I'm about to leave the library, and make my way back to my (expensive) rented home, when Rainbow Dash clears her throat to catch my attention.

"Yes, Rainbow?" I ask, a chill running up my spine as I think of our deal: she promised to keep the fact that I killed someone in a past life secret, because she "doesn't think I'll ever do it again." Or something like that, I don't know, these ponies are just too damn forgiving in my opinion...

I mean, sure, I'm grateful, but...confused.

"So, uh...Twilight's going to be running all-night-long experiments, and...well...it's going to be snowing tonight, so..." She blushes a bit as she stands. "Would you mind if I stayed at your place?"

Twilight nods in agreement: she's already getting her equipment set up. I smile in relief and kindness as I motion for her to follow me. "Of course I don't mind! Come on, let's get going before it gets snowin'."

Rainbow Dash pauses, and stares at me. "Peter...never rhyme like that again. Please."

"Duly noted," I chuckle. "Alright, now let's go, Dash."

She nods, and we bid farewell to Twilight before we leave. Once I'm fairly certain that we're out of her earshot, I cast a glance at Rainbow Dash.

"So, any particular reason as to why you wanna stay at my place tonight?" I interrogate her. "Instead of Rarity's, or Pinkie's, or Fluttershy's..."

"I want to talk to you," she responds, pursing her lips in apparent irritation. I nod as we walk along, dead leaves crunching underfoot.

"I take it's about our agreement?"

"Yeah, it's about our agreement," Rainbow responds, snappily. "And the fact that I've got to lie to my friends for you."

I nod. "Fair enough. But...I mean...Rainbow, I can never thank you enough for how much you've done for me so far. Really, our, ah...agreement, it's...it's saved my life here. Literally. And I-"

"Look, let's talk about this when we get to your place, alright!?" Rainbow snaps. I nod, blushing a bit as we continue walking.

After a few moments of silence, we reach my house, and I quickly unlock the door and pull it open for her. She nods in thanks as she hurries in, and I pull the door shut behind me and lock it as I motion for her to join me on the couch.

"Would you like anything to drink?" I ask as I fetch a water bottle from my fridge.

Due to my inability to tend fires, Twilight managed to get me a house with a boiler and an internal heat system, which is why I crank the thermostat up a bit as I crack open the plastic container.

"No. I just want to talk," Rainbow responds, staring down at the floor in silence. I frown as I recognize her symptoms: she's not sure about something, and she's really nervous, too.

"Rainbow," I sigh as I sit next to her, reaching for her foreleg with my hand. She jerks away from me, and I sigh as I take a gulp of water. "Rainbow, I understand that you're conflicted - trust me, I do. And if you're uncomfortable with keeping this a secret from your friends, you don't have to - you can tell them, alright?" I reach out to rest my hand on her shoulder, and, thankfully, she doesn't pull away. "I don't want to force you to do this. You know that I care about you."

"And that's just it!" Rainbow Dash shouts as she stands, exasperation creeping into her voice as she starts to pace. "Peter, you're an absolute sweetheart! You're a softy, you're basically a less awkward version of Fluttershy! And you're the first guy that's ever cared about me enough to force your way into my personal life! Other stallions, they...they just try to impress me! But you...you don't care about impressing me. You don't care how you look! You just care about me being happy..." I gulp in anticipation as she continues her rant of frustration. "And then, I find out that you're a killer, and...I just...I just can't believe that you would do something like that! And even if you did, then...I want to believe that you'd never do it again, but how can I be sure!?" Rainbow demands, jumping to stare me right in the face. I cringe a bit at the small scare I get from the sudden jump. "How can I be sure that my friends are safe around you!?"

I smile at Rainbow Dash, and gently brush her cheek with my fingertips. She blushes, but doesn't pull away as I gently tuck stray strands of chromatic mane behind her ears. "Because the person I killed...I see his face in my sleep," I whisper. "It's the one thing that I regret the most in my entire life. And while it wasn't murder...I regret it just as much as if it were. I could never bring myself to kill anyone else, ever again - what happened when we were fighting was just me panicking, because it made me remember the fight I had killed him in, and I sort of...snapped, I guess."

Rainbow gulps, and I can see the utmost hope in her eyes. "So...you promise that you'll never, ever, ever hurt anypony?" She asks, softly. I nod, and she lets out a small breath of relief. "Then our agreement still stands, Peter...I won't ever tell anypony about the person you killed..."

I smile in gratitude, and give her a quick peck on her cheek as I hug her. "Thank you," I whisper into her ear. "You're the best, Rainbow Dash..."

I hear her chuckle a bit, and I smile as I release her, and stand. "In any case...it's getting late out. I'll set up your bed on the couch, and - "

"I don't want to sleep on the couch."

I look at Rainbow in surprise. "Well, then...where will you sleep?"

"In your arms," Rainbow Dash whispers, a vibrant blush spreading across her cheeks. "So that I may come closer to the warmth that your heart has shown me..."

"My, my, you're a poet," I tease. Rainbow smiles at me, and I nod. "Fair enough. C'mon, Dash - let's get some sleep..."

I smile as I hold Rainbow Dash, and gently stroke her mane.

This is all I've wanted to do since we became friends...

I've just wanted to hold her close...

I've just wanted to be here for her...

I sigh to myself in content relief as I nuzzle the top of her head. She giggles a bit, and nuzzles my chest.

As I'm about to fall asleep, she wakes me up with a tough shove.

"Hey, what the hell?" I ask as she shakes me.

"I want you to promise me something," Rainbow informs me.

"Alright, sure," I respond, more than willing to make a promise after everything she's done for me.

"Don't tell anypony about this. Don't tell anypony about that thing I said about being closer to the warmth in your heart. And don't tell anypony that I'm being this emotional with you."

I smile at her. She obviously doesn't want her reputation to be tarnished. "No problem, Dash," I whisper. "This can be our little secret..."

She giggles a bit. "We have a lot of little secrets..."

"Yeah," I sigh. "Yeah, we do..."

Rainbow Dash nuzzles my chest a bit as she snuggles into me. I smile at the warmth, and at the sensation of her heartbeat close against my own, lulling me into a deep sleep...

"Goodnight, Rainbow Dash..."

"Goodnight, Peter..."

Our breathing becomes synchronized as we fall asleep.

Author's Note

I didn't know what else to write.