//------------------------------// // Chapter 31 "You don't need to..." // Story: "Just Kiss Already!" And Other Rumbaloo Tales // by Candy-Sweets_12 //------------------------------// "Hey Rumble," Scootaloo said, surprising the colt as he took a step from his locker to look at her. "Hey Scootaloo." he replied. He noticed the big smile and how Scootaloo seemed pretty eager to say something. "What's up?" "You mind talking about something, after practice today?" Scootaloo asked, moving her head to the floor as she blushed, but her eyes were still trained on him. "Why not at lunch?" "I would feel better talking about it when we're alone." Scootaloo said. "Alright then, It's settled." Rumble said. "Um..." Scootaloo turned her body around before turning back. "I guess that I'll just head to my next class, don't want to be late again." Before Rumble could get another word out, she trotted away, making sure she was out of hearing distance before letting out a relieved sigh. "So what did you want to ask me?" Rumble asked, Scootaloo sighed before looking straight into his eyes. "Rumble, I know it's a silly question, but I want you to answer honestly. Do you think I'm too rough?" "What? No, of course not. You're fine the way you are." "I knew you'd say something like that." Scootaloo said, flopping down onto her back, letting the grass get into her mane. "Then why'd you ask?" "I don't think I show enough affection towards anypony. Yeah I can compliment or say I like something, but I don't think I show enough of that affection." Scootaloo said. "Of course you do. Remember all those times you-" "Don't try to make me feel good about myself Rumble, I know I'm not affectionate." "But you are." Scootaloo frowned at the sky. "When was the last time I said 'I love you'?" she asked. "Well..." Rumble paused. "you kiss me." "On the cheek Rumble, I do the same thing to my Dad every morning. You don't ever get tired of getting punched in the shoulder, or being called names? I know you said you don't mind me being bossy and all. But I hardly show any affection towards you. All I ever did was kiss you on the cheek, and say yes when you asked me out. Anyone could do that. " "So you think that you don't show how much you care about me enough?" "Yeah." "Scootaloo, you don't have to." "That's the point, Rumble" Scootaloo sat up and looked at Rumble straight in the eye. "You don't have to either. Yet you do it anyway. You were the one who kissed me on the cheek first a few years back, you were the first pony to ever ask me out, you put up with my nonsense, you comfort me when I cry, you came to visit me when I was sick, you were the first to wrap a wing around me, you agreed to practicing with me despite how much I pushed you, and you were the only pony that gave me a personal Heart's and Hooves Day card all of those years ago!" Scootaloo said. She had tears pricking in the edges of her eyes, making Rumble furrow his brows in worry. She was really close to his face, and once she noticed the tears rolling down her face, she paused, sitting back in her place.. "Look at me, crying like a baby again. And what do you do? You comfort me." Scootaloo said. "You still remember that?" Rumble asked. He looked at Scootaloo, even though she avoided his gaze by busying herself with wiping the tears still coming. "What?" she asked, her face and eyes were puffy and red. "You still remember that card?" Rumble asked. Scootaloo sniffed. "Of course I do. I remember it like it was yesterday. All of my friends got cards from other students, the ones you didn't have to share with the entire class, Sweetie Belle got one from Button Mash, and Apple Bloom got one from two other colts. But I didn't get a single one. Just the ones that everyone had to bring to class." Scootaloo wiped her eyes on her wings again before continuing. "I never told anyone, but, I went home alone that day, crying. But then, I saw you, where you appeared to be looking for something. You had a big red card in your mouth, with a little lollipop sticking out the end. As soon as you saw me, your cheeks went red." Scootaloo chuckled at the memory, her voice softened, yet still cracking. "Scootaloo!" the little colt called out, buzzing his wings. The orange filly stiffened and quickly wiped away the few tears on her face, furrowing her wings as she peered over the handles of her scooter. "Hey Rumble," she replied, doing her best to make a casual tone. She took a second look at the card in his mouth, pretending as though it was the first time she noticed it. "Is that for a friend?" she asked. Rumble blushed a deeper red. "Well, it's um...for you." he said. Avoiding her gaze. Scootaloo was taken off guard. 'He got this for me?' she thought. She couldn't stop the blood from coloring her face, along with the tips of her ears. "Really?" she managed. "Yeah." Rumble said, before quickly adding, "not that I like you, in that way, I mean. I mean, I like you! Just not, um...lovey dovey, ya know?" he smacked a hoof to his forehead. "Forget that, here." "What's-" before she could finish, the little colt took off into the air, leaving her alone in the middle of the street. Scootaloo looked down and opened the card, which was in the shape of a gigantic red heart, with a smaller pink one inside. A little red lollipop, one of the big ones you could get from SugarCube Corner, the ones with heart covered wrappers, that Scootaloo had never gotten before, slipped out. 'Roses are red, Violets are blue, There's no one on Heart's and Hooves Day, As special as you. At the bottom, Rumble's writing spelt out, "Happy Hearts and Hooves day Scootaloo! Love, From, Rumble. Scootaloo smiled at the card, as cheesy as it all was, she was thankful. She took the lollipop out of place and slipped off the wrapper. She took one lick before grinning. Cherry flavored. One of her favorites. "I never really told you how thankful I was." Scootaloo looked down. "Instead, I just suggested that we didn't have to get each other gifts for Hearts and Hooves day anymore." "If you ask me," Rumble said, finally speaking up, "I say you're a pretty affectionate pony." "And why is that?" Scootaloo asked. "You remembered that day. That shows you cherished it, you're crying as we speak, that shows you're sorry, you tried to kiss me before, when you were sick, which shows that you enjoy my company." Scootaloo tensed up, "You may tease me a lot, but you would never truly laugh at me or others if they were hurt, that shows you're considerate, you're always concerned for others and their achievements, that shows that you're compassionate, you're always determined to work hard for the benefit of yourself in the future and others you care about, that shows your confidence. "You don't need to keep track of my life 24/7, or tell me you love me every day. We don't have to kiss each other on the lips, until we both feel the time is right, we don't have to get each other gifts, or buy things for each other. You care, Scootaloo, and that's affection enough, though it'd still be nice to hear it once in a while. That's just something we can work on, together. Isn't that what relationships like this are for? Figuring it out? Helping and accepting each other's flaws? Working together as we go along? That's my definition, and if you ask me, love doesn't have to be spoken, to be true." Scootaloo fell silent, she looked into Rumble's honest and forgiving eyes, those very same eyes that once avoided hers years before then as she used to avoid them. Used to. She smiled up at Rumble. "You're right. If we're going to make this work, I want us both to do things together, and work on our flaws, together. So for starters, if I need to lighten up a bit, don't be afraid to tell me." "I will. I'll tell you, I mean." "But you wouldn't hate me if I dropped the tough girl look when I'm around you?" "Scootaloo, I love you for being yourself, not the way you act." Rumble said. "You're so cliché." "Sometimes they're the best things." "I couldn't agree more." Rumble held out his wing as though it was an offer, an offer that Scootaloo took gladly. She pulled herself in and rested her head onto Rumble's heart. She felt warm again, as though another weight was lifted. She felt like she could smell something, a familiar scent, she grinned at the memory of it. Cherries.