The Romance of Invention

A/N: I went back and redid this chapter, it should be much better now. I'll eventually go back and redo the older chapters in the same style, but I wont do them all in one go like I did last time [

Chrome paced back and forth in front of his couch, glancing up at the clock every now and then. He was clearly having a hard time standing still, every time he attempted to do so, his glance immediately shot back to the clock, then over to the couch. Each one of these nervous episodes, would end in him glancing fervently over the ties draped across the couch cushions; then he would immediately start pacing again.

As the deadline loomed closer, he felt his nervous energy increasing steadily. The familiar constricting feeling in his chest was tightening up inside him, and he had a hard time keeping his breaths even. He actually had to stop in his pacing, and take a few slow, deep breaths to try and restore his regular breathing. Finally, after regaining control of himself, he once again looked back at the ties spread across the couch.

Chrome had the feeling that he shouldn't dress up tonight, but he couldn't help but be overcome by worry. The recurring theme being, what if he showed up without anything, and she was wearing some sort of elegant dress? He grumbled a few choice words, about what he planned on doing to Rainbow and Pinkie, then grabbed a black tie without a collar and stepped up to the mirror.

This was middle of the road right? It wouldn't look bad if she hadn't dressed up, and it wouldn't be too awful if she was dressed up and I'm wearing a tie. Shit, I need to leave soon. How did I get talked into this again? I'm totally not ready for whatever is going to happen tonight.

He sighed deeply, and tried to push the thoughts from his mind. He turned to Manfred and puffed his chest out, showing off the tie with an air of one looking for approval. Manfred on the other hand, didn't seem to notice, and continued to play on the ropes suspended from the ceiling happily.

"Thanks, tons of help buddy," he called out teasingly. He checked the clock again, trying his best to gulp through a dry mouth.

Why was this whole thing so complicated? If I'd been the one to get myself into this mess, then it would be so much easier to deal with all the pressure. However, to be thrust into it like this; it was so frustrating. Pinkie and Rainbow were looming over his shoulder, their expectations hanging in the air. What if they actually planned on spying on him tonight?

"Oh Luna, I hadn't even thought of that... Are they going to try and interfere again?" he asked aloud, his worry building enough, that he stopped his internal monologue for spoken word.

Chrome stopped and pondered on this thought for a long moment, staring at the door all the while. The portal in front of him which seemed to lead to another world, a world filled with troubles, and heartache. It wasn't that long ago that he had moved to Ponyville seeking a simpler life, but it was hard for him to deny that despite those failed intentions, he was having fun here. Back home, though less troubled, he had dealt with awkward social gatherings, parties where nopony seemed to talk about anything at all, while managing to say quite a lot.

What if I just became a shut in? Would that really be so bad? Stay inside, only wander out at night to look at the stars. No pony would really be able to bother me, I even have a pet already to keep him company already. The only downside is, I would need somepony to help me in gathering supplies...

"Pull yourself together Chrome," he grumbled to himself, and tugged the door open with his magic suddenly. He winced slightly at the bright light, and foced himself to step down the road to Ponyville; the one that only seemed to lead to endless troubles for him.

Chrome's breath started to hitch as he neared Fluttershy's cottage, he could feel his heart pounding so hard that he was afraid it would skip a beat. He had to stop, and gather his breath at the edge of Ponyville, then started back down the pathway to her house again. The thought that he could just go home, making up some excuse, or story about being sick was in the forefront of his mind; but he shook that away.

I don't want to do that, I shouldn't do that, besides Rainbow is probably spying on me right now, so I can't do that.

He looked thoughtfully towards the clouds, checking to see if his theory was correct, but he couldn't see any sign of the rainbow pegasus. Still, she could be hiding. He shook those thoughts from his head forcibly, he didn't want to do that to Fluttershy anyways, it had been his concern for her that got him into this situation in the first place anyways.

He slowly forced himself to continue down the pathway, as all the disparate thoughts continued to bounce through his mind, the chaos in his head only intensified as he got closer. As he walked, he slowly seemed to lose his footing, and composure. He couldn't stop wondering about where he was going to take her out. He'd looked around for some good placed earlier, and he had some great ideas, but where would be the best was the thought that kept haunting him.

Oh Luna, what if she has already eaten?

Chrome froze in place as the stark realization tore through him, he hadn't even considered that possibility. He meekly stared at the cottage in the distance, berating himself over the stupid oversight. He had no backup plans, he had only considered places to eat dinner. It was entirely possible that she had to tend to the animals early in the morning, so she always ate early then went to bed.

"Shit, I have no idea what to do if that's the case..." he mumbled under his breath as he considered his options. The only other things that came to mind, were far too romantic to be an option. He had already decided that something over the top romantic, would not end well. The both of them would be far too nervous to really be able to interact at all. He paused and murmured a quiet prayer to Luna, hoping with all his might that he wouldn't have to worry about it . Finally, after a moments hesitation, he forced himself to start walking again shakily, and stepped every so closer to what only seemed like would be his inevitable doom.

It was amongst all of this, his mind awash with worry and concern, that he took a long deep breath; trying his best to control his wild heartbeat and failing miserably. He could actually feel his heartbeat thumping so hard, that it seemed as if he should be able to hear the sound traveling up his throat. Finally, after a long moment, he shut his mouth, gulped again, and knocked on the door. His nervousness prevented him from contacting the wood as hard as he would normally like, so he hesitated.

Did she hear that? Should I knock again? That would be rude wouldn't it? What if she got angry because I knocked again?

"One moment..." called a soft voice, dispelling his worries immediately, and he let out a deep sigh of relief. He shifted back and forth on his hooves nervously, he could still feel the apprehension building. Worry started to overcome him again, what if she showed up in an amazing dress, and all he had was a simple tie? What if the reason she needed a moment, was to finish cleaning up her dishes.

"No Chrome, stop that, it'll be fine. Remember what Rainbow told you... just be yourself," he grumbled under his breath, as he closed his eyes trying his best to control his nerves.

His worries were immediately put aside though, as the door opened, and there was was looking perfectly normal. That is to say, she still looked as elegant and attractive as ever.  He gulped nervously, as he tried not to dwell on this thought. The two of them merely stood there awkwardly, their eyes glancing back and forth, as they tried to avoid each other's gaze. Finally with a quiet cough, Chrome managed to speak up.

"Er, are you ready to go? I thought maybe we could go out to dinner? That is... if you haven't eaten already?" He ventured nervously, still praying that he wouldn't have to worry about that contingency.

"Oh, no I haven't, that's fine with me. Just let me make sure Angel is all set before we go, why don't you come inside while I check on him?"

"S-sure..." he struggled to say, then nervously stepped inside her living room. He couldn't figure out why he was so nervous about this. He'd been in here before, actually she had forcibly dragged him in here and basically thrown him onto the couch. As he watched her fuss over the small bunny though, he couldn't get over the nervousness that was welling up inside of him.

"I'm going out now okay Angel? There's an extra carrot in the kitchen if you get hungry." he heard her say to her pet in an adoring tone. The bunny though, responded by looking annoyed, and pushed at her forelegs impatiently. Finally at the insistence of her bunny, Fluttershy turned back towards Chrome looking ready to leave.

"Good to go now?" He asked with what he hoped was a playful smile.

"Yeah, sorry to make you wait..."

"It's fine, don't worry about it," he chuckled, then stood aside to let her pass. He looked back at the bunny curiously, then closed the door behind him.

He trotted up next to her, and started to walk towards Ponyville. He glanced to his side, making sure that Fluttershy was walking alongside. The two of them fell back into what was starting to feel like their usual silence. This time it didn't really seem quite that bad compared to the others, almost as if it was a comfortable silence. Even while he was desperately weighing options on where to go eat, she merely trotted alongside just barely under a pony width apart. It wasn't so close that it was intimate, but it wasn't so far that he felt the distance. If anything, it seemed safe, it could be interpreted either way. It was certainly much more comfortable than having Rainbow breathing down the back of his neck, especially while she was bullying him into doing something.

While Chrome pondered the situation nervously, he glanced over to the mare beside him several times. After a short while, they found themselves passing into the edges of Ponyville. As they came up to a fork in the road, he was forced to stop and think, he'd have to make his decision now. Fluttershy as if she was aware of his plight turned to look at him, and caught his glance for a moment. The two of them flushed red for a moment, but he gestured with his head that they should turn right. Well he was committed now, hopefully things would work out alright. Now he just had to remember the next turn.

As they continued to trot side by side down street comfortably, he eyed an upcoming intersection; he prayed that he was correct in which direction it was. Muttering another quiet prayer to Luna, he turned left down the street, and turned to make sure that Fluttershy was following. When they came around the corner, he exhaled deeply,  and saw the sign for the Amber Cafe come into sight.

Thankfully like he'd seen before, there weren't a whole lot of ponies here so it was relatively quiet; the outdoor tables were nicely decorated with a lily sitting at each one. There were no candles or anything over the top either, the decor in the general area was pretty subdued. It was just nice enough that it should be alright without being too much. He just hoped the food was good.

"Good evening! Just you two tonight?" Beamed a waitmare, as she walked up and greeted the two of them.

"Er, yeah thanks" Chrome mumbled, then let Fluttershy walk in front of him as they were shown to their seats. Their table was placed near the edge of the seating area, and just down the road a small park was visible. They were a good distance away from the only other occupied table, and Chrome couldn't even hear them talking.

"So, have you two been here before?" The waitmare asked, handing them some menus while she beamed a bright smile. She was greeted with a shy shake of the head from both of the ponies, and she hesitated for a moment, before continuing on what was clearly her usual routine.

"Well, would you two like anything to drink to start off with? Maybe an appetizer before the main course?" She ventured, apparently seeming to be slightly nervous herself. Her discomfort was apparent, and she was now not entirely sure how to deal with the lack of responses from the other two.

"Uhhm, tomato juice?" Chrome asked meekly

"Sure, and for you miss?"

"Oh, apple juice?" Fluttershy asked timidly.

"Of course, now did either of you want anything to start with? The cheese dip is quite good, maybe the baked Zucchini sampler, gourmet hayfries?"

Chrome just shook his head, and looked over to the mare sitting across from him questioningly. She blinked a few times, then shrugged lightly looking undecided. Chrome hesitated not entirely sure, but shook his head at the waitmare after a moments hesitation. The waitmare continued to look confused by the two ponies refusing to say a word to her, and walked off with a sigh. Now that they were left alone, Chrome found his eyes wandering around the scenery, only occasionally glancing at Fluttershy nervously.

Finally their eyes caught each other, and both their cheeks flushed pink in response. This was going nowhere, it was clear to Chrome that she wouldn't be the one to to try and engage him. So with an inward sigh, he closed his eyes and tried his best to to muster up some courage. He had to give her a chance like he had told Rainbow, and that didn't mean sitting here in awkward silence, then passing it off as a bad date later on.

"So, what is it you do? I saw you with the animals but no pony really explained it to me. Well, that is beyond what Pinkie said at the party.  With Pinkie being Pinkie, that didn't give me much to go on." He ventured nervously, unable to think of anything but how bad of a question that was.

"Oh, umm, well I help take care of them. They do a lot on their own, but I help them gather food, and if they need it help with making their homes. Occasionally some of them want a pony to live with, so then I help other ponies in finding a pet. I guess it's mostly just taking care of the animals outside of the forest... I know it doesn't sound like much but, it's nice."

"That sounds like a lot of work actually, how do you keep up with that?" He asked incredulously.

"Oh, it's not that bad really, Angel helps me from time to time, and so do my friends if there's a really big job. Spring is usually busy, but a lot of the ponies in town help with it. How is your new pet by the way?"

"Oh, Manfred? He's a trouble maker like you said alright," Chrome chuckled, and shook his head as he thought about everything he'd gotten into so far due to the monkey.

"Manfred?" Fluttershy asked with a confused look on her face.

"Yeah, he didn't seem to like any other name. I know it doesn't fit him, but it would have seemed odd forcing a name on him. He's certainly tough to keep up with though."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I should have been more clear about that..." She lowered her head apologetically.

"Nono, it's fine he's brightened up my days so far. I'm glad to have him, just it's taking some getting used to is all!" Chrome blurted out waving a hoof at her, trying his best to ease her concerns. He couldn't help but smile though, as it seemed she was at least talking to him a little bit now.

"What kind of trouble has he gotten you into?"

"Well when I was walking home with him, he decided he was going to jump off my head to go play without me noticing."

"Oh my..."

"Yeah, luckily he ran into Spike and was playing with him; so while Twilight was trying to calm me down, the two of them ran into the room. But he scared me a bit there, now I know to keep a better eye on him." He hesitated as the subject of Rarity hovered on his mind. He really wasn't sure if he should bring it up or not, he wasn't really sure how well the two knew each other.

"Well I'm gla-"

"FLUTTERSHY!" came an angry yell from the street. They both jumped in their seats, and turned over quickly to see where the voice had come from. Upon seeing who it was though, Chrome let out a loud groan, and slammed his face onto the table with a loud *THUMP!* The white unicorn bristled with rage as she saw the two of them, and the ground all around her was filled with unceremoniously dumped shopping bags.

"Why in Equestria are you going out with HIM?" Rarity demanded her voice dripping with ice, she waded her way into the restaurant; completely ignoring the indignant waitstaff, and started tugging at her friend.

"Come on, I simply can not allow you to lower yourself to the level of a colt such as him. If you're really that desperate, then I'm sure we can find someone much better for you. Come on darling, we're leaving!" Rarity exclaimed without even looking at him, apparently now pretending that he wasn't even there.

She insistently tugged at Fluttershy, pulling her up out of her seat, and marched the pegasus forcibly out of the restaurant. Rarity completely ignored the quiet squeaks of protest, after a few seconds the sounds of the struggle ceased. Chrome looked up to see Fluttershy nervously glancing over her shoulder; as Rarity continued to walk her down the street, and the two of them quickly disappeared towards the center of Ponyville.

Chrome banged his head on the table a few times as he swore under his breath. Each impact made the small vase, and the condiment stand rattle audbily. He started whining under his breath like a little foal having a temper tantrum, as he smacked his head a few more times on the table.

"Uhhh, sir are you okay? Could you please stop hitting your head?" Came the concerned voice of his waitmare, while she ran up with several other restaurant staff.

"Yeah, I'm great. Wonderful even..." He grumbled darkly, he kept his face planted on the tabletop, but stopped banging it.

"Uhh, did you want to still order any food per chance?" The waitmare asked nervously, with her manager staring her down from behind.

"No, I'll just pay for the drinks okay?" He heaved a sigh, and tossed some bits onto the table.  Finally he got up and turned to make his way out of the restaurant.

"Are you sure that you're okay sir?" The waitmare called out loudly as he disappeared.

"Yeah, sure I'm fine, really," he responded, then started walking home.

What the hell am I supposed to do now? Seeing Rainbow tomorrow is going to suck... But I can't really dodge the subject, since she knows Rarity. Maybe Rainbow can figure something out. Either way, I'm going to have to apologize to Rarity sooner than later apparently. But how do I get her to stop shouting at me long enough to even be able to say something?

Chrome was occupied with that last question, it bounced around his head unable to come up with a satisfactory answer the entire way home.