//------------------------------// // The First Real Date // Story: Sweet Affection: Young Love // by Masterob //------------------------------// The following morning, Rumble had woken up from his sleep. The boy had a lot on his mind the previous night, and it took him longer than he would have liked to doze off, and now felt a little tired this morning, but he was willing to push through. After brushing his teeth, he gone down for his breakfast. He hoped to see Sweetie Belle later, but given what happened with Rarity, that was currently up in the air. He grabbed some eggs from the fridge, along with some waffles and a carton of juice and started gathering everything up. As he cooked his breakfast, a drowsy Thunderlane came into the kitchen, the teen wiping his eyes, "Hey bro, looks like you're cooking up something good." "Morning Thunder, just some eggs and junk," Rumble said. "I can whip you up something if you'd like." "I'm good, I got leftovers from yesterday," Thunderlane said, heading into the fridge to grab his own food. "So, big moment for you yesterday, kissing Sweetie Belle and all." "Yeah, it was," Rumble said, the boy blushing a bit at the memory. "Still kind of surprised it happened. She was just mad a second prior, then she's kissing me. Is that a normal girl thing or something?" "Word of advice, don't try to understand girls," Thunderlane said, heating up his food up in the microwave. "Just do what they say and you'll be fine." "Uh...that sounds like a weird bit of advice to give, Thunderlane," Rumble replied. "Just speaking from experience," Thunderlane said. "Ha, don't take everything Thunderlane says at face value," Cloudchaser said, the girl walking into the kitchen with her sister Flitter. "He's not a total expert." "But he's not too far off about everything," Flitter said. "Hey Flitter, hey CC," Rumble greeted. "Spend the night again?" "You know us, staying up late either watching movies or playing a few games," Cloudchaser said, checking the fridge. "It's more fun here than at home." "Yeah, we get to see you grow up," Flitter said, rubbing the boy's head. "You're turned into a fine young man, Rumble. With an even finer girlfriend." "It's nothing, really," Rumble said. "Hardly, you got yourself a girlfriend, and it seems genuine too," Cloudchaser said. "A hell of a lot more genuine than half of Thunderlane's relationships." "Real funny," Thunderlane said. "I'll have you know that I once dated Rainbow Dash." "You and her ate a burger together once during our Track Team's party," Cloudchaser said. "That is not a date." "Hey, I felt something spark between us," Thunderlane said. "Besides I have options. I bet I could get a date with Applejack, or Lightning Dust." "That's a reach," Cloudchaser said. "But at least Applejack is a good choice, I would not suggest Lightning Dust." "Come on, she's not that bad," Thunderlane said. "No, I'm with Cloudchaser, she's kind of a bully," Flitter said. "Yeah seriously, she's the most obnoxious girl in our school," Cloudchaser said. "I thought that was Trixie Lulamoon?" Rumble asked. "Alright, so it's a tie, but they're both annoying in their own ways," Cloudchaser said. "Lightning Dust thinks she's better than she actually is, and Trixie thinks she has actual talent when she doesn't." "Can't be as bad as Diamond Tiara tends to be," Rumble said. "But she's nicer than she acts so maybe Trixie and Lighting Dust are too." "I'll believe it when I see it," Cloudchaser said. "Why are we doing this pointless gossip?" Flitter asked. "We're ignoring the important fact that Rumble here got a cute little girlfriend." "Do not worry, I have not forgotten that glorious fact," Cloudchaser said. "So kid, any plans for your little sweetheart?" "I want to do something nice, but Rarity seemed pretty ticked off that I kissed Sweetie Belle," Rumble said. "So I'm kind of worried about the whole dating thing." "Don't worry about Rarity, not like she can tell Sweetie Belle not to date you," Cloudchaser said. "Can't she though? Rarity is her older sister," Rumble said. "Yes, her sister, not her mother," Cloudchaser clarified. "It's Sweetie Belle's choice to date you or not, and I think she's chosen to date you." "But why does Rarity hate the idea of me dating her sister?" Rumble asked. "Does she not like me?" "She's just being a little overprotective," Cloudchaser explained. "It's nothing against you personally." "Doesn't feel that way," Rumble said. "She's probably worried that you just want Sweetie Belle for, you know...intimacy," Cloudchaser said. "Sis, don't tell him about that! He's too young!" Flitter said. "No I'm not, I know about sex," Rumble said. Flitter grabbed some soap, an action that startled the young teen, "What was that, young man!?" "Whoa, take a chill pill," Cloudchaser insisted. "I know it's hard to understand, but Rumble is at that age, so obviously he was given the talk." "Yeah, it was every bit as awkward as I expected," Thunderlane joked. "Look, point is Rumble, Rarity knows both you and Sweetie Belle are at the age where you might be interested in that type of thing," Cloudchaser said. "Oh...well..." Rumble bashfully rubbed his head. "I hate to say it but, I have kind of imagined what it'd be like to be with Sweetie Belle in that way." Rumble shook his head a moment, trying to drive away impure thoughts. "Sorry, I know that's wrong to say." "It's alright Rumble, that's not bad thing," Cloudchaser said. "But I like Sweetie Belle for who she is as a person, wouldn't it be bad to want her body?" Rumble asked. "Rumble, you just have basic attraction to a girl, that's very normal for a boy your age," Cloudchaser said. "Still, aren't I proving that Rarity has reason to worry about her sister dating?" Rumble asked. "Rarity's worried that you only want Sweetie Belle for the physical affection, but you like Sweetie Belle for more than that, don't you?" Cloudchaser asked. "Yeah, I just want to be a good boyfriend for her," Rumble said. "I like Sweetie Belle because she's very kind, sweet and she has a very cute smile. Oh, and I like that she has a bit of a playful spunk to her.” "Then that's all that matters," Cloudchaser said. "Just remember, while it's okay to feel physically attracted to someone, don't make any choices you feel like you might regret. You and Sweetie Belle are still young after all. Don't do anything you're not ready to do." "Yeah, I get it," Rumble said. "Exciting as the idea sounds, I feel nervous just thinking about it." "If you do go through with it, at least use protection," Thunderlane said. "Right, of course," Rumble said, feeling a bit embarrassed. "I'll go and see Sweetie Belle right after breakfast then, hopefully I can get past her sister." "Don't worry, we're here if you need us," Cloudchaser said, "Thanks CC," Rumble said, grabbing what he needed to eat. "You and I have some dating to do, Sweetie Belle." Meanwhile with Sweetie Belle, the girl looked ready to leave the house, "Rarity, I'm going to meet my friends, I'll be back later." "Hold it right there!" Rarity called. "You're not leaving just yet, young lady!" "Huh? Why can't I?" Sweetie Belle asked. "Are you really going to meet some friends?" Rarity asked, stomping over. "Or are you going to meet with that boy!?" "You mean Rumble? My boyfriend?" Sweetie Belle asked. "Gah! Don't call him that!" Rarity said. "That boy is NOT your boyfriend!" "He is, we made it official yesterday," Sweetie Belle said. "Rumble is my boyfriend." "Oh that word!" Rarity shouted, placing her arm on her head in a dramatic fashion. "You're going to make me faint." "Why are you being so dramatic about this?" Sweetie Belle asked. "Am I not allowed to have a boyfriend?" "Of course you are, when you're older, and you're absolutely sure that the boy in question loves you for you, and doesn't want you just to make out with you," Rarity said. "Or a boy who's only interested in sex." "...Wow. that escalated. Rumble isn't a pervert," Sweetie Belle said. The girl then thought to herself a second. "Well he did compliment my butt, but I would totally do the same for him. Plus I like that he's fond of my butt, it's flattering." "All boys are perverts Sweetie Belle, that's why you need to be extra careful with whom you date," Rarity said. "Take Sunset Shimmer for instance, she would much rather date a girl than a boy, which is why she flirts with Twilight often." "First off, pretty sure she's joking around," Sweetie Belle said. "Second, I'm not into girls. I want a boyfriend." "Well how about a nicer boy, like Button Mash," Rarity said. "Ew, screw that, I'm not dating that loser," Sweetie Belle said. "Sweetie Belle, that wasn't kind," Rarity said. "...Yeah, that was mean of me to say," Sweetie Belle admitted. "But my point still stands, I am not dating Button Mash. I bet he's likely to be even more of a pervert than Rumble." "Oh no, he's no pervert dear," Rarity said. "He's usually too busy playing those video games to think of doing something perverted to a girl." "Hey, I've seen some of the games he plays, those girls are scandalously dressed," Sweetie Belle said. "Which, there's nothing wrong with, if anything, I want to be as sexy as those girls." Rarity stared in disbelief, then started dramatically crying, "Where did I go wrong with you!?" "Ugh, Rarity, cut it out," Sweetie Belle said. "Let me go see my boyfriend." Rarity snapped out of her dramatic crying, "The answer, is NO!" "You're not my mom, Rarity!" Sweetie Belle said. "In fact, I have half a mind to tell our mom!" "She'll take my side," Rarity said. "Bogus!" Sweetie Belle said. "If not her, then daddy would definitely take my side," Rarity said. "He's more bothered by the idea of you dating than our mother would be." Sweetie Belle angrily clenched her fist and teeth in her rage, "You are SUCH a PAIN!" "That's it, you're grounded young lady," Rarity said. "You can't ground me, YOU'RE NOT MY MOM!" Sweetie Belle shouted. "Young lady, march to your room, this instance!" Rarity said. "Make me!" Sweetie Belle shouted. "Make you huh? I'll make you alright," Rarity lifting up her sleeves while Sweetie Belle put her fists up, ready for a fight. Suddenly there was a knock on the door. "Hello? Sweetie Belle?" Suddenly Sweetie Belle forgot her rage, "Rumble!" "Rumble!" Rarity shouted in anger, pushing her sister aside and opening the door. "Oh, hi there Rarity," Rumble nervously greeted. "Is Sweetie Belle home?" "No," Rarity said. "Yes I am!" Sweetie Belle said. "...She's sick," Rarity said. "No I'm not!" Sweetie Belle shouted. "She's breaking up with you," Rarity said. "Oh hell no!" Sweetie Belle shoved Rarity out of the way, focusing on her boyfriend. "Ignore my sister, she's-" Rarity then grabbed Sweetie Belle, pulling her away from the door, "She's really busy right now." "Get off!" Sweetie Belle shouted, stomping on Rarity's foot, the woman screaming in pain. "You uncouth little brat!" Rarity shouted, yanking Sweetie Belle's hair. "Ow! That's cheating!" Sweetie Belle said. As the two struggled, Twilight and her friends had come up to the door, joined by Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. "Good morning, Rumble," Twilight greeted. "Hi Twilight, nice to see you," Rumble said. "Hey Rumble, here for Sweetie Belle?" Scotaloo asked. "I was...but Rarity doesn't seem to want her to leave the house," Rumble said, awkwardly rubbing her head. "Likely because of me." "Oh for goodness sake," Applejack said. "Mind moving over a bit, Sugarcube?" "Sure," Rumble said, stepping aside and letting Applejack pass through. "Wow, they're really fighting in there," Sunset said. "I didn't mean to get Rarity all upset," Rumble said. "Is it really alright for me to date Sweetie Belle?" "Of course, you like her, don't you?" Twilight asked. "Yeah, I like her a lot," Rumble said. "Then don't worry about Rarity, just focus on dating Sweetie Belle," Twilight said. "You seem like a nice boy, I think you two will be very happy together." "I hope so, I just want to keep that smile on her face, it's really pretty," Rumble said. "Aw, that's so adorable," Fluttershy said, pinching Rumble's cheek. "How could Rarity be so against true love?" "Probably because Rarity herself doesn't understand love," Rainbow Dash said. "Like is it any wonder she can't get a boyfriend?" "That's a bit mean to say, Dashie," Pinkie Pie said. "She's not wrong, Rarity's a bit full of herself sometimes," Sunset said. "Come on Sunset, you shouldn't say those things either," Twilight scolded. "Hey she's the one making a fuss over Rumble and Sweetie Belle dating," Sunset said. "I say let Sweetie Belle date Rumble. He's cute, she's cute, it works out." "Uh, thanks Sunset," Rumble said, awkwardly rubbing his head. "Ha, love how bashful you get," Sunset said. "Ahem," Applejack appeared at the door alongside Sweetie Belle, "She's all yers Rumble." "Hey Sweetie Belle," Rumble said. "My dear, sweet Rumble," Sweetie Belle said, locking Rumble into a kiss with her. "Aw...too cute," Fluttershy said. Sweetie Belle pulled away, leaving Rumble feeling flustered. "Wow, that was amazing." "Glad you think so," Sweetie Belle said, then turned to her friends. "Hey Apple Bloom, Scootaloo. Did you come to hang out or something?" "We did, but if you'd rather date Rumble, that's fine," Apple Bloom said. "Might do you some good." "Well I appreciate that, thank you," Sweetie Belle said. "No need to thank us, we're happy to see such a lovely young couple," Scootaloo said. "Makes me so damn jealous. Kind of want a boyfriend too." "I know some single guys," Rumble said. "There's Tender Taps for one." "He's got his eye on someone else," Apple Bloom said, glancing briefly at Twilight. "Gee, wonder if it's anyone we know, hope he doesn't miss out," Sunset said, placing her arm around Twilight. "It'd be a shame if a super sexy girl went with someone else, probably another super sexy girl." "Sunset, knock it off," a bemused Twilight said. "Well you're not fun," Sunset said, placing her arm away. "Fortunately you're too cute to stay mad at." "Wow, you're barely even hiding it at this point," Rainbow Dash said. "Don't worry about us, Rumble, go have fun," Apple Bloom said. "I owe you girls," Rumble said as he left with his girlfriend. "Just make Sweetie Belle happy, that's all we want," Apple Bloom said. "That and some candy bars if you have any" Scootaloo said, then took a bonk to the head from Apple Bloom. "Ow! That was SO not cool!" "Hey, where's Rarity?" Pinkie Pie asked. Inside the house, Rarity was tied to her chair, courtesy of her friend, "Applejack!" "I'll untie you when you give Rumble and Sweetie Belle some dang breathing room!" Applejack said. "Oh I'll show you breathing room," Rarity said, maneuvering her chair to successfully grab her phone and used a nearby mirror to text something. "You're not getting away that easily with my sister, Rumble!" In his room, Spike was reading some comic books when he got a text message from Rarity, "Oh sweet!" He quicky looked at the message, "Spike, my sister is dating a creep. Go and 'spa' on them. Spa? What does...oh, she meant 'spy'." Spike rubbed his chin, "Who could Sweetie Belle be dating that's a creep? Button Mash?" He got another text. "The boy's name is 'Ramble'. Who's...oh, 'Rumble'. Wait, Rumble? He seems like a nice kid though. But I guess I should look into it." In town, Rumble and Sweetie Belle were taking a nice stroll together, Rumble felt a bit nervous however, knowing that this was his first real date with Sweetie Belle. "Play it cool, if you pull this off, she's yours one more day. Screw up, and it's over." Rumble cleared his throat, "So, where would you like to go?" "You can pick," Sweetie Belle said. "Um...well, what do you like to do?" Rumble asked. "I'm open minded," Sweetie Belle said. "Well mostly, so long as it's not a physical activity. At least not too physical." "Right, nothing physical," Rumble said. Sweetie Belle grew nervous herself, "That's not bad right? I know you like sports and-" "It's cool, don't worry about it," Rumble said. "All I care about is making you happy." "Aw, you're sweet," Sweetie Belle said, kissing Rumble on the cheek. "You're sweeter," Rumble said, kissing her cheek in return. "You're charming," Sweetie Belle said, placing her arm around Rumble. "I don't know why Rarity made such a big deal about me dating you." "That's not gonna put a strain between you two, is it?" Rumble asked. "I don't want to be a bother." "You're not, don't worry," Sweetie Belle said. "I like you and that's all that matters. If Rarity's bothered, she can just shove it." "Well I do are about your relationship with your sister," Rumble said. "So I will do my best to give her less reason to worry." "You're too good for me," Sweetie Belle said. Rumble looked around and spotted an arcade, "How do you feel about video games?" "I'm not very good, but I can play for fun," Sweetie Belle said. The two went inside a local arcade, already spotting a group of kids surrounding local gamer Button Mash, the boy on his way to a high school in an alien destruction game. "Go Button Mash!" Dinky cheered. "You got this!" First Base said. "Try not to crack under pressure," Diamond Tiara taunted. "Doubt me all you want, it just makes me stronger!" Button Mash said. Not too far away, Tender Taps was placing a dancing rhythm game, with Wind Sprint, Silver Spoon and Cozy Glow watching in awe along with some other kids. "You're so cool, Tender Taps!" Cozy Glow said. "Thanks, I try my best," Tender Taps said. Rumble and Sweetie Belle stopped off at a racing game, complete with mock motorcycles. "This might be fun," Rumble said. "It's racing without the physical exertion." "I like that," Sweetie Belle said, sitting on the motorcycle. Rumble placed in some quarters, "I'll cover the gameplay." "Thanks," Sweetie Belle said. "Alright, let's race!" Meanwhile Spike had come into the arcade after getting a tip from Derpy, the girl having spotted Rumble and Sweetie Belle earlier. "Alright, assuming Derpy wasn't seeing things, Rumble and Sweetie Belle should be here and-" Spike spotted Button Mash at the Arcade, the boy doing even more impressive. "Looks like those kids are having fun." He spotted Tender Taps as well, "Oh hey, my future brother-in-law." Spike looked ahead and spotted Rumble and Sweetie Belle. "There they are, and they're just...racing?" The two were neck and neck in their game, each of them striving for the finish line. Rumble was naturally doing well, having had experience with this game. He saw that Sweetie Belle was struggling however. Feeling bad, he began to slow down in his game, allowing Sweetie Belle to pass him by, something she seemed to find strange. "WINNER!" "Whoa! You won!" Rumble said. "Great job Sweetie Belle." "Thanks, but what happened with you?" Sweetie Belle asked. "You were doing well." "Oh that, I kind of goofed off at the end," Rumble said. "You picked up the win against me." "You didn't let me win, did you?" Sweetie Belle asked. "Uh, what makes you say that?" Rumble nervously asked. "That's sweet of you to do, but you don't have to let me win anything," Sweetie Belle said. "I'd rather lose than have a false victory." "Wow, that's very honorable of you, Sweetie Belle," Rumble said. "Sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel crummy." "It's fine, you were just being nice," Sweetie Belle said, leaning over to kiss Rumble on the cheek. "Plus, it's good to know that you'd put me over a competition, so I guess I did win something." "Dating you makes me feel like a true winner," Rumble said. Sweetie Belle started giggling, "You're so dorky that it's cute." She placed another quarter in. "One more race, this time, give me your best. No letting me win." "Sure, I'll do that for you," Rumble said. Spike rubbed his chin in curiosity, "So far so good. Rumble seems nice, don't know what Rarity was so worried about." As he kept an eye on the two, he thought he saw something in the corner of his eye. Shrugging it off, he focused back on Rumble and Sweetie Belle, the two getting into their second race together. After about an hour of the arcade, both Rumble and Sweetie Belle left, on their way to their next location. "So where to now?" Rumble asked. Sweetie Belle felt her stomach grumble, "Kind of hungry." "I know a place we can eat, come on," Rumble said, taking the girl by her hand and leading her away. Spike followed after them, keeping his distance so he wouldn't be spotted, again looking behind, scratching his head. "That's so weird. Maybe it's my conscious telling me this is a bad idea. But maybe it's also nothing." Rumble led Sweetie Belle into a diner, the two taking a seat at a booth where they were each given a menu. "Nice place," Sweetie Belle said. "I've always wanted to take a girl here on a date," Rumble said. "Check the menu, there's a lot of good food." Sweetie Belle complied, checking the menu for anything tasty, "Oooh, how good are the mashed potatoes here?" "As good as it looks," Rumble said. Spike sat at the booth not too far away, "Alright, let’s see what you're up to here." Again he felt strange, looking around. "Seriously, what's going on?" Both Rumble and Sweetie Belle got their drinks and awaited their food. "So...enjoying yourself so far?" Rumble asked. "Uh-huh," Sweetie Belle nodded. "Perfect date so far." "Wow, really?" Rumble asked. "We only did one thing before coming here, but we did it for a long time, and I really enjoyed it," Sweetie Belle said. "I'm still not much a of a gamer, but playing with you makes it fun." "I'm not that much of a gamer myself, granted there are some games that I'm really into," Rumble said. "Mostly racing games. Good to satisfy my competitive itch, at least for a moment." "You play all types of sports, right?" Sweetie Belle asked. "As many as I can," Rumble said. "My favorite activity is Track, but I also really like playing Soccer." "Soccer huh? That sounds fun," Sweetie Belle said. "You'd play with me?" Rumble asked. "You don't like physical activities though." "I can make an exception for you," Sweetie Belle said. "I just want to spend time with you, and if you're doing something you love, then it makes it much more worth it." "Wow, you're really Generous," Rumble said. "I learned from my sister," Sweetie Belle said, then quickly realized how awkward that sounded. "Uh, probably shouldn't mention her since...you know." "It's fine, she's still your sister," Rumble said. "In time, I'm sure she'll come to like me. I just have to be a good boyfriend, I think that's all she wants." "I hope so, she can be a bit controlling at times," Sweetie Belle admitted. "It really irritates me." "I get it, my old babysitter Flitter was like that too, even now," Rumble said. "She doesn't babysit me these days, but she still acts like an older sister to me." "That's cute, it means she loves you and that babysitting you wasn't just a job to her," Sweetie Belle said. "I don't think she ever got paid, she just wanted to babysit me," Rumble said. "I'm not surprised, Cloudchaser mentioned that she really wanted a little brother or sister." "Wait, is Cloudchaser the older twin?" Sweetie Belle asked. "I...actually I never asked," Rumble said. "But it's less about which one's older and more that they're still the same age. Flitter can't dote on Cloudchaser. Well she can but CC wouldn’t let her. So I was the little brother she doted on. She was so happy watching over me, I think that was payment enough for her." "Money comes and goes, but loving someone is precious," Sweetie Belle said. "You're lucky Flitter loves you like that." "Adn your sister loves you, even if it doesn't seem that way," Rumble said. "I just hope that I can make her trust me." "Even if she doesn't, don't let her come between us," Sweetie Belle said. "I don't want to, but I do want to respect your sister, she is older after all," Rumble said. "I understand that, still, sometimes you gotta be assertive," Sweetie Belle said. "Don't let my sister push you around. You don't have to be mean about it, but don't be too nice either." "I'll keep that in mind," Rumble said. "If I may ask...why do you like me?" Sweetie Belle asked. "Uh...it's embarrassing to admit," Rumble said. "But...for starters. I like your smile." "Hm? My smile?" Sweetie Belle asked. "Yeah, you're a happy girl, your smile is so contagious that it makes others happy, including me," Rumble said. "My goal is to be a main source of that happiness, so you can feel the warmth you've given me." "Oh...wow," Sweetie Belle said, blushing a bit. "You're also very kind, you make me want to do nice things for you," Rumble said. "I want to treat you well because you treat others well." "Alright, I think I get it now, thanks Rumble," Sweetie Belle said. "Huh? But there's so much more," Rumble said. "You've got a cute laugh, you have pretty eyes, you're very articulate, you have a sense of adventure, great sense of fashion too. I think I heard that you want to be a fashionista one day, I think you have what it takes to make it far, especially with that winning smile and personality, and-" "Rumble!" Sweetie Belle shouted, covering her face with her hands. "Enough! Thank you for being kind but this is so embarrassing." "Oh, sorry about that," Rumble said. "It's fine, I feel the same way about you," Sweetie Belle said. "You're really nice and sweet, you have that toughness that makes me feel secure around you, but gentle enough to open your heart to me." "Wow, now I'm feeling embarrassed," Rumble said. "Rumble, you're the sweetest guy I know, I hope we can date for a long time," Sweetie Belle said. "I really want to see where we go in our relationship." "Me too," Rumble said. "I know we've only been a couple for one day, but I think I feel really strongly for you." "Well, we did know each other for a while now, so it's not like we're strangers who started dating," Sweetie Belle said. "That's why I feel so comfortable around you. We were already friends, now we're more than that." "Yeah, we are," Rumble said. The two leaned in to share a kiss with each other, both blushing afterwards, but happy that they had each other's presence. It wasn't long before they got their food, Mashed Potatoes for Sweetie Belle, and Parmesan Spaghetti for Rumble. Nearby, Spike was nearly sobbing, "That's so cute. I gotta let Rarity know Rumble and Sweetie Belle are meant for each other." In her house, Rarity had finally untied herself, then got a buzz on her phone. "It's Spike, I wonder..." Upon reading the text, Rarity furrowed her brow in frustration. "That is NOT what I wanted to hear, SPIKE!" She began to angrily text the boy, freaking him out at the restaurant as he read her message in disbelief. "D-dang Rarity, I can't even imagine half of these words coming out of your mouth!" After eating, Rumble and Sweetie Belle spent more of the day together, the two watching the Sunset by the pond in the park to end it off at. "Thanks for today Rumble, I had fun," Sweetie Belle said. "Let's do this again really soon." "Oh you got it," Rumble said. "And Sweetie Belle, thanks for giving me a chance. I know you can have any guy you want. I'm just glad it's me." "Of course," Sweetie Belle said. "I'm just happy I have a reason to prove Rarity wrong too about why you like me." "Uh...she thinks I just want to date you for shallow reasons, right?" Rumble asked. "Kind of, she just doesn't think we're a match," Sweetie Belle said. "Plus she thinks you're just sexually attracted to me or something." "Right...that," Rumble said, blushing a bit. "Uh, Rumble, it's alright if you are," Sweetie Belle said. "You already complimented my butt, remember?" "Right...I felt so weird doing that," Rumble said. "It just looked so cute." "I appreciate that," Sweetie Belle said. "Wanna touch it?" "HUH!?" Rumble freaked. "Sweetie Belle, it's too soon to do stuff like that." "It's just a touch, I'm not asking you to get in bed with me," Sweetie Belle said. "I'm not ready for that either." "Of course, I want to date you for a long time before I do that," Rumble said. "Still, I don't feel right touching your butt. I respect you as a person too much to do that." "I appreciate that," Sweetie Belle said, wrapping her arms around Rumble. "Which is why I'm alright with you doing so. You don't have to if you really don't want to, but if you're curious, then go for it." "...I am but..." Rumble said. "Sweetie Belle, just promise that if you start to feel uncomfortable, you'll tell me. You can even kick me in the groin." "I'm not doing that to you," Sweetie Belle said. "So, do you want to or not?" "I want to kiss you while I'm doing so, is that alright?" Rumble asked. Sweetie Belle nodded her head. "Yes, that's fine. I trust you." Rumble took Sweetie Belle in a kiss, maintaining it for a good long time before working the nerve to bring his hands down. Despite some hesitation, he did manage to rub her butt, if for a few seconds before awkwardly pulling away, breaking the kiss in the process. "There, I did it," Rumble said. "Kind of liked how it felt to be honest. Um, how do you feel though?" "It was much more embarrassing than I thought, but it felt normal," Sweetie Belle said. "Hey...I really like you Sweetie Belle, I like you a lot," Rumble said. "I like you too," Sweetie Belle said. "You and your cute butt." Rumble's eyes widened in surprise, "Huh!?" "Yeah, I felt the same about you, that's why I didn't get mad when you said that to me," Sweetie Belle said. "I'm not going to grope your butt though, not unless you give me permission, which doesn’t have to be now. I just wanted that out there." "Heh, this is so weird," Rumble said. "Well, we're teenager, we're a bit dirty minded," Sweetie Belle said. "But, I still care about you for you, just like you do for me. I want us to be comfortable with each other. We'll take it a step at a time, and I know today was a really big step. But I trusted you enough to take that step, and I hope you still trust me." "Of course, I got to touch your butt, so I'm feeling very confident about things," Rumble said. Sweetie Belle laughed out loud upon hearing that, "Wow, maybe you are a pervert. But so am I, so I won't judge, because you won't judge me." "I'll just love you instead," Rumble said, getting a blush from Sweetie Belle. "Geez, you make me feel so flustered," Sweetie Belle said. "Sorry, I can't help it, you're just so darn cute," Rumble teased. "Knock it off," Sweetie Belle playfully scolded. "Look, it's late, can you take me home?" "Sure," Rumble said, talking her hand and leading her to her house. "Are we gonna tell Apple Bloom or Scootaloo about this?" "Preferably not," Sweetie Belle said. From nearby, Spike, who was still keeping tabs on them, looked on in disbelief. "Uh...should I tell Rarity or..." "I don't know...should you?" Scootaloo asked, getting Spike's attention. "Wh-where did you come from!?" Spike asked. Apple Bloom, also present, was glaring at Spike, "We knew Rarity would send someone to keep an eye on Rumble and Sweetie Belle." "So, we went to keep an eye on you," Scootaloo said. "Wait...that means you two were the ones giving me that weird feeling all day!" Spike said. "You're lucky we weren't looking to jump you, we had plenty of chances to do so," Scootaloo said, winding her shoulder. "But that might change soon." "How did you even know I was following Rumble and Sweetie Belle around!?" Spike asked. "It was by accident, we were actually tailing Rumble and Sweetie Belle to make sure their date went well," Apple Bloom said. "Then we spotted you, Rarity's spy," Scootaloo said. "I swear, it's not what you think," Spike said. "Well here's the thing, Spike," Apple Bloom said, cracking her knuckles. "If you don't keep yer mouth shut, I'll make it bleed." "Both of us will," Scootaloo warned. "R-right, of course...I'm gonna go," Spike said, making a run for it. "Think we can trust him?" Scootaloo asked. "Time will tell," Apple Bloom said. "Fer now, Rumble and Sweetie Belle need us." "Right...those adorable little perverts," Scootaloo said, taking another hit on the head. "Cut that shit out already!" "Then stop being a dumbass, now let's go," Apple Bloom said, leading Scootaloo away. Things seemed successful so far in the love life of Rumble and Sweetie Belle, but they still had Rarity as an obstacle, and that needed to be resolved. Rumble's biggest trial was gaining the respect of Rarity, and he would not stop until it was achieved.