At this point, Fluttershy felt exceptionally jumpy, past normal-Fluttershy levels. Every friendly 'Hey, Fluttershy!' became a less-than-friendly 'I know your secret'. She would have wondered why the paranoia was even still there, since now that - well, now that they definitely had to come out, it was useless. But that was why she was on the way to the library.

Since Twilight had 'caught' her and Rarity that day a week or so ago, they hadn't spoken at all. It was a combination of a lack of opportunity to speak and one or two counts of avoidance. Twilight was on the other side of the street at Fluttershy was shopping for animal supplies? Duck into the nearest shop and hope she didn't see. That kind of thing. But now that - well, now that they definitely had to come out, she needed to get as much advice as possible. There was still some fear that she couldn't really explain weighing heavily on her, but she knew Rarity felt the same. For the first time, Fluttershy needed help.

She tried to outline these points, tried to convince herself that she was right, as she walked up to the heavy library door. Wait, it's almost lunchtime. Twilight's probably out right now. I'm just wasting my time. She rocked back and forth on her hooves for a minute or two and flipped her mane out of nervous habit before peering into the small window next to the door. There was Twilight, sitting and reading, as per usual.

Fluttershy sighed. With a nervous hoof, she reached up and tapped lightly on the door, before turning away and sighing quickly again. However, she heard the faint whisper of magic near the door, and turned her head back to see a faint pink dot trace cursive into the air in front of her.

This is a PUBLIC library, you know.

At this, the cursive cut itself off (with a flourish that vaguely resembled a smiling cartoonish representation of Twilight) and fizzled out. The words, in glittering pink, remained in midair for a few seconds before fizzling away in turn. Fluttershy bit her lip anxiously and pushed the door open with a hoof. She was greeted with a still-smiling Twilight, who had remained in her reading hair behind the librarian's desk and whose horn's glow was starting to fade out. "Hey, Shy."

"Um, hi," she murmured, trying not to look directly at her. Ask now, or later? Now or later? Decide. Fluttershy shook her head lightly and scampered off to a section back in the library, pretending to be trying to find something to read.

She couldn't even focus on the book titles, so she just grabbed one off the shelf and popped it open, sitting back in one of the numerous other reading chairs that were spread around the library. She's right there. Wondering about you. Wondering why you're here, part of her mind was saying almost tauntingly.

"Hey, Shy?"

Fluttershy must have jumped an excess of three inches. She gasped loudly, and tossed the book into the air accidentally, trying momentarily to catch it in the air before a warm pink glow surrounded it and set it gently back down on the shelf. Twilight smiled kindly and leaned on the arm of the chair. "Shy, are you... alright?"

"Y - well -"

"Be honest."

Fluttershy sighed. "Well... I was just... um, h-how did you know?"

"Know what?"

"That I have a, um, a bit of a p-problem?"

"This is the sports section."

Fluttershy looked up and around at the various bookshelves, her mind picking out titles like '6050 World Records' and 'The Forty Miles: A Racing Story'. She sighed. "Alright." Pausing, she looked over to Twilight, her face still hidden behind her mane a bit. "I came here to ask you something."

"Shoot."

"W-well, don't tell Rarity I was here, okay? You're the only one who knows so far, and - well - it's kind of a complicated question."

Twilight shook her head, a small grin still on her face. "Come on, Shy, it's okay. I won't tell anypony."

With a short sigh, Fluttershy looked back down. "I need to know... why I'm scared."

When there was no reply, Fluttershy looked back over at Twilight, before shaking her head and beginning again. "I-I'm sorry. Look, we didn't tell anypony about us for... for so long because I was scared. Rarity would tell you something else, but it's true, it was me. I don't know what the problem is. I - I can't go to anypony else, because y-you're the only one who knows, and - and even then I don't really want you to, either, but..." she trailed off, putting a hoof to her forehead. "I just need help."

"Well," Twilight began carefully, "don't you think you should see somepony else? Somepony more qualified to -"

"It - it's not something that I want to, you know, talk about. I just... don't want anypony to know about us. At all."

Twilight thought for a moment. "Do you think you're afraid of rejection?"

"That's another thing. That's what I've been blaming it on for all these years, but I don't think it's that simple anymore." Her voice began to weaken as she felt a burst of heat run through her body from hoof to head. "I... don't really want to talk about it anymore. I'm sorry for, um, wasting your time," she said quickly, trying to leave the seat (whose material had quite a firm grasp on her at this point).

"No, no, Shy," Twilight responded, putting her hoof over her friend's. "It's perfectly okay. I'm still your friend, and I want to make sure you're okay. So, do you want to... come out?"

Shy paused again, bright memories returning to her and a fleeting smile crossing her face. Then she remembered Twilight was nearby and pushed them from her mind. "I don't want to, but I think I might have to." She inhaled and steeled herself, finally deciding to come out with it. "... We... we're getting married."

There was no sound for a moment, and Shy glanced quickly over at Twilight, who showed no sign of reaction. "Um... Twilight?"

"I have no idea what to say," Twilight replied finally. "I would be really, really happy for you both, but I didn't know until, literally, a week or so ago. To me, this seems extremely fast. So much change in such little time."

"But how do I do it?"

"What?"

"I mean, how do I stand in front of all these ponies and... g-get married? I - I can't even -" she stopped, putting a hoof to her forehead again. "I'm getting a bit lightheaded," she added weakly.

Twilight grabbed her shoulder. "It's okay , Shy. Calm down. We can figure something out. Maybe postpone the wedding for a - wow, 'wedding' sounds weird to say, considering it's between you and Rarity... I just realized exactly how deep this whole thing is. A-anyway, um, maybe postpone it for a few months so you can get your hooves on the ground and tell ponies? ... Have you told your parents yet?"

Fluttershy shook her head slowly.

"Fluttershy."

"I know."

"Three years, and not even telling your parents? What do -"

"I - I know. That's why I need your help. Please."

Twilight looked at her again and sighed. "I'll definitely help you if you need it. What do you, um, think the problem is?"

Fluttershy shook her head again. "I don't know."

"You're not really giving me very much to work with."

"I'm trying, but I can't figure it out. I just don't want ponies to know."

Twilight shook her head. She stood to her hooves and paced a bit, pawing a bit at the ground in thought. "Have you asked Rarity, maybe, what it is?"

A quiet sigh. "I don't think she knows either. I'm not even sure if it's the same reason for her that it is for me. I... um, I don't want anypony to think about us... together, you know? I don't like thinking about the fact that anypony else knows." She bit her lip, feeling another rush of embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I don't..." she trailed off into silence.

"... Is it because it's special?"

Fluttershy thought for a moment. "Because it's... special?"

"Yeah. You and her are special. You're in a special relationship and you don't want ponies to, you know, know about it because of their reactions." She paused. "No, maybe because you don't think they understand."

"N-no, I'm okay with the reactions at this point. But... yes, we're special together. Before Rarity, I didn't put my heart wholly into anything. I tried, but I couldn't. And Rarity - and Rarity and I, when we developed, I put my whole heart into it. I mean, I don't think I could stop if someone forced me. We're too connected. She and I, when we're together, we never think about anything else. We're just entirely, just, like, love, and that's wh-" she stopped herself short, blushing heavily and turning away. "...It's special."

"I got it. You don't want other ponies to think about it."

"I... don't understand."

Twilight smiled, a bit of her classic nerdy flare returning. "It's simple. Because you and her have such a strong bond, you don't like somepony else thinking about the both of you and 'sharing' the love; to a degree, it's as though it would make the relationship as common as any other relationship when it is, in fact, above all the rest to you."

"That..."

"Watch. I'm now thinking about you two together under the tree that one day."

"Please don't."

"What were you, planning a kind of romantic picnic looking over the fields and -"

"That word isn't the best adjective for what it was -"

"- and after you were done, maybe, you wanted to cuddle or something -"

"- it wasn't exactly like -"

"- and maybe things got a bit too heated -"

"Stop!" Fluttershy cried, putting a hoof firmly over her friend's muzzle. "Just... stop, please," she continued, her voice reverting to normal. She looked up and saw Twilight's eyes glinting gleefully, with obvious 'see-I-did-it' body language. At this, she felt a tingle run through her spine. Was that it? Did she really solve the problem that quickly - the problem they'd been having for years? "... I got it. But what do I do about it?"

"I dunno," Twilight replied, pushing Fluttershy's hoof off her face. "Maybe walk around in public for a bit, see how it works, and, like, try to be accustomed to showing your relationship to others?"

Fluttershy looked away, before looking back with a growing grin on her face. "I don't... y-you're a genius."

"Maybe a bit."

She pulled back. "No, but that makes so much sense. So much sense, and you didn't even n-need to try." She felt a burning behind her eyes. "I - I - three years we've been hiding it b-because we d-didn't know what would happen if we didn't hide it. Mayhe it took another voice. We were scared, and - and -" She felt the first of many tears falling down her face. "Th-thank you so much. Wh-why was that so simple? Why was that so easy for you? Why couldn't we have done this years ago, Twilight?" she asked, leaning forwards and burying her muzzle into her friend's shoulder as wave upon wave of joy washed over her. "Thank you. Thank you so much, Twilight."

"As long as I'm invited to the reception."

At this, Fluttershy began to laugh.

~~~~~(Back At The Boutique)~~~~~

Rarity sat at the huge walnut writing-desk with the special classical carvings on the side that she tended to do most of her sketchwork on, working slowly over a small accessory set that was due in a few months for some highbrow in Canterlot. The shades of blue had to be manipulated, re-manipulated, un-manipulated, and then manipulated again before Rarity was comfortable with it - and that was just the fabric. However, her magical grasp on the pencil sputtered when she completed a small shape in the center of the scarf - a dove.

A wave of thoughts she'd tried to block out for work time came rushing back to her. She sighed, resting her head in her hooves. How are we going to do this? I'd always thought the doves was a good idea - Fluttershy and animals and all. And maybe to go along with that, there can be a sort of natural theme to the whole - back to business, Rarity.

But isn't the wedding - your wedding - much more important? she asked herself, twiddling with the pencil and spinning it once or twice in the air. But we can postpone it. For a few months. Or so.

She but her lip in frustration at herself. No. You can't do that to her. Engagement is a promise. How dare you let some stupid fear get in the way. It's been three years - how have you not grown the courage?

Her mind paused, as though to let her digest it. What if I caused it?

Just for a moment, her blood froze. "No," she said out loud, trying to assure herself. "She..." she trailed off. You mentioned it, right after the first incident years ago. She probably just followed along, like a mindless servant because she just bucking loves you too much and you can't manage that

"No," she said again, more of a whisper to herself. It was true, though. She'd seen the way Fluttershy looked at her. She truly adored her. And although Rarity loved her back, entirely, to the point of willing to give up her life for her, there just didn't seem to be an equilibrium. And she hated herself for it.

As if on cue, the front door opened with its signature G# creak, and Rarity turned almost wearily to the entrance to the sunroom. Even as Fluttershy's excited face turned the corner, she couldn't help but marinate in her own stupid thoughts.

"Rarity!" Fluttershy cried, rushing forwards and tackling her marefriend (in an oddly gentle Fluttershy-like manner). Rarity couldn't stop herself from giggling, and when she felt her favourite pair of hooves wrap around her, she couldn't help but hug back.

"Wh-what's the occasion, darling?" Rarity asked, grinning.

"I - I just -" she paused. "Well, I, um, went to the library to talk to Twilight."

Rarity looked up at her, shocked. "Really? I honestly thought you were avoiding her."

A light pink faded into view on Fluttershy's cheeks, and she looked away. "Well, I... kinda was, but I just..." she trailed off. "We're getting married."

Rarity felt an odd mixture of emotions rush through her as her conversation with herself came back to her but the idea of a wedding sparked her attention as well. "Yes," she replied, giggling and lightly touching muzzles with her marefriend, who just smiled wider.

"And, well, I was thinking about it and realized that... there's no way I would have the courage to stand up in front of so many ponies, even just, like, one or two, and, well, get married. It just... bugged me," she finished quietly, pulling away and dropping to the ground. "I don't mean I'm not happy to, or absolutely dying of excitement, but, um, it just scares me. A lot."

Rarity looked down, as well. "...I know the feeling."

"So I went to see Twilight, because, you know, she's the only -"

"Heh. I remember."

"Yeah. So, I told her, and explained things, and she, I think, answered the problem we've been having for so long." She paused and reached a hoof up to rub her eye. "Rarity, it's finished. I'm n-not afraid anymore. I know why I was afraid, and n-now that I know, I just c-can't be afraid anymore," she said in a bit of a choked staccato, leaning forwards and holding her marefriend tighter.

"Wh- well, what is it?" Rarity asked, giggling again. When there was no reply, Rarity simply smiled and held her marefriend's head closer to her chest. "... I love you, Shy. So, so much," she added quietly.

"It's special," Fluttershy murmured as she went back in, moving to Rarity's lips and touching her cheek gently with a hoof. "I - I'm sorry, I can't right now," she muttered, "about the - the fear and stuff..."

"T-take your time, Shy, I -" she was interrupted by another gentle kiss "- I have a while."

~~~~~(About Nine Minutes Later)~~~~~

The generous levels of 'the usual' had eventually slowed to a cuddle, and Rarity was lying beneath her marefriend, her hoof wrapped around her back still, and quiet conversation speckled with laughter had filled the room.

"I was wondering, when we get married, do you think things'll stay like this forever?"

Rarity smiled, and kissed the bridge of her muzzle. "I think it will. Probably even more often. ... You do know that I love you."

"Of course. And I love you, too," Fluttershy replied quietly. "And I always will."

Rarity felt her stomach clench as she glanced down at her marefriend, a perfectly content smile across her face. She couldn't take it anymore. She just had to say what kept torturing her mentally. "Fluttershy, why are you so... why do you... why are you so in love with me?"

Fluttershy looked up. "... You should know by now," she replied, smiling broadly.

Rarity shook her head and put her other hoof around Fluttershy as well. "I - I just - I see the way you look at me and wonder whether I'll see be able to do that. I love you with everything I can, and I really, really mean that, but... I just feel so... inadequate."

Hearing nothing, she continued, holding her marefriend tighter. "Everything I see in your eyes is... beyond normal. You're a part of me, Shy, and I shouldn't be so imbalanced like this. I want to... love you more."

Fluttershy looked worried for a moment, before a grin crossed her face once more. "You proposed," she said quietly. "I didn't have the courage to. Even after all this time."

Rarity felt a tingling behind her eyes, and shook her head again. "... Thanks, Shy. You always know what to say," she replied, leaning in for one more kiss.

There was a moment of silence, broken by Fluttershy's giggle. "Have you ever noticed exactly how mushy we can be?"

"I love it."

Author's Note

I hope to God this is satisfactory for how late it is. I'm really fuckin' sorry. *sobs in da corner*
I have another chapter half-written. It has both couples. Just don't hurt me. I'm not cut out for an audience.