"C'mon, 'Dash. Let's go have some breakfast."

Rainbow Dash's eyes opened in a flash, the word 'breakfast' setting a chain reaction in motion.

"NO!"

Peter turned in surprise, eyebrows raised.

"What?"

Rainbow Dash shut her eyes, silently cursing herself for being so forgetful.

Peter hugged her, and pressed his lips to her forehead, stroking her mane as she shivered in apparent fear.

"Are you okay? You're shaking like a leaf!"

She looked up into his eyes, her beautiful, red eyes shimmering with fear.

"Peter...there's something I forgot to tell you...about the ritual."

Peter raised an eyebrow, things already clicking into place.

"Lemme guess-no breakfast, either?"

Rainbow Dash shook her head, silently asking Celestia to give Peter the strength to carry through with it...

"We have to fast on the first day...which is, of course, today..."

Peter's jaw dropped, and Rainbow Dash felt her body shudder in fear.

What if he says no? What if he rejects me, like he almost did last night?

Peter blinked, a single thought making itself present in his mind.

I want to be with her...and nothing will ever get in my way.

"Dashie...I'll do it. I'll do it for you. For us."

Rainbow Dash felt a surge of joy, and she practically tackled Peter, wrapping her wings around him and smiling, kissing him on both cheeks over and over again.

"Peter, you're the best! I love you!"

Peter smiled, knowing full well that the love she felt for him was simply the love shared between a new couple. However, at the same time, he knew that he felt the same love, and that it was undeniably strong.

"I love you too, Dashie...and I would do anything for you...Just...can you maybe explain to me...what, exactly, is the reason for this...ritual?"

"It's meant to be a mark of devotion, and the reason behind the fasting is that, a long time ago, before ponies came to Equestria, the Pegasi were periodically starving. What would happen is that, in order to survive winters, Pegasi couples would wrap each other in their wings. The emotional pleasure they gained helped them endure each winter. And now, Pegasi follow that as an example for couples today: we should be able to endure a lack of food, with only each others' company as sustenance for our minds. But, thing is, you're not a Pegasus, which means that...you can't feel the same thing that I feel...y'know, when I put my wings around you. I was afraid that you would say no, because you don't know what it feels like, and wouldn't have that feeling to strengthen yourself..."

Peter smiled, and wrapped his arms around the cyan Pegasus.

"I would never say no, Dashie. I love you too much."

The cyan Pegasus giggled, and, using her wings, rolled Peter onto his back.

After fidgeting around, she found a comfortable way to lay on his torso, wings wrapped around him, and head in the crook of his neck, rubbing up against him, her heart bursting with love.

"Peter...you're the best..."

Peter kissed her on the forehead, already lightly preening her.

Rainbow Dash kissed him on the cheek again, smiling a huge smile.

"Say it again, Peter..."

Peter looked down at her, eyebrow raised.

"Say what again?"

"That you love me..."

Peter placed his hand on the side of her face, knowing now that what he felt for her was truly love, albeit in its infancy.

"I love you, Dashie."

She grinned, and kissed him on the cheek.

"I love you too, Peter."

They lay in the same position for the next hour, the sound of everypony's breakfast being consumed the only one accompanying their heartbeats, which they heard clearly as they lay with each other. At the sound of a burp, Peter looked up, but back to Rainbow Dash, ignoring the outside world.

He looked down at Rainbow Dash, the Pegasus smiling as she rubbed her head on his neck, blushing madly.

Peter sniffed at the air, eggs teasing his nose.

This is going to be difficult...

He looked down at Rainbow Dash, a new found energy surging through him. He pressed his lips to her forehead, smiling in determination as he whispered into her ear.

"Dashie...you know what I say to the fasting?"

"What?"

He removed his lips from her forehead, and pressed them, instead, onto her lips, both of their hearts exploding with love and joy during the two seconds that the kiss lasted, each second feeling like an eternity of never-ending happiness.

"Challenge accepted."

As he pulled back, he looked into her eyes to see the utmost love and happiness, and he knew then, at that very instant...

That he loved her more than he had loved anyone before.

Just then, the world was darkened as screens came down around their hammock, barely obscuring their vision, both of them fully aware of the box, photograph, and letter that now sat besides them.

"I love you, Dashie."

He pressed his lips to hers once more, both of their lips parting only a centimeter each, neither of them yet ready to go the full way.

"I love you too, Peter..."

I'm sorry. I just had to.
BTW I'm going to be uploading mostly vacation chapters for the next few weeks (I'm allowed to upload chapters on the weekend, as my mother and I have come to an agreement on my 'grounding'.)
I just want to get a way from the main plot for a bit. Just...flush out the characters, their relationships, and how they grow as friends/a couple.
Also, my new story is up.
It's called 'Discord, PhD.'.