The pot on the stove was open, filled with water nearly to the brim, the bright, blue flame beneath it flickering occasionally. One bubble floated lazily to the surface, followed by another, and then another...
The water was boiling by now, churning wisps of steam as the pot began to whistle, signalling Anon to unceremoniously dump the stiff pasta noodles in with an audible plop.
Now, by all standards, Anon was no cook. After all, a simple fried egg and some toast was probably the best thing that he could whip up on a short notice, and even then, there would always be a few burnt edges.
The noodles were sticking out of the sides of the pot, bending a little, as if clamoring to be in the hands of a better chef. Anon sighed, grabbing a pair of tongs and gently prodding the noodles into the boiling water.
Bend them, don't break them.
Or so went the advice of his grandmother when it came to making pasta. And, true enough, the pasta noodles were now completely submerged, allowing Anon to put the lid back on the pot and lower the heat to a simmer.
Leaning back against the counter, he wiped off some sweat that was forming in little beads on his brow, thinking over the rest of his plan.
Maybe inviting her over for lunch wasn't such a great idea.
Walking over to a chopping board, he began slicing the garlic cloves into very thin slices, placing them aside on a plate.
Or maybe taking Rarity's advice on acting on his growing feelings was the part where he went wrong.
He groped around for the bowl of greens, nervousness getting better of him as he shakily placed the bowl next to the chopping board.
Well, who could blame him? Chopping the parsley next, he went slowly, avoiding his fingers. She was everything that made living life amongst sapient equines worthwhile. Especially with everything he's been through.
She was a kind, caring friend. She always had something to say about a problem, and would stick it through with you, no matter what.
She was also smart. Like, crazy smart. Anon had trouble keeping up with her extensive knowledge in the fields of science, especially when she was explaining about the quantum differentials that opened the inter-dimensional gateway to Equus.
And boy, was that an experience.
But what did it? Anon absentmindedly tossed the garlic slices into a pan filled with olive oil, letting them brown lightly.
Was it the way she cared? Or the way she would ask him about his day whenever he would collapse on the couch from exhaustion? Or was it the way she would ramble on about a new book she was reading, captivating his attention and sparking interest with her round, violet eyes...?
And her blush. Gosh, she was cute when she blushed. The first time he saw her do so was when he complimented her at the Gala, the night when the shade of pink that her cheeks were flushed with became his favorite color.
Now, if only he had asked her for a dance...
No. Anon snapped himself back to reality. There's no use in daydreaming about what could've been.
Rarity had already told him off for that, chiding him gently after he had opened up to her,
"Darling, if you spend so much time in wistful thinking about your fantasies, then you actually distract yourself from trying to make them come true!" she had clucked disapprovingly.
"If you really want to win the mare over, then you must ACT! Show her that you want to be more than just good friends, be the stallion that absolutely sweeps her off her hooves!"
As if to prove her point, she had teetered back and forth in place with mild disdain before collapsing dramatically on a couch lying conveniently next to her.
She had picked herself up after that, trotting over to a nearby table and pulling out a sheet of paper with flourish. She levitated a quill over the surface, her loopy, elegant handwriting weaving in and out of the paper.
"Now, darling, this isn't a mare that you can simply woo with a trip to the opera, or a night at a posh diner..." her writing became erratic as she scribbled out a few notes on the paper.
"... No, I know Twilight, and I know for a fact that she loves things neat and simple—Yes, dear, I know she's a Princess, but she's still far more down-to-earth than most of us—and that gives you a better chance at winning her over..."
She smiled sweetly at him, levitating the paper into his hands.
"... You go invite Twilight over for a little bonding time, like a lunch, or perhaps a study date, I know she'd appreciate that. Just do anything that you know she'd like—Oh, what are you doing?... Ah! Ah~... A hug? Well I-I'm flattered, dear, and you're welcome, but now you must go, GO! Your mare needs you!... Hm? I'm being dramatic? Oh, pooh, you're the one being dramatic. Now be off!"
At this, she began to nudge him with her horn towards the exit of the boutique, calling out at his retreating back.
"Now remember, darling, keep it neat and casual! Aim for something simple—Yes, yes, that's it, darling, the simplicity, remember the simplicity!"
And so here Anon was, preparing for a date lunch he had no experience for prior, with barely a plan amidst frantic half-formed ideas revolving around ways that he could openly express his feelings for the alicorn without making a butt of himself.
BRRRIIINNNGG!!
The timer started to ring, warning Anon to switch off the fire and place the noodles in the strainer, emitting a loud hiss as they landed in with a plunkity-plunk, the water draining into the sink.
He sighed. It was going to be a long afternoon.
—Knock-knock!—
Anon jumped. He looked up at the clock hanging by the wall next to the living room: 10:37 AM.
She was early.
He looked back at the kitchen, where he had just finished tossing the noodles with the garlic, olive oil, parsley, salt and pepper, and the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
The dining table was all set up, a salmon-pink tablecloth complimenting the typical silverware. Two wine glasses were perched dutifully next to the plates, filled about halfway with orange juice.
Technically a breakfast/brunch beverage, but whatever.
Anon subconsciously felt around the fabric of his shirt. Nothing fancy, just a clean, ordinary shirt and a pair of fresh, brand-new shorts. Just the type of clothing that one would be seen wearing at home.
He walked over to the door, and with trembling hands, reached for the doorknob.
Swallowing his heart that was beating in his throat, he mustered up the willpower to grab the doorknob and, twisting it with a click, yanked it open.
There, standing in the doorway with a cheery smile on her face was none other than Twilight Sparkle.
He felt his insides do a flip-flop.
"Hi, Anon!" she beamed at him.
"I hope I'm not late, I had to pick up something on the way here. But here I am now!"
She brushed aside a portion of her dark purple mane that swept in her face before fidgeting around in place for a moment, awkwardly clearing her throat.
"How have you been?"
Come on, Anon, say something!
The speech that he had prepared prior was forgotten now, a deluded fantasy of graciously inviting her into his home while subtly turning on the charm.
"Well, I, uh... I'm fine! You know me, just here...trying to make ends meet," at this, Anon leaned against the doorframe in a desperate attempt at small talk. "Rarity needed an extra pair of hand—er...hooves at the boutique a week ago, and I've been working there during the morning shift, and uh, you know, things work out..."
"That's nice to hear!" she smiled cheerfully.
The awkward silence that followed was almost unbearable. Anon frantically searched the dusty corners of his mind for any kind of conversation topic: the weather...the new order of fabric that he was delivering...the draconequus tap-dancing behind Twilight holding up a scoreboard—wait a minute...
Twilight giggled, covering her muzzle with a hoof.
"Are you...going to invite me in, or are we going to stand out here talking?"
Snapping himself out of his daze, he stood aside to let her pass, stammering half-formed apologies.
"S-sorry! I was just—Well, you see I—"
He sighed.
"N-nevermind, come in."
She hesitantly walked into the living room, shooting Anon a bemused glance as she moved past him, her tail brushing by his shins in a ticklish motion that felt too deliberate to be accidental.
Before Anon could give it anymore thought, though, he realized that he was the only one left standing by the open doorway, and that Twilight—wait, where was Twilight?
The mare in question was standing by the sofa, lightly sniffing at the air.
"Mmmm! Smells delicious! What were you cooking?"
"Oh, you know, just a recipe I learned on a short notice... I hope you like pasta." he smiled sheepishly.
She smiled sweetly.
"That sounds nice, Anon, and honestly, I think it's...really...sweet of...you..."
She trailed off, her eyes wandering towards one end of the room. Whatever she saw silenced her, making her mouth wordlessly. Anon followed her gaze and realized that she had caught sight of the dining table in the other room, and instantly regretted using the pink tablecloth. It was far too suggestive.
A nervous laugh, and her eyes fell downwards as she pawed at the floor bashfully.
"... You didn't have to go through all the trouble to prepare all this..."
And there it was. That blush. That gosh-darned blush that set his insides squirming, giddy with delight that made him want to throw his arms around her in a tight embrace, or pepper her with the kisses that he longed to give her.
...or both.
"Oh, haha, it's no trouble at all, r-really!" his face was flushed, a faint tinge of pink creeping up his cheeks, "... It's just that, you've been a real great friend to me, and I thought I'd return the favor in some way... And it seemed like a great idea to have lunch with a special somep—*ahem* friend, a special friend."
Seized with a sudden gentlemanly urge, he held out his arm and smiled nervously.
"May I take your saddlebags?"
Her expression was quite unreadable, but from what Anon could tell, it was something quite akin to a smile.
She levitated her bags over to Anon, the magenta glow dissipating into the air as the bags fell into his outstretched arms.
Good grief, they were heavy.
"Oof! This is...a lot of stuff, Twilight." He smirked as he placed them down on the coffee table. "How you carry all these is beyond me."
"Oh, no, no, no, those are just stuff I picked up," she laughed. "... I stopped by Sugarcube Corner on the way, just to pick up a little something from Pinkie, but it took a while because...well, she threw a surprise party while I was there."
True enough, she used her magic to pick out a few pieces of confetti that were caught in the strands of her mane that Anon didn't notice a few minutes prior.
"Huh, must've been some party, what was the occasion?"
"Oh, you know Pinkie, every day is a reason to celebrate for her, especially the 'ordinarily amazerrific' ones." she giggled to herself.
"Not that I mind, I mean, the cake was nice."
Walking towards the dining room, Anon caught a glimpse of her expression, her usual cheery, bright demeanor carried with it a hint of tiredness, obvious from the eye bags that were on her face.
"Golly, Twilight, have you sleeping lately? You look tired enough to collapse on the spot."
At this, her ears drooped, before she unexpectedly burst out laughing.
Anon, still taken aback from her sudden shift in mood, only gaped in confusion.
"You...okay?"
"No, no, no, I'm fine! This week was just a little...stressful for me, is all. You have no idea how stuck-up those nobles can be when they have a complaint about something."
She gestured in the air in mild annoyance.
"... And by something I mean everything."
Anon clucked sympathetically.
"Oh no, royalty problems again?"
"Yes! I mean...you couldn't please those pompous, haughty excuses for royalty even if you had all the gems and bits in Equestria piled high in front of them!" she seethed.
Anon walked over to the pan, and, using a pair of tongs, scooped up a portion of pasta for them, placing them on the two plates by the counter.
"Sounds like you had quite a week... Well, we can talk about it over lunch, I'm sure it can help you relax a little."
She smiled, watching as he placed the plates of food in front of her, gesturing for her to dig in.
"Yes...let's."
They had been talking for hours now, well into the afternoon. Their plates lay forgotten, a few remnants of their meal strewn on the surface.
Twilight was just telling Anon about the Palace troubles, the latter laughing and giggling at every enunciation and exasperated outburst from the purple alicorn.
"...and then, Sir Cobalt starts another looooooonng rant about the 'horrid living conditions' of metropolitan areas in Canterlot, and about the 'seemingly uncivilized nature' of it's inhabitants," she sighed into her drink, rubbing her forehead with a hoof. "... I mean, I could've yelled right then and there, had it not been for my 'regal facade' to uphold. 'Hey, mister prim and proper, no one ever said you have to live here, just move out if the place isn't good enough for you!'"
Anon laughed.
"I know how that is."
She sighed, leaning back into her chair, seemingly embarrassed at her sudden outburst.
"Ah, well... Can't please everyone, can you? That's what makes living in Ponyville so special, we're content with what we have... That, and we have close bonds with our friends and kin that are borderline familial."
Anon nodded, enraptured with her manner of speech. All traces of his previous nervousness and anxiety were gone now, but who could blame him? She always set him at ease, especially when they would warm up to each other, unwinding from a long day trying to fill the roles that were simply too big for them.
This was most afternoons for them, back when Anon still lived with her at the castle. She would turn to him to vent whenever necessary, and he would lend a listening ear. She would open up about her fears, her doubts about ruling Equestria one day, about all her insecurities and shortcomings, and Anon would be her shoulder to cry on, her confidant.
Anon smiled. Yes, outside the house, she was Princess Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship, the Element of Magic, and he was Anonymous, the resident human, an alien to this world and an anomaly that baffled the most brilliant and renowned minds of their time, but when they were together? No, he was just Anon, and this was Twilight, Twi, Twiley-wiley? Ah, nicknames didn't matter. This was the alicorn that he learned to love, yes, love, the one that unknowingly caught his heart, and currently held it in between her lovely purple hooves, where he desperately hoped that she wouldn't break, as it was as fragile as a leaf blowing near the end of autumn.
And after that day... he fidgeted around uncomfortably. Dare he call her his?
"Hey, Anon...? Are you okay? You're spacing out a little..."
He snapped back to reality, where Twilight had just finished talking about her day and was now staring at him, her brow furrowed in concern.
"Do you need to talk?"
He sighed, before taking a deep breath, plucking up what little courage he had to boot.
"Listen...if you're not busy tomorrow...do you wanna do something together?"
Her face sparked with interest.
"Oh? What do you have in mind?"
Anon thought over the question.
"Well... I was hoping that we could spend time with each other... Maybe like..."
"Like?" she leaned in closer.
"L-like a...study night?" he smiled sheepishly.
"Oh." was all she said, sinking back into her chair with a look of...dejection...?
It must've been a trick of the light, because a few seconds after she merely shook her head, smiling brightly.
"Of course I don't mind! I'd love to spend more time with you... After all, I have to make time for all my friends, don't I?"
Anon didn't know why, but when the word "friends" was mentioned, he felt a pang of hurt deep inside him. The words sunk deep into his heart like a freshly-opened wound, gnawing at his insides.
He winced. She noticed.
"What's wrong?"
"Oh! Nothing... Just remembered something, that's all."
She didn't look convinced.
"You sure? And, if I may interject, I've noticed you've been acting...weird, lately."
"Oh? Do enlighten me." Despite his best attempts to appear nonchalant, that didn't stop a lone drop of sweat from forming on his brow.
Her ears drooped a little, her face scrunched up in an adorable thinking expression that Anon struggled not to squee on the spot.
"Oh, where to begin...mmm... Ah! Yes, last week."
She took a sip from her glass, gingerly placing it next to her plate.
"... We were helping Applejack bring in the apple harvest for the season, and for no reason at all, you insisted on carrying my share of the work."
"Hey! You can't blame me for trying to be a gentleman, can't you?"
She shook her head, smiling wryly.
"... Applejack said you fainted halfway back on your 4th trip."
That was true. And Anon couldn't come up with an excuse on the spot.
"... Well...uh..."
She nodded fervently.
"My point exactly."
"And, the day before the Gala, I stopped by here to tell you that you were invited." she continued.
Anon smiled nervously.
"And?"
"And when I told you that I already had a plus one for the event, you had this...odd look on your face, it almost looked like you were in pain."
He gave an involuntary shudder.
"... I left the house to prepare, but I came back because I left my saddlebags. I found you crying in the kitchen."
He smiled shakily.
"Ah, well...darn onions."
"... Onions." she repeated incredously.
He felt a wave of relief wash over him.
"Yes! The things make me bawl my eyes out—"
"You were chopping garlic."
"I-I'm allergic to garlic!" he blurted out.
She raised an eyebrow, clearly unamused. With a snort, she levitated her fork and lifted up a stray piece of garlic, waving it in front of Anon.
"You don't say." her voiced carried with it a hint of sarcasm.
"I- uh... Well....." he squirmed uncomfortably.
She placed her hoof on top of his hand, giving him a gentle, reassuring pat.
"... I really don't mean to make you feel uncomfortable, Anon, but...this concerns me more than the slightest."
She gazed sadly at him.
"... I do hope that you understand where I'm coming from... I really want to help, and to do that, I need to know exactly what's going on."
Taking his silence as agreement, she pressed on.
"Most recently, Rarity's been talking a lot about you..."
Anon looked up in alarm.
"W-what did she say?"
He was crossing his fingers that she had not mentioned anything...confidential.
She shook her head in confusion.
"Not anything that made sense, unfortunately. Just something about talking to you about unresolved problems, things that you don't tell me..."
"Just...be honest with me." Her tone was serious.
She leaned in closer, bright-eyed.
"Anon...a-am I...hurting you?" she choked, her voice cracking.
Now it was his turn to choke on his words.
"W-wha-?! Twilight! What—what could possibly make you think that??" he exclaimed in shock.
She shook her head, unfazed.
"You've been acting different around me, and we were never like this...we used to be really close..."
Anon was dumbfounded. And here he thought that he was the only one in pain, when all the while he was indirectly hurting his closest friend, without even knowing.
"Twilight...no. In fact, it's the complete opposite! You...make me feel like nobody else has...you made me feel like I actually matter! You care too much about me, maybe even too much for your own good..."
He smiled painfully at her.
"... You're far too special to me to be a burden, you've been nothing but a joy to have around... A-and you make me happy, Twilight...happier than I've been in years—"
She held up a hoof to silence him, smiling in bewilderment.
"Whoa, whoa, slow down, and hold that thought...I make you feel like nopony else has? I'm special to you? I make you...happy?"
She shook her head, clearly growing flustered at his words.
"Anon, I...what are you trying to say?"
He fell back into the chair, weariness getting the better of him.
"You...mean a lot to me, Twilight, more than you'll ever know."
She sunk back into her chair, trying to take in his words and make sense of them.
He could almost see the gears turning in her head, piecing together the obvious, putting two and two together...
The bashfulness...
The compliments...
The long hugs...
The split-second glances...
The time that he would spend with her organizing books in the library, despite the time being tight on his part...
The way he would shiver every time they would brush by each other in the slightest...
Realization dawned on her.
She leaned in, so close that Anon could trace and identify every little feature on her face, from the smallest crease to the way her lips parted, voice barely above a whisper.
"Anon...do you...do you like me?" her eyes shone.
A bird twittered in the distance, the sound loud in comparison to the silence that overtook the room. Anon could almost hear his own heartbeat pounding in his ears as he willed himself to avoid her stare.
"Hey."
Dare he look her in the eye?
He gasped as she reached over with another hoof and placed it under his chin, lifting up his head to meet her gaze.
"It's me. You know you can tell me anything." she spoke in hushed tones.
They locked eyes for a moment, Anon searching the deep pools of violet for any sign of distrust or deception.
He found none.
He hung his head in defeat, voice sullen and miserable.
"... Yes."
She blinked once. And, if Anon would look up, he would see that she was smiling. A tender, radiant smile of pure admiration that would tug at his heartstrings should he see it.
"Oh, Anon..." she cooed.
She leaned in closer, her expression melting into one of pure affection. He sunk further into the chair, willing himself to not meet her amorous gaze.
"This...wasn't supposed to be just an ordinary lunch, wasn't it?" her tone was timid.
He felt the heat rising to his face, tainting his cheeks with a crimson blush.
"... No."
She fell back into her chair, giggling madly.
"... And, I suppose that the same holds true for our little study night, doesn't it?"
He didn't respond, causing Twilight to titter in her fit of ecstasy, her smile broadening.
"Oh, Anon...this is, quite possibly, the sweetest thing you could've done... I-I'm flattered beyond words, really, and coming from you...this means the world to me."
Her smile faded upon noticing Anon.
"Hey, are you okay?"
His eyes were downcast, staring at the floor, his shoulders slumped, arms hanging limply to the side. His crestfallen expression was more than obvious, lip quivering and blinking back tears.
"Hey... Anon."
Please let her let him down gently.
The chair's legs scraped on the floor as she pulled herself closer, eyes not leaving Anon for one minute.
"If you don't mind me asking... What are you so worried about?"
No reply.
As if reading his mind, she pressed further.
"... That I'll turn you down? Hey, look at me."
He obliged, looking up with some effort to lock eyes with her.
She bit her lip, mulling over her next move.
"... Well, your fears are well-placed, I would have them too, had I been in your place..."
She smiled bashfully.
"... But let me put you at ease... If it makes you feel any better—"
Without warning, she leapt forward to press a gentle, bold kiss on Anon's cheek, nearly upsetting the pitcher of juice as she planted both her front hooves on the tabletop.
She pulled away with an audible smooch, edging herself back into her seat with her oh-so adorable blush painting her cheeks pink.
"—then my answer is yes."
Anon could only stutter in response.
"...Wha...I...you...what?"
She broke into another fit of giggles, her blush deepening.
"I've had a few hints, honestly... But I couldn't really be sure until today."
She smiled affectionately.
"... My answer, Anon, is yes. I'd love to go out with you. And you know what? I think this will be a great learning experience for me."
She placed her forehoof on Anon's open palm, which he clasped happily.
"Anon, I...I value our friendship as it is, but if getting closer with you and learning to love you for the kind of person you are takes more than just friendship, then I'm willing to give more than that."
She gripped his hand in turn, her tight grip surprising due to her lack of fingers.
"... To go beyond friendship is...something that I've never done before. But if I'd have to venture into these waters with anycreature special, then I'm glad that it was you." her smile spread wider.
The smile that he gave after that rivaled her own, a pure, wholesome smile that spread from ear-to ear.
"... Thank you, Twilight."
Another silence, but this one far sweeter than the previous one, the tense atmosphere replaced with a kind of relief, or perhaps a relaxed atmosphere as there were no secrets anymore, and all feelings were out in the open.
Twilight giggled to herself before tugging at her forehoof.
"Do you...plan on giving that back to me?"
"Oh! S-sorry, here you go..."
He quickly let go of her hoof, retracting his arm in embarrassment.
"So...what now?" he laughed sheepishly, drumming his fingers on the table and unsure of how to proceed now that they had the basic workings of a relationship blooming.
She tilted her head in question, batting her eyes suggestively, her voice low and inviting.
"I don't know...you tell me~"
Realizing that the next move was up to him, he quickly thought over the next part of his plan, at Rarity's suggestion.
"The most important part of a successful date, darling, is to invite the mare to another."
He looked directly at Twilight, who was waiting expectantly for his response, longing etched all over her face.
"So, uh...about tomorrow..." he began.
"Yes?" she leaned in, barely containing her excitement.
"That is, if you're up to it..."
"Yes??" Boy, she sure was excited. Enough to make Pinkie proud.
"Twilight Sparkle—" he paused, smiling lightly, "—will you do me the honor of b—"
"OhmygoshYESYESYES!!!" she practically screamed in her excitement, squealing as she tackled Anon in an unusually strong bear-hug, throwing her forehooves around his neck in her ecstasy.
"*oof*... Twilight...can't...breathe..." he managed to choke out.
"Oh, sorry!" she loosened her grip on his neck, panting as she stared into his eyes. "I was just...excited, that's all."
"Excited?" he raised an eyebrow.
"W-well, yes! You see, nopony really...asked me out before, I'm a bit of a small choice, after all, I'm not that attractive compared to other mares..."
Anon pressed a finger to her lips to silence her, smiling amusedly.
"... Now that I know for a fact is not true," he placed his hands on her waist, making her "Eep!" in surprise as he pulled her closer against him. "...you are a beautiful mare, Twilight, inside and out."
"Y-you really think so?"
"Would I be holding you like this if I thought otherwise?" to enunciate the point, he squeezed her a little tighter, making her shiver in delight. And, from the way she was pressed up against him, he could feel her heartbeat quicken, her breath coming out in short, shuddering gasps.
"N-no, I guess not." she squirmed around in the embrace to find a more comfortable position, before contenting herself to rest her head against Anon's chest while curling up her hind legs in a semi-sitting position on his lap.
They remained that way for a while, locked in an affectionate caress, while the sounds of the afternoon drifted lazily from the open window. A few fillies could be heard playing jump-rope somewhere up the street, amidst the sounds of carts being hauled along the bumpy road.
The clock's ticking could also be heard, a faint tick-tock that made great ambience for the quiet that filled the room, the face reading somewhere past 3:30.
"Oh my goodness, is it that time already?" Twilight craned her neck over Anon's shoulder to peer at the clock with worry.
"Do you...have someplace to be?" his tone was offhand as he tugged playfully at the tufts of her wing-feathers.
"Mm-hmm, meeting with the Princesses." she wriggled out of his grasp, taking care to inconspicuously nuzzle his cheek with her own as she slid off his form. "I hope you don't mind...we can talk more tomorrow."
She smiled bashfully, avoiding eye contact.
"... And I'm sure we have plenty to talk about."
Anon laughed weakly. "Yeah, we do."
Anon stood up, pushing the chair back. He placed a hand on her withers as he led her out of the room, earning a giggle from her. She plucked her saddlebags in the living room with her magic on the way out, levitating it over herself as she turned around to face Anon, standing in the doorway once again.
"So... I guess this is goodbye, then?" she inquired shyly.
"Well...until tomorrow, at least." he smirked. "I'll see you around, Twi."
She nodded, blushing.
"You too...and, uh, what time will you be over for our 'study night'?"
"Is around 7 PM okay with you?"
"Yeah! I finish my duties around an hour before then, and that should give me enough time to prepare."
Anon smiled warmly.
"Great! I'll see you then."
They both turned around to go their separate ways, before Twilight called back to the closing door.
"Oh, and Anon!"
He swung the door open again, smiling quizzically.
"Yeah?"
She flew in for another hug, this time parting more quickly, coy smile ever-present on her face.
"It's a date."
She trotted a little ways along the path, shooting Anon a flirtatious wink before flying off.
Anon walked back in the house, closing the door behind him with a click. There he stood, the corners of his mouth twitching, before breaking into full grin. He pumped a fist in the air.
"Yes!!"
As soon as she was sure that she was out of sight of the house, Twilight ducked behind a nearby tree, muttering to herself.
"Uuuuughh... what was I thinking? He probably thinks I'm weird now...'It's a date', come on, Twi, really?!"
She forcefully bumped her head near the base of the trunk, ignoring the sharp pain that shot from her forehead.
When she had opened up to Rarity about her little crush on the human, she had been quick to suggest that she let Anon make the first move. To 'take initiative', as she called it.
She sighed sadly. While it was painful to watch Anon struggle to get his feelings out in the open, it did warm her up considerably to know that he reciprocated her affections, and would like to take their relationship to a whole new level.
She winced. And then she had to get ahead of herself in her excitement. Great job, Twi.
She shook herself out of her disappointment, giggling as she took off again. No, there was no time for regrets. She had a date to plan.
Yes, a date! She, Twilight Sparkle, the awkward pony that she was, had a date! For the first time!
She nearly swooned mid-air. What kind of books would Anon like to read? Oh! Perhaps Equestria: A History would be a great way to start the evening, or maybe her guide on Griffon Trade and Commerce would make an excellent icebreaker as well!
Or maybe... she careened dangerously in the direction of a building, nearly scraping past the shingles on the roof. ...they could read a romance novel, cuddled up in warm blankets by the fire...
She swerved to avoid crashing into another building, flying a little lopsidedly in the direction of the castle.
Ah, well, it could wait. After all, she would have to take things nice and slow.
What was Rarity's advice again?
Oh, yeah.
... Keep it simple, darling, remember the simplicity.