//------------------------------// // Don't Lie // Story: Spike Finds Love At Last // by Soothing Stone //------------------------------// True to her word, Twilight didn’t waste any time in setting up their date. At Spike’s request, she didn’t force anything fancy or do anything that would make her try too hard. She didn’t need to do that tonight. They just had to hang out with each other, and that would be fine enough as it was. On the other hand, he likely didn’t expect the place she had in mind. What he did expect was some awesome library in Canterlot, a visit to the new Pillars museum, something along those lines. No, she chose the hayburger fast food joint in town. He couldn’t stop snorting as they came up to the place that evening. “What? I haven’t ate anything today, and they have good hayburgers,” she replied. “Besides, don’t you think hay fries sound really good right about now.” “They do,” he said. His stomach growled at the sound of that. “I just didn’t expect this from you, but it doesn’t matter. Their hayburgers really are good.” They went in and casually took their seats at a booth. Given the time of day, nopony would be there, save for one customer and the usual staff. From the looks of it, they were about to wrap up for the day. That was fine with the kinda-maybe lovebirds. They would have the place to themselves this way. Twilight got herself comfortable and looked back to Spike. “Are you still scared?” “I’m terrified,” he confessed. “I don’t want to say anything that could ruin our friendship, or relationship, or whatever we have right now.” “Me too,” she sighed. “Just be honest with me while we’re here. If you do that, I’m not sure what will happen, but at least you’ll know you didn’t hold anything back.” He slowly nodded, still anxious over this date but doing his best to keep his cool. They ordered a couple of soft drinks and got them in just a minute later, ordering some simple hayburger combos on the side. He took a sip from his straw and tried to calm his nerves. At least he threw on a shirt and pants again, so he wasn’t worried about the public nudity thing again. One less thing to worry about. Twilight was as silent as a mouse at first, as she didn’t know where to begin. She was aware that this could have long term consequences, so she wanted to choose her words more carefully than usual. Here it went. “Why do you love me?” she asked at point blank range. “We’re cutting to the chase just like that? Oh man, this is gonna be hard,” he groaned. “It’s not like I don’t have my reasons, but it’s gonna be tough to get it out.” “Please do. Not like there’s anything else to do but wait.” “Well, remember that one time we had that practice date in the map room, and I said all those things about you by mistake?” “I think so. Just go through it again, so I know for sure.” “Okay, I’ll take it from the top. I find you to be a beautiful mare. Like, really beautiful. Ever since Rarity turned me down, it helped me realize she wasn’t the only perfect mare in Equestria when it comes to looks.” Twilight blushed in front of him, not trying to hide it. Wasn’t like there were any more secrets to share. “Thank you. I don’t see the beautiful mare you’re seeing, but I appreciate it. It’s nice to know you see me that way.” “And that’s not all. I always made fun of you for spending more time with books than actual ponies, but it kinda paid off in the end, didn’t it? You know everything about everything, like the date Starswirl made that spell you completed--” “--right at three years before Luna’s banishment,” she squeaked. “My point exactly. It came in handy whenever we had to save the world from some threat, and there’s a reason you were the only Element to become a princess. You deserved it after all you did for ponies.” “Wow. Didn’t know you looked up to me that much,” Twilight smiled. She placed a hand on top of his and squeezed tight on it. “You’re not just flattering me, are you?” “No. I mean what I say about everything. You would probably call me out if I was lying, anyway.” She giggled at his point. “Yeah, probably. I’ve gotten pretty good at calling out bluffs. That’s why nopony wants to play poker with me, but I guess it’s my turn to share all my deepest, darkest secrets.” “Oh, I can’t wait to hear this.” He had another sip of his drink. “This is gonna be good.” “You little tease. Believe me, I have a lot of good things to say about you. I noticed you touched upon how smart I am, but you’re not too bad yourself. Not sure if it’s from all the books I made you read or all the thousands of notes you took for me, but I think you’ve turned out to be an especially smart dragon.” “Yep, it’s from all those books you had me read,” Spike said with a smug tone. “Let’s see, how many times did you make me read that book on obscure unicorn history?” “Probably seven times,” Twilight sincerely answered. “You took it seriously, though, so there’s that. Not only that, but...okay, promise that you’ll actually believe me on this part?” “I’m listening. Been doing that all night.” “I think you’re really handsome, now that you’re all grown up.” Now it was Spike’s turn to do the blushing. “M-Me? I’m not handsome. I’m still just a cute Spikey Wikey to everypony. That’s what my friends say.” “That’s because they still see that cute little baby dragon in you,” she pointed out. “I don’t. I see a dragon that’s grown up to become an awesome young man, and honestly, you’re kinda handsome.” He couldn’t stop blushing, and he tugged at his shirt around the collar. “T-Thanks, I guess? Now I know what it’s like when everypony calls you beautiful. You don’t really believe them because you don’t believe it yourself, I assume?” “Oh yeah. We can be our worst critics, after all.” After she was done, a waiter came by with two trays in his hands, filled to the brim with hot and ready fast food. “Two number ones, one with extra ketchup?” “That sounds like me. Oooh, I can’t wait to dig in!” Twilight gleamed. “Princess Twilight? You’re eating here? Thought this place would be too low for you, but hey, a paying customer is a paying customer.” He dropped off the meals and went back to the counter. “About time. I was starving.” She dug into her hayburger without further ado, and man, she was hungry. Even if her cheeks got stained with ketchup, she was faminished, dang it, and she was going to fix that problem. Spike couldn’t believe anypony could be that hungry, but her hayburger was halfway done in just a few seconds.“And I thought dragons got hungry,” he joked as he dug in a swell. Right when he tasted his first bite, it hit him that he hadn’t eaten anything all day, and he tore into the burger like it was his first one in months. “Mmmmm, so good. Just what I needed after today.” “I know, right? I come here every now and then, and the food’s always good. Do you like it?” “Yeah. I see why you come here now.” He wiped off the ketchup on his face with a napkin “So what do we do after we’re done eating?” Twilight stopped in the middle of a bite and paused. “Honestly, I never thought about that. I was thinking we would just let things come as they are and go from there. I’ve been trying so hard to make sure you were ready for the real thing, but you should be able to do whatever you want to do tonight. You had anything in mind?” “Really, I just wanna hang out with you,” he said. “I like hanging out with you. You don’t have to do anything to make me like you, because you know I already do. Let’s just have some fun together for a while. No chores, no lessons, just us.” “That sounds perfect. Maybe we could walk around town when we’re done here? Ponyville is really pretty at night.” “Yeah. As long as I’m with you and we don’t force it, I’m happy.” When Twilight heard that, she had a bunch how this was going to end between her and Spike. She wasn’t sure if he knew, but it was as clear as day to her know. That made her the happiest mare in Equestria, and she couldn’t wait to see what would happen next. They ate together in peace and quiet, stuffing their faces with hayburgers and hayfries and unhealthy amounts of soda. At least it tasted good to them. They paid the bill soon after. All their eating built up to a rather huge total due, but it was chump change to royalty like Princess Twilight. After that was settled, they went out to the great outdoors, just after sunset. All the lights in town were lit up, and it illuminated the streets in front of them. They went out for a walk in the middle of town, holding hands without realizing they were doing it. As they walked through town, they spotted Vinyl Scratch’s very own club, thumping with bass drops and beats. Sugar Cube Corner smelled like the best mix of cakes and donuts, and the Magic Wheatball had another line of patrons waiting to get in. Twilight glanced at the sights and sounds greeting her as she enjoyed this time with him. The town really did grow exponentially in recent times, and she was aware that she caused the boom period. Canterlot wasn’t a big town at first either, but when Celestia moved on, it turned into the high class city it was today. She soon found a bench to rest on, and she took a seat on it. “Spike, do you think it was a good thing that Ponyville turned out like this?” she pondered. “It’s not exactly the small town it was when we moved in.” “Haven’t really thought about it,” he shrugged as he sat down next to her. “It was always going to change no matter what, but I kinda miss the small town feel it used to have. Not like it’s a bad thing that it got bigger, it’s just different than what I remembered. That happens with everything, though. Fluttershy used to be the biggest scaredy cat we ever met, and now she’s making friends with a draconequus like it’s nothing.” “Heh, yeah. I guess everything changes over time.” She leaned down and rested her head on Spike’s shoulder. “Some changes are better than others, but...I think I like this one the best.” Spike was a little surprised to feel her head on his shoulder, but he found himself nuzzling her head. “What change would that be?” “Being in love with you.” That’s when it dawned on him how this would end, too. “We’re supposed to be together, aren’t we?” “I think so. I want to be. It just felt right, going on a date and sharing everything with you. What do you think?” “I’m still feeling a little bad about the whole brother-sister thing, but...yeah. I would like to be with you.” Then she pulled back and looked him dead in the eye. “If that’s your only concern, should we do this? I mean, I don’t feel guilty about it anymore, and I doubt anypony would look down at us for it. Hay, with the way my friends talk about stuff, I’d think they’d be happy for you.” “Let me guess, it would be a sign that I got over Rarity.” “Yeah.” She gripped Spike’s hand tightly with both hands. “What do you say?” “I still don’t know. I want to think about it, just overnight. I’m pretty sure the answer is yes, but you know that’s a huge step for us, being a couple.” “I understand perfectly. It is a huge leap of faith, and I want you to be sure before we do this. You think you’ll know when you wake up?” “Oh, definitely. It’s not gonna take that long to come up with an answer.” Well, that was progress, at least. She turned her gaze back to the town to enjoy the scenery “You know, this is one of the prettiest towns I’ve ever seen. I don’t just say that because I live here, either.” “It’s not as pretty as you.” That made her laugh softly, and her heart started to burst at the seams. “If you say so. I’d like to stay here, but I’m starting to get tired. Why don’t we go back to the castle and keep talking there?” “Sure. I’ll walk you home, too.” With that settled, they got up from the bench and started making their way home. It wasn’t far away, but it felt like it took forever to get there. Maybe it was the fact that they were still holding hands or whatever, but they didn’t mind how long it took to get back to the castle. They found themselves back at the castle in just a few minutes, opening the door and making themselves...well, at home. Nothing in particular stood out for them to do, so they just went over to the living room and shared a big couch together. “That was a good first date, right?” Twilight inquired. “It wasn’t a big deal, but I liked it.” “Me too,” Spike replied. “I didn’t mind if it wasn’t fancy or whatever. I got to spend some time with you and figure things out. Figured that’s what we were trying to do tonight, and it worked. That’s what you wanted, right?” “Right. I’m glad I got to help you with this. Just let me know what you think of us when you wake up tomorrow, alright?” “Actually, I think I came up with the answer when we were walking back home.” His hand started to tremble, not sure if he could bare what he was about to say. “Are you ready for it?” Twilight’s heart pounded in her chest. She wanted so desperately for a certain answer, but she tried to keep an open mind about it. “I’m ready. Let’s hear it.” “I gave a lot of thought, and I think you’re a wonderful mare. The whole brother-sister thing might still get in the way, but then I realized I didn’t care. I want to get together with you, like as a real couple. Do you want to be with me, Twilight?” At that moment, she didn’t hold anything back for him. She brought her lips to his for a kiss right away, letting her actions do the talking. Her heart exploded into a million pieces when their lips touched, but she wasn’t thinking anymore. She was letting her emotions show for him. Never in a million years did Spike think he would be kissing Twilight, but now that he was, he kissed her right back. In fact, he couldn’t stop kissing her. He brought his arms around her waist and hugged her tightly and passionately, his heart exploding as well. Their lips smacked in the air as they couldn’t stop kissing each other, embracing each other, letting each other know just how much they were loved. They practically melted in their embrace, wanting nothing more than to be together. Spike was the first to pull away after the kiss. HIs eyes were full of tears of joy. “So you’re saying yes, right?” “Oh, Spike, of course I want to be with you,” Twilight cried happily. “I love you so much, you wouldn’t believe it. Oooh, this is the best feeling in the world!” “I know, right? Do you know how much I wanted something like this?” He started to shiver again from all the emotions coming over him. “After Rarity dumped me, I thought nopony would ever want me. I actually thought I was going to die alone. And now...now you’re…” Twilight interrupted him with another kiss, and she placed a hand on the back of his head to hug him even more. He took the hint and kissed back, his hands going all over her backside as he continued to embrace his newfound love. Their hearts melted together in the best possible way, and they didn’t really need anything else for now. Their deep embrace soon became more than that, though, as Twilight’s hands started to feel Spike’s chest and belly. He didn’t know what to make of it, but he pulled back and started to groan. “What are you doing? I kinda like it, but…” “I don’t know, it just came to my head. Part of me wants to take this further, but I’m not sure if that’s what we should be doing,” she breathed heavily. “You mean...you want to do that? Um, uh, I’m not sure, either, but…” He noticed that he was starting to place his hands on her hips to feel her up, and it occurred to him that he wanted to do much more than that. “You’re right. Maybe we’re taking this too fast. We just hooked up after all. If you don’t want to go that far tonight, we don’t have to.” “Thanks, but then again, how long have we known each other? Over a decade? Maybe two? I know a lot of things about you, and you know a lot about me. Nothing about this relationship is going to be a surprise for me. And thing is, we should be honest with ourselves. We haven’t been very good at that as of late. Twilight, do you want to take it all the way tonight?” Twilight stopped to think about it. Either option felt like it would be perfect for her, but she knew where to take this at the moment. “Maybe it would be best to take it slow before we go that far. I want to go that far one day, but it doesn’t have to be today. You’re not upset at me for that, are you?” “No no, I would never be upset at you for that,” he said. He pet her face with both hands and kissed her on the forehead. “I wouldn’t live with myself if I forced you into it. Our first time should be a happy moment for both of us. We’ll just give it some time for now.” Twilight nodded and leaned her head against Spike’s neck, hugging him tenderly. “Good. I would feel horrible if I hurt your feelings that way. Either way, I didn’t know it was possible to be this happy! Is that what love feels like? “Yeah. Feels pretty good, doesn’t it?” he asked. He caught his breath and pulled her up to his side. “I could die a happy man now.” “Good thing you’re not gonna die for a while now, are you?” she smirked, placing a loving hand on his chest. “We have decades together to look forward to. It doesn’t have to end after tonight.” “I know. That’s why I could die a happy man. Did you think I would ever find the one after what happened with Rarity?” “Yes,” Twilight answered right away. “I didn’t think it would be with me, but you were too good of a pony--err, dragon for that. There was no way you were gonna die alone.” Spike replied with a kiss on her forehead. “I love you so much, Twilight, and I don’t want this to end.” Twilight cooed a little and rubbed her head into his snout. “I love you too, Spike. I promise you’ll never be alone when it comes to me.” She trailed off and fell asleep with him on the couch. Spike picked her up in his arms and carried her over to her bedroom, laying her down on her back. He joined her under the sheets, and he noticed the huge smile on her face as she slept. It was a truly marvelous sight to behold. Thing were never going to be the same after tonight, but if these were the consequences he had to live with, he wouldn’t mind one bit.