The Snow on Her Cheek

Chapter Nine

I Don't Want To Set the World on Fire

***

"Vinyl, I'm home!" Octavia shouted as she entered her flat - their flat, flames of determination burning inside her. She had found a way for them to solve Vinyl's problem; all she had to do now was to explain everything to her marefriend, and apologise... and maybe they would have time to do... other stuff. Octavia blushed and looked around.

"Vinyl?" She trotted to the kitchen. Empty. She then proceeded to the bathroom, trying to overcome painful memories of what she had seen there. Empty. No sign of Vinyl anywhere. The grey mare's eyes widened in fear. What if she... What if she had left? What if she, Octavia, had offended her so much that the poor white mare had run away?

But something didn't seem right here. Something was out of place. All of Vinyl's things, still packed in their boxes, were in their places; all, except for...

Octavia ran towards the table, on which Vinyl's medi- Vinyl's drug stash had been lying. Now there was nothing but ashes there. Ashes... Did she... burn it?

Octavia pried about the room but found no other sign of any activity. She hadn't left a note; not a single trace of her departure. The grey mare felt an urge to sit down and cry; but she knew better than to give in to raw and unbased emotions. She needed to find Vinyl. She needed to apologise. And she needed to cure her.

With that in mind, Octavia took her scarf and rushed out of the flat, shutting the door behind her.

***

"Taaavi..."

The sombre streets of Manehattan lost their usual grey colour, turning white, making the unicorn almost invisible against the blanket of snow falling from the sky, covering the city whole. Vinyl was alone; she was so alone, without Octavia, with nopony around, without a dream in her heart, without a love of her own, as a song would've said.

No! I have a love and I must find it!

Vinyl groaned in pain and exhauston and took a few slow steps forward. She was cold; she felt withdrawal approaching; and, what was the worst, she had no idea where her lover had gone.

"Taaavi..." Vinyl's voice dropped to a whisper, for she no longer had power to maintain it. She felt her eyes closing. Maybe just a little sleep won't hurt...

She stopped, her head hung low, her body stiff and cold. The alluring softness of the white blanket of snow on the ground called out to her, and she lay down in content.  Yes, just a few minutes... A few minutes wouldn't hurt... She closed her eyes competely and exhaled, feeling darkness creeping towards her. In a moment, she would be sound asleep, without a care in the world, and-

"Vinyl!"

The unicorn felt something warm and fuzzy pressed against her, something wet and salty on her cheek, something- somepony! She opened her eyes, only to see a particular grey mare enveloping her neck with her hooves, crying into her cheek.

"I... *sob* *sob* thought you would... *sob* freeze to death..." Octavia mumbled, letting her tears stream freely: too much had happened; now she just needed to let go of it. Vinyl was here, alive.

"Taaavi..." the pianist whispered, trying to overcome her sleepiness. "You... found me." She yawned and tried to kiss the mare, but only placed a lazy smooch on her lips. "You still... love me..." She smiled and closed her eyes again.

"Of course I love you, you silly mare!" Octavia exclaimed, wrapping a scarf around Vinyl's neck. "Now, just let's get you home! Love, you're freezing! Vinyl? Vinyl, respond!"

But the pianist mare didn't notice it - she was already sound asleep, knowing that she loved, and was loved, and that love was enough to keep her warm, even if the weather tried to prove otherwise.

***

Vinyl opened her eyes. The room around her was slightly dark, which was either a sign of approaching dusk or dawn. She hoped for dawn, as she rolled over and saw Octavia lying next to her, on their sofa, in their flat; together, as it should be. Vinyl smiled and tugged the blanket beneath the grey mare; she, herself, was warm already. Not to wake up her lover, she tried to get up silently, avoiding touching the mare stealthily. Carefully considering each step, she walked towards the kitchen. Step by step... Step by step...  *Screech*

"Vinyl?"

You are so amazing, Vinyl. Soooo steathy. You are like a damn pony ninja from those cheap films! the white mare scolded herself and turned round.

"Tavi?"

The cellist left their bed immediately and rushed towards her pianist, embracing her, nuzzling her cheek affectionately.

"Vinyl, I'm so glad you're all right! I was worried for you! Why did you leave?!" she bombarded her marefriend with questions  and exclamatations, which, however, were mixed with kisses all about the white mare's neck.

"Tavi..." Vinyl sniffed, trying to hold the urge to cry, feeling a lump in her throat. "I thought..." She gulped. "I thought that you would leave me, 'cause I'm an addict and all... Like all other mares..." She felt her eyes watering and used a hoof to wipe off those tears.

Suddenly, she felt her head being turned around, held firm in place by a grey hoof, so that she was looking right into Octavia's bright eyes, which were filled with firmness and determination.

"Vinyl, do I look like other mares?" the cellist asked, not averting her gaze.

Vinyl didn't need any time to respond. "No," she said firmly. "You are special. You are the only mare I need in the whole world." She felt the lump in her throat grow bigger. "I love you, and know you love me... And nothing else matters."

That was the last drop in the ocean: no longer able to hold their feelings at bay, the two mares began to cry, muttering words of love to each other, they felt problems fade away, one by one.

Octavia sighed contentedly: her Vinyl was with her now; she'd found her; the beautiful white unicorn hadn't left her; she was just afraid; but now they were together, they loved each other, and Vinyl was so near, her hooves stroking her mane, neck... shoulders... fla- Oh my Celestia!

"Vinyl, dear..." Octvia half-said, half-moaned as Vinyl carried on massaging her flanks. "I... oh... have an issue to discuss with you... OH THAT WAS GOOD!"

"Mhm..." Vinyl kissed Octavia's shoulder, nudging her. "Does it involve sex?" she wondered in a sultry tone.

"Oh yes!" Octavia moaned in delight. "I mean, no! It's about your treatment!" she finally managed to let out.

Vinyl stopped abruptly. "Treatment?" Tavi, you really know how to kill the mood...

Octavia nodded, still panting. "I have reserved a ward for you in the clinic and-"

"I'm not going to hospital!" Vinyl exclaimed, crossing her hooves in a rather childish manner. "I've burned my stash; I'm cured; I'm fine!" She frowned.

"Vinyl, you know this is not true." Octavia sighed and put her hoof on the white mare's shoulder. "You need proper treatment. You need your addiction cured, both physically and psychologically." She pondered for a moment and smiled. "Will you do it?  For me?"

Vinyl groaned but very well knew that Octavia was right. Besides, she couldn't resist it when the grey mare asked her so nicely... But I can still have some fun! The pianist grinned, her red eyes flashing with excitement.

"All right, Tavi... I will." She moved her face closer to Octavia's and gave her a nibble on the ear. "I will. But only if we have some fun time tonight..." she whispered into her ear, her hot breath falling onto Octavia's skin, making the grey mare pant in arousal.

"Well, it's still only morning..." Octavia felt excitement outshine all other feelings that she possessed at the moment. "So we can have fun time after breakfast..." she whispered in a sexy voice..

"You bet, filly!" Vinyl exclaimed and ran off towards the kitchen. "C'm'ere! I want to get to the sex part as soon as we can!"

Octavia facehoofed at her marefriend's lack of subtlety and followed her, sitting down at table, while Vinyl was scavenging the fridge.

"Alrighty, some hay fries for you, Tavi..." Vinyl mumbled, not seeing Octavia nod; not that she needed to - she knew her marefriend's preferences by heart. In more than one way. Which made her think...

"Oh, too bad!" she exclaimed, hiding her smile, as she faced Octavia, trying to look upset. Poorly, she noticed.

"What's the matter, love?" Octavia wondered with genuine concern in her voice.

"Oh, nothing. Just..." Vinyl grinned, no longer able to hold her attitude. "There is something I'd like to taste... But it's not in the fridge." Seeing Octavia blush fiercely, Vinyl came closer to the mare. "In fact, it's right between your le-" Huh?

"Give me one good reason as to why I shouldn't shove this knife down your throat," Octavia said, her face bland, expressionless, her hoof playing with a kitchen knife. But the little fires of mockery in her eyes gave away the fact she was joking.

Vinyl chuckled. "Because I'm so sexy?"

Octavia groaned. "Believe me, Vinyl, if you keep acting like this, you'll make a slip in the public eventually..." She sighed. "And we'll end up in prison."

Prison... The police... THE POLICE! Vinyl's eyes widened in a sudden realisation.

"Tavi, we've got a problem..." she whispered.

"Vinyl, admitting you have a problem is the first step to-"

"No," Vinyl interrupted her. "Not that problem. If I want to give up buck..." She gulped, images of the sweet, ever-so-welcoming drug shifting in her mind. "I need to stop buying it. And that will piss off my dealer." She sighed and hung her head low.

"Vinyl, we can always address the police-" Octavia began but was once more interrupted by the white unicorn.

"No, Tavi. We cannot."

"And why is that?"

"Because my dealer is a police officer."

An uneasy silence fell upon the kitchen, interrupted only by the mares' breathing.

"We can't seek support of the police, Tavi." Vinyl sighed sadly. "I'm sorry."

To her surprise, the grey mare's lips formed a smile. Huh? What's she up to?

"If we can't rely on the police..." Octavia held a dramatic pause, happy to tease the pianist. "...We will turn to family. My family." She put her hooves on the table in determination. "They are an influential house, and I'm sure they will help us out."

"Oh?" Vinyl raised her brow in disbelief.

"I'm sure of it," Octavia repeated firmly. "Now..." She smirked at her marefriend. "Let's eat those hay fries and..." She winked. "Somepony was looking forward to a fun time, am I right?" She already felt turned on, tucking all other thoughts away.

Vinyl grinned immediately. They would think about problems later. Yes, the world could wait. As for now...

"You bet!"