Apologizing to the smashee

Intel froze, trying to process what Shala just said. He frowned. "Really? My reaction to you calling me that was 'cute'?" Intel sure as anything didn't remember it being that way. He remembered being hostile, enough to make her drop her drink that one time.

Furthermore, the fact that Shala just described him as 'cute' was enough to make him shift uneasily, honestly uncertain how to react. All thoughts on tidying were put to the side as documents were placed on random piles. Nopony had described him that way, not even close, and here Shala was, bluntly saying it.

He closed his eyes in concentration, trying not to blush. "Well, I don't really like the name."

He should know better... What happen next would probably be no surprise. She looked at Intel with a smile.

"...Smarty McFly." She almost seemed eager to see his reaction.

THUNK went the texts as they were dropped on the floor.

Intel glared at Shala. He raised his hoof and opened his mouth as if to say something, then stopped.

Be civil, Intel. Remember this was a mare who was crying just a few minutes before.

"...that's not nice," he grumbled as he stomped on the ground in irritation.

Shala couldn't help but break out into full out laughter. It felt like ages since she laughed like that. She tried to calm herself down after a bit before looking back to Intel. That was a mistake since it only made her giggle and snort to herself more.

"You should look in a mirror when you do that. Hehee"

For this moment, under all that grumpy unhappiness and alcoholism, Shala showed a bit of herself buried under all that mess. She did have a good happy side.

Part of Intel wanted to rebuke Shala for dishonoring him, but the rest of his mind shouted it down, arguing that he didn't really have that much honor to dishonor, and that Shala was kinda cute herself when she laughed. And that was worth a bit of humility.

He sighed and gave the smallest of smiles. "You feeling better now?"

Shala blushed a little and nodded. "I guess you could say that." She felt there was much more to say, but couldn't find the words. Instead it was just silent. It could end there or keep going.

Unsure what to do, she got up from the couch and looked about, as if waiting for a cue of some sort.

Intel shut his eyes and nodded. "That's good."

He also looked about, trying to find something to say. "Um, I heard you were working as a bartender in the tavern now."

How you got the job, I really have no idea.

Shala blushed some, guessing he was curious how she got that job. "Yeah. I didn't even ask for it. It was just assigned to me. Its pretty hard to resist the temptation when on the job." She stood a few moments longer before just sitting down again, figuring that they could keep eachother's company a bit longer.

"And i heard you were doing some work with Iccy? I didn't figure you to be the hooves on type."

Intel raised an eyebrow. "I got my degree by fixing stuff together and blasting magic at it," he said mildly, "Theory's all well and good, but it's in the practical stuff that sparks really fly. Literally, in some cases. Tried to recreate all the classic experiments myself. Involved a lot of mechanical work."

He tilted his head. "And Icarus is a pretty clever pony as well, when it comes to that. His passion of flying is really amazing. You saw the test run..." At this, Intel's face fell as he remembered that day.

Shala remembered that day too. Her eyes look to the floor for a moment. Again she blushed. "Yeah...Sorry about that...I don't do well in crowds, and i was...kinda afraid to see you." She distracted herself by trying to brush her hair with a hoof.

She found his little tangent into his work rather funny. Not what he said, but how he said it. What a funny little dork. I can imagine how bad he gets with Iccy.

"Yeah...that wasn't the worst of it though," Intel shifted uneasily, "Did...did you hear about what happened afterwards? It's not a happy story."

It's one of the most screwed up, as tales go

Shala raised an eyebrow and shook her head. "No i didn't hear about it. But im going to take a guess....Somepony did something crazy? And I'm willing to bet it was either you or that Reel pony, or both." She guesstimated.

Intel looked at the ceiling. "I'd gone into a relapse when you ran. I was so confused, I thought I did something wrong, again. Turned into an impromptu snowball fight when Indigo tried to get me indoors."

Then Intel's gaze turned cold and hard. "Then, when things had settled down, and everything was well, some idiot camerapony kicked me to the ground. Indigo retaliated, but then the pony used his magic to strangle Indigo until he was unconscious. If Icarus hadn't turned up, I don't know what would have happened..."

I wouldn't have just simply done a seal, for one.

Shala expected a wild story, but not that wild. It reminded her of some of her more terrible times. Times she never wanted to think about again. But what got her most was the mention of Icarus showing up just in time.

Guilt hit her. Icarus was at her house during all this. At her house as she cried into his shoulder. The unpleasant shock showed clearly in her face.

"Oh....Icarus was just in time? That's good..." She looked about uneasy. This certainly made everything so interesting.

"I just fumbled around in the snow, whilst Indigo was being strangled," Intel spat, "I was useless, completely and utterly useless. Sometimes, I think Icarus is the only sane pony in this place. I pity him."

He looked at Shala. " 'Cause he snapped at us. He was actually really scary, and I'm being really serious here. We made him really mad, and that's not a good thing. I think we need to thank him in some way, cause both of us need him as a friend."

Intel paused to think. "I think I need all the friends I can get, to tell the truth. That's why I didn't want to lose you."

That sounded far less pathetic in my head.

Shala was a bit relieved her reaction did not give away any more suspicion to Intel. Innocent as she may be for occupying Icarus, she still felt some guilt for it.

She nodded to Intel about Indigo, and nodded to thanking him (with some reluctance). But her reaction caught even her by surprise when he said 'I didn't want to lose you'.

For some reason that sentence made her blush. Her heart even skipped a beat. What was wrong with her? What is going on? Am i really...?

Shala nervously coughed and held a hoof up to her mouth to try and hide some of her blush. "Y-yeah. Never hurts to have f-f-.....friends." She wanted to facehoof at how terrible that came out. This town must be really rubbing off on her if its going to reduce her to a soft bumbling idiot.

Intel was convinced blushes were contagious when he felt his cheeks warm up. "Yes. Definitely! Friends! Um! Uh..."

Think of something, quick!



That does not involve asking what time it is!

"Does the tavern serve food? I think I might have dinner now, and I was just wondering..."

He didn't really feel that hungry, and he had no idea what time it was. Anything to get him out of this awkward situation.

Shala couldn't help but notice Intel's blush too. Now she realized that what was going on might be mutual.

Her blush intensified and she looked away for a few moments to try and gather herself. "Food? Yes, not the best in town, but its food."

Her curiosity was getting the better of her. It didn't occur to her that Intel had any kind of...feelings for her. Though she was very nervous about asking, she was, as everyone knew, blunt as a club.

She looked to him with half lidded eyes, smiling. "You like me don't you?"

dfhuifilfghh

"Yes of course I like you! We are friends, are we not?" is something Intel did not say, as the process that delivers information throughout the body was severely scrambled by Shala's question. Not to mention that look. Oh, Celestia and Luna.

Was this was usually happens when one apologises to being smashed in the head? Was it a result of being smashed in the head? The scary happiness inside him grew a lot more scary as his mind fought over looking at the mare or at a very interesting corner of the ceiling.

He knew Shala didn't mean 'like' as in normal friendship. She meant the other 'like'. The one that made you act strangely and do irrational things. Unfortunately (or fortunately), his mind deduced, that was exactly what was happening to him. The answer was easy to get to; it was the accepting that was hard. But you didn't use evidence to prove yourself right; you used it to become right.

Which is why what Intel actually said was, "...it's pretty self evident, isn't it?" This was said with caution and uncertainty, for Intel didn't even consider the feeling being mutual. Well, maybe a bit. But that was being optimistic.

Shala did something she had not done since she was a filly and grinned very wide. She only was able to keep it up for so long before going into a small giggle fit.

"Yes. It is. Hehe...I guess you figured me out too. By the way, dinner sounds great. We'll call it a date." She giggled a bit more.

It felt like a dark drape was lifted from her in the last few moments. Everything seem so much more.....tolerable. Even pleasant. Her overall mood felt better. She thought something was wrong with her, like she had finally snapped, or something more.

...eh?

"I-what?" Intel looked directly into Shala's eyes, looking for any hint of a joke, but was unable to find any. All ease with making her feel better was replaced with the unease of ending up in a situation that he was not prepared for. How did he stumble into this all of a sudden?

On the other hoof, a pleasant night out would definitely be a nice change from the norm.

"Well, um, are we going to the tavern? Or do you have knowledge of a preferable establishment?" he asked weakly, still not quite believing the situation.

Shala couldn't help but giggle more at his unease. She would not be able to resist herself at all with Intel being this finicky.

"Well, dear, your the one taking me on a date. It's your call." She smiled, knowing full well he would just be more conflicted. In all honesty she did not have much a preference. She was just as new as him here.

Intel glared, but he was more angry at himself at getting into this mess. It was a nice mess, one he didn't mind getting into. Well, he did, a bit. It was a mess, after all. But a nice dinner out would be a nice change from the normal pace. That being said...

"Not the tavern, then. You probably see enough of that place with your work already. Maybe we'll walk around the market place to find something in some place..."

Intel kicked the ground in frustration. Was it dinner time yet? If it wasn't, how long was it until then? He couldn't just check, could he? And what was he going to do on the...date?

Date. That was a concept so foreign to him. It was quite thrilling actually. Something for Intel to leap into and hope to emerge unscathed.

Shala could see the train of thought running through Intel's head. He must already be thinking too hard on it.

"I don't mind where we go, but your going to starve if you try to think about it too much." She kept smiling at him with half lidded eyes.

That. Is. Not. Fair.

Intel looked towards the door. "Right! Dinner for two, an after apology meal, and supposed...date."

He motioned to the door. "After you."