There are plenty of things that can make waking up in the morning a hassle. Whether it's the sun somehow shining directly into your eyes, a pungent smell from outside because it's garbage day, or maybe some loud noise like a rooster disturbing your sleep. However, there is always that one thing that makes all mornings so much more enjoyable.

A soft snoring comes from Vinyl; I can feel her gentle breaths washing over the top of my head as her snout is buried in my hair. My eyes crack open to nothing but a sea of white, the mare holding me close in her slumber so my face was pressing against the space between her breasts. Her soft heartbeat echoes through my ears as I take a moment to snuggle up to her, the soothing aroma of her body being the only thing my nose picks up as I breathe. Her arms are wrapped around me lovingly; one lying curled around my side, holding it while the other arced up so her hand grips my shoulder. One of her legs lies cast over my lower body with her long tail coiled around one of my legs like the threads of a screw. Our positions are sealed, guaranteeing  am held in entirety by my marefriend.

And there's no better way to awaken.

My arms are slipped beneath Vinyl's in an embrace, my hands meeting around her back. I lazily stroke them up and down her body, nuzzling her chest with my face so her fur tickles my cheeks. I couldn't think of a better feeling than lying with her under the covers, bundled in her limbs so her fur warms all of my body to a point of pure contentment. I notice Vinyl's cute snoring fade and she stirs against me. Pulling my head back, my sight is greeted by her lidded garnet eyes and a warm smile, her bed-head showing.

"Good morning, hun," Vinyl mumbles softly, causing me to blush at her choice in pet name.

"Good morning," I whisper back, leaning in to peck the tip of her snout before going back down to bury myself into her body again, this time nuzzling into the curve of her neck. One of my hands arc up to find and scratch behind one of her ears; I feel it twitch against my fingers as I gently itch that spot I know she likes.

Vinyl giggles softly, a sound that rings in my ears like a pleasant song. Suddenly, her hold on me slowly tightens as she stretches her muscles awake, squeezing the air out of me and pressing her cheek into my hair. I could've sworn she cracked my back a bit before her muscles relax and a yawn sounds out from her. It didn't hurt, it was more an affectionate act, getting a tight hug like that from her. A hand comes off my shoulder and starts scratching my back while she viciously nuzzles herself into my hair, planting a kiss on my head. "You sleep well?" she asks.

I can only nod my head and murmur an "mhmm" against her, turning to putty from the sensations of her actions combined with the fact I was just lying with her. Heck, I was getting sleepy all over again in her comforting hold.

"You look so adorable all snuggled up like that," Vinyl comments with a hushed giggle.

She knows as well as I do that calling me anything like that is a sure-fire way to get me flustered. My cheeks flare up as I try to bury myself further into her body, hiding my embarrassed face from her. "Vinyl..." I trail off, my voice getting caught in her coat.

"Hehe, what? It's true," her voice comes out in the softest of whispers. "I love it when you get cuddly."

Fingers on my back shift to lazily trail circles and lines along my spine, drawing out shivers from me. Her tummy expands and contracts against me as she breathes in my scent, shifting herself so our bodies make more contact. A leg hooked around mine tightens to hold me close, her foot delicately stroking mine; I can't respond to her vocally from how relaxed she's making me feel. My body only responds automatically by purring against her, something she finds enjoyable as her mellifluous giggling returns and she's spurred to keep me going in her arms.

"Wanna stay in bed a little longer before breakfast?" she asks, stroking my back oh-so sweetly.

"Yes please," I respond against her, never wanting to leave this position.

"Okay," she replies softly with a giggle, pecking the top of my head again as I stir in her hold, getting a better position. I know she's watching me snuggle up in her arms, her hand petting me still. It's been a week since she came home from her tour and since then her open schedule meant more time together; something I'm more than happy to take advantage of. Soon, her stroking stops and her arms lock around me, holding me fast. I assume she just wants to lie like that, but she catches me off guard when she rotates herself with me. Now lying on her back, my arms are trapped under her body and her hands loosen up to curl around my waist as she looks down to me, my head resting on the furry spot between her breasts. My eyes peek out and I catch her smiling at me, my nose still touching her chest so she can only see my eyes between my bangs. Her smile evolves to a giggle and I can't help but ask why.

"What?" I ask, rather confused. My words are muffled by her body; I don’t want to move my head so I may remain as close to her as possible and she smiles wider.

"Just admit it. You’re too cute when you're like this."

My cheeks light up again and I turn down to hide my face in her fur out of embarrassment. I groan against her and she laughs a bit fuller at my reactions. Why does she always have to push my buttons?

"Awww, okay. I'll stop. My statement still stands, though."

I peek out again, furrowing my brow in mock anger. She giggles again, her hand coming up to stroke my head and play with my hair idly as we lie together. I loved it when she ran her fingers idly through my hair. Turning my head to the side, I place my ear to her chest, listening to her gentle heartbeat. The soft thumping eases my muscles and I settle deeper into the curve of her body while she continues to run her fingers about my vulnerable body, the covers being pushed down to my waist in our cuddling.

My eyelids drift shut and I feel like sneaking in a few more minutes of sleep with her until a gurgle sounds out beneath me. I look up to her face and notice it's her turn to blush madly as she looks away.

"Sorry. H-hmm, I think we’ve waited long enough for some breakfast," she mumbles with a smile, her gaze trailing out the window. I worm an arm out from under her and use it to rub her stomach slowly, feeling it vibrate as it voices its hunger in the form of low groans and cute tummy rumbles. I can't help giggling when it reacts to my touch. Vinyl does nothing to stop me, lying back against the pillows and enjoying my gentle strokes.

"What do you feel like eating?" I ask, abandoning the thought of sleeping some more into the morning.

Her eyes drift shut and she sighs dreamily. "How about some nice flapjacks?" she offers, eyes still closed.

"If you want, I could make 'em real quick and bring them to you here. When's the last time we had a little breakfast in bed, hmm?" I reply, gently removing my other arm from under her. Leaning on my elbows, I crawl up to her while her eyes are shut. I know she can probably feel me shifting about, but before she can even react, I've already planted my lips on hers, giving her a proper good morning kiss. She drifts into it softly, quietly humming into my mouth. My lips turn to a smile as I pull back, her arms holding my sides.

"I like that idea," she grins back, releasing a breath softly.

"Alright." Slowly, reluctantly, I pull myself away from her out of bed to get to cooking. "You stay here, I'll be right back."

"Oh." she catches me before I'm out of earshot, "could you put white chocolate chips in 'em too, like you did that one time? Please?"

"Sure thing, angel." I reply with a gentle smile, dashing into the kitchen to get started.

Things go by without interruption. I pull out ingredients from the fridge and other necessities from the pantry. In no time at all, the batter is ready to be ladled into the pan, white chocolate chips sprinkled generously. There's just enough for the two of us, several large and fluffy pancakes stacked high on a plate when I'm done. I pull out a tray and place the plate of food on it carefully, going back to the pantry to fetch some maple syrup. As much of a sweet-tooth as Vinyl has, the pancakes are already sweet enough with just the white chocolate. Even so, there's no sense in serving her dry pancakes. Then, removing two glasses, I fill them with some orange juice from the fridge, leaving only one more thing. Going back into the fridge, I remove the box of fresh strawberries in the back; I have to hide them so Vinyl doesn't finish them as soon as I buy them. With a good serving of berries lining the rim of the plate — stems and leaves cut off, just the way she likes it — I pick up one fork that we can share as well as the tray and walk back to the bedroom, spotting my marefriend already sitting up in bed waiting patiently for me. She's already opened the blinds to allow more light in and she sniffs the air a few times.

"Dang, that smells good~."

"Doesn't it?" I reply with a chuckle, coming around the bed to place the tray in her lap.

"Well, c'mon. Sit with me so we can eat together."

I crawl onto the bed and sit beside her. Slipping an arm behind her, I hug her close to me and lay my head on her shoulder. Vinyl, in turn, wraps her own arm around me while trying to appear nonchalant about it, only to fail as she huddles me in close against her side.

"Doesn't this look scrumptious?" she asks while I close my eyes and snuggle up to her under the covers. "The food looks good too," Vinyl barely holds back a giggle as she whispers, nuzzling my head. I chuckle at her cheesy line, looking up to peck her jawline while she picks up the fork.

Cutting off a piece, she takes the first bite, humming as the fork is pulled free from her mouth clean. I feel her jaw pushing my head as she chews, the fork going back to bring up another piece. This time, the bite is brought to my mouth, the scent of warm pancakes filling my senses. I open my mouth and let her feed me, my taste buds flooded by the sweet treat. The white chocolate melts in my mouth and I hum in delight as Vinyl pulls the fork free from my lips.

"These are good~," Vinyl comments, her head coming down against my own.  

I hear her swallow and open my eyes. Reaching a hand out, I pick up a strawberry and carefully bring it to her lips. She accepts, slowly opening her mouth to take in the fruit. Vinyl slurps my fingers to keep the juices from escaping as she savors the taste of the fresh berry, eating it whole. I settle back into her side again, letting her hold me close as we continue eating. Her arm cradles me against her and she feeds me more bites of food, both of us enjoying each other's company.

The pancakes are disappearing slowly, only a quarter of the stack left as one strawberry remains. Her foot again strokes mine softly as she picks up the berry. However, I'm not paying attention, letting her claim the last berry for herself, only to then hear Vinyl’s muffled voice. Curious, I look up and notice the berry held in her teeth, Vinyl nodding her head toward me suggestively. I quickly realize what she’s getting at and blush at her, closing my eyes and opening my mouth. I feel the red fruit creep past my teeth until my lips are met by Vinyl's. We both sink into the kiss, biting off our respective halves and I find myself taken by the gentle movements of Vinyl's lips as she takes hers into her mouth. Arm holding me close, her spare hand comes up to caress my face against her, fingers just below my ear lightly pressing that sensitive spot on the corner of my jaw as we both savor the taste of the sweet berry, chewing a bit so juices burst out. I hum as her tongue darts forth to play with mine, the kiss turned so much sweeter by our shared strawberry. Juices flow with saliva between our mouths as her tongue draws mine into her mouth, taking the gentle wrestling with it. Morsels of the strawberry are fought over by our curling appendages as Vinyl presses her lips harder on mine, keeping me close. I submit and let her have most of the treat, opting to just enjoy the sweet kiss before pulling away. With a fraction of the fruit still in my mouth, our lips pull apart, followed by Vinyl licking my mouth to catch the juices leaking out the sides. Peeling my eyes open to her triumphant smirk, I swallow my mouthful and resume snuggling her side.

"Ya think we can just spend the whole day in bed?" I offer with a sigh after some silence. The pancakes and orange juice have been polished off, the tray left on the nightstand and the two of us can just cuddle post-meal.

"I'd like to," she responds, watching me rub her stomach lovingly before leaning over to plant a kiss on it, both of us satisfied. Vinyl exhales, lounging back on the pillows and her thumb strokes my shoulder idly. Her stomach rises and falls against my hand as her breathing remains calm and collected.

Not but two seconds after her response, a bass drop kicks off from the nightstand, followed by wubs filthier than the bathroom floor of the club Vinyl plays at. Vinyl reaches over, groaning at the ruined moment and picks up her phone.

"Hello? Who is this?" she asks the caller. I just cuddle back into her, lazily drawing circles on her stomach. She squeezes me against herself and smiles, still listening to the phone. "Woah woah woah, slow down.... What?! Do you need help?" Concern wells up in me at the tone in her voice and I can't help but wonder who's calling. The call goes on for a while, Vinyl listening intently to the other line. "Look, you can stay with us, just take the train. We'll talk more when you get here."

"Who was that?" I ask as she hangs up the phone.

"You remember my friend Octavia? I've mentioned her before."

The name rings a bell, but I'm not sure. "She's the one you used to be best friends with, right? And you two still keep in contact."

"Yeah. Well, her boyfriend just kicked her out of his house, so she needs a place to stay. She doesn't have enough cash to stay at a hotel, so I hope you don't mind but we do have a guest bedroom."

"Oh, I don't care. She can stay with us."

"Alright, good. She called from a payphone at the train station in Canterlot. She'll be taking the train down here,” Vinyl sighs. “So much for spending the whole day in bed..." she mumbles afterward.

"From Canterlot? That's a long ride. We still have plenty of time to enjoy our morning."

"Morning? Babe, it's an hour after noon. We slept in," Vinyl replies with a chuckle. With her work schedule, I'd started adapting to staying up and waking up late with her. Sometimes I do forget, but at least I get to enjoy these moments with her.

"Right. You know what I mean," I mumble, head-butting her shoulder playfully, not wanting to release my arms from around her.

"I hope she's been doing well, besides the whole breakup thing. She was one of my closest friends growing up. I don't think I've told you, but we share a lot in common, as in she’s got a hefty package too. After overhearing some bullying in highschool, she kinda came to my rescue, confessing her secret so I wouldn’t feel so left out.” I notice Vinyl look off into the distance wistfully. “We bonded so well, always looking out for each other, crying on each other's shoulders when things got tough. After all, when you're in the same boat, you might as well go fishing."

"Huh, can't wait to meet her. I'm sure she's nice. I mean, you seem to like her."

"Yeah, she's real nice. Real... polite. I'm sure you'll like her."

We sit in silence for a while, my mind drifting to this friend of Vinyl's. If Vinyl can trust her enough to reveal her deepest secret, she can't be too bad. "So, what's the plan for today? Her train won't be here for a good six hours if you're right about the time."

"Well, how about we spend the day in town? Just walking around outside together. A little window shopping, maybe. Then we pick up Octavia when her train gets here. Sound good?"

"Yep," I reply, snuggling into the crook of her arm.

"So, when should we go?"

"How about, never?" I reply. Getting a little playful, I detach myself from her to throw my leg over her body, straddling her. Her hands latch on to my hips while we just gaze at each other deeply.

"What?" she asks with a giggle. "I thought we had a plan here!"

"Nope," I mutter. Going limp, I lean forward and crash on her, Vinyl giving a sound similar to an "oomf". Hugging her loosely, I rest my head on her shoulder. Her arms thread around me in an embrace and she chuckles.

"C'mon! You really just want to stay in bed all day?"

"Mhmm," I mumble into her neck, kissing the open space.

"Fine." Vinyl submits to my childish antics and settles down to hold me. She pulls up the blanket to my shoulders, securing us together and then scooches down until we're back to lying down, I on top of her. I move a bit further to stretch out my legs parallel to hers, letting the side of my face rest in the crook of her neck beneath her chin. The bedsheets rustle softly as Vinyl turns down, nuzzling herself into my hair yet again as the want to sleep creeps back up. It also helped that we just had a meal, my head growing foggy as a nap sounds good. Shimmying down further, her chest acts like a pillow for me as I mold myself into a position similar to the one earlier today. Vinyl's legs hook around mine and she strokes them gently, only adding to the relaxing effect. Content and with sleep beckoning, I yawn out loud, snuggling up further into my marefriend under the covers. "A nap does sound pretty nice. But after that, we hit up town."

My yawn entices a yawn from her, a hand coming up to pet my head affectionately. It was obvious that we both like to sleep a lot, and we enjoyed it. I loved how intimate our sleeping positions can get, whether we're holding hands laying side by side, sights connected while we breathed each other's air. Sometimes Vinyl even shyly asks to spoon me, hand upon hand against my chest while she leans over to quickly kiss my cheek good night; it's always more comfortable than anything I've ever experienced, just being with her. It's times like these I feel so happy to have met her. She's like my queen if I were a king.

Eventually, my senses shut back down for a quick rest. Ear pressed against her chest, her heartbeat lulls me to sleep in her firm, loving embrace.

Vinyl gently shakes me awake, muttering something to me that I can't quite pick up yet. My body comes back to life and her voice clears into something understandable.

"Gosh, you are so cute when you're sleeping." Her hand is still stroking my head, her shaking stopped now that she noticed I was awake. "H-hmmm. C'mon babe, that was a nice nap but I could use some fresh air."

I squirm against her and settle back in, not wanting to leave this wonderful position.

"Oh c'mon, you're not gonna get up?" she asks mock scolding me.

I playfully mumble a "Nope."

"Well, two can play at this game." My ears catch that lone sentence and I'm caught completely off guard when the mare steamrolls her way over, squishing me into the mattress and essentially switching our places completely. I'm pressed down while Vinyl pins my wrists to the bed, leaving me vulnerable. She takes advantage immediately, leaning up to catch my earlobe in her teeth and then nips and plays with it like a puppy with a chew toy before letting go and moving south. Trailing kisses down the side of my face, she ends up nipping at my jaw line; my weak spot.

"C'mon, I want you to take me out somewhere," she whispers needily.

I would have said "yes", but I can't respond as she continues nibbling my skin and making me squirm.

And I was completely at her mercy.

Her kisses continue down my body, seductively coating my neck and getting to my collarbone, where she pauses again. The kisses are then sprawled out about my chest, leaving me a squealing mess as she peppers me in them.

"Fine, we can go," mutter out, conceding the battle.

Almost as if a switch was flipped, her demeanor changes from playful feline to normal. "Great," she says, detaching herself from me to crawl out of bed.

"Wait, what?" I stammer out.

"What?" She asks confused at my confusion.

"What was all that for? You're just gonna leave me hanging like that?" I ask. Her playful actions were definitely getting to me and I hadn't expected her to stop so suddenly.

"H-hmm, that was just to get you awake. Now that you are, put these on." A pair of clean boxers from the dresser lands on my face, a direct hit clouding my vision before I remove them to reveal Vinyl smiling and sticking her tongue out.

I grumble and put them on, not noticing Vinyl walking back to me.

"Don't be like that," her finger comes under my chin to force eye contact and she bends over to meet level with me. "If you behave, we can pick this up later, okay?" She whispers sensually.

I over exaggerate a pout before jutting forward to peck her lips. "Fine," I mutter with false grumpiness. Honestly, as appealing as spending the whole day in bed with Vinyl sounds, I too could use some fresh air. And my favorite part is always walking down dirt roads hand in hand with my beautiful marefriend. No one knows how happy she makes me. Every time I'm with her, I feel so collected and full of joy. Nothing under Celestia's blessed ruling makes me happier than her. And that was a fact.

We both got dressed relatively quickly before I chased her playfully outside. Once we were out the door, she hung back so she could hold my hand as we set out into town.

The sun was setting in the distance. Vinyl and I sat on a bench in the train station, watching the sky blend in a plethora of colors, a warm orange on the horizon scrolling to a deep purple behind us. Her head lay nestled in the crook of my neck as we watched the sunset together, noticing the train break through the tunnel. My marefriend perked up at the rumbling sound of the train approaching. We had been waiting a bit longer than expected, but Vinyl found it not to be a problem when she noticed the bench provided a perfect view of the radiant sunset. Of course, she outshone the view drastically, but I wouldn’t dare use such a cheesy line lest she poke fun at me.

The train slowly pulls up to the station and settles with a hiss. Doors slide open and a handful of ponies and humans disembark, heading straight for the exit to the station. It isn’t but two seconds before Vinyl spots her friend and waves her down.

“Yo! Octy! Over here!”, Vinyl calls out, right beside my ear.

Walking toward us is a grey Earth pony with two rolling suitcases. She wears a clean white collared shirt, almost as pure as Vinyl’s coat accompanied by a small pink bow tie. A Byzantium pencil skirt lines up perfectly with her body, giving way to her professional dress shoes. Onyx hair cascades down her back, not a single strand out of place. I’m honestly surprised Vinyl made friends with what looks like such a classy mare. Maybe what they say about opposites attracting is true.

A warm smile grows on her face as the mare approaches us. “Hello Vinyl, it’s nice to see you again. How long has it been? A couple years?”

“Feels like more,” Vinyl comments, embracing her friend.

“And you must be the boyfriend she likes to ramble about. A pleasure,” she offers with a smile and extending her hand. I take it, shaking it firmly.

“Likewise,” I offer shyly.

“Oh come on, Octy! I do not ‘ramble on’ about him,” Vinyl blushes.

“Yes she does,” Octavia whispers.

“I can hear you.” I snicker slightly at Vinyl’s reaction. “Alright, well, we haven’t eaten anything yet. We were waiting to see if we could get something to eat together. Ya know?” Vinyl asks her friend.

“Oh, you should’ve said something. The train offered dinner on the way here. I’m afraid I’ve already eaten,” the Earth mare replies with a frown.

“Yes! I was actually hoping for that!” Vinyl fist pumps. “You know what that means‽” she looks to me. I wait for her response with a raised brow and a smile. “Takeout!”

Vinyl was already on her way out the station, leaving Octavia and I behind. Soon she came back to us with a questioning look. "You guys coming?"

I shook my head and chuckled. "Yeah, let's go." I take one of Octavia's rolling suitcases and walk ahead.

With that, we set off to a restaurant to order Vinyl and I some much needed dinner. My stomach growled as Vinyl took the lead, Octavia trailing behind. My marefriend sidled up to me and nudged me with her hips. I took the hint and wrapped an arm around her, both of us walking together. To my right, I caught Octavia staring at us.

"You okay there?" I asked her.

"Y-Yes. I'm fine thank you," she replied rather quickly, turning her head to face ahead of her.

Her tone was anything but 'fine' and left me with a nagging thought at the back of my mind.

Eventually Vinyl had led me to a pizza place, dragging us inside and ordering a pie. We took it to go, the cashier casting a spell on the box that would not only keep the pizza warm, but also preserve it so it wouldn't move in the box as we walked home. He claimed you could punt the box and the pizza would remain perfect.

The walk home was peaceful, the moon breaking the horizon as the day left us behind. Vinyl couldn't stop sniffing the air, the pizza box tucked beneath my arm as we came home.

Upon opening the door, Vinyl rushed in to retrieve paper plates and some cans of pop to drink. I placed the pizza on the dining room table and Octavia strolled slowly through the hall, admiring the interior.

"So... Where will I be staying?" The newcomer asked.

"Ah, yes. Your room is down there," I pointed out our guest room.

Vinyl came rushing from the kitchen with the items and set them on the table in the living room. "C'mon babe, I'm starving!" She called as she flopped onto the couch, turning on the television.

"You sure you don't want any?" I asked Octavia. I knew Vinyl was situated pretty well, but I didn’t like the idea of our guest just standing there.

"Yes, I'm fine, thank you. You’re very kind."

"Yeah he is!" Vinyl speaks, sneaking up on me. She plants a kiss on my cheek before taking the pizza back with her. "C'mon Tavi, have some before I finish it myself!"

"No no, I'm fine. I just want to unpack and take a rest," she replies, her eyes watching intently when Vinyl kissed me. It looked as though she was frowning a bit as she turned to her room.

"Oh c’mon," Vinyl called to her. “At least watch some TV with us?”

“I’d really rather just get some rest right now. On my own.”

Vinyl has already risen from the couch and dashed towards our guest, grabbing her wrist right before she could enter the guest room. Octavia turns to meet her eyes, awaiting her words.

“Are you sure? I can put on a movie or something?” Vinyl asks a final time, her voice warm as she reads her friends glum expression.

“It’s fine Vinyl.” Octavia sighs.

“Are you going to be okay?” Vinyl asks softly. I watch from the table as they try to convince each other.

Octavia adopts a reassuring smile, placing a hand on Vinyl’s. “Yes, I’ll be fine. I just need some sleep after the long train ride. Thank you though.”

Vinyl smiles and lets her go, each of us exchanging ‘Good night’s before the door closes shut. My marefriend turns to me, walking over to peck me on the lips, looking into my eyes. “C’mon, let’s leave her be. I’m getting hungrier anyway,” she whispers, heading back to the couch.

I follow her closely, taking a few slices of food for myself on the way to the comfy couch. Vinyl was flipping through TV channels, finishing off her first slice of pizza already. "Well, you were hungry, huh?" I chuckle, taking a slice myself.

"Yeah," she replies enthusiastically, chowing down.

We both eat together, watching some television before we're both satisfied. After a while, we're both left curled up on the couch getting tired. Vinyl yawns adorably as she stands up suddenly, stretching her arms up in the air.

"I'm sleepy now. Bed?" She asks simply. I nod and stand up to join her. We walk towards our room before Vinyl stops just outside Octavia's room. She's standing still and her ears flick towards the door.

"Vinyl?" I question her action out of nowhere.

"Shh!" She responds, her ears flicking again. I take the hint and listen along with her.

Now I realize what she's doing. Low and very quiet shifting sounds come from Tavi's room. They sound like she's struggling with something. I know it's rude to eavesdrop, but that doesn't stop Vinyl from pushing the door open just a smidge to peek inside. As soon as she does, she recoils from the sight and steps away, dragging me with her.

"Vinyl, what's up?" I ask, her reaction drawing up concern. "Is Octavia in trouble?"

"She's jerking off in our house."

Next Chapter: To Remain Loyal To My Queen Part 2 Estimated time remaining: 1 Hour, 37 Minutes