Twilight’s POV
Yesterday was one of the most wonderful days of my life. Sure, Aria finally telling me about her past was a big surprise, but I am glad to finally know what happened. Although what she and her sisters did was horrible, I can't just see them as some sort of evil monsters. Whatever they were before they are just regular people trying to live normal lives now. Not the malevolent monsters others from the school seemed to think they are.
Aria is still reluctant to open herself to other people, especially my friends. I know she said it’s because of her pride, but it does feel a bit more like a bad habit or addiction she’s trying to get rid of. She must have been so used to pushing others away and shielding herself from the world to the point it become a second nature for her like breathing. A safety net she unconsciously built and knows she can fall into to find strength to face the world. I know there’s good inside Aria’s heart. She can put other’s well being and needs before her own. After all, she has done that more than once in the past few months for me with my project, watching Spike, among other things.
I giggled and saw myself blush in the mirror as my thoughts dwelled on her. I was so special to Aria, and she was very special to me. She has all those cute nicknames for me and is so gentle when hugging or kissing me, and yet, I only have one nickname for her. She told me once that it was okay, but I still felt bad for not having a special way of calling her other than my ‘alpha’. Maybe that could be a new project. ‘A proper Nickname for my girlfriend’. Aaaah! I still get the chills when I call her that!
“Twilight, can I come in?” My pet called from the other side of the door. He demanded to go out when he saw a squirrel from my window.
“Just a second, Spike!” I said, before putting on my t-shirt.
My brother gifted it to me just a few days ago. It was light pink with letters from the periodic table which read ‘GE-NI-U-S’. I'm happy to finally have an opportunity to wear this cute shirt, it's perfect for my date with Aria today! It was a warm day, so I decided to wear my blue capris, a NASA cap, which I’ll wear when going out, and a pouch to carry money and my cell phone. Once I was presentable, I opened the door for my pet to come in.
“Thank you. Wow, you look beautiful! Well, you always do, but today you outdid yourself.” He waddled in, wagging his tail.
I blushed at his compliment and smiled as I looked down at my outfit. “Thanks, Spike. I hope it’s not too much. It’s my first date since Aria and I became official and I thought I should dress for the occasion. But I’m not sure if Aria will dress up too. What if she feels out of place if she arrives dressed more casual?”
“Then change again!” Spike said, wagging his tail.
“No, I can’t do that… oh! Maybe I should call her and ask her to dress up!” I grinned, but it quickly faded. “Wait, she doesn’t have much money. New clothes are expensive...” I sighed. “I didn’t think this through. I have to change back...”
“But, Twilight, you look great!” My pet quickly ran in front of me to stop me from reaching my wardrobe.
I felt bad making him worry so much. For a dog he’s surprisingly helpful when I have to deal with my anxiety. Since he learned to talk he’s been only that much more helpful to me. He truly is one of my best friends now and forever.
He stood on his back legs pushing against my legs almost pleadingly with his best sad puppy dog eyes. “Aria will surely like your look and might not think about her own looks.”
“What if she does, Spike? I can’t risk it!” I tried to get closer to my wardrobe but Spike kept standing wherever I intended to place my foot. “Spike, stop! You could make me fall!”
“Please, don’t change! I know Aria won’t mind! She’s not like Rarity.”
“Spike...”
I felt a little offended he’d say that about one of my friends, but I couldn’t continue to argue because my phone started to ring. I picked it up to check the caller ID and smiled at who it was.
“Who is it?” My pet asked. “Aria?”
“Nope, it’s Sunset.” I couldn’t just ignore her call, so I answered. “Hello, Sunset.”
“Twilight!” I almost had to move my phone from my ear as her voice burst into my eardrum. She sounded very excited. “I went to a bookstore a few days ago and bought that book you and Aria are reading together. I love it!”
“You got, Young Sorceress Academia?” I asked, with a wide smile. “I don’t believe it! Where are you at?”
“I just started reading it. I’m at the part where Iris almost kills a rare magical butterfly but Kari stops her. For a moment I thought she would get badly hurt.”
My heart burst with excitement. That’s two very close people I got to read that book and now Sunset was hooked! Books really are a magical thing to bring people together. I love books so much for that reason. “I thought so too, but Iris reacted just in time to stop most of her magic from leaving her wand. That’s only chapter two, and you’re already hooked?”
“I couldn’t help it, the writing is so good! I even told Trixie she should give it a go.”
“And what did she say?” I asked as I sat on my bed, smiling. Spike jumped on the bed and laid on my lap. I instinctively stroked his head while I kept talking with my friend while he laid there with his tail wagging.
“She asked me to lend her my copy when I visit her tomorrow.”
“I hope she gets hooked too. I would like to have more people to talk about it.”
“Maybe we could get together to read one day! You, Aria, Trixie and me.”
I felt my heart sink a little. Even though Aria loved the book and we talked about it from time to time, I wasn’t sure she’d be open to the idea. When it’s the two of us she’s usually fine, but when others are around she puts up her defenses. Our first date at the burger place was proof of that. I tried to sound optimistic even as I gave my answer to Sunset.
“I would love that, but I don’t know if Aria would agree. She’s slowly adapting herself to being nice with others and I don’t want to ask too much from her. I’m allowing her to open up at her own pace.”
“I understand. Aria’s a difficult one, huh?” Sunset said, over the phone. I could almost imagine her nodding with an understanding expression.
I sighed before laying my back on my bed. “Not really. When we’re alone, she’s really sweet to me. The problem is with others. I’ve seen her argue with her sisters constantly, but I have seen a vast improvement to her attitude lately. She avoided hurting Sonata’s feelings too much, she didn’t yell at Pinkie when she showed up on two of our dates in a row, and she even asked me if we could talk with Maud when we saw her at the library.”
That last one made me smile. It was the first time in awhile since I saw Aria actively reach out to another person, and it made me feel great to see her growing as a person right beside me. “She’s made so much progress on her own, and I don’t want to make it seem like I’m forcing her to change. I know that she can change more without any interference from my part.”
“Wow, Twilight…” Sunset said with a surprised tone. “I was convinced you at least gave her a gentle push. I didn’t think Aria had it in her.”
“Well, I am the reason why she's trying to change, Aria even told me so... But it was still her choice, Sunset. She will get even better with time, you will see.”
“I’m happy to hear that.” Sunset sounded like she was smiling. “She has earned my respect ever since she asked for help to rebuild that animal cell project she accidentally broke. I’m glad she’s still improving.”
“Yeah...” I blushed remembering her confession to me. “We’re meeting today for lunch. It will be our first date as a real couple.”
“Oh, exciting! Can you spare some details? Where are you eating? Will you do something special afterwards?”
I giggled at her excitement and how much she sounded like Rarity at the moment.
“Slow down, Sunset. You sound like Rarity.” I said, teasingly.
“Do I?” There was a brief pause before she chuckled. “I didn’t notice. I was just curious.”
I smiled. “To answer your questions, I don’t know where we are having lunch. Aria is the one who will choose the place. Also, I don’t think the date will end there. I’ll take her somewhere else afterwards.” I said, twirling a finger in my hair. Seeing her always gets me so excited!
“Where?”
“I’m not sure, I’ll think up something. Aria and I like to improvise.”
“Really? Hmm.” Sunset didn’t say anything else. I think she just had a thought. “Curious...”
I jolted upright almost knocking Spike off my lap. I held onto him making sure he was alright while I talked.
“What?” I asked, blinking in confusion.
“Oh, nothing.” Sunset giggled. “It’s just that you’re usually organized and love to have everything planned out on a schedule, but you’re not doing that with your date.”
“U-Uh...” I blushed.
Truth to be told, I didn’t think about it. I suppose that it’s because I didn't need to plan anything in order to enjoy this date. As long as Aria and I were together, we would have a good time in almost any situation. “Y-Yeah, well, I like to take it easy sometimes. Aria isn’t the kind of person who wants to go to fancy restaurants. She’s… simple.”
“We all have our own preferences.” My friend commented.
“Yes, it’s one of the reasons I like her so much. She enjoys reading with me, stargazing… the passion she has for the cosmos is rare to come by.”
Sunset laughed over the phone. “I bet you just like laying in her lap and letting her pet you, am I right?”
Again I went stiff as a board blushing as my mind tried to come up with a defense to Sunset’s accusation. Even though she was completely right. My brain finally caught up when I heard her laughing on the other end of the line. I huffed trying to come up with something to say back to Sunset, but she beat me to it.
“I’m just kidding Twilight! To be honest Trixie does the same thing, so I’m not judging you. I think it’s nice that you and Aria get along so well,” She said, getting herself under control.
I was still annoyed, but I managed to laugh it off with her. “Yeah, Aria doesn't like to show her softer side, but when we look up at the stars together it’s like the universe is centered around us. And I am the center of Aria's world, at least I feel that way.”
“You’re lucky, Twilight. A starry night is a romantic view.”
“Y-Yeah...” I blushed deeply. “So romantic that it inspired me to tell Aria how I really felt about her. I never thought astronomy would help me to find love.”
“Many people confess their feelings while stargazing. Like I said, it’s a romantic view, one which is ideal for couples.”
“Aww, and here I was hoping we were a unique case,” I said, with a smile.
I heard Sunset chuckle and I smiled. “Sorry for being the bearer of bad news.” She made a short pause. “I just glanced at the clock. I think I better hang up. Aria might be there any moment to take you for lunch.”
When she said that, I looked at the time as well. Time really flew by and I had to leave soon otherwise I’d be late! “Oh, wow! I didn’t realize how long we were talking! I have to go, talk to you later?”
“Sure. Have fun, okay?”
“Will do! Bye!”
Sunset chuckled again before she hung up. I did the same and glanced at Spike who was watching me like he was expecting something. “I can’t change now. There’s no turning back...”
“It’s for the best, trust me!” Spike said as he happily wagged his tail. I hope he’s right.
I barely put my phone down when I received a text message. The notification tone was Aria’s. I checked her message.
‘I’m outside Sparks :)’
My face became hot as I read the message. It was the first time Aria used an emoticon. I wasn’t prepared for it!
“Twilight?” My pet nudged my legs with his paws. I blinked several times to wake up from my trance and glanced at him.
“Quick, Spike! Aria’s here!” I panicked as I picked him up and dashed outside my room, taking my cap with me.
“Careful with the steps!” Spike held tightly onto me as I quickly climbed down the stairs. I didn’t want to make Aria wait any longer.
Once I reached the front door, I placed Spike on the floor, cleaned my clothes and took a deep breath to try and calm myself. Once ready, I smiled widely and opened the door. I opened my mouth to greet my girlfriend, but I squeaked instead when I saw a hand approaching my face. Aria gently poked my nose with her index finger. I blushed deeply as I covered my nose with my hand barely realizing I squeaked again!
“Hey you.” Aria greeted me with a smug smile, proud of herself when she saw my usual reaction. “Can I come in?”
“S-Sure.” I said, sticking my nose up as I stepped back to allow her inside.
Aria walked in, stopping to look down at Spike, who approached to greet her with a bark. She leaned down to pat Spike on the head and then went to rub his chin. After a quick hello to him she walked in the room, and I closed the door before turning to face her. She had her hands in her pockets and I took a moment to check her outfit realizing something was different about her. She was wearing clothes I’ve never seen before. A dark blue t-shirt with the picture of a dire wolf in the middle, light grey jeans and leg belts all of it fitting nicely over her athletic figure I felt my face burning as I gave her a second look over. “You look… nice.”
Aria’s cheeks turned red as she smiled. “Thank you… y-you don’t look bad yourself.”
We both remained standing where we were. Neither of us approached the other. Could this mean that Aria is as nervous as me? She had a hand on her hip and the other arm was hanging on her side and her gaze was on my ceiling, trying to hide behind her long bangs. Despite this, I could still see her blushing. Seeing her behave like this made my heart race. I couldn’t help but smile when she acted so bashful around me. It helped me remember she was just like me despite being a powerful siren.
Spike, however, seemed unamused.
“I don’t believe this!” My pet said, as he started to walk towards Aria.
“Spike?” My girlfriend said as she watched Spike move behind her. “What are you- hey!” Aria exclaimed when Spike started to nibble one of her ankles. The siren involuntarily moved her leg forward to push him off. Then Spike quickly moved to nibbling on her other ankle with the exact same result. “What’s gotten into you?”
“Someone had to do something.” My dog said, still nibbling Aria’s ankles.
“About what? And stop chewing my ankle you weirdo!” Aria asked, confused.
“About the distance!” Spike said before stopping his ankle biting. He then sat and looked at us, wagging his tail.
“Distance? What- oh...” Aria moved her gaze to look forward and realized that she was now right in front of me. I could perfectly see how her face turned crimson red.
“Well, look at that.” I said as I crossed my arms and adopted a ‘malicious’ smile. “Nice work, Spike.”
“Anytime, Twilight.” My pet said, before standing up.
“I’ll leave you two alone.” He added as he walked away. Meanwhile, Aria didn’t move her eyes from me. She was slack jawed no doubt not expecting this turnabout play.
“Well, that’s odd. Usually it’s me who’s left speechless.” I said, looking up at Aria with a grin.
Aria blushed even more. “W-Well, in my defense…” She made a brief pause to gather her thoughts. “Y-you look different today.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Different good?”
“Different very good.” She groaned and looked away. “That didn’t sound right.”
I giggled and planted my lips on her exposed cheek. Aria gasped and quickly turned to me, eyes widened. “Sorry, I couldn’t stop myself. You were being too cute.”
My girlfriend didn’t remain shocked for too long. She eventually smirked and frowned. “Enjoy it while you can, cub. Sooner or later I will return the favor.”
I smiled, feeling my confidence grow by the second. It was short lived when I noticed Aria placed her arms around my waist and closed the distance between us and I squeaked again. I didn’t waste any more time and placed my arms around her neck and rested my head on her shoulder into a tender embrace. I sighed happily as I got comfortable brushing my face against her hair.
“Twilight… shouldn't we get going?” My girlfriend spoke with a soft tone.
“Don’t be mean, Aria. Five more minutes.”
“Or until your stomach growls and it ruins the moment.” I gasped and glanced at her, fake slapping her on her face. “It wouldn’t be the first time!”
I smirked at her, but then our moment got interrupted by someone clearing their throat. Both Aria and I looked to where the sound came from and saw both of my parents standing by the door.
“Twilight, dear...” My mother said, “Aren’t you going to introduce us?”
I tilted my head feeling very confused. What…? “But, you already met Aria. Why do I need to introduce her again?”
My father shook his head, crossing his arms. “We met your friend Aria, not your girlfriend Aria.”
My face turned deep red and I covered my face with both of my hands. “M-Mom… d-dad…!” Why do they have to embarass me all the time, and in front of Aria too!?
My parents chuckled and then my mother gently led my dad in beside her. “Sorry, honey, but we’re excited about this. It’s the first time we’ve seen Aria since she became your girlfriend.” She said as she approached us.
When she was in front of Aria, she placed her hands on her shoulders. “You were such a good friend with her. I trust that you’ll be an even better girlfriend.”
“I-I...” Aria widened her eyes, surprised by the sudden attention she was getting from my mom.
My alpha glanced at me and I gave her a small smile to encourage her. Aria nodded, looked back at my mother and gulped hard before speaking again. I got the impression she was trying to please my parents and not look foolish. I can’t blame her, my family was kind but they were tough as nails when need be.
“Yes, ma’am. Twilight is important to me. She makes me happy, and I want to do the same in return.”
“You’re already doing that.” I said, as I took her hand and squeezed it. Aria blushed and smiled, but kept her eyes fixed on my mother’s.
My mom smiled fondly. “We’re glad to hear it.” She said, before taking a step back. “And I believe I told you that you could call me just Velvet.”
I watched as Aria flinched under my mother's stern gaze. “S-Sorry, Velvet.”
I tried hard to stifle giggles as Aria glared at me. I returned her glare with a sweet innocent smile. She just gave me a cheeky grin in return.
“Twilight-” My father spoke next . “We would like to get to know Aria better. Any chance we can do it now?”
“I’m sorry, but we have a date. She came here to pick me up.” I’m glad I had a good excuse to postpone this. There’s no way my parents won’t tell Aria embarrassing things about me and I wanted to get out of it if at all possible.
“Oh, bummer...” My mom said, with a pout.
“That works for us, actually.” My dad smiled, placing his hand on my mom's shoulder. “It gives us time to look for the family photo album to show Aria your baby photos.”
“D-Dad!” Again, I covered my face with both of my hands, blushing hard and feeling like my head would explode. I heard Aria chuckling next to me. Don’t encourage them! “Stop embarrassing me in front of Aria!”
“I’m afraid we can’t do that, kiddo.” My father crossed his arms, still smiling. “It’s in the contract.”
“WHAT CONTRACT!?!”
My mother softly slapped my dad on his arm. “Night Light, we’re not going to show her Twilight’s baby photos.”
I sighed in relief. Mother comes in for the win, all respect earned! “Thanks, mom. I-”
“I was planning on waiting for a couple of months before that. Why don’t we show her Twilight’s grade school photos, or the ones of her in her Elementary plays?”
Once again I blushed out of embarrassment and covered my face with my hands. Dang it mom, you’re just as bad as dad sometimes! Just when I thought I’d die from embarrassment I heard Aria speak.
“I’m sorry to interrupt, but like Twilight said, we have a date and we must leave now.” I peeked from my hands to give Aria a grateful smile.
“Of course, our bad” My dad said as my mother walked to his side. He put an arm around her waist.
“Have fun you two! If you need anything, just give us a call, okay?” My mother waved.
“I will, thanks.” I said sarcastically as I waved back.
I turned around and opened the front door and Aria and I walked out. Once we climbed down the stairs, I sighed with relief. “Thank you so much for the save, Aria.” I smiled at my girlfriend.
“Of course.” Aria said, as she patted my head. “The alpha always takes care of their pack, and I take care of my beta.”
I giggled and put my arms around hers. “So, where are we going?”
“I think I have a place.” My girlfriend said with a proud smirk. “During the bus ride here, I saw a café which caught my attention. It’s close, so maybe you have been there already.”
“Lead the way, then.” Aria smiled before focusing her eyes to the front. “How have you been?”
“You mean since yesterday?” My girlfriend smiled back at me. “Everything has been fine. Adagio asked for Sonata’s help with her outfit designs, so I had plenty of time for myself. I went for a walk. I got used to doing exercise every day now.”
“Do you still go to the library to read?”
“Not as much as before our library date. I couldn’t keep ignoring how much my eyes were straining. I’m taking it easy now, but I haven’t given up on those fancy words.”
I giggled. “I’m glad to hear it, but you don’t have to change for me. I like you as you are, just be yourself.”
“Thanks, cub. I will. Oh! I just remembered.” Aria glanced at me. “Has Maud found more information about the ruby she told us about?”
I perked up remembering that I had a conversation with Pinkie's sister about that and I was eager to share what I learned with Aria.
“Actually, yes. I even went to the museum a few days ago to ask her." I grinned at her. "Turns out that the stone is so unique, that they decided to name it.”
“How did they name it?”
“Whiterose.” Aria snorted and I glared at her, confused. “What’s so funny?”
“I’m sorry, it’s just that it’s not very original.” My girlfriend managed to smile. “I mean, it’s a ruby with a white rose flower in the center. There’s literally no other gem like that in this world, and they call it that?! I thought the museum staff was supposed to be smart. I could come up with a better name right now.”
“Oh, yeah? Like what?” I smirked, challenging her.
Aria’s eyes widened, as if she wasn’t expecting me to actually ask her. I could see her siren pride coming up as she refused to back down from my challenge, like any alpha would. I found that trait in her oddly endearing.
She scratched the back of her head and looked everywhere by to me. “I don’t know, uh… Ruby Rose?” I adopted a serious expression, raising an eyebrow in an unimpressed manner. Aria dropped her head, defeated and embarrassed. “Okay, maybe it’s not so easy.”
I giggled before kissing her on her cheek. “You’re lucky you’re cute.”
My girlfriend blinked, dumbfounded, but managed to smile back. “I try.”
We continued walking down the street heading into a strip mall near my place. I was familiar with the place but I barely spent any time here. We continued walking until Aria pointed to a building not far ahead. “There! That’s the place!”
I followed her finger and saw the café she mentioned before. It was called ‘Sweet Enchantments’. Not a bad name. “I never saw this place before, but there used to be a building for sale there, so it must be brand new.”
“What do you say? Should we try it?” Aria asked with a hopeful smile. I can’t say no to that face, even if I wanted to.
“I suppose we can give it a shot.”
I looked over at the colorful building. My thoughts went immediately to my friend Pinkie and how colorful the place was. Taking a good look at it really fits it’s namesake. A standout among all the bland modern styled buildings, Sweet Enchantments definitely was going for a nature fantasy theme. It reminded me of an elven city from one of my favorite books I used to read a lot. The structure was intricately woven with leafy designs and was stylized with an almost middle eastern design, surrounded by colorful flowers all around the building, where small tables and chairs for customers to sit outside could be found, under lamp posts designed to look like giant flowers. It was really breathtaking to see.
Aria seemed excited by the place and was grinning like a kid ready to raid a candy store. “Great!” Aria grabbed my hand and squeezed it hard, but not too much. “Let’s go in, then.” She practically dragged me into the café.
“A-Aria?”
She didn’t say anything, only focusing on finding us a table. Once we sat, Aria glanced at the surroundings. I did the same. The place was decorated with beautiful flowers and pictures of fairies, dragons, and other mythical and magical creatures. A beautiful ceiling painting greeted us as we walked in with beautiful chandeliers that were like little golden trees hanging overhead. Everything looked… well, magical. My attention eventually returned to my girlfriend. I never saw her so enthusiastic about a café before. I remember seeing her eating hamburgers with delight, but I thought that’s as far as she went with food. I was about to try to call for her attention again, when our waitress arrived.
“Hello, and welcome to Sweet Enchantments!” She wore a huge, beaming smile. “I’m Casey and I’ll be serving you today. Your menus.”
“Thanks.” I smiled at our waitress as I took the menu.
Aria did the same. Casey grinned and happily walked away. I inspected the menu. They serve everything! From breakfast to dinner and brunch. Each meal was shown with a photo alongside their ingredients. Everything looked delicious!
“What will you get, Aria?” There was no reply. My girlfriend was completely absorbed in her menu. “Aria?”
I put my menu down and stared at her. She wasn’t listening at all, so maybe I should try something else? I touched her hand with my fingers and nudged her, but I had the same results as before. I sighed and looked around. My eyes fixed on the barista’s. Suddenly, I got an idea. I smirked and turned my attention back to my girlfriend and with a casual tone I said, “Hmm… I think the barista is staring at me...”
“What?!” Aria instantly put down her menu and glared furiously at the man behind the coffee machine. “How dares he?! I’m going to give him a piece of my mind!” Before Aria could stand up, I leaned forward to reach both of her hands.
“Aria, calm down.” I smiled at her. “I made that up.”
“What?” Her eyes widened, but then she quickly frowned. “Why?”
“I was trying to get your attention. You weren’t answering me.”
“Oh...” Aria blushed in embarrassment and tried hiding behind her menu again. “S-Sorry, it’s just...” She made eye contact with me. Whatever she was about to tell me she looked ashamed of it. “I-I have a sweet tooth and I got lost in the desserts.”
“Sweet tooth, really?” I raised an eyebrow, amused. “I would never have guessed.”
Aria giggled. “I know, I know, I’m weird.”
“Nonsense.” I reached over, taking her hands in mines and squeezing them gently. “There’s nothing wrong with that. I don’t understand why you feel ashamed of it.”
I noticed how Aria suddenly became very uncomfortable. She began to fidget in her seat, and her fingers wiggled under my palms as I held hers.
“I don’t think it fits me. I used to terrorize the seas and turn my foes into each other. I like rock, metal and punk, but I drool when I see cakes or chocolate, or both!” I watched Aria almost start to drool as she went off into a starry gaze.
I giggled. “You also like to read a lot, and you have a geeky girlfriend. How is that different?”
Aria blushed deeply and looked away from me. “I-I wanted to keep it a secret for now...”
“And yet, you insisted on eating in a place called ‘Sweet Enchantments’.” I said in a teasing manner.
“I didn’t plan it well, okay?!” My girlfriend exclaimed while throwing her arms into the air. I giggled again before smiling.
“Oh, Aria...”
My alpha returned the smile just as our waitress returned, looking worried. “Is everything okay?”
Aria and I glanced at Casey, confused, then I smiled. “Yes, I’m just teasing my girlfriend a little bit. Thank you for asking.”
“I’m glad to hear it.”
The waitress smiled, but then gasped when someone raised their voice. “Casey!” Another waitress called for Casey’s attention and stormed over. “I told you not to annoy the customers. One day someone will complain if you keep getting in their business!”
“Oh, don’t be like that Rune Charm.” Our waitress said, turning around to talk with her co-worker. “I just asked if they were fine, that’s all.”
Rune placed her hands on her hips and frowned. “Our job is to take orders and to make sure they enjoy their meals, not befriend them.”
“It’s fine, really.” I spoke up in Casey’s defense.
“Yeah, we don’t mind.” Aria stood up for our waitress too.
“See? Nothing to worry about.” Casey smiled while Rune groaned and raised her arms in defeat.
“They don’t mind, but someone else might. Just… be careful, okay?”
“Thank you for looking after me, Rune.” Our waitress smiled at her co-worker, who rolled her eyes and returned to her work. Casey, then, turned back to us, smiling brightly. “Are you ready to order?”
“Oh! Umm...” I looked at my menu. I was so busy trying to get Aria’s attention that I didn’t choose what to eat! “Aria, order first, please.”
“Okay.” She cleared her throat. “I’ll try the turkey sandwich with french fries. Cola to drink.”
“Very well.” Casey wrote down Aria’s order before turning to me. “And for you, miss?”
I put down the menu, wearing a beaming smile. Aria gave me time to decide. “I want raviolis, basic tomato sauce. Orange juice to drink.”
“Of course.” The waitress took our menus after writing down everything. “You’re in luck! We just bought fresh tomatoes and you’ll be the first to try them.”
“That’s great! Thank you.” I smiled at Casey as she walked to the counter before turning to Aria. “She’s nice. I like the ambience of this place.”
“I like it too.” Aria said, admiring the decor with me. “I hope the food is good, I so want to return here.”
Aria returned her gaze to me. “A-Although...” She started to draw lines with her index finger on the table. “We might have to order dessert too. Just to make sure their name is justified.”
I covered my mouth with a hand and giggled at her silliness. I did agree with her though, with a name like 'Sweet Enchantments' we needed to try something from the dessert menu for sure! “We certainly can’t leave without trying their sweets, can’t we?”
My girlfriend smiled before reaching her hand across the table for me to take. “Thank you for not judging me, Sparks. I really feel like I can tell you anything.”
“You can.” I squeezed her hand. “You don’t have to worry about a thing. I won’t share with my friends anything you find embarrassing. But-” I smirked. “The grandmother of my friend Applejack does bake some delicious apple pies. With your permission, I can get one for you.”
Aria frowned in thought. I could tell she wasn’t looking for a handout, but the promise of something sweet and enticing was too much for her now that I knew of her sweet tooth. “Okay, you can do that.”
I grinned. “Thank you, alpha. Just promise me that you’ll share it with your sisters.”
My girlfriend groaned and slumped in her chair. “Damn it! I was hoping you wouldn't say that.”
I chuckled softly. She’s so adorable. Things like these make me like her even more. Looking around, I found Rune Charm taking the order of another customer and I smirked. What better way to show affection than teasing her even more. “That other waitress, Rune. She reminds me of someone.”
“Yeah?” Aria smiled, still oblivious about my true intentions.
I nodded. “She clearly cares for her co-worker, but she hides behind a glare.”
My girlfriend narrowed her eyes in confusion, but moments later, she opened them wide, finally getting what I was doing. She blushed and looked away from me. “Y-You had to remind me...”
I giggled. “I’m sorry, Aria, but I couldn’t help it.” Smiling, I stroked her knuckles with my thumb. “The day we met… it feels like it was so long ago.”
Aria glanced at me, smiling softly. I felt her foot rub against my leg under the table when no one was looking. “It does. So much has happened since then.” She sighed. “Sorry for being so stubborn and slow.”
“Don’t be.” I smiled warmly. “Everyone opens up at their own pace. The important thing is that we’re together.”
“Unless my eyes catch another beautiful bookworm.” My jaw dropped trying to form words but nothing came out. My eyes widened in shock by her words, which made Aria chuckle. “Gotcha. Two can play this game, cub.”
I blinked, dumbfounded before shaking my head and smiling at my date. “Okay, I deserved that.” Even so, I blushed. She called me beautiful, and that meant the world to me and made my heart flutter. “So, tell me, alpha.”
“Hmm?” My date smiled at me.
“Your sweet tooth… How sweet is it? Do you have a favorite?”
Aria smirked. “Subtle way of figuring out what to gift me, Sparks.” I blushed in response. She got me. “Anyway, I do like chocolate mostly. My favorite is Zig Zag, though. I usually buy one or two when going to the market.”
I giggled. “I see. Those chocolates are delicious. Sometimes you can’t eat just one and I have to force myself to stop before I eat them all.”
“Exactly. I like them so much that I don’t like to share.” Aria chuckled. “I might get fat one of these days.”
“You won’t as long as you walk regularly like you’re doing now, don’t worry. Walking is very healthy.”
“Yeah, so is not gorging myself with sweets either,” My girlfriend smiled as she folded her arms. “I believe you.”
We continued chatting while we waited for our food to arrive, catching up on our weeks. Our orders arrived a few minutes later. Casey brought our food while wearing a big grin. “Here you go! Delicious meals for the adorable couple.” Our waitress said, giving us our respective plates. I couldn’t help but to blush while Aria smirked proudly.
“Thank you.” I said, smiling at our waitress.
Casey grinned in response before walking away. Aria wasted no time to pour her cola in her glass, so I did the same with my own drink.
“Twilight, I have been meaning to tell you-” Aria said, before giving her sandwich a bite. She spoke again after swallowing. “I finished ‘Young Sorceress Academia’ a couple of days ago.”
“You did?!” I smiled widely while my girlfriend nodded. “What did you think of the final chapter?”
“I liked it. The whole story of the ghost not being able to move on to a better life was sad and it was strange how she had to ‘eat’ people as tradition, despite she couldn’t really digest anything. I must say, even though I knew Kari and her friends couldn’t be eaten, I still gasped just like Iris did.”
“Yeah, the author did a great job when writing the scene. I also got worried for a moment.” I commented, taking a couple of raviolis to my mouth. “Mmmmm! This is good!”
Aria nodded in agreement before speaking again. “It was so cool when Kari could help the ghost to move on with the help of her idol’s rod.“ Her eyes shined, but then, she frowned. ”but I really disliked how their teacher scolded Kari and her friends for breaking a tradition which involved a soul’s torment. Just… I don’t believe how easy it is to hate that teacher.“
“I know.” I sighed. “I’m not sure what to think of that character. Sometimes I wish the author didn’t write her in the first place at all. But I guess every good story has a flaw or two.”
“True. If the characters were perfect where would the fun be.” Aria smiled again. “I still enjoyed the book. Is the author working on more?”
“Yes, after I finished the book myself, I investigated and found an interview in which the author confirmed that she was working on the second and last book.”
“Last?” My girlfriend lost her smile.
“Yeah, I was heartbroken too.” I frowned sadly too, before smiling sympathetically at my date. “But sometimes that’s for the best. I have seen stories losing their way because of too many sequels, and not just books.”
“Hmm, I suppose you’re right...” Aria said, without losing her frown. With the same expression, she took another bite of her meal.
“Cheer up, Aria.” I said, with a smile. “We’ll find other books. One we choose together.”
“That’s not a bad idea.” My girlfriend said before smirking in a joking manner. “Unless you want to steal the last copy from my hands.”
I blushed and looked away. “I-I’m still sorry about that. I was so desperate...”
Aria laughed softly. “It’s okay. It’s a funny memory, now.” As soon as she finished her sentence, she lost her smile, looking guilty. “But it might be different for you, given how much of a jerk I was with you.”
I looked at her and smiled, once again remembering that day when we met. “It’s alright, it was a long time ago.”
“But-” I cut her off with a frown.
“No more blaming yourself for your past actions, Aria. We had a rough start, but we got over that. Yes, you were being a jerk, but you made the effort to come and apologize to me. You reached out to me, and we became friends, we had fun together.” I softened my look as I took both of her hands. “We became a couple. I moved on. Why can’t you do the same?”
“Twilight...” Aria gazed into my eyes for a while. After several moments passed, she smiled and squeezed my hands back. “I’m trying, I really am. I’m very happy with how my life is right now. I honestly don’t know why I keep looking back, my past isn’t pleasant.”
“Because it’s still a part of you.” I smiled at her again. “You have to forgive yourself.”
My girlfriend looked away from me clearly ashamed of her past behavior. “One day I might.” She sighed and focused her eyes on me again. “But I really messed up, Sparks. It will take time.”
“In the meantime, I’ll make sure to shower you with love and affection.” Aria blushed and her eyes widened by my words, but then she smiled and locked her gaze on mine. I was ready to get lost in her eyes, when a faint squeal interrupted us. Both Aria and I turned around to find our waitress next to us with her hands covering her mouth and her eyes wet. “Casey...?” I said, raising an eyebrow in confusion.
“I-I’m sorry, but you two are so adorable…!”
I blushed deeply, and my guess is that Aria was too. I couldn’t verify it because Rune Charm walked towards us, catching my attention as she stormed up on Casey again.
“Do you go deaf when I speak, or do you just deliberately ignore me when I talk to you!?” Casey’s co-worker yelled before placing her hands on her hips. She didn’t look happy at all. “You’re being unprofessional!”
“But Rune...” Our waitress looked so sad. She has been so nice. I have to say something!
“She’s not bothering us, really.” My words caught the attention of both waitresses. I glanced at my girlfriend before speaking again. “Right, Aria?”
My date shrugged. “She’s cool. I can’t complain.” I smiled at her.
Thank you, alpha!
“Even so, Rune Charm has a point.” I looked towards the direction the new voice came from to see an older woman, maybe around her mid-thirties, approaching us. I could feel an aura of radiance around her. “Casey, these customers might not mind, but others might complain about intruding in their business. You’re not in troubles this time, as long as you promise that you’ll be careful from now on.”
“Yes, boss, I’m sorry.” Our waitress lowered her head, ashamed.
“As for you, Rune Charm-” The older woman glanced at the other waitress. “Warning Casey was noble of your part, but do not neglect our patrons in the process. I can see more than one angry glare directed to you right now.”
Rune gasped and blushed, embarrassed. “Y-Yes, Linora! I’m sorry! I’ll get back to work right away!” She said, before walking away at a fast pace.
“I-I’ll be going too.” Our waitress said, before excusing herself. She gave us a grateful smile as she resumed her work.
Their boss remained though. I wasn’t sure how to feel with her presence, until she shot us a smile. “My apologies. I didn’t mean for you to witness that. I hope your meal wasn’t ruined.”
“No, it’s alright.” I said, returning her smile. “I’m glad you weren’t harsh on them.”
“They're nice girls. I'm friends with their families, so I have known them my entire life.” Linora explained. “Rune has had a harsh life. She has been on the wrong side of the law, but she has a good heart. She’s always looking out for Casey.”
I looked at Aria. “I was right. She IS like you.” My girlfriend blushed and looked away scoffing. I giggled at her reaction before turning to Linora again. “What about Casey?”
“She has a different background.” She spoke with such serenity that it was contagious. “She’s studious. Her grades are remarkable. She loves mystery novels and she’s studying a major in literature in order to become a writer. It’s also almost impossible to get her attention when she’s reading.”
“Well, what do you know?” Aria smirked and spoke with a teasing tone. “Does she remind you of someone, Sparks?”
I blushed and coughed nervously. “W-Well…”
Linora chuckled softly. “That’s cute.” She cleared her throat before adopting a professional posture. “How are you liking your food?”
“It’s delicious!” I said, smiling widely.
“Same here. My compliments to the chef.” Aria spoke next.
“I’ll make sure our chef, Roland, receives your compliments.” The woman said, before giving us a short bow. “I must keep going. Bon appetit.”
“Thank you.” I watched the woman walk away. When she was far enough, Aria chuckled. I glanced at her to see that she had an amused smile.
“‘My compliments to the chef’. I always wanted to say that.
I shared her smile. “Oh, really? What a dorky thing to say Aria. I must be rubbing off on you.” I said, playfully while grinning back at Aria.
“Har, har,” Aria sarcastically laughed at me. “In some of the movies Adagio watches they say that. If only I had a reason to get in a taxi and order the driver to follow a specific vehicle into an amazing chase sequence.”
“I wouldn’t recommend you to do that.” I said, wagging a finger sideways. “It’s illegal. Even if you want to joke with the driver, it could get you into trouble.”
“You recommend not to, which means I can still do it if I want.” Aria crossed her arms.
“Aria!” I raised my voice, not too much though. Just enough to let her see my worry. My date, however, started to laugh. I tilted my head and raised an eyebrow in confusion.
“I’m just messing with you, Sparks.” She smiled at me. “I might not be clever, but I’m not stupid.”
I smiled back. I can’t believe I fell for that after all the back and forth teasing. “You’re terrible, you know that?”
“Trust me, I know. You’re just so naive it’s cute.” Aria grinned before returning to her food. I did the same. The food was truly delicious. After finishing our main course we decided on a dessert to try before leaving. I hope the desserts are just as good so we can return another day.
“I have never eaten so good in my life!” Aria commented after we walked out from the café. She was grinning widely and our hands were intertwined together. “The sandwich was so tasty, and the chocolate mousse I had for dessert…so good.”
“It even came with a cute topping!” I commented. “A moose made of white chocolate, filled with more chocolate mousse. A moose mousse!”
Aria chuckled. “Yeah, that’s a good one.”
“My flan was delicious too.” I smiled at her. “It has been so long since the last time I ate one.”
“Did you see the cakes in display?” Aria’s jaw dropped in excitement. “I cannot wait until we return to try them!”
“You’re only trying one slice per date.” I said, while lifting a finger into the air. “Just walking won’t be enough if you eat more, not to mention that it won’t be any good for your body.”
“I know, I know.” She glanced at me, still smiling happily. “Just don’t make me wait, cub.”
“Maybe next weekend, or sooner, if you’re good.” I said, before walking closer to her in order to place my head on her shoulder.
“I’ll be good, I promise.” My girlfriend said as she nuzzled her head on mine. All these affections might make my heart explode one of these days. Squee!
“Aria?”
“Hmm?”
Time to improvise. I’ll spend as much time with her as I can. “Can we go for a walk? Teach me one of your routes.”
My date smirked. “Sure thing, Sparks.”
I grinned and kissed her on her cheek. We made eye contact and got lost in each other’s eyes, until Aria poked my nose. I covered my face with my hands, as usual, while my girlfriend chuckled. I smirked, leaning up and kissed her nose in response getting a confused but cute smile in return. She then linked arms with me and we walked together. “If your feet start to get tired, don’t hesitate to let me know. I’ll carry you if I have to.”
I giggled. “That won’t be necessary, but thank you for your kind offer.” I never thought I could be this happy. I can barely hold myself from squealing all the time. Aria Blaze… She has been a good friend and she’s being a wonderful girlfriend. Her sweet tooth caught me by surprise, but now I have something to spoil her with… but with moderation, of course. She won’t gain weight on my watch.
“Hey Twilight?”
“Hmm, what is it Aria?”
“If I get fat would you still want to be with me?”
“I would. It just means there would be more of you to hug, Aria Blaze,” I said, walking beside her. “I promise I won’t run off with Casey.”
“You better not! I’ll kick her butt and then yours!”
We both laughed enjoying each other's company as we walked through town together. Arms linked and my head in Aria’s shoulder there was nothing that could ruin this moment. Nothing at all.