Adagio stood with her hand on the doorknob. She remained that way for at least ten minutes, Fluttershy's ribbon tied in her hair like before, and, to her private annoyance, butterflies in her stomach.

Just go already, you big jellyfish!

Really having second thoughts here...

You have your usual hairband with you, so worst comes to worst, you can change at any time.

People will laugh at me for this!

It's just a little thing, maybe hardly anyone will even notice?

You know what else is a little thing? A 'cute' smile drawn on an otherwise striking full-body portrait.

But, the way they looked at me, that wasn't hatred or contempt, or even fear. Not quite mockery, either. It might be a little embarrassing, but, if it means at least a few people will be pleased to see me again, is it really so bad?

She did enjoy adoration, even the little taste of it she'd been getting in the form of those looks people were giving her. Opening the door, she stepped outside and quickly shut it behind her, immediately getting an idea of how Fluttershy must have felt in the nurse outfit. There was no one around at the moment, but she still felt almost naked.

Maybe this'll be easier if I think of it as streaking?

It made some kind of sense in her head, and if she were walking around naked, she knew there'd be no problem at all! Well, other than those pesky authorities and their decency laws, but for now, she'd just have to own this. Standing straight, she began to walk in her usual fashion, not letting herself forget that she was wearing a shiny, purple bow in her hair, lest she be surprised by it later, but not letting it get to her, either. She was Adagio Dazzle, and no accessory was going to get the better of her!

Unless it came with chains, maybe. Did Fluttershy feel the same? Food for thought.

Her thoughts having drifted to a few other things she was never going to be allowed to wear in school, Adagio found herself approaching Fluttershy on the bench before she knew it. She moved slowly, thinking that if she was going to experiment with cuteness today, it couldn't hurt to do something fun in the same spirit. Creeping up behind Fluttershy, she quickly reached around Fluttershy's head to cover her eyes with both hands.

"Guess who!"

There was a startled little squeak, but after a moment's silence, it sounded like Fluttershy was smiling. "Adagio?"

"Good guess!" Giggling, Adagio again vaulted over the bench rather than walking around to be seated, this time preferring to sit on the bench beside Fluttershy rather than on top of her. This time. "So, how are you?"

Fluttershy responded with a bright, happy grin. "I'm okay, thank you! Would you like a Fairy Flute?" To her immediate delight, Adagio responded with a puzzled expression.

"A... what?"

Quickly retrieving the long, thin, paper tubes from her backpack (finally), Fluttershy held them where Adagio could see. "They're basically just sugar, you tear off the top and pour it into your mouth." Her cheeks warmed. She was sure some part of that could have sounded dirty, but to her surprise, Adagio didn't comment on it, instead eyeing the stick she'd been handed.

"Just... tear off the top, drink the contents?"

"Uh-huh!" Fluttershy was having second thoughts about asking Pinkie Pie for samples of her experiments to share with Adagio, because the day she ran out of new, weird treats to show her was the day she might hardly ever get to see that wonderfully inquisitive expression of hers again. She watched in quiet anticipation as orange eyebrows lightly knitted, Adagio looking the stick over from a few different angles before lightly caressing the shaft with a fingertip, pinching the tip of the top (Oh, my...), and twisting it off. She made the most adorable little 'Hey, what's this?' face as she peeked into the hole to see the colorful grains inside! Shrugging, Adagio raised the tube to her lips, tilted her head back, and poured the contents into her mouth.

That's where things went wrong.

In an instant, Adagio's eyes widened as she dropped the sugar stick, clutching both hands to her throat and coughing up little clouds of the substance that now stuck in her windpipe. This, somehow, was worse than her cold, the painful convulsions bringing blinding tears to her eyes as she choked a few more breaths away. It seemed like it was just starting to clear up when she felt the sensation of being lifted into the air and hauled away, though she still couldn't see what was going on, or even feel much beyond her own continued coughing fits. Her ears, however, worked fine.

"Drink, quick!!"

With the sound of one of those little water fountains being triggered came from right in front of her face, Adagio managed to open one eye enough to see the stream. She leaned forward to wash out her mouth, the sugar mostly melting within seconds. Her throat was still a little sore, but she had at least regained herself enough to take stock of the situation. She was kneeling by a fountain up against a wall by the soccer field, only about twenty meters from the bench. To her left, Fluttershy lay panting in the grass, strands of pink hair plastered to her sweaty face.

Did she... carry me?

Ordinarily, there would have been a volley of comments to launch for this situation, but right now she wanted to say something else. "You alright, Sweetie?"

Still catching her breath, Fluttershy sat up. "I... should be asking... you that."

Smiling a little despite the situation, Adagio giggled. "I'm fine, thank you." Then, frowning, she drew a hand to her throat as tried to clear it, earning a few more coughs. "You know, other than how this keeps happening."

Feeling a little tug in her chest, Fluttershy frowned too. She remembered very clearly the look on Adagio's face when she said it.

"it wasn't enough that our voices were mutilated, but when I get a cold? It's mostly in the throat!"

With the sirens' vocal cords damaged, anything that affected the same area must have felt like insult to injury. Injury that would never heal, at that. She still didn't know how to even tip-toe in the direction of the subject to anyone that could help without the risk of hurt feelings and disaster. She could possibly have tried to get her hands on Sunset's journal without telling her, or even just going through the portal and searching high and low for Twilight, but both options made her feel like she'd be betraying the trust of her friends. A few ideas she could experiment with had occurred to her, but if they weren't guaranteed to work, the thought of getting the sirens' hopes up was still too painful to bear.

Adagio might tease me, sometimes viciously, but to dangle what she wants most in front of her only to snatch it away is something I'd never forgive myself for.

However, there was one thing she could think of that might at least make Adagio feel a little better right now. Before she could think twice about it, she brushed her hair back, leaned in, tilted her head a little, and kissed Adagio on the neck. This drew a tiny gasp and a bright blush, just like yesterday, but while Adagio looked embarrassed, she wore a very different expression from the last time Fluttershy tried to kiss it better; eyes wide and mouth drawn in a thin line.

"S-Sweetie...?"

The look made her a little uncomfortable, but she still smiled. "Uh... yes?"

"Tell me that was on purpose and you'll be going to class covered in grass stains."

Blink. "What?"

Raising an eyebrow, Adagio slowly rubbed the spot Fluttershy had kissed. "Is that a 'no'? There are certain connotations to kissing someone on th-"

Realization hit Fluttershy like a falling anvil, immediately setting her face on fire. "EEP!!"

Adagio chuckled, her usual smirk making its proud return. "Not on purpose, then. So I'm to understand that you're an accidental seductress?"

If she could control her legs, Fluttershy might have stuck her own face in front of the fountain just to cool off a little. "I-I-I, it, I d-didn't, I-I, that, k-k-ki, j-just-" Adagio's increasingly predatory look wasn't helping. "I-I'm, s-s-sorry, I only m-meant to-"

Letting out an airy little laugh, Adagio rested a hand on her shoulder. "Relax, Sweetie, I just wanted to make sure." As ever, her dear, sweet, gullible Fluttershy let the tension fall away from her shoulders, which was when Adagio moved in for the kill. She braced Fluttershy with both hands, which earned a startled squeak as Adagio leaned in close, her lips just barely touching Fluttereshy's neck. "Besides, this is how you do it!"

Hot breath on her bare skin was enough to make Fluttershy tremble by itself, but the sensation of that long, wet tongue sliding up and down her neck sent her brain spinning so fast it probably would have had its own pull. There were more little feelings as Adagio worked her lips, tongue, and teeth along Fluttershy's throat, but they all blended together into an incomprehensible blur, the skin on her neck becoming a pleasure center like she'd have never thought possible until her world melted into a lovely haze...

"...-eetie?"

Fluttershy blinked, finding Adagio and herself sitting on the bench, just like they were a few minutes ago. "Eh, I... what?"

Adagio smiled at her. "I said, 'so, how are you?'"

"W-what?!"

The smile didn't fade even as Adagio raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "A little out of sorts, I take it. Something on your mind this morning, Sweetie?"

Her mind lurched. Had all of that been a fantasy? Dreamt up with as little provocation as saying 'hello'? "Uh, I, bluh, humabuh-" Adagio's smile rapidly widened, quickly making the transition to snickering that she poorly hid behind one hand. "...What just happened?"

Adagio threw her head back and laughed, savoring every second of Fluttershy's utterly baffled expression. When she could speak clearly again, she did so with a particularly delighted smirk. "Just repaying a favor, Sweetie. You carried me and kissed my neck, I kissed your neck and carried you. Now we're even."

Assured that that really did happen, Fluttershy felt little tingles in several places, most of all her face. "Oh. Then, why did you pretend like-"

The sneakiest siren beamed. "Juuust for fun!"

Fluttershy pouted. "You're mean." Adagio laughed again, which Fluttershy joined despite herself. A minute later, however she frowned, remembering that because of her, Adagio had been choking a few minutes ago. "I'm, um, sorry about the Fairy Flute." This won her a mildly perplexed look. "I said you were supposed to drink it, but I should have been clearer by saying that you're supposed to let it melt in your mouth. I'm sorry."

Blinking as she played back the event in her memory, Adagio smiled a little. "Ohh, don't worry about it, not like this is the first time I've mishandled something you shared with me."

The Rainbooms' unofficial nurse wasn't quite satisfied. "But, you were choking, and you could have really been-" She was stopped by a quick, gentle kiss.

Adagio took advantage of the brief stunning effect this had. "Sweetie, I assure you, if I had died from candy, I would have come right back to life so I could die of embarrassment." This didn't quite erase the worried look she was getting, so she opted to adjust her approach, half-lidding her eyes. "Besides, I can think of much better ways to enjoy something like that..." Fluttershy tensed again, but didn't move as Adagio again closed in on her, resting her hands on the other girl's shoulders and unveiling her ideas in a sultry whisper. "Incorporating what we've learned today, I think I'd lay you down," she gently pushed Fluttershy backward, though not enough to push her over, "pour it in a line," she leaned in closer, breathing on Fluttershy's neck again, "lick it all off, and then-"

She was stopped by a long, high-pitched squeak-scream, which made her pull back enough to get a good look at Fluttershy's face. She was a pleasant shade of red, but with an utterly frazzled expression and tears in the corners of her eyes.

"I-I'm s-sorry, j-just, I, I can't, I can't-" Adagio pulled her into a hug, gently patting her back until the sniffles stopped. "I'm sorry," she eventually whispered, "that, that one is just... too intense for me."

Adagio giggled, but her voice was soothing. "That's fine. What have I always said, after all?"

Fluttershy giggled a little herself. "Too much." Then she frowned. "But, I want to accept you, to take whatever you can give me, so you won't feel like you have to hold back, especially after-"

"Shhh..." They hugged in silence for a moment, and when it was broken, it sounded like Adagio was smiling. "Don't worry, I actually had something in mind for this to make everything okay."

"Huh?"

The two pulled away, Adagio giving her a big smile. "How do you feel about a safeword?"

Blink. "W-what?"

Her expression unchanged, Adagio nodded. "A safeword, maybe something like-" She mimed writhing in place while hugging herself, even working an ecstatic tone into her voice. "Oh, harder, please!!"

Fluttershy burned red. "I, uh, d-don't think that would be a very good idea." Adagio just kept smiling. "B-because, w-wouldn't that get really confusing?" The smile turned devilish. "You know, because s-saying that would mean to keep doing it at the same time, s-so-"

"You didn't ask what a safeword is."

"What...?" And then it hit her like a two anvils, her pupils shrinking to pinpricks. "Oh, no."

"That makes me think you already knew..."

"No!"

"And if you already knew, you must have some... prior knowledge?"

Adagio was getting warmer, though not nearly as much as Fluttershy's face, which she immediately covered with both hands. "No!"

"But where, oh where could you have learned such things? I don't think they covered BDSM in your school's (rather bare-bones, if you ask me) Sex-Ed class."

"Nononononononono!"

"Sweetie?"

She whimpered, but Adagio's voice came again with a slightly demanding edge.

"Sweetie?"

Slowly, fearfully, Fluttershy peeked through her fingers, but was surprised to see Adagio giving her a soft, understanding smile, her tone equally gentle.

"Been doing a little research, Sweetie?"

"...M-maybe?"

"Before or after you met me?"

She retreated a little further into her own hair. "B... Before."

Adagio beamed. "Ooh, la-la~!" Fluttershy squeaked and hid her eyes again, drawing an amused little laugh before Adagio gently raised the trembling girl's head up with a finger under her chin, quickly reestablishing eye-contact. "Sweetie, all joking aside, I need to know when I'm going too far. If you know what it is, then you know what it's for, and that I'll stop the second you use it."

The surprisingly kind, nurturing tone brought her from burning alive to just slightly too warm, which helped her to form a reply. "...Just... j-just for some breathing room, until I can cool off a little?" Adagio nodded. "And, y-you won't..." She felt a little lump in her throat as she forced the words. "You won't get bored with me if I really can't take it? You won't just leave me one day?"

Adagio gave her the hungriest smirk she'd delivered in a while. "Just try and keep me away, Sweetie."

Her heart leapt, along with a lot more blood going straight up into her head and a surprised, girlish giggle rising in her throat. The mouth saying it might have been a little scary, but the sentiment was kind of flattering! Adagio was smiling patiently at her, likely still waiting for an answer. Well, Fluttershy had one! Smiling sheepishly, it was only her cheeks she was trying to cover now. "I... Okay!"

Adagio nodded affirmatively. "Good. You know, it's amazing that we're not actually talking about sex here!" That, she immediately learned, was in 'Too Much' territory as Fluttershy went a bright, glowing red, let out a strangled squeak, and fell over on the bench in a perfectly stiff fashion. Adagio chuckled. "I should probably get to work on that safeword now. Let's see..."

Adagio had had plenty of time to consider which syllables would best suit their purposes, but hadn't quite decided on what she wanted to go with before Fluttershy recovered and told her about what she heard from Sunset Shimmer about Flash Sentry. As Adagio had always suspected that was the case, she wasn't particularly bothered, reaffirming that if that was his way of saying 'leave me alone,' then she'd honor that wish, having continued to tease people at all because most of them never asked her to stop. Plus, with their recent agreement, it was kind of a moot point anyway. On that note...

"So, what did you think of my present, Sweetie?"

"Eep!"

"That good, huh?"

Fluttershy would have retreated behind her hair even if she didn't just involuntarily remember that picture, and she remembered it vividly. It was a close-up of Adagio's thighs, not so much that it was difficult to tell, but enough that those two pillars of firm muscle resting on the red fabric Fluttershy recognized as that of the heart-shaped bed were the central focus. It was a top-down shot, the camera apparently having been pointed straight down on her lap, because Adagio's thighs, the bedspread, and the floor of her room were all that could really be seen, along with part of a lower leg and a few toes of one foot. On the back of the picture, in pink cursive next to a kiss-mark, was a message:

Remember when you had your head in my lap? I do...

That picture had since found a home taped into her diary for safe keeping. She peeked out from her hair at a very satisfied-looking Adagio. "Th-that, m-my locker, I, I almost screamed when I saw that!"

Eyebrows were waggled. "You really liked it, then."

Flushing almost painfully red, Fluttershy retreated into her own locks again. "Not like that!!"

"You're certain? Because you wouldn't be the first to think of me while-"

"EEP!!"

Adagio chuckled. "Either way, I did tell you you'd be seeing more of me during the day, but..." The smile slowly slipped away. "If you'd rather I never did that again, I'll-" She was interrupted by a squeak she couldn't quite interpret, so she just waited quietly for the next attempt as one of those soft beautiful eyes peeked out at her.

"I, um... I k-kind of..." Letting most of her hair fall away revealed a shy, but earnest little smile. "I did like it. It was a nice picture, thank you." She wouldn't have minded a less risky means of receiving such a thing, but smuggling it out of school in her bag had made her feel like a pirate secretly transporting stolen gold! That being sneaky could excite her so much was terrifying all on its own.

Smiling herself, Adagio nodded once, indicating the bow tied in her hair. "I thought it was time I repaid your gift from a while back." She had thought Fluttershy was just being considerate or something by not commenting, but her eyes widening along with a huge, happy smile said that she just hadn't noticed her ribbon up to this point. The next thing she heard could only be described as a 'squee' before Fluttershy exploded.

"Omigoshyou'rewearingitIthoughtyou'dneverputitonagainbecauseyousaiditwasn'tyourstylebutIrespectfullydisagreebecauseitlooksreallygoodonyou!!" Beaming with delight that drew appreciative giggles from Adagio as she took in the admiration, Fluttershy leaned forward for a better look, tilting her head to see the bow nestled in all that fluffy hair from a few different angles and nearly bouncing in place with glee. "It even compliments your jumpsuit! I know it's not easy to see from the back, but neither was the spiked headband, and this just makes you look sooo cute! You were already pretty huggable with so much soft, fluffy hair, but now it's almost like it's out in the open for everyone to see!"

Drinking in the attention, the fluffiest siren couldn't help herself, giving Fluttershy a little smirk. "I'll take that to mean I look good, then?"

The dreamy little smile was what sold it. "Always."

Blinking once, Adagio giggled, just a hint of pink to her cheeks. "Good answer!" She was sure of it now; even if nobody else was likely to gush over her like this (Ooh, la-la~!), she wanted to try wearing the bow for the whole day.

"I mean it," Fluttershy said with an adoring gaze in those big, soft eyes, "you really are very pretty!"

Gnawing at her lower lip, Adagio struggled not to let the words go straight to her head. "Mmph... You're spoiling me, Sweetie."

There was an apologetic grin, but she'd been meaning to say this for too long. "You've probably heard this a thousand times, but you're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen, talked to, or heard about. From your toned body to your gorgeous eyes, you're lovely in every way from head to toe, all of it framed by your amazing, mango-scented hair! I know the first time didn't turn out all that well, but I'd be happy to draw you again any-no, every day of the week!"

Gah...! Adagio shook, hands lightly caressing her own sides as she hugged herself with an ecstatic look on her face. "I..." Never knew sweet-talk could feel this good! "S-sorry, can I... get a minute? It's... b-been a while..."

Giggling, Fluttershy nodded. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she noted that there was a time that kind of analysis would have had to have been dragged out of her, usually by an insistent Rarity, but today it was nearly automatic! Come to think of it, describing her bottom almost came on its own, too. Before she could dwell on that thought, she voiced another one. "But, um, i-if you don't mind me asking, what brought this on?" She was graced with Adagio's already-cute 'Huh?' face, magnified by the ribbon, when the siren shook off the daze, but Fluttershy controlled herself this time. "I mean, did something happen to your usual hairband, or...?"

"No I still have it, but you recall that I said your sketch might work to my advantage? Forgive me for exploiting your... artistry," she paused just long enough to admire the lovely shade of crimson her favorite classmate had turned, "but I shared those thoughts with the others and I owe them some results. As such, I thought I'd wear this today and see where it takes me. I was worried because any girl with a reasonably pretty face can be 'cute,' but being sexy is an artform." She smirked deviously. "You should know, Sweetie, you've been practicing."

She got even redder. "I-it, I d-do it bec-cause-"

Adagio held up a hand, giggling. "I know, I know, just making note of it."

Still blushing, Fluttershy let out a breath and smiled again, looking at the bow. "I think everyone'll like it."

"That's the hope." She closed the statement with a little wink while poking the tip of her tongue out, a measured gesture of cuteness. This might have snapped something in Fluttershy's head, because she immediately went rigid, gave a wide-eyed stare that Adagio had to consciously resist shrinking back from, and an even wider grin that kind of-

In a flash, Adagio was pushed onto her back and nestled into her own hair, squeezed in a hug that pinned her arms, and rapidly nuzzled cheek-to-cheek by a very energetic Fluttershy, who let out a variety of happy, but incomprehensible squeaks as Adagio wriggled in her grip, giggling uncontrollably under the cuddly assault. There was a lot she could have said about this not being the first time she recalled having Fluttershy on top of her and how she'd been furiously pulling at her clothes last time, but laughing made it difficult to enunciate these thoughts. And that's when she knew what word she wanted to use.

Adagio lay in Fluttershy's embrace until the cuddle frenzy died down, adding this instance to the list of possibilities that came with being pounced on. She quietly enjoyed the warmth of the moment until Fluttershy regained control of herself, very sheepishly got off of her, and backed away, retaking her seat on the bench.

"Haha, s-sorry," she said through a sheepish smile on a flushed face, "I, um, d-don't know what came over m-EEP!"

She was cut off by a sudden lip-lock, which Adagio held long enough to be sure Fluttershy wouldn't forget that she wasn't the only one capable of surprise attacks. It was during the happy-embarrassed daze that followed (a welcomed addition to Fluttershy Theater) that Adagio smiled. "Squirrel."

Red curtains drew back to reveal an adorably baffled expression. "Squ-... What?"

Adagio nodded. "I was trying to think of the most appropriate word for 'please stop', and I think that one fits nicely. 'Squirrel.'"

Fluttershy stared back in silence as the gears in her cute little head visibly turned. Something must have clicked into place, because she snorted, quickly slapping a hand to her own mouth to stifle her giggles. This quickly became muffling herself with both hands as she shook, tears building in her eyes.

Adagio turned faintly pink at the memory, but she figured the tiny embarrassment that came with it would only help to apply the brakes when necessary. However, Fluttershy seemed to notice this by the time she reigned in her laughter.

"I-I'm really sorry, it's just... Are... are you sure? I mean, I don't want to use that one if it makes you uncomfortable, and, what if we actually see a squirrel at some point, or-"

"Firstly," she interrupted with a little smirk, "I'm surprised you're already so bold as to hope for something outdoors, but if you've changed your mind about exhibitionism, I'll see what I can come up with." Silence was a dish best served in fluorescent pink, Adagio decided. She chuckled, but her smile turned sympathetic as she went on. "Second, yes, I'm sure. That incident is one of few times that, if it were as simple as saying 'stop,' I definitely would have wanted to, but couldn't. The plan is that remembering that helpless feeling will be all the motivation I could ever need to stop immediately. And, if this one ends up not working out, I'll come up with another one. Deal?"

Fluttershy smiled warmly. "Deal."

"Good!" Adagio rose to her feet. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go see how this-" she gestured to the bow, "-plays out. Take care, Sweetie." She took two steps, stopped, and turned back to face her. "Oh, and-" She leaned down to grab hold of Fluttershy's head, pulling her in for another kiss that left the two of them feeling a little warmer. When they broke, she smiled sincerely. "You're beautiful too, you know. Don't forget it."

A variety of feelings whirling around in her heart as her breath hitched, Fluttershy could only manage a shaky smile and a nod before Adagio patted her head and walked away.

She said I was beautiful.

She said I was beautiful!

She said I was beautiful!

In an actually-pretty-enjoyable bout of deja vu, she buried her pleasantly warm face in both hands and let out high-pitched shriek-giggles like she'd lost her mind, legs kicking uncontrollably for several seconds as she savored the sentiment from the prettiest girl she'd ever known.

Wait, a little voice in her head piped up as her mirth died down, what was that she said? "One of few times"? When has she felt helpless before? Would she be comfortable talking about it?

She looked in the direction Adagio had walked off to find her long gone. It was with a pang of sadness that Fluttershy realized she'd have to wait until later to be able to ask, because even if she could catch up to Adagio (wherever she went these mornings), classes would be starting soon.

Author's Notes:

I initially wrote Fluttershy's name as 'Sunset' a few times here. Whether it's a symptom of my burnt-out brain or a kind of Freudian slip, I'm not sure. Nowhere near being ready to update any of my Sundagio works, either. Beetlejuice.

Anyway, for those of you who didn't catch the blog post, sorry this one is late, but I haven't had tons of time for writing in the last couple of weeks. Will hopefully be able to make up for it in December.