The realization hit like a ton of bricks.
A shit ton of bricks.
Sunset gasped back into reality and held a hand to her cheek, taking a step back as she once more took in her surroundings. The glow from her eyes vanished just before she faced Rarity again.
Rarity's deep, ocean blue eyes looked into Sunset's, her brow slightly furrowed. If Sunset knew anything about her, she could take an educated guess and say Rarity was a bit concerned. Her lip twitched as she reached out to touch Sunset, stopping halfway and letting her hand linger between them. Sunset glanced around them at the other students in the hallway, though none of them seemed to pay the pair any mind.
"What is it, darling?" Rarity's sweet voice asked, breaking through the artificial silence the magic set around Sunset after its usage. "Are you okay?"
That was the question of the century, wasn't it? Something sparked in Sunset's very core at Rarity's innocent inquiry. Her hand dragged down her cheek as she swallowed dryly. "Uh, yeah, I just… I wasn't expecting you to kiss me on the cheek…"
Rarity's eyes widened for just a moment, barely long enough for Sunset to catch, but the startled look disappeared almost instantly. Her cheeks were rosy, but Sunset couldn't tell if they were like that from before. "Oh, sorry! Old habit, I suppose," she explained with a giggle, waving her outstretched hand dismissively before bringing it back to her side. "Just how we say hello and good-bye in my family. And… thank you, as well."
"It's no problem," Sunset assured, though she wondered how much of that was true. The voices of other students finally shook her out of her stupor, reminding her she had one last class before she could go home. And really think about what she had seen.
Really think about it.
She cleared her throat. "Class is about to start," Sunset reminded her. "I don't want you to be late. I'll talk to you later?"
Rarity seemed a bit taken aback, but after a moment, fumbled her books as she took a step back from Sunset, half turning away. "Oh, yes, right. My English class is across the school, so I… should go, yes." She waved with her free hand, looking a bit clumsy like Twilight sometimes was, though even despite that, she somehow made it look graceful.
Gracefully clumsy.
Before she could get too far, Rarity turned her head back to Sunset. "Thank you for lending me your notes, darling! And I'm sorry about the…" She cringed and shook her head. "Never mind that. I'll see you!"
After a weak wave bye, Sunset watched Rarity until she fully disappeared, still maintaining a brief walking pace, then turned to close her locker. She noticed a freshman staring at her curiously. "What?" she barked.
The younger girl flinched in that way that deer-eyed freshmen did. "Nothing! Just… admiring your jacket," she squeaked before muttering something about being late and sprinting away.
Reeling back, Sunset sighed. "Never thought I'd wish to be magic-less," she mumbled.
The ringing of the bell punctuated her sentence. Sunset banged her forehead on her locker once more before rushing to her class. "Never thought I'd wish to be Rainbow Dash, either."
A long, headache-inducing calculus class later, Sunset stood in front of her locker, slowly putting away her schoolbooks. Remnants of Rarity's thoughts and memories ran through her mind, and she began to question just how much of her headache was the calculus and not the intense thought she had been giving the past realization.
Or the banging of her head on her locker.
It was a strange habit, but then again, she'd never met anyone who banged her head on desks more than Twilight, and her brain seemed to be fine. Regardless, Sunset raised her forehead from the metallic door and groaned. "Rarity, you stupid diva," she hissed. "Why did you have to kiss me?"
With a dissatisfied and deeply confused grunt, Sunset slammed her locker closed and marched out the front door. No matter what she tried to think about, her thoughts always lingered back to Rarity's.
"Gah!"
She trudged through the thick crowds of students in front of the school, pushing through the particularly 'in her way' ones. At least I can work on concepts for my next street art piece, she thought as she approached her motorcycle. I could do something with blue. Oh! Rarity was just showing me—
Rarity! Damn it!
Sunset felt her cheeks redden at the thought of her friend, and the implications of that deeply bothered her. "Sweet Celestia, just leave me alone, Rarity!"
"Oh! I'm terribly sorry," squeaked a voice from behind that Sunset really wished she hadn't heard. She'd been wishing for a lot lately, but wishes rarely came true.
Holding the helmet tightly in her hands, Sunset turned to Rarity, who had been approaching from the school. In her hands was a box tied with a magnificent red bow to match her flushed cheeks. "I wanted to give you… well, it was sort of a… Err, it doesn't matter," Rarity stuttered. "Sorry, I didn't mean to bother you or anything, dear."
Just how many awkward moments can I have today? Sunset dropped her tensed shoulders and smiled at Rarity. "No, Rares, it's fine," she assured her. "I didn't mean it. I was just…"
Rarity watched expectantly as Sunset trailed off. Her lips pressed together in a tight line, full of concern, probably. After a bit, she most likely realized that Sunset was not going to finish the sentence, and cleared her throat to do it herself. "Right, well, you seem troubled. I just wanted to give you this as a thank you for helping me catch up after I came back," she explained, holding out that box in her hands. "It's nothing special, but… Well, your help means a lot to me, Sunset Shimmer."
The way she enunciated her name made Sunset's inside turn over. Despite barely being able to feel herself, Sunset reached for the box and took it from Rarity. Shockwaves trailed down her hands as their fingers brushed against each other. "Thanks, Rarity. I'm glad you're back now."
Rarity smiled. "Me too. I missed you, Sunset." She stepped closer to Sunset. Just a little bit, but it was enough to send Sunset into brief panic. "You know, out of all our friends, you came to see me the most."
Alarms were blaring in Sunset's head, though she wasn't sure if they were good alarms or bad alarms.
What the hell are good alarms?!
"Really?" Sunset asked, rubbing the box with her thumbs. "Well, I just wanted to make sure you were okay," she admitted sheepishly. Despite learning a lot about friendship, being all touchy-feely was still a bit uncomfortable. "Or well, as okay as you can be."
Rarity let out a short laugh. "Right, well, I'll be okay for at least another decade, I hope," she quipped. "Muscular dystrophy will not stop me from becoming a world-famous fashion designer!"
Smirking, Sunset crossed her arms. "Unless it makes you trip and get a concussion," she pointed out.
"Oh you," Rarity shot back with an amused grin. "Still hasn't stopped me, so I think we can both agree I'm right."
"So, should I open the box now?" Sunset asked, sparing a glance down at the little box. It wasn't very heavy, only serving to grow the curiosity inside Sunset. She pulled at the bow and looked up at Rarity, who flushed.
"Well, if you want to. Though, can we go to a bench so I can sit? I'm feeling sort of weak."
Hesitating just a bit in fear of seeing Rarity's thoughts again, Sunset slowly placed a hand on Rarity's forearm, then gripped it softly as she realized she wasn't about to invade her friend's privacy again. "Of course."
Thankfully, there was a bench nearby, next to the statue. Most of the other students had gone home already, including their friends. It was, strangely, the one time they all worked, leaving Rarity and Sunset alone together. They sat down, and immediately, Rarity stared at Sunset with a wide smile. Sunset looked down at the box and carefully took the top off, setting the ribbon to the side. She gasped as she caught sight of the choker inside it. It was a simple black one with the same half and half sun that she sometimes wore.
It was too nice to accept. Sunset looked at her friend, that strange fluttering inside her coming back. "Rarity—"
An alabaster hand pressed a finger into her lips to shut her up. "Tut tut," Rarity interrupted. "I don't want to hear it. Just put it on, okay, dear? It's the least I could do. I know you've been wanting one for a while."
How could she argue with that?
Wordlessly, Sunset slipped the choker on. It was tight around her neck in a way that wasn't uncomfortable at all. She looked down, barely able to see the charm that now hung from the centre of her throat. A smile lit up her face as she eagerly looked at Rarity. "Wow, I… don't know what to say! I mean, thank you, duh, but you really didn't have to do that."
"Sunset, please," Rarity shot back, "I said I didn't want to hear it. Now, you may express your gratitude by wearing it every day." Her voice took on that jokingly serious voice that made Sunset roll her eyes.
Warm amber hands came to rest on Rarity's.
Flash.
"You look lovely, darling!" Rarity smiled eagerly as Sunset looked down at her new dress.
A smile adorned Sunset's face. "I love it! Wow, Rarity, you never miss, do you?"
The dress looked stunning, though it was mostly Sunset who made it so. The tank top faded from magenta to orange, making Sunset look like a real sunset. The light yellow skirt of the dress fell to just above her knees in the front and trailed to her calves in the back. Rarity's breath hitched in her throat. The faux crystals stitched into the skirt shone almost as bright as the girl wearing it.
Sunset twirled around in a slightly out-of-character manner. Rarity had seen it time and time again; even past any tough act she may put up, every girl loved a good dress. Especially if she was the one making it. She had even broken through Applejack’s tomboyish walls and gotten the country girl to giggle over a dress.
But Sunset’s way of doing it was… adorable, to say the least.
The smile on Rarity's face grew. "That's very kind of you, Sunset. I do my best."
"Well, your best is amazing! I can't wait for the Spring Fling!"
Flash.
"The Spring Fling sucks, huh?"
Rarity looked over to Sunset, who took a seat on the bleachers next to her. The gymnasium's dimmed lighting brought a level of allure to her figure that made Rarity's cheeks heat up. "Yes, it sort of does. I'm glad the girls are having fun, though."
Sunset nodded, glancing to the dance floor where the group of them waved. Sunset waved back before turning back to Rarity. "Yeah, me too. Dances kind of freak me out, though," she admitted. "But I'll get over it. What about you? Are you tired?" She casually spread her arms on either side of the bleachers. Rarity discreetly leaned back into her touch.
"A bit. My legs feel a bit like jelly." Rarity smiled as Sunset adjusted her arm around her shoulder in a loose side hug. "I think I'm alright now, though. I just didn't want to trip or anything."
"That's okay." Sunset looked straight ahead. "We can always dance a little later."
Rarity's gaze focused on Sunset's profile. The way her nose fell at a straight angle mixed with her well-defined jaw and the lighting cast only on the edges of her face gave her the appearance of incredibly powerful, but still extremely feminine. It was a look that Rarity didn't even know she liked, but she found herself lingering on Sunset's face a little too eagerly.
She swallowed dryly as she took Sunset's hand in her own and stood. "Well, why not dance now? Seize the day, as it were! I promise I won't fall."
Sunset smirked and looked up before pushing herself to her feet. "You'd better not."
The music thumped as they danced with each other, each with a smile on her face. They rotated in opposite directions, the pop song directing their moves. Rarity sighed dreamily as she realized she had already broken her promise.
Flash.
Sunset blinked. Rarity looked at her, cheeks thoroughly flushed. Sunset, for her part, could practically feel the blush setting in on her own face. Her hand twitched on top of Rarity’s and she pulled away.
“You saw my thoughts, didn’t you?”
Well, she couldn’t lie now. Sunset rubbed her eyes—the glow made them feel itchy for moments after the magic usage—and nodded. “Yeah, sorry. I didn’t mean to, but the magic’s flaring up,” she explained. I bet Rainbow Dash is running around.
“What, pray tell, did you see, darling?” Rarity asked with a slight break in her voice on the endearing term.
Sunset considered lying, maybe save Rarity some trouble, but Applejack would definitely punch her in the face if she found out. And getting punched in the face by Applejack is not exactly something anyone would want to experience twice. Plus, she sort of wanted Rarity to know that she knew.
“Well, first of all,” Sunset started, “I kind of saw what you were thinking when you gave me a kiss on the cheek, too.”
“What?!” Rarity shrieked.
Sunset held out her hands to steady Rarity, who looked like she was about to fall over. They both hesitated a bit before making contact with each other. “Yeah, I’m sorry, I should have told you but I was a bit… flabbergasted,” Sunset admitted. “I didn’t know you felt that way about me.” Sheepishly, she rubbed the back of her neck.
“Oh, erm, so that’s what you saw.”
“Yeah, just now I saw our, uh, dance at the Spring Fling. The one where Rainbow Dash fell on her face, remember?” Sunset’s attempt at making Rarity smile seemed to work as she watched her friend giggle.
“I do remember that, yes,” Rarity replied with a smile. She sighed and turned away from Sunset. “I’m sorry, Sunset.”
Sorry? Sunset cocked her head, frowning a little at Rarity’s retreat. “For what?”
Rarity’s lip quivered, and for a moment, Sunset thought she might start crying. Instead, she swallowed and exhaled sharply. “I suppose I should have told you. Perhaps it would have been better for you to know right away so we could have avoided a rather… awkward situation such as this one.”
The charm on Sunset’s neck felt heavier with every word Rarity spoke. She put a hand on it, as if to lessen the weight. “Does it have to be awkward?” she asked with half-shrug.
Deep blue eyes met Sunset’s. “What do you mean?”
“I mean… Why does it have to be awkward?” Sunset scooched in a little closer to Rarity. “I don’t think it’s bad that you like me, I was just surprised. Maybe a little taken aback because…” Sunset paused. She hadn’t even confirmed it to herself, but it only made too much sense. With an even deeper redness to her face, she made sure to look right into Rarity’s eyes. “I’m not used to feeling like that for other people.”
Rarity’s eyes widened. “W-what do you mean?” she asked again.
For being such a flirt, Rarity was extremely flustered. Then again, Sunset figured being a flirt and actually liking someone was different. She could absolutely say that for sure for herself, and it seemed to hold true for Rarity. Well, I think I broke her, Sunset quipped to herself. With a smirk, she rolled her eyes and cupped a hand on the side of Rarity’s face, just past her pink cheeks. “How about I show you?”
She leaned in a bit, making sure to give Rarity enough time to move away if she wanted to. When she didn’t move back, but didn’t move forward either, Sunset figured she was clear to proceed and fought through the intense fluttering in her stomach. Her eyes slid closed as she placed her lips softly on Rarity’s. Her lips were as soft as Sunset thought they’d be, and though it was a quick, chaste kiss, they pulled away blushing intensely.
Desperate to keep up her ‘cool’ appearance, Sunset tried to smirk. “Does that make it clear enough?”
In response, Rarity leaned in again, now giving Sunset a kiss far rougher than she would have expected the fashionista to give. Suppressing a squeak, she shut her eyes once more and kissed back. Her hands cupped Rarity’s face as they broke apart for a breath and came together again. It was much like the kissing Sunset had done all those times with Flash, but so different at the same time.
With Flash, it was purely to keep up appearances, and maybe it was enjoyable at the time, but there was no passion. Just hands trailing against each other’s bodies, tongues slipping in and out of mouths. There were feelings, but not emotions.
But kissing Rarity lit fireworks inside Sunset’s body, and the more it went on, the brighter and louder they felt. She smiled as she deepened the kiss, daring to try to gain entry into Rarity’s mouth. To her surprise, Rarity parted her lips slightly, allowing Sunset to explore. All the while, she could feel Rarity’s emotions, her strong attraction, her care and appreciation, her gratitude. Flashes of moments shared between the pair blinked through her mind, but the moment happening overpowered all that. A new memory was being made, and Sunset could practically feel its importance.
Maybe it escalated a bit quickly, but much to Sunset’s surprise, Rarity seemed to enjoy it. After what felt like forever gone by too quickly, they finally parted, breathing heavily thanks to their ignorance of the basic need for oxygen. They looked at each other, faces as flushed red as Sunset’s hair, but their panting selves still managed to smile before they pulled each other into a hug. The smell of Rarity’s flowery perfume attacked Sunset’s nose, and it was the best smell ever.
“So,” Sunset finally dared to speak, breaking the heavenly silence between them. “You’re a good kisser.”
Rarity ran a hand through her hair, trying to compose herself once more. “As are you, Sunset Shimmer.”
Sunset snorted and punched Rarity softly on the arm. “Well, you know where I learned. What about you?”
It quickly became Sunset’s favourite game to see how red she could make Rarity blush. Judging by the deep red her face had become, Sunset marked it as a new record. “Oh, you know,” Rarity stammered, “just some party games here and there. Nothing uncouth.”
Rolling her eyes, Sunset wrapped an arm around Rarity’s shoulder. “So, just to confirm. We’re dating now, right?”
“Well, I’d be a little surprised if we weren’t, darling,” Rarity admitted. “We did just, erm, make out in public. A bit unladylike, but I’ll make an exception just for you.”
“True, though you’d be surprised what teenagers do,” Sunset joked.
Rarity giggled and gave Sunset a quick kiss on the cheek. It still managed to send lightning down her entire body. “That one was a thank you.”
Just like earlier that day, Sunset’s palm found her cheek, though this time, she preserved the feeling of Rarity’s lips against her cheek. “A thanks for what?”
“For giving me a chance despite my condition,” Rarity whispered. She put a hand on Sunset’s knee, her voice softening. “I don’t know how it will progress, to be honest, but I am glad to have you by my side.”
Sunset made sure to smile and gently placed her hand on Rarity’s. That time, nothing happened. No flashes of memory, no two times fighting for dominance. Sunset was extremely glad. She wanted to stay in the moment, to see things through moment by moment. “I always will be, Rares. I promise.”