Second Chances: Between the Lines
By Hero541
The Feels

Vinyl made her way out to the shed of Octavia’s home, a daisy sandwich and glass of apple juice in her magical grip. Josh had been out there all day so far, preparing some songs for his show in two weeks, and Vinyl figured some lunch and company ought to be good for him. She loved the fact he was still willing to spend time with her, despite the fact he was often so busy, they didn’t have a whole lot of time to actually chat before he had to get back to work. However, it always did her heart some good to see him every day, whether he could talk for long or not.

Things between the unicorn mare and human had been very different since their evening they spent at the lake. Before then, they could talk and act completely normal around each other with no problems at all. Now, however, Vinyl would blush brightly and smile wide if Josh ever hugged her or made eye contact with her. Reciprocally, Josh would positively beam and act warmly to everypony if ever she was around, even if he’d been having an absolutely horrible day. Neither one truly would acknowledge it just yet, but they both knew that they were starting to become more than just student and teacher…

As Vinyl approached the door to the shed, she heard a slow synth track being played. He must be busy she thought I’ll just leave this nearby for him and wait till he’s done. She slowly opened the door and peered inside. Josh was at his soundboard, his body beginning to sway as the music played. Vinyl found herself staring at the tall human, mesmerized by his movements and the beat of the music.

A beautiful female vocal track played over the synth, its overall sound slightly distorted as Josh manipulated the board. As it played, Vinyl became lost in the beat, memories flashing through her mind. Josh turned slightly and saw the mare, smiling widely as she came into his field of vision. He turned the music up upon seeing the dreamy look on her face, wanting her to fully experience the euphoria of the song itself.

As the drop hit, a feeling of almost divine bliss washed over Vinyl. The song was slower and lighter than most of what Josh had ever played for her, though still punctuated by the occasional growl and drop off. Vinyl was taken back to the lake. Josh continued to play the music, occasionally looking back to the entranced unicorn and watching her begin to lose herself in the engrossing melody.

Vinyl felt her body begin to move in time with the beat, the beautiful song flooding her very soul. Its hypnotic tempo ensnared her, forcing forward her happiest memories and making her numb to the world around her. As her body moved and she danced, she continued to see Josh in her mind’s eye. In her head, she was sitting on the ground next to him once more, looking into his bright blue eyes. She began to move closer to him, till their faces were only inches apart.

All the while, she thought about how incredible he was to her, how he’d not even thought about giving up on her in all the time he’d been working with her. She knew that they were just friends at this point, even if they were very very close. But, in this moment, as their mouths were so close and her eyes fluttered shut, she wanted to be much more than that. She wanted to feel his lips press against her own and send wave after wave of happiness and warmth throughout her beautiful form, to feel his arms ensnare her in a loving and comforting embrace. But, more than anything, she simply wanted to be all his, to be somepony he could love and cherish forever.

Suddenly, her trance was broken and Josh’s face disappeared from her vision. Instead, the real Josh stood before her, leaning against his soundboard and smiling down at her.

“Have fun?’ he asked, smirking a little at the confused mare.

Vinyl panted slightly, a light coat of sweat covering her cream colored body, making her skin shine slightly. She looked up at Josh, blushing hard as his eyes met her own. She opened and closed her mouth, trying desperately to find her voice. All she could think to say at this moment was how much Josh meant to her and how she wanted to be with him. She wanted to tackle him to the ground and confess her true feelings for the human…

“I…” she began, trying so hard to find the words to say what she wanted.

“You… what?” asked Josh, kneeling down to hear her better.

“I… brought you lunch.” she finished lamely, feeling a lump form in her throat as she gestured to the plate and glass nearby.

“Oh…” said Josh, looking over to the food and drink, “Thanks for that. I was starting to get pretty hungry.”

Vinyl watched him rise and make for the food. Tears began to form in her eyes as she realized she had just blown her chance to tell him how she felt, that she wanted more than anything to be with him, that she… truly loved him.

“You okay?” he asked, watching as she ran for the door.

“I’m f-fine.” she stammered, her voice shaking as she began to cry, “I j-just need to b-be alone right now…”

Before Josh could say anything more, Vinyl was out the door. I’m such a bucking coward she thought as tears trailed down her face Not only am I a shitty producer, I can’t even tell him the truth about how I feel. She’d had a perfect opportunity right there to say what she’d been holding onto for so long, and she’d completely blown it apart. As far as she knew, this chance might never come around again, and she would lose him forever once he returned home. Vinyl made her way to her room, where she lay and cried till she simply fell asleep, her mind plagued by her own failure and cowardice.

She was so deeply asleep, she never noticed Josh enter her room an hour later. He knelt by her bedside, watching her beautiful cream colored chest rise and fall with each gentle breath. After watching her for awhile, he leaned in close and gave her a gentle kiss on her forehead, just below her horn. She shifted slightly in her sleep as he pulled away.

“I know, Vinyl.” he whispered, rising and heading out the door, “I love you too…”

Author's Note

I was inspired to write this chapter by the song "Days to Come" by Seven Lions.