The sun blazes through your window as you lay in bed peacefully. You gently open your eyes with a smile adorned on your face.Today, you and Autumn have a date.

With a stretch of your body, your roll over to your side and let your head rest on your pillow while you bask in the warmth of your bed. Now then, what were you and Autumn going to do today? You stared blankly into the lighted room. It had been awhile since you went on an explicit date. Well, a good one.

There was nothing you wanted more right now than a good date. At least so you can wipe your mind of the last one. Treating the other night with Fluttershy as a date was a huge mistake. At least, you should have two days to try and make things better. For now, you need to enjoy this weekend and really treat yourself.

As you snuggle in the warmth of your bed, you closed your eyes and sighed in comfort. Sometimes, even living in the city, the soundproofing can let you feel as if you are in your own little world. A quiet sanctuary that you are the sole ruler of. You yawn, wondering if it would be safe to go back to sleep. Well, you haven't heard the alarm yet. Your auto-alarms would tell you if it were time to get up. That might mean that you have at least a few extra hours. You lay back and become relaxed to the idea of getting more sleep.

But, wait. What time is it? The idea gnaws at your mind as your eyes reopen themselves. What time did you and Autumn agree to? You search your mind for if there were some pre-arranged plan you had with her. Come on, Anon. Think.

Wait, that's right. You told her you had a big plan ready for her, but didn't share anything. You roll over and stare at the ceiling with a smile, proud of yourself for keeping the surprise card in play. On the other hand, now you are back to square one. What will you do with her?

"Well, I guess there's no sense in going back to sleep now," you sigh, moving to the edge of your bed and rising to your feet. Moving to the bathroom, you reach your hand to your charger and...

Your stomach sinks when your phone isn't in it's normal place. Wait. You didn't wake up to an alarm. Then what time is it? Dashing to your pants, you grab them off the floor and notice they are heavier than normal. Bingo.

Reaching into your pocket, you pull out your phone and try to boot it up. Nothing. Right, you remember now, you told the girls your battery was dead. Tossing your pants aside, you head into the bathroom, plug in your phone and boot it. The familiar screen turns on as you shed your night clothes and turn on the water to your shower.

How bad could it really be? 10 AM? Returning to your phone, you check the time. The screen reads '1 PM'.

Your stomach drops in pure horror as text notifications begin to fill the screen.

"Oh shit," you whisper under your breath. Picking up your phone, you check the missed texts. One from Fluttershy, One from Mulberry, One from Autumn. Immediately, you open the Fluttershy text.

"I'm sorry for how I acted last night, could we maybe... talk about it?"

Not yet, Fluttershy. You sigh and exit back to the list of unread texts. Not yet. Next, you move to Autumn's This one was sent about an hour ago.

"Sorry! I just woke up. Terrible headache. I suppose I don't have as much of a tolerance as I thought I did. I'm free all day, so text me whenever you are ready!"

A headache? Like a hangover? Does she remember that she kissed you last night? You'll have to come up with a plan as soon as possible. Returning to the last text, you open the one from Mulberry.

"Uhm. I hate to ask... but I've got a bad feeling about today. Could you come over and maybe... I dunno, we could spend the day together? I just don't wanna be alone."

You read over the text several times. If you didn't already have plans with Autumn, you probably would have in a heartbeat. However, you've been looking forward to this day since... since...

Well, ever since you could remember meeting her. You couldn't just throw this day away now. With a groan, you set your phone on it's normal place to rest. The best way to think this over would be with a shower.

Stepping into the think tank, where the water has already been dialed into the perfect setting by experience and reflex, you begin your plan of attack. While you woke up later than you would like, the situation is still repairable. You might be able to meet up with Autumn around three and just make a day out of... whatever you'll be doing. The question is: What will you the two of you do?

You know she's a bit of a bookworm, that she has a bit of a troubled past, and that the two of you have crushes on each other. There is still a lot more that the two of you need to learn about each other. Things like what her values are, what her aspirations are, what her dreams are are all things that you really need to know about a pony if you were to enter a serious relationship with them. So, what would be the best way to keep the two of you busy, still give the two of you some good one-on-one time, and would be a fun and memorable experience?

Hmmm...

Well, the girls really seemed to like your cooking. Maybe you and Autumn could cook something together. That might be fun. Wait, that's a great idea! The two of you would have to go to the grocery store together, shop for ingredients. It creates the conversation of foods and can bring the two of you together to make a mutual decision. Which means, the two of you would have to come back to your place.

How clean was your place? What were you saying? You basically had a personal maid for a few weeks. It should be fine.

Then after cooking, the two of you could go on a walk. That would be nice and cozy. Speaking of maid, that brings you to your next problem. What were you to do about to Fluttershy?

You scrubbed your body carefully as you tried to consider how to handle the minefield that is your secretary. For the most part, you had a really nice time last night. If Fluttershy always was the innocent mare that she was at work and with her friends, maybe something could work. However, the reminder of her darker side shined through last night and left you with only bitter memories of the past. You thought that the second chance would give you a chance to see the better side of her.

And it did.

You lean against the wall of your shower and slide down the wall and let the water fall gently on your body. However, it almost made things worse. By being able to see the nicer side of her, you found a part of her that you desired. If you keep getting reminded of the past when you see her, have you truly forgiven her? If you can't really forgive her, is it really fair to her?

You can tell that she loves you for more than just physical desires. She genuinely cares for you. But, you can't give yourself totally to her. Is that really fair? It's probably a question you can't answer in five minutes in a shower.

She deserves to talk to you. The two of you need to talk about it. But when? With a sigh, you rise to your feet. Not today.

Today is for Autumn. She deserves this.

Turning off the water, you exit the shower and dry yourself off, looking at your phone. Opening the phone to Autumn's text, you reread her message and hit reply. "How about we meet in the park at 3? I just woke up a little bit ago too. I think I got something fun planned."

Send.

Now then, onto the next issue.

"I'm sorry for how I acted last night, could we maybe... talk about it?" Fluttershy's text sits on the screen as you carefully plan a reply.

"Sure. Whenever you want." Your finger hovers over the send button. No. You delete the last sentence and start over. "Sure. I'm busy today though. Can we talk tomorrow? I think we should talk face to face."

There. That fits a bit better. Send.

With a sigh you open up to your last text. Berry wants you to spend the day with her. If you didn't have plans maybe you would consider it, but you already have plans with Autumn. Plus, you've done so much for Berry the last few weeks.

You've let her crash on your couch. You've made sure she wasn't alone. You even gave her a key to your apartment, to come over if she needs anything. After all you've done for her, isn't it alright to be a little bit selfish? Considering her situation, it's a lot selfish. But, you know if you went over there instead of hanging out with Autumn, that your heart wouldn't really be in it.

You've wanted to do this for weeks. You can't back out now.

"Sorry, Berry. I already made plans for today. If you really don't feel safe, use the key to get into my apartment and call me."

Send. Guilt sucker punches you in the gut as you consider your words.

Maybe that wasn't the right thing to do, but you've already held Autumn at an arm's length for long enough. And that was pretty far in pony-based measurement. For the first time, you can't make them all happy at once. So, now you have to do what will make you happy. Quickly you check the time. 1:30pm.

Shit. Better get dressed. Setting the phone down, you run into your room and grab a fresh pair of jeans and throw on your casual shoes. After a quick deodorant swipe, you consider what shirt you should wear, but your train of thought is broken by your phone vibrating. It must still be on the setting from Fluttershy's date. Running to your phone, you open it to a text from Autumn.

"Cool! See you then. Can't wait! :3"

Awww yeah. You got a smiley face. Now you know she's actually excited. Hopefully your plan is up to par. You set your phone to the loudest setting and return to your epic quest for a shirt. Now then.

T-shirt? It would show that you're casual and easygoing, but maybe she might interpret it as not taking the date seriously.

What about a polo? You hate polos. Why do you even have a polo? It must have been a gift Rarity got you and that you begrudgingly wore for her. Next.

A work shirt? No, too formal.

What about a hoodie? Almost every time you see her, she's wearing some sort of sweater. Maybe you should just try to match her. That should make for a more comfortable environment. What do you have for warm clothing. Heading over to your closet, you find a simple black hooded sweater, hanging up. Perfect.

Grabbing a simple white t-shirt, you layer yourself appropriately and check yourself out in the mirror.

"Lookin' sharp, Tex," you say to the man in the mirror, pointing a finger gun at the reflection. "Knock 'er dead." You smile and take a deep breath. This is it. The day you've been waiting for. Nothing could mess this up. Nothing.

Heading to the bathroom, you swipe your phone from the charger and grab your wallet from the dresser on the way out of your room. Let's do this.

The hoodie was definitely the right choice as the chilly winds bit at your ears. You sat in the park, in the same place as when she caught you reading your book over a lunch hour. After a struggle between walking through the park and sitting here, you decided that this just seemed more romantic.

Leaning back in your seat, you looked up at the clock that sat in the center of the park. 3pm. Well, any minute now, she should be here. A warmth burned in your chest and a smile was plastered involuntarily on your face as you thought over the plan. It's going to be perfect. Something simple and without a lot of pressure. This would be a massive breath of fresh air from everything you've had to put up with lately. In some way, that was what you liked about Autumn. You just got to be yourself.

There wasn't a constant fear that there was another personality hiding beneath the surface or that somepony was constantly behind you. Then, your hairs stood on edge. You felt two hooves wrap around your neck and you were pulled closer to the back of the bench.

"Gotcha!" the familiar feminine voice said.

"Jeez, Autumn. You just about scared me out of my skin," you said with a laugh, simply relieved it wasn't some other pony.

"Sorry, but you just go into these little reveries when you are deep in thought and I can't help myself," she says with a smile, her hooves still wrapped around you from behind.

"Yeah, yeah. It's not the first time I've heard that one," you answered. Autumn lets go and moves around to sit beside you.

"So, what were you so deep in thought about then? Let me in on it," she asks in interest.

"Oh, just you," you answer slyly, resting your arm behind her on the bench. Autumn blushes, not expecting such a forward answer and looks at the ground. She opens her mouth to reply, but couldn't come up with anything but giggles.

"Well, if you are that easy to impress, this is gunna be easy," you add.

"Hey!" replies in mock irritation. She bumps your chest lightly with a hoof and the two of you laugh lightly.

"Alright, alright," you reply. "Then it's going to be the greatest challenge of my life."

"You know it will," she says with a smile. "Now then, what is your big plan?"

You looked at the fall-colored mare and you definitely chose right with the hoodie a second time, since she wore a lime-green hooded sweater as well. She definitely put a bit of work into her hair as it seemed to be more radiant than usual. Her eyes were what really stood out though. The deep emerald eyes locked directly into yours and held your gaze for several seconds as the two of you simply enjoyed being with each other.

"Well, I was thinking maybe we could cook something together," you answered. She looks at you curiously.

"Cook something?" she asks curiously. "Then why did we meet here?"

"Simple," you answer. "We need to go to the store and get it." She looks back at you in surprise.

"How's that sound?" you ask.

Immediately, the thought hits you. What if this is too casual? Maybe you should have had something else on the back burner. Shit, this is terrible.

"I mean, we could always do something else. It was just-"

"No! I love it," Autumn immediately assures you. "I'm actually relieved. I didn't really want to do anything super fancy."

You breath out a million worries and feel your muscles recover from stress whiplash. This can't possibly be good for your health.

"Where would we cook it though?" she asks innocently. "Well, I was thinking my place," you answered reflexively.

And then the stress comes back. Come on Anon, are you even thinking? Do you even realize what you are implying?

"Oh, perfect! My place is a mess," she chuckles.

Definitely not good for your health.

Just relax, Anon. You are on a roll here. Rising to your feet, you point in the direction of the nearest Whole Oats.

"Then, to the grocery store!" you exclaim with mock enthusiasm. Autumn rises to her hooves and stands beside you, shaking her head with a smile.

"You can be such a dork," she replies.

"Oh, trust me. It gets worse," you add as you the two of you begin your trek.

"Oh, I hope so. I think it's cute."

"Heh. Give it a month."

"We'll see," Autumn replies with a smile. The two of you walk side by side through the exit of the park and turn towards your destination. Alright, Anon. Conversation. Think of a topic.

"So, tell me of your fonder memories of Ponyville, Anon," Autumn begins.

Or, let her start. That works too.

"My fonder memories?" you ask, repeating the question. "Well, let's see. I did have a handful of friends back there. There was Applejack, who was kind enough to give me a job picking apples in the orchard for awhile before I began to do paperwork for the Mayor. Then there was Twilight, who helped train me for the job I have now. Oh! Then Rarity, who was kind enough to make my wardrobe for me. You have no idea what it was like to get clothes in this world."

"I can only imagine," Autumn adds. "How have you been getting clothes in the city?"

"Oh, there's a tailor a few blocks away that is slowly learning my dimensions and stuff. I gave him Rarity's card and they've worked together a bit. First time I went there, he gave me a pink frilly dress cause the specs got mixed up in the mail." Autumn snickers at the mental image. "Hey! Laugh all you want, I looked damn good in that dress," you snap back in a silly tone.

"Oh, I'm sure. I'm sure."

Right as you were about to snap back with the same question for Manehattan, you realize that the question could be pretty loaded. Perhaps you should dial it back a little.

"What about you? What's some of your fondest memories?" you ask curiously.

Autumn raised her eyes to the sky, considering the question for a moment. "Well, there was this one time when I first got a job at the library and was making friends with some of the staff there. There were a few kids that would always come in and ask us questions on what certain words meant. Eventually I found myself reading stories to them. Then over time, the number of kids grew and grew. That's how Mulberry caught wind of the library," she said.

"Wow, that's pretty heartwarming," you add.

"Yeah. It was really fulfilling to do that," Autumn said happily. "Now I barely have the time to do it anymore. The library is so understaffed and less ponies come in on a normal basis. It's a shame, I really loved doing it..."

"Well, is it possible that something could, you know, be put off so that you could do a short reading? Like, maybe a chapter a day?" you ask. "If you are doing something that other ponies love and you love doing for them, wouldn't you want to keep doing it?" Autumn stares in the distance processing your question. "I mean, I just think... in a world where negativity can really grab at a young pony, wouldn't we want something positive they can grab onto and look forward to?" you ask. "Even if it's just for 15 minutes?"

She looks up at you and smiles.

"You really think I should?" she questions.

"Yeah! What's stopping you that can't be handled by someone else or can't wait 15 minutes?" She remains silent as the two of you continue your walk. "I mean, it's just a thought," you conclude.

The two of you walk side by side down the sidewalk, stopping at crosswalks to let the occasional traffic pass. A part of you felt tempted to reach your hand out and place it on her back, but you recoil, worrying you would be pushing the boundaries of the newly budding relationship too fast.

"So, what's it like to be the head-honcho librarian, anyway? You don't really wear glasses, nor seem to be the type to shush loud ponies," you ask.

"Oh, trust me! I have a good shush. It's well practiced," she replies, snapping from her train of thought.

"Well, remind me to never get too loud in your library then," you tease.

She shakes her head, then continues on to answer your question. "It's not so bad. There's a lot of work and it never seems to ever end, but it keeps me busy. I just really love books. The stories they tell, and the worlds that they can transport you to, and-" she pauses looking back to you. "Sorry, I've been trying to get better about not going on a tangent about books. Old bad habit."

"Oh, no. It's fine. It must be what it's like to see me stuck in internal thought from the outside. You just say what you're thinking instead of keeping it in," you reply. "Plus, it's kinda cute."

She scrunches her face and puffs her cheeks slightly. "It's -not- cute. Sometimes I could just go on about my favorite books for way too long and it bores some ponies to death. I'm really trying to improve on it," she frustratedly answers.

"You haven't bored me once since I've met you," you slip out.

Autumn chuckles and smiles. "Just give me time. You'll get there."

"Challenge accepted," you answer with a smile, knowing exactly what you are implying. She goes silent for a minute, until her face blushes, realizing what you just said. Turning the final corner towards the grocery store, you finally let out the big question.

"Alright then. The hour draws near. What sort of food do you like?" you ask her. She looks up to you with a smile and shakes her head.

"I think I'm fine with almost anything," she says happily. Oh boy, here we go.

You pretend to hold up a microphone and put on a dramatic voice. "And the award for most vague answer award goes to... Autumn from Manehattan!" you boom on the city streets. She chuckles and makes a mock bow.

"Thank you, thank you. I spent time working to attain this. I would like to thank ponies for helping me achieve this award," she retorts. This mare has a sense of humor that just gels with you.
A part of you feels as if you could do an improv comedy act just by interacting with her. It was like the two of you were on the same wavelength and all she needed was to get out of her shell a little bit.

"Seriously though, any types of food you like or dislike?" you ask.

The two of you reach the entrance of the supermarket and you hold the door open for her as she enters. The supermarket was extremely clean and was filled with freshly stocked produce that claimed to be local as possible. This place was known for having some of the best quality ingredients and foods, but usually was at a price. That said, everything was delicious and worth every penny. Following her inside, she turns to you with a smile and without a care in the world.

"Well, honestly I could eat about anything. I didn't have anything before I headed out the door," she answered.

"Me neither," you replied.

"Did we both just go to the supermarket while we're hungry?" she asks shaking her head in disbelief.

"Oh shit. We are going to clean this place out." Grabbing a cart, the two of you press onward into the store like two kids in a candy store.

"So, what do you normally like making? Do you cook a lot?" you ask.

Autumn shakes her head as the two of you head down an aisle of spices that you could barely pronounce.

"Normally I just end up making salads. I could tell you it's because I want to be healthy or watch my figure or something smart like that, but honestly, it's cheap and quick." You chuckle at her terrible reason for eating salads, but can completely relate with the annoying task of preparing meals on a normal basis. Nothing eats a day faster than making meals every night. "I mean, seriously. Bowl, Spinach, Vinegrette. Done. Then wash maybe, two dishes. It's perfect," she elaborates.

"That's genius," you reply. "Normally I just end up making toast and an egg or something. Kinda similar I guess. I'm a pretty lazy cook."

"I'm terrible at cooking. Especially baking. I seem to just burn everything I touch," she adds.

"Oh, I bet it can't be that bad," you reply. "Have you ever made oatmeal explode before?"

Autumn pauses and looks to you, disbelief etched upon her face. "How in the world do you make oatmeal explode?" she asks curiously.

"If I knew how I did it, I would tell you. Since then, I follow instructions for everything."

She laughs as the two of you swing into the next aisle of breads and doughs. "That's unbelievable!" she snorts. "But, I burned pasta, so I think we are about even."

You turn to her with your own skepticism. "You burned pasta?" you ask.

"Yep!" she says, almost proudly.

"But... you cook it in water."

"I know! Right?" she comments. "I was confused too!"

"We're hopeless," you add in mock hopelessness.

"It's fine, we can get through this. We just need everything to have instructions."

"Deal. Hey, look at this!" you comment, reaching towards a freshly made pizza crust. "Do you like pizza?"

Autumn stares at you in disbelief. "If a pony on this planet doesn't like pizza, that's news to me," she replies.

"Wanna make a pizza?" you ask her.

"Sure! It sounds nice, can we put peppers on it?" she asks.

"Whelp. Here's our first fight. It's been a great run. Who would have thought pizza toppings would have been the final straw?" you reply sarcastically. Autumn turns to you with a smile.

"Oh! And what would you put on it? Pig bacon?" she comments. You turn to her with an awkward smile.

"Well, uh. Humans are Omnivores. So, uh. Bacon is really awesome," you add. She looks up at you in mild shock.

"You mean, humans eat animals?" she mutters.

A passing pony overhears your conversation with Autumn and pushes their cart past you a little faster.

"Well yeah, but since everything talks here, I've sorta put myself on a vegetarian diet," you add. "I can't really wrap my head around eating something I can talk to. Besides, eggs, milk and nuts work fine for protein sources."

Autumn sighs a breath of relief. "Okay. I was scared there for a second," she commented. "I didn't know that."

"It's not really a big deal," you conclude. "It's just something I've had to come to terms with."

The two of you walked down the aisle side by side as a few more ponies become unnerved by the mention of meat.

"So, um, do you miss meat?" she asks.

"Every. Day," you groan. "But, nothing I can do about it."

"Right," she adds. "Silly me."

"Now, the real question, is what kind of peppers do you like?" you add, shifting the conversation away from something that makes you think of juicy tender bacon and thick cut steaks.

"Well, I like the little banana peppers," Autumn explains. "They have just the right amount of heat to give it flavor and not overwhelm you."

"I agree with that," you concur, heading towards the produce with her with dough in cart. "Do you like spicy food?"

Autumn nods enthusiastically. "I love spicy food! It doesn't always love me, but you learn to deal with it."

"Amen to that," you reply.

"Amen?" she asks in curiosity.

"Uhm. It's sorta like 'right on'! It was from a different language from Earth," you explain.

"Ooh! That's interesting," she asks. "Do you know a lot of other languages?"

"Not in the slightest," you reply. "In fact, I just know that from word of mouth. I don't actually know Latin. How about you?"

Autumn shakes her head. "I was always bad at other languages. I was more of a writing filly," she continues. Approaching the various peppers in the produce section, you head to the banana peppers and grab a bag to hold them.

"You like to write?" you ask.

Autumn goes quiet and doesn't reply immediately. "A little, but I never really share it with anyone," she elaborates.

"Why's that?" you ask, scooping a few handfuls of peppers into the bag and placing it in the cart.

"I suppose I just get nervous," the fall colored mare continues. "I worry that somepony won't like it or think it's corny or something like that."

"Well, I'd like to read it sometime, if you don't mind," you reply warmly. Autumn's gaze turns to yours and she smiles.

"We'll see," she answers. After a warm moment, you look around the produce area and scan for more toppings.

"Well, what next?" you ask.

"Hmm..." she mutters, looking around. "How about mushrooms?"

"You know, I've never been a big fan of mushrooms," you answer. "It's the texture, not the taste."

Autumn nods and continues to look at the produce surrounding the two of you. "Olives?"

"Olives it is!" you answer. "Anything else?"

"I think I'll be happy with that," she answers with a flick of her tail.

"Awesome. Cause I'm starving."

"Mee tooo," she adds.

Heading quickly to the olives, you grab a can of sauce off a shelf along the way and swing back for a package of cheese. "There! We got everything we need. Let's check out and head back to my place."

The elevator dings as Autumn and you make your way towards your apartment with bags in hand.

"So then I was like, 'You don't have a clue what your missin bro. This guy is a MONSTER when you let him loose.' and the dude cringed up and left him alone," you recounted as you told the story of Brand's ex at the bar.

Autumn laughed and smiled. "And alcohol was -definitely- not a factor in this?" she asked skeptically.

You immediately shook your head. "No!" You paused. "Well, maybe."

"Ooohh! So now the truth comes out," she exclaims, acting as if she solved a mystery.

"Well, it sounds much better if I don't include that little detail," you reply with a nudge.

She smiles as the two of you pass Mulberry's apartment. A small sense of dread fills the pit of your stomach as you remember her text. She hasn't called you or anything. That's a good sign. You turn back to Autumn, who also is looking at Mulberry's door.

"How do you think she's doing?" you ask.

"I'm not sure, but I imagine she's still just trying to get used to the way things are now. Maybe a little paranoid," she tells you.

"Should we check up on her?" you ask. Autumn looks back to you.

"What do you think?" she asks.

You look from Autumn, back to the door, then back to her. "I wouldn't want to intrude or bother her," you say. "If she needs something, she'll call us."

Autumn nods with a faint smile, but still looks back with a look of concern on your face. "I suppose you're right," she answers.

Fumbling with the keys for your apartment, you unlock the door and hold the door open for her. "Without further adieu, welcome to my humble abode," you say with a bow. Autumn enters as you turn on a few lights in the apartment. "It's not really much, but it's mine," you say as she walks around your living room, sucking in the scenery.

"I like it, it's really homey," she comments, looking at a picture frame of you and the girls from Ponyville.

"Thanks," you answer, taking the groceries into the kitchen and preheating the oven to 425 degrees like the dough instructions listed. "Hungry?"

"Starved," she mentions, walking into the kitchen to join you.

"Cool, let's get this bad boy started then," you mention, pulling the ingredients out of the grocery bag. "How about I cut the produce while you get the rest ready?"

"I can do that," she replies, grabbing the crust, sauce and cheese. Grabbing a knife, you grab the olives and peppers. Slicing each of the peppers in half, you scoop out the seeds and throw them away with the vines, while cutting the rest of the pepper into fine strips. Then, after de-pitting the olives, you slice those finely as well and place them into a bowl. Moving the new supplies over to Autumn's area, she just wraps up placing the cheese on the new creation.

"Hey, that looks good," you mutter, placing a hand on the back of her hoodie unconsciously.

Once you realized what you've done, you look to her and she looks back at you with a smile. Your hand remains firmly planted as you step closer to her.

"Alright. Now we can just add toppings and just wait until golden brown,” you state from the instructions you read. The two of you carefully drizzle toppings on top of your meal and place it in the oven.

"So, how long does this take now?" she asks.

"Uh... you know, I'm not sure. It never seems to take long at the pizza restaurants. Maybe thirty minutes?" you guess.

"What should we do in the meantime?" she asks.

Well, shit. You didn't think this far ahead. Uhm.

"Well, I'm gunna be honest, I didn't think this far ahead. What would you like to do?" you ask.

Autumn looks at the ground and smiles, treading her hoof on the linoleum floor. "Honestly, I just love spending time with you. We could do anything and I'd be happy," she mutters bashfully. Your heart feels like it lifted to the sky for a moment and sang hymns of joy to the world.

"You know what? I got an idea," you say, moving to the living room. Autumn's eyes follow you with curiosity as she walks behind you. "Do you remember what I said the first day I met you?" you ask, approaching your bookshelf.

Autumn nods with a smile. "How could I forget? You said you wanted to read together and..." she says, trailing off.

Grabbing One-Way Ticket off of the shelf, you turn back to her. "And?" you ask.

"And, that's when I knew I liked you," she answers. "At first I was just curious at, well, what species you were, but as we started to talk I knew I wanted to get to know you better." You chuckle and sit on your couch with the book in hand.

"That's when I knew I liked you too," you warmly reply. Patting the seat next to you, she trots beside you and gets on the couch next to you. "I'm just about done with this book, wanna finish it with me?" you ask.

"I'd love to. The ending is my favorite part," she adds. You hold the book out in front of the both of you with one hand so that the both of you can see the words.

"Alright... now where was I. Alright. So, 'The train attendant knocked on the door of the tiny train cabin, jolting the two ponies from their slumber.'" you narrate. Autumn leans in closer, trying to see where you are.

"Is this a good position?" you ask.

"You could, uhm. Lean in closer, if you would like."

Lean in closer? Why yes, Ma'am. You'd be happy to oblige. Wrapping an arm around the mare, you hold the book a little more directly in front of her. Your heads are merely inches away from each other and she gently leans against you, closing the distance.

"Is that better?" you ask gently.

"Yeah, a bit," she replies warmly. "I can see the words better."

"Perfect. Now, where was I?"

Autumn lifts a hoof and points on the page where you were.

"Alright. 'jolting the two ponies from their slumber. "We will be off the train in forty minutes. Please be ready to exit promptly when we arrive!" Emerald looked up from her dazed eyes and gazed at her newfound companion. Maple stared back down into her eyes and gently smiled. How long had they been asleep? Emerald cursed in her mind that she had accidentally shortened the time she had left to spend with this stallion. Here she was, getting off at the next station and he would be gone forever, heading onto the next town in search of a new job. Their lives would part ways and never have the chance to reconvene again."

The warmth on Autumn's cheek resting against yours give you goosebumps as you held her. Needing to turn the page, you hold the book down and attempt to turn the page with one hand, but you fumble and drop the book on the ground.

"Here, I have an idea," Autumn says, escaping from your grasp and picking up the book. "Sit in the corner and put your leg up on the couch."

Scooting back into the corner of the couch, you shed your shoes and place a leg up on the couch as close to the back rest as you could. Autumn moves onto the couch in-between your legs and lays against your torso, handing the book back to you. The tip of her head cradles itself beside your face as she snuggles herself into you.

"Is this better?" she asks questioningly, looking up into your face. You smile as you place your arms around her, holding her close to you.

"If this isn't too fast, I don't have a problem with it," you answer. Autumn shakes her head and smiles.

"This just... feels right to me," she coos, resting her head on your chest. Her hooves trace the lines of your chest as the two of you cuddle together.

"I couldn't agree more," you answer, leaning your head on top of hers. Holding the book up, you pick back up where you left off.

"'I suppose our time together is almost over,' Emerald said to Maple with disappointment in her voice. 'Yeah, I guess so,' Maple added. 'I'm going to really miss this,' she whispered. 'I hadn't felt this way in a long time. It's like I found something that I was always looking for and now it's being torn from my hooves before I even had the chance to appreciate it.' Maple looked down at Emerald and brushed the newly formed bedhead out of her eyes. 'At least, we can always be able to remember and cherish this moment. Isn't that the most important thing?' Emerald wanted to shake her head and scream! No! Of course it wasn't the most important thing. The most important thing would be if the two of them could use this moment to stay together. Instead, their lives were tearing them in different directions."

You look down at Autumn and watch as her body naturally rises and falls to her breathing. She remains still for a moment and you feel the warmth of her body mix with yours as her hooves clutch to your chest. Autumn looks up at you, through tired, half lidded eyes.

"Wha? Where were we?" she asks.

"Are you falling asleep down there?" You ask with a smile.

"MMMn. You're so warm. I can't help it," she says groggily, "And your voice is so soothing."

"If you're tired, you can just rest, it's no big deal," you reply, closing the book.

"Mmm. Okay," she whispers, closing her eyes and burying her face into your hoodie.

You wrap your arms around her and press Autumn close to you. The softness of her hoodie runs through your hands as you breath in the gentle scent of her hair. You can only wonder what sort of product she uses as you waft the scent of coconut and fresh vanilla. Her breathing gradually slows as you can feel her gradually drift away to sleep in your arms.

In that moment, you knew that this almost felt too good to be true.

If you were able to live in a single suspended moment in time, this could be one of the first you would choose. You study the features of her face and bring a hand up to gently touch her cheek. The softness of her coat is like a pillow to your hand. Simply enjoying the moment, you close your eyes and smile. In that moment, you knew. Your heart made your choice.

You wanted to give this mare a shot.

All you wanted was something simple. And it couldn't get much more simple than this. The two of you seemed to go together like peanut butter and jelly. You somehow drew her out of her shy shell and began to show you just how clever she was. She had a soft side that you admired and was independent. How in the world could you have gotten this lucky? You exhale in content as you hold the mare close to you. Who were you to question it? Just enjoy it while you have it.

Suddenly, the smell of burning hits your nose and jolts your eyes open. Wafting tufts of black exits the closed oven. Holy shit, the pizza!

"Autumn," you gasp, gently shaking the mare in your arms.

"Huh, wha?" she yawns, waking up slowly. "What's that smell?"

"The food! It's burning! Quick, open some windows."

"Wait. What?! Oh my gosh!" she answers, jolting up and heading to the windows.

You spring into the action and grab oven mitts. Turning off the heat to the oven and open the door. A wall of thick black smoke immediately blasts you in the face and you reel back and cough. Grabbing a dish cloth, you try to fan out the dark smoke from the kitchen towards the open window in the living room. Autumn trots in and grabs another dish cloth and begins to fan with you.

"There's so much smoke! How long was I asleep?" she asks, the burning smell choking her senses.

"I dunno! I fell asleep too," you reply as the smoke begins to thin out throughout the apartment. "Is the food on fire?"

Autumn looks in the oven and keeps fanning.

"It doesn't look like it, but..." she answers.

You turn your attention to the oven and carefully pull out the rack where the pizza sat. The pizza shrank several sizes and was now a flaking, charred, coal black. The two of you stopped fanning and simply looked at each other. Well, that was it. The two of you got so distracted that dinner was ruined. Great job, Anon. Worst date ever.

"Well, dinner is served," you said in your best servant voice.

An involuntary smile curled on your face. A smile curled on her face as well, as the two of you examined your creation.

You tried your best to hold in little snorts as she walked up to the combination of your efforts and examined it.

"That...-" she whispered, trying not to snicker. "Looks delicious."

Autumn was doing everything in her power to not lose it on the spot. Then, you couldn't hold it in anymore. The situation was so ridiculous, that you simply began laughing. Autumn joined in almost immediately, unable to hold in her appreciation of the situation.

"We're absolutely hopeless," you chuckle out amidst fits of laughter.

"We couldn't even cook one simple meal!" she snorts as well.

"We worked almost all day to make this and we just fell asleep," you add. "That is just so typical." Tears form in the two of your eyes as the two of you laugh together.

"This is just like, some sort of terribly cliched book or something," Autumn adds, wiping away tears from fits of laughter.

You grab a spatula and the trashcan to dispose of the monstrosity as you try as hard as you can to serious up. Digging the spatula under the pizza, you lift up and the pie snaps in half like a cracker. This was what broke the two of you.

The sheer absurdity of how ruined this pizza was, dropped the two of you to the ground in a fit of laughter. This sort of thing just couldn't be made up.

"How in the world could we have messed this up this bad!" she adds.

"There were even instructions on the dough package!" you snort out.

She walks up to you and embraces you as the two of you laughed at the failed creation. You hold her in your arms as the laughter slowly dies down.

"You're right," she comments. "We are hopeless."

You return your gaze down to her.

"We're hopeless, together," you warmly reply.

You look into her eyes and see nothing but pure love behind her gaze. In that moment, surrounded by the scent of burning cheese and burnt crumbs of pizza dough littering the floor, and burnt cheese stuck to the bottom of your oven for months to come, there was no-one else in the world but the two of you.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," she whispers.

You lean in and press your lips against hers. Her eyes gently close as you get on your knees to be on eye level with her and place a hand on her mane, pushing her in closer. It didn't take much as she placed a hoof on the back of your head, pressing deeper into your kiss. You felt weightless as you closed the kiss and gently leaned back, to look back into the fall-colored mare's eyes.

A dorky smile was permanently plastered on her face and her cheeks were painted with a rosy red blush. In that moment, you knew you had one single line that could bring any female, human or mare to their knees. You prepared yourself for the ultimate swoon line.

"Wanna go get waffles?" you ask gently

Autumn's eyes lit up and opened wide. "I think this is going to work out just fine, Anon," she whispers.

Stepping out of ITROT with two full bellies, you and Autumn walk side by side, with your hand on her back as she leans close to you.

"Well, what next Anon?" she giggles. "How can we possibly end the worst date ever?"

"Worst date ever? Is that what we're gunna call it?" you reply.

"What else would you call it?" she asks teasingly.

"Hmm, I dunno, maybe a little overdone," you reply with a smart aleck tone.

"Oh, now that's just cheesy," she replies.

"Oh! A pun war?" you retort. "You want a pizza me?" Autumn laughs and pauses for a moment, considering her words. "Oh man, did I just win?" you gasp. "I think I just won."

"Don't get saucy now. This just the first battle," she smiles.

"Alright. Alright," you answer as the two of you unconsciously set course towards the park. The two of you walk in silence as Autumn stares at you. You look back down at her with a smile as she watches you, as if she expects you to say something.

"Oh shit, that was a pun," you gasp.

"YES! I wiiin. Now who's the smart one?" she happily brags, adding extra spring to her step.

"Yeah, yeah. You got me. You have earned the pun master trophy, until next time," you tease.

"Oh, I think I'm going to hang onto it for a long time," she replies. You shake your head and sigh in content. The two of you walk side by side and enter the park, simply enjoying each other's company.

"You know what?" you ask her.

"What?" Autumn asks curiously.

"I had an awesome time today," you comment.

"Me too," she replies. "I think I could get used to it." You stop and kneel down to get on eye level with her.

"Me too," you reply. She turns around to meet you face to face.

"So then, what does that make us?" she asks. You shrug and study the features on her face.

"Hopeless?" you ask. She snickers as she places a hoof on your face and traces the lines of your chin.

"Sounds perfect to me," she answers.

Even with the city noise surrounding you, the only thing you could focus on was the mare in front of you. Traffic hustled and bustled in the distance, ponies talked and stores closed, but the world was a private bubble of time for the two of you. Not even the sound of sirens in the distance caught your attention.

"I think I kinda like you," you whispered to Autumn. She blushed as she leaned in closer to you.

"I kinda like you too."

The sirens blare past you on the street just behind you, catching both of your attention. Two police patrols and a medical wagon gallop past the park at a blazing speed. The two of you turn to look at it as it passes. Wow, they are moving fast. You hope that whoever they are going to is okay.

Turning back to Autumn, you look back into your eyes, but freeze. Mulberry hasn't contacted you at all tonight.

"Anon, which way were those ponies heading?" Autumn asks in concern.

You dig into your pocket for your phone and try to click it to life. It doesn't boot up. Then, the world freezes around you. The battery.

You took the battery out last night.

It turned on this morning because it was plugged in.

If Mulberry tried to contact you, you would have never even known. You hadn't checked your phone once because you were having such a good time with Autumn.

"Did you bring your phone today?" you ask seriously.

Autumn shakes her head nervously.

"I left it at home," she comments. "Were they heading to your apartments?"

You stand up and look in the direction of your home, where the sirens gradually faded towards.

"Shit," you whisper under your breath.