Silver Streak sat in his family room, a sheet of parchment and an inkwell on the coffee table while a quill hovered above the paper. In the days since the excitement with the golden idol, he had been trying to figure out the best way to start a relationship with Sunny, and so far it wasn’t going all that well.
“I suppose I could ask her out to dinner,” he thought aloud. “Then again, she might just think we’re hanging out…” He scribbled that idea off the parchment, the latest of several ideas nixed in the conceptual stage. “The only thing worse than being turned down is going on a date with a mare who doesn’t know it’s a date…”
He pondered the situation for a little while, then wondered, “Why don’t I just ask her to be mine?” He zoned out as he imaged Sunny standing there, smiling at him. “Sunny, will you be my special somepony?” he asked the imagined mare, only for her expression to become one of shock. He cringed and shook his head, “No… That’d just come out of left field, and if she doesn’t like me that way then it’s just going to make things super awkward.”
Silver sighed, and looked to the parchment and all the ideas scribbled off. He growled in frustration, and the parchment was lifted in a green aura before it was crumpled up and thrown to a corner of the room. He brought his hooves up to rub at his temples, feeling a tad stressed out as he tried to figure out a good way to proceed, made all the more difficult at his lack of experience.
After a time, he finally came to a decision. “I’m just going to go over there, tell her how I feel, and ask her out on a date,” he said with a nod. “If she agrees, then we’ll see how things go. If the date goes well, then we can talk about being together, and if it doesn’t, well… At least we’ll still be friends.” He swallowed a lump in his throat before adding, “I hope…”
= = = = = = = = = =
The bell above the door of Succulent Sweets rang as Silver walked in, watching as Sunny helped a customer. She smiled over to him and gave a little wave, which he returned, before she went back to helping the pony at the counter. After a few minutes she rang them up, and they left with a smile as she turned her attention to Silver.
“Hi there Silver,” she greeted him. “What brings you by today?”
He felt butterflies in his stomach as walked up to the counter, and answered, “Uh, well, you actually.”
“Oh?” she asked, looking at him curiously. “What do you mean?”
He placed his hooves on the counter and glanced down at them as he wondered what to say. “The thing is… Um… I really appreciate having you as a friend,” he told her. Her warm smile encouraged him to continue, “I’ve enjoyed every minute we’ve gotten to spend together over the past few weeks, whether doing things with the others or just hanging out together. You’ve been so patient with me, teaching me how to bowl and dance, as well as giving me that tour of Ponyville.”
“I was more than happy to help you out,” she replied with a smile.
“I know, and I truly appreciate that,” Silver said. He paused for a moment, before he continued, “When you were held hostage, I was so worried that I’d lose you, my dearest friend, and that I’d never see you again, never get to enjoy another day with you. I’m so glad you made it through that okay…”
“So am I, and it’s all thanks to you and the others,” said Sunny.
He nodded, looking to his hooves as he continued, “Right. And, well, the thing is… I came here to talk to you about something, and now I realize I’m starting to ramble and you’re probably wondering why I bothered to visit today and…”
Sunny’s smile brightened as Silver continued to ramble. She had a fairly good idea about what he wanted to talk to her about, something she had been waiting on him for. She reached a hoof over to hold his, and as he looked up at her, she gave her most encouraging smile as she told him, “It’s alright, Silver. Take your time.”
He smiled and nodded, then closed his eyes and took a deep, soothing breath, before his eyes opened again to gaze into hers. “The thing is… I really like you, Sunny, and if you’re willing, then I’d like to pursue a relationship with you.”
She couldn’t help but giggle at the formality in which he asked her out, but she was quick to respond, “Well you’re in luck, Silver; I like you too, and I’d be very interested in dating you.”
His eyes widened in surprise. “R-really?” he asked, scarcely able to believe his ears.
Sunny grinned and nodded. “Really.”
Silver grinned and cheered, “YEAH!” He grew sheepish as she giggled at the outburst, but still he felt giddy at her acceptance. Sunny enjoyed the bright smile on his face, and knew she wanted to give him a reason to keep smiling like that.
“So, uh, when would you like to go out?” he asked her.
She opened her mouth to answer, only to simply blink as an idea occurred to her. “Hold that thought,” she told him, before she looked to the clock hanging on the wall. She smiled at the time, and turned back to Silver to ask, “Do you have any plans right now?”
He looked at her with confusion, but answered, “Uh, no, nothing besides asking you out.”
“Good,” she said. “It’s about time for my normal lunch break. What do you say we go out together and have our first date right now?”
He was startled for only a moment, before he nodded eagerly. “Uh, yeah! Sure! Sounds good to me. Where did you want to go?”
“There’s a local place called the ‘Hay Burger.’ I’m sure you’ll love it,” she told him.
“Sounds good to me,” he replied.
Sunny locked up the shop behind them, and the two of them started their way to the restaurant. She smirked and giggled as she told him, “I gotta say, I wasn’t expecting you to be so formal when you asked me out.”
Silver blushed a bit at that, but explained, “Well, the thing is, I didn’t know how you felt about me to begin with, if you liked me as more than a friend. If I was too casual, you might think we were just hanging out, and if I was too direct then it would be awkward for us both if you rejected me…”
“I didn’t say it was a bad thing,” she quickly amended. “If anything, it was rather nice being asked out by a proper gentlecolt.” She felt a warmth in her heart at the shy smile he gave her from the compliment.
“At any rate,” he continued, “I’ve never been on a date or had a special somepony before, so I don't exactly have experience on how to ask somepony out.” He pondered that, then added, “Or what goes into a date, for that matter.”
“It’s all about enjoying some time together, and getting to know one another,” Sunny explained. “It’s really not as complicated as you might think it is.”
“Well that’s a relief…” said Silver.
It didn’t take them too long to reach the Hay Burger, and Silver continued to be a proper gentlecolt as he opened the door for Sunny before heading inside with her. He looked over the menu, and ordered a basic cheese-hayburger and fries, same as Sunny, and after he paid for the meals they both found a table to sit at.
They ate in silence for a time, both enjoying the food as Silver made a mental note to come here again. After a short while, when the grumbling in their bellies died down, they slowed down their feasting to chat.
It was Sunny who broke the silence, taking a sip of her soda before asking, “So, I was wondering…” She smiled sheepishly as she asked, “When did you start to like me?”
Silver’s cheeks reddened, and he cleared his throat before he answered, “Well, uh…” He sighed and looked to his hooves as he explained, “Okay, so, the first time I saw you, I thought you were one of the most beautiful mares I had ever seen, and I knew I had to say hello.”
She blushed and smiled at that, and said, “That’s really sweet, Silver, but it doesn’t exactly answer my question.”
“Right, right,” he said with a nod, and continued, “Well, I suppose my feelings for you began when you helped me out during our bowling night.”
“When I helped you play properly?” she asked, getting a nod in response. “It was really no trouble at all, Silver.”
“Maybe not,” he said. “But still, it meant something to me; you helped me out when everypony else would just sit back and laugh, and thanks to you I could truly enjoy myself. I appreciated the kindness you showed me.”
Sunny chuckled softly. “So it all started with a simple act of kindness… And after that?” she asked.
He smiled as he told her, “After that, I enjoyed all the times we got to spend together, from dancing together at the nightclub to just walking around Ponyville. As I got to know you better during those times, I came to care for you.”
He grimaced as he continued, “Still, I didn’t realize just how strongly I felt for you until I saw that note, when you were ponynapped by Dr. Caballeron.” His eyes glistened as he looked down at his hayburger, giving it a poke absentmindedly. “The thought of something happening to you just… It terrified me, and it hurt so much to think I might never see you again.” He looked up at her as he said, “After we saved you, I knew I’d regret it for the rest of my life if I didn’t tell you how I felt.”
She reached a hoof over to caress his, smiling warmly at him. “I’m glad you did.”
He smiled and nodded. “So am I,” he said, reaching a foreleg up to rub at his eyes. “What about you? What did I ever do to make somepony as wonderful as you like me?”
“I like you for being you, Silver,” she answered. “Granted, it took a bit of work to bring you out of your shell, but it’s certainly been worth it.”
He grimaced as he nodded. “I know I’m not the most social pony around…”
“True,” she said. “Honestly, when I first met you, I could tell you were a bit uncomfortable at the party. You seemed like a nice, but quiet pony, and I didn’t really know what to think about you.” She smiled as she continued, “At least, not until you visited me the next day at my shop, when you got lost on your way home from the marketplace. You opened up to me, and for a short while I got to see this whole new side of you.”
“I suppose it helped that you bribed me with the use of your kitchen,” he teased her with a smirk.
Her brows shot up as she looked at him in surprise, before a wide smile grew on her face. “Well would you look at that! Silver Streak, I didn’t know you could tease anypony.” She gave him a sly smile as she asked, “What other secrets are you hiding from me…?”
His smirk widened into a full smile as he told her, “I guess you’ll just have to stick around to find out.”
Sunny giggled and nodded. “I suppose I will!” She stifled her giggling to continue, “Anyway, at the bowling alley, and the nightclub, I saw more of that side of you as you relaxed and opened up to me. And like you, as we spent more and more time together, my feelings for you grew.”
Silver blushed at that. “So, uh, now that that’s all out in the open, what exactly are we supposed to do on our date?” he wondered.
She chuckled at the question, but answered, “Talk, relax, and get to know one another better. Whatever we want, really.”
He smiled and nodded. “That sounds good to me.”
= = = = = = = = = =
Frostfire landed in front of the Hay Burger, hoping to get a quick bite for lunch after searching around Ponyville for a new story. The story she wrote on the events surrounding the golden idol really hit it off with everypony, and she thought it was some of her best work—no doubt because she was involved in the events in question—but one article would not a world-class reporter make.
Still, concerns about her future could be held off for at least the next half hour, until after she got herself a double-hayburger with cheese. She headed inside and got in line with a few other ponies during the lunch rush, and looked about absentmindedly, only to do a double-take when she noticed Sunny and Silver sitting together, eating lunch.
She quickly glanced around, wondering if maybe Jewel or Mystic was around with them, but she found that wasn’t the case. She looked back over to the pair, watching as Silver laughed at something Sunny told him, and she broke out into a grin. I can’t believe it, she thought, they’re actually on a date!
Frosty’s first instinct was to hop around the restaurant shouting “Yes! Yes! Yes!” but she quickly realized that they might feel awkward if they saw her, and she ducked down to avoid their gaze. Luckily for her, they were too absorbed in their conversation to take notice of her, and she quietly backed out of the Hay Burger to find somewhere else to eat.
She opened her wings outside, ready to fly off, before she glanced over to the restaurant with a smirk as an idea came to her. She walked around the outside of the building until she got a good vantage point, and reached into her saddlebag to pull out her camera. She zoomed in and focused until she had the perfect shot, and with the press of a button she had a photo of their first date together.
They’ll thank me later, she thought with a smirk as she put the camera away again. It’s not every day that a couple can get a memento of their very first date. With that, she flapped her wings and flew off, going elsewhere for her lunch that afternoon.
= = = = = = = = = =
Sunny and Silver had finished their meals a short while after that, and were simply enjoying each other’s company. The date had been going well for both of them, with Sunny taking the lead on their conversation.
During a pause in the conversation, she sighed happily and told Silver, “This has been really nice. It’s been such a long time since I sat down and just chatted with anyone.” She smiled sadly as she added, “I forgot how nice it is to just sit around and talk without distractions…”
“I guess the shop must keep you pretty busy, huh?” he asked.
She nodded, and told him, “Yeah. I mean, even on my days off, I have to get supplies, make chocolates to restock my inventory, and run to the bank to make deposits.” She groaned and rubbed at her temples as she added, “It all gets so very stressful…”
“How do you relax, then?” he wondered. “Surely you’ve got to blow off steam occasionally.”
“Well, you know I like to read during the quiet periods,” she told him. “But otherwise, I don’t really have the time to relax or socialize, and most times that I DO have time to hang out with our friends I just feel too tired to bother.”
She grimaced, and continued, “And the rare times I go spend time with the others, I don’t talk about my issues with the shop.” She looked down at the table as she told him, “It can be hard keeping up with all the work involved in running the shop, but the last thing I want to do is to vent all my issues to other ponies.”
“Why not?” asked Silver. He got up and walked around to sit next to Sunny, reaching a foreleg around to pull her into a gentle hug. “Sunny, it’s not good to hold all this stress in. Sometimes it helps to just talk about your problems.” He gave her a soft nuzzle and told her, “You don’t have to put on a brave face for me. I’m here for you, so feel free to vent.”
She smiled and nodded at that. Her eyes glistened as she leaned into him and took a deep, shuddering breath, letting it out slowly before she let herself vent. “You know, it gets lonely working at that that shop. Sure, I get lots of customers, but few of them stick around to chat.” She gave him a sad smile as she told him, “When you came along, I had a reason to get out of the shop and socialize, even when it wasn’t the best idea…”
“What do you mean?” he asked curiously. “Why would being sociable be a bad idea?”
She winced at that, but admitted, “Well, you remember that day I showed you around Ponyville?” When he nodded, she looked away as she said, “It turns out that you came around during one of my busy periods… I kinda lost a good deal of business being closed during that time.”
“What?!” he asked, shocked at the revelation. “It could have waited, Sunny! I wouldn’t have let you show me around town if I knew you were missing out on all that business…”
“I know, and that’s why I lied about it,” she told him. “The thing is, I really haven’t taken a break from running my shop since I opened three years ago. It wasn’t so bad when I first opened up; business was decent, and I was making a name for myself, but after a while it got busier and busier as word spread about the quality of my chocolates.”
“Why not hire somepony to help you, then?” he asked. “Surely you have enough business to hire at least one employee?”
“Well, yeah, I suppose I do,” she admitted with a shrug. “But the thing is, I don’t know what I’d have them do. I mean, I suppose I could have them work the counter while I make the chocolates, but I’d only need a few hours a day to keep inventory going, so it probably wouldn’t be worth the cost.”
“Well it sounds like you need to do something to ease the burden,” he said with some concern.
“I know! I know…” She leaned forward to hold her head in her hooves as she groaned in frustration. “I swear, these past few years of all work and no play are driving me up the wall.” She lowered a hoof to look over to him with a frown as she admitted, “You know, sometimes I get worried that I’m going to start resenting my shop; worried that I’ll start to hate the thing I love to do that I’m lucky enough to make a living on.”
“Sounds to me like you need a break then,” he said with a smile.
“That’d be nice…” she muttered.
“Then let’s do it,” he told her. At her confused look, he explained, “Let’s pick one of your workdays to take off, and just spend the whole day together, doing whatever you want. How does that sound?”
Sunny smiled wide and nodded, telling him, “You know, that sounds like a great idea.”
“How about this Saturday?” he suggested. “Scheduled to be sunny skies, and a great day to relax.”
“Saturday? But that’s one of my busiest days…” she lamented.
“I’m sure you can afford to be closed on one Saturday,” he said with a smirk. “But if you’re so against it, then I’d be willing to pay for any expected sales you’d miss.”
“Absolutely not!” she chastised him. “While I appreciate the thought, you are right that I can afford to close the shop for a day. Might be nice to avoid the rush for once…” she added with a shrug.
“Alright!” he cheered. “So, this Saturday, it’ll just be you and me, enjoying a day around Ponyville.”
“Sounds great,” she told him as she nuzzled him softly, then she pulled away with a sigh. “Sadly, that’s a few days away, and right now I’ve gotta get back to my shop.”
“Ah, yeah,” Silver said with a sheepish smile. “Date went on kinda long, didn’t it?”
“No regrets,” she replied with a wink, and the two stood up and headed out the door toward Succulent Sweets. She gently pressed her side against his, coats brushing together as they walked, and both enjoyed the closeness as they made their way back to her home.
All too soon for their liking, they reached Succulent Sweets once more. “Well, here we are…” said Sunny with a sad smile.
“Yeah…” he sighed in response, wishing their date could continue.
She smiled and told him, “I had a really nice time. Thank you, Silver, for everything.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed it,” he responded. His ears folded and he glanced away nervously, before he smiled shyly at her and asked, “So, does this mean you’ll be my special somepony…?”
She giggled softly and gave him a coy smile. “What do you think?” she asked before she stepped forward to kiss the shy stallion.
Silver’s eyes widened and his cheeks reddened in a blush, surprised by the kiss for a moment, before his eyes drifted close as he returned it.
Sunny’s smile widened as she felt him return the kiss, holding it for a few long moments before the two slowly broke it off while gazing into each other’s eyes.
“Th-that was my first kiss…” he admitted with a blush.
“Oh really?” she asked with some amusement. “It wasn’t bad, but you could definitely use some practice.”
“Don’t suppose you know somepony who’d be willing to help me with that?” he asked with a small smile.
She smirked and brought a hoof up to her chin as she pondered for a moment, before she answered, “You know, I bet you could ask Frosty to help!”
Silver’s eyes widened, and he sputtered in response, only for Sunny to laugh at his reaction. He realized she was teasing him, and chuckled with her, shaking his head. “Real funny…”
“I thought so,” she replied with a grin. “But yes, I’d be happy to teach you all about kissing. Unfortunately though, it’ll have to wait for another day; I need to get the shop opened up.” She went over to the door and unlocked it, about to head inside.
“Hey, Sunny,” he said, and she turned to look at him curiously. “I was thinking, since I don’t really have a set schedule, perhaps I could come visit you at the shop every day? We could talk about whatever, or you could vent if you need to.”
She smiled and nodded. “That sounds nice.”
He rubbed a foreleg and chuckled sheepishly before he asked, “Well, I’ve got nothing to do right now. Why don’t I stick around a while?”
Her smile grew warm as she answered, “I think I’d like that.” She turned back to the door, heading inside, and Silver followed close behind.
Neither one knew what would come of their relationship, if it could even last, but they both hoped it would. Who knew what the future would bring?