More to Love

o*O*o

“And I’ve just been going out of my mind worrying about this ever since it started. I mean, like I said earlier, these dreams used to bother me, and now I wake up from them all wet and ready to… you know... But the stranger, weight-gain related things aside, the more I think about the way I am with her in those dreams… the way I touch her, and kiss her and—”

A shudder ran through Fluttershy as she reflected, impulsively biting her lip. Not unexpected, but she still found it rather embarrassing in the presence of another. Fluttershy cast her gaze to the floor, the weight of her shame in no way relieved by explaining herself. She looked up again, her lower lip slipping out from between her teeth.

“The thing is, I’ve definitely had thoughts like that before, but they were just thoughts. I never gave them much consideration… they were always there, though, and now that I’ve been having these dreams, I can’t stopthinking about her like that. So um… that’s about it, really. I didn’t know who else to talk to about this because it’s… well, it’s kind of embarrassing, but I know you won’t tell anypony.”

Her hoof clicked softly as she tapped it against the floor. “What do you think, though? This isn’t normal, is it?”

“Oh yes, dear, of course,” murmured Rarity.

Fluttershy lifted her head a little higher. “You really think so?”

Rarity’s sewing machine continued to rattle at full speed. “Mmhmm, absolutely.”

“Oh, thank goodness! I had no idea!” She heaved a sigh of relief, adopting a timid smile. “I thought maybe there was something wrong with me.”

“Most definitely,” Rarity replied, still staring down at the dancing needle. Without looking up, she levitated a muffin to her mouth and took several bites. Her mouth full, she added, “I completely agree.”

Fluttershy cocked an ear. “Rarity, did um… not to say that you aren’t a good listener, but… were you paying attention to anything I said?”

“Yes, yes, you’re very right.” Rarity polished off the rest of the muffin, daubing her lips with a napkin. Discouraged, Fluttershy turned and headed for the door. “Oh, you’re leaving? Yes, well, do come back soon! Hopefully I’ll have made some progress into these orders when you do.”

A jingle and a click punctuated Fluttershy’s departure from the Carousel Boutique. She slowly began to meander through town.

Rarity is just busy, she reassured herself. She didn’t mean anything by it. And I suppose this isn’t the end of the world. Having bizarre dreams isn’t going to hurt anypony. I just wish I could make sense of all of this.

Fluttershy continued to reflect, doing her best to stay out of everyone’s way as she moved down a crowded street. Well, I mean, if I break it down, it isn’t really all that complicated. I really enjoy helping my animal friends get ready for hibernation, because they get so soft and cuddly, but it was never sexual. Not until Pinkie Pie became a part of the equation. And I never seriously thought of Pinkie like that until I started having those dreams, for that matter.

Is it safe to ignore this? She chewed her lower lip as she weighed her options. Can I just pretend that I’m a normal pony?

The smell of frosting and freshly baked pastries filled her nose. Wait…

Fluttershy came to an abrupt stop when she realized that she had idly wandered right to Sugarcube Corner’s doorstep. She turned around, only to find herself face to face with Pinkie Pie herself. The jaws of anxiety snatched her up in an instant.

“Hiya Shy!” Pinkie flashed a bright smile, her mane bobbing as she came to a relative standstill. “Haven’t seen you around too much lately! You feeling okay?”

“I um… yes. I’m feeling just fine, thank you.” She forced a smile, but her ears splayed to the sides. “There’s just been a lot on my mind lately. I didn’t mean to avoid you. Wait, I didn’t mean it like—”

Pinkie’s eyes widened. “Avoid me?” All at once, her cheerful demeanor evaporated. She looked down at the ground, then back up at Fluttershy. “Aw, jeeze, did I do something wrong? I don’t remember doing anything wrong but I’m really, really sorry, for doing whatever it was that I did!”

“No, Pinkie, you—”

“Because you know I would never do something to hurt your feelings!” Pinkie lifted a rear hoof to scratch the back of her head. “You’re one of my absolute bestest friends and if I ever do anything that upsets you, please tell me right away so I can make sure I never ever do it again.”

Fluttershy shook her head, smiling in spite of her worry. “Pinkie, you didn’t do anything wrong.”

Pinkie’s mouth puckered into a perplexed pout. “Is it something I didn’t do, then?”

“Please, Pinkie. I’m not upset with you. There’s just been—” Fluttershy cleared her throat, a nervous chill running through her. “Well, there’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately… about us.”

“Us?”

Looking Pinkie in the eyes was getting increasingly difficult. Fluttershy lowered her head, glancing off to the side. “You and I— Well, more how I think I feel about you, really.”

With a tilt of her head, Pinkie asked, “Like, in a good way or a bad way?”

“I think it’s in a good way, but… well, I’m not completely sure if you’d be okay with it. You see, I—” Fluttershy bit her lower lip, feeling the heat of an intense blush spreading across her muzzle. “I kind of… well… every time I think about you lately, my heart just— I feel like I—”

“Ooooooh.” A few moments of awkward silence passed, and then Pinkie gasped. “Oh! Oh wow! Jeeze, Fluttershy, how long have you been keeping that from me?”

“Well, I, um… it’s not… I didn’t—” Fluttershy pawed at the ground, unsure of how to put her situation into words. More than anything, she wanted to bury her head in the dirt. “That is, until recently, I wasn’t aware of it myself, but… I didn’t know how to tell you.”

Pinkie took a few steps closer, and in a fleeting glimpse, Fluttershy saw that Pinkie was grinning from ear to ear. “If you’ve got a crush on me, you didn’t have to keep it a secret and you definitely didn’t have to avoid me, silly.”

Slowly, Fluttershy met Pinkie’s eager gaze. “Really?”

“I’ve actually thought about asking you out a few times, but I wasn’t sure if your barn door swung that way! But, I guess now I know the answer, huh?” Pinkie waggled her brows a bit, then widened her eyes. “So… now that all this is out in the open,” she batted her eyelashes, “you wanna, go out on a date with me maybe?”

Fluttershy’s heart leapt in her chest. “Well… I suppose that I—” She took a deep breath and swallowed. “Actually, yes. I would like to go out with you. Are um… are you’re free tonight? I can wait if—”

“I’m totally free tonight!” Pinkie pranced in place, kicking up a small cloud of dust. “Ooooh this is gonna be so much fun! Hey, do you want me to dress up fancy? Are you gonna dress up fancy?”

Fluttershy shook her head, a hint of a smile on her lips. “I don’t think we need to do that. Unless um… well, if that’s something you’d like.”

“Nah! Just askin’! We’ll save that stuff for later.” In the distance, the clock tower began to chime. Pinkie slowed down, quickly glancing over her withers. “Ah! Gotta get back to work! Come get me after sunset!”

“O-okay.” Fluttershy smiled a little wider, watching Pinkie dip back into the bakery, her excitement overwhelming her nervousness. “See you tonight!”

Still smiling, she let out a gentle sigh as she turned and started on her way home.

“Ooooooh my goodness.” She took one last look back at Sugarcube Corner, feeling another chill run down her spine. “What did I just get myself into?”

o*O*o

Fluttershy spent the next several hours pacing around her bedroom, her neurotic motions broken up by fits of preparation for the date to come. Her rabbit sat back and watched, his brow knitted with concern.

“It just happened so fast! And when she told me that she had wanted to ask me out… what could I say? I mean… I’m not trying to use her, right, Angel?” Angel nodded, and Fluttershy returned her gaze to her reflection in the mirror, guiding a brush through her mane. “I’m just going out for the evening with her. That’s something friends do, right? They have dinner together.”

The brush handle slipped out from between her hooves, suspended in her hair by the teeth. She looked to his reflection again. “I mean… yes, she’s very pretty, and I really like her an awful lot. I know that I definitely feel something toward her, but… well, I’ve never dated another mare before.”

Angel shrugged. Fluttershy took the handle between her hooves and resumed her grooming. “And will there ever really be an appropriate time to explain those dreams to her? That I get hot and bothered when I have dreams about her getting really fat? That’s not really something somepony can just say! She’ll think I’m crazy!

“I’ll just have to keep that to myself. It isn’t normal, and I don’t want to ruin my relationship with Pinkie Pie.” She nodded to her reflection and set the brush down. “Well, this is it, I guess.” She took a deep breath, strengthening her resolve. “Wish me luck, Angel.”

A lovely orange glow flooded the horizon as Fluttershy stepped out into the sunset, the first few stars twinkling in the coming twilight. By the time she reached Ponyville, the sun had become little more than a fading aura. A swirl of starlight glimmered overhead, scattered across the deep violet sky. Fluttershy tried her hardest to swallow her anxiety as the silhouette of Sugarcube Corner came into view. Pinkie Pie was waiting as patiently as she could at the front door, but the very instant she met Fluttershy’s gaze, she abandoned her post and rushed to greet her.

“Soooooo, what’s the plan?” Pinkie cheerfully inquired.

“Well, I figured we would get dinner and see a movie.” Fluttershy smiled meekly. “So… nothing special, really. Does that sound okay to you?”

Pinkie gave a quick series of nods. “It’s more than okay! ‘Course, I’m a dumb-dumb and I already ate dinner, but I don’t mind eating dinner again.”

Fluttershy felt an unfamiliar surge of glee welling up in her chest at the thought of Pinkie eating two dinners, but she kept a straight face and managed a nod. “As long as you’re sure,” she murmured. “Where would you like to eat, then?”

“Oh, you know me! I’m not picky!”

Very infrequently did Fluttershy eat meals she hadn’t prepared herself. For this reason, she felt rather clueless as she led Pinkie through the streets of Ponyville, trying to find a restaurant that Rarity had once recommended.

Less than five minutes after bashfully asking Pinkie for help, they had not only located the place, but were seated and browsing the menu. Fluttershy felt helpless as she looked through the list of entrées, sides and desserts. All around her were ponies that seemed to know exactly what they wanted, calmly chatting with their friends and loved ones. She cast a glance to Pinkie, who had her nose buried in the menu, her eyes darting excitedly. Pinkie’s gaze centered on Fluttershy before Fluttershy could hide behind her menu again.

“Do you know what you wanna get?”

“Probably just a salad,” Fluttershy said with a little shrug.

“You can eat a salad any time, Shy!” Pinkie let her menu flop onto the table, propping her head up with her hooves. “We’re in a fancy-pants restaurant here! Don’t you wanna try something new? Something different?” She donned a goofy grin. “Maybe even something a little weird?”

“What if I don’t like it?” Fluttershy lowered her head, peering over the top of her menu. “I wouldn’t want somepony to go through all that trouble for me if I don’t like what I ordered.”

Pinkie cocked a brow, still grinning. “I’m sure they won’t mind. And hey, you’ll never know if you never try in the first place!”

Fluttershy felt a sudden rush of confidence. She folded her menu and nodded. “Okay, you’re right. What are you getting then?”

“Me?” Pinkie leaned back in her chair until the chair tipped up on its hind legs. “When I eat out, I like to get a little of everything! I like a whoooole lot of different stuff, but I also like trying new things, too!”

“So you order a sample plate, then?”

A snorting giggle was Pinkie’s initial response. “No, silly! I order like, seven or eight different things!”

“Oh my…” Fluttershy swallowed quietly, her eyes widening. “Y-you really eat all of that?”

“Most of it! I mean, I still end up with some leftovers, but like you said, I don’t want any food going unappreciated!” Pinkie’s grin became a sweet smile as she leaned forward. “You wanna share with me?”

“J-just a little bit.” Fluttershy stifled a shiver, but her tail flicked involuntarily. “I wouldn’t want to deprive you of anything.”

“Aww, don’t you worry about me.” Pinkie let the chair rattle back to the floor, putting her hooves at the base of her neck. “I wouldn’t have offered if I wanted it all to myself.” She jabbed one hoof toward Fluttershy. “I get first dibs on the fried green tomatoes and mozzarella, though!”

The waitress stopped by moments later, spending far more time taking Pinkie Pie’s order than Fluttershy’s. As the waitress stepped away, seeming just a little bewildered, Pinkie leaned closer to Fluttershy’s side of the table.

“So, when did you figure out that you had a thing for me?”

Fluttershy froze for a moment, explicit thoughts and vivid memories of her dreams flashing at the forefront of her mind. She took a deep breath, quelling another shiver.

“A little more than a month ago, I think. I just thought about how I felt about you one day and it just kind of—” She glanced down at the table, blushing and struggling to subdue the feeling of embarrassment. “You know… it clicked. I mean, I’ve known you for so long, and I really like spending time with you… well, I like spending time with all my friends, but I’ve always felt something a little… different toward you. I just never put two and two together until recently, I guess.”

Fluttershy lifted her gaze, smiling sheepishly across the table. “Does that make sense?”

“Mmhmm. I know exactly what you mean. I always felt it too, which is why I thought about asking you out, but I’ve only ever heard about you dating boys, so I said, Pinkie Pie, don’t push your luck, Fluttershy is a very good friend and you should be happy enough with that!”

Pinkie rested her head on her forehooves again, lidding her eyes as she smiled. “But I’m really, really super happy that you feel the same way about me. I’ve always admired you. You have this really gentle, natural kind of pretty, like a wildflower or something, and when the wind catches your mane just right, I—” This time, it was Pinkie Pie who went from cheerful to flushed in seconds. She forced a nervous laugh, squirming in her seat. “Sorry! Sorry. I’m just running my mouth. I’m sure you don’t want to hear me fawning over you all night like a little filly!”

“I… really love looking into your eyes.” As Fluttershy said this, Pinkie went very still. “They’re always so bright, and full of energy, just like you.” Fluttershy hid her muzzle behind a forehoof, glancing to the side. “And I like it when your curls kind of hang over your eyes, not enough to hide them, but just enough to really make them stand out.”

When Fluttershy looked back across the table, Pinkie was positively glowing. Apparently and amazingly at a loss for words, Pinkie reached toward her, letting her foreleg rest against the tablecloth. Fluttershy joined her, their fetlocks entwining. She gazed deep into Pinkie’s eyes until the waitress brought her back to reality by setting a bowl full of salad on her side of the table.

“Alright,” Pinkie exclaimed with a grin, slowly breaking her grasp and retracting her hoof. “Thank you so-so-so much!”

Three heaping plates and one bowl crowded Pinkie’s side of the table. They all exuded rolling clouds of steam that, from where Fluttershy sat, smelled absolutely amazing. The way the aromas mingled, it was difficult to pick any one particular ingredient out of the lot. There were hints of deep fried, sautéed, sweet and spicy all in one place. She glanced to the waitress again as three more plates were balanced across a foldout stand that the waitress had brought with her, placed well within reach of Pinkie. Pinkie thanked their waitress again, and then began to ravenously destroy the mouth watering landscape spread before her.

Fluttershy just watched, spellbound, as Pinkie cleared one plate in less than a minute, licking her lips clean before shoving her muzzle into the next one. Several other customers looked their way as Pinkie made all sorts of noises while devouring her food. While Fluttershy found the display to be endearing, it was clear that they did not share her enthusiasm. Ordinarily, all the attention Pinkie was drawing their way might leave Fluttershy feeling mortified. Instead, she felt a stirring of arousal intense enough that she was able to completely ignore any sense of embarrassment. Cautiously, she picked up a fork in the crook of her fetlock and reached toward the culinary massacre, retrieving a few slices of carrot coated in a dark amber glaze, and some of the white rice beneath it. She immediately recognized the smell of curry as she brought it to her lips, uttering a soft murmur of approval as the taste spread over her tongue.

Shortly after getting a taste, the curry vanished into Pinkie’s maw, and she briefly paused after swallowing. Her cheeks puffed out as she attempted to muffle a low, rolling belch, flashing a quick glance to Fluttershy. Fluttershy giggled quietly and arched a brow.

Pinkie rubbed the corner of her mouth with her fetlock. “Sorry!”

“Sorry for what?” Fluttershy asked, casually spearing several leaves of lettuce and a cucumber.

“Oh! Nevermind, I guess!”

Pinkie Pie resumed her assault, rooting through what Fluttershy assumed to be some sort of stir-fry. In the time it had taken Fluttershy to eat half of her salad, Pinkie was nearing the end of the spread on the table. She made short work of the contents of the bowl, slurping it all down and stifling another burp. As she turned her attention to the foldout stand, however, her expression went blank, and she hesitated. Fluttershy couldn’t see clearly from her side of the table, but Pinkie seemed to be resting her forehooves on her stomach. Another low belch worked its way out of her, followed by a soft grunt.

“Pinkie?” Fluttershy began, “Are you alright?”

“Mmh?” She turned her attention toward Fluttershy, adopting a gentle smile. “Oh, yeah, I’m alright. Just letting my tummy settle a little.” Her smile became a grin, and she moved her hoof as though giving her belly a pat. Fluttershy squirmed in her seat. “I usually don’t eat quite this much. I mean, I still eat a lot, but never one meal right after another!”

“I used to think that you just ate all day, really.” Fluttershy briefly dwelled in that thought, then quickly added, “Not to say that all you do is eat. No offense.”

“Well I do, and I love eating, so none taken!” Pinkie leaned back in her chair, her grin a lazy, contented one. “But it’s just a snack here and there, and I’m never in one place for very long so I burn it all off.” She covered her muzzle with a forehoof as she burped again. “That’s one of the reasons why I try to stay so active.”

A spark of mischief flickered in Fluttershy’s mind as she swallowed another mouthful of greens. “Really? I just assumed you had a very good metabolism.”

Pinkie broke into a giggle fit. “Oh, I wish! I exercise whenever I can! It’s kinda a habit at this point; balances out the snacking. Sometimes I go for jogs with Rarity if I see her passing by.” She gave her food another glance, then exhaled a long sigh. The moment she began speaking, Fluttershy realized she was doing a Rarity impression. “I suppose I’ll have to spend aaaall of tomorrow morning doing my cardiovascular exercises to make up for tonight’s indulgence. How positively dreadful!”

Fluttershy giggled as Pinkie did a little nod of a bow. “I stopped by to see her today, actually.” Fluttershy thought back to her one sided conversation, deciding to keep her description short. “She was so busy that I don’t think she really noticed I was there.”

“Yeah, I guess she has a huge list of orders to go through?” Pinkie smiled as Fluttershy nodded in agreement. “That’s probably why I haven’t seen her jogging lately; she just doesn’t have the time. I don’t think she’s even leaving to get food. If it weren’t for Spike bringing her things from Sugarcube Corner, she’d probaby starve!” Pinkie briefly paused to chuckle. “Poor little guy, he’s totally head over heels for her.”

Fluttershy nodded, munching on and swallowing a small radish. “I’m really glad that this happened, by the way. I feel a lot better now that you know, and, well… knowing that you feel the same way.” She smiled. “It’s nice.”

With a cock of an ear and smirk, Pinkie Pie murmured, “Just nice, huh?”

Fluttershy furrowed her brow. “I mean, it’s more than just nice! It’s—”

“It’s okay! I was only teasing you.” She sat forward, smiling. “It’s very nice, and I’m very glad that you bumped into me today. I don’t think I’m going to be able to finish this right now, though. My eyes were waaaaaay bigger than my stomach. Blehhh.” She let her tongue loll, getting another giggle from Fluttershy. “I don’t think I can do dessert either. Do you want any dessert? I can pretend to eat it with you or something.”

“Oh, no, that’s fine.” Fluttershy gestured to her nearly empty bowl. “This was more than enough for me.”

“Alright.” Pinkie shifted in her chair, presumably to get more comfortable. “So what movie are we gonna see?”

The last mouthful of salad gave a satisfying crunch between Fluttershy’s teeth. She gulped it down, then put a hoof to her chin in thought. “Well, um… nothing scary, if that’s okay with you. I like comedies, usually. Do you like comedies?” Pinkie opened her mouth to say something, but Fluttershy snickered and shook her head. “Yes, I know, silly question.”

“Actually, I was going to say that I pegged you for more of the mushy-smoochy-romancey sort!” Grinning, Pinkie quickly added, “Also, yes, I was going to tell you that you’re a silly pegasus for asking me if I like comedies.”

Fluttershy smirked. “Oh, well, I like those too. Don’t you?”

“Yeaaaah,” Pinkie said with a happy sigh, “guilty as charged. I used to think up all kinds of ways to tell you how I felt about you. Most ponies don’t know it, but I can get pretty darn sappy if I’m not careful.”

“I don’t mind,” said Fluttershy, giving Pinkie a lidded gaze. “That makes two of us.”

“Oh yuck!” Pinkie wrinkled her nose and stuck out her tongue. “We’ll be a terror to everypony around us!”

Fluttershy snorted out a laugh, and Pinkie joined in, giggling madly until Fluttershy felt tears come to her eyes. She sighed happily and reached across the table again, holding Pinkie’s hoof against hers.

At the sight of their waitress, however, Pinkie yanked her hoof away and proceeded to wave her forelegs excitedly. Fluttershy’s ears folded back in shock.

“Oh! Oh! Check please! We would like the check! Ready to pay the bill over here! Also I’ll need some take-home containers! Don’t forget the check, though! Thank yoooou!” Pinkie let her leg rest on the table again once the startled waitress ducked back into the kitchen. She smiled and reached for Fluttershy’s retracted forehoof. “Sorry. Also there’s no way I’m letting you pay for all this. I asked you out, so I’m taking care of the bill!”

As Fluttershy made a rough guess of just how much Pinkie’s half of the meal must have cost, she found that to be relieving. Fluttershy held Pinkie’s hoof again, nodding. “Well, if you say so,” she quietly agreed. “Thank you very much.”

Pinkie cocked her head to one side. “Hey, you don’t gotta thank me! This is a date!”

“Okay, but I insist on paying the tip.” Fluttershy squeezed the back of Pinkie’s hoof, smiling. “And I’m not backing down from that.”

“Fiiiiine,” Pinkie sighed, rolling her eyes and grinning.

A bill and a few styrofoam containers were deposited at the table moments later. Pinkie made short work of the transfer, tipping her plates up and just scraping them into the styrofoam.

“Just gotta pay this and then we’re all set!”

Fluttershy nodded, her hooves clicking softly against the floor as she slid out of her seat. The shift back to all fours was much slower for Pinkie Pie, however. The curls of her mane bobbed as she wiggled out of her seat, uttering a soft grunt as her posture returned to that of a quadruped. She belched once she was on her hooves, maybe a bit louder than she had intended, judging by the blush on her cheeks. Fluttershy flashed a reassuring smile and stepped around to Pinkie’s side of the table, then promptly froze.

Were Fluttershy unaware of the rather obscene amount of food Pinkie had just recently consumed, Fluttershy realized she might easily mistake her date for a pregnant mare. Certainly not a mare at full term, but Pinkie’s belly had become swollen and rounded. An audible gurgle reached Fluttershy’s ears as Pinkie idly lifted a hoof to her stomach, rubbing in a slow circle. Fluttershy felt an overwhelming urge to coax Pinkie to lie down, just so that she might knead and kiss Pinkie’s tummy as it turned calories to cushion. She caught herself gawking around the same time Pinkie did.

The bloated mare cocked a brow and tilted her head. “You okay, Shy?”

Fluttershy managed a tiny nod and quickly said, “Oh, yes, I was just thinking.”

“Whatcha’ thinkin’ about?”

“Um…” Panic briefly seized Fluttershy. Telling Pinkie that she had been admiring her food baby was out of the question. “I was… thinking about what movies are playing right now.”

“Oh!” Pinkie nodded eagerly. “Yeah, I heard there are some really funny ones!”

Pinkie Pie stepped away from the table, and Fluttershy bit her lip to swallow a tiny whimper. Pinkie’s sides had filled out around the sheer volume of food packed within. If her belly were any bigger, Fluttershy was positive that it would be swaying with her movements. Fluttershy followed just far enough behind to watch Pinkie’s haunches as she slowly made her way to the front desk, mesmerized by the shifting of her hips and the swish of her tail. Fluttershy managed to rein in her lingering gaze as Pinkie paid the bill, flashing a smile as Pinkie glanced back at her.

“Ooookie-dokie! Ready when you are!”

o*O*o