Staying Put

Rarity was rather excited, what with the hour growing later and later. She'd closed up shop and sent Coco home early—with Sweetie Belle no less—and now Rarity had the boutique all to herself as she waited for the handsome stallion from yesterday to appear.

It was a quarter past six when she was finally finished sprucing herself up for the eighth time, but it still didn't feel like she'd put enough effort in. A look in the mirror told her that she shone with radiance, her body glistening from a spa treatment earlier on, hooves polished, fur groomed, and a scent of lavender and wildflower about her that clung to the air and made her heart flip whenever she inhaled.

She didn't usually go for this kind of scent, but she imagined that a stallion that lived in the forest would enjoy something that reminded him of home. Nonetheless, she was coming to enjoy it, and when all of her makeup was done and her mane properly curled, she finally put on her dress for the occasion, a sleek and elegant black thing that hugged her body and accentuated all of her best assets. Not to mention the contrast with her coat, which was absolutely divine.

It wasn't even her own stitching. While she was often happy to sample her own goods, she felt that a night such as this one called for something a little different, and that she'd finally earned a break, so she had sent Coco to pick her out a suitable evening dress from the revered stallion designer Hoity Toity. Coco went to Canterlot and came back with the most stunning thing Rarity had seen in a long while, and she was more than happy with her choice.

A lot of mares didn't like to dress up, they'd go to dates, events, and meetings alike au natural, even if their stallions were suited up, but Rarity liked to do things a little differently. She spent so much time in fashion, working with designs primarily for stallions, and so many of them seemed to enjoy looking striking, classy. Rarity figured she could indulge in a similar sensation also, hence the dress, the makeup, the treatment.

But all of it would be for nothing if Jason didn't show up already! Rarity checked the clock, finding it to be twenty-six minutes past. Alright, it hasn't even gone half-past yet. Relax, Rarity, try not to worry about it. He's going to show up soon, you'll be on your way and having a good time, and all of this won't have been for nothing.

She didn't get her hopes up for no reason, after all, even after explicitly telling herself that she wouldn't. That would be rather silly indeed.

Rarity never felt as pathetic as when she was reduced to clock watching, but here she was, watching one second blur into the next at a steady, tiresome drag. She just needed something to take her mind off of the wait, surely. Perhaps she could pace a few more times? No, already done that.

There was a bottle set out for when Jason arrived, in case he felt like coming in. Trottingham Valley, a spiced rum with a smooth texture and a powerful kick. She imagined it would be the kind of thing a stallion like him might enjoy, being so different, so she'd taken a gamble and refrained from buying cocktail ingredients, or a bottle of rose.

And now it was sat there, staring at her. There was no way they were going to need the whole thing between them, it was an entire litre, and Rarity was sure it wouldn't hurt to have just one glass to herself while she waited...

Cola and lime, a glass, a few pieces of ice, and she had her first drink poured. She took a sweet sip, enjoying the pleasant sparkle of the fizz against her lips. She didn't usually drink anything carbonated, so it was quite the rare experience, and as she often did, she found the first sip of the beverage to be rather... moreish.

It wasn't long until she'd managed to finish her first glass. She'd like to say that she nursed it with small, dainty sips, but in actuality, she took one of those sips every five seconds, still watching the blasted clock.

Jason ran until he felt a stitch coming on, and then he ran through the stitch. He could see the sun setting in the distance, and for the millionth time wished that he owned a fucking clock. Still, no fixing that now. He pressed on and on, finally reaching Ponyville and attempting to maneouvre his way through it. The place seemed to come alive at night, which was quite a surprise to him, and before he knew it he was having to dodge around hordes of out and about ponies as he tried to find his way to the boutique he'd been shown yesterday.

Hopefully he wasn't late. He didn't think he could deal with adding another shitty circumstance to the list right now, Rarity was all he had going for him.

Dodge a drunken mare, hop around a few more, duck a procession of stallions and turn a corner. He could see it in the distance, the place he'd been shown to yesterday, and after wading through the sea of ponies, he managed to pull through in one piece, barely. He was panting, exhausted from the run, but if there was one thing he surely had going for him, it was the fact that he at least wouldn't be going through this whole date with nothing but sex on his mind.

Pinkie Pie saw to that, about the only benefit of his bumping into her.

He stretched out his limbs, panted a little more, gave himself one last sniff, and raised a hoof to knock. No answer. Frowning, Jason repeated the motion, this time a little louder, and after a rather long pause, he heard the rather musical call of the mare he was waiting for. "Come in! Don't take your time about it!"

Worry was replaced with eagerness as he opened the door, and on the other side he found exactly who he'd been waiting to see. She looked absolutely stunning, there was no doubt about that, and more dressed up than any mare he'd even seen. Honestly, it was impressive just how much work she'd put into her appearance, and it only made Jason feel a little more conscious of the fact that he was wearing absolutely nothing.

"Oh, I was wondering when you'd show up!" Rarity took a couple of steps towards him, but she didn't seem to walk with the same authority and purpose as he'd seen previously. No, there seemed to be a little more whimsy in her steps, but he couldn't place exactly why. "Once the clock hit seven, I thought you might have gotten lost, or found something more important to do, but no! You're here! Fashionably late indeed!"

Was she... was she angry? Jason considered his options. If he told her exactly what happened, it might only upset her more, so he went with a portion of the truth, deciding he'd explain the rest at a slightly less delicate time. "I'm sorry I got held up, but a pony came up to me on my way here, kept pestering me."

"Oh?" she batted her eyelids, teetering forwards. "Don't suppose it was someone with more beauty than myself? I'd understand if that was the reason, of course, you'd simply have to tell me."

Something was a little odd about the things she was coming out with... She didn't seem like her usual self right now, maybe she was just a little nervous about this whole date thing. Made two of them, in all honesty. "Of course not, don't be silly. I think I'd have to look pretty far to find someone like that."

"You're damn right you would," Rarity blurted before quickly covering her lips with a hoof, her cheeks reddening. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to come out with that—must be the nerves! Any chance I can get you a drink, perhaps something to wear?"

Oh, Christ, that was embarrassing. He'd fucked up so severely that his date actually had to dress him. That said, a drink did sound good. Something for the nerves before he wished for the floor to swallow him already. "Yeah, I'd be happy to have a drink, thank you. I'm... sorry I didn't come with anything on, but I'm not really stocked up on clothes, in all honesty."

"Oh, tosh, darling, I outfit stallions for a living, it really isn't an issue. There's a bottle on the table if you come through. Yes, do feel free to help yourself—oh, what am I talking about, I'll pour you one!"

Why was she so all over the place? Jason walked further into the boutique—a mismash of colours and fabrics—and as he approached the table in the centre, watching Rarity levitate a bottle and glass up, spying the make, he realised that the bottle was already a quarter empty.

God, he really did keep her waiting a while, huh? That or she was a lot more nervous than she'd been letting on.

Rarity almost spilt the contents of the glass in her aura twice as she made up his drink, but through a mixture of luck and stumbles in opposite directions, she managed to avoid any of the liquid hitting the floor. "A drink for the sir..." and then she went about pouring another glass for herself, a glass that had certainly already been used. "And a drink for moi. A toast, dear?"

Jason took the glass from her magical hold before she dropped or spilt it, and struggled to hold it in the nook of his hoof. "Heh, what are we toasting to?"

Rarity looked at him as if it was a stupid question. "Why, this rum, of course! It's absolutely divine, darling, scrumptious."

With a slightly awkward smile, Jason raised his glass to toast. He felt as if he'd caused this whole situation with his tardiness, as if Rarity would be her usual, unworried and sophisticated self if he hadn't taken so damn long getting here. It wasn't her fault that she was a lightweight, after all. She stumbled her glass into his, clinking them together, and while Jason only took a sip, Rarity chugged a hearty gulp in the least ladylike fashion Jason could've ever imagined.

It was nothing like how she drank from her cup in the cafe, that was for sure. Part of him almost liked it on her.

"Nowww, are we hitting the town, or are we hitting the motherfucking town?!"

Jesus Christ on a cross she's smashed already.

"You just—you just don't really see them like that anymore, daaarling, you know? All vivacious and sprightly and proud, dancing and prancing and—oh, what were we talking about. Waiter! Two more please, and one for my date!"

The funny thing about being out with a sophisticated drunk is that you don't understand what they're saying for two entirely different reasons. Jason had spent a lot of the evening nodding his head, trying to prevent Rarity from falling over, and failing to convince her to stop ordering vodka and lemonades. It wasn't a date, it was babysitting whilst being called 'darling'.

"Anyways, yes, I'm sorry, I know I've prattled on..." her eyes drooped for a moment, almost sad, and then she seemed to remember where she was, perking up. "I know I'm being a lot to deal with right now..." she lowered her tone, whispering into Jason's ear. "I think I've had a little too much to drink. I'm sorry, I imagine this has been an absolutely dreadful experience for you." Just as the pony arrived with the drinks, Rarity shook her head. "No, no, send them back, fetch me a water. Thank you."

She let the waiter bill her for the full amount anyway, soon leaning back and staring up at Jason, her eyes slightly vacant. "I've... I've not been out with a stallion in a long time. I'm afraid I might have gotten a little anxious when I thought you weren't going to show, and then you did arrive and you looked very dashing and... I'm sorry, I'm talking too much."

For the first time since they'd gotten there, she was actually making sense. "No, no, go on. I'm happy to listen."

"I just... you were so nice in the cafe yesterday, I found it hard to imagine that you could be real. So many stallions are... are nothing at all like you, but you're like a... a perfect enigma. I want to know more about you." She threw a hoof out, almost knocking a glass over in the process as she gestured to the table filled with empty drinks. "Not that I've really managed to make a dent in that, just made a fool of myself."

She had tears in her eyes. All of a sudden, Jason felt terrible. She'd let herself get this worked up over this date, something they'd both definitely been looking forward to, and he was sitting there wishing things had gone differently. Was it his fault for not getting rid of that Pinkie Pie? What was going to happen when she told Rarity about the stallion in the Everfree? She seemed like the type to blabber about absolutely everything.

"You know what, fuck it."

"Excuse me?" Rarity looked up, her eyes widened.

She seemed to have regained some of her lucidity, but Jason had a plan. If she was going to get drunk, he was going to match her, and they were having fun no matter what. He stood up, heading towards the bar, Rarity calling after him. "Where are you going? Have I scared you off?"

Jason walked over to where the three drinks from before sat, still unattended. "I'm catching up," he called, downing each one of them in succession and feeling the hit almost instantaneously.

It would take a little while for the alcohol to take effect, but that didn't mean he couldn't liven things up a little. "Come on, let's get out of here. If we're going to get shitfaced, we should do it somewhere we can dance. Know any good clubs?"

Suddenly, all remnants of sadness had vanished, and there was a joyous, hopeful glint in Rarity's eyes. "Hmm, I might know a couple..."

"You know, I don't think I've ever been kicked out of that many clubs in one night. That's a new personal record for me."

Rarity looked absolutely dead. They were on the train back from Canterlot, her dress was askew and her mane a mess, her eyes half-closed and her composure a distant memory. She giggled, even post-mortem. "I don't think I've ever been kicked out of a club... That was a first for me. I imagine they just couldn't handle our dance moves."

She was laying against his side. She was impossibly comfortable, and he couldn't help but love the contact. "You know, I wish I hadn't been such a stick in the mud earlier. I know this is pretty different to the Rarity I met yesterday, but I loved it all the same. You were really fun, y'know?" Jason stifled a belch, knowing it would be a mood killer. The room was pretty damn spinny right now, he wasn't looking forward to standing.

"And you were fun too, so fun I won't even regret the dreadful headache next morning..." Rarity moved to sit up, but promptly fell back into Jason's lap. "Well, maybe a little."

"I mean, hey, we both got fucked, but at least we did it together. I had a great time, thank you for it."

Rarity cuddled up closer to him, her fur soft against his. "Yes, we'll have to do it again soon, if you're available. Though maybe we'll pace ourselves a little more next time, I don't think my liver can handle this kind of treatment on a regular basis."

"And I think if we keep getting kicked out of clubs like that, we won't have anywhere else to go."

"Well, we'll just party at my place in future," Rarity winked, flashing Jason a grin. "Oh, gosh, that sounded dreadful, didn't it?"

"Just a little, but I might have to take you up on it." Jason's vision was a little blurry. Rarity registered as 'cuddly pony pillow' in his mind.

So he snuggled up to his pony pillow as they rode their way home.