Kai was having a great morning. Sleeping in Twilight’s room had been amazing!
And no, not like that you bloody pervs.
Apparently she had some sound dampening spell and so the pair agreed to share the room for the duration of their stay. Twilight had been equal parts horrified and greatly amused at Kai’s poor plight over that last few days. So even if the pair were still deciding if they should share a bed, he could at least camp on the floor with a pile of pillows and blankets.
The look on Rarity’s face this morning when she’d discovered the pair asleep in a pillow fort upon the bed had been highly amusing as well.
And once breakfast had been consumed, Twilight had gone right over to the library to start on her research, while Kai was taking a brief walk around town. Rarity opened her store later on Thursdays, but closed later, so he had an hour or two to kill.
“So, how was your big date?” Flash Step asked as she cantered beside the human. The pair had met up and the mare decided that he should do her morning exercise with him. Reluctant, but seeing as he had nothing better to do.
“It was really good actually,” Kai replied as Flash increased her pace, forcing him to do the same. “Watching Twilight eat shrimp was pretty funny. And Trixie and Blue seemed to hit it off pretty well as well.”
“Well, how about that,” Flash mused. That look on her face showed that Blue likely had an interrogation in his near future. “So, you get any afterwards?”
“Seriously!?” Kai yelled, taking a swipe at her head, though the nimble mare ducked and laughed. “Give me a break Steppy.”
“Nope, tis my noble task as your BPFF to meddle in your affairs and poke fun at your interspecies relationship!”
Kai stumbled for a second and blinked. “My what now? The hell is BPFF?”
“Best Pony Friend Forever,” Steppy replied as she rounded a corner and the pair raced towards the park.
“You can meddle all you like as long as you promise to never use that godawful acronym ever again,” Kai muttered as he sprinted, actually passing the mare for a second. Hah, long-legged bipeds rule!
Aaaand there went Flash Step. God that mare was fricken fast. Mind you, he hadn’t seen any other ponies run flat out like that, be he had no chance in outspeeding that mare. He was fairly certain a Lamborghini would have trouble outspeeding that mare.
“So… you’re getting more comfortable with the idea of dating a pony?” Flash asked as the pair lay on a cool, grassy embankment. They were staring up at the clouds after doing some cooling down exercises.
“I guess,” Kai shrugged. “I mean, I see Twilight for who she is, instead of what. I mean, that’s the idea anyway. It’s not fair to her otherwise.”
“You humans are so weird,” Flash Step chuckled and jabbed his ribs with a hooftip. “Don’t worry. I doubt the princess is going anywhere. So don’t rush things okay?”
“Yeah I know…” Kai blinked and looked up, before raising a hand and pointing. “Hey, is that Rainbow… whatshername?”
“Hmm?” Flash Step followed his direction and looked up. Yeah, that was Rainbow Dash alright, hard to mistake those colours…
So why was she in freefall… “HOLY HORSEAPPLES!” Flash yelled as she jumped to her hooves. A quick estimation of where she needed to be and she ran.
Not the casual jog or light sprint she showed off before, she ran. As in, one second she was next to Kai.
A blink of the eyes later had her over thirty feet away. She actually left a contrail as she tore towards the space where she estimated that Rainbow was going to crash. She suddenly leapt, her calculations dead on as she met the falling mare a couple of meters off of the ground, catching her and twisting her body, landing on her back and skidding to a stop as she cradled the pegasus in her limbs.
Her ears were still ringing from the crash-landing, but she could make out Kai calling for her, having taken a few seconds to register what had actually happened and get up to follow her.
“H-Hey,” Flash Step poked the prone prismatic pegasus with a hoof. “Oi, you okay? Still alive?”
Rainbow groaned, her ears flicking and moving towards the noise. “Hunh… ow… what, what happened?”
“You flew like a rock,” the earth mare said. “Now, think you can stand, though I don’t mind having a cute mare in my arms~”
“Gah!” Rainbow jumped up suddenly, before wincing and nearly falling over, only to be steadied by Kai. “Ahh, thanks.”
“S’okay,” he nodded and held her steady as Flash Step got up. “So, what happened?”
Rainbow groaned and rubbed her head. “Pocket of dead air… Dunno what happened really. One sec I was flying, next I was waking up here…”
“Dead air?”
“Winged species like Pegasi and Thestrals need magic to fly,” Flash Step explained. “Sometimes you can hit ‘pockets’ of air that have low magic, or none at all.”
“Happens a lot around the Everfree,” Rainbow sighed and shook her head. “It’s stupid, I was lost in thought and couldn’t recover when I hit it.” She shuddered and her wings flicked. “You… you saved my life… uh…”
“Flash Step,” the mare saluted. “And it’s not like I was going to do nothing. Still, you’re welcome.”
Rainbow nodded as Kai released her. She was a little shaken, but otherwise okay.
“Yeah well, I still owe ya,” Rainbow nodded. “How about I treat you to lunch sometime?”
“Hmm, it’s a date,” Flash Step smiled and nodded.
“Cool,” Rainbow smirked and trotted off. Once she’d left, Kai sighed and facepalmed, earning a quizzical look from his friend
“What?” Flash Step asked, wincing slightly as she took a few steps. Landing on her back like that flipping hurt.
“Did you seriously just save her life, then get a date out of it?”
“That's just how I roll,” Flash Step nodded with a smug smile. “So Blueblood can suck a rusty horseshoe. I can get a date if I want to!”
“I have no words,” Kai sighed and shook his head. “I humbly bow to your superior powers of swag.”
“Damn right,” Flash Step nodded as she rubbed her chest with a hoof. “Also, aren't you late for work?”
Kai blinked as his gaze turned to the large clock tower near the center of town.
It read 9:21 am.
Rarity’s store opened at 9:30…
“Ah fuck me,” the human swore as he started running towards the Boutique.
“Princess Twilight might like to~” Flash Step called out after him.
“Oh shut up!”
Twilight stared at her portal device, it was built… mostly. But for some reason, she couldn’t get it to work. The spell matrix just wouldn't remain stable.
She’d never admit to Trixie on how close she came to collapsing the library in a quantum singularity.
“Aaaarrgh!! Why. Won't. You. WORK!?” The frustrated alicorn yelled as she tossed a few pieces of paper.
During her tirade, the door to the basement creaked open as Trixie poked her head in. She arched an eyebrow at some of Twilight’s… choice words.
“Somehow, Trixie thinks your portal neither has a mother, nor are you biologically capable of doing that.”
Twilight flinched and looked up at the unicorn at the top of the stairs. “Aahaha… hiii Trixie.”
Trixie’s eyebrow arched a little further. She trotted down the stairs, looking around as she did. Admittedly, she'd never known the basement was here, much less used it.
Trixie was fairly certain she could keep it tidier than this. Sheets of paper were strewn everywhere. Old plates of food and glasses of water and cider.
“Sparkle,” Trixie said slowly. “You need to stop reading these dusty old books.”
Twilight froze. Did… did she just. An intense feeling of nostalgia washed over her.
“Honestly, you have a town full of friends, go out and catch up with them,” Trixie sighed as she started nudging Twilight with her magic. As the alicorn passes her, Trixie wrinkled her nose and snorted. “But perhaps take a shower first. You look like you wrestled a Timber Wolf.”
“Yes mom,” Twilight giggled as she left the basement. She was surprised to see how far Trixie had come. The fact she was looking out for somepony other than herself?
Trixie’s smile widened as Twilight left the basement. She’d finally left this place and Trixie could go through her research and finally surpass her rival!
She lifted the closest pieces of paper and stared at them.
Aaaand stared at them.
….still staring.
“Trixie cannot make heads or hooves of this jibber jabber!” the unicorn tossed the papers into the air. “Curse you Twilight Sparkle. Writing all your secrets in code!”
It was just advanced thaumaturgical equations…
“Sorry again for being late,” Kai apologised as he adjusted the buttons on his waistcoat. The uniform Rarity made him fit like a glove, and given the formal nature of the outfit, he still found it rather comfortable to wear.
“Not a problem, just don't make a habit of it,” Rarity replied with a smile. “Now… where should I have you start? I have some new bolts of silk from Saddle Arabia that need sorting…”
Kai nodded and headed for the adjoining store room. As he did, the bell above her door rang signaling a customer.
“Welcome to Rarity’s Boutique, where everything is chic, unique and magnifique~” the unicorn gave her usual spiel. “Oh, hello Spoiled dear. How are you this morning?”
Spoiled Rich, one of the wealthiest ponies in Ponyville, also one of the most…
“Well I still live is this squalor of a town,” she sniffed, turning her nose up in the air. “Thank Celestia for this little slice of civilization.”
The snobbish earth pony looked over at Rarity’s latest Spring line. “I have a dinner party coming up, so I require something that won't have me looking like the lower sort. Something new and fresh.”
“Well, I have a new line line of winter wear,” Rarity offered. “It's been doing quite well in Canterlot…” She paused. “Kai dear. Could you bring out the dresses on the rack in the adjoining room please?”
Spoiled blinked. Rarity had hired some kind of assistant? And what kind of odd name was that? A griffon maybe?
The curtain parted as Kai pushed a long clothes rack out into the showroom. It held about a dozen dresses, but Spoiled was far more focused in the… the creature that was pushing it. It was… What in Celestia’s name was that horrid thing? It was ungodly tall, and seemed to only have a short brown mane on its head, with tanned skin and no fur.
Spoiled reeled back slightly, "Rarity, why is there a shaved ape in your store? That's hardly sanitary. Is it one of that Flutter mare's pets?"
Kai’s eye gave a small twitch. Her tone of voice instantly placed her in his mind as one of those customers.
“What? Oh no darling.” Rarity snorted and shook her head. “Kai here is no pet. He is a dear friend of Princess Twilight and has started to assist me here.”
“Good morning Ma’am,” Kai flashed a well-practiced smile. “How may I assist you today?” ‘Strike one.’
“It even speaks?” Spoiled blinked again. “So it's intelligent then?”
‘Moreso that you I see,’ Kai mused. ‘Also. Strike Two.’
“Kai is very smart,” Rarity agreed, not quite sure what to say here without insulting the man. She glanced at him and he gave her a small wink and a smile. Oh good. “Now for that dress. Did you have an idea of what you'd like?”
“Well obviously I'd like something far better than anypony else in the room,” Spoiled scoffed. “What is a mare of high class if she does not show it?”
Then the door slammed open as a pink blur dashed in and up the stairs.
“Speaking of low class…” Spoiled muttered under her breath.
Then Pinkie appeared in front of them, a box of coloured streamers on her back. “I'm so silly,” she giggle-snorted. “How can I throw the bestest birthday for Petunia Paleo if I don't have streamers?”
“What about the box you keep in the large tree by the park?” Rarity asked. “Wouldn’t that have been closer?”
“Truueee,” Pinkie said. “But then I couldn't do this!”
*mwah!*
And with her words sealed with a kiss, she happily bounced away as Rarity chuckled and shook her head at her marefriends antics.
“Honestly,” Spoiled sighed as Rarity moved to separate the dresses. “What does she see in a classless mare like that?”
Rarity may not have overheard that, but Kai sure did.
‘Steeeeerike three. Trollmode ACTIVATE!’
“You know, I don't think these dresses will cut it,” Kai suddenly said.
Both mares turned, Rarity surprised and Spoiled looked disinterested.
“Whatever do you mean?” Rarity asked him. This was her latest work. What was so bad about it?
“I mean, don't get me wrong. They're wonderful dresses,” Kai continued. “But if you're selling them in Canterlot too. Then I'd imagine quite a few ponies would own one by now. Miss Rich here needs something more… unique.”
From there, he moved to a rack where Rarity kept the budget dresses. Nothing over fifty bits usually. He took one off, a simple black dress with a lace hemline and straps over the shoulders. “I think this one will look good. It suits your coat colour -- ‘And your nasty personality.’ -- “Plus I doubt any other pony will be wearing anything quite like it.”
“Darling, that one is a tad old and it's also—”
“Retro,” Kai continued. “Just think Miss Rich, you could start a whole new fashion trend. Every pony would see you as the start of a brand new way of thinking.”
“You know Rarity, I like the way he thinks,” Spoiled chuckled. “Indeed. How much is that?”
“Well, normally the common pony couldn’t afford something of this caliber,” Kai sighed wistfully. “Such fine silk and intricate lace doesn't come cheap…”
Spoiled snorted and scoffed. “I will have you know that my husband is the richest pony in Ponyville,” Spoiled puffed out her chest. “Name your price monkey.”
‘And just for that…’
He removed the 35 bit price tag. “I mean… two hundred bits might be a bit mu--”
“Is that all?” Spoiled chuckled. She floated the coins out, two platinum bits. “There!”
Rarity had no idea what was going on. She just nodded as Kai bagged the dress up and Spoiled left the store.
Once she was well out of earshot…
“Kai… what in Equestria did you do that for!?” Rarity scolded him. “For starters. That wasn't a dress. that was a negligee. And it was worth absolutely no where near that price tag!”
“I know,” Kai said with a smirk. “The insults against me I can forgive. But she dissed Pinkie. And no-one, especially some Spoiled brat like that, insults my friends.”
Rarity paused. Spoiled said something about Pinkie Pie? Part of her wanted to race out and show Spoiled her own beating heart…
“I'll forgive it this one time,” Rarity mused. “Don’t do it again okay?”
“Of course,” Kai nodded and put a hand to his chest, giving a formal bow.
“Now!” the unicorn declared. “Let's have some tea and biscuits.”
“Huh? Already?” Kai blinked as he looked as the clock.
“Dealing with her exhausts me,” Rarity swooned. “Now come. I'll show you how to make Twilight’s favorite tea.”
Now that was a lesson he could get behind.
“I can’t believe how much I’ve missed this,” Twilight sighed contently as she sipped her tea.
“Yes, I’m so glad you’re back in Ponyville,” Fluttershy replied as she poured a fresh cup for herself. “I… I wasn’t sure, if you would ever come back…”
Twilight felt the guilt prickle her heart as she set her cup down. “I really didn’t mean it,” she said. “I just got so lost in my research. To prove that, that I was worthy of these things—” she gave an idle flutter of her wings. “—That I fell back into old habits.”
“I understand,” Fluttershy nodded and smiled. “It must have been difficult, having such a responsibility thrust upon you so suddenly.” She reached over and placed a hoof on Twilight’s. “No matter what, we’ll always be your friends okay?”
Twilight giggled and wiped a tear from her eye. “Thanks Fluttershy. I love you girls too. No matter what.” She snorted and wiped her eyes again. “Gaah! I came here to catch up, not get all weepy.”
Fluttershy giggled and booped her nose. “Well, you’re very adorable. So it’s forgivable.” She refilled Twilight’s cup and nudged the plate of biscuits forward. “So, what would you like to know?”
“Well… Pinkie and Rarity certainly caught me off guard,” Twilight admitted. “How about you? Any special somepony in your life?”
“Ohmy,” Fluttershy blushed and ducked behind her mane. “Goodness no. No stallion or mare would put up with all my animals. And I wouldn’t abandon them for the sake of romance, so I’m still rather single I’m afraid.”
“Aww, who wouldn’t like all these cuties?” Twilight giggled as she levitated a biscuit over to a pair of waiting squirrels. “I mean… you can keep the snakes and spiders. But the rest are cute~”
“Still have that fear huh?” Fluttershy hummed. “I could help with that you know. Even snakes are nice once you get to know them.”
“Yeeaaahhhhno,” Twilight waved a hoof. Angel Bunny lay curled up in her lap, sleeping peacefully.
‘I can’t believe how good she really is with them,’ Fluttershy smiled. Almost all her pets and critters were comfortable around Twilight, even the normally precocious Angel. ‘It’s a shame she’s already taken…’
“Fluttershy?” Twilight’s voice snapped the mare out of her introspection. “Is everything alright?”
“Huh? Oh, yes,” the mare nodded. “So um… how are you and Kai doing? He is your coltfriend yes?”
“I… yes,” Twilight nodded. “We’re taking it slow. Kai is… well his species only dates it’s own. They’re the only intelligent species on their world. So they don’t have much choice really. So being a pony, I can understand that he has to get used to dating someone that isn’t human.”
“Still, it doesn’t sound fair to you,” Fluttershy said.
“Yes, but we’re used to dating outside our species,” Twilight explained. “Griffons, Zebras, heck, even Diamond Dogs and Dragons.” She closed her eyes and then opened them. “Look at it like this. “What if you were suddenly in a world full of only talking rabbits.”
“Awww, that sounds adorable,” Fluttershy cooed.
“It does,” Twilight giggled. “But, what if you fell in love with one? Could you date a critter as easily as you would a pony?”
“I… don’t even think I could date a pony,” Fluttershy whispered as she pictured that. A pair of hooves holding her close, whispering sweet words into her ear as her laven…
“Okay, I think I can see what you mean,’ Fluttershy blushed and shook her head to clear the… stimulating thoughts. “I’m just glad you’re safe, and that you’re happy.”
“You know…” Twilight smiled brightly. “I really am Flutters. Happy that is.”
“As long as you are,” Fluttershy nodded. ‘I can be happy as long as you are.’ She sipped at her tea and hummed. The birds chirped in a nearby tree as the friends sat in relative silence for a moment of three, the sun warming their coats as a gentle breeze caressed them.
“So, what about anypony else?” Twilight suddenly asked. “Do they have a special somepony aside from Rarity and Pinkie?”
“W-Well,” Fluttershy blushed lightly. “Applejack doesn’t as far as I‘m aware… but…”
“You know,” Flash Step replied as she sat at a table opposite Rainbow Dash. “When you said ‘sometime’ I wasn’t expecting it so soon.”
“Eh, waiting is a pain,” Dash shrugged. “So, pick whatever you like okay? My treat, so you can have whatever you like.”
“Oh, okay?” Step looked at the menu. She wasn’t used to… well, whatever this was. Still, Rainbow was a very pretty mare. And that flank~ Mmmrrr~
Eventually, the Earth Pony settled for a simple hayburger and some fries. Rainbow got a salad and a glass of lemonade.
“Gotta keep my awesome shape after all,” the mare chuckled. “You wouldn’t believe the exercise I have to do after a Pinkie Pie party.”
“Wish I knew,” Flash Step sighed. “Now matter how much I eat, I never seem to put on weight.”
Rainbow paused, her eyes wide. “Careful… I think you just made enemies of most of the mares in Equestria.”
“Maybe,” Flash Step mused as the waiter brought out their food. Dash tore into hers with gusto, leaving Flash to blink for a moment. This was… the oddest date she’d been on. Maybe Rainbow just wasn’t all that great at them?
“Maaan the food here is goood,” Rainbow sighed after destroying her salad. She looked up at Flash Step and tilted her head slightly. “Uh, you okay there? You seem a bit spaced out.”
“Huh?” Flash blinked. “Y-Yeah I’m okay. Just… it’s odd is all.”
“Odd?” Rainbow tilted her head the other way, before something kissed her cheek and she squeaked, blushing and flapping. Both mares turned to see a unicorn stallion with a cheeky smile on his face. He had a brown coat, the colour of chestnut and a reddish mane and tail. His green eyes twinkled with mischief and his Cutie Mark was an odd circle of symbols.
“Hey Little Bird,” he mused, kissing Rainbow’s ear and stepped back as she took a swipe at him. “I was looking for you.”
“Stahpit,” the mare grumbled, blushing. “And what is it? I’m having lunch with a friend.”
‘Friend?’
“Not much, only that I’ll be home a little late tonight. A new book came in and I simply have to study it,” he said with a giddy smile. Rainbow rolled her eyes and booped his nose.
“Fine. but you owe me Mister. Usual payment will be fine.”
“One order of my special dish and a night of cuddles?” he repeated, making her blush and cuff his ear again.
‘Is he, her coltfriend?’
“Yes,” she muttered. Now go on and get. I’ll see you later okay?”
“As you say, My little Dashie~” he mused and pecked her lips as he danced out of reach and trotted off.
“He’s begging for a thunderbolt up his butt,” Rainbow muttered, the tips of her ears burning as Flash looked down at her half eaten meal.
‘I… never even asked. I-I feel sick.’
“Hey, you sure you’re okay there?” Rainbow asked, looking at the mare across the table.
‘Kai and Blue will laugh their asses off when they hear about this…’
“I’m fine,” Flash smiled as she continued to eat. ‘Aside from the fact I feel like a complete bucking moron.’
“Well, if you say so,” Rainbow shrugged, oblivious to Flash’s inner turmoil. “Still, I was super lucky you were there in the park. That catch was amazing. I bet you’re a killer hoofball player.”
“Not really,” Flash murmured as she ate as quickly as she could. She just wanted to leave now.
“Well, you should totally play with me and AJ sometime,” Rainbow chuckled. “I’d love to wipe that smug smirk off her face when you hand her flank to her on a platter.”
“Maybe,” Flash’s single word reply came through. Rainbow rubbed the back of her head awkwardly. The atmosphere had gotten really weird all of a sudden.
“Uh, is this about Written?” she asked. “Sorry if that was weird. He‘s an ass and likes to embarrass me in public as much as possible.”
“Is…” Flash set her plate down. “Is he your coltfriend?”
“Mhm,” Rainbow nodded. “Been… maybe four months now? He’s kind of a nerd and snarks at almost anything. Kinda like a stallion Twilight actually,” Rainbow chuckled. “Still, he’s alright I guess. We met at the last Daring Do convention. He’s a pretty decent writer when he’s not being sarcastic and all OCD about almost everything.”
“I see…” Flash chuckled weakly. “S’good. You’re… cute together.” She stood up and dropped some bits on the counter. “Thanks for lunch. But I got something important to take care off. Guard stuff and all that. Yeah…” And before Rainbow could mount any sort of reply, the mare took off.
“Huh?” Dash blinked as she stared at the golden coins and the now abandoned seat. “What… just happened?”
Flash Step was a few blocks away now, panting heavily as she turned into an alley and sat against a wall, rubbing tears from her eyes. “What a bucking idiot!” she whispered to herself. “That wasn’t a date… I, I got my damned hopes up without even checking…” She smacked the wall with a hoof, ignoring the stinging pain. “And now… now I feel like…” She snarled and smacked the wall once more, chipping the wooden frame. She just sat there for Celestia-knows how long.
She looked up at the sky, noticing that it had already turned a deep orange-red. It was sunset already? Flash got to her hooves and let out a deep sigh. Her mood hadn’t really improved, but she couldn’t sit in a dirty… actually, it was surprisingly clean for an alleyway.
“Come on Flashy. You bucked up. Now, quit crying and pull your shit together,” she muttered to herself as she wiped her eyes and snorted. “I just hope Kai or Blue don’t find out about this,” she muttered as she started to head for the hotel she was staying at. “I’d never hear the bloody end of it.”
“So there should be enough food in the refrigerator for tonight and tomorrow,” Rarity said as she handed Kai a set of keys. “Now darling, I’m trusting you and Twilight to watch the house while help foalsit the Cake’s twins with Pinkie tonight. Don’t let me down.”
“I won’t,” Kai nodded as he pocketed the keys. “Honestly, I doubt we’ll do more than have dinner and talk.”
Rarity suppressed the urge to facehoof. He and Twilight had a golden opportunity and… Oh by the Creator, there was almost no hope for this pair.
“Just… don’t worry so much darling,” she sighed and turned around. “Take care, Pinkie and I shall be back tomorrow afternoon.” And hopefully something might have progressed in their relationship.
“Alrighty,’ Kai nodded as the mare left, passing Twilight on her way out. The alicorn looked at her and returned the wave she got, before giving Kai a puzzled look.
“Is Rarity going somewhere?”
“Yeah, apparently she’s babysitting,” the human replied as he took off his jacket. “So I guess we got the place to ourselves tonight.”
“Ah…” Twilight nodded as she hung up her bags. “So, what would you like to do then?”
“Hmm…” Kai rubbed his chin. “Well, it’s already getting late. So how about I put dinner on, then I guess we’ll see.” Woe be that he had to wind up in the one world that didn’t have television.
“Do you need some help?” Twilight asked. Kai paused as he remembered a piece of advice that Spike gave him. About never letting Twilight help in the kitchen. Provided you still wanted a kitchen after.
“No, it’s pretty easy to make,” he replied quickly. Twilight seemed satisfied with that answer as she headed upstairs.
“Alright then, I’m going to take a quick shower,” she said as she left the room.
A half hour later. Kai finished his alfredo in cheesy sauce. He licked the spoon and hummed. Total perfection~
Seeing as Twilight was still busy, he decided to take things a step further. He poured two glasses of some wine he found in the fridge, and set up a table with some candles and some flowers he got from outside.
When Twilight walked downstairs, she wondered why the lights were switched off. She saw a soft glow coming from the kitchen and frowned. What was going on here? She peered around the corner and gasped.
The candlelit table, the bouquet of flowers… and such a delicious-looking meal. What, was going on here?
“Do you like it?” she heard Kai ask as the human walked up behind her. “That group date was fun, but I thought we could have something a little more private this time.”
“I…” Twilight was rather surprised he’d done all this in such a short time. And… It made her chest feel all warm and fuzzy. Smiling, she walked over to the chair that kai had pulled out for her, taking a seat as he pushed her closer to the table.
As Kai took his seat, he was glad that she seemed pleased by his efforts. He took a seat as he offered her a glass of wine, he mare taking it thankfully.
“This is really quite sweet,” she smiled. “You didn’t have to…”
“Someone as pretty as you deserves no less,” he smiled as he reached over and took her hoof. “Look Twi? I… know that this hasn’t been easy on you. And that I’ve kinda been dragging my feet a little in this relationship…”
“It’s not your fault,” Twilight said with a shake of her head. “You explained your reasons, and I know that you have a good reason to. I don’t blame you at all.”
“Yeah well…” Kai rubbed his head. His talk with Rarity helped him think quite a bit. Honestly there was a simple solution. Just… don’t think so hard on it. “I like you a lot Twi. So… I wanna try harder for you okay?”
Twilight blushed hard at this, the tips of her ears turning pink as she just nodded and drank deeply from her glass. Was it just her? Or was it really warm in here all of a sudden? While she didn’t think Kai should push himself like that, it was such a sweet gesture and…
Hooboy, maybe she should eat. Yep, she could use a distraction from that uncomfortable heat in the room.
Kai blinked as Twilight fanned herself with a hoof, before tucking into her dinner with a ravenous gusto. Well, that was certainly a reaction. And a rather adorable one at that. He just chuckled as he started to eat himself and waited for Twilight finish… whatever it was she was thinking about.
Once dinner was had, he took the plates to the sink as well as their empty glasses. “That book we read last night was pretty good,” he commented. “Should we take dessert upstairs and continue?”
“I um… sure?” Twilight blinked as he fetched two peice of chocolate pie from the freezer and plated them up. “After you milady,” he bowed, making the alicorn giggled as she headed up to their room.
“I’m a bit sad that we couldn’t bring any books back from your world,” Twilight said as she opened the tale they’d been reading. A somewhat cheesy novel about a knight rescuing a princess trapped in a tower. So she liked some cliche books every now and then.
“Yeah, well hey,” Kai rubbed her ear. “Once my genius Princess finds a way back, maybe I could go and get some?”
“That would be nice,” she murred at the touch, before squeaking and closing the book quickly, a light blush on her face.
“Huh?” Kai looked over her shoulder. “What’s up? You stopped reading.”
“I um…” Twilight turned more crimson. Why did Rarity have a book like this!? This was what she got for raiding her personal library. “It’s… much to… much I think.”
“The heck is that supposed to mean?” Kai frowned. “Come on. I wanna see if the knight saved the Princess.”
“Oh… he saved her alright. Yep. Happily ever after. End of story.” Twilight nodded hastily.
Kai just stared closer at the increasingly sweating mare as her eyes shifted around. She was acting very odd for some reason. So he just leaned closer, staring right into her eyes.
“Okayokayokay,” she squeaked. “It’s… it’s one of those kinds of books okay? It’s… naughty.”
And his frown turned into a look of amusement. Ooh, so that’s what she was so bent out of shape over? This was adorable. In fact… He suddenly had an idea. He just hoped this wouldn’t backfire.
“Oh? Is that all?” he said as his finger started to trace circles on her belly. Her fur was so soft and her skin underneath was warm. “Well I don’t mind if you keep reading it~”
Twilight froze for a second. “I...what...but?” Twilight blushed harder and squeaked. What was he getting at? And… oh his fingers felt nice~ Ahh, pull yourself together Sparkle! What the heck was going on here? Wasn’t he averse to doing something intimate? But…
“Well?” Kai asked. “I don’t mind. It might be… educational.”
Educational!? Twilight breathed hard at the… implications. And with a shaky aura. She opened to book again…