Our approach towards the building’s slow, but the mood was flipped upside down after the encounter with the stranger. We were laughing happily together one moment, only to be dispirited in the next. I grip Vinyl's arm tighter as we walk up to the door, keys jingling as they're yanked out of her pocket.

Upon entering our small house, I close the door behind us, watching Vinyl plop on the couch. The building feels colder than usual, Vinyl leaning her head back and closing her eyes with an annoyed huff. "Why can't some ponies just leave us to ourselves?" she asks no one in particular.

This was in fact the third time something like this has happened to us. Every time, Vinyl would get upset. If somepony tried to put Vinyl down, she wouldn't care. But anypony who tried to put me down immediately became an enemy to her. She didn’t like the way those people treated me, and it was actually quite heartwarming; knowing that she doesn’t hesitate to defend me as her boyfriend. It really made me feel loved, but right now, Vinyl was upset after the whole thing, so I needed to do something.

"C'mon Vinyl. Let's forget about it. After all, didn't you promise me a night all to ourselves~?" I ask, trying to bring back her cheerful expression.

"Sorry, babe. It just really makes me mad when that happens. I hate it when somepony does that, 'cus... you just mean so much to me..."

Walking towards her with the same sashay in my hips as earlier today, I come and invite myself into her lap again, this time arms around her and hugging us tightly together. Her own arms respond in the same way, curving around my back and locking in place, like it was what her arms were meant for. I could feel her cheek press against my shoulder as our embrace warms us both.

"You mean a lot to me too. I don't like seeing you getting so upset like this. Let's just forget about it. It happened, so let it fade into the past. And besides, didn't you say something back at the diner? I can't remember what it was~..."

I notice her ear twitch when I peck the thin skin, just after whispering directly into it. "H-hmm, I remember something along the lines of - someone was going to get it tonight." Vinyl's eyes grow a fiery red when she pulls back, still holding me in her lap. Her hands explore my body, sliding about my sides and ending on my hips as she bites her lip.

"C'mon, you know you want to carry me to bed and just ravish me," I whisper, glad I've gotten her out of that funk. My rump wiggles for emphasis, something her hands get excited for and grab even handfuls of my flesh. Her touch already sends electricity through me as I press myself into her palms.

"Maybe I will~." She assaults my neck with kisses and licks, turning me to putty. Vinyl chuckles against my smooth skin, her teeth grazing me lightly. "Why don't we take this to the bed~?"

For the second time today, my marefriend picks me up bridal style and carries me to the bedroom with a blaze in her eyes. The door is kicked closed behind us, Vinyl throwing me on the bed. She turns around and locks the bedroom door—despite Octavia being away for the night. I can only sit in the bed, watching as she strips before me.

Not bothering to change before we left, she still wore her lazy day clothes: gray sweatpants and a simple t-shirt beneath her hoodie. Without leaving her position near the door, her sweatpants are removed and thrown at me. As usual, I catch them with my face, the crotch right on my nose, her scent of arousal somewhat heavy on them. I take a moment to inhale the sweet smell deeply, pulling off her pants slowly.

By the time they're removed, Vinyl is right in front of me, clad in her underwear; jungle green bra and panties clinging her naughty bits to her, the usual tiny double eighth note on each article of clothing to mark their owner. But what steals most of my attention was how her penis peaks out of the top of her panties, the soft cloth trying desperately to contain her lust, but failing. Her cock grows to full length and breaches freedom in the bedroom air, her testicles making quite the bulge in her garments on their own.

Vinyl just looks so sexy in this moment; one leg in front of the other as she paces toward me, each slender limb supporting her beautiful body. Her hips hold up the panties which still fruitlessly try to contain her genitals, her balls shifting against the cloth with her steps as her penis flops out of the waistband at attention like a radar; it can sense I'm near. One pure white hand comes down to stroke it in front of me, a single bead of precum growing on the tip. The other arm presses her humble breasts to her chest, as if her bra wasn't already hiding her sweet pink nipples. What seals the look for me, however, is the way she stares at me with her bottom lip between her teeth, her eyes unwrapping my body like an expensive candy.

"What do you think, babe~?" Vinyl asks once she reaches the end of the bed, still standing. I can only gulp as I watch her arm drop from her chest, planting itself on the scarlet bed sheets as she prowls toward me.

A kiss. A gentle kiss keeps me shut before I can respond, one that I melt against when her hand cups my cheek. Murmurs are shared in the hushed night, Vinyl pushing me as she kissed me, forcing my body flat against the bedspread as her tail tickles my feet with a flick. The mare pulls back, comfort reflected in her eyes when I see her.

"I think you're leaving me speechless..." I whisper, drawing circles against her collar with my finger, careful not to remove her bra just yet. Vinyl just smirks at my comment, kissing me again. With a whole-hearted smile, my marefriend slides her hands under my shirt, pulling up to reveal my chest, shirt and hoodie removed simultaneously. I've become a panting mess beneath her, my body begging for more as my hands clasp onto her shoulders.

But at the same time, I have something on my mind that could make things better.

"Hey, Vinyl. You remember when Octavia first came over, how that... stuff happened?" I ask, keeping her at bay before she can kiss me again.

"Yeah. What about it?"

"Was a threesome really a fantasy of yours?"

"Mhmm. I just thought it would be sexy to try." The clouds must have been covering the moon, because all of a sudden, her face is slowly cloaked in moonlight, her features radiating and she looks like an angel.

"I still feel kinda bad about ruining it for you-"

"Hold it. I need to say this; you didn't ruin it. I pressured you into doing something without asking a decent time in advance. You aren't to blame," she assures me.

"I know, it's just, you didn't get to enjoy it so much because of how I felt." I cut her off before she tries to speak again, "-Look. The point is, I want to do something for you tonight. Do you have any other fantasies about me that I could fulfill? Maybe some way to spice things up?"

"Awww. I do have one..." she trails off. "But you do too much for me. Maybe you have a fantasy we could work out? Surely you've dreamt about my sexy bod doing things to you?" she teases, wiggling her eyebrows. Vinyl rolls over, laying on her side with her head propped on an elbow, her other hand stroking my stomach. I'm still on my back, looking sideways to her.

"Well, nothing really comes to mind. And I like doing things for you. Let's just do your thing."

"Bullshit, 'nothing really comes to mind'! I know you're hiding something!"

"What?" My smile grows as we laugh together before I continue. "I really don't have anything. Look. How about this; we do your thing tonight, and I'll think about a fantasy. When I come up with something, you'll be the first to know."

"I don't know. You know I'll do anything for you? If you really do have a fantasy, I hope you aren't scared of telling me," her voice drops to something more consoling.

"I'm not scared. I really don't have any ideas. Honest. Just, right now, I wanna do something for you." My hand comes over and I drape my fingers on her cheek, something to sooth her.

"You sure?" The unicorn nuzzles my hand, pulling me into her body to cuddle me close.

"Mhmm," I mutter while nodding, pecking her cheek once.

Vinyl rises from our bed, pulling the chain for the bedside lamp to add light before walking over to the dresser. "Well, I haven't bought any recently and all I have is the one set..." Sitting up in the bed reveals my marefriend picking out some clothes from her half of the dresser. "And... I don't really know how you'd feel about this after today, so you can say no..." I crawl to the edge of the bed, shirtless and sitting patiently. Vinyl seems to be gathering articles of clothing from her underwear drawer. The beautiful mare turns around to face me with multiple pieces of matching clothing. I can tell why they belong to her, the colors matching her body nicely. I can make out solid black and fluorescent blue patterns among them, and each piece seems too small to be a shirt or a pair of pants. "But... could you put these on for me?" Her face heats up at the question, nervousness on her lips.

Curiosity takes over for me as I stand up and walk over to her. She hands me the clothes, one of them falling to the floor.

A sock?

Vinyl picks it up and walks to the bed, taking me with her.

"What is all this?"

"Look," Vinyl begins to explain, taking each item of clothing to show me. "Two thigh-high socks, two elbow-length fingerless gloves, panties, and a boob-tube. All matching pattern and they're very soft."

"So you want me to play dress-up?"

"Well, you don't have to..." Vinyl starts. "Actually, never mind. Forget I ever asked-"

"No no, I'll do it." I took the sock from her hand. "They do feel pretty soft...." I rub the fabric between my fingers.

My marefriend squeals in excitement and hands me the clothes as I strip my pants before putting on the garments. First the socks, then the gloves, then the boob tube, then the panties, that last one after some brief hesitation.

The clothes feel unbelievably comfortable where they cling to me, the bright shade of baby blue complimenting the midnight black. Walking toward the closet, I can feel Vinyl's eyes on me the whole time. The door opens with a creak and I look at myself in the mirror hanging on the door. The sight was quite a surprise.

Each piece of clothing hugs my body like a second layer of skin, the pattern on each of them the same; night-sky black with small fluorescent blue hearts in diagonal rows. The socks look nice; pulled up to my thighs with the elastic band holding them up and the toes a solid blue, the same blue as the hearts. The gloves were similar in that the bands around my bicep and fingers were blue. In fact, they all had a ring of solid blue on the outermost parts. The boob tube and panties having them on the top and bottom. What I really liked was the larger pink heart right on the left side of the boob tube, directly over my heart. The panties were also quite snug; normal panties rather than a thong or something else kinky as they held my genitals comfortably and barely contained my rump. The clothes really warmed up my skin too, fighting the cold in the building. I turn to my awaiting marefriend and just look at her shyly, slowly stepping toward her.

"Oh. My. Celestia. You look so pretty," Vinyl says, her eyes practically turning to hearts themselves.

That was it. After all that's been happening, that last sentence sealed my decision. "So I really am girly..."

Vinyl's expression flops like I do on the edge of the bed, both of us sitting next to each other, my elbows on my thighs and my hands balled up together. "No, wait. I mean... Babe, you're not mad are you? You know I think you're manly. It's just-"

"Vinyl..." I silence her with a raise of my hand. "It's no use. I'm a poor excuse of a guy."

"Babe, please don't-"

"But," I mutter, "is that such a bad thing?"

Vinyl's face freezes pensively, her mouth slightly agape. Time slows and the moon hides behind clouds, illumination dimming, leaving the bedside lamp as the only light source. It's a slight golden hue, something akin to an old oil lantern that paints everything in an yellow glow.

"I mean, maybe not being manly is okay. Because, well, I kinda like it." My marefriend's face settles and her ears swivel to listen intently. "Like... like when we walk together and you offer your arm instead of the other way around, when your wonderful hands feel me up and explore my body, or when you carry me like a bride to the bed. I love it when you do that. And even when I put on these clothes, saw myself in the mirror and you called me... 'pretty'... I... well, I liked it." I notice Vinyl's look of confusion melt into one of contentment. She's smiling lovingly at me and her arms are shifting idly. "And best of all, the first day you stayed, when you sat in my lap on the armchair. And I got to hold you. It was nice. But later that night and almost every night after, you held me instead under these covers. And I like that better. I... I love it."

Vinyl scoots toward me on the bed until our thighs touch and I can see myself in the reflection of her eyes. One snow-white hand takes my gloved one and her other arm wraps around me, letting me settle into her body for warmth. The stockings did well to keep the chilly bite of the season at bay, but it's warmth is nothing compared to the heavenly embrace of Vinyl.

"So maybe I don't have to wear the pants in our relationship. I like to think we both do. And maybe being girly is a good thing. Because I like it, and why should what other people think change that? I love you Vinyl, and if you like it when I do this kind of thing, then I'll do it. Because that's what's most important to me; not being manly or girly, but being myself and making you happy."

Vinyl tightens her grip on me until my head rests in the crook of her neck and she pulls my stockinged legs up to rest in her lap. The hand on the side of my head keeps me against her as we bask in the late moonlight, my ear against her collarbone. "Are you sure this is okay?" Vinyl asks. "I don't want to make you do something you don't want to..."

Vinyl's concern warms my heart like a hearth, but I knew that this was what I like, and what other people think doesn't matter. It's what she thinks that matters before anything else. "I'm sure. And like I said, I kinda like it." The grip on my head loosens so I could look up at the unicorn. "Do you like it? Like, do I actually look... pretty?" Looking at myself in these clothes, it was hard to believe I was still a guy. And being called 'pretty' was exciting; it was a compliment I've never heard before and knowing Vinyl thinks of me that way made me feel content and comfortable.

"Oh yeah. You look absolutely gorgeous." Vinyl's furry hands take mine yet again and her eyes glow from the lamp's light; a soft, affectionate touch in her gaze as her voice drops to a whisper. "And I do like doing those things with you. Every one that you mentioned and more, especially holding you late at night when I come home from a long gig. But what I love the most... is just being with you. No one else. Just good ol' adorable you."

Stray giggles ring out in the bedroom and the house feels warm once again, just the two of us sitting on the edge of the bed next to each other.

There's no place I'd rather be.

"In fact..." Vinyl's horn shimmers momentarily and the lamp flicks off leaving no source of light in the room. Not even my own hand can be seen when I raise it to my face, but what surprises me most is Vinyl's sudden absence from my side.

"Vinyl?" I ask the darkness, panic beginning to form in my gut; before it can even well up and rise, it's blown out by the vision in front of me.

"May I have this dance?" Vinyl asks. Her horn is alight with a dim blue glow, brightening her face as well as some of the room. But that glow accents her face and complements it perfectly, becoming the only thing I can see. Her eyes are soft in the light, the layer of sapphire over her garnet orbs steals my breath and her smile only amplifies the gentle glow. It takes me too long to notice her extended hand in the light, palm and fingers open to accept my own hand. Like the goddess she is to me, her outstretched hand offers me a chance—something I accept—and I take it in my own hand so she could pull me to my feet.

We're standing together and her horn still glows, the light so close to my face. It dims even further so we could see each other clearly, all other senses abandoned.

All but touch.

Neither of us break eye contact, not even a twitch. I can feel her arms shift to take my hands in hers, moving my body for me. She wraps my arms around her neck, letting me pull her face in close until we're breathing the same air, that faint familiar scent of strawberries barely detectable. It would've startled me had it been anyone else, but the soft touch of Vinyl's hands now on my hips relaxes my stance as she sways back and forth. There's a softness to her hands where they touch my hips, complete contact prevented by the panties but the warmth from her palms is ever present. A blush rises in my cheeks as I notice what this must look like; Vinyl, leading me in a dance like a gentleman, and I, following without hesitation like a maiden.

And I liked it.

(Optional Music)

Something else catches my attention and it's now I realize music is playing from the corner of the room, right where my marefriend keeps her stereo system. It's a familiar tune but I can't quite focus on it with Vinyl mere centimeters from my face. The volume is low enough that I could hear the heavy kick of the club beat, but it was quiet enough to not be taken as a club song. Our slow-paced swaying turns that constant beat into a more soothing ambiance than that of a rave. But it's not long before the drums fade for the lyrics.

"You remember this song, right?" Vinyl asks.

The memory hits me.

Naught but one or two months ago, Vinyl had a show to play at a club that was actually in our town. I tried to get out of work as soon as I could so I could surprise her in the crowd.

Things went well and I managed to break free of work and jog to the bar transformed into a club scene. The lights weren’t as spasmodic as the more dedicated clubs, but my attention went straight to the makeshift stage where none other than Vinyl was spinning her records with her laptop at her side. Her eyes met mine through those trademark shades of hers and her expression lit up like Hearth’s Warming lights. Headphones were whipped off her head while the music kept playing, nothing to restrict her from coming down the steps to excitedly hug me hello. The group of people who were moshing in front of the stage never noticed her departure, instead continuing to fist pump with their glow sticks.

A few words and a compelling nudge convinced my shy self to join her on stage behind the turntables. My marefriend had thrown back on her headphones to mix in what was the next track, a sudden beat drop filling the crowd with adrenaline. It was then she returned her attention to me, thrilled to show me how her machines worked and what she did. I’ve been to one of her gigs before, but this was the first time I was actually on stage with her.

Words going a mile a minute, she explained how the records on the turntables weren’t real records, more just a big controller to play music on a program on her laptop.

The rest of the things she told me are still a blur, but what I do remember was when she asked me if I wanted to bring in the next song. I could only sputter a no; I was barely experienced enough to even fathom doing something without ruining the mood. But I didn’t really have a choice as Vinyl stood behind me and planted her chin on my shoulder, practically taking control of me. Her hands took my hands and she made all of the movements for me, as if I were possessed by her.

I wasn’t sure if she could feel my racing heartbeat, but the steady thumping of her heart was easily made out against my back. It almost calmed me and a sudden realization hit me: she trusted me enough to welcome me into her world without hesitation. Her cutie mark was a double eighth note. Music was her special talent and she loved me enough to trust me completely with her most precious pastime.

There was nothing she didn’t trust me with.

I could still remember the eager whispers of “Then you twist this a little,” or “Try pressing this.” My focus could’ve been on the crowd jumping in sync before me, each pony and person having the time of their life, or what Vinyl was making me do on her turntables, but no. I kept my eyes on my marefriend’s hands touching mine, the electricity they left me with as she held me. A quick kiss touches my neck and the unicorn’s chest presses against my back, edging me further into the moment. The song that was just playing goes into a mellow breakdown, the next song fading in with it’s kick drum.

Then everything blurs together and fades to a single progression of piano chords accompanied by a voice. My ears pick up Vinyl singing along softly into my ear, her voice like that of a delicate songbird despite the loud shouts of the crowd or the booming volume of the song. My nervousness is settled by the words she whispers and punctuates the last word with a kiss and a nuzzle to my cheek. The voice stops and what sounds like a guitar strums some notes before the build up.

Vinyl lets go of me at that moment and faces me, hands on my cheeks. My own eyes are filled with wonder as a spotlight shines behind her head, giving her a halo. Her eyes radiate love and care into mine, the last of my worry dying in the music. The build up gets more and more intense, both of us feeling the music grow. Our faces approach each other; so close I could feel her breath on my lips. Eyes drift shut and right at the climax of the song, our lips meet with a passionate kiss. The crowd goes wild and the song drops into the heavy bass and synthesizer notes as the world explodes. Despite the cat-whistles and cheering coming from the watching crowd, my focus is only on my marefriend as the kiss deepens, her hands keeping my lips mashed against hers.

That song would forever hold a place in my memory.

And that was why the tune was so familiar. The song playing in our dim bedroom was the same song we played together on that stage.

"~Touch my lips, with only yours. And feel my heart, open wide~," Vinyl sings, snapping my attention back to her close face. The music is still so soft in our bedroom, but it's my marefriend's mutual compassion that begs me to sing along with her.

"~Cause all I am, is all you are. And what I feel, is more than real~," we both whisper, the song playing out like it always had. Our swaying becomes a slow dance, her hands feeling up my body and my arms still limp around her neck. Reliving that beautiful memory, everything happens just that way it did; the slow anticipation for the climax before our lips meet in a more gentle kiss this time at the drop. The song is still low in volume, changing what would have been an explosive moment of raving to the beat into such a sensual moment where our lips stay together while we sway idly in the dim glow of her horn to the beat.

Her tail flicks cutely against my legs and our kiss breaks, followed by me sneaking a quicker, smaller peck; the simple kiss was not enough to show how much I love her.

It'll never be enough.

Her height advantage meant I had to tilt my head up and hers down, but we managed, our foreheads leaning against one another. No more words are needed, not even the next lyrics of the song are murmured to one another, only unbroken gazes and quick, playful kisses exchanged.

A more ambient song comes on and Vinyl inches her hands tighter around my waist, hands separating when they touch so one runs around my waist and the other goes up my back to my head. Her hold was like I was a possession; I belonged to her. And I submitted to it completely; my own arms forced to wrap around her neck further, each one lazily ensuring we're kept together. My marefriend tucks me under her chin, still swaying to the music.

My ears come to life and I can hear her taking deep breaths of my hair, her heart beating steadily in her body through her humble breasts and bra, smushed against my body. Her hands are so soft and gentle with me, evenly stroking my back to heat me up in the cold. We became so close, dancing would be impossible without stepping on toes and so our swaying eases up to just shifting weight from one leg to another, tilting back and forth slowly.

"Vinyl?" I ask suddenly against her chest.

"Mhmm~?"

"Do you think we could postpone my 'getting it' to tomorrow?"

"Of course. As long as you're okay just staying like this for a while longer~. Then we can just go to sleep," my marefriend proposes; my plan exactly.

"I'd love to."

Some time passes of us just dancing together, just the two of us in Vinyl's azure light. The last song for the night fades out and the unicorn dances me toward the bed, just carelessly falling onto the sheets, taking me with her. The arcane glow of her horn goes out like a candle, leaving the creeping moon to light our faces as we worm our way under the duvet.

"Oh! Wait," Vinyl whispers.

The edge of the blanket is tossed aside and Vinyl crawls out. I miss the feel of her body already as the cold creeps back against me. I remember the socks, gloves, panties and boob tube covering my body; the soft cotton keeping me from the brink of freezing. I lift the duvet to look down momentarily, admiring myself.

I really did look nice in this outfit.

A sudden click and slide pulls my attention back to Vinyl. The window's been cracked open just a tad and my marefriend shields herself. I can hear the wind blowing inside, shuffling about the drapes to chill the room. The unicorn then dashes to the closet, standing on her toes to pull out something from the top shelf:

A quilt.

Vinyl's quick to return to me and the bed, unfolding the quilt and tossing it over the bed; an extra layer of softness to fight the cold. With a squeal, she dives under the covers, sidling up to me once again. Her coat is cold to the touch, her shivering body quick to curl itself about me.

"Ugh," she stutters, teeth chattering slightly. "It's so cold outside.... All the more reason to snuggle up with you though. Mmmh, hold you real close."

"Yes, please," I mutter, gladly complying and wiggling in close. The moment softens to something much more intimate than playful as Vinyl's eyes melt my earlier worries of being inferior. I feel her legs reach out and tangle with mine, arms tightening their embrace as she shudders, her tail flicking against the covers.

"Ohhh~, you're so warm. With your cute little socks and gloves~." I giggle with her as our body heat mingles between us both, gradually nulling the sting of the cold. The combined blankets and quilt are thick enough to hold in our warmth and keep the cold away. "And you know what? You really do look beautiful. Not just in this little outfit, b-but every day. You just... you make me so... so... so happy." Vinyl nuzzles my face aggressively, still clutching me tight. "I love you."

"I love you too, Vinyl."

No more words are spoken; no more are needed. It's just me and her, together, forced to huddle closer under the quilt and blankets to fight the cold, if we could be closer. Our embrace keeps us pressed against each other and Vinyl's fur tickles my lips as I bury my face in her neck, giving her a playful nip with a kiss. Her scent fills my head as I finally settle down to sleep, breathing through my nose. My marefriend giggles at my tickling breath, slowly stroking my back and leaning in to smell my hair. It's under the heavy blankets with her furry legs shifting against my stockinged ones and deep love shared between us both that we fall peacefully to sleep.