Ever Growing Friendship
Written By: Thunder-Dasher
Edited By: Bytestorm
Chapter Eleven: Heart's Devotion
No sounds could be heard, except for the crackling fire in the hearth. No faint breathing, no murmurs from Trace as he dreamed, not even the way Lyra liked to whimper every once awhile, and her body twitch like a puppy dreaming of chasing something. Fluttershy shot her eyes open in panic, realizing neither of her herdmates were anywhere to be seen. A chill ran up her spine as she looked to the fire; it was still alive, strong as ever. Jumping up from her spot on the floor, Fluttershy took to the air and rushed to the kitchen, "T-Trace!? Lyra!? Where are you?" Still nothing...
Icy tendrils of fear began tightening around her. The house began feeling a little too cold, too foreboding, for Fluttershy's comfort, 'D-did they leave? Did they decide they didn't want me in the herd... after all?' It was only then that her ears twitched, bringing only the second sound of the morning, 'running water?'
Deciding to investigate, Fluttershy followed the sound to the bathroom. Fluttershy pressed her ear up against the door to hear a faint giggle from Lyra, followed by Trace saying, "Lyra stop! I just wanted a quick shower! Besides it isn't fair if we fool around with Fluttershy in the house with us. What if she walks in on us?"
"You're right, sorry Trace. I got carried away..." Fluttershy could almost feel the disappointment in the minty mare's voice.
Very slowly, Fluttershy turned the handle to open the door, immediately being hit by mist and the mugginess of hot water, "T-trace... Lyra?"
The two figures froze from behind the curtain. Even though they only looked like shadows behind it, Fluttershy couldn't help but turn red, her eyes glued to Trace's features. Desire washed over her, chasing away the icy fear that had but a moment ago held her in its grasp.
"Sorry Shy, I figured since you said everything was ready, we would let you sleep a little longer while we showered. Then, we were going to wake you and head to your place; if that is okay with you?" Trace said in a raised voice, making sure he could be heard over the falling water.
"O-okay..." Fluttershy eyed Trace's form, trying to catch a glimpse of anything that might trigger a deep interest. Even if Fluttershy really did love Trace for who he was inside, she couldn't lie to herself and say his body wasn't something of a thrill. Not even her deepest imagination, though, could grant her the faintest clue as to what he might look like completely naked. Fluttershy let out a flustered breath as she continued, "I will... just wait for you both i-in the living room..."
This time it was Lyra, apparently answering for Trace who seemed to be under the water now, "Okay, if you want, you can find a snack to tide you over."
Even though Fluttershy couldn't be seen, she nodded her head, not giving an audible reply as she hovered from the bathroom and closed the door back to its original place. 'Why would I doubt them? They wouldn't just leave me like that.' She mused. While heading back to the living room, she felt a gust of cold air. She turned her head, noticing it was coming from Trace's and Lyra's room, 'if they get out of the shower to that, they may catch a cold. I had better close the window...' She didn't hesitate to fly straight for the room, quickly rushing to the window, shivering as she slammed it closed, "I... I wonder why it was open? Surely it couldn't have been hot... could they have…?"
Fluttershy's eyes clenched shut as a naked Trace on top of a moaning Lyra vividly came to mind. Fluttershy shook her head furiously, 'I can't think of them like that... I haven't even kissed them yet! Well...' Fluttershy fell silent as she averted her gaze away from nothing in particular, 'there... was that one kiss with Lyra...' Fluttershy bit her lower lip as she slightly shuffled against the floor, sitting down. The cold air from outside had pretty much frozen the carpeted floor, which aided to cooling off Fluttershy's unintentional arousal.
The sight of a book that lay open on a desk caught her attention. The window must have been blowing the pages around. She was about to leave before turning her attention back to the book, 'I should probably close this for them... but what if it is something personal Trace doesn't want anypony to see!'
Tentatively flapping of the wings, Fluttershy flew over and was about to close the book, when a certain name caught her eye; her own. Without thinking, Fluttershy began to read the first sentence, 'Today, Fluttershy joined the herd, but I can't quite figure out my feelings about her yet.'
Finally catching up to the situation, Fluttershy jumped back, "I... I shouldn't be reading this... it's Trace's personal journal... but..." A pinkish hue crossed her cheeks, her ears flickering towards the door. Trace and Lyra seemed to have a good bit more time in there before they would be finished. Fluttershy was about to leave when her mind pulled toward the book, "Well... one page shouldn't hurt..."
She was about to place her hoof on the book, when she swiftly snapped her hoof away, "No, Fluttershy! Bad... very bad pony..." Fluttershy eyed the closed book, biting her lower lip once more, making sure to pay attention to the running water of the shower, "Nnnnghh… J-just... one paragraph..."
Flipping through the pages, Fluttershy found the latest entry in the journal and began to read in her head, 'Dear Dairy, I know I haven't been keeping up with the entries lately. I kind of encountered a problem with Fluttershy that made me worried. Trace got me to-'
The creamy yellow mare blinked as realization hit her, "T-this must be... Lyra's dairy... not Trace's..."
When that thought was shoved to the side, Fluttershy quickly picked up where she left off, 'Trace got me to understand it is okay to love her too. I wanted her for Trace since I am leaving for the Royal Euphony in the summer. Now I am so afraid that I am just leaving two lovers to be lonely, now. I hate this. I have never regretted joining the Royal Euphony, it was my dream. It still is, but I don't want to leave either of them. I know Trace says he will wait for me, and he believes Fluttershy would too, but what if they decide later on that they don't love me anymore when I come back? That is enough writing for right now. I need to get back to Fluttershy and Trace before they wake up and realize I'm gone... P.S Fluttershy and I had our first kiss and it was awesome! Can't wait to do it again! Sincerely yours, Lyra Heartstrings.'
"I-I didn't realize she felt that way..." Fluttershy gently closed the dairy, gently flapping her wings to leave the bedroom.
Heading straight to the living room, Fluttershy sat in front of the fire. Her face set itself in resolve, 'I love Lyra and Trace, I know I do! I should make sure Lyra knows... I will wait for her! She is too sweet not to wait for... I will make sure she knows I love them and I know just how to do that!'
Suddenly, footsteps could be heard from behind her. Fluttershy turned to notice Lyra first, followed by Trace. Trace had dried off with a towel and was already wearing his nicest blue button down and tan dress pants. Lyra's hair was already dried, most likely from a spell, and she looked fresh and clean. They both had an aroma of rose petals and a bit of honey to them. Fluttershy managed a sincere smile as they approached her, "Ready to go?"
"Will you need time to prepare anything, Fluttershy, or is everything ready?" Trace asked, pulling his button down shirt from his pants, which must have gotten tucked in when he put on his trousers.
"Oh not at all, everything we are eating doesn't need to be cooked." Fluttershy smiled as she got to her hooves, motioning for the door.
Trace put a smile on his face, but hoped desperately that Fluttershy wasn't going to try to feed him hay or something like that. He needed something a little more tasteful, not to mention digestible for humans, in his stomach; and hay just wouldn't cut it. Though, Lyra came up with an idea just in case. Before getting in the shower, Trace ate the remainder of the fish from last night. If it came to it, he could just wait till later, and just say he didn't feel like eating. Hopefully Fluttershy wouldn't be too upset or think he is disinterested if he doesn't eat. If he had too, he could explain his diet to her, but really didn't want too since most of the animals that Fluttershy takes care of could be considered a meal to him. Trace threw on a jacket, followed by helping Lyra into hers. Trace looked to Fluttershy to notice she hadn't brought a jacket last night, "Fluttershy... do you need a coat?"
"It's day time and the sun seems to be out, I will be fine..." Fluttershy gently smiled as she looked up to her stallion.
Not being able to stop his frown, Trace gave her a worried look, "A-are you sure? I don't want you getting sick, Shy."
"I have an extra jacket, Fluttershy. Why don't I get it for you?" Lyra didn't wait for an answer as a jacket levitated from a closet that was in the living room, pretty much next to the hallway that led to the bathroom and Trace's room.
Giving the jacket a brief glare, she could tell this jacket was meant for Spring. It was shorter so you wouldn't get hot in it, but you wouldn't be without warmth, though it was made for a unicorn, it would still manage to fit her without covering her wings. Fluttershy looked to Lyra about to protest, but stopped when Lyra gave her a, 'Put it on, or I'll put it on for you' look. The jacket stayed levitated, aiding her as Fluttershy stepped her forehooves into the sleeves. Fluttershy's creamy butter cheeks discolored into a light pink as she realized they were all wearing matching jackets. Though Trace's jacket was shaped for a human, all three were a light blue fabric that resembled denim, though a little thinner, and filled with a fleece interior; definitely one of Rarity's finer works. It was even short enough that it ended right before the wings, most likely so you could be warm, but not overly so. Rarity had a knack for making things that would be suitable for just about anypony. Trace shoved his hands into his pockets as Lyra opened the door; she then quickly directed her magic at the hearth to extinguish it. They shivered as the door illuminated into a minty aura that resembled Lyra's fur, allowing them passage into the snowy environment outside.
Surprisingly, the walk through town was met with far less glares and a lot more happy smiles. Trace could even hear a few ponies' comments as they passed by, "Fluttershy is in a herd now, good for her!" and "Finally getting out of that dusty ole cottage!"
A short chuckle escaped Trace, but neither Lyra nor Fluttershy seemed to notice. He attempted to bury his hands a little further into his pockets, wishing desperately he had brought his gloves. The brown haired human looked to the sky, 'I wonder if we could stay at Fluttershy's tonight? That would be fun! Of course, I wouldn't want to make her feel uncomfortable...'
"Trace?"
Looking down, he realized they had all stopped walking, right in middle of Ponyville. Both his mares were giving him a worried look. Lyra stepped closer as she asked, "Did you hear me?"
"Sorry... my mind was just drifting." Trace nervously smiled, trying to shrug it off, "What did you say?"
"I said; if this date goes well, what should we do for our second?" Lyra had a small pout on her lips from not having Trace's attention from the start.
"Aren't we jumping the gun? I mean, we don't even know if this date will go okay..." Trace looked over to Fluttershy to realize her face turned into one of sadness and fear. Kicking himself, he desperately tried to salvage the situation, "I'm sure it will go well, but I was just saying.., first things first, ya know? Heh... hehe..." Trace averted his eyes, his cheeks reddening. He was angry with himself for making Fluttershy look so scared. With that anger, came fear as well. Nervously, he glanced towards the town, at the old tree that stood above the houses.
"I'm sure it will too; but if you don't mind Trace, I want to pick the next date!" Lyra chimed.
His minty mare seemed too happy for him to refuse her, so Trace just nodded with a small smile, "That is fine with me, what did you have in mind?"
"I have a faint idea, but it's a secret until then!" Lyra giggled, a small sinister grin forming on her lips.
Deciding that he will find out sooner or later, Trace removed his eyes from Lyra to look in the direction of Fluttershy's cottage, starting to walk, "We should get going, we are only going to get colder if we stay outside..."
A pout formed on Lyra's expression as she got up to follow Trace, "Are you not even curious?"
"Of course I am! My mom used to say patience is a virtue, so I'm just trying to be patient." Trace sighed as the image of his mother came to mind. A tenacious woman that was strongly opinionated about her son's future, and yet didn't seem to care enough to give him the one thing he really needed-
"What was your mother like, Trace?" Fluttershy quickened her pace to be able to look up at Trace's face.
The question brought him out of his musings. He really didn't want to talk about it, about her; but looking down at the adorable look on Fluttershy's face, how could he say no? Trace looked over to see Lyra also giving him a similar look, "Yeah, Trace! I would love to hear about your mom!"
"You two are unfair..." Trace sighed, keeping up his walking, fearing that if he stopped, the icy weather would suddenly freeze him solid.
"Huh!? Why is it unfair? We just want to know more about you, Trace!" Lyra stated with sincerity in her voice.
Usually, he would have thought she was being sarcastic, but with that look it was clear she really wanted to know more. Trace sighed in defeat, making Fluttershy and Lyra's ears turn toward him in anticipation as he spoke, "There isn't much to tell... My mom was a..." Trace paused, even going so far as to stop his walking again, 'would they even know what a feminist is?'
"Was what, Trace?" Lyra stated, sitting down in the snow in front of Trace.
Looking into the distance, Trace could tell Fluttershy's cottage was close, so he continued his walking, "Well in my world... for the longest time, women were considered property. It was only recently that they were given the same freedom as everyone else. Though, most still don't treat them as equals. She was a hardcore feminist. Feminists believe in women's rights, and strive for equal treament, so they aren't a bad group. The hardcore ones like my mother, though, they were different. Every time she tried to spend time with me... well, she would try to fit me into this little box. Make me act how she thought I should. I'm bisexual, and I've never cared for gender roles... You fall in love with whom your heart desires. We never really got along because she wanted me to be a certain way; she would always try to make me 'pick a side' as she would say..." Trace realized he had begun ranting. The cold briefly held back by the resentment that he felt towards his mother. 'Why couldn't she have just accepted me?' He took a few breaths to wind down, "Sorry, I get a little worked up when she's brought up." He realized that they were now standing in front of Fluttershy's cottage. Looking down, he noticed the intrigued look both of his mares were giving him.
His lovely yellow Pegasus got his attention as she spoke first, "Y-your... bisexual?" Fluttershy's eyes wide with shock.
Trace just stared at her as he thought, 'after telling you all that... that is what you take from it?' Trace opened the door to Fluttershy's cottage, they all stepped inside. Trace scanned the room for anything out of the ordinary, trying to figure out what Fluttershy had planned for the date, but when he only found Fluttershy's normal and clean cottage, Trace closed the door behind them and continued, "Is something wrong with being bisexual?"
"W-well... n..no..." Fluttershy stuttered for a moment, thinking she offended him, "It's just unusual..."
"Unusual? You both are bisexual! I mean, you both seem to love each other and me! So, doesn't that make you bisexual too?" Irritation had crept its way into Trace's voice; him being bisexual was one of the main things that his mother tried to interfere in, making it a sensitive topic for him.
"Y-yes, but... We are mares..." Fluttershy lowered her head, backing up with a look of fear on her face. Fluttershy clenched her eyes closed as she thought, 'N-no... I've upset him... I haven't ever seen him angry before...'
Lyra stole Trace's attention as she cut her way between them, "I think what Fluttershy is meaning to say, Trace, is that in our world, because mares outnumber stallions, it used to be considered vile for two stallions to be together. Even today it is rare to find two stallions that are mates. Even when a herd has two stallions, they rarely, if ever even physically touch unless it is a threesome or something with their herdmates."
"Oh I see..." Trace's features immediately softened into an apologetic look, glancing over to Fluttershy, "I'm sorry. I am so used to everyone back home disliking me the moment they found out I like both men and women."
"I'm sorry Trace, but your home seems to be very... intolerant..." Lyra flatly stated.
"Not really. There are a lot of intolerant humans out there, but there are also a lot of intolerant ponies too. Ever since coming here, I've seen a few ponies act like I was a monster. It was only recently that I noticed a change, about the time I got with you Lyra; even more of them when they found out about you Fluttershy. I think it may have something to do with everypony seeing me actually love ponies." Trace looked up to the ceiling, mainly really thinking out loud. Truth was, he didn't really care, all that mattered were his friends and his herd mates; so he could care less what the rest of the world thought of him.
"I didn't realize that so many ponies looked at you that way..." Lyra's voice lowered to barely over a whisper, her ears folded against the back of her head and her expression turning into sadness, with a dash of rage mixed in, "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"Because... Those other ponies don't matter. Let them dislike or hate me if they wish. As long as they don't verbally or physically assault me, or the ponies I care about, then it doesn't matter. Besides, what can I do? Go around popping ponies in the jaw that give me nasty glares?"
Even though Lyra's ears remained flat against the back of her head, she couldn't help the small giggle that escaped her, "No, you can't do that... But you should stand up for yourself when the need arises."
"Don't worry about me, I will be okay. I've gotten into a few fights back in my world. Plus even though ponies seem very opinionated, they don't necessarily seem violent by nature. I probably could just talk my way out of it." Trace grinned, trying to reassure his mares. Deciding to quickly change the subject, Trace turned his attention to Fluttershy, "So, what do you have planned for our date?"
The butter mare's features lifted, apparently catching her off guard, but she quickly reacted, "Wait here!"
Both Lyra and Trace watched as Fluttershy removed her jacket and placed it on the coat rack, before quickly darting upstairs. They barely had enough time to look around before Fluttershy came back with a picnic blanket folded on her back and a basket hanging from her forehooves.
"Here, let me help!" Trace offered, which Fluttershy froze, giving Trace a worried and fearful look.
Kicking Trace in the leg gently, Lyra didn't hesitate to speak up, "Trace... you are not allowed to help. Fluttershy is taking US on the date, so you pretty much said that you're not interested and that you want to get this over with as quickly as possible..."
His minty mare's statement made Trace freeze, a bead of sweat forming on his brow, waving his hands erratically in the air, "I'm so sorry Fluttershy... I just wanted to help; I didn't mean anything by it... I am interested..."
A faint breath of relief could be heard leave Fluttershy, "Oh no, it's my fault, Trace... I keep forgetting you are from another culture altogether..." Fluttershy's face formed into the most adorable smile Trace had seen her give, Trace's heart fluttered as she continued, "I will make sure to not take anything to heart! At least, not without talking to you about it first, of course."
The adorable yellow mare giggled as she laid out the blanket, and then quickly disappeared into the kitchen. When Fluttershy returned, she had three rather large green mixing bowls. She gently spread them out on the checkered picnic blanket. She made quite a few trips, each time adding to the spread. The bowls were filled with tufts of white clouds, and various ingredients were spread out across the blanket. Trace and Lyra tried, but couldn't guess what was in the basket. Fluttershy had yet to even glance at it since bringing it down. Trace had a minor worry in the pit of his stomach, fearing that they were going to be eating cloud for lunch. Trace looked to Fluttershy's clock on the wall to see it was a little after noon.
"All ready! Please, come! Sit down!" Fluttershy called in a sing song voice, sitting in front of one of the three green mixing bowls.
Trace just kept his mouth closed in fear of upsetting anypony, but Lyra spoke up and asked the exact question he wanted to ask, "What is all this for?"
"I come from a very high class family, but haven't kept up with most of the traditions. Except for this one. I've always wanted to do this one as my firs-" the pegasus clamped her mouth shut, with a worried look flitted across her face.
Looking over to Fluttershy, which made her look back in return, their eyes meeting. Trace tossed his reluctance to offend and asked, "A-are you saying this is your first date?"
A pink hue befell Fluttershy as her gaze nervously darted about the room, as if she was looking for a way to escape, "W-why would you ask that?"
"You were about to say your first date. If you have always wanted to do it, wouldn't you of done it with whomever else you dated? Which means; we are the first ones you have ever dated!" Trace couldn't help the confused look on his face, looking to Lyra to notice she had a similar confusion on her face.
Lyra sat down by one of the bowls filled with cloud as she lowered her head to try and meet Fluttershy's gaze, "I-is it true? Have you never been on a date before?"
Unable to give an audible reply, Fluttershy gave the only response she could manage, a weak nod and a rosy color on her cheeks. Trace lowered his gaze, unsure if he should ask his next question. Trace was snapped out of it, looking to Lyra as she spoke, "You have that look... What's wrong?"
Reluctant to even say anything, Trace questioned if he should just drop it, 'I don't want to embarrass her, but I need to know... This is going to get complicated... I can tell...'
A sigh left Trace, "Does that mean... you are a virgin... Fluttershy?"
Even though he never got a verbal response, the way Fluttershy's eyes widened, and the way she couldn't even turn away to hide her embarrassment, told him she most definitely was. Silence befell the room, so Trace decided to speak up, "It doesn't matter to me if you are or not... but I won't lie to say it doesn't complicate things..."
"Why-Why is it complicated?" Lyra asked, not really being able to discover the reason on her own.
Sitting down himself, Trace crossed his legs, placing his right elbow on his knee and placing his forehead in the palm of his hand, "I was already afraid that if this doesn't work out... That I may not only lose you Fluttershy... That the others may not forgive me... I may end up without any friends..."
"B-but Trace!" Fluttershy abandoned her embarrassment as she looked to Trace with sympathy, "Even if it doesn't work out... Our friends won't hate you for it. They understand that relationships can't always work out... Even if they... held a grudge... I wouldn't. Just having you as a friend would be enough..." Fluttershy's face drooped and her eyes looked as if she would burst out into tears any moment.
"Hey, let's just drop this... I really think everything will be okay... We have all pretty much admitted how we all feel about each other. Let's just see where this all goes, shall we?" Lyra shuffled her gaze between her two herd mates.
Neither of them gave a response except for a brief nod, and Trace decided to return the subject to their date, "So... before we got sidetracked, you were explaining this tradition of yours?"
Nervous yet excited, Fluttershy managed to speak. Like the others, she was quite eager to change the subject, "Since, neither of you are Pegasi, I had to have Twilight cast a spell to make these clouds touchable by both of you. It is a tradition that we all take turns placing one ingredient, along with telling the others about themselves, and in the end, we all share the finished deserts. I know they wouldn't be filling, that is why I brought these..." Fluttershy pulled the basket over, lifting the lid to reveal sandwiches, which looked an awful lot like tuna fish sandwiches. Trace's stomach suddenly growled, which made his two mares giggle, immediately lifting the awkward fog that had settled in.
Lyra looked to Fluttershy, speaking in a teasing voice, "Better get started before Mr. Trace here gets too hungry! He might just gobble us up!"
A blush and a quick aversion of the eyes, Fluttershy's mind immediately flashed a picture of both her and Lyra lying on their backs, with Trace eying between their legs, a bib draped around his neck, nostrils flaring -"Y-yeah... better... get started... I will get us started..."
Pulling her own bowl closer, Fluttershy grabbed chocolate shavings and generously sprinkled it over the cloud, "Once it's your turn, you add your first favorite ingredient, then we share something. I love the ground and taking care of animals."
Even if Lyra and Trace already knew that about her, they decided to let it slide, mainly since they just found out Fluttershy was a virgin. Deciding to go clockwise, Lyra went next, grabbing what looked like caramel syrup and adding a layer to it, "Before becoming a musician, I was a music teacher at the Canterlot School for Musically Gifted Unicorns."
"I can't picture you being a teacher..." Trace raised an eyebrow, but knew she wouldn't lie, at least not to him about something like this; why would she?
"Oh wonderful! Did you teach little filly's and colts?" Fluttershy's face picked up with interest, eying Lyra with something of a sparkle in her eye.
"No... I was actually a college music professor... Melodic Whistle came by while I was playing and offered me a position in the Royal Euphony. It was my dream to perform professionally, so I immediately took the job..." Lyra chuckled, looking to Trace, apparently wanting him to take his turn.
Taking something that looked like cinnamon, Trace sniffed at it before sprinkling it on his cloud, "Before coming to Equestria, I used to work as a bartender in a dance club."
"So, is that where you learned to dance?" Lyra asked, remembering back to when she had seen Trace's awesome dancing when he was at the Slinky Seduction with Rarity.
"I learned to dance at an early age... mainly thanks to my mom trying to… never mind. Though, it did help me show off at night clubs..."
Lyra giggled, followed by a small laugh escaping Fluttershy. Fluttershy grabbed the caramel that Lyra previously had and spread it onto her cloud, but before she got to speak, Trace asked, "I'm not rushing you or anything, but when does this end? I mean, just when we run out of ingredients or something?" He was genuinely curious about this tradition.
"The tradition is five rounds, but we don't have to do that many if you both want. Personally I'm getting a little hungry..." Fluttershy's cheeks flushed faintly with a small smile on her face, "For my turn-" Fluttershy seemed to have wanted to say something, but by the look on her face, Trace and Lyra both could tell she was contemplating what she actually wanted to say.
Deciding to try and help her along, Lyra spoke, "It's okay Fluttershy, you can tell us anything. We won't judge." Lyra tried to win her over by giving her a reassuring smile.
Fluttershy breathed deeply, mustering what courage she could, "For my turn, I have something to say." Her voice was surprisingly firm, considering her normal tone. She looked deep into Lyra's golden irises as she replied, "Lyra…"
"Hmm?" Lyra blinked as Fluttershy looked to her all of a sudden with a serious and stern look on her expression.
"When you leave for the Royal Euphony... I will wait for you... Y-you... you are worth it..." Fluttershy's creamy yellow cheeks turned into a faint pink, but she kept up her serious expression, mixed with the sheer kindness and love that only Fluttershy could possibly manage.
Her statement apparently struck home. Trace looked to Lyra to notice her eyes welling up, just like they had the night before. He scooted closer to place his hand on her shoulder, speaking barely over a whisper, keeping his voice as soft as possible, "I told you Lyra... We would both wait for you... you should follow your dreams, especially while you are young enough to do so..."
Lyra's tangelo colored irises were quickly hidden as she clenched her eyes closed, tears falling from her eyes, "You two are so unfair. You both say you will wait for me, but that just makes me not want to leave even more. Neither of you should have to wait for me..."
"You are stuck with us, Lyra. We will wait for you; and until you can honestly look us in the eyes and say you just don't want to go to the Royal Euphony, then we will give you all the support and love we can offer, and will patiently wait for your return." Trace scooted just a tad bit closer as he wrapped his arm around Lyra.
Lyra wasn't sobbing like she done last night, but the tears continued as she leaned into his side. Fluttershy looked to Lyra with sadness, seeing her herdmate crying like this gave her enough willpower to get up and slowly walk over. Lyra looked to her with surprise as Fluttershy lay down and draped her wing over Lyra's teal colored back. A small sob could be heard from Lyra, which just made Trace and Fluttershy hold onto the crying Unicorn a little tighter.
Not really knowing what else they could say, Trace and Fluttershy mutually agreed to wait for Lyra to recollect herself. From a corner of Fluttershy's cottage came a bunny that Trace had yet to notice before. Angel's sister, along with her babies, lay in a woven basket with an overhead on it. The little bunny that bounced toward them was apparently the one that would join them on the end of winter, once it was healthy enough to be able to be separated from its mother.
Tears still slightly fell from Lyra's face. Once the bunny came close enough, Lyra lowered her head, watching the baby bunny's actions. Trace, Lyra and Fluttershy all froze in awe as the little solid black baby bunny latched itself onto Lyra's nose in a hug. Apparently trying to make her feel better, or so Trace assumed. Lyra couldn't help but smile, using her hoof to wipe away a tear, "Thank you Thumper!"
At Lyra's words, the bunny hugged a little tighter, thumping its foot against the floor happily. After moments, the baby pulled away to return to its mother and its siblings. Upon reaching the basket, she turned to glance at Lyra and Trace before darting back into the basket. Lyra nuzzled Fluttershy's cheek as she whispered, "I think we will all be okay..."
Trace smiled, lowering his cheek to the top of Lyra's head, "I'm sure we will! It's clear we all care for each other!"
Suddenly, Fluttershy pulled away, making both Lyra and Trace give her a confused and somewhat worried look. Fluttershy walked around the two, to sit in front of Trace. A blush could be seen on Fluttershy's face, but her expression was marked with determination, "I've always been too shy to speak my feelings... So, there is something... I need to do..."
Removing his cheek from Lyra, Trace sat up to look at Fluttershy, "Yeah? And what is that?"
The mare replied simply by leaning in, tilting her head and slightly closing her eyes. Trace was about to hesitate, but decided against it. He knew exactly what she was doing, so he moved in to meet her half way. Their lips meeting gently at first, but Trace grunted in surprise as a tongue was felt at his lips. He didn't want to rush it, but didn't have the heart to refuse. He parted his lips to be met with a searching tongue. Fluttershy winced at Trace's sharp canines for a moment, but she didn't let that stop her, focusing mainly on exploring the unfamiliar sensation. Lyra just watched in slight jealousy and awe watching the two go at it. Lyra could feel herself getting quite warm from the scene. She wished she could somehow join in, but this moment was theirs.
Pulling away for air, Fluttershy panted; she could have gone longer, but she wanted to stop herself before she became too excited. When Trace managed to come down from his euphoria, he swallowed, giving Fluttershy a warm look as he softly asked, "Shy... I didn't take you as one to be so forward, let alone kissing that intensely on the first date..."
Fluttershy backed up a step, looking to the floor nervously and lightly scratching at the floor with a forehoof, "I just... thought it was fair... since it was that intense... with Lyra's and my first kiss..."
Trace's head swirled a bit in utter confusion, blinking when he came back to reality, looking in between the two, "When did this happen?!"
Lovingly taking Trace's arm into hers, Lyra brought his hand to her cheek, nuzzling the palm of his hand, "Last night... We didn't really mean for it to happen... It kind of just... did!" Lyra couldn't help her giggle, but slight embarrassment could be heard from it.
A sigh escaped Trace as he brought up his free hand to run his fingers through his hair, "Was it when I fell asleep in the kitchen?" Trace scratched his head, looking up to the ceiling, "That is the only time you two were alone, that I can think of anyway..."
Giggles befell both mares and Fluttershy was the one to say something this time, "We could tell... you had a long day though... you looked so peaceful, but if we had let you sleep in there, you would have caught a cold!"
Adding to his mare's giggles, Trace laughed as he replied, "Thanks... but I wish I had seen it!"
Lyra got up, pulling herself from Trace's arm to sit next to Fluttershy, using a hoof to pull her toward her, "Let us recap for you." Lyra gently closed her eyes to slowly move closer to Fluttershy. Shy didn't seem even the slightest bit reluctant to kiss Lyra again as she just simply closed her eyes, allowing Lyra to move her lips against Fluttershy's. Trace's mouth felt dry, and he took particular notice to Fluttershy's wings; they seemed to extend the deeper the kiss became. Fluttershy's hoof shakily rose to be gently placed on Lyra's chest, and all too soon the kiss broke apart, a string of saliva could be seen briefly connecting their lips before breaking and returning to their individual mouths. Lyra didn't seem out of breath like Fluttershy and himself had been, but Fluttershy seemed to be the more flustered of the two.
GRRRrrrrrrr! Both mares blinked, looking to Trace's stomach. Trace brought up his hand to rub the back of his neck, his mouth turning into an embarrassed smile, "Heh... what a mood killer!"
Both Fluttershy and Lyra giggled, but it was Lyra to step forward, "If it's okay with Shy, why don't we just skip to the sandwiches?"
"Sounds perfect to me." Fluttershy gave a satisfied grin, pulling the basket over to her and pulling out sandwiches and placing them on plates that had also been in the basket.
Later that Evening:
"The date went fairly well, didn't it?" Trace smiled, not even caring that his hands were freezing stiff.
"Yeah, I think it went fantastic! It was definitely a good idea to let Fluttershy into the herd. I honestly thought I was going to have to help her get close to you, but when she really likes somepony, she opens up, doesn't she?" Lyra giggled, looking up to Trace with a broad, happy smile.
A chuckle escaped Trace; it was entirely true, even he was surprised at how forward Shy was. He had pictured that she would have this wall built up to keep them out. It was a huge relief that she wouldn't keep them at arm's length. Trace couldn't help but frown, stopping his walking to look to the sky, "Is it bad that I didn't want to leave? I don't regret our first time, but I want to take it slower with Fluttershy than I did with us. I don't want a repeat, having to run all of Ponyville because of a misunderstanding..."
"You want to know something, Trace?" Lyra sat down, a faint smile on her face, yet it still held the utmost sincerity and seriousness to it, "I think Fluttershy didn't want us to leave either, but even if she manages to open up to us, I believe she still has a little fear of pushing boundaries."
"Wouldn't you be afraid too? It is her first real relationship... She probably is worried about going too far in fear of messing things up."
Giggling, Lyra nodded, "You are probably right; we will just have to show her that she can be open with us!"
Fluttershy's cottage:
"Thank you for helping me clean up, Angel! You were such a big help!" Fluttershy smiled with a soft giggle, running a hoof over Angel's head and down his back. Angel's foot thumped rapidly against the floor at the hoof petting down his back. After Fluttershy pulled away, Angel hopped away and toward his sister and her babies.
Angel took a carrot that he had stashed seemingly nowhere and held it over his shoulder like a rifle, standing in front of his sister's basket like a miniature guard. Fluttershy giggled at her cute pet and decided it was probably time for her to properly feed the animals; she needed to make up for yesterday. Honestly though, they most likely still had food from yesterday. Fluttershy had given them plenty extra in case she didn't return soon enough today, but decided she would at least check. Flying toward the door, she noticed Trace and Lyra left the jacket that she had borrowed, "I will have to return it to them tomorrow at the Hearth Warming Eve party."
Deciding to use it once more, Fluttershy threw on the denim blue jacket and quickly stepped outside. Even though it was a Spring jacket, the simple fact that it belonged to Trace and Lyra, made the snowy environment outside seem a little less frigid. Immediately upon noticing that the animals still had food, Fluttershy retreated inside. She was about to take off the denim Jacket, but paused. She didn't want to take it off. Bringing her forehoof up, she sniffed the sleeve. Though it didn't smell like Lyra or Trace, the aroma it did have was that of an old type of dogwood, one that wasn't used in construction anymore. It immediately made her think Trace's home.
Letting a happy sigh out, she flew over to her stove, throwing another log into the large cast iron oven and closing the door. She turned to look at Angel, hovering over to check on the babies, "Angel, Momma's gonna take a nap. You think you can handle taking care of them?"
She was responded with Angel saluting her and switching the carrot to the other shoulder. Fluttershy giggled, giving her pet a warm smile, "Thank you Angel."
Without another word, Fluttershy took off up the stairs to her room. She peaked out of her door as if to check to see if anyone was following before closing the door. She usually never did it, but she quickly clicked the button on the door knob to lock the door. Fluttershy turned for the bed, hovering for a moment before gently laying down onto it. Wiggling from the jacket, Fluttershy splayed it in her hooves, burying her head into the denim material. Taking a single deep inhalation, followed by slowly letting it out and rubbing her face into the fabric, "I... I wish I had asked them to stay..."
Fluttershy let out a deeply saddened sigh into the jacket, her eyes gently closing, allowing her mind to daydream about her two herdmates, Lyra and Trace. Before she knew it, she had swiftly fallen asleep, her face still buried into the familiar aroma of Trace's and Lyra's home.
