"I didn't want to come, but it was the only excuse for me to leave." Sweetie Belle said to herself. She didn't want to be flooded by questions again from Rarity and her friends. She wanted to be alone, but now that she was on her way to Spike's there was no point turning back.

Sweetie Belle approached the Library's front door. She raised her hoof, about to knock, but stopped before doing so.

"M-maybe I shouldn't..."

Sweetie started to debate to herself if she should knock or not.

She stood still for a couple of minutes, then finally decided to knock. "Ohhh, maybe I shouldn't have."

She waited a couple of seconds and then Spike opened the door.

"Hey Sweetie Belle. How's it going?" Spike said happily, as he reached in to hug Sweetie Belle.

"I'm fine, thank you." Sweetie said accepting the hug.

"Come in!" Spike allowed Sweetie inside.

"Twilight's out right now. She said she wanted to do some errands, but I know she just wanted to leave us two alone for our date." Spike closed the door.

"That was really nice of her." Sweetie looked around.

"Yeah. Anyways, follow me. Come look at what I set up over here!" Spike said excitedly.

Sweetie giggled at his actions. How he ran towards whatever he did, so childlike, energetic.

"Same old Spike." Sweetie thought to herself.

Spike may have awakened his true powers, beaten powerful foes, and whatnot. But he's still the same old happy dragon.

Sweetie followed Spike into the kitchen. The lights were off but there was candles around the room.

Spike rubbed the back of his head. "Y-You like it? I thought it would be a little bit... romantic." Spike said sheepishly.

"It's great Spike. I like it. It is, kinda romantic."

"Ah well, I read some dating guides from the library."

"Sounds more like Rarity's romance novels to me." Sweetie said giggling.

"Well, it does have the name 'Romance Novel', so I guess that's a good thing." Spike said shrugging. "Anyways, come sit down over here."

Spike pointed to a small coffee table that had two seats. Sweetie trotted over, took a seat and waited for Spike's next move.

"Alright, give me one second." Spike zipped to the kitchen counter and brought back two bowls.

"Here's the first dish; Some Caesar Salad, with croutons in your's and gems in mine."  Spike put the bowls down in their respective places.

"Thanks." Sweetie said.

"No problem, dig in!"

Spike and Sweetie Belle ate. None spoke a word.

Sweetie Belle was staring at her food, taking a bite every other minute. She was thinking about what Diamond Tiara said.

"Spike wants to be with you, not because he loves you, because he wants to be closer to Rarity, the one he truly wants most."

Sweetie looked up, to see Spike eating peacefully.

She decided to try to find out if what Diamond Tiara said was true. "Um, Spike?"

Spike stopped eating and looked up. "Yeah Sweetie?"

"Was there any other pony you wanted to be with, before me?" Sweetie asked.

"Well... I kinda liked your sister, Rarity..."

"If I weren't here, would you still want to be with her?"

"Hm, why do you ask?"

"Just trying to start a conversation, and to be honest, I want to know more about you." Sweetie wasn't lying. She wanted to know more about the drake she loved.

"(Sigh) It was just a stupid crush. I never really thought about it until you came into mind. But I could never get her, no matter how much I tried. She was older than me for one thing."

"Oh, sorry it never worked out between you two..."

"Oh, you don't have to be sorry." Spike stood up and took his bowl.

He walked to Sweetie's side of the table. "Cause now, I have my favorite little princess to be with." Spike said, planting a kiss on Sweetie Belle's cheek.

Sweetie blushed at the name. "Favorite Little Princess."

"You done with your salad?"

"Um... kinda."

Spike looked inside her bowl and chuckled. "Well I guess we're not any different considering I mostly ate the gems in my bowl."

Sweetie Belle giggled.

"Alright, you ready for the main course?"

"Sure!"

Spike took her bowl with his magic and went to the kitchen counter.

Sweetie Belle looked at Spike ."Well, at least now I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that Spike is not using me to get closer to Rarity." Sweetie Belle thought. "But, am I still worth it to him? Maybe I'm not good enough for him." Sweetie Belle looked at her flank.

"Spike doesn't want to be with a Stupid, Untalented, Blank Flank Nobody like you."

"I don't even have my Cutie Mark yet. What will the Prince of Equestria look like if he's with a stupid, Cutie Markless, pony." Sweetie gave a mental sigh as she looked back up at her love.

Spike was coming back from the kitchen. He brought two new bowls with him.

Spike set one bowl in front of Sweetie Belle.

Sweetie took a whiff. "What's this Spike?"

"Alright, in your bowl, you have some of my special soup. Some spicy gravy with sweet potatoes, dumplings, and carrots." Spike said as he reached over, pointing at said ingredients. "I don't really like the dumplings, they get stuck in between my pointy teeth, so I replace them with gems."

Sweetie nodded, understanding.

She proceeded to take a spoonful of gravy with one of the chopped sweet potato.

"How does it taste?"

"It tastes really good! Thanks, my prince."

Spike chuckled at her response.

Spike and Sweetie Belle continued to eat happily.

6:30

Sweetie Belle was at the door, getting ready to leave.

"Have a good walk home."

"I will, thanks."

Sweetie and Spike hugged, Spike giving her a kiss on the cheek in the process.

"Alright, later." Spike said releasing Sweetie Belle.

"Bye Spike!" She gave Spike a peck on the cheek and trotted away.

Spike watched Sweetie walk away for a couple of seconds, and then went back inside to go relax. Next Chapter: Thrice Encounter Estimated time remaining: 33 Minutes