Fluttershy left the two friends to start chatting, knowing that Applejack was just trying to distract their friend from her problems that were popping up now. Fluttershy herself slipped into Rarity's impromptu dressing room to talk to one of her closest friends. She was close with all her friends but she'd always been especially fond of Rarity, even during their large scale spat. Fluttershy had for a short time even entertained her own fantasies about dating the pretty fashionista, but that had simply never seemed to pan out, and Fluttershy had accepted that. She just wanted her friends to be happy, but she wasn't sure they were. She slipped next to Rarity where she was laying back on a small couch with her eyes closed. "Hi. Rarity."
"Hi, Fluttershy." Rarity cracked an eye open and looked up at Fluttershy. "How are you doing today darling?"
Fluttershy giggled gently as she looked down at Rarity. "That's my line Rarity."
Rarity sighed loudly and scooted up a little, laying back as she leaned the back of her head against Fluttershy's legs. "Oh, I don't know darling... It's just... It's very stressful." Fluttershy nodded, starting to rearrange Rarity's hair in a more proper way to make sure it didn't tangle. At least, that would be how Fluttershy would justify it if asked. "I promised to help Sunset with this and I've no intention of losing her to Equestria."
Fluttershy nodded, if the options were to lose Sunset or marry her Flutershy'd be the one in the wedding dress today. But Fluttershy had been watching, not just in the past month of the supposed engagement, but before that. Rarity did enjoy her time with Sunset, but Fluttershy didn't think that Rarity felt the same for Sunset that Sunset felt for her. "But you don't love her?"
Rarity shot up liked a bullet, flushing brightly and shaking her head. "I-I never said that darling!" Fluttershy looked nervously to the side but Rarity sighed, continuing. "Darling, you can't tell Sunset! She..." Rarity pursed her lips, blowing air into her cheeks nervously as she glanced at the door.
"She does love you, very much." Rarity nodded in response to Fluttershy's statement.
Rarity sighed and laid back down on the couch, this time her head landing right in Fluttershy's lap, much to Fluttershy's delight. Rarity closed her eyes as she continued. "I'm sure that I'll learn to love her. I mean other countries make arranged marriages work, and she really is a dear." Fluttershy nodded, going back to fixing Rarity's hair. Fluttershy knew that she'd be keeping her secret, but it was not helping her to listen to Rarity go on about not wanting to marry Sunset, then the almost literal, punch in the gut came. "I guess that I'll never get to tell the girl I really want to take out somewhere how I feel will I?"
Fluttershy took a good ten seconds of being completely breathless to respond, feeling like she had indeed been punched in the gut by the statement. "I... Uh... Well..." She swallowed nervously as she grasped at what seemed to actually be some slim hope of her getting her own heart's desire. "There's... Two years... Is all you need..." Fluttershy couldn't bring herself to say divorce but the implication was rather obvious.
Rarity sighed and nodded, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "I know darling... I just don't know if I could do that to Sunset. I mean... Unless she... Stops feeling so strongly for me I'm going to be stuck."
Rarity's eyes flew open at Fluttershy's uncharacteristically strong response. "You can't Rarity!" At Rarity's raised eyebrow Fluttershy blushed and adopted her usual more quiet voice, but still spoke with more passion than is usual for her. "You can't just... Just give up your happiness for someone else!"
Rarity was still taking a moment to regard Fluttershy's strong reaction to this subject. She made a mental note to address it more attentively after the wedding, Fluttershy looked like she was struggling with some of her own issues. But Rarity would address the elephant in the room first. "You do that yourself all the time darling."
Fluttershy's eyes widened and she flushed brightly, forcing herself to calm down. There was absolutely no way that Rarity knew how she felt about her. And even if she did, this wouldn't be how or where she brought it up! Swallowing Fluttershy managed to talk in a mostly reasonable voice. "Wh-Why do you say that Rarity?"
Rarity grinned a bit. "Oh, little miss 'I hate crowds but I always go to all of Rainbow Dash's games' doesn't know what I mean?"
Fluttershy sighed in relief, having her beliefs confirmed. "Well that's different, it makes her happy and it only puts me out a little! It's not like I'm at the game the rest of my life." She smiled as she still absently ran her fingers through Rarity's hair, long after any practical use had long passed. Rarity didn't seem to notice, understandable with all the things on her mind.
"Oh, you're right darling... Just... Ugh. Bad luck we couldn't have stuck her with... I dunno, you or Twilight or something."
Fluttershy blushed brightly at the thought of being the one getting married but then frowned slightly. "Why us Rarity?"
Rarity flushed a little herself, biting her bottom lip. "Oh... Sorry, darling I was just talking without thinking don't worry about i..." Fluttershy frowned and gave Rarity her patented glare, which caused the other girl to squirm slightly before sighing. "Fiiiiiine. I mean you two don't seem overly interested in romance darling. Twilight is always focused on Science, and you... Well, no offense darling, but I've always thought you could use someone a bit more assertive to look after you. I always thought it might be Rainbow Dash but..." She snickered to herself, thinking about Rainbow Dash's well-known exploits.
Fluttershy nodded and smiled herself as Rarity mentioned Rainbow Dash. Despite the rumors, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash had never gotten together, and neither really had any interest in it. "Hehe, no Rainbow Dash for me Rarity. I've..." Fluttershy blushed a little, knowing she should just leave it there, leave it alone and give Rarity no real reason to think on it further, but she couldn't stop herself. She couldn't shake the feeling that if everything went as planned tonight she might lose her chance with the person she'd had a crush on for years. "I've always hoped for someone... A bit softer than her." Fluttershy couldn't stop herself from staring down into Rarity's eyes at that moment.
Rarity nodded, her mind processing the information and storing it away for later use to help her shy friend, missing the attempted implication by Fluttershy. Rarity took in a deep breath and let it out in a small huff, smiling up at her friend. "Well, thank you for the talk darling. Sometimes just getting things off your chest helps, doesn't it?" Fluttershy nodded in response, agreeing wholeheartedly that it did. Though Fluttershy might have been able to do a bit more of a thorough job if she hadn't been so shy about it. Rarity sat up and dusted herself off of imaginary dusk, standing up. "Ok, darling! This is no time to lay about and feel sorry for myself! I have a friend to help don't I?"
Fluttershy smiled and stood up, nodding in return, though she couldn't keep herself from feeling just the slightest pang of sorrow, she could still be happy for her friends. She smiled as she looked over at the wedding dress hanging to the side of the room. "Well, isn't it about time to get you ready Rarity?"
Rarity looked at the wedding dress, her smile faltering for a moment but then she nodded in determination. "Yes, yes it is darling."