What were the Odds? (Pathfinder, Flutterbrush)

[Pathfinder]

The sun is out, the birds are chirping and there is not a single cloud in the sky. "A perfect day for a picnic!" Path thought to himself. "If only I had someone to come along with me...". He has been trying to invite other ponies to this picnic, but had little success.

Most ponies were ether out of town or busy to come to the picnic. By now, Path had been to the home of everypony. Well, almost everypony. He has yet to go to Flutterbrushes home. "Ooh, Flutterbrush," he said to himself, thinking back to the kiss she had giving him on the check. He soon shook that thought out of his head. "I wonder what she's up to?" He said "Maybe she can come to the picnic!"

Path then took flight, heading towards Flutterbrush home. After sometime, her house came to view. Once he landed, Path knocked on the door and waited.

[Flutterbrush]

Flutterbrush was baking cookies for a new pony in town. She had appreciated Pathfinder's kindness so much she wanted to pass on the kindness. She was planning on bringing them to Evest next door. The only thing was that she was a very bad cook. She had burned herself twice on the stove (nothing too serious), failed three batches, and burned two.

She was on her sixth batch when she heard a knock on the door. "Hmmm...... I wonder who's there," she mumbled to herself. She walked to the door with the wooden spoon still in her mouth. Opening the door with her hoof, she answered the door. She has beige cookie dough on her ear and nose and face all over.

"Pad!" she said, although it was hard to understand, so she dropped the spoon. "Hi, I've missed you. Come on in," she said with a cheery tone.

[Pathfinder]

"Thank you very Flutterbrush," Path said as he walked into her home, "I've missed you too." This is the first time he ever been inside. It gave Path a welcoming feeling. "You have a very nice home here. I would love a tour of your house sometime in the future." Once he settled in, he couldn't help but notice the cookie dough on her face. "Excuse me, Flutterbrush? If you don't mind me asking, why is your face covered in dough?"

After asking this, Path picked up on a smell. It was coming from the kitchen. "It smells like...," He thought to himself. He couldn't help but ask. "You wouldn't be happen to be making cookies by any chance, are you?"

After talking for a while, Path was curious about what Flutterbrush been up to lately."So anyway Flutterbrush," Path ask, "How have you been these last few days?"

[Flutterbrush]

"Yes I have been baking cookies," she announced, going into the kitchen. "I'll be right back Path," she said and pranced back into the kitchen. There was some clashing and banging, but she eventually came out. She was all cleaned up and practically shining. Her eyelashes were pulled out and her eyes were shining more than ever. She carried a tray of cookies in her mouth.

And I'll be honest, they sucked. Her lack of skills had caused the cookies to not only be green, but smell like fish. Maybe they tasted better. "Here, try one and tell me how it tastes," she said with a large grin on her face. "I worked all day trying to get the recipe just right. So, my day was very eventful, but I'm sure you'll see how all my hours and love went into them."

She pulled up a grooming chair and gave it to him to sit in before taking a seat on the short table used to groom dogs. "My week has been good," she said. She kept staring at the cookies, than him, than the cookies.

[Pathfinder]

"She looks... beautiful..." Path thought to himself. She was partially lighting up the room. He then tried to psych himself back to reality. "Come on Path, pull it together!"

"Why, thank you Flutter!," Path said excitingly, unknowingly calling her by a nickname, "I would love to try one of your cookies! They seem delicious!" He then pick one up by his mouth and started to eat it. That was when the taste hit him. It was as if his mouth has was has gone to the land of milk and honey!

"These are amazing!", Path said towards Flutterbrush. "Would it be alright to have a second one!" As he said, Path recalled his reason for coming here in the first place. "Oh! Hey Flutterbrush, before I forget, If it is no trouble at all, would you like to come to a picnic with me?"

[Flutterbrush]

"Oh really!! I thought they were going to be horrible. The other ten batches were," she laughed, but it was more like an annoyed sigh at herself. "Feel free to have as many as you like," she said, pushing the tray of cookies closer to him. She was delighted to see him eat the cookies that she had worked so hard on.

'God, I can't believe he likes them. He's so cute when he eats. And his eyes, oh! Wait, I hope he doesn't notice me staring. Oh Celstia!' she thought to herself, but near the end she got nervous and looked down to the floor. But her shock forced her face and ears up.

"A picnic?" She asked, more so to herself.

'Like? A date?' she asked in her head.

"I'd love too!!" she exclaimed.

[Pathfinder]

"Thank you very much Flutter!," Path said as he reached for some more cookies, "These are some of the best treats that I've had in a long time!" He then begin to eat them by the hoof-full. For a moment, Path could see that Flutterbrush was looking nervous. Concerned now, he was going to asked her if she was alright.

Before he got the chance to, however, she responded to his question.

"A picnic? I'd love too!!"

Because of the sudden response, and because he was still eating, Path was began coughing. "She said yes?," was all that was going through his mind, "She said yes!"

After taking some time recover, Path continued to talk with her. "That's great!," he said to Flutterbrush, "I'm glad you are able to come along. How do you feel about picnicking by the river"

[Flutterbrush]

"That sounds wonderful. We can swim and eat more cookies. I'll even bring my butterfly net!!" she said excitedly. She was bursting with joy, like a balloon that could pop at any second. She tried to contain herself, but it was obvious how exited she was as she skipped out of the room. "Let me just grab my net and more cookies" she said as she headed into the kitchen.

She came out with a hat on her head and a pack on her back. The hat was a straw type hat and in the backpack she carried cookies, a few apples, her goggles, and the net that stuck out the side.

"I'm actually glad you came today. Besides baking cookies, I really had nothing else to do. Business has been slow this week, so I'm thinking of expanding the store. At least this way, I can spend the day alone with a friend instead," she said, but the word friend sounded more like a question.

Friend. Oh, how she wished it was more.

[Pathfinder]

"She sure seems happy." Path thought to himself as Flutterbrush exited the room. When she came back, Flutter looked like she was all set to go.

"Is that so?," Path said as she talked about her business expansion. "I hope that works out for you. If you need help with that, I'm willing to would lend a hoof. Now then," He said, walking toward Futterbrush, "all set to go?"

They soon left the house and made their way to the river. Once there, they saw that the sun was setting. After looking around, Path found a tree that was near the water. With the sunset, it gave a beautiful view "A perfect place to set up," Path thought to himself.

After everything was set, both Path and Flutter enjoyed a simple meal. "You know Flutter," Path said, smiling and looking out to the river, "I like this. It's great to spend some time with those who you care about, especially with a good friend."

While he was happy for this moment, for some reason, that sentence felt empty, like something was missing.

[Flutterbrush]

She was very impressed by his set picnic. He must have spent all day planning this. 'Is this a date?' she asked herself, still confused about his friendliness. She knew he was a friend, and a good one at that. Even if it wasn't a date date, she'd appreciate the effort and hang out with him often.

She walked onto the blanket carefully, sitting next to him. She was careful not to sit too close, but she was still close enough she could feel his body heat in the crisp Fall air. She flipped her hair out of her eyes as she put her bag next to the blanket, placing her cookies and apples with the food he had so generously prepared.

"especially a good friend." he finished. She nodded, even though she felt as though there was something missing. "I'm really glad we're friends Path," she said looking at him. Pure happiness shone in her bright blue eyes. "And thank you for inviting me on this picnic, I couldn't see any better way, or better pony, to spend this sunset with."

[Pathfinder]

"You are welcome Flutter. I wouldn't have it any other way." Path replied with a smile in his face. He then looked at Flutter, whose eyes were shining beautifully. He didn't know what he was feeling inside of him, but he was glad to be here with her. He wanted that feeling to last as long as possible.

Path then saw Flutter's goggles and thought it would be a great idea to go for a swim. "You know, I heard from a friend that the water feels nice at this time of day. Care to come?" But as he stood up, he tripped on the basket and was falling towards the water.

All he remembers is Flutter rushing to catch him and a splash. He felt the river's water on his back, as well as a weight on top of him. When he opened his eyes, Path saw Flutter close to his face with a shocked look in her face. At first, he didn't know why. But then he understood;

Their lips were touching.

"Are we-?" Path said to himself, unable to finish that thought. He was unable to move as well, due to the shock of it all. But deep down, he didn't want to.

[Flutterbrush]

"Okay!!" she said, exited to swim. It was one of her favorite hobbies. She rose up to grab her goggles but saw Path about to falter. She went to reach for the basket, but it was too late. He went flying over it. She reached out and tried to grab his hoof but she just got pulled with him. She rolled into the river with a splash.

She was relieved that he had caught her at least. She moved her hooves down and stretched her wings to anchor herself upwards and out of the water, but it was useless. The least she could do was not drown him. So, she opened her eyes and realized what her face was laying on: his face. And their lips were touching.

She was frozen. She tried to say something but air escaped her lungs. Her eyes just stood down at him wide, her lips staying in the same spot on his. She's admit it: she loved it. Not only was it her first kiss with him, but with any boy. And she could feel her body truly soaring through clouds for the first time in her pegasus life.

Than she realized he was frozen too. 'Oh god, he's mortified. I've mortified him,' she thought as she finally pulled her head up. "I'm....I'm so sorry," she said, tears clouding her eyes. 'He doesn't like me like that,' she thought to herself.

[Pathfinder]

As Flutter said that, Path could feel tears dropping on his face. Her tears. Never in his life has he hurt a mare, let along, make one cry. He felt like he had to take responsibility, but how? Then, he got an idea, but it would involved risking their friendship.

"Hey, Flutter?" Path said to her. She turned her head to face his, tears still coming from her eyes. They stared at each other for some time, none of them moving from their spot.

"Come on Path!" he said to himself, "Ten seconds of insane courage is all you need!"

He then did the most daring thing he had done since he move to the Crossing; he pulled in Flutter for a deep, passionate kiss. He kept his eyes closed the whole time, even when he broke away from the kiss and held her close to him. Time stood still. Deep down, he hoped he did the right thing.

"Please don't cry..." he said to her in a whisper-like voice, never breaking away "The last thing I want is to do is make you cry..." He could feel his tears forming, but tried hard to hold them in.

[Flutterbrush]

She just stared down, tears on her face. She had broken him. She felt a little as he spoke, but he probably just wanted her to get off of him. She was completely shocked as he pulled her close to him, closing his eyes as he kissed her once again, telling her that it was okay.

'Does this mean he likes me too?' she asked herself.

Even when they pulled out of the kiss, she held herself close to his body. "I was crying because I thought you were mad," she told him, holding herself close to his body heat.