//------------------------------// // So What? // Story: Fighting Games // by Pics2Fics //------------------------------// “And in 1207, the princesses had declared to make a new settlement in the west of the continent…” The teacher drones on in his lesson as Button Mash scribbles in his notebook. A casual observer may see a good student taking notes, but looking inside they would see him doodling away. Mostly characters from his games fighting each other, some impossible to meet opponents as Button ponders who would win in a fight between the medieval warrior of legend or the future marine armed with only what he can find around him. His ears pick up whispering and snickering behind him. This is nothing new, ponies were whispering and snickering behind Button’s back since before he could remember. He goes right back to his doodling as he thinks about his new match up: the sentient prehistoric dinosaur versus the annoying cat nopony liked. Oh, this is sure to be a one-sided match. A folded up piece of paper lands on Button’s desk, making him jump slightly. First, he looks up to see if the teacher is watching, but breathes a sigh of relief as he sees him turned toward the blackboard. Taking the note underneath the desk, he opens it up to see what it says. He nearly folds the note back closed again as he sees its contents. A crudely drawn picture of himself and Babs engaging in a lewd act depicted as grotesquely as possible. Glancing over to where the note had come from, he sees two colts snickering to themselves. As one notices Button looking at them, he makes an obscene gesture with his hooves making them other having the try and muffle himself lest his laughter disturb the class. Button considers keeping the note and showing Babs. He has names and evidence, so they would easily regret their actions before the day is out. He decides against being petty, though. They aren’t worth it. Taking a page out of the book of Babs, he summons his most powerful weapon for the situation: Apathy. He doesn’t care, therefore it does not affect him. Done and done. ...In fact, why not show them how much he doesn’t care? He writes something below the drawing and folds it back up. When the teacher is turned away again, he slides the folded paper across the floor back towards the two colts. Curiously taking the note, they open it up to see their drawing along with the words “SO WHAT?” written below it. Button hears another round of snickering. He rolls his eyes as he goes back to his doodles. ~~~~~~ The next day, Button Mash walks through the halls, standing tall. He hums a whimsical theme from his latest videogame under his breath as he adjusts the messenger bag on his shoulder. Turning a corner, he does not care what sort of ponies he may see as he does so. He does catch the eye of a couple of classmates who used to beat him up. However, ever since befriending the tough as nails Babs Seed, they all just try to avoid him as much as he used to try to avoid them. Never before had Button been able to roam the hallways feeling so free, not having to fear who he might run into. It’s a great feeling. One that always causes Button to smirk when he sees a classmate duck around a corner or suddenly take an interest in the loose brick facing away from him. But this is all just part of his normal routine. He’s never been one to hold a grudge, even if they had given him grief for the longest time. He could very easily just say to Babs that they had tried one of a thousand different things they used to do before she transferred and they’d be lucky if there was anything left for the janitor to clean up. But Button didn’t care. He was above it. He was past it. Bygones. Nopony scared him anymore so he was free to walk and do whatever he feels li- Suddenly, a hoof wraps around his shoulder, pulls him back, and pushes him against the wall. He immediately goes into his cowering mode, putting his head down and bracing his body for any incoming blows. However, he loosens a little when none come. And he notices the hoof holding him isn’t painfully pressing into his shoulder either. Slowly, he looks up and sees a familiar orange face under a pink mane. “Man, ya’ make it so easy. I can see why those other kids would pick on you,” Babs says. “S-Sorry…” Button mumbles. “So what’s up?” Whatever relief he felt upon seeing his new friend quickly melts away as the unamused expression of Babs begins to bore into him. His heart begins to beat faster as he begins to suspect he might be in trouble. After a moment more of silence, Babs asks, “You been tellin’ ponies that we’re together?” “What? No!” Button says, putting his hooves up defensively. “Who’s been saying I did?” “Some guys,” Babs replies. With her other hoof, she pulls a piece of paper out of her pocket. “They showed me this from yesterday.” Button recognizes the note as his heart sinks. Opening it up, sure enough, it was the crude drawing of him and Babs along with his little message below it. “This your writin’?” Babs asks. “Y-Yeah…” Button says. “But I didn’t mean it like that!” “How’d you mean it, then?” Babs asks, crumpling the paper and tossing it into the trashcan next to them. Button swallows around the newly formed lump in his throat. “I-I just meant that I didn’t care about… what they thought…” Waves of chilling terror run up Button’s spine as a realization that he might have ruined his friendship with Babs sets in. “I’m sorry, Babs! I really didn’t mean it to be like this!” She stands silent again for a moment. “So why do ya’ suddenly care now?” she asks. “What?” “Ya’ said you wrote that because you didn’t care. Now you’re apologizin’ up and down for it. What changed?” “Well, I guess that… maybe it’s because… you might care?” Button squeaks out. His fear is somewhat settled down as Babs begins to chuckle. “Do you really think I would care about something like this?” she asks. “Um… enough to pin me against a wall, apparently.” “I was just curious is all.” “There are other ways to get my attention,” Button offers, happy that Babs isn’t actually mad. “Yeah, but I wanted to ask you something else,” Babs says. “Like what?” Button asks. “Since your little smart-assery yesterday, the whole school thinks you an’ I are a thing,” Babs explains. “Okay,” Button says curiously, wondering what Babs’ question may be. “So since everypony already thinks that…” Her eyes meets Button’s. “Yeah?” “Do ya’ wanna be?” The words bounce around Button’s head, looking for a way into his mind to be processed. “Like, you… and me… like… special someponies?” he blathers out. “Somethin’ like that. I like hanging out with ya’ and I assume you like to do the same with me,” Babs says. “I-I do!” Button says. “I like hanging out with you.” “So how ‘bout it?” Babs says. “I ain’t had a special somepony before and you’re the closest I got to one. And besides, what really changes about us?” “I, um… never had one either…” He licks his dry lips. “But what if we don’t like it?” “Then we can go back to bein’ friends.” “And what would others say?” “Do we care?” “I guess not…” Button’s heart fills with a new kind of fear. An anxiety as he considers a relationship with Babs Seed. As he said, he does like hanging out with her. She’s tough, but nice and funny when she wants to be. He should consider himself lucky that such a mare, let alone anypony would want to go out with somepony like him. “...Okay,” Button says. “I guess I’d like to be your special somepony, Babs.” “You guess?” "No, I-I mean, I would. I would like to be your special somepony.” “That’s better,” she says with a smirk. “Now let’s make it official.” “Wha-?” Before Button could get another word out, Babs pushes her lips against his. Unfamiliar to the sensations now occurring, he just lets it happen. He can’t say he doesn’t like what’s going on right now. The warmth and softness off her lips causing a growing giddiness within his stomach. Suddenly, he feels something slide into his mouth. Babs puts her other hoof against the wall next to Button as she leans herself more against him. She wrestles her tongue against his, sloppily coercing it to rise and join it, which it does. The giddiness in Button’s stomach shoots up through his spine and explodes like fireworks of excitement within his brain. All too soon, Babs pulls back as Button is left to stand there gasping. “That’s something special someponies do, right?” Babs asks, a wicked grin on her muzzle. “Not too bad. We’ll have to do that more.” Button dumbly nods, numbness from the sudden surges in feeling spreading down his limbs. “I guess that’s one thing that’ll be different for us,” Babs considers. “But hey, we both got class to get to. I’ll talk to you later?” “Okay…” Button breathes out. Babs takes her hoof off of him and he slides down the wall, sitting with a dopey smile. She chuckles a little before turning away, letting him sit there in his own little world for a while.