Let's Save the Night (Unattractive RD, WIP)

>She’s still just sitting there.
>It’s almost closing time, the only remaining people in the restaurant were the odd couple who had lost track of time.
>That, and you of course.
>Anonymous, Busboy extraordinaire.
>It wasn’t a glorious job, but it payed the bills.
>Plus, being a busboy in Equestria wasn’t actually all that bad.
>The owners and staff were all super nice, some of the cooks even helped you out from time to time when they were off the clock.
>Good luck finding that back on Earth.
>However, there were some sore spots to the gig.
>This wasn’t the first pony you had seen get stood up.
>Ponies, especially around Ponyville, hate confrontation which usually leads to scenes like this playing out.
>Of all the ponies you’ve seen heartbroken though, the last you expected was the one before you.
>Rainbow Dash.
>One of the few ponies you would qualify as a “close friend”.
>When you first arrived in Equestria, confused and utterly alone, she was instrumental in getting you out there to meet other ponies.
>Princess Twilight and all of her friends helped too, of course, but none took the time like Dash did.
>Plus, she was just a blast to be around.
>After a long day of clearing tables, cleaning and very little talking to people Rainbow was always a welcome change of pace.
>And now here she was.
>Just staring into that candle.
>Alone.
>Every time you walked out to clear a table that night, the sight had sent your heart tumbling down.
>Who would do such a thing to Rainbow?
>Jesus, you were still kind of sorting out your feelings on ponies after only a few months of living here...
>But even you couldn’t help but stare as she had first arrived at the restaurant earlier.
>Her mane had always been one of your favorite features.
>You had thought it’s wild, unkempt nature was part of that appeal.
>But it looked stunning with the style she currently had it in, pulled back into a ponytail.
>The color of it did sort of stand out against the drab colors of the restaurant and that turtleneck she was wearin
>You had a soft spot for her mane color too, though. Reminded you of an old friend who used to dye her hair a lot.
>Her other favorite features, her eyes, was tearing you up inside to look at.
>She didn’t register any of the busboy’s presence as they moved around her, not even you.
>They remained locked on the flame, it’s reflection dancing in those magenta orbs.
>It might have added to her captivating looks on any other occasion
>Right now, it only drew attention to how hopeless she looked and how close she seemed to bursting into tears at any moment.
>You check the clock.
>Closing time in five minutes.
>The boss was nice, but busboys talking to the customers, even at their request was one of his pet peeves.
>It was considered poor form not only on the busboy’s side, but the customers for keeping him from his duties.
>But he would probably let you take a break to talk with a friend in need.
>Probably.
>If not, well….fuck him.
>Part of you would hate to ruin your thing here, but friends are more important right?
>You’re certain the Princess would approve.
>The longest five minutes of your life passes.
>The boss gave you the night off.
>He’s a good pony.
>He had actually been shocked you hadn’t approached her so far in the night.
>You actually would have, if she had even noticed you once since she began giving that candle the vacant stare.
>As you approached, the sight hit you even harder.
>She hadn’t started full-on bawling or anything so far, but now the trace of the odd tear was apparent under her eyes.
>There was an untouched glass of water sitting next to her, delivered by another busboy earlier that night.
>One thing had changed from earlier, though.
>In spite of everything else, you could see the ghost of a smile trying to form on her face.
>A beat later, though, and it had vanished back into a disappointed frown.
>Fuck, she just seemed so...fragile.
>It felt wrong to even look at, considering how she normally acted, but you weren’t going to let her suffer through this alone.
>You give the lightest of taps on her shoulder.
>Her eyes, for the first time that night, move slowly over to see you.
>They widen as she lets out a gasp, suddenly sitting upright in her seat.
>”A-anon!? What are you doing here?!”
“I work here, Rainbow.”
>She looks around, before sitting back down and turning her head down to the tablecloth.
>”Oh...right, I guess you do…”
>...
>A silence settles between you two.
“...Hey, Rainbow. It’s actually closing time.”
>Dash snaps her head to the clock, shaking her head in disbelief.
>”Oh..shi- I mean, uh, shoot. I must’ve...lost track of time. Here, I’ll go home now…”
>She gets out of her chair, moving to the door with her eyes glued to the floor.
>That is, until you start to walk next to her.
>”Uhh, Anon? Don’t you have work? You usually don’t get off for a little while, right?”
“About an hour from now, but I got the rest of the night off tonight. Mind if I walk you home?”
>She looks uncertain, but before she can answer you continue
“I’ve had a bit of a long night. Wouldn’t mind the company, even if it’s only for a little while.”
>Rainbow still looked a bit conflicted, but finally she just nodded in return.
“Cool. I got my coat, do you need to grab yours?”
>She doesn’t respond as she pushes open the doors.
>Guess not.
>With a sigh, you follow her out into the cool night air.
>You give another deep exhale, admiring the small amount of breath you can see.
>Glad you sprung to have Rarity hand- er, hoof-design this coat for you.
>Would have really sucked to have to use your summer wear for your first and fastly approaching winter in Equestria.
>You quickly catch up to Rainbow, who’s moving at a snail’s pace compared to her normal gait.
>...Shit, Anon. You got this far, now what?
>Rainbow was pretty prideful, maybe this was a bad move...She might think you are pitying her or something.
>Which was soooo far from the truth. You just wanted to help her.
>Hell, if you pitied anyone it was the stallion or mare who stood her up.
>They really had no idea what they were missing out on.
>”Anon.”
>Rainbow’s voice brings you out of your thoughts, causing you to look down.
>”You...worked the full night tonight, huh?”
>Well, no dodging around it.
“Yup.”
>”So you saw?”
“...I did.”
>Silence once again grew between you, but you were the one to break it this time.
“If you want to talk about it, I don’t mind-”
>”Nah, dude. It’s fine. It’s cool.”
>Rainbow injected a bit more optimism into her voice, doing her best to give you a smile.
>”It’s almost always like this, anyways. I should have known better than to get my hopes up.”
>...What.
“It’s...always like this?”
>She gives you a confused look behind a forced grin.
>”Well, yeah. I mean, I know I hype myself up a lot, but I couldn’t have made it this far without running into this before.”
>What the hell was she talking about?
“Wait, Rainbow. I’m kinda lost. What is the ‘this’ you’ve run into before?”
>”Oh come on, we both know what I’m talking about.”
>You really didn’t.
>She took a deep breath before her voice drops low, mimicking that of a stallions,
>”What, me and Rainbow Dash? As if! Have you SEEN her mane? Such a mess, and what horrid colors!”
>You stop walking, jaw slowly dropping in amazement as she trotted around you and continued her mimicry.
>”Her snout is all wrong, too. And those eyes! I feel bad for her folks, she really got the worst side from each.”
>”Ahaha, you think I should hit on Dash?! I’m desperate, not a charity!”
>Her tone shifts slightly from line to line, drawing attention to each individual stallion.
>She sits in front of you as she finishes, the two of you currently in the now dead market square.
>”It’s...it’s fine. I’m used to it. In fact, I should have known better than to get my hopes up.”
>Going through that little bit of theatre of the mind seems to have done a bit more to get her to open up.
>However, hearing her talk about these things with a chipper tone…
>...was kind of pissing you off.
“Rainbow...with all due respect...What the fuck are you talking about?”
>She scoffs dismissively, begin to walk a bit faster in the direction of her home.
>”Anon, please. I’m really glad that we’re friends, Celestia knows you’re my only real stallion friend.”
“Uhh...you too-”
>”But you don’t have to pretend you don’t see what those stallions were talking about. I didn’t want to believe it for a long time, but...they were right.”
>Now it was your turn to scoff.
>”What?”
>She asks, looking behind her.
“I just...don’t even see how you could say that. Even if they did think that, it’s pretty stupid of them not to get to know you first.”
>”You say that like it would help.”
>You frown.
“Okay, I didn’t want to really judge their taste in appearance to harshly, but they have a problem with YOU? Why?!”
>”You can drop the fake outrage, Anon. You don’t need to act offended for me, we both know I can be a hassle.”
>Oh, that wasn’t fake.
>Far from it. This was not remotely how you saw this talk going.
>”I’m just too damn competitive, and I love to prank ponies. I’ve been called foalish and arrogant...I’ve got to face it.”
>She draws a deep breath, her voice shifting back into sorrow with a tinge of self-loathing.
>”I’m...unlovable. I’m lucky to even have the friends I have...Buck, just look at me! Unloading all of this onto my newest one!”
“Rainbow…”
>”I’m sorry, Anon. I get if you don’t want to hang out anymore…”
“Rainbow-”
>”It was fun while it lasted, I guess. There are plenty of other mares who probably-”
“Rainbow!”
>”What?!”
“We’re here.”
>You point up to her cloud home far above.
>”...Oh. Sorry.”
“Listen, before you go can I say something?”
>”I guess. Not like I have any plans for the night anymore.”
>You take a moment to get your thoughts back in order before deciding “Fuck it, from the heart it is.”
“Dash, I don’t think I’ve ever told you this...But you’re my best friend. Your friends are nice, but none of them get me like you do.”
>You drop down to a knee, eye level with her as she waits to see where you go with this.
“None of your friends made me feel welcome like you did. None of them pushed boundaries and got me to open up to ponies like you did.”
>A small smile began to grow, though she shook her head.
>”You would have opened up in time, Anon. You didn’t need me.”
“You say that, but I can’t imagine life here without you in it.”
>”..Oh, wow. That’s...really sweet, Anon-”
“So I NEVER want to hear you talk like that again, you hear me? As far as I’m concerned, at this point you’re stuck with me.”
>She shrinks back slightly at your reprimand, but nods with a sheepish grin. “I think I can manage that...Thanks, Anon.”
“You’re welcome. But I’m not done.”
“Those stallions that said those things before? Fuck ‘em. Forget everything they said.”
>”Anon, please-”
“I’m serious, Dash. There is nothing wrong with you, and if anyone tells you different? They can bring it up with me.”
>That came out a mite more aggressive than you wanted, but that primal human nature in you hopes that it happens one day.
>Even if those stallions did honestly believe the nonsense they were spouting, they needed a lesson in tact.
>Rainbow sits quietly, an unreadable expression on her face.
>”There’s nothing wrong with me? Then why, even when a stallion agrees to go on a date with me, they never show up?”
“Because they have awful tastes? Honestly, if they can’t see how beautiful you are then they might as well be blind.”
>Dash’s eyes widened in shock.
>Well, it was out now.
>A small part of you had hoped, before this, that you might be able to go through the night without telling Dash you thought she was attractive.
>That quickly fell to the side once you realized how deep this hole went.
>”You...don’t mean that.”
>Dash stood back up, looking upset.
>You don’t back down.
“I meant every word. And more. I think you look great tonight Rainbow, especially your new mane style.”
>”Look me in the eye and say it again, Anon.”
>You did, but hesitated.
>Not because you were lying, but because her eyes were easy to get lost in, even if they were currently locked in an angry glare.
“I think you look great, Dash. Those stallions are full of it.”
>She maintains the stare for a moment, but her features begin to turn soft.
>”...You actually mean that, don’t you?”
>Your heart began to beat faster.
“I don’t really see much of a point in lying at this point, do you?”
>”You’d better not be lying, Anon. I’ve been through enough tonight-”
“Stick a cupcake in my eye, go and fetch AJ, whatever you need to know it’s the truth.”
>”...Well jeez, I uh...Well...Okay.”
>You quirk an eyebrow.
“Okay? What kind of response is that?”
>”No, I mean...Sorry. Thank you. For saying all that. It’s just not something I’ve heard before from a stallion.”
>You exhale, your heartbeat slowing down slightly.
>Why were you getting so worked up over this?
>You just told her you thought she was good-looking, it’s not like you were confessing to her or anything.
>Speaking of getting worked up, that was a lovely shade of red on Rainbow’s cheeks.
>At least you weren’t alone in this.
>”So...uh, what now?”
>That was the million dollar question, wasn’t it?
“...Well, I would understand if you wanted to be alone for the rest of the night...But…”
>”But…?”
“I have nothing else going on tonight. If you want a friend to hang out with instead of going home, we could chill at my place.”
>”You know, I’ll have to really think- Of course I’ll hang out, stupid! Just let me head back to my place to get ready real fast.”
>She doesn’t wait for a response, instead bounding up to her home with a streak of rainbow light.
>You take a deep breath of night air, thinking about what just happened.
>Okay, nothing big so far right? Just going to hang out as friends after a rough night. That’s all.
>...Then why do you feel apprehensive all of a sudden?
>Hell Anon, you’ve told girls they looks nice before.
>Albeit that was with actual girls, not mares.
>Maybe that was it. After months of thinking on it and no outlet, maybe this was you finally making a move?
>...On your best friend?
>No, you would have asked Rainbow to wingman for you if that was the case.
>Man, this was the problem with acting on your heart. It was on a completely different page than your brain.
>”Okay, I’m ready!”
>You turn to see her hovering in the air, sans her turtleneck
>...She still had the mane style from earlier, though.
“Oh, keeping your mane like that?”
>”Y-yeah! Just seems like a shame to undo it, especially after Rarity and Fluttershy helped me with it.”
>You try to suppress a smirk at her nervous expression accented with an even deeper shade of pink.
>You do a poor job, but decide to offer a sinking mare a lifeline.
“Okay, I get Rarity. She’s the resident fashionista. But Fluttershy?”
>”Ehehe, Rarity can get a bit crazy when preparing someone for a date. Fluttershy helps even her out a bit.”
“Oh?”
>”Yup! Most of this is her doing, actually! Rarity kept wanting to put funny things in it.”
“Well, next time I see Flutters I’ll have to thank her.”
>”...”
>Dash doesn’t respond, but she does move her face forward so you can’t see her expression anymore.
>Not that you needed to.
>Her silence to your compliment was more than telling.
>”Anyways! What do you want to do when we get to your place?”
“Depends. I still got some movies you haven’t seen, we could play that new Daring Do board game-”
>As you spoke, a loud rumbling sound came from Rainbow. Specifically her stomach.
>She stopped mid flight, a look of horror on her face.
“Or we can eat. I’m actually pretty hungry too, I’ll whip us up something when we get back.”
>”Thanks, sorry Anon.”
“No problem. I should have figured it’s been a while since you’ve eaten.
>”...yeah.”
>She gives a weak confirmation the tugs on your heartstrings.
>Shit, way to bring up earlier...Would hanging out really be enough?
>If you ever met the stallion that stole tonight from her, he was going to get a piece of your mind.
>...Hey, now there’s a possible idea.
>He stole her night from her, but you could probably get it back!
“Hey Dash, sorry but I think I forgot my keys back at work. Think we could make a quick stop back there?”
>”Jeez, you’re hopeless. Alright, but let’s make it quick. I’m STARVING.”
>Perfect.
>Now all that remained was a little fast talking, some calling in of old debts and maybe a smidgen of begging.
>Rainbow might just get her date night after all.