Author's Notes:

*Warning: If you haven't seen Wonder Woman, there will be some big spoilers. As the film our intrepid heroes are about to see is a take on it.*

It’s been a rather exciting couple of weeks since Ms. Harshwhinny and I got together. This whole sneaking around thing, hiding our relationship from everyone, is kind of cool, but at the same time, a bit unfortunate. It’s a shame that the rules dictate that employees can’t date, lest they want to be fired. I mean, can’t a stern talking to suffice? Still, sneaking off to Ms. Harshwhinny’s apartment every other night has its charms. For one thing, she always wants me to go to her apartment on the days she has her work out classes, likely because she knows I like the sight of her in that sports bra, and we get to have our romps in the shower. I know I’ve said it before, but her being all stern at the office, but both timid and dominant behind closed doors is really a sight to see.

Now, we’re going on our first date.

We’re not officially calling it a date. At least, Ms. Harshwhinny isn’t, but I sure am. We’re catching a Thursday night screening of Wonder Mare, where it’s sure to be crowded with enthusiastic fans. Prior to tonight, I was surprised to hear about Ms. Harshwhinny’s opinions on the current films based on Knight Comics, Equestria’s version of DC. While others were negative on the serious approach for the popular heroes, she seemed to appreciate the tonal differences to the rival Amazing Studios Cinematic Universe. Needless to say, this geeky side of her is extremely attractive.

At my desk, I print out the tickets, making sure that no one saw me print out two tickets. A risky move to be sure, but it’s been quite a busy afternoon; setting up invitations for the upcoming Equestria Games Celebration Gala, and making phone calls to the catering companies as to what needs to be served. This is the only free time I can get before I have to go back to my desk for e-mails and phone calls.

I get up from the desk, and walk into Ms. Harshwhinny’s office, where she is in a familiar position; looking at her computer. I close the door and lock it; a common thing to do now, whenever I walk in.

“Is everything okay?” Ms. Harshwhinny asks in a concerned and caring tone that only I have the pleasure of hearing, “Equestria International Foods didn’t give you any trouble, did they?”

“No, the phone call went well. They received the list, and will have everything ready for the Gala.”

“Good. What’s the matter?”

“Nothing. I realize that the next couple of hours are going to be busy, so I figured I'd give you your ticket now.” I hand her her ticket. She takes the paper and looks at it for a couple of seconds. Cutely, I see her tail make a couple of brief happy swooshes on the floor, even as her face remains stoic.

“Thank you.” she nods “How…um…are we going to meet up? We obviously can’t go in together.”

“Right. I figure we would go in separately, and meet in our seats. If anyone at work is around us, we’ll chalk it up to coincidence.”

“Do you think that will work?”

“If you think it’ll help, how about we wear casual attire, instead of our work clothes?”

“Casual attire?” she looks down at her suit, then back at me. “Yes, I believe that will work. Perhaps some adjustments to my mane will also help. I’ll put on some glasses, too.”

“Oh yeah, I keep forgetting you wear contacts. I haven’t seen you in glasses before, that sounds exciting.”

“I bet it does.” she chuckles “Very well, we will make our rendezvous tonight. I can’t wait.”

“Neither can I.” I walk up to her, leaning down to giver her a soft kiss on the lips. We hold for a few seconds, as I hear a pleased moan come from Ms. Harshwhinny. “I’ll see you later.”

“Yes, of course.” she blushes, and I head back out.

A couple more hours of phone calls and e-mails pass by in what feels like an instant. Talking with clients and writing lengthy messages makes the time go by rather quickly. Now, it’s six’o clock, and our film starts at nine. Ms. Harshwhinny takes her leave first, wishing me a goodnight, which turns a couple of heads; not because she said goodnight to me, but because this is the first time in history she actually left around the same time as the employees.

Kevin, still around and mouth agape, walks up to me with that continuously dumbfounded look.

“Holy shit, did Ms. Harshwhinny just leave?”

“Sure looks like it.”

“That’s so weird. She never leaves when we do. I thought she lived here.” his head then turns to me “You’ve been around her for a while. Does she live here?”

“No.” I chuckle. “As far as I know, she lives in an apartment.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because whenever she sees something she likes, like a carpet or a lamp, she would mention how good it would look in her apartment.”

“She actually compliments things?”

“Kevin, come on. She praised you last month.”

“Yeah, for having a clean desk.”

“I don’t see why that’s so disappointing. Do you want to be an ornament in her apartment?”

“Hell no. Crystal’s the only mare for me, man.” he smiles in a swoon. He looks down at his watch, and his eyes go wide for a brief moment. “Shit, I’m meeting her downstairs. Have a dinner and movie date.”

“What are you seeing?”

“What else are we seeing? Wonder Mare, dude!”

“What time?”

“Nine o’clock at the Manhattan Cineplex. Back row. Perfect for making out when things get awesome! See ya!” Kevin waves as he hurriedly walks out the door, leaving me the sole inhabitant of the floor.

Oh shit.

I walk to my apartment in very little time, heading straight to the shower to clean myself up for tonight. I soak my hair in shampoo, and vigorously wash other parts of my body. I’m going to smell good for this date, and damn it, nothing is going to stop me! Even though it’s hours away, and we’re not going to treat our date as an actual date, I’m extremely nervous. Watching a movie with Ms. Harshwhinny, eating popcorn, drinking soda, being so close to each other that the urge to hold hands is inevitable; it gets the heart racing. I wonder what she’s going to wear. I’ve never seen her in casual attire. Is it going to be extremely simple, like T-Shirt and jeans, or is it going to be casual in the sense that she’ll still wear a suit, only not as fancy?

Then, there’s the issue of Kevin and Crystal. Ms. Harshwhinny and I are sitting closer to the screen. The fourth row, so that the screen overtakes us without being obnoxiously close. Kevin said that he and Crystal are sitting closer to the back. Hopefully, they don’t notice that Ms. Harshwhinny and I are sitting together. But, what if they do? Damn it, my excitement for this date is being overshadowed by my fear.

I went from being ninety-eight percent excited and two percent scared to two percent excited and ninety-eight percent scared. Pull yourself together, man! You’re going on a date with a perfect woman! Be excited about it!

I decide to go super casual, wearing a T-Shirt that has Wonder Mare’s logo on it, and a pair of jeans. Yeah, I’m a guy who wears a Wonder Mare T-Shirt, and I’m damn proud of it. Helps that whenever I go to conventions with this shirt, people and ponies give me the thumbs up.

Within twenty minutes, thanks to relatively minor traffic from the cab ride, I make it to the theater at eight-thirty. The moment I arrive, my phone buzzes. I look to see a text message from Ms. Harshwhinny.

“I’m inside. You mind getting popcorn and soda when you arrive?”

I text back. “Just arrived. I’ll get right on it.”

Once I send it, after a few moments, a heart emoticon pops up. Urgh, the fact that Ms. Harshwhinny is using emoticons with me. I don’t know how much more my heart can take the preciousness of this woman.

Once my ticket is scanned, I head straight to the concession stand, where there’s already a line of eager humans and ponies waiting to get their treats. Luckily, the service is fast, and I’m getting closer to my destination, when suddenly…

“Hey!” a familiar voice calls out, freezing me in my tracks. I look to the right to see Kevin, holding hands with Crystal, the receptionist. They’re both in causal attire as well, and smiling at me. I give them a smile too, though I’m having a bit of a heart attack inside. “I didn’t know you were here! Why didn’t you say anything back at the office?”

“You ran out before I could.” I chuckle, keeping cool. “Crystal, nice to see you.”

“You too.” she smiles “Bring anyone or anypony special?”

“No, just by my lonesome.”

“You should have told us you were seeing it by yourself. I would have gotten a ticket for you, so we could all sit together.” Kevin says. Nice guy.

“I don’t want to be a third wheel. Besides, you said you were planning on making out during the movie.”

“Oh, right.” Kevin laughs while Crystal playfully smacks him on the chest. “You were thinking it, too.” he says to her. She nods and shrugs, seeing his point.

“I was…” she admits “But I don’t tell others about my plans. You shouldn’t share so much, Kev. Privacy is key in this.”

“You’re right. I’m sorry.” he kisses her on the top of her head. “To be fair, I only talk about you with this guy. He’s the coolest dude here, and won’t say a thing.”

“It’s true, Crystal.” I raise my hand up in a boy’s scout salute “Your secret is safe with me.”

“Thanks, hon.” Crystal smiles. She then looks up at Kevin. “Okay, let’s take our seats so you can wrap your hand around my shoulder.”

“Sounds like a plan.” he looks to me with a smile, “Enjoy the movie, man.”

“You too.” I wave. Once he’s off, I finally make it to the front of the line. I order a large popcorn and two large apple sodas. Good thing Kevin and Crystal didn’t see my order, or they would have gotten suspicious pretty fast. I guess I could have gotten one large drink and I would share it with Ms. Harshwhinny, but I’m assuming she prefers to drink from her own cup.

I move into the large theater, moving past Kevin and Crystal, currently mid-kiss, amd making my way to the fourth row. As I get closer to my destination, the crowd gets less, probably because some don’t like to sit closer to the screen. It’s the best view, in my opinion.

There, sitting in the dead center, is Ms. Harshwhinny. Wearing a Wonder-Mare t-shirt, jeans, and violet rimmed glasses. Her mane is also a bit scruffed, probably to make her more unrecognizable. I walk over to her, and she turns to look at me, smiling as I get close to her. I don’t know what to say. Suddenly, the most desirable mare in Equestria got increasingly more desirable. She can see the amazed look on my face, and gets me to sit down before anyone notices.

“Is everything okay?” she asks with a titled head.

“You…you….you look…” I can’t get the words out.

“Is it too much?” she wonders. Though, from her tone, she seems to know exactly what she’s doing. The little smirk she has is also a pretty big sign. “Come on, now. You didn’t expect me to wear a suit to the movies, did you?”

“Well…no…you did say ‘casual,’ but I figured that meant you would wear a slightly less nice suit.”

“That’s cute.” she giggles “I do have my days where I am a t-shirt and jeans kind of mare. Mostly when I’m lounging at home…”

“Playing video games?”

“Oh…yes…” she blushes “You saw that?”

“Do you have a gamertag I should be aware of?”

“Um…" she leans in "...Boss Mare 788.” she whispers.

“Boss Mare 788?”

“Yes, but there’s an underscore between Boss and Mare, and 788 isn’t separated by a space.”

“Okay, but what’s the significance of the 788?”

“There was already a Boss Mare, and I came up with a random number.”

A pause between us. I just found out what is probably the greatest secret of my boss. I can’t control myself; I bust out laughing, holding my gut because it hurts so much. Tears coming from my eyes, and Ms. Harshwhinny looks embarrassed. I’m sorry, Ms. Harshwhinny, but it’s just too good. I really mean no offense by it.

“Settle down. You’re going to attract too much attention…” she whispers with a stern tone.

“I’m sorry…” I try my best to calm myself “I truly am…” I wipe the tears from my eyes “I don’t mean to embarrass you. It’s just…you know. You’re so…you…and…you have a gamer handle. Be honest, what’s your trophy score?”

“I don’t want to tell you.” she pouts. It’s a cute pout.

“Come on. I won’t laugh.” I say. She snorts in response, not believing me. “Honest. I won’t laugh.” She looks away from me, I suppose as an attempt to avoid the question. “Please don’t be mad at me.”

“I’m not mad. I just refuse to…” she sighs “Fifty six. Okay? I platinum a lot of my games, and got that score as a result. Happy?”

“Yes…” I chuckle. The chuckle makes her glare at me.

“You said you wouldn’t laugh.”

“No. I’m not laughing, I swear.” I place a hand on her shoulder “God, I love you.”

In that instant, my eyes go wide, and so does hers. I love you. It just came out like that. With no thought or tact, the words spilled out of my mouth like I had been saying it for years. Ms. Harshwhinny is speechless, I don’t know what is going on in her head. Does she feel the same? Does she not? Her cheeks slowly bush surely glow with that familiar blush, and her hand gradually covers her mouth to hide her agape expression.

The lights go down, and the screen opens up for the movie. The trailers start to play, but Ms. Harshwhinny and I continue to stare at each other. Her expression begins to soften into something more normal and befitting her, and she turns to watch the screen. It’s taking a while for me to do the same thing. I have to focus on the movie, but how can I? I just told Ms. Harshwhinny, who I don’t even know her first name, that I love her.

I mean…it’s not like I didn’t mean it, but I didn’t mean for it to come out like that.

When the trailers come to a close, the movie starts to play, much to the fanfare of the enthusiastic crowd. I finally turn to the screen and watch the movie.

It’s a good thing that the movie is so much fun, or I would have been distracted the entire time about my admission. The crowd is definitely eating it up, and even Ms. Harshwhinny seems to be enjoying herself. I hear her chuckling whenever there was a funny gag, shuffle in her seat in stress during an action set piece. I can only imagine what she was like during the prior movies, since she enjoyed them as well.

A couple hours pass, and the film reaches its big climax. Wonder Mare is facing off against Eris, the god of chaos in a giant spectacle of a fight, while Flying Ace, an Earth pony and love interest for Wonder Mare, looks to be making the ultimate sacrifice in order to stop a giant plane from reaching a city with deadly gas. It’s actually a pretty bold move, though I saw his death coming after watching the Director’s Cut of Mare Do-Well v Supermare, but to go out in such a heroic way is pretty cool.

Wonder Mare is dazed from a fight, and can’t hear what Flying Ace says before he leaves on his suicide mission, but now the movie is flashing back to show what he said. He tells her that he has to go, and when Wonder Mare protests, he says these rather heartwarming words.

“I can save today. You can save the world.”

I’d be lying if I said that my heartstrings weren’t tugged super hard by this, but what is catching my attention more is the sniffling next to me. Ms. Harshwhinny…is crying. She’s wiping her eyes at this act, and it’s the first time I’ve ever seen her like this. Ms. Harshwhinny…the toughest mare I know, is practically bawling at this tragic and romantic moment. On reflex, I wrap an arm around her shoulder, and bring her closer to me. Her head rests on my chest, as we watch the rest of the movie together.

Of course, everything turns out well. Wonder Mare saves the day, and we go back to present day to lead into the Freedom Federation movie. The credits roll, and the crowd goes nuts. All in all, a good entry in the series. I know there’s nothing at the end of the credits, but Ms. Harswhinny and I stay until the end, where it feels like we’re the last residents in the theater.

“So, what did you think?” I ask after some silence.

“I thought it was great.” she responds. “I almost said wonderful.” I hear her chuckle.

“It’s okay. I was about to say wonderful if you weren’t.” I chuckle with her.

Ms. Harshwhinny removes herself from my chest, and rests her hands on my shoulders. She looks into my eyes with a loving expression, but also a look of wonderment.

“Did you mean what you said?” she asks me in a soft tone. “Do you…love me?”

“Yeah. I meant it.”

She looks away from me with a blush, muttering “Stupid. We’ve only been seeing each other for a couple weeks.”

“But we’ve known each other for over a year.” I am quick to point out.

“That wasn’t meant for you.” she shakes her head “That was for me. You’re not stupid for loving me. I’m stupid…” she looks back “…because I love you, too.”

Before I can respond, she pulls me in for a kiss. It’s the kind of kiss we’ve done before, but it’s no less amazing than the other times we have locked lips. We stay on it for a while, and hear her soft moans as our tongues connect. Her hands runs through my hair, while mine caress her firm cheeks and her ruffled mane.

We separate, catching our breath, and smile at our now admitted love for one another.

It is here, that Ms. Harshwhinny’s eyes go wide. Not at me, but what is behind me. I turn around, it’s probably the ushers wanting us to…

Oh shit. It’s Kevin and Crystal.

“Uhhhhh….” I say.

“Uhhhhh….” Kevin also says. “I….um….” he looks to Crystal “…sorry for being loud, but…” he then quickly turns to me and shouts “WHAT?!” at the top of his lungs.

The four of us stand in the parking lot of the theater, where Kevin is pacing, while Ms. Harshwhinny, Crystal and I stand, watching Kevin try to process this information. While Crystal is less animated than Kevin is, she is no less as surprised as he is. I told Kevin almost everything, in that we started seeing each other after Hearts and Hooves day, and that this was our first real date together. Ms. Harshwhinny nodded and concurred my story in a professional manner, despite the ruffled mane and the Wonder Mare t-shirt and jeans ensemble.

“Okay, so…” Kevin speaks “When I asked what you did on Hearts and Hooves day, and you said that you did nothing, what you were actually doing was going out with Ms. Harshwhinny?”

“Yeah, I’d say that’s accurate.” I nod

“This is…this is incredible. YOU…” he points at me “…are dating HER!” he points at Ms. Harshwhinny. “Ms. Harshwhinny. The head of the Equestria Games. YOUR BOSS! And that kiss! Holy shit! That was some kiss! Wasn’t it, Crystal?”

“Yeah, it was pretty great.” Crystal agrees.

“It was pretty freaking great! Wow! You two…you two are really something! How did I NOT see this coming? It only makes sense! You two are always together. You two are pretty attractive. You both look great next to each other. How were you two able to hide it for as long as you did?”

“Kevin…” Ms. Harshwhinny steps in “I understand that this is all very surprising for you and Crystal, but I need to make myself very clear here.” Her voice is stern, and very much how she is in the office. “What we have is special, yes, but it’s also very illegal. Fraternization with employees is strictly forbidden, and we have broken one of the very rules that I helped set up. So, as you are well aware, secrecy is key. I don’t need to remind you that you and Crystal are also breaking the rules as well.”

Kevin looks at Crystal, and then back at Ms. Harshwhinny, before responding with a quiet and fearful “Yes, ma’am.”

“That being said, it would be hypocritical of me to reprimand you for the offense. So, here’s what I propose; I will say nothing of your relationship with Crystal, as long as you don’t mention ours to anybody or anypony. I am willing to offer you some monetary compensation if need be.”

“Huh? No, no, no extra bits are necessary.” Kevin shakes his head.

“We won’t tell anypony.” Crystal shakes her head as well “We would never do that to your two.”

“Good.” Ms. Harshwhinny smirks “Now then, all this excitement has kicked up my sweet tooth. Would you like to join us for ice cream?”

Kevin and Crystal look at each other in confusion, and then back at Ms. Harshwhinny. It takes a bit, but the two respond with a shrug and a nod.

Inside the Manehattan Ice Cream Parlor, Ms. Harshwhinny and Crystal sit at the far end, chatting it up with their bowls of ice cream, while Kevin and I sit a distant away with our bowls. I have my strawberry chesecake ice cream, while Kevin goes for a brownie sundae. The ice cream was bought by Ms. Harshwhinny, I suppose as an extra incentive to keep Kevin and Crystal quiet.

I would say the ice cream is delicious, and it is, but Kevin is currently staring at Ms. Harshwhinny and Crystal talking to one another so casually.

“Kevin?” I break the silence between us. He snaps to attention immediately. “You okay? Your brownie is getting soggy.”

“Oh…” Kevin looks down at his bowl and starts to dig in a little bit. “Sorry. I got a bit distracted.”

“I know. I saw.” I chuckle “We were hoping to keep this a secret for a while longer.”

“Well, public displays of affection tend to cause attention.” Kevin smirks.

“It was the first time we said we loved each other.” I admit. The news causes Kevin’s eyes to widen slightly.

“Really? You belted out the L word already?”

“Yeah, it just happened. I don’t know what came over me, but at the same time…I guess… it just felt right.”

“It’s been a while since you said that to anybody. The last time I heard you tell someone you loved them, was back home with that Karen chick.”

“Yeah, and when I found out she was seeing Gary, I wish I took it all back.”

“Man, fuck Gary.”

“Yeah, Gary sucked. A terrible roommate, and a worse friend.” The two of us share a good laugh at that. “I think this is it, though.”

“This is what?”

“The one. I think it’s her.”

“Do you even know her first name, yet?”

“Not yet.”

“You don’t know her first name, and you told her that you love her?”

“Weird, right?”

“It’s pretty damn weird. But…well…” Kevin thinks for a couple moments, as if weighing the words he’s about to say. “At the same time…it fits.”

“What do you mean?”

“Dude, I think you’re great, I mean that sincerely, but you can be kind of a weirdo. Nothing wrong with that, but you skirt the line between professional and geeky so often, that I am both impressed and freaked out. I assume Ms. Harshwhinny’s the same?”

“Yeah. When we’re behind closed doors, she can be pretty geeky. She has a gaming console.”

“Dude, you need to lock that shit down tight. Marry her.”

“What?! We haven’t even discussed it yet! And, if we got married, wouldn’t that defeat the purpose of keeping it a secret? There’s records of that stuff!”

“So? She’s Ms. Harshwhinny, I’m sure she has some pull.”

“She may be the Head of The Equestria games, but I don’t think she has the authority to hide marriage records. Though, she did have enough influence to keep the Spa ponies from telling others that…” I trail off.

“What?”

“Ms. Harshwhinny and I shared a sauna together.” I whisper.

“Fuuuuuuuuuuuccccccccck…..” Kevin practically breathes it out. He then looks back at Ms. Harshwhinny and Crystal conversing. "Look at them. Talking like everything is normal. How did we end up in this situation?"

"We were offered the chance to go to Equestria, and we took it."

"I meant THIS situation."

"I became attracted to Ms. Harshwhinny and you became attracted to Crystal, took a shot, and ended up in a relationship."

"You know I'm being rhetorical, right?"

"Yeah, but I like answering rhetorical questions. I'm a weirdo, remember?"

"That's true. I did say that." Kevin smiles "And don't worry about me. I won't tell anyone about this. I promise." His speaks with sincerity. As much as I poke fun at him, I trust Kevin. He's had my back since we lived on Earth, so I can trust him with this information as much as he can trust me with what I know about him. "Hey..." he leans in close "...can I ask you a bit of a lewd question?"

"Umm....sure."

"What's Ms. Harshwhinny's cutie mark?"

"Oh..." I blush "It's..." I whisper "...it's a trophy."

"What kind of trophy?"

"A gold trophy."

"Does it look good?"

I nod and smile in confirmation. "It's perfect." I say with admittedly smug look on my face. The news makes Kevin lean back in his chair, processing the information. He runs his hands through his hair as he looks around the room. Finally, after minutes of pause, he says one more word before finally eating his sundae.

"Damn."