//------------------------------// // 2 - Interest // Story: From A Clean Slate // by Vv_-Carnelian-_vV //------------------------------// It did not take long to get some of Rarity's things ready for the sleep over. With Sunset's car the time it took to go to the boutique, pack, and drive back after telling Rarity's parents where she was going took a little under an hour. Rarity decided she wouldn't need a lot, which was good for Sunset because she was certain she would bring at least three times the amount necessary. Funnily enough, 'not a lot' turned out to be two decently sized suitcases. One thing the former unicorn learned about her friend since the fall formal was that Rarity... 'liked being prepared'. It was also something she learned couldn't be helped. She helped Rarity load the luggage into her car and drove back to her apartment. When they entered her home, Rarity took a gander about the place to inspect how Sunset liked to décor. "Make yourself at home." announced her new host. Sunset was busy carrying the two bags to her guest room. She never thought she would need to use it until today. "I'll put your stuff in here, okay?" She heard a faint sound of acknowledgement from her guest, as she was looking around her home. It wasn't too shabby, she admitted to herself. Sunset clearly took time to put the place together. The living room was very open, having a brown leather couch in the middle of the space facing a small flat screen television. Next to the couch on the right side was a wooden bookshelf stand with a table lamp on top. Rarity noticed several books of various genres and deducted that these were for guests or for herself to kill boredom. Adjacent to the stand and forming a corner was a reading chair made of leather of a similar color. Surrounding the walls of the room were several shelves with pictures, books, and several other items and decorations. Walking straight forward after entering allowed her to walk into a standard kitchen, where white shone brightly in a clean and organized state. Rarity dragged her index finger across the countertop and inspected it for dust, only to find none. Wow Sunny, you really take care of this place... She found that it was also well stocked, as the fridge and cabinets had plenty of fresh food inside. Eventually she took a quick look inside the bathroom and saw it was clean as well. She walked out and went to find Sunset in the guestroom her host had mentioned a minute ago. She noticed that it held a dresser, desk with office chair, and a decent sized bed. White curtains hung on the window revealing the parking lot to the complex. "Darling, I must say that your place is simply divine! You take excellent care here, I can tell." Rarity announce to her blazing haired friend. Sunset turned to Rarity with a smile on her face. "Thanks, I know it's pretty simple but I like to keep the place clean." Sunset gestured around the room. "The room is yours till you leave, so feel free to make yourself comfortable." Rarity nodded in gratitude. "Thank you dear, now if you please, I think I'll get into something more comfortable..." She joked, before her eyes shot wide open and a slight blush grew on her face as she froze in place. Sunset too was in such a state as she heard Rarity's request. Both stood in silence for a good five minutes. Did I just...? Did she just...? Rarity decided without thinking to say something. She responded with the grace, elegance, and poise of any Belle woman who knew of the ways of a proper lady. "I MEANT PAJAMAS! PAJAMAS!" She shouted in embarrassment. Sunset nodded quickly as she left the room in a slightly rushed effort, she too responding the grace she learned while under teaching of Princess Celestia. "GOT IT, 'KAY, SEE YOU IN A MINUTE!" Perfectly executed, Sunset. Smoothest move in the history of ever. Perfect grace as always Rarity, that was as tactful as a fire truck. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . About twenty minutes later, when Rarity had changed and both girl's blushes had faded, the girls were going through Sunset's collection of movies. Neither girl was putting too much effort into the activity as they were buried in their thoughts. Sunset seems to be pondering something, I hope I didn't say anything that made her upset... Could Rarity be into me? I don't have a clue why she would, I mean, really... Me? With her? Perhaps Sunset was caught off guard... Or maybe she isn't into other women? Drat, I hate it when my mother is right about how my flirting affects others... Maybe it isn't that far fetched... I mean, she is a wonderful person who is... Charming, thoughtful, expectantly generous are traits I did not realize until today she had. Maybe we need to talk about it? I mean... she is attractive, we get along pretty well, and she seems to feel something for me... "Hey Rarity." She asked aloud, in which the girl she called turned her hair towards Sunset. "Yes?" Oh dear, please don't ask- "So... um... about what you said earlier..." Drat! "Y-yes?" Rarity looked at her host, more than a bit nervous about where this conversation was heading. Sunset put a small pile of movies onto the small stand next to her lamp and sat on the couch besides her guest. "What did you mean by it, like were you trying to express what you were feeling or... well... you know..." "Well I... err... that is to say-" Rarity stuttered out, before calming herself and looking straight at Sunset. "I suppose I was flirting with you, I mean... I normally don't flirt with my friends but, well, tonight I felt something about you." Sunset looked at Rarity with a hint of confusion. "Are you saying that you started to develop feelings for me?" "I... suppose I am. I mean ever since you became our friend you've been a beacon of what it means to rise from your lowest point, and after tonight when I learned that you spend your free time helping others in need... well, how could I not?" "Um... wow, I err... I am going to be honest, that's pretty nice of you to say. I... sorry, I was not expecting tonight to go this way." Sunset flustered. Rarity giggled at her friends nervousness, "It's alright darling, I know you probably don't, that is to say, 'play for the other team' but would you be interested in a date sometime?" This was where Rarity became nervous, she honestly wasn't planning anything that was going on between the two girls and this offer was completely out of the blue. She just, went and asked as soon as she thought of it, lacking any of her normal elegance. She was about to lose her composure when the unexpected happened. "You know what, Rares? Sure, that sounds kind of nice actually."