Cuddleshy


                                            >"You didn't bring a coat, Anon? That's okay, I'll just hang onto your torso until we get you home. As a pegasus, I'm pretty light."

                                            “No, I brought my coat.”

                                            >”Are you sure?”

                                            >Fluttershy dips her head slightly and blinks.

                                            >”I mean, I don’t doubt you, but you aren’t wearing a coat.”

                                            >You twist to point at the back of your chair.

                                            “Yeah, I put it – uh –“

                                            >It’s not there.

                                            “Did I…”

                                            >You look back to Fluttershy.

                                            “It’s not there.”

                                            >The little pegasus raises her eyebrows and forces a smile to her face.

                                            >You look on the back of your chair again, but nope.

                                            >Still not there.

                                            “Well, I thought I brought my coat.”

                                            >You pat yourself down, in case who the fuck knows, but no coat miraculously appears.

                                            “Wasn’t I wearing it on our way over here?”

                                            >”I… I don’t think so? But you’d know better than I would.”

                                            “I mean, it’s pretty cold outside.”

                                            >The pony nods softly.

                                            >”I know,” she murmurs. “The weather teams really went all out this time.”

                                            >You both look out the window as the first snowflakes start to drift gently to the ground.

                                            >”Honestly, I’m a little worried about all my little friends. I sure hope they’re warm enough.”

                                            “Is that why you brought so many of them along?”

                                            >Little birds and critters flitter and scamper through the restaurant, causing nowhere near as much havoc as you expected.

                                            >A few ugly looks, one stolen meal, and some other stuff that didn’t really matter because it didn’t happen to you.

                                            >”Well, that’s one reason,” Fluttershy answers with a giggle. “But Angel came along for moral support.”

                                            “Moral support? Seriously?”

                                            >”Mhm.”

                                            “You need moral support to meet a friend for lunch?”

                                            >”Well, kinda…”

                                            >Something about her giggling seems a bit off, but you put that feeling aside.

                                            >It's FLUTTERSHY.

                                            >She's in public.

                                            >Of course she's nervous.

                                            >"Should we go now?" she asks, looking up at you through her eyelashes. "We finished eating a while ago, and... well... I hate to take up a table if we're not going to order anything else..."

                                            "Want to wait for the snow to stop? It shouldn't be much longer."

                                            >You think.

                                            >But honestly, if you can't remember your jacket, what are the odds you're remembering the forecast right?

                                            >"No, I need to... um... get home soon. All those little animals to take care of, you know."

                                            >A few gentle beats of her wings lift her out of her seat.

                                            >"I'm ready whenever you are," she murmurs softly.

                                            "Yeah, you have a point."

                                            >You push back your own seat and stand.

                                            "But, you don't have to hang on to me. Seriously, I'll be fine."

                                            >"Oh, no!" she protests, hovering closer and closer. "All you're wearing is that thin shirt! You'll catch a cold!"

                                            >Your suspicious stare is too much for her, the weight of it bowing her head until she's staring at the floor.

                                            "I'll be fine, Fluttershy. I mean, you're wearing anything at all."

                                            >She mumbles something that escapes you as her wings beat slower and slower.

                                            >Gravity begins to take hold of the pegasus, until you reach out and grab her.

                                            >Just to stop her from falling onto the table and making an awful mess of things, of course.

                                            >She's light enough, but still awkward to hold with your arms at full extension, so you pull her tight against your chest.

                                            "What the heck was that?"

                                            >"Oh, it wasn't anything important," she sighs. "Everypony knows I'm not a very strong flier."

                                            "Okaaaay."

                                            >Yeah, you know that, but she's not THAT weak.

                                            "Well, I'm going to put you down now so we can go -"

                                            >"Wait!"

                                            "What?"

                                            >She dips her head down, burying her muzzle in your shirt, and mumbles something.

                                            "I can't hear you, Fluttershy. Speak up."

                                            >Another mumble, slightly louder this time.

                                            >You sigh impatiently.

                                            "Try again."

                                            >Mumbl -

                                            "No, look at me if you're going to talk."

                                            >There's an embarrassed chirp, but she raises her head after a second.

                                            >A bright pink glow spreads across both cheeks.

                                            "Now try again."

                                            >"I said you're right," she whispers. "I'm NOT wearing anything."

                                            >... the fuck...?

                                            "Are you -"

                                            >"It is too cold out there," she admits. "You should carry me home."

                                            "Um..."

                                            >"It's important to conserve body heat, Anon."

                                            "It's not THAT cold."

                                            >"Body heat is a non-renewable resource, Anon. We have to conserve it. Like trees and lakes and little fuzzy bunnies that need lots of cuddles."

                                            >Considering how fast they breed, bunnies are NOT a non-renewable resource, but you don't have the courage to say that to her face.

                                            "Fine, I'll carry you."

                                            >"yay"

                                            >She wraps her forelegs around your neck in the tightest grip this side of a wet noodle.

                                            "What about all your little buddies? Won't they be cold?"

                                            >"I'm sure they will all be just fine."

                                            "But... they aren't wearing anything either."

                                            >"They're also smaller, Anon," Fluttershy giggles. "You're silly."

                                            >You almost drop her then, as her mane tickles your nose.

                                            >Gut reaction is to sneeze and cover your mouth, but you hold it in.

                                            >For a brief moment, you think you're about to do a reenactment of Scanners, but your head somehow does not explode.

                                            >Somehow.

                                            >You wait a second just to be sure, but you continue to remain unexploded.

                                            >Cool.

                                            >Wait, what were you talking about?

                                            >Right, little animals freezing to death in the fierce arctic Ponyville tundra.

                                            "Well, if you're sure they'll be fine..."

                                            >"Of course they will," Fluttershy reassures you. "They are all so teeny-tiny."

                                            "You're pretty teeny-tiny yourself."

                                            >"I am not!" she gasps, puffing out her cheeks and pouting. "I am way too big to go outside in this cold."

                                            "Um..."

                                            >"Surface area, Anon," she lectures, intentionally or unintentionally doing a decent impersonation of Porchlight Spackle. "We have more of it. We get cold faster."

                                            "That... sounds right. But it's not."

                                            >"It is!" she insists. "That's why we have to minimize surface area if we're going to survive the trip!

                                            >You have no clue how she manages to wrap her hindlegs around your waist, but she does it anyway.

                                            >Pony legs don't even bend that direction.

                                            >She must be taking yoga lessons from Pinkie Pie or something.

                                            >Before you can comment, your waiter appears at your side and clears his throat.

                                            >"Excuse me, sir, but -"

                                            "Sorry, I know we're making a bit of a scene. She doesn't do well with crowds."

                                            >A few of the cafe's other patrons are watching with amusement, there stares enough to make even you feel uncomfortable.

                                            >"No, well, yes, but -"

                                            >He twitches his head and you look over your shoulder to see what he's gesturing at.

                                            >Oh.

                                            >Another waiter appears to be in a game of tug-of-war with a small flock of birds.

                                            >It would be cute, if they weren't using your coat.

                                            >"I do believe that may be yours, sir?" your waiter says haughtily. "If you would be so kind as to remove it *and* yourself from the premises..."

                                            >Fucking birds.

                                            >You knew better than to trust them.

                                            >Why Fluttershy puts up with their bullshit, you'll never know.

                                            "Yeah, sorry, I'll just..."

                                            >Fluttershy squeaks in outrage as you remove one arm from around her barrel.

                                            "... take THAT..."

                                            >You snatch your coat from the air, sending birds scattering

                                            "... and be on my way."

                                            >"Good day, sir," the waiter comments, watching you carefully until you're outside the cafe.

                                            >Once the door shuts behind you - and that takes a while, thanks to the stream of assorted little critters - you awkwardly fold your coat over your arm, freeing up your hand to pet Fluttershy's head.

                                            "It's okay, we're outside now. Nopony is watching."

                                            >You can't hear Fluttershy's response with her face buried in your chest like that.

                                            "And I have my coat. You can let go."

                                            >Again, you can't hear her mumbled answer, but her head jerks from side to side, rubbing her muzzle against your collarbone.

                                            "Too cold?"

                                            >Another mumble accompanies a nod of her head.

                                            >You sigh and reevaluate your life choices up to this moment.

                                            "Fine, hold tight."

                                            >The pegasus squawks as you withdraw your other arm from her.

                                            >She slips down your chest until her legs tighten around you like tiny, fluffy, adorable, little vices.

                                            >You try to laugh, but it's hard to breath.

                                            >Doesn't stop you from doing to anyway when a large snowflake lands squarely on Fluttershy, drawing a whimper from the shivering pegasus.

                                            >With her securely crushing your lungs and mewling softly, your arms are free to pull on your coat.

                                            >It's nothing special, just a bit baggy.

                                            >Didn't used to be, but living off a pony's diet seems to have slimmed you down a bit.

                                            >You had been thinking of asking Rarity to make you a new one, something that actually fit.

                                            >Right now, you're glad you hadn't gotten around to it yet.

                                            >You think it's just large enough to fit around you and the pegasus.

                                            >Almost is; you manage to close up all but the top two buttons.

                                            >Those ones never stood a chance.

                                            >Though the first snowflake to land on Fluttershy is long since melted, more snow has accumulated in her mane faster than it can drip away.

                                            >You run your hands through the pink strands, brushing the white flakes and icy droplets free, and tuck it under your coat.

                                            "Dangit, Fluttershy. You're going to catch a cold if you don't take care of yourself."

                                            >"No I won't."

                                            "Don't try using your insane pony logic on me. It won't work."

                                            >"I'm not," she murmurs softly, slowly loosening her grip on you.

                                            >She doesn't need to hold on so tight; the coat firmly keeps her in place.

                                            "Look, I know -"

                                            >"It's not.."

                                            >Fluttershy looks up at you with a confused expression.

                                            >Her face is so close to yours, you can feel her breath on your face.

                                            >"It's not 'insane pony logic'," she whispers.

                                            "Well, what's going to stop you from getting sick?"

                                            >"You."