1: 3 Cheers for Two Dorks in Love (And they just won't admit it)
“P-O-N-Y-V-I-L-L-E! LET’S GO, GO! P-O-N-Y-V-I-L-L-E! PONYVILLE, VILLE!”
The tension was high tonight, Rainbow shouting over the cheering crowd and giving directions as Ocellus did a backflip and landed on a trampoline. She bounced right back up and was caught by Shimmy Shake and Lighthoof. Both grinned at the very nervous Ocellus, who was wiping a bead of sweat off her brow with a hoof.
In the audience, Gallus let out a sigh of relief he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. If Shimmy and Lighthoof hadn’t caught her at the last moment...
“P-O-N-Y-V-I-L-L-E! LET’S GO, GO! P-O-N-Y-V-I-L-L-E! PONYVILLE, VILLE!”
It was then Gallus noticed who was leading the cheer chant, a very familiar hippogriff with very familiar feathers. He blinked, oh you had to be joking. “Silverstream…?”
It also didn’t escape his notice how… right the cheer squad uniform looked on her. The hippogriff was currently doing several somersaults, before doing a graceful landing and shaking her pom-poms. Gallus’ keen eyes followed the hippogriff all throughout her routine, watching the sweat began glistening off her feathers in the moonlight. It was so very hard not to tear his eyes away from this sight, and remember yeah, he was supposed to be watching the whole squad. Then, oh yes, the game!
Yona, yeah he expected with her school spirit. Hell, Ocellus seemed to be an okay fit. But Silverstream, of all creatures only just now putting on the uniform…? Okay then. More to the point, she looked adorable in it. Wait, did he just think adorable? About Silverstream? Okay, yeah she was generally cute -loathe as the proud griffon was to admit it- but now she looked cute cute. Oh boy. Oh brother. Oh dear.
So distracted was he by this revelation of revelations that he didn’t notice the game actually ended -with a Ponyville victory at that!- till the crowd descended into roaring cheers. Yeah, definitely oh boy, oh brother and oh dear.
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“Whew, great game guys,” Rainbow said, a damp towel around her neck. “By this rate, we’ll be going all the way to the finals!”
The locker room after the game was abuzz with chatter. A Ponyville victory, just what they needed to reinvigorate some school spirit. Beating Celestia’s prized buckball team was a great win. Personally, Rainbow was going to push all the credit to her awesome cheer squad. And by that logic, give all the credit to herself as well. See, the way Rainbow figured it, the cheer squad gave the players that extra boost in morale. That extra boost in morale led them to play faster, play harder and bring home the win.
“And oooooh, when we go all the way to the finals, the trophy will be on that wall!” Silverstream babbled excitedly, practically prancing in place. Her pony side was showing, for sure. Punching the air, she belted out a chorus of: “P-O-N-Y-V-I-L-L-E! LET’S GO, GO! P-O-N-Y-V-I-L-L-E!”
Ocellus giggled as she felt her spirits rise just from Silverstream being there. Her bubbliness was infectious that way. “Well, you’re excited.”
Silverstream quirked her head and blinked. “...should I not be? I mean, we won. And it was all thanks to our totally awesome cheer!”
“Weeeeeeeeel, we shouldn’t give you all the credit,” Smolder said with a small smirk. “I mean, the players were the ones who drove us home to the win right?”
“Yes, but my cheer, our cheer was the one which gave them the drive to… um, well, drive us home to the win right?” Silverstream pointed out and Smolder shrugged. She supposed she couldn’t argue with that sort of logic.
“You… you don’t think some of these uniforms are too… distracting do you?” Ocellus asked quietly looking at her attire.
“How so?” Yona asked rather puzzled. “Yona thinks these uniforms work perfectly fine.”
“Well, um, I mean…” Ocellus stammered out Smolder giving her a gentle nudge.
“Go on Oc, speak your mind if you want,” Smolder remarked. “We’re all friends here right?”
“It’s just, um, well…” Ocellus fretted. “I’m just worried all eyes will be on us really…”
“But all eyes should be on us, right? I mean, we are the cheer squad aren’t we?” Yona asked, her own eyes turning towards Rainbow. Currently, the Wonderbolt was talking with Shimmy and Lighthoof, having words with them and their routine. Apparently, she was just as worried as Gallus had been about their timing. Yona suspected Rainbow would be having words with her later as well, given she was the one who pushed in the trampoline. It was all fun and games until someone got hurt.
“Oh, totally,” Smolder remarked wiping her face with a damp towel. “I mean, as much as I hate to admit it, we look good in these uniforms. Like damn good.”
“But that’s what I’m worried about…” Ocellus murmured shrinking back into herself. “I-I mean, what if we’re just that little bit too distracting…?”
“Oh, oh, I see!” Smolder laughed clapping her friend on the back. “You’re worried someone may have their eyes on you the whole game right? Well, look at it this way, right? At least ponies will finally notice how cute you are, like cute as a button!”
Here she booped Ocellus on the nose.
“You want Yona to start fending them off with a stick?” Yona asked, the yak remarking this with a smile.
“Well, ponies do go for the nerds… The bookworm look is in this year, right?” Silverstream asked. “At least, that’s what Professor Rarity says. Poor Twilight, she’s had to shut herself in her office…”
“There’s cute, and then there’s distracting. There’s a difference,” Ocellus commented giving Smolder a ‘look’. The dragon looked confused. “I’m just saying, I don’t want any of the players making any bad moves because we’re all up in their faces.”
“Hazard of the job really,” Smolder shrugged. “I mean, we make this sh-er, sorry, stuff look good!”
She’d hastily corrected herself at Ocellus’ glare before continuing.
“It is a known fact that buckball players always attracted to the cheerleaders,” Smolder remarked. “I didn’t join this squad to net myself a mate, but there you go. Known fact!”
“Oh, totally!” Shimmy Shake said as she trotted up. She licked her lips as Ocellus flushed a bright beet red. “I mean, ooooh, think about it. Like, guys looooooooveeee a girl in uniform right? I know some of the buckball players have been giving me the eyes. Took one behind the bleachers once. Yeah, it’s totally the uniform.”
If her choice in praising didn’t do it, her lascivious tone left no doubt as to what she meant. Silverstream let out a squeak as Smolder cackled. Rainbow shot Shimmy a glare as she passed. “...and if I catch you doing that, you’ll be off the team before you can even blink. You’re here to cheer on the school Shake, not to net yourself a boyfriend.”
Shimmy shuddered as Rainbow left. Clearly, all of that time with Spitfire had been rubbing off on the pegasus. Clearly. “...so basically we’re lookers, got it,” Silverstream said striking a pose.
Smolder nodded. “Basically. Not that there’s anything wrong with that…” she said. “Plenty of ways to keep the team spirit up. Some ways Rainbow just doesn’t have to know about, right?”
Ocellus flushed a beet red as Silverstream sighed. “...Yeah, I don’t think I’ll be doing that. Pretty sure mom would kill me if she found out. I’m royalty remember? I have appearances to keep up.”
“Yeah, but what you’re third or fourth in line for the throne?” Smolder shrugged.
“True as that may be,” Silverstream said and Ocellus smiled glad someone saw sense here. “I’m here to learn and cheer my team on, not get myself a quick one.”
“Gaaaaaaagh,” Smolder groaned. “Fun-killer, that’s what you are. Never thought I’d say that about you, but there you go. Still, I did notice Gallus was eyeing you. Like, seriously eying you.”
“Wait, what?” Silverstream asked letting out a little squawk of shock.
“So he finally noticed you huh?” Yona asked. “Well, it was about time Yona says. See, Yona told you that when you put on a uniform he would finally open up his eyes! Did she not?”
“No, she did not,” Silverstream grumbled. “You said me being on the team would invigorate school spirit!”
“That too,” Yona agreed. “But more importantly it would open up dense griffon’s eyes!”
“...I feel used,” Silverstream muttered as she sank into the floor.
“Oooooh, this is so romantic!” Ocellus nearly squealed. “This is just like out of one of my books!”
“Wait, wait, wait,” Silverstream wanted to clarify. “Are you seriously sure he noticed me? Like, how do you know this for sure? Like, he seriously noticed me? Seriously seriously?”
“Seriously seriously,” Smolder nodded. “Unless you know of some other hippogriff in this school… But yeah, Gallus is dense, but not that dense. Pretty sure he’s had this crush on you ever since that weird incident in the caverns below the school, which you still need to tell me about by the way. I want the deets!”
“Did you just seriously say deets?” Ocellus asked in disbelief.
“...shut up,” Smolder muttered to herself with a cute little huff. Crossing her arms, she muttered: “I’m a dragon, so I think I can say whatever the flyin f-sorry, flying feather I want!”
Again, Ocellus was giving her a ‘look’ and Yona chuckled.
“Apparently you’re not a dragon who can say whatever she wants,” Yona remarked. “Because from the looks of it Ocellus is Daring Doing you!”
“Daring Doing you?” Silverstream asked. “Ooooh, ooh, does that mean you both read Daring Do books together? Because if so, that’s so sweet. Though if you ask me, her last book was a bit ‘eh’.”
Yona gave the sorta scatterbrained hippogriff a soft smile while Smolder muttered to herself: “Y-Yeah, sure, let’s go with that okay?”
Yona mimed cracking a whip, but when both Ocellus and Smolder looked at her, she looked perfectly innocent. “Yeah, sure we read books together, what about it? It’s a perfectly normal thing to do. But annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnyways,” Smolder went on suddenly very eager to get back to the subject of Silverstream and Gallus dancing around each other. “Well, at least this is an improvement over you two barely able to speak to each other.”
“Oh, oh, Yona remembers!” Yona said prancing in place before going off on a remarkably good imitation of Silverstream. Or Gallus, take your pick. “I... uhhh... dahee... wha... ahh…”
“I was never like that!” Silverstream shouted now the one blushing red.
“Sure you weren’t,” Smolder drawled. “Or do I remember the you after the caverns very differently?”
“Um… Okay, maybe I was like that, but only for a few days…” Silverstream mumbled to herself. “I don’t think Gallus noticed…”
“Yeah, that’s because he’s as dense as a bag of rocks,” Smolder pointed out. “Pretty sure we’ve just established that.”
“Well, he’s not now…” Ocellus giggled hoofbumping Smolder. “See, all it takes is a form-fitting uniform and him being in the front row to see you in it!”
“Did I mention I feel used?” Silverstream grumbled. “Oh well, if this gets Gallus to finally notice me, well all’s well that ends well!”
“Notice me Silverstream-Sempai!” a very girly voice snarked and everyone looked at Smolder. Smolder glared back and crossed her arms once more. “What? If anything, blame Ocellus okay? She’s the one who’s been showing me magical filly anime! Also, if that somehow leaves this room, I’ll know who said what, and I’ll also know who to hang from the highest tower. Got it?”
“Cardcaptor Saddlekura you think?” Silverstream asked as she leaned over to Yona. “I mean, it has some action. Some, but not a lot…”
“Fillybug, more likely,” Yona remarked. “It’s a newer series, more modern and has more action. Plus, Fillybug. Bug, changeling?”
“Probably, yeah now that you mention it…” Silverstream conceded.
“If you two are done?” Smolder asked with a glare before mumbling to herself: “...and for the record it’s actually Magical Lyra-ca Nanoha As…”
“...the one with all the befriending beams and explosions?” Silverstream remarked. “...Yeah, that fits. It totally fits given who our professors are… Rats, I was hoping it would be Sailor Luna.”
“Well, I mean it could be worse… I thought she was going to say Ponella Madoka Magica.” Yona decided.
“I was hoping it would be that actually,” Silverstream returned. Smolder could only groan.
“...my friends are such idiots.” she decided.
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Gallus could hardly focus on his classes the very next day, his thoughts still on Silverstream. Whom apparently, his brain had decided to wake up and yell at him: “YOUR FRIEND IS ACTUALLY VERY HOT, GET YOUR ASS IN GEAR YOU BIRDBRAIN!”
Gallus honestly didn’t know how he hadn’t noticed this before, Silverstream as it turned out was apparently a very attractive griff. Oh boy. Oh brother and oh dear. He watched as the chipper hippogriff walked in, chattering away with Yona. Babbling really. His heart was doing somersaults in his chest by now. Gallus groaned as his head hit the table, how had he not noticed this before? Was he that much of an oblivious idiot?
Short answer, yes. Very much yes, apparently.
Long answer? Well, he supposed maybe he had a crush on the hippogriff for a while now, ever since that incident in the caverns. He’d probably been just way too proud to actually admit it. She was infectiously cute, really. Like, hideously so. She was a bit of a ditz, -stairs anyone?- yeah that much was true. But you know what, it only served to make her even more adorable. Again, stairs anyone? Not to mention she was so ridiculously chipper. It was like, well Gallus never actually saw her truly ‘down’. And even then, it wasn’t actually for long really. She was always back on her feet(?) Claws? Paws? Gallus had given up trying to figure that one out long ago. Just around the time he tried to figure out how being half fish, half bird, and half pony worked. It was a headache waiting to happen.
Mind you, apparently not as much of a headache as suddenly figuring out that he should be cheering: “S-I-L-V-E-R-S-T-R-E-A-M, LET'S GO!”
Or something like that. He probably wouldn’t do it in a uniform though. No way, no way. That was way too girly for his tastes. Gallus was dragged out of his internal ramblings by a hoof waved in front of his face and an irritated voice.
“Yo, Gallus? Equus to Gallus…?” Sandbar asked continuing to wave that hoof in front of his best friend’s face. Well, he did anyways until Gallus slapped it down with an irritated expression.
“What?” he snapped.
“Is something wrong, man?” Sandbar asked. “You’ve been elsewhere all morning, like you seriously have been. You’re not sick are you?” he asked before placing a hoof to his friend’s forehead.
Well, yes, Gallus supposed. He supposed he was sorta sick in a way. Lovesick. Wait, love? Where had that come… oh. Oh. Gallus, you dummy. Gallus was now chastising himself even more. Was it love? He wasn’t sure. Okay, maybe like 90% sure. Okay, maybe make that 95% sure. He’d leave that other 5% open to suggestion. Doctor doctor, yeah someone better give him the news. He was coming down with something, that was for sure. Ugh, he was such an idiot. By now he was practically beating his head against the table. Maybe he really was.
Gallus wanted to hit himself, was he sure this was love? Even 95% sure? He was still young, did he even know what love was? I mean, yeah sure he was no horny teenager anymore but… He wasn’t exactly in the best of positions to judge what love actually was… was he? Was he?
Goddamnit. This was so infuriating. “No… No, I’m fine. Well, sorta fine. I’m not sick at least,” he finally answered. “Least not in that way…”
“You’re a terrible liar, Gallus,” Sandbar replied unimpressed. “Like, seriously terrible. Now I know something’s wrong. And I swear, if you don’t tell me what it is, I will find a way to force it out of you.”
“You, force something out of me?” Gallus asked. “I’d like to see you try.”
“Fine, I’ll just go tattle to Ocellus about that picture of Headmare Twilight you keep under your bed. She’ll never let you live it down, and we both know it.”
Rule number one, never think you could hide anything from a changeling. It was impossible.
“Oh, okay, fine!” Gallus grumbled to himself shooting his friend a glare. Okay, friend was something he was seriously reconsidering after that ploy. “...you’re an evil son of a bitch, you know that?”
“No need to get so huffy,” Sandbar shrugged biting into his hay sandwich. “You’re in a mood, I notice. Like, a real one. Last time I saw you this hot and bothered was when someone took all the enchiladas at lunch rush.”
“Don’t remind me…” Gallus grumbled to himself. “But yeah, okay you got me. Something is wrong with me, and it’s nothing to do with Silverstream no sir!”
“See what I mean about you being a bad liar?” Sandbar deadpanned and this time Gallus really did beat his head against the table. Sandbar smiled. “So you finally figured it out, you big blue galoof. Took you long enough.”
“Big blue…” Gallus mouthed the words before sighing. “...you’ve been hanging out with Silverstream haven’t you?”
He was severely trying to force down the fire in his chest by now. Sandbar and Silverstream ‘hanging out’? Oh, that was just… Well, that was a… Oh, he had no words for that. Well, maybe a few really. Just a few, but they fit the scenario. No, no, no, NO! That must not be permitted! Sandbar/Silverstream? Sandstream? No no, thank you brain for that absolutely horrific imagery. ABORT ABORT ABORT! KILL! DO NOT PERMIT! ...so, okay yeah, maybe he should bump that 95% up to a 97%. Maybe 98%. Keep that 2% free, keep his options open.
“We all hang out with Silverstream,” Sandbar clarified. “So you don’t have to rip me apart for the sake of your crush. So glad you finally figured it out and picked your head out of the sand by the way. It was starting to get on my nerves. Well, all of our nerves really.”
“Was I really that obvious?” Gallus asked. Sandbar gave him a ‘look’. “...Okay, so yeah maybe I was a bit obvious about it.”
“A bit?” Sandbar said dryly. “You looked like you were about to rip me limb from limb for even mentioning your crush.”
“...Griffons guard their treasures with great jealousy, I’ll have you know,” Gallus replied. “We’re like dragons in that regard.”
“Oh, so she’s your treasure now is she?” Sandbar remarked.
“...Goddamnit.”
--------
“So Gallus, what do you think?” Silverstream asked later that night.
“About what?” Gallus replied hardly looking up from his textbook. Headmare Twilight would have his head if he didn’t turn his history exam. He needed to do this, like tonight. “...And if this is about installing bunk beds, for the last time, I said no. I roll over in my sleep, and I’d rather not bust my head open on the floor. Terribly messy.”
“No no, it’s not about that…” Silverstream murmured to herself. “...though rats! I was going to ask you about that next! No need to be such a scaredy-griff Gallus. You fly, we fly, we all fly. Bunkbeds are hardly a hazard!”
“Like I said, I’m afraid of rolling over in my sleep and cracking my head open,” Gallus replied. “I… I mean, it’s a possibility right?”
“I’d think you’d have better control over your body than that,” Silverstream smiled. “Your self-control is practically, dare I say it, legendary!”
“Oh, legendary is it?” Gallus remarked with a small smirk. “You flatterer!”
“I aim to please!” Silverstream beamed. “But really, what I was planning to ask you about was… well, what do you think of me in uniform? I mean, do I make it work?”
Gallus let out a wheeze. Yep, there went his heart doing those somersaults again. Never mind that, he had self control. He had self control. He could keep himself from belting out: “I THINK YOU LOOK REALLY HOT IN CHEER SQUAD UNIFORM SILVER! I WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE TO JUMP YOUR BONES!”
...Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeah, that probably wouldn’t go over really well would it?
“Y-Yeah, I think you make it work…” he gasped out finally realizing that yeah, Silverstream was in uniform again. How did he miss that? Wow, he really was oblivious.
“Oh, you do, do you?” Silverstream said as she clambered up next to him. Gallus’ heart was really doing those somersaults now. His chest was seizing up as he took in every inch of her. She looked… well, she looked beautiful. No, not just hot but Celestia under the sun beautiful. Like, seriously beautiful. Did he mention before how much this uniform suited her? It was like taking Silverstream’s already really peppy cheerfulness and putting it in clothing form.
...However that metaphor worked.
“Y-Yeah, I do,” Gallus stammered. “It’s so… well…”
“It’s so what?” Silverstream asked in bewilderment. Goddamnit, she was really cute when she tilted her head like that. Did he ever mention that as well?
“Like, well, it’s so… well, you,” Gallus said. “I… I don’t know really how to describe it other than that.”
“Now who’s the flatterer?” Silverstream smiled as she stroked his face with a claw. Understandably, with Silverstream dressed this way and this close to him, Gallus felt his face grow very very warm.
“Please, please, please, please don’t take notice, please don’t take notice…” Gallus pleaded to whatever deity who might have been listening in. Silverstream took notice.
“Oh, see something you like?” Silverstream asked and Gallus could only barely muster up an answer.
“T-That’s so cliche…” he said and Silverstream giggled.
“But it’s true isn’t it? Cliche but true…” she said before closing the gap between them. Gallus couldn’t stop the soft moan that came up. Then, Silverstream let out a soft giggle as she fell back into the sheets. Yeah, he could forget about the history test for now. It could wait till morning, right now he had other matters to atte…
“GAH!” Gallus shouted as he was shot awake by Rarity’s bark.
“Something to share with the class?” his professor asked sternly. “From the look of it, your daydream must have been an interesting one. Far more interesting it seems, than my pop quiz on generosity.”
As the class let out loud groans, and some muttering: “Nice going Gallus…” the griffon hit his head atop the desk. Yeah, he really needed to get a handle on things like RIGHT NOW. This was getting completely ridiculous…
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Oh boy. Oh brother and oh dear. Like really, this was getting out of hand. Bad enough he was drooling over his actually turned out to be very cute friend in private. Now he was doing this in public as well? Nodding off and daydreaming very saucy dreams about her? Oh yeah, he had it bad. 99%? Probably. That 1% should still be left open.
Just in case. I mean, he could be wrong, and hormones could have just been messing with him right? “Okay, yeah Gallus, keep repeating that to yourself and you might even start to actually believe it.”
That settled it. He needed to find Silverstream and… well, probably pour his whole heart out on the floor and hope she didn’t laugh herself silly sick. Silly sick? Was that even a phrase? Well, he supposed it was now.
Okay, so Silverstream should have been easy enough to find. He had her whole schedule memorized. No, he wasn’t a creep. Stop that, shut up. He was just a lovesick idiot, who only now just realized he was lovesick. You’ve been there, I know you have. So be quiet. Please, for this poor fool’s sake. Annnnnnnnnnnnnyways, Silverstream’s whole schedule went as thus follows. After classes, every day she would head over to the nearby lake and indulge herself I suppose is the phrase? Yeah, she indulged herself and went for a little swim. Now that Gallus thought about it, she looked so beautiful with the water dripping off her frame. Yeah, like some sort of movie star.
Sure enough, Gallus found the hippogriff at the nearby lake, emerging from the water. Her form shimmered and glowed as she changed form, the Pearl of… what was it, Pearl of Change changing her fishpony form to that of a hippogriff.
“Gallus!” she shouted happily, practically bombarding him with a tackle hug. Wow, had he noticed only just now that she was this affectionate? Because wow, she was a cuddle bug. Not that he minded.
“H-Hey, Silver…” Gallus wheezed out. “You, uh, mind letting me go? B-Because I’m sure my lungs would like some a-air right about now…”
“Oh, right! Um, sorry?” Silverstream blushed red. “I’m just so happy to see you, that’s all.”
“You’re always happy to see me,” Gallus said. “You’re always happy to see anyone.”
“Well, I have a very cheery outlook,” Silverstream said with a smile. “So, um… how’s your day been?”
Oh yes, swell. It had been just swell, aside from just only now realizing he was an oblivious idiot and having saucy daydreams about his best friend. Oh good grief, Gallus now longed for the days when he was so unenlightened. Made things less awkward. Like, really less awkward.
“It’s been good, apart from that pop quiz… which I admit I now started so um, sorry?” Gallus laughed nervously.
“Well, must have been a very good daydream,” Silverstream asked. Wait, why was she smirking? Please tell him that wasn’t a smirk. “Like, I know you’ve had daydreams before -you do bore easily in class- but that one must have been a really good one.”
“Oh, you have no idea…” Gallus thought to himself.
“Not that I can blame you for getting bored easily in class,” Silverstream went on, beginning to babble. “I mean, some of the lectures our teachers go on…”
“Yeah, I know what you mean,” Gallus said. “I mean, I’m interested in friendship as the next griff but… well. Yeah. I’m still amazed Rainbow has time for this and being a Wonderbolt. I mean, like how does that work?”
Silverstream shrugged. “...well, I mean to be fair she only gets called away every so often. Plus, Spitfire seems to be an understanding enough mare.”
“More like scary,” Gallus shuddered. “You’ve seen her barking orders at the recruits right? Like, I know it’s to toughen them up and all -prevent the next Lightning Dust as well- but yikes. If I do choose to go into the Royal Guard, I hope my drill sergeant isn’t that scary…”
“Wait, you want to go into the Royal Guard?” Silverstream blinked. “That’s… that’s actually kind of awesome, really. Like, seriously it is. You go Gallus!”
She said this punching him in the arm. Gallus let out a small “Ow…” and rubbed it. Silverstream facepalmed.
“Oh, oh dear was I a bit too… um, bit too hard? Oh, I really don’t know my own strength at times…” she babbled and Gallus laughed. Silverstream glared and Gallus quickly backtracked.
“No, no, I’m sorry, I’m not laughing at you…” Gallus said quickly. Perhaps a little too quickly.
“You sorta sounded like you were…” Silverstream mumbled before true to form, she perked right back up again. Gallus however, continued to babble out apologies.
“No no, I wasn’t laughing at you honest!” Gallus stammered. “I was just thinking, well, you sound so adorable when you’re like that.”
“Adorable huh?” Silverstream asked and Gallus flushed. Internally, he was cursing himself. “...well, mother always said I was rather cute…”
“She’s not wrong,” Gallus said deciding to risk it. “Like, I think the only one cuter than you is Ocellus. Must be that bookworm thing she’s got going on.”
“Yeah, well, I admit I can’t quite compete with that, but apparently I don’t need to if I can attract Mister Future Royal Guard here…” Silverstream teased and Gallus went redder than ever.
“Yes, um, well…” Gallus said. “I think for all the trouble I’ve caused our teachers over the years -and there’s probably some more to come knowing me- I think I should give back to Equestria. Plus, show them that I’m worth something. First griff in the guard!”
Silverstream frowned to herself, she knew Gallus still had some self-image problems after his upbringing. Or lack of. “...Gallus, I know you want to rise up above your home life or rather lack of it, but you don’t have to go so far…”
“Yeah, I do actually,” Gallus replied. “I mean, I started out with nothing and it’s only due to pure luck -and Grandpa Gruff deciding to actually have feelings for once- that I’m even here.”
“Well, for the record, I’m glad you are,” Silverstream said, running a claw through his feathers. “And that grandpa of yours? He’ll feel very stupid when you do whatever you end up doing.”
“What, no faith in me as a Guardsman?” Gallus asked. “...you wound me, you really do.”
“No, I just always saw you as some sports star, that’s all,” Silverstream explained. “I mean, this is even better than I imagined. You as a guardsman? That’s… that’s really noble. And, actually really sweet.”
“...I don’t do sweet,” Gallus muttered.
“Oh, sure you do. You’re just a big softie in total denial!” Silverstream teased.
“Uh, speaking of which, I mean speaking of sports,” Gallus started. Now or never, he supposed. Now or never. “I, uh, saw you at the game last night. Cheerleader, yeah, it uh… really fits you. Very peppy.”
“Eh, gotta show school spirit somehow right?” Silverstream asked. “Though if you ask me, going out with the future class valedictorian is an even better way… N-Not that I’d ever imply I’m going out with you for your status. Because I do want to g-go out with you and good grief I’m horrible at this!”
And then Gallus siezed his moment. 100% sure now. No, make that 110% sure. As soon as he pulled away, Gallus smiled. “Don’t worry, so am I.”
END