“Vinyl, that's very inappropriate of you. Just because others can't see what you wrote doesn't mean you should do it in public.” I glanced at my date sideways, a small smirk on my face as she grinned cheekily. So cute… “But hilarious none the less. So, Miss Vinyl Scratch, what do you do for fun? Besides telling rude jokes and playing your music, that is.”

Vinyl levitated her pen and pad up in her magic and speedily wrote something down.

Not much else besides that, honestly. My free time is spent either composing, practicing, or listening to other artists music for inspiration or recreation.

“Ah, yes, I find myself prone to that as well. Sometimes my inspiration runs dry and I need to listen to another artist to refresh, so to speak.” I smiled, sipping from my glass as we waited for our order to come.

Vinyl had taken me to a lovely restaurant, not one that I would expect her to have any connection to, but alas, she knew the owner and was able to get us a late notice reservation. The place was almost homely, lit with warm lights and candles, the enticing smell of freshly cooked meals wafting through the air. There was another scent in the air tonight, and I would bet all my bits that Vinyl was wearing a sweetly scented perfume. Just for me.

I sighed and smiled, staring at the lovely unicorn that I had only recently met. Something about her was so… entrancing. Her mane was still quite wild now, but compared to how it was when we first met, it was almost like controlled chaos. Every strand knew where it wanted to be, it just happened that it wanted to be crazy. Much to my delight, Vinyl had explained that her glasses were performance only apparel. I was sure that I would get used to seeing her in them, but Vinyl’s eyes were so strange yet wonderful that I found myself almost being pulled into them. I won't lie, I could probably do nothing but stare into them the whole night and be completely happy.

“Madames, your meals are ready.” I jumped slightly as I was broken from my reverie by the waiter. I smiled nervously at him and thanked him, embarrassed that I had been caught staring at Vinyl. As the waiter left, Vinyl slid a page over to me that she had written on.

Your eyes are very beautiful too, you know. Makes it that much easier to admire when you're staring into mine as well.

I blushed brightly and shoved the note under the table.

“I-I'm sorry, Vinyl, I did not mean to-” I was silenced with an alabaster hoof and a wide smile as Vinyl wrote another message.

Hey, stop apologizing. I liked it, your eyes are really pretty.

“Th-thanks.” I blushed again and futilely tried to hide it with my hooves. “Anyway,” I cleared my throat, eager to change subject. “I'm very glad that you asked me to dinner tonight. While it was still wrong of me to do, there is some upside to that kiss I forced on you. My meal also smells divine, so I suggest we pause our conversation and dine on our exquisite dinner.” I stated, smiling softly as I took a bite of my Ratatouille. Vinyl smiled and rolled her eyes, taking a bite of her own meal as she wrote a note.

Relax, Tavi. You don't need to think too hard tonight, just relax and enjoy yourself.

‘Tavi’?

“W-well, I just thought that I would make the b-best impression if I…” I trailed of as Vinyl gave me a smirk and a raised eyebrow. “F-Fine. I will relax a little.”

Good! You look a lot happier when you're not thinking so hard about what to say. I want to hear about you tonight, not a carefully tailored version of you. Flaws are one of the most important parts of being who you are. For example, I play my music too loud. I have problems letting ponies get to know me. I am messy and will leave my apartment a little bit too long before cleaning.

“Oh my, you're also quite honest about yourself, but I would hardly consider honesty a bad thing.” Vinyl shrugged and motioned toward me with a hoof, clearly insisting that I do the same thing she had done.

“I-I think one of my flaws would be admitting I have flaws to begin with.”

That's a start! Come on, I want to know the real Octavia.

“O-Okay, uh… I can be quite… neurotic, I guess. I don't like it when things don't go to plan and I tend to plan things quite meticulously. Tonight, this date, is really the first time I have done something without much planning beforehoof in quite some time. N-Not that I'm not enjoying myself, tonight is actually the most I've enjoyed myself in quite some time as well.” Vinyl smiled and nodded, engrossed in what I was saying. “I guess the other thing you mentioned is true too. I have a hard time relaxing, especially around those I am… Ahem, r-romantically interested in.” I whispered, my blush almost mirroring Vinyl’s in intensity.

“I-I think that's enough of how uptight a pony I am. I can see that while our faults are a part of who we are, the willpower we have to be good ponies despite our faults is what makes us strong.” I stated, eliciting a giggle from Vinyl and another note.

That sounded like a quote right out of an inspirational speech.

“A-actually, it sort of is. My father told me that before he passed away. I've tried my hardest to live by his words, but nopony’s perfect.” Vinyl nodded in agreement, taking another bite of our meal. We chatted idly as we ate, taking a few breaks to eat our food before it got cold in between subjects. Vinyl definitely seemed to live a very busy life, one that I would never be able to keep up with. Every night, she would DJ at the Rocking Horse, the club we had met at, and would go to sleep at two in the morning, only to wake up early the next day, do her daily errands, prepare for the night's work and still have enough time to fit in composition work and leisure in between. Her active lifestyle was hectic to say the least, but hearing about it made me begin to fantasize.

After a long night, Vinyl would come home, exhausted, and snuggle up next to me in bed. We would wake up early the next day together and we would spend the day talking and helping each other with our respective arts. I would stay at home and write, or go off to do my own performances, as Vinyl went to play her regular set at the Rocking Horse. I shook my head, realizing that I was daydreaming again and brought myself back to reality.

Yo Tavi, you in there? A note had been placed in front of me as I daydreamed. You look like you're off with the fairies again.

“Oh, um, sorry.” I giggled guiltily. “I don't know what's with me tonight. I'm not usually so… easily distracted.”

Were you thinking of me?

“No! I mean, yes, but… What I mean is-” I was interrupted again by Vinyls hoof but this time her smile was paired with a sheepish blush.

Please, don't stop.

I paused my reading and looked up at Vinyl who had gone back to her meal.

I've never felt this admired by somepony before, and seeing you clearly thinking of me, or even of us is amazing. It makes me feel all warm inside.

“Vinyl, you make me feel all warm inside. That's why I can't stop thinking about you.”

I probably would have said, and not just thought that, if I was as drunk as I was last night, but my nerves were holding me back. I looked between Vinyl and her note, trying to hide my smile, spurred on by my melting heart. I took a deep breath and opened my mouth.

“Vinyl, I don't know what's wrong with me. I can't stop… thinking about you. About us. I feel so warm, I could melt. I want to take you in my hooves and hold you, I want to tell you that everything will be alright and that I lo-” I stopped myself. Was this actually love…? Already? No, i-it can’t be, it was just an immense desire to be with her. “To tell you that I care about you.”

As I looked up to Vinyl, tears were suddenly dripping from her cheeks and a shocked expression covered her face.

“Hey, what's wrong?” I picked up a napkin and leant over to her, wiping the tears from her cheeks. “I-I'm sorry if I upset you, I just…” Vinyl shook her head, a soft smile now hinting on her lips.

Octavia, I have never felt more wanted in my entire life. I have never felt this happy, and you're the pony to make me like this. Thank you, with all the strength in my heart, thank you.

It was my turn to cry now and I wiped the tears away before they could form too visibly.

“Thank you, V-Vinyl.” I placed a hoof on hers and stared into her eyes again. Those bright, wonderful magenta orbs took ahold of me and didn't let go, and if I was being honest with myself, I didn't want it to let go. Ever.

“Madames, may I take your dishes away?” The waiter again stunned me with his appearance, shocking me out of my train of thought. I looked back at Vinyl and smiled as I reluctantly released her hoof to let the waiter do his job, but my eyes didn’t leave hers for a second.

With the rest of our meal finished, Vinyl offered to walk me home and I eagerly accepted. The start of our walk was mostly silent, the noises of the night being the only noises heard. We looked out into the night sky together as we walked and I let out a satisfied sigh.

Suddenly, Vinyl began to hum. It started off low and quiet, somewhat somber, yet I was immediately taken aback. It was beautiful. Every note was rich and precise, yet it flowed from her throat like warm honey, so sweet in my ears. My hooves no longer felt like they were walking on the gravel Ponyville road, but instead were walking on air. I gawked, my mouth almost reached the floor as I looked at Vinyl.

The moonlight was sifting through her mane, creating a beautiful effect that was hard to take my eyes from. There was a soft, subtle smile that graced her face and her eyes bounced the light of the full moon off of them. It was almost indescribable, the vision, no, the experience before me. As we reached the door to my home, her song ended, leaving my heart aflutter and my belly warm with adoration.

“Vinyl, that…” I said, stepping toward her. “That was incredible. Beautiful. I-I just assumed that because you were mute I wouldn't ever hear you, but that… that was the most enchanting thing I've ever heard. More than Beethooven, more than Bach. More than… anything” I took one more step, closing the distance between us almost completely. I placed an apprehensive hoof around her withers, my face as red as it had ever been as I looked into her eyes.

“That kiss I stole from you… had you ever been kissed before?” She slowly shook her head, glancing away from me for a second. “I know you said not to apologize to you, so I won't. Instead, I think I'll give you something. Something I should have never taken from you to begin with.” I brought my muzzle close to hers and whispered. “A real first kiss.” I closed the distance and pressed my lips against hers.

Immediately she let out a moan, not unlike her hum before in how beautiful and melodic it was. Her lips felt like a quiet symphony, so beautiful and yet so full of emotion. They were as soft as clouds and as sweet as honey, but somehow so subtle in their sensations. I prodded her lips with my tongue and they quickly parted, allowing me access to explore her fully. Our kiss intensified and Vinyl let out another moan, this one higher pitched than the other, yet equally beautiful. I never wanted to part with her, but I knew I must and I separated our lips, staring into her shocked, yet eager eyes.

“Move in with me.”

Her eyes opened even wider, shock and confusion crossing her expression.

“Tonight, when you had me list my flaws, it made me realize something. I plan everything, every second, every moment, almost every breath of my life is planned out, but tonight, the first night I did something unplanned, turned out to be the most amazing experience of my life. I want that again. I want to be reckless, to do something unplanned for once. I want… I want to be with you, Vinyl. I want to experience you every day. So… What do you say? Do you want to experience me too…?”

My answer was given with a kiss, deeper than any kiss I had ever experienced before. I only forced myself to separate us when I felt something drip onto my face. I opened my eyes, almost expecting to see rain dripping from above, but the night sky was clear. I glanced down to Vinyl and gasped when I saw her face, eyes red with tears and a shaky smile on her lips.

“Oh, Vinyl.” I giggled and smiled warmly at her. “Come on, let’s get inside.” I took her by the hoof and unlocked my door before leading her inside. I walked her over to the couch and sat her down before moving toward the kitchen.

“Would you like a cup of tea?” I asked her and she nodded, reaching for her pad.

White, one sugar please.

I nodded and trotted happily into the kitchen, putting the kettle on the stove to boil. I smiled to myself as I waited in the kitchen, reflecting on the past few minutes. Vinyl had kissed me. Vinyl had kissed me! It wasn’t my drunk self forcing it on her, nor my love drunk self, but she had kissed me back. It was… wonderful.

I was broken from my thoughts as I heard something coming from the living room. I walked over and peeked around the corner only to gasp as I saw Vinyl crying, her eyes red from tears.

“Vinyl, dear!” I trotted over to her and sat down. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

She looked at me and nodded slowly before pausing and shaking her head in defeat. I wrapped my hooves around her and pulled her close, lifting a hoof and brushing back her mane as she let her tears out into my coat. She eventually looked back toward me, the small amount of makeup that she did have on now smeared and dirty.

“Please, tell me what’s on your mind.”

She nervously lifted her writing pad and scratchily wrote her message to me, this one I read as she wrote it.

I’ve never felt so wanted, Octavia. I always focused so hard on my music that having a marefriend didn’t even cross my mind, and I didn’t even know what I was missing until I met you.

“Vinyl, if I have my way, and I know I will, I’ll never let you feel lonely again.” I smiled and held her tight. I reluctantly released myself from her hug as the kettle began to whistle from the kitchen. I quickly brewed our cups of tea and joined her on the couch once more. She hummed in satisfaction, which left a request teetering on the edge of my lips.

“V-Vinyl?” She looked up at me, now mostly free of her sorrowful look. “Could you… Hum for me again?”

A shy smile crossed her face and she nodded slowly before leaning her head on my shoulder. The haunting tones of her hum rung out through my quiet living room as we sat. I sipped my tea, letting my eyes droop as I slowly let myself completely relax in her hooves. I placed my tea on the coffee table and wrapped my hooves around Vinyl, letting her dulcet hum reverberate through my body. My eyes began to flutter and I felt sleep take a hold of me.