90. About Face
“I can't believe I just fucking said that,” I mutter with a bit of a half chuckle. Rainbow and I are still curled up together on the couch, the early moonlight streaming in through the window. Telling my story took quite a while, so it got pretty late when we weren't paying attention.
“Me neither...” Rainbow agrees, wrinkling her snout. “I blame you for this. I never really cared much for this kind of stuff...and then you pop out of nowhere and suddenly I'm head over hooves like a schoolfilly.”
“Yeah well, I can't help the fact that you have a thing for men with baggage. Your standards are pretty low, huh?” I retort sardonically. Rainbow's immediate response is to push on my face roughly with her two front hooves, because she's too close to me to shove properly.
“You jerk,” Rainbow grumbles, causing me to chuckle at her expense.
“Heh. No, seriously though...the words 'I love you' haven't passed my lips for years. Even to my family, really,” I tell Rainbow seriously. “You're pretty special, to get me to say that to you.”
Rainbow flushes, even as she preens at the praise. Right now, I'm lying on my back, looking up at her. She adjusts herself such that she's lying on her belly on top of my chest, her head just above mine. “You know, you should show me how special I am,” Rainbow insinuates, looking down at me with that same half-lidded expression that she showed me this morning.
“What are you talking about? How do I even do that? Can't you just take the...” I question, feeling a little irritated. Rainbow cuts me off with an annoyed sigh.
“Oh, just shut up and kiss me, you dummy,” Rainbow complains. With that, she brings her head down to mine, ours lips meeting before I can even finish processing her words. The sudden contact causes my mind to go blank, any retort dying away with the sensation of her soft lips on mine, her fur prickling gently on my upper lip. This one lasts a bit longer than the others, to the point where we actually have to break apart to breathe.
“Oh. Okay. So that's what you meant,” I pant, still tasting her on my lips. God, that's a weird thing to describe. Rainbow snickers at that. “I guess there has been enough whining for tonight.”
“I wouldn't call it whining, but you cuddling me this long makes me want to kiss you,” Rainbow explains with a grin of a mare that regretted absolutely nothing. She presses a hoof on my chest. “You know, you really are just a giant teddy bear.”
“Fuck you, I am not,” I return, huffing in annoyance. Rainbow's response is to chuckle at my expense, causing me to roll my eyes. “Dammit, Rainbow.”
After a short silence, the grin falls from Rainbow's face, and she gets serious again. “Hey, so...I'm glad you told me all about Janna...but you know she's not around to hurt you anymore, right?” Rainbow asks hesitantly.
“Yeah, I know that. Why?” I question.
“It's just that...nopony here is going to do anything like that to you,” Rainbow assures me. “I can guarantee you that none of my friends will, and you already know that I certainly won't. So, do you think you could try cutting my friends some slack?”
As always, when anyone challenges that part of me, I feel a rush of anger. It's just a force of habit at this point. But unlike before, it's tempered by both Rainbow's sincerity and the promise I made to myself down in the ruins of my college. I feel like I should be mad, but I'm not. Instead, I just heave a sigh.
“I know...and I'm trying to. It's just...I've lived like this for almost ten years now. It's not easy,” I admit reluctantly. “Every time I try, I always feel like I've made a huge mistake afterward.”
“I can promise you that none of my friends will hold favors over your head like Janna did,” Rainbow asserts confidently. “I'm that sure of them. They're always helping me out, after all.”
“Well, all I can do is promise to try,” I relent, though I hadn't really been telling her I wouldn't in the first place.
“Good enough,” Rainbow replies with a satisfied shrug. After that, there's a content silence between us. I start to realize just how tired I am, both physically from work today and mentally from telling that story again.
“So...you want to get up sometime soon?” I ask Rainbow, poking her furry chest. Rainbow flinches and nips at my finger, causing me to withdraw it and chuckle.
“Why would I do that?” Rainbow demands as if I'd just requested something unreasonable from her.
“Because it's late and I'd like to go to bed,” I tell her, squirming slightly. The couch is comfortable, but it's not my bed.
“Nah, I don't think so. I want to stay here,” Rainbow says stubbornly with a shake of her head. I sigh and hook my hands beneath her front legs, lifting her right up off of my chest. “Waah! Put me down!”
Still holding her, I stand up from the couch and release her in midair. Rainbow has to frantically extend her wings to keep herself from dropping to the floor. Rainbow grumbles and gives me a stare as as she hovers just above the table.
“What? Don't give me that face. I'm tired now,” I say, moving past her and heading to the fire so I can extinguish it. That only takes me about a minute, and then there's nothing standing between me and my bed. I step past Rainbow, releasing a tired yawn. “Anyway, I figure you can show yourself out. I'll see you tomorrow I guess.”
Without waiting for a reply, I make my way into my room and shut the door. As cold as it is outside, I have plenty of blankets, so I strip off my clothes entirely except for my boxers. Then, I climb into bed and set my phone and wallet on the nightstand. I have tomorrow off, so I think I'll leave the alarm off for tonight. Finally, I close my eyes and allow myself to drift off to sleep.
I don't get more than a minute to myself before I feel something pressing down on the bed on the side opposite from me. I open my eyes and turn over hastily, only to see a dark shape moving onto my bed. “Chill out, it's me,” says a scratchy voice. Wait what the fuck?
“Rainbow? I thought you'd have gone home by now,” I say in surprise, hugging the blankets tighter to myself because I'm not wearing much of anything. What the hell is she even doing?
“Meh, I'm too lazy to fly all the way back tonight. Besides, it's too cold out tonight,” Rainbow says with a nonchalant shrug. “So I'm crashing here tonight.”
“Uh, the guest bedroom is downstairs,” I remind her, though I get suspicious the moment I see Rainbow hoofing at the blankets. “Rainbow...”
“What, so my coltfriend is telling me to sleep in a guest bedroom? Get real, I'm sleeping here,” Rainbow asserts. She manages to find a gap in the blankets, and then she slips inside of them, such that I can feel her fur brushing against my back.
“Rainbow, no,” I tell her firmly, a million different thoughts running through my head as to what her intentions could be.
“Why not? What's the big deal?” Rainbow insists, already getting herself comfortable up against my side.
“I'm barely wearing anything, Rainbow,” I inform her. Rainbow is now so far into the blankets that all I can see on the pillow is her head, which looks rather indignant at the moment. If the situation was different, I would be losing my shit on the expression on her face.
“So what? Nothing I haven't seen before. Sheesh, you're such a prude at times,” Rainbow complains, sticking her tongue out at me impudently. I open my mouth to protest one more time, but Rainbow once again beats me to it. “Seriously? Come on, I'm just sleeping here, that's all. Relax.”
I stare at her for a few more seconds, and then I sigh. Rainbow is so stubborn at times. I mean, technically couples are supposed to do this kind of thing...but usually there are other connotations. None of which I'm anywhere near close to being ready for. “Fine, whatever. Sleep and that's it, got it?” I tell her firmly.
“That's what I said, you stubborn human,” Rainbow remarks. I sigh and turn until I'm on my back, facing the ceiling. I have no idea how I'm going to get any sleep now, with Rainbow right fucking there.
Just as I'm starting to relax, I feel Rainbow's hoof poke my bare side, followed by chuckling. “Rainbow! That's not funny,” I chide her, annoyance present in my voice.
“It's a little funny,” Rainbow disagrees with a snicker. I groan, wondering how in the hell I'm going to survive tonight.
“Shut up and go to sleep!”
I actually sleep comfortably that night, despite my misgivings about having a goddamn pony in the bed with me.
When I wake up, I feel refreshed and ready to take on another day, as cliché as that sounds. However, I don't feel the need to get up just yet. After all, I have nowhere to be today until later, because Applejack kindly gave me the day off.
I shift slightly in the bed, and that's when I notice Rainbow's positioning. I'm lying flat on my back as I usually do when I sleep, but Rainbow is lying on her side, nestled between my side and my arm. Her head is resting on my shoulder, such that I can feel her breathing gently on my skin. I can't help but smile at the sight. I don't care how tough you act when you're awake; you're just so fucking adorable when you're asleep.
A glance at my phone lets me know it's almost eight in the morning. Of course it is. My goddamn body won't let me sleep in even if I wanted to. I feel awake though, so I guess it isn't a problem. Now then, what should I do today until it's time for Rainbow and I to head out on our date?
As I think of different possibilities for my day, I idly run my hand through her mane. Her head shifts in my hand, causing me to look down at her. Rainbow mutters something indistinctly as her eyes open slowly.
“Seth?” Rainbow murmurs tiredly, her mouth opening wide in a yawn. Her eyes roll up to look at my hand in her mane. “What are you doing?”
“Sorry. You looked so cute lying there like that, I couldn't resist,” I tease her, withdrawing my hand, even as Rainbow huffs at me.
“I am not cute,” Rainbow grumbles, somehow managing to look even more adorable in the act of denying it. Then, despite herself, she looks at my hand, and then back at me with the most hilarious pitiful expression on. “Why'd you stop?”
“Oh my god, I am dating a cat,” I joke, reaching my hand back over to her and stroking her mane again. Rainbow sighs in contentment and shuts her eyes again, enjoying the treatment. “Speaking of which, when do you get off work today?”
Rainbow's eyes shoot open, and she suddenly dashes out of bed. “Oh shoot, I completely forgot about work! Ah!” she exclaims, panicking. “I have to go to work early to get ready for the snow tonight!”
I sit up in bed, finding the sight of her running around in a panic to be rather funny. “Wait, I thought the snow came tomorrow?” I ask, remembering what Applejack said.
“No, Winter Wrap-Up is tomorrow. Today's mostly clear until late tonight,” Rainbow informs me. Huh, so I guess I get to see what this whole Winter Wrap-Up thing is all about. “I've got to get the clouds ready, and then Cloud Chaser will take over my shift at like, seven. Then I'll come see you, okay?”
“Sounds good. I dunno what I'll do. Maybe I'll go get some reading done at Twilight's,” I remark. I actually like that idea. I haven't seen Twilight in a social setting for a while, and I certainly haven't seen Spike in forever.
“Okay. Well, I'll find you. Anyway, gotta go, or I'll get chewed out by the other pegasi,” Rainbow says, and then she opens the window and takes to the air, leaving me alone in my room.
I look after her for a few seconds, and then sigh, shaking my head. This fucking mare. I don't know if I'm the only guy that does this, but every time I'm by myself, I keep thinking that this whole relationship with her is a delusion, and that I'll wake up or something and we'll be back to being friends. Anyway, I guess I'd better get ready for the day.
Almost an hour later, I'm fully showered and dressed. I think I will go to Twilight's library. I wouldn't mind having some time to sit back and spend a few hours reading. With that in mind, I grab my phone and leave the house.
I think I'll take my time getting there. I'm in no hurry really, so I start to walk there. I haven't just walked through Ponyville in a long time; I've always just flown everywhere.
The ponies I pass in the streets all greet me in a friendly fashion, waving or calling to me. Each time, I awkwardly attempt to return their greetings due to my inner promise to act nicer, but I'm not sure how well it worked out. Some of them actually look surprised when I return their greetings, because I usually ignore them. I know there's been this one mare with a blue coat and a blueish white mane that's always waved to me, whether I returned it or not. The look on her face when I finally return it made me smile a little. I don't know how I never noticed it before, but sometimes the simplest things make other ponies happy. I wonder if the same held true for humans? Too bad I'll never get a chance to find out.
Also, as I walk, I feel a sense of contentment, the likes of which I've never felt before. It's difficult to describe...it's a bit like the feeling you get when you walk outside on a warm sunny day and you can't help but sigh in comfort. That's a little how I feel. By way of comparison, it's the exact opposite of how I felt during those five years with Janna. Then, I constantly felt a deep-seated sense of despair. Now, I feel happy for no reason at all. I wonder if it's because of Rainbow? And...dear fuck, that's the dumbest thing I've ever said. I'm Seth, not some helpless romantic.
Once I reach the library, I knock on the door to announce my presence. A few seconds later Spike opens the door, a tiny claw rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. It takes him a few seconds to recognize me. “Oh, hi Seth. What are you doing here?” Spike asks tiredly. I guess he just woke up. It is still pretty early after all.
“Nothing important. I'm off work today, so I thought I'd drop by to do some reading,” I explain, resting against the door frame.
“Twilight will like that. Come on in,” Spike remarks, stepping aside to allow me entrance. “I can't wait to see the look on her face when she realizes she has company that she didn't schedule for.”
“She'll freak out, I'm sure,” I reply dryly, earning a snicker from Spike. I step inside and shut the door behind me, keeping the cold from coming in. Looking around the main room, I don't see any sign of her. “Where is she, anyway?”
“Upstairs. She just finished breakfast, and now she's got a fire going. It's actually pretty cozy,” Spike informs me, leading me to the stairs. Oh, that sounds good. Reading a book by firelight near the end of winter sounds relaxing as fuck.
“I don't doubt it. Hey! Bookish unicorn!” I call up the stairs, even as the two of us ascend them. Judging by the clatter I hear from upstairs, I know she heard me. Spike chuckles behind me at the sound. Wearing a grin, I push open the door to the upper floor. I don't see Twilight. In fact, the only thing I see is a large pile of disorganized books on the floor. “Twilight? Where are you?”
The pile of books shifts on the floor, and then Twilight's head pops out from the top of the pile, a book resting open on her head. She lifts it off her head with magic and then gives an irritated snuffle. “Seth, you surprised me. I dropped all the books I was carrying,” Twilight complains, extricating herself from the books. “Now I have to reorganize everything all over again!”
“Oh gee. I'm sorry for absolutely nothing,” I joke. “Good morning to you too, by the way.”
Twilight tries to stay mad at me, but at hearing such a nice greeting from me, she adopts a smile and moves over to me. “Good morning Seth. I'm surprised to see you here so early,” she addresses me, nuzzling my side affectionately. I return her greeting by ruffling her mane in a friendly fashion, taking her by surprise yet again.
“Yeah, well, I'm off today, so I have nothing to do. I felt like coming to read,” I explain, withdrawing my hand. With a chuckle, I see that her mane is all messed up now.
“Why is it always my mane?” Twilight complains. When my words process in her mind, however, a smile lights up her face, and with it all previous thoughts of her mane are forgotten. “Oh! Of course, you're always welcome to come and read with me. What kind of book were you looking to read?”
“I finished the Zemyrean Conspiracy before the expedition. You think I could get the next book in the series?” I request. That book was the sequel to the Clock-Maker, and it was just as good. I don't know why, but conspiracy novels with a hint of the unnatural in them always click with me, so it was a delightful read.
“Oh, yes. Just let me find it for you,” Twilight says. She organizes the pile of books on the floor into several stacks, and then places them on a table so that she can sort them out later. Then, she starts fishing through the shelves, looking for the book I wanted. “The next one is called the Wheels of Time. I think you'll really enjoy it. There's a new main character, but Sephylon comes back, and he's really cool in it!”
“Really? I thought he retired. Poor guy,” I remark. You'd think after saving the world from a doomsday clock would warrant the guy some peace and quiet. I guess not.
“He did, but...oh, I don't want to spoil anything.” Despite her excitement, Twilight manages to stop herself before she gives anything away. With her magic, she passes me the book I requested, which I take and glance at the cover. It depicts an otherworldly environment where several ponies are standing atop a platform, with clouds and rotating gears hovering in the air above them. “How long are you planning to stay?”
“Until Rainbow gets off work. Is there a problem with that?” I ask, searching around for someplace to sit. Twilight provides one for me, producing a cushion from a cupboard with her magic.
“No, of course not. I love it when I have someone to keep me company while I study,” Twilight reassures me. “It's just that Rarity will be visiting me later today to check out a book or two. Is that alright?”
“Sure. I've been meaning to see her anyway and make sure she doesn't go overboard. Do you know how much clothing she's been making for me?” I respond curiously. I can't help but dread it a little, because I know Rarity can get when she's excited about something.
“I think she mentioned something of that sort, but she never said how many. Why, do you think she'll make a lot?” Twilight returns.
“You should know better than I. All I know is that Applejack said she was making me outfits because she wanted me to look nice for...for Rainbow,” I explain, stammering a bit. Promise or not, I still hesitate before sharing things like that with other ponies. Old habits die hard, I suppose.
“Oh yeah, that reminds me. Since when have you and Rainbow been together? I always thought you were just friends,” Twilight asks as I sit down on the cushion. Ah, there it is. I know that everypony I know is going to ask me about eventually. Most of them asked me at the party, but I didn't really say much because Rainbow held my attention. “If you don't mind me asking, that is.”
“I don't. And it's a very recent thing. Like, the night before the party recent,” I reveal to her, causing Twilight to blink in surprise. “Though apparently, according to Vinyl, Rarity, and a few others, the two of us were enamored with each other since the royal wedding.”
“That long? How come I didn't notice?” Twilight gasps. Okay, does she really not know the answer to that question?
“Because you're about as oblivious as I am, book pony,” I tease her, causing her to blush in embarrassment. Heh, she knows I'm right. “Though on a more serious note, you're alright with it, right?”
“What do you mean?” Twilight asks, looking confused.
“I mean, you've known her for a lot longer than I have. You're not worried I might hurt her?” I clarify. According to the things I've heard, the only thing worse than an ex-girlfriend are her friends.
“I've known you for a while too. You were difficult, abrasive, and close-mouthed, but even I noticed the changes when you met Rainbow,” Twilight responds seriously. I can't help but nod in agreement. Whether I like it or not, I owe my new outlook on life almost entirely to Rainbow. “No, I'm happy for the both of you.”
“That's good. Did I mention how I hate having to care at times? Life is harder this way,” I complain half-seriously, leaning back and opening up the book.
“I think, after all I've learned since coming to Ponyville, that it's worth it,” Twilight expresses, even though I'd been mostly joking.
“Jury's out on that one, but so far I'm liking it. I feel better than I have in a while,” I say, reading the foreword. I notice Twilight look at me oddly, so I glance back up at her. “What?”
“Rarity was right...you do seem different. You're being much more open with me than you usually are,” Twilight observes. I adopt a knowing smile. She's not the first to mention that. It's weird that I'm making so many ponies happy just by changing my outlook a little. “I like it.”
“Glad to hear it. Now, it's been fun, but shut up now so I can read,” I tell her, turning my gaze back down the book. Twilight chuckles and shakes her head, no doubt used to my blunt way of speaking by now.
“I'll be right here if you need me,” Twilight informs me, and then she settles down right in front of the crackling fire burning in the mantle. She cracks a book open with her magic and falls silent.
With that, the two of us cease conversation and lose ourselves into our respective books. Spike brings us tea a few minutes later, before he plops down next to me with a comic book.
I sift through the book, content in my surroundings. I'm comfortably seated on a cushion, warmed by the fire, and I have delicious tea here in case I get thirsty. Not to mention I'm lost in the steampunk world of the book I'm reading. This why I love reading.
This is how several hours of my day pass by. I hardly move at all, except to use the restroom. Twilight and I exchange a few snippets of conversation as the day passes, and sometimes Spike stops me to show me a cool scene in his comic book. Other than that it's mostly quiet and serene.
“I'm going to start making lunch. Do you want something?” Twilight asks me a little before noon. I don't reply at first, lost entirely in the scene unfolding in the book before me.
“Uh, hello, Equestria to Seth,” Spike jokes, poking my side with a claw. I yelp and glare at him, but he redirects my attention to Twilight. She repeats the question for me.
“Sure, I'd love some food. What do you plan on making?” I ask curiously.
“Probably just some cucumber sandwiches with some crumbly cheese,” Twilight replies, looking happy to hear my response. I raise an eyebrow.
“Crumbly cheese?” I inquire.
“It's a type of goat's cheese that's salted and aged. It's used sometimes in salads,” Twilight describes. Hold on a minute, that sounds awfully familiar...
“Oh my god, you mean feta cheese? Holy shit,” I gasp, setting the book down after marking my place. “That is my favorite kind of cheese ever. I need some of this.”
“By all means. Come on, we'll go to the kitchen,” Twilight offers with a bright smile. “You too, Spike.”
“Coming! Just got to finish this scene,” Spike responds as the two of us start heading downstairs.
“Humans have an equivalent?” Twilight addresses me, referring to the cheese.
“Yes, and I used to have it on my salads all the time. It's the greatest thing,” I gush, remembering my Greek salads with fondness. My mouth is already watering in anticipation. It'll be like having a Greek salad sandwich...though without the dressing. Unless... “Hey, do you ponies use olive oil?”
“Yes, we use it for cooking mostly, or herbal remedies. Why do you ask?” Twilight returns. I follow her into the kitchen, feeling excited.
“That means I could make a fucking Greek salad sandwich. Mind if I give it a shot?” I request.
“I don't see why not. In fact, I'm a bit curious now as well,” Twilight responds. With her magic, she withdraws multiple ingredients from the refrigerator and the drawers, including the lettuce, feta cheese, and even a bottle of olive oil. I think I see some spices in there as well, so I will have everything I need to make Greek dressing. “Care to show me what a Greek salad is like?”
“Don't worry, you don't even have to ask,” I promise her, already reaching for the bread. Let's see, there's onions here, lettuce, cucumbers, and tomatoes. I can work with this.
Twilight watches in interest as I start putting the sandwich together. I start by covering the base of the sandwich in a layer of cucumber, followed by a layer of tomato. Next, I place the lettuce and onions over top, before adding a healthy layer of feta cheese. Lastly, I dribble some olive oil over the top of the mixture, along with some salt and one of the spices that Twilight brought out for me. I'm not sure if it's oregano, but it tastes similar, so I'm gonna give it a shot.
“And there you have it,” I declare, allowing Twilight to inspect the finished product. “It's pretty simple, but the addition of the olive oil and feta cheese makes it pretty fucking delicious.”
“It does look pretty good,” Twilight admits, sniffing at it. She looks up at me with liquid eyes after that. “Could you make me one too?”
“Eh, why not. I'm in a good mood anyway,” I say with a shrug of my shoulders. I get to have the closest thing to a Greek salad for the first time in months. I don't mind making another. Besides, after doing it one more time, Twilight should know how to do it as well, so she can make one for Spike if she wants.
Spike joins us downstairs just as Twilight is trying to make one herself. As I thought, she picked up on how to do it herself rather easily, so the third one goes to Spike.
Just as we're moving to the table to start eating, there's a knock at the door. I ignore it, figuring that either Twilight or Spike will take care of it.
“Oh, that must be Rarity. I'll get it!” Spike announces quickly before Twilight can make a move, setting his sandwich down and dashing towards the door. Next to me, Twilight sighs and shakes her head, exasperated for some reason. I shrug and bite into my sandwich, finding it to taste just as heavenly as I expected. Fuck yes, I really needed this.
In the front room, I hear the door open, and then I hear Rarity speaking to Spike in faint dulcet tones, such that I can't make out what they're saying. Not that it matters. It's probably just some pleasantries. Nonetheless, it isn't long before Rarity enters the kitchen, with Spike right behind her. “Good afternoon, darling,” Rarity greets Twilight, dipping her head pleasantly. “And to you too, Seth. I didn't expect to see you here.”
“I wanted to get some reading done,” I say with a shrug. Rarity nods understandingly.
“Good to see you, Rarity. Want to join us for lunch? Seth taught me how to make a delicious sandwich that he calls a 'Greek salad sandwich,'” Twilight responds excitedly, using her magic to pull out a chair for Rarity.
“Oh, I'd love to! I just finished work on my newest creation, so I have some time to spare,” Rarity replies, delicately sitting in the chair offered to her. She glances at the sandwich I'm eating curiously. “Pardon me, you called it a Greek salad sandwich?”
“Yup! And it's the best thing ever. Now that I know I can make it, I'm buying the ingredients for my house now,” I reply, and then I immediately go back to my sandwich, avoiding her gaze. I can talk to Rarity after I finish eating.
With that, the four of us engage in basic conversation, but nothing really worth mentioning. Twilight makes Rarity another sandwich, so she too can taste the gloriousness that is a Greek salad. Rarity's eyes practically light up when she bites into it. “This is marvelous!” Rarity exclaims after she swallows. She dabs her mouth daintily with a napkin to clean up any excess dressing. “I may have to learn how to make this myself.”
“I can teach you!” Twilight pipes up, earning a smile from Rarity. “He does it in several distinct steps, as follows...”
Hah. Trust Twilight to turn something as simple as making a sandwich into a procedural set of steps. Well, whatever. I'm just happy I'm having a decent meal. Now the only thing that would make this better was if I could get my hands on a cheeseburger. Even though I can get all the iron I need from spinach, that doesn't mean I can just forget the tender taste of a well done cheeseburger. Too bad that's never going to happen.
“Rarity, mind if I speak to you for a second?” I ask her once the both of us have finished eating. Rarity notices the change of tone in my voice and gazes at me tentatively.
“Of course. Just give me one moment,” Rarity replies. She takes a moment to finish the rest of her tea, and then she stands up. I do as well, and then the two of us leave the kitchen, leaving behind a perplexed looking Twilight and Spike. I take her into the front room and then turn to face her, turning over the words in my head. “What's the matter, dear? I noticed you acting a little antsy ever since I arrived.”
“I just wanted to set a few things straight between us,” I answer her seriously. I hate that I have to do this, but I guess that's par for the course. The downside of suddenly starting to care about how I treat others leaves me with a lot to answer for.
“I see. Well, I'll listen, of course. We haven't spoken in over a month, so I was starting to get worried,” Rarity responds, getting serious with me as well. “In fact, we haven't spoken since after you and I visited the spa.”
“Yeah, that's what I wanted to talk to you about,” I admit, sighing. I should have known that Rarity would pick right up on what I wanted the moment I started. The only one I know that's more perceptive than her is Celestia, and that's not really a fair comparison. “I wanted to apologize to you, actually.”
Rarity's eyebrows rise in surprise, which is the usual response to me apologizing to anypony, it seems. “Whatever for?” she asks curiously.
“For shouting at you, for one. I feel pretty stupid for flipping a lid at you over a misunderstanding...only for you to end up being right in the end,” I confess. I can't help but chuckle a little. I yelled at her so hard, though I think at the time I had been mostly yelling at myself, because I didn't want to insult Rainbow by feeling something as disrespectful as lust towards her. Of course, I know now that it isn't lust.
“Oh, think nothing of it. I should actually apologize myself, for confronting you with such information before you were ready for it,” Rarity returns, surprising me with an apology of her own. “I was just so excited at the time, because I thought you were finding true happiness with her. Plus, Rainbow always did seem a little lonely.”
“Hold on, what?” I say, blinking. That much I didn't know. Rainbow, lonely? What? “Didn't she have you all?”
“I meant as far as companionship goes. We always tried to be there for her when she needed us, of course, but she needed somepony that could indulge her in her interests,” Rarity explains. “Ever since you arrived in Equestria, you've done wonders for one another. You seemed as if you were truly having fun, and Rainbow seemed happier than I've ever seen her. Therefore, when Pinkie insinuated that you two might be dating, I was overjoyed, and I spoke without thinking.”
“Please, quit apologizing. You were making an assumption, but it wasn't anything worth shouting at you about,” I tell her firmly. “Especially since you were right. Rainbow and I did like one another, but I don't think either of us realized it.”
“Rainbow did, not long after that. She actually went to me, because she thought you would hate her for it,” Rarity reveals. I nod, having figured that much out on my own from what Rainbow said to me. “I understand from what you said to me that interspecies relationships was looked down on in your time period, so I understand why you snapped at me. Though I am glad you're apologizing to me for it. I appreciate the gesture.”
“Yeah, and vocally as well. Hypothetically, if I were to go back to my time now with Rainbow, I'd be ostracized in an instant, and called some pretty nasty names,” I remark, recalling the shit that I've seen on the internet. I hold up my hand, ticking off on my fingers as I state some of them. “Let's see, there's furfag, pony fucker, zoophile...I could go on.”
Rarity winces at the names that I stated. “I'd rather you didn't. None of those names seem particularly flattering, to put it lightly,” she states matter of factly. I give a bitter chuckle in response. She couldn't be more right. Those were just the first three that popped in my mind. I've seen people like that called worse. “Perhaps I'm biased towards the culture I live in, but I can't understand why your kind would be so vicious.”
“Mostly because there was only one sentient species in my time, and that was us,” I remark. Rarity pauses, and then she sighs, recognizing the sense in that, despite her misgivings. “Anyway, I didn't really want to talk about that kind of thing. I just wanted to make sure we could still be friends after I yelled at you so harshly.”
“Don't be silly, Seth, of course we can still be...” Rarity starts to say, and then she stops mid-sentence, her jaw dropping slowly. “Did you just refer to me as a friend?”
“I figured that I should take my head out of my ass at some point and recognize that if it weren't for you, Rainbow, Twilight, and Applejack, I'd never have made it in this world,” I admit, placing my hands in my pockets. I realize that saying this to her means taking a chance, and it's basically backing off on my claims that she wasn't my friend that I've been making forever, but honestly, I think I was just being difficult. “So yes, I did.”
Rarity looks dumbfounded for a few seconds. Then, a smile slowly crosses her face. “I'm delighted to hear you say that...though I can't help but wonder what happened to you during the expedition. It's almost as if you've taken an about face on many of your views,” she replies.
“It's one hell of a long story; one that I'm not going to get into right now,” I tell her with a shake of my head. Yeah, I don't want to relive what happened down there right now. Rarity nods understandingly. “Anyway, I think I've said what I wanted to say. Should we go back to Twilight now?”
“Of course! Shall we?” Rarity responds, and then the two of us start moving towards the kitchen. “You know, I'm really happy that you consider me a friend. Do you know what this means?”
“What?” I ask with trepidation.
“I need to make more outfits!” Rarity squeals. My head immediately falls into my palm.
“Goddammit, what have I done?”
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Bout time, dude.
another delightful read and adorable as always with Seth and Rainbow and surprisingly Twilight as well
i cant wait for the next chapter. truth be told i love these calm slice of life moments. lets the character bloom without a scythe or conflict to beat it down.
With the fact you keep bringing up how he'll never have a burger, or meat in general, I'm starting to think he will. Be it from a griffin shop/restaurant, or by some other method. Not like the ponies couldn't eat it, regardless of how well it'll sit with them. Horses can in fact eat meat, though they can't really do anything with it. It'd be like eating wax; useless, though filling.
Great chapter! I really enjoyed this one. Maybe more cuddling with Seth and Rainbow? Or Seth calling her Dashie? I'd love to see how she reacts to that!
Fuckin' love the chapter. Please, for the love of god, continue pumping out these chapters! One of my favorite stories here! :DDD
Triage is a pretty good editor, I haven't noticed any typos.
I can't think of any compliments to shed to you, Terran, since many more have been said more eloquently and frequently than I could. It goes without saying at this point that I'm enjoying your writing.
This was a cute chapter.
The Seth and Rainbow couple scenes are just adorable to read. With Seth being all awkward and uncomfortable and Rainbow trying to act all confidant and dominant but really just wanting to be a cuddlebug. These two interacting make for some of the best cool down parts of the story. Here we have Seth and Rainbow finishing up their couch cuddling before Seth declares bedtime and Rainbow invites herself over. With his aversion to becoming sexually intimate with Rainbow and his general awkwardness about relationships, Seth's reaction is just hilarious, and Rainbow acting all indignant to hide that she's embarrassed is even better. They are really cute together.
After they wake up, we have another quick couple session, with Seth giving her a petting and Rainbow further declaring her dominance (I'm just waiting for Seth to take a dominant action and leave her all flustered and embarrassed. He's had a couple of moments, but all it will take is a big one and she'll instantly switch from confidant to cute and shy. However it comes to an end when Seth brings up her work and Rainbow high tails it. With this, Seth decides to spend the day reading with his favourite pain in the ass, Twilight. Here we see some fun friendly bonding going on between both Seth and Twilight and Seth and Spike as well. With Spike's younger age, (and the fact that he's a guy) he seems to get on with Seth rather well, and now that he isn't all antagonistic with Twilight, they are getting on very well too. It's nice that just things like telling her good morning seem to brighten her day after the negative relationship they had previously. It's good that he can consider her a friend, or at least treat her like one without getting snippy.
After showing Twilight how to make one of his favourite dishes, we get a visit from Rarity and here comes a very surprising scene. While I had considered there would be some sort of reconciliation between Seth and Rarity after Seth's massive blowout before the expedition, I honestly hadn't thought he'd ever consider her a friend. While he is still very hesitant and unsure of himself in taking this step, it certainly makes Rarity happy. I think at this point he might be able to consider all of the mane 6 his friends (although Pinkie is hit and miss. He doesn't hate her anymore, but I doubt he'd ever want to spend massive amounts of time with her voluntarily, friend or not).
Rarity declaring she is going to make more clothes for Seth is a brilliant way to close out the chapter. Over all this was a really fun chapter and it showed us how his new outlook is letting hi interact with others besides Rainbow (or at least for more extended periods of time then brief conversations). I can't wait to see what happens next.
SO many D'awwww's.
Well done? You monster!
*double sob*
Me.