“ I can see why you asked me out here tonight,” Rarity murmured, watching another shower of comets streak across the sky. “The stars are beautiful.”
“Not as beautiful as you.” Rarity giggled and turned to where Twilight sat, gazing joyously at Rarity’s face. With any other pony, it would be a horribly corny sentiment. But somehow Twilight could take the strangest things and make them beautiful. There was an honest intensity to her every action that filled Rarity with a flighty joy and an incredible warmth. Because, at this moment, looking into Twilight’s deep, lovely eyes, Rarity could see that Twilight really meant it.
Rarity swirled her wineglass and took another sip of the vinho verde, delighting in the supple tingle the light carbonation left on her tongue. She shifted closer to Twilight on the soft blanket and reached for a strawberry, dipping it in the dish of clotted cream and lifting it to her mouth. Twilight’s wing settled gently over her withers, fluttering slightly with nerves. Rarity sighed happily and leaned in even a bit closer, smiling as Twilight’s wing gripped her comfortably, warding off the chill night air quite nicely.
“Twilight, I just wanted to say that this was the best first date I’ve been on in a long while,” Rarity murmured, nuzzling at Twilight’s neck. Twilight kissed the base of her horn, and Rarity’s mind went fuzzy.
“Is that so?” Twilight whispered back, kissing her way over Rarity’s ear, along her jawline.
“Absolutely, darling,” Rarity moaned, tilting her head, presenting her neck to those soft, warm lips. Twilight chuckled and continued her way down to Rarity’s shoulder, her wing gently stroking Rarity’s sides, one of her hooves pinning Rarity’s with a welcome pressure.
Twilight looked up at Rarity, her eyes shining with such a pure adoration that Rarity’s chest seized up. Then slowly, cautiously, Twilight moved her head closer, her whole body asking permission. Rarity could feel a ludicrous grin spreading across her face as she leaned forward and kissed Twilight. It was the simplest meeting of lips, short and chaste, but it set Rarity afire in a way she’d never really felt before. And when she opened her eyes again, Twilight was looking at her with those beautiful loving eyes, shimmering wetly in the starlight.
“Rarity, thank you for giving me a chance tonight,” she murmured, pulling Rarity into a full-body hug that almost hurt. Almost. Rarity could feel the tension running in tremors through Twilight’s forelegs and wings and tightened her own grip.
“It was my pleasure,” she answered, nuzzling Twilight’s cheek. “Do we have any more of those daisy sandwiches?”
With anypony else, a late-night picnic of mediocre sandwiches, strawberries and admittedly excellent wine would be a disaster. But as Rarity looked into Twilight’s eyes again and saw that deep caring warmth, when she saw Twilight’s ears perking up at her every word, she felt safe. As Twilight’s hooves gently kneaded her sore back, Rarity felt wanted. And when Twilight kissed her gently at her doorstep and said goodnight with a smile Rarity had never seen on her face, Rarity felt loved. With anypony else, it would be corny. But with Twilight Sparkle, it was absolutely perfect.