Salad woke up warm, but it was a different kind of warm than she was used to. Not the comfortable warmth of blankets she had spent the night under.

…she didn’t flinch or start when she remembered how they had all fallen asleep. She now noticed that breeze blowing through the top of her mane was Fluttershy’s breathing, as Salad’s head was nestled in the crook of the other mare’s neck. And her other ear was listening to Red’s heartbeat.

Am I getting used to this?

While the hugging had only happened twice, for a decent stretch of time both instances…

…She supposed it was ponies actually caring that she was getting used to. She wondered if she would start taking it for granted.

She did have Ivan, but he couldn’t really do this with her if he was involved with Cheerilee. And maybe there was the sibling thing, whatever.

…maybe she was reading too far into this. Maybe when she didn’t tell them she was done, they just didn’t let go. And they kind of fell asleep?

…do I ask?

The breath blowing through her mane changed it’s rhythm. Fluttershy was awake. Or maybe half asleep, as she squeezed Salad a little tighter. She wouldn’t normally do that, right?

…she squeezed back, unsure if she would get another opportunity like this.

“Good morning.” Shy whispered.

“…G’mornin’.” Red returned.

Huh... they're both awake? Why hasn't this stopped yet then?

“…yeah.” Salad said.

“…Ah think Ah may have overstayed mah welcome.” Red noted, his tone hinting at a sheepish smile on his face. Salad couldn’t see it. Even if her eyes were open, she’d just see a bunch of pegasus throat.

“It was… nice.” Fluttershy said, idly nuzzling Salad.

“…Is this what friends do?” Salad asked, wanting to get it out of the way before the butter mare gave her any more mixed signals.

“Not normally.” Red said, shifting his weight. His forelegs, wrapped around both mares, didn’t move. “Wanna make a habit o’ it?”

“…I don’t know.” Salad answered truthfully, thoughts reeling nowhere.

“The way ya apparently eye mah flank says otherw-ow.” Salad shifted a hoof to give him a good punch in the side. He totally deserved it.

“What about you, Shy? Shouldn’t you be… I dunno, hiding somewhere right now? This seems out of character.”

“Um… You…”

“Yeah?”

“You… make me feel…” Salad’s heart started to race, and she imagined imaginary background music swelling for what was about to be a confession of deep feelings.

“…assertive.”

“…Ah.” Heart rate dropped. Music stopped unexpectedly. Subconscious gave her an uneasy pat on the withers.

Better luck next time.

“…how’s that?”

“Um… I…”

“Might be that yer… kinda worse at this than she is." Big Mac supplied. "Don't hit me again."

Salad snorted back irritation. “Well that explains why you’re cuddling me. Wouldn’t Red make you nervous though?”

“…Normally. I think so… but… I didn’t…”

“Ah mighta took advantage o’ the situation.” Mac said, not ashamed at all.

“Wanted both of us? Shy’s probably met foxes less sly than that.”

“Ah’m holdin’ two, so there ya go.”

“Oh, flatterer.” Salad deadpanned as she tried to puzzle out why flattery was suddenly working. It never did before.

Might be because these two matter. Might also be because you’re wrapped up in a pair of wings, and a set of the most honest forelegs you’ve ever met.

…seriously he could probably buck a house in half.

“M-Macintosh, I-“ Shy stuttered and trailed off.

“Ah, there ya are. Knew it wouldn’t last forever. Should Ah let ya up?”

“U-um…”

“…Ah kinda like it like this. Ah won’t let go unless ya want me to.”

“…I, um… don’t… mind?”

“She wouldn’t.” Salad said. “I caught her saying your name in her sleep during the trip.”

“S-Salad!” She sounded scandalised. The only reason Salad said it though was because she knew the big stallion wouldn't react negatively.

“Now Ah feel flattered.”

“Suppose you would.” Salad said, finally getting together the will needed to do something that wasn’t more snuggling. “Let me up Shy, I’ll just get out of the way.”

“…um…” She didn’t let her go. Red didn’t move either.

“What makes ya think yer in the way?”

“…are you running?” Shy asked, and something in Salad froze at the question.

“…what-“

“You… what you said… that was mean.” She said. “Just… just saying that and leaving isn’t fair.”

“…figured you’d want to, you know, just keep the cuddle fest going. Maybe do something else, I dunno.” Shy stiffened, probably quite embarrassed at that point.

“Like what?” Red asked, and she could hear the joking tone in his voice.

“Use your imagination.” She growled. “You’re kind of… being obvious. Both of you are. Why are you making me stay when you two are fixing to make out or something? Need a chaperone?”

“Ah’ll let ya up if ya wanna go.” Red said, sounding serious.

“Cool. Let go.”

“Nnnope.”

“…what’s your game here?” Salad, to her credit, didn’t punch him again.

“Ya don’t wanna go.”

“…if you don’t let me-“

“Please don’t fight.” Shy said. “Macintosh, if she says-“

“Then why haven’t ya let go of her?” Shy’s protests immediately died as she tried to figure out why exactly she hadn’t. “Yer holdin’ her with yer wings. That’s a bit more personal than a regular hug.”

“How would you know?” Salad said. “Wasn’t too long ago you didn’t eve-“

“Ah took out a book at the library.” Red replied. “An’ you don’t get to talk if yer holdin’ her with yer wing.”

A moment of shock as she realized that yes, she was in fact doing just that. When did her wing get involved?

Feathers spread, trying to cover as much of Fluttershy as she could… when did she do that?

“…What’s your point?”

“Yer obviously fine with where ya are. Ya don’t wanna go. So I ain’t lettin’ go.”

“I said I do.”

“Yer lyin’.”

“How do you figure?”

“Mah special talent.” He said. Salad punched him again.

“Oof… alright, it’s cause yer still holdin’ Fluttershy after Ah brought it up.” Salad almost let go right there. She didn’t because that’d be like admitting her hoof was in the cookie jar. It wasn’t because Fluttershy was huggably soft.

He can read you like a book and he isn’t even looking at you.

Her subconscious wasn’t helping and needed to shut up.

The truth hurts, doesn’t it? This is what you get for letting this happen.

Red was beating around a bush, but Salad couldn’t pin down just which bush it was.

You know which one you’d like it to be.

That was about as likely as the rabbit not hating her.

“…what are you trying to do?”

“Ah’m barely sure mahself.” Red drawled. And Salad believed him.

“And you need me to do whatever it is?”

“Feels like lettin’ ya go like this is a mistake. Don’t ask me how.”

“W-why… do you want to go?” Shy asked. Salad felt her grip shake a little, as if she were contemplating whether holding on was right.

“…Am I in the way?”

“…I, um… if you were… would we be here?” Salad’s eyes finally opened, and she looked up at the other pegasus, eyes questioning in general.

“…what do you mean?”

“If… you were in the way, and you aren’t please don’t think that, then… wouldn’t Macintosh just… let you go? Or… Or would he have done that sooner? And then you would’ve got up and left.”

Fluttershy turned her head down and Salad found herself captivated. It took a moment to realize that there wasn’t a stare of any kind involved.

“Um… I’m here because I’d like to be. Macintosh… I don’t think he would’ve put us in this position if he didn’t want to be here too.”

“Nnnope.”

“And if it bothered you, you would just force your way up… right?”

“Y-yeah…”

“…what do you want?” Fluttershy asked. “I, um… I’d like…”

“If ya ask, ya might just get it.” Red said, and there was a chuckle in his voice. And Salad fell into thought, lowering her gaze and gently putting her head back into Fluttershy’s neck.

“…My…”

“Mm?” Fluttershy hummed. A gentle prompt.

And Salad, like she had been doing a lot lately, decided to take a risk.

“…Ivan’s not the reason my wing’s gone.” Fluttershy gasped, lightly. Red, who already had a general udnerstanding, simply waited.

“…it’s… my fault.”

“Ivan… what?” Shy sounded pretty lost, probably wondering where this had even come from. Salad pressed on.

“His special talent is combat. You both know that, right? We didn’t back then, but… it kind of makes sense now.”

“You don’t have to-“

“I do. You’re not giving me a lot of other options here. So shut up and let me talk.”

Fluttershy complied, holding Salad a little tighter. The scarred mare imagined that was her trying to apologize without saying anything. Either way, Salad still appreciated it.

“…I saw the first time Ivan got in a fight when we were in school. I was too young to fly, so I was still on the ground, since mom and Ivan didn’t have wings. I guess if I got older, I would’ve been sent to flight school for a few courses. I’m getting off track though…

“Ivan destroyed the colt who tried to take his lunch. Got in trouble for it, but Dad patted him on the shoulder and told him that sometimes fights just find a pony and there isn’t a lot to do about it except dig in your hooves and fight back if you can.

“…The second fight Ivan was in… he was protecting me from that same colt. That jerk decided to pick on Ivan’s little sister since he couldn’t beat Ivan. So Ivan nearly put him in the hospital. Ivan said later that he wanted to make sure that colt got the message. It… it was the first time I remember him not smiling at me. I was… young though. And stupid. Really stupid. I didn’t see my brother making sure I was safe. I saw an excuse to do whatever I wanted.

“I was sneaky about it. Most everypony knew who Ivan was after that second fight, and that I was his little sister. So I picked fights and if I couldn’t back my smack, I’d make it look like I was being bullied and call in my brother and he’d go kick in their teeth. It worked for a while. I was princess of the school. Then... well...

“One of the mares I was dealing with had an older brother too. This huge earth pony. Puberty made him a monster, and she called him in when I wouldn’t leave her alone. So he starts roughing me up and Ivan couldn’t hear me until I started really getting hurt.

“He tried to get him off me, but he got a good kick to the face and I’m pretty sure his mane hurt after that. I saw him get up shake the stars out of his eyes, and then I saw his horn glow and all I could think about was how satisfying it would be to watch this jerk get good and blasted off of me. Then everything hurt. And I think I passed out at some point.

“…Next thing I know, I'm in the hospital later. Ivan missed. I found out that… well you know what I found out. All I’ve got is a bit of a stump. I was told that I’d never fly. Mom cried. Dad looked like he wanted to bring down the building, or something. And… and Ivan…

“…I… I’ll never forget that look he gave me when he found out what he really did to me. It hadn’t really sunk in yet. The only think I really thought of was that I put that look on his face by being an idiot. I reached out my hooves and wanted to hug him, tell him everything was alright, but he ran out of the room.”

Salad paused a minute, and noticed that at some point, Fluttershy had started to cry. Even as she did though, her wings held tightly, and her hooves rubbed into Salad's back in a comforting way.

“I got out of the hospital later. I didn’t want to stay. I didn’t like the way the nurses were looking at me, I said. So they left Mom and Dad a set of directions to make sure I was cared for, since all the heavy work was already done by the time I woke up. I think some of them were glad I was leaving. Ivan was in his room. The door was locked. He said he didn’t want to talk to anypony, so we just kind of left him alone.

“I remember a couple days later, Dad had to use a key to get into his room, since he hadn’t been out to eat anything and stuff, and then he noticed his window had been left open and Ivan wasn’t anywhere to be found.

“He had the call out as soon as he could manage, but Ivan already had a head start, and we were in a big city, so there were all sorts of ways he could get out of the area. He told me a while ago that he stowed away on a ferry and just kept moving. Avoided the police and warders. Somehow managed to drop off the radar.

“…As soon as I was old enough, I told Mom and Dad I wanted to go out and drag his sorry flank home. They said I could if I could prove I could take care of myself. So… so Mom made sure I was fluent in Prench, since you know, that’s a good thing to know. I was already an awesome cook, and it’s really easy to find work doing that. As far as self defence, most bayonet styles needed two wings, so Mom and Dad both kind of worked together to teach me something unique. And I got a set of spiked shoes to help out.

“…some years later, here I am.”

“…why… I’m, I’m glad you told me, but…” Fluttershy asked with a sniff and a sob.

“How do you feel about Ivan?” Salad asked. “Tell me honestly.”

“…He’s… well…” Shy swallowed, and Salad started paying careful attention.

“…He… I think he’s the kind of pony who would run into a dangerous forest and nearly get petrified to save a bunch of fillies. I, um… think he’s a nice pony.”

“…Good.” Salad said.

“…um… why-“

“I can’t be with anypony who’d hate him for that.” Salad said. “Not even just friends.”

“O-oh…”

“…are you still crying?” Salad asked, when she looked up.

“A little…”

“…I don’t think I like making you cry.” Salad decided out loud. “Don’t let me do it again.”

“I’ll try.” Fluttershy replied, smiling just enough to convince Salad that the story might've been a good idea.

“And you. Red.”

“Eeyup?”

“You’re still a jackass.”

“Eeyup.”

Salad nodded, content, and lay her head back down on Red’s chest, nuzzling into Fluttershy’s throat.

“…S-so… what now?” the butter mare asked.

“Now I’m going to catch a little more sleep.” Salad said. “And then I’m going to wake up later, and wonder what the hay I just got myself into. You two probably want to do the same.”

“Eeyup.”

“That… sounds nice.” Fluttershy yawned, Salad could feel it. Red released his embrace just long enough to stretch out his limbs. Then he resumed holding the two of them, and it was almost like they had never awoken.

Wonder if Red thinks this makes him a pimp? Salad thought as she started to drift off.

…whatever. He’s probably just thanking his lucky stars or something.

Celestia knows why they’d want me in on this. They’re too good for me.

I’m… glad I didn’t meet them sooner. Probably wouldn’t have been able... to find him… if I had to leave them behind…

…should bake them something later… wanna keep ‘em…

…smell nice… wings’re soft… warm…