It was strange to roam around someone else's kitchen past midnight. In fact, Rarity had barely entered the room when she realized that finding a glass of water to drink might prove difficult in this specific case.
She'd never seen a kitchen this large in any house. The room was at least double the size of the living room in the small apartment she rented, for one thing. The furniture was mahogany, the floor was marble, and a curious look into a couple of drawers revealed silverware that could probably finance a family car. Thankfully, she had found a glass before she could stumble across crystal wine glasses or diamond-inlaid chopsticks.
With her glass of water in hand, she leaned against the counter, idly wondering how wrong it felt to drink tap water in a kitchen like this.
But this was exactly the problem, wasn't it? She was tap water, and Mayor Celestia was the kitchen. Or rather the silverware.
Of course she had heard rumors of Celestia's wealth. Everyone in Canterlot knew some of the history of the youngest mayor in their history. Eldest daughter of a family dynasty stretching back to the medieval period, enrolled in university at only sixteen years old, graduated with honors in political science, sociology and psychology. Worked for the city court for two years, before becoming the mayor at twenty-four years. And she had governed one of the largest cities of Equestria for ten years to basically universal approval.
And here she was. Rarity, upstart seamstress with a degree in fashion and no real-world experience. Who just happened to be dating said prodigy.
She usually had no problems with self-confidence. Among her friends, only Rainbow could match her in that respect, and at least some of that was bravado. But with Celestia, she wondered if they really had a future together. Not to mention if Celestia even wanted a future together. Was she just a momentary fad, a pretty face to entertain for a while?
What did she have to offer to someone like Celestia?
She was tired, but the thought of going back upstairs, into that bedroom, to join in the canopy bed next to that amazing woman...
Speaking of whom.
She could hear the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs. Fitting that even her footsteps would be even and elegant.
Rarity put the glass aside as Celestia appeared in the door. She had seen her share of models, but even the prettiest of them barely held a candle to the sight that greeted her. Celestia, wrapped in her blue velvet bathrobe, her polychromatic hair falling over her chest in a tight french braid Rarity herself had made before they went to bed.
"Hey", she said, closing in on Rarity, but stopping just out of arm's reach. "Did you have trouble sleeping? Was I moving around too much?"
"Don't worry, darling. I was just a bit thirsty." Rarity smiled and extended her hand.
Celestia took it carefully, letting the younger woman pull her into a hug.
Rarity was never one to believe in destiny. Even at her most romantic, the idea of true love was something she desired, but never imagined would actually exist. But here, in Celestia's arms, head tucked under the taller woman's chin, her own arms wrapped around a body that just seemed made for it...
She felt safe. Completely protected, wanted, loved.
Celestia began rubbing circles on Rarity's back. When Rarity arched into the touch, she leaned back a bit, so she could look into her eyes.
And Rarity felt tears fall. All the worry, all the fear of losing this, that it would just be like so many relationships she knew about, came to stab her in the chest in this moment.
"Rarity? W-what is the matter? Are you unwell?" Celestia released her hurriedly, checking her for any kind of physical damage she could see while preserving Rarity's modesty. "Should I call the doctor? I know a good physician, and I can get her here in a few minutes..." She looked around in a panic.
Before she could run off for the phone, Rarity held her arm. "No," she said, voice quivering. "Just a little worry, darling. It's... It's nothing you have to..."
Another bout of sobs cut her off, and Celestia was there, took hold of her hand. When Rarity pulled herself close again, fists bunching up in Celestia's bathrobe, the older woman wrapped the free arm around her, whispering "It's okay, Rarity. I am here for you, whatever you need."
Eventually, Celestia's embrace and soothing whispers calmed her down enough. She allowed herself to be led back to the bedroom and under the covers, Celestia keeping a bit of distance, but watching her attentively in the dim light of the little lamp on the night stand.
"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked carefully after a few silent minutes.
So Rarity did. She was not usually anxious, but she did worry: If she came on too strong, too clingy... what would Celestia think of her? Would she end their time together? Would it reveal that Celestia always intended this as a short relationship, a single dish in the multi-course dinner that was life?
As she had ended, Celestia was silent. She did keep her hand in Rarity's, which seemed like a good sign, or at least not a bad one.
“Rarity,” she finally began. “I… We’ve only known each other for a few weeks, but I care about you very much. I am a workaholic, as you and my sister love to point out. My days are spent at the office, and otherwise I am home to eat, sleep or shower. But after we met, I found myself wanting to have a life for the first time in…” She grimaced. “For the first time I can remember.”
She lifted Rarity’s hand to her lips and pressed a lingering kiss to the knuckles.
“You make me remember that it is okay to think of myself sometime. To want things, not because they are good for everyone, but because they make me happy. And you showed me that it is good for me to express my feelings. To not keep things bottled up for the sake of a polite smile.
“I can’t promise you this will last forever, as much as I want to. People change, and so do relationships. But… maybe we’ll change together, and this will be what makes us last.”
She smiled, and for Rarity, it was as if the sun had risen early.
“I love you, Rarity.”
In this moment, even after reading dozens upon dozens of romance novels, Rarity found herself shocked breathless. She had always dreamed of a romantic confession, a heartfelt speech, to herald the beginning of her relationship with her true love. Of course, she figured she’d rather be realistic. She did not expect it to happen outside her novels, so she scaled back her expectations.
But the pure joy that rose in her chest, both from Celestia’s smile and her confession, eclipsed even her wildest dreams. The pleasant, fluttering feeling in her stomach, her wildly-beating heart, not to mention the burst of warmth flooding her entire body, they all came together, and Rarity knew that she would remember this moment for the rest of her life.
She didn’t trust her speech. She didn’t want to ruin the moment by incoherent babbling, so she surged forward, meeting Celestia’s lips with her own, clearly surprising the older woman. They had exchanged chaste kisses before, but this kiss, filled with need, with happiness, with pure bliss…
Somewhere, she felt Celestia’s arms wrapping around her, pulling her closer, but she barely took notice. Her entire existence, in that moment, was the soft, sweet contact of Celestia’s lips moving against hers. Maybe it was not the most elegant kiss. Maybe it could have been better. But Rarity, in all her romantic being, could not even pretend to care.
She opened her eyes. She could not even remember having closed them.
“That was…” Rarity could not find words. She stared into Celestia’s eyes shining in the dim light, and she got lost. The only possible reply came not from any rational part of her mind. “I… I love you too.”
Celestia laughed, a bit shakily, and moved in for another kiss, a bit less needy, but just as loving, just as gentle. After long seconds, they parted, but not much, leaving a breath between their lips.
She just held her hand on Celestia’s cheek, and kept her eyes on her love.
She realized, in that moment. Celestia was caring and kind. She would not rush Rarity. She would be by her side, as equals. She could teach Celestia to think of herself, to life happily. And Celestia would be the voice of reason, the one who kept Rarity grounded. Who could inspire and believe in her. Who would never judge her for her theatrics, but stop her if needed.
But she would tell her that tomorrow. For now, there was only one thing she had to say.
“Goddess, I love you too.”
There was wetness, tears of joy. Who had shed them? It was not important. Rarity knew, in her heart, that they had found one another. She had no doubt that their relationship would last. Not when they fit together so perfectly.