'm glad you still want to pick up where we left off."

Rubbing the back of my neck, I gathered courage that had fled during my week as Ocellus. Time away had granted perspective on what I sought in relationships. Playfulness and protectiveness both allured in the dragon before me.

"I thought about us a lot as her, you know." I traced a hoof self-consciously through the beanbag's fabric. "It reminded me how much we click. Your patience and humor really works for me."

I risked scooting closer, searching his studiously neutral mien. "So yeah, I'd love to make this official if you still think I'm worth the chaos." I managed a lopsided grin his way. "No more excuses or distractions. Just seeing if that spark catches flame together. I do have a question or three."

Spike sat up curiously. "Oh? Sure. Hit me." He looked proud, as if he were smart enough to easily answer whatever I had. "First?"

"First." I sat down. "The biggest thing, I imagine... You. You are large. That's not bad... But as a male, being the biggest by a margin means... issues with the less large people... Am I making any sense?"

The silence stretched on awkwardly, hanging in the air. "Pardon?"

I blinked at that. "Pardon? I mean... Shoot, how do I say this more bluntly. I don't want to be ripped in half even by a dragon I am otherwise pretty cool with."

Spike stared, color slowly spreading from his nose backwards. "Oh, oh.... Oh! Oh, right, that, right...." He snapped his fingers as if remembering something from ages ago. "Wow, not a problem. I'm a familiar, I remind again. No children will spring from these loins, for I have no loins."

My turn to be stunned a moment. "Really?" I glanced, but he was a dragon, a sort of reptile. There wouldn't be anything to see in either event. "Really?! Wow... Really?"

"Really." He nodded as he relaxed. "Not a thing for familiars. We live only for our master or mistress. Unless Twilight decided I should have some, I don't have any, and that would be very perverted of her, and anyone that noticed would probably make fun of her. Why is she giving her familiar that?! Yeah... I'm fine the way I am."

That raised yet more questions. "Okay, accepting that. Does that mean you're asexual?"

"I'm a boy dragon."

I laughed gently. "I'm not asking if you're a boy or a girl. Asexual people don't have a sexual preference, some just don't even want to have it, some just don't think about it much. I'm... guessing you're there?"

"Oh! Yep." He hiked a thumb at himself. "Asexual I guess it is. I don't care about that. But I am romantic. You can be both of those, right?"

"Sure! Yes, completely." I reached out, feeling along Spike's warm scales. Some part of me was... actually somehow more attracted. "You're just a big warm cuddle-dragon... And that's alright..."

Spike's warm scales tingled pleasantly under my exploring hoof as I registered this surprising twist. My anxieties had fixated on physical perils from his sheer size, yet that strength could also shelter tenderly.

"A gentle giant..." I murmured, meeting his suddenly self-conscious emerald gaze. Chuckling I withdrew my hoof slowly. "Sorry, got a bit handsy from the revelations there."

I smiled reassuringly, nerves settling. "But I'm glad we talked this out plainly from the start. And yep, being romantic without sexual stuff is totally valid." My eyes drifted ceilingwards thoughtfully and I nodded to myself.

"I think that dynamic could work nicely actually." Glancing back his way I dared extend a foreleg in offer. "As long as close contact doesn't bother you any. Affection through touch matters a lot to me too, just not necessarily the erm...full monty."

I managed a wry grin Spike's way. "So if snuggles and nuzzles sound good we're on the same page yeah?" Hopeful at this compromise meeting our unique needs halfway I awaited his reaction with thumping heart.

He suddenly rolled over, freeing up his claws from holding himself up. He used them to grab me and pull me in with a squawk, holding me with all four easily. "But! You are not that. You are a young boy pony with boy pony needs. Some of them are very messy. And that's okay too."

I wasn't entirely sure how to respond to that, captured, but not really unwillingly. "I have felt those... Those needs. I can push them aside. I've had a lot of practice."

"Don't." He kissed under my chin. "You're dating now. You have a need, you talk to the creatures involved, and we help. Even the messy parts."

He was being so dang nice... I melted against him with a delerious laugh. "Yeah, right.... Spike... If you don't have one and never did... Do you even know how to deal with that?"

"Nope?" He released me suddenly and sat up. "But we can both talk. I can ask, you can show. We can both learn how to help the other, because that's what two creatures that are dating do."

I sat up as Spike released me, pondering his earnest offer. True understanding began with open communication, not assumptions. And his guileless caring shone too brightly to doubt.

With a slow exhale, I nodded agreement. "You're right - being there for each other matters most." I stood, meeting his attentive emerald gaze. "I'll try better explaining my side if you share your feelings too."

Gesturing him to lean closer, I began gently clarifying my own perspectives and preferences around relationships, boundaries, affection styles and intimacy needs verbalized clearly between us without expectation.

His head tilted thoughtfully as I shared, claws absently stroking my back. Gradually he responded with his own self-discoveries and uncertainties navigating unmapped roads. It seemed his wants largely focused on wanting someone to put him at the top of the pile, rather than any specific physical demands.

Laughter mingled with earnest moments piecing together this unfolding relationship puzzle neither quite grasped fully yet. But patience and trust could build understanding block by block if we chose openness over assumptions.

The afternoon sun sank golden through the windows as we talked, lighting his ruby spines till they blazed. And somewhere during that rambling journey of gentle questions, a spark caught flame between us.

"I understand how you feel." I tapped at my chest with a hoof. "I thought, a world ago, I'd never find someone who asked me how I was doing just because they wanted to hear the answer."

Spike winced, but laughter came with it. "Wow, that feels familiar." He nudged against me. "So, how ya doing?"

"Well! I ran into this dragon." I lifted my hooves. "About this big? Kinda nice, little dopey.... I think I like him... We're trying things out."

"Wow, exciting." He nuzzled into my side. "Be careful. I hear dragons can be terrible creatures if you don't set boundaries."

"Good call." I tackled against him, hugging him as we flopped over and I partially used him as a lumpy, and warm, pillow. "Terrible indeed..."

"Spike," There was Twilight, trotting inside. "Are you here?"

"We got a surprise," called Twinkle, flying alongside her. She found us, both sitting up, not touching. "Here he is, with David. You're back today? I forgot!"

Twilight circled around to join us. "You two look comfortable, enjoying some reading in the evening sun? Ah, a lovely time to catch a few words."

Spike chuckled softly, casually moving away from me and towards Twinkle. "You mentioned you had something for me? What?"

Twilight floated a bag free into his grip. "Here you are. This is one of the series you partake in, is it not?"

Spike peeked in the bag just to sit up sharply. He shoved a hand in there, rustled, and yanked out a floppy comic. "Yes! Wow... I've been waiting for this one. I was going to check on it tomorrow. You are the best!" He hugged the comic, then Twilight even if she did squeak. "Oh, uh, should tell you." He released Twilight back to her hooves. "He said yes." He pointed at me.

Twilight blinked. "What did he agree to?"

"To try dating," I filled in. "And I know he's an ace."

Twilight hiked the brow closer to me. "An ace at what?"

That word wasn't nearly as popular on that world of horses. "There's not going to be sex involved, at least coming from him, and that's alright."

Twinkle inclined her head. "Oh, are you just as inexperienced? I'm still searching for an agreeable creature to show me the exact process."

Part of me was confused, as they all just... talked. They were talking about it like it was just another thing to be discussed. None of them were being grabby or lewd, just... talking about it.

Maybe I was being the odd one there.

Author's Note

Ah, right, relationship stuff! Way less dramatic than the last time it was touched on. Really, that was largely a happy ending.

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