//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 // Story: The Gamer and The Princess // by Malice In Wonderland //------------------------------// Sweetie Belle was very happy for Button Mash and for herself for helping him earn his cutie mark. She congratulated him at school the next day, because she felt he deserved to get congratulated again and again. She hugged him, she couldn’t help herself, and he was just the most adorable little colt. Even Cheerilee congratulated him as well. Class was delayed by a little that day, so everypony had a chance to talk to Button. Cheerilee finally started class and she talked some more about cutie marks. The day went by extraordinarily fast. By the end of the day, Scootaloo had said that she was going to go help Rumble and Thunderlane with their training. Apple Bloom had said that she was going to Princess Twilight’s castle to read a book, or something. But Sweetie knew that she was going to go and talk to Spike and try to befriend him. Sweetie Belle didn’t know what she would do after school that day. She lingered around the school for a little while longer, wondering what she would do, when Button walked up to her. “Hi, Sweetie Belle,” he said, sitting down next to her on a bench near the playground. “Hi, Button.” Sweetie responded. “Thanks again for helping me earn my cutie mark.” He said. She wasn’t looking at him, but she knew he was smiling. “Button, I told you, you don’t have to thank me. You earned it yourself.” She said, turning towards him, a smile on her face. He smiled back at her and suddenly hugged her. “I know.” He said. He whispered it right into her ear and Sweetie Belle felt a shiver travel up her spine. She hugged him back, blushing heavily, not knowing what else to say. He pulled away from the hug, Sweetie noticed that he was blushing as well, but she didn’t know why, or maybe she did. He turned to her, his cheeks red, “Umm… Sweetie Belle?” He asked, obviously nervous about something. “Yes?” She asked. “Well, you see, Sweetie….” He paused and reached his hoof up to his head, scratching it, thinking of what to say. “I umm… I really like you, and….” Sweetie Belle couldn’t help but gasp at this. “Button,” She started. “I just… Sweetie Belle…. Would you…. Ummm…… Would you be my marefriend?” He asked, his face bright red and he was avoiding eye-contact with her. This was the moment Sweetie Belle had been waiting for, but why couldn’t she speak. She found herself frozen in place and she didn’t know what to say. “Button… I…. Of course!” She said, pulling him into a hug, and he hugged her back. “I’m so glad you asked me.” She said. They hugged each other for a moment longer and then the hug broke off, and Sweetie Belle noticed that Button had tears in his eyes. “Button, what’s wrong?” “I was so scared that you would say no.” He blinked and a small tear fell down his face. Sweetie Belle lifted a hoof and wiped away the tear. “But I didn’t.” She said, trying to reassure him, smiling at him. He weakly smiled back at her. Then they both stood up, “I should be heading home now, and you should too. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Sweetie started to walk off, but Button stopped her. “Sweetie, wait!” He said, taking the few steps to catch up with her. “What?” “There’s something else I wanted to tell you.” “What is it?” She asked again. “I’ve…. Umm… I’ve wanted to ask you to be my marefriend for a long time. I’ve had a big crush on you for a really long time, Sweetie Belle. I just… I didn’t know what to say or when to ask. I always thought you would say no. I didn’t even think you knew I existed. But, ever since you became my friend….. I just…. I thought we had become closer, and I thought it would be alright to ask you.” He said. He spoke quickly, as though he just wanted to get it all out. “Button-” “And the reason I didn’t want to call you ‘Sweetie’ is because that’s what couples call each other. And… I thought if I just called you Sweetie that you would think it was weird or…. I don’t know… Something….” “Button,” Sweetie said, more firmly this time. He stopped talking and looked at her, more tears having formed in his eyes and now running down his cheeks. “I said yes. I like you, a lot. I really do.” She said. “I’ve had a crush on you for a while….” She paused, not knowing how to continue. “Don’t worry about anything. Now, I should really go, and you should too.” She hugged him once more. “I’ll see you tomorrow, I promise.” She then got up and started to walk away, this time, Button didn’t stop her, he just watched her as she left the schoolhouse. He stayed there long after she had left. Finally, he left and headed towards home. The one thing that he hadn’t told Sweetie was that he wanted to ask her so long ago, but he couldn’t. He talked to his mom about everything, including how he felt about Sweetie Belle. His mom had said that he should wait to ask her when he got his cutie mark, until he was more mature. And now that he had his cutie mark, there was nothing to stop him, so he went for it. He told his mom the good news once he got home. She hugged him and congratulated him. “Oh, I can’t wait until she comes over again! She’s going to get the biggest mom hug.” “Mom….” Button scolded her. “Sorry…” She apologized. Button laughed, “It’s fine, mom.” She smiled at him. “Well, go play your games or do whatever it s you do. Dinner will be ready soon, I’ll call you when it is, and again, congratulations.” She said. She kissed his forehead and sent him off to his room. Button was too distracted to play any of the games he had. He kept thinking of Sweetie Belle. She was so adorable and beautiful and sweet. He sighed. He fell back on his bed and stared up at the ceiling. Sweetie Belle’s face somehow appeared in front of him, smiling down at him from the ceiling. He sat up suddenly and decided he would go into the kitchen to help his mom with dinner. She didn’t talk much when she cooked. But she was an excellent listener. She always listened to what Button had to say, and spoke when she needed to. Button loved that about his mom, she was a great mom. He sat down at the kitchen table and sighed. “Button honey, what’s wrong?” She asked. “I can’t stop thinking about Sweetie Belle. I mean… Does she really like me? Or did she just say yes because she felt bad for me?” “Did you guys talk?” “Yeah, she said… What did she say?” He paused to think of what she had said. “She said she’d had a crush on me for a long time. Do you think she was telling the truth?” “Did she look like she was lying?” “Well…. No…” “Then she probably meant it.” “But… Rarity is her sister…. And…. You know how Rarity is.” Button’s mom sighed. “Right… Rarity. But Sweetie Belle just seems so much nicer than her elder sister.” “You’re right.” “Honey, why don’t you just see how things go, see if she meant it or not. I’m sure everything will go smoothly.” She paused, stirring the soup she was making for dinner. “Oh, my little Button is all grown up.” She said happily. Button didn’t respond, but he did smile. His mother continued speaking after a minute. “You know… Your father and I met at school. He asked me to be his marefriend the day after I got my cutie mark. He had gotten his before I did.” She sighed happily and stayed quiet as she stirred. She served and ate in silence, and Button didn’t speak either. The topic of his father was very sensitive. He had just disappeared from their lives years ago, when Button was just a little foal, he hardly remembered his father, but he hoped that one day he would return and Button could finally meet him. Of course, his mother wished for the same thing, but she didn’t believe it as much as Button did. She didn’t have the hope of a young colt. After dinner, without speaking, they cleaned up the table and left to their separate rooms to go to bed for the night. Button couldn’t sleep. His mind was filled with both thoughts of Sweetie Belle and of his father that he had never met. He stayed awake late into the night. Silence filling the house and willing him to sleep. For a moment, Button drifted back into reality, hearing the silence of the house in the night. But as he listened to the silence, he heard a disturbance. He had no idea what it could be, but he stayed as quiet as possible and listened carefully. He soon realized that the sound he had been hearing was his mother, and she was crying. Button felt so bad for her. She had often spoken of how much she had been in love with his father, and that she was devastated when he had just disappeared when he had. Button tried not to think about, and he laid back in his bed and tried hard to just fall asleep. He eventually succeeded and slept through the rest of the short night in a dreamless state.