Twilight landed in front of Sugarcube Corner, her hand still pressed to her mouth. She took deep, shuttering breaths to try and keep herself calm. Not that it worked. You idiot. You kissed her. Why did you kiss her. She watched as Pinkie ran out the door and looked around. She couldn’t see the Pinkie’s expression to tell how she was reacting. She moved away from the what was left of the building as she watched Pinkie as she walked around to the side of the tree and look up.
Pinkie stared for a moment before she jumped and grabbed the lowest branch, apparently trying to climb the tree. She made her way up quickly. It was as if she had climbed the tree thousands of times before. In less than ten seconds she had made it to the branch hanging over the window in Twilight’s room. The branch below was too far down for her to reach the window by standing, so she carefully made her way to the base before lying flat. She turned so that she was on the underside of the branch and banged on Twilight's window.
She must think I’m in there, Twilight thought. She must be so angry. I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking properly. If she were honest with herself, she still wasn’t thinking properly. She turned her back on the library and made her way through the town, suddenly not caring that she was still in her bed clothes.
On any normal day, she loved how small the town was. How everyone knew everyone and was willing to say hi. How everyone truly cared about their neighbors. Today, Twilight would have traded her signed box collection (never even opened) of Daring Adventures to be in Canterlot, where a girl could walk down the street with tears in her eyes, using her arms to hold herself together, and not be questioned.
I’m such an idiot. I shouldn’t have let myself build up hope. The same thing always happens. I should never have asked Rarity. Why would Pinkie want someone who finds it hard to see past the book cover? Twilight’s stomach knotted tighter than ever. She walked to the closest building and put her forehead on the bricks, squeezing her eyes shut. Tears ran down her face as she fought to catch her breath. Calm down, she practically yelled in her mind. Having a panic attack isn’t going to help anything. Just calm down. Someone is going to notice if you don’t.
Using a technique Cadance had recently shown her, Twilight took in deep breaths, concentrating on making the air fill her lungs before moving her hand away from her body, releasing the tension with it. After the fifth time, she straightened up and nodded to herself. “Okay, you’ve got it.” She wiped the tears from her eyes and took another deep breath. “You’re calm now. You’re in control.” She turned away from the building, only to jump.
Rarity stood just behind her, a worried expression on her face. “Are you okay, Twilight?” She took a step forward, reaching out a hand and laying it on Twilight’s shoulder.
Sighing, Twilight shook her head. “No. I might have asked Pinkie if she had a crush on anyone.”
“And she said no.”
Looking confused, Twilight nodded. “How did you know?”
Rarity shook her head and she led Twilight down the road, toward Carousel Boutique. “Darling, if I had a crush on you—and as lovely as you are, I don’t—if you asked me if I had a crush, my answer would be no.”
“That makes absolutely no sense. At all. Not that it matters.” Twilight kicked a rock, watching it roll in front of them. “She doesn’t like me. Not like that. She was yelling at me before I left the library. I don’t even know what she was saying. And I kind of kissed her before I left.”
Rarity stopped in the middle of the path. “You kissed her and left? Twilight, what if she had wanted to kiss you back?”
Twilight shrugged. “Then she would have kissed me back. You know how those books go. Someone kisses someone else, then the other person passionately embraces them, putting all the fiery, burning desire they can into that one physical moment. I’ve been studying to figure out…” Twilight trailed of when Rarity giggled.
“You’ve been reading romance books to learn how to woo Pinkie? As in Pinkie Pie? As in the baker currently residing in your home?”
Suddenly feeling foolish, Twilight blushed. “Yeah. They are some of the most checked out books. Pinkie reads them a lot.”
Shaking her head, Rarity put her arm around Twilight’s shoulders. “Oh dear, real life romance almost never works that way. Did you really expect that to happen?”
Twilight shrugged. “I didn’t expect much of anything to happen. I panicked.” Though she knew it wasn’t Rarity’s intentions, Twilight felt ashamed. She had gone about it the wrong way. “Maybe that’s why Pinkie doesn’t like me.”
“Why are you so adamant that she doesn’t return your feelings? What makes you so sure that she doesn’t feel the same way about you?” Rarity’s mouth was set in a hard line.
“I just know. I think I’m going to try to avoid her today. I can sleep in Spike’s room, since he stays over at your place anyway, and—“
Again, Rarity stopped in the street. “Promise me you’ll be at the opening. For nothing else, just so I know you’re okay. Plus, on the off chance that Pinkie doesn’t actually return your feelings, you will need to explain why things are strained between you. Please?”
Twilight swallowed. She didn’t want to go to the opening. She didn’t want to face Pinkie so soon. She knew if she timed everything right, she could avoid the other girl for at least a week. More if Pinkie stuck to a semi-regular schedule. “Fine, I’ll be there.”
Rarity smiled.
Twilight wasn’t positive how long she had been there. She had made it to the café thirty minutes before she and her friends were supposed to meet. She was going to talk to Pinkie alone.
Now she was in the towns only music store. Lyra, the owner, had asked if Twilight needed anything when she had first walked in. Twilight had quickly shook her head. She had watched her friends arrive, one by one, until they were all in the café.
Twilight was now fifteen minutes late.
If Lyra had noticed Twilight not moving from the row of death metal music, she hadn’t said a word. If she noticed Twilight looking out the window more than she looked at cd’s, she didn’t mention it to Twilight. If she noticed Twilight’s breathing exercises, she must not have minded.
Just go, Twilight. Come on. You can do this. Twilight couldn’t quiet convince herself to enter the building across the street. If she waited much longer, her friends would be gone. Her chance would be gone. Taking one last deep breath, she took a step out of the asile. Then another. Soon the bell above the door jingled and she was out of the music shop. Okay, you’ve got this. You’re going to tell her how sorry you are. You are going to tell her how you feel. You can still be friends if you don’t screw this up.
She refused to let her hand hesitate as she opened the door to the café. She stepped to the side, looking for her friends, when she saw the. All five of them. Pinkie had her back turned to her, but she was gesturing emphatically. Rarity said something, causing them all to turn and look at Twilight.
As quickly as she could in the crowded café, Pinkie walked toward her. Twilight swallowed, her heart jumping to her throat. Here goes…something. Still, she backed against the wall as Pinkie came closer. Close enough to hear. Close enough to touch. Then her hands were on either side of Twilights head.
Twilight started talking before Pinkie could start.“Pinkie, I’m so sorry. I really want us to still be friends. I just…” Twilight sighed. “Please don’t hate me.”
Pinkie shook her head. “Twilight…for someone so smart, you aren’t that bright sometimes, you know that? Of course I don’t hate you.” She gave a small laugh, a smile rising to her face. “I love you.” With that, she tenderly took Twilight’s face in her hands and pressed their lips together.
It was totally different than the quick one-second kiss Twilight had given her earlier. It was different that the kisses of burning passion Twilight had read about. It was tender and sweet. It was full of expression, of emotion. Twilight found tears rolling down her cheeks again as Pinkie slowly pulled away.
Pinkie smiled, brushing away the tears before Twilight could raise a hand to do so. “Don’t ever run away from me again. I was trying to tell you I liked you, at the library.” Twilight was to shocked to say anything, so Pinkie continued. “Crushes go away. They are fleeting. Or it develops into something. I didn’t have a crush on you anymore, Twily. I want so much more than a simple little crush.”
Twilight couldn’t help herself; she giggled. She giggled and pulled Pinkie into a hug. “I was so worried. I was afraid you might not feel the same. I didn’t want to ruin what we already had. I just—I was afraid.”
Smiling, Pinkie pressed her lips to Twilight’s again. “I’ve got to go back to work, okay? Got sit with the others, your food is already on the table. I’ll be home early tonight.”
After a round of congratulations and one ‘finally’ and some good natured teasing, the group of friends left. Twilight stayed at the table, stirring her fizzy drink with her straw. She was amazed at how Pinkie knew just exactly what she wanted. This one was called the ‘Pinkie Salad’. It seemed there was a little of everything in bowl. Applejack had laughed when Twilight said Pinkie had picked it for her, asking if Twilight needed to slim down, until Rarity had explained it had the most calories out of everything on the menu. Not that it was hard to believe. Three different types of lettuce, spinach, carrots, two different cheeses, olives, cucumbers, croutons, purple onions, bacon, ham, cabbage, and a few other things Twilight didn’t remember were all mixed together in the large bowl.
Twilight watched Pinkie work. The influx of people hadn’t slowed down, even though it was nearing the end of Pinkie’s shift. She watched as Pinkie greeted new tables, she watched the different smiles Pinkie had, and how she greeted every single customer by name. Everytime she walked by Twilight or checked to see if she needed a refill, Pinkie would touch her. A pat on the shoulder, her fingers trailing lightly across the nape of her neck. Pinkie would wink at her from across the room.
Over an hour after their friends had left, Pinkie’s shifted ended. She pulled Twilight from the table and back through the kitchen, never letting go of her hand. She said goodbye to Mota, who was staying at the café all day for the opening, threw her apron of the ‘to wash’ pile, either not hearing or caring when he said Twilight couldn’t be back there, and left through the back door.
She giggled the entire way home, grinning up at Twilight. And Twilight grinned back. She was ecstatic. Pinkie liked her back. Pinkie actually wanted to date her. Pinkie was her girlfriend. She couldn’t wait to tell her everyone. Princess Celestia, Shiny and Cadance, her parents… They’re very open minded people, Twilight said to herself. They’ll be fine with me dating Pinkie.
It didn’t take them long to get to the library. “So…we’re girlfriends now, right?” Pinkie asked as they walked through the door. “You’re my special someone?”
Grinning, Twilight nodded. “Goddess, yes.”
“So it’s definitely okay if I kiss you lots and lots and hold your hand out in public and—“
To answer, Twilight pressed her lips to Pinkie’s. Pinkie pressed back, harder, causing Twilight to take a step back. And another. And another. Then she fell onto the couch with Pinkie landing on top of her.
Pinkie broke away from Twilight, looking into her eyes. Her hand stroked Twilight’s cheek, just under her still-tender eyes. “I never want you to cry because of me again. If I’m the reason you’re crying, you need to tell me. And if I’m not, I’ll fix it.” Pinkie settled her head onto Twilight's shoulder and sighed. “I care about you too much.”
Wrapping her arms around Pinkie, Twilight smiled. “I was crying because I was being stupid. If I had just told you, instead of what I was doing, we could have been doing this along time ago. And I don’t want you crying either.” She ran her fingers through Pinkie’s short curls. “You make me happy, though. I’ll choose you over everyone.”
Twilight felt Pinkie nuzzle in closer, and she wrapped her arms around her tighter. Soon, they fell asleep.