//------------------------------// // Date and time // Story: It takes a village // by Sarcastic Brony //------------------------------// Anon takes notice of the time. Soon the other parents will be showing up with their kids but there’s just enough time for Faith and him to pick up Flint from his home. “Faith! You ready?” Anon calls as he dusts himself off and walks to the front door. She doesn’t answer and instead runs from her room, down the stairs, and by his side. “What did I say about running down the stairs?”  “Not to do it!” She answers with a smile. “You’re going to break your neck one day.” He says opening the door. “Lots of ponies say that about you, Daddy.” “For good reason. I know you may feel sturdy on two legs but it’s rather easy to fall.” Anon closes the door behind Faith as they walk down the street. “Especially considering your feet are hooves. One missed day of not clipping your nails and all that traction is gone.” Faith rolls her eyes. “It’s not that bad, Daddy. Look!” Anon watches as Faith prances a few steps and then does a pirouette with a surprising amount of grace. “Who is teaching you this stuff?” He asks confused. “I haven’t even told you about dancing from my world.” Faith smiles widely. “I’ve watched Sweetie Belle dance a few times and tried my best to mimic her. She dances on four legs but I think my version is better.” “That’s impressive,” Anon admits. “Still. I don’t want you to take unnecessary risks. So please, stop running down the stairs.” “Alright.” Anon knows perhaps he’s being too cautious but what parent doesn’t worry about their kids getting hurt? Either way, before they knew it they were at Ms.Mare’s home. Anon knocks on the door and it’s soon answered by Flint. He has a smile on his face when he sees Faith and not far behind is his mother. “Good day, Mary. Is Flint ready?” “He is.” Ms.Mare picks up Flint's saddlebag with her mouth and sets it onto his rump. “You make sure to stay out of trouble.” “I will.” Flint answers while walking over to Faith. “I hope it’s not too much trouble to take him to school. I already know I’m asking so much just by having you come and pick him up.” Mary looks guilty about it all. “Honestly, it’s no trouble. A good friend like Flint is always welcome in my home.” Anon says genuinely. “Faith is always happy to see him and she’s ecstatic knowing they’ll be walking to school together come Monday.” “Still, I just can’t help that I may be taking advantage of your kindness.” Mary rubs a foreleg over the other. “I certainly don’t see it that way.” Anon kneels a bit so he’s properly facing her. “Seriously, I know you’re tired. Take this time to recharge, I’m sure it’ll do wonders.” Mary gives a small smile. “Well, I can only hope my schedule agrees with your sentiment.” Anon chuckles. “True enough. See you around, Mary and goodnight.” “Goodnight, Anon.” Mary then turns to Flint. “Goodnight, Flint. Goodnight, Faith.” “Goodnight.” They say in unison. With a few waves, Anon and company make their way back home. Once the door is open, Faith is quick to drag Flint up to her room and Anon is left by his lonesome. At least he thought so until he heard something fall in the kitchen. “Ouch! Darn it!” Yeah, that sounded like Rainbow but why is she in the kitchen? “Rainbow?” She peeks her head into the hall and looks at Anon with a red face. “H-Hey. Um... So, don’t come into the kitchen yet. I’m getting things ready. I’ll be done once all the guests leave and the kids are upstairs.” “Alright.” Once again, Anon finds himself intrigued by what Rainbow has planned. So as she slinks back into the kitchen, Anon walks over to the living room and takes a seat in wait for the parents to arrive. It’s not too hard for him to guess what she’s doing in there, it is a kitchen after all and there is a faint aroma wafting about. It’s rather funny to him, as he’s always been the one to cook for Rainbow. So he’s interested in seeing what she can produce. A knock grabs Anon’s attention and he’s quick to answer the door. A small herd of parents with their children are waiting. He greets them one by one as their kids run up to join Faith. Each parent gives him thanks for putting together this party as well as giving them some time to themselves for the night. A few even offer various gifts as thanks. Anon is thankful and accepts them without question. Once the parents are on their way, Anon closes the door and heads upstairs. As he approaches Faith’s room he can already hear them chatting up a storm. He lightly knocks on the door before entering. “Alright, kids. The party official starts. You can make as much ruckus as you want until bedtime. I’ll be downstairs if you need me.” “See you later, Daddy!” “See you later, Faith.” Anon closes the door and heads downstairs. Entering the living room, Rainbow is already waiting for him. “You done?” Anon asks. “Of course. Are you ready for our date?” “Friends date.” Anon states. “We’ll see,” Rainbow mutters under her breath as she leads Anon into the kitchen. He’ll be honest. He wasn’t expecting this much effort from Rainbow. The entire kitchen’s atmosphere has been set to look like a fancy restaurant. Not only that but the mood lighting is romantic. Rainbow walks over to the table that’s set with a white cloth, moves one chair back before stepping back and gesturing over to the chair. Anon can’t fight the smirk on his face but he plays along and takes his seat. Rainbow sets a plate in front of him, then sets another across while she takes her seat. Looking down at his meal, Anon is surprised to see what appears to be steak. “Get a good look, Big guy. I had to pull some strings to get that.” Rainbow states cockily. “Is that so? It’s one thing to get your hands on red meat, it’s another entirely to prepare it. Did that string also give you some insight on that?” “Maybe. Either way, I’m sure it’s been ages since you’ve eaten a steak. If I recall, since you came to Equestria, right?” Anon scoffs, still smiling. “Be careful, Rainbow. Your head might explode from all that hot air.” “What can I say? We know a lot about one another.” Rainbow takes a bite of her salad. “Let’s be honest, we’re practically a couple.” “A couple of besties.” Anon shoots back to knock her down a peg. Rainbow feints pain as she rests a hoof on her barrel. “Ouch. No need to be so mean.” “I’m not too concerned about the welfare of your pride.” Anon takes another bite of his meal. “Though I can’t lie. You’ve done a great job. The steak is well made, considering you’ve never done it before.” Rainbow’s eyes light up. “Really?” “Yeah. I didn’t know you knew how to cook?” Rainbow rubs a hoof behind her head. “I’ve been practicing at home. You know, I thought it would be nice if I cooked for you from time to time.” “That so? It doesn’t have anything to do with being a better marefriend?” “It’s certainly a positive,” she admits with a sheepish grin. The conversation falls silent as the two enjoy their meals. Anon doesn’t have anything to say but he can tell just by looking at Rainbow that something is on her mind and it’s not difficult for him to figure out what that is. As he’s enjoying this and doesn’t want Rainbow to be bothered by her question, he decides to ease her thoughts. “You were right by the way.” Rainbow looks back up to Anon confused. “I had no idea what I was going to do tonight while the kids were having fun. I thought it’d be nice to spend some more time with you. That’s why I said yes.” “How do you always know what I’m thinking?” “As you said, we’ve known each other for quite some time. I’ve also gotten pretty good at spotting how a pony feels, not that you guys go out of your way to hide those emotions.” Rainbow rubs the back of her neck. “Dang it... You’re so honest it keeps throwing me off my game.” “It’s how I am. I enjoy your company, Rainbow. Even though you have feelings for me. I know it’s awkward for you but I appreciate everything you do. You’re always helping Faith or stopping by to check if things are working around the place.” “That stuff’s nothing. You’ve always cooked for me or carried me back home when I was too drunk.” Anon chuckles. “That’s what friends do. Even if one of those friends wants to be more.” A blush begins to creep onto Rainbow’s face. “Well, even if it’s not a date, I’m always free to hang out... If you’re feeling lonely.” “I wouldn’t want to make it a habit,” Anon smirks. “Either way, thank you for the fantastic evening, Rainbow.” While what Anon said before was true about them knowing one another well. He can’t deny that seeing Rainbow nervous is refreshing. Even now, she keeps locking eyes with him and then quickly looking away as she taps the tips of her forehooves together. “I-If you’re feeling so grateful, how about a kiss?” He can tell that she’s joking but even then there’s a small part of her that hopes he agrees. Anon takes a moment to look at all the effort she put into this date, the lights, table, and of course the food. It must've cost her a good amount of bits to import the red meat, even if she had a connection. Next to her being a Wonderbolt and hanging out with Faith, Anon’s never seen Rainbow put this much effort into anything. So while he knows this will only boost her ego to a level that has never been seen before. He feels it’s only right that he gives thanks to her. Without saying anything, Anon leans over the table and closes his eyes as he presses his lips against Rainbows. The kiss is a simple one but Anon does smile some as he feels Rainbow go stock still. He lingers for only a moment before pulling away. He can’t help his chuckle as he finds Rainbow frozen in place, her eyes wide and wings flared out. “Thank you, Rainbow.” Anon states before taking the last bite of his meal and moving his plate to the sink. “When you’re done taking a moment, I’ll be in the living room.” Rainbow is still frozen but nods slightly. Now that that’s over with. Anon decides to pull a random book from the shelf and read while Rainbow gets her senses back. When he takes his seat, Anon notices something odd... His heart is racing and his whole body feels lighter than before.  “That’s unexpected,” he whispers to himself before taking a moment to calm his nerves. He can only hope the slight ache creeping in will be gone by tomorrow.