When Hearts Collide

Author's Note:

Hey guys, NalaxSimba here with a short little one-shot for one of my new favourite ships, TimberFlash! It actually started as a joke between me and my friend - a way to get rid of Timber and Flash so SunLight could happen - but it grew on me, and I wanted to write this little one-shot to celebrate it!

The cover art was made by my amazing friend Mina! Check out her fimfiction page, she has wonderful stories!

Regarding multi-chapters, (Hero and Deal With a Demon), they'll be updated soon! I've now finished college so most of my free time will be spent on either writing stories or working on my audio drama, Days of My Life.

I do not own My Little Pony.

Timber just gave a sigh as he stared at the girl sitting opposite him, lowering his coffee cup from his lips. The taste of the hot chocolate lingered on his lips, and his tongue subconsciously licked away the droplets of cocoa as he spoke. “What did you just say?”

Twilight shifted under his gaze, not being able to meet his gaze. “I just...I don’t have feelings for you like you do for me.” Her voice lowered as she spoke, her eyes locked onto the table. Her fingers traced along the markings of the table, obviously trying to make the situation less awkward.

Timber just ran a hand through his hair, trying to release the stress of what he just heard. “Is there a specific reason as to why?” The question seemed to take Twilight by surprise, as she glanced up towards him in surprise. Timber knew he had her interested now, so he asked the question again. “Is there something that I’ve done that’s stopping your feelings for me?”
He took a deep breath as he levelled his gaze with Twilight. “Is there someone else?”

Twilight’s blush gave him all the answers he needed, but he still waited for her to reply.

After a couple of minutes, Twilight spoke up. “Ever since I transferred to Canterlot High School, I’ve been struggling to find myself. I thought I was…” She paused for a moment, trying to figure out how to explain her predicament to him, “falling for someone I shouldn’t have been falling for, and so, I tried to hide them.” She glanced up at him, a sad smile on her face as she did so. “Then I met you, and I loved you, but I wasn’t in love with you. Does that make sense?”

Although Timber had every right to be mad at Twilight for what she was telling him, he could understand a little. There was a difference between loving someone and being in love with someone, and he couldn’t fault Twilight for getting the two mixed up. They were very similar, after all.

He decided to answer her question, nodding his head as he did so. “It does. So you got the two confused, and although you love me, you aren’t in love with me.” Twilight nodded her head, definitely making it clear that he was correct in his understanding. Timber let out a sigh, and Twilight reached for his hand comfortingly.

“I’m sorry, Timber. I do like you, but I can’t confuse those feelings. I don’t want to hurt anyone else like I’ve hurt you.” Tears formed at the corners of Twilight’s eyes.

Timber shook his head, running his thumb over her knuckle comfortingly. “Twilight, I’ll admit I am a little upset, but all I want is for you to be happy.” His voice cracked a little. “Even if it’s not with me.”

Twilight offered him a smile as she wiped her tears away. “Thank you, Timber. I hope we can still be friends.”
Timber smiled at her as he fished some money out of his pocket and placed it on the table to pay their bill with. “Of course we can, Twilight. Let me walk you back to your car, okay?”

Twilight just nodded as she finished coffee, smiling at how Timber had handled the situation. He truly was a great guy, and she knew that one day he would meet someone who was worthy of him. As the two finished their drinks, Timber called the waitress over, handed her their money, and stood up. He reached his hand out to Twilight, “Ready to leave?”

Twilight looped her arm through his as she nodded her head, allowing her friend to lead her out of the coffee shop. Although it should have been awkward, the two just couldn’t find it in themselves to hate each other over what had happened. It was nice to see that they could still be friends.

As Timber led Twilight to her purple car, a thought crossed his mind. Although he didn’t want to press the issue, for fear of his heartbreaking even more, he wanted to know who Twilight was falling for.

“Hey, Twilight.” When he was sure he had her attention, he continued to speak. “You said you shouldn’t be falling for someone….who is it? I don’t want you to get involved in the wrong crowds.” His sentences had some truth behind them. “You’re a great girl, and I don’t want anyone to take advantage of that.” A light blush appeared on his face as he spoke. “So...um...who is this lucky guy?”

“Oh, well…” Twilight blushed, her eyes averting to the floor once again. “Well, you know them. They went to Camp Everfree with us. And, well…” She smiled a little as she thought of her crush. “She has a beautiful smile, she’s nice to me, and she….she understands me. I’m not just the transfer student, the smart girl, the magical one, to her. She sees me like no one else has.” She flushed again. “But, to get to the point...It’s Sunset Shimmer.”

Timber’s eyes widened a little, and he could barely hear the rest of what Twilight said. He tried his best to pay attention - it was his own fault for asking. He was pulled out of his thoughts as he glanced down at Twilight, and was greeted by a doe-eyed look and a raised eyebrow. “Timber, are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” He shook his head a little and smiled back down at her. “A girl! I see what you mean by falling for someone you shouldn’t be falling for….some people wouldn’t accept you guys.”

“You don’t mind?” Twilight looked down at the floor, speaking shyly. Timber couldn’t help but smile.

“I told you, Twilight. I just want you to be happy, even if it isn’t with me.” Even if he was upset by Twilight’s confession, he was telling the truth. He loved Twilight, and because he loved her, he didn’t want her to be unhappy.

Twilight smiled up at him. “Timber, I can’t thank you enough for that.” As they reached her car door, she unhooked their arms, turning to face him. She was still scared about the awkwardness that may arise between the two, but for now, she was happy. “I’ll see you around?”

Timber smiled at her gratitude and let go of her arm. “Yeah. See you around, Twilight.”

The smaller girl sent a kind smile before she climbed into her car, fastened her seatbelt, and started up the engine. Timber took a couple of steps back and watched as she waved once. He waved back and then watched her drive off into the distance.

Strangely, he wasn’t that upset by it. Gloriosa had always told him that if you loved someone, you let them go, but she always implied that your heart would break as you watched them leave. And surprisingly, he was happy. Happy that Twilight finally had a chance to be with the girl she loved.

With that thought, Timber headed back to his car. He needed to go for a drive to clear his head.

Sunset Shimmer could only grin as she slipped her leather jacket back onto her body, her hand running through her messy hair as she did so. She slipped her guitar back into its case, feeling great after the performance she and her bandmates had delivered.

The twenty-two-year-old picked up her guitar case and slung it over her back, fishing her keys out of her pocket as she whistled a joyful tune. She was always happy after a gig; music was her passion, after all. The only thing better than music was spending time with her best friend, Twilight, and she was on her way to do just that. She and Twilight were going to have a movie night, and Sunset always looked forward to their movie nights.

As the girl saw her motorbike, she began to walk over to the vehicle, still whistling. She was in such a jovial mood, she didn’t think anyone could ruin it…

“Oh, hey Sunset.”

...except for him.

Turning around, Sunset smiled kindly as she saw her fellow bandmate and ex-boyfriend from high school, Flash Sentry. He sang and played backup guitar in their band, and Sunset had to admit he was one of the best guitarists she knew. She adored Flash - as a friend. It just made it all the more awkward when she realised Flash had a crush on her.

“Oh, hey Flash.” Still, he was her friend, and she turned to face him with a bright smile. “You did an amazing job up there tonight.”

Flash chuckled a little, his dark blue locks melting into the dark scenery of the night perfectly. He sent her a smile, one that used to make Sunset feel weak. “You did a pretty good job too.”

Sunset smirked playfully at him as she replied, her voice dripping with playfulness. “Well, I did learn from the best.”

Flash’s own reply was just as snarky as hers. “Well, I guess the student surpassed the master.” His voice then lowered, as he spoke sincerely, “But seriously, you’re such a good guitarist. It’s funny to think the passion began over something as petty as dating me.”

Sunset blushed a little in embarrassment as the memory returned to her. When they had first started dating in high school, Sunset saw how people (namely other girls) adored Flash’s music. And of course, as this was back when she was using him for his popularity, she couldn’t let someone else steal him away, so she had asked him to teach her. Flash had obliged, and although it started out as just a way to keep Flash from leaving her, it soon grew into a passion of hers. Sometimes, Flash thought she loved playing the guitar more than she loved him.

Sunset let out a little chuckle, “Yeah, definitely. I guess I owe you for teaching me how to play, huh?” She really did enjoy his company but right now, all she wanted to do was go see Twilight.

Flash smiled at her as he scratched the back of his head nervously, “Well - maybe, there is a way.” A light blush dusted his cheeks. “I was going to ask if you were busy tonight...I thought maybe we could go watch a movie?”

Sunset couldn’t help but sigh a little. Flash had developed a crush on her a few months ago, and although she loved his company, it was always quite awkward for her to be around him for long periods of time, knowing how he felt about her.

“Sorry, Flash. I have a movie night with Twilight tonight.” Sunset smiled as the thought of her best friend entered her mind. “And, you may be my male best friend, but Twi is my ultimate best friend.” She winked a little to show she was joking.

Flash let out a little chuckle, but the nagging feeling that gnawed at him for the past few months came back. It came back every time Sunset mentioned Twilight - originally, he had put it down to the fact he used to have a crush on Princess Twilight from Equestria; but now, it came back even when Sunset referred to their Twilight.

Flash may not have been the smartest kid at school, but he wasn’t oblivious. He noticed how Sunset always blushed when referring to Twilight, how she always seemed so happy when visiting her, how she always made sure to look perfect. There were often times when Sunset had brought different outfits to their concert hall and had asked for approval from the other bandmates and himself. And although he liked Sunset, maybe more than a friend, he always knew that deep down, Sunset didn’t feel the same way.

Flash couldn’t stop himself from speaking as he lowered his gaze, “You like her, don’t you?”

Sunset's face flushed a little in embarrassment, and she bit her lip a little. The situation became even more awkward now that Flash had asked her that question. “Well, of course, I like her...she’s my best friend-”

Flash interrupted her. “You know what I mean, Sunset. Do you...have a crush on Twilight?”

Sunset averted her gaze. She didn’t want to lie to him - she knew he had a crush on her, and she knew this would break him - but she couldn’t deny her own heart. “Yes.”

Flash let out a little sigh.

Sunset immediately regretted her decision, reaching out to touch Flash’s shoulder. “Flash, I’m sorry….I know you have a thing for me, but I just - I can’t reciprocate your feelings.” She glanced down at the floor. “I’m sorry.”

Flash shook his head at her words, glancing up into her eyes. “It’s alright. I understand, Sunset. I’m not going to ask you to put my feelings before your own. I just….I just hope we could rekindle what we had in high school.”

“And I’m sorry we can’t.” Flash knew she was being sincere, it was evident in her voice. “Flash, you’re a great guy. One day, you’re going to find someone who can love you the way you deserve to be loved. I’m just sorry that that person isn’t me.”

Flash shrugged his shoulders a little - he hated it when people saw him upset, especially if it was his friends who saw him upset. “Sunset, I understand. Have you told Twilight how you feel?”

Sunset blushed a little as she shook her head. “No, not yet...I hope to tell her how I feel tonight. She told me she was breaking things off with Timber - they just didn’t click - so I was hoping tonight would be the night before someone else gets a crush on her.”

Flash chuckled a little as he playfully punched his friend in the shoulder. “Well, go get her, Sunset! I’m sure she feels the same way - you guys are great for each other.” He sent her a playful wink. “Text me when it happens, alright?”

Sunset gave him a gracious smile, and she pulled him into a hug. Flash’s eyes widened a little, but he hugged her back.

“I love you like a friend, Flash, I hope you know that.” Her voice was somewhat murmured as she hugged him. “And no matter what happens, you will always be my friend.”

That seemed to calm Flash down. He may not be able to have Sunset as his girlfriend, but that was okay. A platonic relationship was better than no relationship at all.

Sunset pulled away from the hug as she beamed up at him. “I’ll call you and let you know how it goes, okay Flash?” After his nod of approval, she climbed onto her motorbike and revved the engine. “I’ll see you later, Flash!” With a quick wave, she sped off on her bike.

Flash waved at her as he drove off on her bike, and as soon as she was out of earshot, he dropped his hand sadly. A platonic relationship may be better than no relationship, but a romantic relationship was better than a platonic relationship.

“I just want her to be happy….” He reminded himself as he kicked a pebble lazily. As true as his statement was, it still hurt.

Flash gazed out at the long stretch of road and decided to take a walk to clear his head.

As Timber drove along the street, his music turned up loudly (but barely being noticed by him), he reviewed the day’s events in his head. He meant what he said about still wanting to be Twilight’s friend - he saw Twilight as a friend long before he saw her as a girlfriend - but that didn’t mean it still hurt a little, to have his first love tell him she didn’t feel the same way.

“I hope Sunset makes her happy….I can’t bear the thought of Twilight being hurt.” He gripped the steering wheel as the thought of Twilight being rejected or hurt in any way.

Timber shook his head, “No, Sunset wouldn’t do that. She’s her best friend, she’d never hurt Twilight.” He was angry at himself for even doubting Sunset. Sometimes he thought Sunset cared for Twilight more than he did, so the thought that she would hurt her was absurd.

Timber was so lost in his thoughts, he didn’t even notice the blue-haired male who stepped out in front of him. Timber barely had enough time to stop the car, adrenaline rushing through him as he looked for the pedestrian, Timber climbed out of the car to further look for him, and gave a sigh of relief as he saw he was okay.

“Hey, watch where you’re going….Flash?” Timber’s voice drawled of as he recognised the other man. He was Flash Sentry, best friend of Sunset Shimmer and a good friend of Twilight, and one of the campers at Everfree so many years ago.

“Timber?” Flash’s eyes brightened as he waved at him. “Hey Timber! I’m so sorry, man, I didn’t even realise where I was going!” He scratched the back of his head nervously. “Is your car okay?”

Timber held his hands up in a surrender motion. “Flash, the car is fine. I’m worried about you.” He placed a hand on Flash’s shoulder comfortingly. “I didn’t hit you, did I?”

Flash smiled, blushing a little at the contact. He was never really comfortable with physical contact - the furthest he ever went with anyone was a simple kiss, and that was in his and Sunset’s freshmen year of high school. Of course, he hugged Twilight after the Battle of the Bands so many years ago, but that was different. And he felt different right now, with Timber’s hand on his shoulder like that. It felt...warmer. Like when he had first started dating Sunset Shimmer.

“No, no, you managed to stop in time.” Flash sent him an encouraging smile, one which made Timber smile back. “So, where were you heading before you almost knocked me off my feet?”

Timber moved his hand from Flash’s shoulder and scratched the back of his head nervously. “I was just going for a drive, trying to clear my head.” He suddenly brightened up, looking towards Flash. “Hey, you live around here, don’t you? It’s getting late, let me drive you home!”

Flash felt another blush come onto his face and shook his head at the offer. “No, no, it’s fine-”

Timber crossed his arms over his chest. “Come on Flash, anything could happen to you out here. Just let me give you a ride home this once, okay?"

For some reason, Flash couldn’t say no. He sent Timber a kind smile and headed towards the passenger seat, feeling a little awkward about the situation.

Timber climbed into the driver’s seat, and when he was sure Flash was buckled in, he started up the engine. An awkward silence fell across the two - they weren’t friends, but they knew each other. It was more like they were acquaintances. They knew each other through Twilight and Sunset respectively but didn’t know each other that well.

“So…” Timber was the first to break the silence. “How’s your day been? I heard you had a gig tonight.”

Flash smiled at the memory of the concert. “Yeah, we did. We had a full house, but what can you expect when someone as amazing as Sunset Shimmer is our lead guitarist?” He chuckled wryly, “It’s almost like she was made for the guitar…” The thought of Sunset playing guitar made him think of his crush, and it also brought memories of the rejection back. He drawled off his sentence, slumping back a little.

Timber seemed to realise his partner was a little upset and frowned. Something must have happened at the gig that he didn’t want to talk about. “Hey, aren’t you the singer for the band?” Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Flash nod his head. Timber sent him a little smirk. “I want to hear you sing!” He turned his car radio up a little, the grin never leaving his face. “The next song that comes on, you have to sing it, okay?”

Flash was tempted to say no, but Timber seemed so excited to hear him sing. Plus it might help him forget about what happened with Sunset….With a smirk, he agreed to the challenge. The music echoed in his eardrums, and he took a deep breath before beginning to sing.

Timber could only listen, feeling himself getting lost in Flash’s voice. The boy was extremely talented, with a deep, husky voice that sent involuntary shivers down Timber’s spine. He felt himself tapping his fingers along to the rhythm as he drove.

The song ended (far too soon, in Timber’s opinion), and Flash’s voice slowly faded out. He noticed Timber was staring at him and blushed a little. “Uh, Timber….keep your eyes on the road please.”

That pulled Timber out of his thoughts. “What? Oh, right, sorry!”

The awkward silence returned. It was unbearable for Timber - he wanted to hear Flash talk again. His voice was soothing, and it distracted him from the memory of what had happened today.

This time, Flash had broken the silence. “I asked Sunset Shimmer out at the end of the gig.” He just had to get it off his chest.

“Oh. I see.” Timber didn’t know how to react. Did Flash know how Twilight felt for Sunset? One thing Timber did know about Flash was that he adored Twilight - he viewed her as a little sister. He wouldn’t want to hurt her by dating Sunset if she too pined after her.

“She rejected me…” His voice lowered a little as he glanced towards Timber. “…for Twilight.”

Timber sighed a little. “Well, the irony is Twilight broke up with me earlier today, to pursue her interest in Sunset.”

“Oh. I see.” Flash mirrored Timber’s words. Truthfully, he had brought up the conversation to see if Twilight truly had broken things off with Timber.

“But it’s okay.” Timber’s optimism sounded so forced, it almost made Flash pity him. “You know, when it happened, it didn’t really hurt that much."

Flash blinked in confusion. “Wait, really? When Sunset rejected me….” he thought back to how he felt. “I was upset. Not for her rejecting me, but for the fact that she loved someone else.” He shook his head. “That probably didn’t make any sense.”

“No, no. It made perfect sense.” Timber knew exactly how Flash felt. “You couldn’t ask her to give her feelings up because that wouldn’t be right. She shouldn’t have to suffer for not returning your affections.”

“Exactly!” Flash couldn’t keep the shock (and happiness) from his voice. “Asking her to hide her affections is just selfish. If she doesn’t feel the same way, who cares? Even if it breaks your heart….”

“….But if your heart is breaking, it means hers doesn’t have too.”

“And all you want is for her to happy….”

“Even if it’s not with you.”

The last line was spoken in unison, and the two boys couldn’t help but gaze at each other. Luckily, they were at a red light, or Timber would’ve been distracted.

Flash was the first to break eye contact. “Timber...the road….”

“Oh...right….”

Yet another silence fell among them, but this one wasn’t awkward. In fact, it was rather comfortable. Every now and then, they would glance at each other, trying not to be caught by the other.

Before they knew it, they arrived at Flash’s street. Flash sent Timber a smile - one that made Timber feel weak at the knees. He had to hold onto the steering wheel to try and shake away this nervous feeling.

“Thanks for the ride, Timber.” Flash unbuckled his seatbelt and waited for a response, but all Timber could do was smile back. It was good enough for Flash - Timber;s smile actually made him flush a little. He then began to open the car door, beginning to climb out, when Timber reached for his hand.

“Flash, wait!”

Flash turned back to look at Timber. “Yes?”

“Would you…” Timber couldn’t hide his blush. “Maybe, like to go for coffee and a movie tomorrow?”

Flash didn’t answer for a few minutes. And then, a smile crept onto his face. “Sure. I’d like that.”

Timber beamed at him, letting go of Flash’s hand. “I’ll pick you up at around six?”

Flash nodded in response and then waved as Timber began to drive off. He waved as the car drove off, and even when it was out of sight, Flash still found himself waving.

After a couple minutes, he headed to his apartment, a small blush on his face as he did so.

Just because Sunset wasn’t dating him didn’t mean he had to be unhappy. He could be happy without a girlfriend - she was still his friend after all.

And besides, if tomorrow went well, maybe he could be happy with someone else instead.

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