"Watch this!"
Eros' carefree voice carried over the wind as he dipped and dived, flexing the might and ability of his wings. Adelaide watched in amusement as he showed off his skill, pale eyes tracking him without a second thought. Eros, despite his size, was very adept at flying. He wasn’t gentle and quiet in the air like her relative Sabriel, but just as precise and purposeful. He also brought an energy that was loud and filled the space around him without actually being too loud - and there was something Adelaide really liked about that.
Adelaide, grounded without the blessing of wings, found comfort in the space Eros filled up and his bouts of showing off his gift of flight. She could turn her brain off and just watch. Life was so overwhelming, loud, nonsensical. Here however, watching Eros dive off the mountainside and have the time of his life, her mind was quiet. The mare knew her life was not complicated or hard by any means - she was surrounded by a large family where love was never in short supply. Her mother and father were not together but were amicably split, and her mother seemed to walk with an extra pep in her step lately as a crimson haired stallion had followed her to the family matriarch Cosette’s herd. Adelaide would not say it out loud, but he was handsome and she was quietly happy for her mother’s newfound happiness.
Adelaide mused quietly on the happiness of the mares in her family. The love story of Twilight and Cosette was one they all knew. Then there was the story of Cicely and Ian, and that of Noelle and Talion. Aunt Miranda, Great Grandma Cicely, and the matriarch Cosette were all expecting. Was true happiness found in love, or family? Adelaide chewed lightly on her lip, unsure of the road her thoughts were taking her down. It wasn’t that she was unhappy by any means, but all of the mares in her family were fairly young and mothers or about to be (with the exception of Theodora…. But the day Theo ever came around to kids the snow caps would melt for sure). She was lost in her thoughts, the world muted around her. Was she missing out by not putting herself out there? Was she losing valuable time?
“Hey – Addy, Addy you there?”
Pale eyes shot open to look up at the stallion standing beside her who curiously looked down at her. Eros laughed heartily, bumping her with his hoof when he saw the recognition register in her gaze. “I thought you were watching me but noooooooo, what’s going on in that pretty little head of yours?”
Eros and Adelaide had been friends since foalhood. She didn’t have a choice really - Eros pushed his way into her life like he did everything else. It was not unlike him to use the phrase “pretty little head”, but the words lingered in her head as she looked up at him. Was this supposed to be more? Were they supposed to be more? She furrowed her brows which only caused the stallion to look uncomfortable under her gaze. He shifted to shake it off, turning his eyes back to the open air he had left moments ago.
“You uh, you good?” The concern was obvious and felt heavy in the air, and Adelaide flushed obviously. She turned her head fully away, occupying her gaze on an overgrown weed.
“Y-yeah. Just uh….” She paused. She was never a good liar. She anxiously started kicking the weed softly, just enough to bend it back without snapping and allowing it to come back into place.
Eros, knowing Adelaide since foalhood, knew when Adelaide was uncomfortable and this was her usual sign. Not one to allow someone to bask in their discomfort, he stretched his wings and made an audible sigh of relief. “Now that was some good flying! You know after I got into that fight I never thought I’d fly again.” He sighed with exaggeration, quickly glancing at her to see if he grabbed her interest. He saw the slightest flicker of her ears towards him. Interest acquired.
“You were in a fight? When? How?” Adelaide asked him quietly, her head turning back to him. He saw the worry in her lavender eyes, but knew they wouldn’t be there for long. Once she learned he was playing around he would get a look of disappointment for sure, maybe a small laugh.
“Oh yeah - you see Mercutio and I got into it.”
“You and Mercutio? But isn’t he….” Adelaide couldn’t finish the thought. Their mutual friend Mercutio was a very beautiful, very loud, and very ostentatious flutter who was part of Eros’ “bro club”. He was very kind, but also was a lot to deal with. It was very hard for her to picture Mercutio actually throwing down.
“Bro, I know. He’s so small but he’s feisty as hell. Almost ripped out a feather…” Eros hung his head in fake shame, stealing a glance at the raven haired mare. Watching the realization dawn across her face that he was just messing around was settling in and he saw the slightest flicker of a smile. “Okay, for the record Mercutio can be a bit much but c’mon now you and I know who’d win in a fight.”
“Well he’s a Flutter, Eros! You could step on him….” Adelaide smiled softly, her voice shaking with a laugh betraying the concern she had felt earlier. She had genuinely felt concern for her friend. Her friend - right? That’s what this was? The weight of her previous thinking fell back on her, and her face visibly fell. She began to kick the weed again without thinking. She liked Eros, she liked being around him and with him. She liked how he called her pretty and made the world quiet until it was just them and her thoughts. Was this what love was supposed to be like? She always heard it was supposed to be butterflies, a strong feeling of desire and connection…. Is this what it was?
“On the topic of flutters, let me tell you about that infuriating mare, I ran into her again….” Eros rolled his head back in exaggeration. He began to tell her of the chocolate mare with golden wings. He had begun pacing back and forth as he talked animatedly about her. Adelaide watched his face, looking for the signs of exasperation he spoke of. She didn’t see them. Instead she saw a stallion talking excitedly about a mare and she couldn’t explain it, but she could feel the small smile and her lips cement into place, the crinkles of a true smile gone from her eyes. Was this jealousy? The feeling felt ugly. It was in exact opposition to the feeling she also felt of intrigue for the mare. It took a lot for Eros to take more than a competitive interest in someone else. He had a few close stallion friends - his “bros”, and her. She had recognized other mares lingering about but he never paid much mind to them or genuinely looked annoyed when they made their interests too obvious. Eros only wanted to enjoy life with his bros, go flying, and do nonsensical things for the stories and laughs. He didn’t entertain romance. So watching him talk about this mare, though he feigned annoyance…. It was different. Was he feeling butterflies?
“So anyway, long story long I need to check on her because she just kinda does her own thing and I don’t trust her to not get in trouble.”
“Why do you feel the need to check on her?” The words escaped Adelaide’s lips faster than she thought them. The words dripped with jealousy yet lacked bite.
Eros looked at Adelaide for a moment, not registering her uncomfort or the jealousy that tinged her voice. Why did he feel the need to check up on her? She was just so frustrating but she was also fun? She was also just fun to be around. Eros frowned as he thought, opening and closing his mouth as he tried to answer.
Adelaide, in an attempt to save face, bumped him slightly with her side as she began to walk around him in an attempt to herd him in the direction of home. “It’s because you’re such a good friend, of course! You must like her.” This time her smile did reach her eyes. If Eros was investing his time in someone then they were worth it. They were also worth her support. The jealousy she felt…. That would be explored another time when her world was quiet and her heartbeat wasn’t audible in her ears. She was sure she had hyped up the recent events in her life to mean more for her and her close companion.
Though she was comfortable with Eros and he made life easy and simple, she never felt the butterflies or the connection described to her about love. However, in the time he spoke about Dulcinea, she could see the affection in his eyes as much as he didn’t know he was showing it. She didn’t see him nod slowly as he came to acknowledge what this might all mean, but she did hear him swallow hard and try to clear his throat.
“Y-yeah! I am a good friend! And because I’m such a good friend I’m going to let you beat me back home!”
Adelaide laughed softly, walking ahead of him as Eros dragged behind her, lost in thought.
Eros' carefree voice carried over the wind as he dipped and dived, flexing the might and ability of his wings. Adelaide watched in amusement as he showed off his skill, pale eyes tracking him without a second thought. Eros, despite his size, was very adept at flying. He wasn’t gentle and quiet in the air like her relative Sabriel, but just as precise and purposeful. He also brought an energy that was loud and filled the space around him without actually being too loud - and there was something Adelaide really liked about that.
Adelaide, grounded without the blessing of wings, found comfort in the space Eros filled up and his bouts of showing off his gift of flight. She could turn her brain off and just watch. Life was so overwhelming, loud, nonsensical. Here however, watching Eros dive off the mountainside and have the time of his life, her mind was quiet. The mare knew her life was not complicated or hard by any means - she was surrounded by a large family where love was never in short supply. Her mother and father were not together but were amicably split, and her mother seemed to walk with an extra pep in her step lately as a crimson haired stallion had followed her to the family matriarch Cosette’s herd. Adelaide would not say it out loud, but he was handsome and she was quietly happy for her mother’s newfound happiness.
Adelaide mused quietly on the happiness of the mares in her family. The love story of Twilight and Cosette was one they all knew. Then there was the story of Cicely and Ian, and that of Noelle and Talion. Aunt Miranda, Great Grandma Cicely, and the matriarch Cosette were all expecting. Was true happiness found in love, or family? Adelaide chewed lightly on her lip, unsure of the road her thoughts were taking her down. It wasn’t that she was unhappy by any means, but all of the mares in her family were fairly young and mothers or about to be (with the exception of Theodora…. But the day Theo ever came around to kids the snow caps would melt for sure). She was lost in her thoughts, the world muted around her. Was she missing out by not putting herself out there? Was she losing valuable time?
“Hey – Addy, Addy you there?”
Pale eyes shot open to look up at the stallion standing beside her who curiously looked down at her. Eros laughed heartily, bumping her with his hoof when he saw the recognition register in her gaze. “I thought you were watching me but noooooooo, what’s going on in that pretty little head of yours?”
Eros and Adelaide had been friends since foalhood. She didn’t have a choice really - Eros pushed his way into her life like he did everything else. It was not unlike him to use the phrase “pretty little head”, but the words lingered in her head as she looked up at him. Was this supposed to be more? Were they supposed to be more? She furrowed her brows which only caused the stallion to look uncomfortable under her gaze. He shifted to shake it off, turning his eyes back to the open air he had left moments ago.
“You uh, you good?” The concern was obvious and felt heavy in the air, and Adelaide flushed obviously. She turned her head fully away, occupying her gaze on an overgrown weed.
“Y-yeah. Just uh….” She paused. She was never a good liar. She anxiously started kicking the weed softly, just enough to bend it back without snapping and allowing it to come back into place.
Eros, knowing Adelaide since foalhood, knew when Adelaide was uncomfortable and this was her usual sign. Not one to allow someone to bask in their discomfort, he stretched his wings and made an audible sigh of relief. “Now that was some good flying! You know after I got into that fight I never thought I’d fly again.” He sighed with exaggeration, quickly glancing at her to see if he grabbed her interest. He saw the slightest flicker of her ears towards him. Interest acquired.
“You were in a fight? When? How?” Adelaide asked him quietly, her head turning back to him. He saw the worry in her lavender eyes, but knew they wouldn’t be there for long. Once she learned he was playing around he would get a look of disappointment for sure, maybe a small laugh.
“Oh yeah - you see Mercutio and I got into it.”
“You and Mercutio? But isn’t he….” Adelaide couldn’t finish the thought. Their mutual friend Mercutio was a very beautiful, very loud, and very ostentatious flutter who was part of Eros’ “bro club”. He was very kind, but also was a lot to deal with. It was very hard for her to picture Mercutio actually throwing down.
“Bro, I know. He’s so small but he’s feisty as hell. Almost ripped out a feather…” Eros hung his head in fake shame, stealing a glance at the raven haired mare. Watching the realization dawn across her face that he was just messing around was settling in and he saw the slightest flicker of a smile. “Okay, for the record Mercutio can be a bit much but c’mon now you and I know who’d win in a fight.”
“Well he’s a Flutter, Eros! You could step on him….” Adelaide smiled softly, her voice shaking with a laugh betraying the concern she had felt earlier. She had genuinely felt concern for her friend. Her friend - right? That’s what this was? The weight of her previous thinking fell back on her, and her face visibly fell. She began to kick the weed again without thinking. She liked Eros, she liked being around him and with him. She liked how he called her pretty and made the world quiet until it was just them and her thoughts. Was this what love was supposed to be like? She always heard it was supposed to be butterflies, a strong feeling of desire and connection…. Is this what it was?
“On the topic of flutters, let me tell you about that infuriating mare, I ran into her again….” Eros rolled his head back in exaggeration. He began to tell her of the chocolate mare with golden wings. He had begun pacing back and forth as he talked animatedly about her. Adelaide watched his face, looking for the signs of exasperation he spoke of. She didn’t see them. Instead she saw a stallion talking excitedly about a mare and she couldn’t explain it, but she could feel the small smile and her lips cement into place, the crinkles of a true smile gone from her eyes. Was this jealousy? The feeling felt ugly. It was in exact opposition to the feeling she also felt of intrigue for the mare. It took a lot for Eros to take more than a competitive interest in someone else. He had a few close stallion friends - his “bros”, and her. She had recognized other mares lingering about but he never paid much mind to them or genuinely looked annoyed when they made their interests too obvious. Eros only wanted to enjoy life with his bros, go flying, and do nonsensical things for the stories and laughs. He didn’t entertain romance. So watching him talk about this mare, though he feigned annoyance…. It was different. Was he feeling butterflies?
“So anyway, long story long I need to check on her because she just kinda does her own thing and I don’t trust her to not get in trouble.”
“Why do you feel the need to check on her?” The words escaped Adelaide’s lips faster than she thought them. The words dripped with jealousy yet lacked bite.
Eros looked at Adelaide for a moment, not registering her uncomfort or the jealousy that tinged her voice. Why did he feel the need to check up on her? She was just so frustrating but she was also fun? She was also just fun to be around. Eros frowned as he thought, opening and closing his mouth as he tried to answer.
Adelaide, in an attempt to save face, bumped him slightly with her side as she began to walk around him in an attempt to herd him in the direction of home. “It’s because you’re such a good friend, of course! You must like her.” This time her smile did reach her eyes. If Eros was investing his time in someone then they were worth it. They were also worth her support. The jealousy she felt…. That would be explored another time when her world was quiet and her heartbeat wasn’t audible in her ears. She was sure she had hyped up the recent events in her life to mean more for her and her close companion.
Though she was comfortable with Eros and he made life easy and simple, she never felt the butterflies or the connection described to her about love. However, in the time he spoke about Dulcinea, she could see the affection in his eyes as much as he didn’t know he was showing it. She didn’t see him nod slowly as he came to acknowledge what this might all mean, but she did hear him swallow hard and try to clear his throat.
“Y-yeah! I am a good friend! And because I’m such a good friend I’m going to let you beat me back home!”
Adelaide laughed softly, walking ahead of him as Eros dragged behind her, lost in thought.