Sprouting Romance

Hitch did not visit during Sprout's time in the hospital.

Phyllis visited him on a daily basis, and Rob even stopped by once. Even so, he felt terribly lonely, his spirit wilting with each passing day just like the red carnation in the vase on his bedside table. He knew nopony else cared to see him, but why wasn't Hitch visiting? Despite the negative emotions stirring inside him every day, there was a spark of hope shining within him too... There was a chance Hitch was aware of his feelings! Why else had he left the exact kind of flower Sprout had mentioned in his confession note? Thinking about that got him through the long, boring weeks within the hospital walls.

The day he was dispatched, Phyllis took him home and not long afterwards, made him some delicious, comforting hot chocolate with fluffy marshmallows while he snuggled on the sofa and watched his favorite cartoons. It felt nice... It was great to be home. And it was a relief to see so many colors again after being stifled in the white, void-like hospital room. But something was still missing--He longed to see Hitch's face again.

After a while, his mother stepped into the room to check in on him. "Are you feeling all right? You'll let me know if you need anything, right honey?"

"Yeah, thanks mommy," Sprout responded as he threw her a reassuring smile. He was indeed feeling well compared to how he had first felt after the attack. His concussion was completely gone, and though his fractured ribs weren't fully mended yet, the doctors had assured him they would continue healing on their own.

There was an unexpected knock at the door, and Sprout shifted in preparation to get up, but Phyllis assured "I'll get it, dear!" and quickly left down the hall. Sprout continued to sip his hot chocolate while he waited, half expecting the pony at the door to be the mailpony, and half hoping it would be Hitch.

A minute later, he almost spilled his drink as he suddenly heard Hitch's voice from the doorway of the living room. "I didn't know you liked Ponbie movies, Sprout."

Sprout let out a startled yelp and stared over at Hitch, who was smiling with Phyllis by his side.

"Hitch is here to see you, sugarcube!" Phyllis announced as the pony in question walked into the living room, his amber eyes lingering on the television while Ponbie: The Pony and the Pauper played.

"Hello Hitch..." Sprout muttered as he felt himself sinking back into the sofa. "But in case you're wondering, I don't like Ponbie!"

"Hmm, really? Why are you watching it, then?" Hitch asked in a jovial tone as he made his way over and sat next to Sprout. Sprout felt his heart speed up a notch in response to Hitch sitting so close to him, but stared down into his mug rather than bringing himself to look at him.

Sprout answered his question by saying, "I'm not watching it! I... I just forgot to change the channel!"

Hitch decided not to remark on the fact that the DVD player was on, making it clear the movie was playing from a disc. "All right then, buddy. How are you feeling?"

Sprout let out a heavy sigh, causing the surface of his hot chocolate to ripple. "I'm doing better I guess, but why didn't you visit me in the hospital?"

Hitch's head tilted slightly. "I figured I didn't need to. Phyllis kept me up to date on how you were doing."

"Jerk... I still missed you," Sprout mumbled. Didn't he care? The two of them had seen each other almost every day for over a decade, but were apart for two whole weeks when Sprout was hospitalized. It was terrible and isolating and just felt wrong, but it seemed as if Hitch didn't feel the same.

Hitch's ear flicked, but he didn't comment. "The pony who hurt you is in jail now. I'm putting a new law in place that declares ponies can't use their magic on others without their permission. Unless it's absolutely necessary, that is, for reasons such as self-defense."

"I see," Sprout responded in a lifeless tone staring fixatedly at the television screen. He would rather not talk about what had happened. Why should that pony get into trouble for hurting him when he probably deserved to be hurt? The unicorn had been right--Hitch hadn't punished him nearly enough... I'm the one who should be in jail right now, he thought to himself

"Hey, look at me."

Sprout instinctively turned to Hitch in response to his tender tone. "Yes?"

Hitch placed a hoof on Sprout's cheek, causing him to flinch, but he couldn't bring himself to completely pull back. Hitch said, "I'm sorry about what happened. In fact, I came here to ask if I could take you somewhere to cheer you up. The aquarium, maybe."

"The aquarium? I've only been there once, and that was when I was a colt."

"I know, they've added a lot of exhibits since then! You feel up for it? Or would you rather rest--"

"No, I'd like to go! I've had enough of sitting around doing nothing... I did that plenty in the hospital, heh."

The two of them laughed a little, and Hitch waited for Sprout to finish his drink before they both left and made their way to Maretime Bay's aquarium. Every second of every minute, Sprout wondered when (or if) Hitch would reveal that he knew about his feelings. The longer the subject went unspoken, the more doubt crept into Sprout's mind. Maybe the red carnation had meant nothing after all...

They had a pleasant and lighthearted time at the aquarium, and Sprout barely recognized the place due to how many renovations it had been through since Phyllis had taken him when he was a colt. Nonetheless, it was great to be out and about after being cooped up for some time. It was soon evident that the sea creatures inside the tanks would try to follow alongside Hitch whenever he walked past, and hordes of them would gather in front of him whenever he stopped for a look.

"Heh, look at that! Even fish are obsessed with you," Sprout teased.

Hitch felt a little self conscious that fish kept gathering in front of him, causing other visitors at the aquarium to stare. He groaned.

"Shoo, shoo!" Hitch hissed to the mob of fish, though he knew very well they couldn't hear him through the glass. "Guess what? I've tried fish fingers before! That's right! I've probably eaten your MOM!"

Sprout burst out laughing, and the fish were unfazed, so Hitch simply rolled his eyes and continued on through the exhibits. Sprout soon trotted after him, still struggling to hold back giggles.

"Oh gosh, that was savage!" Sprout remarked, while Hitch maintained a somewhat unamused expression. "I never knew you had a dark side--AAAH!"

Sprout screamed in terror once he spotted a huge shark lurking behind a big glass wall by his side, and he ducked underneath Hitch, cowering under his belly. "H-hitch! Don't let it eat meee!"

Hitch let out a short chuckle. "That's what you get for laughing at my expense! And I guarantee that shark doesn't want to eat you. I bet you taste like garbage."

"Hey! You're so meeean!" Sprout retorted, still pressing himself against the floor.

Hitch gingerly stepped over Sprout and continued through the passageway, leaving Sprout to stare wide-eyed at the shark for a few moments longer before getting up and quickly cantering after him.

"By the way," Hitch stated, the corner of his mouth twisting as he struggled to hold back a devious grin, "the curvature of the glass causes the inhabitants to look smaller than they really are. So that shark was even bigger than you think!"

"What?!" Sprout's eyes widened even more and he temporarily froze in his tracks. "I did NOT need to know that!"

"Hey, calm down, we can look at something much less scary. Like these jellyfish," Hitch pointed out, halting in front of a small tank. "They don't have brains."

Sprout grit his teeth as there was a pause. He knew what was coming.

"Kinda reminds me of somepony!" Hitch remarked in an innocent tone that was clearly faked, refraining himself from making eye contact with Sprout as he stared intently at the tiny blobs floating within the tank.

"How dare you!" Sprout snapped, turning around and getting ready to storm off. He hated being called stupid! It was even worse when it came from somepony who was supposed to care about him.

"Hey, I was only joking!" Hitch quickly interjected, placing a comforting hoof on Sprout's back. "I'm sorry."

In Sprout's opinion, that didn't automatically make it OK. "Well, you know what?" he asked with a huff. "Jellyfish have something in common with you too, 'cause they don't have hearts!"

"Aw, but I do have a heart!" Hitch protested, though his ears were drooping with shame.

"Sure you do, jerk face!" Sprout closed his eyes and lifted his snout in indignance.

Hitch gently nudged Sprout's face with his muzzle. "C'mon, I meant it when I said sorry. I'll get you something from the gift shop to make up for it, okay?"

"Hmm..." Sprout opened his eyes and hummed as he thought. He was having the first good day he had experienced in weeks, and he didn't want to sour it for himself by staying mad. Besides, maybe the joke had been a little funny. Sprout shrugged. "All right then, I guess."

Sprout selected a plush jellyfish from the gift shop (making it clear that he chose it because it reminded him of Hitch) and after the two stallions had finished exploring the aquarium, they made their way out the exit. Sprout felt surprisingly good, experiencing a joyful buzz within his chest. But still, Hitch hadn't dropped any clue that he was aware of Sprout's crush.

"Hey Sprout, wanna check out the beach before heading home?" Hitch asked.

Sprout cringed with uncertainty. "Ehh, I think I've seen enough water for today."

"But the beach is so close, and it's almost sunset. It'll be pretty." Hitch looked up towards the sky, which was already being painted with streaks of pink and orange.

The thought of watching the sunset with Hitch inclined Sprout to give in, and they made their way over to the beach before sitting next to each other on a little wooden bench in the sand, facing the sky as the sun seemingly dipped into the ocean. It was indeed beautiful, but as it marked the end of yet another futile day, all Sprout could think about was why? Why hadn't Hitch SAID anything yet? Well, he had said things for sure, but not the things Sprout had been waiting to hear.

Sprout glanced over at his companion, who was busy admiring the sunset with a subtle smile gracing his face. The sunset seemed to cast him in a golden glow... He looked gorgeous. Sprout looked away again, warmth lingering on his cheeks. Perhaps Hitch was expecting him to bring the subject up? Or maybe his fears were true and the flower had been simply that--a flower.

But it didn't matter.

Sprout was done.

Done being hurt, done being a failure, done being a coward. He vowed he would confess to Hitch no matter how difficult it would be, and no matter how much it would destroy him if he rejected him. But there was something else he had to get out of the way first...

"Hitch?" Sprout began, clutching the jellyfish plushie close to his chest.

Hitch didn't turn his head away from the horizon, but gave Sprout a sidelong glance. "Hmm?"

Sprout's ears pinned back, and tears threatened to well up as he prepared to ask his question. "Do you think... I deserved what that unicorn did to me?"

"What? No!" Now Sprout had Hitch's full attention, who turned to face him and grabbed him by the shoulders. "Never ever even think that ever again! We both know you've made mistakes, but you didn't deserve to be violated like that."

Sprout heard Hitch's words, but wasn't sure he could take them to heart. "You could be wrong. Ponies think you were too easy on me, and that I should still be in jail."

"I know," Hitch murmured sadly. Sprout looked up at him in surprise, confused by the level of despair in his tone. He continued, "Sometimes when I'm out, ponies say awful things to me because they don't believe I punished you enough. Sure, I'm still popular, but the truth is, not as many ponies like me as before."

"I... I had no idea!" Sprout exclaimed, before turning speechless with shock. Ponies had been mistreating Hitch as well? And yet he had never dropped a single hint despite how hard it must have been to lose ponies who had formerly looked up to him. Guilt clutched at Sprout's heart for never realizing--though he didn't known how he could've. "Why... didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want to make you feel bad," Hitch admitted in a soft and somber voice that cracked a little by the end. "You're already dealing with the fact that ponies don't like you. I shouldn't burden you with my problems as well."

"No, that's... I... We're supposed to tell each other everything! You've helped me a ton, so it's only fair that you should be able to rely on me too, remember?"

"Everything?"

Suddenly Sprout was aware of how intently Hitch was staring at him. "Huh?"

Hitch shifted a little closer, his eyes darting slightly as if they were searching Sprout's soul. "We're supposed to tell each other everything?"

Sprout leaned back, caught off guard by Hitch's prying. "Err, yes? W-which brings me to my next question..."

Hitch eased up a little, giving a slow blink as he waited for Sprout to continue.

"You see, um..." Sprout looked pointedly away. He lifted his forelegs and tapped his front hooves together anxiously. "I was wondering w-why you brought me that red carnation on that first day I was in the hospital?"

"Oh, it was just something to cheer you up when you regained consciousness," Hitch responded after barely a second in a calm, even tone that bordered on indifference.

"If you say so..." Sprout muttered under his breath. Hitch said nothing more, so Sprout assumed he hadn't heard. The two of them both redirected their gazes towards the sunset once more, silence taking over while the world became slightly darker around them as the sun continued its journey.

They would need to head home soon, before it got too dark.

Sprout knew what he had to do. He couldn't miss his chance.

"Hitch." Sprout broke the silence, his voice brimming with unexpected strength. "I need to tell you something, right now."

"Yes?" Hitch turned his head in Sprout's general direction, though his gaze was still shifted towards the sunset.

Sprout gulped, and any composure he had immediately dissolved. He was scared. He wasn't sure if this was the right thing to do. But if he had to wait for the day he felt brave and sure, then he would never end up confessing. Whatever he felt, whatever doubts he had, he had to seize the moment and let the truth out once and for all. What if the unicorn attack had killed him, and he would have died without ever admitting his feelings to the pony he loved most? It was never too soon to admit his feelings, but there could come a day where it would be too late.

And so, filling his lungs with a long, deep breath, Sprout then said in a shaky voice, "I... admire you a lot. I always have, really. I think it turned to jealousy and anger at some point. But I like spending time with you a-and I'm glad you're in my life. Everything about you is amazing."

Hitch's gaze drifted towards him, but still, he said nothing. As their eyes met, Sprout quickly lowered his head and turned his gaze towards the sand instead. He couldn't chicken out now.

"What I mean to say, Hitch, is that... I... lahhh... lalala... laaaiiiiii..."

No. He didn't just like Hitch. This was his big moment, and he wasn't going to hold back now that he had finally found the willpower to initiate.

"Hitch, I love you."

It came out as a pathetic whimper. But he had said it! And now all he could do was wait. He didn't look up, he just couldn't. He was already overwhelmed--no, he was far beyond that. His head was swirling, adrenaline was pumping through him as if he had just gone sky-diving and opened the parachute at the last possible moment, and his face felt like it was on fire.

After an eternity condensed into a single minute, Hitch cleared his throat. "I get it. But..."

But. What an awful, evil word. Sprout's ears flattened against his head. He didn't want to hear any more.

He had no choice. Hitch continued, "You understand why I can't return your feelings, right?"

Sprout clenched his teeth hard, his jaw straining as he fought back tears that were already burning at the edges of his eyelids. Can't? What did that even mean?

His voice gratingly quiet and collected, Hitch slowly went on. "I'm the sheriff of this town. Everypony relies on me to make responsible decisions, and stay on the right side of the law. You're a... well, I think you know very well what you are. You're a convict, a trouble-maker, liked by nopony in the town."

Ah, so that's how it is then, Sprout thought bitterly. His heart was a plane rocketing towards the ground, about to crash. All hope was lost.

"I'm happy we've grown closer, but I can't risk dating you. What would ponies think when they see their trusted sheriff getting all lovey-dovey with a criminal? They-"

"STOP!"

Hitch flinched back, his ears ringing from the volume at which Sprout had shouted.

Sprout was glaring at him through hot tears that blurred his vision. "Do you have a kink for making me feel as horrible as possible or something? Just say you're ashamed to be with me 'cause you care more about your reputation than me, and BE DONE WITH IT!"

With that, he hurled himself off the bench and began to gallop off.

Hitch blinked a few times before shaking his head to clear away his shock. "Sprout, wait! Just because I can't be with you, doesn't mean we can't be friends!"

"Yeah? Well guess what! You're a garbage friend!" Sprout yelled. He stopped and turned back to toss his jellyfish plushie at Hitch, landing smack-dab in the middle of his face. "You can have this! You'll get along greatly, 'cause you're both heartless after all! I never liked you anyway. You're dumb and ugly and mean!"

"You don't mean that!" Hitch called after him.

Sprout backed away, continuously slinging insults at him. "Yes I do. You're TRASH! You pretended to be Sunny's friend when you treated her like a burden, you pretend to be my friend when you always call me stupid and never think about my feelings, you pretend to be your critters' friend even though you're constantly wishing they would leave you alone, and you pretend to be EVERYPONY'S friend when you're only nice to them to keep up your good reputation. You're just the WORST!"

He finally turned tail and fled, leaving Hitch in stunned silence as every one of Sprout's words began to sink in.

Sprout felt nothing but chaos--a cyclone of anger, despair, and betrayal. Tears streamed down his cheeks, dampening his fur as he rushed and stumbled towards home. All his patience, all his love, and all his efforts had resulted in absolutely nothing. Finally speaking of his feelings had been nothing more than a mistake. Hitch failing to notice his gestures of love had been painful, yes, but none of it had ever come close to Hitch actively rejecting him.

And now, he wasn't sure how he could ever speak to Hitch again.