It had been a week since Twilight had kissed her and confessed her feelings. It was better to think of that instead of Gilda leaving. Rainbow cleaned up and sorted the house out and was working on her car and bike, to clear her head and emotions.
She was halfway into checking the bearings on the car and her bike was settling into new shocks and a paintjob when the realisation hit her. “I do want to take it further with Twilight.” She said it aloud, out of surprise mostly. It was strange, she had started working to take her mind away from these things but somewhere along the line Twilight had occupied the part of her brain reserved for “girlfriend”.
She hadn’t forced it, she hadn’t even thought about it for hours but she had gone from “Do I like-like Twilight?” to, “I wonder if Twilight wants to go catch a movie and dinner later.” Of course, she would often think about her friends and future activities but the little cog in her mind that had so long been dedicated to Gilda was now turning in time with that navy haired egghead.
Rainbow slumped to the floor and sat, relaxing her unknowingly tensed muscles. “I have got to go and tell her!” Rainbow threw her greasy gloves to the floor and made to leave… “Ah yeah, my car and bike…” She looked at the wheel-less car and still partially disassembled bike. The airfield was ten minutes’ drive out of town and that was a good half hour to walk, let alone getting to Twilight’s house. And it was raining. Rainbow checked the time, “I have got to go and tell her.”
*
“Thanks for the lift Chess!” Rainbow yelled, waving the scooter and its rider off, Chess Box worked at the airfield and had agreed to give her a ride into town. Unfortunately she was a real state, mud splashed up her jeans which were also soaked through by rain, her hair was plastered down her face and her jacket was saturated. “Five minutes Twi’…” Rainbow set off in a run as the rain made its best attempt to get her even wetter.
Puddles of water rushed into her sneakers and she could feel the rivulets flowing from her hair and down her back. “Worth it, got to tell her.” Was Rainbow’s mantra, if anyone was to see her now they’d probably tut and shake their head. It looked like she was once again competing in some foolhardy contest or doing a dare for her own pride, but this was important. It was double important, Rainbow knew she would have done this sort of thing on a dare or to win but telling Twilight how she felt was more urgent. If she had stayed at home and waited for the rain to pass, or fixed up her car to drive over, well, it wouldn’t have been right to wait.
After all, running through the rain was nothing on the scale of what she would do for her girlfriend.
*
Soon a very wet Rainbow Dash reached the door of Twilight Sparkle’s home. Her purple Capri was in the driveway and a light was on somewhere in the house, “Glad not to have wasted the effort.” Rainbow grinned and reaching the door gave it a good knock. There was mumbling and the porch light came on. Twilight opened the door and Rainbow gave her best winning smile. “Twilight Sparkle, want to go on a date?”
The weight that had been dragging unnoticed in her stomach lifted as she said the words. She might be muddy, soaked to the skin and a little winded, but she felt amazing. Rainbow smiled again, this time at the enraptured happiness on Twilight’s face. “So..?”
“OhmygoshRainbow! You are soaked! Come in, get dry!” Twilight pulled the dripping girl into the house and shut the door. It was a mistake on one account, Rainbow came flying in at the sudden yank from Twilight and they crashed into each other. She caught herself on the wall and grabbed Twilight close, before they could fall. Hot breath bloomed against her neck and sent a shiver down her spine. Twilight was frozen in her grip.
‘Ohmygoshohmygosh… I was so stupid!” Twilight’s mind was doing somersaults. Rainbow was holding her close and was very certainly wet; she must have been out in the rain a long time. Water dripped off her hair onto Twilight. Breathing so close to Rainbow filled her senses with a mixed scent of rain, sweat, motor oil and a sweetness from what must have been shampoo. Just as she was getting comfortable, Rainbow pulled away.
“Heh, looks like I’m getting ahead of myself.” She chuckled. Twilight blushed a little. “You never answered though.” Rainbow looked in the hall mirror, carefully holding an expression of indifference.
“Yes.”
If the voice had been any quieter, it would have rivalled Fluttershy. Twilight was looking straight at her. “I would love to go on a date with you Rainbow.” She was blushing still, a funny shade of pink.
“That’s great. I’ll pick you up tomorrow at seven ok?” Rainbow ‘s mouth was on autopilot, she was feeling extremely happy and from the looks of Twilight, she wasn’t the only one. They were still stood in the hallway, just looking at each other. Rainbow broke the gaze and looked at her feet, there was a gathering puddle. “Ah, Twi’ mind if I dry out a little?”
“Oh! Hah, all these things are distracting me. Sorry Rainbow.” Twilight rushed upstairs and soon returned with towels. “Here, use these to get the worst of the water. I’ll make us a coco and get the fire going.” Rainbow smiled thanks and started to sop up the most saturated parts. Eventually she was dry enough to sit on a couch without being embarrassing. Twilight came from the kitchen with two steaming mugs of coco. “Come into the study Rainbow, we can chat there.”
The study was warm, lit by the soft glow of a lamp on the desk and the wood fire. From the diagrams, blueprints and posters pasted to the walls down to the stacks of books and papers haphazardly placed throughout, Rainbow could tell that this was Twilight’s work room. There was a couch in front of the fire, it too had been a victim of the study progression, loose paper and books sat on the old green leather. “Oh!” Twilight noticed Rainbow’s gaze, “I’ll just get those out the way now,” She gathered the papers and dumped them on the desk before returning to the sofa.
“Come on, sit. I don’t mind anything getting a little wet.” Twilight smiled and patted the seat beside her and with a sheepish grin of her own, Rainbow joined her. She settled into a corner, a towel over her shoulders, on impulse she pulled Twilight closer, to feel the weight of another against herself. “How on earth did you get so wet Rainbow?” Twilight asked, feeling the soaked jean leg against her bare ankle.
“Well, I kinda ran through town to here.” She smiled and Twilight shifted to look her in the eye.
The expression on Twilight’s face was amusing, a mixture of puzzlement and the sense that her brain was ticking through all possible reasons for this insensible action. “Why run? You have a car and a bike?”
“I had been working on them; they weren’t ready to go when I wanted to leave.” Rainbow looked guiltily at her slightly grease stained fingernails. “I got a lift to town limits with Chess, then I ran here.”
“Why? I mean, was it that important to ask me on a date in person?” Twilight was looking at the fire now, the flicker reflected in her eyes.
“I had to Twi’ I figured out what was right and I needed to let you know.”
“Running in the rain just to ask someone out on a date?”
“You aren’t just someone Twilight. You are Twilight Sparkle and I’d run through a lot worse to get to you.” As she said the words, Rainbow realised how true they were. They’d chased Applejack to a cherry orchard and followed Spike to his hometown and each time Twilight had spearheaded the effort. Rainbow knew with all certainty that if her Twilight was the one missing, she’d go to the ends of the earth to find her again. It was a strange feeling, one she’d never had with Gilda around.
“Rainbow, that’s... I, I’m glad you decided we should give this relationship a chance.” Twilight settled closer against the athletic form beside her, it felt right. “We’ve already done the most awkward parts of relationships too, or at least that’s what my research indicates.”
Rainbow laughed, it was such an eggheaded thing to say. “What do you mean Twi’? Awkward parts?”
“Well, most relationships are started on a passing fancy, maybe in a bar or at a social event. The two parties must get to know each other and forge closer ties. At this stage they can come across compatibility issues which cause the relationship to fail...” Twilight was in lecture mode but a simple finger to her lips from Rainbow stopped her getting too deep.
“So you mean, since we are such good friends, this is primed and ready with none of the stupid things that cause problems?”
“Yes. We know each other’s negative personality traits, quirks and habits. We have simply progressed to another stage of a relationship.” Twilight smiled at a point well put across, Rainbow couldn’t resist any longer and kissed her. When they broke apart Twilight’s eyes were shining, Rainbow hugged her closer.
“I have one question though.”
“Hmmm?”
“I mean, I never even knew you were into girls, you seemed to not be into relationships at all. I was wondering how you knew... ” It was a question she didn’t want to ask but Rainbow knew she needed to. Despite the warmth of a body beside her, the lifted weight from asking Twilight out on a date, there was a stone of concern inside her that had to be relieved. After all, she liked Twilight but the girl had never even had real friends before moving to Ponyville.
Twilight looked away and gazed at the fire once more. “It was always there you know, those little indications that I was attracted to the same gender.” She took her hand from Rainbow’s and folded her arms. “When I think about it, once I knew what intimate relationships were, I never really cared for one.” Rainbow scooted around to look Twilight in the eye.
“So what changed?” She was secretly hoping it was her presence that had taken the egghead from her chosen path.
“Well, you know how I met you all, prepping the town for a visit by Celestia. That day was what taught me that friendship is a vital part of societal and personal development.” They both sat back in the sofa, unaware that they had drawn themselves into such a tense position. “When we followed that imposter ‘Luna’ back to that cabin... When we fought through the terrorists and past the fraud... Rainbow, have you ever felt complete and uncomplicated desire for another person before? Sudden instant yearning to call them yours?” The abrupt change of track caught Rainbow unawares.
“Yeah, I mean, why do you think I bumped into you that first day!” She clapped her hand to her mouth in surprise at what she had said, but Twilights delighted grin was enough to assure her it was ok.
“We opened that door Rainbow, remember what we saw?”
“The real Luna?”
“Yes, she was sat there in the corner so beautiful despite the situation, despite being there for so long. Oh, I knew her already, but she and Celestia were estranged. All I ever recalled of her before was a girl a little older than me who always looked cool. She never visited much and dropped off the radar a few years later.” Rainbow gave a wounded huff at beautiful.
“Then I see her while we are looking for Celestia and I was suddenly smacked into a state of desire I had never before experienced. It was quite earth shaking for me.” Twilight slid an arm around Rainbow again, “Of course, once I got to know her I began to see her more as a friend. I was still a little confused though. I had lots of discussions with Rarity and she helped me figured it out. That gave me the courage to tell my parents and Celestia my, ahem, preferred type.”
“So, you figured it out from that? I never had anything like that, just a move from friends to friends with benefits with Gilda.”
“Like I said, a lot of my past experiences and I don’t know... Inclinations? Pointed that way.” Rainbow hugged her.
“Good for me though.” She grinned and hugged Twilight harder. “You’re too cute to be moving back to Canter City after a girl. Ponyville wouldn’t be the same without you.”
“So, how did you decide on this being ok? Us I mean.” she sounded a little nervous, that was when Rainbow realised Twilight was just as concerned as she herself had been earlier.
“You are an amazing girl Twi’, I’d be stupid to turn down someone like you. I know it sounds corny but while I was thinking it all over I needed to distract myself a while. When I had gotten right into working on my car and bike I realised that you were my girlfriend in my head anyways. Now I can’t think why it wasn’t that way earlier.” She finally gave up fighting the urge to have Twilight on her lap and pulled the shorter girl the last few inches from beside to upon. Twilight squeaked but to her credit didn’t struggle. Soon she was leaning back against Rainbow, her head nestled under Rainbow’s chin.
“Mmm, I like this.” Twilight sighed. “I should have told you a lot sooner.”
“Really Twilight? Just how long have you been holding out on me?” Truth be told, Rainbow was very much enjoying this small intimacy, yet another feature that had been missing from her relationship with Gilda.
“A while... I mean, you are gorgeous Rainbow. Everything I’m not, athletic and courageous, exciting and always willing to try new things. I think the moment though, when I realised that you were who I wanted to be with? It was after your ‘grass luge’ incident. You were all laid up with a broken leg and you willingly gave my suggestion a chance.” She chuckled. “I never expected you to like it so much, but I have to admit, I always had a bit of a crush on Daring when I was a teenager. Now I have someone better than the real thing.” Twilight tilted her head slightly and closed her eyes, she found Rainbow’s lips and began a slightly more sober kiss, this time she was the one who found a tongue in her mouth first and she gratefully returned the favour.
*
“So, what do you want to do for a date?” They were still in each other’s arms, Twilight was once again letting her tendency to schedule take over.
“I’m not sure Twi’ we don’t really need to do the regular getting to know each other stuff, how about I make it a surprise?”
“That sounds like a great idea.” There was the sound of a door unlocking and someone entering.
“Hi Twilight! I’m back!! Applejack brought me down to save you the trip. You in your study?” The sound of Spike moved the pair from their enraptured state. Separating reluctantly Twilight stopped Rainbow from leaving.
“Stay the night? In the guest room... Then we can tell Spike about..us.”
“You think he’ll handle it alright?” Rainbow took the hand from her shoulder and clasped it close.
“He should be ok with it, I mean... I think he would find a guy more threatening? He’s used to you, he’ll understand as much as he needs too.” Twilight’s eye twitched, an outward sign of her stress.
“It’ll work out ok.” Rainbow playfully ruffled Twilight’s hair. The sound of someone on the stairs moved them apart once more.
“Hey Spike, I’m in my study with Rainbow.” Twilight called.
“Hey Rainbow,” Spike fist bumped Rainbow, “You staying over or something?” He asked.
“Yeah squirt, I was out running and got caught in the rain, Miss Responsible and sensible decided it’d be best for me to stay out of it now.” She smiled. “I’m beat guys, I know the way to the guest room. Night!” With a cheerful wave she left the study. Twilight followed her departure.
“So, have a nice time at the farm Spike?”
“Yeah, we did loads of fun stuff and Big Mac showed me an awesome place to look for crystals and fossils! There’s this creek that gets washed full of all kinds of neat rocks!” Twilight led an exuberant and chatty Spike to supper and bed.
*
Sat in her room, ready to go to sleep, Twilight smiled. Moving to Ponyville had been the best thing she ever did.