Sunlight filtered in through the window and you groggily turned away from the meddlesome interruption of your Z's, burying your face into the pillow. You groaned and stretched, squeezing your eyes together before blinking them open. This wasn't your bedroom. Your bedroom wasn't even half this one's size and had a small bed, a single dresser, a stack of empty beer cans in the corner and a Discord lamp you bought at a yard sale.
This one was, well...girly.
For starters, the mattress you were laying on was queen-sized and was situated in one of those canopy beds you only saw in magazines and movies about the Middle Ages. The walls were covered in light purple wallpaper and there were white columns with pink diamonds surrounding the room. You sat up, instantly feeling a raw stickiness around your pelvis. You sniffed at the air, picking up on a familiar scent. Yep, there was definitely some fucking last night.
Throwing the covers over, you placed one foot on the light blue carpeting, followed by the other and slowly stood up. You rubbed your throbbing temples and muttered to yourself as you retrieved your pants. The button was missing and the zipper was busted. Your eyes widened at the image of a light blue glow surrounding your crotch and bursting the front of your pants open. No...no fucking way!
You noticed a collection of mannequins-er, well-ponequins, a shelf with rolls of fabrics and a sewing machine. The wall next to the sewing machine was covered with tacked-on pictures of different dress designs. It all came back to you. You remembered the bar, talking to Rarity, taking her home, putting her to bed and then porking the mare's brains out. Ho-ly shitballs…
"I fucked Rarity..." You then pumped your fist in the air. "Yes!"
Your self-congratulation vanished as you recalled the talking bits of that evening. You remembered consoling Rarity after she revealed her low self-esteem, how much you thought of her and her hopeless love life. Then, there was how you both professed to liking each other, how this wasn't going to be just a fling. Holding Rarity in your arms after pissing off your ancestors through a round of hot inter-species sex, staring into her beautiful eyes as you stroked her fur. Falling asleep with her nuzzled up on your chest, feeling the softness of her coat and the warmth that'd entered your heart.
"The best thing to ever happen to me..."
There it was again, that pain in your chest. It was as though your heart was stopping but speeding up at the same time. You'd had feelings for Rarity for a while now and not just physical attraction but an appreciation for her character. She was elegant, witty and a take-charge mare, the type that knew what she wanted and went for it. Sure, she was a bit whiny sometimes and a little prudish but she was also selfless, kind and honest. In a word, your perfect dream girl. Or mare.
Your stomach rumbled and you realized that you were starving. Good thing you didn't skip dinner last night otherwise you'd be an irritable wreck. Well, more so than usual. Slipping into your pants, you borrowed a discarded length of fiber and created a makeshift belt before putting your shirt on. Crap, you forgot that Rarity tore the buttons off in a drunken, sex-starved craze. Heh, that was hot.
You tip-toed downstairs, passing a white lump named Opalescence, Rarity's pet cat that hated everyone except you. Which was funny, considering that you were more of a dog person. Nevertheless, you rubbed Opal's head as you passed her and she gave you a little purr. Okay, that was kind of cute. You peeked your head out and slowly made your way to the kitchen, following the smell of fresh-roasted coffee and eggs.
Rarity sat at the kitchen table facing the entrance, a newspaper in front of her as a cup of coffee levitated by her head. She wore a red robe and for once, didn't have her mane coiffed and immaculately brushed. Instead, she let it hang semi-wetly in her face and over one shoulder. Apparently she'd gotten a shower before coming downstairs and you had to fight the urge to pop a boner at the thought of a wet Rarity. No, shoo, get out of here! Bad Li'l Anon!
You tore yourself away from your thoughts just when Rarity noticed your presence. At first, her expression was mostly blank with a pinch of surprise, her chest rising and falling as she stared at you. She then blushed and smiled softly before clearing her throat.
"G-ahem! Good morning...Anon."
"Good morning," you said back, rubbing one arm.
Awkward silence filled the air. The clock in the background ticked, as though counting the minutes when one of you would just say something. You patted your thighs and clicked your tongue.
"So...about last night..."
Rarity held a hoof up. "A-actually Anon, I was thinking that we could enjoy some breakfast before we discussed the, um, particulars of last night's...activities."
You blinked. "Sounds good."
You sat in the empty seat across from her and waited as she finished preparing omelets with buttered toast. Other than you thanking her for the meal and her accepting it, neither one of you spoke as you ate, instead allowing yourself time to think of what to say. You sipped the coffee and gave an appreciative hum. This was ten times better than the stuff you usually bought, having a sort of gourmet taste to it without it being one of those thousand-bit brands. Plus, the omelets were the right amount of fluffy and cooked, making you wish that your own cooking skills weren't so lackluster.
Once you were both done eating, Rarity finally turned to you and took a deep breath.
"So Anon? About last night...I acted rather..." Her hoof spun on her pastern as she searched for the right word. "...crudely. I am not used to drinking and I'd gone through a bit of a dry spell sexually-speaking as well as being upset so please don't get the wrong impression of me."
"Okay," you stated, scratching your nose. "There's no need to explain yourself. I don't think any less of you."
She crinkled her brow. "Really?"
"Really."
Rarity wiped her forehead and sighed, "That's a relief! I was sort of, maybe a teensy bit afraid you'd gotten the impression that I was some sort of harlot."
"Whoa, whatever gave you that idea?"
Rarity began running her hooves through the part of her mane hanging over her shoulder. "I...I don't make it a habit of getting intoxicated and taking strangers to bed."
You folded your arms. "'Strangers?' Rare, we've known each other for two and a half years now."
"You know what I mean!" Rarity snapped but upon seeing your look of astonishment, she quickly apologized. "I'm so sorry, Anon! It's just that, for a while now, I..." She looked down, her mane strokes becoming faster and tighter. "...I've developed feelings for you."
"What was that?" You heard perfectly well what she mumbled but now you needed her to say it clearly. For the both of you.
She lifted her head up, looking almost embarrassed. "I've developed feelings for you," she repeated softly, still unable to meet your gaze. It was so odd seeing the normally confident and in charge mare acting so meek. It was as though she swapped places with Fluttershy.
You gently reached over and brushed your fingers against one of her hooves. "Same here."
Rarity's eyes snapped to meet your own. "You did?"
"Yeah. Don't you remember last night?"
Her hooves drummed against the tabletop. "A l-little," she admitted, her cheeks a light scarlet. "You were tucking me into bed and I...presented myself to you. And then we..." A cute little grin appeared.
"That we did," you chuckled. "But other than the sex?"
Staring out the window, Rarity answered, "Afterwards...you held me. And I said that you were-..."
"-...the best thing to ever happen to you."
Rarity nodded, her hoof extending across the table. You gently placed your hand over her hoof.
"I meant that, you know," she whispered, her azure eyes sparkling.
"I know." You then added, "I feel the same way."
Rarity's irises widened. "So why didn't you make a move sooner?"
"Why didn't you?" You countered, enjoying the sour look she gave you.
"I asked you first!"
You chuckled, rubbing her pastern with a finger. You sighed, taking time to gather your thoughts, having never been that skilled with expressing yourself emotionally. "The thing is, you're you and I'm, well...I'm me."
"I don't understand."
It was your turn to look down. "Rarity, you're a somepony. You're an Element of Harmony, a hero and role model to millions. I'm just some weird-looking alien that wound up here because of a fluke." Your voice lowered and you weren't certain to whom you were talking to, her or you. "The truth is, I didn't think that I was good enough."
"Anon..." Tears were building up in Rarity's eyes.
You faced her. "Outside of Ponyville, I'm a monster, a freak. I didn't know if you'd ever see me that way and even if you did, everypony would treat you differently. They might even hurt you for it. I couldn't have that. Equestria needs you." The next part hurt to say aloud: "It doesn't need me."
"Anon, look at me."
Rarity was crying now but maintained a serious expression. "I don't want you to ever put yourself down like that again. You are a wonderful, kind, caring man and everypony here adores you."
Before you could respond, she continued. "You think that I'm too good for you but the truth is, I'm not. You're perfect. You wanted to cheer me and walk me home when I had too much to drink. You carried me to bed and were ready to sleep elsewhere when many others would've taken advantage of me. Even when I came onto you, you were thinking about my needs."
Your fingers tightened around Rarity's hoof snuggly, conscious not to hurt her.
"You were my friend first. And yes, the sex was amazing but what I wanted, what you gave me, was somepony that I could just lie in bed and cuddle with. Or someone," Rarity smiled, the tears steadily streaming.
"I care about you," you uttered, your hand finding your way to Rarity's cheek to wipe the tears away with your thumb. "You're not Rarity the Hero or Rarity the Trendsetter. To me, you'll always just be Rarity."
Rarity laughed softly and then cooed at your touch. "That's good enough for me."
Another moment of silence took place but neither of you cared as it gave you the chance to just stare at one another and enjoy the other's company. You leaned forward and pressed your lips against hers, taking a sample of her taste before pulling back. God, she was perfect.
"You know, if you decide to be with me, ponies will stare at you," you reminded her.
"Let them stare."
"I can't give you foals."
"We could always adopt."
Now she was really testing you. "I'm not a rich man."
"I make enough for both of us. That is, if you don't mind the mare being the breadwinner."
"Not at all," you grinned. Now it was time for the coup de grâce. "I'm also not a prince."
The unicorn leapt forward and mashed her lips against yours. Your hand went through her mane, a major no-no area under normal circumstances but for now, she was loving it. You other hand slipped under her robe to paw at her chest fur and she moaned into your mouth.
Pulling away with a wet smack, Rarity lightly pressed her horn to your forehead, keeping your lips only a few inches apart and she beamed wider than you'd ever seen her.
"You are to me, Anon. You are to me."