“The reason it's working is because we're treating each other just like friends!” Sunset Shimmer says. Her hand is enfolded with Flash Sentry's as the two teenagers lean against each other where they sit at the cafeteria table. “We're taking it slow. And—in a lot of ways—we're treating things as if they've all happened for the first time.”
“My word...” Octavia holds a hand to her mouth. She sits next to Vinyl, opposite the table from the two. “...and for a moment there I thought it was just an act!”
“Not an act!” Sunset Shimmer blushes slightly with a genuine smile. “We're simply... trying not to attract too much attention. Also not take things too seriously.” She looks aside at Flash. “Right, honey?”
“Holy cow...” Flash's other hand is holding a phone. His blue eyes reflect the Reddit Home Page. “...he really does look like a turtle!”
Sunset rolls her eyes. “That includes forgiving crap like that!” She playfully punches his shoulder.
“Ow!” Flash winces. He immediately drops his phone and looks nervously at Sunset and the two seated across from them. “What? What'd I miss?” A gulp, and he crookedly smiles. “Friendship is magic! Am... am I-I right?”
“Goddess, you're so goofy.” Sunset nuzzles him like a cat—or some other four legged creature from beyond a mirror. “But also wonderfully predictable.”
“That's cuz you can read minds, Sunset.” Flash found the time to wink. “Lucky that I gave you my heart. Now you've got the complete package!”
“It almost makes up for all the emptiness in your brain.”
“Wasn't much there before you came along.”
“Good saves.” Octavia sips from a cup of water and points with her pinky. “About one and a half points in two breaths, right there.”
“Eh...” Sunset Shimmer shrugs. “I cut him a lot of slack.”
Flash leans into her ear. “Who was cutting who some slack when he waited twenty minutes outside of your house when you slept in this morning?”
It was Sunset's turn to turn red. “Did you really have to use that ammunition?”
Flash shrugs. “Gotta fight for every inch!” He gestures at the table with his free hand. “We're in No Man's Land, here!”
Vinyl Scratch snickers. She's halfway through her bowl of ramen noodles, eating and slurping away. Before she can process a response to the couple's dialogue...
...she feels a warm set of fingers covering her free hand atop the table.
Vinyl stops in mid-noodling, even as she feels Octavia lean in to sit shoulder-to-shoulder with her.
The cellist speaks: “Well, I for one believe that the oddest couples make for the strongest bonds. If it works for meatheads and telepaths...” She winks. “...I assure you that it goes double for chatter boxes and quiet types.”
Sunset Shimmer's eyes land on the teenage musicians' joint hands, then back to their faces. “Awwwwwwwwwwww...” She coos.
“I... uh...” Flash's face meanders a dumb maze. “I had no idea!” He finally summons a smile and looks at Vinyl. “Congratulations and stuff!”
“Heeheeeee...” Octavia leans her head against Vinyl's shoulder. “Truth is stranger than fiction. Isn't it, love?”
Vinyl sweats, trapped between the table and Octavia's arms. After a deep, deep breath...
...she loses herself once more in ramen.
Okay, now I need lots and lots of adorable FlashSet romance fluff from you because their dialogue was so wonderfully goofy. Also, yay healthy relationships and reconciling!
This was fun. Good to see Flash get some sort of win. And really, this kind of way he and Sunset handle things feels pretty darn in-character for both of them! Good on ya!
I can only wonder what will happen with Vinyl and Tavi next...
I can't tell if I was more obvious or if my 'Tavi was more perceptive, but I never truly had either of us fooled for long, as much as I tried. And don't let anybody tell you I didn't try (not that I think there's anybody who would). I am remarkably bad at faking my orientation (though possibly I could do a bit better if I tried now armed with the knowledge that I'm lying) but I honestly did the best I could.
In some ways this story is just oh so very familiar, and I guess I don't know how I feel about being brought back to that time. I swore never to regret it, and certainly it was far from all bad, but I can't help but wonder if I could have chosen to just regret it so my feelings on that time wouldn't be so complicated.