Love is Amazing....ly terrifying!!!

I had no idea how far I flew, but i knew I was exhausted by the time I doubled back and made my way to Cloudsdale. I didn't go right home; no, if Summer came to find me she'd go there first and I really didn't want to face her again anytime soon. Instead, I snuck around cloud homes til I came to one I knew I could hide in. Rainbow nearly fell off her couch when I burst through the cloud wall rather than going through the door.

"Fire! What the hay are you...!" Her words died on her lips as she took a good look at me. "Oh. Uhhhh you look a little...."

"I probably look horrified!" I burst out, throwing myself on the chair opposite her. "I've probably ruined everything now!"

Her eyes went wide as my meaning sank in. "Wait wait wait...you told her?? You actually did it?? Haha, I knew you had it in you, Fire!" Her smug "I knew it" grin faded slightly as she saw my sour expression. "Whoa. You look like you hate this."

"All I got out was I love you, and then I panicked!" I said in irritation. "I took off as fast as I could and just....I...uggghhh!!"

I flopped sideways in the chair and let out what was likely the longest groan in the history of groans. Rainbow stared at me for a long time and then snorted.

"Chin up, I'm sure its all good, Fireblaze. You guys are super close, she's not gonna bail on you over this."

"But what if she doesn't like this at all? What if she gets weirded out by the fact I love her?? What if she doesn't talk to me again?!" I was now hyperventilating at all the possible "what if" scenarios.

"Sweet Celestia, Fire, get a grip on yourself!" She said, rolling her eyes as she shoved a paper bag over my muzzle. "Breathe."

I did as instructed and my breathing slowed to normal as my panic subsided somewhat. "But what if..."

"Enough." Rainbow glared at me. "You might actually be worse than Twilight when it comes to freaking out. Chillax will ya? Like I said, she won't leave you hanging because of this."

"But...but...what if..."

I never got to finish. Rainbow, clearly at the end of her patience, dragged me off her chair and pitched me headfirst out the hole I'd made in her wall. I landed on the clouds outside with a grunt.

"Go home." She shook her head. "Stop worrying and just go home. I betcha Summer comes looking for you. Don't hide from her, cuz if you do I will personally kick your flank and drag you to her kicking and screaming. You got that, Fireblaze?"

I blinked as she disappeared from sight, then a muffled yell floated out to me. "And next time use the front door, not the wall!"

I sighed and picked myself up, turning and heading for my own home. Summer would go there, and I wanted to go anywhere but there, but Rainbow hadn't sounded like she was joking about dragging me there. So I resigned myself to whatever awaited me, and went directly home.

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When I stepped through the door, I immediately stiffened. Sitting on my couch, looking as beautiful as ever, was Summer Breeze. Well that was only a partial shock. I had given her permission to come on in whenever she wanted. I went and dropped onto the other end of the couch, keeping my gaze averted as I felt my face flame. After a long silence, she spoke first.

"Fireblaze..." her voice was kind and gentle, somehow soothing my frazzled nerves in spite of the entire situation. "Can I ask you something? And please be honest."

I gulped but nodded. "Y..yeah, sure."

"When you said you love me..." She hesitated only briefly before pressing on. "When you said that, what did you mean? I think I know, but I need to be sure."

I had an out here. I could just say it meant I loved her as a good friend and that I had been a little embarrassed when I just blurted it out at random. But I could just hear the disapproving voice of Applejack in my head telling me how lying wasn't the answer. So I took a deep breath, released it slowly, and refused to meet her gaze as I formulated my response.

"It...I mean...I said, I love you. That...I was...it...yeah. That."

'I'm so proud of you for that answer.' I mentally snarked at myself, before risking a sideways look at her.

She was gazing at me steadily, her eyes holding no sign of disdain or disgust, only interest and curiousity, as well as an understanding I wasn't expecting to see.

"So...you're trying to tell me that you're in love with me." She mercifully put my thoughts into words for me.

I felt myself blushing extremely hard, the heat in my face so intense I was sure I was gonna need a hose to put out the flames. It took a second to form an answer, but finally I spoke.

"Y-yeah, that...that's what I'm saying."

I heard her laugh softly, then felt her forelegs wrap around me in a tight hug that I did not resist. She nuzzled me tenderly and my heart nearly stopped at the contact.

"Oh, Fireblaze." She chuckled again. "I already knew you had feelings for me."

Her embrace was so warm and comforting, and her hoof gently running through my mane in a soothing manner made me melt completely against her. Then her words registered.

"Wait...what?" I sat up straight, eyes impossibly wide. "Y-you knew?!"

"I know you, you silly mare." She teased lightly, a smile on her face. "Did you honestly think you were successfully hiding anything from me?"

I was at a loss for words now. So all that stress and worry...? I could have smacked myself. Rainbow was right, I worried too much. I looked back into the peaceful ocean of blue gazing back at me.

"I..." I hesitated, fighting an internal battle. Did I really want to let it all out? Pour out every ounce of love I had for her? Tell her exactly what she meant to me? How in Equestria was I gonna do that? If i said one word on the subject, I knew I wouldn't just stop there.

As if knowing exactly what I was thinking, Summer smiled reassuringly and gave me a pat on my head with her hoof before hugging me close once more.

"Let it all out, Fire." She told me quietly. "Don't hold back, just...let it all out."

Somehow, even though my insides were a whirling mass of butterflies, her voice and her embrace calmed me enough to make a decision.

"I love you." I stated with far more confidence than before. And suddenly, the floodgates holding back all those feelings of love just broke down, and the words came pouring out of me without a chance of being stopped. "I have for a long time. Your smile, your laugh, the way you know what I'm thinking before I even say it, the way your eyes shine when you're happy, the way you make me laugh and smile when I don't want to, the way you go out of your way to help ponies because your heart is so kind and good and caring..."

I paused to take a breath, pulling back from her hold enough to look in her eyes. She was blushing intensely, and that just made her all the more adorable. And suddenly, I no longer wanted to say how much I loved her: I wanted to show her. Gathering every bit of courage I had, I leaned close and kissed her with all the passion I could put into it.

Her eyes went wide in shock, then closed as she blushed even harder, but she made no attempt to resist or stop me. I finally leaned back, and turned as red as a cherry at what I'd just done.

"I...I...um...heh." I gave up talking and rubbed the back of my head with a hoof, shaking a little from nerves. She hadn't shoved me away or slapped me so I guessed I hadn't gone too far with that.

Her eyes opened and met mine, those amazingly sweet lips parting in a gentle smile. She reached for me and hugged me as closely as she possibly could. Neither of us said anything for a while, then she spoke.

"I care a great deal for you, Fire. More than you probably realise. You're more than a friend. You're...like family..." she was speaking slowly and with obvious hesitation. "Like a...sister...or a cousin. We're close, you and I."

Oh. So that was it. I maintained a calm outward appearance even as something inside me quivered and nearly broke at the words. Like a sister or cousin...not what I expected. Ok well, this was awkward.

But then my mind replayed her words and the hesitation with which they were spoken, and suddenly, I had to wonder if perhaps she felt the same way for me and just was unsure of herself. Taking a breath, I sat up straight and gave her one of my warmest smiles, and then spoke in my most sincere tone.

"I understand, Summer. But I want to make one thing clear...nothing you or anyone else says or does is gonna change how I feel for you. I love you, and I am going to keep loving you no matter what. Uhhh, I am probably also gonna remind you of that frequently too."

She chuckled. "I'm not going to stop you from saying how you feel, Fireblaze. You be yourself, and say what you want." She booped my nose, prompting a giggle from me, then hugged me once more.

I sighed quietly, my head on her chest, silently hoping that in time, she would tell me she loved me back. Until then, I could be patient and wait as long as it took. She was worth it.

We stayed like that until the steady, comforting rythm of her heart lulled me to sleep. When I woke up next, night had come and gone, it was early morning, and she was gone.