//------------------------------// // Let’s Count Them My Dears // Story: All the Ways to Love // by Snow Quill //------------------------------// The living room was dark, curtains drawn and lights turned off as three mares cuddled on a couch, their eyes glued to the tv screen across from them. Movie night was a weekly tradition and this time it was Sweetie Belle’s turn with one of her favorite rom coms - When Berry Met Cherry.  Scootaloo groaned as she threw popcorn at the screen, “Oh come on just kiss already!” Sweetie caught the projected puffs in her magic and tossed them in her mouth, throwing a glare over at Scootaloo for daring to waste good food. Apple Bloom, who sat in the middle, seemed to have the same idea as she shifted the popcorn bowl away from the pegasus’s blindly grasping hooves.  “Wha- Hey! I wasn’t done booing the movie.” “Well I’m tired of you wasting good popcorn. Apple Bloom spends a lot of time making it perfect only for you to throw half the bowl on the ground when it’s my turn to pick a movie.” “Well it’s only cause you always pick gross romantic movies. I wanna see some action!” Sweetie rolled her eyes, “Well it’s your turn next week so-” “Are you two just about done? I’m trying to watch the movie.” Sweetie and Scootaloo looked at the slightly irritated Apple Bloom situated between them and started to giggle. Sweetie nuzzled Applebloom’s cheek and grinned at Scootaloo with a look that said, see? Someone likes my taste in movies.  Scootaloo stuck out her tongue in retaliation before huffily turning back to the movie, though she did have a small smile on her face.  The movie continued and finished without further argument, though as the credits rolled Scootaloo stretched with another groan. “Ugh, that was soooo boring. Why didn’t they just hook up from the start? Even I could see they had a thing for each other.” Apple Bloom shrugged as she stood up, the empty popcorn bowl in hoof as she trotted to the kitchen. “Sometimes you just wanna be friends without worrying about all the feelings with sex and stuff. Some ponies have a hard time being attracted to their friends.” Scootaloo draped herself over the back of the couch, her face scrunched in thought as she watched Apple Bloom while upside down. “I guess. But, dating a friend is like, the best thing that can happen! You already know each other and know all the good and bad, so it makes a relationship waaaaay easier.” Sweetie grinned and leaned over to kiss Scootaloo’s exposed stomach, making the pegasus squawk indignantly as she suddenly curled up to protect herself. The unicorn giggled and winked, “You mean like how it happened with us?” Scootaloo grumbled at the ticklish kiss but nodded. “Yeah! I mean, we haven’t even really gone on a date but-” “WAIT WHAT?!” Both Apple Bloom and Scootaloo winced at Sweetie’s shrill outburst. She began to mutter, “But I thought, we had to have, did we seriously just start dating without going on a date?! We had to at least have gone on a first date…right?” Apple Bloom turned away from the sink and rubbed her head with her hoof, thinking back. Of course, the three of them had done couply things together like dinners and going to see a movie, but none of those outings had been specifically referred to as a date, much less any sort of first date. “I guess we haven’t. I don’t think we needed to. We just sorta started… Dating.” “And kissing and saying ‘I love you’, yeah. I honestly can’t even remember the last time I looked at you guys and thought ‘friends’ rather than ‘marefriends’.” Sweetie now sat with her mouth agape, dumbstruck with this revelation. “I can’t believe we never went on a real date.” She leapt up from the couch and struck a dramatic pose, “We have to fix that!” “What, like, tonight?” Sweetie’s pose faltered a bit and she tapped her hoof on her chin. “No, no not tonight. We need to plan something special, something unique…” She gasped and her eyes lit up, “We need to do a triple date!” Apple Bloom leaned on the back of the couch and raised an eyebrow. “A triple date?” Sweetie grinned and clapped her hooves together, “Yes! We each organize a date night and we can finally have our first date together!” “Why though? We just established that we are fine dating without having a ‘first date’. We already know we love each other, do we really need to do that?” Scootaloo regretted the words as Sweetie slowly craned her neck around, the pegasus almost able to hear an ominous creak with the movement. She gulped at Sweetie’s intense stare. “Yes, Scootaloo, we have to do this.” Sweetie blinked and added, much sweeter, “Please.” “Ugh, I can’t argue when you make that face. Alright fine. Who wants to go first?” Sweetie perked up,“Ooh I can! I already have the perfect idea. Think you guys can come up with good date ideas over a weekend in Canterlot?” Apple Bloom perked up, “Canterlot huh? Well, next weekend is a holiday so we can leave Friday after class and come back sometime Monday and be fine.” Scootaloo let out a dramatic sigh, “You guys just loooove making me think huh? I can’t believe I actually have to try and plan something, much less in Canterlot.” Apple Bloom chuckled and reached over to ruffle Scootaloo’s mane. “Oh I’m sure you’ll think of something. In fact, I already know what to do.” “Of course you do.” Apple Bloom playfully rolled her eyes and pecked Scootaloo’s forehead. Sweetie giggled and hopped on the couch, nuzzling each of her wonderful marefriends.