Ponywatching

by ThunderTempest

Prompt #12: Risk

He was a perfect gentlecolt. He held open doors, he treated her to the absolute finest things, and he was mostly understanding when she asked that he not disturb her for days on end while she was working on a client’s commission. If she was perfectly honest with herself, Rarity would admit that she was really only dating the stallion to improve her standing in the social scene of Canterlot, and she had explained this to him.

He had taken it well. Much better than most, Rarity thought. He almost took it as a challenge to woo her. It helped that he was, like many, infatuated with her. When they were together, Rarity could almost forget about that one night in Ponyville. She had mostly convinced herself that it was simply because she was drunk. Everypony had been in high spirits that night, as they celebrated Rarity’s purchase of the shop in Canterlot, the first real step to her dream.

She was putting the finishing touches on a dress for a duchess when her wonderful knight knocked on the door, presenting her with two VIP tickets to the next Wonderbolt derby. Out of kindness, she neglected to mention that Fancy Pants had a standing invitation for her at any and every Wonderbolt air show in Canterlot, instead pecking him on the cheek and fitting him for a suit and tie.

******

‘Of course she would be here,’ thought Rarity, ‘why wouldn’t she be? This is the Wonderbolts, and she was a member in all but name when I left Ponyville.’

Her date had wandered off, talking races and bets with some other noble stallion, but Rarity’s eyes never left Rainbow Dash. She looked good. Rarity forced herself to swallow and take another sip of her drink.

No. Rainbow Dash did not look ‘good’. She was, if Rarity borrowed a more colloquial term, downright hot. Seeing her in full Wonderbolt colours only enhanced the effect. Rainbow had always been aware of her ‘hotness,’ as the pegasus had put it, and given her sheer confidence, it was not hard to see why she was so attractive.

“Hey, what’s up, Rarity?” said Rainbow, draping a wing around Rarity, who could only think about when Rainbow had crossed the room, because she certainly didn’t remember seeing Rainbow move.

“Oh, Rainbow,” said Rarity, collecting herself, “It is good to see you again. I presume you’re enjoying your life as a Wonderbolt?”

“You know it!” grinned Rainbow, “I told you girls I was gonna write my name across Equestria! And hey,” she continued, leaning in closer to Rarity, “if you wanna have another go at that night, but sober, I am totally down for that.”

Rarity blinked, unsure what to think for a moment. On the one hoof, her date, her actual, Canterlot-socially approved date, was a perfect stallion and a perfect gentlecolt. And Rarity liked things being perfect.

On the other hoof, Rainbow Dash, who was Rainbow Dash. She wasn’t perfect. She was crass, had no filter between her brain and her mouth ninety percent of the time if her interviews were anything to go by and there had been a reason why Rarity had picked Rainbow on that night, so long ago.

“Meet me at my shop,” whispered Rarity, “8 pm on the dot. Though I guess you’ll be late, and I’ll just have to get started without you.”

“That a challenge, Rarity? You’re on.”

*****

The bell above the door tinkled. Rarity wasn’t quite sure how her biggest hat had gotten up there, but given what Rainbow Dash was doing with her tongue, she wasn’t sure she cared.

The bell tinkled again, and this time, there was a gasp. Any moment now, and her months of secret rendezvous with Rainbow would pay off. Having a perfect stallion was well and good, but he was boring. The stallion never took risks, and while Rarity would never admit to being an adrenaline junkie like Rainbow, she enjoyed taking the occasional risk and having it pay off.

She hadn’t realised how much she missed that feeling.

There was gentle cough, and Rarity realised that she had never heard her gentlecolt run off.

“You know, if you had wanted someone else, you could have simply said so,” he said.

Rarity blushed.

“Give me a moment to freshen up, and we shall talk this over. I appear to have let me get away from myself again.”

Author's Note:

Written for Prompt #12: “Hide Your Love Away”

The prompt: A pony is trying to hide a love affair from another pony, but they’re caught in the act.

Comments

[Malandy]

And here I thought he would be interested...