Fluttershy remembered feeling a brief cold in the darkness, before she felt the warmth again. Each time she stirred, something darker than the space she couldn't see, trying to take its toll, reaching towards her to drag her mind away, the warmth lulled her back.

She began to waken, snuggling against the pleasant scent and warmth surrounding her. Her senses began to work again, feeling arms embracing her loosely, a whistling shush against her hair.

She groaned slightly, body still feeling like jelly, she rubbed her face against a collarbone. Her mouth was dry and limbs ached.

"She's waking up! Fluttershy, are you okay?" She heard Rainbow not so quietly whisper.

She felt a large, warm hand brush the hair from her face. She began to be removed from her makeshift person bed. She didn't want to, but her mind was quickly clearing, though the night before was a bit blurry.

She opened her eyes, her friend's fidgeting to get closer but Discord put one hand out to stop them.

She knew she'd begin to get embarrassed but she let her mind awaken more before she attempted to talk.

"Wha-ngh!" She put her hand against her throat, surprised at the croak she made.

"There. She's awake and seems better, you can release her now." Rarity said to Discord, who'd not been facing any of them, though she did see him looking at her from the corner of his eye.

She saw him roll his eyes, brows scrunched in annoyance. "I'm not forcing her into anything." He lifted both arms to prove his point. She hadn't realized how warm he was keeping her, because the moment his arms let go, she felt the chill and she instinctively curled more in.

Her friends looked to her, concerned.

"What happened?" She asked as she sat up, now sitting in Discord's lap.

"Well, we aren't sure, Sugarcube. We woke up cause you were screaming an-" Applejack began explaining Discord interrupted.

"A nightmare. That's all. No need to try remembering nasty things like nightmares." He shrugged.

Rarity scoffed, clearly annoyed by his interference than Applejack was.

"My Dear, will you get off now that you're up?" His voice was quiet, barely audible. Fluttershy squeaked and blushed bright, though not as deep, lack of blood will do that, and tried scurrying off his lap, neither acknowledged her hands accidentally fumbling on his thighs.

She fumbled her feet when she stood, her balance wobbly, but her friends caught her shoulders. She turned her head, seeing him get up with ease, his mere height still baffling.

Her friends watched him like a hawk as he walked back towards the door, panic gripped her. She didn't want his comfort home so soon.

"Dis-" She tried calling out. He looked to her and took her phone out of his pocket.

'Since when did he take it?' She thought. He tossed it to her and she clumsily caught it.

He looked to her then her phone and back deliberately and left.

"What kind of creep takes a young lady's phone?" Rarity broke the silence.

Fluttershy looked at it. Nothing seemed out of place at first, though she saw she had a text.

As her friends said... unpleasant things about her tallest friend, she checked.

It was from Discord!

'He must've put his number in when I was asleep.' She thought fondly, her heart swelling. He must trust her enough.

She read the text.

Discord: 'Fluttershy, Chrysalis told me about your hunger last night. This way you can let me know next time. I'll be gone till later tonight, and if you can't feed on the other two, I guess it's my head haha. Get it? Like a head upon an axe. Or is it guillotine? I never got the joke.'

She giggled into her hand. He had an odd sense of humour. She had found out a few things about her friend. He loved sweets and he had odd concoctions he'd make for food. A poor diet, but she'd been working with him on that.

Her friends left later in the afternoon after she assured them she was fine. That it was a nightmare, as Discord said. She wasn't sure still, what caused her to have it or the full extent of what it contained. Maybe that was a good thing.

She wasn't about to spill what her nightmares held to anyone if she could help it.

Which her friends had been pushing her to "spill the beans" of what made her jump and scream for the longest time. Even Pinkie was serious, saying "it's like you weren't there with us and you didn't hear us."

Which of course, them bringing up even a bit of the night before had her hyperventilating in the bathroom as she showered until the water was cold, making her shoulders ache.

She overheard her friends chatting as she went downstairs. Her stomach clenched. From what she was hearing, they didn't like any of her housemates except Derpy.

Sighing, she purposely made her feet fall loudly on the stairs.

That seemed to work by startling her friends.

She made no move to agree or disagree. Her state of mind was still too tired to fight them on the integrity of her older friends. They'd have to get to know them or face it that Fluttershy was their friend.

"Remember. Don't get near that Chrysalis lady if you can help it. She's nothing but bad news." Twilight turned as they were walking out the door.

"I'd make sure to get a lock or something against that tall...eh, whoever. He's an awful creep." Rarity hugged her briefly.

They seemed to not much to say about Sombra, except him being a prude and needing a reality check. She waved off her friends.

The house was quiet when she closed it. Derpy and the others were at work, she could only guess Discord was as well. He never did get to telling her where he worked.

She wandered the mansion, her unease growing. She tried occupying herself with chores or music or anything to make noise and keep her from realizing she was alone.

She kept her hunger on the back of her mind for most the day, but as dusk turned to twilight, she couldn't ignore the scrape of her teeth against her lip, or as she passed a mirror, her teal eyes were red.

The quiet made it difficult to focus on the present, her mind pulling her to the past.

She kept wandering aimlessly. Angel had given up on following her hours ago.

She picked up Discord's scent as she passed by a door. Her curiosity made her want to go in. When she tested it, it was locked. She pulled her hand away, realizing what she'd done. Shame mixed with her hunger and she went downstairs.

She even searched for jobs, that was how unbearably lonely the large mansion felt. How quiet and cold.

She retired, or tried to. Her sleep was fitful and she found no comfort in her belongings. She decided to contact Discord. Maybe some of her restlessness would leave if she ate.

Fluttershy: Discord, you don't have to tell me, but I was curious when you'd be home. I haven't seen the others all day as well, but it's no issue if you're busy. Please be safe.

To her surprise, she received a reply only a bit after.

Discord: Come to my room. I'm back. It's the room at the end.

Fluttershy jumped up fast, almost getting a rush. She wondered what his room was like. Her heart beat wildly, her mouth almost watering.

When she arrived, she knocked.

"Come on." He said, so she did.

This wasn't the first time she'd fed from him, but, it was her first time in a guys room, aside from her brother-

She froze, a lump in her throat. The scent of Discord's room enveloped her like his arms the night before, she felt tears well.

"Fluttershy? What's wrong? If it's about making you wait, I did have work and-"

She felt him get close as she put her face in her hands. Grief overpowered hunger. She shook her head.

She felt herself being pulled into his embrace.

"Is this about the nightmare? Or your little friends?"

"I-I just..." she couldn't get the words out. She hadn't told anyone how her family passed. Investigators didn't get much from her. She was simply numb then. As she stayed numb since.

"Come here." Discord sighed, wrapping his arms around her middle and lifting her slightly, he sat on his bed, a hammock, knees against the side. She ended on top of him. He released her but kept a hand on her head.

Fluttershy sniffled and choked on sobs as he began to shush her and rub her back.

"Nightmares are boring chaotic things, aren't they?"

She looked up, rubbing her eyes, horribly embarrassed at her crying.

"What do you mean?" Her voice croaked.

He tilted his head to look at her, using one hand to prop his head.

"They're drab and filled with fears. Maybe even the most lawful thing as memory. If you ask me, I like dreams better. They can be filled with the darkest or brightest things but such chaotic order or none at all. Where you're waking up and have no clue what your dream was. Or if you do remember, it's odd and you have to wonder if it's what you ate during the day. Would you agree?"

That got her to smile a bit, a watery giggle getting past, tear tracks still running down her face. She saw he smiled himself at seeing her giggle.

"There's Fluttershy." He said in a tone soft and wiped the tears away. She thought for a moment. He didn't push to ask what she was thinking of.

"I had a sudden thought, when I walked in, that your room was the first guy room I'd been in since my brother before." She couldn't bring herself to specify.

Though, looking at his eyes, she saw she didn't maybe have to.

"Well, mine is certainly a mess. Unlike your tidy room. I'm not apologizing for having low bedroom standards." He smiled.

Realizing she hadn't actually looked, she propped herself up by putting her hands against his stomach and pushing herself up.

It indeed wasn't clean. But clothes were put away and dirty clothes in a hamper. It was chaotic, surely. Things to be in odd places. He used a hammock instead of a bed despite his height.

But...in a way, the room was so him. Chaotic but with some order if you tried thinking like him.

She looked back to him with a smile.

"It's okay. Your room is you and that's comforting enough."

His brows raised at that but then he chuckled. "Now who's the chaotic one?"

He sat up, pulling her closer.

"Now, let's see if your nature was wanting my blood or a new type. Your pick, Dear."

She tensed at his wording, it being similar to The Hunter's words, but she tried willing herself to relax. This was Discord. He was safe.

Safe. She wondered. Why was he "safe"?

"What did I say that brought back those memories?" His voice was soft.

She tensed and looked him with wide eyes. "W-what memory?"

Discord cocked a brow but sighed. "I didn't grow up in a nice home. I know what triggers look like. Your nightmares aren't normal nightmares. I see that. I'm not going to force you, I'm just curious. But don't think I'm stupid if I chose to ignore things."

She saw he looked like he wanted to say more, about to veer into a tangent, but stopped.

She couldn't tell if that was appreciated or if she would've preferred it. She took one of his pillows as to not reach for him.

"He'd say...uhm..." she shuddered, her breath doing the same. She tried gulping. He grasped her hand in comfort and it helped her gather her words. "Y-your p-pick, Lil D-doll." She knew she was trembling. "It was...usually before I'd have to-to..."

There was a long silence.

She startled at his gentle touch on her cheek. He looked her in the eyes, amazed. "Thank you. For being so brave."

She gave him a confused look. "But I wasn't."

He nodded. "You were. It hurt. I trudged up memory when I asked you to. So, thank you for being so brave."

She began to tear up again, but he stopped her. "Now, let's get you fed before you continue to waste all your water. I'm not even sure why you're crying to me. I've had where they run away before but not towards. I mean really that's strange ev-"

She cut him off, sensing a rant, one she knew neither was ready to quite open, and leaned close as she could to reach his neck, the best spot in her opinion.

When she bit there, the blood came fast, the wound healed well and she didn't feel as much guilt as opposed to opening their arm or them having to bleed themselves.

He cut off with a choked noise. She gently held the other side of his neck as she tried not to indulge in the taste. She tried taking it slow, as to not harm him, her body melting against his, he drinking becoming languid.

She barely registered at some point, she removed her fangs, or they shrank just enough, and she continued to lazily lick and naw, even when no blood would come out.

He leaned them both back, the amount she took along with his day making him equally exhausted.

She couldn't bring herself to move, especially as he began to hum and his fingers absentmindedly played with her hair.

Fluttershy knew, if she could replicate his scent, she'd have to do something embarrassing and steal his pillow once in awhile. She missed feeling safe.

She still had to find out 'why' he made her feel safe.

'Rarity was wrong. They're all wrong. Unless...they're right and my sense of right and wrong is not there. After everything, I wouldn't doubt it. What should I make him? I drank quite a bit today. I should get up. I'm going to have to see why I feel so safe here. I shouldn't. Should I?' She thought as she observed her nawing turn into a light pink hickey, the barely there pink scars where she'd just fed, healing quickly.

"Your thinking is giving me a headache, Dear." Fluttershy opened her eyes, seeing he still had his head turned, there would've been no way of him knowing, but he did.

She threw caution to the wind and nuzzled against his neck, knowing he'd feel the small smile she wore.

'Angel is almost out of food. Why does he call me Dear, now that I think about it? Hmm...it's kinda embarrassing.'

She heard a deep sleepy chuckle, it vibrating off her lips. "You're still doing it. If it helps you sleep, you can have more. Though really, you should head back."

Discord said, amusement slurring with sleep.

She nuzzled his neck with her nose more, taking him up on his offer, for once feeling greedy. She heard him groan at the initial bite, her reopening the wounds she used earlier.

After she made sure it was closing nicely, she went to get up, though she was becoming tired.

He didn't let go of his grasp of her though, Discord already half asleep, she giggled at the whistling his snuggle tooth produced.

Fluttershy nestled back, pulling his blanket over them. She'd have to feel embarrassed the next day, because in Discord's room, surrounded by the scent she associated with safety and contentment, feeling protected, with a full belly, she didn't want to move.

She had a vague feeling, it would only grow.