"O-Oh!" Timber blushed, then stood straight up. "H-Hey, Twilight," he said as he put a hand behind his head. "H-How's it going?"
An awkward silence fell between the two as Twilight struggled to come up with something to say. She simply stood still, gazing into Timber's eyes as he patiently waited for an answer.
"I-It's going good... It's going good." Twilight glanced around frantically, looking for a subject to talk about. She noticed some nails next to Timber. "Do you need any help?"
Timber shook his head. "Nah, I'm good... but I wouldn't be opposed to you keeping me company." He gave Twilight a warm smile.
Twilight's heart skipped two beats. It felt like there was something different about him... like their mutually understood attraction to each other was a catalyst for deeper bonding!
Wow, that sounded painfully obvious when Twilight thought about it. And here she thought she'd mastered the art of interpersonal relationships. She shook her head rapidly, coming back to reality. "Yeah... I'd like that."
"I figured you would."
Twilight nodded, still feeling heat in her face. She watched intently as Timber hammered away at the dock. "So... how have you and Gloriosa managed to keep Camp Everfree in shape without help?"
"You'd be surprised how many times Glory and I have asked each other that same question," Timber said with a laugh. He looked around. "Though... we'll be needing to get some repairs done after everything that happened." He fell silent for a moment, then sighed heavily.
"Timber?" Twilight slowly walked forward, then sat next to him.
"It just..." Timber sighed. "It just feels like one thing after another, you know? Like I get one moment to rest, then something else happens!" He shook his head slowly as he covered it with a hand. "I didn't even think about all this until just now."
Twilight put a supportive hand on Timber's shoulder.
Timber's eyes widened momentarily at Twilight's touch. The softness of her hand put his mind at ease, despite the fact that his heart was racing.
"Timber," Twilight said softly. "Everything's going to be okay. You have an amazing and supportive sister. You also have me and my friends... and we'll do everything within our power to help you."
Timber stared at Twilight in awe. Her reassuring smile. The confident tone of her voice. His brain fizzled out for a few moments, then recalibrated itself quickly. "Thanks. That means a lot to me, Twilight."
"You're welcome," Twilight said, then widened her eyes and backed away, as though she had just broken through a spell that had been cast on her. She laughed nervously as she pulled at her hair. What had come over her? She was just talking to a guy she liked and treated him like a friend, why was she making such a big deal out of this??
Timber blinked in confusion at Twilight. He didn't know whether to be concerned or amused! "Uhhh, are you okay?"
Twilight laughed awkwardly. "O-Of course I'm okay," she said quickly. "W-Why wouldn't I be?"
"You seem to be acting a little strange."
Twilight made a sputtering noise. "Who, me?" She laughed awkwardly again. "Nothing strange here, just a normal teenage genius girl with magical powers!" She took her phone out of her pocket. "I-I think one of the girls needs me. Gotta go!"
Timber watched as Twilight pocketed her phone and ran off, then shrugged and went back to work. Smart types like himself and her were usually eccentric... yet he still couldn't help but wonder and worry about her a little. Eh, he'd have to give her some space so she could figure herself out.
Unable to help himself, Timber took one last look back, then really resumed his work on the bridge.
After getting some space between herself and Timber, Twilight looked back at the dock, then sighed. What had gotten into her back there? She put a hand to her chest, feeling her heart pound. This was not a feeling she was used to, and she didn't know whether or not she liked it...
Twilight shook her head rapidly. She needed a distraction. She sat down on the ground and closed her eyes, listening to the birds. Feeling the wind in her hair. She took a deep breath, then exhaled with a smile slowly forming.
Now that she felt calmer, Twilight stood up and dusted herself off. Did she dare even think about Timber again so soon at the risk of triggering another one of those... what even was that? It wasn't a panic attack, so she could cross that off of her mental list. She could definitely chalk it up to teenage hormones, but her sudden reaction seemed to suggest it was more than just that!
Twilight slowly shook her head. Now wasn't the time for introspection! She was going to spend this day relaxing and doing her own thing, just like everyone else! What that 'thing' was, she had no idea, but by the Universe, she would find out!
Okay, Twilight was overthinking this. She just needed to relax. That shouldn't be too hard... so why couldn't she freaking relax?! She let out a grunt of frustration. Was she just going to have meltdowns on a nigh-daily basis for the rest of her life?! She wouldn't wish that sort of thing on her worst enemy, even if she had one!
Twilight sagged, sighing heavily. There was only one thing left for her to do, and quite frankly, it was something she should have done sooner rather than later... she'd have to find one of her friends and have them talk to her. It's why she had them, after all!
Twilight found herself wondering how on earth she managed to calm herself after all this time as she walked around Camp Everfree. She stopped in her tracks, having spotted Fluttershy sitting on a rock, leaning forward as though she was watching someone or something intently.
Twilight raised an eyebrow and let her curiosity get the better of herself as she walked on over to where Fluttershy sat.