Reality

•)2(•

Obvious

"Y-you want m-me to help you write a--"

"A love letter, yes."

Fluttershy was still in the midst of processing the idea of assisting her fillyhood friend with a task such as this. She was not entirely excited when Rainbow had asked her. She knew she was able to, and she would love to, also. However, the fact that it was Rainbow Dash who had asked her made it difficult to decide. Ever since she watched her friend win her first race at flight school, she had developed some... special feelings for her. After that one race, she found herself trying to be as close to Rainbow as possible without being too obvious. Then there was that time she hadn't expected anypony to take a picture, yet it happened. She hoped, oh how she hoped Rainbow didn't notice yet... She knew Rainbow hadn't felt it at the time because she was so covered in sweat.

She then remembered how much she regretted licking her friend's mane. Not out of shame - she wouldn't mind doing it again - but from the taste.

She shivered at the memory.

She then regained her senses and noticed a hoof waving in front of her.

"Equestria calling Fluttershy!" she heard Rainbow calling to her.

"Oh, my..." Fluttershy muttered, looking towards the ground in her front yard. "I didn't hear you... I-I must have... I must have z-zoned out... Lost in... my thoughts, I guess..."

"I can see that," Rainbow said. She looked around at the scenery a bit before returning to the original topic. "So, anywho..." she started, "do you think you can help me out?"

"Uhm... well... maybe... I, I don't really know if I could..." Fluttershy hid behind her pink mane as she tried to avoid the situation.

Rainbow observed her friend for a moment, checking for any signs of anything unusual about her.

'Her mane still curls at the ends, her coat's still buttery yellow, she smells like animals and flowers, her eyes are still teal, her tail's fine, she still has butterflies on her flank, she's still shy as ever...'

Then she realized...

'Maybe a little too shy... She's avoiding something!'

Deciding that a more gentle approach was needed, Rainbow walked softly over so her muzzle was within about a foot of her friend's.

Gently, she nudged her leg, saying "Hey... Is something bothering you, Fluttershy?"

Her friend's only response was a slow and light shiver followed by a scared squeal that was barely audible.

Rainbow was quite concerned now. Maybe even worried. If there was something wrong with Fluttershy, she hoped it wasn't bad. The poor mare just can't handle these things on her own.

Rainbow knew then that she needed to be there for her.

"'Shy... It's okay... You can talk to me... I'm pretty sure I can help you." With one hoof, she moved her friend's mane from in front of her face and said, hesitantly, "Tell me... What were you thinking about?"

Looking up into Rainbow Dash's magenta eyes, she sighed and said, more hesitantly, "I'll... I-I'll talk to you a-about it l-later..." She then looked down and said "If you still want to by then..."

Rainbow lifted Fluttershy's chin back up with a hoof. "Sure, just don't back out, okay?"

Fluttershy turned away for a second before turning back, looking at Rainbow's prismatic mane.

She could not get enough of her best friend's mane. She was so envious. Though, she knew that having a mane such as Rainbow's would not go well with her yellow coat. All she wanted was to see that mane every minute of every day. Oh, how she loved it! She could just bury herself in it! She could--

Before she went on any further, she noticed the looks that Rainbow was giving her.

"Uhhh... Fluttershy...?" she started. "What are you looking at?"

Fluttershy's eyes widened. She had been staring at her friend's mane the whole time and was completely unaware of it!

Fluttershy shrank back. "Oh my...!" she said. "I didn't realize I was...! Oh my...! I'm sorry...! I didn't--"

"Hey, hey," Dash interrupted her. "It's cool, really. If you like my mane, then you like my mane. It's okay."

Fluttershy perked up a bit. "Oh... okay..." she said, quietly. "I-I really d-do like your mane." She then smiled a bit when she saw an opportunity. "Uhm... If you don't mind, could I, uhm... touch it...?"

Dash was a bit surprised by her request. She looked at Fluttershy with a raised eyebrow. But when she saw those soft, pleading, teal eyes and her smile slowly bending the wrong direction, she knew she had to give in.

"Oh, alright..." she said, annoyed slightly.

"Oh, thank you so much...!" the shy mare cheered softly. "I just love your mane so much...!" She then reached her hoof up to run it through the colorful mane, stopping just before she touched it. "Now?" she asked.

"Oh, yeah, I guess..." Dash said, as if it wasn't already obvious.

"Oh, good..."

Fluttershy then proceeded to touch her friend's mane. Slowly at first, and only on the outside layer.

Rainbow was having trouble deciding whether to back away or not. This was rather annoying to her, but Fluttershy seemed to have been enjoying it. During her indecision, she felt her friend's hoof go deeper so she could run through with it.

Fluttershy's look of adoration almost made her thoughts readable. Rainbow didn't know what to think. She did, however, discover something that should have been obvious.

Fluttershy has feelings for her.

If this wasn't awkward enough, she had no idea what would be. Though, the strange thing was that she was not completely uncomfortable with it. What could she say? They were soft, smooth strokes.

Her eyelids popped open when she realized they were closed. She found herself leaning into Fluttershy's touch. Had she been enjoying it herself? Did she like Fluttershy's hoof in her mane?

But most importantly, did she want more of it?

Fluttershy noticed the look on Dash's face: confusion, discomfort and embarrassment. "Oh, I'm sorry for taking so long..." she said, removing her hoof.

Rainbow reached out her right foreleg suddenly, as if to say she wanted more. She stopped herself, realizing she was about to grab Fluttershy's hoof with her own. She then looked around frantically to see if anypony had been watching. There were a few, but it looked like nopony was watching. She sighed in relief and wiped her forehead, ridding it of sweat she didn't even know was there.

Not knowing what else to do, she quickly cleared her throat. "So, anyway," she said quickly, "Yeah, uh, later. Talk. Later. Right. Bye!"

Fluttershy could have sworn she saw Rainbow take off so fast that she looked right where she was just standing, expecting to see a pot of gold.

Nope. Oh, darn...

"Oh, my... I must have scared her off..." she whispered to herself. "Poor Rainbow..."