Octavia stepped off of the elevator, hooves stomping on the floor of the penthouse. Any other time, she would have been concerned with scuffing the polished floor but right now, Octavia couldn't care less. The nerve of her!

Determined to talk to Vinyl, she had gone to one of her shows. Or rather, tried to. It wasn't hard to find the club; Vinyl’s fame acted as a beacon in the night. Just follow the advertising. When Octavia had gotten there, two rather large stallions had denied her entry! At first, she had thought it was because she didn’t fit in with the usual crowd, and certainly that may have been a part of it. The ponies that went to clubs didn’t usually wear bow-tie cravats and have perfectly styled manes.

When Octavia had tried to protest however, one of the bouncers had let slip that she was not allowed on the premises. He had even had a picture of her! Octavia growled at the memory, letting loose a sudden, angry, two-legged buck that shattered an expensive ornamental flower pot.

“Vinyl Scratch, how dare you!”

Octavia looked down at the crumbled stonework. It was little more now than shards of earthenware and a pile of dirt. Yet, she didn’t care. Not one bit.

Octavia took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. It didn’t help. She felt insulted, humiliated, and betrayed. And even a little hurt.

Vinyl had lied to her about last night, and now she was denying her entry into her shows by giving the bouncers Octavia’s picture! It was all Octavia could do to prevent herself from bucking the walls down.

Octavia had wanted to talk. She wanted to get to the bottom of it. And she would. Because she knew where the hammer was.

==========

Vinyl gave a small giggle as her hoof mashed the elevator button. She sat down, resting her head against the wall as the elevator rattled upwards. The set had been awesome! She’d almost forgotten what it was like to have energy. It’d been so long...

Vinyl shook the offending ideas out of her mind. That wouldn’t be a good road to go down. The more she kept thinking about her roommate, the more enticing the idea would become. And Vinyl didn’t want to do that. Again.

Keep her at leg’s length. Just keep doin’ what you’ve been doin’, Vinyl.

But her hunger was still there.

It was a dangerous road, but it was the best course of action. Vinyl had heard that the bouncers had turned Octavia away, and that was not a conversation that she was looking forward to.

Vinyl had to do it. But she couldn’t exactly explain why.

The sliding sound of the elevator doors pulled her from her thoughts. The lights were out in the penthouse. Vinyl took that for a good sign. Octavia was either asleep or out. Vinyl breathed a sigh as she stepped into the penthouse, feeling something under her hooves. Dirt?

She looked down, spotting the remnants of a shattered flower pot. Had Octavia broken that?

Uh-oh. Tavi’s pissed.

Vinyl stepped over it, tapping her hooves on the floor to shake off the dirt. She’d better get that cleaned up. It was a wonder she hadn’t cut her hooves on the broken pottery. She reached out with her magic to flip the light switch on.

Even through her sunglasses, five spotlights bucking hurt.

Somepony, and Vinyl had a good feeling who, had set up stage lights to point directly at the elevator. Vinyl threw a leg over her face to shield the light, only to feel herself be tackled from the side.

“No...funny...business...this time!” Vinyl heard Octavia’s voice from around her, as something rough wound itself around her body. As an earth pony, Octavia was strong. Vinyl charged up her magic, horn glowing and pulsing with a purple aura. A hoof gave a sudden tap at the tip of her horn, and Vinyl let out a gasp of pain, her eyes watering.

Correction. Tavi is bucking pissed.

“None of that!” Octavia’s voice snapped, and the rope pulled tight, locking her forelegs to the side of her body.

The spotlights shut off, returning the room to its normal brightness. Vinyl was on her side, Octavia standing over her. She was staring down into her shades, and the look on her face was anything but amused.

Vinyl could practically hear the satisfaction in her voice. “I understand how terribly low-class it is of me to tie you up like this, but I’m certain that Fiddlesticks will be pleased that her rope lessons didn’t go forgotten.”

“Getting into the kinky stuff, Octy?” Vinyl said, her heart pounding as she forced a smile.

Octavia scoffed as she hoisted the unicorn’s body up, dragging her into the living room. “Of course not. I simply wanted to make sure there was no funny business like last night.”

Vinyl barely managed to keep the surprise off of her face. “T-this again? C’mon Octy, nothing happened!”

“You know, I had the strangest dream of us last night. I even dreamed that, in our...activities, I had accidentally broken the couch.” Octavia heaved Vinyl up onto the couch. It gave a sudden creak and then slid sideways with a crack of wood. “Then I discovered that somepony had nailed it together. The same end that I had dreamt had broken. Imagine that.”

Vinyl gave a nervous laugh, trying to keep her emotions off of her face. “Octy, alright. I broke the couch a few months ago. I didn’t think you’d care this much about it!”

Octavia pressed her forehead to Vinyl’s, staring right into her glasses. “I don’t think so, Vinyl Scratch. You are keeping secrets from me. You are lying to me.”

Vinyl tensed up. She could taste the emotions flowing from her body. Worry. Hurt. Anger. It was making her dizzy.

“And we,” Octavia started, as she put her hooves to the side of Vinyl’s glasses, “are going to have a real talk, for once.”

“No! Octy! Don’t!”

==========

Octavia had wanted to stare her down, to read her facial expressions without her tinted glasses getting in the way, but Vinyl had slammed her eyes shut the moment the glasses had come off. Vinyl’s horn had glowed once more, but Octavia gave it a tap, rewarding her with another sound of pain from Vinyl, and another pang of guilt from her heart.

Octavia knew how sensitive unicorn horns were while they were using magic, but she hadn’t seen any other way to prevent her from using it. She tossed the sunglasses over the couch.

“Open your eyes, Vinyl,” Octavia said.

“No!”

“We are going to have a conversation, a real one for once, with no glasses to get in the way!” Octavia said, determined to press the issue but...there was something in Vinyl’s voice. She sounded...frightened. It was strange, how adamant she was in hiding her eyes. Another secret? Octavia took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down.

“Vinyl,” she said, a bit more kindly this time. “Stop hiding from me.”

“I...I can’t. I’m sorry, Octy. I can’t. It’s...not safe.”

Sweet Celestia. She sounds ready to cry.

“Vinyl, I’m...I’m sorry. But I need to know what’s going on. And you won’t tell me. You are keeping secrets from me. You lied to my face. You made me think it was all a dream. Please. Open your eyes.”

Vinyl kept her eyes tightly shut. “You...you wouldn’t believe me.”

Octavia had a feeling of dread in her stomach. Did she really want to press the issue? She had already started down this road. If she didn’t continue, Vinyl was sure to leave. That had been the risk all along.

“Vinyl. I need to know.” Octavia pressed a hoof to the side of Vinyl’s face. “Please.”

Vinyl was trembling. She hesitated just a bit, before she spoke in a soft, frightened voice. “You...You won’t enjoy it. Well...you will. It’s....complicated.”

“Vinyl, please. No more hiding from me. Show me.”

There was a long silence between the two of them. Vinyl would open her mouth to speak, only to close it shortly after.

“Untie me,” said Vinyl finally. “And...and turn on the shower. Cold water. As cold as it can go.”

Octavia tilted her head.

“Trust me, Tavi. Please. Do...do that. And...we’ll do show and tell.” Vinyl said, forcing a laugh that had no humor in it at all.

It was a strange request. Octavia sat back, considering it. She hadn’t trusted Vinyl when she had tied her up. She had expected her to run, or to try something like the night before. Now however...she could hear it in her voice. She was frightened, but trustworthy.

Octavia pulled at the knots, freeing Vinyl’s limbs, before she turned and trotted into the bathroom. She turned the cold water on, leaving the hot water knob untouched. When she returned to the living room, she noticed with relief that Vinyl was still seated, the rope forgotten on the floor. Her legs were wrapped against her chest in a self-comforting position, her eyes still tightly closed.

Octavia took a seat on the couch, her heart pounding. “It’s...it’s going to be like last night, isn’t it?”

Vinyl gave a sigh. “...Yeah. It is.”

“You promise you’ll tell me everything?”

“Everything,” Vinyl sighed once more, a hint of reluctance in her voice.

Octavia reached out, tilting Vinyl’s head to face her. “Vinyl. Show me. Please. I need to know.”

Tears leaked out from Vinyl’s eyes. “You’ll leave. Or you’ll make me leave. You won’t want to be around me.”

Octavia stayed silent, but she didn’t move. She kept Vinyl’s face angled toward her.

“But....hey. That’s the price I gotta pay, isn’t it?” Vinyl said, with a wry smile. “For being...what I am.”

She took a deep breath, preparing herself. Octavia could see the hesitation on her face. Finally, she slowly opened her eyes, turning her gaze towards Octavia. Octavia stared right back.

They were bright, ruby red. Blood red. They were absolutely beautiful, and Octavia couldn’t stop staring at them. Into them. Vinyl’s face looked worried, but Octavia couldn’t bring herself to care.

Octavia pressed her body against Vinyl with a deep, sensual moan. The pleasure filled kisses had sent spikes of pleasure down through her body, but this was a wonderful flood of sheer bliss. Her body ignited with fire.

Octavia panted, pressing her muzzle against Vinyl’s in a needy kiss. She couldn’t help it. She loved Vinyl. She needed to show it. Octavia straddled her, legs wrapping around her body as she nuzzled her neck. The feel of her coat, the smell of her mane. Her wonderful touch. She needed more.

“Look at me, Vinyl. Look at me...” Octavia moaned, turning Vinyl’s head back to her. Gazing into those wonderful eyes.

“Vinyl...” Octavia whimpered, throwing all pretenses of class out the window as she worked herself against Vinyl’s body. “Take me. Take me, Vinyl. I need it.”

Vinyl wasn’t doing anything. She wasn’t responding. Octavia grabbed her hoof, trailing her tongue over it. “Vinyl....please!”

She pushed Vinyl’s hoof down between her legs. She let herself ride against it, letting out needy gasps as she pressed her panting mouth against Vinyl’s muzzle.

“Take me!” Octavia cried out.

Octavia couldn’t fight it. She didn’t want to.

“Not here, Octy,” said Vinyl in her sweet, wonderful voice. Octavia arched her back just hearing it.

“Anywhere....Anywhere you want....” She nuzzled her neck. She wanted to be with her. Forever. Anywhere she wanted. Vinyl. Nothing else mattered. It felt so good just being here with her. Touching her.

Vinyl guided her to her feet, and Octavia leaned against her, drawing a shudder from the unicorn as her tongue slid along the side of her body. Even the taste of her was divine. She wanted to taste every bit.

Octavia slid her muzzle along her body, feeling Vinyl’s tail against her face, but Vinyl caught her.

“Not here. C’mon.” Octavia let out a desperate whimper, but followed her.

“Maybe some...shower time?” Vinyl said.

“I’d love to....” Octavia purred. She could hear the running water. They were in the bathroom. It didn’t matter. She’d be anywhere with Vinyl. She loved her. Needed her.

“After you, Octy.”

Octavia nuzzled Vinyl’s mane, before she leapt into the shower. Octavia let out a sudden scream of surprise as the ice cold water hit her like a runaway carriage. She tried to jump out, but Vinyl’s hooves pushed her back in. She slipped, landing on her flank as the cold water poured over her form.

“C-c-cold!” Octavia gasped, wrapping her legs around herself as Vinyl held her in place.

“That’s the point, Octy,” Vinyl said, her voice a mixture of sorrow and amusement. Her eyes were closed again.

Octavia opened her mouth to say something, until she realized what had happened. A blush grew on her face. She had...

“I..I think...I’ll stay here...for a bit...” Octavia said through chattering teeth, pushing her face under the stream of cold water.

“Yeah. Prolly a good idea.”

The silence hung in the air between them.

“Sooo....” Vinyl said, kicking at the floor with her hoof. “Need anything?”

“....I’m fine.”

“Kay. I’m gonna go...y’know. Get my glasses.”

“Put a kettle on, please?” Octavia said, eyes closed as she looked up into the water.

“Sure. I’ll be in the kitchen. When you’re ready.”

Vinyl left in silence, leaving Octavia alone in the cold water. It wasn’t an enjoyable experience, but she didn’t want to get out too soon. Even while she was drenched in cold water, she could still feel the arousal between her hind legs.

Those eyes. Those brilliant, blood-red eyes. She could remember how it felt to look into them. In that first moment, they had become the most beautiful things she had ever seen. She gave a shudder that had nothing to do with the cold. She had wanted to do everything for those eyes.

==========

Octavia climbed out of the shower; she had given herself until her body was numb. Her teeth were chattering, her mane was soaked and slicked to the sides of her head, and she was certain that her lips were blue. At least the urges were gone.

She toweled herself dry before she peeked out of the door. She could hear the kettle whistling in the kitchen.

“Vinyl? Are you still there?”

There was a silence, which made Octavia worry for a heartbeat, before Vinyl’s voice replied.

“Yeah.”

“I’ll be right there.” Octavia walked into her bedroom, grabbing her blanket in her mouth and yanking it off of the bed, throwing it over her back.

She trotted into the living room, taking a seat on the broken couch, wrapping herself up in her blanket, appreciating now more than ever before the warmth that it gave. Vinyl was smirking in amusement, but Octavia didn’t care.

Vinyl trotted over, levitating a cup of tea in the air for her.

“Thank you.” She reached out from under the blanket, taking it with a shaking hoof.

Vinyl didn’t sit on the couch, instead sitting on her haunches across the coffee table. She remained silent as Octavia took a sip of her tea.

“Well? Go ahead,” Vinyl said. “We both know what you wanna ask.”

Octavia set her teacup down on the table. She looked at Vinyl, staring at her sunglasses, knowing what hid behind them.

“Alright, Vinyl,” she said, taking a deep breath before continuing. “What are you?”

Author's Note

Shower time.