//------------------------------// // Rarity // Story: Cuddle, Please? // by Grasshopper Keller //------------------------------// Something was really cheering you up about the interior of the Carousel Boutique. And it wasn't the pony dresses or tuxedos that were being made or displayed. It was only the tip of the iceberg, in your opinion. Oh, no. The one thing that really cheered you up was seeing the alabaster-white coated pony with sapphire-blue eyes and a royal purple colored mane and tail that were perfectly curled. And she was already focused on her work when you first heard her reply with how she needed to concentrate for a moment before she got to you. And after jotting down her needed jots on some paper, you see her take off some orange-colored glasses that were perched on her nose. "Welcome to the Carousel Boutique, where every-- Ooh! Anon! What a pleasant surprise, darling!" Rarity smiles at you before she trots over to give you a hind-leg supported hug. You bend down to give her the same hug. And after a few seconds, you pat her shoulder blades to let her down. "And what brings you here, my friend?" she asks you, curious as to why you were in her shop as well. "What? Can't a male human being just stop by some fancy looking place to greet his gorgeous looking friend?" you say to her with a wide grin as a small blush spread on your cheeks. Rarity starts to giggle a bit before she addresses you. "Ah-ha-ha-ha! Oh, Anon! You really know how to make a lady blush, don't you?" she then says to you with that smile that always made your heart skip a beat or two. "Mm-hmm," you reply to her with the same smirk. "And I mean it when I say that you do look gorgeous today, Rarity, as always," you further add to the compliment. "Really?" she asks you. "It's the truth," you answer her. "Now, I know that you probably have an order to fill out, but uh... do you think I could stop by again? I have to get back to my job with the flower mares down the street. But would you like a bit of company after I'm done with my work for the day?" you propose the idea to her as you take a step back. "Hmm.... I think that's a marvelous idea, Anon!" she agrees with you with her eyes keeping their lock on yours. "And shall I make a light dinner for us?" she then asks you before you see her raise her hoof to her face. "I would be delighted to have a dinner with you," you respond to her. "I'll even bring a rose for an appetizer for you to enjoy," you suggest to her with your thumb pointing to you. "Lovely, Anon," she says. "And I'll see you later, darling," she waves to you before she goes back up to you for a hug. "The same to you, my beautiful pony friend," you say to her with your arms rubbing her sides for a bit before parting yourself from her. "Bye now." "Bye." Some hours later, you return to the boutique with a pair of red roses in your hand while having dressed up in a tux that makes you look good. Somepony had asked you earlier if you had a date, and you replied 'yes' to them. And they wished you a good time. Thanking them, you had made your way to your intended destination. Before you enter the building, you look back to what it really was that made your heart yearn for the beautiful unicorn pony who was able to make such great clothing as that fashionable seamstress. But it was not because of her talent in finding the right design, nor was it in finding the gemstones needed to decorate the same items. It was how generous she was. Not only with her friends, but also with you. And all the time that you spent with her resulted in wanting to let her know your feelings for her. But even if she rejected you, you would at least be able to say to yourself that you were able to ask her out as a marefriend. You open the door to the building and see that Rarity had pulled out all the stops to make it a romantic time. Candles on the table, a china-white tablecloth, and an empty vase that looked great in the center. "You here, Rarity?" you call out to her with two red roses in tow. "I'm in the kitchen, darling!" she responds to your call. "Do make yourself comfortable at the table, my dear! I've made some soup for the both of us!" "That sounds wonderful," you say to her as you approach the table. "But why don't you come out here for a bit? I have something for you," you invite her from near the table. "Coming~!" she singsongs her reply. And with her steps out from the kitchen, you see the same pony smiling at you like before. But this time, her smile is a lot warmer to feel in your heart. "You have something for me, dear?" You pull up the two roses in front of her and Rarity begins to almost drool over them. "Oh! Goodness me! A pair of red roses for moi? You must be wanting to tell me something, Anon," she observed while looking at the roses as she also kept her gaze on you. "It'll be said as we eat, but I decided to let you have a delicacy for an appetizer as we dig in," you reply to her with a growing smile. "Good God.... you are just as beautiful as earlier, Rarity," you sigh to her as your face brightens up with a blush that nearly rivals the color of the flowers that you gave to her. "Aww! Anon, you are such a hopeless romantic, aren't you?" she teases you with that same loving smile. "I try." And with that said, you place the flowers on the vase and wait for the food to arrive. And just like promised, she pulls out the pot with a ladle in it and begins to serve you a potato soup that has enough lumps to keep you nearly salivating from how good it looks. And after you both start eating the food, Rarity takes a petal from one of the roses with her magical aura from her horn and allows it to be swallowed. "Goodness, this red rose is especially tasty tonight," Rarity chimes up as you take a spoonful of the soup. "I helped Roseluck make them ready for consuming and buying," you say to her, hoping to not toot your horn too much. "And I suppose that with your desire to give me a pair of red roses, you have been wanting to tell me something that has been on your mind?" Rarity asks you with one of her eyes raised at you. "May I be honest with you?" you begin by saying. "Absolutely, darling," she nods at you. "All right. *ahem!* Rarity?" "Yes?" "For the last few months that I've known you, I believed that I couldn't have found a better friend to confide in with my life. But... it was during those months that I've befriended you that I came to an amazing revelation." "And that was?" "If I, a human in this country that you call Equestria, could make a friend with the ponies like you, Rarity.... then maybe I can allow myself to love a pony enough to call them my marefriend. But only if they would be willing to put up with me as their coltfriend. But I had also realized that even if I was rejected by said pony, then my heart shouldn't be cold against the wish to become just a friend. So.... Rarity?" "Yes, Anon?" "..... Would you like to be my special somepony, please? I could never hate you if you said no, but I would never allow myself to say that I didn't hear you out-- mmm?!" Your words are soon cut off as Rarity almost tackles you from your chair, wrapping her fore legs around you as she kisses your fully on the lips with a deep push that surprises you before you kiss her back. "YES!!" she screams out before composing herself with an embarrassed chuckle. "I mean! *ahem!* I would love to be your special somepony, Anon." "Really?" you ask her. "Yes, darling," she says with another kiss. "Then, uh... would you mind terribly if I wanted to cuddle with you for a bit after we finish our dinner?" you then ask her bravely. "Then let's not waste any more time, my love," she suggests as she softly clops down to the floor to take back her seat. "Agreed," you nod to her. Some minutes later, the both of you are on Rarity's famed red couch, having a good time with snuggling against one another. Some strokes on her mane allow you to feel not only the amazingly kept curls, but also the soft feeling of her fur from her ears. "I love you, Anon," she whispers to you as she kisses your lips again. "And I love you too, Rarity," you say back to her with a last smooch before you allow her to snuggle up comfortably on your body. And when the spell of sleep hit the both of you, it was only because of how exhausted the both of you were. But at the end of the day, you both felt that it was worth it. And yes, it was indeed worth the exhaustion.