The Snow on Her Cheek

The tea was getting cold.

Their second winter in Los Pegasus had proved that Manehattan winters, if actually colder, were still more bearable. The climate required getting used to, and Vinyl and Octavia were doing their best to do just that.

Like closing the window, for example.

Vinyl placed herself on the chair again, shivering a little. "Remind me to never open a window in winter." She breathed on her hooves. "Ever again."

Lyra barked with laughter, receiving a harsh stare from her wife. "You call that cold, Vinyl?" She chuckled a little louder. "You've just never been in Ponyville in winter, that's it."

Octavia frowned at the mint mare. "Lyra, would you tone down a bit? You'll wake up Glissando." She glanced at the cradle in the faraway corner with a smile, a little filly sleeping inside, tucked neatly in warm, cosy blankets. Our little filly~ Octavia cooed mentally, gazing lovingly at her wife, who seemed to be having trouble wiping jam off her chin.

The white unicorn met her mare's eyes. "What?" She raised her brow. "I have something on my face? I mean, I do, but-"

The cellist silenced her pianist with a soft kiss on the lips. Lyra made an 'aww' sound. "Do you know just how much I love you, you silly mare?" Octavia nuzzled the white cheek caringly.

"Aww, Bonnie, can we make out too?" Lyra asked her mare, only to get a firm, "No."

"Anyway," Vinyl said after succeeding in her jam-purging attempt. "How did you two meet anyway?" She took a sip of her tea. "You never told us."

"Vinyl, it isn't polite," Octavia immediately chided.

"Nah, that's all right." Lyra waved her hoof, glancing at Bon-Bon, who gave a confirming nod. "We've known each other for a while, and you told us your story. Only fair for us to share ours. After all, what are winter evenings for if not sharing stories?" For a moment, the lyrist just stared out of the window, watching the lazy snowflakes descend from the sky regally - an obvious contrast to the East-coast snowstorms.

Vinyl placed her head on her hooves, eager to listen. Octavia took a sip of her tea. Bon-Bon placed a hoof on her mare's shoulder, giving her a kind, supportive smile.

"If we start from the very beginning..." Lyra's eyes were still drawn to the outside, her tone taking an unusual, sombre tone. It seemed as if she were looking straight into the past. Her past. Her wife's past.

"It was a cold winter day..."