Date of the Century [Shipping][Saucy][Finished]

"Well are you two an item or not?" Trails raised an eyebrow. This buck sure was a timid one. He'd met mares more masculine. Well that might be because of the kinda mares Stalliongrad made. He saw in Shutter's eyes that he was freaking out all the way through. He shook his head and put a hoof on his shoulder. "Calm down, sure you don't need a smoke?"

"N-no, I'm fine...if you meant 'Are we together' then...it's a bit of a hard question..."
Shutter mumbled, as he turned back to look at the river.

"I'd like for us to be, and Starry was the one who asked me out, so maybe she feels the same...but sometimes, it's hard to tell with her...and I'm terrified of reading too far into what could be Starry just being, well, Starry, and what could mean she actually likes me in that way..."

He mumbled, as he once again gave the ground a light kick with one of his forehooves, scattering some dirt into the river, where it quickly sunk to the bottom.

"Starry is one of the first real friends I've had...I was always one of the favorite targets of bullies when I was younger, and when I earned my cutie mark and got put to work? I got a bit too absorbed with it...most of my talks with other ponies were interviews, and nothing more...Heck, I still make reports and record them on my pipbuck...it's just habit these days!

I'd like to be more with Starry, and I'd love to find out if she feels the same way...but what if I'm wrong, and I end up ruining what we already have? I don't want to risk losing her as a friend...So, I guess before I can really answer that, I'll just have to hope she makes how she feels clear, eventually..."

Awe hell...now I feel bad for the buck. "Don't over think it kid. I'm guessing since she asked you, she likes you. Plus I distinctly remember her calling you the best." Trails gave Shutter a reassuring pat on the back. "It'll turn out the way it should, I'm sure of that."

Shutter gave a slight smile at Trail's words of encouragement, before glancing over to where Starry had run off to.
"I really hope so Trails, I really do..."
He mumbled, before he pulled himself off the ground and back onto his hooves, checking to make sure Mr. Bot was still secure, the Plushie's positioning almost making it look like Shutter had a rider.

Starry had jumped into the river in search of what she thought was a fish. She splashed around for a minute or two, before diving. She surfaced a few moments later and paddled her way to the riverbed, with an old soggy boot in her mouth.

She trotted back toward Trails and Shutter, before spitting the boot out in front of them. "Not a fish, just an old boot," she explained, as she lifted her saddlebags from the floor and brushed her wet mane out of her face with a hoof.

"So, whatcha talkin' about?" Starry inquired.

"Oh this and that, just teaching him a running hitch." Trails gave Shutter a playful jab and walked back to lean on the barrel. "Crying shame about the boot, would've made a good pet. What are you up to?"

Shutter wasn't sure if he should tell Starry he and Trails were talking about her, so he played along with what Trails was saying, giving a slightly nervous grin towards his date.
"Ah, yeah! Running hitch...gonna be working on that!"
He mumbled, not even knowing what a running hitch was...
"But yeah, shame about the boot. You'll catch one next time though!"

Starry shrugged, taking a good look at the boot. It was old, tattered, and had a credible degree of water damage. "I dunno, an old boot would make a pretty lousy pet," she told Trails, before answering Shutter, "and I don't think catching one more boot would do me much good, I'd still have two naked hooves."

"So, Trails, why aren't you up there enjoying the carnival? Even Mr. K was there, I bet he's having the time of his life on the ferris wheel right now, munching a giant pink ball of cotton candy." Starry tried imagining the scenario in her head. It wasn't hard, considering her comically erroneous understanding of Kes's personality.

"Not much one for crowds." Trails answered simply. "Prefer to be alone, or in a small group. Cant say I see Kes doing anything other than a shooting gallery. That guy's a dead-eye, bet he'd be able to hit every target from the other side of the carnival. Wouldn't even hear the shots, just see the effects." Trails didn't even know how close to the truth he was.

Starry's eyes lit up when Trails correctly predicted where Kes had been found. "How did you know?!" she exclaimed, "That's exactly where we found him! It's where I won Mr. Bot!"

Starry pointed at the plushie robot that Shutter was holding for her. "Well, where Shutter won Mr. Bot for me! I still haven't forgotten about that, Shutter, you're the best!"

Shutter listened to Trail's talk about how with Kestrel, 'you wouldn't even hear the shots', as a brief wave of understanding appeared on his face.

So THATS how he did it...Just from those shadows...Wow, I've got to work at being that stealthy myself...

However, these thoughts were cut short when Starry started talking about said event, as he began to blush again. "Aw, Starry...it was no big deal..." He said, rubbing the back of his head, but not giving away the fact that he hadn't actually won it...no point ruining what Kes had done for him, after all...

Trails smiled at the look of understanding that flashed across his face. If only Stars had seen that. He tossed the empty pack of cigarettes into the river and lit his last one. He looked over the couple, and internally sighed.

He didn't know how he felt about Starry. She was nothing short of great, but she was too crazy for him. No, that was just him doing his best to talk himself down. She was amazing, and he knew it, but she was taken. He had lost her to this young gelding from the stable. That was unfair, Shutter was a nice guy and deserved her.

Dammit Trails, get a fucking move on. You're a solitary stallion anyways, you don't need her. He was right, he didn't need her, he just wanted her. Damn did he want her, every time he looked into those purple gemstones she called eyes he wanted her. But she was Shutter's, and he would respect that.

"Good ol' Shuts." he said in the best congratulatory voice he could muster, still a hint of bitterness and pain crept in.

Starry checked her pipbuck. The night was still young, but there was so much for Starry and Shutter to do. Starry didn't quite know where they should head next, but there was at least one more thing she had to say to Trails.

"So, knots, you gotta teach them to Shutter here. How does tomorrow morning sound? You can probably just drop by his place."

"Sorry Starry," Trails said almost instantly, no way in Tartarus was he helping the bastard, if Starry wanted that he was the only buck for it, "I'm leaving soon. I can't make it. But that reminds me," He fumbled in his saddlebag in a second before producing a set of keys and a key card, he tossed them to Starry, "Those are the keys to the factory. It's as good as yours far as I'm concerned. Have fun."

Starry frowns, but her eyes light up when Trails offers her the keys to his home, the explosives factory. She could certainly use more explosives! Who knows what she could craft with what she could find there? "Trails, thank you! You don't know how much it means to me for you to trust me like this! But... where are you going? You're going to be gone for a long time, aren't you?"

"I'm going to New Pegasus." He said walking up close to Starry, looking her in her eyes, fighting the urge to get closer or do something stupid. "I've got some things need answering. The factory is yours, I'm not coming back. Or at least I doubt I'll ever come back. There's not much keeping me here now."

Shutter was...surprised by this news, as he moved over next to Starry to look at Trails.

"...Not much keeping you here? But...what about your friends? I know I'd miss you if you just up and left forever...and I'm really sure Starry would..."

He said, dissapointment clear in his voice...while he didn't like the way Trails was a bit...well...occasionally flirty with Starry, he really did consider him a friend, even if they had only really known each other for the party, and the attack...

"I'm not gonna try and stop you from going Trails, if you need to...but at least try not to make it forever, okay?"

"If Stableton needs me I'll take up for it again. Other than that, this'll be goodbye." Trails responded lowly. He didn't count most of these ponies as friends, his friends were the open road and the wind at his back. Starry was special, but she was Shutter's, Trails could cowpony up and accept that. He stomped out the but of his cigarette and looked up at the cloud covered sky. "Maybe our paths'll cross again."

Shutter gave a light sigh. Goodbye. He hated that word, especially after leaving the stable, since in the wastes, there was no guarantee that you would ever see that pony again...
Still, he tried to be a stallion about it, as he looked up at Trails, and extended his hoof to him.

"I really hope so...Goodbye, Trails..."

Starry wipes a small tear from her eye. "Goodbye, Trails, we'll miss you. I'll come to visit you in New Pegasus soon, okay? Promise!" Starry offered him a hoof for a shake. Were he to take it, she would surprise him with a hug.

Trails shook Shutter's hoof curtly, just enough to be polite. He nodded at the buck and moved to Starry. The Mare was crying, that tore Trails right up, made him want hold her. Instead he shook her hoof too, out of respect for Shutter. Then she took him up in a big hug. He squeezed her back, like he was holding on to her for dear life. He felt the corners of his eye burn, he blinked away the tears before they came on.

He broke away from her and sighed. "I'll see you both further on up the road." He turned and went to his tent, not looking back, planning on never seeing those two again.

Shutter gave one last nod towards Trails as he left, not sure what more to say.

After a few seconds, he turned back to Starry, as he walked over and patted her on the back with his hoof, trying to cheer her up a little bit.

"Don't worry...we'll see him again some day...I'm sure of it..."

Starry smiled a bit. Of course she'll see him again, but she wasn't going to wait for fate to draw the two of them together, the universe doesn't work that way. "I know we'll see him again, Shutter. I'm already planning a date to visit. Where did he say he was going? New Pegasus?"

Starry shook her head. Now was no time to plan a rendezvous with Trails, Starry and Shutter were on a date. They should focus on tonight. "What do we want to do next?" Starry asked, "Maybe grab something to eat at the restaurant?"

Shutter gave Starry a smile back, as he lowered his hoof back to the ground.
"That sounds like a great idea. Did you have anywhere in mind?" He asked, not too familiar with anywhere like a restaurant in Stableton. Did they even have anywhere like that here? There was the bar, sure...but aside from there...well, he was sure if there WAS a place like that, then Starry would know.

"Well, there's this restaurant up the way that is just perfect for couples! It's almost like the the cafeteria back in the stable!" Starry grabbed Shutter by the hoof, and led him from the river back up into the town, along the road toward the restaurant.

It was indeed like the cafeteria in the stable, and the food tasted almost the same, on account that it was run by some of the cafeteria staff who escaped the stable. There were a few tables set up outside, and more on the inside. There was even a jukebox!

Sitting at one of the tables outside was Cross Roads, somepony who Starry had gotten off to a rough start with, but had eventually come to call a friend. He was sitting across from Winter Bell, who Starry didn't recognize.

"Hey, Cross!" Starry greeted him, "Who's your mare friend?"