//------------------------------//
// Heartbeats 
// Story: With Heart and Sword 
// by FALG 
//------------------------------//

	"You didn't have to come with me Fluttershy" I affirmed.
"Oh but I wanted to, Flare; I couldn't let you deal alone with this." she said.
As a matter of fact, I was happy she was coming with me, I really liked her company.

The wagons of the train had 8 beds, four on each side (in a bunk bed style), but the other group that entered the train was in another wagon, so we had one wagon all for ourselves.
I left my things on a bed on the back-right side of the car, Fluttershy went to the back too but on the other side.

We talked for the most part of the trip, and after that I read a book I brought with myself, Fluttershy on the other hand started to watch through the window above her bed until she laid her head down for a nap.
I watched her napping for a while, she was so pretty, I was lucky to have the chance to date her.



Night arrived, and I left the book for a while. I looked through the window towards the stars.

Another thing I liked to do was star gazing, though in Canterlot it was hard because there was always light coming from the lamps in the street, which blocked the sight. So sometimes I went to the outskirts of Canterlot to get a good look at the night sky. I had a marefriend that loves the moon, but once we broke up I lost all hope of sharing time with somepony below that beautiful white sphere.

I took my gaze out of the window and looked at Fluttershy; she was still napping, and I couldn't help but smile after looking at her for a while.
When I looked to the night again she spoke:
"You like doing that, don't you?"
I looked at her again, and I noticed she was fully awake.
"Doing what?"
"Look at the night, you like doing that" she answered.
"Oh, yeah; it's something I like to do whenever I have the chance" I explained.
She got down from her bed and walked towards me.
"Mind if I join you?" she asked.
I patted the opposite side of my bed and she sat there, looking outside just like I did.

We kept silent for a while, my heart racing by the second, waiting for something (anything) to happen.
I looked her, she was still looking through the window, the light of the moon bathing her face. I stared at her for a while.
"Flare, stop looking at me so much" Fluttershy said with an embarrassed smile, looking away.
"Sorry, I couldn't help it" I said quickly, coming back to reality "it's just that you're too beautiful Fluttershy." I couldn't see clearly, but I believed that she blushed.
"You really think so?" she looked at me.
"I don't only think so" I said, she looked away. "You are beautiful."
She looked at me again, and kept staring me for another while. It was like time stopped whenever she looked into my eyes.

I wanted to say something, to say I liked her; but the words wouldn't come out properly, being only a silly mumbling. So I just shut up and looked away from her, trying to control the hard beating in my chest. Why couldn't I say just three words? Was it so hard to say "I like you"?
I closed my eyes forcibly, trying to focus in controlling my heartbeats.
And my neck felt something strange, something cold.

She was nuzzling me, she had such a tender touch I didn't want it to end. I couldn't help but turn my head towards her, and our snouts were at the distance of a hoof.

Maybe it wasn't necessary to say anything, it was pretty obvious anyway; but I still did it:
"Fluttershy, I... like you" I said in a whisper.
I think she already knew that by then, but she still replied in another whisper:
"I like you too, Flare"
When I wanted to realize what I did, I pecked her on the lips; I just reacted at her words, for the first occasion in my time with Fluttershy I didn't really mean to kiss her.
I turned back my face from hers, wondering if I messed up. But she didn't move a single bit.

So I took the chance.

I leaned in again, closed my eyes.

And finally kissed her.