Early the next morning, the alabaster unicorn awoke with thoughts about what Pinkie said and the difficult stallion on her hooves. If she was going to use her elemental talents for the problem, she'd have to generously bring her A-game to the table. The mare decided that ,to start things off, she should try to re-ease in the idea of a cafe breakfast. She knew he'd seemed sensitive about the idea when she brought it up, and the last thing she wanted was to be rebuffed entirely for suggesting it again. Still, perhaps a little more prodding might sway him to join her side?
"If this goes wrong, it could be a while before he wants to participate in any friendly activities with me whatsoever. I could ruin the chance for another pony in the future..." She told herself as she applied a generous amount of eyeliner to her face. Her mental aura scooped up the lipstick next. "Then again, not asking could ruin my chances. We could be stuck at this level--just being acquaintances. Then I might be stuck with this cutie mark issue for...as long as it takes. Ugh."
The unicorn frowned into the mirror when her lipstick was applied in even amounts all over. She couldn't push Chrome to choose an answer--certainly not. Friendship was based on mutual comfort with each other and she was already sacrificing comfort by TRYING to be his friend. Not to say he was a horrible and difficult pony to be around, it was just that his personality was not ideal for her own. It was like Rainbow Dash, who was almost the exact opposite of Rarity.
She breathed in and swallowed nervously; okay, so she just needed to invite him to breakfast as gently as she did yesterday. Well, maybe with a few different words.
Yes, this could work. This would work. It had to.
Rarity would come to find herself waiting on 23 Neighbolt street for that stupidly sarcastic stallion at nine o'clock in the morning. Patiently, she tapped her hoof on the side of the dirt road and occasionally glanced at the tall hill in hopes of seeing Chrome waltzing down the side. But every time she looked, she would pout in disappointment at the swaying grass. As the sun was raised a little higher in the sky, she began to wonder if he was ever going to leave his house today. It made sense for him to stay, given all the moving around he'd been doing in the past. He must finally be exhausted.
She was happy to be proven wrong when she finally caught sight of figure carefully strolling down the hill. He seemed unhappy, yet calm in his measured lace downwards.She practically marched up to meet him halfway, hoping that things went as she hoped. "Ah, Chrome! There you--"
"Augh!"
He flinched backwards and somehow managed to lose his hoofing, tumbling forward in an uncontrolled roll down the hill. Gasping in horror, Rarity quickly reached out with a hoof to stop him only to be dragged along with him, briefly grunting or flinching from hitting tiny rocks. The cane he used was slammed into the ground several times, kept close only by the tether of his magic. They both ended up tumbling down to the very base of the miniature mountain, where Rarity found herself landing on top of him in an embarrassingly undignified way.
"Oh dear! Oh my goodness!" For some reason, she didn't move to get off of him and only gave him a worried frown, looking him over for injuries. How odd, that their bodies seemed to fit perfectly together like puzzle pieces. "Are you alright?! I'm terribly sorry about startling you like--"
"Um, All will be forgiven if you could get off me. He suddenly interrupted, calmly at that. "This is kinda weird, and I can't even see it."
Rarity exploded off of his body and helped him back to his hooves, before levitating his cane into his grip. It was bent slightly at the middle, be otherwise looked in perfect condition. She bit her bottom lip as she scanned herself; oh, there was tiny little bit of dirt on her shoulder! Ew! "I'm very sorry about that, Chrome! Normally, I am not that much of a klutz."
"I find that hard to believe." He mildly snapped, dusting himself off with a hoof. "What are you even doing out this way? You aren't stalking me, are you?"
Rarity scoffed at him, visibly offended by him. "Ugh, like I would stoop so low to show my affections for a pony."
"I mean, technically, stalkers don't really show affection. Well, not in public anyhow. Even then, the affection isn't generally preferred you know."
"Ah, yes. Of course. Well, I came to...apologize for yesterday." Rarty shifted her weight uncomfortably from one hoof to another. "You seemed a little tense when I asked you to breakfast, so I just wanted to say sorry. I won't ask why you seemed disturbed, but I will apologize for it. I suppose I'm...I'm just trying to get started on solving this friendship problem. I was just trying to be friendly with that offer, so that we could start on getting my butt to stop glowing."
"...how annoying is that?"
"What?"
"Your butt glowing? How annoying is it?"
"It's hard to sleep with this thing on. And I think you were right about what stallions think," Rarity stole a look over her shoulder as if she expected someone to be hiding. "I haven't stopped noticing all the stares I get."
Chrome sighed through his nostrils, shrugging. "Bet that riles up your colt friend a lot."
"Hmm? Oh!" Rarity laughed quietly. "Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm still single."
"Hmm, well...about that apology," Chrome tried to make his shrug look casual and not sheepish. "I...thought more about it. Even if I don't want to do any eating at a random cafe...maybe I still owe you. You know, for the hat."
"Owe me?! Oh, perish the thought!" She sounded almost offended by him. "You may do whatever it is you feel like doing."
"Well, now I feel like eating breakfast, so..." He reluctantly shrugged at her. "...Do you know any places?"
Rarity grinned.