I woke up warm. For the first time since I've been here, I felt warm upon the morning. I opened my eyes, Darcy was sitting on her side of the bed, facing the windows. "Glass, hey."

I took a deep breath and sat upright. "Darcy, morning--"

"I'm sorry," Darcy stated, turning to face me. "I'm really sorry."

I cocked my head. "For what?" I looked down my chest, no markings, no nothing. "Is it on my back?"

Darcy shook her head, a terrible frown on her face. "I-- I asked if you loved me...or I said I loved you." Darcy turned back to the window. "I'm sorry."

I scratched my head. "Why?"

Darcy let out a soft sigh and looked up, the orange streak in her hair bright. "I put you on the spot, and I know you're not...I know...it's--"

I swung my legs off her bed and stood up. "Ah...that." I rubbed my eyes, clearing my vision. I blew a long stream of air and turned to face her. "I know what I said."

Darcy shook her head. "I got emotional, and I said something weird. Just, nopony ever held me like that, they always said I was too big or they'd get crushed or--"

"Darcy"- I walked over to her, standing near the bottom of her bed, -"it's okay."

Darcy turned to face me. "Glass...I asked you if you loved me. I said I loved you. I just...I had a moment. It's only been like a month, I shouldn't be saying that stuff and I--"

"Are you going to leave?" I asked plain.

Darcy turned to me with a heavy frown. "Should I? I like you Glass, you're nice to me, you're nice to everypony I've seen you with--"

I tilted my head. "I did tell your cousin to fuck off...."

Darcy's eye tightened up. "What?"

"Your cousin was watching me work, like leaning over my shoulder, so I told him to fuck off."

Darcy stared at me, bewildered. "Um.... Okay, but my point is I-- You said you weren't interested in getting--"

I sat down beside Darcy, letting my hand lay palm up between us. "Darcy, I know. And I agree things got...heated." I looked up to her, eye to eye with the mournful girl. "But I don't want you to leave."

Darcy looked down to my hand. "I just feel like I screwed up."

I shook my head. "Darcy I asked you. I know you like me, I like you. I don't know if I love you, and I really don't think we've spent enough time together for you to say you love me. But I don't want to lose you because we both did something stupid."

Darcy looked back up to me, sighing exasperatedly before turning to the window. "Techno would have said it was--"

"Darcy, I'm not Techno." I put my free hand on my chest. "Darcy...if you're looking to replace him, I don't think it's going to work for us." I started to pull my hand back. "I know it's not easy, losing someone you care about like that, but I can't replace him."

Darcy turned back to me, eyes watering. "Then that's it?"

I held my hand out. "It doesn't have to be." I closed my eyes and lowered my head. "Darcy, I've told you I'm trying to change, and I think you could help me, I think moving on, getting into a different relationship, getting into a different way of living, all of it, I think it can help me. But it can't just be me, and it can't be just you trying to replace him."

I opened my eyes, staring down at my blue legs. "I want to be there for you, like you've been for me. But I think...I think things need to slow down, I'm trying to change, but I need something to be stable in my life, I need something I can come back to."

Darcy bit her lip and looked down at her own hooves. "I'm really sorry Glass...I didn't mean to--"

I held my hand out again. "Darcy, love is a boil. Love burns, love bubbles and pops, and it takes time for that heat to die down. But on the same hand, it can build up in a different place, and it takes time to reach that." I looked to my hand, soft and pale in the filtered sunlight. "I think, we give it time, we move slow and let things simmer...I think it could work, and I want it to work." I turned to face Darcy, eyes watery, forcing a similar response from me. "Look at me, I'm almost crying. Darcy, I care about you, you've been one of the few ponies really trying to push me to change, and I'm glad!"

Darcy shook her head. "I shouldn't have pushed you...."

I clenched my fist. "Darcy, I want to change, and I know I can't do it alone! I want your help, and I want to help you. I just want things to be slower." I eased my fist, back into a flat hand. "I don't want to lose a chance with you because of this. And I don't know if I love you right now, but I care about you, I want to see you happy, and I think you're one of the people I want helping me change." I motioned my hand to her. "So please, be my marefriend, not my wife."

Darcy stared at my hand. "...Wife?"

I shrugged. "I don't know about here, but if you can say you love someone in Storm Side, after being trapped days on end with the same person in one room, you best to marry them."

Darcy's brow fell into a sharp V. "Days stuck with you?"

"Terrible right?"

Darcy smiled. "Yeah." She took my hand, interlocking our fingers and warming my palm.

I sighed loudly. "So...no love?"

Darcy smiled at me again, huffing softly. "A little love, just a little."

I lowered my head and laughed. "I can handle a little. I think we can both handle a little."

Darcy pulled my hand to her thigh. "So what, we're still friends?"

I bit my tongue. "A little more than friends, less than lovers though. Filly, Colt, friends."

"So are you still gonna kiss me?"

I pursed my lips and scowled at my hooves. "I think I could manage that."

"Hoofsies."

"Aye."

"Staring into my eyes."

I laughed sharply. "That would be a little weird."

"Sharing a bed still?" Darcy asked, tugging my arm. She wore a soft, tempered smile.

I breathed deep. "On one hand, warm bed. On the other, implications." I turned to Darcy, "I think I'll leave that one to you."

Darcy smiled wide. "I think it's okay."

"So do I." I turned to the door into the hall. "Maybe don't walk in on me showering though. I think that's a good place to draw the line right now."

Darcy stood up, finally releasing my hand. "It was on accident."

"Sure it was." I stood up and stretched my arms. "I'm sure you were just interested in young coc--fuck!" Darcy poked my upper ribs while my arms were raised. My voice was shrill as I jerked away from the tender poke. "Slag!"

Darcy shook her head. "I thought you said slow down? Flirting still okay?"

I rubbed my side. "First off, I was joking. Second, I don't flirt."

"That's not what Cider sai--"

"Well Cider flirts!"

Darcy rubbed her chin. "Then isn't she better at knowing what's flirting and what's not?"

I stared at Darcy. "Are we going to go get breakfast or not?"

Darcy looked off to the side. "Sure." She walked over to her dresser. "Oh, and glass...I'm really sorry--"

"You said that already." I grabbed my clothes from the floor.

Darcy turned to me with a sour expression. "I'm just telling you again."

I nodded. "Fine, I'll tell you again too. It's fine, just...don't ask me if I love you again."

"Do you like me?"

"Yes." I turned to face Darcy before walking out. "Now are we really going to do this?"

Darcy smiled and kicked her leg out. "If I didn't test the boundaries, how would I know where they were?"

I grumbled angrily. "Darcy, you told me you loved me. And- I might, in time, but what else was I going to say? It was late, and I couldn't fit this entire conversation into the few moments before I fell asleep."

Darcy sighed and fixed her shirt. "I guess not." She turned to me with a strange expression. "Glass...I'm not trying to replace him."

I sighed and walked over. "Are you not?"

Darcy bit her lip. "I don't think I am."

"You don't think?"

Darcy looked down at the floor. "I am, aren't I?"

"A little. And it's a fine line between moving past someone and replacing them." I reached out and took her hand again. "And I'm more than willing to help you move on, but I can't be him."

Darcy let me rub my thumb along the ridge of her index finger. "How do you do it?"

I sniffled softly. "I focus on someone new. I find out everything about them that's completely different from the last and I focus on that."

Darcy smiled at me. "Well...you're a little shorter--"

"Oh come on!"

Darcy grabbed my hand again. "But you held me like he wouldn't. Your hand is warmer." She smiled down at me. "You're better at kissing...."

I turned away. "More practice...and Darcy, a bit much."

Darcy's face shot to a nervous frown. "Sorry."

I held my hand up. "It's alright. It's not easy, going from sixty to ten. Wasn't easy when I did it, won't be easy for him. Just takes time." I sighed loudly and looked out the window. "So...we're starting over?"

Darcy looked to me. "I think so. Slower this time, right?"

I nodded. "Aye. Well...I'll admit the hoof thing is growing on me." I lifted my hoof and slid it along her lower leg. "This is a bad habit...."

Darcy fought my hoof. "Better than smoking."

I ran my hand along my mouth. "So...friends, good friend--"

"Colt friend, filly friend."

I nodded. "So I have a favor to ask." I turned to Darcy and stood tall. "Can I ... can I brush your tail? Mane? Both?"

Darcy cocked her head and leaned back. "Uh, sure?"

I smiled. "None of my exs ever let me."

Darcy shrugged. "I know some ponies like that, it just depends I think. Or maybe its because of where they were from."

I looked down at Darcy's tail. "I don't know, nor do I care much. It's a bonding moment and its something they kept from me for too long." I turned to the door and went to get dressed. "Wait until I find out it's nothing special and they just didn't like me that much."

"Maybe. Oh and Glass, thanks."

I huffed and walked down out of Darcy's room. "Yes, alright. ... Thank you too...." I turned away from her room. "Really...thank you. I thought I was going to lose my friend for a bit there."

"Ha! You think breaking up would make me stop being your friend!?"

"No, I thought it would break your sick farmer telepathy! Sadly it seems to have only made it stronger!"

Wait...I said friend. I don't have friends. Do I? I looked back at Darcy's room. A change in a good direction if I do. Not sure if I'm ready for friendship commitments though. Talking is annoying. Next Chapter: Dream Estimated time remaining: 1 Hour, 16 Minutes