La Vie en rose [Reed/Bon Bon]

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Reed Valour. She had heard the name somewhere before, probably around town or something... but she liked to imagine that it came straight out of a fairy tale. In her mind, it conjured images of valiant knights, stallions of honor and bravery who swept in and stole the hearts of maidens all across Equestria. He would be a handsome pegasus, yes, strong and sweet but just a little distant sometimes. And maybe he'd even carry a proper sword! Bon Bon giggled despite herself, looking down off the bridge and trying not to swing her hooves. It was so stupid, she hadn't even met her date yet, and here she was going off on girlish fancies about what the mystery stallion might be. (It was probably a stallion, she figured—Reed wasn't a terribly feminine name. But she had signed down for both.) She knew he probably wasn't going to meet up to those lofty little dreams, and it wasn't fair to expect him to. But for now... for these few moments of mystery she had left, why shouldn't she dream? It wasn't every day you stood by a bridge in the early evening, waiting for a mysterious pony to come sweep you off your hooves. With a little effort to come back to reality, Bon Bon checked her reflection in the water. Mane and tail, check—she'd spent the better part of an hour getting her curls just that right balance of soft yet springy. Coat... mostly check. She tried to get as much of the sugar-smell out as she could, and a light floral perfume should cover up what remained, but there was only so much she could do. The scent of sweets was pretty much sunken into her skin at this point. Dress, very check. It was a little satiny red number with black trim and buttons, and a neat bow at her throat... first time wearing it, and hopefully not the last. It complemented the cream of her coat beautifully. (Her earrings were clip-ons, but if she was doing her job right he wouldn't be staring at her ears anyway.) And just a hint of pink makeup around the eyes, to match half her mane. A sigh escaped her lips. She looked as good as she was ever going to. Now, the rest was all up to her personality. She couldn't afford to be boring; it was a blind date, after all, there was nothing stopping him from just getting up and walking away if she wasn't interesting enough or pretty enough or— "No," she firmly told the river. "Don't get all insecure on me now, filly. You wanted this and you got it. You're gorgeous. You're funny. And you're gonna blow his buckin' socks off. Get it? Got it? Good!" ... And after a short moment of reflection, her cheeks started to grow hot. A quick glance over each shoulder told her probably nopony had heard her little pep-talk-slash-insane-rambling, but... well. Ears everywhere. It was almost time for them to meet now. The sunlight was gradually fading away as streelights flickered to live across Ponyville, bathing the roads and bridges in the dim honey-orange light of dusk. The plan was to meet up on the cobblestone bridge and walk to a lovely little riverside dinner, where they had reservations. Hopefully, candle-lit reservations, since it *was* February, and it would be getting dark soon. Not that supper in the dark was so bad, but they were by the river, and candles kept the mosquitoes away. Bon Bon glanced toward a street-clock. 6:29 p.m. He should be here any second now. She tried to swallow down the last of her nerves, squared her shoulders, then loosened them, and put on as mellow and sultry a look as she could manage. And her little deception might've worked, too, if she just could stop rocking her weight nervously from foreleg to hindleg. Oooh, I just wish he'd get here already...

[Deleted]

Clock is ticking, Reed. Clocks... will always keep on tickin'... 5:00 is just about here, time to close up.

No pony was around, as per the usual with his storefront. "Closing time!" He announced, as mild cheer echoed off the walls. He rushed off of his dusty old stool and locked the door with a click. Shut off the sign, turned out the lights, and made his way to the "living space" in back. Tonight was going to be different. "No microwaved meal for one tonight! Tonight, I get to eat real food..." he stated in satisfaction as a minimal amount of drool escaped his lips. But, what to wear? A fancy dinner with some mystery mare would probably require something very refined...

He dug through the decrepit armoire in the corner of his dusty shop and found something that should fit the evening just right. Sealed in safety from its last cleaning, there it was, a khaki suit with a blood red tie (and while not the best thing he could have worn, it was the only fancy thing he had). "Clothes are good, so next is...? Shower! Shower... gotta take a shower." The tiny, private bathroom in back concealed just the necessities for life. A shower, a sink, and a toilet. He turned on the hot water with a creek and looked over the letter he had received prior to the evening.

Bon Bon... I know that name... why do I know that name... Sounds sweet...

He hopped into the shower and time began to tick away. 5:30... 5:45... 6:00... He got out and checked the time. "Clock... clock..." he peered at it, lacking his glasses, "6... 20! I'm late! I'm late!" he panicked. He skittered around, where was everything? He couldn't find his glasses, no time to dry off. "I just need the suit!" he slipped around in search for the one thing he really needed.

6:23...

The suit seemed to find it's way into his hooves and he threw it on in a fit and rushed his way out the door. His mane a mess, but fantastically clean, it dried it self as the wind rushed past his face.

Where's the bridge! Where. Is. The. Bridge!

6:27...

He was so close, 6:30, he needed to find her by 6:30, but no glass... no sight. He couldn't see where he was going, he wouldn't even be able to see what she looked like. He was disheartened, but now wasn't the time for it. What kind of stallion would he be if he stood up his first and only date ever?

6:30...

Time was up, but he was so close. Where was he headed? Was it even the right direction? In one last desperate attempt, he yelled for her. "BON BON!?!!? Don't be mad! I'm almost there!" Would she even hear this? Doubtful... but it was the only thing he could do. He's big blue eyes tearing up a bit.

Don't be mad...

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A nervous sigh escaped her lips. Okay, 6:30 on the dot now, Mr. Valour. Either you'll be here any second, you're trying to be fashionably late, or... she tried not to think too hard on the alternative. That he'd taken one look at her and turned on his— "BON BON!?!!?" Her head whipped around so fast one of her curls almost came undone. Was that... her date? He was here AND on time? It didn't sound like it was so nearby, though. She kept looking around for the source of the voice, and sure enough, there he was... A rather terrified orange pegasus, looking around for her. On the next bridge over. She resisted the urge to smack her hoof into her face. Seriously? He got the same directions as me, right? How do you get lost in a place like Ponyville...? Shaking it off, Bon Bon headed over to his bridge. It was in the same direction they would be walking, at least, but she couldn't help feeling a little miffed. Had he nearly forgotten and wound up rushing out the door, or something? Forget the wrong hoof, that was getting off on the wrong bridge entirely. At least he sounded worried, though... so she couldn't be too mad at him. And he was on time. But still. Was it so much to ask that he at least show up to the right place? "Hi, um, Mr. Reed?" she asked, as she tentatively stepped onto the bridge. Oh boy... here come the nerves again. She tried to put on a nice, polite smile for him. "I think you were looking for me...? I'm—" And that's when she got a good look at him. Her heart rocketed out of her chest, ricocheted off a lamppost and shattered a nearby window. That windswept mane... big, sparkling blue eyes... just tall enough she had to look up a bit, but not so much she hurt her neck... H-holy mother of Celestia, he's so good looking e-even my thoughts are stuttering. She bit the inside of her cheek, hard, to bring herself back to reality. "I-I'm Bon Bon! And I'm, um. I'm not mad at all. But we better get walking if we're, um... if we're going to meet our reservation. Right? It's... it's this way." Great, now that she knew he was a worrier AND a freaking romance novel cover, she was getting all jelly-legged. Was her mane okay? Her makeup? Her dress? She almost made a furtive glance over the side of the bridge again, but resisted. You look fine, filly. You checked yourself like three seconds ago. Deep breath. She swallowed a couple of times anyway, to steady out her voice. It had a bad habit of getting away from her when she was mad or nervous. "...You look great tonight, by the way." It was the best attempt at a sultry tone she could swing when her guts were full of all these butterflies.

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Hi, um, Mr. Reed?

That voice was... he knew that voice from somewhere, but where was it? He turned towards the voice and slapped a smile on his face. "Yes, I'm Veed... Uh! Reed, Reed..." his smile waned a bit but remained. Who was it that he faced? The voice was sweet and endearing, but what it was coming from could only be described as a blob through his eyes. Various shades of red and cream, with some accents of blue and pink. He couldn't let off the fact that he couldn't see what she actually looked like. That would be terribly rude.

I think you were looking for me...? I'm—

She stopped. Why did she stop? Did I do something wrong, oh no... Uh... say something to make her happy. What makes ponies happy? Is this even Bon Bon? Without his glasses, the world was as foreign to him as any other language. Do I even say anything?

I-I'm Bon Bon!

Oh, a bit late to say something there, but thank Celestia, it was her! And he was on time! Things seemed to just be falling into place now. So how will the rest of it go.

He kept his gaze near what would most likely have been her face and listened to her voice, the scent of her floral perfume gracing his nostrils with a hint of sugar, perhaps candy. How peculiar... but what did she look like? It was only colors that were hinted at, the rest of it was up to his imagination. The red must have been a dress of some sort, not to large, not to small, with. Looks like she had some makeup on and the blue and pink must have been her mane. She must be really pretty...

If we're going to meet our reservation. Right? It's... it's this way.

"Oh... were moving on then? Alright." He responded, knowing the hard part was coming soon. Where was the river again? He barely knew Ponyville to begin with, let alone being blind stacked on top of that. He needed to stay close.

...You look great tonight, by the way.

That one caught him by surprise, leaving his face flushed. "Never... heard that before... You look amazing as well." A lie, which he had to tell sadly, and hurt him equally. There was no way to tell how she was at the moment, but hopefully, by the end of the night, he would see her face.

But to the main problem. Getting to the reservation, she knew where to go, and if he didn't remain close, she would catch wind of his little secret. He cringed as the next sentence worked its way through his head, "Hey, Bon Bon... do you mind if we..." He wasn't really sure how to ask a question like this, but he didn't want to get lost, " do you mind if we hold hooves, I mean, if you're fine with it. It would make this, um... much more... enjoyable... yeah, enjoyable."

Smooth Reed...

"Sorry if that sounded weird, I've never really been strong with words..."

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The war for the color of Bon Bon's cheeks raged on, pink versus cream, with Bon herself firmly on the side of don't look blushy don't look blushy you're a big girl don't look blushy. But in spite of her most valiant efforts, there was the faintest tinge developing. Even his voice was so sweet and mellow... maybe she was just overreacting, the thrill of finally landing a date sending her guts for flip-flops no matter what. But it was undeniable that the guy was attractive, so she had to put her best hooves forward. "Th-thank you," she said, losing a little more ground in the cheek department to his compliment. Sure it was... kinda what you were supposed to say on a date. But it still felt nice. Showed that he at least wanted to hit it off with her, right? She couldn't buy in that he hadn't heard that before, though. His jawline was just unreal. She was about to start off walking, not wanting to miss out on their reservation, but stopped in her tracks when he started talking again. Unfortunately, it was the last straw for her poor composure. Her face became the testing ground for an entirely new color of crimson. The poor guy sounded about as smooth as sandpaper, but between his awkward phrasing and the sweetness of his request... Celestia help me. He's adorable. "S...sure. Why not?" Oh, man. This was making her even more paranoid than ever. She didn't want to sound like she was leaping at the chance, or come off all nervous, and the Princesses forbid she have shaky hooves at a time like this. How do I act here? Mellow, r-right? Not too eager... I mean, we've said like two things to each other... and don't you dare be a dork, Bon Bon. "Eheh... I've never been too great with them, either. It's alright..." Sheepishly, she took his hoof and started walking with him, finding a nice, easy balance on three legs soon enough. Her mind was all aflutter again, thanks to that—her eyes were flicking all over the place as she thought. Is my dress right? The knot's not crooked, is it? I guess I shouldn't worry too much... with that suit, he's probably not a tailor... maybe I should've gone with the blue one. Red's kind of bold for me... Quickly shaking the insecurities out of her head, she breathed a soft sigh and put that easy-going smile on her face again. Breathe. Relax. Doing fine so far. It couldn't have been a more perfect evening for a date, though. The sun was just dipping below the horizon, the remaining orange and yellow light crawling slowly up the sides of the buildings they passed as the shade chased it away. There were other ponies around, some alone, some in groups, most of them in pairs—it was Hearts and Hooves Day, after all. It all only added to the ambiance, though. Everything just looked so... perfect. She turned to him after a bit, smiling with more genuine calm. "So... I find your name kinda familiar, Reed. You live in Ponyville? What exactly do you, um... do?"

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He was surprised that she was so willing to take his hoof, but he could feel how nervous she was, and rightly so. He was just as nervous and not being able to see doesn't really help the situation.

You live in Ponyville? What exactly do you, um... do?

She wants to know about you, what do I say? I'm not very interesting... He struggled to get on with it. "I h-haven't lived here all to long, actually... I moved here about a year or so ago, but I never go out, so I don't really know much about town. This is the most excitement I've had in a long time... And I just run a little shop in the market, doubles as my home." There... that wasn't so hard... but was it good enough? "Not too interesting, but it keeps me sane so I suppose it's something."

He peered around the area as they continued to walk. It was truly a grand night. Not too hot, not too cold, a gentle breeze allowing the atmosphere of the evening to float around the two. "Very magical, isn't it? The night... always liked it better than day time." His eyes shifted towards Bon Bon, "... Now that you mentioned it... your name seems very familiar, too. Do you mind if I ask the same?" The faint scent of sugar beneath her floral fragrance gave a bit of a hint but if he had guessed, he would probably make a plot of himself, so he awaited her answer.

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Huh. It was kind of funny, for some reason she'd been expecting him to say he raids old treasure coves, or did a stint in the Guard, or... well, something exciting. But he sounded by all accounts to be a pretty normal pony. Normally it would've been a bit of a bummer that he wasn't a real shining-armor type, but... But, she could kind of see herself in what he was saying. Right down to a little shop in the market. It made him less of that fantastical romance hero she imagined, more of... well, a real pony. Which she should have been thinking of him as in the first place. She smiled warmly at him, shuffling a little bit closer while they walked. "Yeah..." she said, a little wistfully. "I'm more of a morning pony. But it's really pretty around here at night. Back in Manehattan, you could hardly ever see the stars, but here it's all wide open air. I love it." She chuckled a bit, looking ahead again. "I moved here a couple years back, too. Run a little candy shop now and I live a road or two down from it. So we're not so different. I'm... not that big, honestly, so I guess we just heard each other's names 'round town or something?" Her smile faltered a little; she never liked admitting how middling her business was compared to places like Sugarcube Corner. But she wasn't gonna fib about it, either. She fiddled with the knot on her dress for a moment before speaking up again. "So, umm, what kind of shop do you run? You strike me as the tailor type."

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She was pretty interesting. Candy Mare, she use to live in Manehattan. Such a big, bustling city, at least... from what he had heard. Heard they weren't the kindest out that way, but she seemed to be the exception, and what a relief that was... she seemed to be warming up to him, but her increase in proximity was a bit unsettling. Why was she so close?

No, no... no time to be worried. It's a beautiful night, let her enjoy herself. She wanted to be close so she wouldn't mind if I...

He spread his wings with a bit of a stretch and allowed one to pull her in a bit closer. "I hope you don't mind..." This seemed like something that would be done on a date, but visual feedback was not reliable now. "Please say something if you don't like that... I don't mean to be weird..." His cheeks flushed, he was very worried.

"Oh, y-yeah... the suit. No, this old thing was my fathers, he wore it at the wedding. I don't know a thing about clothes." he looked over his appearance in his head. He must be a mess. Grabbed the only fancy thing he owned, rushed off his hooves. "I guess it doesn't show though, so I got that going for me, which is nice. I actually dabble in knick-knacks and models and stuff of the like." he frowned a bit at the reveal, "It's not that big but... It keeps me from going hungry, ya know?"

He looked towards her. "Sorry, that was a bit grim" and a smile returned to his face, "this is some long walk, huh?"

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Bon Bon perked her head up and looked at the warm, gentle weight on her back. Oh. She... hadn't ever had a pegasus do that to her before. (Was that normal? She sometimes saw pegasi around here doing that... with friends, or family, or... and now her cheeks were hot again.) It did feel a little closer than she was quite ready for. But he was so sweet about it, and it was so chilly out... no. She figured she didn't mind at all. "Nah," she said, smiling up at him sheepishly. "I... it's warm. I've just never... gone out with a pegasus, so I don't know what it means for you guys." Poor dude looked even more nervous. If his face was half as nervous as he felt, then he must have been at least one eighth as nervous as her. Or maybe a sixteenth. Fella with a windswept mane like that couldn't be too self-conscious, obviously. "Well, it looks handsome on you anyway," she told him easily. "Plus, wearing something with a history is kinda sweet too, you know? And hey..." She looked up at him through half-lidded eyes, batting her lashes. "Whatever they feed you to stay that fit must be pret-ty good stuff... so don't knock your knick-knacks ~" ...Oh holy TARTARUS was I just flirting? DOWN, girl! You haven't even gotten to your table yet! She tried to keep the half-panic buried in her throat, where it gave out a nice, steady burn. I really haven't had enough practice with this... "A-anyway... here we are! Sorry for that walk, I just thought, um," don't sound cheesy don't sound cheesy "It might be nice to take a little walk by the river first. Get to know each other, you know?" ...going good, going good... "...And it's so romantic out here..." DANG IT. "Ohlookatthat! Here we are! Ha ha, let's go, ha, sit down... haaa..." Bon Bon led him to the restaurant's outside seating area, where their table was waiting for them; number 3, on the veranda. The red linen tablecloth didn't clash with her dress, which she silently thanked Celestia for, and the little glow of the lantern between them would remain lit even in the light breeze that blew through. She gently took herself out from under his wing and had a seat, taking a moment to get comfortable with that dress on. "So... tell me some more about yourself, Reed? Anything that comes to mind." She relaxed and leaned forward on the table, letting a gentle smile adorn her face. Everything considered, this was going well. Really well. Now she just had to not mess up...

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"Heh... Yeah, fit... let's go with that..." His face red in embarrassment. How else would he react to that. No ones ever talked to him like this before tonight.

Is she just being nice or... Oh man... She is flirting with me, isn't she? Um... Um... Okay... just don't say anything stupid and it will all be good. She's being so kind...

"Oh, yeah. The walk was lovely... and I would say it worked out, right? Don't worry about it." Something easier said than done, you dumbo. Why would I say that when I'm not even sure of it?  It did work out, right? But then you had to go and say it was romantic. I really don't know what to say to that... am I really that much of a heart throb? This is pretty much turning into a romance novel...

He followed Bon Bon to the table and followed it's edge to find his seat. So far so good, now I just have too... *CRASH* "Oh my." He missed the chair. Great, she's bound to know somethings up now. Do I tell her, or do I play it off... "Uhhhhh..." He remained motionless for a moment, holding his eyes shut, in hopes when he reopened them, that the display that just occurred would be erased from the night. "..." He slowly pried his eyes open to see what looked like grass right in his face. He shuffled his way back off the ground and brushed off his suit. "Sorry, I... uhhhh... tripped. Yeah! Tripped..." She'll buy that, right? "You were asking what else there was about me." He felt for the seat and firmly planted his rump on the chair he managed to miss the first time. "I don't really know where to begin..." he said in a bit of a panic, "I g-guess... s-siblings, yeah... that's a good place to start. I have two brothers, they're all pretty neat compared to me. they're musicians, and I don't really know what my sister does, but she makes a lot of bits, doing it, she tells me. Oh yeah, I have a sister. I think she's a chef or something... she never says..." Oh Celestia, I'm rambling, stop me please!

"But yeah. Uh... Food, I'm starving! What are we having? Do we get to order, or is it prearranged? Ohhhhh, I hope there is a lot of options! What do you like Bon Bon?"

He peered around trying to avoid eye contact. She knows... She has to by now...

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CRASH! "Oh my." ...While Bon Bon had absolutely every intention of trying to sweep this stallion off of his hooves, this was not exactly what she meant. "O-oh jeez, are you okay?" she asked, rising from her chair. What the hay was that about? Sure, they guy looked nervous, but not... not miss-your-chair nervous. That was so weird, she thought, even as she tried to help steady him out once he was back up on his hooves. ...Sure... tripped... I've heard that from the foals when they thought I wasn't looking. What, has he been licking salt before our date or something? He doesn't smell like it, though... "Don't worry about it. Just, um... be careful, ok?" Slightly warier, she took her seat again and settled in, listening. It was a little funny that he answered a question about him by talking about his family; but, she could hear that high strain of nervousness in his voice, and it settled in her chest as a little prickle of guilt. I'm putting him off... what am I doing wrong? Is it my face? Oh, god, I hope I didn't accidentally look annoyed or something there... ...Maybe he was just feeling vulnerable, though. Duh. Here he was, jabbering on about the ponies she wasn't currently out on a date with, and she was just sitting there. No wonder... she'd feel nervous if she was put on the spot like that, too. She gave him an apologetic little smile, nodding. "Well... sounds like you come from a nice family, Reed. Artistic bunch. I can sorta relate, my parents are lawyers but three of my siblings are the artsy types too. No musicians, though." She let out a small, if sort of worried chuckle. "We get to order. The menu's right in front of you... I hear their lily salad is, um. Nice? Do you drink, by the way? They have some good wines..." She tried not to let the lack of eye contact get to her. Maybe once things settled down, got food in front of them, and they both eased up a little, things would get back on track. She spotted a waiter coming their way and smiled, waving him over. Hopefully Reed didn't think the menu was too extensive... they really liked to write a lot about their food, it seemed like.

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His eyes continued to race about. There is no way this is going to end well... She's annoyed... I made her mad, didn't I? He nodded furiously, "Yeah, I'll be careful. Th-thanks." The night was going so well, too. I need to tell her, but that will ruin everything, wont it. His mind raced around all of the possible events, everyone of them leading to a terrible outcome. His breathing became haggard, and his teeth began to chatter as fear worked its way into his heart.

This was new. He had never felt like this about somepony before, was it just because of the context of the evening? It was his first date... EVER, so it was understandable. Certainly everyone felt like this on their first date. It's not like everything that could come out of this lay in the balance.

"Your family sound lovely as well, or at least, from what you've just told me." he thought about her question, "I don't usually drink, but, I-i could really use one right about now." He shook as he went to pick up the menu and held it in front of his face, hiding his expression. Oh god! His eyes narrowed. The words...are so tiny... A frown made its way onto his face. This is game over.

"Bon Bon? What sounds g-good to you?" he swallowed nervously, "I-I-I... can't quite, decide... everything sounds... so... good?" His voice wavering between distress and sadness. 

I need to just tell her.

"Do you know... what the specialty is?"

Just tell her.

He tugged on his collar to relieve the stress he was feeling on his neck, something similar to a choking feeling. He coughed and released a sad sigh.

TELL HER!

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He was looking more and more nervous as it wore on, and it was starting to put a ding in Bon Bon's optimism. Why was he getting so worked up? Was she really... that scary of a pony? Or was he just overly sensitive? It was kind of hard to tell, and it brought an unpleasant self-consciousness bubbling up to the surface. "O... kay, um. How about some wine then?" she offered, smiling hopefully. But he was hiding behind the menu now. Oh, man... what am I doing wrong, here? He wasn't like this on the way over, did he see spot an ex or something...? She looked to the waiter as he came over, smiling a little sheepishly. "Um, what are the specials here? And what's your house wine?" "The specials tonight are a beet salad with apple cider vinegarette, or a Parmesan spaghetti plate for two, with garlic bread and an assortment of dipping sauces. The house wines are Marebec and Los Hoof." Ding. Okay, that lit her up a bit. She sat up a bit straighter, a trying-not-to-be-cheesy smile on her face. "Ooh... well, both of those drinks sound good. What do you think, Reed?" She looked at him, trying to ignore the anxiety. This was her shot to try and re-break this weird, nervous ice... "And I haven't had spaghetti in a long time. You... um, think you're up for splitting a plate?"

[Deleted]

She's trying so hard to make this work. What are you doing, you idiot. Tell her.

It's not fair. I'm the one with the shortcomings... she's perfect. She won't like me if there's something wrong with me.

Who caaaaaaaaaaares... You are you, tell her. Idiot.

"Wine, s-sure... how about Los Hoof, s-sounds lovely... and the spaghetti sounds f-f-fantastic... I'd love to share some..." So far so goooooood... "So Spaghetti.. and two gla- two gla..." Don't stop now, you were working through it. "Glaaaa..." His look became even more worried. He couldn't choke it out. The reason he was so nervous was going to be what ruined the night.

He began to shake and search the blotched surroundings for a way out but nothing was there. The empties field could be in front of him and he wouldn't even know it. He threw down the menu quite suddenly and locked eyes with the table and with a whisper.

"I can't... I..." he continued to shake, "I-I wear glasses... I can't s-see... don't hate me..."

His fear could be seen any on lookers. The waiter was probably aghast. And Bon Bon probably had a look of disgust on her face. Ohhhh... four-eyed freak! It felt like millions gasped in unison at the reveal, like one of those late night sitcoms he'd use to watch as a foal. He locked his eyes shut and braced for impact.

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She smiled wanly toward the waiter, giving him the short, indicative nod. "Yeah... a bottle of Los Hoof, two glasses, and the spaghetti plate? Thank you..." Oh, man... he was getting even more shaken-up. This wasn't gonna end well, was it? She winced a little when he threw down the menu, watching him with a reserved, if somewhat despondent expression. Here it comes... he's gonna tell me he's drunk, or gay and got pressured into this, or I'm just too boring and plain for him... or something else. Dangit... why can't I ever just catch a break, here? And then it came. ... Glasses. All of this was about that he needed glasses? Wait... then, if he were just in a pair of... oh. OH! OH I KNEW IT She suddenly lifted from her chair and slammed her hooves on the table, face springing into an expression of delight. "I knew it! The bunny! Mr. Bunjangles!" she said, with way too much volume and enthusiasm. Somewhere, a cricket chirped. Bon Bon's face slowly filled up with red. "S... sorry, I..." she settled slowly back into her seat, shrinking down a good two or three inches. Oh, boy... I just blew it bigtime, didn't I? "I just recognized you. Y-you, um. You sold me Mr. Bunjangles. The doll? You probably don't remember me, but... m-my little sister loved it." She swallowed, glancing around at the other tables. Yeah... they got a few weird looks for that one. Classy, Bon Bon. Real classy. "...Don't... don't worry. I'm relieved you just need glasses. But why aren't you wearing them, then? Or contacts...?"