Even though they’d turned into a part of town without streetlights, it wasn’t all that dark; the few house lights here and there reflected off the patchy sheets of snow that covered lawns and gutters in an ethereal glow. It wasn’t snowing, not really, but every so often a fleck would fall down from above and land on Rainbow Dash’s muzzle.

“It’s coooold,” Rainbow groaned, stopping in her tracks so she could swat at the snowflake with a hoof. “Why’d you even wanna come out here when it’s like this?”

Rarity stopped too, turning to the blue mare and rolling her eyes. “You could have stayed home, darling, I just wanted to make an... excursion. I’ve been feeling too cooped up with my work in that Boutique as of late.”

“Mmmff,” Rainbow grumbled, lazily kicking at the snow beside the sidewalk. “I couldn’t, like, not come with you though. That’d be wrong.”

Rarity laughed, and her beautiful laugh rang out against the emptiness around them. “You could have, dear, but I appreciate that you’re here. It means a lot to me.”

In the dark it was hard to tell, but Rainbow Dash’s cheeks were burning up. “Yeah, yeah. Anything for you. Mmmff.”

Rarity smiled. “Anything, hmm?”

“...For a little bit at least,” Rainbow mumbled. “Bleh. Let’s just keep going, otherwise I’m gonna freeze to death.”

Shrugging, Rarity started trotting again, and Rainbow followed alongside. The snow showers started to pick up; now not just occasional, there was a steady stream of white dots pattering down to the ground at their hooves. The pair of them continued along the sidewalk; Rarity drank in the sight of old houses as they passed, and Rainbow spent a lot of time staring at the sky.

“Feel like my jaw’s gonna freeze off,” Rainbow eventually grumbled.

“You could have worn the scarf I knitted you last month,” Rarity pointed out. “Celestia knows I should have brought one for myself.”

“Meh,” Rainbow meh’d. “I don’t like scarves.”

Rarity gave her a look, an odd knowing look that made Rainbow feel all scrambledy inside. “But I made it for you, darling. It took me a whole week to match the colours in your mane, you know.”

“Mmmmmffff,” Rainbow grunted. “Well I can’t do anything about that now. Maybe next time. I guess.”

“Next time it is,” Rarity agreed, cheerily. With a goofy smile Rainbow could only barely see in the low light, the unicorn moved her head over towards the pegasus and gave her a little nuzzle on the chin. Rainbow could feel her heart melting as the purple mane compressed against her face, and a blush crept once more onto her cheeks.

“Y-yeah. Next time.” Rainbow Dash gulped, and a sense of silence lingered over the pair as they walked side by side down the pavement, snow landing daintily on their manes and coats. “Are we... uh... are we, like, going anywhere?”

Rarity blinked. “What exactly do you mean, sweetie?”

“Well, we’re on a walk, aren’t we?” Rainbow said. “Shouldn’t we be... going somewhere?”

Rarity didn’t respond immediately; she just kept walking. “Well... are you always going somewhere when you go flying?”

“I guess not,” Rainbow Dash replied. “But this feels different.”

“How come?”

“Because when I’m flying, I’m training. For the Wonderbolts and stuff, you know? I’m trying to be at top form, trying to be the best flyer I can be.”

Rarity paused. “But don’t you get anything out of the experience itself? Isn’t it enough just to fly?”

Rainbow Dash hummed, pausing a moment to brush the snowflakes away from her eyelids. “Uh... well... yeah. I guess you’re right.”

“This is just like that, then.” There was an odd lilt to Rarity’s voice, something joyously cautious. “It’s not about the destination, or at least for the most part not. It’s about trotting through the snow”—she paused to look at Rainbow dead in the eye, sending a shiver down the pegasus’ spine—“but about trotting through the snow with you, on this lovely evening.”

“I... guess that makes sense,” Rainbow mumbled, looking down. “But it’s so friggin’ cold.”

“Guess you’ll just have to get closer, then,” Rarity said with a wink, and she stepped over closer to her companion, her coat brushing up against Rainbow’s. “Hopefully you don’t mind.”

“I, uh,” Rainbow managed to get out, flustered. “Nope, no, I don’t mind—why would I mind? Heh...” The whole notion of words started to slip away, though, once she could feel the weight of the snow-white mare beside her, pressing into her side. “Oh jeez Rarity we’re in public though—-”

“So?” Rarity shot back, an open question. “Nopony’s out here, anyway—but would it matter if they were?”

Rainbow Dash let out a long, drawn-out breath, and she watched as it spun outward into the air as a cloud. “I dunno.”

Rarity leaned on her even more. “You don’t know?”

Rainbow sighed. “You know I’ve never been... super comfortable with that PDA sort of stuff. I dunno. You know I love you a lot, Rares... but I feel weird.”

Rarity pulled back a little, though Rainbow could still feel her weight. “Weird how?”

Rainbow chewed the inside of her lip. “I dunno. It’s not like I’m embarrassed to be with you or anything—I’m not, I promise—but it feels like it should be... special. Like my feelings for you are just for you, you know? It’s not anypony else’s business... it’s secret and special between just the two of us.”

The white unicorn let out a long, drawn out sigh, and Rainbow watched her breath as it floated up towards the heavens. “Alright... I can understand that.”

“You do?” Rainbow asked, surprised.

“Sure. You know how much I love those romantic gestures, in public and in front of other ponies,” Rarity elaborated, “but there’s something precious to those sorts of secret feelings, ones we just keep to each other.”

“Yeah...” Rainbow breathed.

“However,” Rarity went on, “nopony is out here. It’s just you... and I.”

Rainbow raised an eyebrow. “Y-yeah?”

“Yes, darling.” Rarity turned to her companion, and smiled. “And so I hope you don’t mind if I...” And, all of a sudden, Rarity dove in and her lips pressed against Rainbow’s. A deep blush set in on Rainbow’s cheeks, but her lips moved to kiss back—with passion, and a fervour that cut like a knife through the cold.

“Y-yeah, I don’t mind,” Rainbow mumbled, when she finally pulled away. “I don’t mind at all...” And with that, she dove in for another kiss, and Rarity’s lips were all too happy to meet hers. As they stood there together, in the middle of the block, the snow showers finally let go and as Rarity pulled Rainbow’s face closer with her forehooves, the cold specks spackled their faces, turning into water and soaking their coats. And yet the two mares didn’t mind, not at all—for they were alone, together, and happy.

“I love you, Rainbow Dash,” Rarity murmured.

“Oh, Celestia...” Rainbow let out, breathing heavily. “Rarity... you’re so great.”

And then, of course, they kissed.