Outside, Rainbow’s playful growls were interrupted by sporadic laughter and joyous screams from the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Sounds from a conversation between Applejack and Rarity and the occasional flipping from Twilight’s newspaper were stifled by the kitchen doorframe. Just below their discussion, the quiet ticking of Applejack’s grandfather clock echoed off the homely wooden walls and floors, only dampened by the rug in the center of the floor and the sofa.
Fluttershy took a moment between chapters to bask in the atmosphere offered by Sweet Apple Acres.
Pinkie peeked into the living room. Fluttershy flashed her a small smile. Pinkie ducked back in.
Fluttershy lingered contentedly on the empty doorway. Then, she returned to her novel.
“Chapter 11: Cracks
Breeze stared at the completed painting, drinking in its careful brush strokes and delicate texturing. The breaking rock seemed thought provoking, though Breeze couldn’t figure out why. “Are you sure Honeysuckle will like this?”
“How could she possibly not?” Acrylic replied.
“Well,” Breeze said, taking in the many varied plant species growing from the crack in the rock and in the field it rested upon, “there’s an awful lot of… noise."
“It’s a painting, everypony likes paintings.”
“I don’t know, it doesn’t seem like her.”
“Hey, I’m the one dating her, not you. I think—"
“I stole us a crossword.”
Fluttershy looked up from her novel, vision obstructed by a thin sheet of newspaper. As promised, a crossword centered the bottom half of the page.
“From Twilight? Why?”
“She’s got another twenty pages of newspaper to read,” Pinkie whispered excitedly, “so I thought we could mess with her by finishing the crossword before she could even get to it. Then, I’ll slip it back between her pages.” Pinkie giggled. “When she asks ‘why is this crossword filled out?’ I’ll say ‘newspapers are supposed to be complete, aren’t they? I saw there were some missing words and had to fix it!”
Fluttershy smiled. She closed her book and shifted on the couch to better face Pinkie. “Alright, what’s the first clue?”
“Six letter word for ‘silly pony.”
“Pinkie.”
The pair giggled.
“That’s not it!” Pinkie eked out between exhales and inhales.
“Jester, then?”
Pinkie nodded, still chuckling to herself, and scribbled on the paper.
A screech of joy forced Fluttershy’s ears to flatten against her head and shutter her eyelids.
As she opened her eyes, Fluttershy found Pinkie frowning at the window. “Okay,” she said as she brought her head back down to the crossword. “Five letter word for ‘chomps at the bit.’ Maybe eager?”
“Antsy?”
Pinkie made a non-committal sound. “I’ll leave that one blank for now. How about—”
A kettle screeched from the kitchen. Fluttershy flattened her ears and scrunched her eyes. Pinkie turned to the kitchen and furrowed her eyebrows.
“More tea, darlings?” Rarity shouted from the kitchen.
“I’ve still got most of a full cup, what about you Pinkie?”
“I’ll tell Rarity we’re all good.” Pinkie opened her mouth to shout, eyed Fluttershy, closed her mouth, set down the crossword, and walked into the kitchen.
Fluttershy’s gaze lingered worriedly on the doorway.
Indistinguishable chatter drifted in from the kitchen. Pinkie returned and retrieved the crossword.
“Okay, three down… six letter word for ‘unlike anything else.’ I wanna guess singular, er, single?”
“Maybe either unique or quirky.”
“Hmmm…. Four down is—”
“Do you wanna sit down?” Fluttershy abruptly asked, patting the couch next to her. “I mean, you don’t—"
“That sounds super, Fluttershy!” Pinkie replied loudly.
Fluttershy flinched, and her ears instinctually tucked into her head.
“Sorry,” Pinkie said quietly.
“That’s okay.”
Pinkie’s ears drooped and she buried her head behind the newspaper; the crinkle of the stretched crossword cut through the cacophony of Sweet Apple Acres.
"Pinkie—”
“Five letter word for ‘native equestrian sound.’ I think neigh.”
“Sure, but—”
“Nine letter word for ‘loud.’ Do you like obnoxious?”
“But—um, no. Maybe joyous? Wait, h-hold on—”
“I don’t think that’s nine letters.”
“Pinkie,” Fluttershy said sternly.
A sheepish grin appeared over the top of the newspaper.
“I don’t mind you loud.” Fluttershy looked down to the spot next to her on the sofa. “Sit down?” she pleaded.
Pinkie turned to the door to the kitchen. “Are you sure? I don’t…” Pinkie sighed.
“I like when you’re happy,” she grabbed Pinkie’s hoof, “and when you’re happy, you’re loud.”
“But I—"
“I liked you loud before we started dating and that hasn’t changed.”
Pinkie raised an eyebrow. But, after a moment of silence, she slowly approached the sofa. Her hooves sounded against the floor cautiously, the already quiet sound muffled by the racket of foalish noises outside.
She sat down slowly, delicately placing herself on the sofa, avoiding any sudden movements that might snap the already burdened couch in two. The creak of the old family heirloom affirmed her worries, bending further out of shape than it had yesterday; but it refused to collapse.
The clock could be heard ticking away again. The cushion molded around Pinkie as she relaxed into the divot.
Fluttershy leaned into Pinkie and closed her eyes. After a moment, Pinkie folded the crossword up, set it down, and leaned back into Fluttershy.
“I know…” Pinkie trailed off.
Fluttershy turned to look Pinkie in the eyes. She gently placed her hoof on Pinkie’s hindleg.
“You don’t usually like loud. I know you don’t like big parties and crowds.”
“I don’t like crowds.”
"Because they’re loud.”
“Pinkie, I live with a bear,” Fluttershy said through a giggle.
Pinkie let out a similar giggle. “Oh, right.”
Pinkie’s smile slowly faded. “But you still don’t like big parties and, unless I try really hard not to, I’m like a whole party rolled into one pony. I even carry around a party cannon.”
“No.”
Four seconds of silence were each punctuated by the ticking of the clock.
“No?” Pinkie said incredulously.
“No. You do carry around a party cannon, of course. But, you’re not a whole party rolled into one pony. A true Pinkie-Pie-style party has dozens or,” Fluttershy shuddered, “hundreds of ponies all staring at me judging the way I move my hoof, or how my hair looks, or where I’m standing, or—”
Pinkie Pie hugged her tight.
Fluttershy took a deep breath and sank into the hug. In the silence that followed, joyous screams, and muffled chatter, and flipping pages, and creaking couches, and Pinkie’s heartbeat echoed.
After a moment, Fluttershy pulled away.
“You’re not a party. You’re all the fun of a party. You bounce around excited and confident. You don’t judge me for moving my hoof the wrong way, or how quiet I am, or where I’m standing, or for laughing awkwardly. You make me more confident just sitting next to me.”
Pinkie’s silent stare searched Fluttershy’s face. She whispered, “do you mean that?”
“Always.”
Pinkie stared for a few moments more. Then, leaned into an embrace, which Fluttershy returned.
After a few moments, Fluttershy said “now, how about that next clue?”
Pinkie took a deep breath and leaned back into Fluttershy. “Okay,” she said confidently.
The noises of Sweet Apple Acres continued, now with playful giggles layered onto the serene cacophony.
Author's Note
I hope you enjoyed! I started writing this back in April from the prompt "I stole us a crossword" courtesy of The Plottery on Instagram. I struggled a lot with this one, but hopefully it came out fun 
As always, if you have any criticism, feel free to share below.
