The sign rustled quietly as she slowly flipped it; displaying to the world that her lovely little shop was open for business. She sighed happily before trotting back to her place in the back. The various shelves, pieces of furniture, and other small odds and ends always made it difficult, but her well-practiced hooves ensured that she returned safely.
The store was ponyville’s only antique shop, and the mare was ponyville’s only antique dealer: Brass Bell. Taking her place behind the long oaken desk, she slowly levitated her tea towards her. Steam rose from the fragrant liquid; the scent of rose and daffodil coming through with the light green tea. She sipped quietly, taking great care not to disturb the innate peace that lay in the store.
- - -
“All right, you’re all set!”, she said cheerfully; handing a small paper-wrapped parcel to the pony before her. Her smile faded slightly as she watched the mare turn and trot out of the store. It was always so lonely; always so boring. Sure, antiques were something that never truly bored her, but she wished that somepony would stay and chat with her for once. She sighed heavily, retreating to the back room and flopping down on the fluffy couch inside.
“Oh, just for once I wish that something fun would happen here!”, she whined quietly to herself. She curled into a tight ball; nuzzling herself deeper into the cushions of the ancient couch. “Is that really too much to ask for?”. She choked down a sob; horribly depressed by the silence that hung over the store.
It was at that moment that she heard the familiar ‘ting’ of that bell on the store’s front door. She blinked herself to normal a few times; putting on a happy face and quickly trotting out to meet the customer. She fumbled slightly and tripped, sending herself face-first into the thick carpet below. “I’ll be right there...”, she croaked out; slowly rising to her hooves.
When Brass finally made her way to help the customer, she was greatly surprised at what she saw. A young unicorn stallion browsed through the shelves; taking careful attention not to so much as brush up against anything. His slim white frame seemed almost frail; his thick black mane sticking out in several different directions.
He turned to look at her; eyes shining brightly in the dim lighting. He smiled at her, showing her his perfect smile. She had to keep herself from swooning; the young stallion’s charm quickly catching her eye. She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d actually even talked to a male, let alone had any kind of romantic encounter with one.
She snapped out of her daze just in time to catch the last of his sentence; deciphering it into something along the lines of “something something comfy couch”. She held back her puzzled expression, instead following his hoof to the long futon that he was standing next to. She quickly went into overdrive; spilling the price, history, and condition of the piece in an incredibly awkward and faced paced manner. When all was said and done, she was left with an incredibly confused looking stallion. He chuckled a bit; his quiet voice shattering the silence.
“Y’know miss, I couldn’t happen to help but notice you staring. You’ve got really pretty eyes, you know...”. Oh goddesses, this one was young! He didn’t even know the first thing about flirting with a mare, and yet, something about him was just devilishly attractive. She felt herself blush at the young stallion’s childish remark; the blush growing even more intense after she realized it.
- - -
“...And that’s the story of why I’m here!”, the young stallion said rather excitedly. The pair had somehow made their way into the back room, and were now sipping tea and cuddling on her favorite ‘’comfy couch’. He had told her that his name was Ink, and that he was an artist who was travelling the countryside. Apparently, he had decided to set up in Ponyville for a short period of time, and was looking for some furniture to decorate his apparently empty home.
The pair had sat for what must have been hours, simply trading stories and talking to pass the time. When at last the pair had noticed that the sky was growing dark, she reluctantly rose from her seat. She watched Ink do the same, sighing quietly in the disappointment that had quickly settled over her. She watched Ink shake out his mane; subconsciously running a hoof through her own.
She finally decided to break the silence; her small voice cutting through the air. “Hey... uh... Ink..? Would you maybe... wanna stay with me tonight..?”. She put her head down, deciding quickly that she was going to be rejected. She felt a light hoof touch her back, and nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard him say:
“Sure Brass, that sounds fantastic, but do you mind If I take you to dinner first?”
She looked up at him with wide eyes; her enthusiasm practically oozing from her. “Yes! I’d like that very much!”. How long had it been since she had been on a date? How long had it been since a stallion had come home with her? ‘Too long’, was the only answer that she could come up with.
- - -
Dinner, while uneventful, was beneficial to both involved. Drinks were had, and after Ink slapped down a (Rather large) pile of bits, the pair quickly made their way across town; back to Brass’s home. Ink had little time to react or take in the scenery, instead finding a soft set of lips from the older mare upon his. He stopped her, putting a hoof to her chest and saying:
“You know... I’m only in town for the next two days... Let’s make the best of it...”
And so they did.