>"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."