//------------------------------// // A Breakfast for Friends // Story: No Less Than Perfect // by Sparx //------------------------------// Rarity's eyes fluttered open, gazing out the window from her bed, the curtains drawn perfectly so as not to shine the sunlight directly in her eyes, but just dim enough to rouse her. She began stretching out slightly before noticing something rather heavy laying across her waist. She smiled warmly at the feeling, turning to look behind her without disturbing the weight, and looked directly into the smiling, sleeping face of her beloved dragon. It had been about two months since that night in Canterlot. That brilliant, magical night. That night, they knew that the two of them were no longer just good friends, and they had begun courting one another. Spike had begun helping out around Carousel Boutique almost every minute he could spare, often working so late into the night that Rarity offered to let him spend the night. Some nights he would use Sweetie Belle's room, but on nights that she was staying over, he'd cuddle up next to Rarity, falling asleep embracing her close to him. She had to admit, she really enjoyed it when he had to join her. She wrapped her forehooves around Spike's neck, and planted a kiss on his nose. "Wake up Spikey." She whispered. "We have much to do today dearest." She nuzzled at his neck. The reptile opened his eyes half way and let out a yawn. He noticed the unicorn in his arms and felt his heart warm, pulling her closer. "Good morning, Rarity." He said simply. "You look lovely today." She gave out a little giggle. "Oh Spike. I haven't even gotten out of bed yet, let alone made myself presentable." In fact, Spike was probably the only one to ever see her like this at her age, aside from Sweetie Belle of course. And yet the dragon had this way of making her feel beautiful, even without her mane done up or her eyelashes on. "Presentable nothing. For a second there I thought I woke up next to an angel. Of course you'll have to imagine my delight when I found out it was you instead." Spike flirted with a goofy grin. He'd been practicing his flirting, and it could show. Rarity let out another giggle as she fluttered her eyes in return, feeling her heart mimic the motion. She accepted as Spike leaned in for a kiss, feeling his lips against hers. The scaly texture was something that had taken her some getting used to, but after a while it had really grown on her. "Oh Spikey, you're too good to me. Let me up though, we simply must get ready for today." Spike let out a little moan of disapproval before lifting his arm up, but not before planting another kiss. Rarity crawled out of bed and walked over to her vanity mirror, starting to brush her mane. Spike sat up and began stretching out his body, admiring the unicorn as she 'beautified' herself. He found it astounding that the first time he saw her, he'd had little more than a crush on the older pony. These days it had blossomed into so much more than that, and he'd never been happier. He recalled Twilight's reaction when he told her, and she seemed surprised at first, after all nopony thought it was more than a silly crush. Afterwards though, she couldn't help but squeal with delight, saying things akin to "My little Spike is growing up" or "You two are going to be so so SO cute together" before realizing she now had a new subject to study and proceeded to look up books on courting unicorns that were sometimes helpful for the dragon. There had been a few times though that Spike had heard Twilight crying while he was working in the library. He'd question her about this from time to time, but she would just wave it away and say it was nothing. Spike reflected on this. Twilight was pretty much the closest thing he'd had to a mother, though most times she acted like an older sister. She'd probably actually been missing him since he's been spending pretty much all his time with Rarity anymore. Nopony would've ever suspected it of her though, because she was nothing but supportive for the two of them. Spike smiled at the thought of his oldest friend before Rarity caught his attention again. "Spike, honey, could you please come here and help me for a moment?" With a grin on his face and a hop to his step, he appeared behind the pony of his dreams. "Could you please help me put this on?" She levitated the fire ruby necklace that Spike had given her so long ago. She'd worn it nearly every day after that night they shared in Canterlot, sort of as a symbol and message, one which Fluttershy was able to pick up on by herself. "But of course m'lady." Spike smiled. He knew she could easily put it on by herself, but it was a sort of ritual she had taken to doing whenever he slept over, letting him adorn her with the very symbol of their affections. He never complained, in fact, he loved doing so. Nopony besides Rarity, or a true professional was allowed to work on Rarity's appearance, and that made this rare occasion quite special to the dragon. Secondly, It was much like reliving that day he first gave it to her, years ago, flooding his mind with waves of nostalgia and memories. He latched the necklace, securing it to her neck and gave another smile. She lifted a hoof to the center of the gem and smiled as well. She looked into his eyes through the mirror. "Thank you so much dearest." She let out a satisfied sigh. Spike crouched down slightly and wrapped his arms around the front of her neck, embracing her tightly. She could feel his heartbeat pumping against her back, causing her own heart to pick up in pace as well. She couldn't help but blush a little bit, especially when she realized one of his claws was placed over her heart. "Heh. Your pulse is speeding." Spike spoke into her ear. "Can you truly blame me? I have a very handsome dragon comforting me." She brushed her cheek against his arm, and closed her eyes. They stayed that way for about a minute, completely lost in each other's warmth. Rarity began to stir though giving off a little chuckle. "Spike, you're going to make us late. And you know that a lady is never late." Spike released her with a chuckle of his own. "And neither is a gentleman. Though I don't see how we could possibly be late when even time itself would stop to witness your beauty Miss Rarity." Rarity gave another giggle, turning even more red. "Stop it Spike, you're too much. You're going to turn my entire coat a bright crimson if you keep that talk up." Spike gave a deep bow and a goofy grin. "While that isn't my intention, that would be quite the sight." The unicorn merely smiled and shook her head. "You're too sweet." For the next couple of minutes, Spike sat around watching Rarity get ready to face the day, helping her whenever she would ask for it, and even went down to cook her breakfast, bringing it up to her just as she finished up. He placed the two plates of toast and eggs on a nearby table. "Well, how do I look?" She asked, walking in a small circle so that Spike could get a look at every angle. Spike could only give a deep sigh, his lips curving upwards and the rest of his body deflating. Rarity giggled again, before he locked eyes with her. It hit him hard, a sudden feeling, a need, welling up inside. He felt his insides wash away, giving room for this feeling, this warm desire. Rarity looked back at him, a slight concern upon her face, he wasn't saying anything, and had this very concentrated look upon his face. Before she could ask him if anything was wrong, he spoke, and it sent a shiver through her body, but in a good way. No, the best way possible. "I love you." He said. This time, it was Rarity's turn to stop. She looked back at Spike and felt her eyes get heavy, tears rushing to them. "...Spikey Wikey..." She walked over to the dragon and stood up on her hind legs, looping her front legs around his neck. He embraced her in return. She started crying into his chest as he pulled her closer. Suddenly he felt her pull away. "Spikey!" She frowned, looking back up at him. Her mascara had run. "You've made me ruin my makeup! And no fair!" She started wiping the extra tears from her eyes and tried to brush away the mess on her face. Her smile returned to her face, with smeared makeup across her cheeks and a sparkle in her eye from the tears that still flowed. "No fair at all. I wanted to say it first." She let out a content sigh. Spike brushed a claw across her cheek. With a smug smile he replied "Isn't it unladylike to whine?" A memory flashed to Rarity's mind and she burst into laughter. "Don't even get me started on whining dear." She took a moment to compose herself, taking a deep breath. "But now you've ruined the surprise Spike. I was going to tell you first at dinner tonight." Rarity pouted. "I had the perfect venue, with reservations and everything. I'd even gotten them on the day where Octavia's ensemble was supposed to play. Oh everything was going to be perfect Spikey Wikey!" She tried to keep her frown, but she just couldn't. A smile overwhelmed her and she hugged Spike once again. "So it astounds me how you can make a moment so perfect without a single ounce of planning involved." She nuzzled at his neck. "I love you too." Spike held her head close to his own, stroking her mane. Cheek to cheek, heart to heart. This feeling of love all that floated through his mind, filling him from the tip of each claw to the point of his tail. Rarity went through the same inner transformation, tears still fresh in her eyes, warmth radiating from inside her. They pulled away only for a moment, catching one another's gaze, and leaning back into each other catching their partner's lips with their own. Spike lost himself in Rarity's soft, warm lips. Suddenly, he felt something new intruding upon their kiss. A familiar, strong, wet muscle brushing against his lips. He was more than happy to let it in, as he introduced his own tongue into her mouth as well. Rarity felt the familiar sensation of Spike's long and thin reptilian tongue slide over hers. It was a strange feeling, but it allowed him to maneuver about in ways no pony would be able to. While she would spend her time exploring the various locations of his maw, Spike would embrace her tongue with his own. The white unicorn began to push against the dragon and he surrendered to her whim, stepping back until he was laying on his back in her bed, continuing their little make out. Spike ran his claws all along her back, another rubbing behind her ear, looking for that one... special... there it was. Rarity's ears flopped about a few times and she giggled into his mouth. It was at least five more minutes before Rarity pulled back and opened her eyes to a halfway point. "Oh, we are most definitely going to be late now Spikey." She spoke slowly, and satisfied. Spike blushed. "Sorry Rarity." "I'm certainly not." She whispered into his ear. "Now, I need to redo my makeup." She leaned in and gave him another little peck. "I'd recommend you go and take a shower. You've got mascara all over your lovely scales." Spike looked down, and sure enough, makeup was smeared across his chest. "Hurry, Spike. Before we do that again and forget we're going anywhere at all." She returned to her vanity as the dragon stepped out of the room. As Rarity was mentioning the entire morning, the happy couple had planned on spending most of the day out and about. Their first stop of course, was meeting up with all of their friends for breakfast. Spike and Rarity arrived at the outdoor cafe, about ten minutes later than they had originally intended, and it was easy to identify the annoyance in their friend's faces, namely Rainbow Dash's. "So so so sorry girls. Spikey and I...got caught up with something." Rarity replied with a cute smile and red tint on her face. Spike pulled her seat out for her, and pushed it closer when she seated herself, stealing a quick kiss during the action. "It's about time you two got here." Dash grumbled. "I was getting hungry." "Oh hush, Rainbow." Applejack gave a quick, playful jab to Dash's shoulder. "'Sides, we all know ya don't have nowhere ta be today." Dash rubbed at her shoulder and rolled her eyes, though Spike could have sworn he saw her try to hide a smile. "Soooo. What exactly did you two, get caught up in." Twilight asked, almost concerned. She locked eyes with Spike, glaring, causing Spike to return her gaze confused. "Well... actually..." Rarity closed her eyes and smiled brightly. "Spike took me quite by surprise." Twilight glared even harder at Spike. He looked at her shrugging his shoulders and mouthing what? "He didn't!" Applejack brought her forehooves up on the table, eyes wide. "Oh but he did!" Rarity giggled. "I couldn't imagine a moment could be more perfect." "This calls for a PARTY!" Pinkie practically exploded with confetti. Twilight's glare was causing Spike to sink into his chair, eyes spinning in confusion. "Oh, but I thought you two were going to wait." Fluttershy questioned, barely audible under Pinkies spastic celebration. "You know, until you two were.... ready." "Yeah, and so did I!" Twilight interjected, obviously miffed. Everyone turned their attention back to her, confused. "I know you're mature enough now Spike, but that doesn't mean you go and do something like that the very first instant you can!" The poor dragon attempted to explain. "But Twilight I-" "No Spike! It's been only a few hours for Celestia's sake!" She had now brought her own forehooves onto the table, nostrils flaring. Spike on the other hand, was just barely peeping over the table anymore. Twilight only ever got this angry at him when she was being especially motherly. Last time, Spike greatly regretted. He had yelled at her, telling her she wasn't his real mother. He never made that mistake again. "I don't care how old you are, I thought I raised you to better control your urges." "Twilight, what in Celestia's name do you mean? Are you that unhappy for us?" Rarity felt hurt. "I thought you'd be happy for us. Spike and I were finally able to say we love one another, and you're treating him as if he were no better than a cold blooded killer!" Rarity shook her head and took a breath to calm herself. She looked at Spike and helped him back into his seat. "Honestly, Twilight. What could possibly bring about such an outrage from you?" "Wait... Spike said... He loved you?" Twilight receded back into her seat, looking down at the ground. "Uh...." "Sugarcube, what they hay else did you think they was talkin' about?" Applejack frowned, giving a sharp, scolding tone. She noticed Twilight blushing violently and got the idea. "Oh." She felt herself blush a little bit as well. Twilight looked back up, face burning and glowing with a bright red color. "I-I-I-I'm so sorry you guys. I-I-I wasn't thinking straight." She laughed madly to try and cover up her mistake, before collecting herself. "I'm sorry. I am VERY happy for you two, congratulations to you both!" The rest of breakfast consisted of everypony congratulating the couple, enjoying their meal, and Pinkie Pie vanishing off for a few minutes. When she returned, she was followed by probably every waiter in the cafe and a large cake. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY SPIKE!" The ponies all cheered along with Pinkie. The dragon happily blew out his candles and smiled. He was finally at the age that dragons were considered to be adults, and so far, this was turning out to be his favorite birthday ever (not counting that misunderstanding by Twilight). Everypony caught up with one another, finished their meals and had some cake, before all meeting up outside the entrance. Spike and Rarity graciously waved goodbye to their friends. When all of them were gone, the two returned their attention to one another. "So, what was next on the list?" Spike asked. "I believe it went something like this..." Rarity stood on her hind legs, slowly pulling Spike's head closer until their lips finally met once again. Before Spike could fully lose himself though, Rarity pulled away. "We've got some 'shopping' to do."