Beach Bum

Spike looked at himself in the mirror, studying his visage closely. His green hair, instead of being unruly and spiky like usual, was laid back and tamed. He had combed his hair because he thought it necessary for his date tonight.

“Spike, what’s taking you so long in there? Fluttershy and I need to take showers too, y’know.”

Spike resisted an eye roll. Twilight could wait a little longer, after all she didn’t have a date. Then again, Twilight didn’t even know that Spike had a date. He had neglected to mention that, and for good reason. If he had told Twilight, she would be fussing about him looking his best and she wouldn’t allow him to do anything himself. “Yeah, hold on!”

Spike looked at himself again, studying the man in the mirror. Everything was almost ready, but something was still off. “It’s not right…” He mumbled incoherently, his eyes focusing on his hair. It didn’t look like his hair. He scooped up the comb again and spiked his hair to its natural state in less than a minute.

Spike then got dressed, putting on his jeans and black shirt. He hadn’t exactly packed fancy clothes for this trip, so he hoped Rarity could forgive him on that front. The black shirt, while stiflingly tight, was the closest thing he had packed to something ‘nice’. It was plain, bearing no symbols, words, or images of any kind.

He pushed open the door, only to be quickly pulled out of the bathroom by Fluttershy. Spike caught himself before he could topple over, but not before he abruptly hit the wall opposite the bathroom door.

Twilight scolded him as she helped Spike off the ground. “Serves you right, Mr. Vanity. Do you always have to spend so much time admiring yourself in the mirror?”

Spike laughed, maybe that was a bad habit of his, but it was justified this time. “Hey, when you look as good as I do, you just gotta slow down and admire sometimes.” He gave Twilight a cocky grin as he flexed. It elicited a laugh from her, which was all he needed. “Plus, I’m going to go out for a bit. I wanna look extra good.”

Twilight pursed her lips, leaning against the wall. “Going out? Aren’t we the busy bee...” She frowned at him. “Where? Are you going with anyone? What time are you going to be back?”

Spike put his hands up, palms facing Twilight. “Whoa, whoa... Calm down, ‘Mom’.” That earned him a proper scowl from Twilight. “I’m just going to walk around the town. It’s not like I’m going to get in trouble or anything.”

Twilight deadpanned, crossing her arms over her chest. “Spike, do you know who we are? We never mean to get into trouble. Trouble finds us.”

Spike rolled his eyes while trying to think of a way to get out of this situation without Twilight forcing her way onto the date. “Okay, I heard Rarity talking about how she wanted to go into town earlier. Would it make you feel better if I went with her?” It was actually a stroke of genius on Spike’s part, he had to admit. Now, no one would question them both being away at the same time.

Twilight relented at last, falling into a more relaxed pose. “Fine... Just text me every once in awhile to let me know you’re okay.”

Spike nodded as he gathered his wallet and phone and put them into their respective pockets. “You got it, Twilight!” He exited the hotel room. As soon as the door closed behind him, the young man visibly deflated. “For Celestia’s sake…”

Spike sighed and picked up his posture. Sure, he hated lying to Twilight but depending on how the date went, he wouldn’t have to lie much longer. He made his way over to Rarity and Rainbow’s room.

His hand hovered just above the door, poised to knock. He briefly marveled that this was actually happened to him. He was really going on a date with Rarity, barring any disasters. The door opened before he could knock, revealing Rainbow in her bikini and a small cooler in her hand. Spike jumped, surprised by her sudden appearance.

“Oh, hey… Spike.” Rainbow’s voice sounded raspy, and her eyes avoided his, glancing towards the floor beneath her bare feet. “You here for your date?”

Spike nodded, confused about Rainbow’s attitude. Compared to the dominating and confident monolith she had come off as yesterday, this was a very strange turn. “Just… go right in. She’s still getting ready… or whatever...” Just like that, Rainbow’s tone changed again. It was angry and frustrated. “If you need me, I’ll be at the beach.”

Without another word, Rainbow pushed her way passed Spike.

The young man looked over his shoulders at Rainbow as she disappeared down the corridor. Something seemed off about her mood. Had he done anything to upset her between now and yesterday? He couldn't think of anything in particular.

Then, Rarity’s voice chimed from inside the room. “Spiiiiike! Spike, is that you, darling?”

Spike’s thoughts left Rainbow Dash and returned to the task at hand, and he walked into the room. He took residence on the couch, propping his feet up on a nearby table. “Yeah, it’s me.”

He looked casually towards the bathroom door, putting his arm on the back of the couch. He was now truly relaxed, and it felt good. Hell, this whole night felt good. It was making butterflies rise in his stomach and his heart beat faster than ever before. But somehow, that all equated to relaxation to him. It was certainly a different kind of calm.

“I’ll be out in just a minute, Spikey. You just make yourself comfortable.”

He looked at his current status. “Take all the time you need, Rarity.” He was way passed comfortable at this point. After yesterday, nearly every worry he had about being around women had evaporated. *Thank you, Rainbow Dash…*

It was the least he could do.

The door to the bathroom opened, revealing Rarity wearing a tight black dress that hugged every curve. “A lady should never keep her date waiting.” The neckline cut deep, showing off a generous amount of her cleavage.

Spike quickly had to pick his jaw off of the floor and turn his gaze so Rarity wouldn't see him ogling her breasts. “I… I feel under-dressed, now.” He managed to get out with a chuckle. It was true, though. His pair of jeans and plain black shirt were about the best he had with him. It’s not like he had been expecting to go out on a date.

Rarity strode over to him expertly on heels, now towering over the sitting young man. “Oh, you look fantastic, Spikey. Not everyone can be as prepared as I am for such things.” Elegantly, she took a seat beside Spike and leaned against him. “Now, I got us reservations to a place a few blocks away. It’s a wonderful little restaurant a client of mine owns. I may have had to pull a few strings, but we'll have the whole place to ourself for the evening.”

Spike was amazed. “You didn’t have to go that far, Rarity.” He had to wonder how she had orchestrated the whole thing in less than twenty-four hours. That was a feat in and of itself.

Rarity retorted, waving the thought away. “Nonsense, Spike. I simply promised him a custom dress for his daughter’s prom and wedding. Think of it as taking out a line of credit, now I simply have to pay him at a later date for services rendered today. Simple.”

Spike shrugged, but it was still impressive to him. “Should we get going now?” He pulled his phone out of his pocket and looked at the time. “I’d hate to be late.”

He felt Rarity lean a little closer so she could look at his phone. The diva bobbed her head a little as she did the mental calculations. “We have about fifteen minutes before we absolutely have to leave.” Then, Rarity’s hand rested on his chest. “I suppose we can pass the time by talking a little...” Spike nodded in response. Her logic was sound enough, and since he was new to the dating scene, Spike decided to give her the control of the evening. “So tell me, how long have you had this little crush on me?”

He was afraid that was going to come up.

“Well…” The answer was more than a little embarrassing. “...since the first time I saw you.” He turned his head to hide the blush crossing his face. Rarity’s silence pressed him on. “Remember that first time Twilight and I walked into the town hall?” Rarity nodded her head. “It was right then. You were just the most beautiful person I had ever seen, more beautiful than Celestia herself. The more I was around you, the more I just sorta… fell in love... You’re always at your best, you’re generous, beautiful, and kind…” He paused, thinking for a second. “To me, you’re just perfect.”

What happened next, Spike couldn’t have predicted with even the most accurate bout of Pinkie sense.

Rarity leaned forward and pressed her lips against Spike’s. At the same time, she wrapped her arms around his back and pulled him closer without breaking the kiss. Full of shock and surprise, Spike fell onto his back with Rarity falling on top of him. Their lips parted before coming into contact again.

Rarity let out soft, muffled moans into Spike’s mouth as their lips parted again. Spike was surprised again when a foreign tongue slipped into his mouth, Rarity’s tongue. He was amazed a woman as elegant and classy as Rarity could kiss so messily. As the moans escalated, Spike felt his member hardening in his pants.

The more Rarity’s tongue danced around his own, the less empty space there was in his briefs. Spike was afraid he might burst just from the sloppy kiss. Luckily, Rarity pulled away just in time.

She was breathing heavily, and she wore a huge grin along her lips. “I… I'm glad I… saved the… the lip gloss for last… You're too kind, Spike, saying such… sweet things about me…” Spike was still dumbfounded. Never had he expected that to happen, not in a million years. “Now, I’m afraid I have to fix my hair again and put on the last of my makeup.” Rarity slid from on top of Spike, her hand lingering over the bulge in his pants for just a second. “Hmm… more than I expected… I’ll be right back, Spikey.”

Spike responded dreamily. “Yeah… alright…”

***

“Yeah… alright…” Rainbow grumbled as she took another swig of beer. Just give Spike to Rarity. Great job.” She eyed the bottle in her hand. “You saw what she was wearing… You know what’s going to happen tonight…” She was practically scolding herself at this point.

She couldn’t help herself. It was just so damn frustrating!

Her passion for Spike had just driven him away, right into the arms of Rarity! It was all her own fault. She had promised him that, and she had been the one to hand him over. If she was smart, she would’ve lied to Spike and said she asked Rarity and she rejected him. If she was smart, she would’ve come out and said she liked him rather than just blowing him on the beach. If she was smart, she wouldn’t be trying to get drunk off of cheap beer to drown her sadness.

Rainbow lamented as she took another drink from the bottle of Chris Daniel’s in her grasp. “At least I have you... I don’t think I can screw this relationship up. At least… I don't think I can…”

It was going to be a long night for Rainbow Dash.

***

Rarity let out a sweet giggle as she watched Spike look over the menu. Spike paid her no mind. Instead, he narrowed his gaze, trying to read the tiny print and determine what any of this stuff on the menu actually was. "The portions are too small. I can hardly see what they're trying to advertise." Spike’s complaints were warented, and he put the menu down in frustration. “Plus, I think half this stuff isn’t even in a real language.”

Rarity laughed and reached across the table, taking Spike's hand in her own. Spike reciprocated, gently squeezing Rarity’s delicate hand in his grasp. All of this still felt slightly unreal to him, like a good dream that was just waiting to turn sour at any moment.

"High class establishments like these pride themselves on style and appearance." Rarity explained, rubbing his fingers. "These meals are a sort of art, in their own way. I'm sorry you're disappointed, Spikey… I can make it up to you later tonight, if you'd like. There are other ways we could enjoy our evening together…"

Spike managed a grin and a blush. "No... It's fine, really. I'm just happy to be with you." While other activities Rarity meant might be more exciting, he felt that it might be rushing things a tad too fast. He at least wanted to take her out to dinner first. Then again, Rarity was actually taking him out to dinner.

Rarity beamed before taking a sip from her glass. It was a rich red wine, which Rarity seemed to enjoy. Silently, he lamented that his age restricted him from taking part in such things, well, legally at least. "Believe me, Spike, the feeling is most mutual. When Rainbow Dash told me about your feelings towards me, I could hardly contain myself." Rarity took another drink and stared at Spike dreamily. “It’s such a breath of fresh air to have a respectable man interested in me.”

Spike's heart slammed against his chest painfully.

The name Rarity had mentioned left a pit in his stomach. *Rainbow Dash...* The rainbow-haired woman had been on his mind when he wasn’t thinking about Rarity. Every thought stirred up mixed feelings and a sense of confusion. "What... did she say?" He began to sweat slightly. "About me, I mean."

Maybe if he could get some insight into what Dash said about him in private to someone else, it could relax him a bit. "Oh, nothing bad, my dear." Rarity continued, not noticing his change in behavior. "She spoke highly of you, as expected. Though, she did sound a little disappointed when she asked me to go on a date with you.” There was a hesitation. “You didn’t pressure her to do so, right?”

Spike thought about it for a second. “What? No, of course not.”

Why would Rainbow be disappointed?

*You're a great kid, Spike...* He heard her voice in his mind. He replayed the events from yesterday, keeping track of Rainbow’s mannerisms. Every time she mentioned Rarity there was a hesitation, there was always a visible change of emotion.

Time seemed to slow down.

Spike's eyes watched his water as a small drop trickled down the side. His eyes widened as realization hit him, as he spotted every one of Rainbow’s lies and hidden motivations.

"Spike... Are you alright, darling?"

He could see Dash, standing over him on the beach, the sun shining behind her beautiful, colorful hair. *Seriously, Spike, don't keep me waiting...* Then, he was in her room. She had him pinned against the door. *Damn it, Spike...* He could feel her lips against his as they shared their mouths, tongues, and saliva.

"Spike, you look troubled... Is something wrong?"

Spike jolted in his chair as he came back to reality. He was breathing heavily as sweat trickled down his cheeks. He was in shock, plain and simple.

How? How had he missed it?

How had he been so blinded just by promises of Rarity when Rainbow had been right in front of him? "Rainbow Dash..." He blinked once, then once more. "I've... I've got to go... I need to tell her something..."

Rarity pursed her lips and frowned. She reached across the table and grabbed Spike’s wrist as he started to get up. "Hold on, Spike..." There was an edge to the tone of her voice. "We are on a date. You cannot simply leave."

Spike saw a dangerous look on Rarity's face, and she did not look happy. He quickly retracted his hands and held them in his lap. He really, really did not want to do this. Hell, even if he was sane, he wouldn’t do this. "R-R-Rarity..." He stammered, trying to collect his thoughts and organize them. "I'm so, so sorry, but I have to. Rainbow Dash means the world me, and I care about her. You're great, Rarity, but... but… I’ve been so blind to her...”

That was the only explanation he could offer, it was the only one he had. The frown on Rarity's face dissipated, and her lips fell into a sad frown.

"You need to be with her..." Rarity’s lips curled into a snarl. “I should’ve guessed Rainbow would do this.” Rarity then sighed, her expression softening. “Very well, Spike… I suppose I cannot stop you.”

Spike looked at her with a confused expression. "You... aren't mad?"

"Oh no, I’m absolutely furious. I wasted a favor for nothing. Even worse, Rainbow Dash got to you first. Rainbow, of all girls…” Spike flinched at the words. He didn’t mean to make Rarity mad. “... but who am I to stop you from following your heart? You’re clearly in love, and believe me...” He saw her hands clench into fists. “You’re going to need all the love you can get...” Spike was incredibly lost, and he cocked his head. Rarity noticed his silly expression and cracked a sly grin. "Rainbow Dash is one of my closest friends. I knew she had feelings for you, at least a little bit. It was a little obvious when I heard her moaning your name yesterday while she was… taking care of herself.” He stood and grabbed her purse. “You best be on your way, Spike. Better not keep her waiting.”

Spike’s heart thundered in his chest as he stood up from the table. "Right... Uh... Again, I'm really sorry..." He couldn’t help but feel supremely bad about the whole situation. Not even he knew about his own feelings for Dash until just now. Not in a thousand years could he have planned this.

Rarity waved her hand dismissively while reaching into her purse with her free hand. She handed him a small bottle of cream-colored lotion. "You owe me, darling, and not just for the lotion. You owe me for the wasted dinner and for wasting my time. Just leave already, before I change my mind.” Each word stung like a sewing needing pricking his skin. "You'll find her on the beach I think...”

Spike looked the bottle over in his hand. “What's this for?”

Rarity sighed. “Just show it to Rainbow… She'll know what to do.”

Spike pocketed the lotion and gave Rarity a sad smile. "Thank you, Rarity... I'll never forget this… I’ll never forget you.”

Rarity smiled sweetly and raised her hand to caress Spike’s cheek. "Rainbow Dash is a lucky girl, to have a young man like you. Ah... Just make sure you two are finished before eleven o'clock. I’m going for a few drinks myself, now, and I'd rather not walk in on… whatever you two are doing...”

Spike wasn't sure what Rarity was talking about, but he didn't think twice about it. He turned and bolted out of the restaurant, heading to the beach as fast as his legs would take him. Rainbow Dash was waiting for him.

***

Rainbow Dash let out a pained groan as she threw her fifth bottle into the sand. This beer was not getting her nearly drunk enough to blur any of her emotions. All of the pain was still there, and it still hurt. "Spike..." She muttered to herself. "I'll bet he's having a great time with Rarity... He's probably feeling up her busty chest already, rubbing his cute face all over her cleavage... I wish I had boobs like hers..."

She was not sober enough to keep a consistent train of thought, however.

"Hmm…” She looked down her shirt at her own breasts. “Maybe I should get some work done on them. Guys like Spike seem to like bigger boobs anyway... Maybe that's it..." Insecurity wasn’t usually Dash’s style, but the last twenty-four hours had left her in a pretty rough state.

*No... Don't think like that. Spike's not yours. He's dating Rarity, now. He's... gone...* Then, the tears came. With her arms wrapped around her knees, Rainbow buried her face between her legs and began to sob. It came softly at first but quickly grew louder and more intense. The more she thought about her hopeless situation, the more she wanted to cry, and the more she cried, the more she longed for Spike.

It was a vicious cycle with no end in sight.

"Rainbow Dash?" A soft voice arose behind her. She quickly looked over her shoulder and narrowed her eyes at the figure illuminated by the distant city lights.

Rainbow clenched a fist and stood up, bringing a new beer along with her. "Spike…” She growled out, bearing her teeth in a beast-like snarl. “What are you doing here, huh? You’re supposed to be with Rarity.” After all of the things she had gone through to get Spike a date with Rarity and he wasn’t even on it!

Spike let out a long sigh and started walking towards her. Rainbow stood her ground, leveling a deadly glare at the approaching young man. “Rainbow, I just couldn’t do it…” His shoulders dropped and his stride stopped.

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. “Do what? Take my help? Was it not good enough for you?” Rainbow’s voice raised, escalating in volume and venom with every word. “Go figure, something Rainbow does isn’t good enough!”

Spike reached out and put a hand on Rainbow’s shoulder, which she promptly smacked away. “Don’t fucking touch me!”

“Rainbow-”

“You got what you wanted, Spike. You got your perfect girl. You got Rarity, so what the fuck do you want from me?” Rainbow felt a few tears streak down her cheeks. It made her even more angry that she was crying. Why was she being so weak now?

Spike cleared his throat softly, trying to offer a small smile. "Rarity isn't who I want to be with."

It dawned on Rainbow what he was insinuating, and she shook her head. “You don’t want me.” The anger in her voice was dropping to sadness. “You never have…”

Before Rainbow could react, Spike had closed the distance between them and had her in a deep embrace. “I do.”

That was all it took to break Rainbow. Her legs buckled before she wrapped her arms around Spike tightly and closed her eyes. She never wanted this moment to pass, it was like the universe had finally come together to make some sort of sense. She cried out, sobbing loudly into his neck.

Spike's heart pounded in his chest with such ferocity that it hurt. "Rainbow Dash..." He managed to speak as a huge smile formed along his lips as they pulled apart. "I don't know what to say... I really, really care about you, but... where do we even go from here?”

Rainbow Dash looked up and wiped the tears away. “I... I don’t know...” For what seemed like the first time, she had no plan. Spike was with her, and their future was ahead of them, open and uncertain. There was one thing that Rainbow did know, and that was she wasn’t going to push him away ever again.

Spike was hers.

"Should... we take this slow?" She looked into Spike’s eyes fully knowing that ‘slow’ was the exact opposite pace that this relationship had already taken. ‘Slower’ was the appropriate word, perhaps. It was happening. It was really happening.

Spike hesitated before nodding his head. "Yeah... Do you want to... start over? I mean, maybe it’s for the best.”

Rainbow couldn’t help but feel he was right, after all they had started off pretty strong. Maybe a reset would help the pace a little. "You mean... a fresh start?” Rainbow Dash cocked her head to the right.

He agreed, nodding his head. "Yeah, a fresh start."

Rainbow finally let go of Spike and dragged him over to her spot in the sand. They both sat down, their hands wonderfully intertwined. She wiped the last of her tears away and slipped back into ‘standard Rainbow.’ "Since we've already fucked, you need to take me to dinner sometime, someplace nice." She jabbed her elbow into his side.

Spike laughed, but an awkward silence followed. Tension still hung in the air between them, the oppressive and obvious question just hanging there.

Rainbow figured she might as well ask it. "So... Is Rarity really cool with this?"

Spike rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. "Not really...She seemed really upset about the whole thing, but I think she understood.”

That was another thing Rainbow had to look forward to, an angry Rarity to combat later. The battle for Spike was not yet over.

Dash decided she needed a drink, and took another swig of her beer. Seeing Spike eye her out of the corner of her eye, she held out the bottle to him. "Want one? I've got plenty.”

"I'm not old enough to drink." Spike reminded her of his young age. "I'm still nineteen, remember?"

That marked off a lot of activities that Rainbow wanted to do with Spike. Well, she couldn’t do them with him legally, at least. "Right... I'd hate to get my new boyfriend in trouble with the GCPD."

Rainbow laughed at her own joke, poking Spike playfully in the ribs with her elbow. She only received a weird look in response

He cocked an eyebrow in her direction. "'Boyfriend'?"

A silly grin crossing her face, and she leaned in close to Spike, planting a soft kiss on his cheek. "Yeah... We're taking it 'slow', right?" An awkward chuckle followed. “Um... Want to go inside, stud? We can find something good to watch tonight."

Spike reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bottle of lotion.

Dash recognized it as one of the many that Rarity kept with her. More importantly, she thought of its many uses.

He held up the bottle for Rainbow Dash to see. "Actually... I have a better idea..."

Silence hung in the space between them. Then, Rainbow Dash's face broke into a wide grin.

***Up Next: Hard To Reach***