Petals of the two stoic magnolia trees danced towards the ground at the slightest brush of wind; some fluttered in front of the odd couple beneath their previous home. One settled itself in a purple coif of Rarity's mane, making it seem as if a piece of her coat had reneged to become a new clump of hair. Spike brushed it off lazily, ignoring a petal that had had the misfortune of finding itself speared on his tallest spine.

He had shifted himself back onto his bottom and Rarity, much to the embarrassment of Spike, had happily used him as a pillow. Spike instinctively began stroking her ears, earning little moans of approval from the drowsing unicorn. Eventually, she had dozed off on his lap, the dragon continuing to pet her ears and stroking her mane; he was a gentleman and he had a golden opportunity.

Briefly, Spike glanced up to take a peek at the world outside of Rarity. He could see dirt paths winding towards and away from his bench, rendering themselves into webs that would stretch across the park and, eventually, fuse with the center streets of Ponyville. Birds chirruped somewhere in the distance, making themselves nothing more than a supporting melody to the ethereal songs that were naturally made by an ever moving world. Leaves danced and rotated in the air with a myriad of flower petals, each taking to the skies to find somewhere new to rest until they would be lifted again.

The sun peeked from around a cloud, sending a burst of its light into Spike's eyes. His pupils contracted to slits before his claw made its way to cover his eyes; once his eyes had adjusted to the radiance of the day he looked to the skies to see a branch of the Weather Patrol whisking thin cirrus clouds across the sky. From his vantage point they looked more like colored dots spinning and twirling about the skies like little magnets that pulled nature where it needed to go. 'Just making everything pretty, I guess.' For a moment he thought could see a gray pegasus bouncing atop a thundercloud that released a flurry of electricity with each successful hop, however, after giving his eyes a good rub it was gone.

He could hear the bustle of the market square beneath the birds and found himself imagining the ponies of his town. There would undoubtedly be stalls with the local veterans set up at every corner; the flower girls would definitely be having one of their friendly competitions, despite everypony knowing they all worked together. Carrot Top was probably sharing a space with Applejack, Spike had always figured farmers naturally got along.

Spike chuckled at the thought of the whole Apple family out selling their wares together. Granny Smith would probably just gab with any customer willing to talk to her even if Applejack was trying to sell them something. Apple Bloom would try to maintain her spot as the Apple family advertisement, pestering potential customers within an inch of their sanity. Applebloom was a good kid and all, but she really knew how to wear a pony out. Then there was Big Mac, that colt would do nothing but work in manly silence while mares everywhere looked and admired him. Spike had to hand it to him, though, he was one good looking colt. 'Miss Cheerilee really is a lucky mare.' The thought made him grin just a little harder.

Spike glanced down at Rarity and his smile dropped a bit. He had never seen Rarity look at any stallion, or mare for that matter, in any sort of romantic light outside of what she called "The Royal Jerk Who Shall Not Be Named". For a minute, Spike felt incredibly unsure of himself. He wasn't tall, he wasn't buff, he wasn't very manly—and here the mare of his dreams was, napping on his lap. "Just what is your type?" he asked softly.

Rarity responded, albeit unconsciously, by wrapping her forelegs around his body and kissing his stomach. When her lips met the soft scales of his underbelly he began to laugh. "Who, who cares?" he questioned to nopony in particular, "This is alright by me."

When his laughter had ceased, he went back to thinking while he stroked Rarity's mane. Hoping to catch a glimpse of the Weather Patrol at work once more, Spike turned his eyes up to the sky. Celestia's sun hang far to the west, already beginning to tint the sky a light orange. 'Oh man, how long has it been? Twilight is going to kill me!'

Twilight.

Spike's eyes opened to the size of saucers and his scales seemed to lose a bit of their shine.

Twilight was waiting for him at the library.

His stomach felt like it had been dropped off an invisible cliff and the beating of his heart seemed far too distant.

Spike steadily began to panic.

Twilight was waiting for him at home while Rarity was sleeping on his lap. He had been kissing Twilight last night and he had been kissing Rarity earlier today.

Spike distractedly noted to himself that his right claw was shaking rather fervently, he did not notice that it was shaking atop Rarity's head.

His thoughts gradually shifted faster and faster, tumbling into a blur of questions inside his head. The more he thought, the more tremors shook his body. Rarity had fallen for him, and yet something felt out of place.

'Twilight.'

Just a few weeks ago Spike would have thrown an entire parade in Canterlot if Rarity had fallen for him, yet now he couldn't feel the same amount of happiness. He was happy, overjoyed in fact, but there was just something that burned inside the pit of his gut that wouldn't go away.

Maybe it was heartburn, too much quartz could do that do a dragon.

'Twilight.'

His thoughts danced back to the lavender mare, to his caretaker, to Twilight. He could feel electricity dance across his lips when he thought about her. He could remember how she had looked just before he closed his eyes and that electricity had traveled across his whole body; her eyes had closed and her mouth was open just enough for him to see the pink of her tongue below her teeth. A shudder went through his chest as his memories played themselves further and further into his minds eye.

'Why do I-'

The sight of Twilight in her little yellow dress, hoof made by Rarity for her birthday.

'Is this-'

The dress washing over the natural curves of her form as she took it off.

'This can't be right. Right?'

He had a crush on Rarity, he had always had a crush on her.

Right?

"Spike?"

Spike's body jolted upwards, his jaws snapping shut with an audible click. He looked down to face a concerned Rarity. The azure of her eyes seemed so gentle, so caring, almost like the sky that hung above them. She sat up and drew herself towards her suitor, trailing a hoof up his chest. "Spike, dear, you were shaking. are you alright?"

Spike stared blankly at her, his mouth working silently as if in search of a coherent answer. After sputtering out a few short sputtering noises he managed, "Sorry for waking you up, Rarity."

'Ever the gentleman', she thought with a smile before returning her gaze to him. She obviously made an impact on him based off of the childish shift he took towards her. Without a word, Rarity had drawn Spike to her chest, cooing and kissing his spines. His arms wrapped around her frame and the two drew themselves ever closer. Finally, after Rarity had felt she had quelled her dragon, she allowed Spike to draw away. He looked so very young when something was wrong with him. There was a sort of charm in his youth. He had grown so much in the few short years she had known him, but he could still be child who needed somepony to tell comfort him. "Come now, dear," she beckoned, raising his chin with a gentle hoof, "tell me what's gotten you so perturbed."

Spike stared upwards towards the alabaster mare before him, his eyes shifting to and fro as if searching for the proper words. "I", he started, trying desperately to avoid the soft shine her smile seemed to give. "You don't, don't know everything do you?" He asked quickly as he drew his face back to hers. Spike, the epitome of desperation, looked up to Rarity whose ears flicked almost automatically as she raised her brow.

She raised her hoof, trying to figure out a reply that would make sense next to a senseless question. Rarity paused, stared blankly at her manicured hoof for a moment before bringing it back up into the air before her, and let out a quick huff. "What?" Was all she could muster.

Spike roughly dragged his claw down the center of his face, grumbling out apologies and self abasing comments. He left his dull talons spread across his face, one taking vigil under his left eye. Rarity didn't know.

Twilight didn't know.

He was the only one who had gone through everything. Spike was at the center and he was being torn apart. He had to do something, something to clear the air, something to make all of this less confusing. "Rarity, you weren't my first kiss."

He said it more to the scenery than anything, he couldn't bring himself to face Rarity until she heard her sweet laughter, like the sound of teacups touching one another. He shot up, her muzzle was covered by her hoof and his face burned a deep crimson. She opened her eyes for a moment and closed them in a moment from a new torrent of laughter surfacing. Spike brought his claws to his chin, twiddling them as he turned his face downwards.

Rarity couldn't help her laughter, what her little dragon had said was just far too much for her to bear. He had looked old, almost ancient, when he had covered his cheeks. 'Have to remember to pinch those.' She knew she hadn't been his first kiss, that just sounded ludicrous. Spike was young and handsome, whatever filly or mare couldn't notice would have to be inherently blind. For all she knew it could have been her own sister; Sweetie had been showing an interest in boys for a while. The thought made her slowing laughter rise again. Imagine, a young filly having a crush on her older sibling’s prince; there was palpable drama. She, however, had been his first real kiss. She had to have been, the poor dear passed out immediately after it happened.

And here he was before her, looking as guilty as a puppy. The issue wasn't serious, but it was one that could move mountains to one as young as Spike. she reached out to him, placing a hoof on his cheek, and smiled. "Spike, dear," she cooed, "it's okay. Come now, tell me who it is."

Spike felt a jolt run through every scale on his body. In an instant something that had been lying in wait manifested itself in the center of his body. This wasn't okay, he knew it wouldn't be okay, something had to go wrong.

He tilted his head upwards, mouth open, and stopped.

He had seen this before; months ago with different circumstances, but he had seen it before. There was the same touch of silk, that comforting presence of her hoof somewhere on his face. Almost unconsciously, he blinked as slow as a cat would and allowed his cheek to brush a little into her touch. When he opened his eyes he saw her smile, that smile that had burned itself into his young mind, the smile she let show only to him. It wasn't the face she put on to deal with a customer, it even managed to be different from the satisfied happiness she felt when she spent time with her friends. It was pure, pure happiness.

That smile that was only for him, that's what made it okay. For all Spike cared, he could have been plummeting towards the earth again.

"It-" He stopped, the words locking in his throat again. "It was Twilight."

Rarity felt her whole body stop for a moment. Not twitch, not shake, stop. her heart, her mind, even the circles she trailed across Spike's cheek. Worry began to overtake her mind before she forced herself to be calm and collected. Spike was young, he wouldn't know the difference between a real kiss and something familial. She let out a sigh, one that she couldn't stop from shaking, and smiled once more at Spike. "Oh, my little Spikey-Wikey, it's okay. If you did something when you were-"

"Rarity, Twilight kissed me! Right before you did, Right before!" Spike shouted, tears welling up and spilling down his face. Rarity drew back from him, the volume in his voice was only matched by his desperation. "She kissed me and then you did and I just don't get it!" The tears were flowing unabated now, the dam had broken and the flood was coming. "I don't get it," his voice hitched. "Why don't I get it?" Spike buried his face in his claws and kept questioning himself until Rarity interjected. He could feel her hoof on him again, it was still as soft as ever; it quelled his shaking once again, but the tears still pooled in his hands.

"Tell me everything, start from the beginning and don't stop." Rarity's voice was cool, calculated; she was keeping herself as calm as possible despite the burning that she felt deep down inside her body.

She had figured out why Spike mentioned Twilight and she had a pretty good idea as to why the librarian reacted to her actions in such a callous manner. She would have a talk with Twilight later, for now Spike needed her.

Rarity patted Spike's scaly back, waiting for him to respond. Each second made the burning hotter, made her understand what it was. It was anger, anger she had felt since their first altercation that was slowly elevating into a smoldering fury. 'What kind of mare would take advantage of Spike like that?! What in Equestria was that lurid bookworm thinking? When I get my hooves on her-'

"Okay."

Rarity jumped out of her gradually descending thoughts at the voice that barely above a whisper. She looked down to see Spike still holding his face in his claws. She drew him towards her, her demeanor dropping a bit when Spike would refuse to meet her eyes.

Spike sighed and blew a puff of smoke from his nostrils before speaking. "I wanted to tell you a few days ago, I wanted to tell you for months, Rarity. I don't know why I couldn't. I guess I'm just a pansy or something." His shoulders shook with a quick laugh. Not one of happiness, but one that simply cannot be stopped. "But it was in there and I had to say it." He looked down again, "You really weren't supposed to hear me. Or maybe you were, I don't know, I think I was just really scared. I really tried to tell you, I really did, but I just couldn't."

Spike shifted in his seat, scratching the back of his head. "When I got home Twilight knew something was up, I swear, she knows everything about me." He chuckled again, there was happiness in this one and Rarity couldn't help but hear it. "I cried to her and told her what happened and then we looked at pictures together."

"Pictures?" Rarity asked, she didn't want to interrupt, but the story had taken a curious turn. When Spike looked up to her with a waxing smile she felt a sharp pang in her chest. He was feeling better and he had just barely started talking.

"Yeah, our old photo album, it helped a bit. When I woke up she was acting really flustered." Spike paused, deep in thought. "We almost kissed in the library," Rarity gritted her teeth, "but I remembered I was supposed to help you. She tried to stop me, didn't want me to get hurt or something, but I told her I'd be fine." He let out another sigh, looking at his claws as if they held the answer. "Then, then she really laid one on me." He brought his claw to his forehead. "She just told me, ‘Have fun at Rarity's, Spike, I'll be home for you when you need me’. So I ran to your place, and you know what happened there." Spike looked up to Rarity, eyes wide as saucers, "And do you know the worst part?"

Rarity made her voice calm and leaned closer towards Spike. "No, dear, what happened?"

"She was right there when I woke up. She told the truth." His voice hitched as fresh tears started to flow.

"She teleported me back to the boutique," Rarity blurted, unable to let Spike go unknowing of his caretakers actions.

"Wait, what? Why?!" Spike cried, looking up to Rarity with the utmost concern.

She closed her eyes and let a grin wash across her face. He still cared about her, that was good. "I implied what I had done and she overreacted."

"Implied?" Spike asked, a little incredulously. He knew Twilight could dissect a sentence and find out what somepony truly meant, but he didn't think she would make assumptions about anything.

"A lady does not kiss and tell, Spike. Continue," she said with a wave of her hoof.

"Oh", Spike blinked, remembering what he was supposed to be doing. "We went out to eat when I woke up, Twilight called it a date, but I—" Spike trailed off into an incomprehensible mumble. "Yeah," he said, admitting it to himself. "Yeah, it was a date. Twilight took me out on a date. Then I told her what happened at your place and she apologized." Spike paused again, taking his rendition of his experiences into account. "She apologized and kissed me again, she asked me to forgive her."

Spike hopped off the bench and looked up at Rarity; she was shocked by how serene he looked, how much serenity he seemed to absolutely exude. "I kissed back and forgave her." He spread his arms open and said, "And here we are."

Rarity stared at Spike, trying to take in all of the information, and he stared back. He felt better . . . not okay but he definitely felt better. 'Getting something off your chest can really help, I should tell Celestia that.'

Rarity stepped down from the bench and beckoned Spike to her side. "Spike, we're going to the library." The coldness in her voice had returned, Spike could practically feel it. His composure was replaced by worry in less than an instant.

"What?! Why are we—"

"I'm going to have a talk with your guardian, Spike. There are some issues that need to be resolved." With that she began making her way towards the setting sun. Her eyes were set forward and she would not turn her head even as Spike questioned and fretted at her side. There were issues to resolve and she was going to resolve them.

Spike eventually gave up on persuading Rarity from talking to Twilight, he knew it was the worst possible thing that could happen. Panic and paranoia was back, increasing tenfold as he saw the library looming before him. Rarity told him to stay inside, he barely heard her.

She stepped inside the grand oak as dignified as she could ever be and closed the door, leaving Spike alone in the light of the setting sun.

Briefly, he muttered to himself, "This won't end well."

Spike sat on the small step of his home and began to wait.

Somewhere in the distance, he could hear birds chirping and the market drawing to a close.