Hearts and Hooves

"Oh, Spikey-Wikey I am so sorry darling, I don't know what almost came over me." Rarity said as she started to lean towards Spike her mouth had been slightly open. I was about to kiss him and not on the cheek.

***

"Did mom almost do that dad?" Rika was like her father, she liked mushy stories just like he did.

Spike grinned at their daughter he ran one of his claws through her green-colored mane.

"Rika, darling, let your father tell the story." Rarity replied shaking her mane.

Spike laughed a little. It had become one of Rika's favorite Hearts and Hooves day stories. "Now back to the story. You see, your mother's heart knew what or who it wanted..."

***

Spike felt the heat rush up to his cheeks. "It is Hearts and Hooves day Rarity, what could one little kiss hurt?"

Rarity couldn't resist smiling. It must be the fact that you're older now. She realized and noticed those emerald eyes watching her waiting for an opportunity. What would one little kiss hurt? She had to admit she was curious and today was the day of romance and hearts coming together.

Spike leaned in and kissed Rarity on the cheek, he watched her blink like she was coming out of a daydream. “Welcome back.”

Rarity put her hoof on her cheek, she could still feel the heat of his lips on her fur. “Are you always so warm, darling?”

Spike smiled. “I am a dragon after all.”

***

“You were teasing mom, weren’t you dad?” Rika replied as Spike took a bite of a sapphire gem. Her own sapphire eyes, the same color as her mother’s lit up at the taste.

Spike grinned at his daughter. “I would never do that to your mother.” He said giving her a sapphire gem to munch on, seeing as she was part dragon part pony, she had a love of eating gems as he did.

“Spikey, that’s not how I recall it.” Rarity said shaking her mane, She knew full well that Spike had a way of playing even when he was telling a story.

“Then continue, my lady,” Spike said for old-time sakes knowing she still liked it.

Rarity scooped up Rika in her arms and let the little filly rest her head on Rarity’s shoulder before she continued the story. “Well…”

***

Rarity cracked a grin. “Really Spikey, I haven’t noticed.” She batted her sapphire eyes at him knowing the effect it would cause on him. A strange feeling started to overcome her.

Spike countered at the same time by running his claw just under her chin. He tried to hold back a laugh when he felt her starting to teeter a bit. Those batting eyes slowed and then stopped. “Remember, I know you, quite well by now.”

Rarity put her lips together to try and stop the feeling coursing through her body. “All this for a kiss huh?” She finally managed to say when Spike withdrew his claw.

The grin Spike had been using turned into a wide smile. “Oh, I’ve only just begun Rarity. It’s obvious that you care about me. You came close to listening to your heart a few minutes ago. Afraid of how much closer we’ll become?”

“Of course, not Spikey.” Rarity replied she glanced over at him. “That’s not it…”

Spike sat on the couch and patted the space beside him. “Then tell me please.”

Rarity hopped up on the couch and laid down beside him. “I…um…already had…”

Spike tilted his head for a bit. “Had…what?” He asked.

Rarity summoned her unicorn magic and a small box she always kept on her desk. Opening the box, one look from Spike and she knew he knew what it was.

***

“This is the necklace isn’t it mom?” Rika asked touching the fire heart ruby around her mother’s neck. The red gem still glistened as it had so many years ago.

“The very same, darling.” Rarity replied running her hoof along the edges of the gem.

“Mind if I tell the next part?” Spike asked popping in another sapphire gem.

“Go for it dad,” Rika said, this was the part of the story that she liked.

***

“The fire heart ruby…” Spike lifted it out and held the gold inlaid necklace in his claws. He remembered handing the heart-shaped ruby to Rarity and his kiss on the cheek from her.

“I know it was your heart you gave me on that day Spikey.” Rarity said with a hint of pink coloring her cheeks. She went on. “Each time I looked at it after, I could feel my heart swelling more and more. I finally couldn’t take it and I made myself a promise. A promise that I would give in to my heart when the time was right.”

Spike's eyes widened. “You’re already in love with me, aren’t you?” He lifted the necklace over her head and slid it down over her face and fastened it behind her neck. The movement had his face a mere inch away from hers. His claw brushed over the spot where her heart was. He could feel the pounding of her heart.

Rarity reached up and put her hoof over his claw that covered her heart. “I always have been Spikey as I know you’ve been. I just couldn’t say anything before.”

Spike realized why. “I’m older, so there’s no reason for you to keep holding back. Spike ran a claw along her cheek. “Right.”

Rarity nodded, she used her other hoof to hold the back of his neck as her lips came up and brushed against his.

***

“So, after that kiss, I came along right?” Rika asked her sapphire eyes beaming like bright stars.

Spike and Rarity blinked as they’d been in a trance.

“Well, little one, a bit of time had passed before you were born.” Rarity admitted.

Spike let out a laugh. “And Rarity found out that one kiss, leads to many more and we’ve been together ever since then.”