Alas, Spike’s sleep was dreamless, and when he woke up in the morning he felt a feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach. His assertion that he was going to see Rarity today was fading fast. He shut his eyes to try to block out the sun and rolled over onto his stomach.
Twilight prodded him gently in the back, and his claw stretched behind him to swat her hoof away. Twilight giggled and prodded him again, and he swiped his claw harder.
“Spike, you said you were going to talk to Rarity today…” Twilight said with a giggle.
“What’s so funny?” Spike mumbled.
“Oh, nothing much. I figured you would be ready to go as soon as possible, and to see you sleeping like this is just kinda...ironic.”
“Twilight, maybe it’d be better if I didn’t know…”
Twilight’s smile faded. “Didn’t know what?” she asked.
“About Rarity. I know she doesn’t like me that way. Why do I have to hear her say it?”
Twilight sat down next to Spike’s bed, no longer in a mood to tease him. “Spike, what’s the worst that could happen? If it turns out she doesn’t like you that way, nothing will change, because you’re expecting that anyway.”
“What do you mean ‘if?’” Spike demanded, now turning back over and facing Twilight with a glare. “You were a lot more certain she didn’t like me last night.”
“I know I was. I was flustered by the situation last night and I took that out on you. I’m sorry.”
“Like I’m supposed to believe that,” Spike grumbled. “You were so dead set against me having any hope. Why change that now?”
“Because I was thinking about it last night since I couldn’t sleep, and I realized that it’s not up to me to decide what’s best for the two of you. It’s really something you and Rarity need to decide for yourselves. And if there’s actually something there, I have no authority to stand in your way. You may still be in your infancy cycle, but you’re mature enough to know what you’re getting into. I think we all fall into the trap of underestimating you…” Twilight frowned and turned away. Spike felt a warmth in his heart and smiled, rising out of his basket and giving Twilight a hug.
“I’m ready to talk to her now,” he said.
“Are you sure?” Twilight asked, turning her head to face him. “I don’t want you to do something you’re not ready for.”
“I’m not ready for it,” Spike said with a bold smirk, “but I’m doing it anyway.”
“That’s...quite mature,” Twilight said, now grinning. “See? I underestimated you again.”
“Don’t worry about it, Twilight,” Spike said, patting her on the back. “You’re not the first. You won’t be the last. Now let’s go before I get a chance to brood about it and chicken out.”
“Lead the way, then,” Twilight said, pointing her hoof at the door. Spike walked with a swagger in his step that Twilight desperately hoped would not be punctured. But, as she said, it was up to him and Rarity to decide. It wasn’t her place to dash his hopes for the sake of trying to protect him.
When Twilight knocked on the door to the Carousel Boutique, they heard Rarity moan for them to come in. When they entered, they saw her lying on the couch with a large cup of water in her hoof. She took a slow drink from it and rubbed her temple with her free hoof.
“As you can see, I had to close the store today to recover from...from whatever happened last night.”
“Yeah, about that…” Twilight said, unsure of how to bring up the subject of Spike, or if Rarity even remembered what had happened between her and Spike.
“Oh dear…” Rarity said, glancing over at Spike, who was wearing the most conflicted expression on his face. He was staring intensely at her with a mixture of fear and excitement. It made her stomach even more unsettled than it already was. “Why, hello Spike. Um...what brings you over here?” Rarity glanced at Twilight nervously.
Twilight turned to Spike looking for reassurance. He nodded in her direction, and Twilight nodded in reply. “I’m going to leave you two to talk,” she said. “I’ll just, um...wait outside.” She hustled over to the front door of the boutique and showed herself out.
Rarity gazed over at Spike, but she couldn’t look into his eyes for long. She sighed and took another sip of water.
Spike twiddled his thumbs, the confidence he’d had leaving the library now quickly deflating. “Do you...do you even remember what happened last night?” he asked.
“The kiss, Spike. Let’s call it what it was. No use tiptoeing around the subject when we should be talking about it like grown-ups.”
“Yeah, well, um...uh...why?”
Rarity rubbed her temple and let out a long sigh. “I’ve always known that you liked me, Spike. And I’ve always felt, well...like I was using you.”
“Using me?” Spike asked. This was the first time he had even considered that.
“Oh, darling, your naivete breaks my heart,” Rarity said. “You’re still young to the ways of the world, aren’t you? I constantly ask favors of you because, well...I know for a fact you’ll do anything for me as long as I ask it. It’s quite convenient...I mean for me, certainly not for you, and...this is all coming out wrong!” Rarity’s shouting left her head reeling, and she took another sip of water.
“I think I see what you’re getting at,” Spike said. “Well, Twilight kinda does the same thing, sometimes, but I think it’s for a different reason.”
“You’re like the little brother she never had,” Rarity said. “She talks about you all the time, you know, whenever we see each other. I imagine it’s because she knows how you feel about me and how close we are. And we are close, Spike, just...not like that.”
This was the answer Spike had been expecting and dreading since he first woke up this morning. He turned away from Rarity. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised,” he said. “Twilight said it would never work between us.”
“Spike, that’s...well, I can’t say that’s not true, given the norms with which I grew up. And I suppose at this point I can ask no more of you. I’ve been brutally unfair to you, and it’s about time I admitted it and started to treat you better, like more of an equal.”
“An equal?” Spike asked.
“Spike, when I woke up this morning, you were all I could think about,” Rarity said. “Once I remembered what had happened last night, I realized that I was taking you for granted and treating you like a child.”
“But, hold on,” Spike said. “I mean, I’m not surprised this is how you would respond, but why kiss me in the first place if you know you didn’t like me that way?”
“I think…” Rarity said, trying to concentrate through her headache, “that I’ve been needing to find a way to express my gratitude. I knew deep down I had to repay you for all of your kindness, and in my...unsettled state, I gave you the thing I thought you wanted most. My judgment eluded me, and I want to apologize for confusing you. I can only imagine how I would feel if the stallion of my affections came onto me so suddenly in such a restless state.”
“Keep Trenderhoof away from the hard stuff then,” Spike said with a sneer. Rarity laughed heartily, but then groaned and held her head.
“I appreciate the humor, Spike, but I don’t think I can laugh safely right now,” Rarity said. “It makes me happy to see you taking this in stride.”
“Well, it’s like Twilight said,” Spike replied, “the worst that could happen is that I’d be in the same place I started. And I guess a lot of the stress has been taken away. I mean, well...I think I need some time to be sad for a while, but there’s no reason we can’t stay good friends.”
Rarity’s eyes welled up. “Oh, Spike, I’m ever so grateful to hear that.”
“Aw, don’t cry, Rarity,” Spike said, walking over to her and wiping the tears from her eyes. “I think whatever was in that drink kinda threw you for a loop.”
“You’re right, of course,” Rarity said. “I need some time to recover.”
“Well, if that’s what you need, I can give that to you.”
Rarity mouthed the words “thank you” at Spike with a smile on her face.
“Well, I guess I’ll tell Twilight we’re done talking, and we’ll be on our way. Do you want us to stop by later today to check up on you?”
“I would love that, Spike,” Rarity said. “Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it.” Spike waved at Rarity and walked out the door to meet back up with Twilight.
“How’d it go?” she asked when Spike came over to her.
“It went well, Twilight,” Spike said. “You were right, of course, but it’s not really so bad.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” Twilight said with a smile. “Let’s go home, and I’ll make you a really nice lunch.”
“Twilight, if I want nice, you know I’m gonna have to make it myself.”
Twilight laughed a bit harder than she should have, and Spike grinned as the two of them walked down the road on their way back to the library.