Equestria Girls. Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash's first date goes terribly wrong. Rainbow picks up the pieces.
Twilight finally has a date with Rainbow Dash, and she couldn't be more excited! Unfortunately, fate has different plans in mind. Equestria Girls.
Rated for discussions of sex and sexuality, brief strong language including homophobic slurs, Rainbow's cursing habit, and creative license in cleaning fabric.
Twilight Sparkle refocused her eyes as she snapped out of her reverie. She reached up and adjusted her black horn-rimmed spectacles, blinking away the daydream.
"I asked if you know what you're gonna get yet."
Twilight met her companion's eyes, sitting across the table. Rainbow Dash. The girl, the myth, the legend... her date. The thought set her heart aflutter all over again, remembering that it wasn't just a fantasy, that she had indeed responded in kind to her inquiry of attempting to enter into a relationship, that she was sitting there, right now, gently smirking, and awaiting an answer.
Maybe it was time to supply one.
"I, uh... um."
Smooth. Rainbow leaned back as the studious girl scanned the laminated menu set on the table beneath her. She had promised herself to back off of the snark that came so easily, on account of it could potentially be taken the wrong way. She wanted Twilight's first date to be a good experience.
"I've never really been here before," she supplied, having mustered up just enough sense to at least try to put words together in some semblance of sentence structure. "What would you say is typical fare for an establishment like this?"
Rainbow let out a chuckle at her question. She had suggested this local diner as it was one of their mutual friend Rarity's favorite places to go for first dates, but hadn't taken into account that Twilight had never really gone out much, and probably had never even eaten a cheeseburger and fries before. Behind the glasses were saucers of trepidation and overstimulation, so she decided to cut in.
"Well there's two main meals that most people get here, and two main sides," she said, explaining from over the table. "For the big stuff there's the classic burger, or the patty melt. For the other stuff there's fries and chili. And if you're gonna eat here then you gotta have one of the milkshakes because they are bomb."
Twilight's eyes zeroed in on the list of burgers, sliding between it and what was invariably the melts. She bit her lip and turned up to face the athlete. "Which one is your favorite?"
Rainbow closed her eyes and took a deep yet quiet breath, a tactic she'd sharpened after years of dealing with other girls with fragile emotions. She leaned forward over the table, setting her elbows down on it.
"Personally, I switch back and forth," she began to explain. "I like them both but it depends on my mood. Did I have a game recently, which sport was it, what day of the week is it, who am I with, am I on my period, what kind of shakes are there, a bunch of stuff." She tapped her callused finger on the photograph of the melt. "But I've never had a date here before, and you haven't eaten here before, so let's get one of each and then just split 'em in half, dig?"
Twilight pursed her lips before looking back down at the menu. Both options did seem good... and it would be best to pick soon because out of the corner of her eye, their waitress seemed like she was about to literally explode. But another question arose.
"Can we do the same thing with the sides?"
Rainbow nodded. "We'll just split everything then. What flavors of shake will you want?"
Twilight noticeably paled before looking back down at the menu and flipping the divider over to the other side, revealing the two dozen flavors of milkshake listed within. That didn't even count the seasonal flavors or the mixes. Her eyes slid over every square inch of the photographs, and Rainbow could almost see the 'now loading' icon frozen on her face.
"You know what," Rainbow said, reaching over to close the menu. "Let's just get a chocolate and a vanilla since those are the entry level ones." She took the piece of leatherbound plastic and stacked it atop her own. "You don't want an aneurysm."
Twilight grinned at this and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "Sorry," she apologized. "I've just never had any of this kind of food before. I don't know what to expect."
Rainbow nodded in understanding. "It's okay," she placated. "If we're dating now, then we'll be doing a lot of things neither of us have ever really done before." she took a sip of the water that had been set there when they'd first sat down. "Plus it makes things a little bit less hectic and chaotic for you if you don't stress out over all the little details. You have more fun that way."
Twilight nodded before looking down at the table. Despite having pretty much the polar opposite set of interests to herself, Rainbow Dash was probably the most understanding of her new friends in terms of the way her brain worked. Sure, Sunset got the scientific curiosity and Fluttershy got the shy awkwardness and Rarity got the culture of the high society of her own upbringing, but Rainbow was the only one who could empathize with how her brain handled things. Responsibility wasn't the best thing to handle in new situations such as romance, after all.
Rainbow waved over their waitress and gave Twilight a comforting smile. "You're gonna love this junk," she said. "Pinkie is gonna make sure you do."
"Hiya Dashie! Hi Twi!" came the bubbly greeting from their server clad in roller skates, a frilly vintage dress, and an apron. Her hair was up in a ponytail underneath her small paper hat, and she had a pencil and pad of paper waiting to write. The cheese-eating grin plastered on her face seemed just on the borderline of exploding in a rainbow of cupcakes and glitter. "Are you ready to order?"
Twilight briefly glanced to Rainbow, who gave her a thumbs up. "Yeah, I think so," said the extrovert. "We'll have a frizzy with sauce, a dub chub with shoestrings, a chillanilla... and a chocolate shake." she slid her eyes to her very confused date before turning back. "Both of those large."
The pencil scribbled furiously as Pinkie's tongue slightly poked through her lips as she focused. "Do you want the whole farm or are we going carnival style, and do you want a full rock in the shoe?"
"Hey Twi, aren't you lactose intolerant and have high blood pressure?"
Twilight blinked. "Um... yes. To both."
"Okay Pinks, that's a farm style and a half rock."
"You got it, Dashie!" she exuberated. "Coming right up! You two have fun... but not too much fun." She giggled and winked before rolling off into the kitchen.
Rainbow chortled as she took a sip of water before turning to face Twilight who was still confused but was now also blushing furiously. "I eat here a lot," she explained. "It's faster to tell Pinkie what you want in the ways her mind works."
"I mean... I understand that part," Twilight responded, eyes everywhere but on her date. "I know you two are close. But..."
She struggled to find the right words, and when she put them together mentally first she found herself unable to communicate them on account of it was very awkward. What else could she possibly have meant by that? 'Don't have too much fun' surely indicated that Pinkie expected the two of them to perform intercourse, and if a girl as sweet and innocent as Pinkie had her mind jump straight to... sex... then who else with more perverted mindsets might make the same judgments???
Not that Twilight cared about what other people thought. They could do and say whatever they wanted. It certainly wouldn't affect her in any way. Right? But if that was the case then why is her heart beating so quickly, and why does her face feel hot, and why is there suddenly a moist feeling from her underarms, and why is she darting her eyes around suspiciously? Okay so maybe she cared a little bit.
It wasn't anybody's business but her own whether she did or didn't have sex with whomsoever she pleased. If she wanted to share it then she absolutely could, but the fact of the matter is that she hadn't even done it before, let alone been in a romantic relationship with anybody else! Rainbow had plenty of experience in the past, both in the dating department and the more physical aspects of romance, so there was just more pressure.
Wait! Oh no.
What if people assumed that they were going to do that tonight!? Certainly word was going to get out soon. Looking around, Twilight could not only see a few students from her and Rainbow's school, Canterlot High, but also from her own old school, Crystal Prep. Now that she was paying attention to her surroundings, she could definitely notice a few curious glances, but her paranoid mind decoded these as jeers and glares. They could tell, they knew! They knew this was a date, and they knew Rainbow's reputation, and they were assuming that they were going to have sex, and they were not okay with that.
"Hey," Rainbow interjected sternly, placing a hand over the table on Twilight's own.
"What?" She asked, trying to seem like she didn't know exactly what Rainbow was thinking. After a moment she let her eyes turn up and meet her date's.
"Pinkie didn't mean anything by that," she explained, gently rubbing Twilight's hand with her own; a tactic she had learned from dealing with Fluttershy's anxieties. "I'm not even fully sure she knows what that means. And those guys sitting over there? They probably think you're the other Twilight and are wondering why you're wearing glasses or something. Here," with her free hand she slid Twilight's untouched glass of water closer towards her. "Drink something, you'll calm down with something cold in you."
Twilight reluctantly did as she was asked, and took a sip. It was cool and clear, so the diner clearly didn't use the city water. It tasted good, but she didn't particularly care to drink any more since her stomach felt particularly queasy considering that Rainbow was still holding her hand! And stroking it nonetheless!? Did the girl have any idea what effect she had???
"I..." oh no, why did she say something? It would have been so easy to have just smiled and nodded and pretended it all was okay. Sure, maybe she had a point here and there in that it was theoretically improbable that every single person in the diner assumed that Rainbow and Twilight were in a relationship that automatically implied sexual activity and they were all bigoted enough to have hefty moral objections to that fact, and they did indeed seem to simply be curious. But still.
And it's not like Twilight wouldn't have sex with Rainbow Dash given the opportunity. She had a healthy adolescent sex drive for her age and it was perfectly normal for a teenage lesbian to think about that kind of thing and Rainbow was really attractive especially when she did that thing with her jaw and she had no qualms about wearing revealing clothes and maybe Rainbow had a lead role in a few of her own private fantasies at night and wow how the mind wanders when she's right there and looking pretty as ever.
"You look nice."
Stupid! Stupid! Why did she say that? Ugh, now she was gonna think this is awkward and a bad idea and cancel the date and-
"Thanks. Your dress is pretty cute."
Twilight did not have a cohesive thought in her mind at the compliment and simply settled on thinking a long and drawn-out internal scream.
"I haven't seen this one before," she continued. "But then again, I'm still new to you wearing anything aside from your old uniform or your labcoat." She paused to take a sip of her water. "Don't tell Rarity I said this but she sure knows how to pick outfits for people. I just wish the ones she tries to get me to put on are less frilly."
"...thank you." Twilight eventually murmured, still reeling. 'Rainbow Dash thinks it's cute?' she thought to herself, gently rubbing the fabric between her fingers underneath the table. It was silk and linen in a powder blue with white and lavender accents, and came down a little bit past her knees. Rarity had helped her pick it out especially for her date.
It had been a long, stressful endeavor that day. Twilight had broken down crying in the changing room, but Rarity was used to clients (and friends) being emotional over clothes, especially since she was no stranger to the feeling, and was able to be exactly the shoulder Twilight had needed. By the end they had finally decided on this one, and it was a little out of the budget, but it was just perfect. And Rainbow liked it!
The door jingled and a group of teenagers walked in, loud and rambunctious. They paid no heed to the two girls, or to the disapproving scowls sent them by everyone older than thirty-five.
Twilight’s phone buzzed.
“You gonna check that?” Rainbow asked.
“That's bad dating etiquette,” Twilight replied, shaking her head.
“Uh huh,” Rainbow cocked an eyebrow before she slid over the small plastic container of tiny boxes of jam and jelly. “So what book did you read that in?” she playfully teased as she began separating the strawberry from the grape.
“Rarity told me that, actually,” Twilight defended, glancing down at the condiments. “But... I already knew it when she did because I read it in Dating For Dummies.”
Rainbow snorted and then quickly apologized, stacking all the matching flavors.
“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up Dash, we all read embarrassing books when we were twelve.”
Rainbow nodded. “Not me. Only books I ever read was Sports Illustrated.” She glanced around the room before leaning in. “Or Playboy.”
“Rainbow!” she hissed, mortified. “Pornography isn't literature.”
“Relax Twi,” she responded, forming a tower. “I read the articles too. And the jokes.”
Twilight covered her cheeks with her hands hoping that the people around the diner wouldn't notice her furious blushing. “You...” she couldn't think of words that would accurately convey the proper meaning.
“I'm kidding, by the way,” Rainbow admitted, deconstructing the stack. “I didn't know I was into chicks until pretty recently, actually. Never really thought about it until high school in the girls locker rooms and I was like... ‘Oh, I'm actually gay. That explains a lot.’ How was it for you?”
Twilight raised her eyebrows. “Really?” she asked. “You didn't know until high school?”
Rainbow shrugged. “My mind was on soccer at the time. And tennis. And basketball. Did you know sooner?”
Twilight glanced behind her before whispering. “Deep down I’ve kind of always known. Ever since I was a kid I hated seeing weddings. Any time one came up, my family was always asking if I had a boyfriend yet.”
“Oh man, I know that feeling.”
“That or if I was thinking about getting married myself eventually, if I had my dream wedding planned out, which celebrity I would choose if I could. One day I told my grandma that I’d marry the girl from the yogurt commercials, and then every time after that she was always reading me phrases from her religious texts and stuff. I learned pretty quickly then that liking girls was something I had to hide, so I always pretended to like guys... eventually I started to believe it. That's why... that's why Timber and I...”
Rainbow waved her hand. “You don't have to bring that guy up, Twi. He's just some dude who thought he could turn you straight. I've been friends with plenty of guys like that.” Through the window she side-eyed someone dressed in the Crystal Prep uniform. “Honestly if someone thinks that being just friends with you ‘isn't enough’, he isn't worth dating at all even if you were straight, because you're pretty awesome.”
Twilight grinned at this.
Pinkie rolled by and attended to the teenagers from a minute ago, saying hello to the preppy trio of new arrivals. The three looked around the diner before what seemed to be their leader locked eyes with Twilight.
“Well well,” he leered, giving her a once over. “If it isn't little Traitorlight Sparkle.” Behind him his two friends gave each other a high five. “Never thought I’d see your face at a greasy little dive like this.”
“Oh! Em! Gee!” Pinkie gleefully exclaimed, skating around the boys. “Jet Set, hi! We haven't seen you since the Friendship Games!”
“Pinkie...” Rainbow warned, voice low.
“Ah...” he placed a finger on his cheek. “You must be Pinkie Pie. Of course, I already know you, Rainbow. Where are your other friends? The drama queen, the redneck, the wet napkin, and the crazy one that almost killed all of you?”
“Oh, well Rarebear is at the mall hanging out with Sour Sweet and AJ is probably at home doing chores and Shy Shy and Sunny are probably at their apartment doing homework!”
Rainbow slapped her forehead.
“Yeah,” the goon on the left said, snickering. “Or each other.”
“Up top, bro!” cried the other one, giving him a high five.
“Gentlemen.” Jet snapped. “I am about to eat. Don't bring up any degenerate filth in my presence.”
Rainbow clenched her fists.
“...sorry boss” and “Won’t happen again” chimed in simultaneously as the three stepped past Pinkie and slipped into the booth right behind Twilight. She glanced at them before turning back to Rainbow, only to see her fuming.
“I'm sorry,” she began, before Rainbow nodded.
Pinkie gave them menus and took their drink orders (sparkling water) before sliding over. “Your food’s gonna be right out in a flash!” she bubbled before rolling off into the back room.
“Twilight, what did your text say?” Rainbow interrogated under her breath.
Twilight slipped her phone out, sliding the screen to unlock it. A text from Rarity pulsed in all caps. “Um... it just says ‘tell rainbow plane crash’ but I don't know what that means.”
Rainbow jammed her hand in her own pocket and yanked out her own cell phone, furiously tapping away. “...can't believe this,” she muttered under her breath.
“Trouble in paradise?” Jet sneered from over Twilight’s shoulder. She turned to see him propped up by his arms on the divider between their seats. “You seem out of sorts, Rainbow Dash. Perhaps you should take me up on my offer to help you relax. Just an innocent little shoulder rub is all you need.”
“Thanks but no thanks,” Rainbow replied, not even looking up from her phone. “And no, my friend does not need a demonstration.”
“Suit yourself,” he replied, smirking, before turning back forward.
Rainbow crammed her phone back in her pocket and immediately Twilight’s own phone buzzed again. She glanced at it this time and it was from Rainbow, saying ‘don't let him know this is a date’.
‘Why not?’ she mouthed.
Rainbow merely nodded again. “Where do you wanna hang out after we’re done here?”
Twilight glanced at the movement in her peripheral vision, of Jet slightly turning his head. “I... figured it was up to you,” she replied. “I don't understand, is something wrong?”
“No,” Rainbow cut in. “Everything’s fine, there's just this thing that I wanted to do later and I wanted to know if you'd be up for it.”
“Well...” not getting the hint. “I have to know what kind of thing it is for me to tell you if I’d enjoy it or not. Are you feeling well, Rainbow?”
She pinched the bridge of her nose before reaching into her pocket again.
It was then that Pinkie bumped open the doors with her hips and rolled over to their table, depositing the food and drinks. Everything was split in perfect halves: the sandwiches, the fries, even the bowl of chili had a cardboard divider in it.
“Here's your order,” she slyly indicated. “So now why don't you two lovebirds have a wonderful first date?”
Jet’s head snapped to attention when she said this. Twilight turned from Pinkie to Rainbow, who was glaring off into the distance with her lips pursed and her free open hand slowly curling.
“Enjoy!” she trilled, rolling back into the kitchen.
Twilight’s phone buzzed for the third time, and she glanced at the message.
‘Jet and I have a history in sports and he keeps flirting with me. You probably know him better than I do but you cannot let him know that you're dating megfkjvtybvhnghg y never fucking mind I guess’
“I see how it is...” Jet grimaced before standing up and stepping towards the table. “Now it all makes sense. Everyone on the team had a bet going on but I was above it, above the debauchery. I knew what was really going on, or at least I thought I did. Playing hard to get. Just made the chase more fun. But now I see that they were right, that they were all right! Rainbow Dyke they called you. I'll have you know that I stood up for you, that I called them out for impugning your honor. I respected you as a competitor, as a fellow athlete. And the thanks I get is you exchanging cunnilingus with this... this... AND YOU!”
He slammed his hand on the table, causing the two girls to jump: Twilight in fear and Rainbow in fury.
“You're not just a traitor to our school, Twilight. You're a fucking disgrace to our entire RACE. I would have accepted you back into our school given enough time with the rabble of backwoods inbred scum tainted by liberal ideology, but no, you had to go and engage in illicit activity with this... this FAGGOT!” he spits at Rainbow.
“I'm warning you Jet, leave us alone.”
“Why do you care if we date each other?” Twilight inquired, fear giving way to curiosity. “Some females experience attraction to other females, just as some males experience attraction to other males.” She sat up straighter in the booth. “It's all scientifically documented by a number of sources. And no amount of science is necessary to explain why people don't want to date you.”
He rolled his jaw before turning to face Rainbow, before beginning to laugh. “You hear this?” he asked, looking between the two girls. He placed both hands on his hips before standing up and laughing harder. “Twilight Sparkle keeping a cool head in the face of realizing she got found out for her lipstick lesbian perversion. If only she was just a bit... sweeter.” While staring Rainbow in the face, he reached out and grabbed her milkshake.
“Oh look!” he cried, eyes wide as he dumped it over Twilight’s head. “Something cool and sweet right here!”
He slammed the glass back on the table before turning to sit back at his own seat.
Everything stopped for a moment.
Dead silence.
“Order up!” Pinkie cried, pushing through the doors and skating past the scene, blissfully unaware of the events that had just transpired.
Just like that, everything clicked back into place.
Twilight took in a slow, shuddering gasp. She shivered, partly from the cold and partly from the shock. Her hair, her purse, her phone, HER NEW DRESS, all ruined instantly.
Rainbow just blinked, eyes practically bugging out of her skull.
Suddenly Twilight was up on her feet and sprinting across the diner towards the bathrooms, shoving the door open and slamming it closed behind her.
Pinkie came skating back by, stopping at the table. “Hey Dashie,” she said. “You sure finished your shake pretty fast, you want a refill?”
Her jaw simply hung open.
“I'll take that as a ye~es!”
Pinkie slid over to the next table and asked if there was anything she could help them with.
“Um... no, I don't think so,” Jet responded before letting out a chuckle. “I think that we are all set.”
“Okey dokey lokey!” she cheered before turning and heading back through the kitchen doors.
Rainbow closed her eyes and put her hands on her temples. When she opened them again she zeroed in directly on the back of Jet Set’s head. She glanced at the table and back, and then to the bathrooms, and then the kitchen doors, and then back again.
One hand unscrewed and grabbed the ketchup bottle and the other grabbed the remaining milkshake. The two other boys glanced at her, then each other, then back at their phones. Rainbow stepped over to Jet.
“Listen here you miserable fucking cretin,” she threatened. “I oughta wring your wiry little neck with that scarf and then throw you through that window before smashing in every single one of your perfect little teeth for what you just did to my friend.”
“Mmhmm,” he replied, uninterestedly tapping away at his own phone. “Empty threats do you no help here, Rainbow Dyke. Everyone at CP knows about you two now, by the way.”
Her eye twitched. “You're right,” she said. “That was an empty threat. I don't wanna cause any property damage to the establishment. My friend works here and she loves it here and I’m sure she doesn't want to pick up broken glass. But there is something else she cleans up every single day...”
Rainbow dumped the ketchup over his head, and when he dropped his phone and stood up to face her, she splashed the shake in his face before pouring the last little bits onto his shoes and slamming the glass on his phone, shattering it.
“Oops.”
He wiped his eyes before glaring at her and clenching his fists.
Calmly. “You fucking bitch... this is a cashmere sweater worth more than every single thing you own. My shoes alone cost more than your mommy can make in a month sucking dicks out on street corners. That phone handles more money than you will ever see in your life.” He took a deep breath.
“I’LL KILL YOU!” he screamed, grabbing at her throat.
Rainbow ducked down as he lunged forward, then sidestepped and stuck her foot out, tripping him over. His face smashed into the wall and he stood back up, turned around, and swung a right hook. She dodged to her left before taking her right hand and jabbing him in the solar plexus, sending him doubled over.
“Twilight’s dress had more sentimental value to it than you have in your entire wardrobe. Her phone is full of more good memories than you'll ever experience in your life. And her happiness...” she leaned down and whispered in his ear. “Is worth more to me than all the money you'll ever make.”
She stood and turned to walk to the bathrooms when she heard him shouting. She faced him again to see him charging at her, rolled her eyes, pulled her right arm back, and punched him square in the face, sending him sprawling backwards.
“Don't get up again, Jet,” she condescended. “Don't make this as much of an embarrassment as last year’s tennis tournament.” And with that she rushed to the bathrooms.
Slamming the door open, Rainbow Dash found herself in a fairly well-kept girls’ bathroom.
White tiles with dark grout, thankfully dry for the most part, lined the floors. A similar pattern lay on the walls, but glossier. A tampon dispenser and a changing table sat hooked to the wall on her left, sinks and mirrors lined the right, and the rest of the room was taken up by a handful of green stalls.
Quiet sobbing could be heard from one of them.
“Twilight?” Rainbow asked, voice laced with worry. She took a few quick steps to the door, closed and locked in front of her. She placed a hand on it and sighed, placing her forehead down with a thunk. “I'm sorry.”
No response came, but the sounds of upset slowly morphed to sniffling.
“Jet comes from a really strict family...” Rainbow began to explain. “Super religious but not the kind who aren't a bunch of assholes, not like Fluttershy. And super rich. He's good at tennis and golf but that's where his good qualities end. Rare knows him and how much of a dickhead he is too, since she went to that chartered private middle school before she came here, you know?”
She turned and sat on the floor in front of the door, continuing her story. “He really doesn't like people like us. Gay or bi or whatever. You know that one guy, Toasty, who used to be a girl? Jet was a major league cunt to him when he came out too. So Rare and I both know firsthand what kind of person he is, but... I never thought he would eat at a place like Shakey Steak. I'm real sorry this had to happen to you.”
“...it’s okay...” Twilight croaked, before setting her feet down on the ground with two clacks of her shoes. “I don't mind what he did, I just mind that my dress is ruined... especially because you said that you liked it.”
Rainbow quickly stood up and turned around, taking a step back as Twilight pulled the door open. Thick off-white sludge coated the girl’s head, glasses, shoulders, and dripped down most of the dress. She was hunched over, vulnerable.
“Oh, Twi...”
“That bad, huh?”
The athlete grimaced. “Let's see what we can get off...” she muttered, stepping over to a paper towel dispenser. She cranked the lever several times before snatching a wad of nearly a dozen, and soaking them under a faucet. With a stack of wet paper in hand, she turned to her date and began to try to get the cream and sugar out of her hair.
Twilight removed her glasses and closed her eyes, wincing as her head was pulled back and forth to no avail.
“Okay, this isn't working...” Rainbow shoved the useless towels into the garbage as Twilight ran the lenses under the water. Luckily it washed right off with a little bit of rubbing. “Here, lemme hold your glasses.”
“Thank you.” The milkshake-laden teen began to splash water on her face, cleaning at least that. When she returned her sight to the mirror, her lip quivered and she let out a sob. “I can't even see anything and I know I look terrible...”
“Here,” Rainbow said, handing the glasses back and taking Twilight’s hand in her own. “Let's go to Fluttershy’s parents’ apartment. It's just a block away, and I've got keys to it. Her folks are out of town right now so you can get cleaned up ASAP.”
“Will they mind?”
She shook her head. “Nah, I'm like a second daughter to ‘em. Plus we’ll clean up any drips.”
“Okay... thank you, Rainbow...”
“No problem.” She flashed a supportive smile. “Let's get going before that dries anymore, okay?”
Twilight nodded and let Rainbow take her by the hand. She didn't giggle like a schoolgirl at the contact as she would normally have done if the circumstances were any different. Instead, she simply trudged along and refused to look up from the floor.
After they stepped out into the main room, Rainbow turned to Twilight. “I'm gonna go pay and then we can go, alright?”
“Hey, Dash,” came another voice. “If, uh... I can call you that?”
She turned to face him, a boy she’d never met before. He had dark skin, faintly tinted purple, and muted navy hair styled to swoop over half of his face. She raised an eyebrow and subconsciously took a protective half step in front of Twilight. “I know you?”
He nodded his head. “Not in person. But I know you. You're, like, one of the coolest sports stars I know... I'm just a fan. I'm Stormy. And uh... what that dude did isn't cool. So don't worry about your food, my friends and I got you covered.”
The two other boys at the table, having already been pulling bills out of their wallets, nodded in agreement.
“I appreciate that,” Rainbow said, relaxing her posture and glancing over at Jet’s still-slumped body. His goons were taking pictures of him on their phones. She turned back to face Stormy. “But you really don't have to just because I can play soccer.”
“Actually, I’m more of a basketball fan. But still, that shake’s gonna need some cleaning sooner rather than later, and I figure you two wanna go and take care of that quickly. And it’s totally cool, because my brother’s gay too...” He trailed off and glanced at nothing for a moment. “Or he, uh... he was...”
“Oh...” Rainbow grimaced briefly. “Thank you.”
He nodded, with a small melancholic smile. “Any time.”
Rainbow Dash took Twilight’s hand in her own again and headed for the front door. It was at this moment that Pinkie decided to skate out of the kitchen with a tray full of burgers and fries and actually looked at her surroundings.
“Uh... Dashie...” She asked, cautiously. “...Why is Twi Twi covered in milkshake and why is Jet covered in blood?”
Rainbow grabbed a single french fry off of the tray, bent down over Jet’s form, and swept it along the red coating his head. “It's ketchup,” she said, tossing it in her mouth. “I'll explain later, but right now we’ve got a sweet milky emergency on our hands. See ya later, Pinks!” She cried as she went out the door, Twilight offering a wave before being dragged out as well.
Pinkie merely blinked as she glanced down to the unconscious teenager, up to the uneaten food on the table, and back to the food in her hands. She shrugged and skated on over to deliver her tray. “Stormy, hi! I haven't seen you in forever...”
/x/x/x/
“Okay so lemon juice, baking soda, that chemical stuff, and a whole lotta patience?”
“Yes, darling, if we’re to save the fabric then you simply must follow these instructions exactly to the letter. And do tell Twilight that I'm dreadfully sorry that this had to happen to her on her first date.”
“Don't worry Rare,” Rainbow said as she fumbled with the keys to her best friend’s ‘house’ of sorts. “I can remember that. And I think she knows. I’ll call you later and let you know how the dress holds up.”
“Wonderful! I'll be sending my thoughts and prayers to the poor dear, and to Twilight as well. Now be gentle with both of them.”
“Yeah, sure. Later.”
“So long.”
And with that, Rainbow tapped the red icon to signal the end of the call before finally unlocking the door. Opening it, the two girls stepped in and wiped their shoes on the black mat just inside. Rainbow slipped out of her converse and stepped through the entryway into the kitchen. Twilight removed her flats and glanced around the apartment.
Shades of blue and tan seemed to be the primary motif, as the two cobalt three-seat couches against the walls of the living room could attest to. They sat on the right, on either side of an end table in the corner. A simple round coffee table occupied the dead space, a screen door headed out to a small balcony, and a handful of dark oak bookshelves lined the wall. There was no television in sight.
To the immediate left was an adequately-furnished dining room; table, chairs, and a hanging lamp overhead illuminating the room. Adjacent to it was a cramped kitchen, which was all but being ransacked by the cyan-skinned teenager. Straight ahead was a darkened hallway with three doors at the end facing the other directions.
“Where the hell...” Rainbow muttered, rifling through the refrigerator. “Ah! Here that is.” She pulled the yellow bottle out of the side door before turning and tossing it onto the table. “Hey Twi, go ahead and take that off, Rare says we gotta take care of the mess soon as possible.”
Twilight froze.
“Where's the baking soda... baking powder? Is there a difference? If that's there and that's there and- is that- no, of course not, why would this be easy? It should be with the flour and sugar, right? Wait, is- found it! Okay, we got that, just need a few little... uh, Twi? You okay?”
Behind the glasses her eyes were glazed over, her arms were crossed protectively over her chest, and her knees were locked together.
“What's up?”
Twilight shook her head back and forth. “I don't wanna do this now.”
Rainbow glanced out the window at nothing in particular before slowly bringing her gaze back to her friend. “...clean your dress?” She asked, not understanding the meaning of this vague, cryptic omission. “That's not really something you can really put off. You said it yourself when you were tutoring me, procrastination is-”
“I don't wanna strip in front of you!” She shouted, a bit more force than necessary. “Sorry...”
Gears turned, hamsters ran through wheels, tape reel computers spit out long lines of numbers, and something clicked in Rainbow’s head.
“Ah,” she stated, simply. “Well, I think Fluttershy has some bathing suits or something here that might fit you, I’m sure that she won't mind if you borrow one. Go on and pick one out, and grab a towel too since you’ll need one, I still gotta find one more thing before I can get to cleaning the dress.”
Rainbow turned and started rifling through the cabinets now, under the impression that she understood exactly what Twilight was upset about and that conversely she understood exactly what the plan was going to be.
Twilight opened her mouth as if to say something but closed it. She lightly sighed out her nose but walked down the hallway regardless, careful not to scrape against the walls. The rooms ahead and to the left were unmarked but the one on the right had pink butterfly decals; she assumed (correctly) that this was Fluttershy’s room, and opened the door.
It was sparsely decorated, and fairly un-lived-in. Nothing was particularly out of place, or present for that matter. There was a bed and dresser, with an empty cage befitting a rabbit and a framed photograph sitting on top. but that was about it. There was Fluttershy herself next to a younger boy with yellow hair, in front of what Twilight assumed were their parents. The little girl’s smile rivaled Pinkie Pie’s.
Hesitating for just a moment, Twilight pulled open one drawer. She immediately closed it, a blush coloring her cheeks. That definitely wasn't the drawer to be caught looking in. The next one down held tops, the next held shorts and skirts, and the bottom contained what she was looking for. Socks on one side, bathing suits on the right. Careful to touch the fabric as little as possible, Twilight took a red one out before standing back up and nudging it closed with her foot.
She turned around to take in the rest of the room. It was just as undecorated as it was upon first glance. There was a single poster comprised of vertical green, yellow, and red bars sitting on the beige wall, and a few scattered splotches in the paint that seemed to indicate hasty tape removal. The closet in the corner was neatly closed, and there wasn't too much curiosity on Twilight’s part to investigate, as her mind was currently being overwhelmed with something else... as well as the congealed milk coating her body.
“Bottom drawer!” Rainbow called from the kitchen. Her voice continued, growing in both volume and closeness. “I know it's kind of a mess ever since- what the...” She entered the room, taken aback, and glanced at the poster. “So she cleaned. And... well, you found that. So what's up?”
Twilight bit her lip and turned to face her friend. “I...”
Rainbow stepped past her and sat down on the bed, crossing her legs and placing her hands on her knees. “Alright Twi, something’s wrong other than what that asshole did to you. And I'm gonna sit here for as long as it takes you to come up with the right words to talk about it, because we’re gonna talk about this. Sooner rather than later, because that sludge isn't looking too good.”
Twilight wiped her eyes, carefully and with her knuckles so as not to cause any harm to the intricate nail work from the day before. She set the bikini top on the dresser and made a gentle fist, lightly tapping the wood. She took a deep breath, resolving to finally speak her mind, and turned to Rainbow.
“I'm sorry I ruined the date,” she began, looking at the floor. “I was scared of him, and angry that he was bothering you, and I didn't figure out what you were talking about in time, and when he started yelling I just... I taunted him, and then he did this,” pulling the fabric of the dress out before letting gravity take it back. “And I'm gonna ruin it more because I don't wanna have sex with you right now because I want a normal not-terrible date before I take part in intercourse before-”
She was cut off by Rainbow, who suddenly burst out laughing.
“...are you done?”
“Oh my god Twilight, you... you think... you want- that's...” the pauses were interlaid with breaths, as the laughter would not abate. After a moment of pressing her fingers to her temples and regaining her composure, she continued. “Did you think that I was gonna try to have sex with you after we cleaned the dress?”
Twilight blinked a few times. Was her expert level analytical interpretation of the situation... wrong?
“...are you not?”
Rainbow fell backwards on the bed, spread-eagle. “No! Not today!”
“Then why-” Twilight tried to interject before being steamrolled.
“Everyone knows you either fuck once and then don't talk about it again or you don't fuck at all until the third date!” Rainbow leaned back forward, and planted her feet on the ground. “I mean, if you wanted to then sure, I’d totally do that since you're really cute and stuff, but right now isn't the time! You're upset and emotionally compromised and shit, I'm not gonna take advantage of one of my best friends like that, Twilight. I care about you, you know. That's why we’re doing this right now, having this date, it's why I took you here, it's why I'm gonna help clean you up.”
Twilight sighed. “Then... why are you asking me to take my clothes off?”
Rainbow stood up and took a step, before touching the milkshake coating the dress. “To clean it up. I've seen enough naked girls in the locker room to not care about things like this. I didn't think about how it could bother you until you said earlier about stripping, and that's why I told you about Fluttershy’s bathing suits. If I was gonna have sex with you that'd be a completely different thing. Being naked is different when you're gonna fuck than it is when you're just gonna, like, wash your hair or something. I've showered with Applejack before.”
Twilight gaped at this. Applejack? Really? But she was the girl who got dressed for PE in the locking staff bathroom halfway across the school!
“So...” she tentatively prodded, bringing herself to look at least near Rainbow’s eyes. “You just want to clean the dress?”
She shrugged. “Yeah. It's a nice dress. You like it, I like it, Rarity likes it. If I wanted to get in your pants or- well, you know what I mean- I'd say that I did, just ask anyone I've been with. Which is probably half the gay girls on the teams in all the schools in the district.”
Twilight bit her lip again.
“Don't worry, I stay safe and make sure that anyone who wants to taste the rainbow stays clean.”
“No!” Twilight snorted. “That was a bad pun!”
Rainbow shrugged. “Maybe. But are you okay? Is there anything else bothering you? I really hope there isn't because that's looking a bit crusty by now.”
“I... I don't think so...” she turned to finally make eye contact. “I don't even mind if you see me topless, really. I just... I don't want to have sex right now, and I was just feeling guilty about messing this up for you. I know that I'm not the most confident date...”
“That doesn't matter to me,” she placated. “I just want you to be happy.”
Twilight smiled at this. “I think I can be.”
“Cool. Now let's get that off of you and get it taken care of, if it's not permanently ruined already. I'll give you some privacy, I'll be in the kitchen.”
She patted Twilight on the milkshakeless shoulder before sliding past her and making good on her word, shutting the door behind her.
Twilight glanced to the shuttered window, to the discarded bikini top, and to her dress. Her fingers hesitated for only a second before they pulled the fabric off of her shoulders, letting it fall to her hips. Luckily the fabric had some small amount of give, and she pushed it down. Unfortunately it pulled her underwear down as well.
“Dammit,” she whispered, stepping out of it. She shook the dress until the smaller more delicate piece of lace fell out. Luckily it evaded the dairy mess. She turned to face the door, which had a conveniently placed hook, and looped the shoulder straps over it before turning back to the floor.
Well, it didn't really make sense to wear red on top and powder blue on the bottom, Rarity would have a meltdown if she ever found out. Not, Twilight thought in mortified shock, that she or anybody else ever would. Twilight pulled the bottom drawer back out again, hoping to find the accompanying piece of scarlet. Luckily she found it after not too much trouble, but hesitated before slipping it on.
She liked this pair and vowed to buy a replacement for Fluttershy. Hopefully the girl wouldn't care too much.
After another moment of fiddling with knots, Twilight managed to put on both pieces, and examined herself to make sure it covered everything it needed to. That wasn't very much, all things considered, but it was enough to conceal her secret.
Satisfied, she took the dress down, picked up the underwear, and stepped out of the bedroom. She strode over to the kitchen, and then upon seeing Rainbow she blushed furiously, refusing to make eye contact even more pointedly than usual.
“Took you long enough,” she muttered, reaching out to the dress. “Was wondering if you forgot how to change your clothes, heh. Good choice with the red, by the way, it suits you. I'm gonna clean this, you just go draw the bath and I'll be there in a second.”
Twilight glanced up from placing the underwear in one of her shoes. “What.”
“Don't think I didn't notice that manicure, Twi,” she answered, turning the sink on and grabbing a damp washcloth, beginning to gently wash the drying cream and sugar out. “You're gonna tear your nails up trying to get that shake out of your hair, so I'm gonna do it for you since I don't give a shit about my own nails. But you do care so I'll help you out.”
“...thanks.”
“That... wasn’t exactly a thankful tone... is that not cool?”
Twilight sighed in exasperation again. “It’s fine, I just...” She glanced down at her exposed body. “This whole situation makes me feel like I’m in a voyeur’s wet dream, or some seedy lesbian pulp. Are you sure you’re okay with taking care of me like this, and that you don’t have any ulterior motives?”
Rainbow turned the sink off and draped the wet fabric onto the kitchen table. “It’s totally fine, Twi. I just wanna make this experience a little less shitty for you, you know? And don’t worry, I’m not gonna do anything weird. It’s not like I’m secretly a guy or something. You’re really cute but I respect boundaries.” She turned and winked at Twilight. “In another situation I’d say my feelings were hurt that you even asked that.”
“Right...” She grimaced, presumably from shame over the accusation. “Sorry, I just-”
“Relax, you’re fine!” Rainbow waved her off before taking the lemon juice in hand, and damping a paper towel with it. “I just gotta do a couple more things here, you go on ahead and get the water to what you want.”
Twilight bit her lip, evaluating her options, before silently conceding with a nod of her head. She made her way back through the hallway to the remaining two doors. Her first choice was incorrect, revealing another sparsely-decorated bedroom that smelled, oddly enough, like leather. The other door held the bathroom.
After hitting the light switch, Twilight noticed that there really wasn't that much to it. White marble countertop with an inlaid sink over an oak cabinet. Metal faucet, faux glass handles. The toilet was nothing to write home about. The shower was obscured by a tacky curtain depicting the ocean floor, seaweed, and creepy smiling dead-eyed fish. Twilight briefly shuddered before casting it to the side, desperate to make their piercing gazes go away.
A cream tub with four small foot-shaped bathmats in just such a position that... well... good to know that Fluttershy’s parents had a healthy libido for people their age, at least. The ledges and suction-cupped baskets were covered in dozens of soap bottles and bath accessories, but there was enough room for two to maneuver. For lack of a much better term.
The water controls were easily understandable. One for hot, one for cold, and a stopper in the faucet. She left it well enough alone before turning the cold water on slightly. The drain cap was easy to find, nudged lightly behind a clear shampoo bottle. Unfortunately, grabbing it caused a bit of a cascading chain reaction that sent every bottle loudly crashing into the ground.
“Okay in there!?” Shouted a voice in the kitchen that seemed to be stifling a giggle.
Twilight sighed and put all of the bottles back up at least somewhere in the vicinity of where they were before putting the cap in place, and putting the hot water on max. She slowly adjusted the cold up little by little until she liked the temperature, and let it fill for a few minutes. Before she had time to begin contemplating anything else, movement at the bathroom door drew her eye.
“I knew you were a klutz but I didn't know it was that bad,” Rainbow teased before removing her jacket and hanging it up on a hook on the back of the door. “So yeah, let's get this shit out of your hair. Heh, literally.” Chuckling at her own joke, she pulled her shirt off over her head.
Twilight sat in the water with her knees up to her chest, eyes screwed shut for reasons other than the occasional wet cascade over her head. She grit her teeth for reasons other than the pain of her hair occasionally pulling at her scalp.
Rainbow sat above her on the bath ledge, legs on either side of her date. She had a towel wrapped around her midsection. Her hands alternated between dragging through Twilight’s hair to wash out the congealed dairy product, and drenching it.
“Sorry...”
“For what?”
Twilight shrugged. “Freaking out, I guess.”
Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Dude, it's fine. I should've told you I was gonna take my shirt off.”
A small slice of sugar slaked off of Twilight’s hair along with a splash of water. Rainbow let out a small cheer at this.
Moments after Rainbow had removed her shirt to reveal a lacy bralette underneath, Twilight kind of had a little bit of an anxiety attack. Trouble breathing, rapid pulse, losing consciousness for about half of a second; it was nothing horrible or embarrassing or anything to anybody besides Twilight herself.
Now, the athlete’s pants were rolled up enough to not get wet, and a towel sat between her stomach and legs and Twilight’s now-wet back. A sizeable portion of the milkshake was successfully washed out, but an even more sizeable portion remained.
The next few minutes passed in relative silence broken only by Rainbow’s phone buzzing at odd intervals. Definitely just text messages from their concerned friends. Or possibly in Sunset’s case, their concerned and livid at Jet Set friends.
And speaking of Jet Set...
“Hey Twi.”
“Yes?”
“Jet says he told everyone at Crystal Prep that we’re dating. Just thought you should know that.”
Twilight gently sighed. “I figured as such. I don't mind, really. I was gonna come out publicly on social media soon anyway. Not that I really talk to anyone other than you girls. And Timber, but that ship sailed a long time ago.”
“Fuck Timber.”
Twilight smiled at this. “In all ways but literal.”
Rainbow barked a laugh. “Especially not literal. Anyway, enough about douchey guys that don't matter. We should post couple pics on that new app, Snapgab or whatever it's called. I feel like that's gonna be the next big thing for social media. At least Pinkie and Rarity think so. Would you be cool with that?”
Twilight would have cocked her head to the side if it weren't firmly grasped by Rainbow’s shampoo-coated hands. “That depends on what couple of pictures we post. And anyway what does posting a couple of pictures have to do with... douchey guys, or us dating?”
“No, not A couple OF pics,” Rainbow corrected. “No, uh. Articles? Is that what a, an, and the are?”
“Mhmm. Oh, you mean like... like couple as in relationship?”
“Yeah, that. A pic of us bein’ cute or something. Kind of a, ‘hey everyone we’re dating’ kinda thing. But again, only if that's okay with you.”
Twilight pondered this in silence for a moment.
“If I can clarify, we are dating now? A hundred percent? As in, you would go on another date with me?”
“Um, duh. And I barely count this one, it was, what, five minutes of conversation then milkshake dumping? We didn't even get to eat anything. I don't blame you, which I know the voice in the back of your head is gonna do.”
Twilight giggled. “You can read him like an open book.”
Rainbow paused for a second. “Him?” She asked.
“Only a man could say dumb things like that.”
“Ah,” Rainbow said, nodding sagely. “Truer words have never been spoken. Anyway I think I got half of it out now, and the rest is coming easy. So all good there.”
“What about the dress?”
Rainbow shrugged. “It was looking okay before I came in here, but Rarity said that it's gotta air dry a little before I can see if it’s actually working right. Your hair is really really soft by the way, I think I might pour a milkshake on my own head for a conditioner now.”
“I do not recommend that.”
“Yeah, that was kind of a joke. But then again, I think Pinkie Pie actually would do that. Hmm... I just got a prank idea. Anyway, uh...”
Twilight patiently waited for more but none came. She elected to sit in comfortable silence as she felt air on her scalp for the first time in an hour or so.
The city’s traffic and the occasional bird were heavily muted through the windows and doors of the apartment, but the rumbling of a train was felt going by for a short while.
“I tried to think of something else to say,” Rainbow sheepishly admitted. “I don't want it to get awkward.”
“It's not awkward. You're doing me a huge favor, and I really appreciate it.”
“Yeah yeah, I know that. It's just...” Rainbow cleared her throat. “The thing is, I've never really been one for sappy romance type stuff, so I've never run my fingers through a girl’s hair like this in like... literally ever. I think I tried to braid Fluttershy’s hair once in grade school but we were kids and I don't think I could ever see her in that way, you know? But you, I've only known you for a couple years, and we’re dating, and you're really pretty, and you've got soft hair, and...”
Her hands stopped moving.
Twilight turned to see Rainbow was biting her lip, and her eyes seemed shinier than normal.
“Rainbow?” She asked.
Rainbow sniffed. “I kinda like this, a lot. Just sitting here with you, quietly. Like all our study sessions. But I get to touch your hair, and be close to you, and, you know. Be open and vulnerable physically. And I'm really enjoying this, but I feel bad because this isn't for me, it's for you. And... and all the milk and sugar and stuff is gone now. I just wanted to feel the moment quietly for a minute...”
Twilight wasn't sure what providence drove her to do so, but before she was even aware that it was happening she wrapped a comforting arm around Rainbow’s back.
“It's okay to feel good while helping people. Even if they're upset, if you derive pleasure from doing nice things for them it just means that you're a good person. And truth be told... I like feeling your fingers in my hair. It's nice.”
Rainbow leaned forward and touched her forehead to that of her date’s, returning the hug as well as she could in their slightly awkward positioning.
“Thanks Twi...” she whispered.
She didn't say anything else but this time it was because she didn't need to.
The moment passed, and the girls became intimately aware of just how cold the bathwater was getting.
The tangle of limbs separated, and Twilight reached over to the drain. Rainbow stood up and reached for a towel. After a moment’s hesitation she grabbed two towels.
“Here,” she said as Twilight also stood up. “One for your body and one for your head.”
“What about you?”
Rainbow shrugged. “It's just a little bit of water. You're the one who’s drenched. And I know that girls with long hair usually use a towel for them. I just put mine in a ponytail and let it air dry.”
Satisfied with this explanation, Twilight took the towels as Rainbow stepped over to her phone. She paused to wipe her hand on the washcloth by the sink before picking up the piece of electrical hardware. Everyone knows that electricity and water do not mix well.
Twilight managed to put on her body towel without any problems, but the hair towel was a bit of a struggle. See, she never really learned exactly how to do it, so she tried to just wing it. The results were... amusing, to say the least.
“I think I did this wrong.”
Rainbow’s focus was on her texts received. One was from Pinkie, two from Rarity and Fluttershy each, three each from Applejack and her dad, and, uh, seventeen from Sunset Shimmer. After the mental head count she glanced over and stifled a cackle.
Twilight had set the towel on top of her head, then tried to reverse origami fold it into a spiral, but it collapsed in on itself and now looked like a cross between an overdone soufflé and a soggy paper boat.
Rainbow nodded her head before fixing it, and wrapped it the way Fluttershy and Applejack usually did.
“You gotta, like. Make it look like a beehive. Not a cinnamon roll. There, I think that's right?”
Twilight adjusted her glasses. “It feels right... thanks.”
Rainbow nodded, then turned her attention to her phone. She sat on the sink and began typing away.
Pinkie’s said “Jet left without paying” and a bunch of police car emojis before “hope Twi-Twi’s feeling better, she isn't answering her phone”.
Rarity’s said “UPDATE ON THE DRESS PLZ” and “oh yeah update on twilight too, she won't answer her phone”.
Fluttershy’s said “I heard what happened to you and twilight”, sad face emoji, “i’m always here if you need to talk” and “oh and please tell me how twilight’s doing, she hasn't answered my text”.
Applejack’s said “I'm going to rip out jet set’s heart and feed it to him”, “nvm pinkie told me what happened, nice punch!”, and “hey I'm worried about twilight, she ain't answering me”.
Bow’s said “H0pe ur havin FUN 0n ur d8, luv u -Sent from my ePhone”, “Txt me 0r ur m0m wen ur c0min h0me -Sent from my ePhone”, and a photo of a rainbow pride flag accompanied by, you guessed it, “Sent from my ePhone”.
Sunset’s said, among other things, “THAT MOUHTFKUCKUER”, “ARE YOU OK RAINBOW”, “IM GNONA KKIC HIS ASD”, and “IS TWILIGHT OK SHE WOMT ANSWER”. All of them in caps.
Rainbow glanced up at Twilight. “Is your phone like broken broken or just gross.”
“It's a paperweight now.”
Rainbow nodded. “Got it.” She then relayed the information that they were ok and Twilight’s phone was not ok. Once she was done, she herself was dry. “You know, you didn't have to wait for me in here.”
Twilight shrugged. “I wanted to stay.”
“I mean you can stay if you wanna. Just... you know. Anyway I'm actually hungry, let's check on the dress and make some food or something.” She reached for her shirt sitting still folded neatly on the toilet, but was cut off by a stifled noise from Twilight. A raised brow was her response.
Twilight pursed her lips, and placed her forefingers together.
“Um... Fluttershy’s parents won't be home today, will they?”
“Not til tomorrow I don't think. Why?”
“You, uh...” Twilight took a deep breath. “You don't... have... to put your shirt back on yet. If you don't want to.”
Rainbow’s face was an unreadable blank slate for just long enough to make Twilight feel an ounce of regret before it was broken in half by a knowing grin. “Twilight, are you suggesting I just walk around in front of you in just a bra like some kind of... common tramp? The very nerve.”
Twilight rolled her eyes. “Says the one who tried to get me naked the moment I walked in, then failing that successfully got me into a bikini.”
“HA!” Rainbow grabbed the shirt in her hand and slung her jacket over her shoulder. “Ok point taken T-Sparks. But only because I know my abs are just that awesome.”
The girls exited the bathroom and make a right to check on the dress. Miraculously it looked pretty ok, all things considered. Maybe a regular wash and it would look good as new.
“Yes!” Rainbow cheered. “I'll let Rarity know.” She tossed her clothes onto the couch and got back to her phone. As she did so, Twilight fought an unseen inner battle.
The long and short of it was, the reserved and modest and logical half of her brain was waging all out war on the teenage horny half of her brain. So far the second half was winning, and Rainbow’s cute tummy was heavily exacerbating it.
“So whaddaya hungry for?”
“Tacos... eh, what?” Twilight asked, blinking.
“Tacos?”
Twilight blinked again. “What?”
“You said tacos.”
“Did I?”
Rainbow thunked her head against the wall. “Yeah. You said tacos, eh, what. We can go to the Taco Bucket if you want.”
“No, I... I don't want tacos.”
“Then why did you say tacos?”
“I don't know, I didn't even know that I said tacos!”
“So you don't want tacos?”
“I mean,” Twilight shrugged. “I’d eat tacos if you wanted tacos. Do you want tacos?”
Rainbow sighed despite the laughter bubbling up. “What do you want to eat?”
“I don't know!”
Rainbow nodded her head as she walked into the kitchen proper and opened up the refrigerator.
“Ok we got, uh... milk, condiments, and an apple.” She shut the door before opening the freezer. “We also have ice, popsicles, ice cream but it's butter pecan so EW, more ice, ice packs...” she shut the door before taking a step to the side and opening the pantry. “And also... ramen noodles, tuna fish, canned ravioli, instant mashed potatoes, and... holy shit. Taco shells. Man, do the Shys even live here?”
Twilight wrung her hands together as she worried whether the question she wanted to ask was out of place considering the conversation they’d had a little bit ago in Fluttershy’s bedroom.
“Oh come on is there even any bread? I guess we could put tuna salad inside the taco shells. Or do grilled cheese with the ramen. Wait, we don't have cheese. Hm. There is the ravioli but I don't like the kind with the meat in it, I only eat the cheese ravioli. You could eat the ravioli if you wanted to, but I don't know if you're hungry or not. Least of all for ravioli. Can I get some feedback? Oh you're off in space. Hello, ground control to major Twilight!”
“I'm, uh... not hungry right now.”
Rainbow shrugged. “Ok, suit yourself. I might just wait til I take you home then run to my house and inhale a whole pack of lunch meat. For some reason I'm really craving roast beef and cheddar. Maybe I'll get a sub from Sunnymart.”
“Can I kiss you?”
Rainbow stopped moving, stopped talking, stopped thinking, and probably even stopped breathing for a second. After that second she stood up straight and looked over at her date.
“Come again?”
Twilight blushed so hard her lavender skin turned crimson and she covered her mouth.
“I... eeehhh...” she squeaked.
Rainbow took a few steps closer until she was right in front of Twilight. Slowly, she placed a hand on the side of Twilight’s head, and her other hand reached around to the small of her back.
“If you really want to, then yes. But if you have any doubts, any at all, then don't. If and when we have our first kiss, it'll be on both of our terms. Now, I would totally say yes in any other situation. But like I said before, you were upset and emotional and not thinking clearly and I wasn't gonna take advantage of you. And I'm still not. But that isn’t a no from me. You've been through a traumatic ordeal tonight, and you might want a kiss for the trouble. And I'll give it to you. But I gotta know before I make that decision, that you’re not gonna regret it, and that it's not gonna fuck up the friendship we’ve had up until this point. Okay?”
Twilight brought her hands down from her lips and nodded. “Okay,” she croaked, weakly, as if the volume of her words could shatter the delicate illusion before her. “I want to.”
Rainbow smiled at this. “All right.”
As she leaned in, Twilight smelled a subtle blend of mint, vanilla, and orange. Their lips inched closer together, and Twilight couldn't help but let her fingers drift slowly forward to touch her date’s hips. They danced upwards, as if Rainbow’s body was fragile enough to break if she touched too hard, finding their way to the soft tanned skin.
Her heart hammered in her throat, and she closed her eyes, leaning in to the gentle hand caressing her head. Their noses touched, and Twilight froze in place, not wanting to mess it up. Rainbow seemed to pick up on this, and closed in the gap.
Their lips touched for the briefest of moments.
And then Twilight jerked her head back.
“Not ready yet?” Rainbow asked.
Twilight nodded. “I'm... I’m scared.”
Rainbow chuckled silently at this. “Yeah... me too, honestly. Do you wanna sto-”
Twilight cut her off by moving in, pressing her lips to Rainbow’s. Instinctively her fingers pulled and she moved her hips forward. Rainbow’s hand moved up her spine, and the two girls pressed their bodies closer together.
The kiss remained chaste, and lasted for about ten seconds that felt a dozen times that. After that they pulled away, but only slightly.
“So that’s what kissing girls feels like,” Twilight whispered, a giddy tone to her voice. “I like it.”
“Yeah,” Rainbow replied at a similar volume. “It's also nicer when you really know the other person. When she’s not just a girl you know the name of and you're not just about to fuck and then never talk to again. When you...” she swallowed. “When you, you know. Care about them as a person. When you spend time with them and learn who they really are on the inside. When you... love them. Even if not romantically, as a friend. But... you maybe could love them romantically one day.”
“Koi no yokan...”
Rainbow opened her eyes. “What's that word mean?”
“It's nipponeighse... it’s like. When you see a person, and you don't fall in love with them that moment, but you know that one day maybe you could fall in love with them eventually. Because as a friend, I... I love you, Rainbow Dash. And I hope that maybe one day we’ll have grown to be more than that.”
Rainbow nodded before closing her eyes, and pulling her friend in for a hug.
“And I love you, Twilight Sparkle. I wanna be that... coy-no-yocan thing with you too. One day.”
The two shared in mutual blissful silence for a bit, until it was shattered by the rumblings of yet another train rattling by.
They pulled apart.
“So does this mean we can go on another date?” Twilight asked.
Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Of course it does, you dork. How’s next week?”
“I’m free. But... seven days is a pretty long time to go without seeing you.”
“We’ll still hang out outside of dates! Right?”
Twilight blinked. “Oh yeah. Then uh. See you tomorrow?”
Rainbow smiled and nodded. “Yeah. Tomorrow. Sounds good. So uh.” She cleared her throat. “How are we gonna get you home?”
Twilight looked down at her outfit, if one could call it that, considering it consisted of a bathing suit and a towel. Which reminded her that she was indeed still wearing a towel. Absentmindedly she undid it as she contemplated what to do about clothes. She could wear the dress home but it was kind of dirty, and she didn't want her parents to worry that anything had happened to her on her first date with another girl, but then again she realized that she’d need a new phone anyway.
“I could just wear the dress,” she offered, before seeing Rainbow’s nervous expression. “What?”
“Nothing, just... horny brain is like, oh hey that was a kiss, time for the sex, but logic brain is like, no I kissed twilight and we aren't having sex, and then horny brain is like, but boobies, and logic brain is like, yes twilight is a girl and she has boobies and you've seen boobies before, you even have them yourself, and horny brain is just, well, you know. And like I said earlier, you don't fuck before the third date.”
“Yeah... I get that, and I don't wanna... have sexual intercourse right now either. Not that I wouldn't, with you, but. Now isn't the time. Or place. If we were at my house then my logic brain might lose to horny brain, but this is Fluttershy’s parents’ house and if we did that I don't think I could ever look her in the eye again.”
“Heh,” Rainbow nodded, then brought her eyes back from the floor to her date’s eyes. “Good thing we’re not at your house. Or my house. Or, uh, well that's probably a bad thing depending on how you look at it. But hey, it's not like either of us can get pregnant. What’s the worst that can happen, in the long run?”
Twilight had a hard time keeping the gaze, as her own kept slipping down despite herself.
An evil grin crossed Rainbow’s face. “Wanna touch em?”
Twilight nodded.
“Well too bad, second base is for the second date... You, uh. You can look at ‘em though.”
Twilight shrugged. “That's ok, I'll just look at mine instead. They are bigger.”
Rainbow’s eyes widened as her jaw fell open. “Oh!” She cried, crossing her arms. “Wow! Okay. Maybe a little. Alright, a lot. Rude.”
Twilight giggled as she hugged the mock offended athlete. “I'm sorry. That was mean. How ever can I repay you?”
Rainbow’s faux pout collapsed at the suggestive tone in her date’s voice. “You can repay me by staying cute.”
“I think I can do that,” Twilight said as she reached to the table. She merely slipped the dress over her head, and settled it over her body. Then another problem struck her.
“All I brought was my phone, not a purse. So uh... what do I do about my underwear?”
The two spared a glance at the powder blue lace sitting on one of the chairs.
Rainbow shrugged. “I can stick it in my pocket. Maybe keep it at my house until you come by again with a purse so you don't walk in the door from your first date holding your panties in your hand, and make your dad come after me with a friggin shotgun.”
Twilight cocked an eyebrow. “My dad hasn't even seen a real gun in his life.”
Rainbow shrugged. “Do you want him to see your panties?”
Twilight blinked. “No. No I do not. Your pocket it is.”
“Cool.” She gently stuffed the underwear into her back pocket as best as she could while still getting the job done. As she pulled on her shirt and jacket, she briefly pondered why other girls wore that kind of stuff when boxers and boyshorts felt so much more comfy. “Ready to go home now?”
Twilight sighed in faux exasperation. “Well I mean we could stay here and cuddle for a while, eating ketchup and watching the wall, but if you're ready to leave...”
Rainbow gently pushed Twilight’s head away. “Dork. Seriously though, ready for me to walk you home?”
Twilight scrunched her face in thought for a moment. “Actually... can we go to the Taco Bucket after all?”
“Oh, fuck yes!”
/x/x/x/
Jet Set left the long black car he swore wasn't a limousine and marched straight into his house that he swore wasn't a mansion. He stormed past his private doorman he swore wasn’t a butler and up the lavishly decorated stairs in the foyer.
He ignored the inquiry from the cleaning lady he swore wasn't a maid, and tromped through the marble arches to the east wing. He threw open the doors to his master bedroom and flung his body onto the four poster bed.
He groaned into the comforter before turning over to glare at the ceiling. He reached to the locket around his neck and opened it, glaring at the photo inside. Glaring at the woman who stole his heart all those years ago. Glaring at that rainbow colored head of hair that made so much more sense now.
He ripped the necklace off and threw it across the room, dissatisfied with the tiny little skittering it made. He wanted a crash, a boom, a crunch, a snap crackle pop, but that was a lot to ask from a thin gold chain that was barely 18 carat because Grandmother Harriet cheaped out that birthday.
A knock at the door alerted him to the fact that he was no longer alone.
“I heard you were assaulted.”
Jet sighed.
“No, dad. She was just defending herself-”
“Wait, she?”
Jet took a deep breath.
“Son, did you get in a fight with a lady?”
“No, dad, I got in a fight with a dyke.”
“...ah. That explains it. Those people usually hit harder, then when we defend honor and integrity they cry sexism and homophobia. What was her name?”
“Rainbow Dash.”
Beat.
“Jet. Rainbow Dash is not a queer just because she’s an athlete with rainbow colored hair-”
“She was on a romantic date with Twilight Sparkle. Yes, you heard that right. Twilight J Sparkle.”
“...I see...”
Jet rolled to his side. “She did pour food on me and destroyed my phone, but surely she’ll claim that it was an accident. The only witness with no clear bias is the waitress and she’s best friends with Rainbow. And since I threatened her and threw the first punch, any legal action taken will end up biting us in the ass. I'll just take this as a learning experience, to control my temper better.”
Behind Jet’s father, a woman with bleached blonde hair and an impossibly low cut blouse approached him. “You have a phone call from Abacus Cinch waiting for you, Superintendent Neighsay.”
“Tell them I’ll be there momentarily. And Jet... Do better.”
