“It was a lovely wedding, was it not?” Rarity commented. “The glamour, the reception, the party… oh, and don’t forget the beautiful dresses I designed for the girls.”

The white coated unicorn was walking around her room, dragging her usual sewing materials such as threads, scissors, markers and yarns towards her sewing table. She carefully placed them in order on her table, picking up one ball of green yarn from it.

“Yes, I really liked the dress you made for me!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed. She was lying on Rarity’s bed, playing with Opal’s tail. The white cat was deeply asleep and unaware of the filly playing with her fluffy tail.

“I’m glad that you liked it, darling,” Rarity replied, enveloping the green yard threads around a white piece of cloth. “And what do you think of the dresses I made for the girls and me?” she asked, turning her head to her sister.

“Well uh, I really liked Twilight’s dress!” Sweetie Belle answered, looking at her sister, who didn’t reply back. “But um… your dress was the most beautiful of all!” she quickly added.

Rarity smiled and turned her head back to her work. “Why, thank you, dear,” she giggled, cutting the thread with her scissors. “Although, to be honest, I think they were all beautiful.”

Sweetie Belle stopped playing with Opal’s tail and climbed down Rarity’s bed. “Really? Which one was your favorite?” she asked, walking towards her sister.

“Oh, well, it’s hard to say, you know,” Rarity answered, “they were all gorgeous, I couldn’t just pick a favorite.” She tapped her hoof on her chin, trying to decide a winner from the six dresses she had made.

“But, I’m sure you liked one dress more than the others, right?”

One dress more like the others… Maybe it was Rainbow’s colored dress with the cloudy edges, or Pinkie’s yellow floral dress? No, she had to be honest with herself. They were indeed gorgeous, but they weren’t her best work.

Rarity kept analyzing the other dresses. She pictured Applejack’s stylish dress, but it wasn’t that great compared to her Gala dress.

“Well?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“I’m thinking!” Rarity replied, quickly looking down at her sister, who rolled her eyes. She imagined the magenta dress with a lovely pink ribbon attached. Twilight’s dress was definitely better than the previous dresses.

She moved on and remembered her own dress. The pink floral adornment at the back, which was followed by her sky blue spotted blue dress. She worked extra hard on her own dress, and she was definitely happy with the results.

Rarity opened her mouth, ready to answer her impatient sister, when she remembered something. She realized she had forgotten somepony’s dress; Fluttershy’s dress.

The light purple dress, adorned with those blue flowers at the bottom. Oh, and her butterfly brooch on her chest, which combined perfectly with her cutie mark. And how could she forget the mint green beads on her head along with those ravishing green flowers on it? Every single part of her dress was perfect.

Rarity began to picture Fluttershy instead of the dress. She pictured her soft, long, pink mane, perfectly brushed for the wedding. Her light blue eyes and her coat…

“Are you okay? Why are you blushing?” Sweetie Belle interrupted her daydream, curiously.

Rarity snapped out of her fantasy, anxiously looking back at her sister. “Me? Blushing? What ever are you talking about?” she nervously said with an awkward smile.

“You were blushing just a moment ago. What were you thinking?” the filly asked, looking suspiciously at her sister.

“Twilight, Twilight’s dress is my favorite, all right?” Rarity anxiously replied, “I need to concentrate now, so if you would be kind enough to leave, I’d really appreciate it,” she said, pointing her hoof at the door.

“Geez, all right then,” Sweetie Belle muttered, walking outside Rarity’s room and closing the door behind her.

Rarity waited a few seconds after her sister left the room, and walked towards her bed, sitting on it. What… what was that all about? she wondered, lying her body on the bed. Why did I picture Fluttershy like that? I mean… she couldn’t help but think about her dear friend once again. What about her mane? Or her eyes? Or her coat? Or her beautiful face?

Rarity gasped, flopping into the bed, waking up Opal, who yawned and jumped off the bed to find a more relaxed spot to nap.

What am I thinking? Why did I think that? Rarity moved her head around and looked at her wall clock. It marked 2:31 pm “2:31?! I totally forgot!” she quickly stood up from her bed and trotted outside of her room.

“Oh, Ms. Fluttershy, we’re glad to see you again!” Aloe greeted the timid pegasus, who smiled back at her.

“Hello Ms. Aloe, and Ms. Lotus. How are you two today?” Fluttershy asked, walking in front of the counter to greet the twin ponies.

“We’re doing great, Ms. Fluttershy, thank you,” Lotus replied.

“We’ve had a lot of customers recently, so I guess it was a good idea to promote our spa at the wedding last week,” Aloe commented, moving behind the counter in front of a locker room.

“Oh, I’m so happy for you,” Fluttershy said, taking a seat on the couch.

“Thank you, Ms. Fluttershy,” Lotus responded, walking away from the counter, “I’m afraid Ms. Rarity hasn’t arrived yet,” she added.

“Oh, um… well, you know how she’s always late for our weekly get-together,” Fluttershy chuckled, the twins joined in pleasantly.

Aloe opened the locker in front of her, withdrawing a towel and a robe. “Here you go, Ms. Fluttershy,” she said, placing them on top of the counter.

“Oh, thank you,” Fluttershy softly answered, walking towards the counter and picking up her spa clothes.

Suddenly, the front door opened, chiming the little bell above it.

“Oh, Fluttershy, I’m sorry I’m late, I lost track of the time,” Rarity explained, catching her breath.

“Um, it’s okay Rarity, I just got here,” Fluttershy chuckled.

“Oh… very well then, the usual, please,” Rarity said, looking at Aloe.

“You got it, Ms. Rarity!” Aloe giggled.

Rarity and Fluttershy were relaxing at the sauna. The unicorn was breathing heavier than usual, thinking about what she thought a while back in her room. She stared at Fluttershy, who was letting the steam seep into her sore muscles.

Why am I feeling… like this? Rarity kept staring at her friend, trying to see what was the deal with her. She could feel her heart was beating faster than usual.

“Um… Rarity?”

“Uh?” Rarity quickly looked at Fluttershy. “Oh, what is it, darling?” she nervously asked, trying to forget her previous thoughts in her mind.

“Is something wrong?” Fluttershy asked, tilting her head a little to the right.

“No, no… nothing’s wrong,” the unicorn answered, waving her hoof in denial. “So tell me, how was your week, dear?” she asked, trying to change the subject.

“It was wonderful! After the wedding, Princess Celestia asked me to watch over Philomena the whole week since she was going to be busy. We had so much fun together,” Fluttershy commented, breathing in the hot steam.

“That’s wonderful indeed,” Rarity said, looking once again at her friend. She looks so beautiful… Wait! What was that?! Why did I think of that?

Aloe grabbed a ladle with her mouth and splashed the burning coals with cold water to create more steam.

“So um, how was your week, Rarity?” Fluttershy asked, moving closer to her friend.

Rarity noticed her friend moving closer to her. She gulped, trying to find an answer to Fluttershy’s question.

“It was fine, darling,” Rarity said, breathing heavily. Why is Fluttershy so… adorable? Her eyes dazed off for a moment, but quickly regained her composure. What?! Why am I still thinking of this? Think of something else, Rarity! Stop thinking of Fluttershy! she scolded herself in her thoughts.

“Just… fine?” Fluttershy asked, looking at her anxious friend.

“Oh, um… yes, fine!” Rarity nervously answered, biting her lower lip. “I uh… After the wedding, some Canterlot ponies asked me to design some dresses for them… so I’ve been quite busy.”

“That’s great! I’m sure they’ll love them,” Fluttershy giggled.

“Thanks, darling,” Rarity said, smiling at her friend. They better… I’ve been breaking my hooves making them…

“I loved the dresses you made for us for the wedding,” Fluttershy added, stretching her wings to relax them. “You looked beautiful in your blue dress.”

Rarity gasped. Heat slowly rose in her cheeks, making them tingle. “Oh, heh heh…” she chuckled. “T-thanks, darling.” You looked beautiful in your dress too, Fluttershy, she smiled, Aaah! Stop it!

“Alright ladies, are you ready for the next part?” Aloe interjected.

Both ponies nodded in agreement.

Rarity managed to keep her mind clear of weird thoughts about Fluttershy. She wasn’t sure why her heart was beating so fast, or why she could hardly breathe, or even though she was already out of the sauna, she was still sweating a little.

“And then Twilight said, ‘I read it in a book’ can you believe it?” Rarity chuckled along with Fluttershy. The unicorn had her entire face covered with a green facial mask, along with a pair of cucumber slices on her eyes. Fluttershy, as usual, only had a tiny bit of facial mask on her cheeks.

“So um, Rarity?” Fluttershy muttered.

“Yes, dear?”

“How are things in your life going?” Fluttershy asked, looking at Lotus who was offering to do a hooficure to her. She gently nodded, extending her front hooves.

Rarity removed one slice of cucumber from her face to look at Fluttershy. “I’ve been doing well, dear. My dresses are selling like hot bread.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Fluttershy giggled, lying on her back so Lotus could work on her back hooves.

Rarity felt a warm, fuzzy sensation inside her body each time she saw Fluttershy smile. She liked watching her dear friend smile. She has a beautiful smile… The unicorn quickly shook her head, trying to get rid of that last thought.

“Can I ask you something, Rarity?” Fluttershy asked, getting inside the small, mud pool.

“Of course,” Rarity answered, jumping into the mud pool after Aloe and Lotus finished wrapping her in seaweed.

“Are you sure? Because it’s kind of… personal…” Fluttershy nervously mumbled.

Rarity laughed, looking at her friend. “Oh, darling. You know you can ask me anything.” But… what does she want to ask me?

“Okay… um… are you in…” Fluttershy muttered, trying to finish her question, but she was too embarrassed to continue. “In… um…”

“Am I in what?”

“Are you… um, in a… relationship?” Fluttershy squealed, almost whispering her last word.

Rarity gasped, staring at her friend in shock. In a… relationship? W-why would she ask that? Her heartbeat accelerated. “N-no… I’m not,” she softly answered.

“Oh, I see…” Fluttershy said, staring at the mud below her neck.

Rarity kept staring at her. What… what was that all about? Why did she ask me that all of a sudden? she gulped, feeling a trickle of sweat begin to build on her brow.

“So, do you want to… um, do something after we’re done?” Fluttershy asked, looking back at Rarity.

“Sure, dear. What do you have in mind?”

“Well, I’ve heard about a good restaurant not too far away from here,” Fluttershy said, “maybe I could take you out to lunch there.”

“Sounds wonderful,” Rarity chimed. Wait… take me out to lunch? That sounds like… she tilted her head. No… it can’t be… right?

“Thank you! Will we be seeing you next week at the same time?” Aloe said, putting the bits Rarity gave her into the cashier.

“Sure thing, right Fluttershy?” Rarity said, smiling at her friend.

“Yes, of course,” the pegasus replied, walking outside the spa.

“Okay, thanks again! Have a nice day!” Lotus added, waving her hoof at the two mares.

Rarity and Fluttershy left the spa, feeling the warm sunlight against their faces. The unicorn took a deep breath to sniff the fresh afternoon air. She stared back at Fluttershy, who stared back at her with a smile.

“So, where is this restaurant?” Rarity asked.

“Um, it’s right over there.” Fluttershy pointed out with her hoof at a road, walking and leading the way towards the restaurant. Rarity followed her.

“By the way, Twilight told me that Princess Cadence and Shining Armor got back from their honeymoon,” Rarity commented while they were walking.

“Yes, she told me they went to Las Pegasus,” Fluttershy responded. “She even told me that Shining Armor placed a bet on a casino and he won a big jackpot.”

“Oh, I didn’t know that. Lucky him, it’s really hard to win a jackpot,” Rarity said.

“But um, he’s the captain of the Royal Guard… I’m sure he doesn’t care much about money,” Fluttershy added, “and he just got married, so I’m sure his real prize is love,” she giggled, “it’s like that old song ‘All You Need Is Love’ from… um… I don’t remember the artist’s name.”

“Very true, Fluttershy. Money comes and goes, but love lasts forever,” Rarity said, All you need is love… that’s true too, Fluttershy… all I need is you… she grumbled, shaking her head to get rid of that last thought.

After a few minutes, the mares arrived at a small restaurant. There were several tables outside the place, some occupied, and others unoccupied. Rarity and Fluttershy picked a table and took a seat, waiting for the waiter.

“So, who told you about this restaurant?” Rarity asked, looking around the place.

“Um, Applejack. She told me that the restaurant started to buy apples from Sweet Apple Acres,” Fluttershy explained, “and she told me that their food is exquisite… ‘to lick your hooves’ she said.”

“I see,” Rarity giggled.

A pale green coated unicorn approached the table, two menus levitating next to him. “Welcome, ladies, to the Glass Onion Restaurant, here are your menus,” he said, placing them on the table in front of the mares.

“Thank you, sir,” Rarity said, levitating her menu with her magical aura. The waiter nodded and walked away.

“Oh… my… the prices are quite expensive…” Fluttershy said, looking at her own menu.

“Don’t worry, darling. The lunch’s on me,” Rarity chuckled.

“Thanks, Rarity… I’m sorry… I said I was going to take you out to lunch.”

“It’s okay, dear. Do not worry about it, please.”

Some minutes later, the waiter came back, levitating a little notepad and a pen. “Your order, ladies?” he inquired.

“I will have the radish salad, and some lemon juice,” Rarity said, doing the math of the prices in her head. The waiter wrote the order on its notepad, turning his head to Fluttershy.

“I, um… I think I’ll have the fried mushrooms… and lemon juice too,” the pegasus muttered.

“Very well, your orders shall arrive shortly,” the waiter said, enveloping the menus with his magic and walking away from the table with them in tow.

A few minutes later, the waiter came back with the two dishes and the juice, dropping them off on the table. “Please, enjoy yourselves,” he said, walking away from the table.

Rarity levitated the fork and began eating the radishes. Fluttershy nibbled on her mushrooms, drinking some of her lemon juice with a straw. The juice was a bit sour, but she didn’t mind.

“These radishes are absolutely scrumptious!” Rarity exclaimed, putting the fork back on the plate and drinking some of her lemon juice.

“And these mushrooms are perfectly fried,” Fluttershy added, chewing another piece of her meal.

The mares kept eating and talking for several minutes, until their dishes and glasses were completely empty.

“That was quite a feast, was it not?” Rarity asked. She really enjoyed herself having lunch with Fluttershy, making her happier than usual, because she was with her most beloved friend.

Fluttershy nodded, cleaning her mouth with a napkin. She stared at Rarity and grabbed another napkin. “Um, Rarity, you got some sauce left on your mouth.”

Rarity moved her eyes towards her mouth, looking at the little sauce stain near her lips. She was about to levitate a napkin to clean herself, when Fluttershy suddenly approached her.

“Allow me,” Fluttershy said, wiping the sauce stain from Rarity’s mouth with her napkin. The unicorn blushed, feeling chills running through her body.

“T-thanks, darling,” Rarity mumbled, looking at her friend who only smiled at her. Why do I feel this tickling sensation in my belly? she lowered her head and looked at her empty plate. Maybe… it’s… love? Her eyes went wide in realization. Love… is was the only explanation. Wait, what? Love? This is Fluttershy I’m talking about! She’s my dearest friend, but love? I mean, she’s a mare, not that I’d have a problem with that, but… love?

“Um, Rarity?”

The unicorn jumped on her seat in surprise, startled by her friend. “Y-yes?”

“Shall we get the check?”

“Certainly.”

Rarity paid the check, leaving a tip for the waiter. She and Fluttershy stood up and walked away from the restaurant.

“Well, this has been a lovely day,” Rarity commented. “But it’s getting kind of late, don’t you think?”

“Yes, it’s almost 6:30, it will be dark soon,” Fluttershy said, looking up at the sky. “Um… mind if I walk with you back to the boutique?” she asked.

Rarity felt the same warm sensation she had been feeling the whole day revitalize in the pit of her stomach. Without hesitating, the unicorn nodded. “I’d love it if you did.”

Fluttershy smiled, walking next to Rarity towards her boutique.

Fluttershy has been acting weird all day… she looked at her friend. Maybe it’s just my imagination… she thought. Yes, it had to be her imagination. Or maybe not.

Both mares walked for several minutes, until they finally arrived at Carousel Boutique.

“Here we are,” Rarity said, “thank you, darling, for walking back home with me.”

Fluttershy blushed. “I-it’s no problem, Rarity,” she mumbled.

“Well then, I really enjoyed our weekly get-together!” Rarity exclaimed, “I’m looking forward for next week.”

“Me too. This was a great day,” Fluttershy replied, moving in front Rarity.

The unicorn’s heart began to wildly beat again. Fluttershy was too close to her, that she could even feel the soft exhalations from her nose. She blushed and gulped. “G-good night, Fluttershy,” she said, heavily breathing.

“Good night, Rarity,” Fluttershy whispered, leaning against Rarity and giving her a kiss on her cheek.

Rarity’s eyes opened wide in astonishment as she felt the soft lips of the pegasus on her cheek. Her heart was furiously beating, making her shiver in the inside. D-did Fluttershy just… The warm sensation within her grew stronger, making her face blush.

Fluttershy separated her lips from Rarity’s cheek, smiling warmly. She turned around and slowly walked away from the unicorn, who was still motionless from shock.

Rarity cleared the thoughts from her mind. It was clear now. She loved Fluttershy and she had to tell her. “W-wait,” Rarity squeaked. The pegasus stopped and turned her head back to the nervous unicorn.

“Yes, Rarity?”

“D-do you want… uh… a cup of tea before you go?” Rarity asked, Please, please say yes!

“Sure! I’d love to,” Fluttershy happily answered.

Rarity let out a very faint sigh of relief, with a huge grin of joy on her face.

“Here’s your tea, darling,” Rarity said, levitating a cup of tea in front of her friend, who gladly accepted it, holding it with her hooves.

Rarity sat down on her couch with Fluttershy, who gave a sip to her cup of tea. She looked so elegant, even when drinking. The unicorn looked around the room, trying to come up with words to break the ice, but could think of none.

“Oh… my, this tea is delicious, Rarity,” Fluttershy commented, looking at her concerned friend who awkwardly smiled back.

“Thanks, dear,” Rarity said, looking back at her. Come on, tell her! she commanded at herself. But, what if she doesn’t answer me back? What if I scare her? It’d ruin my friendship with her!

Fluttershy kept drinking her tea, unaware of the anxiety building inside her friend. She gave the cup one last sip and she finished her tea, letting out a gentle gasp.

Or what if she loves me back? What would I do then? This is so weird! Rarity closed her eyes, trying to come up with a final decision. But… I simply must get this off my chest, Fluttershy is my most trusted and beloved friend, and I’m sure she would understand. She finally decided, building up confidence on herself. She took a deep breath to relax herself.

Rarity raised her head with determination. She closed her eyes and turned her head towards her friend. “Fluttershy, listen, I-”

The unicorn stopped talking. She suddenly felt Fluttershy’s lips pressing against her own. She quickly opened her eyes to confirm the scene for herself. She tried to move or react, but her body didn’t respond. She slowly closed her eyes again, only enjoying the tenderness of the pegasus’ lips. She reacted, kissing back the pegasus with gentle mouth massages.

After a few seconds, Fluttershy broke the kiss. Rarity snapped back to reality and opened her eyes, analyzing what just had happened. The pegasus looked at her in concern. “Oh, Rarity, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to-”

“Fluttershy… w-what was… that?” Rarity softly asked, still processing the scene from just a moment ago. She was happy in the inside, happier than ever. Her warm sensation was running wild inside her entire body.

“S-sorry, Rarity… is just that… I… well…” Fluttershy muttered, trying to explain her actions. “This is… um, embarrassing but… I h-have this… crush on you…” she confessed.

Rarity stood motionless on her seat. A crush? On me? But… but… I’m the one who… she tilted her head, looking at her worried friend. I… I was not expecting that! She tried to move one hoof to see if her body had come back to its senses. She managed to raise her hoof, placing it on Fluttershy’s cheek and gently rubbing it against it. “Oh, sweetie.”

“Um, Rari-”

This time, Fluttershy was the one who was interrupted by Rarity’s lips pressing against her mouth. She closed her eyes, quickly returning back the kiss. She raised her hoof and pressed it against the unicorn’s cheek to get a better balance.

Rarity broke up the kiss, smiling at her surprised friend who was blushing more than ever. “You don’t know how glad I am to hear you say that,” she said.

“Um, w-what?” Fluttershy squeaked.

“You see, the thing is that I… well, I sort of have this… crush on you too,” Rarity confessed, looking at the pegasus.

Fluttershy smiled, glad of listening to Rarity’s confession. She rubbed her hooves against each other and stared at the floor. “Oh, um… that’s… that’s wonderful,” she said.

“Fluttershy…” Rarity gently whispered. The pegasus looked back at her friend. “This won’t affect our friendship, right?”

“No, no, not at all,” Fluttershy replied, waving one hoof in the air. “We, um… we are still best friends, right?”

“Why, of course, darling!” Rarity chuckled, moving closer to her friend. “I was just… afraid of losing you… I thought if I revealed my feelings to you…”

Fluttershy gently pressed her hoof against Rarity’s mouth. “I was thinking the same thing… and I was worried about that too…” she confessed, “I asked Twilight for advice, and she told me I had nothing to worry about.”

“Oh, sweetie, I had no idea,” Rarity said, “But, Twilight? Does it mean Twilight knows that you have a crush on me?”

Fluttershy nervously nodded. “Y-yes, but I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-”

This time, it was Rarity who pressed her hoof against Fluttershy’s mouth. “Say no more, darling,” she said, stroking the pegasus’ soft mane with her hoof. “I’m still glad that we…” she cleared her throat. “That we are… on the same page.”

Fluttershy giggled, looking at the unicorn’s sparkly blue eyes. “Actually, it was Twilight who told me to be closer with you,” she said, enjoying the soft strokes on her mane.

“Well, I was saying you were acting a bit kinder than usual this afternoon,” Rarity chuckled, “so that’s why you cleaned my mouth with the napkin and kissed me on the cheek?”

“Oh, well, I guess you could say that...” Fluttershy said, moving closer to Rarity. “That’s why I asked you back in the spa if you were in a relationship… to know if you were or not… um… available.”

Rarity laughed, pressing her face against Fluttershy’s. “Oh, my dear Fluttershy… you know that if I had a relationship with somepony, you’d be the first one to know!”

Fluttershy smiled, feeling the unicorn’s warm cheeks against her face. “T-thanks, Rarity.”

“For example, in this case… you’re the first one who knows, right?” Rarity said, looking at Fluttershy who was trying to process the question.

“Y-yes, and I’m happy about your new relationship,” Fluttershy happily chimed, “I hope you become the happiest mare in Equestria, and love your special somepony every single day.”

Rarity’s eyes were getting teary. She just heard what Fluttershy said and she knew exactly what she meant. “Oh, Fluttershy!” she exclaimed, kissing the pegasus one more time. This time, they embraced into a hug, tenderly kissing each other.

They broke up the kiss to catch their breath, giggling at each other.

“How about if we share the good news with the girls?” Rarity proposed, rubbing Fluttershy’s chest with her hoof.

“Um, yes, I think we should, but…” Fluttershy looked outside the window. “It’s pretty late already… I think it would be better to wait until tomorrow.”

“Oh, yes… you’re right,” Rarity said, examining outside the window as well. “So, are you leaving now?”

“Well, I have to give dinner to my pets but… um, well, Angel could take care about that, and it’s pretty late already, it can be dangerous to walk back home,” Fluttershy said.

“Say no more, darling. My bed is big enough for us,” Rarity said, climbing down from the couch. “Come on, let’s get ready.”

Fluttershy blushed, nodding in agreement.

“How was your bath, sweetie?” Rarity asked, sitting on her bed.

“It was wonderful! Your bath salts felt amazing! They relaxed my entire body,” Fluttershy said, walking towards Rarity’s bed.

“If you want, I could lend you some.”

“Thank you.”

Fluttershy and Rarity sat on the bed. They talked and talked for several minutes, until they realized it was the time to sleep. Rarity got perfectly into the bed, covering herself with her blanket and adjusting the pillow. Fluttershy did the same, still a bit nervous about sharing a bed with Rarity. Not like she hadn’t shared a bed before, but this time, it was the first time they shared a bed as a couple.

“Um, Rarity?”

“Yes, dear?”

“I… I’m cold.”

“Oh, I know how to fix that.”

Rarity moved closer to Fluttershy, cuddling with her. She sniffed the pegasus’ washed mane. She had used her tulip essence shampoo, her favorite.

Both mares stared at each other with a smile on their faces, sharing one last kiss before going to sleep. They closed their eyes, ready to take their trip to dreamland.

“Good night, Rarity. I-I love you.”

“Good night, Fluttershy… I love you too…”

Good night... good night, everypony... everypony, everywhere... good night.