In The End? I Love You.

Little Talks

Starry woke the following day, blankets covering her back and tail, and it felt all too familiar to the lunacorn mare. She closed her eyes again, almost as soon as she had opened them, she didn't want to get up quite yet.

Despite her resolve not to think, her brain was flooded with the memories of the night before.

The thought of his wing lifting her chin, his warm lips on hers, the feeling of his fangs pressing against her own. The proximity of his chest near to her own and the look in his eyes when she stepped away from him. His eyes had been full of worry and concern had been written across his face.

Starry felt awful.

He had let her run away, his usual strength and sternness melting away when he saw how afraid she had been. It felt awful to be afraid of Stone River because she had no reason to fear him, not Stone. Stone had not hurt her, not made an advance until that moment, he had done nothing but be a friend to her.

And she had run away.

Starry buried her head under the blanket as Plaket greeted her with a 'Good Morning' and moved to the kitchen. Starry didn't answer. Besides everything with Stone, she had frustrated and ruined Plaket's evening with her marefriend, although Plaket had assured her the Koi didn't like spending the night in the complex. But that nagging guilt still sat in her stomach.

The lunacorn sighed as Plaket pat her on the back, set a plate next to her, and told her that she would be back before sundown after work. Starry could hear her friend move toward her fish tanks and then to the door. The sound of the locks opening and the pausing of hoof steps made Starry flinch.

"Is she here?"

Starry wanted to bury herself deeper into the blankets. 

He was here. Why was Stone here? What caused a stallion to find a mare when she ran? Starry couldn't know, but she could hide, and hiding was the best thing to do at the moment. Her ears pinned back against her head as she listened to the ponies.

"Stone-" Plaket's voice responded ", I- I don't think now is a good time."

Starry was grateful for that.

"Plaket-" Stone spoke in the stern voice he used on Hoverstep ", I need to make sure she's okay. She ran out like a timberwolf out of Tartarus."

Starry flinched, he hadn't stopped worrying about her, not even when she had left. The feeling sent shivers down her spine and along her tail, he didn't sound mad, but she couldn't guarantee it.

"Stone-" Plaket said firmly ", She needs time. She needs to breathe. And right now, she needs to think for herself."

"Plaket-" Stone repeated, his voice cracking as he spoke ", Please."

Starry felt tears jumping into her eyes, and she pulled the blanket farther over her head, trying to force the salty liquid from her. His voice was so raw and pained, worried and scared at the same time. 

It wasn't fair to leave him like that.

"If Starry wants to speak to you she will-" Plaket calmly continued ", I can't control that, but as her friend, I can support her choice."

"Plaket-" Starry finally spoke, causing both ponies to fall quiet ", I'm okay... I'll be out in a moment."

Starry heard hoof steps, a hoof lifted the blanket and Plaket's friendly face peered under at her. The lunacorn ignited her horn, casting a faint icy blue glow under the blanket so the mares could see each other better. Plaket's face was twisted with worry, her eyes cast soft with sympathy. 

"You don't have to right now-" Plaket whispered, " You can wait if you want to."

"No..." She muttered back, shaking her head ", I want to. I have to. It's not... It's not fair to him if I don't"

Plaket nodded and her eyes flitted back toward where Stone was standing, respectfully, still in the door.

"I can call off work if you want me here-"

"No-" Starry said with a shake of her head ", I'm okay."

Plaket nodded and let the blanket fall gently over Starry's head, the lunacorn mare closed her eyes as she heard the other mare walk back to the door. She heard the steps stop and then their speaking.

"Give her a few moments to wash up and come out," Plaket demanded of the older stallion ", She'll be out when she's ready."

"Of course-" Stone muttered back and the door closed behind Plaket's flank.

Starry took a deep breath and tossed the blanket from over her head and onto her back. She wiped her eyes with her hooves and stared up at the ceiling so she didn't start crying again. After what felt like forever, she started to stand, her legs wobbling under her.

Silly, she still felt silly.

Starry started to the restroom, flipping the faucet on and splashing cool water onto her face. Stone was waiting for her, he had come back for her despite how she had humiliated him, he had come for her.

He wanted to talk to her.

He wanted to make sure she was okay.

Starry dried her face on a hoof towel and set it on the counter. She would not cry, she steeled her nerves to that, she did not want to cry in front of Stone River. Crying in front of him felt like a confession of everything that she was and all the things she wanted to be. 

Perhaps she should tell him.

The idea sent a shiver through her again, it would be the right thing to do. Everything, she should tell him everything. Starry turned off the water running from the faucet and started back to the door, where she stood, frozen in place.

Open the door, she told herself, just... open the door.

But it was hard to do so, it took too long for her hoof to reach up and push the door open. She tipped her head down so that her eyes would not meet his, she wasn't ready to meet his eyes quite yet.

Warmth enveloped her, a strong wing wrapped around her shoulders and pulled her into a tight bearing hug that she didn't bother to try and escape from. Not that she wanted to escape, she had already tried running away, he had only come back for her.

He had come for her when no one else had.

Starry appreciated that.