/x/x/x/
Twilight sat in the water with her knees up to her chest, eyes screwed shut for reasons other than the occasional wet cascade over her head. She grit her teeth for reasons other than the pain of her hair occasionally pulling at her scalp.
Rainbow sat above her on the bath ledge, legs on either side of her date. She had a towel wrapped around her midsection. Her hands alternated between dragging through Twilight’s hair to wash out the congealed dairy product, and drenching it.
“Sorry...”
“For what?”
Twilight shrugged. “Freaking out, I guess.”
Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Dude, it's fine. I should've told you I was gonna take my shirt off.”
A small slice of sugar slaked off of Twilight’s hair along with a splash of water. Rainbow let out a small cheer at this.
Moments after Rainbow had removed her shirt to reveal a lacy bralette underneath, Twilight kind of had a little bit of an anxiety attack. Trouble breathing, rapid pulse, losing consciousness for about half of a second; it was nothing horrible or embarrassing or anything to anybody besides Twilight herself.
Now, the athlete’s pants were rolled up enough to not get wet, and a towel sat between her stomach and legs and Twilight’s now-wet back. A sizeable portion of the milkshake was successfully washed out, but an even more sizeable portion remained.
The next few minutes passed in relative silence broken only by Rainbow’s phone buzzing at odd intervals. Definitely just text messages from their concerned friends. Or possibly in Sunset’s case, their concerned and livid at Jet Set friends.
And speaking of Jet Set...
“Hey Twi.”
“Yes?”
“Jet says he told everyone at Crystal Prep that we’re dating. Just thought you should know that.”
Twilight gently sighed. “I figured as such. I don't mind, really. I was gonna come out publicly on social media soon anyway. Not that I really talk to anyone other than you girls. And Timber, but that ship sailed a long time ago.”
“Fuck Timber.”
Twilight smiled at this. “In all ways but literal.”
Rainbow barked a laugh. “Especially not literal. Anyway, enough about douchey guys that don't matter. We should post couple pics on that new app, Snapgab or whatever it's called. I feel like that's gonna be the next big thing for social media. At least Pinkie and Rarity think so. Would you be cool with that?”
Twilight would have cocked her head to the side if it weren't firmly grasped by Rainbow’s shampoo-coated hands. “That depends on what couple of pictures we post. And anyway what does posting a couple of pictures have to do with... douchey guys, or us dating?”
“No, not A couple OF pics,” Rainbow corrected. “No, uh. Articles? Is that what a, an, and the are?”
“Mhmm. Oh, you mean like... like couple as in relationship?”
“Yeah, that. A pic of us bein’ cute or something. Kind of a, ‘hey everyone we’re dating’ kinda thing. But again, only if that's okay with you.”
Twilight pondered this in silence for a moment.
“If I can clarify, we are dating now? A hundred percent? As in, you would go on another date with me?”
“Um, duh. And I barely count this one, it was, what, five minutes of conversation then milkshake dumping? We didn't even get to eat anything. I don't blame you, which I know the voice in the back of your head is gonna do.”
Twilight giggled. “You can read him like an open book.”
Rainbow paused for a second. “Him?” She asked.
“Only a man could say dumb things like that.”
“Ah,” Rainbow said, nodding sagely. “Truer words have never been spoken. Anyway I think I got half of it out now, and the rest is coming easy. So all good there.”
“What about the dress?”
Rainbow shrugged. “It was looking okay before I came in here, but Rarity said that it's gotta air dry a little before I can see if it’s actually working right. Your hair is really really soft by the way, I think I might pour a milkshake on my own head for a conditioner now.”
“I do not recommend that.”
“Yeah, that was kind of a joke. But then again, I think Pinkie Pie actually would do that. Hmm... I just got a prank idea. Anyway, uh...”
Twilight patiently waited for more but none came. She elected to sit in comfortable silence as she felt air on her scalp for the first time in an hour or so.
The city’s traffic and the occasional bird were heavily muted through the windows and doors of the apartment, but the rumbling of a train was felt going by for a short while.
“I tried to think of something else to say,” Rainbow sheepishly admitted. “I don't want it to get awkward.”
“It's not awkward. You're doing me a huge favor, and I really appreciate it.”
“Yeah yeah, I know that. It's just...” Rainbow cleared her throat. “The thing is, I've never really been one for sappy romance type stuff, so I've never run my fingers through a girl’s hair like this in like... literally ever. I think I tried to braid Fluttershy’s hair once in grade school but we were kids and I don't think I could ever see her in that way, you know? But you, I've only known you for a couple years, and we’re dating, and you're really pretty, and you've got soft hair, and...”
Her hands stopped moving.
Twilight turned to see Rainbow was biting her lip, and her eyes seemed shinier than normal.
“Rainbow?” She asked.
Rainbow sniffed. “I kinda like this, a lot. Just sitting here with you, quietly. Like all our study sessions. But I get to touch your hair, and be close to you, and, you know. Be open and vulnerable physically. And I'm really enjoying this, but I feel bad because this isn't for me, it's for you. And... and all the milk and sugar and stuff is gone now. I just wanted to feel the moment quietly for a minute...”
Twilight wasn't sure what providence drove her to do so, but before she was even aware that it was happening she wrapped a comforting arm around Rainbow’s back.
“It's okay to feel good while helping people. Even if they're upset, if you derive pleasure from doing nice things for them it just means that you're a good person. And truth be told... I like feeling your fingers in my hair. It's nice.”
Rainbow leaned forward and touched her forehead to that of her date’s, returning the hug as well as she could in their slightly awkward positioning.
“Thanks Twi...” she whispered.
She didn't say anything else but this time it was because she didn't need to.
The moment passed, and the girls became intimately aware of just how cold the bathwater was getting.
The tangle of limbs separated, and Twilight reached over to the drain. Rainbow stood up and reached for a towel. After a moment’s hesitation she grabbed two towels.
“Here,” she said as Twilight also stood up. “One for your body and one for your head.”
“What about you?”
Rainbow shrugged. “It's just a little bit of water. You're the one who’s drenched. And I know that girls with long hair usually use a towel for them. I just put mine in a ponytail and let it air dry.”
Satisfied with this explanation, Twilight took the towels as Rainbow stepped over to her phone. She paused to wipe her hand on the washcloth by the sink before picking up the piece of electrical hardware. Everyone knows that electricity and water do not mix well.
Twilight managed to put on her body towel without any problems, but the hair towel was a bit of a struggle. See, she never really learned exactly how to do it, so she tried to just wing it. The results were... amusing, to say the least.
“I think I did this wrong.”
Rainbow’s focus was on her texts received. One was from Pinkie, two from Rarity and Fluttershy each, three each from Applejack and her dad, and, uh, seventeen from Sunset Shimmer. After the mental head count she glanced over and stifled a cackle.
Twilight had set the towel on top of her head, then tried to reverse origami fold it into a spiral, but it collapsed in on itself and now looked like a cross between an overdone soufflé and a soggy paper boat.
Rainbow nodded her head before fixing it, and wrapped it the way Fluttershy and Applejack usually did.
“You gotta, like. Make it look like a beehive. Not a cinnamon roll. There, I think that's right?”
Twilight adjusted her glasses. “It feels right... thanks.”
Rainbow nodded, then turned her attention to her phone. She sat on the sink and began typing away.
Pinkie’s said “Jet left without paying” and a bunch of police car emojis before “hope Twi-Twi’s feeling better, she isn't answering her phone”.
Rarity’s said “UPDATE ON THE DRESS PLZ” and “oh yeah update on twilight too, she won't answer her phone”.
Fluttershy’s said “I heard what happened to you and twilight”, sad face emoji, “i’m always here if you need to talk” and “oh and please tell me how twilight’s doing, she hasn't answered my text”.
Applejack’s said “I'm going to rip out jet set’s heart and feed it to him”, “nvm pinkie told me what happened, nice punch!”, and “hey I'm worried about twilight, she ain't answering me”.
Bow’s said “H0pe ur havin FUN 0n ur d8, luv u -Sent from my ePhone”, “Txt me 0r ur m0m wen ur c0min h0me -Sent from my ePhone”, and a photo of a rainbow pride flag accompanied by, you guessed it, “Sent from my ePhone”.
Sunset’s said, among other things, “THAT MOUHTFKUCKUER”, “ARE YOU OK RAINBOW”, “IM GNONA KKIC HIS ASD”, and “IS TWILIGHT OK SHE WOMT ANSWER”. All of them in caps.
Rainbow glanced up at Twilight. “Is your phone like broken broken or just gross.”
“It's a paperweight now.”
Rainbow nodded. “Got it.” She then relayed the information that they were ok and Twilight’s phone was not ok. Once she was done, she herself was dry. “You know, you didn't have to wait for me in here.”
Twilight shrugged. “I wanted to stay.”
“I mean you can stay if you wanna. Just... you know. Anyway I'm actually hungry, let's check on the dress and make some food or something.” She reached for her shirt sitting still folded neatly on the toilet, but was cut off by a stifled noise from Twilight. A raised brow was her response.
Twilight pursed her lips, and placed her forefingers together.
“Um... Fluttershy’s parents won't be home today, will they?”
“Not til tomorrow I don't think. Why?”
“You, uh...” Twilight took a deep breath. “You don't... have... to put your shirt back on yet. If you don't want to.”
Rainbow’s face was an unreadable blank slate for just long enough to make Twilight feel an ounce of regret before it was broken in half by a knowing grin. “Twilight, are you suggesting I just walk around in front of you in just a bra like some kind of... common tramp? The very nerve.”
Twilight rolled her eyes. “Says the one who tried to get me naked the moment I walked in, then failing that successfully got me into a bikini.”
“HA!” Rainbow grabbed the shirt in her hand and slung her jacket over her shoulder. “Ok point taken T-Sparks. But only because I know my abs are just that awesome.”
The girls exited the bathroom and make a right to check on the dress. Miraculously it looked pretty ok, all things considered. Maybe a regular wash and it would look good as new.
“Yes!” Rainbow cheered. “I'll let Rarity know.” She tossed her clothes onto the couch and got back to her phone. As she did so, Twilight fought an unseen inner battle.
The long and short of it was, the reserved and modest and logical half of her brain was waging all out war on the teenage horny half of her brain. So far the second half was winning, and Rainbow’s cute tummy was heavily exacerbating it.
“So whaddaya hungry for?”
“Tacos... eh, what?” Twilight asked, blinking.
“Tacos?”
Twilight blinked again. “What?”
“You said tacos.”
“Did I?”
Rainbow thunked her head against the wall. “Yeah. You said tacos, eh, what. We can go to the Taco Bucket if you want.”
“No, I... I don't want tacos.”
“Then why did you say tacos?”
“I don't know, I didn't even know that I said tacos!”
“So you don't want tacos?”
“I mean,” Twilight shrugged. “I’d eat tacos if you wanted tacos. Do you want tacos?”
Rainbow sighed despite the laughter bubbling up. “What do you want to eat?”
“I don't know!”
Rainbow nodded her head as she walked into the kitchen proper and opened up the refrigerator.
“Ok we got, uh... milk, condiments, and an apple.” She shut the door before opening the freezer. “We also have ice, popsicles, ice cream but it's butter pecan so EW, more ice, ice packs...” she shut the door before taking a step to the side and opening the pantry. “And also... ramen noodles, tuna fish, canned ravioli, instant mashed potatoes, and... holy shit. Taco shells. Man, do the Shys even live here?”
Twilight wrung her hands together as she worried whether the question she wanted to ask was out of place considering the conversation they’d had a little bit ago in Fluttershy’s bedroom.
“Oh come on is there even any bread? I guess we could put tuna salad inside the taco shells. Or do grilled cheese with the ramen. Wait, we don't have cheese. Hm. There is the ravioli but I don't like the kind with the meat in it, I only eat the cheese ravioli. You could eat the ravioli if you wanted to, but I don't know if you're hungry or not. Least of all for ravioli. Can I get some feedback? Oh you're off in space. Hello, ground control to major Twilight!”
“I'm, uh... not hungry right now.”
Rainbow shrugged. “Ok, suit yourself. I might just wait til I take you home then run to my house and inhale a whole pack of lunch meat. For some reason I'm really craving roast beef and cheddar. Maybe I'll get a sub from Sunnymart.”
“Can I kiss you?”
Rainbow stopped moving, stopped talking, stopped thinking, and probably even stopped breathing for a second. After that second she stood up straight and looked over at her date.
“Come again?”
Twilight blushed so hard her lavender skin turned crimson and she covered her mouth.
“I... eeehhh...” she squeaked.
Rainbow took a few steps closer until she was right in front of Twilight. Slowly, she placed a hand on the side of Twilight’s head, and her other hand reached around to the small of her back.
“If you really want to, then yes. But if you have any doubts, any at all, then don't. If and when we have our first kiss, it'll be on both of our terms. Now, I would totally say yes in any other situation. But like I said before, you were upset and emotional and not thinking clearly and I wasn't gonna take advantage of you. And I'm still not. But that isn’t a no from me. You've been through a traumatic ordeal tonight, and you might want a kiss for the trouble. And I'll give it to you. But I gotta know before I make that decision, that you’re not gonna regret it, and that it's not gonna fuck up the friendship we’ve had up until this point. Okay?”
Twilight brought her hands down from her lips and nodded. “Okay,” she croaked, weakly, as if the volume of her words could shatter the delicate illusion before her. “I want to.”
Rainbow smiled at this. “All right.”
As she leaned in, Twilight smelled a subtle blend of mint, vanilla, and orange. Their lips inched closer together, and Twilight couldn't help but let her fingers drift slowly forward to touch her date’s hips. They danced upwards, as if Rainbow’s body was fragile enough to break if she touched too hard, finding their way to the soft tanned skin.
Her heart hammered in her throat, and she closed her eyes, leaning in to the gentle hand caressing her head. Their noses touched, and Twilight froze in place, not wanting to mess it up. Rainbow seemed to pick up on this, and closed in the gap.
Their lips touched for the briefest of moments.
And then Twilight jerked her head back.
“Not ready yet?” Rainbow asked.
Twilight nodded. “I'm... I’m scared.”
Rainbow chuckled silently at this. “Yeah... me too, honestly. Do you wanna sto-”
Twilight cut her off by moving in, pressing her lips to Rainbow’s. Instinctively her fingers pulled and she moved her hips forward. Rainbow’s hand moved up her spine, and the two girls pressed their bodies closer together.
The kiss remained chaste, and lasted for about ten seconds that felt a dozen times that. After that they pulled away, but only slightly.
“So that’s what kissing girls feels like,” Twilight whispered, a giddy tone to her voice. “I like it.”
“Yeah,” Rainbow replied at a similar volume. “It's also nicer when you really know the other person. When she’s not just a girl you know the name of and you're not just about to fuck and then never talk to again. When you...” she swallowed. “When you, you know. Care about them as a person. When you spend time with them and learn who they really are on the inside. When you... love them. Even if not romantically, as a friend. But... you maybe could love them romantically one day.”
“Koi no yokan...”
Rainbow opened her eyes. “What's that word mean?”
“It's nipponeighse... it’s like. When you see a person, and you don't fall in love with them that moment, but you know that one day maybe you could fall in love with them eventually. Because as a friend, I... I love you, Rainbow Dash. And I hope that maybe one day we’ll have grown to be more than that.”
Rainbow nodded before closing her eyes, and pulling her friend in for a hug.
“And I love you, Twilight Sparkle. I wanna be that... coy-no-yocan thing with you too. One day.”
The two shared in mutual blissful silence for a bit, until it was shattered by the rumblings of yet another train rattling by.
They pulled apart.
“So does this mean we can go on another date?” Twilight asked.
Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Of course it does, you dork. How’s next week?”
“I’m free. But... seven days is a pretty long time to go without seeing you.”
“We’ll still hang out outside of dates! Right?”
Twilight blinked. “Oh yeah. Then uh. See you tomorrow?”
Rainbow smiled and nodded. “Yeah. Tomorrow. Sounds good. So uh.” She cleared her throat. “How are we gonna get you home?”
Twilight looked down at her outfit, if one could call it that, considering it consisted of a bathing suit and a towel. Which reminded her that she was indeed still wearing a towel. Absentmindedly she undid it as she contemplated what to do about clothes. She could wear the dress home but it was kind of dirty, and she didn't want her parents to worry that anything had happened to her on her first date with another girl, but then again she realized that she’d need a new phone anyway.
“I could just wear the dress,” she offered, before seeing Rainbow’s nervous expression. “What?”
“Nothing, just... horny brain is like, oh hey that was a kiss, time for the sex, but logic brain is like, no I kissed twilight and we aren't having sex, and then horny brain is like, but boobies, and logic brain is like, yes twilight is a girl and she has boobies and you've seen boobies before, you even have them yourself, and horny brain is just, well, you know. And like I said earlier, you don't fuck before the third date.”
“Yeah... I get that, and I don't wanna... have sexual intercourse right now either. Not that I wouldn't, with you, but. Now isn't the time. Or place. If we were at my house then my logic brain might lose to horny brain, but this is Fluttershy’s parents’ house and if we did that I don't think I could ever look her in the eye again.”
“Heh,” Rainbow nodded, then brought her eyes back from the floor to her date’s eyes. “Good thing we’re not at your house. Or my house. Or, uh, well that's probably a bad thing depending on how you look at it. But hey, it's not like either of us can get pregnant. What’s the worst that can happen, in the long run?”
Twilight had a hard time keeping the gaze, as her own kept slipping down despite herself.
An evil grin crossed Rainbow’s face. “Wanna touch em?”
Twilight nodded.
“Well too bad, second base is for the second date... You, uh. You can look at ‘em though.”
Twilight shrugged. “That's ok, I'll just look at mine instead. They are bigger.”
Rainbow’s eyes widened as her jaw fell open. “Oh!” She cried, crossing her arms. “Wow! Okay. Maybe a little. Alright, a lot. Rude.”
Twilight giggled as she hugged the mock offended athlete. “I'm sorry. That was mean. How ever can I repay you?”
Rainbow’s faux pout collapsed at the suggestive tone in her date’s voice. “You can repay me by staying cute.”
“I think I can do that,” Twilight said as she reached to the table. She merely slipped the dress over her head, and settled it over her body. Then another problem struck her.
“All I brought was my phone, not a purse. So uh... what do I do about my underwear?”
The two spared a glance at the powder blue lace sitting on one of the chairs.
Rainbow shrugged. “I can stick it in my pocket. Maybe keep it at my house until you come by again with a purse so you don't walk in the door from your first date holding your panties in your hand, and make your dad come after me with a friggin shotgun.”
Twilight cocked an eyebrow. “My dad hasn't even seen a real gun in his life.”
Rainbow shrugged. “Do you want him to see your panties?”
Twilight blinked. “No. No I do not. Your pocket it is.”
“Cool.” She gently stuffed the underwear into her back pocket as best as she could while still getting the job done. As she pulled on her shirt and jacket, she briefly pondered why other girls wore that kind of stuff when boxers and boyshorts felt so much more comfy. “Ready to go home now?”
Twilight sighed in faux exasperation. “Well I mean we could stay here and cuddle for a while, eating ketchup and watching the wall, but if you're ready to leave...”
Rainbow gently pushed Twilight’s head away. “Dork. Seriously though, ready for me to walk you home?”
Twilight scrunched her face in thought for a moment. “Actually... can we go to the Taco Bucket after all?”
“Oh, fuck yes!”
/x/x/x/
Jet Set left the long black car he swore wasn't a limousine and marched straight into his house that he swore wasn't a mansion. He stormed past his private doorman he swore wasn’t a butler and up the lavishly decorated stairs in the foyer.
He ignored the inquiry from the cleaning lady he swore wasn't a maid, and tromped through the marble arches to the east wing. He threw open the doors to his master bedroom and flung his body onto the four poster bed.
He groaned into the comforter before turning over to glare at the ceiling. He reached to the locket around his neck and opened it, glaring at the photo inside. Glaring at the woman who stole his heart all those years ago. Glaring at that rainbow colored head of hair that made so much more sense now.
He ripped the necklace off and threw it across the room, dissatisfied with the tiny little skittering it made. He wanted a crash, a boom, a crunch, a snap crackle pop, but that was a lot to ask from a thin gold chain that was barely 18 carat because Grandmother Harriet cheaped out that birthday.
A knock at the door alerted him to the fact that he was no longer alone.
“I heard you were assaulted.”
Jet sighed.
“No, dad. She was just defending herself-”
“Wait, she?”
Jet took a deep breath.
“Son, did you get in a fight with a lady?”
“No, dad, I got in a fight with a dyke.”
“...ah. That explains it. Those people usually hit harder, then when we defend honor and integrity they cry sexism and homophobia. What was her name?”
“Rainbow Dash.”
Beat.
“Jet. Rainbow Dash is not a queer just because she’s an athlete with rainbow colored hair-”
“She was on a romantic date with Twilight Sparkle. Yes, you heard that right. Twilight J Sparkle.”
“...I see...”
Jet rolled to his side. “She did pour food on me and destroyed my phone, but surely she’ll claim that it was an accident. The only witness with no clear bias is the waitress and she’s best friends with Rainbow. And since I threatened her and threw the first punch, any legal action taken will end up biting us in the ass. I'll just take this as a learning experience, to control my temper better.”
Behind Jet’s father, a woman with bleached blonde hair and an impossibly low cut blouse approached him. “You have a phone call from Abacus Cinch waiting for you, Superintendent Neighsay.”
“Tell them I’ll be there momentarily. And Jet... Do better.”
“Yeah...” he replied. But he was already alone.
/x/x/x/