Reality

•)4(•

Fine By Me

Air.

Wind.

Carefree.

Flying. Dash finally remembered what really helped clear her mind. Adrenaline and exercise. She saw the cottage she was looking for in the distance below her.

Gravity.

Rush.

Fluttershy.

Face-plant.

Grass.

Pain. She knew she could feel it. It was there. And it was not planning on leaving anytime soon.

Sitting up and wincing, she looked around to find out precisely where she landed.

Spotting Fluttershy, she didn't care anymore. Fluttershy's head was directly above hers, staring with concern written all over her face.

"Oh, my goodness... Rainbow..." she almost whispered. "That was quite a crash... Are you alright...? Please, tell me you're alright! ...Uhm... If you want to..."

Rainbow looked into the caring eyes of the pony right above her. Fluttershy knew very well how to make teal a more feminine color. They went along so well with her buttery-yellow coat.

Wait... buttery?

Yes, Fluttershy's coat reminded Dash of butter. Sweet, smooth butter. She loved butter!

However, combination of the two colors might not have been anywhere near perfect without her mane. The hue and shape of her mane just about gave her personality away. She could very easily hide her face behind it, which meant she was shy. The fact that it was lightly but warmly colored made her look like she meant absolutely no harm to anypony and would try her best to show everypony all the kindness she could. But it's form, it's shape, long on each side and curly at the ends, while very easily disrupted, gave out one more thing about her that Dash should have noted way long ago:

She was very, very fragile.

It was as if she needed a protector.

A guardian.

And now, Rainbow Dash knew she did.

She heard a small gasp escape Fluttershy's lips when she touched a certain spot in her mane.

This was when Dash realized she was actually running a hoof through Fluttershy's mane. She had been zoned out completely, just adoring it as if it belonged to her. Fluttershy didn't seem to mind, though. If anything, she seemed to be enjoying it, other than the fact that Rainbow had hit a small knot in it. That must have been the cause of her tiny gasping.

"Hold on," said Dash, "I got this. It's just a knot." She then raised her other hoof so it was right next to the one that was currently in Fluttershy's mane. She then spread it apart, separating it, causing the knot to part. After the knot was out, she let her friend's mane back down, making it look as if nothing happened to it. "There," she said with a smile towards Fluttershy.

"Thank you, Dashie..." she whispered back.

Rainbow looked at her, a bit stunned. "No worries..." she said slowly.

"Oh..." Fluttershy realized. "M-may I call you that?"

"Yeah," Dash replied. "Sure, I guess. But for now... not in public..."

"Oh... Okay..." Fluttershy looked rather disappointed at this. She wanted more than anything to be able to call Rainbow Dash hers.

Rainbow saw her look and came up with an idea. "In fact," she said, "you can call me whatever you feel like."

Fluttershy gasped a little less quietly this time. "I can?" she asked like a filly with a new toy.

"You sure can." Rainbow nuzzled her muzzle.

"Oh, yay...!" Fluttershy acted as if the affection from Dash was natural.

Dash was a bit confused, because her friend wasn't.

'Aah, whatever,' she thought. 'If she likes it, that's fine by me.'

She then looked into her friend's eyes again, which were looking right back.

Slowly, the teal eyes began to inch closer, also becoming more lidded the closer they came. The two ponies' breathing became more and more rapid in the process. Dash found her own eyes becoming more lidded by the second. Suddenly, a thought came to her.

"...W-wait..." she sounded hesitant to say. Their lips were nearly brushing against each other.

"...Yes...?" Fluttershy was twice as hesitant.

"...Is anypony around...?"

"...Uhm... n-no..."

"...Oh." Dash breathed much too deeply. "Okay..."

Having not drawn away from each other, Rainbow was practically buried in the light pink mane. There was nothing around them, it seemed. The rest of Equestria could wait for now. The only things that seemed to exist at the moment were the pony they were looking at and the butterflies they felt inside. They decided that looking could wait also, as they closed their eyes, fully this time.

After waiting there almost long enough to make their bellies catch fire, Fluttershy bent down the final centimeter to close the distance between them. And close it she did.

The first thing that they expected to feel was some sort of flavor. This was not so. The first thing they felt was an electric-like sense of warmness, starting from the lock of their lips to the twitch of their tails.

Their kiss was not what they would call a heated one, but one that they could feel was important. One that meant something.

After all, it was their first kiss. They knew it meant something. It did not mean that they wanted 'sleep' together. It did not mean they wanted Pinkie Pie to through them a 'Get Met' party.

It meant things that were, well... more meaningful.

It meant that Fluttershy needed a slightly faster pace to follow. It meant that Rainbow Dash needed a slightly slower pace to follow. It meant that Fluttershy needed a guardian angel. It meant that Rainbow Dash needed to be a guardian angel.

It meant that they needed each other.

However, this was not to say that certain things do not stem from others...

Rainbow found herself running her hooves through Fluttershy's mane again as they kissed. In doing so, Rainbow found that her friend's neck was still bent downwards. She figured it must have been very uncomfortable for Fluttershy to be standing in such an awkward position like that. So, to remedy this, she began feeling around for her friend's shoulders. When she found them, she ever-so-gently pulled Fluttershy closer to herself, giving her friend a rest for her legs. Fluttershy was now laying down on top of Rainbow, belly to belly. Rainbow, once again, found herself running her hooves through the soft, silky mane of the pony she was sharing this kiss with.

Eventually, though, they had to part. Even if it meant very slowly or unwillingly. Sometimes air was just hated for its constant need of attention. But still, it was needed.

As they laid there in the grass, in Fluttershy's front yard, next to the creek, their breathing was immensely heavy, but eventually came to a much lighter pace. Their eyes were just now reopening to meet each other. They were quite content with the silence they shared.

Fluttershy was the first one to hear the flow of the water next to them. Quite possibly one of the most soothing sounds a pony could ever hear after a kiss like that.

Looking into Rainbow's eyes, she asked "Are... are you okay?"

Rainbow let out a breath she didn't know she was holding in. "Yes," she replied, smiling. "Yes, I'm fine. Thanks for asking."

Fluttershy laid her head down against Rainbow's chest, feeling and hearing her heartbeat, which was at a normal pace as of then. Probably much faster about a minute ago, though. "I guess it must be natural... for somepony who's had a... a crush on somepony else for... for such a long time..."

"Oh," said Dash. "I guess so, yeah. That would make sense." Then a question came to mind. "Say... how long?"

"...Uhm..." Fluttershy had to think. "Almost two decades..."

Rainbow almost turned grey at the thought of being loved for such an amount of time and not even being noticed, let alone having it returned. How did she not notice before? Was she just that oblivious? Was she too inconsiderate? Maybe she--

"How about you?" Fluttershy's voice interrupted her thoughts.

She was undoubtedly afraid to answer. "Uhhh... Weeellll..."

"Oh, it's okay. You don't have to answer if you don't want to, Dashie... I know it hasn't been even a day..."

Dash felt a little relieved that her friend knew this. She could feel the sympathy radiating from her friend.

Wait a minute...

...how did she know?

"I know because I had tried to show affection to you several times before, but you didn't seem to notice... until today, that is..."

Ah.

Dash decided it would be good to confess anyway. "Almost two hours for me..."

"Oh," Fluttershy seemed surprised. "Really? I thought it only started right before I kissed you..."

"Well, I can tell you how it started..."

"Oh... okay..."

Dash gave her an embarrassed look. She would have rubbed the back of her neck if she wasn't trapped by her friend. "After you ran your hoof through my mane earlier today, it was almost as if you left something with me. A spell, almost. I... I, I didn't know what to think. I thought that maybe a nice nap would help clear my mind." She let out a small laugh before continuing. "Let's just say it didn't help my situation... but I'm glad it happened. It gave the most meaningful dream I've ever had." She smiled and gave a contented sigh. "It was about you, but you weren't exactly in it. It was more like it described or represented you. I won't go into details right now, but it made me realize how much I really need you. Also, all the things I love about you. It made me realize how... how much I love you."

Fluttershy gave her a surprised, but excited look. "You... y-you l-lo... you love--"

"Yes, Fluttershy," Dash interrupted, stroking Fluttershy's cheek with one hoof. "I love you."

Fluttershy didn't need second confirmation. It was apparent in Rainbow's tone that she wasn't one to lie. She may not have been the element of honesty, but she sure-as-sugar didn't tell lies. Plus, Fluttershy knew her too well to think she would lie. Especially about that.

Fluttershy wasn't moving. Dash saw this and began to worry a bit.

"Fluttershy? Are you alright?" She asked. There was no response from Fluttershy except heavier-than-normal breathing. "Hey, Fluttershy, y--"

Rainbow's question went unfinished and unanswered, for her lips were covered with the ones that belonged to the shy mare above her.

As the two were sharing their second kiss together, Rainbow was curious as to what Fluttershy's reasons for this particular kiss were. Perhaps it was a thank you kiss. Maybe she was afraid of what Rainbow had to say. Maybe it was an I need you now kiss. Though, whatever it was supposed to mean, Rainbow wasn't complaining at all.

"...hhhmmm..." Rainbow felt a breathy moan vibrate softly from Fluttershy's mouth.

The noise gave Rainbow a new feeling. It made her feel motivated to ask for more. To keep the kiss from ending. She didn't want to be aggressive, but she did have an idea.

As gently as she could, she shifted both of her forelegs so she could place them behind Fluttershy's mane and around her neck, holding her closer if even possible. She then started making small strokes across the back of her neck and mane, running her hooves through the pink strands of hair. The strands were the most silky and smooth lines she'd ever touched. They were like thinned out clouds.

'Oh, Fluttershy...' Rainbow thought as she kept kissing her best friend. 'I can't believe I was so... clueless... Even all throughout our fillyhood... Well... I guess I'm just gonna have to make up for lost ti--'

Rainbow's thoughts were interrupted by a more wet but soft substance brushing ever so lightly at her mouth. She knew what it was. She knew what Fluttershy was asking for. What Fluttershy wanted. All she had to do was grant her access.

And grant it she did.

She parted her lips for all exploration to be had. She wasn't exactly sure what it would feel like: to let somepony invade her mouth. But it was something new to try, and Dash was always up for trying new tricks.

What she didn't expect was for Fluttershy to be the one who was mostly in control. She was being more dominant. More... assertive.

Rainbow was proud.

Fluttershy, who was in pure bliss at the moment, was occupied with giving herself the 'most' grand of grand tours of Rainbow's mouth. She still couldn't believe Rainbow was letting her do this, let alone participate herself. Rainbow never was one for all of the sappy moments in life. It didn't suit her, anyway.

But now...?

It seemed like Rainbow wanted it just as much as she did. Like she had held this back for just as long.

'I hope she's still the same Rainbow I know...' she thought.

It was getting more and more difficult for the two ponies to breathe. Neither of them wanted the precious moment to end. It would have to, though. They knew it, too.

They made what they could with the last few seconds of their second kiss before parting, hesitance clear through their actions.

Fluttershy rested her head against Rainbow's chest with Rainbow's forelegs around her still. "I love you, too, Rainbow... so much..."

Oh. An I love you, too kiss.

The two new lovers now knew that there was a mutual feeling between them. There wasn't a single doubt about it.

'Oh, Rainbow...' thought Fluttershy, 'You have no idea how long--... Well, you probably do, actually. But still, I've wanted to do this for so long...'

The night had made itself known around them. The environment around them became harder to see. The air around them was colder than before.

After opening her eyes, Rainbow could see that the stars were out. It was late.

"Hey, uh, Fluttershy..." she said, earning Fluttershy's attention.

"Yes, Dashie?"

"How long were we kissing?" The word almost didn't make it off of her tongue.

Fluttershy felt like it was for the shortest time, but she knew that that was only compared to how long she'd waited for it. "I-I don't know... A while, I guess..."

Dash shrugged. "Huh. Well... However long it was, it looks like it's getting late. We need to head inside pretty soon." She stroked Fluttershy's mane once again, before her eyes widened. "Hey, uh... You don't mind if--"

"Rainbow Dash...!" Fluttershy interrupted. "I'm sorry, I was just so lost thought, I don't think I heard you... if you did say anything... But it's getting awfully dark and cold and late and I was wondering if you would like to stay here with me at the cottage for the night. I'm sure the animals won't - I mean wouldn't, uhm... mind."

Rainbow was deemed utterly mind-boggled.

Yes, Rainbow was D.U.M.B.'d.

"Oh," she said, "sure. I-I'd love to..."

In Fluttershy's mind, she was practically shouting youthful chants hysterically.

Yes, Fluttershy was P.S.Y.C.H.'d.

~ * * * ~

There was only one thought running through Fluttershy's mind as they wandered up the stairs, side to side, in her cottage.

'Surely, she won't want to sleep in the same room as me tonight because things might get, well... out of hoof... and there is a guest bedroom that I always keep clean just in case of, well... anything, I guess... I guess I'll let her choose which one she wants... Oh, I hope she sleeps wonderfully tonight... I hope she has amazingly wonderful dreams... I wonder what they'll be about... I hope she likes the guestroom...'

There... were... (aherm) many thoughts running through Fluttershy's mind as they wandered up the stairs, side by side, in her cottage. Then another thought came her:

'Is this what... Pinkie Pie thinks like?'

As they came to the top step, Fluttershy turned to look at Rainbow. "I hope you like the guestroom..." she said quietly.

Rainbow's slower pace was easily noticed. 'Guestroom?' she thought. "Guestroom?" she said aloud.

"Oh, you don't want the guestroom?" Fluttershy looked over to her own bedroom door. "I guess I could take it..."

"Oh! Uh, no. That's... not exactly what I meant..." Rainbow trailed off, looking away slightly.

Fluttershy now knew what she meant. "Oh, I thought you wouldn't want to... sleep with me tonight, because... well... uhm..."

"Oh, I don't have any, uhm," she cleared her throat quickly, "particular intentions tonight, actually."

"Oh," Fluttershy looked around for a second. "Well... okay... i-if you really want to, then you can sleep with me... in my room..."

"I think I'd like that."

"Okay." Fluttershy kissed her on the cheek. "Then let's get some sleep." She motioned for Rainbow to follow her, passing by the unneeded guestroom.