Rarity brought out the croissants and tarts while Fluttershy poured tea. The pegasus was silent while eating, trying to decide how best to approach the subject of the letter.

Just show her, it will be okay. 

"I needed to—"

The words came out of both their mouths in almost perfect unison. They looked at one another, each realizing the other had something to say, but neither one sure what that something might be. Her friend spoke first: "Please, darling, I can wait. You had something to tell me?"

Nodding, Fluttershy reached for a piece of paper. "Um, I wanted you to look at this, Angel found it on my door this morning, with a red rose." Fluttershy pointed at the rose in her vase. She was already nervous, and nothing had even happened!

Please, just admit you wrote it. Don't make me pretend it wasn't you. 

She passed the letter to the her friend, who began to scrutinize it. "My dear, are you all right? Did this frighten you in any way?"

Oh, she's worried. She thinks she scared me! 

The timid pegasus shook her head. "N-no, I just wanted your advice. What type of pony would write this? They act like they know me. Maybe I should write back?"

Just say the words. Tell me you wrote it. Please. 

The fashionista stared at the letter, looking thoughtful. "What do I think, hmmm? Well, this pony is clearly very much affected by you, dangerously so. He, or she, is deeply in love with you. Delirious with it I should say. I don't think they are, well, dangerous per se, but they may be delusional, possibly a bit deranged."

You... think you're delusional for loving me? Why would you say that? 

"This bit about wanting to spend the rest of their days making you smile strikes me as particularly crazy. Not the intent, mind you, that all seems nice enough. But who writes that to somepony they don't know?"

I loved that part... Oh please, please don't lie, just tell me! 

"I don't think I would advise writing back, let them have their little fantasy, it's hurting nopony."

It's hurting me! Can't you please admit it? 

"I can't really tell more from this, other than... the name 'Elusive' strikes me as a very shady sort of name. It's likely a nom de plume. Then again, if it's truly their name, how can you trust somepony with a name that screams you can not? No, just leave well enough alone my darling, I don't believe they will bother you again."

You want me to forget it?! No, no I won't! 

She listened to her friend lie through her teeth, and she was gritting her own the whole time. She... She didn't say it! Why won't she say it? She didn't want to force her; She wasn’t going to break anypony’s trust by revealing that she knew.

"Um, okay, if that's what you think, Rarity." She said, disappointment heavy in her voice.

Maybe she just doesn't want to say it... was it just a fantasy to her? Playing at being somepony else? 

Her friend stood and hugged her gently. "Don't worry darling, that letter was written by a lovesick fool. Clearly they had no idea what they were doing at the time. Love drives us all to do irrational things, I suppose. Consider it a compliment, and forget it." You are the fool! A fool and a liar!

Why can't you— 

And then she understood.

It should have been clear earlier, it was staring her in the face. It was her friend’s body language. Everything about her posture, the way she acted... it was screaming pain. Even before being acknowledged as the spirit of kindness, the pegasus had always had... something, some little talent Twilight would probably call empathy. Whatever it was, she just knew when something or somepony was hurting. Her lovely friend was in agony. Every word she was speaking was killing her. She could feel the unicorn trembling slightly as she hugged her.

No! Stop doing this to yourself! I don't want this! 

Her friend released her, and began clearing the dishes from the table. "Let's clean this up and go to the spa, darling. I feel like I could use a good soak just now."

How can I... You need help, don't you? You poor thing! 

She was frozen with warring emotions, and Rarity looked back at her. "Fluttershy, is something the matter, darling?" Her friend looked concerned, and she couldn’t blame her.

Everything is the matter! I can't let you do this to yourself, I won't! 

The pegasus whispered softly: "I'm sorry, Applejack, but... she needs me."

She made a decision then and there. Her beloved couldn't do it. she couldn't say the words, not without help. Maybe she was a fool, but she was a fool because of love.

And she's my fool! 

She heard the unicorn trying to say something more.

Shhhhh, it's okay, let your Fluttershy fix this. I'll make it all better. 

Then she kissed her, draping her forelegs around her fool's neck as she did so.

The kiss went on to the point where Fluttershy could not bear the lack of air any longer, and then a bit longer still. The fashionista seemed frozen, certainly not shying away, but her body language said she simply had no response for this course of action. She gazed into those sapphire eyes lovingly, wondering what her reaction might be. The fashionista seemed to have awoken from a daze. She glanced about the room in confusion. "I'm terribly sorry, Fluttershy. I believe I lost focus just now. Did I miss something?"

The pegasus giggled a bit, apparently her intended lover (If Fluttershy had anything to say about it) was convinced she had slipped into a daydream just now. "Um, well, you were asking if I was ready to go, and then I kissed you." She punctuated this sentence with another quick peck on the white coated unicorn's cheek.

Rarity still seemed a bit confused. "Wait, what was that just now?"

The pegasus kissed her again, full on the lips. Oh, this is fun! "I said, you asked me if I was ready to go—"

The puzzled unicorn nodded understanding. "Yes, I remember that, and then?"

Fluttershy smiled and leaned in. "And then I did this." She kissed her lovely friend again, followed by two pecks for good measure. Do you get it now? 

Her lovely friend smiled a little stupidly, then shook herself. "So what you are saying is... The things that are going on now... it’s all really happening. This is, in fact, real."

Fluttershy nodded her head, kissing her again. This is so nice, I should have done this ages ago. "Very much so. If you like, I could give you a little love nip on the neck. If it hurts, that would prove you’re awake, right?"

The befuddled unicorn nodded. "That... might be best. If this is not real, I am going to be very upset. I will likely shout very angry, hurtful things when I do wake up. I hope for my sake and yours this is happening."

Fluttershy gamely bent her neck, and nipped her friend, just hard enough for her to feel the pressure. Then, feeling naughty, she suckled on the spot she’s bitten, enjoying the feeling of the unicorn’s shuddering breaths. She stopped, and raised her head to look at Rarity again. "Convinced now?"

Rarity looked wonderingly into Fluttershy’s eyes, touching her neck with a hoof, seemingly unsure whether to trust her own sense of touch. "So, this is real then."

Fluttershy looked her in the eyes and nodded slowly. "Would you like me to give you another love bite to prove it?" Because I would like that, I would like that very much. Please ask me to do that. 

Rarity shook her head. the enamored pegasus kissed her again. The unicorn's expression went slack and daydreamy once more. She visibly tried to regain composure. "Darling, please, do not take this as a complaint... I should be forever grateful if you continue what you are doing for the rest of my days, but why are you doing it?"

Fluttershy smiled mischievously. She had done it, she had taken her fate in her own hooves. It feels... powerful. "Because I wanted to. Because you make me want to. Because I was tired of seeing you hurt yourself."

Rarity looked nonplussed, and just a little worried. "Have you been listening to Iron Will again?"

Fluttershy paused. Am I going too far? I don’t want her to be worried...  

No, she needs me to be assertive. You can do this, be confident, be sexy!

The pegasus shook her head. "This is not about New Fluttershy, or Old Fluttershy, this is about Rarity's Fluttershy." She pouted, quivering her lips. "Now you have to promise me something. You have to promise me you will stop doing that. Stop hurting yourself."

"I— I promise, just don't make me Pinkie Promise. I don't know if I want her involved in... well this." The graceful unicorn's eyes shifted, as if thinking of something.

Fluttershy laughed warmly. Pinkie? Why would she look aside when talking about— She looked almost guilty just now... why would she— Oh. OH!  Hmmm... that might not be bad, actually. I wonder if Pinkie would mind? We'll talk about that little look later. "A plain-old promise is enough for now."

The unicorn smiled happily, seemingly not believing her good fortune. "But... what brought this on, why so suddenly?"

The pegasus kissed her again. She batted her eyes and said: "Rarity, do you love your Fluttershy?"

Rarity melted in her hooves. "Oh yes, yes I do love you— I... said it!! I finally said it!" She looked positively elated at the exclamation. Her eyes were full of tears that had gone unshed during her ordeal. Fluttershy held her tightly and gave her another quick peck.

The pegasus sighed. She still doesn't understand. "You said it perfectly well yesterday. It was written in ink. It was lovely."

The unicorn stammered a denial, Fluttershy silenced it with another kiss.

"I know you wrote that letter. Your perfume was all over it. I wanted to give you time to tell me yourself. I would have waited until you could. But you were hurting yourself, Rarity, you were berating yourself for writing something from your heart. I won't have anypony hurting you, least of all yourself. You mean too much to me." She looked her beloved in the eyes and smiled.

Her befuddled friend looked at her, her eyes huge and still wet with tears. "You knew..."

Fluttershy nodded, kissing her again. "I knew. In case I need to make this more clear, I feel the same way. Now you have one question to answer: What would Rarity like to do with her Fluttershy?"

Rarity was, quite simply, floored. What is one supposed to do when everything she wants is presented on a silver platter? "Um... darling... this is completely embarrassing. You see, I had this plan. It was a good one, or so I thought at the time. Well, a series of plans really. Only they got all jumbled up in my head, and everything kept going wrong. You have this effect on me, thinking of you, being around you... Then there was your pet Angel, that sneaky little fink knew what I had done. Oh, sorry, I know he is your pet, I didn’t mean to... But I couldn't have that, you see! This was mine, I was supposed to confess and then sweep you off your feet. It's all gone wrong! I-I don't know what to do now!"

The pegasus nodded understandingly. "It's okay, Rarity, I know it went wrong. I watched you talking about ‘Elusive’ and I just wanted to cry. You are not crazy, you are a wonderful pony who did some foolish things. You are kind, you are generous, and you are going to be mine. If... that's okay with you."

There really are no words for how okay that is. I will really need to show you how very okay that is in the near future. 

She hid behind her pink mane just a bit, coyly batting her eyelashes.

You... you're flirting with me! Doing a truly wonderful job at it too... If my knees weren't quivering I would be telling you just how much. But... why this sudden change? When did you get so very bold? 

Rarity smiled shakily. For the moment, she locked the worries up in a small box.  "I would love that, you have no idea how much. Well, maybe you do, since you know what I wrote. I-I just don't know, darling. Please, tell me what you want, won't you?"

Fluttershy's eyes widened. Being asked what she wanted seemed to put her just a bit off guard again. Rarity relaxed just slightly. The awkwardness her dear friend always showed was back with a vengeance. Maybe I was just imagining it... "Um... you could kiss me back?"

The unicorn stared, not understanding how she had possibly not done that yet. That may well be the best idea in the history of good ideas. "Um, yes of course..." Rarity looked the lovely pegasus in the eyes; leaned forward, and pressed her lips firmly, but gently, to hers. The fashionista suddenly felt something pressing against her pursed lips, and opened them slightly. She now found the pegasus' tongue warring with hers. Ah yes, like they do in Prance. This continued well past the point both of their hindlegs felt the urge to buckle. The kiss was finally broken, both of them breathing heavily. So... aggressive! She's become so daring and confident! I should be proud but... 

"D-darling, are we moving too fast? We have not properly had a first date yet. I am finding thinking very difficult right now, but I think etiquette frowns on that." She was gasping, her voice ragged and hoarse, her whole body flushed and sticky. Is she doing this solely for me? 

The pegasus had caught her breath now, and kissed her again. "Do spa dates count? Because we've had about a hundred of those, and you never let me pay for it. So... I think those count."

The flustered fashionista was quite enamored with the idea, but she was also hesitant. This all seemed too perfect, like her fantasies come to life. "Um... I don't know, I think a date can be anything in which both parties enjoy themselves for the sake of romance." Stop worrying, this is perfectly normal. Whirlwind romances can be very intense. All the books say so... Oh but those rarely end happily... No, stop fretting over nothing. This is love, enjoy it! 

Her lovely friend smiled triumphantly, and then seductively. "Then they count. I've had a huge crush on you for ages."

Oh sweet Celestia, why didn't I ever ask her before now? "Then we actually have a lot to make up for..."

Fluttershy kissed her again, hard and insistent this time. "Yes. Yes we do." She replied, disentangling herself from Rarity and walking up the stairs. She looked back over her shoulder. "I need a shower, it wouldn't do to arrive at the spa like this, would it?" Rarity calmly sat back, reveling in the sensations, prepared to wait as long as needed. Watching Fluttershy leave, it became very clear she was swishing her tail back and forth as she walked. The pegasus mare turned back and looked at her, winking. "Are you coming?"

The unicorn gulped. Oh... OH! "Yes, darling!" She galloped up the stairs.

Oh... My... She hadn't been aware just how nice it was to have somepony else there to get the hard to reach places. Fluttershy turned her head and kissed Rarity as the unicorn lathered around her wings. Rarity seemed determined to do everything by hoof, not that she minded. She'd dreamed of exactly this on several occasions, but the dreams had never been this... detailed.

Fluttershy gasped as her beloved’s hooves brushed past the butterflies on her flank, then moved on to other areas. Now she's just teasing. She pouted just a bit, but there would be time for that later. The rest of our lives. She was determined it would be so.

She twisted from Rarity's grasp, giggling as the unicorn brushed her flank again. Rarity looked at her quizzically, so she decided to explain. "Let's go to the bed."

Rarity flushed blood red. "Um..."

The pegasus giggled. So its on her mind too... Soon enough, my lovely. "No no, not that, not yet. You're carrying way too much tension in those shoulders. I felt it when I was washing your back. Aloe would have a fit if she felt you like that. Let me give you a massage to get those kinks out."

They stepped out from the shower, the pegasus wrapping a towel around herself modestly. She handed one to Rarity and watched in fascination as it was wrapped around her in the soft glow of her telekinesis.

She had Rarity lay down on the bed, kissing her softly as she did so. One for every time I ever wanted to. Oh, that's still a lot, I better kiss her more often. She began kneading the white coat under her, working the muscles gently, but firmly. Rarity groaned when she hit the right spots. She slowly moved down the back, to the flanks.

Rarity's froze. "Darling, that's— OH!"

Fluttershy cooed. "Just lie still, let me work."

Rarity relaxed, letting her marefriend's (Oh mercy, is that what we are now?) hooves wander across her. She calmly melted into the mattress, eventually blushing brightly and preparing for... something when the pegasus reached her flanks...

And then Fluttershy was finished, patting her on the side and helping her up. She chuckled nervously, wondering if she had really expected Fluttershy to do anything like that so quickly...

After they had cleaned up again, they left for the spa. They leaned on each other, sighing happily. The trip seemed so short to the pair, who could barely keep their eyes on the road, because it might have meant sparing an eye from each other. When they arrived at the spa, Rarity gallantly opened the door, and gestured for her marefriend to enter. Upon entering herself, Rarity, grinning hugely, walked up to the counter. "The usual, please."

Lotus took one look at the pair, smiled happily, and gestured for them to enter. She ran to find Aloe, and whispered something in her ear. By that point, their clients had already gone into the first prep room, so they were alone.

Aloe looked back at her and sighed, half-romantic and half-exasperated in tone. "At last."

Lotus grinned back. "Right? What's it been, a few years?"

"Easily. Well, let's not let on we know. I'm sure they wish to tell us about it."

"They had better after all the times we had to watch them dance around the issue."

The two began to collect their tools of the trade, more excited about their work than they had been in quite a while. This promised to be an interesting session.