“Alright Shining Armor, you can do this,” he said to himself, as he stared at the bathroom mirror in front of him.
“Mane cared for, check. Fur brushed, check. Breath good,” he paused and huffed onto his front hoof and took a quick sniff. He gagged at the smell of his own breath.
“Not good, not good.” he said as he scrambled for a breath freshener and began spraying it straight into his mouth. After several pumps, however, he started to cough and gag, "Why do older stallions like this stuff!?" he said as he grabbed his toothbrush and paste. He quickly squeezed a small amount of paste then vigorously began brushing his teeth with his magic, trying to get every corner of his mouth of the foul smell. After several minutes of delicate brushing and spitting out what’s after, he quickly rechecked himself once again.
For a moment he looked at himself in the mirror and for a moment he flashed a smile for the briefest of moments, only to slowly give a tired sigh.
“Am I going a little overboard with this?” he said to himself. He hung his head, looking down at the sink before him.
They did say she was interested in me, he thought as he remembered what his friends had said earlier in the day at school.
“She’s totally into you.”
“She’s the most popular pony in our whole class!”
“You won’t get a opportunity like this.”
He could recall them drowning on and on about it and how she was the one that wanted to go out with him. He played it off at first, thinking it was only teasing from his friends. However, the more he thought about it, the more reason he believed that all they said was true and that Cadence had taken an interest in him.
“Twilight, it’s almost bedtime!” Cadence voice was in the other room, making Shining Armor stir from his thoughts.
“Ah, can we do our greet again,” she asked, sounding between begging filly and a cute anticipated puppy. Cadence giggle could be heard in the other room.
“Of course.” She said, as Shining Armor finished up and headed out. He quickly stopped himself to peek around the corner to the living room. He saw both Cadence and his little sister Twilight dancing their little dance.
“Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake. Clap your hooves and do a little shake.” they both said in unison, and finished their little dance. They did this every time they were around and it made Shining Armor happy to see them form this bond. After the dance was over and after the two giggled together, Cadence picked up Twilight and placed her on her back. Her little sister gave a big yawn and hugged her sitter tightly, as Cadence climbed up the stairs.
Shining Armor watched her go up the final flight of stairs and he quickly went back behind the wall and took a deep breath.
“Alright Shining armor, you can do this,” he spoke to himself, and in the softest voice possible, “You are going straight up to her, ask her out, and if she says no then that will be the end of it.”
He paused for a moment as he uttered those last words, then shook his head promptly.
“You idiot, you do like her, if she says no then ask her again another time.” he said as he kept running through the different scenarios.
“I could give her flowers first and offer her some sweets I have in the fridge,” he gave another pause before shaking his head once again. “No that’s stupid, she seen the vase that was left on the table and probably given the sweets to Twily.” he said and thought up another solution.
“Maybe if I quickly go down the donut shop and get a dozen donuts from Donut Joe and bring along something to drink as well then-” He paused at the thought and quickly shook once again, “no she probably wouldn’t like sweets if it was late at night. Wait. Am I just second guessing myself?” he kept saying and confused as to what to say and do. He then placed a hoof onto his forehead and cringed slightly.
Oh boy my heads hurts from thinking about all of this, he thought to himself as his mind wandered again over how best to ask her. He didn’t know what to say or what proper way to tell her how he feels.
She is an alicorn, and he was a unicorn. How could he match up to her, let alone stand to be a pony that she finds worthy.
Maybe I’m overthinking this? He thought once again, lost in deep thought.
That is, until he heard the door shut above him and hooves walking along the hallway.
She’s coming! He panicked, going into the main living room and searching for a place to act natural. He went over to lean on the chair and expected to wait for her, then decided against it to lay himself on the couch. He then berated himself and began going from one place to another, just trying to find something that would seem natural, but every time he did so he made himself more of a clown. He found a small spot on the couch in front of the fireplace and he made a welcoming yet alluring pose. It didn’t last long when he could hear her footsteps reach the top of the stairs.
“Shining Armor? Are you down there?” she asked, her voice sounded heavenly. Panic coursing through him at how silly he looked he bolted for the kitchen. As soon as he was in the kitchen he stopped himself, only to slide on the tile floor. He gave a slight girlish scream before slamming himself onto the counter.
“Are you alright?” Cadence called out, wondering what had happened.
“I’m fine, I’m fine. Just getting something from the kitchen, “he called back, as he scrambled to set himself upright. As he did he heard her approaching and he turned just in time to see her descending down the last steps.
When he saw her his heart skipped a beat.
Cadence was moving down the stairs and every elegant step she made was that of an angel. Her body swayed from side to side appearing all the more regal to that of Princess Celestia herself. She is something all together and it just made his heart flutter at the sight of her. At the same time, nervousness also crawled its way into the back of his mind, and he began to wonder what to say to her, or where to even begin.
When she was in the living room and was picking up the toys to put away, she spoke up to him.
“Just got Twilight down for the night, that filly can be a hooful at times.” she put away the toys into the toy box and began folding the blankets and fluffing the pillows. She then gave a small chuckle as she settled the blankets in a stack, “still, can’t ignore how adorable she is when she’s around.” she said as she casually hummed the same tune that he heard from earlier.
Now’s the time, now more than ever, he thought as he cleared his throat to speak to her.
"Yeah, that’s Twilight for ya,” he said, yet in his mind he berated himself.
Stupid, you shouldn’t have gone with that, he thought as Cadence finished stacking the blankets onto the table.
“Your classes treating you well? I know that we're going to have a break soon.” she said as Shining Armor tried to redeem himself.
“School is going great, can’t wait for the break to start,”
Your an idiot, you're supposed to pop the question to her already! He scolded himself once again, uncertainty gripping at his heart as he was stumbling on his own words. As he tried to rethink the best way to speak to her about this, she noticed his agitation and she raised her head a little to speak to him.
“Are you alright, you look a little fidgety?” she asked, as sweat was pouring down the side of his head. His body had frozen on the spot, and yet he was ready to say what he wanted to say. “Shining Armor, are you alright?” she asked, her voice gentle and clear. He looked into her purple eyes, and they dazzled with beauty and with loving care. All she wanted to know was how he was feeling, and he felt in turn as well.
Sucking in his fear and anxiety, and breathing out the nervousness in his voice, he took a step forward and spoke his mind.
“Cadence. I’m okay. It’s just I have a tiny hypothetical-”
“Question? Please go ahead.” Cadence injected, making Shining Armor clear his throat and speak once again.
Only this time, he spoke with more confidence in his heart.
“How would you approach somepony who would make your life the happiest of any pony in all of Equestria?”
Cadence’s eyes widened for a brief moment, taking in the heart felt words in. She blinked once, then twice, as she stared at the stallion before her. An eyebrow lowered on one side and she gave a small questioning look, but it didn’t seem to faze him.
He already felt in his heart that he screwed up.
That was not how I wanted to go with this. He thought as he lowered his ears and looked away. He turned around to leave.
Only to feel a slight tug on his tail.
Shining Armor fell back onto his haunches and onto the tile floor. He looked behind and saw the magical aura around his tail. He then looked at Cadence and saw a small smirk on her face. The next thing he knew he was being dragged by the tail towards her and was soon floating in the living room.
“Lets snuggle.” she simply said.
“Be gentle.” he replied, apprehension in his voice.
Shining Armor soon found himself sitting at a angle on the couch and was staring right at the fire pit, which was recently lit by Cadence. He felt the aura disappear and he focused his attention on Cadence. She went onto the couch and sat right next to him. His heart beat race as she sidled up to him. Her left wing draped over his back and he stiffened by the contact. He wasn't sure how to respond. Cadence noticed this and gave a small chuckle.
“Just relax, Shining Armor, and take a deep breath.” she said calmly, as he did what he was told. His body relaxed somewhat, and he breathed in deep breaths as she eased into him. Her head was cradled underneath his neck and her body pressed on his side. His heart skipped a beat but his breathing remained the same.
He was actually doing it, he was actually snuggling up with Cadence and his mind was a flurry of emotion. He was happy and scared, excited and worried. He didn’t know what to make of it. As his mind wandered over the possibilities, he felt her nuzzle onto his neck.
“You know, Shining, I’ve actually been waiting for you to say that to me for some time now,” she said as she remained where she was. Shining Armor eyed her for a brief moment, sensing that she somehow new this was going to happen. Thinking for a brief moment, a small smile spread across his face as he gave a reply.
“I guess all I needed was a little confidence.” he replied, knowing his answer was all along.
“I was going to say courage but that would be fine.” she said as she gave another infectious chuckle. Shining Armor couldn’t help it and he to chuckled along with her. The two laughed and both were content in sharing in their happiness. Shining Armor nuzzled back and his heart felt a flutter as he learned a valuable lesson.
When it comes to asking out a pony out, all you need is just a little courage.
As the two settled their for the night, a soft giggle could be heard at the top of the stairs, prompting the two to cast their gaze to a small filly, bearing a sheepish grin.
“Aren’t you two going to kiss?” Twilight asked.
“Go to bed Twily!” the newly made couple said in unison.