Fluttershy breathed in the moist air and contently sighed. It was a beautiful starry night, the breeze was sweet and inviting, the trees gently swaying, and the moon's glow smiled down on her cottage. Too bad all her animals were in a frenzy as her living room was turned into an aquarium.

"Squack! Squack!" cried a goose.

"Yes, Sandra I promise I'll be sure to replace your nest by this week, but please calm down," Fluttershy pleaded as she dialed a number on her phone.

"Raawr!" screeched a cat.

"Darien, playing in water doesn't make you any more or any less of a tabby cat, so stop bashing your sister by calling her an overgrown duck!" Fluttershy scolded.

"Melody, don't pee in the water! Kevin, don't drink the pee water, it's not apple juice!" she yelled at a couple of wolves.

She then heard a crash from the kitchen and frowned. "Just because there's a pipe leak doesn't mean you can sneak into the seed shelf and get away with it Layla! There are other birds who need to eat besides you, ya stingy robin!" Fluttershy went back to the phone as it rang.

"Hello? Fluttershy?" answered a groggy voice.

Fluttershy felt her heart begin to beat a mile a minute. "Hello Discord, how are you?" she said with a cheer.

"…Why do you sound like you're by a waterfall?"

"Funny you should mention that," Fluttershy nervously chuckled, "I have a minor leak from my attic, and by minor I mean my living room is filled so much that all my fishes created a new ecosystem out of it."

Discord was by Fluttershy's side in a snap—literally. "Jumping jackrabbits, it's chaos and not the good kind," he exclaimed. "No need to fear my dear, Discord is here to save the day." Then two more copies of him appeared. "Alright team, you all know what to do, on three!" original discord said.

"Uno!"

"二!"

"Three!"

"Team Chaos!" they all cheered before dispersing. One went to the attic and looked at the broken pipe, deep in thought. Suddenly a thought came and with a snap of his finger made duck tape appear in his hand and taped the pipe together, immediately concealing the water. Downstairs Discord number two looked at the water park that was Fluttershy's living room and gave a dry cough.

"Hmm, I do say, I am rather parched," he said before dunking his head and gulping all the water out the room, spitting out a couple of bass fish. Fluttershy dashed to catch them in their fish tank. Discord number three looked around the wet and misshaped furniture and frowned.

"Now this just won't do." With a swirl of his finger, the entire room spun around. When it stopped all the furniture was dry and in neat order. The only problem was it was all on the ceiling. Discord number three rose a brow at Fluttershy. "I take it you want the couch on the floor, huh?"

"That would be nice," she smiled.

The room spun again and this time a candle holder and clock walked up to them with pleasant auras about them. "Be…our…GUEST! Be our guest, put our service to the test!" all the furniture began singing and dancing.

Discord number three looked at Fluttershy with pleading eyes. She gave him a deadpan looked. "You do realize it's three am right?" He scoffed and rolled his eyes. With a final swirl of his finger, the room was back in order with gravity abiding, nonsinging furniture.

Discord numbers one and two appeared next to number three, with number one dressed in a women's pantsuit, sunglasses, and brown shoulder-length mane. "We did it, we did it Discords, you're gonna be president of fixing water damaged infrastructure," he drawled.

Fluttershy ran up to him and squeezed him in a hug. "Oh my gosh thank you so much Discord!"

"No problem my dear, what are besties for!" he hugged back. With a snap of his finger, the other two disappeared. "Though I have to say it's time I take my leave."

"Wait!" Fluttershy yelled. Discord turned to her expectantly. She twirled her mane around her hoof and blushed. "Why not have some tea before you go?"

Discord sighed to himself. Don't do it. You'll only end up hurting yourself even more by staying, she's just being nice. "I'm sorry my dear, but…" attempting to decline her offer, he accidentally looked into Fluttershy's pleading teal eyes, and all his resolve crumbled, "…you don't happen to have apple cinnamon would you?" he sighed in defeat. Damn those beautiful eyes.

"Actually I do! Please, sit on the couch, get comfortable!" Fluttershy invited. She felt like she was walking on cloud nine as she waltzes into her kitchen. It was then that Angel jumped on the counter waving his arms at her in a mad frenzy as Fluttershy turned the kettle on.

"What do you mean what am I doing? I'm having tea with a friend after they so graciously fixed my water pipe," Fluttershy responded.

Hop, hop, hop

"Ok, so what if it is Discord? He's just a friend and that's it."

Hop, hop, hop!

Fluttershy nervously chuckled. "A ploy to make him come over, what kind of nonsense is that?"

Angel crossed his arms and gave her a hard stare.

Fluttershy covered her face with her wings. "Ok, you're right! I busted them on purpose, are you happy now? I'm pathetic." She missed Discord a lot, but asking him to take time out of his day to spend with his ex would be asking too much of him. So what better way to see him than to have him fix her plumbing.

"Ok Angel, it's time you went back to bed," she picked him up from the counter.

Hop, hop, hop

"That's very sweet that you don't want to see me get hurt, but it's just tea I'll be fine."

Hop, hop!

Fluttershy's face fell in slight disappointment. "Yes, I know he broke up with me during a tea date, but we're past that. He can't dump me a second time." Fluttershy laid the bunny in his bed and kissed him on the head. "Good night sweetheart."

She trotted back to the kitchen and set two teacups, sugar cubes, two tea bags, and a kettle on a tray. She walked back into her living room with the tray in her mouth and set it on the table. Discord clapped his hands in merriment. "Oh, Fluttershy, you're tea parties are always so quaint and adorable."

Fluttershy giggled. "Why, thank you."

The draconequus poured water and dropped two sugar cubes in his cup. "So tell me my dear how has life been treating you? Did your little goose Sandra have her chicks yet?" he asked as he dunks his tea bag in the hot water.

Life's pretty dull since you left. Fluttershy gave a polite grin. "Sandra did have her chicks, yesterday actually. Oh, I've never seen her so happy than as she is now being a mom." Discord muttered something under his breath with a strange sad look in his eye. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch that," Fluttershy strained to hear him.

Discord looked up and lightly chuckled. "Pardon me, I said I'm happy to hear of her newfound motherhood. So how are your students and friends doing?"

"Oh, they're just wonderful. So eager to learn about kindness and friendship. Of course, Twilight can be a bit of a micromanager, needing everything to be up to her perfectionist standards, but we're working on that. We've been discussing different creatures through history to now, like griffins, seahorses, phoenix…draconequus." Fluttershy had no idea what possessed her to put her hoof next to his claw, but she did. "It's very nice."

Fluttershy was even more surprised when he held her hoof in his claw as his thumb smoothly rubbed her fur. She looked up into his gentle eyes and felt a deep warmth in her stomach. "I'm sure I would have loved it," his voice caressed her. She subtly swooned. "So how's life in Canterlot?"

As if waking up from a trance, Discord quickly removed his claw away from Fluttershy. "Oh, you know ol' Tia," he grinned, "always assigning me to different requests from different ponies across Equestria."

Fluttershy felt slight irritation at the mention of Celestia, especially with the childhood pet name Discord referred to her in. Celestia was the one that kept Discord busy in Canterlot, away from Fluttershy and thus ending their relationship. But who was the pegasus kidding, Discord already pushed her away by drowning himself in helping other ponies. She hammered the nail in the coffin by encouraging him to take the job with the princess, thinking it would make him happy.

Discord yawned. "But you know besides that it's just the usual Canterlot hubbub, royal gossip, and occasional death threats."

"WHAT!?"

Discord nervously looked around. "I said royal gossip and bed threads, my dear."

"DiSSsscoOOord!" Fluttershy scowled at him. "You said death threats! What's going on?"

Discord scoffed. "It's nothing Fluttershy, I'm eighty percent sure it's just a bunch of mischievous colts playing a cruel prank. I didn't turn down a personal guard for nothing, I can handle myself."

"CELESTIA OFFERED YOU A PERSONAL GUARD AND YOU TURNED IT DOWN!?" Fluttershy fumed.

Discord cringed at Fluttershy's exclamations. "I should probably stop talking, shouldn't I."

"Discord you are going to march straight up to Celestia and request for that personal guard first thing in the morning," Fluttershy poked at his chest sternly.

The draconequus rolled his eyes. "Flutterbutter what am I gonna do with a guard, play hopscotch?"

"Have them protect you, you big oaf!"

Discord laughed at her face. "Goodness Fluttershy, you should see your face, all worked up for nothing. You think the lord of chaos can't defend themself against petty death threats? What a novelty!" he laughed more.

"Discord!" Fluttershy cried, "Living in high society can attract many enemies willing to kill for your power. Do you know how many times we've had to save Celestia, as powerful as she is!" Fluttershy said in frustration. "Just because you're strong and mighty doesn't make you any less of a target, in fact, it makes you even more of one. If anything were to happen to you I wouldn't know how to live with myself knowing I could've done something to prevent it. You're my dearest friend, Discord I can't lose you. I.." love "…care for you, so much." She felt water develop in her eyes. Darn it Fluttershy not now, not in front of him. She hid her face behind her mane to hide the incriminating tears.

"Fluttershy?" Discord gently held her hoof.

She couldn't answer him or else she'd let out a sob. How can he take his safety so lightly? Didn't he understand that he was important to so many ponies, especially her? She then felt two strong arms scoop her up and press her onto soft fur into a hug. He then grabbed her chin and looked in her eyes. "I'll get the guard, happy?" he smirked.

Fluttershy felt like a heavy weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She nuzzled his neck with a happy grin on her face. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Discord lifted some hair out of her eye to show the rest of her face which he held. "Fluttershy, you're my dearest friend as well, and your opinion is important to me. So I'll do it for you."

Fluttershy instinctively leaned into his touch. She looked into his eyes and felt nothing but warmth radiating from his red irises, like a sweet fireplace on a cold winter's day. She was in a high trance and was lost in those ruby orbs. Boiling desire spilled behind her own gaze as she snuggled further in his hold. She missed being in his arms. She missed his mischievous smirks. She missed how his beard tickled her chin when they kissed. She missed them. She reached up and placed a hoof on his cheek. "You better you mismatched overgrown lizard," she jokingly chuckled.

Discord gave his own light chuckle, "I wouldn't have it any other way, ya wimpy pegasus."

Fluttershy felt his breath on her face as their faces were only a mere inch away from each other. Heat rose from her cheeks as she leaned in with expectant lips, closed eyes, and a stomach full of butterflies. But her lips were met with air.

A cold chill swallowed Fluttershy as Discord pulled away and sat her back down on the couch. Discord cleared his throat with a cough. "Well won't you look at that, it's about high time I get on out of here don't ya think," his eyes looking at everywhere but Fluttershy's own confused ones.

She hid behind her mane to hide the immense blush on her face. "Oh my goodness, how selfish of me, keeping you here till the wee hours of the night. You have to be in Canterlot in the morning."

"Oh, you're fine my dear, I can get there in a snap. It really isn't any bother, especially if I'm helping some pony like you," Discord said before taking his leave.

"Wait!" Fluttershy blurted out.

"Yes, Fluttershy?" Discord turned to her with hope in his gaze.

"I…you…I mean…we can…" She scrambled in her head for an excuse. She gave a heavy sigh. "Be safe, friend."

He held her hoof, kissed it, and gave her a gentle grin. "You do the same…friend." And in an instant, he was gone.

Fluttershy felt hot tears run down her face. She promised Angel she couldn't get dumped a second time, and true to her word she didn't. But why did she still felt hurt just as much?

"It is very imperative that we understand the great distinction between these two entities; a speed bump versus a speed hump," a brown stallion with a black bowtie said to the council.

Discord stifled a yawn as he fought to keep his eyes open and head from slamming on the table. He shot a glance over at Celestia, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as ever, not a wink of boredom in her eyes. Discord never understood how she did it, how she managed to tolerate these meetings without wanting to knock herself out with a frying pan.

It probably helps not to be up till five am.

Discord mentally groaned. It was one thing to help a friend out in a desperate crisis. It was another thing to stay for a tea party with an ex you were still in love with, especially one who didn't share the sentiment.

You were supposed to fix her pipes and nothing else, but we can see how that turned out as you almost jeopardized your friendship by kissing her, you idiot! Now look at you; sad, tired, and lonely. If it weren't for those sad puppy eyes Fluttershy pulled, he wouldn't be in this mess. Those lovely, kind, turquoise eyes that he could get lost in for hours on end—

Discord shook his head out of his fantasy. Focus, you lovesick fool! As we saw from last night she's happier without you. He couldn't deny the glow—one that shined brighter than her usual wonderful glow— radiating from her face as she talked about her life with her students and animals. A life that didn't involve him. He mentally slapped himself as he thought about the slip-up Fluttershy misinterpreted while they discussed her goose' chicks. 'I've always thought you'd be the mother to my kids'? Thank chaos she didn't hear you.

If her lack of need for him in her life hadn't hurt enough then the fact that she basically thought he was a weakling sure did. He certainly had not meant to worry Fluttershy by mentioning the death threats in their polite conversation, but with his late-night fatigue mixed with the infatuated enchantment she had him under, the news just kinda slipped. Discord's face kind of fell at Fluttershy's reaction to the hostile letters. No wonder she was more than willing to end the relationship, she must think you're a pathetic defenseless worm that you need a bodyguard! You're the damn lord of chaos, ponies should be hiring bodyguards against YOU!

Discord couldn't help but think about the amount of concern in her voice and gaze, and the fact that she said she cared for him. And call him crazy, which he was sure was already the case, but he was almost certain she was giving him bedroom eyes.

Now you're definitely reaching. And her caring for you doesn't make you any special, she cares about every living creature, that's what makes her so perfect.

Discord silently groaned. He needed to stop thinking about that brilliant pegasus. He turned his eyes over to the stained windows and silently turned them to life. Six ponies all danced around before coming together for a happy heart's warming dinner by the fire. The little painted horses eating both the table and chairs made the scene all the more heartwarming to Discord.

"All right now everyone, now that we've got the speed bump/speed hump debacle taken care of, it's time we move to other important matters; the grand galloping gala," Celestia announced. "This should be a quick discussion as my pupil Twilight and her friends have agreed to take care of most of the arrangements and preparations. However, if any of them have any further questions they will go to council member Discord."

Discord jolted at Celestia's last sentence. In his shock, the window figures slipped and fell. He quickly poofed them back to normal window paintings, Celestia having his full attention at that point.

"Of course you'll be able to provide extra assistance while performing your usual duties, yes?"

The chaotic spirit coughed. "Why of course princess, anything for the gala, am I right," he nervously chuckled.

Celestia gave her usual regal smile. "Good! Well, this meeting is adjourned."

"Um, Celestia, may I talk to you for a moment?" Discord called after her. The two immortal beings watched as everyone left the meeting room.

"Well I must say, it's nice to see that the mention of the gala interested you enough to bring you out of your window painting escapade," Celestia chuckled.

Discord smirked. "Nothing gets past you, huh Tia?"

"So what is it you wanted to speak to me about?"

A frown formed on Discord's features. No matter how emasculating it was, a promise to Fluttershy was a promise he intended to keep. He sighed. "I wanted to talk to you about the personal bodyguard," he said with a slight huff.

The princess rose a brow. "What about the bodyguard?"

Discord frowned even deeper and mumbled something under his breath.

"What was that? I couldn't hear you."

"iwantthebodyguard."

"Huh?"

"I want the bodyguard!"

"I heard you the first time I just wanted to milk it," Celestia giggled. "Forgive me for inquiring, but what made you change your mind, or more so who? You seemed pretty adamant against the extra protection."

A blush rose to discord's cheeks. "Just in someone else's best interest is all."

Celestis sighed, knowing exactly who said someone was. She placed a hoof on his shoulder. "Are you sure you'll be fine working in the same quarters as Fluttershy?"

Discord opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water. "Of course I'll be fine, why would you be worried?" Celestia had every reason to be worried. As much as Discord loved her, he hated seeing Fluttershy in work mode. While she shimmered brighter than Luna's stars doing the thing she does best, It just reminded him how she chose her career aspirations over their relationship. And to be honest, he couldn't blame her for it. She was going places and the wedding aisle just wasn't one of them. To add fuel to the flame, the two were not the best at working professionally together. The last assignment they did as a couple was helping to renovate a dragon orphanage after a nasty volcano eruption left it to melted ruin. They argued from the interior design to weather or not they paint the rooms a mustard yellow or sunflower yellow. The mission was such a disaster that Fluttershy attempted to burn toys using tomato sauce and Discord turned a band of teenaged orphans into graffitist with a specialty in psychedelic erotic art. Fortunately, the two still managed to give the kids a new home, no matter how nerve frying the process was.

Discord put a lion arm around the princess. "Don't you worry your pretty little crown, princess, Fluttershy and I will be such a powerhouse not even college kids high off of coffee and angel dust would try to reckon with us," he reassured.

"That's what I'm afraid of," Celestia muttered.

"And that's how you properly burp a baby panda," Fluttershy held the sleeping cub for the class to see. She was immediately met with applause from her students, and she couldn't help but smile. "Ok class, don't forget to take a homework sheet from my desk about the anatomy of various bears."

As the students filed out with many of them giving thank you's, Fluttershy sighed from another long day. What she would give to go home and spend the evening snuggled with a certain seven-foot-tall creature made up of different animal parts. No! You are not going to waste even more time moping over him than you already had today. However, it was too late as Fluttershy's spirits were already pretty down, and felt a glum frown start to form on her face. She collected her things in her bag and left for home.

Fluttershy began her descent down the stairs when she heard delicate hooves trot in her direction. "Well hello Fluttershy darling," Rarity greeted her.

Fluttershy put on her best fake smile she could muster. "Hey, Rarity! How are you?"

"I'm doing swell, though I should really be asking how you're doing, you've been glum all day," Rarity looked the pegasus up and down.

"What do you possibly mean, I'm absolutely fantastic," Fluttershy made sure to widen the smile.

Rarity gave a deadpan look. "That smile is faker than my aunt Lavish's diamond engagement ring on her third marriage."

Fluttershy finally dropped the smile. "Fine, I'm not doing too great, I had a rough night," she ended the facade. She felt a hoof wrap around her shoulder as they restarted their descent down the grand stairs.

"You know what this calls for? Emergency spa appointment!" Rarity said with more excitement than concern.

Fluttershy sighed in relaxation as her hooves were shined to perfection. She hadn't been in a spa in so long she forgot how good it felt.

"Ok darling, spill, what's been going on in the life of Fluttershy," Rarity inquired with cucumbers on her face.

"Um…I'm over to your right." Fluttershy bashfully said.

Rarity lifted a cucumber only to come face to face with some pony's flank. "Hehe, so you are. Back to what I was saying…"

Fluttershy racked in her brain on where she should start then groaned. "It's been a year and I'm still not over…him."

"Oh darling, I'm sorry to hear that. You know it takes time before one's heart is completely healed. Just as long as you're doing things to help you move forward in life, then that's all that matters—"

"I busted one of my pipes and flooded my living room at three in the morning just so I could get him to come over." Fluttershy waited in anticipation for Rarity's reaction, unable to read her expression under the facial mask.

The white unicorn calmly turned to her and said in a steady voice, "You know, most ponies leave an article of clothing like a scarf or a hat at their ex's house as an excuse, but similar to the draconequus in question, you're a special case, sweetheart."

"Is it that bad?" Fluttershy cringed.

"I wouldn't say bad necessarily, desperate more like," Rarity said. "But as long as he just fixed your pipes then there's not much to say about it—"

"I also invited him to stay over for friendly tea and we ended up talking till four."

"…Anything else you want to add?"

"I may or may not have flirted with him, started cuddling, and almost kissed," Fluttershy whispered.

Rarity turned to her with a blank expression. "Well, I'm sure the tea was very friendly seeing as he fixed more than just your pipes last night."

"It was nothing like that!" Fluttershy gasped with an immense blush on her face.

"Oh, but you wanted it to be, didn't you?"

Fluttershy looked down in disappointment. "…Yes."

"And now you're feeling achy in the heart and miss him, don't you."

"…Yes."

"And you're currently planning your next scheme to have him come over to your place again as we speak, aren't you?"

"…Yes!" Fluttershy began to softly sob.

After politely asking the spa employees to take five, Rarity walked up to the pegasus and wrapped her in a hug. "Oh, sweetie, the only reason I know what's going on is that I lived the exact same experience back in the day. Meet a stallion, get emotionally attached, we break up, we get back together after a bit of late-night fun, we break up, become friends with benefits, then ultimately sever ties."

"I don't want to lose Discord as a friend, he means too much to me!" Fluttershy cried on Rarity's shoulder.

"Then you have to move on darling. Remember what I always say."

"Never match a red bag with green shoes?"

"No, the other one."

"Always use your bodily assets to your advantage?"

"The other one!"

"Heels can be a weapon in the right hooves?"

"NEVER GIVE A STALLION TOO MUCH ACCESS TO YOU!" Rarity clarified. She pushed Fluttershy back so she was looking directly in her eyes. "Now," she said with determination, "I'm sure it's been a long time since you've heard this, but we are going to set you up on a date."

Author's note:

This is what happens when you spend quarantine reading MLP fanfics and have no friends.

Shows over (^_^)